Good weekend day, flat iron steak, grilled and sliced for dinner.  I stopped by Harry and David on the way home, I bought a French Rhone Blend and a Syrah from the Rogue Valley.  The Rhone was $23 and the Syrah Cost $30.  I opened the syrah, the bottle did not seem flawed, was not corked but the wine was horrible, very tart to the point of bitter, the nose was fregrant but the wine very poor.  Paula and I poured the rest out and moved on.  The Rhone was just the opposite, an awesome wine, great drink and wonderful match with dinner.  So I'll not review the Syrah, I still search very ahrd for the best of the rogue valley wines.  But here is the Rhone.

 

This a Rhone blend of Grenache and Syrah with wonderful legs and a purple dense wine.  The nose suppressed  with slight berry, menthol and loam.  The flavor is where the impact of this wine is, sweet fruit, chewy , berry fruit, a structured mid section  that fades into a acidic and tannic finish which is long lasting and tongue numbing.  93, really nice Rhone

Had a great lunch at Sammys today with some friends two bottles of Italian wine and wonderful cuisine.  Cracked open a California Cab for dinner tonight here' the tail:

 

This is an inky dark California Cabernet, still young.  The nose very open with menthol, raspberry and strawberry.  The taste show a cranberry fruit with a decent tannin but not to acidic.  Tasty but lacks complexity to age and will drink well for the next couple of years.  86, drink it now

Hope you like the new color scheme and theme for the website, a little change is nice.  We put a lot of information out there so we're trying to make it a little more readable.

 

Tonights dinner was seared scallops, sauted zucini and squash.  Fried sliced Portabello muschroom.  With was a lovely white Burgundy.  Here you go, cheers:

 

The wine looks Light gold colored with medium legs.
It smells like Grapefruit, Strawberry, and Stoniness.
It tastes like Grapefruit, Apple, Stoniness, and Dill.
The body is Light the texture is Silky with a long finishe Long, tart and acidic.
89, very nice white burgundy

I opened my first bottle of 2007 Shafer Merlot tonight, it's still very young but went great with flank steaked grilled over rosemary with a Béarnaise sauce.  Here's what I thought of the wine, Cheers.

 

Inky dark ruby full bodied merlot with a fragrant blackberry jam nose, graphite, loam.  The taste sweet fruit, very tangy acidic middle with tannic finish, oaky.  The Shafer Merlots are one of my favorite each year and the 2007 is of the same quality, will be even better next year.  93, Shafer Rocks

Good evening, dinner was what we like to call a light affair here, 3 large seared scallops, sliced Apples, Peppered Smoked Salmon, Itallian Salami, smoked white Cheddar and crackers.  The wine match was a nice Montrachet.

 

 

This mature white burgundy is straw colored, very light, with an herbal and grass nose.  The flavor is tart and acidic with lingering finish with a apple and citric overtone.  A nice effort and very enjoyable chardonnay.  87, pretty good Montrachet.

I'm just back from a four day trip to Seattle to visit my daughter at UW, known as udub locally.  Ate some great food, Sausages, kraut and german Potato salad at Shultzy's by UW.  A fine dinner at the Space Needle resturant Sky City.  Though a touch spendy the view was worth it.  Had the 2007 Torii Mor Pinot for Dinner, a Zinfandel from Murphey-Goode, and tonight at home I had a Ridge Zinfandel from Paso Robles 2007. This wine was with:

 

A peppercorn marinated pork loin its grilled on high heat for 20 minutes per side along with yellow squash sliced. The squash is chopped then sautéed with garlic, butter, and Montrachet white burgundy.  The pork loin is rested then sliced into thin portions arranged on the bed of squash. 

 

Here's the wine scoop.

