2 Days per Bottle

Rutini Wines Trumpeter Malbec 2007

2010-06-16T04:19:00.000-07:00

Who: Rutini Wines

What: Malbec

Where: Argentina, Mendoza

When: 2007

How Much: $12.99 (media sample)

I held this a little longer than usual for a wine at this price point, and was rewarded with spicy black and red fruit. Elderberry, black and red raspberry, and black pepper, all with violet undertones, flowed through the glass. There is still wood, but the vanilla and touch of cedar complement, rather than overwhelm, the fruit. The finish is short, but good for the price point. Even better, at three years of age, this gem might be found in you local store's bargain bin. If it is, grab them all. Even if it isn't, at this price why not grab enough to get you through the summer? This would be a great match with burgers or steaks on the grill.

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Chateau Cambon la Pelouse 2003

2010-05-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

Chateau Cambon la Pelouse 2003

Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux, France

Retail $20

The Wooden Guys would give it two thumbs up, if they had thumbs.

Night One

Like several for the moderately-priced bottles of '03 Bordeaux I have opened recently, this is coming to life, perhaps even peaking now. A year ago it was dead, but now it is showing a pleasant balance of fruit, blackberry and some raspberry, and more aged flavors of violets and cigar box. Tannins are soft and smooth. This has matured into a very pleasant bottle of wine at a bargain price, drinking at its peak right now. highly recommended as a bargain introduction to a great year for Bordeaux.

Night Two

A lot of the fruit is gone. Some minerality is showing through. Overall, though, it lacks the complexity of Night One. This is not a wine to hold a lot longer. Drink it now and enjoy it.

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Thanksgiving at Palate Press

2009-11-18T12:22:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving: Our Wine Holiday,by W. R. Tish

Thanks to the World Wide Web, America’s homegrown feasting holiday has become, all but officially, America’s Wine Holiday.

Read more at Palate Press: The online wine magazine.

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A Doughboy France: A Palate Press Veterans Day Tribute

2009-11-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

Today's story, A Doughboy in France: A Palate Press Veterans Day Tribute, can be found at Palate Press. It includes seven wine reviews (well, six wine and a beer) and excerpts from my grandfather's World War I diary. I think you will enjoy it.

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1996 Clairault Reserve

2009-09-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

Vintage 1996
Type Red
Producer Cape Clairault Wines
Variety Red Bordeaux Blend
Designation Reserve
Country Australia South
Region Western Australia
SubRegion West Australia
Appellation Margaret River

The wine was slightly cloudy and brick colored, turning to orange at the edges. It was also a bit translucent, showing clear signs of its age.

The nose showed loads of dried flowers and a bit of crispy beef fat. It was earthy, a bit dirty, and had fresh bay leaves in the background.

On the palate, dried flowers and dried leafy spices, plus some distinct hazelnut, led the attack. Mouthfeel was silky, tannins were very smooth and fully integrated, but the finish fell flat.

After a few hours the finish improved, lingering for a little while. The palate, too, improved some, adding an echo of black cherries on the attack and some truffles and nuts to the mid-palate.

There is no second night review, and the wooden guys did not get a chance to try this one.

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PALATE PRESS: The online wine magazine

2009-09-08T11:06:00.001-07:00

I apologize for my absence from 2 Days per Bottle. I have been preparing to launch PALATE PRESS: The online wine magazine, and I am absolutely thrilled to announce that we launch Thursday, September 10, with an amazing lineup of stories. Here is a sneak preview of the press release, for my wonderful readers:

PALATE PRESS: The online wine magazine, the next step in the evolution of on-line wine content, is pleased to announce its launch on September 10, 2009. PALATE PRESS is the collaborative effort many of the best recognized wine voices on the internet, including American Wine Blog Award winners and twenty of the Top 100 Wine Blogs.

The Editor in Chief is W. R. Tish, known in the wine trade as simply "Tish." Tish was Editor of Wine Enthusiast Magazine for 10 years, and has been writing and speaking about wine and food--often with a comedic edge--for more than a decade since. Deb Harkness is PALATE PRESS' Wine Review Editor. A double award winner in the 2008 American Wine Blog Awards (best single-subject wine blog and best wine review blog), Deb, aka "Dr. Debs," has been seeking out and writing about Good Wine Under $20 for two years now. Two more of our Editors were American Wine Blog Award winners in 2009: Lenn Thompson for best single-subject wine blog (LENNDEVOURS) and Jeff Lefevere for best graphics (GOOD GRAPE: A Wine Blog Manifesto). And Art and Visuals Editor Hardy Wallace was recently in the news as the winner of the "Really Goode Job" created by Murphy-Goode Winery; Hardy runs a Top 100 wine blog at Dirty South Wine.

Other Editors and Contributors from the world's top 100 wine blogs include Gabriella Opaz (Catavino), Richard Auffrey (Passionate Foodie), Michelle Lentz (My Wine Education), Russ Beebe (Winehiker Witiculture), Joe Roberts (1 Wine Dude), Craig Camp (Wine Camp), Kori Voorhees (Wine Peeps), Andrew Barrow (Spittoon), Remy Charest (The Wine Case), "Sonadora" (Wannabe Wino), Ken Payton (Reign of Terroir), Tim Elliot (Wine Cast) and many more. Palate Press writers are based across the U.S., in Canada and around the world; they receive hundreds of thousands of wine-related hits every month and all of them will be contributing original content to the site. The entire staff list can be found here. Palate Press also welcomes submissions from wine writers around the internet and the world.

In terms of its position within the current wine-media scene, Editor in Chief W. R. Tish sees PALATE PRESS as a "blogazine," combining the passion of bloggers with the editorial appeal of a broad-based magazine. He adds that the capacity of readers to comment on articles adds a dynamic that makes Palate Press more like talk radio than like traditional print, and he promises: "We are not afraid of controversy. And we are not afraid to present multiple opinions on wine topics--something you rarely see in the Ivory Tower glossies. We think our approach to the wine zeitgeist will be more realistic, and in turn rewarding for readers. Palate Press is committed to covering wine intelligently, not churning out hundreds of sterile wine ratings in bloated buying guides."

Articles on PALATE PRESS will be presented via seven distinct departments, or "Pages": Feature Story; The Wine Life; Spotlight; Hot Potato; + Food; Soap Box; and, starting in October, Wine Reviews. Stories slated for the first month include a soul-searching profile of Bonny Doon's Randall Grahm; an exposé of shady shelf talkers; a surprising look at wine-label regulations; an Eisch vs. Riedel wine-glass smackdown; critical essays on how wine-evaluation systems by major U.S. critics miss the mark; a firsthand look at how the economy has impacted wine-country tourism; and in-depth articles on under-appreciated wines from Alsace to Portugal to Walla Walla.

David Honig, creator and Publisher, describes PALATE PRESS as "a logical next generation" of wine media. The hypothesis is simple: collecting the very best of the wine blogosphere and carefully editing and publishing it will create a top-quality and commercially viable online wine magazine. The experiment is well under way, preparing to launch with some of the most talented and best-known wine writers on the internet. "Clearly the expertise is out there. Bloggers communicate with authority and authenticity, demonstrating particular areas of expertise," Honig notes. "Wherever there is a wine story, there is a qualified wine blogger to write about it." And it's not just bloggers on board: Palate Press contributors include winemakers, retailers, sommeliers and professional wine writers.

If you have any questions or comments about PALATE PRESS: The online wine magazine, contact the Publisher, David Honig, by email, Twitter, or call him at (317) xxx-xxxx. Send advertising inquiries to Advertising and submissions to Submissions.

2005 Château de Bellevue

2009-06-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Château de Bellevue
Variety Red Bordeaux Blend
Country France
Region Bordeaux
SubRegion Libournais
Appellation St. Émilion Grand Cru
Price $15 (375 ml) at

The Little Wooden Guy likes the wine, and the smaller bottle makes him feel bigger.

The color was incredibly dark, completely opaque but for the very edges, black with a purple tint.

The nose opened with blackcurrant and cedar, with a background aroma of vanilla cream, but very light, not overpowering wood-based vanilla.

On the palate, blackcurrant is the predominate fruit, along with some blackberry. Peppermint and eucalyptus appear on the mid-palate, lightly, behind more fruit, some cedar and vanilla, which grow toward a mid-length finish. Mouth feel is silky, with firm tannins and bright acids.

This is very nice wine, and sometimes a 375 is just the perfect size.

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2003 Deerfield Ranch Pinot Noir Jemrose Vineyard

2009-06-23T05:19:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Deerfield Ranch
Variety Pinot Noir
Vineyard Jemrose Vineyard
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Bennett Valley
Price $34.99 at WineQ

It's THIIIIISSSSSS big!

Night One

The nose is rich and sweet, with sweet cherry, vanilla, toasted coconut and meringue.

The palate is equally big and sweet, with sweet cherries, blueberries, and loads of vanilla. There is chocolate on the mid-palate. This is very sweet, very woody.

The label says "Pinot Noir" and nothing else, but if I were tasting it blind, I would bet there was some Petite Syrah in the mix, thought that would be a rather unique blend.

Night Two

The nose showed more depth on Night Two, adding some balsa and sage to sweet cherries and vanilla, along with some meatiness, like the crisp outside of a sage-rolled pork roast.

The palate, too, shows more depth, as well as deeper, dark fruit. It opens, not with sweet cherries and blueberries, but dark cherries and prunes, plus smoked meat and sage. Dried cranberries and marjoram appear on the mid-palate, followed by vanilla and toasted almonds. The finish is sweet, but falls off quickly.

Acids are low, tannins mild, but the two are just a bit out of balance. The lack of acid does not bode well for a long cellar life.

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2007 Domaine C. Ducroux Régnié

2009-06-22T17:25:00.000-07:00

Type: Red
Producer: Domaine C. Ducroux
Variety: Gamay
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
SubRegion: Beaujolais
Appellation: Régnié
Price: $14.99 from Chambers Street Wines

Night One

Minerals and strawberries, plus a single spray of oil from one twist of key lime rind, blend together beautifully on the nose. On the palate it is surpisingly rich and dark. The palate opens with a quick startling flavor of beef fat and dark berries. Strawberries and plums are on the mid-palate, along with strong minerality that lasts through the finish. This has a velvety richness that would shock so many who think "Beaujolais" is synonymous with "Beaujolais Neuveau," and who turn their nose at the whole region. On second thought, don't tell them. That will mean more for us.

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1996 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Cornas Domaine de Saint Pierre

2009-06-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Paul Jaboulet Aîné
Variety Syrah
Designation Domaine de Saint Pierre
Country France
Region Rhône
SubRegion Northern Rhône
Appellation Cornas

The Little Wooden Guy finds this wine is just tired, beyond its prime.

Night One

The color is interesting. It is a little translucent and deep dark red. The nose is very deep and a little raisiny, with dark fruit, marjoram, green olives and bacon fat. There is less fruit on the palate than the nose. The fruits are black, blackberries and plums, but they are subdued. Floral flavors, violets and lavender, join the fruit. Green olives and bacon fat appear on the mid-palate. The finish falls flat.

Night Two

Some florals remained, but almost no fruit. Very little mid-palate remained. This was clearly wine past its prime.

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1997 Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo Ghemme

2009-06-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo
Variety Nebbiolo
Country Italy
Region Piedmont
SubRegion Northern Piedmont
Appellation Ghemme

The Little Wooden Guy loves a bargain on aged wine.

Night One

The color says "tired and old," a dull red-orange brick with clear edges bordered by orange. The nose is a little closed, but if you really dig you can find roses, chestnuts and a little cherry. The real surprise is on the palate- there's still some life in this bottle. It still has some bright acid and smooth tannins, with the flavors of cherries, violets and leather. Licorice and a touch of tar are on the mid-palate. Mouth feel is chewy and teeth-coating.

Night Two

There are lots of nuts and flowers on the nose on Night Two, but little, if any, fruit. It also has just a bit of truffle and leather.

The palate is also primarily flowers and nuts. It has lavender and roses, tarragon and chestnuts. A little cherry survived through Night Two, getting stronger on the mid-palate, along with some leather. Tannins are very smooth. The finish is still long.

Conclusion

If you look at the picture you will see that this was marked down repeatedly, as years passed and inventory winnowed. Sometimes that means the wine is so mediocre nobody wants it. With a disreputable merchant, it can even mean it comes from stock that often got returned. But once in a while it can be a great opportunity to buy aged wine for a song. It is those rare finds that keep m going back to the bargain table.

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2005 Würtz Weinmann Pinot Noir Jakob Neumer

2009-06-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

Type: Red
Producer: Würtz Weinmann
Variety: Pinot Noir
Designation: Jakob Neumer
Country: Germany
Region: Rheinhessen
Price: $19.99 from Garagiste

The Little Wooden Guy made a new friend, and he's from Germany.

Night One

The color is interesting. It is bright and semi-translucent, but tinted slightly orange, a brickish color that would normally indicate significant aging. The nose is quite pleasant, a blend of Oregon Pinot and a bit of the same from California. At the beginning aromas of classic red fruit are obvious, cherries and strawberries, plus a bit of cranberry. There is also some sage and a hint of truffle. With a deep enough sniff, richer aromas, jammier fruits and a bit of mocha. The palate, too, blends Oregon and California. Red fruits on the attack are clean and tart, but the mid-palate has a jammy richness and a bit of vanilla. The finish is mid-length.

This is a very interesting wine. My personal opinion about Pinot is that some of the big-name California offerings, Kosta Browne, Sea Smoke, and others, get so big they lose the delicacy that makes Pinot so special. I expect a Napa Cabernet to reach out of the glass and punch me in the nose. I want a good Pinot to waft gently into my nose and grow once it's there. This one sneaks in, then tries to punch its way out.

I wonder what it will be like on Night Two.

Night Two

This is a very pleasant wine on Night Two. It has fresh red fruit flavors up front. It adds very light flavors of licorice and vanilla on the mid-palate.

I absolutely dare anybody to taste this blind and come up with "Germany" without help. This is good, and one of the best $20 Pinots I have had in the last two years.

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1997 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape

2009-06-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel)
Variety Red Rhone Blend
Designation n/a
Vineyard n/a
Country France
Region Rhône
SubRegion Southern Rhône
Appellation Châteauneuf-du-Pape

This wine has the Big Wooden Guy scratching his head a bit.

Night One

The color clearly says this is an older wine. It is translucent and brick-red with orange edges. The nose is interesting, tarragon, thyme, cherry, and a little crushed limestone. The palate is complex. It starts with dried cherries then loads tarragon, thyme, sage and leather on top. On the mid-palate the cherries go from dried to tart and add some strawberries, while carrying the spices along from the attack. Lavender also shows up on the mid-palate. The finish is long.

Night Two

Most of the fruit is gone from the nose on Night Two. Instead, it is redolent with leafy spices and dried flowers. There are still a few cherries on the palate but they are resting on a deep bed of violets, lavender, tarragon, thyme and sage.

Conclusion

This is an interesting, even curious, wine. It is not fantastic, or particularly special, but it very pleasantly shows what happens when good wine spends some time in the cellar, long enough to let the fruit fade and the spices and flowers come forward.

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2006 Newton Red Label Claret

2009-06-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

Type: Red
Producer: Newton
Variety: Red Blend
Designation: Red Label Claret
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Napa Valley
Appellation: Napa Valley

The Big Wooden Guy says "tsk tsk" for the use, indeed abuse, of wood in this wine.

Night One

Try this- make a laminated board out of several layers of oak and cedar. Dribble three drops of vanilla extract on it, let it soak in. Now, place one blackcurrant, just one, on the ground and smack it with the board. Wipe it with a paper towel and let it dry for three days. Now you know exactly what this wine smells like.

The palate has plenty of wood, enough to match the nose. Oak, cedar, oak, vanilla, cedar, and a little more oak. Oh, there might be a blackberry and a blackcurrant hanging out there somewhere, but they are hard to find. A little licorice shows up on the mid-palate. Tannins are dusty and slightly harsh.

Night Two

Wood is still dominant, along with some real heat from high alcohol. Loads of wood, cedar and vanilla lead the nose, though a bit more black fruit shows up than on Night One.

The palate is still wood-laden, the only difference being the addition of a bit of cream and a whole lot more vanilla.

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2005 BearBoat Pinot Noir

2009-06-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer BearBoat
Variety Pinot Noir
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Russian River Valley
Price $24 in Indianapolis, IN

The Little Wooden Guy present a pretty good Russian River Pinot for less than $30.

Night One

The nose opened, right after the cork was pulled, with some funk. A few minutes later,after it blew off, red fruit predominated, with several secondary aromas. Cranberries, cherry pits, and some barely ripe wild strawberries took the lead. Pine needles, sage, and a touch of cocoa hovered in the background.

The palate opens with a tsunami of unsweetened, and unsweet, red fruit. Have you ever had unsweetened cranberries? How about tiny wild strawberries, or those little clear native cherries? It's all in there, along with some marjoram and sage. A bit of cocoa and black tea make an appearance on the mid-palate. Tannins and acids are both strong, the acids sharp, the tannins like new leather. They do seem to compete with each other and with the fruit, but might settle down on Night Two.

Stick around for Night Two, because this is a darned good Russian River Pinot, something you just don't find under $30 these days.

Night Two

The nose on Night Two is far more muted than on Night One. On Night One, it reached out of the glass to climb up your nose. On Night Two, though, you have to reach your nose into the glass to find everything it had to offer. It has plenty of red fruit, cherries, less cranberry, some sweet pomegranate, but it also has other aromas, including pencil lead, red licorice and cardamom.

The palate is also far more sedate than on Night One. On Night One, I called it "a tsunami" of red fruit. On Night Two, it is more like a slowly rising tide, loads of fruit, but softer, more full, and sneaking up on you. The fruit is more ripe, Bing cherries instead of native cherries, ripe strawberries instead of wild ones. Pomegranate is added to the mix, and cranberries add some tartness and acid to balance out the riper fruits. The cranberries become a little more dominant on the mid-palate, where they are joined by some graphite, marjoram, and cardamom. Tannins are still firm, but better integrated, offering a memory of leather, rather than a mouthful of it. The finish is quite long.

Conclusion

This is a $20 Pinot? No, you won't mistake it for a great Burgundy, but I dare you to pick it out from a table full of $50 California and Oregon selections.

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2004 Darioush Shiraz Signature

2009-06-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

Type: Red
Producer: Darioush
Variety: Shiraz
Designation: Signature
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Napa Valley
Appellation: Napa Valley
Price: $39.99 (sale) in Carmel, Indiana

Night One

Be careful not to put your nose too deeply into the glass. This wine forms a fist and punches straight up right at your schnoz. The bottle says "Alcohol 14.9% by volume." Don't believe it. Under US label laws that means the alcohol can be as high as 15.9%, and if I had a gas chromatograph in the junk drawer I would be willing to bet it will ring the 16+ bell. Lots of other big aromas are packed in that fist, including blackberries, very ripe and deeply bruised black cherries, black pepper, freshly ground nutmeg, dark chocolate and cocoa. This is one of those noses you can get caught up in, forgetting to drink the wine for quite a long time.

