Wine Notes #12: Argyle 2004 Nuthouse Pinot

Argyle Nuthouse Pinot Noir 2004: This wine arrived via winery list sales-retail distribution will begin in the spring. The wine is still closed and very young (being FedExed two weeks earlier is probably not the best thing for the wine either). At this point in its development, the key features are the good structure of the wine and its very creamy texture and mouthfeel. The wine felt very alcoholic on the first night, befitting its 14.5% ABV. However, the alcohol was much less noticable after 24 hours, pointing to how the wine will develop. As might be expected, blackfruits are the dominant flavors at this point, although there is room for this to change.

Be wary of CA negociants?

Fresh off of hyping up the glories of negociant wine, the LA Times conducts a panel tasting of 21 current California offerings. The panel recorded that "many were undrinkable."
Full story

Wine Notes #11: Anderson Valley Pinot

2004 Londer Vineyards Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
This Pinot received a 92 from Wine Spectator, earning it a Highly Recommended citation when combined with its $29 price tag. The first glass tended towards red fruit, although black fruits dominated after some time in the decanter. A bit of vanilla followed. The finish is nice and long, and taste and bouquet are excellent. My chief problem with this wine is that the no less than 15% ABV is not integrated well-on the whole the wine sufferes from being somewhat too hot. It's not enough to ruin the experience, but it makes the wine seem a bit unbalanced.

Drinkers of cheap CA swill, rejoice!

According to the Sacramento Bee, the 2005 has set a new record for California, at just under 3.8 million tons. Spot prices have dropped in many regions for varietals. The largest impact is anticipated to occur with discount (under $10 brands). Unfortunately, no large impact is forseen on premium brands. Full story

Wine Notes #10: Walla Walla

Owen Roe Sharecropper's 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon: So yes, the label reads Pinot Noir, but this review really is of the Cab. For some reason a Cab label could not be found . . .

Owen Roe produces the wine from Washington vineyard grapes. The company uses a co-operative growing arrangement under which the grapes are provided to the winery, which handles bottling and distribution. I imagine that this arrangement helps to keep costs down as less financing would be involved-the winery then splits the proceeds with the growers once the bottles are sold.

The result is a delicious Cabernet at a reasonable cost (a smidgeon over $20, depending upon the retailer). The wine is full, and ready to drink young. Lots of sumptuous fruit, and a good nose.
Owen Roe

Wine Notes #9: A bargain Pinot

At $8 or less per bottle at most California retail locations (of course, I've seen at high as $15, or what one should be paying for the same brand's Carneros district Pinot), the Robert Mondavi Coastal Selection Pinot is a great bargain. Nice flavors, very accessible, and again, a great value for the price. I have one or two bottles of this a month, and although there can be significant bottle variation, on the whole it performs quite well.
Robert Mondavi Private Selection

Wine Notes #8: From Chile with pride

Today's selection is the 2004 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon (yes the label is for 2003). Montes is located central Chile. The 2003 vintage received 90 pts., so the $15 being asked at Costco for the 2004 seemed quite reasonable. The finish had far too much excessive alcohol initially, courtesy of the 14% ABV, although this problem diminished quickly.
The wine succeeds in being inoffensive in almost all regards, although this leaves it without many distinguishing features. Some complexity and an unexpectedly long finish were present.
Vina Montes

Parisian Mayor: This wine is too good for us

The city of Paris is in the process of auctioning off its extensive collection of premier and grand cru wines. The current Socialist Mayor believes that the wine is too valuable to drink at public events, and as such should be liquidated. Full story

Sonoma County Chardonnay grapes in trouble

Sonoma County's Chardonnay harvest is threatened this year by the onrest of botrytis, or bunch rot, due to recent wet weather. Damages could reach nearly $5 million at the present grape price of $1,600/ton. Full story

Wine Notes #7

Tonight we have the 2001 Argyle Brut. The Brut posesses a long yet crisp structure. Notes include fruits and minerals. The yeast fermentation and bottle aging really pays off here. I can see why Wine Spectator bestowed a 90 here.
Argyle Winery

Napa/Sonoma wine tastings changing

According to the Los Angeles Times, Napa and Sonoma wineries are changing their tasting patterns to incorporate food pairing, as opposed to generic cheese and crackers repastes. Full story

Wine bargains!