 

2007 Murphy-Goode Zinfandel Liar's Dice

Fairly expressive nose for a very young wine, to bad the taste is not so expressive, a failry astringent fruit and tart finnish move onto to something better. 82

 

A good nose of raspberry, cirtus and a slight loamy scent. Though not near as full body as the 2005, still a decent drink with a sweet and elegant taste and nice finish. 88

 

A lighter style Zinfandel than we have been having lately.  The body is much lighter, the color of garnet to ruby.  The nose is herbal, raspberry, graphite,  with a touch of cranberry.  The taste is smooth tart berry, acidic middle with a softer tannin.  Though this wine will make you pucker if you swish it around it is quite smooth.  A different style it reminds me of Pinot Noir, 87 a lighter Zin

 

Added Tuesday:

 

Picked this wine up at the Kendall-Jackson tasting room in Healdsburg over winter wine road.  It's inky purple and full bodied but needs to breath for a while to open up.  You may wish to decant this wine or aerate it before drinking.  The nose is blackberry and loam.  The taste is a softened fruit with a tart middle, smooth finish with very little tannin.  This wine releases with food, and will drink well with heavier fair.  86, a good Cab but not a keeper

 

 

Opened a nice bottle of Nozzole Chniti Classico 2003 that was corked tonight, a shame its one of my favorites and my last one.  So I opened the last bottle of Novy Cellars syrah 2005.  This was 91 in 08 but has gone the other way, here's the not for tonight.

 

The wine is an inky purple with long legs, a nose of licorice, a touch herbal, cedar.  The fruit is shy on this wine develops on the tongue, tart finish with numbing tannin.  The body is very full and chewy.  Over all a less complex wine than I prefer, Syrah should speak to you when the glass goes down "wow'  should escape your lips. 85, wish more defined.

 

If you are looking for a great syrah, check out 2004 Trenton Estate from Joseph Swan, it has been the best Syrah I've had this year or last. 

 

I've also spent quite a bit of time moving my cellar and tasting data over to Cellar Trackers site, I think the new version due out at the end of the month will be great

 

We lost our Jack Russell Riley today, he was never the perfect dog be we loved him just the same and will miss him dearly.  The Picture of the week, which I seem to change about once a month is my wife Paula and myself.  Here's tonights wine:

 

This is a young cabernet, the nose is slightly closed still but should develop with time.  We bought this bottle on the winter wine road at the winery along with some nice chardonnay.  The taste is a tart fruit with a tannic structure to the finish.  It's quite young but is has a layered structure of fruit, oak, that should develop into a very nice wine in the next few years.  87, try me again 2012.

From My friend Eric Pena, this delightful big boned Spanish blend:

 

This inky red wine from Jumillo Spain, it is very dark with a jammy sweet blackberry nose.  The taste will grab you with a fruit bomb start, but a structure filled with acidic tannin.  Excellent with a bite of dark chocolate, the finish rides out up to 60 seconds.  93, a wine to remember

 

Picked up this bottle on the Winter Wine road in Sonoma:

 

Kokomo Pauline's Vineyard Merlot 2007
This young merlot is a light ruby color, nose a light black berry, pepper and spice.  The taste is a subtle fruit forward with tart structure and a deep tannin with a long tangy finish.  Nice with beef, dark chocolate, and sharp cheese.  89, unique elegant merlot.

From tonight:

 

Sbragia Gino's Vineyard Zinfandel 2006
This is a young dense zinfandel from Ed Sbragia's Family winery.  The color is a deep ruby with a translucent edge.  The nose is expressive, blackberry jam, graphite, oak and cherry fruit.  The wine has sweet forward fruit with tart acidic middle and lingering tannin finish, it is very full bodied and luscious.  90, really good, drink it now. 

Many a happy drunk soul in New Oreleans tonight, but here in Oregon we are just finishing dinner, seared scallops, butternut squash soup.  The matching wine tonight is a killer white Burgandy, (chardonnay).

 

Olivier Leflaive Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly 2006
This is a great example 1er cru wine versus a villiae wine, the appellation is Saint-Aubin. 
The premier cru vineyards of Saint Aubin are to the villages of Chassagne and Puligny.  It is 2 steps up from the Village wines of Puligny for about $20 more.  The wine is a pale sparkling straw color.  The nose is expressive, citrus, oak and brine.  The taste will grab you with sweet, citric, peach and tangerine fruit a good structure changes as you keep it on the tongue.  The finish is tart and acidic it went well with scallops, and butternut squash soup.  I'll be looking for other Saint-Aubin 2006 as well as the Puligny-Montrachet of the same vintage.  Of note this wine is sealed with a technical cork that seems to have worked quite well.  95 Best Chardonnay so far in 2010

 

Tonight was a slow roasted Buffalo Chuck Roast.  Cooked over 6 hours with shallots, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, in Cabernet Sauvignon.  Reduce the wine broth from the roast, saute sliced portabello mushooms and add the reduction.  To serve with this rich fair a bold full bodied well aged Zin.

