Tag Archives: california winemaking

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2013 Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection Meritage

Okay, this one is much less about the 2013 Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection Meritage. It pours blackish-purple into your glass (or your cup, as the case may be this evening) and smells of plum and black cherry. Normally I’d pair up this red blend with grilled steak and wax on about the pepper undertone of the Mondavi with the meat…but tonight I’m in a different sort of venue.

2013 Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection Meritage

2013 Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection Meritage, Central Coast, California, USA.

Instead, I’ve paired up the 2013 Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection Meritage with a deck of cards; it’s my nourishment while playing for the first time in a Texas Hold ‘Em tournament with some good friends. Our entry fees are going to the local little league team, raising funds for their annual trip to Cooperstown. With Lady Luck largely avoiding my #3 position at Table #3, I have ample time to sip my Meritage and fold low off-suit cards. Face cards and pairs are avoiding me like the plague, and “6s” are burning hot on the table.

That being said, I’ll tell you the 2013 overpowers a handful of pretzels and slices of turkey party sub. It’s dark fruit goodness, and pouring as fast as my chips disappear. Loving the experience of both…

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2014 Meiomi Chardonnay

Meiomi wine has been exceptionally good to us lately. This evening is another instance that echoes recent bottles we have had, both whites and reds, and I would encourage you to browse any of those reviews for context. It’s our first sampling of the 2014 vintage, and we picked a great meal with which to pair this aromatic white wine.

2014 Meiomi Chardonnay, California, USA.

2014 Meiomi Chardonnay, California, USA.

The food? Killer. A moonshot home run. You’re looking at a 2014 Meiomi Chardonnay next to Cod Kedgeree served over basmati rice, eggs, and frizzled onion. The lime garnish was a great touch too, softening the curry spices (a blend of kedgeree spices) and bringing some light refreshment to the dish. The result, courtesy of Blue Apron and a fun evening in the kitchen doing the prep work, was a mix of warm and cool, of spice and sweet. I’m not sure I’ve had a Chardonnay under better circumstances, all told.

The cod kedgeree in the prep stage.

The cod kedgeree in the prep stage.

As shared in previous Notes regarding Meiomi, the winemaker sources these grapes from multiple AVAs throughout California and brings them together in a proprietary blend. There is some orange in the aromas, some other citrus fruits, and a luscious mouthfeel. It sounds weird to observe that it tastes liquid, or solid, but both kind of make sense as I reflect back on the 2014 now. Some thoughtful planning had two bottles of the 2014 on hand as we started in on this adventure, and when we finished the first we had #2 primed and ready.

Though we do prefer the 2013 to the 2014 Meiomi, the latter made for quite a fantastic dining (cooking too!) experience.

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2014 Mark West Pinot Noir Black

Notes has chronicled more than a single bottle of Mark West over the years; our favorite wine store in New Jersey often stocked it and gave us ample opportunity to sample with all manner of foodstuffs. A quick glance back at our archives says more than five vintages have been covered herein. Never before, however, had I seen this “Dark” variation and was intrigued as to its potential.

2014 Mark West Pinot Noir Black, Monterey County, California, USA.

2014 Mark West Pinot Noir Black, Monterey County, California, USA.

I had sort of drifted away from the West Pinot in recent months. I find winemaker Jason Becker’s “signature” Pinot to be slightly lacking in muscle, a light red that skipped some of the subtleties of good California grapes–almost like “diet” Pinot Noir. That being said, even the hint of a darker red in the Black label was promising and raised my eyebrow. Immediately I knew I had to give it a go much like I did the Apothic Dark when stumbling onto it in Chicago last year.

I uncorked it first on Friday after a travel week but am polishing it off tonight–mostly with a London broil and a peas and carrots medley. The vegetables are not the highlight of the meal, to be sure. I’m happy to share it’s the Black that holds the spotlight this evening.

