2009 Piemonte Brachetto

Price: $15.00
Varietal: 100% Brachetto
Region: Piedmont > Italy
Website: www.villadoria.it

Tad’s Rating:
Patrick’s Rating:
Paul’s Rating:

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2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Gewürztraminer

Price: $11.00
Varietal: 84% Gewurztraminer and 16% Muscat Canelli
Region: Columbia Valley > Washington
Website: www.ste-michelle.com

Tad’s Rating:
Patrick’s Rating:
Paul’s Rating:

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I recently had a 2003 Josef Friederich Piesporter Michelsberg Spätlese Riesling. A 2003, you say? And you drank it in 2010? Yes. This wine is proof that a high-sugar content white wine CAN age and remain drinkable for quite a while (quite a while in the life of a white, anyway).

This Piesporter Michelsberg Spätlese is from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region, and has an alcohol content of 8.5%. It’s a beautiful straw-to-golden yellow color with a medium depth and yet quite clear. Its nose is moderate with scents of honey and peach. As one may parse, this is a sweet riesling with a medium body and smooth acidity. Along with low tannins, this is a VERY drinkable wine, and best served alone. The flavors consist of honey, peach and even a hint of citrus and pear with a nice, long finish. I was surprised by how flavorful and complex this wine has remained in seven years of aging.

All in all, a very nice surprise! It’s sweet, flavorful with a very slight effervescence, and out of a 5-star rating I give it 3.5-4. So if you find yourself with a German riesling that you might think is past its prime, open it and give it a try! I know I will.

Patrick, Paul and I discuss our favorite wines to enjoy during the summer.

For the Beach:

Moscato d’Asti / Moscato
Sauvignon Blanc
Gewürztraminer
Riesling
Unoaked Chardonnay

For the Barbecue:

Malbec
Pinot Noir
Zinfandel
Syrah
Rioja

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2008 Layer Cake Malbec

Price: $15.00
Varietal: 100% Malbec
Region: Argentina > Mendoza
Website: www.layercakewine.com

Tad’s Rating: Like It
Patrick’s Rating: Like it
Erin’s Rating: Like it

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Animation Station: www.animationstation.info
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In this episode Patrick and I discuss the best value producing wine region in the world, South America.

Chile and Argentina have really only made an impact on the foreign market in the past decade or so. Wine prices are generally low and a great value.

Chile

Chile’s climate varies from the heat of the arid, rocky, mountainous desert to the north and the icy, Antarctic expanse in the south. Midway between the two are the warm, fertile valleys that are home to this nation’s vineyards.

Wine Varietals of Note:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay, as well as Carmenère.

Regions of Note:
Aconcagua: Large plantings of white varieties, including Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Includes the subregion Casablanca
Maipo: Chile’s oldest wine region. Red varieties are favored, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon.
Chimbarongo: Rresponsible for some interesting Pinot Noir.

Argentina

Until recently, the vast majority of the wine produced by Argentina was for the home market. Faced with a drop in consumption, Argentina turned it attention to the international market; pulling up nearly a third of the vineyards and planting better and more international vine varieties.

Wine Varietals of Note:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Tempranillo
But Argentina is know for its, Malbec.
Torrontés, a white variety, not unlike those made from Muscat.

Region of Note:
Mendoza: Accounts for roughly three-quarters of all the vine plantings, Mendoza is situated in the west of the country.

What you need to know:

• Great value priced wines
• Argentina = Malbec
• Good Years:
  • Casablanca: 2007, 2006, 2005
  • Colchagua: 2007, 2005, 2004, 2003
  • Maipo: 2007, 2005, 2004, 2003
  • Mendoza: 2006, 2005, 2003, 2002

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Region: California > Napa Valley > Oakville
Date Tasted: 4/19/2010
Notes: I decanted this wine 3 hours and I would imagine it would have tasted better day 2.
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Cherry, spice, oak and vanilla
Taste: A juicy palate with good acidity.
Finish: Medium finish
Evaluation: Solid wine with plenty backbone. (92 pts.)

2004 Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick

Region: Washington > Columbia Valley > Walla Walla Valley
Date Tasted: 4/19/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Earth, spices, vanilla and red pepper
Taste: Spices, vanilla, oak and red peppers
Finish: Medium finish and tannic.
Evaluation: Lacks typical Washington State fruit. (90 pts.)

