Pinot Noir

In ascending order of price, some recent Pinot Noirs with tasting notes from a Collier's Pinot Noir event below.



Meridian Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
Santa Barbara County, California - $10
Buy several for the excellent value. Our house or party Pinot Noir. Clean berry, a little earth, vanilla. Floral aromas come out with food. Smoke. Flavors of blackberry, plum, interesting mocha with light spice. Light tannins & body. Smoky plum. Bitter finish. Better with food. Character comes out and forms a great complement. 3/5


Concannon Central Coast Pinot Noir Limited Release 2006
Central Coast, California - $15
Good earthiness with smoky sour cherry aromas and flavors. Soft. Not as complex as I'd expected or hoped for.

Erath Pinot Noir 2007
Willamette Valley, Oregon - $18
WS top value for 2008. Shows real class for moderate price. Light dusty rose color. Aromas of sour cherry, hay/straw, earthiness, light floral (rose). Light, but firm tannins. Light body. Flavors of light berry and red delicious apple peel opens to sour cherry and light spice in back of mouth. Elegant. Fruit flavors come out with food. Prefer more dynamic style, but a good summer wine. 3.5/5

Wild Horse Pinot Noir 2006
Central Coast, California - $20
Aromas of soft leather, slight barnyard, violets, red jammy berries & cherry. Soft tannins, low acid. Flavors of sweet red berry with woody aftertaste. Smooth finish. Average wine, not considered great value at price point. Lacks complexity of better Pinots. 3.5/5

Alamos Seleccion Pinot Noir 2006
Mendoza, Argentina
Aromas of sour cherry, red fruit, earthy, light barnyard & florals. Still tight. Dark, deep tannic berry flavors; earthy. Soft but steady tannins, cocoa bitterness. Not intense. Long finish, reserved & elegant. A better Pinot than most, especially if price is low. Lacks flavor alone; better with food when floral and spice notes come out. No strong faults. Less exciting than I prefer. 4/5

The following wines were tasted at Collier's on 4/15/08
Alfred Roco Pinot Noir 2006
Argentina - $12
Really liked. Spicy nose; great mouth feel - lush & soft. Spices in back of mouth almost like Zinfandel. Heavier weight than Cono Sur's Pinot Noir. Medium dark red color.

Picardy Pinot Noir 2004
Australia - $25
Aromas of barnyard, wet straw (interesting & intense), burning matches & smoke. Light body. Smooth on palate with some tannins. Berries come out with food. Style is truer to Burgundian wines.

Wild Hog Sara Lee's Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006
RRV, California - $32
Fruity & floral nose knock-out. Sweet aromas open up into herbal notes of menthol/mint. Anise & Spike spice rub aroma. More flavors of blueberry with side of the tongue spice with an overall heat. Not as smooth as previous wines and a thinner mouthfeel. Nose more interesting than flavors.

Stoller Dundee Hills JV Pinot Noir 2006
Dundee Hills, Oregon - $25
Light barnyard; light and elegant nose. Earthy, strawberry sweetness on palate. Most Burgundian of the tasting. Smoky, smooth, long finish. Rated 90 pts in WS. From the winemaker: Juicy raspberry, green tea & earth mingle enticingly.

Highfield Pinot Noir 2005
Wairau Valley, New Zealand - $32
Love it. Nose reminds me of Gary Farrell's Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs. Jam, smoke and spice on palate; fresh ripe fruit with an edge. Smooth, lush and sophisticated.

Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir 2006
South Africa - $33
Earthy aromas with accompanying sour barnyard and peat. Cheese brings out fruit; wine is great with food. Meaty, bacon fat aroma and flavor. Age up to 5 yrs.

White wines for Mexican food

Encostas do Lima Vinho Verde 2008
Lima, Portugal - $11
Light, herbal, crisp aromas dominated by lime and lemon. Light body with effervescence. Crisp lemon-lime and green apple flavors. Good acidity. Not fruity or floral - a pure, clean wine that doesn't overpower the food. Normally, I would drink this wine in the heat of summer with salad or seafood.

More info on this wine can be foundhere, on the importer's website.


Moulin de Gassac Guilhem 2006
Languedoc, France - $10
Vin de pays (table wine) with Sauvignon Blanc, Clairette and Grenache Blanc grapes. Producer is Moulin de Gassac; Guilhem is their name for the blended wine. Strong floral notes with slight petrol nose. Flavors are marked by minerality and lemon juice with balanced acidity. Much more floral and fruity than the Vinho Verde. Not my preference for chicken/shrimp tacos but enjoyed the petrol and minerality components.

