Tag Archives: $15-$20

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2014 Vintage of the 1448, Jeff Runquist Winery

This is the one they call the “kitchen sink” wine, the red blend conceived by Jeff Runquist.  The winemaker has been at it since 1982 and built his craft over time at the Napa Valley Cooperative Winery, J. Lohr, and others until he released 700 cases of zinfandel under his own label in 1997. In spring 2008 Runquist opened a tasting room in Amador County has been handling the majority of his production from that location since that time.

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The 2014 vintage of Jeff Runquist’s 1448; Sierra Nevada, California, USA.

And how does that production rate? Pretty well, in the opinion of this fan. My first exposure to the 1448 red blend was nearly two years ago, and in that tasting you’ll see some background on Amador County as well as the pairing (i.e., grilled chicken with orzo arugula salad and roasted red peppers). This time I had it with a garden salad (always with freshly ground black pepper), a grilled New York Strip, and roasted Yukon potatoes.

The 1448 pairs well with both the chicken and the steak; its inky red nearly looks like blood when you pour in the glass (see accompanying photo) and it is absolutely crammed with flavor. I note some similarities to other red blends such as the Michael David Petite Petit and the Conundrum Red (there are several tastings of both in Notes if you’re so inclined), and in the 1448 you get a whiff of gentle smoke or chocolate too. It’s really berry-rich, and very easy to drink. Less tannins than a Cabernet if that appeals to you.

This follows on the heels of a great 2015 Petite Syrah from Runquist that I experienced last week as part of a birthday celebration, and if you can have one of the vineyard’s bottles every weekend like this then the universe is being pretty kind to you. Enjoy…and thanks for reading.

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2013 Quinta das Carvalhas Reserva Duoro

The winemaker said to decant this bad boy before drinking, and I did not heed those warnings–I should have. I was all excited to uncork this Portuguese import, to vary from my California favorites, and to enjoy some great grapes. If you saw this previous post, you know this oenophile was looking forward to documenting more tasting experiences and the 2013 Carvalhas was first up in the queue.

2013 Quinta das Carvalhas Reserva Duoro, Vila Nova de Gala, Portugal.

2013 Quinta das Carvalhas Reserva Duoro, Vila Nova de Gala, Portugal.

It’s a red blend, and that usually strikes a favorable chord for me. In the 2013 Quinta das Carvalhas Reserva Duoro, the winemaker combines Touriga Nacional (60%), Touriga Franca (20%), and Tinta Roriz (20%) grapes together. I found it to be overly heavy in tannins (and bear in mind I do like firm tannins usually) and had a strong blackberry taste. That too should have made this a win, but this medium-bodied bottle was underwhelming.

The wine is aged 12 months in oak, and Wine Enthusiast says, “It has spice, acidity, and sense of brooding power.” You know how you see a dilapidated house advertised as a “handy man’s dream?” That’s how I read the Enthusiast comments. Trust me, the 2013 Carvalhas has tannins in spades. Maybe I blew this one by failing to decant it prior to tasting? Note to self to fix this future tastings through 2017.

 

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2013 Chardonnay, Benziger Family Winery

Visited this winery more than 10 years ago and memories of that tour still zig-zag vividly in my mind. Rows upon beautiful rows of grapes drinking in the cool night winds and warm Sonoma sun, a hillside full of goodness just waiting to happen.* It was touring this vineyard on a tractor-pulled wagon, with informative stops along each phase of the winemaking process, that probably first planted the seeds for Notes deep inside my tiny misguided brain. In fact, in the wine rack downstairs there is still an ’04 dessert wine from Benzinger, purchased on said tour, awaiting the right occasion.

2013 Chardonnay, Benzinger Family Wines, Sonoma, California, USA.

2013 Chardonnay, Benzinger Family Wines, Sonoma, California, USA.

And so here we are in the present–any doubt why this bottle jumped out at me when I saw it in my humble neighborhood supermarket? I was searching for a white to go along with a fish dinner that I was spoiling to make, and the 2013 Chardonnay was a no-brainer. It’s nice and clean; this Sonoma white is not overly buttery and carries notes of lemon with it–a nice match for the food planned this evening. When you swirl it about in your glass, you get a whiff that can only be described as “crisp” and with more of a fruit than a flower smell. Like a soft apple peel or lemon zest? (Note: I follow another wine blogger and, while he’s quite prolific and tastes a lot of wines, his descriptions of each is like a shotgun approach–he fires off about 15 or 20 descriptions for each wine, and it makes me doubt what he can actually detect…I am definitely NOT that guy as a writer of winetastings…so the above is as best I can share with you.)

The 2013 Benziger accompanied a crispy catfish dish, and the whole thing turned out better than I had expected. Continuing the vineyard theme, this dish used Thomcord grapes and chopped almonds as a relish for the catfish. Also depicted in this image is a kale-farro salad bearing garlic and fried rosemary, which made for a delicious mixture of textures and tastes. I think this might be my first catfish experience and, though I thought it tasted like almost any whitefish I’ve ever had, I can vouch for the final result.

