January 2018 - Another Year of Wine
Weather can't make up it's mind
2009 Passalacqua
Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, Ca
Tasting Notes
The 2009 vintage of Block Two shows an intriguing note of cola
on the nose, deepening into dark, luscious black plum flavors on the palate.
The fruit is complemented by toasted oak, nice acidity and smooth tannins
softened by two years of aging in Demptos French barrels. This is the perfect
companion to your Cabernet dishes such as crispy roasted duck with plum glaze.
Gift from my Brother
– a very nice bottle of Sonoma Cabernet. Just enough bottle age to have smooth
tannins, with a nice fruit flavor throughout the moderate finish. Very nice.
2013 d’Arneberg GSM Stump Jump, McLaren Vale,
Australia
Winemaker Notes
From raspberry and rhubarb to cedar and soot. Aromas jump
unimpeded from the glass. The medium weighted palate is similarly expressive,
its impressive array of fruit given lift and vibrancy by an equally
scintillating line of acidity. Towards the finish, chalky tannins sweep across
the tongue, adding savouriness and crunch. Bright Grenache, earthy Shiraz, and
spicy Mourvedre marry harmoniously in this ever popular GSM.
Blend: 48% Grenache, 27% Shiraz, 25% Mourvedre
Critical Acclaim RP 89 Robert
Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2013 The Stump Jump
Grenache / Shiraz / Mourvèdre displays a gorgeous kirsch, black raspberry and
dried mint-scented nose with hints of anise and roses. Medium-bodied, it packs
in the spicy berry coulis flavors with soft, velvety tannins and an herbal lift
on the long finish.
As always, a steady
fun wine that gives good fruit, nuances of herbs and floral with a nice finish.
Used to drink o lot of this over the years, just haven’t done as much Aussie
wines as I used to. I want to say it was on sale for$10, well worth the money.
2015 Le Monde
Cabernet Franc Grave, Friuli, Italy
Grapes / Soils Cabernet
Franc Planted 1980 Clay and Calcareous 3 ha
The Wine Vineyard
Profile Soil
Composition: Argilaceous, Calcareous
Training Method:
Guyot Elevation
(feet): 60
Exposure: North South Year Vineyard Planted: 1980
Harvest Notes Harvest
Time: Early October First vintage of this wine: 2008
Fermentation Container:
Stainless steel Length of alcoholic
fermentation: 18 days
Aging container:
Stainless steel & Oak barrel. 30-40% of the wine is aged in a
combination of first and second passage barrique, 9 HL tonneau and 50 HL French
oak barrels for 4-6 months.
Winemaker's Notes
Color: Intense red ruby with garnet tints.
Nose: Rich, persistent bouquet with intense hints of jam,
good intensity, balanced.
Flavor: Elegant, aromatic and highly persistent. Light in
the mouth, with good expansion and acidity enabling good balance.
Somewhat light bodied
wine – flavors were pleasant but not memorable. Priced around $15, a maybe…
2015 Fabre Montmayou
Reserve Cabernet Franc, Mendoza, Argentina
About the Wine
Cabernet Franc has traditionally been used in small amounts
as a blending grape in Mendoza, adding a savory component to Malbec based
bottlings. In recent years winemakers have realized that Mendoza’s terroir is
fantastic for the varietal as it is warm enough to fully ripen the grape thus
avoiding pyrazine (green) flavors, yet cool enough at night to preserve
complexity and balance.
This bottling comes from vines in the high altitude
sub-district of Agrelo, and Decanter magazine called Fabre’s Cabernet Franc
Reserva the “Best Example of New World Cabernet Franc under $20" at their
2014 World Wine Awards.
Vintage: 2015 | Wine Type: Red Wine
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Origin: Argentina | Appellation: Vistalba, Lujan de Cuyo,
Mendoza
Elaboration: Hand picked grapes harvested from April 15th -
April 18th. 60% of the wine was aged in French oak barrels for 12 months
Winemaker: Hervé J. Fabre
Tasting Notes
A brilliant, crunchy wine with aromas of mint and black
fruit. There's so much energy here with a flood of sweet black fruit flavours.
Very precise with enormous length and silky tannins. A rich expression.
This was a very nice
Cab Franc – fairly long flavors of red and black fruit with herbs scattered
throughout. Moderate finish – nice wine for about $15.
2015
Steele Cabernet Franc, Lake County, CA
Aromas are of raspberry and cassis with peppery undertones, on the
palate you will find blueberry and raspberry fruit, with notes of coffee and
cocoa; medium tannins and a lingering finish
The richly tannic texture of this full-bodied, well-balanced wine
makes it a pleasure to sip, supporting ripe fruit flavors and a generous dash
of oak spice. Concentration, layering and depth all add to the enjoyment.
Broader nose on the
wine, the aromas are followed by the flavor of raspberry and blueberry with
mocha and some spice undertones. Mild tannins and a moderate finish – very nice
bottle at around $20.
2013 Domaine De
Pallus, Les Pensees de Pallus, Chinon, Loire Valley, France
2013 Domaine de Pallus Chinon Pensees de Pallus is a dark
ruby-colored. The 2013 Chinon Les
Pensées de Pallus Cabernet Franc offers a nicely matured and sweet red fruit
aroma intertwined with floral aromas like licorice and violets, but also
crystalline or earthy/vegetal flavors. Silky-textured, fresh and vital, with a
stunning finesse and charming sweetness, this is a pretty Burgundian Chinon
with a long and aromatic, seriously concentrated finish.
This Cab Franc had
that hint of violet in it that I find very attractive. It had red fruits with
hints of earthiness on a moderate long finish with integrated tannins. Costs
around $20, very nice bottle.
2012 Chateau de Saint
Cosme Gigondas Saint Cosme, France
Winemaker Notes
Gigondas 2012 is very good. It contains the typical
freshness of a good Saint Cosme and it will age well. It is well built. It is
complex and it shines like the wine that gets good acidity. On the nose you
will get nice red fruits such as strawberry and raspberry with underlying
qualities of violets and white pepper.
Critical Acclaim RP 92 Robert
Parker's Wine Advocate
Moving to the releases in barrel, the 2012 Gigondas (60%
Grenache and the balance mostly Mourvedre, with some Syrah) has plenty of
potential, with juicy black raspberry, sweet spice, licorice and toasty notes
as well as medium to full-bodied richness and depth on the palate. Nicely
balanced, it shows the purity of the vintage, as well as a relatively
approachable style that should allow it to drink nicely on release.
I have always loved
the wine from Gigondas; more like a poor man’s Chateaunuf-de-Pape. I got this
closed out under $20 – it was a great bottle that went so well with beef. Still
has a long finish with mild tannins - the fruit is still holding up well and
the nuances of flavors are just awesome. You ought to get some
Well, I hope you survive Flu Season. Meanwhile, keep popping those corks and I'll meet you out behind the grapevines...