 

This is a wonderful Russian River Valley Zinfandel from one of my favorite winery/vineyards in Sonoma county.  The nose berry, cedar, coffee, loam.  A dense perfume not overpowering, it develops as the wine opens up.  The taste is a bright fruit with nice tart acidic middle, numbing tannin that lasts and lasts.  94, Zin aging well.

 

Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
he nose is a soft blackberry with a herbal overtone, charcoal.  The taste runs to a tart fruit with long tannin finish.  85 not my favorite silver oak.

Italian Sausage, shallots, asperegus:

 

The wines:

 

The Trimbach is a wine that grows on you as you drink it, the nose is very citric and tight, you can smell the tartness and acidic flavor to come.  The taste is citric and tart, long acidic finish, best drank with a rich food, or sweet fruit.  90 tart, interesting, fresh.

 

Those nose on this still young Zin is huge,  Blackberry, White Pepper, ripe fruit, Tobacco.  But the taste will wow you, sweet vibrant fruit, tart structure and solid finish that is long lasting and memorable.  93 My favorite Wilson Zin

 

The 2005 vintage of this cabernet is one of my favorite value Cabernet Sauvignons so little surprise that the 2006 is even better.  The nose is a light raspberry, loam and fresh fruit.  The taste is solid fruit, structured from beginning to end with a long tannin finish.  93, great value wine

The next night couple of new ones:

 

Avalon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
The nose is rather closed , but the taste is not a nice full fruit, middle and tannin filled finish.  This value Cabernet is solid 88, drink it now and enjoy.

 

This is a light un-oaked chardonnay from Burgundy, very light colored with a nose of citrus, grass, acid.  The taste is sweet fruit to acidic finish tart and refreshing.  87, nice white burgundy value.

Dinner was Pork tenderlion and a old friend:

 

Argyle Spirit House Pinot Noir 2005. 

2nd taste 2/2/2010, this wine has cellared well, is well into the 94 rnage now.  Its taste sweet and suductive, ample fruit, chewey middle and long finish.

This Pinot Noir is suppose to be the best reserve Argyle makes.  The pour show a well aged wine with and orangish tint.  The nose is blackberry and cherry fruit, earth and dried flowers.  The taste is fruit forward, cherry and  , a tart middle with a long pepper finish. 

94, you'll like this if you can find it.

 

After dinner a Swanson Merlot rounded out the eveing

 

This Napa Merlot is inky purple with a thick and heavy body.  The nose floats to blackberry, cassis,  with a touch of pepper.  The taste is a full flavored fruit with an acidic middle, mild tannin but lasting finish running onto 30 seconds.  92, good buy, good flavors

Tonight was a bright villages White Burgundy

 

This is a nice French Village white Burgundy from the Southern Maccinnais area is un-oaked and very tasty.  The nose is citrus and tart sweet fruit.  Its taste is a tart acidic fruit, fresh, citrus, grapefruit.  This would be wonderful with shellfish, fruit, rich sweet white sauces.  88, nice inexpensive white Burgundy.

