WINECENTRIC

DENNER THE DITCH DIGGER - 2009

2012-02-07T12:36:00.000-05:00

40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre, 5% Counoise, 5% Cinsault. From Paso Robles with a whopping 15.3% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Explosive blend of dark berries - strawberry, blackberry, black currant, plum and blueberry. Oak, smoke, black pepper, asphalt, licorice, chocolate and spice.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

93 PTS
A blockbuster wine that showcases Grenache. A massive wine with purple-teeth staining color and endless jam. Probably needs some time in the bottle but this is a sexy wine actually seems to show some restraint. Retails for around $50.

DEHLINGER PINOT NOIR - 2008

2012-02-06T00:22:00.000-05:00

California Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley with 14.9% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Black cherry and raspberry upfront with blackberry, oak, mocha, plum and concentrated jam and spice on the mid-palate. Silky smooth, very balanced, good acidity.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

93 PTS
A very well-made wine that was named #5 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 List. The most impressive aspects of this wine are its balance (at nearly 15%, the alcohol is barely present) and oak (wonderfully integrated). Stylistically, I can't say this wine rises to the top for me, as I tend to prefer a Pinot with more vibrant acidity.

SPINIFEX ESPRIT - 2006

2012-02-05T12:07:00.002-05:00

Mataro 34%, Grenache 31%, Shiraz 30%, Cinsault 5%. From the Barossa Valley, Australia. 14.5% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Rich red color with aromas and flavors of black cherry, boysenberry, raspberry, blackberry, mocha, smokey oak and plum. In the background there's hints of more prune-raisin-fig lurking beneath. Chewy tannins, but smooth and direct on the palate.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

91+ PTS
Perhaps a little more time in the bottle might help this wine. It still has some alcohol showing through that holds this wine back from being completely balanced. Overall, this is a great Aussie wine that is not overpowering. Retails for around $18.

BOTANI SIERRAS DE MALAGA MOSCATEL SECO - 2009

2012-01-26T16:40:00.000-05:00

100% Moscatel de Alejandria. 13.5% alcohol. Made in Spain. A collaborative effort of Jorge Ordonez, his family and the Kracher family from Austria.

TASTING NOTES:

Fresh and crisp like an ocean breeze. Pale yellow-green color with wonderful flavors and aromas of tropical fruits and flowers. Deceptively dry, as it gives the illusion that it is a white with residual sugar. Hints of orange, spice and minerality linger beneath the surface.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

92+ PTS
I've been wanting to review this wine for awhile. I buy a bottle. I savor it and never really write down any tasting notes. I'll review it when I open the next bottle I say to myself. And so the pattern repeats itself. This is one of my favorite white wines of the year. Smooth, refreshing and pairs wonderfully with so many foods. Fruity and delicious for only $15.

PODERE BRIZIO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO - 2006

2012-01-15T01:00:00.000-05:00

14.5% alcohol. 100% Sangiovese.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark red color with rich mocha, blackberry, toasted oak, black cherry and spice. Ripe plum on the mid-palate and finish. Smooth yet bold and structured.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

92 PTS
This earthy, terrior-driven red was rated 95 PTS from WE and 94 from WS. While it is definitely a fine red with some elegance, complexity and richness, it does not have the "wow" factor to justify a higher score. Retails for around $50 a bottle making it an expensive offering and tough to recommend.

DUORUM TONS DOURO RED - 2009

2012-01-14T11:26:00.001-05:00

50% Touriga Franca, 30% Touriga Nacional, 20% Tinta Roriz. 13% alcohol

TASTING NOTES:

Dark red color with aromas and flavors of blackberry, black currants, plum and cherry. Mocha notes on the mid-palate give way to grainy tannins a fairly smooth finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS
For $12, this is a great Douro. Clean smooth flavors with some depth. Balanced and very approachable. Great value.

CHURCHILL'S 10 YEARS OLD TAWNY PORT (NV)

2011-12-05T20:48:00.001-05:00

Founded in 1981 by John Graham and his wife Caroline Churchill, this port has 19% alcohol and is from Portugal.

TASTING NOTES:

Amber-red color with pure aromas and flavors of fig, raisin, prune and roasted hazelnuts. So exceptionally smooth and sweet, the quality masks the presence of high alcohol. Rich, slick, long and luxurious. Caramel and candy goodness on the finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

95 PTS
I'm a sucker for Tawny Port and this is about as good as it gets. What is incredibly impressive about this wine is the elegance despite its high alcohol content. It is tremendously balanced and amazingly delicious, seductive and alluring. This kind of quality should cost you a pretty penny but for $33 a bottle (500 ML), it is one of the steals of the year. I drank this on Thanksgiving with dessert and it makes all every sweet shine. One of the best dessert wine options out there. If your are looking to impress friends and family for the holidays, this is your best chance.