The palate is equally overpowering. The attack opens with huge bruised dark fruit and black pepper. A whole smorgasbord of flavors flash across the mid-palate, starting with plum skins and nutmeg, then adding dark chocolate, coffee, and a tiny grating of dried orange peel. The tannins are surprisingly gritty, but sweet, adding a cheek-drying leather to the finish, which is quite long.

Night Two should be interesting.

Night Two

I do not have detailed notes from Night Two. A friend came over and we just drank the rest of the bottle together. My general impressions were of a great big sweet woody wine, an Aussie Shiraz doppelganger. Tannins smoothed out significantly, the finish was quite long. At $40, it was okay for the price, but I was back in the same store a few days later and did not feel compelled to pick up any more of it. At the retail $69, I would not even consider buying a bottle.

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2007 Undurraga Syrah T.H.

2009-06-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

Type: Red
Producer: Undurraga
Variety: Syrah
Designation: T.H.
Country: Chile
Region: Coquimbo
SubRegion: Limarí Valley
Price: $24
Disclosure- This was received as a free bottle sample.

Night One

The nose was very fruity, with a veritable fruit cocktail of blueberry, mulberry, black cherry, and a bit of strawberry. Surprisingly, there was far less fruit on the palate. It was darker, more brooding, with lots of black pepper and some grenache-like dried orange peel. Unsweetened chocolate showed up on the mid-palate.

Night Two

If the nose on Night One was a fruit cocktail, on Night Two it is mixed-fruit jam, with sweet jammy mulberry and plums, along with cedar and vanilla. On the palate, there was elderberry and some slightly artificial Grape Nehi flavoring. It brightened up slightly on the mid-palate shut showed too much wood, melting into brown sugar and vanilla. Tannins were mild, the finish short.

Conclusion

This is a pretty good pop-n-pour, offering interesting fruit and some pleasant secondary flavors. At $24 I think it is stretching the upper end of the reasonable price range for what it has to offer, but it is not, quite, over-priced.

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2007 Errazuriz Carménère Single Vineyard Don Maximiano Estate

2009-05-31T18:17:00.000-07:00

Type: Red
Producer: Errazuriz
Variety: Carménère
Designation: Single Vineyard
Vineyard: Don Maximiano Estate
Country: Chile
Region: Aconcagua
Disclosure- This was received as a free bottle sample.

The Big Wooden Guy is a little hesitant to recommend this, but thinks it might have some cellar potential for improvement.

Night One

The first impression of the nose is "spicy," with black pepper and anise. Black cherries and blackcurrants also waft up from the glass. The palate offers similar flavors, with obvious use of wood, including vanilla and brown sugar, taking over on the mid-palate. Tannins are slightly gritty.

Night Two

The nose on Night Two was far more complex, starting with black cherry, black pepper and nutmeg, then adding blackberries and birch bark. On the palate, black cherry, blackberry and plums were the fruit on the attack. Vanilla and brown suger again appeared on the mid-palate. Tannins were smoother, less gritty, than on Night One. The mid-length finish was very sweet.

Conclusion

The improvement from Night One to Night Two might give a clue that this will improve with some time in the cellar. Will it ever be great? No, I don't think so, but it retails for less than $20.

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2007 Santa Carolina Carménère Reserva de Familia

2009-05-29T18:15:00.000-07:00

Type: Red
Producer: Santa Carolina
Variety: Carménère
Designation: Reserva de Familia
Country: Chile
Region: Central Valley
SubRegion: Rapel Valley
Appellation: Rapel Valley
Disclosure- This was received as a free bottle sample.

The Big Wooden Guy is a bit hesitant. it has some promise, and it has a great QPR, but ultimately it's just not that terrific. "Pretty good, but a great value" is accurate, but, at least to me, underwhelming.

Night One

Imagine melting a stick of butter over a bowl full of dark fruit, then sprinkling it all with black pepper, and you will know the nose of this wine. The fruit in the bowl is dark and rich, mulberry and elderberry, with a tiny tell-tale hint of green pepper in the background that announces this wine is from Chile.

On the palate, the same dark fruit and butter appear on the attack, with obvious high alcohol, but high enough acidity to give balance. The "Chile!" green pepper appears on the mid-palate, along with some vanilla, but not an overpowering amount indicative of too much wood. This is a big, fruity wine. Tannins are sweet and silky, and it has a very good mouth-feel.

Night Two

The nose is similar to Night One, with the same butter over dark fruit, but now the green pepper is far more pronounced. The fruit on the palate is bit more tart than on Night One, more blackberry than mulberry, with a little bit of elderberry still there, along with black pepper. There is not as much green pepper as on the nose. Some vanilla, and now brown sugar, appear on the mid-palate. The finish falls off rather quickly.

This is a good QPR wine, but not really a great wine. It is also a pop-n-pour, not something to cellar for a long time or decant over several hours. With additional time the green pepper becomes more pronounced and the wood treatment more obvious and more cloying.

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1999 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière

2009-05-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

Vintage: 1999
Type: Red
Producer: Château Canon-la-Gaffelière
Variety: Red Bordeaux Blend
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
SubRegion: Libournais
Appellation: St. Émilion Grand Cru

The Wooden Guys are running to see if their store has any more of this wine.

Night One

The nose starts with blackcurrants and mulberry, pencil lead and green olives. This is a real snoot-full, the sort of wine you can forget to drink, it's so easy to get lost in the different layers of the nose.

Deep dark brooding fruit leads the palate, mulberry, blackberry and blackcurrant. A little bit of redcurrant brings some bright acidity to balance the silky sweet tannins. Pencil lead, a bit of dark earth, and a touch of cedar show up on the mid-palate. The finish is mid-length.

Night Two

On Night Two the fruit, on the nose, seems lighter. Some red fruit has joined the black, a little black cherry and raspberry dancing with blackcurrant and mulberry. Pencil lead, some dark loam, and some cedar round out the nose.

The palate, on the other hand, is still dark, brooding, silky, and wonderfully smooth. Blackcurrants and mulberry, a little bit of blackberry, pencil lead, and a bit of the crispy end of a prime rib. Tannins are silky smooth, bringing just a bit of leather to coat the sides of your cheeks and coat your teeth. The finish is long.

This is good wine, very good wine. I think I'm going to go buy some more.

Other ratings include a 92 from Robert Parker, 88 from Wine Spectator, and 90 from Stephen Tanzer, all in 2002. Of them all, I would have to say Parker, who noticed the graphite, meat and sweet tannins (isn't the definition of genius "anybody who agrees with me"?), gave the best prediction of long-term quality.

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2006 Waters Crest Cabernet Sauvignon

2009-05-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

Type: Red
Producer: Waters Crest
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country: USA
Region: New York
SubRegion: Long Island
Appellation: North Fork
Price: Suggested retail $39.99
Disclosure: This was received as an unsolicited free sample.

Sorry folks, no picture. I actually drank this on April 24, and the Wooden Guys consider Arbor Day a national holiday. They drank the wine, sure, but refused to write a review. They said it was their day off.

Night One

This has an interesting nose, a really strong French Syrah funk. After a few minutes the funk settles down a little bit, enough to get to the other aromas. It is very rich, starting with finely ground espresso and pure unsweetened chocolate. Blackcurrants and blackberrries show up late, way behind the darker aromas.

This is very young and tight, quite tannic. Lots of acid, sour cherry and blueberry on the attack. Some coffee appears on the mid-palate, followed by chocolate. The finish is long and tart.

Night Two

The nose is a little lighter on Night Two, more black fruit, less funk. Now blackcurrants, blackberries and tomato leaf make up the nose.

The palate is still tight, though not so tight as on Night One. Blackberry is the primary fruit on the attack, plus some tobacco leaf. Blackcurrant and plum skins, followed by a very light touch of vanilla and fresh roasted coffee beans, make up the mid-palate. Tannins and acid are both strong but balance each other out well. This has real promise as it all integrates with time in the cellar.

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2006 Kilikanoon Shiraz The Lackey

2009-05-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

Vintage: 2006
Type: Red
Producer: Kilikanoon
Variety: Shiraz
Designation: The Lackey
Country: Australia
Region: South Australia
Price: $17 (approximate)

Night One

Deep dark purple in color, not quite perfectly opaque.

The aroma is candied, somewhere between Manischewitz and Grape Nehi. It is saved by some other aromas including marjoram and a little sage.

The palate is far superior to the nose. Fruits are less candied, leading with blackberries and a far smaller number of blueberries. Mouth feel is smooth and full. The marjoram and sage from the nose appear on the mid-palate, followed by barely a hint of peaty black earth. Tannins are leathery but slightly sweet. Unfortunately, at the finish the same sense of artificial candy flavor kicks in. It will be interesting to see if that calms down on Night Two.

Night Two

The candy from Night One is gone. Instead there is blackcurrant, some blackberry, and black pepper. It also has some green aromas, bay leaf and bramble, plus some green tobacco leaf. This smells far better than on Night One.

Tiny beaded blackberries, tart, not sweet, are the pronounced initial flavor. Bay leaf and bright hard purple plums, skin and all, are on the mid-palate, followed by cloves and nutmeg. Tannins and mouth-feel are like new suede. The finish opens with promise, like it will last a long time, then falls off abruptly.

As a "pop-&-pour" this fails because of the pronounced artificial candy flavors. It is an unlikely candidate for long-term cellaring if for no other reason than the price, but with some time, or at least a lot of air, it will reward the buyer with a competent Shiraz, but the sudden collapse at the finish turns satisfaction to disappointment.

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2006 Jean-Pierre Robinot (L'Opera des Vins) Coteaux du Loir Vin de Table Annees Folles Petillant Rose

2009-05-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

Vintage: 2006
Type: Rosé - Sparkling
Producer: Jean-Pierre Robinot (L'Opera des Vins)
Variety: Pineau d'Aunis (70%), Gamay (30%)
Designation: Vin de Table Annees Folles Petillant Rose
Country: France
Region: Loire Valley
SubRegion: Upper Loire
Appellation: Coteaux du Loir
Price: $19.99 from

Night One

The first thing you will notice about this wine is the closure. It is a crown cap, a pop top like an old glass bottle of Coke. Do you remember those little 10 oz bottles of Coke, and the machines that dispensed them (most of the time)? It does the same job as the Coke top, keeping the fizz in, and does it just fine.

This is a lightly sparkling wine, about half what you would see in a regular sparkler.

The nose is very interesting, starting with loads of pencil lead (very typical of Pineau d'Aunis) and sweet red fruit- strawberries and sweet cherries.

The palate is true to the nose, pencil lead and a little strawberry on the attack, with very sweet (even bruised and over-ripe) strawberries and cherries on the mid-palate, seasoned with a bit of sage. The finish is long and very sweet.

Night Two

The nose still leads with pencil lead and red fruit. The strawberries are the same but the cherries are sweeter, like maraschino. There is also a new aroma, the sweet and slightly vinegar smell of sushi rice.

Once again, the palate is true to the nose down to the sweet rice vinegar. The finish is long.

If truly pressed to put a label on this wine, I would call it "interesting." Not "good," nor "bad," but "interesting." It is something an oenophile should try for the experience, but don't run out and buy a case of it. The pencil lead is the primary aroma and flavor, and that is something I prefer as a secondary additional flavor, adding body and depth, rather than the lead. I also prefer more full-bodied cherries, like something from Traverse City, Michigan, in the summer, rather than maraschino, like something from a bottle in the refrigerator. This, however is purely a description of personal preference, rather than judgment of the wine, for I can not call it flawed, or even anything less than exactly what it purports to be.

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2006 Waters Crest Cabernet Franc Private Reserve

2009-05-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

Vintage: 2006
Type: Red
Producer: Waters Crest
Variety: Cabernet Franc
Designation: Private Reserve
Country: USA
Region: New York
SubRegion: Long Island
Appellation: North Fork
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.

Night One

This needs a lot of time, in the decanter, the cellar, or both. If you "pop-n-pour" you will be terribly disappointed- it starts out tight, thin, and sour. But give it a couple of hours in the glass and it changes completely. A little tobacco leaf forms the background against a mix of red and black fruit. Raspberries and blackberries together make up the base aroma, tart cranberry and rich blackcurrant float over the top.

This is a medium-bodied wine, offering a thinner mouth-feeel and more acid than Cabernet Sauvignon, just as you would expect from a Cabernet Franc. The same black and red fruit from the nose make up the attack. Cocoa makes an appearance on the mid-palate. The finish is long.

On Night One this wine shows promise, but it is very tight, even after some decanter time. It is a strong candidate for Nigt Two improvement.

Night Two

The nose has loads of tobacco and tomato leaf, some blackberry and blackcurrant, plus a bit of cranberry.

There is also leafiness on the palate, along with black fruit and a bit of red fruit. The black fruit is blackberry, plus a little blackcurrant. The red fruit is cranberry, offering a clean tarntess more than a fruity flavor. This is a pretty classic Cab Franc, medium-bodied, black fruit and a little red fruit, clean and less tannic than Cabernet Sauvignon. I suspect it would benefit from more time in the cellar.

Waters Crest has been a real eye-opener for me. I have long been an afficianado of French wines, California wines, wines from Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, and even the Finger Lakes region in New York, but when people mentioned Long Island, my thoughts went to a girl I used to know, the most amazing 'ugly duckling to beautiful swan' story I ever saw, not to the noble grape. Now I have something else to think about. I wonder if I can find her again and perhaps we can share a bottle or two.

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2006 Viña Ventisquero Cabernet Sauvignon Root:1

2009-05-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

Type: Red
Producer: Viña Ventisquero
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Designation: Root:1 [The Original Ungrafted]
Country: Chile
Region: Central Valley
SubRegion: Rapel Valley
Appellation: Colchagua Valley

Night One

The nose opens with blackcurants and blackberries, but has several underlying aromas, and they are not all pleasant. On the up-side, there is some birch root and some cardamom. On the down-side, though, there is a slight smell of old bell peppers sauteed too long in rancid butter.

There is no mistaking this for anything but an under-$20 South American cabernet. If you don't know what I mean by that, find a green pepper, cut the top off and scrape out the insides, bake it in a hot overn for five minutes, let cool. While it's cooling, go to the grocery store and find a California Cab, not Napa, not Sonoma, "CALIFORNIA." Bring it home and pour it into the cooked green pepper. Drink.

Or don't.

Blackberries and blackcurrants (in green pepper) are on the attack. Vanilla and sour plums (in green pepper) are on the mid-palate. Tannins are dusty, the finish cloying.

Can you tell I'm not loving this?

Night Two

The nose opens far more favorably on Night Two. It starts with black fruit- blackcurrants and blackberries, plus some tobacco leaf and, at the end of a deep whiff, some menthol.

Black fruit starts the attack, but with a background of green pepper. On the mid-palate there is some mocha, followed by a bit of vanilla and brown sugar. The finish falls off fairly quickly.

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2005 Rued Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Creek Valley

2009-05-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Rued
Variety Cabernet Sauvignon
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Suggested Retail $45
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.

The Big Wooden Guy likes wine made with a delicate hand and an eye toward a long rest in the cellar.

Night One

The nose is interesting, more muted than the typical California Cab, but still fruity. The fruits up front are raisins and dried cherries, but there is also eucalyptus and menthol.

Fruit on the initial attack is more tart than the nose, starting with sour wild cherries and wild strawberries. There is some blackcurrant hiding under the red fruit. Eucalyptus and menthol are on the mid-palate. Acid and tannins are strong, even aggressive, though not harsh. This is truly a candidate for softening between Night One and Night Two.

Night Two

The nose changed a lot from Night One to Night Two, as I expected. The fruit is darker, but still rich, with raisins, prunes, and some blackcurrant. There is also a distinct aroma of caramel, but in the background, along with tobacco. Is this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, or is there some Cabernet Franc in the mix? It also has a bit of black pepper.

The palate, too, has changed since Night One. The mouth-feel is more full, the attack richer and darker. There is still a little red fruit, but it is all Bing and black berry. The rest is black fruit, raisins and blackcurrant, moving to blackberry and black pepper on the mid-palate. The mid-palate also has cedar and tobacco, true "cigar box" flavors. Acids are a bit less aggressive, but tannins remain fresh-leather-firm.

Night Three

Once in a while, a wine calls for a third-night tasting,as it unwinds a little from Night One to Night Two, but seems to have more to offer. This was one of them, and a third night paid off.

Blackberries and raisins opened the nose, followed by brambles, a touch of tobacco and eucalyptus.

The initial attack was made up of blackberries, dried blueberries, and lots of black pepper. Cedar and light touches of vanilla appears on the mid-palate. Tannins were smooth, a bit more integrated than Nights One and Two. The finish was long.

This is good wine, far more reminiscent of a balanced Bordeaux, or a good 70's California Cab, than so much of what is coming out of the Golden State today. It is also very young. The improvement from Night One through Night Three is a great hint (but no guarantee) that it will get better with several years sleeping in the cellar.

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2005 Waters Crest Campania Rosso

2009-04-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Waters Crest
Variety Red Bordeaux Blend (73% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Designation Campania Rosso
Country USA
Region New York
SubRegion Long Island
Appellation North Fork
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.

The Little Wooden Guy dances a little jig for a nice surprise from Long Island.

Night One

The nose on this wine is quite pleasant. The opening aromas speak more of Bordeaux than California or Australia, more restrained than jammy, with layers of scent rather than an oak bucket full of jelly dumped on your head. It opens with a bit of tobacco (from the Cab Franc) and unsweetened chocolate, followed by raspberry, some blackberry, then a whole bunch of eucalyptus and a bit of peppermint.

The palate has cherries and raspberries, blackcurrants, tobacco leaf and black pepper. Some red cherry licorice and vanilla are on the mid-palate. Tannins are smooth and quite sweet. The finish is surprisingly long.

Night Two

Interesting. The nose lacks the complexity of Night One. Cherries and some blackcurrant are there, but the tobacco, raspberry, chocolate, and most of all eucalyptus, are all missing. There is, instead of all that, just a bit of vanilla.

On the palate, too, complexity is gone. On Night One this wine sang "Bordeaux" from the glass. On Night Two, though, the song is "Cal-i-fornia Here I Come." Cherries, plum and plum skin lead the attack. Cedar and vanilla, followed by brown sugar, follow on the mid-palate, with the tiniest background echo of tobacco from the Cabernet Franc. Mouth feel remains silky. Tannins are still very sweet. The finish is sweet and long. Drink this one soon. It is ready now, not years from now.

This wine really caught me by surprise. I admit, the Waters Crest wines are the first I ever had from Long Island, and I was not optimistic. Of course, the fact that they sent their wines to The Wooden Guys to review, rather than a site that only posts positive reviews, should have been a hint. On the other hand, wine is more than just juice, and every bottle is the winemaker's baby, and who looks at their own kid and says "she really ain't that cute"? Well let me tell you something, people, she's pretty darned cute. Will anybody confuse this for a 1982 first growth? No, of course not. But line it up blind with a 2001 third growth and darned near anything from Napa in the last ten years, and it will come in, at worst, second. Indeed, I would bet you most people would guess "two from Bordeaux, one from California." I think the mail order retail is under $40, and given the brown sugar and molasses mess you get in so many Cabernets in that price range, this is pretty darned good stuff.