Lamb chops with a really nice Shiraz from down under

 

This is the upper end of the Penfolds Shiraz line, the wine is inky with a brown cast to it.  It has aged well and ready for drinking.  The nose is fruit, loam, berry, it is strong a vibrant.  The tasting shows a spicy tart fruit and a very long acidic finish with a mellow tannin.  It gets better and more open with each moment out of the bottle. 93 well worth a taste

After a nice dinner of top sirlion pepper steak and grilled Portabello mushrooms with my favorite Cabernet Sauvignon.  We pulled the cork on a bottle of Chateauneauf-du-Pape: Here's the review of both:

 

 

Mas de BoisLauzon Chateauneuf-du-pape 2007
This is a nice little French Grenache from Chateauneauf-du-Pape.  The nose is reserved and shows slightly green fruit, but the taste is well rounded and opens up as the wine gains breath.  It is fresh berry  with a smooth middle with a short tense tannin.  88, okay looking for better

 

The color denotes a well aged wine a lovely scarlet to purple.  The nose is black and red fruit with a touch of loam.  The taste is sweet smoothness with complexity of fruit, tannins and oak.  The finish is long full of tannins.  This is the best Californian cab I’ve had in awhile.  It’s crisp, memorable and well crafted. 98 My favorite Cabernet, worth every penny

We didn't have this with dinner tonight, which says a lot about this bright irresistable red.  It stands by itself but will shine even brighter with Steak or Lamb.  Here's the review, cheers.

 

This was one of the outstanding zins we tried on the winter wine road in Sonoma county.  This outstanding Zin is from a very small family vineyard in the Russian river valley.  The Davis family makes unique and wonderful wines, Alex Davis the wine hit the mark this year.  The nose of this Zinfandel is expansive, with a bright berry, pepper and earth.  The taste is a knockout for a young wine,  a sweet chewy fruit filled front end, with a huge acidic structure and a tannin and finish that stretches to a full minute.  Don’t expect to see this wine in stores, but the winery does sell direct.  94 I bought 3 bottles
 

Cracked open two of the wines from Sonoma tonight, really fine from very small winery/vinyard.  So here they are"

 

 

This is a really good syrah from the Russian River Valley.  We bought this bottle after tasting at the winery during the Winter Wine road festival.  It was even better at home paired with smoked/peppered salmon, sharp cheddar cheeses and seared sea scallops.  The nose is very expressive of berry, fresh fruit and sweetness.  The taste is a fruit up front wine with a very nice acidic middle and fine tannic ending.  The Balance of the syrah is close to perfection for the varietal, not like some of the fruit bombs that are out there, this refined and elegant, 173 cases produced  92, get it while they last. A Paula Favorite.

 

 

This wine was picked up at the winery at UNTI in Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley.  The nose on this wine is slightly closed with a acid fruit, earthy .  The taste is a reserved fruit with acidic tart middle and finish.  Very nice  with strong cheddar cheeses, chocolate etc.  This is a Paula favorite.  88, well with the diversion.

 

Tonight we're doing flat iron steak, and the wine is a French merlot, cabernet franc from 2005, here's what I thought:

 

Chateau d'Aiguilhe Querre Cotes de Castillon Bordeaux 2005

 

This is a dark inky wine 80% merlot and 20% Cab Franc.  It needs to breath after opening for the nose to pick up.  The nose is mineral and berry, a touch of vanilla and loam.  The taste is a nice fruit with a structured middle, the tannin tingles the tongue and is very long lasting.  Nice merlot from bordeaux, 90 good but will ripen more with age.

Tonight was lamb chops grilled with steamed Veggies and green salad.  But the wine was special, a Chateau Montelena, The Montelena Estate Zinfandel 2004:  Here's the review:

 

This well aged Napa Valley Zin has a excellent nose of fresh berry and oak.  The color is a light garnet of a well aged red wine.  The tasting reveals a fruit forward wine, with tart cranberry type structure to a firm tannin finish that is both long lasting and begs for red meat, fatty salami, lamb, sharp cheese.  94, Most things this good are illegal.

 

Cheers

Just getting time to start updating the site again, lot's of things to start adding, and you may see format changes to the newest version of share point this year.  What's happening and new worth mentioning.  I've had two trips to Bandon Dunes already this year, a wine road weekend in Healdsburg tasting wine and buying what we liked.  I'll try to write these adventures up over the next month or so.  But until then I let you know my favorite wineries visited on the trip to Sonoma county.  Sunce Winery, Hook and Ladder, Porter Creek,  Sbragia, Wilson, Joseph Swann. 

 

To name a few.  

 

Until then

 

Cheers