Wines of April

April Showers bring...Flooding?

2014 J Lohr Syrah South Ridge Paso Robles, California 

WINEMAKER’S COMMENTS

Varietal aromas of plum, black tea and blueberry are lifted by barrel aging on the lees in a mix of American and French oak barrels. A touch of spicy white pepper on the palate opens up slowly to reveal baking spice and pomegranate fruit.

Pretty nice little syrah, pleasant fruit notes with a touch of spice. Not bad for the price – around $12.

2011 Balthus Tempranillo Rioja, Spain  

Very bright color of dark cherry red with brilliant flecks. In the nose it is fresh, clean with aromas of wild berries and also hints of nuts, spices, minerals, very complex and elegant. Full-bodied in the mouth, structured, powerful with a good balance between alcohol and acidity, between the fruit and the oak. Pleasing lingering finish.

Not a bad little wine, but not the best either. Made a best value selection, the fruit was decent, nice acidity – typical of Spanish Tempranillo- but not one I would stock – around $13.

2014 Southern Right Pinotage Hemel-en-arde, South Africa

Southern Right is re-defining Pinotage with this intense classically styled, clay-grown wine, packed with complex berry fruit, beautiful tannins and subtle wood spice.  Full ripeness and the longer hang-time afforded by cooler sites, combined with the complex, more classic fruit aromas and structure resulting from clay-rich soil, make this wine a highly individual expression of South Africa’s unique grape variety.

Nice Pinotage – this wine did not have that rubber tire aftertaste that often happens with the varietal. Turns out that extended maceration causes that, so modern wine makers are watching how long they leave the fruit and skins in the vat. Moderate nose, decent red berry fruit and a mild but pleasant aftertaste. Priced around $24.

2014 Kasteelberg Shiraz, Swartland, South Africa

A complex wine offering the upfront black fruit/berries of a New World Shiraz with spicy nuances on the nose. The palate is concentrated and balanced, showing dark fruit, sweet vanilla and spice.

New world style, but not over the top with berry flavors and aromas. Nicely balanced for food, but plenty of fruit to carry the wine. Available for under $20.

2014 Mulderbosch “Faithful Hound” Western Cape, South Africa

The wine’s appearance is marked by a vibrant, dense and purple hue. The nose exhibits berry fruit aromas of mulberries and blueberries, subtly framed by vanilla spice and earthy notes. Gentle structure and finesse combine to make the 2014 so attractive. It has good weight and richness, with layers of flavor, yet there is a really classic element to the fine grained tannins, providing a moreish, savory finish.

Blend: 32% Cabernet Franc, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 16% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot

Enjoyable Bordeaux blend from South Africa. A little restrained at the moment, but a pleasant wine that would grow with a few years bottle ageing. At a $20 price, a bottle you could keep or serve to your friends – the structure goes well with foods and has enough fruit and finesse to please the palate.

2014 Klein Constantia Estate Red, Western Cape, South Africa

Due to the warm and dry conditions we experienced in 2014, this vintage has great fruit expression. A lot of work and effort has been put into fine tuning our oak programme which is displayed in the delicate balance between fruit and oak in this wine.  2014 also sees the reintroduction of Shiraz to the Estate Red blend.

Intense red and black fruit with elegant notes of cinnamon spice on the nose. The palate is full bodied and savoury with a well-integrated oak component, ending with a long and rich finish.

A very nice Cabernet blend, the shiraz adds an extra layer to an intense wine. The nose indicates the red fruit core and the taste follows through with additional notes of mocha and vanilla. The tannins are integrated – there but not intrusive – allowing for several years of ageing, or enjoying right now. The wine that Napoleon drank on Elba is back and very enjoyable. Available under $30, a bottle worth buying and showing to you wineaux friends.

2015 Goru VerdeOrganic Monastrell, Jumilla, Spain

mouthfeel. Very soft and generous, with distinct notes of overripe blackberry, chocolate, violet and scrubland thyme. Levante sunshine in a glass!

Monastrell is originally from Spain but is now grown widely in France, where it is known as Mourvedre, and in Australia and California, where it is sometimes called Mataro. Its high tannins led the French to christen it, 'Etrangle-Chien' - the dog-strangler. As a variety it is drought-tolerant, late ripening and fickle. Unblended examples are rare outside of SE Spain.

This wine is all organic, but doesn’t carry the “greenness/earthiness” that often goes with the Spanish organic wines. Big broad flavors of dark fruit and mild tannins. Needs a hardy food or it will overpower an entrée. I enjoyed this wine and it was under $10 – buy a couple bottles for weeknight wine.

Well, another month has flown by - keep popping those corks and I'll meet you out behind the grapevines!

