Terraces Napa Cabernet 1998

The big debate between California Cab drinkers, and the Italian/French wine lovers has been the ability to age wines.  Many people in the wine business, myself included, use the 5-10 year rule.  That is, only the best California reds age well, and 5-10 years is about their limit.  Good Italian and French wines will age for years, and the best are wasted if opened when younger than 5-10 years.

I have slowly become a big fan of the deep, dark, thick French and Italian wines over the past few years.  Although I can appreciate the lighter, sometimes jammy qualities of California wine, my tastes have definitely gravitated toward the European styles of wine.  So tonight, we're putting a few different concepts to the test.

1- This California Cab is 12 years old, did it hold up?
2- Will I like this more or less than the average young California Cab?
3- Do the 'experts' with Wine Speculator have any idea what they're talking about?

The Terraces, Napa Valley Cabernet, 1998 was reviewed back in 2001 by Wine Speculator.  Their "expert" gave it 84 points, and the following review:  "Lots of herbal flavors work their way into green plum and some slightly bitter, astringent flavors. Drink now through 2006. 410 cases made."

Now 84 points really doesn't seem like much, especially for a bottle that retailed for about $60 at the time it was released.  However, this has been sitting quietly in our wine cellar for about ten years, and will either be awesome, or awful; and I doubt it will fall anywhere in the middle.

Upon opening, the wet-end of the cork is very, very dark with some sediment present.  That's a good sign for me, it means the wine has been aging, rather than simply spoiling.  I pour a little into a glass, and it's obviously a little toward the rust-color that aged red wine has.  Still fairly dark for a 12 year old bottle, but the rust-color is definitely starting to show through.

I put my nose in the glass, and it smells more like a nice, soft bordeaux than it does a big Cali-cab.  Hints of subtle fruit, mellow aromas, and plenty of complexity.  The first sip follows right through with the same impression, French in style, all the way.  The Terraces is rich, but smooth; structured and lingering; tannic but silky.  Quite frankly, I love it!

I think this wine held up beautifully over the past decade!  I think someone like Ron would have liked it better 5-6 years ago, but I think it's perfect.  The bold tannins it was born with have softened and mellowed, and now it's perfect for someone that prefers that French, delicate style of wine.

What have we learned?
1- Some California Cabs can last a decade in the cellar.
2- I definitely prefer the "old" Cali-cabs to the young ones.
3- Wine Speculator still has no idea what they're talking about.

The Terraces Napa Valley Cabernet 1998
T.C.S.H. Rating - 9/10
Aka - Drink it if you got it!

Sent from a BlackBerry, please excuse the typos.

J.Lohr Cuvee Series "St.E" Bordeaux-style blend

First, my brief tasting notes from my bottle in August...
**J. Lohr Cuvee Series St. E 2005 - This is a Paso Robles winery paying homage to the Bordeaux style of wine-making. This blend, their style of St. Emilion, is done flawlessly.

No joke, no b.s., this wine was awesome! I enjoyed it through dinner, chicken parmesan & spaghetti, then after as well. Sitting on the couch, letting dinner settle, I was like a little kid with a shiny new toy. I'm confident to say this was the best bottle of wine I've had in months, and I drink an awful lot of wine. 

The body was full, rich, and powerful; yet the tannins were soft, smooth, and lightly velvety. Plenty of fruit up-front, followed by depth and structure that seemed to go on for miles.

It's still August, and I've already decided this will be my wine of choice for the holiday season. Limited production though, I've already contacted one of the owners to get some more into the state for me.**

Okay, so what has changed since then?  Well, the fact that we couldn't get any of this delicious wine!  J.Lohr's Cuvee Series is typically sold in sets of three, one of each of their three blends.  At over $65/bottle, I refused to bring in two other wines that I've never tried just to get to my St.E.  So, I contacted the co-owner to see what we could do to fix this issue.

The word "Cuvee" (with an accent over the first 'e') is a word used to describe any number of blends.  Read right from the back label..."The Cuvee Series was conceived to provide out winemaker with maximum artistic freedom to produce a blend, or cuvee, without being restricted by U.S. labeling guidelines for varietal percentages.  Our objective is to simulate the complexity and elegance found in the Grand Cru Classe wines from Pauillac, Pomerol, and St. Emilion.  To identify each cuvee, we have developed a three letter code that represents the varietal composition traditionally used in those appellations.  PAU - Pauillac, POM - Pomerol, and St.E - St. Emilion"

My distributor informed me back before Thanksgiving that there would be a few six-packs coming to the state.  The J.Lohr Cuvee Series is typically packed at the winery in wooden six-pack boxes, each of the three blends sold separately.  So, I waited, quite patiently I might add.

