Judging the Juice : Wine Unfiltered

Category : Judging the Juice

Rancho Sisquoc River Red

Filed Under : .Home, Judging the Juice, VP Wines Under $25 by J. Muro

May.4,2010

Retail Price: $14-$16

CHARACTER: 200 8 SISQUOC RIVER RED

Vineyard & Appellation Composition

Harvest

Barrel Notes

Fermentation

Fining & Filtration

Alcohol

Production

Bottling Date

Flood Family Vineyards, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 16% Syrah, 11%Malbec, 9% Sangiovese.

Fall, 2008

Aged 14 months in 44% new oak. American, Hungarian.

100% Malolactic Fermentation.

Unfiltered

3.6

6.4 g/L

14.60%

1,002 cases.

March, 2010

DM : Drinkmaker Alec Franks. His notes: “The nose is full of juicy red berries, with hints of black fruits and sweet cola. The smoky oak is very respectful of this fruit forward blend. On the palate wonderful flavors of strawberry custard, cran-raspberry and anise lead the way to a mellow and smooth mouth with balanced concentration with the oak supporting a light chalky finish. American and Hungarian oak aged for 14 months”.

CRAFT SYSTEM:

Color: Glossy Rosewood.

Richness: Full Body.

Aroma: Earthy vanilla, barest smoke, oak, blueberry buckle, very ripe berry.

Flavor: Viscous and ripe dark berry fruit, hint of vanilla oak, slight smoke and suggestion of sweet herbs.

Texture: Smooth as heck. Lush and long finish.

ABILITIES

STRENGTH: Very ambitious for the price. And it succeeds. Big and lovely, but still smooth and luscious.

DEXTERITY: Nice balance. I don’t like food interrupting its marvelous taste and texture for me personally, but would go with anything that a good Merlot would go with.

CONSTITUTION: Holds up for hours. Maintains an even quality.

CHARISMA: Enticingly aromatic.

EXPERIENCE POINTS: Young. But amazing now. I’m sure a year or two would be fine.

ARMOR CLASS and HIT POINTS: Medium. 2 solid days strong.

VP STATUS: High. Tastes like a 30 bottle of Merlot.

CAMPAIGN SETTING: You’ll want to savor, so settle back and pair with Series Finale of Lost, ABC May 23rd.

And at such a good price, you can probably get two.

Rating: d20

Tags : Rancho Sisquoc, Red Wine, River Red, santa barbara

A gaggle of VP’s under $10 and $25

Filed Under : .Home, VP Wines Under $10, VP Wines Under $25 by J. Muro

May.2,2010

2008 Montes Limited Selection Sauvignon Blanc: Tons and tons of chive and lemon, crisp and fresh. Born for fish. Interesting if not an acquired taste on this one. I personally like it. Can find under $10.

2007 Cameron Hughes LOT 110 Pinot Noir Los Carneros:Another winner after decanting. Pretty nice and of course, especially for the price. Strawberry, earth, and bright red fruits. Ample acidity with chocolate spice and a subtle tannin.Can find under $25.

2007 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir Central Coast: Initially had an odd young sparkling element to it and dissipated after decanting. Cherry, blueberries barest hint of earth. Some allspice and touch of oak. I got this at a ridiculous deal of $9.99 so for the price, it was very decent.

2006 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley: A winner. But only after decanting. Complex with black cherries, raspberry, definite cinnamon allspice and vanilla oak. Hint of licorice and earthy finish. You have only one day, maybe two to enjoy.

BYRON 2006 MONUMENT PINOT NOIR

Filed Under : .Home, Judging the Juice by J. Muro

Mar.10,2010

Retail Price: $60.00

I have to say, the Byron Tasting Room up in Los Olivos always treats me really well, and luckily they happen to also have awesome wines. Convenient, huh? It also helps that they have mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which are my favorites. Coincidence? Yea, actually. Cool.

