Tasting Notes 10/7
- October 7, 2011
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CLOUDY BAY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2011
There’s nothing like the thrill of something NEW. New challenges, new opportunities, and new wines! Cloudy Bay is certainly a familiar favorite, but the new 2011 vintage demonstrates their consistent high quality. Intense aromatics combined with fresh, crisp flavors of grapefruit, lime and gooseberry make this as refreshing as that first dive into the ocean on a hot summer day. 91 points Tobin Bros. $21.97.
DOMAINE CARNEROS PINOT NOIR 2008
The days are getting shorter and the nights a little cooler, which means it’s about time for that first fireplace lighting of the season. Watch the flames dance with a glass of this lovely Pinot, “marked by light smoky, toasty oak and offering supple plum, wild berry and raspberry fruit that turns delicate and elegant, ending with subtle flavor nuances.” 87 points Wine Spectator. $19.97.
COLLAZZI I BASTIONI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2007
Remember the very first time you tried Chianti? It very possibly was cheap stuff you drank to wash down a plate of spaghetti. Chianti, though, can be so much more than that. This one carries rich aromas of black cherry, berry and vanilla, with accents of minerals and damp earth. On the palate the flavors of ripe berries, smoke and earth are balanced by drying tannins and good acidity. 88 points Jim Tobin. $18.97.
RIDGE GEYSERVILLE 2009
What’s the first birthday you can remember? That big cake in front of you, the presents piled high, everybody singing and clapping just for you. How cool was that! Tasting this wine is almost that awesome. It’s “a gorgeous wine. It shows expressive inner perfume, sweet black cherries, menthol and minerals. This is an understated, exceptionally elegant red endowed with considerable finesse and fabulous overall balance. A round, sensual finish makes it impossible to resist a second taste.” 94 points Robert Parker. $33.97.
BELL CELLARS LEGACY CABERNET 2008
The San Diego Chargers played their very first game in San Diego on August 6th, 1961, defeating the Houston Oilers 27-14. This Cab was made by Napa’s Bell Cellars to commemorate the Chargers’ 50th anniversary here, and it’s as full-bodied as Jacques Cesaire, with bright berry, currant and plum flavors supported by silky tannins. This may not be Super Bowl Victory Champagne, but it’s pretty damn good. 88 points Bill T. $21.97.
BEAUCANON CUVEE LOUIS CABERNET FRANC 2005
How about your first car? Remember that feeling when you got behind the wheel for the first time, that freedom, that seductive power? Take this for a ride down your gullet and feel a different kind of seduction. Aromas of black cherry, raspberry, rose petals and tea get your engine running. Then you’ll accelerate with balanced flavors of blueberry, plum, cocoa, spice and cedar. 90 points Tobin Bros. $21.97.
HALL NAPA VALLEY CABERNET 2008
The first taste of this thrills like a first kiss, it’s that amazing. It’s “dense and full-bodied, with lots of crème de cassis, charcoal, licorice and forest floor. The wine is opulent and already delicious and powerful. It should continue to drink well for at least 12 to 15 years.” 95 points Robert Parker. $43.97.