It’s got much better legs than the ‘original’ Mark West, and packs in blackberry smells in abundance. This wine is a far cry from a Cab or deeper red, but also more saturated than a traditional Pinot. You get a whiff of vanilla too–faint but definitely present. Good swirl in your glass and mouthfeel for an affordable red. Becker, who uses the Saignée method of winemaking here, describes the flavor as “ripe black plums and blackberries along with mocha notes…” and ages this line extension in French and Hungarian oak barrels.

I’m glad I gave this Pinot Noir a try and definitely prefer it to the classic Mark West. Give it a go and taste for yourself.

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2014 Meiomi Pinot Noir

I’m of two minds on the Meiomi Pinot Noir. On one hand, this wine is ubiquitous in wine stores across the U.S., and Notes has covered it on several prior occasions. So has the mainstream wine media, and writing about this wine feels almost passe.

On the other hand, it’s friggin’ great. This is the 2014 vintage of a Pinot Noir that just might be my second favorite. I’m tempted to look back on all the Pinots we’ve covered here for the sake of comparison, and I know it’s solidly placed on the list behind only my favorite Buena Vista offerings.

2014 Meiomi Pinot Noir, California, USA.

2014 Meiomi Pinot Noir, California, USA.

Its black and red berry scents, much richer than a typical Pinot, help set it apart right away. It’s more than just the light strawberry you often get, the whiff of vanilla, in a less polished Pinot. Joe Wagner culls fruit from three different California counties to weave together blackberries, cherries, and a little something leathery in the 2014 Meiomi. Oh yeah, and it does still have some soft notes of strawberry and vanilla if you’re into such things. We had the Meiomi with steaks and asparagus, and worked our way right through the wine.

Santa Barbara, Sonoma, and Monterey all share a role in this very successful outcome. I’m sure that certain high-brow wine folks look down on the Meiomi for its mass production, but it’s a great thing that the Wagners have found a way to combine exquisite tastes with affordability in this bottle. Who likes an elitist, anyways?

For the vineyard’s own tasting notes, simply click here–and enjoy. As for us? We’re on next to Valentine’s Day and another Meiomi.

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2012 Conundrum, Wagner Family

This is Part 2 of Restaurant Week in the Queen City, a Friday night at Morton’s for steaks, vino, and quality time together. By the time our Uber driver dropped us at its front door, the steakhouse was hopping and filled with good people enjoying their evenings.

Both my wife and I had scoped out the menu several weeks ago when making the reservation and, by the time we were seated in a cozy booth looking over the dining room, we were ready to partake in grapes and grub. Morton’s obviously has an amazing wine list (we were seated directly in front of magnums of Caymus and Silver Oak Cabernet) that tantalized and transfixed this fan, but I felt great about this bottle of Conundrum that we had brought for the occasion–uncorking fees be damned.

2012 Conundrum, Wagner Family, California, USA.

2012 Conundrum, Wagner Family, California, USA.

The waiter complimented our Wagner selection and gave the usual preview, one I swirled just briefly before having him pour for us both. This plush red blend poured deep and rich, its blackberry and cherry notes wafting against the grilled meats and breads in enticing fashion–of course I was hooked immediately. I know Conundrum has its roots in both California Zinfandel and Syrah, and the latter seemed to take the lead in tonight’s dance. The wine was fruity yet full of earth tones, and I’m sorry to say was our last Conundrum on hand (already thinking about ordering more).

It also worked effectively with our meals. First we sampled lobster bisque and Caesar salad, and then our main courses were plated. Filet Mignon, cooked a healthy medium temperature, was juicy and delicious. Both of us had ordered a horseradish mashed potato side that was perhaps the one chink in Morton’s armor–the potatoes were not hot enough and didn’t have any appreciable bite to them, certainly not one you’d attribute to horseradish. Dessert was excellent, though, a chocolate mousse and key lime pie slice. Both were photo-worthy but you’ll have to take my word for it as I captured the entre course instead.

Notes has covered Conundrum on at least two recent occasions, and hopefully you have a good sense of its offering and characteristics at this point. Really approachable and delicious. Enjoy…