Twenty Bench Cabernet 2004

This was another red served at our book club meeting last month. The grapes are from various locations in Napa and the wine is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc.

From the winery's site: "The 2004 Twenty Bench is one of our more pronounced vintages to date. Aromas of black currants, plums and chocolate accompany the wines dense, inky color, while the palate shows great structure, richness and depth that comes with the first ever addition of Cabernet Franc to the blend. This wine drinks well now and will age gracefully over the next 7-8 years."

As with the Twenty Rows it's available at Western. Around $20.

Twenty Rows 2004 The Grappler

This was one of two reds served by our friend Laura at book club this month. I don't have any specific notes but recall it as excellent. It is an unusual blend of 58% zinfandel, 30% syrah, 12% cabernet. The winery site's description:

"The Grappler is crafted from carefully selected vineyards to yield an intense, deeply colored wine with concentrated aromas and flavors. We named this wine after our sons who dedicated a lot of time and effort to the sport of wrestling hence, The Grappler. Seamless integration of flavors from start to finish. The wine starts out powerful yet smooth with ripe, spicy, cherry and tobacco flavors on the mid-palate. The finish is accented with cedar and black pepper." - About $20, available at Western and Village Wine Shoppe.

Note: label shows the Cab but the Grappler label looks the same.

Syrah Turchi 2004 Santa Barbara

Another wine from the Bottega by the glass menu. It was very flavorful and I enjoyed all three glasses. Leigh could smell chocolate. Even though it was bold I had monkfish with it and it was very good. The label presented may not be the correct one.

Cavalchina Bianco di Custoza 2005

Leigh had this at Bottega the other night. It was sold by the glass and the waiter recommended it saying it went with most of their food very well. It was very good. Not too light (Sauvignon Blanc) and not too heavy (Chardonnay) but just right. A website had this to say: Mouth-gripping experience from this tank fermented and aged blend of Trebbiano, Garganega, and Fernada. Very lively - almost frizzante; green melon, ripe lemon spice, green pears. Bright and lasting finish. Since this was not purchased by the bottle I am not sure this is the correct picture.

Parallel 45 Cabernet 2004

This is the great Cab we had in Park City, UT on the 2006 ski trip. Scotty just sent me this showing their 95 point score:

Parallel Napa Valley has been fortunate to receive a wonderful review from a well respected writer and publisher of www.winereviewonline.com , Robert Whitley.

Parallel, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 ($48): It is difficult for me to imagine a more attractive young Cabernet. The question, of course, is whether or not a Cab that tastes this good in its youth has the capacity to improve with age. I believe it does, thus it creeps into the scoring range I reserve for cellar-worthy wines. The beauty of this wine lies in its many dimensions, the layers, the textures, the sweetness of the fruit, the spice notes, the sweet, supple tannins and the exquisite length in the mouth. For all of its ripe, opulent fruit this second vintage of Parallel is beautifully balanced and in some sense restrained if you believe, as I do, that it is early in its evolution and hasn't yet fully blossomed. Grapes for this exceptional Napa Cab were sourced from several vineyards located on the east side of the Napa Valley, above the Silverado Trail. Only 980 cases were produced. 95 Robert Whitley

He has also has written a nice article about our winemaker, Philippe Melka and our project together. Please click through www.winereviewonline.com to read. It is titled, “Star Napa Winemaker Relishes 'Humble' Project”.

We reflect back on a successful year and would like to thank the people responsible for our success – You, the fan of Parallel. Please accept our heartfelt wishes for a festive Holiday and wonderful New Year!

The Parallel Wine Team

www.parallelwines.com

Liberty School Syrah Central Coast 2004

I had great hopes for this one from Paso Robles, CA - locale of some great reds - but the alchohol is a bit strong. At 13.5% I think it overpowers the fruit. But if you look hard enough you will find dark berry flavors and a spicy finish. I may have to try it again. $10-12.

Daniel Chotard Sancerre 2004

Sancerre is a French appelation from the Loire Valley made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape. I'm not sure where Mary got this but it's good - not much oak, dry, crisp, suggestive of green fruit. We had it with our smoked turkey for Thanksgiving. My price search says you should find it for $16-$21.

