Tag Archives: California

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2012 Mark West, Pinot Noir

The Mark West Pinot Noir has long been a staple of Notes Of Note, and several vintages have been covered in these pages (just do a quick search) previously if you’ve got some Magellan in your blood. This is the first 2012; somehow we went from the ’11 to the ’13 until this weekend.

2012 Mark West Pinot Noir, California, USA.

2012 Mark West Pinot Noir, California, USA.

Compared to the 2011 Stemmler Pinot covered here last week, the West is much lighter in color and in its fruit forwardness. Yes the West is even, but I’m slightly biased toward the Stemmler in overall quality. The 2012 Mark West is a fine, affordable option for Pinot Noir but when you have others to compare and contrast it doesn’t quite measure up. And that’s okay; not every wine can be an over-the-top tasting experience.

I had a glass Friday evening after returning home from work travel, and the rest found its way to our Saturday evening bonanza. The latter consisted of grilled turkey burgers, treated generously with blue cheese, sautéed and/or raw red onions, and a mustard-washed lettuce mix along with one of our potato favorites. The Mark West did not fill you up; that role was covered by the delicious (and healthy!) burgers.

Next trip to our local store I’m going to grab another bottle of this Pinot Noir as it’s a safe, middle-of-the-road option whenever the prospect of a Malbec or Cab is just a bit heavier. You’d do well to do the same.

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2011 Robert Stemmler Pinot Noir

It’s easy to think Notes focuses exclusively on grilled steaks and red wines, but that’s only partially true. The blog does share occasional feedback on whites, and sometimes shares great foodstuffs that far outshine the grapes. This is one of those times.

2011 Robert Stemmler Pinot Noir, Los Carneros, California, USA.

2011 Robert Stemmler Pinot Noir, Los Carneros, California, USA.

The 2011 Robert Stemmler is a great Pinot Noir; no question about it. No rough edges, it is light berry and polished all the way, a rich and fragrant treat any night you uncork one. On this evening, it accompanied a special meal–cheese grits, sautéed shrimp, Italian sausage, and a mix of red, yellow, orange, and green peppers. Swirled all together and topped with home-grown parsley and chives, this was an immensely enjoying evening; it had just the right punch of heat to offset the cheese (and yes this was my first cheese grits tasting experience).

Great textures, intoxicating blend of hot and cold, and medley of colors…a good night for the memories.

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2013 Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay

I’m polishing off this cool, refreshing Chardonnay in the waning moments of tonight’s cocktail hour. Hiding as it was in the bottom of the fridge, partially consumed from some previous evening, this 2013 Kendall-Jackson has lost a bit of its crisp, fresh tone but still pulls a smile from my weary face.

2013 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay, California, USA.

2013 Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay, California, USA.

Pear is present and accounted for, as is a nice easy finish that is hinting at a possible turn in the near future. Fortunately, she’s been liberated from the bottle just in time. The 2013 Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay will accompany grilled tuna steaks, seasoned with lemon and a Mediterranean spice mix, white rice, and medley of scallions and mushrooms. Very promising stuff.

The Kendall-Jackson family always makes a good effort, and I’m sure this is one too. Excuse the brevity; the next time around we’ll be sure to polish with less of an interval between tastings and look forward to sharing those findings with you.

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2013 Toasted Head Cabernet Sauvignon

Lot on my mind these days, and seemingly less time for Notes. That, combined with delicious summer beers to beat back the nearly oppressive heat, and I find myself playing catchup tonight. Our focus is the 2013 Toasted Head Cabernet Sauvignon, first Cab that I’ve had from this winery; I’m fairly sure I’d just tasted their whites previously.

2013 Toasted Head Cabernet Sauvignon, Yolo County, California, USA.

2013 Toasted Head Cabernet Sauvignon, Yolo County, California, USA.

The Toasted Head had interesting taste pockets. It was a Cabernet equivalent of the summer pond–you know the one I mean? It’s cool, its refreshing, and then you hit this warm spot and the water changes all around you.

This 2013 is similar in that you are sipping some fine red wine, and then you hit this berry patch and your taste buds go crazy for all the cherry and dark berry flavors. We started on the Toasted Head yesterday and tonight are finishing it off with some great leftover steaks (not too proud to say Frank’s Red Hot was liberally applied to it) and white rice seasoned with fresh scallions. Good stuff, just like the vino.

Yolo County, from where this wine hails, is between Napa to the west and Sacramento to the east. This AVA is on the eastern side of the Coast Range Mountains–sounds like the usual “cool nights warm days” magic that does so right by California wines. Scanning the winemaker’s comments, and I see we agree on a couple relevant points that I share here for you:

“This wine opens with ripe plum and dark berry fruits on the nose, accompanied by a graham cracker toastiness from oak aging. On the palate this Cabernet focuses on ripe blackberry and dark cherry surrounded by bourbon vanilla and caramelized sugar notes.”

I’m nodding in agreement. Good berry, full mouth flavor in the 2013 Toasted Head. I’m up for another one…

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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.

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 The Aristocrat, Buena Vista

The Aristocrat is one of the finest wines I’ve ever enjoyed, and it’s going right onto Notes‘ Top Five Reds list. It’s really special. This 2012 is the inaugural vintage, and it’s already sold out at Buena Vista so coming by this gem will not be easy–yet a worthwhile pursuit if you’re even remotely inclined toward great wine.

2012 The Aristocrat, Buena Vista, Sonoma County, California, USA.

2012 The Aristocrat, Buena Vista, Sonoma County, California, USA.

The 2012 Aristocrat is more cherry and blueberry in its flavor. It is crazy smooth, packed full of fruit, and has a spectacular, even finish. There is not even a hint of sharpness, of tannins, of the need for time the way you often get with a Bordeaux or similarly styled red blend. It has great legs, and a jammy color that you’ll find–like its bouquet–extremely enticing.

My wife and I enjoyed this 2012 from a mountainside cabin in western NC, along with a rack of ribs (that’s a dry rub you see in the photo) and a salad featuring some vegetables we picked up fresh at a roadside farm stand.

The team at Buena Vista did not assemble this winner haphazardly–it is filled with purpose and intention. It features Valdiguie (a first for me?), Petit Verdot, and Charbono grapes, each harvested from vineyards in Napa Valley’s Calistoga AVA.  Believe it or not, the vines of the Valdiguie, located at the base of the Vaca Mountains, date back before Prohibition. Poking through the Buena Vista website, I also relay to you that the Charbono is grown on one of Napa’s last remaining Charbono vineyards. This amazing wine is aged (in separate lots) in 100% French oak for 16 to 18 months before being blended.

Special thanks to my mother for presenting us with this amazing housewarming gift. We are thrilled at the reason you selected the 2012 Aristocrat, and thrilled too at the occasion to enjoy it. Hope we brought just a little bit of that back to you in the recap and the photos!

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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!