Finally, it has arrived!  Just after Christmas, barely in time for New Year's.  But, I know what I'll be drinking for New Year's Eve, the St.E!

Klinker Brick Zinfandel

People ask me on a daily basis to select a good wine to go with their dinner. Literally, on a daily basis, and I'm not exaggerating. But, I'm not complaining either. I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of pairing food and wine, but still selecting a wine that my client will enjoy. Add to the mix that I have to follow a budget, and I have a lot of fun with this.

Far too often if I mention Zinfandel, I can immediately see an almost insulted look come over my client's face. When will people stop letting white Zinfandel affect how they perceive the varietal as a whole?!

Klinker Brick Zinfandel is the wine to change your mind on the varietal, forever. The bottle is classy, painted, rather than labeled, and heavy too. Once you open it, you barely know what is inside. The wine is a deep, dark red, and at first sight could easily pass for a cabernet or a big merlot.

The nose is beautiful: lots of fruit, with interesting notes of red berries, dark berries, even a little smoke, earth, and a hint of oak. Once you sip it, you can really appreciate it.

This is the definition of a great Zinfandel. There's tons of flavors, but not the tannins of a big cabernet. That means you get the best of all worlds: fruit forwardness of a California Cabernet + structure of Merlot + drinkability of Pinot Noir.

This Zin is no different, and I would venture to say it is near perfect in my book. And, to top it all off, Klinker Brick is under $20 a bottle.

Klinker Brick Zinfandel
TCSH Rating - 9.5/10
Aka - I've only had one zin I like more, try a bottle.
Eli
Bibo ergo sum

Bogle Phantom

The much anticipated, highly sought after, hard to get, Bogle Phantom. Last year the store was only able to get two cases of the Phantom, and it was gone by Christmas. This year we've got a few more cases to sell, and we're super excited about it.

I (of course) had to make sure this vintage was up to par. And, let me tell you, it is. This is a very tasty blend from Bogle Vineyards. The Bogle lineup is always a good buy anyway. Their merlot, cabernet, and Chardonnay are some of our best selling under $15.

The Phantom is a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, and Mourvedre. Nice dark fruit, soft but velvety tannins, and pretty solid structure. I've always liked the Phantom as a great middle of the road bottle. Its bold enough that the big cab lover will like it. Its also soft enough that the merlot and Zinfandel drinker will enjoy it to.

I think this is delicious, and just as good as previous years, if not better. Grab a bottle while you can.

Bogle Phantom 2007
TCSH Rating - 8.5/10
Aka- going fast, don't miss out!
Eli
Bibo ergo sum

Frank Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

The Frank Family Cab is one of Ron's favorite wines in our store, and I love it too!

This is one we introduce as the bigger, bolder style of cab. It has tons of both bright and dark fruit right up front. The structure is as layered and complicated as that Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai. The tannins are full, velvety, and strong.

We had a half-glass leftover from a tasting, so to experiment I saved it overnight. On the second day, this is much more my style of cabernet. Don't get me wrong, I love it fresh, but after its had some time to open up, and relax, this is a new animal.

The fruit is still bright, but more complex. I'm getting notes of cherries, blackberries, chocolate, and maybe even a touch of coffee? The tannins are much softer and smoother, which is my personal preference.

Frank Family is best known for their Zinfandel (which is awesome) but their Cabernet is fantastic as well. Well done guys, well done.

Frank Family Vineyards
Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
TCSH Rating - 9/10
Aka- Forget Silver Oak and Duckhorn, grab a bottle of Frank Family
Eli
Bibo ergo sum

J. Gilberts SteakHouse and Belle Glos Meiomi

Sunday, September 5th, 6:30pm Reservations

We get to the restaurant about 5 minutes before our reservations, and we wait just a few minutes for a table.  A nice booth seat, right near the kitchen doors (which I always like).  Our server is fairly quick to say "Hi" and she pops back in a couple minutes to go over specials and the menu.