RUFFINO MODUS - 2007

2011-11-23T16:08:00.001-05:00

Made from 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. 13.5% alcohol

TASTING NOTES:

Vibrant red color with dynamic cherry oak and black fruit on the nose. Great structure with flavors of blueberry, mocha, tobacco, mint, plum, licorice, and loads of toasty oak. Subtle yet powerful with a soft and silky mouthfeel and a substantial finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

93 PTS
This Wine Spectator Top 100 wine received a dazzling 96 point score last year. While it is certainly a tremendous effort, that score seems to be stretched too high. The most amazing this about this wine is that the quality comes at a bargain retailing for only $25 a bottle. A complex effort and one of the best QPRs out there.

HERDING CATS CHENIN BLANC / CHARDONNAY -

2011-11-21T15:53:00.001-05:00

South African blend available in both bottle (750 ML) and Octavin Home Wine Bar (3L). 13.5% alcohol and made from 80% Chenin Blanc and 20% Chardonnay.

TASTING NOTES:

Pale yellow color with aromas and flavors of citrus, green apple and quince. Crisp and clean with underlying minerality and acidity.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

83 PTS
Simple white blend that lacks any really depth of fruit. Serviceable but falls short of pleasant and enjoyable. Retails for $24 for a 3L Premium Wine Cask and $8 a bottle making it tough to recommend given that there are superior alternatives in the marketplace. For instance you can buy Pine Ridge's Chenin Blanc Viognier for around $9 - $12 and it is a terrific QPR wine.

CONCANNON CONSERVANCY CRIMSON & CLOVER - 2009

2011-11-12T18:27:00.001-05:00

This is the first release of the Crimson & Clover wine, a blend of 50% Petite Sirah, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, and 10% Zinfandel. The wine is from the Livermore Valley and aged in French and American oak barrels for 18 months.

The wine was made by John Concannon as a tribute to his father, Jim Concannon, the father of America's First Petite Sirah who celebrated his 80th birthday back in July. 13.7% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Rich red color with aromas of black currant, baking spices, and berries. On the palate, there's blackberry, leather, tobacco, plum, cocoa, and black cherry candy on the finish. Chewy, almost dusty tannin gives way to some nice acidity backed by vanilla oak.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

91+ PTS
This is a special wine that is well-crafted and delicious. From the first taste, you might think this is a California Meritage with bottle age. It has class both in and outside of the bottle (just look at the gorgeous glass and label). The wine retails for an affordable $15 which is surprising for this kind of quality. Put this wine somewhere on the 2011 Wine Spectator Top 100 list. This wine rocks!

MICHEL TORINO MALBEC ROSE - 2011

2011-11-11T18:16:00.000-05:00

Minimal oak influence, short contact of the juice with the skins, 100% Malbec from the Cafayete Valley, Argentina.

TASTING NOTES:

Fruit punch pink color with aromas and flavors of roses, cherries, herbs, strawberries and raspberries. Light, clean and smooth with cherry cough syrup notes at its core followed up by minerality.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

86 PTS
A simple, easy drinking Rose that pleases enough but still leaves one yearning for more definitive fruit. Retails for $13 a bottle making it a questionable buy.

SANTI MOSCATO MONTEDORO - 2010

2011-11-08T18:06:00.001-05:00

This wine is produced from parcels cultivated in the Trentino region in Italy from 100% Moscato grapes. A portion of the grapes are left to overripen naturally on the vine to increase sugar content.

TASTING NOTES:

Rapunzel golden straw colored with aromas of tropical fruits and lychee notes. On the palate there's gobs of sugary Juicy Fruit & Bazooka Joe bubble gum upfront with melon and peach on the follow through. Sweet and balanced.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS

A really solid, easy drinking dessert wine. Not overly sweet and with enough viscosity to make it a good sipping wine as well. A steal for $12 a bottle. Great bang for the buck.

TRAPICHE BROQUEL BONARDA - 2009

2011-11-08T17:40:00.000-05:00

Broquel means "sheild" and is part of Trapiche's premium Mendoza, Argentina wine brand. The wine is made from 100% Bonarda grapes from the Santa Rosa Vineyard which lies at about 3000 feet in elevation in the foothills of the Andes. Thought to originate in Piedmont, Italy, the Bonarda grape thrives in Argentina.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark purple-red color with aromas and flavors of grape jam, blackberry, blueberry and cherry. Rich and full-bodied this wine has some serious tannin structure. Sharp acidity and good length with oak, plum and earthy terrior underneath.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

86 PTS

A robust red but one that doesn't completely come together. Retails for $15 a bottle. Tough varietal sell in marketplace where I think there's better QPR in low to mid-level Malbecs.

