Tag Archives: California

Price: Over 20 bucks, Tasting Notes

Wine Guerrilla Conte Vineyard RRV Zin 2008

5 Comments

I first took notice of Wine Guerrilla, a producer of several distinct Russian River Valley and Dry Creek Valley Zins, after reading this post at Benito’s Wine Reviews. Reading the post and checking out their website reminded me of my early days as a wino, er , wine lover. After having my eyes opened to the world of wine by a Cabernet on a camping trip, I quickly gravitated to Zinfandel. On my first couple of trips to wine country, I focused on Dry Creek Valley and Russian River Valley and was on the hunt for Zins. Wine Guerrilla’s mission is “Finding the very best zinfandel grapes, and crafting wines worthy of the grape’s unique characteristics, and introducing those wines to the public.” I can get behind that.

Producer: Wine Guerrilla

Grapes: A co-fermented field blend (yay!) of 83% Zinfandel, 12% Petite Sirah, 2% Carignan, 2% Alicante Bouchet and 1% Grenache

Appellation: Russian River Valley (AVA, California). A cool-climate sub-region within Sonoma County that is known primarily for the Burgundian grapes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but it’s Zinfandels are a highlight, too – usually noted for their finesse, balance and delicacy. Not sure that description fits here, but read on…

Vineyard: Conte Vineyard

Vintage: 2008

Winemaking: Spent time in 1-3 year old oak barrels (French, American and Hungarian)

Alcohol: 15.9%

Price: $30

My tasting notes: This wine definitely reminds me of why I fell in love with Zin when I first got into wine. Big, fruity nose that shows rich raspberry and blackberry fruit, and even some prune and raisin but not in a bad way (at least for me). Definitely some sweet oak on the nose, too. Dense, rich mouthfeel that’s full of more delicious red and black fruit. Solid acidity and tannins. The 15.9% alcohol is definitely noticeable, which wouldn’t have bothered me so much in the early years, but I wish was toned down a bit here.

Overall impression: Another Zin from the “these go to eleven” school, but nicely made and better than most. The luscious fruit doesn’t seem fake or sugary and there’s enough acid to keep it out of trouble. If you’re a Zin fan, you should keep an eye out for this one. B/B+

Free association:

More info:

Only 195 cases produced.

This bottle was provided as a sample for review by the winery.

Price: 16-20 bucks, Tasting Notes

6th Sense Syrah 2007: I See Fruit Bombs

Leave a comment

Producer: Michael~David Winery

Grapes: 84% Syrah and 16% Petite Sirah

Appellation: Lodi (AVA, California)

Vineyards: no info

Vintage: 2007

Winemaking: The wine spent 20 months in French oak (% new unknown)

Alcohol: 15%

Price: $17 at the online store

My tasting notes: The wine starts off with sweet blueberry and blackberry cobbler aromas along with smoke and tobacco notes. It actually reminds me of a cobbler you’d buy at a BBQ restaurant here in Texas, which always ends up permeated with the wood smoke from sitting around the restaurant. The wine is soft in the mouth, almost flabby, with very ripe berry fruit and sweet oak flavors. There is an interesting slightly earthy note at the end, but not enough to keep this from coming across as a definite fruit bomb.

Overall impression: This wine has some yum-factor, but is just not a style I want to drink very often. But I could see a lot of people liking the fruit-forwardness of it so it might be one to serve at a backyard BBQ or party. For me, tonight, it’s a C+.

Free association:

SXSW Salt Lick BBQ Trip by CC Chapman.

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cc_chapman/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

More info:

Other reviews at Wine Harlots, Gabe’s View, and The Wine Snob.

I received this wine as a press sample from the winery.

Price: Over 20 bucks, Tasting Notes

Rosenblum Rhodes Vineyard Petite Sirah 2005

Leave a comment

Rosenblum has always appealed to me because of it’s focus on Zin and it’s extensive lineup of vineyard-designate wines. I saw this Petite Sirah on the shelf a while back and the vineyard name struck a chord with me (see below), so I picked it up. Let’s check it out.

Producer: Rosenblum Cellars

Grapes: 100% Petite Sirah

Appellation: Redwood Valley, a relatively cool climate zone within the Mendocino AVA.