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2007 Waters Crest Chardonnay Private Reserve

2009-04-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

Vintage 2007
Type White
Producer Waters Crest
Variety Chardonnay
Designation Private Reserve
Country USA
Region New York
SubRegion Long Island
Appellation North Fork
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.

Night One

I wrestled with the nose for at least thirty minutes before admitting what I was smelling-flat Blue Moon with a lime slice floating atop it, with a toasted toothpick stuck through the lime. But, and this will seem truly weird, in a good way.

The palate is equally odd, and quite similar to the nose. Age flat Blue Moon in heavily toasted French oak (lots of toasty wood, but not vanilla or butter, so not American oak) for 18 months, add a slice of lime, and you will know what this wine tastes like.

Night Two

The nose is not significantly different from Night One. It has the same flat-beer and toasted wood aroma, though the toast is stronger. There is also a little ginger.

The palate is also similar to Night One. The lime is gone, replaced by ginger, but flat beer aged in very heavily toasted oak remains the lead flavor. If you really hunt for it you can find a bit of apple, but not much.

Varietal characteristics show up, not in the flavor, but in the mouth-feel. This is incredibly creamy, mouth-filling, and smooth.

I realize my description does not sound like a great wine, but that would not be fair. Let me tell you what I did. I took this to one my "wine guy," one of the two best palates (IMHO) in Indiana to get his opinion, because this was just so different. On the nose he asked, "Australia?," but no guess on varietal. He picked up chardonnay on the creamy mid-palate, not the flavor. Then he picked up the phone, called the winery, and asked if he could be their exclusive carrier in the State. This is really interesting wine, and you could blind taste-test 100 sommeliers in a row, and if 1 says "Long Island" without cheating, I'll buy you another bottle. The wine guy, by the way, is going to market this as "Cigar Chard," for cigar lovers who prefer white to red, because its mouth-filling toastiness has the body to complement a good smoke.

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2007 Dr. Konstantin Frank Johannisberg Riesling Dry

2009-04-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

Type White
Producer Dr. Konstantin Frank
Variety Johannisberg Riesling
Designation Dry
Country USA
Region New York
SubRegion Finger Lakes
Appellation Finger Lakes
Alcohol 12%
Price $19.99

The Bit Wooden Guy does the "Sun Salutation" to welcome a lovely white on the first warm day of the year.

Night One

The color is very pale but the light catches flashes of bright gold.

The nose is very soft and aromatic, starting with pears and honeysuckle, their sweetness tempered by a tiny grating of fresh lemon zest.

Mouth feel is lightly oily and smooth, a full mouth-feel. The initial attack is a bit more tart than suggested by the nose, leading with fresh-cut tangy-sweet pineapple. The mid-palate is softer and sweeter, with pears and honey. At the very end, just as it goes down, there is some nutmeg and a quick flash of Reisling-true petrol. The finish is mid-length.

Night Two

The nose opens softer than on night one, think sliced pears on a thin layer of smashed banana. Put a Ginger Snap three plates over, and you will know the smell of this wine. It is quite pleasant, actually.

The palate opens with tart half-baked apples and some starfruit. The ginger snap from a few plates down pops up on the mid-palate. A flash of petrol quickly appears and disappears at the finish, which then lingers with citrusy starfruit.

This is la lovely bottle of wine. It has just enough sweetnes to line up perfectly against spicy food, and is sunny and smooth enough to sip outside on a sunny afternoon.

2006 Bradford Mountain Syrah Grist Vineyard

2009-04-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Bradford Mountain
Variety Syrah
Vineyard Grist Vineyard
Cases produced 525
French oak, 50% new
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.

The Wooden Guys "high-five" a really good bottle of wine. This was the sixth out of six of two verticals, and there is no question Bradford Mountain is stepping up its game.

Night One

On Night One this was tasted as part of a multi-bottle vertical tasting.

This wine, just like the '06 Grist Valley Zinfandel, comes in a much heavier bottle than the '04 and '05, an obvious play toward "premiere" recognition.

"A fruit explosion!" Those were the first words out of the mouth of one guest as she got her first whiff of this Syrah. And she was right. It was all blueberry and black cherry.

The palate had blueberry, black cherry, and some dry cranberry in the background. Mace showed up on the mid-palate. Half-way through the mid-palate, quite suddenly there and almost as suddenly gone, but for a lingering echo of the taste, was what can only be described as a "butter hammer." Pure sweet fresh butter, too, not any imitation spread.

Night Two

It remains a big sweet "fruit explosion," blueberries and black cherries, plus some brown sugar.

There is very little left from Night One - it was pretty popular among people who "needed another taste" to get their brains wrapped around the wine. That, or they just wanted some more. The tiny taste that was left, though, promises a darned good wine. The fruit is still there, but it is joined by a double blast of coffee and dark chocolate.

Of the six wines tasted in one night, '04, '05, and '06 Grist Valley Zinfandel, and the '04, '05, and '06 Syrah, this is by far the most complex and interesting. It was also the most popular amongst the group. This is good wine. I wish I had more to give a solid Night Two review, for the few drops that were left showed much more than any of the other wines on any Night.

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2006 Pierre Morey Bourgogne-Aligoté

2009-04-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

Type White
Producer Pierre Morey
Variety Aligoté
Country France
Region Burgundy
Appellation Bourgogne-Aligoté

The Little Wooden Guy presents a really interesting wine, one well worth finding and trying for yourself.

Night One

Wow! The nose darned near knocks you out of your seat. What the heck is that? Hang on a minute. Let me think about this one. There are certainly apples, but that is not all. Tons of crushed stone are mixed with white grapefruit pith (not juicy fruit or pungent peel, but lightly-grapefruit-scented pith). There are also some green aromas I can not quite put my finger on, including a tiny speck of fresh crisp asparagus.

The palate is equally startling, and equally challenging. I will start by saying this is clearly a food wine, bursting with strong flavors that would complement many different choices. Okay, on with the review (we'll return to food recommendations later). The primary flavors are still white grapefruit pith and green apple. There is also some stone and, curiously a bit of brass. Apple sneaks out from behind the pith from mid-palate to finish. There is also a little lemon zest on the mid-palate.

Night Two

The nose is far milder on Night Two. It does not blow your nose away from the glass with the same wall of aromas it presented on Night One. That might just be because it was colder, coming from the refrigerator on Night Two, and the cellar on Night One. We will give it some time to see if that is the difference. The aromas are similar to Night One, just more muted. It presents green apple, crushed stone, and citrus pith. On Night Two, the pith is more reminiscent of lime than white grapefruit, with a bit of lime zest mixed into the blend.

The palate, too, is similar to Night One, though softer. Green apple is stronger, and citrus pith is now secondary, but both flavors are still there. The real difference comes at the end of the mid-palate, when a little butter makes an appearance.

This is a fascinating wine, a food wine. I would not select it with anything heavily spiced, as that would be competition, not enjoyment. But pair it with something simple but firmly-flavored, fresh clams or oysters without any sauce, and I think you would have a match made in, well, Burgundy.

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2005 Bradford Mountain Syrah Grist Vineyard

2009-04-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Bradford Mountain
Variety Syrah
Vineyard Grist Vineyard
Cases produced 500
American, French and European oak, 50% new
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.

Night One

On Night One this was tasted as part of a multi-bottle vertical tasting.

Funk. This opened with Rhone Syrah funk. Beneath that funk was red fruit, cranberries mostly.

The palate began with creme de cassis and fennel. The fruit stayed strong throughout. Spice was clear on the mid-palate, allspice and cinnamon.

Night Two

The funk is mostly gone from Night One, though it remains hovering in the background. Blackcurrant and redcurrant, along with a bit of vanilla, make up the nose.

Blackcurrant and black cherry poured over vanilla ice cream make the initial attack. The mid-palate has some spice, and some dryer red fruit like cranberry, but it is all overshadowed by the vanilla. The vanilla takes over the mid-palate and lingers on the finish.

This opened with more promise, some real earthy funk offering something other than a fruit bomb. Hoever, too much oak robs the fruit of its fine flavors.

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2004 Bradford Mountain Syrah Grist Vineyard

2009-04-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Bradford Mountain
Variety Syrah
Vineyard Grist Vineyard
Cases produced 700
French and American oak, 30% new
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.

The Big Wooden Guy is impressed - Bradford Mountain clearly has a nice hand with Syrah.

Night One

On Night One this was tasted as part of a multi-bottle vertical tasting.

Blackberry and sage made up the nose of this wine.

On the palate, fresh blackcurrant and creme de cassis, together make up the fruit. The sage from the nose is there, too. Redder fruit, including strawberry, showed up on the mid-palate. The mouth-feel was velvety, the tannins extremely smooth. The finish was mid-length. The first impression everybody had was that this first of three Syrahs was superior to the Grist Valley Zinfandels.

Night Two

The Night Two nose is really interesting. There are several different aromas, but the unique one is the sweet woody smokey smell, not of a fire, but of the smoldering of a woodburning iron. It also has blackberry and creme de cassis.

The palate has blackcurrant, fresh and liquor, some sage, and, as it shifts to the mid-palate, applewood-smoked bacon. Throughout the entire palate, way off in the background, is a undercurrent of toasted wood. Tannins are fine, smooth, and mouth-coating.

This is good, but I suspect it will continue to improve with several more years in the cellar. Right now, the fruit is still jammy and dominating, but there are enough interesting possibilities beneath it that some years allowing it to calm down, might pay off brilliantly.

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2006 Bradford Mountain Zinfandel Grist Vineyard

2009-04-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Bradford Mountain
Variety Zinfandel
Vineyard Grist Vineyard
Cases produced 500
French Oak, 40% New
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.

The Big Wooden Guy is rather fond of this, a significant improvement over the '04 and the '05. At the end, though, the wood still overpowered the fruit.

Night One

On Night One this was tasted as part of a multi-bottle vertical tasting.

The most obvious change from the 2004 and 2005 is the bottle weight- it must weigh 50% more than the earlier bottles.

The nose was classic Zinfandel, blackberries and black pepper.

Blackberries and black pepper were part of the inital attack, but were joined by some red fruit, raspberry. The mid-palate had fennel. This had far less vanilla and cedar than the 2004 or 2005, and that was welcome. The finish was smooth and long.

Night Two

The nose on Night Two was far different than the nose on Night One. Fruit was more red, cranberries and raspberries, rather than blackberries. It still had black pepper.

Raspberry and cranberry opened the attack. There is vanilla on the mid-palate, with a touch of cinnamon. The finish is long and smooth. Tannins are smooth, but not quite silky.

The efforts to make this an upscale wine are obvious beyond the bottle weight- this is more complex, with more layers and depth than the earlier years. I sill find the vanilla too strong, the oak over-powering the fruit.

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2004 Bradford Mountain Zinfandel Grist Vineyard

2009-04-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Bradford Mountain
Variety Zinfandel
Vineyard Grist Vineyard
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.

The Little Wooden Guy is torn, because the fruit is very good, but it is ultimately overwhelmed by oak, and he is not a fan of the gratuitous use of wood.

Night One

On Night One this was tasted as part of a multi-bottle vertical tasting.

The nose was full and sweet, with a kick of black pepper. Fruit on the nose was blackberry and black cherry.

The opening attack on the palate was true to the nose, with blackberries, black cherry and black pepper. Licorice appeared on the mid-palate, but was soon overwhelmed by vanilla and cedar. Tannins were mild and smooth. Based upon the vanilla, it seemed like more than 40% new oak.

Night Two

The cherry was more dominating on the nose, and a bit tarter than on Night One. Black pepper was there, too.

Vanilla and cherry were more apparent on the palate, the wood continuing to take a major role in the wine.

This was good, but not great, wine. I was a bit put off by the oak, because the vanilla overwhelmed what seemed like terrific fruit.

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1998 Château de Fieuzal

2009-03-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Château de Fieuzal
Variety Red Bordeaux Blend
Country France
Region Bordeaux
SubRegion Graves
Appellation Pessac-Léognan

The Wooden Guys just love old Bordeaux. The fruit has faded. Back then wood was not as prevalent. Instead, it is like a trip to the flower shop. In a glass.

An older Bordeaux is a beautiful thing. The color was just starting to turn brick red, without even a hint of orange at the edges. The nose and palate are delicate, trending toward sublime, rather than big and fruity. The nose was light, delicate. The first aroma was dry ancient leather, then a hint of tarragon. Florals followed, very light scents of lavendar and lilac flowing from the glass.

On the palate, too, there were delicate flavors. Fruit had retired, gone after a decade in the bottle, replaced by soft leather, lavendar and lilac, and a bit of fennel. The feel was silky smooth, acids still bright. The finish was long.

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2002 Dowie Doole Cabernet Sauvignon

2009-03-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Dowie Doole
Variety Cabernet Sauvignon
Designation n/a
Vineyard n/a
Country Australia
Region South Australia
SubRegion Fleurieu
Appellation McLaren Vale
Price $13.00

The Little Wooden Guy just gets warm fuzzy feelings for an under $15 dollar Cabernet that tastes like Cabernet, not oak juice.

Night One

The nose tells you right up front this is a warm weather wine, but after that nothing is obvious. This is a very deep dark nose. Imagine dark chocolate covered blackberries a elderberries, lightly dusted with espresso. There is also a touch of fennel.

Okay, that's startling. This is incredibly dark. It is deep with elderberry, but the berries, not sweet jam. It has loads of tobacco, burnt coffee grounds and unsweetened chocolate. Some plums join the show on the mid-palate, but it does not really show big changes there. This is wound pretty tight. It should be interesting to see what happens to it on Night Two.

Night Two

On Night Two the nose is a bit more classic Cabernet. It opens with blackcurrant, eucalyptus and some sage.

The palate has changed, too. Blackcurrant and elderberry, now a bit more jammy than on Night One but not a fruit bomb by any measure, open the attack. Now there is a definite mid-palate, presenting chocolate, smoked meat and eucalyptus. Plum skins show up just as it moves to the finish. The mouth-feel is smooth and silky.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a $13 Cabernet Sauvignon. If you have been reading for a while, you know I usually just skip low-priced Cabs, preferring to spend $20 or under on other varietals that show better in the lower price range. However, at $13 this is a steal.

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2005 Montoya Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Proprietor Owned Montoya Vineyards

2009-03-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Montoya Vineyards
Variety Cabernet Sauvignon
Designation Proprietor Owned
Vineyard Montoya Vineyards
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Napa Valley
Appellation Napa Valley
Price $13

If The Big Wooden Guy had thumbs, he would be giving a "thumbs up" to an under $15 drinkable Napa Cabernet.

Night One

This has currant, but it is an underlying aroma. The predominate aroma is vegetal, plus some green olive, along with enough black pepper to make you think "grenache."

The palate is fairly simple and harsh. It is sweet-fruit forward, mostly plum and some blueberry. It has some of the same vegetal tastes as the nose. The same vegetation, plus some green pepper, makes up the mid-plate. The finish is short and metallic. Tannins are harsh.

This is not great wine. It is also a $13 Napa Cabernet. This raises a question I have asked several times before, why drink low-priced mediocre Cabernet when there are so many other good wines in the same price range? But who knows, it might be a lot better on Night Two.

Night Two

What a difference a night makes! The harsh vegetation and overpowering pepper is gone from the nose. Now it has a more classic Cabernet, with blackcurrant, a little coffee and chocolate, and plums.

The fruit is far softer on the palate, too. It opens with a lot of plum and mulberry. Some eucalyptus appears for a moment as it shifts to the mid-palate, before the typical maple and brown sugar of moderately-priced Cali Cabs takes over. The finish is mid-length. Tannins are surprisingly smooth and sweet.

This is a THIRTEEN DOLLAR Napa Valley Cabernet. Is it great? Nope. Is it good? No, not really. Is it competent, and competitive with Cabernets at twice the price? Yup. Absolutely. Give this several hours to breath and you will have a drinkable $13 Napa Cab. How can that be a bad thing?

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A Tour of The Wooden Guys' cellar

2009-03-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

The Big Wooden Guy and The Little Wooden Guy thought you might like to see their wine cellar. I needed to increase the humidity a little, so I made the fountain out of some empty wine bottles. That is what you hear if you turn up the sound. Wave back at the Wooden Guys.

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2005 Yangarra Estate Grenache Old Vine

2009-03-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Yangarra Estate
Variety Grenache
Designation Old Vine
Country Australia
Region South Australia
SubRegion Fleurieu
Appellation McLaren Vale
Price $25.98

The Big Wooden Guy is not pleased. You don't turn Grenache into Aussie fruit-bomb Shiraz, even if you are from down under. How the heck did this get a 90+ rating?

Night One

The nose opens with some jammy dark fruit, mostly elderberry, with black pepper, earth and brambles. It also has an underlying lingering licorice aroma.

The palate is very true to the nose. The wine opens with jammy dark elderberry and black pepper. It has earth and brambles, giving it underlying depth and keeping it from qualifying as a "fruit bomb." Licorice is more pronounced on the palate than the nose. A bit of dried orange peel appears on the mid-palate. The finish is mid-length and trends away from the fruit and toward black pepper and orange peel.

Night Two

The nose is less complex than on Night One, opening with black fruit and black pepper, and not much else.

The palate, too, is less complex. It is mostly jammy fruit bomb sprinkled with some black pepper. A bit of coffee makes a quick appearance, and equally quick disappearance, on the mid-palate, then the finish reverts to big fruit plus vanilla. Tannins are slightly grainy.

This wine got great reviews from the commercial magazines, 90+. I don't get it. This is Grenache turned into Aussie Shiraz fruit bomb.

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2005 Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo Garnacha Cariñena Menguante

2009-03-20T17:23:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo
Variety Garnacha
Designation Menguante
Country Spain
Region Aragón
Appellation Cariñena
Price $8.99

This is under $10. Amazing.

Night One

This has a powerful nose, full of blackberry, mulberry, and orange peel.

The palate is extraordinarily complex for an under $10 wine. It starts with blackberries and pepper, then adds orange peel, intense spices and licorice. The wine is medium-bodied and tannins are smooth, adding leather to the finish. The finish is long.

This is absurdly good for an under $10 wine. Is it great? No, not really. Is it great on a price to quality ratio? Heck yeah. Come back on Night Two to see it it stands up.

Night Two

The nose is not as nice on Night Two, opening with sweet blackberries and the aroma of artificial grape soda. It still has a little of the orange peel from Night One. There is also a touch of tarragon.

The palate has also dropped off quite a bit from Night One. First, rather than smooth, it is gritty. Pepper is stronger than blackberry, but the taste of artificial fruit flavors, followed by a mid-palate with the clear metallic taste of garlic, is a real disappointment. The finish is all garlic and the aftertaste of artificial sweetener.

I adored this wine, for the dollar, on Night One. On Night Two, I am not even going to finish the bottle. In all fairness, though, this is an under-$10 wine, so it was made to drink fresh, not to rest in a cellar for years. For what it is, cheap wine meant to be drunk right away, it is terrific. Just make sure you have enough thirst, or enough friends, to put it all away the first night.

