The Wine Cask Blog

Sean Minor "4B" Sauvignon Blanc 2008 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Please note--This varietal was sent to us--free of charge--for review.

Light golden hue presentation with nice bouquet of pineapple life savers, green apple and pear with sweet powdery fruit.

Palate--as a matter of preference, the foundation of this wine is a little flaccid but then I like razor sharp acidity in my whites. Beyond that however, there are nice grassy Sauvignon B. flavors on an off-dry foundation with a nice peary finish that has some staying power.

This is a more relaxed style of Sauvignon Blanc and for me, works better with food than solo. I paired it with a nice seafood soup I whipped up on a chilly Friday evening. It was a very nice pairing. A solid well made wine from Sonoma grapes and at $13, raise a glass!

Solane Santi Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso 2006 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:25:00 +0000

Another Trader Joe's bargain which did not pay off for the travel and expense as it was gone on a return visit.

Purple cranberry jelly hue with bright cherry, pipe tobacco aromas and nice fruit.

Palate--Sweet, integrated fruit with some intensity along with baked bread, candy berry flavors and a finish that lasts. Good structure with a spice rear, will drink well for several years.

A Ripasso at this price ($15) is ridiculous but this is a good one. I tried to get more but someone else also recognized a bargain when they saw it. Raise a glass if you can.

Chateau De Virecourt 2005 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:20:00 +0000

At $13, this Bordeaux from the fabled vintage was a must buy. It has a ruby hue with chocolate and big berry aromas with deep spice and pine.

Palate--Wow--what a disappointment; watery, steely bread with little or no fruit and quick finish which in this case is a blessing.

This wine began superbly with a wonderful bouquet but gave up the ghost in the aromas. Pass it up.

Beaumes De Venise 2004 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:13:00 +0000

A Patric Lesec wine: showing age with some bricking and mature, stewed and baked cherry fruit that is pleasant but with some alcohol volatility.

Palate--Cherries with pepper on a a slightly hot base but interesting none-the-less with an olive finish and a little more pepper. This was a closeout wine at 25% off making it about $8. I grabbed it because Beaumes De Venise was one of the very first wines I had some 30+ years ago when I began this adventure. It was a good grab and worthy of raising a glass!

Book Review: In Search of Bacchus, by George Tabor (NW)

noreply@blogger.com (NW) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:23:00 +0000

Disclosure: This book was sent complimentary to The Wine Cask Blog from Scribner in exchange for a review.

Wine sits at the intersection of geography, history, culture, and cuisine. George Tabor understands this. In his exploration of a dozen wine regions throughout the world, not only does he explore the wines but he explores the very essense of what makes these places special.

His writing takes on a whimsical feel as he blends in his own travel memoir to each section of the book. This helps connect the reader to these magical places as he sets out to understand how these places approach wine tourism. In fact, the subtitle of the book is Wanderings in the Wonderful World of Wine Tourism which feels effortless even though the actual undertakings were likely exhausting and riddled with complicated logistics. Interestingly, this is the elusive quality a book like this must have. Does your mind wander with him into these places? Just remember that not all who wander are lost.

A wine lover or a travel lover will want to lose themselves in this book, and it would make a great gift. For those who have some prior knowledge of these places, the book will particularly come alive. However, it will not provide a comprehensive view of them as each wine region is covered in just 20 pages or so. Let this wet your appetite- and your palate- and make sure to raise a glass!

Guigal Cotes Du Rhone 2007 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:21:00 +0000

Very pale gold with a wonderful bouquet of powdery tropical fruit that reminds me of a nice Chenin Blanc with sweet spices rising.

Palate--This white is an off dry with steely minerality and a nice acid foundation. Lemons, mandarin orange, bitters, finish with a hint of creme brulee. A tasty white quoff at $15 so raise a glass.

Patrick Lesec "Beaumes De Venise" 2004 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:42:00 +0000

Showing age with moderate bricking on the rim bouquet has pleasant notes of stewed fruit with cherry under layer revealing what it was in its youth. The rising aromas are beautiful with vegetal hints but fruity cherry and pipe tobacco notes.

Palate--Peppery cherry fruit on a slightly hot base but interesting with stewed minerally veggies finishing with more lingering fruity pepper.

I saw this on a closeout and had to grab it if only because this was one of the very first wines of my enophilic endeavors some 33 years ago. I paid about $9 for this in Brookline, Ma. and am glad I grabbed it. Raise a glass to sentimental journey through the vineyards of our minds.

