2006 Brick House Pinot Noir (Ribbon Ridge - Les Dijonnais)

For a fairly cool, and bashful, vintage, we all loved this wine. It had a very nice "Volnay" bouquet and taste to it, gentle cherry-spice core, with a solid and long after-taste that echoed through some cinnamon and clove. The wine stock is based on Dijon clones. The rim was a limpid pink, and it was not as 'stuffed' as some previous Brick House vintages, but lovely. Brick House is one of the few Oregon producers that can churn out consistently "Burgundian" style Pinots, and some Burghounders might even call this a "feminine" Pinot for its delicate aromatics and gentle cherry, but there's definitely some tannic presence. We let in breathe in large Pinot glasses for 10-15 mins before hitting it in earnest. Gorgeous stuff, if a little restrained. But if you're into delicate Pinots, this may be worth the money charged by BrickHouse (~$45). 91/100
Bottom line: Not the densest, but certainly one of the loveliest, of Oregon Pinots but great juice. It will remind some of a nice Volnay.

2006 Penfolds Bin 138 (G-S-M blend)

Cracked this open on Saturday to accompany some pumpkin gnocchi topped with a home-made bolognese sauce, that featured chopped leg of lamb and chopped saucisson sec (along with other items), and the ripe pruniness went well with the red sauce. Not much on the nose in the small glass I had to sample it in, but the fruit presence was there with some pepper, some tar (?), and some mineral spine. This is mostly Grenache, with almost equal portions of Syrah and Mourvedre (Shiraz and Mataro in old Aussie-speak). Very nice. I'm not sure how often I would go back to this for the price (about $35), but it's solid for a mass production (company) wine from Australia. Solid. 88/100 for us.
Bottom line: A bit over-priced, but not bad for a) Penfold and b) the 06 vintage in Barossa.

2007 Jaffurs Santa Barbara County (Syrah)

From an apparently "care-free vintage" as Jaffurs put it in a recent interview, this Syrah was absolutely gorgeous and yes, huge. This is their general appellation bottle, and it positively throttled us with its lovely blueberry cream/cobbler scents and palate, but yet it has the tell-tale savory sweetness of Syrah and the white pepper after-scents you might expect from a good northern Rhone. Between this and the CdePape (reviewed below), have to give this wine the nod for the match with the leg of lamb we enjoyed Xmas Eve.

And frankly, for $24 (thanks Marc!), this was an absolute steal. It was punching well above its weight class.

95/100

Bottom line: A great, reasonably-priced California Syrah. If you can find it, you're nuts not to buy it.

2005 Domaine de la Charbonniere, Mourre des Perdrix Chateauneuf-du-Pape

From the legendary 05 vintage, we enjoyed the Charbonniere Chateauneuf with a roasted whole leg of lamb, with an olive paste crust stuck on, and it was a great match. Fantastic raspberry-blackberry aromas carried over to the palate, and there's a wonderful mineral spine to this wine ("wet rocks") that was palpable from start to finish, with a solid 30+ second finish. At a hefty 15% ABV this was no lightweight, and it's a bit frightening to see this kind of alcohol from a southern Rhone wine. But it carried its balance, and its alcohol, deftly. My only regret? Not keeping it for another decade (or two). This has a lot of stuffing and complexity that will show well in even a few more years. For us, 93/100.

Bottom line: A great CdePape for about $40.

2003 Columbia Crest (estates) Shiraz, Columbia Valley

For a $12 bottle, this is the second time we have had this wine and it just shines. 88/100. Creamy blueberries, light white pepper, smooth, smooth, smooth. Went really well with our braised beef short-rib bolognese over farfalle pasta last night. Fantastic. Get it.

