2013 Boom Boom! Syrah, Columbia Valley, Washington, USA. Link here to the previous Notes review of this wine.
2013 Boom Boom! Syrah, Charles Smith
Tag Archives: $15-$20
2013 Petite Petit, Michael David Winery
2013 Petite Petit, Michael David Winery, Lodi, California, USA.
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2012 Baron Cooper Old Vine Zinfandel
If you having been reading Notes this summer, you may recall that a percentage of sales from this Baron Cooper Old Vine Zin, produced by the folks at Tamura Vineyard in Lodi, go to Best Friends Animal Society. Two of my favorite things in this life are good wines and dogs. When you can help change the lives of dogs while drinking, you’re doing just fine.
2012 Old Vine Zinfandel, Tamura Vineyards’ Baron Cooper Wines, Lodi, California, USA.
The 2012 comes from winemaker Greg Burns, and its cooperage is American Oak. That’s me doing some research for you, readers; I actually can’t taste the oak here myself. Instead, I have all kinds of smooth, juicy berry flavors on my palate. There is strawberry and blackberry to be sure, and just a little bit of spice that is textbook Zinfandel. Some pepper, too. It’s a medium red in your glass and very even in its taste.
Tonight the Baron accompanies steaks (grilled in the cover of rain and darkness) and yellow beans, and the wine holds its own. It’s just a bit lighter than a Cab but makes up for that in cheery and cherry goodness and that spice kick in your mouth.
I do not know Catherine Fallis by name or reputation, but as Master Sommelier for Planet Grape, you should know that she gave 97 points to this 2012 Baron Cooper Zinfandel. I’m just going to tell you that it’s a great drink, and you’d do well–and help better the lives of dogs–if you picked up a bottle or two of this affordable wine. You’ll thank me.
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Pico Cuadro Original 2010
In this Spanish red you have an amazing confluence of tastes, and I noticed it best earlier this week when I uncorked the Pico Cuadro Original 2010 the night after a pedestrian Cabernet Sauvignon from California. I thought the Cab was pretty good until this gem splashed my glass on the next night, and I realized there is such a clear difference between the quality of the two bottles. You’ve got amazing dark fruits in the Cuadro, and some crazy graphite…maybe mocha?…or something lurking back in the shadows. This wine earns great points for not only its subtle underpinnings but also the bold fruits that are front and center.
Pico Cuadro Original 2010, Ribera del Duero, Spain.
We had the Pico alongside filet mignon, a great and rare treat, and flamed up the steaks just right (yes the extra kiss of heat was perfect). They had been prepared with the last of a homemade salt and seasoning rub, and soaked up the herbs perfectly. You wanted to slurp all the salty goodness out of each bite, to roll it around on your palate, and then wash it down richly with a mouthful of this well-structured red wine. A spot of burnt butter asparagus and mashed potatoes made the meal complete.
“This Ribera del Duero is sourced from a single vineyard of 100% Tempranillo vines with 80+ years of age. The wine is all about precision, with clean and distinct aromas of blackberry, raspberry, violet, cinnamon, and leather along with notes of black licorice.” Others offered, “…offering concentrated boysenberry and cherry cola flavors lifted by zesty acidity.” Sounds great, right? That’s the profile that enticed me to buy this one too. I’m always going to remember the Cuadro–as much for these unbelievable tastes as for the memories it will always stir.
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2012 Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon
Big bunches of berry smells jump right out from the 2012 vintage of the Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon–not bad for some on-the-go wine. Picked this bottle in part because of some decent history with Layer Cake (which I somehow cannot find right now, despite distinct memories of drinking it in our rental house) and in part because its screw top is conducive to easy access sans corkscrew. So what of the taste, say you?
2012 Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon, California, USA.
It’s juicy, it’s luscious, and there’s plenty of value here. Some of the depth (the chocolate?) that I recall from Carnivores past and other Cabs is in play here, as are some char-like flavors. No meal with this beverage; just some unwinding for a soul sorely in need of some. I’m glad I picked the 2012 Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon instead of their Malbec, which was close by but less of a draw on this occasion.
Is it odd to say I liked the label? Its cake is not overdone but nevertheless memorable. I’m not talking about the font (which is sharp in and of itself) or the appearance of the label as much as I am its texture. The 2012 has a feel to it that’s almost embossed; some cool ink work that I admire from a production standpoint.
The 2012 Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon hails from a California vineyard that has a clever back story. The grapes come from the Alexander Valley, and there is good reading all over the web on the particular minerals and terroir of this AVA. You should take a moment and Google the region–maybe even while enjoying a glass of this fruity red.
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2012 Maglieri Shiraz
A valuable Australian Shiraz, one that climbed with us up the Blue Ridge Mountains to our little cabin hideaway on the outskirts of Newland. The Maglieri was an online purchase–it sounded delicious, was the right bit of affordability, and struck a chord with my recent penchant for Syrah.
2012 Maglieri Shiraz, Padthaway, Australia.
Granted, the ambiance helps put the right halo around this Mark Robertson (1999 New Zealand Winemaker Of The Year) wine from the Padthaway appellation of southeast Australia. I mean, look at the view. Seriously…
…but this savory red is far more than just mountain vistas. It’s nearly purple in color and has complex, rich aromas to it. The Maglieri smells of fruit, of spice, and of pepper. There are other scents too–both dark berry and smoky things. You sample this 2012 and then you re-taste the tip of your tongue, puzzling through some hidden flavors that emerge over time.