Sauternes

Sauternes is an intensely sweet, white dessert wine from the Graves region of Bordeaux, France. The primary grapes are semillon, sauvignon blanc & muscadelle. Thanks to a fungus called botrytis cinera, which removes the moisture and leaves a shriveled raisin-like fruit, the sugars are concentrated and sweetness approaches dessert wine levels. Because there is less juice to start with, more grapes must be used. This and several other factors (hand picked bunches, fermentation in smaller oak barrels) increase the cost of this unique wine.

Chateau Y'Quem is the pinnacle of Sauternes. I consider myself fortunate have enjoyed this prohibitively expensive wine... However, it was decidedly not an ideal introduction to Sauternes. I've set the bar too high.

Chateau Belingard Sauternes
France - $11
Amazing flavor and richness for price point. Pineapple flavors and aromas. The little wine that could. Good value dessert wine. Obscure enough for most people not to bother with detecting the nuances between a $11 and $40 bottle. Most are just happy to have something deliciously different. 3.5/5


Chateau Guiraud Sauternes 2006
France - $30
Aromas of honey and tropical fruit, most notably pineapple. Honey, walnut and pineapple flavors emerge under a silky smooth and clean body with extended finish. First-cru Sauternes. Cleaner, purer, and more complex than the less expensive Chateau Belingard - no surprise. Not sure if it's worth the additional money, especially if consumed after a long night of wine drinking. A raft-up wine from 2008. Previous vintages have received a 92 rating from WS. 4/5

Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes 2004
France - $40
Another first-cru Sauternes. A raft-up wine from a mystery year, but we loved it. Rated 88 points in WS, 95 by WE. 4/5

Mmmm... Malbec

Originally from France, the Malbec grape has lived with an unfortunate reputation for being difficult to grow and mature. The varietal's true potential has finally been realized in Argentina. It has flourished in this sunny, warm country whereas it floundered in the cooler, rainy climate of Bordeaux. Primarily a blending grape in French Bordeaux, Malbec was rarely given the spotlight or even used as a single varietal wine. The wine is typically rich, plush and full of dark, juicy fruit. Argentinian expressions of the grape are less tannic than Bordeaux blends. (Chile has tried its hand at Malbec, producing a more tannic wine that approaches the French style.) The Mendoza region, as you'll read below, is the largest producer of Malbec in Argentina.

Mendoza Station Malbec 2008
Mendoza, Argentina - $6
Aromas of plum and rosemary; Lush and fruit-driven. Finely grained tannins. Stewed red fruits, smoke, plum, sour cherry, mocha or dark chocolate. Not overly sweet or syrupy. Needs time to open up, better on second day. Pair with red meat (lamb), grilled chicken or spicy Asian food. For the price, a surprisingly balanced and drinkable wine. 3/5

Bodega Norton Mendoza Malbec
Mendoza, Argentina - $8
Buy again, but too tannic initially - decant. Popular at party.

Altos Las Hormigas Malbec
Mendoza, Argentina - $9
Loved it; better than the Norton. Plum, black currant, raspberry aromas & flavors.

Phebus Malbec
Mendoza, Argentina - $9
Classic fallback. Have gotten out of habit drinking it to explore more Malbecs. Jammy raspberry and plum; clean flavors. Well-rounded, modern style. Finishes with a firm, yet juicy grip.

Kaiken Malbec 2006
Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina - $11
Great buy. Lots of flavor: brambly fruit, cocoa and plum. Enjoyed this one so much last year that I was spurred to purchase the '07 recently.


Maipe Malbec 2008
Mendoza, Argentina - $12
Smoky and earthy; brambly blackberry and raspberry. Lovely aroma. Blackberry is very strong. Flavors of spicy vanilla opens to brambly, bold berry with long balanced finish. Smooth, pleasant tannins. Mocha flavor lingers on finish. Deep purple color. An excellent value for the complexity and flavors this wine delivers. Good gift wine for nice label and flavor. 4/5


Kaiken Malbec 2007
Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina - $14
Smoky and juicy red fruit with cherry notes at the end. Balanced, smooth, and fruit forward. Vanilla and spice come out after it opens up. Dense. Enjoyed it as much as the 2006.

Achaval Ferrer Malbec 2007
Mendoza, Argentina - $15
Aromas of black pepper, tar; spicy and dark. Blackberry. Strong aroma. Flavors of blackberry, currant, slight bitter finish (pill-like). Well balanced but becomes more bitter as it opens up on second day. Bitterness ruined what started off as a strong wine. Better with food, bitterness subsides. Lots of complex flavors, good value. Not sure if I'll buy again because of the bitterness.

