You Picked A Fine Time To Drink Me Pinot

How many times have you tasted a wine and said "Damn I wish I could taste this again in a year?" The exact reason I purchased multiple bottles of the wines I tasted tonight. Over the past year both have evolved into this elegant bouquet of fruit and spice and gives you the sensation of standing in the vineyards surrounded by beauty. Maybe that's why I just go nuts over pinot noir. Rose pedals, earthy dew laden forest floor, cherries, raspberry, strawberry, cloves, cinnamon and cola. How can you not love those aromas and flavors dancing across your senses/palate.

Up first the 2011 Code Seven Passaggio Wines Pinot Noir Fagan Creek Single Vineyard. Right from the bottle rich dark cherry and clove with hints of fresh cut roses. The herbal notes really calmed with aging and a faint hint is evident today. The mouth is full of rich ripe dark cherry and clove with juicy strawberry. A soft silky finish awaits you as this lovely wine ages. I have 1 more bottle to sip next year. Oh so good! I would rate this an 88-89

Another outstanding Pinot is the 2010 Campesino Los Carneros Papi y Chula Vineyard. A beautiful dark cherry with cinnamon, light red berries and hints of wild violets on the nose. The eucalyptus and earthy notes are mild and really compliment the layers of fruit and spice. Much like the first time I tasted this wine the red fruit is abundant (cherry, strawberry, raspberry, cranberry) with a cinnamon/clove spice that warms you. Elegant long finish. Aging has taken it from an A to A+. I would rate this a 93.

Cindy and Macario choose exquisite grapes for their superb wines. Their fans get to spoil themselves with each bottle. Try them both today if you love small production handcrafted pinot noir. Special juice from gifted winemakers.

Cheers
Dan

Boxwood Winery on Virginia Wine Chat hosted by Frank Morgan

Frank Morgan is a huge promoter/advocate of  Virginia Wines asked me if I would like to participate in his wine forum called #VAWineChat featuring Boxwood Winery. I jumped at the chance to taste my very first Virginia wine which I have heard so much about.

Located in Middleburg Virginia, Boxwood Estate Winery produces wines from the varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Malbec in the Bordeaux traditional style. A beautiful state of the art facility to produce boutique wines, the vineyards supplying the grapes were first planted in 2004 with production commencing in 2006. I mentioned the next time I'm in VA I should really stop by for a visit.

First wine of the evening was the 2011 Topiary a red blend of 68% Cabernet Franc and 32% Merlot. How ironic we were drinking this on National Merlot Day. I enjoyed the silky elegant nose of fresh cut violets with rich ripe red fruit. Cherry, raspberry and strawberry dance across the nose in harmony. If I didn't know this was a blend on a blind taste I would have bet a Pinot. Love the delicate mouth with the cherry and strawberry front and center. Little earthy notes and a nice touch of dried thyme on the finish. Well done!

Now comes Mr. Bold The 2010 Boxwood a red blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot. Pair this wine with a big juicy steak or hearty beef stew and you will be in love. The nose shows tons of dark fruit, white pepper, clove, tobacco and licorice. I get some earthy herbal notes as well as the wine opens. In the mouth big dark fruit continues with blackberry, plum, raspberry and blueberry followed by the clove and herbs. I enjoyed how the wine softened with air time. Excellent!

A big thank you to Boxwood Winery for introducing me to their wines. I never knew VA made this variety of juice. Frank Morgan as well for including me in this weeks #VAWineChat. Love being introduced to new wines and I had a blast. The more people who discover Virginia Wines the more folks will be drinking this mighty fine nectar of the gods.

Cheers
Dan

2010 James Family Cellars Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Sonoma County on TV Tuesday Live

Love fall because we start tasting some amazing or as my buddy Dezel would say OMG juice. That's right the winemakers are back at CELLARS OF SONOMA and tonight was all about JAMES FAMILY CELLARS Jeff James was Scott's guest and we bloggers were on virtually to help taste the 2010 Chardonnay. What a great way to spend an hour...wine education at it's finest.

Four years ago Scott introduced me to Jeff's wines. Rock solid, balanced award winning gems with each bottle showcasing the story of the vineyards. During the the show Jeff offered his perspective on the recent rains and it's effect on the unharvested grapes. We talked about style, balance and proper cellar temperature for wines. I asked Jeff his thoughts on the new stainless steel chardonnay's vs the oak/buttery versions and he prefers his 2010 which is a balance between both. He did though offer you should choose varietals which best pair with the food you are serving.

Rich elegant nose of pineapple, gala apple, fresh pear with butterscotch caramel notes and creamy vanilla. Day 2 showed some nice toasty oak and baking spice. Very pleasing and the aromas flow beautifully in harmony.

The mouth is full of fruit with sweet ripe pear, juicy lemon and crisp apple with intermittent pineapple notes. The finish is very long and brings a slight hint of toasty oak to the palate. Easy to see why this wine was a Gold Medal Winner at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Well done Jeff.

Folks tune in each Tuesday at 6pm pacific at Cellars of Sonoma website get your wine education on. Scott does a great job of teaching guests all they need to know about the world of wine appreciation. Remember to stop in and take a shot at the blind tasting so you can have a chance at winning a bottle of wine for $1 each. You must be tuned in to win! We are up to 10 bottles which my bets on Brad to win. I have to thank Scott for another excellent hand picked selection for the wine club. Jeff as always you're an excellent guest and provide us with tons of wine knowledge.

Cheers
Dan