Whoops

Sorry for the practically year long break in wine reviews.  I promise to start them up again--I mustn't waste this head of knowledge I gained from working at the vineyard this last year.

La Joya Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

La Joya Reserve of Bisquertt Family Vineyards
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
Chile
14.% alcohol



Back Label:
"This classically styled Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas and flavors of blackberries, cherries, and cassis with subtle notes of clove and nutmeg.  Rich and full-bodied, an ideal companion for steak, grilled vegetables, or pork chops."

The La Joya is a gorgeous darker rich red color.  Right away in the nose I pick up blackberry and a little bit oakiness--toasty aromas, bit of spice.  Before I sip and the glass is placed closer to the nose and palate, some cherry is picked up as well.  Its a medium to full bodied red leaning on the dryer side.  On the tongue I pick up a lot of cherry, but its dryness takes away the ability for me to pull out any more flavors or find much complexity to it.  In my opinion, it is a simple red that is easy to please any Cabernet Sauvignon lover.  Good table wine with any hearty food.

I just finished making brownies from scratch and ate one with the La Joya (mostly because I couldn't wait to eat them, not because I actually felt like this would pair well with the wine.)  Actually a ton of cherry suddenly appeared once the astringency from the tannins in the wine was cut down by the fat in the brownie.  There is actually a pretty sweet article I found online that briefs about this effect with wine and fat along with a few others. 

Definitely check it out
Food and Wine Relationships Article

Melini Chianti Classico

Melini (d'Italia)
2000 vintage from Tuscany (traditional area from which Chianti is produced)
price: $15.99
Alcohol: 12.5%

The Back Label:

"This wine comes from vineyards with optimal exposition in the historical area where Chianti Classico is produced.  The grapes are traditionally vinified, the musts slowly ferment on their skins and the resulting wines are aged for a long time as to obtain their character that made Chianti Classico famous around the world."

At first, very spicy aromas with a bit of oak. After the wine has been sitting the glass outside of the bottle there is almost a rusty aroma to it--very interesting.  I really enjoy the color of the Chianti, a dark red brick.

This wine is light in body fairly easy to drink with a touch of dryness in the finish.  That dryness makes the weight of the wine linger only a touch.  The flavor of the wine is super spicy, very peppery with a bit of cocoa and other spices I'm not experienced enough to recognize.  There is plum as well as a bouquet of floral, especially in finish. 

In my opinion:
It is best when enjoyed with food.  And although this wine is not my favorite, I do respect it.  If you are looking for a spicy wine, by all means please choose this one.

Resources on Chianti
What is Chianti?
What is Chianti Classico?

Saint Croix Vineyards Vignoles 2010

Saint Croix Vineyards
2010 Vignoles
Alcohol: unknown


Back Label:
None yet.

One of the great privileges of working at a vineyard is the common practice not to sell the very 1st case bottle or the very last.  This means employees, such as this gal, get to bring home bottles to try at home.  This wine has just been bottled, but because it is a white drinking it right away is perfectly fine and encouraged.  The Vignoles (sounds like Vin yoll)  is the newest edition to the 2011 spring collection at Saint Croix Vineyards.

Pretty, slight greenish straw color.  Peach and apple right away with a touch of floral notes. This wine makes me feel like I’m walking outside near flowering fruit trees with a bottle of peach schnapps in one hand and a crisp apple in the other.  It is on the more citrus-y/acidic side rather than the sweeter side of the spectrum.  There is still a high level of sweetness to the wine though, comparable to a Riesling from Washington state or Germany.  This semi-dry white has a medium weight and body with a snap finish at the end.  Actually a really, really good white wine. Mmmm…. Can’t wait for this to be on the tasting list!

If you get a chance to try it let me know any ideas for food pairings.  I could definitely see cheese, a sweeter salad, grilled fish, or even chicken pairing nicely.

Bogle Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel

Bogle Vineyards

2008 California Old Vine Zinfandel

14.5% Alcohol

 

Back Label:
   "California is blessed with many historic Zinfandel vineyards.  These grapes were first planted by European immigrants in the early 1900's and are still producing today.
    The old head-trained vines are unique because they produce a smaller crop of fruit that is unusually rich and concentrated.  In selecting grapes from these old vines, we have handcrafted a wine that displays intense blackberry, black cherry, and raspberry flavors, wrapped in a smooth blanket of vanilla and oak.
    We at Bogle salute these old vineyards and those pioneers who brought their dreams and visions to California."

The wine is a pretty color--dark cherry red.  The first notes I pick up in the nose are spicy oak, leather, earthy aromas.  There is a touch of berry, blackberry just as the label noted in the nose, but mostly the earthy aromas take over.  In the mouth the fruitiness of the Zinfandel is picked up.  Most definitely cherry, a berries on the tongue with a spicy finish and a touch of vanilla.  The wine is a medium to full bodies red with a heavier mouth-feel.

I think this wine would taste great with a hearty, meaty pasta dish or a leaner meat.  I don't think it can hold up to a fatty steak because there isn't very astringency.  This wine would be great for someone who likes reds, but doesn't like super dry reds.  It isn't my favorite red Zinfandel, but I won't be pouring any of it down the drain.  For $14.99 a bottle is pretty decent.  I'm slightly shocked that the alcohol percentage is a high 14.5% because it definitely doesn't taste like its that high (whether that's good or  bad I'll let you be the judge.)

