Earth Day with Deloach Pinot Noir and Bottlenotes

What a surprise to get a chance to sample wonderful wine celebrating Earth Day courtesy of Bottlenotes, Klout Perks and the folks at Deloach. While my wine arrived a day late it was well worth every drop. Remember I am the Pinot God :). The wine was .50ml bottles of Deloach Vineyards fine Pinot Noir. Each was outstanding and I enjoyed what the various vineyards offered from its fruit.

Starting with the 07 Green Valley Russian River Pinot, classic RRV with black cherry, raspberry, cola, earthy characteristics. Outstanding wine.

Next the 07 Masut Vineyard Pinot Noir. Nice aroma with floral notes, cherry with a hint of chocolate and boysenberry. The taste was spicy for a pinot and had a nice combination of black cherry and currant, finishing with a touch of oak.

07 Maboroshi Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Black cherry, a hint of raspberry, a touch of cedar all pleasing aromas. Nice flavor with cherry and raspberry, the hint of earthiness in the middle and a wonderful long finish. Did I mention yet I'm in heaven?

06 Le Roi Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Cherry and fresh cut rose pedal aromas were present right from the start. As the wine opened a hint of the cocoa. Nice dark fruit with black cherry, raspberry and what I thought was cola (turns out its a root beer flavor). Impressive.

06 Van Der Kamp Vineyard Sonoma Mountain Pinot Noir. Definate clove aroma hit the nose first, followed by ripe cherry and raspberry. Dark cherry and clove spice a nice flavor combination with a hint of plum in the middle. The cherry/clove lingered long into the finish.

Finally the 06 Sonoma Stage Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Excellent fruit aroma of cherry, strawberry followed by cola and a hint of leather. The taste of ripe cherry and spice were impressive with hints of leather and earth. Felt like I was part of the vineyard.


Can't thank the folks at Bottlenotes, Klout Perks and Deloach for the opportunity to taste these outstanding Pinots. I am very impressed with your wines.

Cheers
Dan

2010 Passaggio Grande Cappello Rose Napa Valley

Ah the joy of discovering rose wine. So many different styles, flavors and yes dry not sweet. Absolutely excited to taste the latest offering from Cynthia Cosco winemaker/owner of Passaggio Wines. I purchased the wine which was part of her "Summer Wine Offering" and also received a bottle as a tasting sample.

I really enjoyed this wine. The aromas of cherry and fresh cut rose pedals are so pleasing to the nose. Hints of ripe strawberry continue the red fruit theme.

The flavor is outstanding with the cherry and wild berries (raspberry, strawberry) really complimenting each other throughout the taste. A hint of plum towards the middle and the finish is long and juicy. What an awesome Rose Cindy. Mom will be proud!

The video would not play any sound so here is a toast to the winemaker for spoiling us with your Grande Cappello Rose!

Cheers

Dan

2009 Charmed Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley JAQK Cellars

Wine sample number three sent to me by the fine folks at JAQK Cellars was the awesome 2009 Sauvignon Blanc "Charmed". Refreshing, crisp and lively was everything I wanted on this hot day in a refreshing glass of wine.

In the glass you really get the bouquet of citrus hitting your nose. Lemon with a touch of lime, some subtle hints of grapefruit, a nice cream/vanilla aroma were all so pleasing.

Absolutely love the citrus flavors in the mouth. The lemon/lime is excellent from start to finish. The hint of grapefruit gives the wine just enough "tart" and is not overpowering which I really like. Faint oak at the end really ends the taste nicely. Wonderful balanced wine which I drank without food although I was cooking dinner and the wine ran out before the cooking was done :)

Check out their website JAQK Cellars to learn more about this new wine company making some very tasty juice.

Cheers
Dan

1st Avenue Wine House Welcome's Walter Dreyer Sonoma California

An evening of tasty wine awaited the patrons of 1st Avenue Wine House and of course Traci once again did a marvelous job for all of us. Upon entering the shop I was greeted by a familiar face Traci's Dad Jim who is a hoot and his customary large wine glass filled of course.

Once my glass was filled with the first wine of the evening the Dreyer Sonoma Chardonnay $13.99 (and my purchase for the evening) I was introduced to Mr. Walter Dreyer who is informative and a pleasure to talk with about his juice. He even commented about the selection of small production vineyards Traci carries in her shop and stores like hers are the places of the future. Couldn't agree more! The grapes from this wine come from both Sonoma County and the Alexander Valley. Aged in stainless steel and only a short time in oak, loved how the fruit expressed itself. Aromas of pear and pineapple were pleasing. Apple and pear, nice acidity on the flavor and one of my favorites for the evening.