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When Wine Blogging is really good

2009-03-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

I don't do this very often, but once in a while we here at 2 Days per Bottle take a break to enjoy the world, and the wine world, around us. Today, I would like to commend a couple of fellow wine-bloggers, and direct your attention to them. Sure, there are plenty of wine blogs out there, and many of them are absolutely terrific. If you want to find a few to start following, you can't go wrong clicking on anything on the blogroll to your right (also, I hope you already follow AND subscribe to 2 Days per Bottle and The 89 Project). Today, though, I want to point out a couple of blog posts that show just what Wine Blogging can be.

The first is from McDuff's Food and Wine Trail, and the post is entitled Southern Exposure. It is David McDuff's entry for Wine Blogging Wednesday, sponsored this month by The Wine Case. In it, David writes as good a description as I have ever seen on the effect of northern or southern exposure (the direction a mountainside faces, not the direction a flasher, ahem, "points"), desribing the difference between two different Barolos grown within sight of each other. Here is the intro:

Have you ever found yourself enticed by the idea of a “bargain” Barolo? (Yes, I’m writing about Piedmont again, just like for last month's WBW.) Ever wondered what the difference is between those two theoretically regal Piedmontese reds sitting next to each other on the shelf, one priced around $30 and the other over $50? If you have, then you know there is a wealth of possible answers. One of the most meaningful, though, happens to be one that I’m guessing might not come immediately to mind: exposure. Not brand exposure, mind you, but vineyard exposure – the position of a site on a hillside and its correlating exposure to the sun’s rays.

Now click on over there and read the rest.

The second comes from Dr. Vino, and if you don't know who he is, you're in for a treat. Today, he writes about the curious effect of a century of war, starting with Otto von Bismark and ending (at least for now), not with the end of World War II, but with the creation of the European Union. What is he writing about? A vineyard where A Border Runs Through It. He tells the story of Friedrich Wilhelm Becker, who crosses from Germany to France, and back again, every time he wanders from the eastern side of his vineyard to the western side.

Today, about two-thirds of Becker’s 35 acres of vineyards are in Alsace with the remainder, as well as, the winery lying in Pfalz, specifically the town of Schweigen.

Is it German wine, French wine, or both? Does he need two different sets of labels? Fortunately, an accord was reached involving water, lumber, and probably at least three verses each of Lili Marlene:

So what do you grow if your vineyard straddles the French and German borders? Riesling? Gewürztraminer? Nope, Pinot Noir. Or Spätburgunder, as the call it locally.

There you have it, two great posts from two great wine blogs. Enjoy. And finally, since we're taking a break from wine reviewing, at least for the afternoon, the Big Wooden Guy is going to take his dog for a walk:

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Wine Blogging Wednesday- North vs. South

2009-03-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

Remy, at The Wine Case, hosts this month's Wine Blogging Wednesday. The theme? North vs. South. So tonight, the Wooden Guys and I will be looking at Garnacha from Spain and Grenache from Australia. I am just going to compare first nights for both. The wines will be reviewed over two nights individually.

First, the Garnacha:

2005 Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo Garnacha Cariñena Menguante

Type Red
Producer Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo
Variety Garnacha
Designation Menguante
Country Spain
Region Aragón
Appellation Cariñena
Price $8.99

Night One

This has a powerful nose, full of blackberry, mulberry, and orange peel.

The palate is extraordinarily complex for an under $10 wine. It starts with blackberries and pepper, then adds orange peel, intense spices and licorice. The wine is medium-bodied and tannins are smooth, adding leather to the finish. The finish is long.

This is absurdly good for an under $10 wine. Is it great? No, not really. Is it great on a price to quality ratio? Heck yeah. Come back on Night Two to see it it stands up.

And now, the Grenache:

2005 Yangarra Estate Grenache Old Vine

Type Red
Producer Yangarra Estate
Variety Grenache
Designation Old Vine
Country Australia
Region South Australia
SubRegion Fleurieu
Appellation McLaren Vale
Price $25.98

The nose opens with some jammy dark fruit, mostly elderberry, with black pepper, earth and brambles. It also has an underlying lingering licorice aroma.

The palate is very true to the nose. The wine opens with jammy dark elderberry and black pepper. It has earth and brambles, giving it underlying depth and keeping it from qualifying as a "fruit bomb." Licorice is more pronounced on the palate than the nose. A bit of dried orange peel appears on the mid-palate. The finish is mid-length and trends away from the fruit and toward black pepper and orange peel.

North versus South

The first obvious difference is the price difference. The Garnacha is under $10, while the Australian Grenache is over $25. The Australian is not two-and-a-half times better than the Spanish. In fact, I think I like the Spanish one better. It is more balanced, offers a far more interesting and entertaining nose, and has a better mid-palate. In the Spanish wine, and Spain is a warm weather country, too, the fruit is not big and jammy. Tannins and acid balance nicely, and the different tastes balance out. On the other hand, the mulberry dominates in the Australian wine, while everything else plays second-fiddle.

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2006 Gainey Pinot Noir

2009-03-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Gainey
Variety Pinot Noir
Designation n/a
Vineyard n/a
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Central Coast
Price $30.40 from Bin Ends Wine, tasted as part of Twitter Taste Live.

The Big Wooden Guy tries the "Dancer" Yoga pose, not an easy feat after a bottle of win that is best drunk all in one night.

This was tasted as part of Twitter Taste Live.

Night One

The nose was big right out of the bottle. It offered up a whole mix of cherries, from tiny clear native to big Bings, with allspice, and an echo of nutmeg. It was not over-oaked over-fruit, but not quite Burgundy in depth, either.

The palate bears almost no relationship to the nose. A lot more wood shows on the palate, a couple of scoops of vanilla. Spice is there, too, but more peppery, less exotic. It has a shift from cherry on the nose to raspberry on the palate, but the bigger shift is exotic sweet spice to pepper, nose to palate.

This is very good wine on Night One.

Night Two

The nose is far more muted on Night Two than on Night One. The fruit is softer cherry plus some strawberry. Most of the spice is gone.

There are loads of strawberry on the palate, but not really in a great way. It is more like artificial strawberry soda than fresh strawberries. It has a touch of white pepper, and some raspberry on the mid-palate.

The bottom line is simple- this wine was good, not great, but good, on Night One. On Night Two, not so much. That does not necessarily mean it won't last a bit in the cellar, but if you do open it, plan to drink it all that night.

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2006 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Pinot Noir Petersen

2009-03-17T19:26:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Sonoma Coast Vineyards
Variety Pinot Noir
Vineyard Petersen
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Sonoma Coast
Price $60.40
From Bin Ends Wine, and tasted as part of Twitter Taste Live.

The Wooden Guys high-five each other over a very good bottle of wine with great potential.

Night One

This wine open with a rich and complex nose, one that is sure to take a few minutes to pick out the different aromas. This is the sort of nose that can be enjoyed so long you forget to take a sip. It starts with rich black dirt and the charred end of prime rib, then adds unsweetened chocolate, all over a strong base of deep red fruit.

The palate is at least as complex as the nose, serving up red fruit, smoked meat, chocolate and spices. Asian spices pop out on the mid-palate, followed by a delightful long finish with an intriguing after-taste of dried tangerine peel.

Night Two

The nose is not as rich as on Night One, but it is still delightful. It still has red fruit and dark chocolate, along with a teaspoon full of black dirt, but the smokey meat aroma is not there any more.

Loads of red fruit, tart cherries and ripe sweet cherries, raspberries, and some pomegranate. The mid-palate brings out smokey meat and a little cocoa, and more tartness to the red fruit, adding cranberry to the mix. This wine has some real Burgundian minerality, as well. The finish is long, tannins are very smooth, acidity offers years in the cellar.

This is very good wine. It might turn out to be great wine in eight years. if I had half a dozen, I would not open the next one for at least six years.

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1997 Massa Vecchia La Fonte di Pietrarsa Maremma Toscana IGT

2009-03-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

Vintage 1997
Type Red
Producer Massa Vecchia
Variety Cabernet Sauvignon
Designation La Fonte di Pietrarsa
Country Italy
Region Tuscany
SubRegion Maremma
Appellation Maremma Toscana IGT
Price $46.99

The Little Wooden Guy likes older Cabernets.

Night One

The color shows the age of the wine. It is brick red with the first hints of orange at the edges. The nose is classic older Cabernet, leading with florals, nuts and tarragon, rather than big fruit. Some plums were behind all of that, but did not dominate at all. The palate, too, is far more floral than fruity.

Violets take the lead on the palate, followed by tarragon and a touch of mushroom. Leather and grilled meat join the prior flavors, rather than replacing them, on the mid-palate. The finish is long, tannins are smooth and no longer predominate. This seems to be near the end of its life, perhaps just a bit over its peak. I will be interested to see how it fares on Night Two.

Night Two

The wine drank almost exactly the same as on Night One, except it was even better knit-together. It was wonderful and is clearly peaking right now. It am thrilled I have three more bottles, and will drink them over the next few months.

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2005 Rolf Binder/Veritas Shiraz Hales

2009-03-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Rolf Binder/Veritas
Variety Shiraz
Designation n/a
Vineyard Hales
Country Australia
Region South Australia
SubRegion Barossa
Appellation Barossa Valley
Price $17.49

It's a screw top. No, it's a hat. The Wooden Guys are having fun starring in movies. We're all going to try it, then we'll get back to you.

Night One

This has huge fruit on the nose. There is no question this comes from a hot climate and the grapes were allowed to fully ripen and then some. It is saved from being a "fruit bomb" by the addition of a little Mouvedre and Grenache, adding some citrus peel and spice. Fruits on the palate are dark and jammy. The palate also has dried orange peel, pepper, and a grain or two of cayenne, not the flavor, just the kick. It takes a complete turn on the mid-palate, throwing out cocoa and coffee, even as the fruit and pepper linger. The finish is long and really lingers, particularly the dried citrus peel. Tannins are smooth, acids a tad stronger and just slightly out of balance. That might calm down on Night Two.

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2003 Poggio Amorelli Oracolo Toscana IGT

2009-03-12T04:02:00.000-07:00

Type Red
Producer Poggio Amorelli
Variety Super Tuscan Blend
Designation Oracolo
Country Italy
Region Tuscany
Appellation Toscana IGT

The Wooden Guys did not get to try the wine, since we had it at Wine at Work Wednesday, and man are they going to be upset when they read this. Go buy this wine. Seriously, buy it. Study it. Drink half a bottle and have the other half on Night Two. This is a case study in how a wine can change, and how a dozen different aromas and flavors can knit together with some time and air.

Night One

The nose on this wine is absolutely wild. The first whiff will make you look up and say "hmmmmmmm" out loud. After that, it is a search to match the aromas with something familiar. Menthol? Absolutely. Lemon grass and asian spices? What the heck is that doing in there, floating above the glass like a bowl of Vietnamese soup? Chestnuts. Chestnuts?! Then the fruit, some white raisins, perhaps. There is also licorice, the real stuff, not the artificial candy.

The palate is just as odd. It definitely presents the taste of raisins, but it still has the odd predominate lemon grass and other asian spices taste of a Vietnamese restaurant. It offers huge changes on the mid-palate. Menthol pops out, followed by licorice. The very end of the mid-palate offers the crusty end of a leg of lamb. The finish is long, tannins strong but silky smooth and balanced by good acid. On Night One tasting, it seems like it would have lots of cellar life left.

Night Two

This has not changed a tremendous amount since Night One. The "Vietnamese Restaurant" nose is there, even stronger than before. The asian spices, not hot Szechuan, but exotic, are stronger, particularly on the sides of the tongue. Menthol faded a bit from Night One, but the spices are explosive.

On the palate, the spices run through the jars in your pantry though the hidden leaves and powders in the back of a restaurant with whole ducks hanging by their necks from the rafters and half a dozen woks going at once. White raisins become mulberry for just an instant, then shifts to natural licorice toward the finish.

This is good. This is far better than the 87 from Wine Spectator, but the whole shift from "interesting" to "really good" came on Night Two, so that is understandable. On Night One it threw a dozen things at you, but on Night Two those dozen things knit together into a smooth arc. This is the sort of wine an oenophile can spend hours studying, picking out different flavors and aromas, tasting it as it changes, minute by minute, and most important, from one day to the next.

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2006 Charles Smith Cabernet Sauvignon Chateau Smith

2009-03-12T03:43:00.000-07:00

Vintage: 2006
Type: Red
Producer: Charles Smith
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Designation: Chateau Smith
Country: USA
Region: Washington
SubRegion: Columbia Valley
Appellation: Columbia Valley
Price: $20.99

The Little Wooden Guy says "temper your enthusiasm." Yes, it's Cabernet for less than $20, and it is not an oak and vanilla brown sugar mess. On the other hand, and he really hates to say this because it is not bad wine, it is also just not particularly special. Sure, it is hard to find decent Cabernet at the this price point, but there are so many other good wines out there that deliver a bigger bang for the buck. Perhaps the thing to do, or at least this is how the Little Wooden Guy feels, the thing to do is save Cabernet for a splurge, and buy Syrah, or Shiraz, or a good Rhone blend, or something from South Africa, or South America, or any of a thousand other options, when you're looking for an under $20 wine.

Night One

The nose is light. The first thing you notice is what is not there, rather than what is. This is an under-$20 Cabernet that does not reek of oak and vanilla. Instead, fruit is front and center. The fruit is not overpowering or jammy. Instead, it is light and clean. Blackcurrants and blackberries are joined by some eucalyptus.

The palate is also fruit-driven, but not jammy. Blackcurrant, blackberry and elderberry open the attack. it is joined by light notes of eucalyptus and peppermint. The finish is a little short.

Night Two

The nose remains light on Night Two. There are just hints of fruit.

The palate is fruity, sweeter than on Night One. Blueberry, rather than blackberry, is dominant, with a secondary flavor of blackberries. Cedar makes an appearance on the mid-palate. There is also a tiny hint, half a drop at the most, of vanilla. The finish is mid-length and sweet. Tannins are smooth and balanced by some acidity, but not quite enough to balance out the sweet fruit.

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2006 Kendric Vineyards Syrah

2009-03-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

Vintage 2006
Type Red
Producer Kendric Vineyards
Variety Syrah
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sierra Foothills
Appellation Shenandoah Valley
Price $19.99
From WineQ

The Wooden Guys do the honors.

Night One

The nose has a bit of mustiness, lots of fruit- raspberries and blackberries, and milk chocolate. It also has just a touch of sage.

This is not a terrific wine on the palate- it seems overworked, even unnatural. Raspberry is the primary fruit, but it is more artificial raspberry licorice than fresh raspberry. That is followed by too much vanilla, and the aftertaste of artificially flavored candy. No, I'm not loving this, but I will stick it out and give it a second chance on Night Two.

A few hours later and it has improved significantly. At this rate, it could be good by tomorrow night. Stick around and find out with me.

Night Two

The mustiness from Night One is gone. The fruit is darker than on Night One. Blackberries and mulberries give a sweet dark aroma, which is sharpened a little with a few raspberries. There is some underling milk chocolate and the same touch of sage noted on Night One.

The palate is different on Night Two. There is a tremendous amount of chocolate to go with jammy dark fruits. Imagine Chocolate covered cherries, but instead of cherries, fill them with mixed blackberry and mulberry fondant and fruit. That hint of sage and some meat shows up on the mid-palate, but only as faint echoes under the fruit and chocolate. The finish is mid-length. Tannins are faint but smooth, acidity is light.

This is drinking well on Night Two, but gives no indication it has huge cellar life in front of it. Based upon the performance on Night One, significant improvement over a few hours, and its performance on Night Two, this might have a year, but could just as easily be served now after a few hours of decanting.

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2006 Campo di Sasso Insoglio del Cinghiale Toscana IGT

2009-03-09T05:04:00.000-07:00

Type: Red
Producer: Campo di Sasso
Variety: Red Blend
Designation: Insoglio del Cinghiale
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Appellation: Toscana IGT
Price: $48
From: Bin Ends Wine for $38.40. This was tasted as part of Twitter Taste Live sponsored by Wilson Daniels.

Night One

Cabernet Franc is obvious in the blend, as the tobacco leaf scent leaps first out of the glass. Just as the bottle is opened it also has the curious smell of dried tangerine rind, which blows off after about half an hour. The nose is rich with cocoa and dark fruit.

The first impression on the palate is of how smooth the wine is, even with a strong tannic structure. Cherries, leather, and some clear licorice also make up the initial attack. This continues to evolve, not just on the mid-palate, but from minute to minute. It is probably not fair to try to judge this wine until it has had some time to decant.

This is a real candidate for Night Two improvement.

Night Two

Classic Cabernet Franc tobacco is the first aroma out of the glass. A deeper whiff brings sticky dates and figs, and behind those, blackberries.

Tobacco also leads on the palate. The fruit is all black, dates, prunes and blackberries. A solid mid-palate adds pencil lead, and the dates turn to figs. The finish is very long. The tannins are smooth and silky, leaving a sense of suede, not merely leather.

2005 Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss Pinot Blanc Kritt

2009-03-08T04:57:00.000-07:00

Type: White
Producer: Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss
Variety: Pinot Blanc
Vineyard: Kritt
Country: France
Region: Alsace
SubRegion: Andlau
Appellation: Alsace AOC
Price: $23.00
From: Bin Ends Wine for $18.40. This was tasted as part of Twitter Taste Live sponsored by Wilson Daniels.

The Big Wooden Guy finally gets a turn, and has big hugs for this Alsace gem.

Night One

The first impression was thickness on the palate. This was not a dry, tight, acidic summer afternoon quaff. This was a thick serious food wine. Next was the creamy softness of it. Immediately out of the bottle it was sweet and creamy, giving a first instant impression of coconut cream. Some time out of the bottle allowed that to soften, first to banana, then finally settling on pears, and very obvious pears. I expect nobody could drink this wine, thirty minutes or more after opening it, without saying "oh, pears!" out loud. It had one other flavor that was a bit unusual, first hinting at toast, but too flavored to just be dry bread. No, the best description was Zweiback, the old crackers that parents gave teething babies, but that are the real secret behind the crust of genuine New York Cheesecake (graham crackers started with cafeteria lunch ladies and condensed milk "cheesecake," but the real thing has Zweiback). The wine also had some balancing acidity and tartness. The tartness was more exotic than typical lemon, and is best described as somewhere between, or even a blend of, key lime zest and starfruit.

Night Two

Pears were the predominant, perhaps even overpowering, aroma, modified a little with a bit of tart apple and toasty Zweiback.

Pears continue to dominate the palate, as well. They are joined by exotic soft citrus tastes, something akin to ugli fruit, with a slight ginger bite. Night Two sees a bit of bitterness on the mid-palate, a bitterness reminiscent of almond skins. The finish is long, highlighting ginger and a little white pepper.

This is very good wine.

2005 Marc Kreydenweiss Costières-de-Nîmes Domaine des Perrières

2009-03-07T04:50:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Marc Kreydenweiss
Variety: Red Rhone Blend
Designation: Domaine des Perrières
Country: France
Region: Rhône
SubRegion: Southern Rhône
Appellation: Costières-de-Nîmes
Price: $17.00
From: Bin Ends Wine for $13.60. This was tasted as part of Twitter Taste Live sponsored by Wilson Daniels.

