Tag Archives: california winemaking

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2013 Noble Vines 446 Chardonnay

This is the second Noble Vines wine we’ve had in recent weeks, this one a white–not a frequent Saturday night beverage in our house but one to which we both surrendered this evening.  In the interest of time I’ll explain that the 446 originates from the San Bernabe AVA, one termed the “cool climate Monterey” by the winemaker.

Your label on the 446 gives simple instructions – “Enjoy with grilled fish, chicken or pasta with creamy sauces.” And we did. Tuna steaks, so fresh and tender, we had alongside orzo pasta, peas, and asparagus. The pasta and vegetables were a contrast in styles and tastes, intertwining hot and cool elements into a great accent for the fish.

2013 Nobel Vines 446 Chardonney, Monterey, California, USA.

2013 Nobel Vines 446 Chardonney, Monterey, California, USA.

Fresh citrus is the best way, in my limited vocabulary and experience with whites, that I can describe the 2013 vintage of the 446. It doesn’t have a “buttery” taste to it, and in that way is similar to the Simi that we had not too long ago.  In Notes for both I find myself struggling for specifics, for nuances that help differentiate among California Chardonnays and am determined to improve on my palate so as to offer more useful advice on whites in the future.

This is not that occasion, though, so let me close simply by saying it brought a smile to my face to know we both were giving a go to the 446 on this sultry Summer evening. Hoping you and yours had a good Saturday too!

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2012 Karoly’s Selection Zinfandel, Buena Vista

September of 2014 the good folks at Buena Vista shipped us the Karoly’s Zinfandel, and you know for damn sure this Russian River red sat beckoning from our wine rack each and every day until this holiday weekend when it finally made its appearance at our dinner table. The July 4th weekend is the perfect time to break out grilled steaks and all the summer fixin’s–including fresh corn, tomato, and arugula salad and the Karoly.

2012 Karoly's Selection Zinfandel, Buena Vista, Sonoma County, California, USA.

2012 Karoly’s Selection Zinfandel, Buena Vista, Sonoma County, California, USA.

We are drinking a bottle from one of just 504 cases of the Karoly’s Selection, and appreciating the complexity of what’s happening here. When you smell this deep red in the glass, you detect some acidity that seems to hint at a tannic finish–but that’s not how the drink actually tastes at all. It’s deceivingly smooth. When you taste this vintage of the Karoly, you actually get an entirely different vibe–it’s dark berry (plum? black cherry?) and kitchen spices that I called “peppery” and was unsurprised to read that I was in the right vicinity with that taste but not as detailed as you’ll hear from Buena Vista.

Here’s the vineyard’s summary: “The 2012 Karoly’s Zinfandel is a stunning ruby color in the glass with an aromatic bouquet of dark chocolate that evolves into notes of bramble berry and vanilla. Ripe dark cherries abound on the palate, where the rich flavor is rounded into hints of anise and cola and culminates in a lengthy finish that begs for another sip.”

2012 Karoly's Selection Zinfandel, Buena Vista, Sonoma County, California, USA.

2012 Karoly’s Selection Zinfandel, Buena Vista, Sonoma County, California, USA.

Am I crazy or does that sound sort of like the description I would give a wine? It’s a mash up of technical information (granted, slightly more nuanced than I could offer) and tasting experience. It was also a very good pairing for the grilled London Broil and an instant summer classic. Brian Maloney and Eric Pooler have done a great job with the harvest here and we should continue to expect great things from their collaboration at Buena Vista in the future.

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The Ones That Got Away – Spring 2015 Sampler

2013 Ida's Selection Pinot Noir, Buena Vista, Sonoma County, California, USA; Santa Margherita Prosecco, Italy; 2012 Avant Chardonnay, Kendall Jackson, California, USA; 2013 Avant Chardonnay, Kendall Jackson, California, USA; 2013 Vintner's Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Kendall Jackson, California, USA; 2013 Ruffino Pinot Grigio Delle Venezia, Italy; 2013 Trivento Malbec Reserva, Mendoza, Argentina.

2013 Ida’s Selection Pinot Noir, Buena Vista, Sonoma County, California, USA; Santa Margherita Prosecco, Italy; 2012 Avant Chardonnay, Kendall Jackson, California, USA; 2013 Avant Chardonnay, Kendall Jackson, California, USA; 2013 Vintner’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Kendall Jackson, California, USA; 2013 Ruffino Pinot Grigio Delle Venezia, Italy; 2013 Trivento Malbec Reserva, Mendoza, Argentina.