Ridge California Sonoma County "Three Valleys" 2004

"Three Valleys" is the Ridge proprietary name for its only wine blended from multiple vineyard sites. To make it, Ridge selected softer, more accessible lots from single vineyards, combining them to create the character that is most immediately appealing. Younger vines on the Lytton Springs Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley provided roughly half the fruit; a third came from Geyserville, Mazzoni, and Stone Ranch Vineyards in Alexander Valley; the balance is from Pagani Ranch in the cool Sonoma Valley.

Yeah, I didn't write that but it is some good info. Rob originally posted this below as part of the Man Trip wines. I brought this on the suggestion of the wine guy at Piggly Wiggly in Homewood. I have got to get this guys name one day. I told him we needed something good to go with our steak. He strongly recommended this wine. I was very impressed with this wine. It runs in the low $20s. Notice the picture says 2002. We had the 2004.

Colterenzio Lagrein Grieser 2005

It has been a while since I have posted. The whites of summer did nothing for me and I haven't been in the mood for reds. Until now. I went to my favorite wine shop, Village Wines in English Village and purchased a very expensive bottle of wine for a friend. While there I asked for a cheap bottle of red for myself. Something to drink and not think much about. I was told that this wine was very popular and I believe it only cost $12.99. I wish I had more of a wine imagination so I could describe the scent but all I can settle on is "very good!" Trust me, it is a great bottle and you should try it.

Man Trip 2006 Wines

Website to visit

Each day, USA TODAY's Jerry Shriver recommends a a wine that costs $15 or less in his Cheers! blog at http://cheers.usatoday.com.

Sounds like a good source for us Bham Winos.

A recent suggestion:

2004 Dry Creek Vineyard Heritage Zinfandel, Sonoma County, about $15. For more than 30 years this Sonoma County producer has turned out some of California's most reliable zinfandels (along with some of its very best Sauvignon Blancs), and this bottling upholds that tradition. It's packed with juicy blackberry flavors and spice notes, and the alcohol comes in at a very manageable 13.5%. This isn't a trophy wine, just a well-made, classic California Zin, and I wish more wineries would stick to this style. Try it with either a hunk of sourdough bread and some hard cheese or with barbecued ribs.

Chalone Vineyard 2003 Merlot

Officially it's the Monterey County Merlot.
I'm on a mission to save Merlot. It has gone out of favor because of the rantings of some bald guy in a weird movie. So who do you want to believe, him - or your taste buds? Seriously, Merlot is good stuff and don't forget it.

This one was very good. I have had good success with both reds and whites from the Monterey region and that was one thing that caught my eye on the label. It has rich cherry flavors and aromas and some hints of oak vanilla. Try it. $18 at Western.

Orleans Hill Viognier 2005

This white uses organically grown grapes. From the website: "Most California wineries make a Viognier like they style chardonnay-- big, oaky, clumsy, and non-distinctive.

Our Viognier is more along the styling of an Italian Pinot Grigio, crisp, dry and non-oaked with a kiss of CO2 left over from primary fermentation. This keeps the alluring melon and floral aromas in the forefront and makes a wine which is great summer quaffing or with light fare."

Online tasting notes: Clear light gold. Peach nectar and vanilla aromas, ripe and full. Luscious texture and a hint of sweetness on the first taste segues to a finish that's more dry and tart, with medium body and a hint of alcohol (it's listed at 13.5%).

Our opinion - pretty good. Served with salmon poached in a rich sauce of tahini and tomatillo salsa. About $11.

Alexander Valley Vineyards Merlot 2004

We had this last night with steaks. Flavors of blackberry, cassis, and sweet oak. Not too fruity (it has a bit of Cabernet blended in) - we thought it was very good. Label also notes Alexander Valley / Wetzel Family Estate. About $15.

Keltie Brook Pinot Noir 2004

Hey Shawn - a screw top Pinot from Carneros. We drank it and blogged it so it must not have been terrible. No notes available. 9/30/06

Wine dinner at John's City Diner

Tuesday night we did something we wanted to do for a while by attending one of the bi-monthly wine dinners at John's City Diner downtown. After a Bellini made with Rotari Sparking Chef Paul Clark gave an overview of the food to come. First course - 3 cheese ravioli with sauteed crabmeat and toasted sweet corn ragout. Second course - Pasta rustica with chicken, sausage, onion, herbs, lemon. Entree - Stuffed center cut pork chop with grilled polenta, wilted greens, and port wine jus. Dessert - 2 assorted sorbetos.

