Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France
59 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot, 10 % Cabernet Franc, 1 % Petit Verdot
14 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-08-25, 2015-08-26 & 2015-08-27
Imperviously dark cherry red. Directly after opening some sauerkraut notes which evaporate quickly. Then sour cherries. Or better dark choccolate filled with sour cherries. On the palate tart, some bitter notes. These are not the tannins. Something different I can't recognize. Perhaps resin? Mmh. Let's wait.
The next day. Very closed, slightly resinous aromas with the sour cherries more in the background. Earthy. The taste is now more fruity but still with the resins lying somewhere under the carpet. Never tasted something like this. Mmh. Let's wait. Again.
The third day. The big surprise. Now totally balanced aromas. Sour cherries, black chocolate, a little bit chili and black tea. I would say "warm smell" - if anyone understands what I mean. Extremely fruity, full bodied with a lot of spices far at the end of the very long finish. Crazy, really crazy.
This second wine of the Château Smith Haut Lafitte is not an easy drinking wine. You can drink it now and it will provide a lot of fun - after minimum eight hours decanting. Then this is the wine for Christmas Eve when all visitors have left. Sit down in your arm chair, pick up the bottle you decanted hours before and hid. Raise your glass and say: "Merry Christmas" - and this is the truth.
Food pairing? Difficult. I would simply enjoy one or two pieces of medium-dark chocolate. As I said after hours of decanting you can drink the Le Petit. You can also wait another five years. Less decanting, but the style will not change I could bet.
Tuesday, August 25. 2015
2012 Roc De Cambes (94/100)
Côtes De Bourg, Bordeaux, France
80 % Merlot, 20 % Cabernet Sauvignon
14 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-08-23, 2015-08-24 & 2015-08-25
Medium deep cherry red. At the beginning some vegetable notes. Needs lot of air. Then the nose - slowly - transfers to perfume and flower notes. Finally the fruit aromas arise. Blackberries, cherries falling down from the trees to the meadows, a little bit of smoked ham. Animalistic and wild. Totally contrary on the palate. By far not as aggressive as induced by the smell. Charming, harmonic, with present but wonderfully integrated tannins. Opulent with very long finish and very, very sexy. Already well drinkable - after minimum one hour decanting.
The next (two) days. Aromas now have changing completely. Vegatable aromas totally gone. Only black fruits paired with a little bit of licorice and cold cigar smoke. Pure eroticism. And on the palate? Mercilessly velvety and never ending. Thanks, MH, to recommend this wonderful beauty. So my recommendation with one hour decanting was wrong. Four hours minimum at the moment. But with this constraint the wine provides infinite joy already now and for the next three years. After that changing but on high level. Total lifetime? 15 years minimum. Wine food pairing? Beef Stroganoff! A dream!
80 % Merlot, 20 % Cabernet Sauvignon
14 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-08-23, 2015-08-24 & 2015-08-25
Medium deep cherry red. At the beginning some vegetable notes. Needs lot of air. Then the nose - slowly - transfers to perfume and flower notes. Finally the fruit aromas arise. Blackberries, cherries falling down from the trees to the meadows, a little bit of smoked ham. Animalistic and wild. Totally contrary on the palate. By far not as aggressive as induced by the smell. Charming, harmonic, with present but wonderfully integrated tannins. Opulent with very long finish and very, very sexy. Already well drinkable - after minimum one hour decanting.
The next (two) days. Aromas now have changing completely. Vegatable aromas totally gone. Only black fruits paired with a little bit of licorice and cold cigar smoke. Pure eroticism. And on the palate? Mercilessly velvety and never ending. Thanks, MH, to recommend this wonderful beauty. So my recommendation with one hour decanting was wrong. Four hours minimum at the moment. But with this constraint the wine provides infinite joy already now and for the next three years. After that changing but on high level. Total lifetime? 15 years minimum. Wine food pairing? Beef Stroganoff! A dream!
Saturday, August 22. 2015
2012 Les Hauts De Pontet-Canet (92/100)
Vin De France
14.0 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-08-20 & 2015-08-21
Deep dark and bright cherry red. Extreme black cherry aromas paired with a touch of licorice and very dark rose petals. In addition a fleshy note which adds to this decadent (in positive sense) smell an animalistic character. On the palate an insane blackberry flash with a terrific smooth and long finish. That's brave, crazy and awesome.
The "Les Hauts De Pontet-Canet" is the second wine of the Pauillac winery Château Pontet-Canet. For the AOC Pauillac an independent company named "Qualisud" is assigned to check the wines of the AOC for instance for "typicality" of the AOC. These checks are done by a jury of five independent experts who are not be paid for this activity. For the 2012 "Les Hauts De Pontet-Canet" this jury stated that the wine does not follow the Pauillac rules for typicality. As a consequence the Château is not allowed to sell the wine with the remark AOC Pauillac on the label. It needed to be declassified to "Vin De France".
Hm. During a California wine tasting I offered this wine as a pirate blind to a friend. He immediately recognized that this must be a Bordeaux wine. And I could bet if I had not told him that at this moment where the wine comes from he would also have recognized the Left Bank family or even more. And again it is allowed to ask if such a jury makes sense or not.
However it is definitely correct that is different to other Pauillac wines in terms of the addressed audience. You can and you should drink it young. At the moment this wine offers such extreme hedonistic joy that it would be shame to avoid this. On the other hand the quality of the Pontet-Canet premium was raised so dramatically in the last decade, accompanied by a tremendous aging potential, that it would be interesting to keep track of this development. I have to think about this - and perhaps buy more:-).
At the moment I would pair it with French breast of duck with port wine sauce.
14.0 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-08-20 & 2015-08-21
Deep dark and bright cherry red. Extreme black cherry aromas paired with a touch of licorice and very dark rose petals. In addition a fleshy note which adds to this decadent (in positive sense) smell an animalistic character. On the palate an insane blackberry flash with a terrific smooth and long finish. That's brave, crazy and awesome.
The "Les Hauts De Pontet-Canet" is the second wine of the Pauillac winery Château Pontet-Canet. For the AOC Pauillac an independent company named "Qualisud" is assigned to check the wines of the AOC for instance for "typicality" of the AOC. These checks are done by a jury of five independent experts who are not be paid for this activity. For the 2012 "Les Hauts De Pontet-Canet" this jury stated that the wine does not follow the Pauillac rules for typicality. As a consequence the Château is not allowed to sell the wine with the remark AOC Pauillac on the label. It needed to be declassified to "Vin De France".
Hm. During a California wine tasting I offered this wine as a pirate blind to a friend. He immediately recognized that this must be a Bordeaux wine. And I could bet if I had not told him that at this moment where the wine comes from he would also have recognized the Left Bank family or even more. And again it is allowed to ask if such a jury makes sense or not.
However it is definitely correct that is different to other Pauillac wines in terms of the addressed audience. You can and you should drink it young. At the moment this wine offers such extreme hedonistic joy that it would be shame to avoid this. On the other hand the quality of the Pontet-Canet premium was raised so dramatically in the last decade, accompanied by a tremendous aging potential, that it would be interesting to keep track of this development. I have to think about this - and perhaps buy more:-).
At the moment I would pair it with French breast of duck with port wine sauce.
Tuesday, August 18. 2015
2011 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon "Stags Leap District" (90/100)
Napa Valley, California
14.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-08-16
Medium-deep cherry red. Still very young with a lot of tannins. But not aggressive - neither its smell nor its taste. The first impression is very earthy. In the next moment aromas of cedar wood and blackberries. Rich and heavy. On the palate more playful. Good structure by the tannins. Still some bitter notes, but very charming at the end where the fruit notes and some "chilly chocolate" take control. Long and pleasant finish.
Wait. The wine is still too young. Even if it provides already a lot of fun. I decanted this Cab for two hours. My résumé? Wait. Minimum two years, perhaps more. A very famous wine magazine wrote in October 2014: "Drink now!" Sometimes I can't understand the critics. Of course this is not a 100 point wine, but it is definitely a very, very good Napa Cab. With a lot of potential - quite surprising for this very difficult vintage for Napa Cabs. So give it a chance. I have a second bottle in my cellar - and I am really lucky. I will look for more later in the year when I will visit the area again. Pair it with a nice stew.
By the way: It is worth to visit the tasting room of the winery. The people are friendly and competent, the tasting fee reasonable for Napa. I visited the winery twice and both times it was great
14.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-08-16
Medium-deep cherry red. Still very young with a lot of tannins. But not aggressive - neither its smell nor its taste. The first impression is very earthy. In the next moment aromas of cedar wood and blackberries. Rich and heavy. On the palate more playful. Good structure by the tannins. Still some bitter notes, but very charming at the end where the fruit notes and some "chilly chocolate" take control. Long and pleasant finish.
Wait. The wine is still too young. Even if it provides already a lot of fun. I decanted this Cab for two hours. My résumé? Wait. Minimum two years, perhaps more. A very famous wine magazine wrote in October 2014: "Drink now!" Sometimes I can't understand the critics. Of course this is not a 100 point wine, but it is definitely a very, very good Napa Cab. With a lot of potential - quite surprising for this very difficult vintage for Napa Cabs. So give it a chance. I have a second bottle in my cellar - and I am really lucky. I will look for more later in the year when I will visit the area again. Pair it with a nice stew.
By the way: It is worth to visit the tasting room of the winery. The people are friendly and competent, the tasting fee reasonable for Napa. I visited the winery twice and both times it was great
Sunday, August 16. 2015
Weingut Theo Minges
Bachstrasse 11
76835 Flemlingen
Germany
http://www.weingut-minges.com/
Tasting: 2015-08-08
Nearly one year after my last visit to a German winery, last weekend we found a little time to visit the Weingut Theo Minges in the wine region Pfalz. From Speyer we drove to the small and sleepy village Flemlingen on a very hot Saturday afternoon. We reached the winery around 2pm and when we left the car the first thing what we recognized was ... silence. Indeed we were at this time the only guests. All forenoon guests already left and for all others it seemed that it was too hot. So we had the good fortune that Regine Minges - the very charming daughter of owner Theo Minges - had for the next hour all the time in the world to present the great wines of the winery.
Intermezzo
As I write this I have opened two bottles of the wines I bought at the Minges winery - the 2014 Scheurebe Feinherb and the 2011 Merlot QbA dry. From time to time I will interrupt my report to reflect about these two nice wines.
But coming back to the Weingut Minges - and some words about the history of the winery. Until the 16th century the family estate was owned by the Counts von der Leyen. The family Minges prepares wine for at least eight generations. Starting with the sixth generation (1847) the family resides in the estate in Flemlingen. Today the winery produces approx. 180,000 bottles per year from the varietals Riesling (35 %), White Burgundy (20 %), Pinot Noir (12 %), Scheurebe (8 %) and others (25 %).
All these varietals can be found on the wine menu which is impressive. My careful question which wines could be tasted today was answered very simple: "What's there is open. What not will not be opened." Perfect philosophy. So we started with the sparkling wine. We tasted the 2012 Riesling brut and the 2012 Pinot brut (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier). Whereas the Riesling is a classical aperitif (apricots, nuttily, fresh) the Pinot would be a perfect partner for a traditional Tandoori dish. Yellow peaches, nectarines and very creamy.
Fine. But now the Rieslings. As introduction we started with 2014 Riesling Feinherb. Good selection. Satiny and elegant. A very good selection by Regine Minges to prepare our palates for the two "Große Gewächse". We selected these two flagships directly due to weather conditions and the remaining programme. The two dry Rieslings 2012 and 2013 Gleisweiler Hölle GG represent in an impressive way the two very different vintages. Both outstanding, both very mineral, but totally different by design. The 2012 already very charming, offering young peaches and apricots. Juicy and corpulent. The 2013 is more difficult. At the beginning reluctant, but with more aggressive minerals. It will need its time. A masterpiece for the difficult vintage. I like both variants.
Intermezzo
2014 Theo Minges Scheurebe Feinherb
Alcohol 11 %
Writing makes you thirsty. So coming back to the Scheurebe. Pale yellow green, slightly sparkling with some streaks. Lots of lychees, gooseberries and Granny Smith apples. On the palate the ripe gooseberries are dominating. Despite - or perhaps because of - the residual sugar immensely tangy and fresh. A summer wine at its best with a surprisingly long finish. Far at the end very creamy. Drink this wonderful Scheurebe latest in 2016 and pair it with light Asian summer food. Or simply as an aperitif instead of sparkling wine.
On the winery we skipped the Silvaner, the Pinot blanc and the Pinot gris. We continued with two Chardonnays - the 2014 Chardonnay dry and the 2011 Chardonnay "Kalkmergel". The 2014 was fermented in stainless steel tanks and is wonderfully creamy. Minerally. Aromas of grapefruit and lemons. Medium long finish. The 2011 "Kalkmergel" was matured in wood. From style perspective it is similar to a Löwengang Chardonnay from Lageder. Deep golden yellow; vanilla and some flower notes. Creamy. Not really expected to get such a wine in the Pfalz!
Together with the Chardonnays suddenly a lot of guests arrived at the winery. But we didn't care - and changed to the Scheurebe wines. As I mentioned before 8 % of the total production of the winery bases on the Scheurebe grape. This is more than five times as much as the Pfalz average (1.5 %). So it is allowed to say that wines prepared from this grape are a speciality from the Weingut Minges. And indeed all the wines are from high quality which identify the singularity of the varietal depending on the chosen style. But before...
Intermezzo
...I have to decant the Merlot!
Besides the 2014 Scheurebe Feinherb I currently enjoy we tasted at the winery the 2014 Scheurebe "Gleisweiler" dry and the 2014 Scheurebe Late Harvest. The dry version offers a straw yellow colour and a wonderful lemon aroma. A perfect partner for a nice fish dish or - even better - mussels. The Late Harvest (9.5 % alcohol!) is also slightly sparkling and extremely fruity. Mandarin extreme! I should mention that I bought some bottles from all three wines.
Intermezzo
2011 Theo Minges Merlot QbA dry
Alcohol 13.5 %
Let's take a first sip. Medium to deep cherry red. Blackcurrants, blackberries, smoked bacon and a little bit cocoa. Still very young with a lot of "green" notes induced by the tannins. These are also clearly noticeable on the palate where the black fruits are dominating. Medium to long finish. This strong Merlot will reach its optimal drinking maturity after 2 to 5 years. Don't drink it earlier! At the moment two hours decanting minimum. Due to its strength I could bet that it is a wonderful partner for Shepherd's Pie prepared with lamb. Great British-German crossover cuisine!
The last Scheurebe was the perfect bridge for the next flight - a great mixture of residual sweetness and high-quality sweet wines. In total we tasted the following ones:
- 2014 Riesling Cabinet (9.5 % alc.)
- 2014 Rieslaner Late Harvest (10.0 % alc.)
- 2014 Gewürztraminer Late Harvest (9.0 % alc.)
- 2012 Riesling Auslese "Goldkapsel" (9.0 % alc.)
- 2013 Rieslaner Auslese (9.0 % alc.)
- 2012 Gewürztraminer Auslese "Flemlinger Herrenbuckel" (13.0 % alc.)
All of them were remarkable for their quality. Clean, pure and juicy. Pointing out the particular varietal's characteristics. It becomes obvious that for these kind of wines the Minges family pay special attention. My personal favorite was the Gewürztraminer "Flemlinger Herrenbuckel". Deep golden yellow, lychee extreme, some toffee and whisky notes. Tremendous potential!
Finally we tasted some of the red wines. Also here we skipped some varietals: Portugieser, Dornfelder and Saint Laurent. We started with the 2012 Pinot Noir "Tradition" QbA dry. Crystal-clear ruby red with a very dscreet raspberry aroma. A perfect starter for the four reds matured in barrique:
- 2011 Merlot QbA dry
- 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon QbA dry
- 2011 Cabernet Franc QbA dry
- 2011 Cuvée "Eva" QbA dry - the Bordeaux-style blend of the winery (one third each of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot)
Like the Merlot I describe before all of them are extremely young and of course "too green" to drink them now. Even decanting would only help with the Merlot which is the most developed so far. The potential is there, but you need patience. I decided to buy six bottles of the Merlot. The main reason was that German wines of this grape with this high quality are rare to find. This was confirmed with the bottle I tasted during the creation of this entry. The wine developed every single minute in the glass and I enjoyed every single sip.
PS: A few words about the aging quality of the Minges wines. Regine Minges told us about her planned wedding next year. She will indulge her guests with some bottles of the 2003 Cab she still stores in her cellar. Some people already told that they would only come to taste this wine...
76835 Flemlingen
Germany
http://www.weingut-minges.com/
Tasting: 2015-08-08
Nearly one year after my last visit to a German winery, last weekend we found a little time to visit the Weingut Theo Minges in the wine region Pfalz. From Speyer we drove to the small and sleepy village Flemlingen on a very hot Saturday afternoon. We reached the winery around 2pm and when we left the car the first thing what we recognized was ... silence. Indeed we were at this time the only guests. All forenoon guests already left and for all others it seemed that it was too hot. So we had the good fortune that Regine Minges - the very charming daughter of owner Theo Minges - had for the next hour all the time in the world to present the great wines of the winery.
Intermezzo
As I write this I have opened two bottles of the wines I bought at the Minges winery - the 2014 Scheurebe Feinherb and the 2011 Merlot QbA dry. From time to time I will interrupt my report to reflect about these two nice wines.
But coming back to the Weingut Minges - and some words about the history of the winery. Until the 16th century the family estate was owned by the Counts von der Leyen. The family Minges prepares wine for at least eight generations. Starting with the sixth generation (1847) the family resides in the estate in Flemlingen. Today the winery produces approx. 180,000 bottles per year from the varietals Riesling (35 %), White Burgundy (20 %), Pinot Noir (12 %), Scheurebe (8 %) and others (25 %).
All these varietals can be found on the wine menu which is impressive. My careful question which wines could be tasted today was answered very simple: "What's there is open. What not will not be opened." Perfect philosophy. So we started with the sparkling wine. We tasted the 2012 Riesling brut and the 2012 Pinot brut (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier). Whereas the Riesling is a classical aperitif (apricots, nuttily, fresh) the Pinot would be a perfect partner for a traditional Tandoori dish. Yellow peaches, nectarines and very creamy.
Fine. But now the Rieslings. As introduction we started with 2014 Riesling Feinherb. Good selection. Satiny and elegant. A very good selection by Regine Minges to prepare our palates for the two "Große Gewächse". We selected these two flagships directly due to weather conditions and the remaining programme. The two dry Rieslings 2012 and 2013 Gleisweiler Hölle GG represent in an impressive way the two very different vintages. Both outstanding, both very mineral, but totally different by design. The 2012 already very charming, offering young peaches and apricots. Juicy and corpulent. The 2013 is more difficult. At the beginning reluctant, but with more aggressive minerals. It will need its time. A masterpiece for the difficult vintage. I like both variants.
Intermezzo
After lunch break suddenly the winery was well visites.
2014 Theo Minges Scheurebe Feinherb
Alcohol 11 %
Writing makes you thirsty. So coming back to the Scheurebe. Pale yellow green, slightly sparkling with some streaks. Lots of lychees, gooseberries and Granny Smith apples. On the palate the ripe gooseberries are dominating. Despite - or perhaps because of - the residual sugar immensely tangy and fresh. A summer wine at its best with a surprisingly long finish. Far at the end very creamy. Drink this wonderful Scheurebe latest in 2016 and pair it with light Asian summer food. Or simply as an aperitif instead of sparkling wine.
On the winery we skipped the Silvaner, the Pinot blanc and the Pinot gris. We continued with two Chardonnays - the 2014 Chardonnay dry and the 2011 Chardonnay "Kalkmergel". The 2014 was fermented in stainless steel tanks and is wonderfully creamy. Minerally. Aromas of grapefruit and lemons. Medium long finish. The 2011 "Kalkmergel" was matured in wood. From style perspective it is similar to a Löwengang Chardonnay from Lageder. Deep golden yellow; vanilla and some flower notes. Creamy. Not really expected to get such a wine in the Pfalz!
Together with the Chardonnays suddenly a lot of guests arrived at the winery. But we didn't care - and changed to the Scheurebe wines. As I mentioned before 8 % of the total production of the winery bases on the Scheurebe grape. This is more than five times as much as the Pfalz average (1.5 %). So it is allowed to say that wines prepared from this grape are a speciality from the Weingut Minges. And indeed all the wines are from high quality which identify the singularity of the varietal depending on the chosen style. But before...
Intermezzo
...I have to decant the Merlot!
Besides the 2014 Scheurebe Feinherb I currently enjoy we tasted at the winery the 2014 Scheurebe "Gleisweiler" dry and the 2014 Scheurebe Late Harvest. The dry version offers a straw yellow colour and a wonderful lemon aroma. A perfect partner for a nice fish dish or - even better - mussels. The Late Harvest (9.5 % alcohol!) is also slightly sparkling and extremely fruity. Mandarin extreme! I should mention that I bought some bottles from all three wines.
This guest was more looking for the bread instead for the Scheurebe.
Intermezzo
2011 Theo Minges Merlot QbA dry
Alcohol 13.5 %
Let's take a first sip. Medium to deep cherry red. Blackcurrants, blackberries, smoked bacon and a little bit cocoa. Still very young with a lot of "green" notes induced by the tannins. These are also clearly noticeable on the palate where the black fruits are dominating. Medium to long finish. This strong Merlot will reach its optimal drinking maturity after 2 to 5 years. Don't drink it earlier! At the moment two hours decanting minimum. Due to its strength I could bet that it is a wonderful partner for Shepherd's Pie prepared with lamb. Great British-German crossover cuisine!
The last Scheurebe was the perfect bridge for the next flight - a great mixture of residual sweetness and high-quality sweet wines. In total we tasted the following ones:
- 2014 Riesling Cabinet (9.5 % alc.)
- 2014 Rieslaner Late Harvest (10.0 % alc.)
- 2014 Gewürztraminer Late Harvest (9.0 % alc.)
- 2012 Riesling Auslese "Goldkapsel" (9.0 % alc.)
- 2013 Rieslaner Auslese (9.0 % alc.)
- 2012 Gewürztraminer Auslese "Flemlinger Herrenbuckel" (13.0 % alc.)
All of them were remarkable for their quality. Clean, pure and juicy. Pointing out the particular varietal's characteristics. It becomes obvious that for these kind of wines the Minges family pay special attention. My personal favorite was the Gewürztraminer "Flemlinger Herrenbuckel". Deep golden yellow, lychee extreme, some toffee and whisky notes. Tremendous potential!
The Minges winery - really cozy!
Finally we tasted some of the red wines. Also here we skipped some varietals: Portugieser, Dornfelder and Saint Laurent. We started with the 2012 Pinot Noir "Tradition" QbA dry. Crystal-clear ruby red with a very dscreet raspberry aroma. A perfect starter for the four reds matured in barrique:
- 2011 Merlot QbA dry
- 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon QbA dry
- 2011 Cabernet Franc QbA dry
- 2011 Cuvée "Eva" QbA dry - the Bordeaux-style blend of the winery (one third each of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot)
Like the Merlot I describe before all of them are extremely young and of course "too green" to drink them now. Even decanting would only help with the Merlot which is the most developed so far. The potential is there, but you need patience. I decided to buy six bottles of the Merlot. The main reason was that German wines of this grape with this high quality are rare to find. This was confirmed with the bottle I tasted during the creation of this entry. The wine developed every single minute in the glass and I enjoyed every single sip.
PS: A few words about the aging quality of the Minges wines. Regine Minges told us about her planned wedding next year. She will indulge her guests with some bottles of the 2003 Cab she still stores in her cellar. Some people already told that they would only come to taste this wine...
Thank you very much Regine for a wonderful afternoon at your winery.
Wednesday, August 5. 2015
2009 Regusci Winery Syrah (91/100)
Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California
Alcohol 14.2 %
Tasted 2015-08-05
Deep dark cherry red with some light rims. Dark, ripe fruits. Blackberries and black currants paired with sour cherries. In addition a touch of leather. Earthy. Rich and full bodied. The sour cherries are clearly dominating. Tannins are still present, but well integrated and smooth. Medium to long finish with a nice sour and refreshing final. Vibrant - and very pleasant!
Regusci Winery is located in the Stags Leap District at the Silverado Trail directly besides Stags Leap Wine Cellars. I prefer the Silverado Trail to the St. Helena Hwy. It is not so overcrowded and usually the tasting room people are a "little bit" more interested in their vistors - just as at Regusci.
I visited the tasting room in spring this year. The visit was not planned; my wife and I drove down the Silverado Trail and thought it would be a good idea to stop. Totally in contradiction to our visits in this area since ten years. This time a very good decision. Cozy ambience, friendly and competent people, outstanding wines. I bought in total six bottles...
The history of the Regusci Winery is a typical West Coast Story. The family is present in the area since 1932 when Gaetano Regusci bought the nearly 300 acre big estate in Stags Leap District. Gaetano was a farmer, not a winemaker. Of course he prepared some homemade wine, but this was only one part of the whole farm business. Gaetano's son Angelo planted then some Bordeaux varietals in the 1960s but it was the next generation - Angelo's son Jim - who established 1996 Regusci Winery.
Regusci Winery is not very well present in the databases of the wine popes. But I want to cite Mr. Robert M. Parker: "I rarely see these wines, but I have consistently enjoyed them when I have had them at restaurants or at a random tasting." (2006 Patriarch Proprietary Red - the Bordeaux blend of Regusci). Really true for the 2009 Syrah, but also for all others I tasted during my visit. Besides the 2009 Syrah I bought the 2012 Chardonnay Mary's Cuvée and the 2011 Patriarch - both still lying in my wine cellar. By the way: The Chardonnay Mary's Cuvée is not typical for Napa Valley. More mineralic, European style - but that is just an aside.
In the meantime the Syrah develops more peppery notes. This extends the finish and the flavours become more complex. Great. The wine is just at the beginning. It will be on the top in two years and will hold this quality for another three years.
I'm looking all the time for perfect partners for my pulled pork BBQ. This buddy is a perfect candidate.
Alcohol 14.2 %
Tasted 2015-08-05
Deep dark cherry red with some light rims. Dark, ripe fruits. Blackberries and black currants paired with sour cherries. In addition a touch of leather. Earthy. Rich and full bodied. The sour cherries are clearly dominating. Tannins are still present, but well integrated and smooth. Medium to long finish with a nice sour and refreshing final. Vibrant - and very pleasant!
Regusci Winery is located in the Stags Leap District at the Silverado Trail directly besides Stags Leap Wine Cellars. I prefer the Silverado Trail to the St. Helena Hwy. It is not so overcrowded and usually the tasting room people are a "little bit" more interested in their vistors - just as at Regusci.
I visited the tasting room in spring this year. The visit was not planned; my wife and I drove down the Silverado Trail and thought it would be a good idea to stop. Totally in contradiction to our visits in this area since ten years. This time a very good decision. Cozy ambience, friendly and competent people, outstanding wines. I bought in total six bottles...
The history of the Regusci Winery is a typical West Coast Story. The family is present in the area since 1932 when Gaetano Regusci bought the nearly 300 acre big estate in Stags Leap District. Gaetano was a farmer, not a winemaker. Of course he prepared some homemade wine, but this was only one part of the whole farm business. Gaetano's son Angelo planted then some Bordeaux varietals in the 1960s but it was the next generation - Angelo's son Jim - who established 1996 Regusci Winery.
Regusci Winery is not very well present in the databases of the wine popes. But I want to cite Mr. Robert M. Parker: "I rarely see these wines, but I have consistently enjoyed them when I have had them at restaurants or at a random tasting." (2006 Patriarch Proprietary Red - the Bordeaux blend of Regusci). Really true for the 2009 Syrah, but also for all others I tasted during my visit. Besides the 2009 Syrah I bought the 2012 Chardonnay Mary's Cuvée and the 2011 Patriarch - both still lying in my wine cellar. By the way: The Chardonnay Mary's Cuvée is not typical for Napa Valley. More mineralic, European style - but that is just an aside.
In the meantime the Syrah develops more peppery notes. This extends the finish and the flavours become more complex. Great. The wine is just at the beginning. It will be on the top in two years and will hold this quality for another three years.
I'm looking all the time for perfect partners for my pulled pork BBQ. This buddy is a perfect candidate.
Monday, August 3. 2015
1997 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (97/100)
Napa Valley, California
93 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 % Cabernet Franc, 2 % Petit Verdot
13.9 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-08-02
Medium-deep cherry red. Enormously harmonic mix of black currant, licorice and some cedar wood. On the palate Cab feeling at its best. Fruity, velvety with a sensational peppery finish - after a very, very long time. The wine doesn't want to leave the mouth.
This wine is a prime example of what a Napa Valley Cab represents. The wine is perfectly aged; the tannins wonderfully integrated. Rarely, very rarely I drunk a wine which was closer to perfection. Perhaps the 2008 Grange. But in contradiction to this Australian masterpiece the Silver Oak has the corners and edges which are needed to transform an outstanding wine to a touching one.
The 1997 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cab is definitely on the top. I would not wait any longer. However it will provide also wine enjoyment on a very high level for the next ten years. But at the moment... it is perfect! Enjoy this diva with a chili oriented beef dish. Asian? Why not.
93 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 % Cabernet Franc, 2 % Petit Verdot
13.9 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-08-02
A Cabernet benchmark - the 1997 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Medium-deep cherry red. Enormously harmonic mix of black currant, licorice and some cedar wood. On the palate Cab feeling at its best. Fruity, velvety with a sensational peppery finish - after a very, very long time. The wine doesn't want to leave the mouth.
This wine is a prime example of what a Napa Valley Cab represents. The wine is perfectly aged; the tannins wonderfully integrated. Rarely, very rarely I drunk a wine which was closer to perfection. Perhaps the 2008 Grange. But in contradiction to this Australian masterpiece the Silver Oak has the corners and edges which are needed to transform an outstanding wine to a touching one.
The 1997 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cab is definitely on the top. I would not wait any longer. However it will provide also wine enjoyment on a very high level for the next ten years. But at the moment... it is perfect! Enjoy this diva with a chili oriented beef dish. Asian? Why not.
Sunday, August 2. 2015
A Hot Summer Night
On a very hot day in 2015 summertime I was invited by my friends Mr and Ms J for a nice balcony tasting. Ms J prepared a wonderful BBQ with some yummie side dishes, Mr J presented some treasuries from his wine cellar and I also contributed two bottles of wine to this remarkable evening.
We tasted only red ones which were all chilled after decanting, using ice water due to the extreme heat. Most people tell me all the time that summertime is no red wine time. This is definitely not true! In contradiction to cold white wine or rosé you can´t drink red wine too fast which leads to a more moderate consumption. The trick is a really very carefully chilling - and on this playground Mr J is a master.
The tasting was subdivided into three vintage parts of US wine: 1997, 1998 and 2006. The following wines were tasted:
- 1997 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder (92/100)
- 1997 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (91/100)
- 1998 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (93/100)
- 1998 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Gaudeamus Vineyard Upper Block (89/100)
- 2006 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard (94/100)
- 2006 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard (95/100)
The first five wines were from Napa Valley in California whereas the last (and best one) was from Columbia Valley (State Washington).
Let's start with the glorious '97 vintage.
1997 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder
This wine offers a light, shimmering ruby red with clear maturity notes. The aromas are subtle: Licorice, leaves of black tea and a lot of different spices. On the palate very charming with a smooth fluent (long) finish. Drink it now. And pair it with creamy blue cheese. Perfect due to the wonderful overall sweetness of this beauty.
1997 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Deeper red than the Robert Craig. The maturity not so clearly visible. Therefore the smell shows noticeable ripeness notes. Forest floor, acorns and ripe blueberries. More tart. After one hour in the glass very structured and balanced. Like for the Robert Craig you should not wait any longer. Food pairing? Lamb chops, lamb chops, lamb chops!
The next flight with some wines of the underestimated vintage 1998 started with another Pride wine.
1998 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Deep cherry red. Wonderful aromas of very dark fruits. Some chocolate notes. Partly roses in full blossom. On the palate the fruits are clearly dominating, filling the mouth well right from the start. Extremely fruity, outstanding.
The wine was a real surprise. We drunk the higher rated 1997 just before but this wine was much better. The wine is of course on the top, but will hold this quality another two years. Drink it to flambéed turkey with whisky sauce.
1998 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Gaudeamus Vineyard Upper Block
Young, fresh and deep cherry red. A little bit austere. Nutmeg, tar and dark chocolate. Nearly no fruity notes noticeable. Very tarry and earthy in taste with a clear orientation in direction of truffles. Challenging and demanding. The wine remains long with a certain bitter note to the end which is not disturbing.
In total I believe the wine is already over the hill. Bummer! So if you have more in your cellar drink it now or sell it via auctions. I am quite sure you will get for this rare wine a good price. If you want to drink it, indeed as part of a nice BBQ is the very best solution.
Now the BBQ was nearly finished and it became slowly dark on the balcony. And we changed to the 2006 vintage.
2006 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard
In contradiction to the Quilceda Creek there was still enough daylight to recognize the wine's color. Wonderful deep purple red with some light rims. Extremely fruity. Blackberries and blueberries paired with some smoke hints which leads in total to a great scent experience. Very charming. On the palate the fruits are clearly dominating. The tannins are still noticeable but soft and velvety. Very long finish.
No doubt. This wine is absolutely on the top - perfect selection Mr J! - and will hold this quality for another five years. After that it will still provide a lot of fun for another five to ten years. Pair it with short ribs braised in red wine.
2006 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard
Last but not least we changed to State Washington. As I mentioned before it was now too dark to recognize the color. But if a wine can smell "black" I would describe the Galitzine Vineyard Cab in this way. Wonderful blackberry aromas paired with animalistic earth and spice notes. In parallel young and vital. During the next hour the wine changed nearly every minute its taste. A real fruit bomb in a frozen moment, then dissolved to a tannin beast of a wine. Fascinating.
Fact. This wine is just at the beginning. Waiting another three to five years is not a mistake. But who cared at this very special hour on the balcony of Mr and Ms J? Definitely not me and also not the Js. It was definitely the wine exactly for this moment. Thanks Mr and Ms J!
We tasted only red ones which were all chilled after decanting, using ice water due to the extreme heat. Most people tell me all the time that summertime is no red wine time. This is definitely not true! In contradiction to cold white wine or rosé you can´t drink red wine too fast which leads to a more moderate consumption. The trick is a really very carefully chilling - and on this playground Mr J is a master.
The tasting was subdivided into three vintage parts of US wine: 1997, 1998 and 2006. The following wines were tasted:
- 1997 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder (92/100)
- 1997 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (91/100)
- 1998 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (93/100)
- 1998 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Gaudeamus Vineyard Upper Block (89/100)
- 2006 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard (94/100)
- 2006 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard (95/100)
The first five wines were from Napa Valley in California whereas the last (and best one) was from Columbia Valley (State Washington).
Let's start with the glorious '97 vintage.
1997 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder
This wine offers a light, shimmering ruby red with clear maturity notes. The aromas are subtle: Licorice, leaves of black tea and a lot of different spices. On the palate very charming with a smooth fluent (long) finish. Drink it now. And pair it with creamy blue cheese. Perfect due to the wonderful overall sweetness of this beauty.
1997 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Deeper red than the Robert Craig. The maturity not so clearly visible. Therefore the smell shows noticeable ripeness notes. Forest floor, acorns and ripe blueberries. More tart. After one hour in the glass very structured and balanced. Like for the Robert Craig you should not wait any longer. Food pairing? Lamb chops, lamb chops, lamb chops!
The next flight with some wines of the underestimated vintage 1998 started with another Pride wine.
1998 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Deep cherry red. Wonderful aromas of very dark fruits. Some chocolate notes. Partly roses in full blossom. On the palate the fruits are clearly dominating, filling the mouth well right from the start. Extremely fruity, outstanding.
The wine was a real surprise. We drunk the higher rated 1997 just before but this wine was much better. The wine is of course on the top, but will hold this quality another two years. Drink it to flambéed turkey with whisky sauce.
1998 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Gaudeamus Vineyard Upper Block
Young, fresh and deep cherry red. A little bit austere. Nutmeg, tar and dark chocolate. Nearly no fruity notes noticeable. Very tarry and earthy in taste with a clear orientation in direction of truffles. Challenging and demanding. The wine remains long with a certain bitter note to the end which is not disturbing.
In total I believe the wine is already over the hill. Bummer! So if you have more in your cellar drink it now or sell it via auctions. I am quite sure you will get for this rare wine a good price. If you want to drink it, indeed as part of a nice BBQ is the very best solution.
Now the BBQ was nearly finished and it became slowly dark on the balcony. And we changed to the 2006 vintage.