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2014 Merlot, Wente Vineyards

It is just a short flight from JFK to the ROC tonight and I wasn’t originally going to have a cocktail on the trip. We were delayed while the ground crew flipped the late-inbound flight, however, and by the time we got this silver bird rolling I had already power napped for a few moments on the tarmac and was excited to get to Rochester. So, okay, an excuse for a glass of vino…

…I also chose this drink because I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Wente in the past, a worthwhile field trip with my good bud and his wife out in the Livermore Valley. This is an airplane red, and those of you in the know are already picturing it being served just a bit too cold from the galley to really enjoy. That’s sort of the case here, but you make up for lost time by eagerly splashing your plastic cup–easily warmed stemware at its American Airlines finest.

2014 Merlot, Wente Vineyards, Lissimore Valley, California, USA.

2014 Merlot, Wente Vineyards, Livermore Valley, California, USA.

It’s a young grape, one without the deeper flavors (you can tell even before checking the year) or nuances yet juicy and fruity nevertheless. Enjoyable. The 2014 Merlot from Wente and its Selected Estates isn’t going to medal in any competition this weekend, but the family does good work, and you know some effort went into this red. It’s comforting. I sipped contentedly and wished away the miles and the encumbrances of a long work week–thoughts on the horizon and the fun weekend in store.

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2013 Noble Vines 667 Pinot Noir

This week, a record-breaking scorcher for June (or Hell, for that matter), I found myself craving Pinot Noir as I thought about a good red to wedge its way through the heat. The 667 from the Delicato family answered the call, first with a down home Thursday meal of chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn, and again tonight with grilled steaks and crispy crowns.

2013 Noble Vines 667 Pinot Noir, Monterey, California, USA.

2013 Noble Vines 667 Pinot Noir, Monterey, California, USA.

The 667 Pinot Noir is a bit deeper in color than the Buena Vista on which I often comment (see here, and here, and others that should be in the Related Posts below), and it had a little more of a cherry vibe instead of a strawberry taste. This Pinot Noir, harvested and produced in Monterey, California, also has some earthiness to it and vanilla too. I know, I know–since when does this guy give a nod to vanilla? It works here. You get an easy finish, and ripe flavors that are very enjoyable. Thursday night is a “school night” so it took some restraint to have just a glass(ish) of the Noble Vines and leave the bottle for the weekend.

I read of the awards it’s won (i.e., the 2015 Monterey Wine Competition; 2015 Consumer Wine Awards; 2015 Toast of the Coast Wine Competition) and understood how the 667 performed so well. Several other Pinots are now here in the house so it’ll be some time before I get to circle back to this one, but that will be a good day too.

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2013 High Elevation Petite Sirah, Shannon Ridge

Still very much in a Petite Sirah place, and a nuanced wine like this makes me glad that I am. This 2013 offering from Shannon Ridge is made using sustainable farming practices, and it tastes even better than my predispositions thought it would. Never heard of this delicious red wine before, but it’s one that I will definitely know when I see it again.

2013 High Elevation Petite Sirah, Shannon Ridge, California, USA.

2013 High Elevation Petite Sirah, Shannon Ridge, California, USA.

The tasting notes, with apologies for cribbing these (I do hope they help you get up to speed quickly) from the Shannon Ridge website, are as follows: “This rustic varietal shows off dark fruits of blackberry, blueberry, and hints of cranberry. Black pepper, cedar, warm spices and toasty vanilla notes come out after aging this wine on a combination of French and America oak.” This bottle sounds good, right? Tell me you don’t want at least a flight for yourself after reading about all the berries and spices in the mix?

We had ours with a couple of different meals, finishing it tonight with juicy T-bone steaks and a mixture of green and wax beans…the former came off the grill right on time and the latter I seasoned with fresh crushed black pepper and butter. The spices of the steak come alive in the 2013 High Elevation Petite Sirah from Shannon Ridge; the earth tones of the Sirah really flourish in the glass and on the nose. The wine is aged for 9 months in both French and American oak, and the grapes are grown on the mountains sides (i.e., the “High Elevation Collection”) of Lake County, California. A couple of non-sequitors, perhaps, but good information for you as a reader and fan of good wine all the same. Enjoy the read and the Shannon Ridge!

 

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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.

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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2013 Simi Chardonnay

This 2013 Simi Chardonnay, originating from Sonoma, California, is more pear and citrus than it is buttery. Most Chardonnay that I have is more of the latter…but I think that’s perhaps because I rarely buy white myself, except in wine shipments from Buena Vista. Whites are more the purview of my lovely bride.

2013 Simi Chardonnay, Sonoma, California, USA.

2013 Simi Chardonnay, Sonoma, California, USA.

That being said, the Simi went along with a simple Italian dinner. We had penne pasta, a little bit of ground beef, and a couple of forkfuls of sausage mixed in as well. The beef (we reheated) was only okay, but the sausage kicked a little bit of tang into the equation to good effect.

This was a weeknight meal and, though it was ultimately pretty tasty, this food was more about function than aesthetics. That’s kind of how I would describe the 2013 Simi Chardonnay as well.