Tag Archives: USA

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2012 Napa Merlot, Beaulieu Vineyard

Ushering in a festive family weekend is this 2012 Beaulieu Vineyard Napa Merlot, a gentle red from one of California’s best-known wine makers. It had an opportunity to breathe and ultimately came out for the cocktail hour and hors de oeuvres on the back patio. The sun’s out, the company is good, and the food is here too–game on.

2012 Merlot Beaulieu Vineyard Coastal Estates, California, USA.

2012 Merlot Beaulieu Vineyard Coastal Estates, Napa Valley, California, USA.

The 2012 Napa BV is a nice fruity red, with strong cherry vibes to it and of course a tad of blackberry. We sampled the BV with a cheese plate, crackers, and strawberry halves complemented with some dipping yogurt. I sort of avoided the strawberries, not sure how their flavors would mix with the Merlot (I might have had some if drinking a Pinot Noir), but in hindsight wonder if I missed an opportunity to bring out some other nuances of the BV. The 2012 had a mild finish and was very approachable.

Of the 2012, the winemaker offers, “Bing cherry, plum and raspberry mingle with chocolate-cherry truffle and red rose petal in this wine’s sensual aromas and flavors. Silky tannins and beautifully balanced acidity gently support the expansive flavors through the delicious, lingering finish.”

Tomorrow we’ve got an early curtain call for my cousin’s wedding, so we’re opting for discretion over valor – but yet moving onto a La Mer red blend shortly. Good decisions on both!

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2013 Pinot Noir, Curlew Vineyards

Over the last week I’ve sampled some less than amazing red wines, and the kitchen counter is carrying about four half-consumed bottles that I’ll try to revisit over the holiday weekend. Perhaps. In the meantime, I decided I needed a palate cleanser and popped a cork on this 2013 Pinot Noir from Curlew Vineyards to get that job done, and done well.

2013 Pinot Noir, Curlew Vineyards, Russian River Valley, California, USA.

2013 Pinot Noir, Curlew Vineyards, Russian River Valley, California, USA. (Photo courtesy of http://www.cellartracker.com)

This delicious red is made by the Pedroncelli family and presents some excellent features for the price. It’s light but nuanced, with scents of cherry and other red berries in the glass. If you sometimes grimace at vanilla or strawberry in your pinots as I do, this is your wine. Neither are present (some tasters will beg to differ but I think them overstating the tastes and scents here) to any appreciable extent in this Russian River Valley red!

It’s 100% Pinot Noir with plenty of fruits without being the flavor bomb that, for example, the delicious Petite Petit can be. Saturday the wine accompanied pan-seared filet mignon; tonight some kicked up hamburgers grilled to taste. You sip this red contentedly, enjoying its rich color in your stemware and its rich red fruit on your taste buds. Only 1,500 cases of this micro-production Pinot Noir were made, so if you’re intrigued by its profile here be sure to act quickly to track some down for yourself.

I found this on Wines Til Sold Out and hope that helps in your search. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

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2013 The Count’s Selection Syrah, Buena Vista

As the sun drops lower in the sky, so too does this thoroughly enjoyable bottle of the 2013 The Count’s Selection Syrah, from my favorite winery. It’s a reminder of another time, other adventures, and memories that are nearly a decade in age.

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2013 The Count’s Selection Syrah, Buena Vista Winery, Sonoma, California, USA.

Often I look for news of Buena Vista in the pages of Wine Enthusiast, a tasting note or accolade that California’s oldest premium winery (1857) may have engendered from some competition or critic. It’s not often that the Sonoma winery is covered in the pages of that magazine but I look nevertheless, probably for some affirmation that others enjoy Buena Vista offerings as much as I do. I look not for validation but a shared experience, a shared enjoyment of their approach to winemaking.

This one is bottle #1365, finished as you may gather on a bright, sunny Carolina Sunday. The 2013 Count’s Selection Syrah accompanies steak, Brussel sprouts, and a mashed potato (with just the right lumps and consistency). This wine has some great leather and pepper hints to it, both in the glass and to the taste, and plenty of dark fruits that carry those earthy notes to the taster.

The first glass in always my favorite in a syrah, and this one is no exception. The worst? That’s easy too–your last one.

 

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2013 Conundrum, Wagner Family of Wine

Yes, the 25th Anniversary special from the Wagner Family. We have several bottles of the 25th on hand so this introductory review will leave some notes for future tastings. Just an FYI in case you’re left wanting by this post. But read on…

Grapes that the Wagners source for the Conundrum reputedly come from some of the finest vineyards in California, and they’re combined in a closely guarded recipe of dark, fruity goodness that is the Conundrum. This red blend pours inky into your glass, its chroma pushed to nearly 11 on a 10 scale. The vintage, like others sampled here in Notes, has big legs and a bigger mouthfeel.

Ever have a popsicle and pull out all the flavor from the ice while leaving most of the popsicle intact? It’s concentrated flavoring, and that’s a parallel I offer you here in the Conundrum. The winemakers jam this thing full of plum and blackberry flavors that burst in your mouth.

2013 Conundrum, The Wagner Family of Wines, California, USA.
2013 Conundrum (25th Anniversary), The Wagner Family of Wines, California, USA.

The 2013 Condundrum shown here accompanied grilled steaks, lightly seasoned with just salt and pepper, and blue cheese salads that featured perfectly riped tomato wedges and fresh crumble. We through in some crispy crown potatoes too just to make sure we starched up too. I know reviewers often recommend the Conundrum as a complement to barbeque and spiced food, and we stayed pretty close to that playbook on this particular evening…but looking forward already to what comes next. Enjoy your Condundrum!

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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.