As for the wines:
Rotari Sparking
Libio Felluga, Tocai Friolano, Collio (white)
Masi Campofiorin Ripasso, Veneto (red)
Ceretto Barolo, Piemonte (red)

Jennifer Horner of MBC United Wines did a nice talk about what we drinking and had some geographic reference material on each table.

Rotari
Not an "asti" but a champagne-method sparking. Made from chardonnay and pinot noir grapes.

Libio Felluga
This white reminded me of a French Loire Valley white, very little or no oak.

Masi
This specialty of Masi, resulting from the refermentation of wine from fresh Veronese red grapes with a percentage of semi-dried grapes of the same varietals, splendidly encompasses the qualities of the Verona area: the excellence of the zone, the highly individual style of the indigenous Veronese grape varieties, and the originality of the techniques of "appassimento" (semi-drying) and double fermentation by Masi. It combines simplicity and grace with power and majesty. It is rich, full-bodied, round and velvety, and has an aging potential of 10 to 15 years.

Ceretto
The star of the evening (we don't get to enjoy Barolo very often). Great with the pork.

Wishing Tree 2005 Unoaked Chardonnay

This inexpensive Australian is quite drinkable although a bit sharp around the edges for my taste. The fruit overtones are on the tart and acidic side, like grapefruit or tart apple.

Of the whites posted here in recent months I would prefer the CMS or the Cusumono Insolia. However, both of those cost more than this one which runs about $9. Shawn will dig the screw cap. All in all, a good everyday white.

Sacred Stone Master's Red Blend

Another recent find from Western. From the winery (Pietra Santa - 25 miles east of Monterey):

"Ripe, juicy, and expressive, this unique blend features cherry and plum flavors with hints of earth and spice. Sacred Stone is soft and supple with attractive forward fruit and crisp acidity that makes it an ideal match for a wide-range of food. Merlot and Sangiovese from our estate vineyards provide the backbone of the wine, but the Syrah, Carignane, and Grenache add interesting spice and mineral notes. An excellent value with loads of complexity and flavor.

Blend: 26% Merlot, 24% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah and small amounts of Carignane and Grenache"

The label says it will cellar for 2-8 years. However, there is no vintage year on the bottle; it only says "cask 008". Curious. $10

2 French Red Values

We found some good values at Western recently. First is Chateau la Casenove Côtes du Roussillon 'La Garrigue' 2003. Description: Flavors of pure-tasting blackberry and chocolate. Excellent texture, and levels of fruit, with a long elegant feel.

$9.99


Second is the 2002 Chateau Pesquie Cotes du Ventoux Cuvee Terrasses.

From the winery:

Grape varieties: Blend of 70 % Grenache and 30 % Syrah.

Aging: 35 % of this vintage is aged in oak barrels, 19 % of which are new and 16 % of which have been used two or three times previously.

Tasting: Dark red color, with a nose blossoming into jammy berry aromas set off by a touch of spice. The well-structured, powerful mouthfeel with elegant tannins is enhanced by slightly woody licorice notes. Long finish.

$8.99

Alsace Gentil "Hugel" 2003

Here's another French white as an alternative to California whites. Mary says "fruity but not too" ... we both agree on the grapefruit note below. $12

Wine Spectator (85 points) - Fragrant, evoking floral and spice aromas and flavors, this is rich and soft, yet gets a boost from a grapefruit note on the finish. Drink now.

Simi Sauvignon Blanc 2004

At first taste this Sonoma county wine starts out oaky but as it warms & opens in the glass other flavors emerge. I pick up some pear and tart apple. Still working on my sensors. It contains 9% Semillon.

The website says
Appearance: Brilliant straw with hints of green
Aroma: Bursts of grapefruit, Meyer lemon and orange blossoms are laced with lemon grass and mineral notes.
Taste and Texture: Intense flavors of tangerine, melon and fig accented with green tea and hints of mineral on the finish.

$10

Los Planos Syrah 2004

A French wine with a Spanish title ... sort of suspicious like the Japanese waitress bearing a fortune cookie. More to come.

$10 at Western.

2004 Tir Na N'og Old Vines Grenache (McLaren Vale)

This Australian red was recommended to us by the folks at Village Wine Market when we were there for a tasting. It's a nicely balanced wine with medium fruit - very tasty. We opened it last night after consuming the French Pinot Noir in the previous post.