Vineyard: Rhodes Vineyard — 60 year old, dry-farmed and head-pruned vines

Vintage: 2005

Winemaking: Aged in 60% French, 40% American oak.

Alcohol: 13.8%

Price: $20-25

My tasting notes: The first thing I smelled when I stuck my schnoz in the glass was salted peanuts! Not an aroma I was expecting. (I love salted peanuts, by the way.) I also pick up some tobacco and sweet oak aromas. Not a ton of distinct fruit on the nose. There’s fruit there, but seems cloaked in a layer of dust or something. In the mouth, this wine starts off with tart blueberry fruit and morphs a bit toward pomegranate and tart cherry. The fruit has that old vines intensity, but the wine feels thin on the palate and it finishes with dry tannins – I feel like I’m chewing the skins of the grapes.

Overall impression: Despite the thinness of the fruit, I think this is an alright bottle of wine.  Not the “life of the party” style of many Petite Sirahs, but there is something appealing in the balance of this wine for me. B-

Free association: My alma mater…

More info:

CellarTracker reviews (mean: 87)

Price: 11-15 bucks, Tasting Notes

Hanna Sauvignon Blanc 2008 RRV

2 Comments

Producer: Hanna

Grapes: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Appellation: Russian River Valley (AVA, California)

Vineyards: From estate vineyards across RRV: Slusser 53%, Ricioli 11%, Brooks 11%, Gann Family 9%, Chalk Ridge 8%, Jensen Lane 3%, Crinella 2%, Mirabelle 1% and Gianquinto 1%. (I know all that vineyard detail doesn’t tell you much about the wine, but I can’t resist including it when the winery provides it on the website.)

Vintage: 2008

Winemaking: Stainless steel fermentation. 25% Malolactic fermentation. No oak — aged in stainless steel on the lees.

Alcohol: 13.8%

Price: $15

My tasting notes: Grass, melon and a very nice ripe pineapple note on the nose. It is quite tropical on the palate, with a good lemon-lime zippiness. Despite the crisp acidity it manages to feel slightly plush in the mouth and has good length.

Overall impression: A fruit-forward Sauvignon Blanc in the New Zealand mold. One of the better Cali SBs I’ve tried it a while. B

Free association: Pineapple and grass…

More info:

90 points from Wine & Spirits.

Other reviews at Wine Witch and Cellar Tracker (avg. 86.8).

Price: 16-20 bucks, Tasting Notes

Two Angels Petite Sirah 2006

4 Comments


Producer: Two Angels

Grapes: 100% Petite Sirah

Appellation: High Valley. This is an AVA within the Lake County AVA in California.

Vineyard: The grapes are sourced from Shannon Ridge Vineyards at nearly 2200 feet, which they claim are the highest in California. (It’s not called High Valley for nothing.)  Soils are volcanic and gravelly. A nice bit of vineyard chest-beating here from the Shannon Ridge website.

Vintage: 2006

Winemaking: 10 months in 30% new French oak barrels and the rest in 1-3 year French and American.

Alcohol: 14.3%

Price: $15.99 at Costco in Austin (though it’s $24.99 from the winery)

My tasting notes: The wine is an inky black-violet in the glass, as expected from Petite Sirah. On the nose, I get mixed berries, with blueberry standing out. Also a bit of tar. In the mouth it’s more blueberry joined by blackberry and some spice/black pepper notes, but also a slight savory character, like roast beef with herbs. This is definitely a background note though, the berry fruit predominates. It’s a bit hollow to me in the mid-palate, though. And the tannin profile starts off softer than I expect in PS, then later in my notes I wrote “green woody tannins”.

Overall impression: It didn’t deliver quite the oomph I expected from Petite Sirah, but it’s not a bad bottle. Probably not something I’d recommend at the price, though. B-

Free association: The Two Angels name put me in mind of Charlie’s Angels. This wine is like Kate Jackson – clearly not the top choice, but you could do a lot worse. (Jaclyn Smith was always my favorite. Which was yours?)

Kate Jackson is on the left for you Millennials.

More info:

90 points from Wine Enthusiast

Here’s a photo from the Shannon Ridge Vineyards website of the Petite Sirah block (prior to planting). Notice the slope.