The Little Wooden Guy applauds any Rhone that comes in under $20 and delivers classic flavors.

Night One

The nose opens with huge barnyard smells, layered smells of animal, dirt and hay. Applewood-smoked bacon is also in the forefront, a strong classic smell. Fruits are intense, like dried cherries and raisins.

The palate opens with surprising mineral flavor, like walking through a limestone quarry and inhaling fine dust as you drink. Fruit is just as intense on the palate, tannins are very tight. The same applewood-smoked bacon shows up on the mid-palate as the limestone softens and darkens into pencil lead.

This is a terrific candidate for big Night Two changes, so stick around and see what happens.

Night Two

Most of the barnyard is gone from the palate. It opens, instead, with medium red fruit. It is not big juicy cherries. Instead, it offers pomegranate and cranberry. It is nowhere near as intense as on Night One. There is some pencil lead on the mid-palate. A clear smoked bacon flavor pops out on the finish. The wine s less intense, but far more balanced, on Night Two.

This is good wine at a great price. The explosiveness right after corking is interesting, but the greater delicacy and balance is even more delightful. To me, that is a clue that this will benefit from some time in the cellar, a couple of years before it really hits its stride.

2006 Di Majo Norante Sangiovese Terre degli Osci IGT

2009-03-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Di Majo Norante
Variety: Sangiovese
Country: Italy
Region: Molise
Appellation: Terre degli Osci IGT
Price: $9.99

The Little Wooden Guy is disappointed, and that's not really fair to the wine. At $9.99, it delivers a decent bang for the buck. No, he is disappointed because it failed to meet its promise, and herein lies one of the real problems with rating wines. The shelf-hanger said:

Wine Advocate - December 2007 - 89 points - Great Values from Italy

"The 2006 Sangiovese Terre Degli Osci is simply gorgeous. This superbly balanced red offers generous, super-ripe blueberry, spice and sweet toasted oak along with a soft, accessible personality."*

Hey, $9.99 for that? What a bargain! And then, disappointment. On the one hand, it suckered me into buying it. On the other hand, I was disappointed where I should have been thrilled- for $9.99 this wine really delivered. So I guess the question is, do they want a large number of individual sales, or a smaller number of multiple sales and loyal customers?

Night One

The nose opens with big aromas, starting with rubber and dark ripe fruit, blackcurrant and plum, followed by spices, primarily pepper and cardamom.

The palate, too, opens with rubber, followed by black pepper, blackberries, plums, and lots of florals, including violets and roses. Vanilla comes out on the finish. Mouth-feel is very smooth.

Night Two

The nose is much lighter on Night Two, more fruity, opening with cherries and raspberries, plus the cherry pits.

The palate is far simpler on Night Two, as well. Cherries and raspberries, some spice including white pepper, not any significant changes on the mid-palate, and a hint of nutmeg added on the finish.

*I am not a big fan of wine ratings and rarely buy anything based upon shelf-hangers, but as the manager of The 89 Project, if see and "89" under $10, I really have to buy it.

2000 Michele and Patrice Rion Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras

2009-02-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Michele & Patrice Rion
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vineyard: Les Cras
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
SubRegion: Côte de Nuits
Appellation: Chambolle-Musigny
Price: $35.99
From: Chambers Street Wines

The Little Wooden Guy appreciates it when patience rewards him with wine that improves as much as this one did from one night to the next.

Night One

The color was a translucent slightly bricked red with a tint of orange just beginning at the edges.

The nose was nice, soft red fruit and some cocoa lie strewn on a barn floor. There is also a bit of fennel lingering, with an even smaller bit of sage.

Red fruit on the palate is far sharper, more acidic, than the nose lets on. It opens with tart wild strawberries, cranberries, and pomegranate. Fennel and sage are a much larger part of the palate than the nose.

This wine is rather one-dimensional, with little change other than increased tannins on the mid-palate, and a finish that collapses quickly.

Night Two

The nose on Night Two is a little darker, a little more ripe, but still deep and musty. Sage and marjoram are there, too, along with a pinch each of fennel and cardamom. the nose is far more integrated and rich than on Night One.

Again on Night Two, the palate is sharper and more acidic than on Night One. Fruits are newer, fresher, perhaps even not-quite-ripe, tart with acids. Sour cherries, tiny wild strawberries, cranberries, and the very dark red fruit of pomegranate all contribute to the fruit flavor profile. Now the wine has a real mid-palate, with smoke and crisp pork fat rubbed with leafy spices. The finish also last longer, a lot longer, than on Night One. Satiny tannins give a sense of suede, not leather, red fruits come back to the fore as the flavor first glows, then slowly fades.

Huge changes from Night One to Night Two, particularly on the mid-palate and the finish, hint of more life in the cellar, even for an off-year. The color, on the other hand, says it is nearing the end of its life. The best bet to balance the two is probably to give it another year, two at the most, then leave plenty of time for decanting before drinking.

2001 Deerfield Ranch Syrah Ladi's Vineyard

2009-02-24T19:02:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Deerfield Ranch
Variety: Syrah
Vineyard: Ladi's Vineyard
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Sonoma County
Appellation: Sonoma County
Price: $39.99 from WineQ (full disclosure- this was a free sample from WineQ)

The Little Wooden Guy does a happy dance. This is good stuff.

Night One

Terrific funk. The nose opens with terrific funk, rich, dirty, earthy, barnyard funk. The deeper you dive into the glass, the more it rewards with layers of aromas. Black fruit and black pepper lie just under the funk, but that is not all. Deeper, below the fruit, are coffee, very dark chocolate, and tobacco. This is one of those wines you can sit and smell so long you forget to drink it. I won't let that happen. So go on to the next paragraph and drink along with me. Hang on a second, one more whiff.

Blackcurrant and blackberry, sprinkled with black pepper, open the palate. Smoky meat, a tiny drop of real licorice, and a wafting tendril of hickory smoke join the fruit on the mid-palate. Tannins are absolutely silky, mouth-feel is smooth and soft. The finish is long, not just lingering, but adding spice and fruit a full twenty to thirty seconds after the wine is gone.

Wow! Three hours later, and the nose is EXACTLY like oak burned by a very high rpm table saw.

Come back tomorrow for Night Two and the reaction from The Wooden Guys.

Night Two

On Night Two, the nose is far more mild. The funk is gone. The black fruits are far more sedate, spiced with an equally reduced pinch of black pepper.

Blackberry is more dominant that blackcurrant on Night Two, on the palate. Acids are bright and it sparkles with prickly pepper. the mid-palate is far smokier on Night Two, the licorice just barely an echo. The finish is even longer, and once again seems to grow and glow after the sip is gone.

2001 Château Bessan Bordeaux Contrôlée

2009-02-23T18:17:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Château Bessan
Variety: Red Bordeaux Blend
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Appellation: Bordeaux Contrôlée

The Little Wooden Guy reminds you, "Bordeaux" does not necessarily mean "good wine."

Night One

The nose on this is a dead ringer for a mediocre cabernet from Chile. It is all green pepper and coffee. There is no fruit to be found.

On the palate, too, this seems more like Chile than Bordeaux. Blackcurrants are there, but they are cooked up with green peppers and some coffee grounds. Tannins are very firm, even hard. There is not much of a mid-palate and the finish dies off quickly.

Night Two

The nose did not get any better over night. Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound.

Hang on a second.

Oh heck, it got worse.

I'm going to go open something good. Or at least drinkable.

2003 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva

2009-02-21T19:36:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Castello di Monsanto
Variety: Sangiovese Blend
Designation: Riserva
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
SubRegion: Chianti
Appellation: Chianti Classico
Price: $23.99

The Little Wooden Guy offers the Sun Salutation to this quite reasonably priced product of earth and sunshine.

Night One

The color is very dark in the center, almost black, with a bright ruby edge about three-quarters of an inch deep.

The nose is interesting, offering more than most chiantis in this price range. It has cherries and some pomegranate, but also adds earth, chestnuts, and some spices, as well as a bit of tar.

The palate is filled with red fruit, opening with cherries, their sweetness mitigated by dry cranberry and perhaps some pomegranate. There is more than just fruit here, though. This is a very floral wine, with violets ripping across the palate. The mid-palate is pucker-dry, cranberries and violets, plus a touch of tar on the finish. Acidity is good, quite bright, and the tannins are a touch rough, not much, and very drying This could improve significantly from Night One to Night Two.

Night Two

The nose is floral, more so than on Night One, rich with violets and roses. The fruit has changed some, too. Before, it was cherries and cranberries. Now, it is dried cherries and dried cranberries.

The palate has not changed a lot. Acid is still bright, tannins perhaps slightly smoother. I saw this wine for $17.99 today at Costco. For that price, this is surprisingly cellar-worthy. Based upon a two-day tasting, I expect it has a couple more years of not just life, but perhaps improvement as well.

2007 Humanitas Chardonnay Oak Free

2009-02-21T12:42:00.000-08:00

Type: White
Producer: Humanitas
Variety: Chardonnay
Designation: Oak Free
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Central Coast
Appellation: Monterey County

The Little Wooden Guy really appreciates good wine without the gratuitous use of wood, so give this one a try.

Night One

The nose has more pears than apples, plus a bit of soft banana. There is also a slight underlying background tropical smell of pineapple.

The palate has a thick glycerin mouth-feel. The flavors open with apple, turning to pineapple and starfruit toward the mid-palate. This is creamy smooth, and a welcome oak- and vanilla-free.

Night Two

The nose is more tropical on Night Two than Night One. The lead fruit is pineapple, some butterscotch, and bruised red apples.

The palate, too, is more tropical on the attack, leading with sweet-tart fresh pineapple plus the soft flavor of banana. Apples appear on the mid-palate, along with some butterscotch, before tartness returns on the mid-palate. The tartness is not the sour tart you would find in lemon or lime, but the sweet tropical bite of a starfruit.

This is good wine. If you have run away from Chardonnay, afraid of juice flavored with wood, vanilla, and butter, come back and try it again.

2005 Nicolas Potel Bourgogne Cuvée Gérard Potel

2009-02-18T17:33:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Nicolas Potel
Variety: Pinot Noir
Designation: Cuvée Gérard Potel
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Appellation: Bourgogne
Price: $20
From: Bin Ends Wine, as part of Twitter Taste Live

The Little Wooden Guy is pleased to present a good $20 pinot, and from Burgendy, no less.

Night One

The nose opens with some funk, not 'huge barnyard' funk, but certainly 'more serious pinot than you'd expect at this price point' funk. Red fruits follow closely behind the funk, cherries and cherry pits, plus deeply bruised strawberries.

The palate opens with the same red fruit, cherries and bruised strawberries, plus some added rhubarb tartness. The fruit all floats above an earthy base of truffles and loam. The mid-palate is coppery, with the fruit morphing to drier cranberry. The finish is moderately long, the tannins firm but silky.

Night Two

This wine underwent huge changes on the nose from Night One to Night Two. On Night Two, the opening aromas include brambles, marjoram and fennel, along with ripe bruised strawberries. It is definitely more complex than on Night One.

It has a lot more to offer the palate on Night Two as well. First, the classic pinot arc, the tendency of pinot to grow, expand, even explode with new layers of flavor after the initial attack (compared to, for example, Malbec, that opens big then fades to the finish). The initial attack is mild, red fruit far softer than on Night One, tart cherries and pomegranate. On the mid-palate, though, it rips through several layers of additional flavors. First is fennel, then sweeter cherries, then even more tart cranberry, all with just a little sprinkling of sage and marjoram. Toward the finish a real meaty flavor, not smoked meat or bacon, but red bloody beef, joins the fruit. The finish is meaty, fruity, and long.

This is good wine and a great QPR (bang for the buck).

2004 Nicolas Potel Savigny-lès-Beaune Vieilles Vignes

2009-02-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Nicolas Potel
Variety: Pinot Noir
Designation: Vieilles Vignes
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
SubRegion: Côte de Beaune
Appellation: Savigny-lès-Beaune
From Bin Ends Wine as part of Twitter Taste Live

The Little Wooden Guy finds this wine a bit confusing. It underwent huge changes from Night One to Night Two, and seemed incredibly tight. It was good on Night One, but a little tight. It was nowhere near as good on Night Two, and a lot tighter, actually offering promise of being better than it showed on Night One. At a $28 price point, it is probably best to treat this as a "drink now," but if you buy half a case or more, hide one away at the back of the cellar or closet, and maybe you will have a pleasant surprise in a few years.

Night One

The nose open with the light barnyard funk that often promises something good to come. It is not overwhelming fresh barnyard, more like one you walk into and just know, "animals used to live here." Red fruit comes to the nose behind the funk, cherries and strawberries, and a touch of cranberry. It also has a touch of smoky meatiness, a little bit like the crisp end of a prime rib. The nose also offers up clear minerality, a sense of crushed limestone, like walking through a quarry.

Red fruit dominates the palate, tart, not sweet, like tiny wild cherries and strawberries. The flavors get deeper and broader as it goes through the classic pinot arc. The mid-palate adds some sage and a rich smoked meat flavor, more like rich fatty dark smoked duck than like bacon. Tannins hit home on the finish, tight and dry. The finish is rather long, but drops just short of a sense of "this goes on forever."

The wine still seems tight, all bound up in tartness and tannins, offering a glimpse of what it might be with more time in the cellar. It should be interesting to see if Night Two verifies the future promise, or if it falls short.

Night Two

The fruit on the nose is red, but very light. Crushed rock minerality is quite strong. Fruit is strawberry and cranberry. It also has just a touch of sweet pickle and sage.

The fruit on the palate is definitely red, but it's hard to put my finger on it. Cherries are there for sure, but the strawberries are gone. There is something there a bit tart and sour, ... RHUBARB! Yup, rhubarb. It also has that tiny touch of sweet pickle from the nose. Crushed limestone shows up on the mid-palate. The rich smoked meatiness from Night One is gone. Florals, lavender I think, show up late, on the finish and a good ten to twenty seconds after you drink it.

This wine is simply tight, very tight. I think it might benefit from some more time in the cellar.

2004 La Rochelle Pinot Noir

2009-02-11T19:44:00.000-08:00

Type- Red
Producer- La Rochelle
Variety- Pinot Noir
Country- USA
Region- California
SubRegion- Central Coast
Appellation- Monterey
From WineQ
Approx. $20

This Big Wooden Guy would not leave me alone until I promised to add more of this to my queue at WineQ.

Before I even put my nose near the glass, let me thank the wonderful people at WineQ. I tried this once before, as you may recall. It gave the Webkinz a chance to make an appearance, but the bottle was flawed. The next thing I knew, I was getting email assurances another bottle was on its way. If you have not checked out WineQ yet, do yourself a favor and head over there soon.

The nose is nice. It opens with a little earthiness, truffles and black dirt. It is very light, but definitely there. Red fruit comes next, light fresh strawberries, wild cherries and pomegranate. There is also a hint, a tiny hint, of red licorice at the very edges of the glass.

The palate is rich, filed with soft full-bodied red fruit, black cherries, very ripe strawberries, followed by raspberry. The 100% new French oak starts to show on the mid-palate as vanilla first makes a gentle appearance then grows, eventually taking the lead, going from red fruit with a little vanilla to a little red fruit on vanilla ice cream.

Mouth feel is silky smooth. The finish is long.

This is good, but just on the edge of over-oaked. Too much wood is the trend in Cali pinots lately, and in my personal opinion does injustice to the fruit. This one is not quite there, not quite too much, on Night One. Sometimes, though, they can really fall apart, devolve into over-sweetened oak juice on Night Two. Will this one? Or will it dance delicately along the edge, balancing fruit and wood, while adding depth overnight? Stay tuned, and we will find out together.

Night Two

The nose is far more subtle on Night Two, less fruity, far more floral. Truffles are still there, but very light, very light indeed. Birch beer and cream, strawberries, and then violets all make up the nose.

The palate is absolutely silky smooth, even creamy. Fruits are red and soft, pomegranate, very ripe strawberries, cherries bought at a roadside fruit stand in Michigan in the summer time. More impressive, though, are the florals that appear on the mid-palate and grow, first joining the fruit then eclipsing it, in the classic Pinot Arc. They are violets and roses, and definitely worth the second night wait.

Give this wine some time in your cellar. If you can't wait, and I can't blame you, decant it for several hours, then treat yourself to a Burgundy doppleganger from the Central Coast of California.

2003 Bacalhôa Vinhos de Portugal Touriga Nacional Só

2009-02-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Bacalhôa Vinhos de Portugal
Variety Touriga Nacional
Vineyard: Só
Country: Portugal
Region: Terras do Sado
Appellation: Vinho Regional Terras do Sado
Price: $27.98

The Big Wooden Guy is doing a little dance. He's just excited to find something this interesting.

Night One

A very light sniff near the rim brings the smell of cherries to the nose. If you put your nose in the glass and inhale deeply, though, coffee and the clear scent of hazelnut liquor fill the back of your sinuses.

The palate opens with tart red fruit, sour cherries and cranberries. On the mid-palate it changes, the tartness remaining as background but the fruit disappearing replaced by coffee and chocolate, coarsely ground medium roast coffee and very high cocoa content barely sweetened chocolate. The finish is very long. Chocolate an coffee linger, joined by the hazelnuts from the nose. Tannins are very firm, leaving the mouth with a sense of chewed leather.

This is a startling wine with amazing clarity in the coffee and chocolate flavors. I am actually excited to see how it will change from Night One to Night Two.

Night Two

What a difference a day makes. The nose is entirely different from the nose on Night One. Now it opens with a blend of dark cherries and cherry candy, with hazelnuts, and enough tobacco you might easily mistake it for cabernet franc.

The palate is not as radically different from Night One as the nose. It still opens with sour cherries and cranberries. This time, on the mid-palate, as the fruit fades tobacco starts to come forward, followed by much lighter coffee and cocoa. The finish remains long, and the tannins firm, though not overpowering, leaving a mouth feeling of leather.

On Night Two the wine seems to have settled down a bit, moving smoothly from attack to mid-palate, and then finish. Flavors don't change quite as rapidly or radically as on Night One. Even with that, the tannic structure still hints at some more cellar time and improvement. This is good, and perhaps even more important, interesting, wine and one worth spending some time exploring.

An editorial on wine blogging (WITH CORRECTIONS)

2009-02-10T09:05:00.000-08:00

(please go to the bottom for Paul Mabray's response, for some of what I assumed here is not correct. They will not be charging for this service)

Tom Wark, of Fermentation, reports enthusiastically that Paul Mabray, of Inertia Beverage Group, and Joel Vincent, the founder of Open Wine Consortium, have started a new company called VinTank. What is VinTank? I will let them tell you:

The Internet has collided with the Wine Industry and the future is still being written how it will transform the industry. At VinTank we understand the key questions and help industry leaders formulate winning strategies. Whether you are a Web 2.0 company trying to validate your model, a large enterprise trying to interact with the wine industry, or a wine company trying to leverage the Internet for increased exposure and sales, VinTank will bring you the solution.