The tasting notes from the website: "The 2004 harvest of these old vines yielded some of the most intensely flavored Grenache you are ever likely to taste. Beautiful fruit and spice notes waft from the glass, and on the palate the wine is lush and intense yet exhibits great balance and extraordinary mouthfeel. This is sexy wine that is sure to provide drinking pleasure for years to come."

Definitely worth a try! About $25.

2002 Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Jean-Luc Joillot

Our friends Tom and Tyler served this last night with sea scallops and risotto. I am used to drinking fruity American PNs and this has a very different character. Mary describes it as bright, perhaps a little thin with a hint of spice. We may have to get a bottle and do some additional research. Tom said it came from Western Supermarket.

Addendum: Mary picked up a bottle today ($20) so I'm trying it anew. I wouldn't call it bright, but not dull either. See Tom's comment. All in all, decent to drink but there are better wines for less money. I would like to try more of this type so please comment with suggestions if you have any.

CMS White by Hedges 2005

This is a Washington State wine from Columbia Valley that is 54% Sauvignon Blanc, 44% Chardonnay, and 2% Marsanne. Rearrange the first letters of those grapes and you get the name.

This wine has seen no oak and is consequently crisp and fruity. Easy drinking by itself or with food (the winemaker suggests shellfish). Excellent choice for summer drinking - more interesting than Pinot Grigio and lower end Sauvignon Blancs. I found it at Western when looking for something already cold. $10.99

Luce della Vite Toscano Lucente

We were celebrating 06/06/06 with Scott and Kay at Gianmarco's and I ordered a bottle of this Tuscan red blend after tasting Kay's glass. (It was much better than a Pinot Noir I tried.) This turned out to be very good and was reasonable by restaurant standards. I found out later that the 2003 scored a 90 from Wine Spectator.

From a web review: Big, rich aromas of crushed blackberries, licorice and minerals with just a hint of lemongrass. Full-bodied with thick, luscious tannins and a long, smoky tar and berry finish. A full-throttle wine. This is really excellent for the money. Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Interesting story behind this wine: In 1995, the Marchesi de' Frescobaldi family of Florence and the Robert Mondavi family of Napa Valley joined forces to achieve a common goal: to create a world class Italian wine. And thus Luce was created.

We'll look for it locally. Price range retail is low 20's.

Chateau Potelle 2004 Sauvignon Blanc

Here we go with a "nearly" realtime post! We are sitting at the Belsers after dinner finishing a bottle recommended by Scott at Overton & Vine. We brought it along to match up with shrimp scampi. This one is smooth - start to finish - and very balanced. I don't think it would conflict with any seafood dish and it also drinks nicely without any food. About $13.

William said "It's a white wine I don't mind drinking". (Apparently there's only one color in his Crayola box.)

Scary Oak World

Seriously, see the article The Oak Factor - By Heather Britton.

Cusumano Insolia 2004

The first of our purchases from last week's wine tasting at the Village Wine Market. This white comes from Sicily & its Insolia grape. It's an easy-drinking summer white with tastes of mint and apple.

The Wine Spectator said: A tight white, with fresh herb and peachy character. Medium-bodied, with bright lemon, apple character. Long, lively finish. Drink now. 25,000 cases made.

Shawn - I think you will like it. No scary oak. $12.99 locally.

House Wine

I never purchased this before because of the label. How good could it be if they don't take the time to produce a decent label? I had been told many times that this is a good wine and they were right. It is very drinkable and the price, around $10 cannot be ignored. House Wine is produced by the Magnificent Wine Company from Columbia Valley. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Syrah.

Village Wine Market

Hey, why not review a store? It was the first visit there for Mary and me. We attended the tasting tonight which features 25 different varietals for $10 a head. Good deal.

I like the layout of the store. Walls are painted a rusty red - definitely appropriate. The tall racks are around the outside walls. Each bin has a little shelf so that a representative bottle can sit upright for easy browsing. In the center are 3 or 4 groupings with waist-high shelves and boxes/bins of certain wines. They have lots of stock but there is also ample room to wander around.

There were 3 tasting tables in corners of the store so the crowd was spread out (I counted about 50 people when we left) and we didn't have trouble getting our pours. Sometimes there was a short line but no jostling or elbowing!

