Tag Archives: USA

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2010 Dry Creek Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon

Nothing like a trip to our favorite wine region to finish up the week. A Friday evening replete with a big red, a bold Cabernet Sauvignon, and a delicious meal with my bride. We celebrated our 4th anniversary just last night (stay tuned for the recap of the amazing champagne that involved) and followed that up with steaks–just the perfect thickness and grill marks–and baked potato with a side of asparagus slathered in a burnt butter lemon sauce. Instant classic.

2010 Dry Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County California USA

2010 Dry Creek Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County, California, USA.

The 2010 Dry Creek Vineyard’s Cabernet Sauvignon is a good one. It’s got some smoke, some dried tobacco, and some cherry fruits swirling all about it. Nice, even finish too. I have absolutely no recollection of where we bought this bottle–online? a local store? mail order? but it was a good call. Dark grapes, big taste, and some of that spice that I always like in a cab. Was that an afterthought, some artificial additive, or inherent in the grapes? The folks at Dry Creek make it seem as though it’s all about the climate (which I love) in that specific region so I’ll abide. Here’s their take:

“On the palate, the wine is extremely well balanced with silky tannins that carefully weave together the earthy, dusty nuances of this Bordeaux-esque wine. With some airing, the wine flushes out providing even more dimension and depth. The finish lingers with fine tannins that are very elegant and structured.”

It is very enjoyable in your glass, however, short lived that time may be. I was pretty casual opening it and yet wish we had a little more of this 2010 in store. We’re heading out tomorrow because we are down to our last couple bottles of red–never a good sign but one we’re willing to take swift steps to resolve.

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2012 The Dreaming Tree Cabernet Sauvignon

Having heard vague news somewhere of Dave Matthews’ interest in wine, when we saw this 2012 The Dreaming Tree Cabernet Sauvignon in the store an impulse buy quickly resulted. It was my first sighting of the offering, but over the past several weeks have encountered the Dreaming Tree several more times–including at concert venues, appropriately enough.

Upon tasting, my first thought was of the big fruit flavor. You have a lot of blackberry feeling right off the bat, ample and sweet with an easy finish. Its dark fruit notes waft up out of your glass, nice and gently like a solo Leroi Moore might share with his band mates and assembled fans some night on stage. The first night the 2012 Dreaming Tree Cabernet Sauvignon accompanied grilled red meat; it made a curtain call two nights later with grilled chicken breasts that were expertly seasoned to taste. I think I may have preferred the main event?

Comments Dave’s partner, winemaker Steve Reeder, “The rhythm of our North Coast Dreaming Tree Cabernet Sauvignon highlights class aromas of blackberry, cherry, and herbal notes wrapped by toasted vanilla. It’s an easy-drinking wine with a lot of character.”

The guys age the 2012 for 18 months in oak barrels before blending–the 2012 actually is a blend of Cab (82%), Merlot (14%), and “other” (4%).  Some of the grapes in play here originate from our favorite region of Sonoma and do the area proud. The wine is pretty good; the story you tell your friends about drinking with Dave is even better.

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2011 Josh Cellars Merlot

Jackpot here in the 2011 Josh Cellars Merlot. At the end of a hot summer Saturday we broke out this purple Merlot, serving it in stemless glassware during a patio feast. This photo doesn’t quite do justice to this easy-finishing vintage, but it does capture some of the ambiance of our evening. Food, flick, and fun on the deck.

2011 Josh Cellars Merlot, Sonoma, California, USA.

2011 Josh Cellars Merlot, Sonoma, California, USA.

You correctly see a bountiful salad, mixed greens with fresh cucumbers harvested from my wife’s carefully managed garden (and bacon!), onions, assorted dressings, and seasoned steaks fresh from the grill. We were indeed hooked up for a patio viewing of The Grand Budapest Hotel and worked through the movie and bottle with equal effectiveness.

It tastes purple, definitely cherry and violet in big portions, and is actually a Bordeaux-style blend of Merlot (85%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%). Among other facts, the winemaker remarks “A wine that is bold and expressive but unassuming and approachable.” Maybe that’s why it struck a great chord for this reviewer–it’s the way I might describe the overarching objectives of Notes Of Note.

My better half brought the 2011 Josh Cellars Merlot into my life and I’m grateful. It was luscious–such an easy finish too–and fruit-filled in an encouraging way. Merlot I usually consider a winter treat but good grapes apparently transcend the season.

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2012 Dead Bolt Winemaker’s Blend

A California red that comes together in an interesting tumble of red and black fruits, the Dead Bolt makes its mark on you as a consumer. We opened this bottle over the weekend but only finished it this evening with ground beef soup, tortilla corn chips, and buttered rolls. How did it take two sittings to partake of this 2012?

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The winemaker remarks, “Dead Bolt is a rich, round, and opulent California red of dark origins. A generous blend full of rich fruit flavors with a long textured finish.” Is that a little overstated for this working man’s red? Maybe a little, but it is a drink that’ll leave a smile on your face. Partially from this succulent wine; partially from the clever branding.
The 2012 Dead Bolt is the creation of Philip Laffer and brings together Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, and Shiraz–might be a kitchen sink in there too–into one helluva smooth red. And it works. We’ve got several interesting bottles awaiting us, but I will look forward to the chance to circle back to this one again soon.