2006 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard
In contradiction to the Quilceda Creek there was still enough daylight to recognize the wine's color. Wonderful deep purple red with some light rims. Extremely fruity. Blackberries and blueberries paired with some smoke hints which leads in total to a great scent experience. Very charming. On the palate the fruits are clearly dominating. The tannins are still noticeable but soft and velvety. Very long finish.
No doubt. This wine is absolutely on the top - perfect selection Mr J! - and will hold this quality for another five years. After that it will still provide a lot of fun for another five to ten years. Pair it with short ribs braised in red wine.
2006 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard
Last but not least we changed to State Washington. As I mentioned before it was now too dark to recognize the color. But if a wine can smell "black" I would describe the Galitzine Vineyard Cab in this way. Wonderful blackberry aromas paired with animalistic earth and spice notes. In parallel young and vital. During the next hour the wine changed nearly every minute its taste. A real fruit bomb in a frozen moment, then dissolved to a tannin beast of a wine. Fascinating.
Fact. This wine is just at the beginning. Waiting another three to five years is not a mistake. But who cared at this very special hour on the balcony of Mr and Ms J? Definitely not me and also not the Js. It was definitely the wine exactly for this moment. Thanks Mr and Ms J!
Saturday, August 1. 2015
2007 Angelo Gaja Barbaresco (95/100)
Barbaresco, Piedmont, Italy
Alcohol 14.5 %
Tasted 2015-08-01
Dark medium ruby red with some garnet red rims. Classical Piedmont nose: Ripe red fruits, tobacco, dry Cinzano, wood herbs. Extremely fruity and wonderfully fresh. The fruits are dominating and glide smoothly to the very long end. This wine has no edges and flaws. It's a charmer. After two hours the characteristic is changing. More and more the wine opens up. The herb notes are now perfectly integrated into the fruit aromas. Extraordinary! There is nothing, nothing from the typical tannin dominated Piedmont hardness and severity. It fills the complete mouth with a silky but still fresh harmony.
The 2007 vintage is listed as very good but not outstanding. The summer was very hot and there was a lot of dryness. Similar to 2006, but in this year September rains led to a very great vintage. So if you are looking for a long-living Gaja Barbaresco take the 2006. I prefer the 2007. Very rarely I drunk a wine more balanced than this one. Gaja wines are too expensive? Perhaps. This bottle provided me with joy and awe in parallel. What better you can say about a wine?
At the moment absolutely perfect to drink - after two hours decanting. But I believe it is still not on the top. Perhaps in five years. Total lifetime? 20+. And a better partner for Vitello tonnato is very difficult to find.
A milestone in my wine history.
Alcohol 14.5 %
Tasted 2015-08-01
Glorious. The 2007 Gaja Barbaresco.
Dark medium ruby red with some garnet red rims. Classical Piedmont nose: Ripe red fruits, tobacco, dry Cinzano, wood herbs. Extremely fruity and wonderfully fresh. The fruits are dominating and glide smoothly to the very long end. This wine has no edges and flaws. It's a charmer. After two hours the characteristic is changing. More and more the wine opens up. The herb notes are now perfectly integrated into the fruit aromas. Extraordinary! There is nothing, nothing from the typical tannin dominated Piedmont hardness and severity. It fills the complete mouth with a silky but still fresh harmony.
The 2007 vintage is listed as very good but not outstanding. The summer was very hot and there was a lot of dryness. Similar to 2006, but in this year September rains led to a very great vintage. So if you are looking for a long-living Gaja Barbaresco take the 2006. I prefer the 2007. Very rarely I drunk a wine more balanced than this one. Gaja wines are too expensive? Perhaps. This bottle provided me with joy and awe in parallel. What better you can say about a wine?
At the moment absolutely perfect to drink - after two hours decanting. But I believe it is still not on the top. Perhaps in five years. Total lifetime? 20+. And a better partner for Vitello tonnato is very difficult to find.
A milestone in my wine history.
2009 Hartford Family Old Vine Zinfandel (91/100)
Russian River Valley, California
16.0 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-07-31
Medium, clear purple red. Intensive fruity aromas. Blackberries, blueberries - all ripe - and surprisingly some cherry notes. Also some white pepper is noticeable. This is obviously a Zin but not a typical one. On the palate the blueberries dance a parade. I never drunk a wine before which was dominated so extremely by blueberries. Incredible. The finish is long, very long with a charming sweetness at the end. Robert Parker wrote "irresistible". Indeed the right adjective. The high alcohol is of course observable but very well integrated.
From my perspective on the top. The wine will be on this level for the next two or three years. After that it will provide a lot of fun for another five to ten years. But on a different level. Damn good job!
Serve this tough guy with the soft core to veal scallops with a creamy mushroom sauce. Delicious!
16.0 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-07-31
Medium, clear purple red. Intensive fruity aromas. Blackberries, blueberries - all ripe - and surprisingly some cherry notes. Also some white pepper is noticeable. This is obviously a Zin but not a typical one. On the palate the blueberries dance a parade. I never drunk a wine before which was dominated so extremely by blueberries. Incredible. The finish is long, very long with a charming sweetness at the end. Robert Parker wrote "irresistible". Indeed the right adjective. The high alcohol is of course observable but very well integrated.
From my perspective on the top. The wine will be on this level for the next two or three years. After that it will provide a lot of fun for another five to ten years. But on a different level. Damn good job!
Serve this tough guy with the soft core to veal scallops with a creamy mushroom sauce. Delicious!
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