March Wines - No Time for "Madness"

Another Month and More Wines

Here are the wines I enjoyed this last month

2011 Masi Campofiorin Rosso Del Veronese Italy

Winemaker's Notes

Fruity cherry and plum aromas, with vanilla, cinnamon and spice notes. Shows sublime, soft tannins on the palate, with fresh acidity. Finish is long and persistent, with ripe fruit flavors and a touch of sweet spiciness. This very versatile wine is perfect with various foods, including pasta with rich meat- or mushroom-based sauces, grilled or roasted red meats, game and mature cheeses.

Blend: 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara.

Critical Acclaim  RP91

The Wine Advocate - "The 2011 Campofiorin is an IGT Rosso del Veronese executed in a Ripasso style that sees a double fermentation on Amarone skins. Campofiorin is a wine that is dear to my heart because it has long been one of my top drinking choices while sitting by the fireplace on a cold winter's night. It offers Ripasso intensity with brooding dark fruit nuances followed by a dense, chewy build. "

Points of distinction

Created in 1964 using what Hugh Johnson called an “ingenious technique,” Masi's original interpretation of ancient Veronese “refermentation”

Masi’s double fermentation process enriches the wine’s color, extract, tannins and alcohol to bring new aromas and flavors

The orginal "Supervenetian," can age 15-20 years

I got this on close out around $13 – what can I say. I love the Ripasso style wine – where the must from the Amarone wine is put in with the Corvina blend to add extra depth of flavor. I didn’t age it more than a week in my cellar because it called to me, with a pasta meat dish I made for dinner. Very good, still had considerable length and hearty fruit. Nice finish – one of my Italian favorites for deep red wine.

2010 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages, Sonoma County, California

Winemaker's Notes

The 2010 Cinq Cépages is a stunning color in the glass, deep ruby with a subtle violet colored rim. Layered aromas are vivid; black plum, blackberry compote, clove spice, tanned leather and a hint of fresh tobacco leaf. Secondary aromas of raspberry and spiced cherry mingle with notes of violet and pomegranate. The aromas lead to an incredibly juicy palate with flavors of blueberry, cherry and blackberry. Nuanced flavors of espresso and a distinct mocha component add to the complexity. The full-bodied wine has smooth, silky tannins that offer solid structure but do not overwhelm. The wine is plush and approachable yet complex and appealing in the glass. In signature Cinq Cépages form, this wine combines the strength of the diverse Sonoma County region to create a well-balanced, complex and powerful wine.

Blend: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec

Critical Acclaim  WS93  Wine Spectator - "An authentic Bordeaux-style expression from Sonoma. Firm, dense and muscular, with a tight core of vivid blackberry, spice, cedar, loamy earth, black olive and cigar box notes, framed by tight, ripe, gripping tannins that extend the flavors. The finish impresses with purity, focus and complexity. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Drink now through 2026."

RP92 The Wine Advocate - "Far superior is their flagship offering for Bordeaux varietal blends, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cepages, which is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot. It possesses a deep ruby/purple color along with notes of cranberry sauce, black cherries, black currants, dusty, loamy soil, unsmoked cigar tobacco and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied and rich with light tannins as well as a textured mouthfeel, there are 7,000 cases of this beauty that can be enjoyed over the next 10-12 years"

A gift for the Holidays, I held onto this bottle a while. It would have held for a number of years – there was still some tannic grip in the bottle. The nose opened nicely while the French style blend was a mouth full of fruits, spice, cedar – many nuanced flavors that changed as the bottle stayed open. Well worth the acclaim, though out of my usual price range. A good bottle for special occasions and friends.

2013 Renegade Wine Company Red Wine Columbia Valley, Washington

glad to know that we made enough this year to last more than 5 months! We could have called this wine a Cabernet, since it is 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, and 2% Petit Verdot. It certainly drinks like a Washington State Cabernet based blend, with lots of red and black fruits, scents of loamy minerality, and fine grained tannins that are matched with balanced acidity. Like all the Renegade wines, this drinks as well as something twice as expensive. Certainly a candidate to buy by the case! Don’t hesitate, be a Renegade!

The lesser priced offerings from the Sleight of Hand Cellar folks. Price is under $13, not bad for an inexpensive wine. Fruit holds up pretty well, light finish – I think they are changing the labels on upcoming vintages. Worth a try as a school night wine.

2015 Sleight of Hand The Spellbinder, Columbia Valley, Washington

Our 2015 Spellbinder is a dark, stunning, mouth coating blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 21% Cabernet Franc, sourced from some of the most sought after vineyards in Washington State, including some of our Estate Vineyards. Elegant and full bodied, while still approachable, it boasts fresh fruit aromas and flavors of black cherries, raspberries, and currants, with just a hint of cedar from older French oak barrels in which it was aged.

The winemaker made a visit to Kansas (Trey Busch - see below) and we sampled the wines with dinrer. This Cabernet blend was a very nice wine – full bodied but no heavy tannic grip. The touch of cedar/oak from older barrels really added to a moderate finish. Priced in the low to mid-20’s, a nice bottle of wine.