GROONER GRUNER VELTLINER - 2010

2011-10-29T17:14:00.000-04:00

100% Gruner Veltliner from Austria

TASTING NOTES:

Clear greenish hue with aromas and flavors of crisp, green apple, citrus and minerality. Racy acidity with tartness on the mid-palate and finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

88 PTS
Straight-forward GV with clean, dry, yet mouth-watering appeal. Has good weight to it and retails for $13 a bottle. A good, affordable intro to the varietal if you've never tried it before.

BOMB OREGON PINOT NOIR - 2009

2011-10-22T17:25:00.001-04:00

Bomb Wines is a new wine brand from Jim Carney and Susan Weeden. Jim, a NYC resident, fell in love with Oregon Pinot Noir during the 80's when he was attending the University of Oregon. Susan, from Montclair, NJ shared a similar passion for the delicate, dynamic and sometimes elusive Pinot grape. Together they have launched a 500 case batch of Bomb Pinot Noir with the help of winemaker Tony Rynders (Domaine Serene, Hogue).

The wine is composed of 100% hand picked and hand sorted Pinot Noir which spent 14 months in French oak barrels of which 60% were new. 14.3% alcohol. Willamette Valley.

TASTING NOTES:

Transparent cherry red color with aromas of strawberry, raspberry, creamy oak and spice. Upfront there's delicate, juicy red berries and hints of ripe tomato before giving way to a mid-palate loaded with creamy-milky-toasty oak. Black cherry candy and oak dominates the finish. Extremely soft and smooth with some zippy acidity on the back end.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

90+ PTS

With a name like BOMB, you'd expect this wine to follow the recent California trend of highly saturated fruit bomb Pinots that are so dark and rich you can't see your fingers through the glass. Quite the contrary, this wine embraces the Yin of Pinot, highlighting the silky, soft and immersive traits the grape can express rather than those of brute force. This easy drinking red has tremendous, predominant amounts of toasty creaminess on both the nose and palate which is one of its strongest and most alluring points. An impressive inaugural effort. The 2009 Bomb Pinot Noir retails for $50 a bottle. Bomb Wines will also release a 2010 Washington Cabernet Sauvignon in the near future.

BERINGER PRIVATE RESERVE CHARDONNAY - 2008

2011-10-19T20:53:00.001-04:00

100% Chardonnay. French oak. Malolactic fermentation. 14.9% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Shining amber-gold color. Tremendous apple-pear-pineapple, orange blossom honey, smoke and creme brulee. Vibrant citrus underscored with minerality. Powerful with great depth, balanced acidity and length. Loads of creamy nutty oak and sweet butterscotch-caramel on the finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

93 PTS

This is a fantastic Chardonnay that retails for around $30. This wine can hang with the upper echelon Chardonnay bottles that cost twice as much. A complete steal. This is an awesome wine. If I had any criticism, it would be that the alcohol, although integrated pretty well, is a tad too high at 14.9%.

STAG'S LEAP WINE CELLARS KARIA CHARDONNAY - 2008

2011-10-12T15:53:00.004-04:00

From Napa, California.

TASTING NOTES:

Golden color with a apple, pear and lemon upfront. The mid-palate is full of sultry coconut and spiced oak with caramel and butter on the finish. Smooth with crisp acidity. Balanced, juicy with autumn-like comforting aromas.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

92 PTS
A great California Chardonnay that doesn't drift into being over-oaked or overpowering. Still sharp enough to pair well with food, yet dynamic enough to stand on its own. Retails for $32 delivering $50 Chardonnay quality for much less.

MERRY EDWARDS RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC - 2007

2011-10-03T12:47:00.004-04:00

Having tasted the 2008 and 2009 vintages, I eagerly anticipated opening the historic 2007. This is the Sauvignon Blanc that made the Wine Spectator Top 10 list and received a staggering 96 point rating.

TASTING NOTES:

Golden color with loads of lemon and orange citrus, melon, peach, pear and pure vanilla extract. Great acidity rounds out the mellow oak. Viscosity, depth and herbal notes with floral aromas.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

94 PTS
There's something almost Burgundian about this effort. Maybe it is the time spent in the bottle that has integrated the oak and muted some of the vibrant flavors. It is definitely an exceptional bottle. The 2008 and 2009 vintages are similar but not quite as rich as this offering. Recent vintages retail for around $30 and are worth every penny.