This is their top-of-the-line Pinot Noir and at 60 bucks, it is a splurge for me. But you can clearly taste where the money is going. The W.U’s stats:

CHARACTER: BYRON 2006 MONUMENT PINOT NOIR
Vintage: 2006
Varietal Component: 100% Pinot Noir
Appellation: Santa Maria Valley
Aging: 16 Months in 100% French Oak
Alcohol: 14.5%
Harvest Date: September 27, 2006
Bottling Date: February 12, 2008
Release Date: October 15, 2008
Case Production: 474 (6 – 750 ml cases)

DM : Drinkmaker JONATHAN NAGY. His notes: “These Pinot Noir grapes come in during the cool morning hours. Then they are hand-sorted and sent to cold soak for three to five days prior to fermentation to develop fruit character, color and body. During fermentation, a combination of punch-downs and pump-overs is used to circulate the skins and juice, ensuring maximum extraction. The Monument Pinot Noir is produced from Swan, Pommard 115 and Wadenswil 2A clones. Each of these clones adds a distinct component to the wine, making this the finest red wine we produce. The 2006 Monument Pinot Noir displays aromas of dark cherry and rose petal with hints of perfume, tobacco, mineral and brown spice. Flavors of dark cherry, blueberry jam and a smoky finish give way to an elegant and silky texture that expands beautifully over the palate”.

CRAFT SYSTEM:

Color: Glossy Rosewood.

Richness: Medium Body.

Aroma: Earthy Spices, Rose, Blueberry pie.

Flavor: Viscous and ripe red berry fruit, hint of spice, slight smoke and tobacco finish.

Texture: Smooth as heck. Lush and medium-long finish.

ABILITIES

STRENGTH: It is without a doubt, a middleweight. It seems to want to tip the scale over to a big red, but it is so luscious yet delicate that it can’t and I’m very glad. But make no mistake, there is no flab here.

DEXTERITY: Supremely balanced. Super flexible for any cuisine, but it is so good you may not even want food interrupting its taste and texture.

CONSTITUTION: Holds on tight for hours. And keeps getting better and better.

CHARISMA: Elegant and upstanding. A very well made Pinot Noir, at its best. It likes to take its time, so get ready for an evening with this bottle.

EXPERIENCE POINTS: Medium. A 2006 wine that is in its element and ready to go. But can easily be put down for a bit of time.

ARMOR CLASS: Unknown. I can’t even imagine finding out its lasting behavior. Too good for leftovers.

HIT POINTS: You probably have no more than 3 days. But what wine does?

CAMPAIGN SETTING: Pair with smoked lamb and a double feature of Sunset Blvd (1950) and Strangers on a Train (1951).

Rating: d20

Tags : 2006 Monument, Byron Wines, Pinot Noir, Review BYRON 2006 MONUMENT PINOT NOIR

Shannon Ridge 2008 Chardonnay

Filed Under : .Home, Judging the Juice, VP Wines Under $10 by J. Muro

Mar.4,2010

Retail Price: $19.00

Average BevMo price: $12-$15

BevMo 5 cent sale: 2 for $12.99

I love Shannon Ridge Wines. And the only reason I happened to chance upon their existence is due to a tasting with a Shannon Ridge rep present. We just couldn’t believe the value you got for the price, as I call them “VP Wines”. I have been pretty disenchanted with BevMo lately, but I do thank them for carrying two lines I love that are hard to find elsewhere: Shannon Vineyards and the Concha y Toro Trio Line.

Here is one of the Shannon Wines on the 5 cent deal that has not been jacked up in price for the sale. It is a supreme bargain. That is, if you like new world style Chardonnay. And I do. But like I always say “Tasting is Personal”, so what I love you may hate. The W.U’s stats:

CHARACTER: 2008 Shannon Ridge Lake County Ranch Collection Chardonnay

Alcohol:	14.3%
Total Acidity:	0.62 g/mL
pH:	3.64
Residual Sugar:	0.50%
Composition/Blend:	90% Chardonnay
Appellation:	Lake County
Barrels:	American oak
Time in Barrels:	6 months
Cases Produced:	8,000

DM : Drinkmaker Mike Wood. His notes: The grapes used to produce our 2008 Shannon Ridge Lake County Chardonnay were picked from several different blocks to help create an elegant multi-layered wine with great complexity. The wine was barrel fermented in American oak to help create the creamy vanilla flavors and rich mouth feel.