2007 Alain Graillot St.-Joseph (Syrah)

Warning: Do not drink this wine quickly. OK, on to the tasting note. I honestly thought I'd gotten a bum bottle of this highly rated juice (92 pts in Wine Spectator). This was a generous vintage, I love St-Joseph (Syrah), and Graillot is a solid producer. On the nose, after opening, was the tell-tale white pepper and iron streak coming through. But no fruit. Nothing. Almost mildewy, which freaked me out. After about an hour exposed, better. After two hours, WOW. Great. Blackberries in pepper; fruit finally emerged. So if you plan on drinking this in the next year (09-10), give it at least an hour in a decanter, then approach. Good balance, acidity, but just packed and too young and dumb to sort itself out straight out of the bottle into a glass.

After 5 minutes: 80/100

After 60-90 mins: 91/100

About $30 retail in a store here in Santa Fe.

2006 Guenoc Lake County Petite Sirah

I cracked this reasonable $15 wine last night with pan-grilled brats and a sweet potato-fennel-yam gratin; they went well. The wine itself, usually an inky-black reflective of its grape, was a bit pale-rimmed. This was a probable reflection of the cooler, moister 2006 growing season in northern California, and it meant some different aromas and a lower alcohol for a Petite (13.5% abv). Still had the deep, bruised, purple fruits on both nose and palate, along with some fairly well integrated oak, but the tannins were surprising. You might give this another year or two in bottle, to see how it evolves, or let it breathe for an hour. It's ready, but I am curious to see how this evolves. There was a very pleasant mineral-graphite finish to this...
87/100.
Bottom line: One of the better Petite Sirahs at this price point.

2007 Seghesio Zinfandel (Sonoma)

I opened our last bottle of this fine Zin last night, as we enjoyed a good portion of reheated lasagna. With that hot, cheesy, bison-spinach-mushroom combination, this Zin was to die for. The 07 bottling of Seghesio's cheapest Zin is well known for being big, and it may have been their finest effort yet: huge fruit, cracked pepper, lingering loam aftertaste. The aromas are enticing from the get-go, jammy, briary, and yet for such a big wine with a good crunch of alcohol, it remains balanced. There's no alkie blow-off, the pH is good, and the acidity is right there at the end to keep you coming back for more. About as good as Zin gets in California, unless the word "Rockpile" is involved. Fantastic. We did have the 2008 a week ago, which was very nice, but had a leaner cranberry edge to it, rather than the forest fruits so prominent in the 07.
94/100 (for us)
Bottom line: I should have bought cases of this!

2007 Perrin Cotes du Rhone (Reserve) - $11

We enjoyed our second bottle of this wine with the Steges here in Santa Fe. It's about as good as it gets for a Rhone red, for around 10 bucks, and you can find it more reasonably priced at larger stores (as cheap as $8). It features solid fig, chestnut, and plum notes from a great, juicy vintage at a reasonable price. What could be better? Oh, right, having them with parmesan-pepper biscotti. Yeah, that would be good. Perrin is putting out impressive wines these days at all price points, from their single-vineyard efforts to the larger-release negociant bottlings (like this one). Try it. You'll like it. 88/100.
Bottom line: It's good wine for around ten bucks...what are you complaining about?

2006 Copain L'Hiver (Syrah)

Copain has consistently made some of my favorite Syrahs from California. While Guthrie, the wine-maker, tends to draw on a variety of leased and contracted grape parcels from producers around the state, his style is a balanced mix of Old World (pepper) and New (blueberry/occasionally some cola flavors). The latest release of l'hiver, his budget-minded Syrah from Mendocino, shows the coolness and low alcohol of the 2006 growing season as it rings it only at 13.7% abv. And that made it fair game tonight with the stuffed salmon with garlic fries that we enjoyed with it. It worked. Great aromas of blueberry, sassafrass, and some creamy notes coming through from the oak and lees on this 06. The palate was nice, a little fat, but balanced with good acidity (thank you Mendocino). It didn't do much in the glass after 30 minutes, but that may change tomorrow...will update. Day 1: 89/100. Day 2, Thanksgiving, with lamb? 90/100 updated score. Yep, even better on the second night.