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2011 Vintage of the 1448, Jeff Runquist Winery

The family winery of Jeff Runquist is located in the Amador County foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains – 1,448 feet above sea level, where this zesty red blend gets its name. Runquist has seemingly made his bones on Zin and Barbera wines (I have yet to try myself) but saves the leftovers of these premiere bottlings for the 1448 – called a “kitchen sink” blend by our local wine store staff.

2011 vintage of Jeff Rundquist's 1448; Sierra Nevada California USA

The 2011 vintage of Jeff Rundquist’s 1448; Sierra Nevada, California, USA.

Originally purchased for our weekend on Lake Gaston, the 1448 actually lasted until this week when we knocked it down with grilled chicken and my 2014 summer favorite: orzo arugula salad, with roasted red peppers.  This red blend lines up really well with the grilled stuff, believe me. It’s a red–nearly purple–medley of Petite Syrah, Barbera, and Zinfandel, with a few other (his Verdot perhaps?) thrown in for good measure too. This red has some depth to it, and a smoky underpinning that plays well with your grillwork.

The winemaker remarks, “1448 – an assembly of wines from throughout California that delivers fruit-forward flavors with a rich texture sure to delight every palate.”

And so it does. With some after-the-fact-research I can offer this breakdown of the 1448’s composition: 54% Petite Sirah; 31% Petit Verdot; 4% Barbera; 3% Syrah; 2% Zinfandel; 2% Carignane; 2% Souzao. Seems like I was headed in the right direction, and can share now as well that the 2011 is barrel aged to create its nuances and robust mouth feel.

I picked this bottle to share with lifelong friends and was perhaps a little disappointed we didn’t get into it together last weekend. On the other hand, it meant more of the 1448 for yours truly and I was appreciative of the Runquist touch here. Not only would I move swiftly to seize another 1448, but it put the premiere reds of this winery squarely in the cross hairs too.

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2011 Boom Boom! Syrah, Charles Smith Wines

Didn’t get a photo of the 2011 Boom Boom! showing the bottle or the fantastic spread of food (a consistent theme all weekend) that accompanied this wine, but suffice it to say children and adults alike had plenty to eat.  This Syrah too was a recent favorite and earned a second showing among our lake friends this weekend, following closely on the heels of the 2011 Petite Petit, and it received similar praise from the gathered company.

2011 Boom Boom! Syrah Charles Smith, Columbia Valley Washington USA.

2011 Boom Boom! Syrah, Charles Smith, Columbia Valley, Washington, USA.

The Boom Boom! Syrah is a Columbia Valley wine, the largest in Washington State and covering an area of nearly 11 million acres. Now that is a lot of grapes (and I hear their vine rows are often more spread out there than in other regions around the grape-growing world).  Several smaller pockets–Yakima Valley, Walla Walla, and others–are encompassed in this great region for winemaking, where Charles Smith Wines makes its living.

We poured this dark beauty into a plastic “lake glass” and passed it around, swirling its deep purples and sipping contentedly with the onset of the evening. It’s not just the grape itself that intrigues here, but a little something spicy that lingers in the background. It’s there for sure, but I’m not savvy enough a taster to identify its specific details for you.

Syrah is sent to us once or twice yearly as part of a recurring wine club shipment, and we always enjoy it on those occasions…but the 2011 Boom Boom! from Charles Smith is the only Syrah I’ve gone out of my way to purchase. There’s an obvious “boom” quip waiting in the wings here but you’ll have to taste it for yourself to get it.

 

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2011 Petite Petit, Michael David Winery

As part of a (long overdue!) Lake Gaston weekend with lifelong friends, I planned to swing out and pick up several wines that had earned recent accolades in our home. One of them was the 2011 Petite Petit from Michael David Winery, a veritable juice bomb hidden in these cheery elephant-decorated bottles. Thankfully I pulled this last bottle–and several other fun options–from the shelves at Winestore and couldn’t wait to share.

2011 Petite Petit Michael David Winery Lodi California USA.

2011 Petite Petit, Michael David Winery, Lodi, California, USA.

The weather was not cooperative by the dinner hour (as shown in this photo) but the 2011 Petite Petit was a burst of sun and flavor against the thundering skies and rain-spattered windows of our weekend rental. We poured a first glass, passed tastings around, and saw lots of nodding heads as each taster caught a whiff then a taste of all dark fruits of this Syrah/Verdot blend. Multiple glasses followed in swift succession. I’m not sure if everyone could taste the hint of charcoal that I described, but I’d enjoyed a bottle previously and sort of knew what to expect from this deep, rich red. I also knew we’d kill the bottle quickly, and indeed we did, our tanned faces smiling in enjoyment.

The Petite Petit was essentially gone before the dinner hour–grilled fare and delicious cold salads of pasta and potato–but it did give us ample opportunity to delve into other new favorites. Lots of new fans of the 2011 vintage after this evening!