And did we buy? Yes:

2004 MontGras Carmenere Reserva, Chile $9.99 (red)
2004 Vina Godeval Godello, Spain $12.99 (white)
- refreshing
2004 Cusumano Insolia, Sicily, Italy $12.99 (white)
- slight mint taste, drinks easy
2004 Sancerre, Daniel Chotard, France $18.99 (white)
2004 Domain Felines Jourdan Picpoul de Pinet, France $11.99 (white)
- refreshing, good to serve for a group
2004 Tir Na Nog Grenache, Australia $24.99 (red)
- soft grapey finish, very good. The guy pouring said he thought it was the best of the night.

Stay tuned for the blogs.

Blackstone Merlot 2003

How many times have we had this California wine? Plenty - but it hasn't been blogged. This merlot strong on fruit in a cherry or blackberry way with a nice smoothness. Not expensive - $10 to $11. Also suitable for one's book club.

Cartlidge & Brown Chardonnay 2004

This is a nice wine that you would be happy to serve to your Pompous Literary Society on a Wednesday night. It has good fruit tones without much oak. Interesting observation that the flavors changed quite a bit as the temperature changed. Available locally for about $10-11.

This is my first try of the Chardonnay; they also make a Pinot Noir that I had several times about 2 months ago. I don't have any notes on it but we liked it. Price point is similar.

Latitude 46 N. 2003 Syrah-- The Power and the Glory

This is the wine we were talking about during dinner the other night. The Brewers, Olivers and my aunt and uncle shared this at a restaurant on Bainbridge Island, WA. The title sounded a little "unmodest" so we had to try it. It did not disappoint. I can't recall the specifics since I have not made any tasting notes, but it was great. I had a fish with a berry glaze and it went perfectly with it. Here's one online review I found: "A very deep and intense WA syrah. Dark and opaque colour, lots of intense blueberry and blackberry fruit -some herbal garrigue notes, but very fruit driven on the nose. Nicely balanced on the palate, intense fruit - more blueberry and currants, with decent currant acidity and soft dry tannins. Probably would have been better in a few years, but with a nice grilled rib eye, this was a very good match."


I have two bottles from a stash I found in a local store here. $35 per bottle, but worth it if you can find it. Web site is www.Latitude46.com. Nothing on there but contact info, though. I searched for a label to post, but had no luck.

Rully “Les St. Jacques”, Villaine 2003

I know very little about French wine. I generally don't purchase it since I don't know what I am buying. I had a glass of sancerre at Hot and Hot before we got down to the serious wine drinking and it was pretty good but I wanted something better. The waiter recommend the Rully as our white wine. What an excellent choice. We commented on how good it was, we turned the bottle around and noticed the importer was Kermit Lynch. One thing that stands out from a wine tasting class was always buy wines imported by Kermit Lynch. Many years later this has not disappointed.

MacRostie Pinot Noir 2002

I should let Rob review this since it was his call at dinner at Hot and Hot with our wives and the Olivers. I turned my nose up at a pinot noir but I couldn't stop drinking this. It was great. I took many small sips denying the beef eaters a chance to drink red wine with their meal. I always find Pinot a little light but this one stood out. The winery web site describes the 2003 as "A bit darker than the average Pinot, the wine shows bright cherry and ripe cranberry aromas, with hints of sandalwood and menthol. On the palate there’s more juicy red fruit, like a good strawberry/rhubarb pie. The lingering finish is crisp and refreshing. While quite soft and enjoyable now, it will repay cellaring for several years." Whatever. I just know I need to find this wine locally.

www.macrostiewinery.com

Wine Tip

Wineloverspage.com's top cheap wines

This article from Wineloverspage.com has a list of top 2005 wines for $12 or less and $12 to $25. http://www.wineloverspage.com/qpr/index.phtml

From the cheapie list we have had the Laurel Glen "Reds" (see 12/23/05) and Cartlidge & Browne 2003 California Pinot Noir.

Alexander Valley Vineyards Chardonnay 2004

Here's one that's a definite cut above the average weeknight wine without jumping to the league of the Cakebread previously posted. It's described as having a "nose filled with green apple, citrus and ripe pear framed by creamy oak". What we liked about it was that the fruit and oak were present without overwhelming at all. Very nice balance of flavors here. About $15.

Shawn probably won't like (see 2/24/06) it because of the oak presence but would do well to try it to see what restrained oak is like in a chardonnay.

A Pair of Frenchies

We recently enjoyed a nice dinner out with another couple to celebrate my birthday. Mary brought a couple of bottles she picked up at Overton & Vine: a Sancerre and a Chateauneuf du Pape.

