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Price: 16-20 bucks, Tasting Notes

Vistalba Corte B 2005 Mendoza

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This wine was another Costco pick-up. The 92-point review from Wine Spectator and the $17 price tag grabbed my attention. (I know, I know, points don’t matter…) Then the all-Spanish label added some intrigue (I couldn’t even tell what the grape varieties were). So I pulled the trigger just to see what this wine was all about.

Producer: Bodega Vistalba

Grapes: 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon

Appellation: Mendoza (Argentina)

Vineyard: Finca Vistalba, Upper Mendoza River. Clay, rock and loam soils. 60 degree temperature swing day to night.

Vintage: 2005

Winemaking: 12 months in French oak barrels (% new not specified)

Alcohol: 14.5% abv

Price: $16.99 at Costco in Austin

My tasting notes: A fume-y nose of raspberry, smoke, spice and caramel has me a bit worried I could be dealing with a fat, froak bomb (I’m going to try to bring that phrase back into the VINEgeek lexicon). But on the palate, I find a solid core of minerality supporting sharp, high-toned fruit from the raspberry/blackberry end of the spectrum, with a plush mouthfeel. My wife thought it “ends with whimper” and she’s right.

Overall impression: Overall, I liked the wine and would drink it again. The minerality saves it for me. I just wish it finished stronger. B

Free association:

Couldn’t find a pic anywhere of the missed game-tying layup at the end of Game 7 vs. the Pacers in the 1995 Playoffs.

More info:

92 points, Wine Spectator

Price: 10 bucks or less, Tasting Notes

Mourvèdre Monday #16: Sierra Salinas ‘Mo’ 2006

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It’s been a little while since a Spanish Monastrell has made an appearance on Mourvèdre Monday. This one comes from Sierra Salinas in the Alicante region focused on the Monastrell grape.

Producer: Bodegas Sierra Salinas

Grapes: Primarily Monastrell (the Spanish name for Mourvèdre), with Garnacha Tintorera (which is not Garnacha/Grenache, but the same as Alicante Bouchet), Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Appellation: Alicante (D.O., Spain)

Vineyards: 10-20 year old vines in limestone and clay soil at 600 meters

Vintage: 2006

Winemaking: 4 months in French oak (% new unknown)

Alcohol: 14%

Price: About $10

My tasting notes: The nose has a prominent dustiness coating the blueberry and chocolate notes. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied and starts off a bit rustic, but smoothes out. It features raspberry and blueberry flavors with a touch of minerality and a dry, dusty finish.

Overall impression: Dominique Roujou De Boubee, who is a consultant for Sierra Salinas and has commented here a few times, called this an “easy wine”. I agree. It is not a complex, “thinking” wine, but a pleasant and enjoyable bottle nonetheless. Worth checking out at this price. B-

Free association:

More info:

Big pub scores: 90 points from Parker and 88 points from Tanzer.

Lots of ratings at CellarTracker (avg: 87)

Imported by Eric Solomon.

A profile of the winery (including a review of this bottle) is at CataVino.

Price: Over 20 bucks, Tasting Notes

Mourvèdre Monday #15 (for WBW #69) – Anglim

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This is a special Wednesday edition of my yearlong Mourvèdre Monday series. I was very excited to see that this month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday #69 theme was the Mourvèdre grape, chosen and hosted by The Passionate Foodie (click through to learn why the sub-title is “Animal Cruelty”). So I decided to delay my regularly scheduled post to coincide. I can’t wait to read all the other posts that come in for WBW #69. It should give me plenty of wines to add to my Mourvèdre Monday to-do list.

The wine I’ve chosen has been on that to-do list for a while. Twitter pal Lisa Dinsmore of @DailyWine, who is a great source of info on Paso Robles and other Central Coast wines, recommended it to me when I first launched the Mourvèdre Monday series. I couldn’t find it locally, so I was very happy when the winery offered to send me a sample.

