Category Archives: Tasting Notes

Price: 11-15 bucks, Tasting Notes

Volteo 2008 Viura + Sauvignon Blanc + Viognier

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volteo_vi-vi-sau_2008I typically look for wines with specificity: a single grape variety, a single vineyard, etc. I like to think I can learn more that way and that I’m getting a truer essence of something or other. But I’m also a sucker for interesting blends. I imagine the best qualities of each grape marrying together into a delicious whole. I’m especially a sucker for Viognier in the blend, as I assume it will add that I-could-sniff-this-all-night floral quality to the nose. So that’s how I ended up picking this bottle up on a recent trip to the wine shop.

Before we jump to the wine itself, a quick interjection on the brand name. Volteo is the Spanish name for the sport of “equestrian vaulting.” What the heck is that, you ask? Well it’s as if some gymnasts got stoned and said “Dude, what if the pommel horse was, like … a real horse.”

Now let’s take a look at this wine.

Producer: Volteo

Grapes: 50% Viura, 35% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Viognier

Appellation: Castilla-La Mancha (Vino de la Tierra, Spain). This is the largest wine region in Spain, producing half of the nation’s wine.

Vineyards: no info

Winemaking: This wine spent some time on the lees before being bottled.

Alcohol: 12.5%

Package: Screwcap. Temperature-sensitive label. Also, there is a graphic on the top of the screwcap that shows the outline of Spain and the region the producer’s wines are from. Kinda cool.

Volteo_screwcap

Price: $11

My tasting notes: It’s mostly appley and pineappley on nose with a bit of lemon pith and hay. There is a softness to the nose like a very light perfume. It’s creamier on the palate with white peach and nectarine flavors. A little citrus at the end and a medium-long finish.

Overall impression: A nicely balanced wine. It doesn’t command your attention with intensity or draw you in with complexity, but it’s an enjoyable sipper. B-

Free association:

LyceumDonQuixote

More info: Importer’s tech sheet.

Price: 11-15 bucks, Tasting Notes

Vina Robles RED4 2007 Paso Robles

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VinaRoblesRed4_labelThis wine had a lot of “shelf appeal” for me. First off it’s from Paso Robles and it’s got the vineyard named on the label. Yippee! Then I see that it’s a blend of Petite Sirah, Syrah, Tannat and Touriga Nacional. Geek-tastic!

Producer: Vina Robles

Grapes: 51% Petite Sirah, 43% Syrah, 4% Tannat, 2% Touriga Nacional

Appellation: Paso Robles

Vineyard: Huerhuero – an estate vineyard (cool map here)

[from the winery] Huerhuero Vineyard occupies a rolling terrain on the southeast border of Paso Robles, with largely south-facing slopes that reach a maximum elevation of 1,200 feet. This location is a crossroads for marine air entering the region from both the Templeton Gap and Salinas Valley. The soils are shallow, shifting from clay loam to sandy loam, with rocky calcareous subsoils—a well-drained composition that naturally tames vine vigor. The main soil types are the Nacimiento – Los Osos and the Arbuckle – Positas complex. A tight vine spacing of 6 by 4 feet in several blocks creates root competition and also controls vigor. The result is smaller vines, with balanced canopies and small, intensely flavored grapes.

Winemaking/aging: “up to” 14 months in 1-2 year old French oak

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: $14

My tasting notes: This wine leads with bright red and blue fruit on nose, with some meaty/gamey aromas. On the palate, the fruit gets deeper and darker (blackberries, black cherries) with a steely/mineral quality that makes me think “old world” momentarily. Some oak and drying tannins on the back, but smooth overall considering the grapes involved.

Overall impression: This is definitely a wine I would buy again. Plenty here for everybody. It’s got gobs of fruit, but plenty of natural structure as well. Very solid. Plus it’s got fun grapes. B

Free association: I don’t know why but… Darth Tater (dark, but cheery?)

41+wowf371L._SL160_

More info:

Winery’s tech sheet (all their wines are in one pdf so you have to scroll down to find this wine)

Other blogger viewpoints at: Wine Peeps (score only: 2.5 stars), Young Winos of LA (scroll down), Wine and Cheese and Wherever You Are.

Price: 11-15 bucks, Tasting Notes

Foppiano Merlot 2004 Russian River Valley

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I was in Spec’s the other day with no real direction to my shopping, just browsing around. I saw the Merlot section and thought “why not?”  I rarely buy Merlot, but I was feeling a bit guilty for not being more open-minded. I saw this bottle with a healthy dollop of Cabernet Franc (and a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon) and from Russian River Valley, which has a generally cooler climate than many places Merlot is grown in California and is known for Pinot Noir and elegant Zinfandels. I’ve visited the Russian River Valley 2 or 3 times and I’ve had Foppiano on my list of places to stop because of their reputation for Petite Sirah, but I never managed to make it there. So I thought I’d give this bottle a shot. Let’s check it out.