Sancerre 2004 Hippolyte Reverdy



Sancerre is a fine French white made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. (I had to look this up but did guess the grape correctly.) It comes from the upper Loire Valley region. The style of this wine is crisp and acidic with various fruit flavors such as pear. It is said to complement seafood very nicely. I would definitely agree with this but should note it did well with all of our appetizers.

Vieux Mas des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape 2003



This is a lighter bodied CdP made by the same producer of Vieux Télégraphe. The vines here are 65% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and 10% Cinsault and other grapes. Vieux Mas des Papes is a 2nd wine made from the youngest vines (about 20 years) and the part of the harvest which is not found good enough for Vieux Télégraphe. This means that the amount of production varies from year to year. The vinification is done in the same way for these two wines. Maturing at first takes place in concrete tanks for around 8-9 months and then in foudres (oak barrels) for 8-12 months. For the second wine in foudres for a shorter time.

We found it smooth and agreeable for all our entrees (pasta, scallops, shrimp, and pork). This is definitely more suitable to drinking young.

Peirano Estate Petite Syrah, 2003 Lodi

Excellent wine from the first tastes. Ordered this last night at Fire restaurant. It went well with all of our entrees: 1 lamb and 3 fishes. In looking through this blog's archives I was surprised not to find any other syrah entries. Mary and I have been drinking more of it in the last year but I guess not any lately. I looked in our wine rack to jog my memory and found a Novy ($17.99) and a Wild Horse. The Novy we have had and it is excellent. Grab yourself a bottle from a local store.

Winemaker's site says: "Ripe, dark fruits tempt the senses. The palate is filled with ripe blackberry, dark cherry and firm tannins."

I wonder about the availability of some restaurant wines in local stores. Do they order directly for their cellars? Will have to look for this one stores.

Evans & Tate Unwooded Chardonnay 2004

Welcome Home Chardonnay! For the past 5 years or so I have thought that chardonnay in general... blows. Is that too harsh for a wine blog? Should I be more refine? No. Face it. Chardonnay was my White Zinfandel. A semi-sweet wine that got me into other wines. I now prefer a drier white such as savignon blanc or pinot grigio. Lately I have heard of a trend away from the oakier chardonnays so I went in search of this elusive wine.

I went to Village wine shop in English Village and asked about it. They put me onto this wine from Western Australia. With unwooded in the name I figured I was on the right track. What a great wine! I drank it before, during and after a pork tenderloin dinner. The two things that stand out for me are the price and the top. The wine is only $9.99 and yes, it has a screw top. And you know how I am starting to love the screw top. I would like to tell you that the screw top kept the wine fresh for days but I'd be lying. Leigh and I drank the whole bottle.

Drink up.

Steele Cabernet Franc, Lake County 2002

As I was balancing my checkbook I noticed a business card that I had tacked to my cork board above my monitor and written on it was a very good bottle of wine. I had it at one of the Atticus Christmas parties which must have been in December 2004 at Bottega. The waitress suggested this. It was a very good bottle of wine and I haven't been able to find it but honestly I haven't searched very hard. Here is some iformation from the Steele web site.

"While we are not known as a Bordeaux/Cabernet kind of winery (we tend to make more Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel) our location in Lake County allows us to produce several of these varieties in styles which would make our neighbors to the south a bit jealous. One of these is Cabernet Franc. When we started buying grapes from the vineyard of Floyd Silva we found that he was growing some of the best Cabernet Franc that we had ever tasted. His vineyard is on a gravelly bench, which overlooks the Big Valley area of Lake County. The vines grow well but not too well and have a great balance of flavors, structure and tannins."

"While most people are not familiar with this variety, once we get them to taste the wine they are converts for life. This wine is a mouthful of pleasure: lots of fruit, medium tannins and a long lingering finish. We would recommend some cellar time for this wine if only to allow all of the great aromas and flavors properly meld."

"This is a very versatile red wine. You can serve it with a variety of traditional foods such as Beef Wellington, grilled steaks, or a bowl of beef stew. Or try something new like grilled Salmon, an assortment of cheeses or rack of spring lamb."

If you happen to find this in a local store, do tell.

