October Tasting Notes
Row Eleven
Civello Verdejo California
Blended with Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay from Clarksburg. Aromas of Peaches, Red Apples, very fruity. Racy acidity, great fro the summer. Finishes with orange rind and honeysuckle.
Retail $11
Row Eleven Vinas 3 Pinot Noir ’08
Sourced from Monterey, Santa Barbara and Sonoma. copper color, kind of oxidized. Aromas of violets, grapey, Medium body with forest floor, red fruits finishing with good acidity and floral flavors.
Retail $14
Row Eleven Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley ’07
Dark magenta color, Aromatic floral notes of roses and violets. Full bodied, silky and toasty oak notes. Finishes with earth and fruit.
Retail $24
Stratton Lummis Chardonnay Carneros ’09
100% Malolactic, 6 month sur lies, no oak. Aromas of Pear, Pineapple and oranges. Full Bodied, rich mouth-feel and mild acidity. Not sure if I am a fan, lacks acidity.
Retail $15
Stratton Lummis “The Riddler” Napa lot 1
8 different grapes, no vintage and no mention of what they might be, hence the Riddler. Aromas of Berries and cassis, blue fruits and a little heat from alcohol. Medium bodied with a zing of raspberries and roses.
Retail $15
Stratton Lummis Cabernet Sauvignon Napa ’08
Fruit is sourced from Rutherford and Oakville and blended with Petit Verdot. Plum, cassis, cocoa and cola aromas. Medium tannins, quaffable, and mild oak. Bright fruits with a long finish of vanilla, toast and leather. Good for the price.
Retail $18
Ventisquieros Carmenere Reserva Colchagua Valley Chile ’10
Plum and red fruit, spiced. Medium body with toasted notes of new oak and vanilla. There is a hint of green pepper coming through in the finish.
Retails $10
DeMartino Carmenere Reserva “Legado” Maipo Valley Chile ’08
more fruit forward than the previous. Black fruits and berries, with vanilla and warm baking spices. finishes with red fruit and good minerality.
Retail $15
Millebrandt Vineyards “Traditions” Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley Wa. ’09
Plum, oak and dark fruits. Mid palate is toasted, flavors of stone and anise, mint and more black fruits.
Retail $14
Karly “Pokerville” Zinfandel Amador County ’09
A zing of fruitiness, raspberries, berry bramble and floral flavors. Juicy red fruits fill the mouth and does not come across hot. A great value. Very rare to come across a decent Zinfandel in this price point.
Retail $12
Natura Carmenere Colchagua Valley Chile ’10
Organic project from Emiliana Winery. Aromas of brown sugar, green vegetables, cocoa. Red fruit and rhubarb pie. Soft in the mouth and not green in the palate. Lean with mild acidity.
Retail $9
Novas Carmenere/ Cabernet Sauvignon “Limited Selection” Colchagua Valley ’06
Organic from Emiliana Winery. Capscium pepper, black fruit and black berry. Medium body with soft tannins. Silky.
Retail $12
Coyam Colchagua Valley ’09
Emiliana Winery biodynamic and organic project. Blend of Syrah, Carmenere, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre & Petit Verdot. Coyam means oak, from trees in vineyard. Red Fruit, Blueberry, plums and violets. Fresh and prickly tannins. Medium body with toast, vanilla and cocao. Finishes with loamy minerals.
Retail $28
Chateau Tanunda Shiraz Grand Barossa ’07
Hand Picked, basket press and French barriques. Fruit forward with black berry, blue berry, violets and brown sugar aromas. full body and soft rounded tannins. Black pepper and chocolate flavors finishing silky.
Retail $14
Veuve Fourny & Fils 1er Cru Grand Reserve Brut Champagne N/V
Chardonnay and Pinot NOir with 3-4 grams dosage. Apple and Pears, with warm brioche aromas. Creamy mouth-feel with intense minerality and high acidity.
Retail $39
Veuve Fourny & Fils 1er Cru Blanc de Blanc Champagne N/V
Straw yellow color. Fresh aromatics, lemon creme brulee, hint of orange. Elegant and soft with good acidity, finishes with green apples.
Retail $39
J. Lassel 1er Cru Chigney-les-Roses Champagne N/V
60% Pinot Meunier, the rest is Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Three generations of female winemakers. Bottled, riddled and disgorged by hand. Aromas of green apple, bread, nutty and lime zest. Frsh minerals with a bitter orange peel flavor and sea shells. 2 grams dosage.
Retail $36
J. Lasselle “Cuvee Angeline” 1er Cru Champagne ’05
60% Pinot Noir & 40% Chardonnay. red apple, Bosc Pear. Soft and rich texture, finishes nutty with minerals.
Retail $55
J. Lasselle Brut Rose 1er Cru Chigney-les -Roses Champagne N/V
75% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay $ 10% Pinot Meunier. Pretty Pink color with aromas of strawberries and rose petals. Stoney minerals, good acidity and long floral finish.
Retails $49
Paul Bara Grand Cru Bouzy Brut Reserve Champagne N/V
Aromas of Brioche, green apples and stones. Small concentrated bubbles. Explodes in the mouth with flavors of steel and wet stone. This is a lot of champagne!
Retail $48
Chateau Telegramme Chateauneuf-du-pape Rhone ’09
Second label of Chateau Telegraph. 90% Grenache & 10% Mourvedre. Aromas of Roses, violets, red cherry, straw and cola. Soft and velvety in the mouth, fruit forward. Finishes with oak influenced flavors of tar and roses.