Price: Over 20 bucks, Tasting Notes

Mourvèdre Monday #5: Edward Sellers Cognito 2006

8 Comments

It’s back to California for today’s Mourvèdre Monday post, specifically Paso Robles. Though I first fell in love with Mourvèdre via the old vines examples from Contra Costa County, Paso Robles is a hotbed of Rhône grape-growing in California. Edward Sellers is a Rhône-style specialist in Paso, with a focus on blends vs. varietal bottlings (though not exclusively). This bottle, which they call Cognito, is a CdP-style blend of Mourvèdre, Syrah and Grenache with some Zin added for a California flair. Let’s check it out.

Producer: Edward Sellers

Grapes: 45% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah, 20% Zinfandel, 15% Grenache

Appellation: Paso Robles (AVA, California)

Vineyards: no info

Vintage: 2006

Winemaking: 100% neutral French oak.

Alcohol: 14.9%

Price: I paid $29 at Spec’s in Austin.

My tasting notes: The nose is throws a punch of raspberry fruitiness and cherry cola, with a bit of creamy vanilla and a touch of mocha. On the palate, it’s fat and fruity, mostly red fruit again. A hint of minerality if you’re really searching for it, and a peppery note at the finish. Despite Mourvèdre being the largest share of the blend, I don’t get much of what I really enjoy from Mourvèdre-based wines: structure, meatiness, earthy/savory qualities.

Overall impression: This is another one where I was not digging the first glass, but it evened itself out by the second glass into something closer to my liking. In the end, though, it’s not something I’d buy again, not at nearly $30. C+

Free association:

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/warmnfuzzy/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

More info:

576 cases produced.

Price: 11-15 bucks, Tasting Notes

artezin Zinfandel 2007 Mendocino County

3 Comments

artezin (I think they prefer no caps) is a part of the Hess Family of wineries. The label is focused on Zin, Petite Sirah and Carignan. In this wine, they “strive for a classic varietal, fruit-forward, ‘Zinny’ Zin.” Let’s see if they hit the mark for me.

Producer: Artezin Wines

Grapes: 91% Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah

Appellation: Mendocino County (AVA, California)

Vineyards: “from the ridgelines and benchlands of the Ukiah Valley”

Vintage: 2007

Winemaking: Aged in 2nd and 3rd year French oak barrels.

Alcohol: 14.8%

Price: $11.99 at Costco in Austin

My tasting notes: For me this is has classic Zinfandel character in a more restrained style than many these days. Mixed berry fruit aromas with a caramel note from the oak treatment. More brambly berry flavors, with some spice and pepper. Smooth-texured. I was surprised when I looked checked and saw that this was 14.8% alcohol – it hides it well.

Overall impression: Zinny Zin, indeed. As long as you’re not expecting a “rip your face off” kind of Zin, I doubt you’d be disappointed with this everyday bottle. B

Free association: “Textbook” Zin… (lazy, I know)

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/underneath/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

More info:

There is a link to a podcast/video of the winemaker discussing this wine on the artezin website here.

90 points from Wine Enthusiast (this vintage and the 2006).

A few other takes on this wine at CellarTracker.

Price: Over 20 bucks, Tasting Notes

Story Winery Picnic Hill Zinfandel 2006

7 Comments

I received this bottle as a sample provided by the winery.

Producer: Story Winery (these guys own the www.zin.com domain, so they’re serious about Zin)

Grapes: 100% Zinfandel

Appellation: Shenandoah Valley, an AVA within the Sierra Foothills appellation. Officially called “California-Shenandoah Valley” to distinguish it from Virginia’s “Shenandoah Valley” AVA). Gold Rush country.

Vintage: 2006

Vineyard: The vines in the Picnic Hill vineyards were planted over 100 years ago. Them’s seriously old vines, folks. Some wineries have 30 year old vines and call them old vines. These are Model-T old. Pre-forward pass in football old. Old old.

Winemaking: Aged 10 months in neutral French and American oak. Unfiltered.

Alcohol: a whopping 16%!

Price: $25 from the winery or Snooth.

My tasting notes: A very sweet-smelling, candied nose. There are beautiful raspberry/strawberry notes along with darker fruit. And something in there makes me think of the candied almonds you get at the fair. On the palate, the wine saturates my tongue with more sweet berry fruit and vanilla creme. The texture gets almost gritty toward the end (unfiltered). It finishes hot, though you don’t feel it so much in your throat as in your esophagus.

