The last California Cab I tasted left me with kind of a bad taste in my mouth. So I decided to try another to see if I can wash it away. Justin is a widely-distributed brand - I got this bottle at Trader Joe's - and I've been told nothing can beat it when paired with a nice juicy steak. While I am a little suspicious of this claim (and I'm not eating any steak), I thought I'd give it a whirl.
The aromas are a hint more refined than the last Cab; I get some spicy herbs - dill, maybe - and some toasty cedar along with classic oaky vanilla, black plums, and black currants. The palate, however, is light years ahead of the Sean Minor. It definitely has some serious alcohol (you could probably use this as mouthwash - and very tasty mouthwash it would be), but enough acid to match it, juicy fruits but not overripe and not overpowered by the oak. I can certainly see pairing this with a juicy grilled steak (can you believe I was a vegetarian for 10 years? I can't...), and it's also quite nice with the penne pasta, broccoli rabe, and Italian sausage that's on my dinner plate.
My only "suggestions" for the winemakers (should I be so bold) would be - a little more tannin (it's there, and it's soft, but it's not an equal ingredient with the sourness and heat) and a little less alcohol. I wouldn't be surprised if this wine had an ABV of over 15%. Ouch. Other than that - nom!
Vintage: 2008
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Paso Robles, California
Price: $21
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
2007 Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
I'm not entirely sure why I bought this wine, because generally when I see it in a store, I am not inspired. It must have been on sale. In any case, I'm expecting a rather average California Cab with a lot of fruit and alcohol, and maybe not much else. But we shall see.
It looks and smells like a California Cab - deep ruby in color and aromas of black currant, green pepper, and a bit of green tomato leaf as well. It doesn't smell too overly ripe, though I definitely get a lot of ripe fruit on the palate, and a moderate lack of acidity that would indicate a good deal of hang time for the grapes. There are some tannins, which are soft and ripe, and the wine isn't a complete fruit bomb. But it does lack some elegance and complexity. I'm getting sweet currants, toasty oak, and lots and lots of alcholol burn. The finish is fruity and fairly short.
While not a badly made wine at all, I'd classify this as very typical, middle-of-the-road California Cabernet Sauvignon. I'm still not inspired.
Vintage: 2007
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: North Coast, California
Price: $18
It looks and smells like a California Cab - deep ruby in color and aromas of black currant, green pepper, and a bit of green tomato leaf as well. It doesn't smell too overly ripe, though I definitely get a lot of ripe fruit on the palate, and a moderate lack of acidity that would indicate a good deal of hang time for the grapes. There are some tannins, which are soft and ripe, and the wine isn't a complete fruit bomb. But it does lack some elegance and complexity. I'm getting sweet currants, toasty oak, and lots and lots of alcholol burn. The finish is fruity and fairly short.
While not a badly made wine at all, I'd classify this as very typical, middle-of-the-road California Cabernet Sauvignon. I'm still not inspired.
Vintage: 2007
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: North Coast, California
Price: $18
Sunday, March 20, 2011
2009 4 Bears Pinot Noir Carneros Sean Minor
I'm back from a lovely sojourn to northern California, during which I bought (and consumed) some very lovely wines in Sonoma County. This isn't one of them. Not that it isn't a lovely wine, it's just not one I bought or consumed on my trip. Anyway....
It's a medium-pale ruby in the glass, not dense but quite brilliant. It smells of ripe black cherries (too ripe, maybe?), tons of oak, and a hint of something minerally - like a bucket of rainwater. This is not a delicate pinot noir. I do tend to think of New World Pinots, especially those from California, as being less delicate than, say, a Burgundy, but I actually tasted a few out in Sonoma that had an almost elusive balance between fruit and spice; not austere, but merely delicate and nuanced. For example, the yet-to-be-released 2009 Pech Merle and the 2008 Ten Acre DuNah Vineyard from Bella. If these wines are graceful wild horses, then Sean Minor is a clydesdale.
On the palate, the alcohol hits me first ( robust 14.5%), followed by a dense black, stewed fruits with a bitter edge. The acidity and tannins are there, but are vastly outshadowed by the heat and sweet fruits. It's not undrinkable by any means, but is drastically out of balance. That said, the finish is long and pleasantly juicy. I can see drinking this with something salty and sweet, like turkey and cranberries or pork chops and apricots.
Vintage: 2009
Grape: Pinot Noir
Region: Carneros, Napa Valley
Price: $20
It's a medium-pale ruby in the glass, not dense but quite brilliant. It smells of ripe black cherries (too ripe, maybe?), tons of oak, and a hint of something minerally - like a bucket of rainwater. This is not a delicate pinot noir. I do tend to think of New World Pinots, especially those from California, as being less delicate than, say, a Burgundy, but I actually tasted a few out in Sonoma that had an almost elusive balance between fruit and spice; not austere, but merely delicate and nuanced. For example, the yet-to-be-released 2009 Pech Merle and the 2008 Ten Acre DuNah Vineyard from Bella. If these wines are graceful wild horses, then Sean Minor is a clydesdale.
On the palate, the alcohol hits me first ( robust 14.5%), followed by a dense black, stewed fruits with a bitter edge. The acidity and tannins are there, but are vastly outshadowed by the heat and sweet fruits. It's not undrinkable by any means, but is drastically out of balance. That said, the finish is long and pleasantly juicy. I can see drinking this with something salty and sweet, like turkey and cranberries or pork chops and apricots.