As I’ve noted here before, Paso Robles is a hot-spot for Rhône varietals and blends. I’ve featured a couple already in this series, including last week’s Calcareous. Our WBW host, The Passionate Foodie, had a nice post about Paso a couple months ago, in which he talks about it’s relationship with the Rhône varieties. I commented there, and repeat here, that rather than try to find a “signature grape”, it’d be much more interesting to me if they became “Paso Rhone-bles” (I still haven’t trademarked that) and developed around all the Rhône varieties. However, it does seem like the big recent wine region success stories involve a single variety, e.g., New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Argentine Malbec, etc. So I understand why they might want to focus. Well, Paso, if you must focus on one grape, how about Mourvèdre?

Back to Anglim – They’re one of those hobbyist-turned-pro stories and while they don’t own any vineyards, they are very vineyard-centric, seeking out quality growers and releasing several vineyard-designate wines. While they produce Cab, Zin and Pinot Noir, their focus is on Rhône varietals and blends, including Syrah, Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Roussanne and this Mourvèdre. Let’s check this one out.

Producer: Anglim Winery

Grapes: 100% Mourvèdre

Appellation: Paso Robles (AVA, California)

Vineyards: Hastings Ranch Vineyard, in the Adelaida region of Paso Robles. At 1800 feet, it is one of the area’s highest elevation vineyards. They have 3.3 acres planted to Mourvèdre.

Vintage: 2007

Winemaking: Primary fermentation was done with the juice on top of Viognier lees. The wine spent 17 months in French oak, 20% new. Unfined and unfiltered.

Alcohol: 14.9%

Price: $34

My tasting notes: The wine starts off with a big snootful of spicy, black-pepperiness (the winery says white pepper) and a hint of green olives accenting the somewhat secondary dark fruit aromas. There is also a note of woodsmoke. On the palate, I’m first struck by a very polished mouthfeel delivering the juicy blackberry and plum fruit. But there is a nice savory herbal quality as well. The oak is present, but nicely restrained. The wine has a dry, grippy finish that I enjoy, even if it’s a tad hot at 14.9%.

Overall impression: Regular readers of this series will probably have figured out my palate at this point and know what I like about, and what I look for in, Mourvèdre-based wines: dark, delicious fruit strongly accented by interesting savory characteristics. And this wine delivers in spades. Really good stuff. If you want to check out what this grape can do in Paso, this is a great wine to try. A-/B+

Free association:

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mouser-nerdbot/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

More info:

This bottle was provided as a sample from the winery.

Production: 233 cases

Big publication scores: 90 points from Josh Raynolds of Tanzer’s IWC and 88 points from James Laube in Wine Spectator.

Other blogger reviews at The Passionate Foodie (our WBW #69 host – I didn’t realize he had reviewed this wine on his site.), DailyWine and The Vino File.

Anglim also uses Mourvèdre in a GSM blend they call Cerise and in their 09 Rosé.

Tasting Notes, Uncategorized

8 Sauvignon Blancs from Chile (#SBChile Roundup)

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I had the good fortune to participate in last Wednesday night’s Wines of Chile #SBChile online tasting, along with 50 other wine bloggers. The event brought together eight examples of 2009 Sauvignon Blanc from eight Chilean wineries. The host, Fred Dexheimer (@FredDexMS), led the tasting via video conference with the eight winemakers also on video. I liked this format, as it was nice to get to see and hear from the winemakers about their wines and have questions answered, though occasional technical difficulties meant I only heard about half of it.

What about the wine? I was very excited to be able to taste eight different bottles from the same grape variety and same region. And, as you’ll see, I came away pretty impressed with what Chile can do with Sauvignon Blanc.

