This week’s selection:
Winery: King Estate
Varietal: Pinot Gris
Price Paid: $14.99
Vintage: 2007
Area: Oregon
Alcohol: 13%
Purchased: Meijer
Overall: What a great wine for the price! Citrus, peach, melon, mineral, acidity - delightful. Still drank well after 3-4 days. If you are not familiar with Pinot Gris it is of the Pinot family and can make full-bodies whites that are soft and aromatic and can also be heavily extracted. Think pink skin grape version of Pinot Noir. It does extremely well in Oregon (obviously as does Pinot Noir). Known as Pinot Grigio in Italy, Malvoisie in the Loire,… Seriously, get away from Chardonnay for a moment and try this.
Reviews:
K & L Wines (Out of San Francisco, one of my favorite wine shops in the world. I ordered off of them often before Michigan outlawed it.)
92 points Wine & Spirits: "This elegant Gris leads with a leesy pear scent, accented by a floral note that recalls lilac. Its flavors fall between pear and pear skin, with a faint bitter almond note that gives it the firmness for pork loin." (06/09)
90 points Wine Spectator: "Light and silky, shining a vivid beam of lemon, melon and pear flavors through the persistent finish. Drink now through 2011." (05/09)
Rich and honeyed like an Alsatian Pinot Gris, Oregon's 2007 King Estate Pinot Gris is flaxen-hued with a nose redolent of melon, pineapple, pear, sweet white flowers and baking spice. In the mouth it is like morning dew, with tropical and stone fruit flavors and clean, refreshing acidity.
Winemaker’s Notes:
Appearance: Golden straw with brilliant highlights. Aroma: Ripe peach, sweet grapefruit, blood orange and tropical fruits. Mouthfeel: Lively flavors of Rio Star grapefruit, orange zest, kiwi and pear.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Panarroz Jumilla 2006
This week’s selection:
Winery: Panarroz
Varietal: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre,
Price Paid: $9.99
Vintage: 2006
Area: Murcia Region, Jumilla Appellation, Spain
Alcohol: 14%
Purchased: Whole Foods Market
Overall: I am still amazed that you can get real wine for under $10. This is real wine - Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre (also know as GSM) blend with an unusual nose (a little electric motor smell), spice, tannins and some acidity.
I would buy the Venta Morales at $8.99 or the Sacred Stone # 5 Cab before this but this is not a bad wine for the price. Will absolutely not be for everyone. Try it for something different. 90 points as reviewed below seems a bit ridiculous. By the way pan means bread and arroz means rice… Spain, Argentina, New Zealand and Montepulciano in Italy have some great bargains.
Reviews:
90 points from Robert Parker: "An amazing bargain from Spain, this blend of mourvèdre, grenache, and syrah bursts with plum, blackberry, and licorice-infused fruit. There is a bit of pepper as well, and the wine is silky, soft, and opulent. Serve it at a barbecue... Years ago I wrote in The Wine Advocate that Dan Kravitz was perhaps the top U.S. importer of wines priced under $10 a bottle. Even though the dollar bought a lot more then, Kravitz still has a knack for finding good wines at great prices."
Winery: Panarroz
Varietal: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre,
Price Paid: $9.99
Vintage: 2006
Area: Murcia Region, Jumilla Appellation, Spain
Alcohol: 14%
Purchased: Whole Foods Market
Overall: I am still amazed that you can get real wine for under $10. This is real wine - Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre (also know as GSM) blend with an unusual nose (a little electric motor smell), spice, tannins and some acidity.
I would buy the Venta Morales at $8.99 or the Sacred Stone # 5 Cab before this but this is not a bad wine for the price. Will absolutely not be for everyone. Try it for something different. 90 points as reviewed below seems a bit ridiculous. By the way pan means bread and arroz means rice… Spain, Argentina, New Zealand and Montepulciano in Italy have some great bargains.
Reviews:
90 points from Robert Parker: "An amazing bargain from Spain, this blend of mourvèdre, grenache, and syrah bursts with plum, blackberry, and licorice-infused fruit. There is a bit of pepper as well, and the wine is silky, soft, and opulent. Serve it at a barbecue... Years ago I wrote in The Wine Advocate that Dan Kravitz was perhaps the top U.S. importer of wines priced under $10 a bottle. Even though the dollar bought a lot more then, Kravitz still has a knack for finding good wines at great prices."
Monday, December 14, 2009
Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Winery: Robert Mondavi Winery
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Price Paid: $22
Vintage: 2006
Area: Oakville, Napa Valley
Alcohol: 15%
Purchased: Meijer
Overall: Nice Cab, would go well with red meat, I think it will get better with age. Actually liked better the second day which bodes well for aging. Would absolutely decant. Still not a big fan of high alcohol 15%+ cabs (with a few exceptions).
Reviews:
Wine Advocate December 2008 issue
Rated 90 points
"Slightly superior to the 2005, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa possesses a dark ruby/purple color as well as a creme de cassis, spice box, and floral-scented bouquet, and a medium to full-bodied finish. A strong effort, it should drink nicely for 12-15 years."
Tasting Notes - Deep and dense with seamless layers of blackberry, black plum, cassis, and cedar and soft, well-integrated tannins. Spicy oak accents from barrel aging.
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Rated 89 points
"Medium red-ruby. Aromas of black cherry, currant, menthol, licorice, minerals and tobacco, plus a whiff of super-ripeness. Plump, broad and smooth, with an early sweetness making this accessible from the outset. Combines good weight and freshness."
Wine Spectator - November 15, 2009 issue
Rated 88 points
"Elegant, mixing ripe currant, herb, anise and mineral notes."
Winery: Robert Mondavi Winery
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Price Paid: $22
Vintage: 2006
Area: Oakville, Napa Valley
Alcohol: 15%
Purchased: Meijer
Overall: Nice Cab, would go well with red meat, I think it will get better with age. Actually liked better the second day which bodes well for aging. Would absolutely decant. Still not a big fan of high alcohol 15%+ cabs (with a few exceptions).
Reviews:
Wine Advocate December 2008 issue
Rated 90 points
"Slightly superior to the 2005, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa possesses a dark ruby/purple color as well as a creme de cassis, spice box, and floral-scented bouquet, and a medium to full-bodied finish. A strong effort, it should drink nicely for 12-15 years."
Tasting Notes - Deep and dense with seamless layers of blackberry, black plum, cassis, and cedar and soft, well-integrated tannins. Spicy oak accents from barrel aging.
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Rated 89 points
"Medium red-ruby. Aromas of black cherry, currant, menthol, licorice, minerals and tobacco, plus a whiff of super-ripeness. Plump, broad and smooth, with an early sweetness making this accessible from the outset. Combines good weight and freshness."
Wine Spectator - November 15, 2009 issue
Rated 88 points
"Elegant, mixing ripe currant, herb, anise and mineral notes."
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