California's ongoing trade glut is fueling a growth in cheaper and better negotiant wines. Major wineries don't want to damage their brands by ramping up production beyond what the market will bear, and it is difficult to finance the storage of large quantities of juice. Marquee names rumored to be in the business include Caymus and Joseph Phelps. Look to Costco for more upscale offerings, including Stag's Leap district wines, and to Trader Joe's for more downmarket offerings. Full story

Wine Notes #6: Back to Napa

Tonight's selection: 2001 Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Possessed of a nice, dark, and very pleasing color. Looks positively gorgeous in the glass. This is a very fruity Cabernet. Medium finish that lingers on the palate nicely. Mostly cherry flavors, the oak is present but kept to a minimum. Thank you Liquorama for stocking this one.
Freemark Abbey

Wine Notes #5: Triple Review

So, yes it has been some time. But, to make up for it, there shall be three wine reviews. In tonight's review: 2004 Archery Summit Premier Cuvee, 2004 Benton Lane Estate, 2003 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Savignon.


2004 Archery Summit Premier Cuvee
The problem here is that the alcohol (13.9%) has a way of overpowering the balance of the cuvee. Once one sees past the alcohol and the accompanying hot finish, the wine stands in good stead. Should get a bit better with age.




2004 Benton Lane Estate Pinot Noir
This got a 90 from Wine Spectator, and I have to wonder why. It is similar to the 2003, which was excellent for the price range, but the 2004 has excessive sugar. Kind of like drinking liquid Pepsi? I'm sure this appeals to some part of the population, but it doesn't make for good Pinot. Stick to the 2003 and wait for next year. I will be sampling this again to make sure that bottle variation didn't destroy this sample.


2003 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon
Although some perceive this as more of a weakeness for the SLWC brand than an asset, it is quite wonderful and comes at a very nice price break for quality Cab. Subtle and wonderful.

Champagne Culture In LA

The Times writes up the emergence of higher forms of champagne-swilling in LA's trendier establishments. Higher prices and higher quality are emerging more regularly on the menu.

Full story

Wine Notes #4: Double the Fun!

So, two wines to cover today.

Tonight's wine: Joseph Drouhin Laforet Pinot Noir '05

No doubt still young to be drinking this, but eh, that's what everyday wines are for (this wine is currently going for $13 @ BevMo). Nicely complex, and expresses the region well. Huzzah for Burgundy! Makes for a nice Pinot Noir. Sorry, no image currently available.




Yesterday's wine: Louis Jadot Pommard AOC 2001

Strong minerality and earthiness, but quite pleasing overall. Makes for a most delicious drink. This wine drinks very well for its relatively young age.

Wine Notes #3

J Vineyards 2004 Russian River Pinot Noir
jwine.com

Definetely purchase this one in the store--the list online is about over $30, but the going retail seems to be $20.

Picture will be uploaded when Blogger decides to work properly.

Pulled this out of the cellar on a whim. This Pinot is a classic expression of Sonoma--more powerful and somewhat less complex than Burgundy, but not taking these to Napa levels. Excellent fruit flavors, accompanied by excellent texture.

Wine Notes #2

Here are some notes on a wine we served tonight, the Clos Pegase 2002 Mitsuko's Vineyard Merlot. Not usually a big fan of California Merlot, but the BevMo clearance price of $16 made it quite an attractive buy.

Although not a terribly complex wine, this Merlot is a tasty and delicious quaff that goes down nicely. As to be expected, big, rich fruit flavors dominate. Again, even sitting in the bottle uncorked for a while, and then sitting in the glass, added a great deal. Highly recommended, particularly if you can get it at a reasonable price.

A New Study, A New Feature

The Trib's excellent Kevin Smith reports on a study in the Journal of Labor Research which finds that social drinking can improve one's earnings. Specifically, male drinkers earn 10% more than non-drinkers, while female drinkers boost their earnings by 14%. (Full article)

In honor of this development, we'll be adding short notes on different wines from time to time. Today's feature is:

Smoking Loon 2005 California Chardonnay

Strong reminder to a recently tasted 2005 Yellow Tail. However, the oaking was significantly reduced, allowing for a much better rounded quaff. The wine was decanted and consumed over a long enough period of time that there was a noticable strengthening and maturity after an hour or so. If you're going to drink wine like this, the $20 Riedel Vivant decanter at Target is a necessary investment, helping the wine quite a bit. Very light feel on the palate. 13.8% ABV. Von's carries Smoking Loon's lineup for under $10/btl.