Overall impression: Definitely from the high-octane school of Zin. I really enjoyed the seductive nose. This is a bottle to share with several friends at the end of the night. B-

Free association:

"These go to eleven." (click for video at YouTube)

More info:

There’s a video review of this wine at Organic Wine Review. They call it: “Berry Balanced for the BBQ”

Some others’ reviews on Snooth.

Price: 16-20 bucks, Tasting Notes

Oddball Wine of the Week: Petite Petit

8 Comments

Michael~David Winery Petite Petit 2007 Lodi

This wine was a press sample provided by Michael~David Winery.

Which came first the name or the wine? That’s what I wonder when see that this wine is called Petite Petit for it’s combination of Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot (and oddball blend to be sure). Clever name, but is that the best reason to blend these two grapes? Does it make oenological sense? Let’s find out.

Producer: Michael~David Winery

Grapes: 85% Petite Sirah, 15% Petit Verdot

Appellation: Lodi (AVA, California)

Vineyards: no info

Vintage: 2007

Winemaking: The wine spent 14 months in French oak barrels.

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: $18 (though I’ve seen it at Whole Foods for $14)

My tasting notes: Deep purple-black color. On the nose, I get blueberry, sweet tobacco, baking spices and just a touch of fresh earth. The palate delivers nice blackberry and vanilla cream flavors (maybe a little black cherry, too) with a bit of spice. It’s smooth-textured, almost plush in the mouth with fine-grained tannins and decent acidity.

Overall impression: I’m not sure any magic came from the Petite + Petit combination (I didn’t sense much from the Petit Verdot), but this is an enjoyable bottle of wine, firmly in the “fruit & oak” camp. B/B-

Free association: Speaking of odd combinations, the Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual was full of them. Here’s a favorite.

More info:

88 pts. Robert Parker

More reviews at Gabe’s View, Wine is Life, What’s New in Booze, CellarTracker, Snooth and Cork’d.

If you ever played Dungeons & Dragons as a kid (or even now – hey, no judging here) you’ll love this series of Monster Manuel comics from one of the funniest people alive: Lore Sjöberg over at BadGods. The Owlbear one is here, though my favorites are: Orc, Chimera, Ear Seeker and Kobold.

Price: 10 bucks or less, Tasting Notes

Cameron Hughes Lot 160 Old Vines Zin 2008 Lodi

3 Comments

I always feel a little guilty when I buy a wine from Cameron Hughes and their ilk. If you aren’t familiar with the model, Cameron Hughes calls itself a “modern international negociant.” Negociant is French for “Man Without Dirt”. OK, I just made that up. But a negociant owns no vineyards and buys up various “lots” of wine from wineries and vineyards that are selling them off instead of bottling them. The negociant typically blends them into wines they sell under their own label. For the Cameron Hughes Lot Series, the purchased lots are not blended, but bottled separately. Their website explains a number of reasons why a winery might sell off a perfectly good lot of wine instead of bottling it. And I get it, but I just don’t like not knowing where the wine comes from and who made it. It spoils the romance for me.

But I do buy them occasionally (as well as wines from Vineyard Block Estates, a similar operation). I bought this one because I did a series on Lodi old vines Zin a while back and struck out on most of those wines. I keep wanting to find better examples.

Producer: Who the hell knows. “Cellared and Bottled by Cameron Hughes Wine.”

Grapes: Zinfandel (presumably 100%)

Appellation: Lodi (AVA, California)

Vineyards: It’s a secret. They say the source vineyard consists of 30-60 year old vines.

Winemaking: no idea

Alcohol: 14.9%

Price: $8.99 at Costco in Austin

My tasting notes: Pretty cherry/raspberry/blackberry juice aromas wrapped in creamy oak. A touch of white pepper or maybe clove as well. On the palate it’s very Robitussin, with cherry and vanilla flavors and a peppery bite at the finish. Smooth textured with just a touch of tannic presence. Got awkward on day two.

Overall impression: It tastes good, but isn’t terribly interesting for me. But a good value for a burger/BBQ/party wine at $9. C+/B-

Free association:

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/belljar/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

More info:

6875 cases produced.

Info on the wine (including a video) at the Cameron Hughes website.