Sean Minor "4B" Pinot Noir Napa Valley Carneros 2007 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:43:00 +0000

This wine was sent to the WCB without charge, for review.
Crystalline garnet color that almost shimmers in the glass; Gently spiced Pinot aromas are pleasant with light cocoa, and strawberry being prominent.

Palate--Minerally first impression with edgy acidity and almost candied, strawberry and raspberry notes. It delights to the end with a milk chocolate finish and chocolate covered cherries.

The reference point on this wine is $17. This is a classy if simple Pinot Noir and for the price, a nice gift for someone cutting their teeth on wine exploration. I haven't seen these wine in my neck of the woods (Maine/New Hampshire) but if you find them around you, they are worth a shot! Raise a glass and check my previous review of another Sean Minor wine.

Pepperwood Grove Old Vine Zinfandel 2005 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:34:00 +0000

My wife grabbed this off the shelf of a local grocery store one evening when she wanted something to drink and I was not at home. She paid a whopping $7 for it. Pepperwood Grove is produced by the Sebastiani family; wine makers with a long and outstanding reputation.

This inexpensive wine has some depth of color with Zinfandel aromas. (Before you say, "Duh..." varietals at this price point do not often taste like what they are made from!) But this one actaully has some rustic berry notes in the bouquet. Surprising!

Palate--lacks structure, seems a bit flat and my first impression was to "pass" on this wine. But as it was open it did change some and was actually a pretty darned drinkable Zin. This too is rather amazing since a wine at this price point should be on its way out at nearly 5 years old but it is still improving.

Now this is not a knock your socks off quaff, but C'mon! $7? Raise a glass!
(I had my wife grab another one the next time she went to the store!)

Bollinger Special Cuvee Champagne Review by Billy

noreply@blogger.com (Billy) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:15:00 +0000

Nose:Nutty, Walnut husk, Toasted Roll and Apple.
Palate:More nuttiness on the palate. Ragged bubbles in a flat and limp feeling mouth disappoint.
Finish:straw and baked apples.
Overall:I am disappointed. For the price I expected something more refined and elegant. While the nose on this Bollinger special cuvee is really wonderful, the ragged construction leaves much to be desired. For the price raise a glass of something else.

Saint Cosme Cotes-du-Rhone 2008 Wine Review (NW)

noreply@blogger.com (NW) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:19:00 +0000

Tasting notes:

Layers of red fruit, herbs, and lots of resin on the nose
Smooth and focused on the palate
Finishes with currants and pepper

This wine has loads of resin aroma on the nose, almost to the point of being distracting. Many wine critics have adopted the term "garrigue" to describe this quality found in Rhone wines and others from Southern France. It's very appealing in the right context, when paired with earthy dishes like those of French country cooking.

If you're looking for that style, this wine is clearly well made and a bargain at $13-15. I must admit that I prefer other styles of Rhone reds, particularly those that have sweet spice layers, fig, and plum. With that said, Saint Cosme is a producer of top notch Rhone wines that please many palates. Raise a glass to "garrigue" in a bottle!

Marchesi di Barolo Barolo Cannubi 2003 Wine Review (NW)

noreply@blogger.com (NW) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:41:00 +0000

Tasting notes:

Cherry, leather, and spice bouquet slow to open on the nose

Moderately dense and smoky on the palate

More cherry and leather on the finish with herbs and tobacco

Well, don't drink this yet if you have some at home. If you see it on a restaurant wine list, take a pass and come back five years from now.

At a recent business dinner, we opened a magnum of this wine which ran us $230 but we never got to fully enjoy it. It was so slow to open that even though we sipped on it for a couple hours it just didn't develop much. This is a classically-produced Barolo that can take quite some time to develop in the bottle, so we probably shouldn't have even ordered it. For younger Italian wines grab something from Tuscany instead. Raise a glass to the mystery of aging wines!

Truchard Carneros Roussanne 2005 Wine Review (NW)

noreply@blogger.com (NW) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:35:00 +0000

Note: 2003 label pictured is the same as the 2005

Tasting notes:

Pineapple, honey, and butterscotch on the nose

Full-bodied and richly textured

Nicely layered finish with apricot, honey, and fig

Here's a beautiful alternative to Chardonny when you want to go off the beaten path. This wine is full-bodied with terrific texture. The layers of fruit and honey are seamless.

It runs about $20 or so and is worth seeking out. This winery produces tremendous value in the bottle. Raise a glass!

Chateau Greysac 2004 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:00:00 +0000

This Cru Bourgeois is a garnet black cherry hue with a bouquet that has distinctive aromas with cherry berry hints on a baker's chocolate layer with floral notes and darker fruit beneath.

