Gourmets of Wine

Some slightly related from Technorati and Google.

[Carolyn Tillie's Ultimate California Wine Blog] Mayo - 75: 2003 Zinfandel Port, Ricci Vineyard, Russian River Valley, 'Old Vine' - Jen let out a secret that astounded me and made me fall in love before this wine ever hit my lips; this is a Zinfandel that has been fortified with a brandy. But that is not what astounded me -- it was that the brandy they having been using came from the now defunct RMS Alembic distillery which was a longtime favorite of mine before their demise. It seems the Mayo family are one of the few who were able to acquire several barrels of the alembic after RMS shut its doors and if I could, I would buy as much of this Zin Port as I could, knowing that their supply of it is limited as well.

[Mike's Wine Blog] Savannah Chanelle Vineyards: Savannah Chanelle specializes in Pinot Noir, and they produce a nice assortment of Pinots at very reasonable prices. One of people in the tasting room told me that 2002 would be the last vintage Savannah Chanelle made Pinot’s from Garys’ Vineyard and the Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, but they will be introducing Pinots from a number of new vineyard sources.

[Carolyn Tillie's Ultimate California Wine Blog] Bremer Family Winery - 69: 2001 Bremer Family Claret - While the exact blend is a secret, this is roughly 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Petite Verdot. A classic Bordeaux blend immediately produces opulent dark fruit including cassis, blackberry, and black raspberry subsides to demonstrate hints of green olive and mineral qualities. The mouthfeel parallels but shows considerably more pronounced tannins with tobacco and cedar qualities. The smooth, even entry gets a bit hot.

[Carolyn Tillie's Ultimate California Wine Blog] Manresa and Pinot Noir: 1990 Gevrey Chambertin Premier Cru, Estournelles St. Jacques, Frederick Esmonin - Lester pulled this out near the end and I'm afraid it did it a disservice as we were ramping up the fruit and lessening the age of the offerings. After the opulent, jammy wines we had been tasting, I found this barnyard-stinky with reduced tar and concentrated gaminess. Dry mid-palate that was thin and full of mineral notes.

[Tasting Notes] Zinfandel: Vintage Wines Ltd $5 Tastings 2005: Easily the best drinking wine with nice quince on the nose and soft entry to the palate. Medium weight, well balanced with good acidity and soft tannins and flavors carrying through on retronasal. I don’t believe the wine will live for any great length of time, but it does drink well now. 2, 2, 3.9, 9.8 = 17.7/20,

[Carolyn Tillie's Ultimate California Wine Blog] Artesa - 46: 2001 Elements Proprietary Blend - 72% Merlot, 10% Syrah, and the rest a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and 2% Tempranillo. This wine as touted as an "exotic and spicy blend of Bordeaux and Rhone varietals." Interesting concept. There is definitely a WOW factor with the first sniff which produces candied red hots and subsides to produce lots of fruit.

[Carolyntillie_ultimate_california_wine_blog.typepad.com] Carolyn Tillie's Ultimate California Wine Blog: Sebastiani - 44: The current facilities lie just a few walking blocks away from picturesque downtown Sonoma Square. It is a lovely walk, by the way, as you past many historic buildings. The building facilities are large and daunting and the entrance to the tasting room is awe-inspiring with its tremendous bounty of booty to be purchased.

[Carolyn Tillie's Ultimate California Wine Blog] Schug - 43: 2002 Pinot Noir, Carneros, "Heritage Reserve" - Barrel aged 16 months, this incredibly dark, spicy wine showed immense amounts of dark berry along with cinnamon and clove aromas. The velvety entry was supple and hinted at some of the toasty oak underneath. A dry, spicy finish highlighted the mouthfeel of this exceptional offering.

[Carolyntillie_ultimate_california_wine_blog.typepad.com] Carolyn Tillie's Ultimate California Wine Blog: Sonoma - Sonoma ...: 2003 Merlot, Laurent Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, 'Nellie's Block' - Overt and extremely intense aromas of jammy blackberry almost overwhelm, making me question if I wasn't smelling a late harvest wine. Hints of oak and vanilla began to integrate as I took my first bite of lamb. The perfectly grilled offering was not overwhelmed with spicy oils, as I might have feared, but given just enough to enliven the senses and profoundly expand the blackberry qualities of the wine.

[Carolyntillie_ultimate_california_wine_blog.typepad.com] Carolyn Tillie's Ultimate California Wine Blog: Sonoma - Carneros ...: 2003 Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County - Having seen just a tad bit of oak, this classic offering of Sauvignon Blanc presented warm and soft tropical notes on the nose. The mouth entry was a surprise with crisp, bright grapefruit which immediately softened to a clean, spicy melon finish. $15.00

[Carolyntillie_ultimate_california_wine_blog.typepad.com] Carolyn Tillie's Ultimate California Wine Blog: 2003 Zinfandel Port, Ricci Vineyard, Russian River Valley, 'Old Vine' - Jen let out a secret that astounded me and made me fall in love before this wine ever hit my lips; this is a Zinfandel that has been fortified with a brandy. But that is not what astounded me -- it was that the brandy they having been using came from the now defunct RMS Alembic distillery which was a longtime favorite of mine before their demise. It seems the Mayo family are one of the few who were able to acquire several barrels of the alembic after RMS shut its doors and if I could, I would buy as much of this Zin Port as I could, knowing that their supply of it is limited as well.

[Carolyntillie_ultimate_california_wine_blog.typepad.com] Carolyn Tillie's Ultimate California Wine Blog: Sonoma - Russian ...: 2000 Martin Ray Winery, Diamond Mountain Reserve Cabernet - Interesting that a Sonoma Winery's best effort is from mountain fruit in Napa. A hint of green bell pepper aromas subsides to produce exotic Indian spices that would normally be found in Hindu temples. Soft, silky entry somewhat contradicts a heightened, peppery tannic finish. Give it ten years.

Reflected tags on Technorati: Blog, Zinfandel, Tasting Notes, Gourmets Of Wine