ZD 2004 Pinot Noir, Carneros

Special edition from Park City, UT

On Saturday night my group of 4 ski buddies was wrapping up our trip at the Blind Dog restaurant. After starting with a glass of California Syrah I wanted to have a Pinot with my duck breast entree. The bartender recommended this ZD. It was an excellent match up ... smooth with hints of fruit complementary to the cherry reduction on the plate. About $30.

The Blind Dog was excellent, by the way. Eat there if you are in Park City. Our entrees included some very impressive NY strips, monkfish, and duck breast.

Cline Red Truck 2004

Found in the wine store in old town Park City, UT, this proves to be another good inexpensive red (about $10). Shawn says it can be found in Birmingham.

The winery's website describes it as a blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, and Mourvedre. It's a product of Cline Cellars, located in the Carneros region of Sonoma County.

Duboeuf "Red" 2002 Vin de Pays d'Oc

This is a blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Merlot typical of blends from the Languedoc region in the south of France. It gets my positive recommendation as an "easy-drinking weeknight dinner wine". We received it as a gift so I'm not sure where it's available locally but web searches show it in the $9 range. The bottle has a striking group of red (mostly) and gold flowers instead of a label.

Bonus French lesson
Vin de Pays — A vin de pays is a higher-class table wine, from a particular region of France and with a specific vintage. The vin de pays is controlled primarily for the source of the grapes and also for the density of vines: the amount that can be produced per hectare. The region of a vin de pays can be very large or quite small.

In my memory, ordering a VdP in France will get you a good - but not fancy - wine from the local region.

Mmm ... France.

Don's Lodi Red

Woo-hoo! Another cheap red. I think I enjoy the typical table wines because I don't feel I need a special occasion to open. I don't even feel a need to finish it off. It only costs around $10. I bought this thinking it was from the same vineyard as the Laurel Glen 2003 "Reds" Lodi Red Wine that Rob had reviewed awhile back. I think I enjoy this a little more. The website says this about the wine:

"Carignane, Syrah, a splash of sweet Symphony and a dash of love are the main components of this wine, which was produced to honor and surprise our father, Don Phillips, on his 75th birthday. This is an atypical blend of red and white wines, with lovely fruity characteristics of Symphony added in order to please Don's amiable palate. This is an easy-drinking, everyday, great quality, red table wine. Or, in the words of Wine Today.com, the three stars Lodi Red is 'a great quaff at a bargain price.' "

Torii Mor 2004 Pinot Noir

N ot recommended.

Ordered this at Cafe Dupont Saturday night. (Food note: our first visit there since they opened downtown. Everyone agreed that it was an excellent meal.) We had 3 seafood entrees and 1 steak so it seemed like a good wine to suit everyone. I had not heard of it before and chose it mainly because it was from Oregon and the others were from CA. (Note: I like plenty of CA Pinots but being unfamiliar with all 3 on the menu I thought I tried the one from Oregon.)

Initial taste was strong alcohol with no fruit detected. The scent reminded me a little of rubbing alcohol but I figured it would open up in the glass. It did just that and the alcohol scent went away but I never picked up any of the fruit described below. It was completely drinkable but disappointing for not having any Pinot magic.

Here's what the winery's website says:

The aroma reveals earthy-meat, mushroom notes that blend in with boysenberries and both black and red cherries, all within a subtle jammy, sweet richness. The flavors show some real sweetness that carries all the way through the long finish. Loads of black cherries, raspberries and boysenberries followed by toasty oak and jamminess round out the flavors.

Black Opal Shiraz 2003

Very good value on this one from down under. Smooth with a bit of fruit - plum perhaps. Nice complement to lamb and beef kabobs we had at a middle-eastern restaurant last night. I don't recall the restaurant price but have seen online prices for $8 to $10.

Sterling Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

I was making dinner for a "parents of a 3-year old New Years celebration." What does that mean? We stayed home and went to bed early. At the grocery store I picked up a bottle of this wine to complement the flounder I was preparing and was pleasantly surprised. I am a fan of the $10 bottle of wine. The downside is that they generally come with a bit of a bite at the end of the drink. This one was smooth all the way down. On top of that it only cost around $15. This wine has definitely moved to the top of my favorite sauvignon blancs.

2005 California wine harvest

Heard on Marketplace 12/29/2005:

California winemakers says the quality of this year's grapes is excellent, and the 2005 vintage should be very special. But a bumper crop doesn't always mean good news for grape growers. From Sonoma County, Patrick Hirsch reports.

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/