(Note: all wines were provided as samples by Wines of Chile)

Below are my thoughts on each wine:

Wine #1: Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2009 Casablanca Valley ($10.99)

This reasonably priced and widely available bottle is crisp and fresh with a citrusy nose, and palate to match. A touch of minerality, too. C+

Free association:

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Wine #2: Ventisquero Queulat Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Casablanca Valley ($17.00)

This wine serves up the greener side of Sauvignon Blanc on the nose, with vegetal and grassy aromas, while the palate is very mineral-driven and steely. Very lean (read: little fruit). C

Free association:

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Wine #3: Underraga T.H. Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Leyda Valley ($15.99 – $16.99)

The T.H. stands for Terroir Hunter, so I love it already. There is an enjoyable green pepper and fresh-cut jalapeno note on the nose of this wine. Then the palate delivers a rounder mouthfeel (perhaps from it’s battonage regime) and a fruitier flavor profile than the first two, with melon predominating. B

Free association:

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Wine #4: Valdivieso Single Vineyard Wild Fermented Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Leyda Valley ($21.99)

There was something amiss with this bottle. Oxidized aromas and flavors. I assumed I got a bad bottle, but most of the other bloggers had similar reactions. After the session, I got a note from the organizers saying there may have been some issues with bottle variation and another bottle would be sent to me. So I will wait until I get a chance to taste that before posting more on this bottle.

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Wine #5: Santa Rita Medalla Real Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Leyda Valley ($19.99)

A fellow blogger (whose name I have lost) nailed the nose on this bottle as tomato vine. Once he/she made that comment, that’s all I could smell. In the mouth the wine is aggressive with grapefruit flavors and a tart/bitter finish. There’s something a little “beer-y” about it too. B/B-

Free association:

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Wine #6:  Cono Sur Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2009 San Antonio Valley ($13.00)

After a very closed nose, the Cono Sur attacks your mouth with a laserbeam of limeade and a hint of residual sugar. It feels like it explodes in the mouth. In my notes I wrote, “It’s aliiiiiive!” The slightly bitter backend actually helps resolve the explosive palate presence. Definitely a wine I could see serving at a party. B

Free association:

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Wine #7: Haras de Pirque ‘Haras Estate’ Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Maipo Valley ($12.00)

My first thought on the nose was herb-roasted chicken skin – and not as a pairing. The subtle, savory nose makes way for a lively palate with tart citrus notes and white peach. A slightly chalky finish. The most Loire-like bottle of the evening and, for me, the best value. Good luck finding an SB with this balance and, dare I say, elegance at $12 from California or France. B/B+

Free association:

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Wine #8: Casa Silva Cool Coast Paredones Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Colchagua Valley ($22.99)

This wine offers an inviting tart pineapple nose then smashes you over the head with a tangy, zingy tropical palate. Truly vibrant, the fruit is underscored by a rocky minerality that I love. My favorite of the night. B+

Free Association:

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Overall, I’d buy 4 out of 8 of these wines (and 1 was probably a bad bottle, so 4 out of 7). That’s a damn good ratio, in my book. I don’t know that I could peg a specific style that captures all these wines. Some were closer to the New Zealand style while others were more French or Californian. Either way, I will definitely be paying more attention to Chilean Sauvignon Blanc in the future.

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Other blogger posts about this event are below. (If I missed yours let me know and I’ll add it.)

DrinkNectar

Under the Grape Tree

WineMcGee

Bottle Report (lots of detail on the wines here)

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Image credits:
(1) http://www.flickr.com/photos/rakka/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

(3) http://www.flickr.com/photos/25904307@N08/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

(5) http://www.flickr.com/photos/dixieroadrash/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Price: Over 20 bucks, Tasting Notes

Mourvèdre Monday #14: Calcareous Estate Reserve 2007

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This wine was shared with me by Mike Castleman, whom I met via Twitter. He heard about my Mourvèdre Monday series and recommended this wine to me. When we realized we were both in Austin, we planned to meet up and taste it together. Thanks, Mike!  I’ll have to return the favor soon. (Mike makes wine, too. Check him out at Castleman Cellars.)

For those of you who read my comment-reply in the last post and are expecting a bad wine review here this week, this ain’t it. I’ve lost my notes on the wine I had planned to post this week, so I substituted this one. As for the wolf dog wine, I’ll keep my trap mouth shut on that for now in case I find my notes.

Calcareous Estate Reserve Mourvèdre 2007

Producer: Calcareous Vineyard

Grapes: 100% Mourvèdre

Appellation: Paso Robles (AVA, California)

Vineyards: The winery has a single block of Mourvèdre amongst its estate vineyards on a limestone outcropping in Paso Robles’ Westside hills.

Vintage: 2007

Winemaking: French oak (time and % new not specified)

Alcohol: 15.9%

Price: $42 from the winery

My tasting notes: Juicy, sweet blackberry/blueberry aromas, with a big dose of oaky-vanilla and cinnamon. On the palate, the blackberry fruit is very intense and extracted, but smoothed out by the creamy mouthfeel. It’s like a blackberry cobbler with whipped cream. But there is also a wet earth and crushed rock sort of minerality at the back end that adds interest. Despite the 15.9% a.b.v., I don’t really notice any heat.

Overall impression:  A very confected style of Mourvèdre, but very seductive and fun to drink. This one will appeal to a lot of people, I think. B/B+

Free association:

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/margolove/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

More info:

185 cases produced

Price: Over 20 bucks, Tasting Notes

Mourvèdre Monday #13: The Pict

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Mourvèdre Monday is back after a few weeks off around the birth of my baby girl, Lucy. I’m easing back into regular blogging. Let’s get things restarted with a bang…

This is one of the priciest varietal Mourvèdres on the planet. So I’m glad to be able to include it in the Mourvèdre Monday series. (Thanks to the winery for providing a sample for review!) Let’s see what the top of the market brings to the table.

Producer: Torbreck

Grapes: 100% Mataro (that name for the grape hangs on at some Aussie and California producers)

Appellation: Barossa Valley

Vineyards: Materne ‘Quarry Block’ Vineyard planted 1927 in the Northern Greenock region of the Barossa. Head-pruned bush vines. Sandy quartz soil.

Vintage: 2006

Winemaking: Two years in new French oak. Unfiltered, unfined.

Alcohol: 14.81% on website (14.0% on label)

Price: $180 (!) according to the website, but it’s available closer to $130 at various retailers online.

My tasting notes: I don’t use the word “redolent” very often (regular readers may remember the only other use on this blog here – an $8 wine!), but it’s appropriate here. The fruit aromas are cherry and blackcurrant, but wrapped in layer upon layer of spicebox, leather shop, coffee and an Italian salumi shop. Fascinating to sniff. Once I stop trying to identify all that’s going on with the nose and taste the wine, I’m struck by the terrific balance of this wine. It’s not huge on the palate, but there’s tons going on here: currants, wet earth, black olives, oaky spice, chocolate. And it’s so harmonious; nothing overdone or out of place. Ripe tannins, good acidity and a very lengthy finish (and not hot, despite the near 15% abv). A lot of sediment in the last glass.

Overall impression: The most well-balanced and complex Mourvèdre wine I’ve encountered. Loved it. A*

*the first full A I’ve awarded on the blog so far. The Pict FTW!

Free association:

More info:

This wine was well-scored by some of the big critics: 93 pts Steven Tanzer and 92 pts Parker.

Commentary

What Would LOST Characters Drink?

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This is the first of what may become a series (irregularly published) called What Would They Drink? where I’ll pick characters from a movie, TV show, book, etc. and say what kind of wine they’d drink if they were wine drinkers. Hilarity will surely ensue.*

* Actually, this is almost certainly only interesting to me.

LOST Characters

Jack: Something about that old Bronco he drives makes me think he’d drink off the beaten path, appreciates older things. Maybe properly-aged Hunter Valley Semillons.

Kate: Living on the run, Kate probably buys her wine at the convenience store. Rex Goliath Chardonnay.

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Sawyer: During all his time as a con-man seducing the ladies, he’s secretly developed a fondness for ice-cold Pinot Grigio.

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Locke/Black Smoke Monster: Cahors

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Hurley: Chateau d’Yquem. Sweet and yummy and he’s got the money.

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Benjamin Linus: He seems like the German Riesling type to me.

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Richard Alpert: Madeira, the longest-lived wines in the world.

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Desmond: Moriah Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

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Rousseau: ’85 Rhone

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What do you think? Please offer up your own thoughts in the comments.