2003 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard

Region: Washington > Columbia Valley > Yakima Valley
Date Tasted: 4/19/2010
Notes: Still tannic and decanted for 3 hours.
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Leather, spice, cherry and pepper
Taste: Very complex palate with leather, spices, pepper, and oak.
Evaluation: This wine is drinking really well and should age nicely for 10 plus years. (92 pts.)

2005 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve

Region: California > Napa Valley
Date Tasted: 4/21/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, oak, vanilla, smoke and cherry
Taste: What a powerhouse wine on the palate and shows a tremedous upside down the road.
Evaluation: While I enjoyed Conn Valley wines young they certainly get better with age. (93 pts.)

2004 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon Out-of-sight-vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley
Date Tasted: 4/21/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Floral, cherry, chocolate, and spices
Taste: Very balanced wine and the palate has flavors bouncing all over the mouth.
Finish: Really nice use of oak and there is a medium finish on the wine. A bit of chalk comes into the finish which was interesting.
Evaluation: Wow! Well made wine! (94 pts.)

2007 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Affinity

Region: California > Napa Valley
Date Tasted: 4/21/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: A simple nose with spice, pepper and floral.
Taste: Good flavors but nothing like out of the bottle.
Evaluation: An interesting wine that out of the bottle was great but 4 hours of decanting it lost its edge. I will cellar the remaining 2 and see what happens. (90 pts.)

2002 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Washington
Date Tasted: 4/21/2010
Notes: Decanted 5 hours.
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Forest floor, spices, coffee, cherry and earth dominate the nose.
Taste: Very integrated wine with tons of complexity.
Finish: The finish is long and shows spice, floral, coffee, cherry, plum and leather.
Evaluation: Another great showing. No flaws on any part of the wine. This wine has it all and is drinking well now but I will revisit down the road. (95 pts.)

2005 Star Lane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: California > Central Coast > Santa Ynez Valley
Date Tasted: 4/21/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, floral and minerals
Taste: Palate is solid.
Finish: Medium finish
Evaluation: This is the first Cab I have tasted from Santa Ynez Valley and I think with some time this could improve a few points. (89 pts.)

2006 Martin Codax Ergo Rioja

Price: $10.00
Varietal: 99.7% Tempranillo, 0.3% Graciano
Region: Spain > Rioja
Website: www.martincodax.com

Tad’s Rating: Like It
Patrick’s Rating: Like it

Our other podcasts:

Animation Station: www.animationstation.info
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John and I taste a sampling of wines from Columbia Crest.

2006 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot

Price: $8.00-$11.00
Varietal: Merlot
Region: Washington > Columbia Valley
John’s Rating: 88-90 points

2007 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

Price: $8.00-$11.00
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Washington > Columbia Valley
John’s Rating: 88-90 points

2004 Columbia Crest Reserve Merlot

Price: $25.00-$30.00
Varietal: Merlot
Region: Washington > Columbia Valley
John’s Rating: 92 points

Our other podcasts:

Animation Station: www.animationstation.info
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John and I taste a sampling of wines from the Meek Family Estate.

2006 WJ Meek Syrah

Price: $15.00
Varietal: Syrah
Region: Washington > Yakima Valley
John’s Rating: 88-91 points

2005 Meek Family Estate Syrah

Price: $25.00
Varietal: Syrah
Region: Washington > Yakima Valley
John’s Rating: 92-93 points

2005 Meek Family Estate “Inherit”

Price: $30.00
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot
Region: Washington > Yakima Valley
John’s Rating: 92 points

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In this episode Patrick and I discuss, in our opinion, an under appreciated wine producing country, Spain.

Most Spanish grape varietals are not the typical international grape varietals we are used to. While Estimates are that over 600 grape varieties are planted throughout Spain, 80% of those fall into only 20 grape varieties. The most common are: Airén, Tempranillo, Garnacha (Grenache), Albariño, Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo.

As the Spanish wine industry becomes more modern, there has been a larger presence of international grape varieties appearing in both blends and varietal forms-most notably Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot and Sauvignon blanc.