Palate--this wine is relaxed, drinkable, classic Bordeaux style and is drinking very well. It finishes a little green with relaxed tannins.

This is one of those wines that just keeps improving the longer it stays open but then its gone.

It runs $13-$24 on line and it is a very decent wine even at the $24 mark. Raise a glass!

Chateau Ste.Michelle Merlot 2004 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:42:00 +0000

Washington State wines from Ste. Michelle are the patriarchs of the Pacific Northwest. Waaaaay back in the early 80's I visited this up and coming winery while living in Seattle. It is not only a beautiful facility but these folks are another one of those wine makers who know how to do it right. They are always in the shadows producing solid everyday wines that are affordable and tasty.

This Merlot is a purple, black cherry hue with plum, black berry, blue berry and wood notes.

Palate--licorice, black pepper, fruit forward in the popular style with vegetal notes, integrated and will hold another 3-5 years. All around well made at the popular price point of $12. Raise a glass.

Gaetano D'Aquino Chianti Riserva 2004 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:25:00 +0000

This is one of the great value wines of 09. I paid an absurd $7 for this and is superior. Great bouquet of chocolate with black pepper, spice, cherries, and with a little air, cinnamon arises.

Palate--Nice Sangiovese traits on a well made foundation with more cherry and a super value so raise a glass. This is a truly classic Tuscan varietal and should cost twice this much if not more! If I am able to get down to Boston where I found it, I am stocking up!

(Later addition 11-7-09; I just returned from a quick trip to Boston expressly to buy more of this wine! What does that mean? $14 in tolls; $35 in gas; 8 hours of driving. )I grabbed a case s well as a few more treasures. Now THAT's raising a glass!)

Beaujolais Cru "Chiroubles" G.Duboeuf 2006 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:19:00 +0000

This Gamay has a magnificent bouquet unlike any Beaujolais I have had. The aromas remind me of Nebbiolo rather than Gamay with wonderful pipe tobacco notes.

Palate--Subtle peppery with amazing flavor that would stump me if I were tasting it blind. This is what Beaujolais Cru is about. Each parcel is unique and this is a nice treat so raise a glass at only $11.

LaFinca Malbec 2009 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:56:00 +0000

Light purple in hue with fruity, sweet cherry and almost perfumey aromas. Reminds me of "kit" wine...

Palate--Simple straightforward, sweet palate, fruity, very drinkable but not very varietal. Pleasant as a beverage and for $4 at Trader Joe's what can you expect. A good party wine with non-discriminating friends so raise a glass.

Bogle Phantom 2006 Wine Review by Billy

noreply@blogger.com (Billy) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:18:00 +0000

Nose:Jammy Blackberry, Charcoal and tar, heady oak.
Palate:Very oaky in the mouth with rich tannins that overpower the acid under structure. Thick and hearty. Brawny but lacking elegance.
Finish: Short lived with some green Thistle stems and plum
Overall:A blend of 54% petite sirah, 43% zinfandel and 3% mourvedre. I paid $19 for this wine. It is a beefcake of a wine. All muscle and brawn and power and no brain. Fruit and Oak forward and ready to serve with raw steaks, burgers or charred anything. A nice full hearty Bearded Man of a wine. Be sure to serve it with the appropriate fare. A dainty wine this is not. Perfect for Fall and Winter. Raise a Glass!

Clary Ranch 2006 Pinot Noir Sponsored Wine Review by Billy

noreply@blogger.com (Billy) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:57:00 +0000

Nose:Earth and asparagus, juicy strawberry and cherry notes. Moist tobacco leaf Multilayered and fine.
Palate:Expertly balanced and crafted. Juicy feel, light flavors of strawberry flavors. WONDERFUL!
Finish:Short and complex. A movie finale that doesn't overdo the credits.
Overall:This wine was provided free of charge to us at The Wine Cask Blog for review. It is a lucid but mature brick red approaching brown at the edges. Showing age but drinking very well now. Though showing older, the wine has a youthfully spry taste and nose. Remarkable. This Clary Ranch 2006 Pinot Noir is a delight of a very approachable wine with complexity and crafting to satisfy the expert wine drinker while retaining a very drinkable flavor profile to invite the wine novice. While this wine was provided free to us, it retails online for $30-$40 a bottle.

Don't judge a store by its window by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:49:00 +0000

On the recent wine hunt to Boston I mentioned previously, our last stop of the day was a rather small, and clunky looking liquor store with the posters and signs of a multitude of brands essentially covering the entire store front. (NW) said, we'll run in here--it should take about ten minutes--based on the appearance of the place and then we'll grab lunch. (Note--the pic is NOT the store; it is supposed to be humorous making a point)

We entered and spent the next hour or more in utter disbelief of what we found. Not only was their selection extremely intelligent, novel and large but they had the best prices by far of anywhere we had been.