FoppianoMerlot04_labelProducer: Foppiano

Grapes: 87% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon

Appellation: Russian River Valley AVA (California)

Vineyards: Estate vineyards on benchland.

Winemaking/aging: no info

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: $12

My tasting notes: This wine offers dusty red & black fruit on the nose with some green vegetal notes from the Cabernet Franc. On the palate, it’s all cherries and a bit of vanilla. Finishes very dry.

Overall impression: The Cab and Cab Franc provide some backbone to this pleasant, but unexciting Merlot. It’s fine but not something I’d seek out again (though I still want to try some of the Petite Sirah). C

Free association:

YawningSign

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/djbadly/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0


More info:

Wine Enthusiast scored this wine an 83.

Wannabe Wino mentions this bottle in a report on her visit to the winery.

Price: 11-15 bucks, Tasting Notes

Can Blau 2007 Montsant

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CanBlau07_snapshotOkay, maybe you’re getting tired of me posting about Montsant, but I’m going to keep trying them as long as they keep impressing me. Let’s check this one out.

Producer: Cellers Can Blau.  (This wine also bears the label of Jorge Ordoñez Selection, though Tempranillo Inc. is listed as the importer.)

Grapes: 40% Mazuela, 40% Syrah, 20% Garnacha. (Mazuela is a synonym for Carignan, which I was unaware of until researching this post.)

Appellation: D. O. Montsant (Spain)

Vineyards: The Mazuelo was planted in sandy clay, the Syrah in chalky soils and the Garnacha on slate, known as llicorella [from the label]

Winemaking/aging: no info

Alcohol: 14%

Packaging: Beautiful diamond pattern on the label. Looks like an inlaid marble floor you’d see in a palace or something. Real cork closure.

Price: $14

My tasting notes: Nice dark color. Cedar, beef jerky and blueberry on the nose, with some of the alcohol showing through. On the palate, this wine has an inky, dry, slightly stemmy core laced with ripe mixed berry fruit that disappears quickly. Finishes very dry and tannic. This wine throws quite a bit of sediment as well. (It got a bit rounder and more balanced on day two, so I’d recommend decanting this one for a few hours.)

Overall assessment: Interesting how this blend comes together, you get the tannic backbone of the Mazuelo/Carignan, the cedar and meatiness from the Syrah and the Garnacha delivers some fleshy fruit (though not enough, I think). At least that how I imagine the components working together. In the end though, I didn’t find this as satisfying as I’d like. The hollowness of the mid-palette left me hanging, wanting more depth. B-/C+

Free association: The name Can Blau makes me think of this song from Bob Schneider called Blauu.

More info:

Apparently most people liked this wine more than I did, so maybe you will too. It makes me question myself when I see so many gushing reviews of a wine I think is good but not special. But, hey, I gotta call ’em like I see ’em.

Stephen Tanzer gave it 91 pts and Robert Parker gave it 90 pts.

Other blogger reviews at Serge the Concierge, The Rhone Report, and BlogRoom.

More tasting notes at Corkd and Snooth. More people on CellarTracker shared my thoughts on the hollowness of the wine.

Price: 11-15 bucks, Tasting Notes

Naia Verdejo 2007 Rueda

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Naia_snapshot1After having a very nice Rueda Verdejo last week, this bottle caught my eye when I was at the wine shop. I opened it for tonight’s penne with pesto, potatoes and green beans.

Producer: Bodegas Naia

Importer: Jorge Ordonez – If you’re ever stuck at a wine shop and not sure what to get, head to the Spanish section and look for this logo on the back label. (Any wine he imports is worth a shot.)

JorgeOrdonezLogo

Grapes: 100% Verdejo

Appellation: D.O. Rueda, Spain (map). The home of Verdejo.

Vineyards: no info

Winemaking/aging: no info

Alcohol: 13%

Price: $11

My tasting notes: A little waxy on the nose with lemon, faint tropical fruit and a little metallic twang. On the palate, I get more lemon, unripe peach and a little spice. Good mouthfeel, it finishes with nice acidity without being tart.

Overall assessment: Not bad at all. It’s a good crisp white wine that’ll go well with lots of food. (It was nice with the pesto pasta dish). If you’re looking for a Rueda Verdejo, though, I like the Valdelainos better. B-

Free association:

More info:

Gary V. tasted this wine on WLTV. Also, check out the episode with Jorge Ordonez.