What does that really mean? Let me explain. You see, VinTank's goal is to take individual wine bloggers content and reputation, judge it, and then sell it. VinTank is going to decide which bloggers are worthy, and which are not. Do you want to be worthy? Do you want to be a REAL wine blogger, an official member of VinTank's "micro-publishing" empire? You have to fill out a survey. Then they will judge you.

Why is this necessary? Well, according to Tom:

Today, wineries and wine companies are struggling with whether or not wine blogs are worth addressing in their PR efforts, whether they should actually maintain a blog,... Where blogs are concerned, I think they must be incorporated into communications campaigns. But which blogs? Which are worth engaging.

Sounds great, right? Well, not really. You see, once the list gets written down, everybody on the list has a motive to shut down any new entries. Do cross-links start to disappear? If I'm in, are you out? You see, I really like your site, I think you have great photography and a unique and wonderful insight into wine and the wine industry. Unfortunately for you, I'm already on the list and I fear that if you get on, I might get kicked off. So, no cross-links, even though keep a complete list of Wine Twitters, with a continuously updated list of new blog postings, even though I run The 89 Project, a group effort with almost 50 bloggers.

Do you want to know which blogs are worthy, which ones are "influential"? Why? Do you want to know who to send samples to? Do you want to know where to buy advertising? What is the goal? You see, the blog depends upon the wine. Do you make a terrific wine that comes in under $20? Find Dr. Debs and her wonderful Good Wine Under $20. Are you a New York winery looking for exposure? Do I even need to tell you that Lenn Thompson at Lenndevours is your guy? Do you make wine meant for the cellar, not the table, and fear nobody will give your wine the decanting and time it needs to give hints of its potential? Come right here to 2 Days per Bottle. There are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of great wine blogs out there, many serving different readers and different palates.

Also, this effort threatens the honesty of wine blogs. If you're reading this here, you probably already saw what I said about tasting and samples, but let me repeat it:

Do you want me to review your wine? I would love to do so. But first, know what you are asking. Take a trip around the blog. See what The Little Wooden Guy, The Big Wooden Guy, and I have to say. We are not always generous or kind. And we WILL review your wine. Honestly. Every time.

Hmmmm. Do you think I just got a lot less "influential" for the PR types? Maybe I should only review wines I like. That might get me more samples, don't you think? Funny thing though. I still get samples, and they all tend to be darned good. Nobody sends me mediocre wine, probably because they know I will say it is mediocre wine. I don't know of any winery that wants The Wooden Guys posing like this next to one of their bottles:

You know what Tom, Paul, Joel, go ahead. Do it. Become the self-appointed arbiters of wine blogging, and in the process try to make a buck off what I do out of love of wine. I can't stop you. In the back of my ego-driven little brain I hope you pick me (PICK ME!!!!), because that is the nature of the beast. I want to be loved just as much as the next guy. But if you don't, I'm going to keep blogging. I am going to keep writing about the wines I like and the wines I don't like. And once in a while, even if I'm not "influential," somebody is going to come along and take my advice. Maybe they will save $20 they would have wasted buying something they would not like. Maybe they will fall in love with a bottle just like I did. It really doesn't matter. For most of us, it really doesn't matter at all. And for the ones for whom it does, for whom it matters a lot, perhaps even matters enough to effect their behavior, well, let me give you a little advice. Don't trust them.

Paul Mabray responded in the comments. In fairness to him, and to correct my own assumptions, I post his response in its entirety (I did not correct what I wrote above, as doing so would not allow this comment to be accurately reflected):

Thanks for your perspective and allowing us more transparent.

Once again, we are not taking a subjective approach to individual bloggers but to the channel as a whole. Our intent is not to say "so and so" is better. Our intent is to demonstrate the value of this channel for wine companies. Judging bloggers is not in the scope of our project. Analyzing the channel is.

In regards to wine social media companies, they will analyzed mathematically through a series of questions (other industries do this - Gartner, Forrester, etc). This also is healthy as wine companies try to make sense of the myriad of choices being presented. This is also healthy for the industry.

We are also not selling the information (THE REPORT IS FREE TO ALL). This have been made very clear on our site and in all our communications.

Again, we appreciate your feedback and we know that you'll actually be pleased with our hard work and analysis. If you have actual more questions I'd be more than happy to field them.

2002 Mas Igneus Priorat Barranc dels Closos

2009-02-08T17:58:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Mas Igneus
Variety: Red Blend
Designation: Barranc dels Closos
Country: Spain
Region: Catalunya
Appellation: Priorat

I have no idea who the guy behind the wine is, but he and the Big Wooden Guy both think you should give this a try, but be sure to decant it for a long time or cellar it for another year or two, at least.

Night One

The nose is very light, some strawberry and a little rhubarb. If you sniff deeply enough a tiny hint of nutmeg makes an appearance.

The palate opens with strawberries and sour cherries. Some leather shows up on the mid-palate. Finish is mid-length.

Night Two

The nose on Night Two had more to offer. Fruits were more full, spices more clearly identifiable. Strawberries were riper and the rhubarb deeper, joined by a bit of cranberry. Cinammon and nutmeg were more than just a hint now, they were clear and bright.

The initial attack opens with a melange of red fruit- tiny tart wild strawberries, clear little cherries, and cranberries. The fruit sweetens on the mid-palate, changing from tart wild fruit to bigger sweeter fruit stand cherries and strawberries, while keeping the underlying tartness of cranberries. Some vanilla also makes an appearance on the mid-palate. The finish is long and adds a curious after-taste, a fresh sea-side sense of oysters. Tannins are very fine grained and add leather to the finish.

This wine improved significantly from Night One to Night Two. It went from something simple and one-dimensional to something far more complex. I still would not call this great, on night Two. However, I might say the change hints of some real potential after some more time in the cellar. If you have some of this put it away for another year or two, perhaps even three. Then after you open it, come back and tell me if I was right.

2005 Dutton-Goldfield Syrah Dutton Ranch Cherry Ridge

2009-02-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Dutton-Goldfield
Variety: Syrah
Designation: Dutton Ranch
Vineyard: Cherry Ridge
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Sonoma County
Appellation: Russian River Valley
Price: $35.99

The Big Wooden Guy loved this stuff. You might too.

Night One

The nose has ground espresso and cocoa powder, blackberries, and some leather.

The palate comes at you with waves of flavors. Blackberries and coffee, plums, all make up the attack. Fruits sweeten on the mid-palate, adding some blueberry to the blackberry. The espresso changes to unsweetened cocoa. There is interesting minerality the expands from the attack through the finish. Leather shows up at the end of the mid-palate and lingers with black fruit on the finish.

Night Two

The elements of the nose have not changed much from Night One, but the order definitely has. Now blackberries are most prominent, with an added darker current of, well, blackcurrant. Espresso and unsweetened cocoa powder remain, but now they are both behind the blackberries, and the cocoa is more prominent. A little leather remains at the end of the sniff.

One the palate, curiously, the reverse happened. Now, coffee and unsweetened chocolate lead on the attack, while fruit follows. The fruit is deeper, just like on the nose. Now, though, some blackcurrant and sour cherries join the blackberries. This wine also has plenty of minerality, as if you had a few clean river rocks down at the bottom of your glass. Tannins are smooth and add a taste of leather at the end. The finish is long.

This is really good wine. It is not Aussie Shiraz, all jammy fruit. It is also not Northern Rhone Syrah, all earth and olives. This has good fruit, earthy coffee and chocolate, and great terroir minerality.

2004 Elyse Nero Misto

2009-02-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Elyse
Variety: Red Blend
Designation: Nero Misto
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Napa Valley
Appellation: Napa Valley

The Little Wooden Guy did not get to try this one. We had it at the office, for the monthly Wine at Work Wednesday tasting.

This one is a true "kitchen sink" blend, with:

Zinfandel 28%
Petite Sirah 26%
Carignan 14%
Primitivo 13%
Syrah 10%
Gamay Noir 4%
Barbera 2%
Alicante Bouschet
Grand Noir
Petite Verdot
Valdiguié

Yes, Zinfandel and Primitivo are the same thing. I guess they did not want to say it was mostly Zinfandel. Or perhaps they were using two different clones, one coming from Italy where it has been known for years as "Primitivo."

The wine is dark, very dark. Indeed, it is black but for the very edges, which are a deep purple trending toward the red.

The nose is just loaded with black licorice. The fruit is secondary to the nose, and it is primarily red- raspberries, very dark cherries, perhaps a touch of redcurrant. The heavy Zinfandel/Primitivo portion of the blend is clear with the black pepper coming through after the fruit.

Interesting. The palate is darker than the nose. The attack opens with black fruit, not red fruit. Blackberries, elderberries, with perhaps a blueberry or two, but not many, thrown in. That changes quickly, though, at the mid-palate, where the black licorice announces its presence. As it moves from mid-palate toward the finish, red fruit appears and gets progressively sweeter. First raspberries, then black cherries, and finally ripe strawberries at the very end. The finish is of moderate length and leaves a residual sense of black pepper and red fruit. Tannins are very smooth. Mouthfeel is full but not quite oily.

I need to think on this one a little bit. As an exercise in wine tasting, it is fascinating. As a wine, is it too much of everything and not enough of anything? Does it flash through too many things?

2005 Rolf Binder/Veritas Heinrich

2009-02-03T16:48:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Rolf Binder/Veritas
Variety: Red Rhone Blend (Shiraz 55%, Mataro 30%, Grenache 15%)
Designation: Heinrich
Country: Australia
Region: South Australia
SubRegion: Barossa
Appellation: Barossa Valley

The Little Wooden Guy is disappointed, particularly after how well other Rolf Binder wines have performed here at 2 Days per Bottle.

Night One

The nose is earthy and fruity. The very first impression is loam, but it last only a fraction of a second before it is replaced by fruit. The fruit then shows some changes of its own, starting dark and thick, mulberry, elderberry, then thins to simpler cherry and blueberry.

On the palate, some black cherry, but the vanilla is overwhelming. I fear somebody took a small bottle of wine and tried to shove an entire oak tree into it.

Night Two

The earthiness is gone on Night Two. What is left on the nose is simple dark fruit and alcohol. Mixed dark and red fruits, elderberry, cranberry, and some black cherry make up the palate, unsweetened slightly bitter cranberry radiating out above the rest toward the finish. There is also a hint of orange peel, but not much. Vanilla and cedar are too prominent, but not as much as on Night One. There is also a bit of black pepper.

This is more of a mish-mash than a success. Other Rolf Binder wines have been terrific successes with good QPRs. Stick with them, and skip this one.

2003 Escafeld Merlot

2009-02-01T20:02:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Escafeld
Variety: Merlot
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Central Coast
Appellation: Monterey County
Price: $19.99 from WineQ[disclosure- I am not sure, but believe this was a sample from WineQ]

The Little Wooden Guy is impressed, really impressed, at a $20 wine that screams "cellar me" as loudly and clearly as this does.

Night One

Don't put your nose too far into a glass of this. It will reach up and punch you right in that nose. Black cherries and mulberry, green grassy spices like sage, rosemary along with some cardamom. There is a smoky smell, too. The easy thing would be to say "bacon" and keep moving, but that would not be accurate. No, think instead the blackened grill drippings below a rotisserie leg of lamb.

Black cherries, blackened edges of grilled meat, a single fennel seed, all make up the initial attack. Chocolate shows up on the mid-palate, as the cherries take the lead over everything else on the attack, leaving not so much chocolate covered cherries, as cherries repeatedly dredged in barely sweetened cocoa powder until it is thick with the stuff. The finish is long. The tannins are strong, finely powdered but leathery-drying. This is still very tightly wound. I suspect this might be one of the real Night Two successes.

One more word for Night One, and it's just a hint now. I suspect it might really show up on Night Two. The word? Umami. That's Japanese for "savory." In Chinese, the word is "xiānwèi," or "fresh flavor." If you like Asian food think soy sauce. If you go with more of a European bent, think anchovy paste. It is a certain richness, fullness of flavor, a "certain something" that makes the four senses you are more familiar with, salty, sweet, bitter and sour, just work better.

Night Two

The nose has not changed a lot since Night One. It is still big and aggressive, fruity, earthy and complex. The cherries are a little more obvious. The spice bite is a little sharper.

On Night Two the fruit seems a little darker. Some blackberry joins the black cherries. There is still some smokey grilled meat and the fennel stands out a little more. Soy sauce makes a real appearance on the mid-palate, right before the infusion of unsweetened cocoa. Finish is long and savory. Tannins remain very strong, even twenty-four hours after it was opened. Put this one away for five years then open it. In fact, buy half a case or more, then open the first one in five years. I expect you will decide to wait another two or three years before opening the next one. This is a very moderately priced Central Coast Merlot, not the sort of wine you would usually buy to cellar over a long period of time, but this might be a real jewel. Only time will tell, but it it tremendously promising.

2001 Jerome Quiot Gigondas

2009-01-31T19:20:00.000-08:00

Producer: Jerome Quiot
Variety: Red Rhone Blend
Country: France
Region: Rhône
SubRegion: Southern Rhône
Appellation: Gigondas
Price: $18.99

The Little Wooden Guy is really confused by this wine. It was completely different from Night One to Night Two, to the point if you didn't really know it was still the same bottle, you would not believe it.

Night One

The nose opens with cherries, both fresh Michigan cherries, sweet and juicy, and tart dried cherries. It also bring smoked bacon and the saltiness of Greek olives.

The palate is very interesting. It flashes through several different and apparently unrelated flavors. First, cherries - CHANGE - Greek olives - CHANGE - bacon - CHANGE - chocolate, then it finally settles into very dark chocolate covered cherries.

Night Two

The nose on Night Two is extremely floral, filled with lilacs and violets.

Cranberries and some blackurrant lead on the palate, orange peel follows. Over it all lay the florals from the nose. Finish is long. This wine appears to bear no relationship to the same bottle on Night One. Interesting.

2006 Mirassou Vineyards Riesling

2009-01-30T19:03:00.000-08:00

Type: White
Producer: Mirassou Vineyards
Variety: Riesling
Country: USA
Region: California
Appellation: California

The Big Wooden Guy hasn't been seen for a while, so he thought he would try a Riesling. He gives a mixed review- not classic for the grape, but enjoyable in its own right.

Night One

The nose is soft, fruity and sweet. It opens with bananas and starfruit. If you take your nose out of the glass and sniff around the edges there is a definite scent of roses.

This is thick and off-dry on the palate. Banana, lemon meringue and ginger snaps up front are followed by buttered toast on the mid-palate. The finish is short, most of the flavors falling off quickly, but some pepper lingers.

Night Two

This has not changed at all after two night in the refrigerator.

2005 Sylvester Cabernet Sauvignon Kiara Private Reserve

2009-01-29T05:53:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Sylvester
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Designation: Kiara Private Reserve
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Central Coast
Appellation: Paso Robles
Price: $16.98

The Little Wooden Guy appreciates an under-$20 California Cabernet with something other than OAK!!! to offer. For some reason, he takes the over-use of wood personally.

Night One

The nose opens strong, with several layers. The initial attack starts with blackcurrants with a background of cedar and sage. A slightly bitter nutty smell follows, best described as pecan shells, and it is all over a faint sweet floral background.

Blackcurrants are the primary fruit on the palate as well, but there are nuts and some flowers there as well, almonds and lilac. The mid-palate is tart, like lemon/lime suddenly poured over the fruit, nuts and flowers. Mouth feel was this and the finish short.

Night Two

The nose is less interesting but more classically Cabernet Sauvignon on Night Two, mostly blackcurrant, with some eucalyptus and a slight floral background.

The palate is more classic as well. The fruit is blackcurrant and elderberry, followed by cedar and maple, then a tarter finish with some plum skins. Tannins are very fine. The oak made a bigger appearance on Night Two, showing up in the cedar and maple.

Overall, and for the price, this was pretty good. Mouth feel was thin, but at least on Night One it avoided the over-oaked tendencies of so many California Cabs in this price range.

2003 Zonte's Footstep Cabernet-Malbec

2009-01-28T15:54:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Zonte's Footstep
Variety: Red Blend
Designation: Cabernet-Malbec
Country: Australia
Region: South Australia
SubRegion: Fleurieu
Appellation: Langhorne Creek
Purchased from: Wines 'Til Sold Out for $12.00

The Little Wooden Guy has mixed feelings about this one. It was very good for the price on Night One, but it shows real over-use of oak on Night Two, and as you know, he takes the unnecessary use of wood personally.

Night One

The appearance is slightly cloudy, ruby-colored at the edges, very dark in the middle.

Oh gosh, that's an interesting nose. It opens with some good earthy funk, but very quickly big dark fruits blast through it, first cassis, and then blueberry compote. A little smoked meat and black pepper round out the nose.

The palate opens with the Cabernet and closes with the Malbec. The attack opens with blackcurrant and blackberries. On the mid-palate it begins to morph into Malbec, adding bloody meat, pepper, and black cherry, then finishing with sweet milk chocolate. Tannins are firm, still drying, and I expect some positive changes from Night One to Night Two.

Night Two

The nose is far simpler than on Night One, offering up just vanilla and blueberry compote. Not promising.

The palate verifies the nose. This just collapsed between Night One and Night Two. All that is left now is a brown sugar and maple oak-infused mess.

Well that was disappointing. It was really interesting, and good, on Night One. Then, ... nothing. Drink this one on Night One. It is actually pretty good up front. But don't let it linger, and don't count on any improvement in the cellar.

2003 St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon

2009-01-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: St. Francis
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Sonoma County
Appellation: Sonoma County
Price: $18.98 in Indianapolis

The Little Wooden Guy is not impressed.

Night One

The nose is very jammy with mulberry and black cherry, plus vanilla and cedar from the obvious use of new oak.

The palate is sharper than the nose, more acidic, leading with blackberries, tart plum skins, and nettles. The tartness disappears quickly, turning to dark fruit, mulberry and black cherry. Chocolate makes surprise appearance on the mid-palate. Cigar box, vanilla and plum skins make the finish. It is thick with glycerin, tannins are very fine and soft, adding a feeling of suede drying the cheeks.

A few hours later and this has changed completely. The attack is milder and has far more minerality. The finish is completely different, leaving the exact same lingering taste as fresh coconut milk. You know the kind, where the guy with the machete chops off the top and hands you a straw? Yeah, that.

Night Two

The nose is far more classically Cabernet Sauvignon on Night Two. Blackcurrant is the lead aroma, with a background of some crushed-stone minerality. it is far more subdued than on Night One.

On the palate, oily glycerin makes for a very soft mouth feel. The fruit is also very soft, and very black- blackcurrant, mulberry, and then some more mulberry. The mid-palate gets sweet, devolving into the brown sugar and maple so typical of Cali Cabs of late. If you don't know the taste, or want to explore it, go buy yourself a box of Life Cereal, Brown Sugar and Maple Flavor, and you will have it, on the nose.

Conclusion

An under-$20 Cali Cab is a real crap-shoot. This one was good enough on Night One to be a "buy" for the dollar, but drink it all up on Night One, and don't buy cases of it to cellar. This is a drink now, or at least a drink soon, wine.