Saint Croix Vineyard Tasting Line Up

My new employer, Saint Croix Vineyards in Stillwater, MN has some great wines for everyone to taste right now.  I would love to describe them, but that would take the fun out of coming out to the vineyard and experiencing them yourself!

The current list, which changes periodically, consists of a Chardonnay, a Frontenac Rose, Delaware, Marechal Foch, Frontenac, Marquette, and the Raspberry Infusion I have already tasted and blogged about.  For $5 you can taste all 7 wines and if you purchase 2 or more bottle of wine you get your $5 back.
Saint Croix Vineyards Website

Hope to see you there soon!

KP
PS I finally got my camera back so now I can get back to tasting and blogging wines, sorry for the long break.

WINEHAVEN Gewurztraminer

WINEHAVEN
2008 Gewurztraminer
11% alcohol

Back label:

"WINEHAVEN'S legacy began three generations ago, when the Peterson family first produced homey and fruit in the St. Croix River Valley.  Each generation passed the secrets of the earth on to the next, always striving for higher quality.  In keeping with that tradition, the Petersons founded WINEHAVEN with a commitment to producing the highest quality wines.  Every bottle is a special chapter in their history and a celebration of nature's gifts.

Floral aromas with pear and pineapple tones and a pleasant mix of citrus and spice at the finish."


Beautiful straw color for this wine as you can see yourself.  There is a spicy pear aroma.  This wine is sweeter than many Gewurztraminers I have had and is very fruity on the palate--pear is very definite.  I can tell its only 11% alcohol and it's not as spicy as I had hoped. It is heavier than I was first expecting, but after looking at the color of the wine it seems to appear to be a heavier weighted white.  The back label states it has floral aromas (which I smell and wish I knew more about what different flowers smell like) the palate does not pick up much floral.  The Gewurztraminer does carry acidity and citrus notes to it, especially in the ending tastes.


In my personal opinion the wine is very heavy in pear and citrus flavors, but leaves very little else to pull from.  As far as Gewurztraminers go, WINEHAVEN has made a very sweet one that still carry slight spiciness in the aromas and a touch at the end of the sip.  The drinker can definitely tell the family's history is in fruit and honey.  I would definitely serve this wine to people from Minnesota, since it has more meaning that way.  This wine is not my favorite, but I would never discourage someone from purchasing.

Irreverente: a 2005 Red Wine from the Beiras Region of Portugal

Irreverente
2005 Vinho Regional Beiras
Portugal
13% Alcohol

The Back label: (in Portuguese and English)

"We decided to produce an alternative wine
-alternative in terms of content and presentations.
To be irreverent is to open new horizons, to trace new paths....A fresh outlook to the future!
This wine is the result of a careful selection and vinification of various Touriga grape varieties-Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Roriz, and Jaen.
It has a ruby colour with shades of burgundy, the aroma is of ripe plums, black cherries and blackberries mixed with a touch of cocoa and spices.  To the palate it is round and complex giving it personality and distinction.
This wine should be served at 18C with game dishes."

The back label is very accurate in the description of the wine.  The initial things my nose picks up the spicy, dusty, and slight woody characteristics of the wine, but much to my pleasant surprise the astringency of the wine is less that I was expecting.  The fruity notes of the wine come out first--blackberry, cherry, followed by a touch of chocolate and spice (wish I could pinpoint which one--I'm still learning!)  I am really in love with this wine!  The weight is medium to light, the body is quite full.  It reminds me of a touch dry pinot noir, but less cherry and a touch of spice.  There is a touch of wood or earth in the wine as well, but it is in no way overwhelming.

I really, really enjoy this wine especially for the value of only $10-15!  It seems like anyone could enjoy this wine, but even those who are wine drinkers can appreciate it.  Well done, Portugal.

New Job

It's official.  I will now be working at a local vineyard conducting wine tastings and working the sales floor!  My training will definitely help out my ability to taste more effectively, which also means I can throw out tips and tricks for everyone else.  This part time job includes a bit of marketing so look for invitations to join facebook groups and follow the vineyard on twitter.

New Book

After spending an hour looking through various wine books at Borders the other day I cam across a great one.  Oldman's Brave New World of Wine: Please, Value, and Adventure Beyond Wine's Usual Suspects, by Mark Oldman gives readers multiple new wines to try beyond Kendall Jackson Chardonnay within all price ranges. 

The book will begin by explaining the region from which the wine is from and then go on to give examples of food pairings and actual people's opinions of the wine.  Each wine has a page dedicated to the following: grid measuring adventure vs price, audacious alternate, "enthusiasts also like," weight, price range, how to pronounce the name & terms/vineyards related to it, a handful of great vineyards that produce it, ideas on how to enjoy it, and more.  Oldman wrote the book on the fact that many great wines are just unknown to the general public and only known to critics and wine professionals.  More often than not, these wines are fantastic and a better value by the bottle than more known varieties.  I hope to use suggestions from this book to taste and analyze so that the wines I try are beyond the basics or ones you may have tasted already.

Not that I am trying to endorse his book or credibility, but should you like to see more about his book or creditibility I have included a link to his website.