THE SUPERNATURAL SAUVIGNON BLANC - 2009

2011-09-05T17:56:00.003-04:00

13.5% alcohol. 100% Estate grown Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

TASTING NOTES:

Golden yellow color with highly aromatic honeysuckle, pineapple and passion fruit. Citrus, minerality and crisp upfront with notes of petrol, sweet lychee and honey on the finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

92 PTS

Pretty sensational Sauvignon Blanc. Can't think of any SB I've had with the exception of the Merry Edwards that is so vibrant and dynamic. Has a Sauternes-esque aspect to the wine and sets itself apart from the traditional New Zealand SB. Beer bottle crown cap closure in a clear bottle makes for a sleek, casual look, but there's serious juice inside.

CLOS RENE POMEROL - 2005

2011-08-30T18:51:00.003-04:00

13.5% alcohol on this classic Merlot based Bordeaux red.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark red color with great smoke, pencil lead, mocha, and rich dark fruit on the nose. On the palate, loads up black currant, blackberry, coffee, tobacco and bold plum on the finish. Chewy, saturated and rustic.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

91 PTS

I love this wine. An authentic Pomerol with a bit of Pauillac pencil on the nose. Retails for around $35 making this a stellar buy. This kind of quality and length from a great vintage makes this an affordable Bordeaux.

MANDOLIN CABERNET SAUVIGNON CENTRAL COAST - 2009

2011-08-28T18:45:00.000-04:00

100% California Cabernet Sauvignon with 14% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Aromas and flavors of black currant, cherry, vanilla and oak. Medium bodied with good mouthfeel.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATIONS:

84 PTS

Pretty straight ahead Cab for $12 a bottle. Not enough depth or character to push this above an easy drinking entry level Cabernet but significantly better than competitor Cabs that retail for a few dollars less.

MANDOLIN SYRAH CENTRAL COAST -2009

2011-08-05T14:50:00.002-04:00

100% Syrah with malo-lactic fermentation in French oak barrels (20% new). Aged 14 months prior to bottling.

TASTING NOTES:

Medium-red color with aromas and flavors of blue and black fruits. Vanilla oak on the finish. Some tart cherry, acidity and spice.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

87 PTS

On the nose fruit-driven Syrah. Medium-bodied with a better initial attack than mid-palate or finish. For $10, this is a solid offering.

IRIS VINEYARDS OREGON PINOT GRIS - 2008

2011-07-30T17:30:00.002-04:00

13.5% alcohol. Twist-off closure.

TASTING NOTES:

Light gold color with floral aromas and flavors of mango, citrus, white peach and pear. Crisp acidity, refreshing. Good length with tropical notes and minerality. Very clean finish with tartrate crystals in the glass. A small bit of frizzante on early pours.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

89 PTS

This is exceptional Pinot Gris. I wish this wine had longer finish but overall it is a winner. Great mouthfeel, balance and zest.

ALVEAR PEDRO XIMENEZ SOLERA - 1927

2011-07-27T05:25:00.000-04:00

I'm finally back from traveling and vacation so it time to write about wine. I've had some fantastic wine experiences and hopefully will write about some of them down the road.

I recently retasted a great wine that I thought was worth boasting about again. About 4 years have flown by since I last reviewed this wine and it still holds up. This incredible solera is made with portions of previous vintages dating back to 1927 and it remains my favorite Spanish dessert wine.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark amber color with maple syrup and fig on the nose. Flavors of liquefied Fig Newtons, Hermit raisin and spice cookies, and vanilla are still present in this ever evolving release. However, either my memory tricking me or it has changed a bit. I'm missing the bold, roasted hazelnuts that were my favorite aspect of this wine. They are still there but not nearly as robust.

The finish is still long and keeps going begging for sweet pairings.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

94 PTS
You can sip it alone but it is so much better with dessert, especially chocolate. The price has gone up since way back when it used to be about $15. Now it the 375ML runs around $20, but I'm not complaining.

PETER LEHMANN LAYERS RED BAROSSA - 2009

2011-06-06T16:12:00.005-04:00

14.5% alcohol. A blend of 41% Shiraz, 20% Mourvedre, 19% Tempranillo, 17% Grenache and 3% Carignane.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark cherry red color with fresh red berries and currants on the nose. Flavors of dark plum, black currant, cocoa and wild brush and spice.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

87 PTS

A Southern Rhone GSM made in an Aussie styling. The alcohol is perhaps too high and seems to get in front of the wine, especially on the finish, but overall there is some nice fruit and tannin. Retails for around $17.