Retail $35
Calina Reserva Chardonnay Casablanca Chile ’10
Aromas of pear, tropical fruits, nutmeg and spice. Creamy texture, good acid and banana flavors.
Retail $12
Angolo Innocent Malbec La Consulta Mendoza Argentina ’10
Magenta color. Aromas of vanilla, plums, berry. Full body, soft tannins and oak. Flavors of tobacco, cocoa and spiced wood. Finishes with medium acidity.
Retail $18
Errazuriz Syrah Max Reserva Aconcagua Valley Chile ’09
Deep Purple color. Aromas of berry, cola, violets. Soft and silky mouth-feel. Flavors of chocolate, oak, vanilla and tobacco. A lot of flavors!
Retail $18
Altano Douro Portugal ’08
Made by the Warre’s family. Blend of Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz. Aromas of mushrooms, ripe cassis, leather, herbs and licorice. Medium-full body with high acidity. Finishes with cocoa.
Retail $12
McClean Syrah Paso Robles ’05
Estate was started in the 70’s and was planted by Australian original rootstock. Barreled for 2 years in 505 New American and French oak and aged 1 year in bottle. Made by Michael and Judy McClean. Aromas of Blue berries, plums and violets. Vanilla and cooac notes. Medium body. Fruity with plenty of oak notes of chocolate. Not hot!
Retail $24
Wrath Sauvignon Blanc “Ex Anima” Monterey ’10
Made with Muscatelle Clone pre-phylloxera original root stock. Based on the Led Zeppelin song “grapes of wrath”. Windy Vineyards = wrath of God and un-oaked=from the soul. White color, Flavors of melons, Peaches. Fruity with mineral notes. Fresh and fleshy with lively acidity. Tones of honey and gooseberry in the finish.
Retail $18
Alta Colina “12 O’Clock High Estate” Paso Robles ’09
Rousanne, Marsanne & Grenache Blanc Blend. Peaches, floral, pineapple, red apples and honey suckle aromas. Good weight with ripe fruit and a nutty cotton candy flavor. A lot going on, and is very creamy.
Retails $24
Hendry Chardonnay Napa ’07
Barrel Fermented in 40% new French oak, no Malolactic. Situated at the foot of Mount Veeder in Oak Knoll and Carneros. Made with Wente Clone. Aromas of pear and apple with yellow peaches and banana. Plenty of acidity with apple flavors and bright freshness. Finishes toasty.
Retail $22
Wrath Pinot Noir San Saba Vineyard Monterey ’09
Dijon and Pommard clones. Aromas of Violets, Cranberry and cola. Bright and juicy with silky cedar finish.
Retail $38
Alta Colina Estate GSM Paso Robles ’08
34% Syrah, 33% Mourvedre, 33% Grenache. Bluefruit, roses and other wild flowers. Bright in th emouth with zing of red fruit. Juicy Medium body and medium acidity.
Retail $34
Cielo y Tierra Malbec don Nahuel Mendoza Argentina ’06
Owned by Gustavo Santaolalla, musician & academy award winner for the score in Broke Back Mountain. Form the Cuyo valley, higher elevation. Florescent Magenta color. Aromas of smoke, red fruit and bitter chocolate. Soft tannins. Med-full body with good acidity.
Retail $ 26
Hendry Estate Red Wine Napa ’06
42% Malbec, 26% Petit Verdot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot & 4% Cabernet Franc. Aromas of violet bubble gum and black tea. Comes across a bit hot, with flavors of plums, cassis and finishes lean.
Retail $36
Alta Colina Syrah “Toasted Slopes” Paso Robles ’08
Blended with 3% Viognier, 2% Marsanne & 2% Grenache. Aromas of blue fruits & tobacco. Silky and easy drinking. Finishes with flavors of smoke, espresso and toasted oak.
Retail $40
Lucas & Lewellen Chardonnay Santa Barbara ’09
Winemaker Megan McGrath of Flowers is using 70% new oak without malolactic fermentation but plenty of lees stirring. Fruity aromas of pears and apples. Plush in the mouth with good acid.
Retail $14
Lucas & Lewellen Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County ’08
Most of the fruit comes from los Alamos vineyard. 30% new French Oak. Red brick color. Bright aromas of black cherry, strawberry and anise. elegant and rounded in the palate with flavors of cola and cranberries. Finishes toasty.
Retail $17
Montes Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere Colchagua Valley Chile ’09
Dark ruby color with high viscosity. Aromas of Black fruits, ripe with an underlay of cocoa and chocolate milk. Full bodied with smooth texture and finishes with cinnamon spices.
Retail $12
Pascual Toso Malbec Reserva Mendoza Argentina ’09
Has been making wine since 1850. Paul Hobbs came on in 2000. 12 moths of French and American oak. Magenta day-glo color. High viscosity. Aromas of boysenberries, blueberries and black berries. Soft and rich on the tongue. Dusty flavors of chocolate, caramel and nuts. Finishes oaky and with medium acidity.
Retail $19
Stephan Ridge by L’Aventure Paso Robles ’10
70% Syrah, 20% Cabernet & 10% Petit Verdot. Ruby-purple color. Aromas of red fruit and blue fruits and flowers. Soft and plush on the tongue with a bit of warmth. Flavors of black tea, cola and raspberries with medium acidity.
Retail $25