CRAFT SYSTEM:

Color: Light gold.

Richness: Medium to Full Body.

Aroma: Green Apple, Oak and Vanilla.

Flavor: Oak, Creme Brule, Tropical Fruit, Hints of Fresh Tart Fall Fruit.

Texture: Lush yet crisp, round, lengthy finish.

ABILITIES

STRENGTH: Tons of muscle. A big creamy California style wine with enough of an acidic backbone.

DEXTERITY: Decently balanced fruit and acidity. Maybe a -1 for a little too much butter in the balance. But a flexible wine for many occasions and food. I stocked up on a half-case as a weeknight wine.

CONSTITUTION: Quaffable and something you want to keep drinking again and again. A lot of bang for the buck. But wait too long and it may go over the top and malolactic flavor the heck out of itself.

CHARISMA: A very viscous and beautifully aromatic wine in my opinion. +1 for a strong personality and smelling expensive. It definitely lets you know its in the room, it’s in your glass, and it’s a California girl.

EXPERIENCE POINTS: Low. This is a fresh new 2008 wine. No cellaring needed. Open and go. Yum.

ARMOR CLASS: Low. Its structure won’t last long in the fridge, due to it’s rich and dry nature.

HIT POINTS: You have 1 day.

SAVING THROW: It’s a screw top, so you can get a nice tight seal to ward off oxidation as long as you can.

CAMPAIGN SETTING: Pair with Modern Family and Cougartown, (ABC Wednesdays, 8pm.)

Rating: d20

Tags : Chardonnay, Shannon Ridge, VP Wines Under $10

Long Island Wine Time! And Carneros too…

Filed Under : .Home, Judging the Juice by J. Muro

Feb.22,2010

A very nice person representing Bouchaine Vineyards and Long Island Wine Council was kind enough to offer some wines for me to try, and see if we could not get the stigma of L.I. wines out of the sticks and onto the map. Well, it’s already on the map big time, but not here in California. Believe you me, I wish I could get more Long Island wines out here in Los Angeles. That’s a lie actually. I wish I could get ANY Long Island wines out here in Los Angeles. The offerings:

Jamesport Vineyards Reserve 2007 Sauvignon Blanc. $30

As the bottle description indicated, there were indeed clear hints of banana and flowers, but also definite Macintosh and Granny Smith apple flavors. Nice.

SPECS:

-Versatile drink.

-13.5% alcohol.

- Not sweet.

-Paired with guacamole and hummus platter.

Borghese 2007 Chardonnay. $17

Sweet tropical fruit and citrus, vanilla and pear. This Chardonnay is definitely on the sweeter side, but I enjoyed this with hot and spicy homemade shrimp Pad Thai and it worked well in this case. I would not say say it is as viscous as a Viognier or anything, but if you are looking for a Chablis, keep looking.

Sherwood House 2003 Oregon Road Merlot. $17

12.5% alcohol. Low tannin, dust, chai tea and cardamom, odd aftertaste. I’m curious what the 2003 Merlot tasted like, let’s say in ‘06 or ‘07, because to me at this point, there was an excess of rubber and strong random essences. But that doesn’t mean that there is not a more recent vintage that is worth a look. Because there probably is. The low alcohol is always appreciated.

And I was lucky enough to also try some Carneros area wines, known for their Pinot Noir and Chards:

2007 Bouchaine Carneros Pinot Noir and 2007 Bouchaine Estate Pinot Noir, Napa Valley. $45

To my surprise, I actually enjoyed the non-estate Pinot Noir better. Maybe my taste in Pinots are changing, but I preferred the definite rose, orange peel, pencil lead and balsamic aromas over the dark, juicier estate fruit.

SPECS:

Appellation: 100% Carneros Napa Valley

Varietal: Pinot Noir

Alcohol: %14.5

Thanks so much to Jen for all the tastings!

Tags : Borghese, Bouchaine, carneros, Chardonnay, Jamesport Vineyards, Long Island wine, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Sherwood House