Crispy catfish with kale-farro salad and warm grape relish, as served with the 2013 Benzinger Chardonnay.

Crispy catfish with kale-farro salad and warm grape relish, as served with the 2013 Benzinger Chardonnay.

The meal was easy to prepare, and the wine was a great complement to the crunches of the entrée and the sautéed fish. Since the 2013 Chardonnay from Benzinger was available in my local grocery, it doesn’t seem like you have to go all the way to Sonoma to get your own–but you should (wink)! Tell ’em we sent you and enjoy the journey…and be sure to take the vineyard tour if they still give it!

*At some point the future, this post may be updated with a visual of Benziger if I can go back into an older hard drive(s) and call up one of the photos from the tour. Be sure to revisit!

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The Ones That Got Away – Fall 2016

2013 Judge & Jury Red Blend, Kunde Family Estate, Sonoma County, California, USA; 2011 Lamole Gran Selezione Chianti, Italy; 2014 Petite Petit, Michael David Winery, Lodi, California, USA; 2014 Toasted Head Chardonnay, California, USA.

2013 Judge & Jury Red Blend, Kunde Family Estate, Sonoma County, California, USA; 2011 Lamole Gran Selezione Chianti, Italy; 2014 Petite Petit, Michael David Winery, Lodi, California, USA; 2014 Toasted Head Chardonnay, California, USA.

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2014 Myth Riesling, Washington Wine Works

The 2014 Myth Riesling, vinted and bottled by Washington Wine Works, arrived here earlier this summer as part of an online shipment. As a white, you might rightly expect it to sit in the rack indefinitely while reds were prioritized for dining and in Notes alike. And so it did, until this week when scorching temperatures suggested a well-chilled white might be a reasonable alternative to a cold beer or a bottle of red.

2014 Myth Riesling

2014 Myth Riesling, Washington Wine Works, Columbia Valley, Washington, USA.

This 2014 Myth, produced in Washington’s Columbia Valley, is fragrant and sugary in the bottle and on the nose. This white smells full compared to a Pinot Grigio–does that make sense? There’s not a bit of dryness to the Riesling. Candidly, it was not as enjoyable as the Bordeaux Blanc, and I found myself limited to just a single glass at a time because of its sweetness. I still remember my first explorations of Rieslings (that’s Twisted River) but those must have been less sweet because I cannot imagine repeat purchases if they had been as sugary. On the last night/glass, I paired up Myth with a delicious pork chop dish that I’m proud to share here.

The food came out pretty well. What you see is seared pork chops and plum salsa with corn, kale, and farro salad. This is the first time (at least to my recollection) I’ve had farro and it was pretty good as seasoned with scallions and balsamic vinegar. With the kale, corn, and farro all mixed together you have a nice bit of crunch with the grains. The plum worked liked that too, a nice cool counterbalance to the seared pork chop–which was drizzled with the balsamic and butter sauce from the pan. Voila.

But this is a wine blog not a food blog, so let’s get back to the bottle. The label conveys, “Our Riesling leads with aromas of honeysuckle and nectarine with flavors of honey and orange blossom, finishing clean with balanced acidity.” I don’t know if that’s true or not–judge for yourself based on the above–but I do know I’m all set with this Riesling. I prefer to hold onto other myths.

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2013 Judge & Jury, Kunde Family Estate

Is it odd that this wine catches my eye because of “The Prisoner”? While I’ve never had that particular red blend, this evening marks the occasion of my first bottle (a 2013) of the Judge & Jury from Kunde Family Estate in Sonoma, California. Years ago my wife and I visited this esteemed winemaker while traipsing through some of Sonoma’s amazing vineyards but I am 100% positive we didn’t taste the Judge & Jury on that trip. Candidly, I’m not sure it had been created by that time.

2013 Judge & Jury, Sonoma County, Sonoma, California, USA.

2013 Judge & Jury, Kunde Family Estate, Sonoma County, Sonoma, California, USA.

Fortunately, it exists today and my wine rack holds three more bottles even after this first one fades into distant memory. It is pretty delicious, the brain child of Kunde’s Zach Long, and a Zinfandel-influenced red blend. The 2013 Judge & Jury combines Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah grapes into one easy-drinking yet bold wine. It’s aged in 20% new oak to manage the tannins, and the outcome is a very smooth finish that you’ll enjoy. Of the Judge & Jury the winemaker comments, “The 2013 Judge & Jury artfully combines the intense fruit flavors and tannic qualities of Cabernet Sauvignon, the softness and body of Merlot, and the spice of Zinfandel and Syrah into its own unique style.”

This purple bit of goodness is packing notes of black cherry and black raspberry, and you’ll definitely vibe out some vanilla stick and white(?) pepper too. I’ll look forward to sharing additional notes on the Judge & Jury as I make my way through successive bottles of this Sonoma treat.