Tag Archives: california winemaking

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2010 Buena Vista Attila’s Selection, Dry Creek Zinfandel

This bottle of Buena Vista Zinfandel graced our table Sunday…either because we’re heart healthy or putting off the Sunday night blues just a while longer.  Or, as my wife would say, “Probably some of Column A an some of Column B.”  Light, red berries were immediately evident, and this was one of the milder zins that I’ve had–even immediately upon uncorking.  I had it with a rare Omaha(?) steak and some sides that now escape my memory.  Not an unusual occurrence for me, when I’m having a Buena Vista, to forget what else the menu held for us.

Additional information here from the winemaker: “Harvested in early October, the must was then fermented in separate, open-top vats for each vineyard block and aged separately in French oak barrels for 11 months before final blending.”

This numbered bottle (#2261) is from just 250 total cases and the varietal is named for the son of Count Agoston Haraszthy–the founder of Buena Vista and the Buena Vista Vinicultural Society, which he formed in 1863 to advance the winemaking prowess and expand its vineyards. The BVVS has been restored as a collection of small-production wines that, according to their press, “honor the winery’s pioneering spirit and contribution to California winemaking.  Available only at the winery and for club-members, the diverse selection of Vinicultural Society wines explores clonal selections, varietals, vineyards and the incredible terroir of Sonoma County.”

The steak was good; the Zin was better.

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2003 Jewel Merlot

Okay, this is an interesting experiment – I just unearthed some VERY old tasting notes that mark this oenophile’s first real foray into the world of wine. The comments are unrefined, the palate even more so…but there are some good wines from this period and it’ll be a pleasure to share those remarks with you here. I’ve dated as originally chronicled in my wine journal and have kept all the original remarks even if adding a few recent additions to help inform anyone reading here. Just bear in mind this is probably 300 bottles ago!

The 2003 Jewel Merlot hails from the Lodi AVA in the Central Valley region of California. Purchased from Wine & Spirit World for $12, I thought the wine was a rich red, with a “deep & earthy” bouquet. Since my thoughts on its taste (“nice aftertaste; smooth”) don’t really share any meaningful information with you, I’m making a quick detour to the professionals from wine.com and their tasting notes: “This distinct Merlot has a rich garnet color that is filled with aromas of toasted oak and cherry complimented by flavors of black cherry and plum. Soft vanilla oak and delicate tannins add richness to the finish.”

Yes, always been a fan of cherry and plum if not the vanilla noted in that summary. At the time, I commented “Nicer than recent California and Australian Merlots we’ve had recently” and rated the 2003 Jewel as a 7 of possible 10. Becca and I split this bottle over dinner as iTunes played in the background of our Midland Park kitchen. “I would buy again – nice result.”