Wine Enthusiast gave this wine an 88.

23 tasting notes at CellarTracker and 3 at Corkd.

Price: 11-15 bucks, Tasting Notes

Perrin & Fils Vinsobres “Les Cornuds” 2006

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PerrinVinsobres_NV_bottleshotPerrin & Fils is a producer that always catches my eye. I’ve had a number of very good bottles from them and no bad ones. So when I saw this bottle at Costco from an appellation I’m not familiar with and a couple of nice scores (91 WS and 90 RP), I couldn’t resist.

Producer: Perrin & Fils

Grapes: Back label says 65% Syrah, 35% Grenache – but I read in two places that the AC rules for this appellation require a minimum of 50% Grenache. So I’m assuming they got it backward on the label and it’s 65% Grenache.

Appellation: Vinsobres (AOC, France) (map). Formerly classified as Côtes du Rhône Villages (1957), then Côtes du Rhône Villages Vinsobres (1967), this appellation was granted its own AOC (just Vinsobres) in 2005.

Vineyards: From vineyards at Domaine de la Bicarelle and the Julian estate. They describe the soils as “Stony and sandy marl on the slopes, with quartenary stony alluviums on the terraces.”

Winemaking/aging: Label says 35% is aged in French oak, but no indication for how long or whether the barrels are new or not.

Alcohol: 14%

Price: $12-15

My tasting notes: Dusty red fruit, pencil shavings and dried herbs on the nose. Feels weighty in the mouth, with flavors of dried cherries, plums, figs and just a hint of black olive. Persistent minerality on the finish. (Drinks well on day two – a little fruitier and fleshier.)

Overall assessment: A nice wine. Good balance of restrained fruit and minerality/earth, especially after a few hours open and the next day. A good way to explore lesser-known Rhone appellations. B-

Free association: In the my last post, I used Iron Man to convey the iron notes in the wine. I have comics on the brain, so I’m using The Thing to convey the earthy minerality of this wine.

TheThing_Cover

More info:

Wondering how to pronounce the name of this wine?

Other blogger reviews: Gang of Pour,  Viva la Wino and Passport Foodie

Price: 11-15 bucks, Tasting Notes

Montsant: My New Favorite Spanish Appellation

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After really enjoying the last Montsant wine I tried, I have been on the lookout for more. I saw this one for about $11 and had to give it a try.

Falset 2006 Montsant

Falset06_snapshot2Producer: Falset Marçà

Grapes: 50% Garnacha, 30% Cariñena, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon

Appellation: Montsant (D.O., Spain)

MontsantDO

Vineyards: Vineyards are at 1240 feet with soils of slate, granite, sand, limestone and clay.

Winemaking/aging: Aged in stainless steel.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Package: A rather plain label, but I like that they use the D.O. Montsant logo on the front (appellation pride – woot!)

Price: $10.95

My tasting notes: Not the deepest color. Nose is very mineral-driven: iron and rock dust. Blackberries, too. Cherries, plums and more blackberries on the palate, which manages to feel rich while maintaining a strong core of minerality and acid.

Overall assessment: A very nice, complex, balanced wine. Like the last Montsant wine I reviewed, I love the minerality and complexity you get for a very reasonable price. B

Free association:

ironman_no1

More info: The importer’s winery profile.

Price: 11-15 bucks, Tasting Notes

Looking for a house white?

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valdelainos07_labelshot

Valdelainos Verdejo 2007 Rueda

Producer: Bodegas Pedro Escudero

Grapes: 100% Verdejo

Appellation: D.O. Rueda, Spain (map). The home of Verdejo.

Vineyard: from an estate vineyard named “Fuente Elvira” – gravel and sand over a red clay sub-soil

Winemaking/aging: aged 2 months in stainless steel on the lees.

Alcohol: 13%

Price: Don’t remember exactly what I paid, but it’s in the $10-12 range.

My tasting notes: Juicy/mouth-watering nose of grass and citrus. Smells like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. More of the same on the palate with some apples joining the party, along with a faint minerality. As it warms in the glass, I start to pick up more melon: honeydew and underripe canteloupe. Very crisp and fresh and perky.

Overall assessment: Just a great little wine. Many of the New Zealand SBs that this is similar to have crept up in price closer to the $15 price point. This gives you a similar experience for a few bucks less, with a little extra geek-cred. “House white”-worthy. B+

Free association: For some reason, this wine reminds me of the The Cosby Show theme song (circa Season 4 – it changed quite a bit over time).

More info:

Importer’s tech sheet and collection of reviews/scores.

The D.O. Rueda website.

Tasting notes on CellarTracker and from James the Wine Guy.