Paul Hobbs El Felino Malbec 2005
Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina - $20
A favorite on the higher end of casual. Juicy, rich dark fruit shows blueberry, raspberry, plum & black cherry. Layered with sweet spice & licorice. Long finish. Rated 88 points in WS.

Also check out the Luigi Bosca 2005 Malbec and Gouguenheim 2007 Malbec in previous posts.

Unusual Whites

Martin Codax Albarino
Spain -
The albarino grape is light bodied with high acidity and features aromatics on par with Viognier and Gerwurztraminer. This wine had lemon juice & lime aromas. Flavors begin with fresh grass and lemongrass and close with a long, lingering citrus finish. Clean and crisp. Great with sushi. 3.5/5


Vitiano Falesco Verdicchio Vermentino 2008
Umbria, Italy - $11
Grape varietals verdicchio (high acid, grassy) and vermentino (crisp acidity, minerality, low alcohol, good richness). Green apple, lime, herb and floral aromas. Fresh, crisp & vibrant wine. Lots of Pinot Grigio flavors. Green apple and peach flavors follow sparkling acidity. Light golden color. Pairs well with salads. 3/5

Riondo Rose Prosecco

Riondo Pink Prosecco Raboso
Veneto, Italy - $14
Soft pink color with light body, this sparkling wine starts off with berry aromas that lead to soft, delicate flavors of melon and berry. A well-balanced, dry and smooth wine that pairs well with grilled veggies and pasta salad. A lovely summer sparkler gets points for being different (pink) but still a basic prosecco. I still like the original Riondo prosecco much better with its strong note of green apple. 3.5/5

Sauvignon Blanc Round-up

This list is an assortment of the Sauvignon Blanc wines I've sampled over the past few months. It's one of my favorite white varietals, simply because it is so food friendly. I have listed the wines with the higher rated ones at the top. The two at the bottom without ratings fall in the middle of the pack, but weren't assigned a value since they were consumed before I started to rate the wines.

Root1 Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Colchagua, Chile - $9
Aromas of zesty citrus fruit: lemon, grapefruit, grassy, clean and fresh. Sparkling acidity. Flavors of lemon & grapefruit. Really interesting as it finishes. Pineapple at end. Grassy. Pairs well with scallops and avocado. Bright & lively citrus flavors & aromas. Strong acidity without food. 4.5/5

Mahi Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Marlborough, New Zealand - $17
Part 1 of a Sauvignon Blanc flight at Domaine Hudson. Very lush aromas & exotic tropical flavors. Impressive, strong aroma. Juicy vibrant palate with mouth-watering acidity. Better alone; food brings out more acidity and slight bitter finish. Would buy again. Initially overshadowed other wines in flight from CA & France. Delight for the senses. 4.5/5


Bogle Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Clarksburg, California - $9
Green apple and floral aromas dominate followed by grapefruit, grassy and light vanilla notes. Pale gold color. Surprising body with acidic citrus with pear and apple on the mid-palate. A little bitey. Balanced with a long finish. The 2006 vintage was rated 86 points by WS. Lovely nose with balanced palate of citrus, sparkling acidity and green tree fruits. Great value and easy to pair with summer food. 4/5

Ricard "Le Petiot" Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Loire Valley, France
Part 2 of a Sauvignon Blanc flight at Domaine Hudson. Light nose dominated by mineral & wet stone. Restrained, sophisticated wine; light body but plush. Good acidity, doesn't overpower. Deeper yellow color. Complex aromas & flavors. Flavors sweeten as wine opens and is paired with food. Very long enjoyable finish. 4/5

Carl Roy Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Napa Valley, California - $14
Part 3 of a Sauvignon Blanc flight at Domaine Hudson. Lots of oak on nose (vanilla & cooking spices) compared to New Zealand and French companions in flight. Pineapple and other lush tropical flavors as it opens up. Balanced acidity, light body and light yellow color. 4/5

Sterling Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Napa County, California
Aromas of rich florals, lemon and a hint of melon. Crisp citrus and round fruit flavors. Lime and lemon with pleasant acidity. Not bitey. Melon flavors come out as wine opens. Paired it with Asian marinated beef and rice. Would go really well with sushi. 3.5/5

Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc
Sonoma Co, California - $12
A Marc freebie; zingy & citrusy. Grapefruit, grass, refreshing and crisp. For the price, a good value party wine.

Domaine Bellevue Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Loire Valley, France
A Marc freebie, very minerally, light & refreshing. Oysters would be an ideal pairing. Would like to find this again or a similar expression as the minerality was unusual.