Wine #2 was the Compass Merlot $13.99. So smooth. The aroma of plum to me was dominant. Follow that up with some red berry, black cherry and a touch of oak. The flavor was outstanding with the black cherry/plum combo and very easy to drink. My second favorite of the night.

Wine#3 we head to the 2nd floor to find Il Coure Chardonnay $11.99. These chardonnay grapes were harvested in the Mendocino County region. Blended with 9% Viognier, the wine had the aromas of ripe apple, melon, pear. The taste was crisp, with the traditional apple and pear flavors with a hint of sweetness towards the end. Nice balance.

Up next was the IL Coure Cabernet Sauvignon $13.99. A nice wine with the aromas of black cherry, a hint of currant, plum, slight touch of earthiness and oak. Great black cherry, dark berry and plum flavors. The blending of merlot into the cabernet really softens the wine. Very impressed so far with the wines and their price point.

Top floor brought us the Il Coure Barbera $13.99, Il Coure Rosso $12.99 and the Dreyer Sonoma Cabernet $15.99. Starting with the Barbera and my first time tasting this grape. A big red raspberry and oak aroma, the wine was definately full bodied and full of ripe red fruit. The Rosso a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Syrah and Carignane. I commented to the distributor who was pouring what a spicy aroma on the nose and the dark fruit. Rich and loved the spicy peppery flavor. Finally the very impressive Cabernet Sauvignon with its blackberry flavor dominant. Just as the tasting notes say the aroma of black cherry and plum was present with the cherry coming to the front. If you like bigger reds then the 3rd floor was your favorite.

Last wine of the night was the Seabiscuit Ranch Superfecta $24.99. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc this wine was another of my evening favorites. Raspberry, black cherry, plum, blueberry and a smooth finish made this big wine so good.

Great fruit, great wine make for an enjoyable evening. Traci thanks for introducing us to the excellent wines.
http://www.dreyerwine.com/
http://www.ilcourewines.com/
http://www.seabiscuitranch.com/




Cheers
Dan

2009 Black Stallion Chardonnay Napa Valley

The weather turned slightly warm and to me a sign to start migrating some white wine into the tasting routine. Tonights feature the 2009 Chardonnay from Black Stallion. The winery is beautiful and a must stop on your next visit to Napa and the Silverado Trail.

On the nose a wonderful crisp, fresh citrus aroma. Toasted almond gives you a hint of nutty goodness. Ripe pear rounds out the fruit sensation.

Excellent flavor and while aged in oak I don't get the "oak bomb" which can overpower the fruit. What I did get was a wonderful pear and peach combination. The tart of the pear combined with the creaminess of the peach balanced the wine. Toss in some vanilla as you hit the middle of the taste and finish with a hint of apricot. Each flavor was nicely layered and complimentary. Loved the Chardonnay and a definate keeper on hand!

Cheers
Dan

2007 TR Elliott Queste Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

I'm a regular viewer on the Tuesday Live wine show from Cellars Of Sonoma hosted by Scott Jordan. TR Elliott is one of the wines poured there and has been featured on the show along with proprietor Ted Elliott. Imagine my excitement when checking out the shelves of my friends shop 1st Avenue Wine House I find and 07 Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. Worth every penney as you will see.

Founded in 2002, TR Elliott is dedicated to creating some of the finest hand crafted Pinot Noir made. The Russian River Valley in Sonoma has long been known as one of the perfect regions for soil and temps suitable for growing pinot grapes and not surprised Mr Elliott would chose this region in his quest to produce award winning Pinot.

As soon as I uncorked this beauty the rush of black cherry filled my nose. There is such a distinct fruit aroma from the rrv and so beautiful. Continuing I get the leather aroma, a slight hint of vanilla and finishing with just the right amount of earthiness. Having said this before with some excellent wines introduced to me, this wine you could smell all day and never stop.

Lets just say I died and went to heaven after my first taste of this Pinot. The ripe dark cherry is very pleasing to the palate. The mushroom flavor compliments the cherry and brings the earthiness into the wine (in my mind I pictured the vine and the soil so yes call me crazy). Finally the smallest hint of chocolate rounds out my tasting experience. Amazing bottle of wine that truly spoiled this Pinot Noir lover.

I encourage you to visit their site TR Elliott and sign up for their mailing list. If your in Santa Rosa for a visit stop by and say hello to my friend Scott at Cellars Of Sonoma and order a glass of TR Elliott Pinot Noir. Trust me when I say you will thank me later.

Cheers
Dan