That was one short Month - February

Time for a little Wine!

2013 St Paul’s Pinot Grigio Alto Adige, Italy

90 Points

This full-bodied wine is loaded with sensations of fragrant white flowers, ripe tropical fruit, juicy yellow peach and tart green apple. The creamy palate is brightened by fresh acidity and energizing mineral notes. It's well balanced, with more depth than most other Pinot Grigios.

Variety  Pinot Grigio, Pinot Grigio/Gris

Appellation  Alto Adige, Northeastern Italy, Italy

Winery  St. Pauls

I don’t drink a lot of whites and I usually steer away from what’s the current rage. This wine is a very good Pinot Grigio (or Pinot Gris) with a lot of body, a full palate and very nice depth. I got it on close-out at $10 – well worth buying several bottles to have on hand for guests. Perfect for spring and summer sipping.

2013 Ludovicus Garnacha Terra Alta, Spain

This mineral, spicy Mediterranean red drinks like a wine two times its price. It is produced from organically grown grapes in the high elevation Terra Alta region. These high lands are located just 45 minutes south of Barcelona in the mountains of Tarragona overlooking the Mediterranean. Ludovicus pays tribute to the roman heritage of this region. The Romans planted vineyards in this area during the 3rd century. Terra Alta neighbors the acclaimed Priorat region. Just like in Priorat, Garnacha and Mazuelo (aka Cariñena, or Samsó) are the most commonly planted grapes. The Garnachas that grow in Terra Alta are among the finest in Spain due to three factors: the elevation, the limestone soil and the plethora of old vine that Terra Alta possesses.

"An amazing wine, it shows boisterous and exuberant black cherry/kirsch liqeur notes, medium to full body, terific purity and exuberance."

Region: Catalunya, Spain
Grapes: 100% Garnacha
Vintage: 2013

Another real nice inexpensive Spanish wine. For my money, old vine garnacha is hard to beat. Good body, lively acidity to go with lots of different foods and nice juicy red fruit flavors in a bottle priced around $10-11.

2015 Left Coast Cellar White Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon

Famed for its diversity to complement nearly any food pairing, our White Pinot Noir is a peoples favorite. Limited skin contact gives the White Pinot Noir its pristine clarity. The wine itself is perfumed with fresh scents and mirrored flavors of Ranier cherry, peach and poached pear.  Rich and broad with bright, balancing acidity on the palate and a lingering mineral finish.

A surprising white wine – we had this as a salad wine at a tasting of Pinot Noir. Nice body, good fruit, kinda like a red wine without color. Little pricy in the $20-25 range, but a fun wine to try if you get the chance.

2014 Zorzal Eggo Pinot Noir Tupangato, Argentina

This hand harvested, single vineyard from Gualtallary is 100% Pinot Noir and is completely un-oaked to let the fruit driven quality of the wine shine. Bright red fruits, predominantly raspberry, jump out of the glass with gamey notes, cola, dried leaves, and forest floor. The mouthfeel is rich, soft, and supple with light tannin and medium acidity. The chalky soil comes through in the long finish, great with or without food.

This was decent, but had a bit of earth with it. Not real bad sweat sox, but enough that it carried over into the aftertaste. The wine is aged in concrete eggs (hence the Eggo) and isn’t bad, but a little much at $18-25 range.

2015 Jules Taylor Pinot Noir Marlborough, New Zealand

This Pinot Noir is very generous on the nose, showing vibrant aromas of dark cherry, raspberry and plum combined with spicy oak notes. It has an impressive concentration of flavour and a nice acid backbone. The finish is dry with a nice touch of dark chocolate and subtle French oak coming through.

Fragrant and ebullient, with caramel and vanilla bean accents to the core of ripe black cherry and plum flavors, balanced by velvety tannins and dark chocolate nuances. Expressive and generous on the long finish. Drink now through 2026. 93/100 Points. Wine Spectator

This was a good New Zealand pinot – dark cherry flavors –aged in oak and stainless steel to give a hint of oak, but not overpowering the finesse of the pinot grape. Priced in the $18-20 range, this was the winner of the evening of Pinot noirs. Of course, it has a screw cap.

2015 Refugio Pinot Noir Casablanca Valley, Chile

93 points James Suckling

 Cedar, strawberry, flower, light iodine, and oyster shell. Medium to full body, silk tannins and a juicy finish. Shows soul. From Alsace's Andrew Ostertag and Julio Donoso... Made from biodynamic grown grapes.  (5/2016)

If you found your way to this product description, let's say accidentally, and you're not one of the people hip to this project, here is some quick info: Andre Ostertag helps to make the wine. Vineyards are composed of granite. Professional photographer/proprietor Julio Donoso is putting some truly interesting cooler climate Pinot Noir out there, and we strongly recommend you try it. Fermentation and ageing takes place in concrete eggs. No steel, no barrels, just huevos concretos.

This Pinot noir has a lot of Chile style “funk” with it. Suckling says light iodine, it’s a lot heavier to me. It blows off after a while (from the nose) but there is a bit of barnyard on the back end.  Some strawberry and cherry flavors but not a real great wine for my money. ($25 range…)

2014 Saracco Pinot Noir Piedmonte, Italy

Saracco Pinot Nero combines the traditional delicate bouquet of red berries and a velvety taste with good acidity, round body, complex structure and high persistence on the palate.

Vinification is in stainless steel tanks, refining in 225 liter barriques and then in big barrels for 12-14 months. After bottling, the wine is aged for an additional 6 months before releasing. 13.5 Alcohol

Recommended Food: Goes well with grilled salmon, braised rabbit, pasta with porcini mushrooms as well as roasted duck

Pinot Nero is Italian for Pinot Noir – this little bottle was very tasty – showed red berries and dark cherry on the palate and had a nice nose with moderate aftertaste. Not a bad wine for the $20 range – again, Pinot is not my grape.

2014 Fatum Bobal Tempranillo LaMancha, Spain

Grapes: 50% Bobal, 50% Tempranillo

Vintage: 2014

Color: Red

Vinous             89

(raised entirely in stainless steel tanks): Bright violet color. Lively redcurrant and cherry on the nose and palate, with a mineral nuance emerging as the wine opens in the glass. Conveys good depth and focus without any excess fat; a spicy note contributes back-end cut. Notes of fresh red berries and spices carry through a zesty, gently tannic finish that's sharpened by juicy acidity. 2016 – 2019

Another fun wine from Spain – Bobal is a formerly rustic grape that they kept for themselves – made cheaply, overcropped and quickly made. Then someone decided the grape could make a nice wine and here we are. This example is half anf half – a very good example of affordable and tasty wine. Cherry and red fruits cut through the flavor – good acidity and the hints of mineral make it go well with a variety of foods. Well worth the $14-16 you can spend on it.

That’s it – until later, keep popping those corks and I’ll meet you out behind the grapevines!