We had the 2012 Maglieri Shiraz along with grilled steaks (and yes this expensive-tasting wine opens up with pepper) seasoned just with salt and pepper. Wax beans (thanks love!) and baked potato too, lightly sauced up with nonfat yogurt. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable summer supper in the mountains of North Carolina.
“The wine is savory with loads of ripe fruit including blackberries, black cherries, dark raspberries, toasty vanilla oak, mocha, cassis and a cinnamon spice box,” is how one pro summarized the Maglieri. Now, I have no idea what a “dark” raspberry is, but I think it’s the cassis that I was fighting to identify above. Seems like every time I’m wrestling over a spice nuance it comes down to cassis–here too I think. No matter how you describe it, the 2012 Maglieri is a special wine to be sure.
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2012 Baron Cooper Old Vine Zinfandel
2012 Baron Cooper Old Vine Zinfandel, Tamura Vineyard, Lodi, California, USA.
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2010 Chateau Marin Bordeaux
I blind-tested a fragrant red blend last night, not sure of what grapes, vineyard, or region from which it originated. A fairly decent test of my wine tasting prowess, this red devil. Even as a wine neophyte, I could tell I was having no Cabernet, no Syrah, no Merlot, no Zinfandel or Pinot. It had a hint of vanilla and a bit of a tannic bite to it in the glass. What’s in the glass? I wasn’t sure if this was maybe a Malbec or a Bordeaux, but I could tell it had some initial sharpness that pointed me more to France than Argentina.
Sounds like a World Cup match, right? We’ll come back to the wine in a moment.
I sipped my glass of red along with a dinner of roasted shrimp, asparagus, and hash browns—the latter made with peppers and onions and mixed with shredded cheddar cheese, melted butter, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup. It was all delicious, and though conventional thought may have pushed me more toward a white for the shrimp, their spicy seasoning made me feel like the red was a better call. At least for this guy.
2010 Chateau Marin, (Right Bank) Bordeaux, France.
At this point, I’m fairly convinced I’m drinking Bordeaux and was pleased to see it was–in fact, the Chateau Marin 2010—a mix of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. The blend surprised me, as the Merlot was sort of overshadowed on that first evening. The Chateau Marin hails from a Right Bank vineyard (thus my surprise at the Cab’s forwardness) just 50 kms south east of Bordeaux and is supposed to show “ripe red fruit flavors on a sound and balanced palate.”
That didn’t come through Friday night, so I suspect we needed to either let it breathe for a longer spell or decant. On day two, however, the tannins had mellowed considerably and the 2010 probably showed its true colors and notes—even though we polished off the bottle long before a celebratory dinner. And, as you glance at the photo here, you’ll see it had company (the KJ Chardonnay I didn’t have myself and thus you’ll have to look up some other blog if you’re interested in that wine). Overall I liked the Marin and enjoyed learning a bit more about Right Bank flavors in preparing these notes for you. Enjoy…
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2012 Baron Cooper Old Vine Zinfandel
The Cooper Zinfandel caught my eye, not because it’s named for the winemaker’s support of rescue animals (which I wholeheartedly applaud), but because its original description in my email inbox sounded perfectly attuned to my tastes in wine. That being said, Baron Cooper is a Manchester Terrier that the Habashi Family adopted from their local Humane Society, and a percentage of its sales go to Best Friends Animal Society. Good idea and a good wine.
2012 Baron Cooper Wines Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, California, USA.
Our rescue is a hound retriever mix, and he’s eying me right now as I think about this 2012 Zinfandel from the Tamura Vineyard. I have several of these delicious bottles ready to go, and the first I enjoyed with pork chops and a mixed green salad. Apples, blue cheese, and candied walnuts helped bring the salad round, and citrus pepper seasoning did much the same for the chops. We’re on a good grilling streak right now, having cooked up pork chops, salmon, and steaks all with just the right temperature and timing.
I’ll leave some of the wine tasting notes for the next entry on the 2012 Baron Cooper Zinfandel. For now, let me just share with you that it’s rich, it’s got some pepper notes, and it’s got some great flavor that starts slowly. Its dark berries sit for a moment but ultimately come shining through as you sip it contentedly. Stay tuned for further updates and thanks as always for your readership of Notes.
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2012 Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvigon
Nice and smooth, this 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma County’s Rodney Strong vineyard. It packs in fragrant, juicy smells of blueberry and blackberry, and perhaps even a bit of chocolate too. Rich, ruby, and red it tumbles into your glass, filled with promises that are effectively delivered as you make your way into the bottle.
2012 Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvigon, Sonoma County, California, USA.
This 2012 is very easy to drink; its even balance is an interesting contrast to the Bordeaux-style red that followed this Cab later in the holiday weekend. The Strong was served with hors d’oeuvres and one of my favorite pasta dishes–penne with salt and butter–and some garlic bread. It’s a mouthful unto itself, a juicy Cabernet that, at times, almost seems more like a Merlot than a California Cab. Really a nice, smooth beverage.
This one is a gift from my friend, and he went the extra mile to read through several Notes Of Note for my recent favorites and tendencies as he picked a drink to bring along for the evening. The 2012 Rodney Strong is a good one at that. Good research and an even better beverage! Thanks pal, and looking forward to your next visit.
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