2014 Sleight of Hand The Conjurer Red Wine Columbia Valley, Washington

The 2014 Conjurer is a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. It was aged 12 months in 15% new French oak. Hailing mostly from Red Mountain Vineyard, Blue Mountain Vineyard, and Phinny Hill Vineyard, it shows tremendous weight and concentration from the warm vintage. With a gorgeous nose and flavor profile of red and black cherries, herbal notes from the Cabernet Franc, as well as savory spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, this Washington State Bordeaux-style blend will age gracefully over the next decade, but like most of our wines, will be delicious young. Like anything in life, The Conjurer is certainly best enjoyed with friends.

Another Cabernet based wine from SoH, this one is more intense and heavier. The tannins are well behaved, but the depth of this one is apparent from the first taste. The Cab Franc adds a nice note to the flavors – a very good blend of good fruit. Excellent buy for under $30. Oh, that is Neil Patrick Harris on the label!

2013 Sleight of Hand The Illusionist Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, Washington

89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot

The 2013 Illusionist is everything we dream of when we dream of Cabernet, it is dark, savory, and full bodied, while remaining balanced and elegant. This wine is aromatically compelling, filled with aromas of cedar, tobacco, graphite, and a hint of fennel and vanilla. Dark fruit notes of blackberry and cassis explode on entry, and are quickly followed up with dark cherry and savory herbal flavors that linger throughout the extended finish. The tannins are fine-grained and well integrated and provide structure that will reward an extended period in the cellar.

The full Cab from SoH. The nose took a little time to open but was very good with red fruits, oak and nuances of fennel (I know, I miss some of this a lot, but that stuck in my mind). The dark fruits in the mouth were big and broad, while the finish was moderately long and refined. There were tannins but they were well integrated into the fruit. A bottle that could be cellared for several years, it still drank very nicely with our meal. I can recommend this wine – price is around mid-40’s to mid-50’s and well worth that price.

Trey Busch          Co-Owner and Winemaker          Sleight of Hand Cellars

Trey remembers his very first concert like if was yesterday (Helix, Keel, and Accept at the Omni in Atlanta in 1984 if you are wondering). His love of music, especially Pearl Jam, is one of the reasons he ended up in the Pacific NW. After moving to Seattle in 1992 and working for Nordstrom for 8 years, Trey was offered the chance to move his family to Walla Walla and get into the wine business with the Dunham Cellars family. Eric Dunham, the winemaker and owner of Dunham Cellars, gave Trey the foundation for his winemaking and philosophy. Trey fell in love with the winemaking process on the first day of crush in September of 2000, and that journey led him to Sleight of Hand Cellars.

Trey is in charge of, and oversees, the winemaking, keeping his finger on the pulse of what is happening in the vineyards and cellar. He also shares the sales and marketing duties with Jerry, traveling to far-away places to spread the Sleight of Hand love around the country. Trey also is a world renowned Air Guitar player, and will often be found at a local karaoke bar belting out Tom Petty or Pearl Jam. He has two amazing daughters that he loves more than anything, and can't believe how lucky he is to have ended up in this business with Jerry and Sandy.

Very neat dude – Trey is a great guy to meet. He’d rather be home working than jetting around the country-side, but he is gracious and fun winemaker. Had to give him a plug…

2014 Cabriz Red Wine Doa Portugal

"Limpid, intense ruby. Fruity on the nose, being predominant in fresh red fruits, forest fruits jam, spices and toasted notes. Fruity palate smooth, elegant and harmonious." —winemaker

Wine Anthology review:

With just six months spent in French oak to give this 2014 a touch of spice box and cedar, this 2014 is all about the fruit, dropping in with perfumed, complex aromas of ripe black fruits and spiced redcurrant. It's suave and well-structured in the mouth with a dash of zesty white pepper to liven up the fruit to a super polished sheen. The juicy, spiced finish features a closing touch of tannin to wrap up each tasty sip.

Critic' Notes  #46, Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2016

"A crisp and minerally red, with concentrated flavors of dark cherry, roasted plum and dried raspberry, layered with rich, spicy notes. White chocolate details show on the finish, accented by hints of pepper. Drink now through 2020. 208,000 cases made. Best Value." —Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator

When you can get a bottle of the “Top 100” for $9, you jump at it. That is the good news. The rest of the news is that it isn’t bad, but lacks the depth you would expect. There was dark fruit flavors – I got no white chocolate – some toasted flavor but a pretty short finish. Decent acidity but best with a pork loin instead of a big chunk of steak. Yea, it’s worth the $10 price, just don’t expect miracles.

Well, that’s another month – Times flies while you’re having toast! I see you next time, until then keep popping those corks and I’ll meet you out behind the grapevines!