Spain has a relatively large number of distinct wine-producing regions. While most make both red and white wine, some wine regions are more dominated by one style than the other. With out going into great detail here are the highlights:
Rioja, Penedes and Ribera del Duero are known for their Tempranilla (blended with Garnacha, Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano)
Catalonia produces 95% of Spain’s Cava (sparkling wine)
Galicia is know for their Albariño

Spanish wines are often labeled according to the amount of aging the wine has received.
Vino Jovén: wines will have undergone very little, if any, wood ageing.
Crianza: red wines are aged for 2 years with at least 6 months in oak, white wines and rosés are aged for at least 1 year with at least 6 months in oak
Reserva: red wines are aged for at least 3 years with at least 1 year in oak, white wines and rosés are aged for at least 2 years with at least 6 months in oak
Gran Reserva: red wines are aged at least 5 years with at least 18 months in oak, white wines and rosés are aged for at least 4 years with at least 6 months in oak

What you need to know:
Good Years: 2005, 2004, 2001
Wines are named for the region, but quite often will have the grape varietal listed
Spanish red wines are usually drier wines with a chalkiness to them
Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva refer to the amount of aging and oak

Join us next episode when we will be tasting a 2006 Martin Codax Ergo Rioja.

We’d like to thank Matt Stevens for allowing us to use his song Chasing the Sun for our podcast. For more of Matt’s music, please visit his web site: www.mattstevensguitar.com

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John reviews a few California Cabernet Sauvignon wines and then John, Patrick and I taste a 2006 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon.

2005 Waterstone Cabernet Sauvignon

Price: $15.00-$25.00
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California > Napa Valley
John’s Rating: 92 points

2007 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon

Price: $50.00-$60.00
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California > Napa Valley
John’s Rating: 93 points

2005 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve

Price: $60.00-$70.00
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California > Napa Valley
John’s Rating: 94 points

2006 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Price: $15.00-$20.00
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California > Napa Valley
John’s Rating: 94 points

Tad’s Rating: Like It
Patrick’s Rating: Like It
John’s Rating: Like It

Links mentioned in this episode:

100 point rating system guide: www.wineglas.com/ratings.html

Our other podcasts:

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Crash! Bang! Pow!: www.crashbangpow.com

2008 Palacios Remondo La Vendimia Rioja

Price: $15.00
Varietal: 50% Tempranillo, 50% Grenache
Region: Spain > Rioja
Website: N/A

Tad’s Rating: Like It
Patrick’s Rating: Like it

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In this episode Patrick and I answer listener submitted questions. Keep them coming!

Questions:

• How long will the wine keep after it is opened?
• Why do are some wines need to “breath?”
• What is decanting?
• What is the best way to cleanse your palate between tasting different wines?
• What’s the deal with screw-tops?
• What’s that dent in the bottom of the bottle?
• Where are the best wine values coming from these days?
• Do you think that Minnesota-grown wines can compete in quality with California wines?
• Does glassware really make a difference?
• How many servings are in a bottle of wine?
• What wines are good for a party of large gathering?
• Serving temperature for wine?
• What is the nutritional content of wine?
• Why do some wines give you a headache? It’s from the sulfites right?
• What are sulfites and should I be worried about them?
• I’ve always wondered why some white wines make your pee neon green the next day.

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Region: California > Napa Valley > Rutherford
Date Tasted: 3/23/2010
Notes: This wine review is on day 2.
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Cherry, daust, earth, oak and plum
Taste: On the palate dust, spices, floral, cherry and vanilla.
Finish: Medium and concentrated finish.
Evaluation: This is an amazing wine for the price point of $25. (92 pts.)

2007 Trinchero Cabernet Sauvignon Cloud’s Nest Vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley > Mt. Veeder
Date Tasted: 3/23/2010
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Dust, minerals, charcoal
Taste: On the palate dust, cherry, blueberries, figs, charcoal, oak and floral.
Finish: Medium and multi layered finish.
Evaluation: Great acidity and this wine should improve a few points over the next five years. (93 pts.)

2007 Trinchero Cabernet Sauvignon Mario’s Vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley
Date Tasted: 3/23/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Smoke, dust, blackberries, floral and oak.
Taste: On the palate awesome concentration with blackberries, blueberries, smoke, dust leather and oak.
Finish: Medium, mulit layered finish with some serious punch.
Evaluation: This is a cellar selection wine. (94 pts.)

2007 Trinchero Family Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Central Park West Vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley > St. Helena
Date Tasted: 3/23/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Bacon, charcoal, tobacco, and spice.
Taste: On the palate rich with cherry, bacon, charcoal, and earth.
Finish: Medium finish.
Evaluation: Since the recorded show I did on Trinchero wines this wine improved to a solid 91 point score. (91 pts.)

2007 Morgan Metallico Unoaked Chardonnay

Price: $20.00
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Region: California > Monterey
Website: www.morganwinery.com

Tad’s Rating: Drinkable
Patrick’s Rating: Like it

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Continuing our discussion on Cabernet Sauvignon. Most notably Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Located 55 miles northeast of San Francisco, Napa Valley produces only around 5% of all of California’s wine.

The early 1840s recorded the first wines produced in Napa Valley by George C. Yount. Commercial wineries popped up twenty years later:

• Charles Krug: 1861
• Schramsberg: 1862
• Beringer: 1876
• Inglenook: 1879

André Tchelistcheff and Brother Timothy are generally credited with ushering in the modern era of winemaking in California in the 19oos. André introduced several new techniques and procedures to the region, such as aging wine in small French Oak barrels, cold fermentation, vineyard frost prevention, and malolactic fermentation. Brother Timothy established Christian Brothers as one of the leading brands in the state’s budding wine industry.

Following the Second World War, the wine industry in Napa began to thrive again. In 1965, Napa Valley icon Robert Mondavi broke away from his family’s Charles Krug estate to found his own winemaking operation in Oakville. It was the first new large scale winery to be established in the valley since before prohibition.

The 1976 blind tasting, known as the The Judgment of Paris, pitted California wines vs. classic French wines. The 1973 Stags Leap Wine Cellars won best of show in the Cabernet wine category and the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay won best of show in the Chardonnay category beating the best of Burgundy.

Today Napa Valley features more than 700 wineries that grow many grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zinfandel, and other popular varietals. While some winemakers produce wines from specific AVAs within the valley, the majority choose to blend or cuvée their wines using a mixture of wine from grapes grown on the valley floor.

Trivia:

1. What was the first $100 bottle in Napa?
2. What year did Napa become an official AVA?
3. What was the first official Bordeaux Blend in Napa?
4. What AVA is in Napa and Sonoma?
5. What is Napa Valley’s most expensive wine?

In this episode Patrick and I give the tips and tricks to host your own wine tasting party.

Wine Tasting Types:

• The Vertical Wine Tasting
• The Horizontal Wine Tasting
• Old World vs. New World Wine Tasting
• The Wine and Cheese Tasting
• The Wine and Chocolate Tasting
• The Top Ten Wine Tasting

Tips:

• Don’t pour more than 1-2 oz. of wine. The object is to taste the wine, not get drunk.
• Try a blind tasting—people’s preconceptions of a wine can greatly influence their tasting experience.
• Hold off on sharing the price of the wine until after the tasting process.
• Determine your guest list and send invites at least two weeks before your tasting.
• Keep the atmosphere light and engaging.

What You Will Need:

• Four to six wines
• Tasting card
• Appetizers
• Loaf of bread
• Wine glasses
• Pitcher of water
• Dump bucket
• Brown bags
• Pens and extra paper

Links mentioned in this episode:

Wine and Cheese Pairings: www.dontfearthegrape.com/resources/wine-and-cheese-pairings/
Wine and Chocolate Pairings: www.dontfearthegrape.com/resources/wine-and-chocolate-pairings/
Wine Tasting Card: www.dontfearthegrape.com/resources/wine-tasting-card/

Our other podcasts:

Animation Station: www.animationstation.info
Crash! Bang! Pow!: www.crashbangpow.com

John reviews a few wines from Bordeaux’s left bank region and then John, Patrick an I taste a 2005 Château Colombier-Monpelou.

2006 Château Bellegrave

Price: $12.00-$35.00
Varietal: Red Bordeaux Blend
Region: France > Bordeaux > Médoc > Haut Médoc
John’s Rating: 88 points

2005 Château Potensac

Price: $25.00
Varietal: Red Bordeaux Blend
Region: France > Bordeaux > Médoc
John’s Rating: 90 points

2001 Château Montrose

Price: $50.00-$105.00
Varietal: Red Bordeaux Blend
Region: France > Bordeaux > Médoc > Haut Médoc > St. Estèphe
John’s Rating: 94 points

2005 Château Lascombe

Price: $60.00-$160.00
Varietal: Red Bordeaux Blend
Region: France > Bordeaux > Médoc > Haut Médoc > Margaux
John’s Rating: 94 points

2005 Château Colombier-Monpelou

Price: $16.00-$36.00
Varietal: Red Bordeaux Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon 65%, Merlot 25%, Cabernet Franc 5%, Petit Verdot 5%)
Region: France > Bordeaux > Médoc > Haut Médoc > Pauillac

Tad’s Rating: Like It
Patrick’s Rating: Love It
John’s Rating: Like It

Our other podcasts:

Animation Station: www.animationstation.info
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