2007 Erath Oregon Pinot Noir

We enjoyed this $17 wine, but Wine Spectator's review and description of this as "slightly watery" should be taken to heart; this may be the lightest Pinot we've had in...years. The color and nose do not do much, and remain light and limpid in the glass and on the schnoz. But let the wine sit in your mouth a bit and it becomes suddenly more dense and you get some of the tart cherry and earth that is much more Burgundian than "Oregon" in nature. Best with lighter fare, we had this with seafood on one night (stuffed sole) and then lasagna the next and it worked both times. 85/100.
Bottom line: There are better Pinots for the price, but given the 07 growing season in Oregon, this one is very Burgundian.

2003 Domaine Ligneres, Aric ($22)

Wow - another winner from this producer, the vineyards we visited in 2008. Although 2003 was a scorcher in the Corbieres Mountains, as it was generally in most of southern France (Oc/Provence), this wine betrays little of that super-heat. You do have 14.5% abv, which is not exactly skimpy for a Corbieres - and technically this is a "vin de pays" because the Ligneres folks rightly take a u-turn around the silly AOC rules for strict "Corbieres" reds (and whites). Aric is a 1/3 (each) blend of C-M-S, Carignan, Mourvedre, and Syrah. It exhibits traits of each one, without showing the faults of any particular varietal. From the 115 year old carignan vines (photo), you get the lovely spicy, fruit; from the mourvedre, the herbal, plummy depths so common in the AOC of Bandol; and the Syrah chimes in with an earnest but tart blackberry fruit note that turns savory. Great nose: chocolate, red fruits, minerals. And the finish is balanced, crisp, and lip-smacking. More, please. 91/100.
Bottom line: If you can find this wine, buy it.

2007 Black Mesa Petite Sirah

Three posts in one day? Ridiculous - finally opened and enjoyed a bottle of wine from New Mexico. I had bought a sampler pack at the Vivac Winery in Dixon, as well as two Petite Sirahs from Black Mesa Winery. I remain more impressed with the latter than the former - the Sangiovese and Nebbiolo from Vivac turned out to be limpid, clear around the glass, boring ass wine reminiscent of Chianti in the 1970s. Pretty horrid - so I've used them cooking (pasta, braising spinach). But this Black Mesa Petite is not bad at all, shooting mid-80s all the way around. There's a touch of heat on this, from the alcohol, at 15.2% ABV but once it blows off a bit, there's a tart, rich cranberry aspect to this wine that is easy to like. It is different from typical Petites, and probably not the apogee of varietal "typicite" but still....enjoyable. Look for it.
84/100.
Bottom Line: New Mexico's wines...redeemed.

Do(s) and Don't(s) of Service...some amendments to offer.

I spotted this story at the Times, regarding service in restaurants, and it should be noted that this is great advice for high-end restaurants. Would I really object to someone if the wine bottle was touching on the wine glass? Not really. But it misses on two important points, that are noticeable here in Santa Fe (and elsewhere to be fair) even in fairly expensive places. 1) Serve red wine at less than room temperature. My Bordeaux, Cali Cab, especially Pinot and Nebbiolo, should not be warm to the touch. If the wine is hotter than the restaurant...shame on you!  2) Serve white wine slightly warmer than "straight from the fridge." I'd like to be able to smell and see the white in the glass. If it creates cold condensation on the interior, that's a dead give-away. The only exception to rule #2? If you're serving me s--t, say a fine Sutter Home, then yes, please ice it down so I don't actually taste it.

Even at places around S.Fe that have good selections, like SantaCafe, LaBoca (etc...), I've had the 80 degree red wine offering. If I'm paying you the equivalent of the wholesale bottle price for a glass, then it better be properly cooled (or slightly warmed)...

2005 Santa Digna Cab Sauvignon "Reserve"

We've been working on this wine for 3+ days now and it has finally loosened up a bit, despite being 4 years old. This is a nice, budget, Cab Sauv for folks who like Chilean Cabs. On the nose: cedar, currant, and that lovely, familiar, eucalyptus note. On the palate: More of the same, but with dense, almost chestnutty, hairiness to it that didn't let up for the first 2 nights. I would have shot it a 82-83 in the first two rounds by after settling on night 3, I say 85. This is solid for the $11 purchase price I found it for...good with pasta/meatballs in a red sauce, as there was enough acidity to the weight of the Cab on this. 85/100.
Bottom line: A nice, budget, Cab that will surprise...but let it open up for an hour or have over 3 days.