N.V. Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Brut

2009-01-21T17:38:00.000-08:00

Type: White - Sparkling
Producer: Chartogne-Taillet
Variety: Champagne Blend (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay)
Designation: Brut
Country: France
SubRegion: Champagne
Appellation: Champagne
Disgorgement: 4/20/08

The Wooden Guys are amazed at all the apples in this wine.

Night One

The color is pale straw, with a very slightly copper-colored tint.

The nose is apples. No, make that APPLES!! Not fresh tart green apples, but more like one of those half-baked without any sugar or spices. Once it cooks, add just a teaspoon of warm caramel, and that is what this wine smells like.

The palate is interesting. Imagine lining up every apple you ever ate, from tartest to sweetest, then back to tart again, and quickly taking a bit out of each one, and you get what happens from attack to mid-palate. It's dry, don't get me wrong, but the impression of apple is there the whole time.

Night Two

Like Night One, the nose is huge with apples, apples, apples, and a little dollop of caramel.

And like Night One, the palate runs through a bite of every apple you ever taste, though now the tart ones are more pronounced. Still, the only possible impression of this wine is APPLE. The mid-palate adds just a bit of baguette, but mostly, it's still apples.

This is also a good time to answer the obvious question- how did I make champagne last two nights? It's called a champagne saver, and a picture of mine is below. It pushes down into the bottle to make a seal, then the wings fold down over the lip of the bottle keeping it tight. The next night it opens with a "pop!" and you can't tell it had been opened the night before.

2007 Siduri Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard

2009-01-18T14:15:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Siduri
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vineyard: Hirsch Vineyard
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Sonoma County
Appellation: Sonoma Coast

The Little Wooden Guy liked it thiiiiiiss much.

This smells terrific. The nose starts a little bit earthy, but then adds black cherries, raspberries, and some spices, dill and sage.

This is a nice mouthfull. The mouth-feel is silky smooth. Fruit is big and full, but not fruit-bombish or overpowering. Rich black cherry is balanced by some tart wild strawberries. Sage and a bit of dill fill out the attack. A bit of pepper joins on the mid-palate, and the finish lingers. This is good. This is really good. It is not a modern over-oaked vanilla caramel California disaster, nor is it a thin cherry cola and black tea Oregon why bother. It lacks the florals of a delicate Burgundy, but it is very well balanced, earthy, with fruit and spice.

I can't guarantee this one will make it to Night Two, but I'll try. For you, I'll try.

Nope. Didn't make it. Sorry.

2000 Château de Gironville

2009-01-14T19:30:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Château de Gironville
Variety: Red Bordeaux Blend
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
SubRegion: Médoc
Appellation: Haut-Médoc

The Little Wooden Guy is a little disappointed. This wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly good, either, and really, with all the good wine in the world, why bother with something less?

Night One

The nose is a little closed, but if you give it some time and some air, it stars to release some odors. Black fruit is in the forefront, mulberry, blackcurrant and a little blueberry. There is also a hint of cedar and just the beginnings of some peppermint.

The palate is a bit thin. The over-riding fruit is plum, plum skins and tart barely ripe fruit, and some sour blackberries. Some cigar box and violets appear on the mid-palate. Tannins are dusty but pretty well integrated with the fruit. The finish is short, it falls off a bit too quickly.

Night Two

Florals come to the fore on Night Two, lilac and roses, with an undercurrent of black fruits.

On the palate, plum skins and blackberries open the attack, rose petals merge into plum skins and a hint of peppermint on the mid-palate. The finish is long, but mostly sour. Mouth-feel is a bit thin.

2006 Château de Lancyre Coteaux du Languedoc Pic St. Loup Vieilles Vignes

2009-01-11T18:30:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Château de Lancyre
Variety: Red Rhone Blend
Designation: Vieilles Vignes
Country: France
Region: Languedoc Roussillon
SubRegion: Languedoc
Appellation: Coteaux du Languedoc Pic St. Loup
Price: $17.00 Indianapolis

The Little Wooden Guy liked the stuff so much on Night One he made me buy another bottle to do a complete review.

Night One

The nose on this is just fascinating. Imagine mixing a couple of bushels of cranberries with half as much orange peel, then drop it on a barnyard floor, and you've got EXACTLY what this stuff smells like.

The palate opens with loads of dry red fruit, mostly cranberry, with some tartcherries and tiny wild sour strawberries. The orange peel shows upon the mid-palate. Tannins are smooth and very dry, leather sucking the moisture from your cheeks. This could have years of cellar life to go. Or not. Let's find out if we get another hint on Night Two.

Night Two

The nose is similar to Night One in the cranberries and orange peel, but the barnyard smell is almost gone. It also has some fresh-ground black pepper with a few fennel seeds in the mix.

The taste is really almost identical to Night One, cranberries plus a little other red fruit, orange peel, and leathery tannins. The tannins are a little softer, rounder, more elegant. Based upon that, I think this has some promise for more cellar time, letting the tannins soften and integrate.

This is pretty good stuff and a very good price. A wine for this money that has cellar potential and a classic profile for the blend is worth looking for and putting away.

2005 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha Calatayud Viñas Viejas

2009-01-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Las Rocas de San Alejandro
Variety: Garnacha
Designation: Viñas Viejas
Country: Spain
Region: Aragón
Appellation: Calatayud
Price: $19.99

The color is very dark purple-tinged crimson, but slightly translucent.

The first impression on the nose is fruit and spice, and lots of both. It takes a little longer to separate them out. Cherries, cranberries, and dried orange peel are the fruit. Pepper leads the spice, but there is something else there, too. It's sage. The last smell on the nose is a very light background, adding nutty richness more than the clear smell, of hazelnut liqueur.

Oh gosh that interesting. Give me a minute. The palate is not as sweet as the nose. The fruit is cranberry juice and orange peel, with very little of the cherry from the nose. A little bit of charred meat, plenty of black pepper and toasted pecans make up the mid-palate. Sour cherries and cranberries appear, and then linger for a long time, on the finish, ending with a surprising aftertaste of red licorice. Tannins are very smooth.

It will be interesting to see if some of the unsweetened-cranberry bitterness fades from Night One to Night Two. Join me and we will find out together.

Night Two

Missed it. Sorry, I had a National Championship football game to watch, and my mighty Gators won it all! By Night Three, though, it was over the hill, slightly oxidized, and I can not fairly rate it.

2004 Eikendal Vineyards Classique Stellenbosch

2009-01-05T18:28:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Eikendal Vineyards
Variety: Red Bordeaux Blend
Designation: Classique
Country: South Africa
Region: Coastal Region
SubRegion: Stellenbosch
Appellation: Stellenbosch
Price: $20.00
From: The Wine Spies

The Little Wooden Guy is pleased to introduce you to this fascinating wine from South Africa.

Night One

The nose, is a little green, reminiscent of a South American, rather than South African, red. Past that there are definite blackcurrants, a bit of green olives, and some cloves.

Interesting. A blend of red and black fruits, blackberries and blackcurrant, plus the bright tart acidity of cranberries. There is also fair amount of cedar. Cocoa, then coffee, show up on the mid-palate. Tart red fruit lingers on the finish.

The overall impression is a very fresh bright acidic wine, but it carries that off without being thin or just fruity, a la Beaujolais. No, this is far more full-bodied, bringing firm tannins and a good mouth feel along with the fruit.

I am quite interested in seeing what happens on Night Two with this one.

Night Two

Again, the nose starts out green. It really has not changed much from Night One, blackcurrants, green olives and some cloves. It is a little more floral, some violets added to the mix.

Night Two finds the wine a little softer, a little darker. There is still a nice blend of red and black fruits. The acidity is a little less obvious, the fruit sweeter. Vanilla joins the cocoa and coffee on the mid-palate.

This is nice wine.

2005 Duckhorn Vineyards Decoy

2009-01-04T18:09:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Duckhorn Vineyards (web)
Variety: Red Bordeaux Blend
Designation: Decoy
Country: USA
Region: California
Appellation: Napa Valley

The Little Wooden Guy likes it. Plus, most good decoys are also made from wood, and he feels a certain kinship.

Night One

The nose opens with blackberries and a bit of blackcurrant, all floating over some underlying nettles and greenery, followed by some vanilla.

It is far less green on the palate. It opens with blueberry and boysenberry jams, some tobacco leaf and cedar. Vanilla and brown sugar make an appearance on the mid-palate. Tannins are sweet and the finish is long.

Mouth-feel is full and think, lots of glycerin. Alcohol and acids are very well balanced. This is a definite "drink now" because it is good, but let's wait for Night Two to get a sense of cellar life and potential for improvement.

Night Two

Redcurrant, red licorice, and some cherries are all on the nose, a much fruitier and, well, redder nose than on Night One.

The palate is just like the nose this time. It has redcurrant, red licorice, and cherries. The licorice is more pronounced on the palate, but they are all there. Tannins are very sweet and smooth. There is a secondary flavor of tobacco leaf, enough to make it wonder if there is some cab franc in the mix. Vanilla shows upon the mid-palate, along with some cedar. Sure, there was obviously new oak used, but it is not overpowering or out of balance.

This is not a terribly complex wine. At an average cost of a little less than $30, it doesn't knock the QPR out of the park, but Napa wines tend to catch a pretty penny.

2004 Viña Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon Medalla Real Reserva Especial Single Estate

2009-01-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

Type: Red
Producer: Viña Santa Rita
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Designation: Medalla Real Reserva Especial Single Estate
Country: Chile
Region: Central Valley
SubRegion: Maipo Valley
Price: $15.99

RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!

Me: "Oh, this is terrible. Do you want to try it?"

Wife: "Sure. ... OH DAMN! WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO ME?!?"

Me: "I told you it was terrible."

Wife: "You didn't say how terrible. Somebody had a bad day at work and pissed in the vat. That's what this tastes like."

Me: "But I warned you it was terrible. You wanted to try it."

Wife: "No, you just said 'terrible.' You didn't say 'this is really really awful, and you don't want to taste it.' You just said 'terrible,' and with you that can mean a little too sweet, not this vile brew."

Me: "But honey, sweetheart, I did say it was terrible."

Wife: "You'll pay for this, you bastard. Maybe not tonight, or even tomorrow, but you'll pay. I promise."

Me: "But sweetheart, I did say ... Oh, never mind. Sorry honey."

Wife: "You will be."

The Litle Wooden Guy didn't like it either.

2006 Mosby Sangiovese

2009-01-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

Type- Red
Producer- Mosby
Variety- Sangiovese
Country- USA
Region- California
SubRegion- North Coast
Appellation- Mendocino County
Price- $10.99

The Little Wooden Guy is disappointed. Very disappointed.

Night One

The color is brickish dull red and cloudy. The nose is pleasant, mostly cherries plus a touch of raspberry and some pepper. On the palate, though, it falls apart. The first impression is of heat, blatant alcohol. The flavors are much sharper, the cherries turning sour, the raspberries turning to unsweetened cranberries (try them some time- they are incredibly tart to the point of being bitter). Acid and fruit and tannins are an unbalanced mish-mash, fighting with each other rather than complementing each other or working together. It might come together on Night Two. Stick around and we will find out together.

Night Two

Cherries in alcohol make the nose for Night Two. There is also some pepper, and a hint of toasted pecans. Again, sour cherries and cranberries, though some vanilla is starting to make itself known. This is just out of balance and not particularly pleasant.

2005 Bodegas Castaño Yecla Solanera Viñas Viejas

2008-12-23T19:52:00.000-08:00

Type- Red
Producer- Bodegas Castaño
Variety- Monastrell (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) and Tintorera (15%)
Designation- Solanera Viñas Viejas
Country- Spain
Region- Murcia
Appellation- Yecla
Price $9.99

The Little Wooden Guy is quite enamored of this good wine at a great price.

Night One

The nose on Night One starts with bright red fruit, cherries mostly, with a slight watermelon background. There is also a secondary smell of burnt rubber.

There is greater complexity on the palate. The fruit is still red, but cherries are joined by tart cranberries and wild strawberries. Dusty leather tannins and some smokey meat join the attack. There are several flavors dancing around here, including coffee, cocoa, violets and licorice. Almond skins and cherry pits add a touch of bitterness on the finish. This is a very interesting wine, and an amazing QPR. I can hardly wait to see what happens over night and what it has to offer on Night Two.

Night Two

On Night Two, minerality leaps out of the glass with the first sniff. After than, cherries and a very clear strong smell of fresh-ground nutmeg follow the stones.

The palate is mostly red fruit, tiny translucent wild cherries and strawberries, some cranberries and yes, some watermelon still lurking in the background. There is some minerality and the charred well-done end of a nice prime rib. Tannins are still fine and dusty. The mid-palate again adds a few fleeting flavors, cocoa, flowers and fennel. The finish is sweet and a touch bitter, like fruit, maple and cherry pits all together.

This is good wine, amazingly deep and complex for under $10.

2005 Rolf Binder/Veritas Halliwell

2008-12-23T04:48:00.000-08:00

Type Red
Producer Rolf Binder/Veritas
Variety 60% Shiraz 40% Grenache
Designation Halliwell
Country Australia
Region South Australia
SubRegion Barossa
Appellation Barossa Valley
Price $19.49

The Little Wooden Guy signals "TOUCHDOWN!" This is startlingly good stuff for the dollar. Heck, it's just good stuff.

Night One

The color is very dark, turning to purple-tinged scarlet at the edges.

The nose starts with a bit of barnyard must and earthiness, probably from the grenache. It also has plenty of fruit, starting with creamy blueberries, plus the dusty, fruity smell of a bag of dried strawberries. There is also a touch of fennel.

The palate is deep and rich, with a very smooth full mouth feel. Blueberries and blackberries in cream, plus a hint of licorice, open the attack. Some tart red fruit shows up on the mid-palate. Toward the finish, add vanilla and pepper. The finish is long. This is very nice, well balanced with fruit and sweet silky tannins.

Night Two

The nose of Night Two is still fruity, but darker than on Night One, adding blackberries and elderberries to the creamy blueberries. The pepper shows up earlier on Night Two, on the attack rather than toward the finish. The fennel is still there.

The attack is very prickly peppery plus loads of black fruit, especially blackberry and elderberry. Vanilla, ample and espresso glow on the mid-palate. Tannins are very smooth and sweet. Finish is long.

This is very good. When you factor in a price under $20, it is terrific. Grenache tempers the jammy fruitiness of Barossa Valley shiraz.

Twitter Taste Live- The 89 Project

2008-12-15T11:25:00.000-08:00

This review is just of Night Two from the weekend's Twitter Taste Live, sponsored by The 89 Project. For Night One with all the Wine Twitters, watch the video, courtesy of 1 Wide Dude:

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The Wooden Guys had a good time, but the consensus was that the Rivola was not in the same league as the rest of the wines.

2007 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Domaine Sainte Claire Vieilles Vignes

Type White
Producer Jean-Marc Brocard
Variety Chardonnay
Designation Vieilles Vignes
Vineyard Domaine Sainte Claire
Country France
Region Burgundy
SubRegion Chablis
Appellation Chablis

Night Two

The nose has tart apple, lime, and some minerality. From Night One to Night Two this lost a lot of fruit on the palate. It is tart and stony. There is some apple there, but it is the tart and green. Butter makes an appearance at the very end of the mid-palate and echoes lightly on the finish.

2005 Abadia Retuerta Vino de la Tierra Castilla y León Rívola

Type Red
Producer Abadia Retuerta
Variety Tempranillo Blend
Designation Rívola
Vineyard n/a
Country Spain
Region Castilla y León
SubRegion Sardon de Duero
Appellation Vino de la Tierra Castilla y León

Night Two

Oak-city on roller skates. Oh wait a second, there's a single teaspoon of blackcurrant jelly there. Unfortunately, it was crushed when the lighting struck and felled the oak tree. The lighting gave it that toasty smell.

Okay, let's take a sip, shall we? Blackberries, lots of blackberries, some cedar, and lots of vanilla. It devolves into a brown sugar/vanilla mess. The finish is short and sudden.

Honestly, I have no idea how anybody ever rated this 89.

2006 Clos La Coutale Cahors

Type Red
Producer Clos La Coutale
Variety Malbec Blend
Designation n/a
Vineyard n/a
Country France
Region Southwest France
SubRegion n/a
Appellation Cahors

Night Two

The nose has nutty, meaty smells underlying some dark fruit. Hiding behind it is a small hint of cherry, probably from the little bit of Merlot blended in. On the palate, black fruit dominates, but there is a lot more there. There is a meaty flavor like a crisp end-piece of prime rib, beefy and smoky. There is also a bit of vegetal taste, tobacco, like whole leaves hanging in a cigar shop on Calle Ocho. Tannins and acid are well balanced and pronounced, suggesting some more cellar time might be possible. Tannins are not quite smooth. "Dusty" would be a better description.

2006 Kilikanoon Shiraz The Lackey

Type Red
Producer Kilikanoon
Variety Shiraz
Designation The Lackey
Vineyard n/a
Country Australia
Region South Australia

Night Two

Bright red fruit, plums, spices, pepper and a touch of cedar all are on the nose. The palate has dark fruit, pepper, and some meatiness. At first, it was reminiscent of bacon, but a better comparison is actually Bresaola, Italian dried beef. It has the same nutty cured dried meaty flavor, especially at the back side-edges of the tongue. Tannins are smooth and sweet. Finish is long. This is nice, quite nice.

TerraNoble Gran Reserva Carmenere 2007

2008-12-15T00:52:00.000-08:00

Type Red
Producer TerraNoble
Variety Carménère
Designation Gran Reserva
Country Chile
Region Central Valley
SubRegion Maule Valley
Price $16.99 in Indianapolis

The Big Wooden Guy liked this Chilean charmer. We only took notes on Night One, since it was one of the Thanksgiving wines, and it did not last through to Night Two.

The nose was startling in its clear, unmistakable coffee smell, like fresh espresso. That was followed by some blackberries. Coffee was prevalent on the palate, too, with dark chocolate and blackberries. Tannins were very slightly dusty, but not obtrusive. This was a very enjoyable rich wine, a good food wine, and a great QPR.

2004 Escafeld Petit Verdot

2008-12-12T17:22:00.000-08:00

Type- Red
Producer- Escafeld
Variety- Petit Verdot
Country- USA
Region- California
SubRegion- Central Coast
Appellation- San Antonio Valley

The Wooden Guys applaud a lovely bottle of wine. The only regret is that they don't have more. Fortunately, the Little Wooden Guy gets his allowance soon and is going to buy more.

Night One

The color is deep maroon, not quite opaque. The nose is absolutely delicious, with dark chocolate/espresso mocha, and plump juicy blackberries and blueberries. The mouth feel is silky. Tannins are sweet and very smooth, but firm, indicating plenty of cellar life is still in the bottle. Chocolate, coffee, and gobs of fruit, just big splatting juicy gobs of fruit, open the palate. Not, mind you, oak and vanilla over-worked fruit, but pure believable fruit. Some red fruit, some tart cherries and maybe half a raspberry, appear in the mid-palate. A hint of vanilla rounds out the fruit on the finish, but never overpowers. The finish is long.

This is good stuff. I can't promise there will be much left for Night Two, but I will try.