(NW) and I were amazed as we held one bottle after another up to each other laughing saying, "Can you believe this?" On one aisle there was a bottle of 1986 Lafite for a cool $1200 and then a few feet away, an $8 Aussie.

We stocked up--happy as wine devotees in a winery--and went and grabbed lunch. So be careful, sometimes that nasty looking liquor store can be a treasure trove of gems! Raise a glass!

LaBoure-Roi Syrah 1999 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:27:00 +0000

A couple times a year (NW) and I take a stroll around Boston hunting for wine bargains, wine oddities and close outs. A couple weeks back we hit four or five stores; all but one previously visited. Brookline Liquor Store has a great selection, a knowledgeable staff and you pay for it. But you recoup the markup if you buy 6 bottles receiving a 20% discount.

In one of the closeout stands, I found this lone bottle magnum of 10 year old Syrah. It was $13 with a sticker on it to take off 25%. That' s just too stinking cheap to pass up even it turns out to be"bad." I was banking on the large bottle format which tends to preserve wines better.

I opened it for a group of friends we had over the other night.

The presentation was showing its age with some bricking (brick red coloration which is what happens as red wines get old) but it still had plenty of life in it as well with a faint black cherry hue also still visible.

The bouquet was promising with a distinct coffee aroma upon opening but left immediately yielding to cream and fruit with subtle sweet soap and pipe tobacco.

Palate--the moment of truth; this wine was fully integrated, wonderfully mature, balanced in all ways with light fruit, evolving minerally tastes and steely finish.

This bottle was polished off quickly and was a great find on our hunt--certainly the best value of the endeavor. A Vin De Pays D'oc Syrah, ten years old at a cost of what equals $5 a bottle. How can you say anything but "Raise a glass?"

Cathedral Ridge 2006 Syrah Sponsored Review by Billy

noreply@blogger.com (Billy) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:25:00 +0000

Nose:Hearty spice of cracked black pepper, charcoal, cherries and plum. Big and bold and wonderful.
Palate:Big rich mouth feel with hearty tannins and a fine acid balance. Tobacco earth and smoky oak flavors. Huge.
Finish: Lingering with sour cherry notes and some green stem at the back.
Overall:This wine was sent to The Wine Cask Blog for free to review. The 2006 Cathedral Ridge from Oregon is HUGE! A wonderfully hearty and spicy syrah that retains a sense of the land. No fruit bomb here. A well crafted Oregon wine that delivers on big flavors and feels. Served with a hearty wild rice soup, home baked bread and butternut squash. A fantastic accompaniment to a hearty fall meal. On the Cathedral Ridge website this wine goes for about $32 a bottle.

4 Bears 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County Sponsored Wine Review by Billy

noreply@blogger.com (Billy) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:37:00 +0000

This wine was provided to The Wine Cask Blog free of charge in exchange for a review.
Nose:Floral with tropical fruit hints in a soft layer underneath the initial smell. Pineapple.
Palate: Very soft acids make for a Weak structure and flacid mouth feel. However, a good flavor composition remains. Evenly balanced topical fruit notes.
Finish: Lingering tropical fruit and floral flavors with peach and mango notes in the back.
Overall: Very pale yellow in the glass for a soft glow. This wine has a very nice flavor makeup and an elegant nose. My only complaint is the lack of acids that would make this a great wine. Great to serve as an aperitif with cheeses and nuts. Avoid serving this with a main fish or butter/cream pasta course as there is not enough structure to cut through the oils. While we did not pay for this bottle, I have seen it online in the $7-$15 range. It is a fair price for this wine.

Coppola Black Label Claret 2007 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Purple tinged garnet hue with some depth, this gift wine has a bouquet that is big and nice full of dark fruit with plenty of ripe blackberries, plum, black cherry with touches of pipe tobacco and cedar.

Palate--young and vibrant, good solid fruit, herbal notes with some spice, fairly mellow tannins and a good foundation. This wine will age well for 3-5 years perhaps even longer. Finishes well and hardy. (I will be paring it with what else? Grilled marinated steak and roasted root vegetables.)

Claret is the British name for the classic Bordeaux blend which is typically Cabernet Sauvignon based and blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, and Malbec.

Coppola is one of those vintners that just seems to produce quality wines at value prices no matter what they put their hands on and this is no exception! As a gift from some local uber- goobers--raise a glass!