2006 Joseph Drouhin "Laforet" Bourgogne (red)

This is a nice, straightforward Pinot for people who want a lighter version of the varietal - and it's a good buy on occasions. I picked this up for $12 at Whole Foods and it has gone well with both a hearty stew and a rich, stuffed fish dish. Cherry up front, without too much comlexity, and a clean finish. There's a little spice in the aroma too, but nothing over the top. A good bottle for a good price. 84/100

2006 Vivac Sangiovese

We finally tempted fate and cracked the first of the 6 New Mexican wines bought in early September near Dixon, NM. I bought 4 at Vivac, including this Sangiovese, which is the bulk of this wine, but which has minute amounts of Cab and Merlot for some fleshiness. And it needed it - I haven't seen a Sangiovese this limpid and pale in color since the early 80s when Tuscany was awash in bad Chianti. Still, a "correct" nose of vine-ripened tomatoes, with some oak/plum in the back, and a largely accurate replica in the mouth on the palate. This is decent - I probably won't go back for seconds, but it was fun to sample the first of our New Mexican purchases. I think the extraction level could be higher, and I wonder how much the young guys running Vivac actually green harvest their graps to improve concentration. 79/100.

2008 Verdemar Albarino

A nice, fresh, blast of pear and beach-stones are the first impression on both nose and palate. Typically light, clear and beautiful in color, we've had this with snail and shroom pizza, and a Mediterranean mezze. What a find for $9 at a local store here in S.Fe. 9.27-9.30.09.
85/100
Bottom line: Not complex, but for this price, its acidity could cut a pork belly. Very nice.

2008 Fontanafredda Briccotondo Barbera (Piedmont, IT)

Now this is more like it - a smooth, balanced, yet nicely acidic Barbera that played really well with the Basque Chicken I made last night. Plum-coated chocolate, nice dark berry compote scents and flavors for nose and mouth. $13? Party-time. Buy a case. Seriously. Right now.
90/100

2004 Navarro Correas (Limited Edition)

This blended Argentine held promise - and it was reasonable at $14 - with its 60/20/20 mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec. But there's something off here - perhaps oxidized, perhaps simply sat in the sun somewhere along its journey. Think of the smell of a tar-pit; now combine that smell with the odor of burnt rubber and stewed prunes. Appetizing, isn't it? I didn't think so. The last wine I try from this producer.
70/100 - and that's being generous. You could use this wine for cooking, if you added about a cup of sugar to the reduction.

07 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon (reserve)

I really expected, and wanted, to like this wine. It's typically a solid wine, with great minty-currant Chilean fruit for the price (all of $10). But it stayed very shy for the first two nights, drinking like a low 80-pointer until the third evening. So if you crack it, let it breathe for about an hour (or two), either in a decanter or in a big glass - then you'll get the currant, eucalyptus, and caramel-vanilla notes that you deserve. Wonderful otherwise with a great short-rib beef stroganoff. 82-87/100 depending on when you approach this.

07 Bogle Old Vines Zinfandel

This was a surprisingly shy, but cheap, bottle of Zinfandel. There was none of the huge, strapping fruit and white pepper that I was hoping for. Instead, what we got, alongside braised short ribs and purple mashed potatoes, was nice, delicate jam-fruits. It was reluctant to turn into anything else, but it was balanced and had decent acidity. I can't complain given the price ($9) but still...it hardly drank like a New World Zin. 83/100.

07 Black Mesa Petite Sirah

OK, I finally caved and tried the local wines here in New Mexico and largely by accident; I'd been meaning to take a bottle of reasonable Chilean Cab Sauvignon for an interview, but left it at home. Drats. So I quickly pulled over at the Black Mesa Winery in Alcalde, NM and asked for a recommendation. The server guided me to their latest vintage of a Petite Sirah (2007) that was...well...good! Purple violet scents, aromas of earth, ink, and mineral followed into the mouth where the dark fruits took over and began their usual "pirate tooth" treatment (: black teeth). A decent finish, well balanced, a really nice surprise. 87/100.