Vintage: 2009
Grape: Pinot Noir
Region: Carneros, Napa Valley
Price: $20
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
2007 Trimbach Gewürztraminer Alsace
I have to admit to being a little apprehensive about this wine. As you know if you read my second to last post, I am somewhat of a slave to the gewurztraminer. I love it, and even if it's not a very highly credentialed one, I'll likely drink it with pleasure. My concern has to do with the Trimbach part. Trimbach has a widely-known and respected name, but I've witnessed some substantial variation between vintages and between bottles in his wines. I've really enjoyed his rieslings in the past, but the last pinot gris I tasted put me in mind of a shiitake and radish-scented candle. Why someone would create such a candle, I don't know - and I don't know why one would make a wine that tasted like that either.
The wine is a medium-deep yellow-gold gold in the glass and is ripe with stone fruits - yellow plums and apricots - and spicy nutmeg. Alas, no lychees, but I'll live. When I first pulled the cork, I got a hint of a chemically smell that could have been volatile acidity, but it has since blown off, and the aromas are sweet and lush.
In the mouth, it's quite elegant. There is a hint of sweetness, though it's all but cancelled out by the bracing acidity. The flavors pick up the ripe fruits of the aromas, evolving into a spicy, almost green finish resminiscent of scallions. It's a bit bitter on the palate, and the acidity does dominate the senses, but all in all it's a nice drinking wine that is making me yearn for a sweet onion tart. Oddly enough. They do say that Alsatian wines pair well with onions, so maybe I'm onto something!
Vintage: 2007
Grape: Gewurztraminer
Region: Alsace, France
Price: $18
The wine is a medium-deep yellow-gold gold in the glass and is ripe with stone fruits - yellow plums and apricots - and spicy nutmeg. Alas, no lychees, but I'll live. When I first pulled the cork, I got a hint of a chemically smell that could have been volatile acidity, but it has since blown off, and the aromas are sweet and lush.
In the mouth, it's quite elegant. There is a hint of sweetness, though it's all but cancelled out by the bracing acidity. The flavors pick up the ripe fruits of the aromas, evolving into a spicy, almost green finish resminiscent of scallions. It's a bit bitter on the palate, and the acidity does dominate the senses, but all in all it's a nice drinking wine that is making me yearn for a sweet onion tart. Oddly enough. They do say that Alsatian wines pair well with onions, so maybe I'm onto something!
Vintage: 2007
Grape: Gewurztraminer
Region: Alsace, France
Price: $18
Sunday, March 6, 2011
2009 Schild GMS Barossa
First, to clarify, "GMS" stands for Grenache, Mourvedre, Shiraz," a blend of grapes that is fairly popular in Australia (and to some degree in South Africa). Of course, you see it in sourthern France as well, where it presumably originated, though it isn't Shiraz in France, but Syrah. Same grape, different name.
The wine is a bright ruby in the glass - I'd guess that Grenache composes the greatest percentage of the blend given the color. There's a good deal of characteristically Grenache and Shiras black pepperiness and smoke, in the nose, which I always love, some charred oak (but not too much), some barnyard, and some red chili spice. Unfortunately the fruits on the nose are dark and dense, like stewed prunes or raisins. I suspect they waited a bit too long to harvest these grapes in the hot, sunny Barossa Valley.
My suspicions are supported by the way the wine performs on the palate. The first sensation is one of overwhelming heat. The alcohol burn is intense, even with a hint of residual sugar in the wine (i.e. not all of it was fermented and ended up as alcohol, meaning there had to be a lot of sugar to begin with). The wine is surprisingly acidic, though, making me think the winemakers may have "adjusted" the level of acid. This sort of monkeying is hard to hide; added acid rarely integrates seemlessly into a wine.
Criticisms aside, the fruits are still present in the mouth, albeit overripe tasting, and linger on forever - this wine has one of the longest finishes I've ever experienced. It's not an elegant wine - more a bull than a ballerina - but it's acceptable for what it is. Even bulls have their place in the wine world. Just drink it with a pepper steak and not a filet of salmon.
Vintage: 2009
Grapes: Grenache, Mourvedre, Shiraz
Region: Barossa Valley, Australia
Price: $18
NB I tasted a "GMS" blend from d'Arenberg the other day that cost half as much as this one, and was twice the quality in terms of winemaking prowess. Go for the Stump Jump instead!
The wine is a bright ruby in the glass - I'd guess that Grenache composes the greatest percentage of the blend given the color. There's a good deal of characteristically Grenache and Shiras black pepperiness and smoke, in the nose, which I always love, some charred oak (but not too much), some barnyard, and some red chili spice. Unfortunately the fruits on the nose are dark and dense, like stewed prunes or raisins. I suspect they waited a bit too long to harvest these grapes in the hot, sunny Barossa Valley.
My suspicions are supported by the way the wine performs on the palate. The first sensation is one of overwhelming heat. The alcohol burn is intense, even with a hint of residual sugar in the wine (i.e. not all of it was fermented and ended up as alcohol, meaning there had to be a lot of sugar to begin with). The wine is surprisingly acidic, though, making me think the winemakers may have "adjusted" the level of acid. This sort of monkeying is hard to hide; added acid rarely integrates seemlessly into a wine.
Criticisms aside, the fruits are still present in the mouth, albeit overripe tasting, and linger on forever - this wine has one of the longest finishes I've ever experienced. It's not an elegant wine - more a bull than a ballerina - but it's acceptable for what it is. Even bulls have their place in the wine world. Just drink it with a pepper steak and not a filet of salmon.
Vintage: 2009
Grapes: Grenache, Mourvedre, Shiraz
Region: Barossa Valley, Australia
Price: $18
NB I tasted a "GMS" blend from d'Arenberg the other day that cost half as much as this one, and was twice the quality in terms of winemaking prowess. Go for the Stump Jump instead!
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