Night Two

There is still some mocha, but the nose is lighter on Night Two. It also adds some hazelnut. Lovely. It is still very silky, tannins are sweet, smooth and firm. Mocha, black fruit and blue fruit, plus the hazelnut from the nose on the mid-palate, are later joined by some maple syrup, but not overpowering, balanced. Finish is sweet and long.

This is good. I am going to buy more.

2006 Humanitas Sauvignon Blanc

2008-12-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

Type- White
Producer- Humanitas
Variety- Sauvignon Blanc
Country- USA
Region- California
SubRegion- Central Coast
Appellation- Monterey County

Night One

This is very light pale yellow, perfectly clear, like a yellow diamond.

The nose has some very classic Sauvignon Blanc smells, particularly cut grass and sweet pink grapefuit. It also has some tropical fruits, perhaps mango and pineapple. The palate is a little fat, lacking the acidity I like and expect from this varietal. The grapefruit on the palate is white, not pink, and pineapple is still there. However, it is softened, in my own opinion just a little too much, by some banana. There are many palates that would find this absolutely delightful, and I can not say this is a poor wine, only that it is not a great wine for me. It might be a bit too warm to show at its best- straight from the 56 degree cellar, where whites often shine (the refrigerator is far too cold, closing everything down). I will try it a bit cooler on Night Two.

Night Two

The nose on Night Two is sweeter than on Night One. There is still some cut grass and pink grapefruit. There is something else, too, though, some sweet nougat. The palate is a little better balanced than on Night One. It is still soft, but not fat. The grapefruit on Night Two seems more pink than white, pineapple adds sweetness and banana stays more in the background. I suspect the improvement comes as much from a cooler temperature (about 45 minutes out of the refrigerator) as the extra night. Whatever the reason, this is better tonight than last night.

2005 Viña Santa Rita Carménère 120

2008-12-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

Type- Red
Producer- Viña Santa Rita
Variety- Carménère
Designation- 120
Country- Chile
Region- Central Valley
Appellation- Rapel Valley
Price- $5.99

If the Little Wooden Guy is running away you should too.

It's Wine Blogging Wednesday again, and WBW#52 comes from Cheap Wine Ratings, and the subject is Value Reds from Chile. Is this a "value red"? Well, it's $5.99, but it also isn't worth $5.99, or $4.99, or $3.99, or even $0.99. Value? Perhaps not.

Night One

The nose has some chocolate, some Slim Jim, loads of green- tomato leaves and green bell pepper. Smoked meat, blackberries and green flavors of arugula and tobacco leaves. Not much of a mid-palate. Finish is short.

After an hour or two more fruit is evident on the nose, mostly blueberry and some blackberry.

Night Two

The nose has green peppers, creosote and cherries. The palate, well, let's just say "not good."

2005 Jean-Pierre Robinot (L'Opera des Vins) Coteaux du Loir Vin de Table Francais Concerto D'Oniss

2008-12-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

Type- Red
Producer- Jean-Pierre Robinot (L'Opera des Vins)
Variety- Pineau d'Aunis
Designation- Vin de Table Francais Concerto D'Oniss
Country- France
Region- Loire Valley
SubRegion- Upper Loire
Appellation- Coteaux du Loir

The Little Wooden Guy likes it. This wine is bright, fresh and fruity, not over-oaked and overpowering.

Night One

The color is a light translucent ruby red. The palate is very fruity, cherry pits, pomegranate, and some lavender. On the palate, the mouth feel was a bit thin. Flavor was very fruity and juicy, cherries, pomegranate, and some allspice. It is very bright and acidic, fresh and fruity.

Night Two

The nose was a little deeper on Night Two, with tobacco leaf added to the cherry pits, pomegranate and lavender from Night One. Mouth feel was a lot more full, glycerin more apparent. The palate was close to Night One, but a bit deeper, pomegranate, cranberry, and some earthy mushrooms, adding cola on the mid-plate. It was still very bright and acidic.

This is a very interesting wine, light and fruity but with layers and depth.

Quick tasting, lots of wine

2008-12-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

I went to a wine tasting last night at one of my local wine stores, Vine & Table. It was a customer tasting, not a critic tasting, so there wasn't any spitting. That meant I had to choose pretty carefully among the 50 or so wines, to pick the ones I wanted to try. Here's the line-up, with some quick notes. Note, please, that I did not realize the tasting list did not include vintage until I started writing this entry. Just about everything was most recent available.

Casa Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon "Alexandre"

Type- Red
Producer- Casa Lapostolle
Variety- Cabernet Sauvignon
Designation- Cuvée Alexandre
Vineyard- Apalta Vineyard
Country- Chile
Region- Central Valley
SubRegion- Rapel Valley
Appellation- Colchagua Valley
Price $17.99

There was plenty of black fruit on the nose, plum and black currant. Black currant drove the palate, but there was also some brush and green pepper. Tannins were smooth, balance was pretty good. This was a fair, and fairly priced, Cabernet.

Allegrini Palazzo della Torre

Type- Red
Producer- Allegrini
Variety- 70% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella and 5% Sangiovese
Designation- Palazzo della Torre
Country- Italy
Region- Veneto
Appellation- Veronese IGT
Price- $22.99

The nose opened with blackberry, followed immediately by a stunning amount of coffee and chocolate, mocha heaven. On the palate it was very smooth a creamy, offering up blackberry, a bare echo of the chocolate on the nose, and some licorice on the mid-palate. Finish was mid-length. The palate did not meet the nose' promise, but at $22.99, it was still good. There is one other advantage, as well. If you are trying to join the Wine Century Club, it has two grapes you don't normally run across.

Louis Jadot Pommard 2005

Type- Red
Producer- Louis Jadot
Variety- Pinot Noir
Country- France
Region- Burgundy
SubRegion- Côte de Beaune
Appellation- Pommard
Price $51.99

This is very young, and it showed. The nose was closed, barely giving up hints of cherry pit, strawberry and mushroom. It was a bit more tart on the palate, showing cranberry and raspberry, along with a little earthiness. It did not have tremendous depth or much of a mid-palate. I know the '05 Burgundies are outrageously priced, and $52 is low on the scale, but that is still a lot of money for a wine of this quality.

Louis Jadot Pommard 2006

Type- Red
Producer- Louis Jadot
Variety- Pinot Noir
Country- France
Region- Burgundy
SubRegion- Côte de Beaune
Appellation- Pommard
Price $65.99

This was completely closed down. The nose was simply absent. There was a bit of red berry and pepper on the nose, but not much. I realize the '05s commanded high prices, but a price INCREASE for the '06 is just not justifiable.

Elyse "Morisoli" Cabernet Sauvignon

Type- Red
Producer- Elyse
Variety- Cabernet Sauvignon
Vineyard- Morisoli Vineyard
Country- USA
Region- California
SubRegion- Napa Valley
Appellation- Napa Valley
Price- $79.99

The nose on this wine was like a straight right from George Foreman- it came straight at you and caught you right between the eyes. It was huge, with buckets of plum and elderberry and a powerful smell of meat and soy sauce. Yes, soy sauce. It was equally big on the palate, bringing blackcurrant and redcurrant, some smoke, a very smooth full mouth feel, and firm but surprisingly well-integrated tannins. It was sweet, adding the brown sugar and vanilla I note in so many California Cabs, but in this case those flavors did not take over and elbow out the fruit, they just merely joined alongside it. The finish was mid-length, a bit of a surprise.

Page Wine Cellars Proprietary Red

Type- Red
Producer- Page Wine Cellars
Variety- Red Bordeaux Blend
Designation- Proprietary Blend
Country- USA
Region- California
SubRegion- Napa Valley
Appellation- Napa Valley
Price- $56.99

The nose was jammy and spicy, with red fruit, pepper and cedar. The palate was interesting, offering up a taste I never before found in a Bordeaux blend. It started with cherry, followed very quickly by A&W root beer and cream, almost a root beer float. The midpalate brought vanila and cedar. Finish was long and smooth.

Four Graces Pinot Noir

Type- Red
Producer- The Four Graces
Variety- Pinot Noir
Country- USA
Region- Oregon
SubRegion- Willamette Valley
Appellation- Willamette Valley
Price- $26.99

The best way to describe the nose was dried strawberries, that fruity musty sweet smell. The palate was very typical mid-price Oregon pinot, cherries and black tea, plus a bit of pepper and allspice.

I Giusti & Zanza Nemorino Rosso Toscana IGT

Type- Red
Producer- I Giusti & Zanza
Variety- Syrah Blend
Designation- Nemorino Rosso
Country- Italy
Region- Tuscany
Appellation- Toscana IGT
Price- $19.99

The nose had loads of pepper and black fruit. The palate was odd, though, with a clashing mix of nuts, canteloupe and blueberries.

2006 Shirvington Shiraz

2008-12-03T18:04:00.000-08:00

Type- Red
Producer- Shirvington
Variety- Shiraz
Country- Australia
Region- South Australia
SubRegion- Fleurieu
Appellation- McLaren Vale

The color is maroon, bright and clear. This wine hits your nose with a wall of smells. It starts with sweet butter slathered on roasted nuts, sitting on a plate next to a vase full of day-old magnolias. That is followed by a complex melange of red fruit, cherries and strawberries, and black fruit, blueberries and mulberries. Mouth feel is very full and thick. The palate has the same sweet buttered roasted nuts, almost praline-sweet. That is followed by big jammy fruit, hearty jam with big chunks of strawberries, black cherries, and a few blueberries. Maple syrup and vanilla flow on the mid-palate. The finish is very sweet and very long.

Night Two

Again, the nose starts with buttery praline, the cherries and blueberries. The palate has the same pralines, loads of big black and red fruit, and browned butter to finish. The overall sense, and mouth feel, is smooth butter. The finish is not as long as Night One, but still fairly long.

This is a great big buttery powerful wine. It is not a fruit-bomb, as the fruits are not overly jammy and sweet, and the butter-nut praline offers another level of flavors other than just jars of jelly. It is big enough, though, that it cold easily overpower most food, so choose carefully when looking for a good match.

Why I write negative reviews

2008-11-30T08:35:00.000-08:00

There is just a bit of a brouhaha in the wining blogosphere about negative reviews. Some people write them, some don't. Should you? Yes. You should.

Why do people write wine review blogs? That is an interesting question, and it needs to broken down a bit.

First, why do people wine blog? There are as many reasons as there are bloggers, but they all come down to pretty much the same thing. They love wine, and today you blog what you love. It makes you feel a little closer, it gets you more involved, it makes you part of a community with the same interest, and it allows you to share your love with others. Of course, some people blog as part of a business, wineries, retailers, marketers, etc., but even they are doing something they love and joining a community of others that feel the same way.

Second, why do wine bloggers write wine review blogs? That's a slightly different story. There are lots of wine blogs out there that are not wine review blogs. Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog does not review wine at all. It blogs the wine business, and particularly the conflict between wine lovers and wine distributors (along with lots of other interesting things). The Wine Connoisseur blogs the news about wine. Dr. Vino does some reviews, but blogs the wine industry in depth as well. Then there are the straight review blogs. Good Wine Under $20 focuses on wines at a reasonable price. Wannabe Wino reviews what she drinks, often from winery trips. There are so many out there I can't do justice to them all. What they all have in common, though, is that they love wine, and they share that love with you, the reader.

That is what we do for ourselves. What do we do for the reader? We provide, I hope, a service. When I look at statistics from my own site I find that more than half my views come from wine searches. People type "Villa Maria" or "Rockaway" into the little Google box, looking for reviews. What do they find? If they come to my blog, they find positive AND negative reviews. If they go to other blogs they might only find positive ones. Are we doing those consumers a service if we do not warn them away from garbage? In my opinion, no. So why do some people only write positive reviews? Good question. Let's ask them.

From the tremendous and well-respected Vinography, Is there any point to negative wine reviews?

1. There was so much mediocre wine out there in the world that lukewarm or negative reviews could easily take up the majority of my writing time.

2. Writing negative reviews is about as fun as completing the writing comprehension section of the SAT.

3. People mostly want to know which wines are great much more than they want to know which wines to avoid.

and

a. Many times, I don't necessarily know that the bottle I happen to be reviewing isn't simply just a bit off -- whether from a fault that I am not detecting or identifying or simply due to bottle variation of some sort or another.

b. A bad review is quite damaging, because it is often read as a condemnation of the winery itself (despite any care or attention put to the contrary by the author) even though the particular wine in question could be part of a portfolio of truly stellar wines.

c. Likewise, bad reviews are often read (and written by irresponsible critics) as being absolute and categorical judgements about a winery, when in fact they are mere evaluations of a specific wine in a specific vintage. That particular wine could have been great the year before, or it could get great the next year. But bad reviews hang around in the minds of consumers like skeletons in the closet, much longer than they should.

d. Bad reviews also hang around in the minds of winemakers and winery owners a lot longer than they should. Like it or not, anyone who seriously attempts to write consistently about wine in a critical fashion has a symbiotic (or as Jancis Robinson would put it, a parasitic) relationship with the wine industry. Bad reviews burn bridges in ways that make it difficult for the writer to ply their craft.

Are these good reasons? In my own opinion, not at all. I am not alone, either. The very first person to comment in response asked:

What if you substituted "a good review" in the points above (a,b,c, and d)-does your logic also follow through (in the opposite direction) on these wineries?

Yup.

Now let's break that down a bit more, okay?

1. There was so much mediocre wine out there in the world that lukewarm or negative reviews could easily take up the majority of my writing time.

Really? Do you really drink that much bad wine? Why? I expect most bloggers are fairly discriminating about what they purchase. Do I get bad wine? Absolutely. But is it the norm? Nope. I generally don't buy something awful, and since I promise to write good AND bad reviews, people don't often send less than their best efforts.

2. Writing negative reviews is about as fun as completing the writing comprehension section of the SAT.

I respectfully disagree. In fact, I don't think I ever had more fun writing a review than when I channeled Dr. Suess and wrote a haiku for Deerfield Merlot Cuvee.

3. People mostly want to know which wines are great much more than they want to know which wines to avoid.

Upon what do you base this conclusion? I look at my statistics and find that people search bad wine as often as they search good wine.

a. Many times, I don't necessarily know that the bottle I happen to be reviewing isn't simply just a bit off -- whether from a fault that I am not detecting or identifying or simply due to bottle variation of some sort or another.

While this is true, it is equally true that the next sucker could end up with a bottle just as bad. Also, there is a huge difference between "this might be a bit flawed" or "it ain't great" and "oh man is this awful overworked over-alcoholed manufactured oak powdered crap."

b. A bad review is quite damaging, because it is often read as a condemnation of the winery itself (despite any care or attention put to the contrary by the author) even though the particular wine in question could be part of a portfolio of truly stellar wines.

Is a good review praising a winery itself, even if they have bad stuff in their portfolio? Also, isn't this best handled by the review? You don't just write "good" or "bad." You write a review, right?

c. Likewise, bad reviews are often read (and written by irresponsible critics) as being absolute and categorical judgements about a winery, when in fact they are mere evaluations of a specific wine in a specific vintage. That particular wine could have been great the year before, or it could get great the next year. But bad reviews hang around in the minds of consumers like skeletons in the closet, much longer than they should.

See (b), supra.

d. Bad reviews also hang around in the minds of winemakers and winery owners a lot longer than they should. Like it or not, anyone who seriously attempts to write consistently about wine in a critical fashion has a symbiotic (or as Jancis Robinson would put it, a parasitic) relationship with the wine industry. Bad reviews burn bridges in ways that make it difficult for the writer to ply their craft.

This is, by far, the worst reason not to write bad reviews. If you fear the wineries' reaction, then you are being bullied into the very parisitic relationship described by Robinson. If you accept that, even applaud it, then you have a credibility problem. Worse, if enough people do the same, then your credibility problem bleeds into the entire wine-writing blogosphere.

Other very well-known and well-respected wine bloggers also write only positive reviews, like Another Wine Blog:

Anyway, when a wine is reviewed on this site it is because we enjoyed it and we want to share that information with our readers. It is that simple. It does not make one bit of difference if a friend gave it to us as a gift, or if it came from one of our wine clubs, if it came from the grocery store, or if a wine industry person sent it to be reviewed, the review will be positive and it will be honest. Does anyone really want to hear about the Franzia that was served at some reception? Or the crap bottle the local wine megastore lackey conned me into buying because he is an idiot and ordered too much of it? I may write about the megastore or the lackey, but who cares about the bad wine? Besides, someone might like that wine. My palate is not omniscient, despite a drunken boast or two I may have made to the contrary.

Hey, wait a minute. I already know about the Franzia, but I sure want to know about the crap bottle before my own local wine megastore lackey cons me into buying the same thing. As for your palate, well, doesn't the same conversation go the same way for wine you like? Also, it is not just a matter your palate, unless all you write is "good" or "bad." If, on the other hand, you explain WHY you didn't like it- over-extracted, too hot, too sweet, out of character for the grape, etc., then people can judge for themselves whether to follow your recommendation.

Stop thinking about "wine review" for a minute and think about "review." A movie, two tickets, sodas and snacks, costs a fair chunk of change these days. Do you read movie reviews before you go? I do. Not just that, but I consider a poor review a favor. It is not just the reviewer's conclusion that matters, but the content as well. If a movie reviewer writes "this was not a good movie because it was poorly edited, jumped from unconnected scene to unconnected scene, and substituted gore and violence for a coherent story," I am going to take a pass. On the other hand, if it says "this was not a good movie because it had far too much gratuitous starlet nudity, but otherwise held together well," well, I'm going. Twice. See how that works? As wine writers, we WRITE, not merely opine.

Movies give us another more concrete lesson, too. Do you remember David Manning? He was a fictitious film critic created by Sony to create poster quotes. Sony ended up paying out $1.5M in settlement for that fraud. I am not equating positive-review-only bloggers with "David Manning." I do suggest, however, that positive-review-only blogs will hurt our credibility. People will start to wonder "is this another David Manning?"

Look again at your statistics. If a potential consumer Googles "Chateau Perfection" they will find it. But what if they Google "Chateau Plonque"? You know it's crap. You know it's Sahara meets Gigli, yet you leave them to discover that on their own.

Now add one more factor, free wine. Is there an added responsibility to write negative reviews if you are getting free samples? Or is that just cutting off your hand to spite your face, a guaranteed path to making the UPS guy a stranger, to a life of having to buy all your own wine? The answer, to me, is both. Yes, you risk missing out on freebies if the winemakers have a more "friendly" set of bloggers they can count on to laud the good stuff and bury the bad. At that point, though, you are a free PR arm of the winery. You might not be "David Manning," but are you getting too close? Are you at least Larry King, notorious as the softest interview in politics, instead of being Meet the Press?

What is the bottom line to all this? The blogosphere is still new, and the wine blogosphere newer still. We are still feeling out our place in the world. In my own very personal opinion, writing only positive reviews might score you a few more free bottles, but your free bottles might cost my credibility. It might also do a disservice to the next consumer with the bad luck to run into that wine megastore lackey.

One commenter in a related thread observed that my reasoning means I have to review every sample I receive. He's right. I do. See my wine review policy at the top of the right hand colum. I don't do it on anybody's schedule, but I do it. Do you?