November Wines

Just a few wines to get to the Holidays

No picture - sorry

2013 Patterson Cellars Syrah Sirah, Red Mountain, Washington

Dusty tannins frame this inky purple, full-bodied wine led by characters of blueberry and blackberry with hints of black and white pepper carried on the long finish.

Nicely peppery with lots of red fruit. Nice blend of dusky Petite Sirah and the spicy Syrah. Very enjoyable.

2013 Flora Springs Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California

From the Winery; Our Napa Valley Chardonnay combines the enticing characteristics of three highly renowned sub-appellations within Napa Valley: Oakville, Carneros, and St. Helena. Blending fruit from the warmer appellations on the valley floor and the cool, rolling hills of Carneros allows us to craft a Chardonnay with great intensity and restraint. This bottling balances shimmering bright acidity with the full-bodied, concentrated fruit flavors found in grapes sourced from our sustainably farmed vineyards. Aged 8 months in 15% oak barrels, 22% oak ovals, 63% stainless steel tanks. Our 2013 vintage shows rich aromas of juicy green pear and candied ginger with a hint of crème fraiche and vanilla bean. The palate is bright and crisp, bursting with juicy Granny Smith apples and lemongrass. An underlying creaminess - reminiscent of fresh baked brioche - adds warmth to this crisp, refreshing Chardonnay, which finishes with spicy notes of cinnamon and nutmeg.

A nicely put together Chard – some oak but a lot of juicy green apple and hints of citrus. Nice finish, too. On sale for around $15 makes it even better.

2007 Chateau Larose Trintaudon Cru Bourgeois, Haut Medoc, France

Beautiful ruby color with violet hues. A rich array of aromas from the spicy: black pepper and menthol hints, to the fruity: wild black currant and blackberry scents. Great roundness and fullness as well as superb tannic structure and balance. A fi ne, clear-cut, homogeneous wine where ripe fruit is present from beginning to end. The silky finish with excellent length. A truly enjoyable wine!

2010 Chateau Larose Trintaudon Cru Bourgeois, Haut Medoc, France

Beautiful dark ruby color with quite an intense bouquet bringing together aromas of red ripe berries (raspberry) as well as spicier vanilla notes. On the palate the wine is incredibly round with a dense tannic structure, yet not overly massive. Great freshness finished off by slight mineral undertones and a silky texture. Without a doubt the best Larose Trintaudon of these last 25 years! Please decant two hours before tasting. To be enjoyed by 2020.

OK – got to do a Vintage tasting with the wine group. We had these two years of this wine. The 2007 started out a little chunky and not quite together. The 2010, typical of the vintage, was vewry smooth and well structured. After a day on the counter with a cork in it, the 2007 reallly smoothed out and was a great compliment to a meal. The 2010 stayed about the same, not really getting better, but not worse. The tannin level dipped a little, but it was still there on the finish. Nice to let a large group try something like this and the next two wines.

2009 Chateau Paloumy, Cru Bourgeois, Haut Medoc, France

Wine Enthusiast 92

"With a blend that is half Cabernet Sauvignon, half Merlot, this is as rich as the year. The weight of fruit is borne by sweet tannins and layers of wood toast. There is a very dense dusty texture along with fine acidity and final blackberry fruit. It is for aging over the next 45 years."

2012 Chateau Paloumy, Cru Bourgeois, Haut Medoc, France

In the south of Haut-Médoc, near Bordeaux, Paloumey has been revived as a vineyard in the last 20 years. This 2012 is full of ripe black fruits, aged in new wood with its mint flavors. It has a good tannic structure, so it will age well. Drink from 2017

Another moderate priced Bordeaux trying two vintages side by side. Both were good years – the 2009 was drinking great. The 2012 seemed a little more closed, not seeming to reach its full potential. Several days after opening, the 2009 still shined bright; the 2012 just seemed to stay put. There were some tannins, but neither is a real tannin bomb.  Both of these 2 French wines can be found from $18 to 25 range. Nice little bottles to have with a meal and feel like you are splurging.

2014 Dry Creek Fume Blanc. Sonoma County, California

"At first swirl, this beautiful wine emanates the classic Dry Creek Vineyard “house” style of Sauvignon Blanc with crisp lemon-lime citrus characters and a zesty mineral edge. Several more turns of the glass reveal tart green apple, fresh grass and a steely quality that harkens to a good Sancerre. On the palate, the wine dances with wonderful bright fresh fruit notes and juicy acidity. The wine is bone dry but not overly so - it has a lovely intensity that finishes clean and pure. A wonderful wine that is simply delicious!"

Sauvignon Blanc is one of my least favorite wines. It doesn’t do much for me – whether it is oaked, unoaked, from New Zealand or anywhere. That being said, this was a rather nice $13 bottle to have with Turkey. The acidity matched with food very well and the flavors were good; not too much citrus and grass.  I could have this again, only under $10, if possible…

Hope you enjoyed - till next time, Keep popping those corks and I'll meet you out behind the grapevines.