Tasting Notes, Friday 7/22

LUNA PINOT GRIGIO 2009

                Pinot Grigio is America’s favorite imported wine for a reason.  Taste and see.  Light, pretty melon and white fruit aromas follow through to show those same flavors on the palate.  A bit of oak adds some complexity, as does the addition of a splash of Chardonnay, which gives this more weight than you find in many Pinot Grigios.  Finishes nice and clean, with a touch of minerality.  86 points Tobin Bros.  $9.97.

EDUCATED GUESS CHARDONNAY 2008

                These guys make a Cab that has always been enormously popular here, and we think their Chard deserves a little love too.  It’s “ripe and oaky in the modern style, with strong apricot, tangerine, pineapple and peach flavors and a buttery, creamy texture.”  Classic Chardonnay.  86 points Wine Spectator.  $17.97.

LUNA SANGIOVESE 2008

                This Napa Sangiovese gets added flavor and heft from Merlot and Petite Sirah, and the whole thing comes together with impressive balance and elegance.  Its perfumed nose shows raspberry, black cherry, lilac and rose petal.  Then the palate delivers currant, blackberry and smoky flavors supported by firm minerality and acidity.  The finish is a long, lush trail of ripe cherries.  90 points Wine Enthusiast.  $17.97.

LAYER CAKE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009

                This is a bit more widely available than many of our wines, but it’s just too good a value to pass up.  From its deep garnet color, to its aromas of blackberry, violets, cedar and tobacco, to its densely packed and creamy flavors of berry, chocolate and coffee, this wine will win you over at every level.   Lush, soft and complex, with a firm structure and long, lingering finish.  88 points Tobin Bros.  $13.97.

EDUCATED GUESS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009

                All that organic chemistry on the label represents some of what happens during winemaking.  So yeah, these guys know their stuff.  89% Cab, with pinches of Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot, this wine is rich, ripe and focused, with juicy blackberry and cherry fruit, cocoa, and hints of mint all tied together with a creamy French vanilla middle and a lovely finish.  89 points Tobin Bros.  $17.97.

LAYER CAKE SHIRAZ 2009

                “Complex and textured well beyond what the modest price point would suggest, this is a full-on Shiraz, loaded with plum and black cherry fruit, and with enough tar, coffee and olive to retain your interest sip after sip.  It’s warm and velvety on the finish.”  91 points Wine Enthusiast.  $13.97.

HIDDEN RIDGE CABERNET 2006

                Wine Spectator named this wine one of their “20 exciting new Cabernets.”  It’s “intense, rich and concentrated, with ripe, well-defined fruit built around ripe currant, blackberry and wild berry and framed by firm, chewy tannins, and showing off spicy, toasty oak.”  Absolutely gorgeous.  92 points Spectator.  $34.97.