2003 T Vine Napa Valley Petite Sirah

This should be called the Deep, Dark Purple Monster, an appropriately titled B-movie that could feature a 20 foot Sirah [sic] monster wandering through swamps, making the masses smell his inky arm-pits full of graphite, and though you would fight it (maybe?), you would eventually succumb to the masses of purple violet scents, blackbeard like British teeth (=stained), and just left awestruck at how Greg Brown is able to coax both density and balance, with real finesse, from this wine. Amazing stuff.
92/100. (Had it with rotisserie chicken, rice pilaf, side salad).

Celler El Masroig Solà Fred 2008

I enjoyed a bottle of this with mayordomo and fellow degenerate Eric S in Santa Fe on Friday, September 4, 2009 at La Boca, a nice Spanish tapas bar-restaurant downtown.
Tasting notes: This red from Montsant (Catalonia, Spain) is a 90/10 blend of Carignan/Grenache (respectively) opens with dark fruit and a ton of licorice. There is a rustic and gutsy presence to this red that suggests decanting or at least 15-30 minutes in a glass...but you might miss some of the more interesting opening aromatics. Anyway, while straightforward and simple, at about $10/11 a bottle, at retail at least, this is solid and I'll look forward to having more in the future. Makes you wonder why anybody would spend 2, 3, or 4 times more on a Priorat. These are just lovely wines. Highly recommended -- good with the morcilla and chorizo slices we snacked on, probably great with a nice fatty stew of some kind...
86/100.
Bottom Line: Sure, you could spend more for a fancier Priorat, but why?

2003 Domaine Ligneres, Le Signal ($16)

This wine, a 80/10/5/5 blend of Carignan/Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre, was simply lovely. We took it over to some new acquaintances here in S.Fe on 9.1.09 and it was enjoyed by all. It started with a nice mineral cherry whiff but became more complex with a kind of whirling licorice and mocha note as we started to work our way through the bottle, becoming spicy later on the finish. We really enjoyed this with the Moroccan red pepper-based dip placed atop cucumbers. Unusual combination, but the pairing really was dynamite.
89/100 on this one. Well worth it.

Bottom line: Yet another under-estimated Corbieres red goes joyfully down the gullets.

2007 Yalumbia South Australia Viognier

Purchased for $10 at World Market in Santa Fe, this viognier, was simple yet lovely. Peach-pit precise, with a good minerally nose and that oh-so-typical unctuousness that comes with a good viognier. To call it "oily" would be doing it a disservice, but this went well with both crabcakes over rice, AND my homemade acorn squash soup.
Bottom line: Need more...soon.
87/100.

07 D'Arenberg Stump Jump(ed)

Well, this one was an unpleasant surprise - bought this in S.Fe as a cheapie, reliable wine - good producer, screwcap, etc.. -- and boy was this metallic tasting! This mostly Grenache (Syrah-Mourvedre) blend is normally solid. From the onset, I should have known, it had a sour fruit vibe going. It was nowhere near the 88/100 that WSpectator gave it. And it simply went south from there on days 2-3 as it started tasting like IronMan had dipped his boys into this wine - ridiculously metallic. Just a bad bottle...but still disappointing. 70/100.
Bottom line: A wine for paint removal or light crafts projects.

2006 Nelms Road Cabernet (Washington)

This one surprised us - I'd almost forgotten about this wine in the cellar - but we had it with a great top sirloin of bison last night and on its 2nd night open, the Nelms Cab really opened under the rare taste of the beast. Product: currants, tobacco, and a loamy earth-damp forest floor note that was haunting. Is it a "wonderful wine?" No, probably not, and it wasn't dirt cheap (about $24) but it was delicious with the bison served with a mushroom mousse on top, a side of mustard greens/shitakes, all this over some fake mashed potatoes. Hey, ease up, the potatoes were fine. 89 pts for the 06 Nelms Cab in this case.