Looking at wine lists is always a difficult thing for me.  There are so many wines on the list that I've had already, and don't interest me.  Then there are so many wines that I carry in the store, and cannot justify paying their prices for.  Seriously, who decided it was fair for a restaurant to mark up wine bottles double what we charge at a wine shop?!  Then, trying to find something that not only I will like, but so will my company for the evening, this is getting stressful.

But, down in the bottle corner of the list, I find the Pinots.  My favorite Pinot ever is on the list, Gary Farrell Russian River.  But just above it are David Bruce and Belle Glos, two very reputable wines that I've never had before.  David Bruce has a big star next to it because it received 90pts or higher, so let's skip that one.  Belle Glos it is.  The server tells me she's interested to hear what I think about the wine, because she's never had it.  I think I'm happy about that, because it means they don't just throw the stuff around to the staff.

Besides, you have to respect a wine-making dynasty like the Wagner Family.  For those of you that don't know them, you should.  The Wagner Family has been producing wine in California since the early 1900's.  Charlie and Chuck Wagner are best known for bringing the name Caymus to the top of the list, and widely famous.  Each family member also has a little project of their own.  The wife (or maybe ex?) is responsible for Conundrum, the lightly sweet (and I think over-priced) white blend.  The sons produce Mer Soleil Chardonnay, Belle Glos Pinot, and the youngest is still in school for wine-making and viticulture.  (This is the store as I was told it, verify any facts for yourself, not responsible for any mistakes)

She brings out the bottle, pops off the screw-top, and offers me a taste.  I'm confident in my nose, so I just give it a good whiff, and it smells delicious.  I give her the go-ahead to pour for the ladies, and she doesn't understand.  I tell her, "It's good, smells perfect, you can pour" and she's still a little slow.  As soon as it's poured my company skips the traditional toast gesture and goes right for a sip.  "It's okay I guess" she says, hardly giving it a chance to coat her palate.

A little scorned by the lack of respect, I take a sip as well.  It's the perfect temperature, just below room-temp, just above cellar-temp.  It's light, somewhat fruity, delicate, and almost burgundian in nature.  But, then as I swallow, some spice kicks in.  Wow, what was that?  It's not the tannins, it's not the alcohol, but there's a spicy or peppery nature to it.  Maybe my palate wasn't ready for it, let me try again.  Wow, that is awesome, I'm not sure I've ever tasted a pinot quite like that before!  I'm a very happy man, and quite pleased with my choice.

For dinner, I order the special, two 4oz filet medallians, glazed with a marsala wine sauce, served with mashed potatoes and asparagus.  The mean doesn't really take that long, considering we're all ordering some sort of steak.  After the meals arrive, I prepare to dive in.  I shave a little off the side of my medallion, and I see a red-mammal-juice seep out, my eyes widen.  The steak is perfect, both medallions cooked perfectly medium rare.  The centers are warm, but still fairly red in color.  The sauce is delicious, and the veggies are even done perfectly.  

I work my way through the steaks barely stopping to re-visit the wine (I don't like my food to screw up how I taste the wine).  I pause for a second just before the last couple bites to snap a photo of the perfect sunday night meal.

J.Gilbert's Steak House

TCSH Rating - A+

aka - I always love coming to this place!

Belle Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir

TCSH Rating - 9.5/10

aka - absolutely delicious, I wish the bottle was bigger

Eli
Bibo ergo sum

Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc

The Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc, California 2009

This continues to be the number one white I recommend in the store. Joel Gott wines are always right on the money. I haven't yet had a product endorsed by Joel that wasn't great. I'm pretty confident in saying that anything Joel Gott touches turns to gold.

This Sauvignon Blanc follows in line. A light straw yellow color. I prefer my white wine just a little about fridge temperature, generally more like cellar temp, to get more of the fruit and body.

Joel Gott SB is the definitive California Sauvignon Blanc. The palate is overflowing with fruit: apple, pear, citrus, and even some floral notes. The palate is freshly crisp and acidic, yet very smooth and easy drinking.

Some of my customers refer to a California SB as 'sweet', but fruity and bright are better discriptors. Perfect for drinking by itself, or with a light meal, this Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect wine for any occasion.

Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc
California 2007
T.C.S.H. Rating: 9/10
AKA- I can imagine better, but only because I have a strong imagination

Eli
I drink, therefore I am.