Price: 16-20 bucks, Tasting Notes

Lodi Old Vines Zin Part 5: Plungerhead 2007

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This is Part 5 of my Lodi Old Vines Zin series. Part 1 was Spellbound 2005, Part 2 was Ravenswood 2006, Part 3 was Gnarly Head 2006 and Part 4 was Campus Oaks 2007. In the next few days I’ll post my overall takeaways (pardon the corporate-speak) from this series.

The last wine I picked up for this Lodi Old Vines Zin series turns out not to be from old vines (I just read the label wrong), so I needed to pick up a replacement. (I didn’t want to end on that Campus Oaks.) I ran into Spec’s and scanned the Zin selection for something that fit the series and wound up with this bottle. It’s a little over the initial price range I specified ($10-15), but I wanted to check this odd closure and was hoping I’d be able to end the series on a high note.

Plungerhead Old Vines Zinfandel 2007 Lodi

Plungerhead_bottleshotProducer: It’s actually a little confusing. The brand is obviously Plungerhead, but it’s from Don Sebastiani & Sons and also sits in their The Other Guys sub-brand.

Grapes: Zinfandel (no indication on label or website whether it’s 100% or a blend)

Appellation: Lodi

Vineyards: No info other than they’re old vines.

Winemaking/aging: No indication on label or website.

Alcohol: 14.9%

Package: Cool label and funky name, though certainly pushing the gimmicky angle. It has a Zork closure. This was my first encounter with a Zork. I must be dense, because I had a lot of trouble with it. You tear off this wraparound piece then you’re left with a plastic cap and a short little plastic “cork” sticking into the bottle neck. I don’t know what you’re supposed to do then. I tried just pulling it off to no avail. I tried wiggling it back and forth – nope. I resorted to jamming a knife under the lip of the cap and prying it up. Uh, if you aren’t going to use a cork, just use a screwcap, please. [Gary V. at WLTV did an episode on wines with a Zork closure and he had a much easier time than I did. Apparently, I’m just a doofus.] Also, since I hadn’t seen a Zork closure before, I assumed it had something to do with the brand Plungerhead. I mean, it’s a red rubbery cap – it seemed to be a part of their shtick. So I accepted it in that context, but I don’t think I’d like it, aesthetically, on any old bottle.

Price: $17 at Spec’s in Austin

My tasting notes: This wine has an aggressive nose of creamy red berries, cedar and sweet tobacco. Very oaky. The palate is loaded with more vanilla creaminess, like a cream soda mixed with dark cherry juice. Some spice shows up at the end and some heat, like cinnamon red-hots soaked in vodka.

Overall assessment: I’m going to coin a new term for this wine: it’s a “froak bomb” [fruit + oak – restraint]. Having said that, it’s tasty. It’s like deep-fried Oreos: you may not serve them at a dinner party (do people still have dinner parties?), but you don’t mind scarfing a few down at the fair. B-

Free association:

deepfriedoreos

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vidiot/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

More info:

Winery’s tech sheet.

Other reviews at: Wine Drank By John Jaster, Tastings by Gary and Allison, Good Juice Bad Juice and Corkd

Price: 11-15 bucks, Tasting Notes

Lodi Old Vines Zin Part 4: Campus Oaks

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This is Part 4 of my Lodi Old Vines Zin series. Part 1 was Spellbound 2005, Part 2 was Ravenswood 2006 and Part 3 was Gnarly Head 2006.

Campus Oaks Old Vines Zinfandel 2007 Lodi

campusoaks_snapshotProducer: Campus Oaks (Gnekow Family Winery)

Grapes: 100% Zinfandel

Appellation: Lodi

Vineyards: The grapes are sourced from vineyards averaging 90 years old.

Winemaking/Aging: There is no indication of the oak treatment on the label or the winery’s website.

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: I paid $14 at Central Market in Austin

My tasting notes: Whoa – the color on this is very light. It looks like a White Zinfandel that skipped a few showers. I literally could read the newspaper through it (trust me, I actually did it). Hmm, I’m worried. The nose has a nice raspberry creme note, but there’s a lot of sweetness coming through and a bit of the alcohol. On the palate, I get red fruit and even some overripe peach, wrapped in vanilla creaminess, but I find it soft and flabby and in need of some acid or tannic backbone. Definitely some residual sugar, too.

Overall assessment: Different strokes for different folks. This wine is not for me. D+

Free association: Seems like it would be a winner on a bachelorette party wine tour bus.

partybus

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/clockwerx/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

More info:

Winery’s tech sheet for the 2006 vintage.

Mark over at 1337Wine TV tasted this wine recently.