-
2006 Pax Syrah Castelli-Knight Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (2/13/2010)
Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is big with black raspberries, some bacon fat, and black pepper. Although this is made is a larger style it seems, it is pulled back a bit by the RRV fruit. Very well made and still on the elegant side of the Syrah spectrum. Truly a seamless wine. I would suspect this keeps getting more complex with age. Not sure it was worth the original price, but there seem to be deals to be had now. (92 pts.) -
2007 Château Virgile Costières-de-Nîmes - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Costières-de-Nîmes (2/13/2010)
Ruby in color. The nose has a slight bit of funk to it with very nice raspberries and dark cherries. Complex and while easy to drink, there is depth to this wine. It is interesting and got better all night long. One of the best QPR’s I have had this year. (92 pts.) -
2004 Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Sixtine - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (2/13/2010)
Ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose is cherries with some spice and licorice. i think this is representative of the vintage. If you like a bit less (or more restraint) than this would appeal. I liked it just fine. Obviously still young, this needs five years to develop. It seems to have the stuffing. With a couple hours of air, this is fun to drink now. (91 pts.) -
2007 Château d’Oupia Minervois - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Minervois (2/13/2010)
Another great value from the south of France. Ruby/purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is less opulent but still nice with dirt, cherries, black raspberries, tar and lightly toasted peanuts. On the palate, this has slight tannins with lots of cherries and dried cherries. This seems like a year to age would be good and then drink over the next few. The last glass was the best. At $10, a great QPR for sure. Blind, I would guess northern Rhone. (91 pts.) -
2005 Carver-Sutro Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/13/2010)
Purple in color with some ruby at the rim. The nose is black raspberries, blue berries a bit of black licorice. On the palate, this is big, but not a monster. It is somewhat monolithic but a few years should provide some complexity. To be honest, I was expecting more and that it would be way too young to drink. On the contrary, no harm in drinking now although some air would be a good idea. At the Cinderella price, it is worth it, not sure about full retail though. (90 pts.) -
2007 Delas Frères Côtes du Ventoux - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Ventoux (2/13/2010)
$10 at the local grocer. I thought this better than the CdR Espirit. Ruby in color. The nose has raspberries, slight funk and spice. There is a depth and complexity that suggests this wine will develop well for 2 to 3 years. Not just a simple drinker, but showing interest. Another stellar QPR. (90 pts.) -
2005 Havens Wine Cellars Merlot Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros (2/13/2010)
Purple/ruby in color. The nose has cherries, chocolate and leather. This is a bit more restrained than I expected and I enjoyed it very much. Needs some time to develop but this seems to have the stuffing. Not overblown and although the oak is noticeable, it was not an issue. Well worth the WTSO pricing. (89 pts.) -
2007 Anthill Farms Syrah Windsor Oaks Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (2/13/2010)
Nice enough Syrah, RRV is just not my favorite terroir for Syrah. This has that sense of place and for those who like it, they would probably score this higher. It has lots of red raspberries with a bit of black cherry Kool-aid notes. More on the elegant side of the scale with light tannins. Easy to drink and certainly well made. I bet it ages beautifully. (89 pts.) -
2007 Buehler Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/13/2010)
Always a good value, I thought that 07 might be avintage to lay down. And I might have except for the artificial cork. Purple/ruby in color. The nose is nice with cassis, leather and black raspberries. Some complexity but this is an easy to drink, well made Cab. A few hours of air helped and I would recommend drinking over the next year, but decanting first. Good value for immediate consumption. (89 pts.) -
2008 Greek Wine Cellars Assyrtiko - Greece, Aegean, Santorini (2/13/2010)
Bought at a local Greek restaurant. Green/gold in color. The nose has limes and crushed shells. On the palate, there is a strong streak of acidity. This faded by Day 2 as did the fruit leaving nothing. But for the first couple of hours, with food, this was a fun wine. It is inexpensive and went especially well with Kasseri cheese. (85 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker