Barnardus Marinus

Bernardus Winery
Marinus
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec
Carmel Valley, California, USA
2004
14.5%
$23.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Dark garnet
Nose: Cherry, vanilla, stewed plum, thyme
Body: Full
Front: Ripe cherry
Middle: Cassis, sage, oaky creaminess
Back: Orange, cigar wrapper, very soft tannins
Burns clean?: Almost; a little headache
Cap: Cork

This is a super wine. Really delightful, mature, balanced, focused, and rich; good with food (roasted chicken and romaine and roma tomato salad tonight); and interesting. A wine from Napa Valley that tasted like this would cost you $50 easy. Guessing from the stewed fruitiness of it, I'd say that it's at its peak, but I could be wrong, and at this price, it's worth putting one away for a year to see if it gets even more mellow and rich.

{Note, 2014: $50 indeed--Spec's raised their prices on the Marinus to $45 sometime last year--damnation. Costco must have run out.}

L. Chatelain Chablis

Domaine L. Chatelain

Chablis
Chardonnay
Gran Vin de Bourgogne
Fontenay-pres-Chablis, Fance
2008
12.5%
$14.69 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Lovely pale straw
Nose: Lemony pear, salty minerality, perhaps a little pee
Body: Medium
Front: Honeysuckle
Middle: Cantaloupe, salty minerality
Back: Oak, orange peel
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Fake cork

It would appear that I've never reviewed a Chablis before -- odd. I like them; from the Burgundy region of France, the Grand Vins like this one are usually uncomplicated, well-balanced Chardonnays. (One of the best wines I've ever had was a premier cru Chablis.)

This is a nice wine: it's got some body, persistence, a saltiness and floral presence that I enjoy. It's a perfect, late-summer (uh, I hope it's late summer), not-terrifically alcoholic-so-it'll-go-with-food, many-folks-will-like-it sort of wine at a good price.

Caveat Emptyer Top Ten of 2009-2010

JUST MINUTES BEFORE THE DEADLINE, dear readers, I fulfill my summer promise of a top ten list.

As both of you know, I'm not a "rankings" sort of person. I'm a both-and drinker. Let's try all of them. In different orders. With different foods. Maybe dimming the lights will help. Or sitting outside.

But one reader, he expressed a desire for a digest, and in the interests of democracy and shit, here we go: of the wines I've reviewed on this blog in the last year, what are my top ten? (Okay, actually, I'm doing this because I tend not to express a strong opinion in my reviews, and some folks who trust my palate don't have time to close-read all my bla bla bla about the wines.)

1. Prieure Roch Vosne-Romanee Les Clous
2. Sinskey Merlot
3. Gary Farrell Merlot
4. Shafer Merlot 
5. San Román Toro
   
6. Saint Jean du Barroux L'Ogliocene 
7. Eyrie Chardonnay 
8. Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir 
9. Frank Family Chardonnay 
10. Howard Park Scotsdale Shiraz

I'll do my best to post a new version of this list annually. One thought on the list (other than the obvious infatuation with Merlot): I've had a number of wines that would be in this top ten, displacing those at the bottom, that I didn't review (some 2007 Chateauneufs come to mind, and a Terlato Chardonnay that I think is super). And there are some old favorites (the V. Sattui Suzanne's Vineyard 2002) to which I returned that I'm not including. So this approach to ranking will be structured a bit by novelty. When the volume of reviews warrants it, I'll do an ALL-TIME list.

Note, 4/15/2011: I just noticed that there are no Cabernets and no Champagnes on this list. Awesome, or no?

Napa Valley 2010

NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA. If you're coming from out of state, usually, you get out of American Canyon, driving north, and you breathe a sigh of relief. You leave behind a place much like the place you just flew in from, and enter a distinctive terrain coated with farms and vineyards and odd, kitschy sculpture and architecture.

The weirdness of California is legendary, but the combination of strong personalities and unusual microclimates--the latter, I suppose, being the landscape equivalent of weirdness--gives Napa a unique feel. This is the second story I've done on California wine country, and this time I'm focusing on Napa to make a few observations about wineries and tasting and trends.

Napa wineries are expensive. I went to three, this time, that don't charge (or don't charge me, anyway): Anderson's Conn Valley, Larkmead, and V. Sattui. The Frank Family winery used to be gratis, but no more. Anderson's Conn Valley was well worth the drive--through stunning mountainous landscape, filled with interesting birds and tucked-away homesteads--and their wines are delightful. Larkmead is an old favorite of mine, but they don't really have any entry-level wines; the tasting experience there is quiet and unhurried, and the 2007 Solari is phenomenal. V. Sattui is a carnival--even a little crazy down in the cellar--but it's a crowd pleaser, with what seemed like six thousand different wines. The Zinfandels and the Cabernets are great.

If you have to pay real money for a tasting, I'd say do it at a place like Duckhorn, where you try a great number of wines, you sit down, they give you water and crackers and nuts to snack on, and you can enjoy a beautiful garden-and-vines view. I paid almost as much for a tasting at Cliff Lede, which makes one of my favorite Cabernets, and got a tiny number of tiny tastes and no choice about what to taste. Also fun for the money is Rombauer: for ten bucks, you get some tasty wines, a stunning view, and a glass to take home with you.

Disappointments, for me, included Silver Oak and the Castello di Amorosa, Sattui's second project. The wines just weren't that great. But two things definitely emerged, across the different tastings: the 2007 reds are stunning; and for the most part, in the reds category, the regular tastings are pouring wines that are too young. I was poured Syrahs, Merlots, and Cabs that were not really ready to drink yet all up and down the valley, at places where I had paid $15 or more to taste. The '07s are exuberant young--and may at some point not long from now start hibernating--but the '06s aren't all ready to go. What's more, I experienced this with Syrahs, Merlots, and even Zins. At Sattui, they poured a 2003 Zin that was phenomenal; the '07s they poured were big, but disorganized and tight.

Of course there is a principle of thrift involved here--and it was Memorial Day weekend, so the tasting rooms were prepping for crowds of not-too-picky wine drinkers. My bad. But there must be another way!

Trends: Pinot is still hugely popular, and still often meh. They're pouring lots of Cab Franc for the oenorati, and it's good. Express an affection for Merlot, and you will get an extra pour (the 2005 Silverado is delightful, and, I learned, will be the last vintage with that minty edge, because they cut down the Eucalyptus trees next to the vineyard--boo!) in many cases. There were far more tour buses and limos this time than I remember before, which is a vast improvement: if there are more than three in your party, do it. A number of places were staying open later, though none beats Girard's 8 p.m. closing time. Finally, there are many ultra-premium, three-digit projects that are just not really worth it, so don't be impressed until you taste them, and trust the scrutiny of your palate. I didn't try a single $100+ Cabernet that I thought was tastier or more interesting than Larkmead's Solari.

Not trendy, but wonderful to see, was that the service everywhere in Napa is still excellent. From the collective A Dozen Vintners even to estate wineries I mock for their pretentiousness (Darioush), the pourers are engaging, passionate people who want to find out what you like. Next time I report on Napa, I'll include some of their voices, which I suspect will put a different spin on all of the above.

Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir

Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Pinot Noir
Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
Walker Bay
Hermanus, S. Africa
2008
13.3%
$25.99 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Medium garnet
Nose: Cherry cola, venison, mint, stewed orange
Body: Medium
Front: Dried cranberry, mint
Middle: Tart but creamy fizziness, lemon
Back: Olive, charred oak, tar
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is a damn strange wine, as the flavor descriptions above perhaps suggest. It's smoky, earthy, minty--loaded with personality. This is not a crowd-pleaser, though it would be really fun to see what a large group of not-everyday wine drinkers would make of it. I like it a lot. It has the lightness of body and the intensity of flavor of really good Pinot. The smokiness, a sort of minty smokiness, if that makes any kind of sense, is something I've experienced in South African reds before, so I suspect it has something to do with either terroir or the oak that they use. Whatever it is, this wine doesn't bore me, like so many Pinots do--if you like a little stank on it, give this a try.

Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Domaine de Cristia
Châteauneuf-du-Pape 
Grenache, Syrah 
Courthézon, France
2007
15%
$32.95 -- Costco, Austin, Texas

Color: Dark red, purple edges
Nose: Stewed cranberries and oranges; licorice; currant jam
Body: Full
Front: Dark cherries, roses
Middle: Licorice
Back: Olives, mesquite smoke, soft tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is a delightful, balanced wine, from a vintage in which many of the wines are bombastic. It'll be interesting to see how this develops over time, but I think it has a decade of evolution ahead. There's an odd hollowness that happens about 2/3 of the way through the palate, for some reason; it's not too disconcerting, but it does somewhat reveal the alcohol level of the wine. This with a little duck with some sort of fruit sauce would be a colossally good pairing; I'm having it with some Tomme Crayeuse cheese, which is not the best combo, but I'm betting it'll rock with the pizza I just ordered.

A shout-out to my second "follower," Emily Richer, a winemaker with a fascinating Cab Franc-oriented project underway called "Virage." Check out her blog here.

I Saw Miles and Miles of Wine Bars

AUSTIN, TEXAS: SONG, BBQ, AND... WINE.

When I moved here, I was worried about the wine. I'm not one of the oenorati, but still, some things are obvious: it's hot here; it's a beer town (like many in Texas); and the bigger (money-wise) the state, the worse the potential liquor-distribution corruption. Within weeks, though, my fears were laid to rest, and my curiosity grew--it turns out that there are many wine bars in Austin, with styles to suit different tastes.

I haven't hit them all, yet, because I ran out of money and had to turn to a life of crime after wine bar number nine. There are a few more, and I'll get to them eventually.

For you POWER PLAYERS out there, who LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST, BABY, and DON'T HAVE TIME FOR CHIT-CHAT, here's your ranked version of what follows:

1. Vino Vino
2. Trading Post
3. Cru
4. House Wine
5. Uncorked
6. Cork and Co.
7. Fion Wine Pub
8. The Grove

Now, for those of you with a moment or two to read the narration, and who know that one size never fits all, and that an awareness of that is what makes Austin so awesome, here's the deal:

You could endlessly enumerate categories for a wine bar, because every wine bar owner has a theory. Flights? Urban-cosmo feel? Killer food? Awesome deals? Bottles at retail prices? The most trendy wines? But a marketing theory is not enough.

I look for a wine bar built on a self-awareness about palate. That is, the human beings in the house who choose the wine fearlessly assert their taste both in the wine list and, in harmony with that taste, in the other features of the joint, from marketing to decor to programming to food. Even if my palate hates the palate of those human beings, then, I'll respect this harmony, because I know somebody--many somebodies!--will enjoy it, be regulars, and promote it. And who knows when one's tastes may change?

Most wine bars will shout to you that the staff is involved in choosing the wines. Or at least--an important distinction--will offer "staff favorites." This is useless, of course, unless you know each staff member's palate, and it's often the case that as far as buying the wines and setting prices, staff have no say.

Far better is a place where the staff are encouraged to tell you what the wines are like, and to experiment with your palate: that is, to pour you lots of samples until you find something you like. This should NOT cost you money. If they charge you for tastes ("3 oz. / 5 oz. / 6 oz"), go somewhere else, I say. Flights are okay, if they are priced right and are interesting. (Even better is when staff members remember who you are and guide you to the new bottles that are in your line; you can tell they'll be able to do this from the way they fact-find with you, and stand back and watch, the first time.)

Without further ado, here's a brief sense of these excellent joints:

8. The Grove

This place is a little corporate inside, but has a nice oak-covered patio. The wine list is good and the flights are well-constructed to please. The food is okay, but I wasn't blown away, and it's in a bourgeois part of town, so you are stuck with people who ought to be at home drinking cases of Cheval Blanc but instead are having social hours with their bosses' friends at The Grove. The service is good, if a little stiff sometimes; there are bottles at near-retail prices for purchase in the joint, which means if you know what you're after and are with a few folks, it's a great deal.

7. Fion Wine Pub

Now we begin to get into Austin weirdness. An Irish Wine Pub? I was just in Ireland, and can report that it's not wine country: the distribution there is mafia-esque, and there's no sun, so they don't grow grapes for fermenting. Fion is in Bee Caves, a bourgeois little town near/in Austin, but well out of the way for tourists. The food is decent, and the beer selection is phenomenal. By the glass or flight, the wine isn't that great. But they've got stellar bottles, for the oenoscenti anyway, at retail prices, and will pop 'em for you. So I say bring a couple of friends and live it up. The service is good and sharp--a bit Irish, really, so be on your toes! One bad thing: they sell some sort of boutique soap there, and the smell of it is really powerful, so in a lot of places near the bar you can't really smell the wine. Boo!

6. Cork and Co.

Cork and Company, unlike the previous two bars, is downtown, in the midst of it all. The service is good, if not warm; the food is good but not great; but the wine list is more coherent and powerful than the previous two places, which raises it in my estimate. Still, it's a tough call--let's put it this way: go to Cork and Co. during happy hour.

5. Uncorked

Really, the same goes for Uncorked, which is a bit more out of the way, just across the I-35 border in East Austin. It has many things going for it, including a good wine list and friendly service, lots of space and parking. It's in an old house, so it has a nice feel to it, and comfortable seating situations from which to choose. I found the staff there a tad less familiar with the wines, but pretty willing to work with you to figure out what you might like.

4. House Wine

Now we get into the interesting stuff. House Wine is in an old house in one of the hippest parts of town: just off Lamar and Barton Springs. The space is pure Austin eclecticism, as is the crowd. The prices are good. The food is not great, and the staff are beautiful but not particularly helpful. But the palate of the joint is unmistakeable, old world bargains: Spanish first, Italians second, obscure French third, etc. There's live music, which is great, and on certain days they'll hook you up with the stuff they opened the day before for half price by the glass. But: often the wines are too warm and oxygenated, and the staff don't encourage tasting at all. So be firm!

3. Cru

Cru is a chain. This would seem immediately to take it off my list. But they take good care of their wines, and they will let you taste every damn one on the menu if you ask. No you di'-en! Yes, I did, haters. The staff are too professional at the start, but they quickly warm up, especially if you're a local. The locations are corporate, to be sure: one downtown in a key condo-and-hotel area, the other up north in the suburbs. But both have delightful outdoor seating, excellent soundtracks, and quite good food at a reasonable price. And the palate is comparatively consistent: big wines, with strong personalities, served in interesting flights. A few of the staff are real terroirists, which has its advantages once you figure out their tastes, and they'll load you up with free vino to try to win you over if you engage with them. Bravo.

2. Trading Post

Back to the 'burbs. There's a swarm of wine bars in Bee Caves, and this one is my favorite. The interior is classic Austin--looks like a damn Elks Club, with leather chairs and red drapery and dark wood. The food is fantastic; the happy hour is a bargain; the palate of the buyer is unapologetically California (the old world wines they choose are brimming with personality); and it's unpretentious as all get-out.  They encourage tasting enthusiastically. They also enthusiastically encourage tasting. I tasted enthusiastically. Is it worth a trip out there? Uh huh.

1. Vino Vino

Ah, Vino Vino. I love you and I hate you. I love you because of the music, the decor, the awesome hip neighborhood (Hyde Park), the ginormous pours (for real: have never seen bigger), the many discoveries I've made there, and the fact that you have only ONE California wine on the list (Conn Valley's Prologue). I hate you because you make me drink so many wines that I think I'm not going to like and then I do. I hate you because you are so much cooler than I am and you are full of people that are too cool for me. I hate you because your food is so damn good, but I can't eat dinner there because I know I will drink too much wine. In other words, I love you. The love-sonnet aside: there is an outdoor area in back, complete with a little gas fireplace, that is one of my favorite places to confab or muse; the palate is balanced and old world, favoring strong fruit and strong earth (whether the wine is white or red); they'll let you taste whatever; they've got retail price bottles that make it a bargain for three or more drinkers. Finally, the music isn't just music: it's local musicians with national reputations, or who are about to have them.

Austin's a cool town, loaded with tech savants, up-and-coming politicians, intellectuals, ripped semi-professional bicyclists, haptic musicians, hot sorority girls, hippies, artists...you name it. It's a world-class city, and a stunning, if surprising, place to have a great glass of wine. I'll update the narrative above, and change the rankings if necessary, since the odds are that half these places won't exist a year from now (whenever now is). If I ever sober up, I'll add more to the list--but start here and you can't go wrong.

Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon

Clos du Val
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
St. Helena, California, USA
2006
13.5%
$21.00 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Deep garnet
Nose: Cherry, vanilla
Body: Medium to full
Front: Cherry
Middle: Cassis, sage, oaky creaminess
Back: Blackberry, cigar wrapper, soft tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

I've been unimpressed by Clos du Val lately, but at 21 bucks, I'm thrilled with this. It's not big, but it's interesting; uncharacteristic for Napa, but with strong fruit. Though it's low in alcohol, I didn't find that it was radiantly excellent with food; with roasted vegetables, it was lovely, though.

I'm about due for the Austin wine bar report, my top wines of the last year, and my report on Napa wineries: I swear to my loyal readers that both of you will see these things ere August is out!

{Note, 2014: The 2010 Clos du Val Cabernet is splendid. They keep raising the price, unfortunately.}

Pellegrini Olivet Lane Chardonnay

Pellegrini Family Vineyards
Chardonnay
Olivet Lane Vineyard
Russian River Valley
Santa Rosa, California, USA
2007
14.1%
$17.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Medium gold
Nose: Yellow pear, honeysuckle
Body: Medium
Front: Honeysuckle
Middle: Cantaloupe, salty minerality
Back: Oak, butter, something leafy
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is a charming, uncomplicated Chardonnay. It's not changing my world, but it'll make a lot of people happy; things are nicely balanced in it, though I could use a little more pointed acidity to balance the honeyness.

The green leafiness I'm picking up may be an aftereffect of the food accompaniment: some apple slices with a little aged hard Italian cheese that was wrapped in hay (Il Forteto Pecorino Affeinato). Ferreal. It's also got a little honey on it, which pairs nicely with the wine.

M. Cosentino Franc

Cosentino Winery
Franc
Cabernet Franc
California
Woodbridge, California, USA
2007
14.6%
$14.99 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Deep ruby
Nose: Cherry, cinnamon, Slim Jim, cream, pie crust
Body: Full
Front: Cherry
Middle: Licorice, raspberry
Back: Cigar wrapper, coffee, soft tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is a two-dimensional wine, but both dimensions are good. The first is the scent: lovely, baked meat pie with fruit on top odors. The second dimension is the taste, firm tannins and fruit and a little darkness. Neither changes much as the wine is open. If the fruit isn't largely Lodi and Paso-area, I'll be shocked, given the taste profile of this wine. But it's good with food--an artichoke-mozzarella-olive-tomato thing with a melon and prosciutto main course, tonight. (They say don't ever grocery shop when you're hungry; if you grocery shop right after exhausting yourself athletically in 105-degree weather, it will equally spin things... towards the uncooked!)

Cabernet Franc one of my favorite varietals, but I haven't sought it out often because so few people will drink it with me. The oenorati tell me that it's less tannic than Cabernet Sauvignon, to which I say, it depends on how it's made and where it's grown. It makes some drinkers make bitter beer face, and that is enough evidence for me. The other Cab Francs I've got are earnestly aging, to lose a little more of that dry bite and gain a bit of complexity; I don't think this one will age much, so go for it now, with some cheese!

Shafer Merlot

Shafer Vineyards
Merlot
Napa Valley
Oakville, California, USA
2006
14.9%
$38.99 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Deep ruby
Nose: Cherry, espresso, raspberry, cream
Body: Full
Front: Cherry
Middle: Licorice, raspberry, orange peel
Back: Cigar wrapper, licorice, soft tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is one of my favorite wines. It's rich but balanced; elegant but interesting. It has a million flavors bouncing around, in different unfoldings depending on how long the bottle's been open. It goes well with food (phenomenally with roasted vegetables) and everyone to whom I've introduced it likes it.

Note: Recently I had the 2007, and it was even better. More red fruit, just as lush, just as powerful; a tad more California-ish than the 2006, though it might grow more austere and Frenchy with time. I'm not sure that I would recommend allowing that to happen.

Pellegrini Olivet Lane Pinot Noir

Pellegrini Family Vineyards
Olivet Lane Vineyard   
Pinot Noir
Russian River Valley
Santa Rosa, California, USA
2008
14.3%
$18.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Light garnet
Nose: Cherry, strawberry, Slim JimTM
Body: Medium
Front: Dry cherry, orange
Middle: Smoky honeysuckle, black currant
Back: Bacon, soft tannin
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

First off, this wine goes very well with food: tonight, a lettuce and tomato salad with a little stunning Pasolivo olive oil and balsamic, together with some Hole Foods brisket. The wine is rich, fruity but earthy, and well balanced. It's not a complete enchanter, as it's strong on the smoky flavors (doubtless a source of its partnership with the brisket) but...well--this is the second thing: Pinot Noir is hideously overpriced in the US, so to find one that is this good at a reasonable price is a delight.

V. Sattui Cabernet Sattui Family

V. Sattui Winery
Cabernet Sauvignon
Sattui Family
St. Helena, California, USA
2007
13.9%
$16.00 -- Sattui Winery, St. Helena, CA

Color: Deep garnet
Nose: Cherry, vanilla, sage
Body: Full
Front: Cherry
Middle: Hazelnut, cherry pie
Back: Blackberry, cigar wrapper, firm tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

It's another excellent 2007 Napa Cabernet. It was good with grilled ribeye (note the alcohol content under 14, which helps it pair well with food). My normal tendency with Sattui wines is to downplay their excellence in fear of drawing too much attention to them, but I have it on authority that there's a lot of the '07 harvest to go around, so this time I'll share.

Now, yer wine snobs aren't going to like this one much--indeed, they'll poo-poo many Sattui wines, I'd guess--but since there aren't many wine snobs in the world, we have little to worry about.

Michel DuTour Pouilly-Fuisse "La Roche"

Michel DuTour
Pouilly-Fuisse
"La Roche"
Chardonnay
Montagny-Les-Beaune, France
2008
13%
$15.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Dull medium gold
Nose: Orange peel, honey, lime
Body: Light to medium
Front: Pear
Middle: Honeydew, some minerality
Back: Lemon, oak
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

After an almost unforgivable hiatus, Caveat Emptyer is back. My return is with a whimper more than a bang, as this wine is pretty low-key. I hope I'm not the only one who generally feels French wines in the 10-30 dollar range are often not worth the money. Perhaps this one will become more interesting with time, and perhaps it'll stay in the background like it seems to right now. I'm usually an appreciator of subtle Chardonnays, so I hope I'm not just in the wrong mood! This one is more interesting with food, certainly--a little roasted almond, salty cheese, and cherries help it out.

Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvée

Domaine Serene
Yamhill Cuvée
Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley
Dayton, Oregon, USA
2007
13.8%
$26.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Medium garnet
Nose: Flowers, cinnamon, smoke
Body: Medium
Front: Dry cherry
Middle: Smoky honeysuckle
Back: Minerals, soft tannin
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Delightfully low in alcohol, fascinating on the palate, and good with food: it doesn't get much better. Actually, judging from the prices on the Domaine Serene website and the reports of my older wine-drinking friends, it does get a lot better, with Serene's higher-level Pinots. But this is a well-made, delicious wine at a price that's pretty good for Pinot.

This wine is available by the glass at restaurants, so give it a shot in someplace you trust before you buy a bottle--its austerity and weirdness aren't going to please all folks who like Pinot!

Fess Parker Chardonnay

Fess Parker
Chardonnay
Ashley's Vineyard
Santa Rita Hills
Santa Maria, California, USA
2007
14.1%
$21.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Lovely medium gold
Nose: Yellow pear, marshmallows, a little heat, lime
Body: Full
Front: Meyer lemon
Middle: Honeydew, some minerality
Back: Cinnamon, key lime pie, wood
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is a delightful Chardonnay. It is balanced, intriguing, and tasty; rich without being too buttery. There's a strange little alcoholic thing at the very end of the palate, which is oddly around the time that you sense a little unexpected cinnamon in it. This is what I mean by intriguing.

I have no pairing advice to offer tonight, as I had this with a hot dog and a tomato salad! It's hot out there. But at this price and with this bigness and balance, this wine will make many people happy.

Oakville Winery Cabernet

Oakville Winery
Cabernet Sauvignon
Oakville
Oakville, California, USA
2007
14.5%
$34.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Deep garnet
Nose: Eucalyptus, cherry, espresso, a tinge of heat
Body: Full
Front: Cherry
Middle: Licorice, mint, orange peel
Back: Cigar wrapper, soft tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Oh, no. Not another excellent 2007 Napa Cabernet. Okay, yes. It's another excellent 2007 Napa Cabernet. Particularly good with a grilled ribeye, and, I suspect, better a few years from now, when the heat will back off and the fruit will step up a bit. But if you can get it at this price, and you like bracing, herby Cabernets, I would say you are getting a good deal even if you drink it tomorrow!

This is my first post in July, and I can't help but notice it's already July 5th! Historically, July is one of the least productive months for posting, the etiology of which I must contemplate. I suspect it's hot, so I'm not drinking as much of my staple red wine; I'm ludicrously busy with my non-wine-related jobs; and I'm always traveling for some reason. But I've got some surprises up my sleeve, O loyal reader!

Eden Hall Shiraz Viognier

David Hall
Eden Hall
Shiraz Viognier
Single Vineyard
Eden Valley (Barossa Valley)
Springton, South Australia
2004
14.5%
$19.98 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Dark blood red
Nose: Blackberry jam, plum, cilantro
Body: Medium, creamy
Front: Blueberries
Middle: Ripe cherry, pepper, sage
Back: Coffee,
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Screwcap

Those who are closely following my every utterance will notice that I'm cheating.

I said I was done with the less-commonly consumed white varietal tasting, yet here we have a Viognier! It's just that it's also blended with Shiraz (95 Shiraz-5 Viognier for the curious). This is an Aussie experiment in a southern Rhone thing: if I remember correctly, for example, Cotes-du-Rhone wines can include a small percentage of white grapes, including Viognier.

This is unmistakably Australian, with big ripe fruit, strong personality, and that tangy thing at the end that I like so much in OZ wines. With a little ago on it, this I'd guess has calmed down a bit; I like it a lot, though it seems to lack a third level beyond the dark fruit and the tangyness. It's elegant, very easy to drink, and worth the price for a well-made, interesting wine. Tonight it was perfect paired with a chicken fajita soft taco.

Hess Mt. Veeder Block 19 Cabernet

The Hess Collection Winery
19 Block Cuvee
Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc
Mt. Veeder
Napa, California, USA
2006
14.4%
$23.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Deep garnet
Nose: Eucalyptus, cherry, espresso
Body: Full
Front: Tart cherry, nopal
Middle: Licorice, mint, chocolate
Back: Leather, spicy tannins, sage
Burns clean?: Mostly
Cap: Cork

Put a little Syrah in it, and it's no longer a Bordeaux blend. Here's the thing, though: you don't need that reference point to enjoy this wine. It's Napa Valley mountain action, all the way. It's briary, dark, brooding, serious: not much fruity, though substantial and juicy. I love this paradox of wines from this region, as I have attested before. They're big like Napa, but they're weird like some of the best wines anywhere, and they carry serious terroir into your face.

So the pairing tonight was a failure: grilled ribeye. It's like you had a small party and you invited two awesome people that you didn't realize had dated but who broke up a few months ago and have still been following each others' endeavors on Facebook, but haven't actually posted anything on each others' walls or even really "liked" anything on each others' pages yet because it's still awkward. Not bad, just awkward. The alcohol makes it okay, but you don't want to repeat the experiment. This I'd pair with a mole, or a watermelon and mint salad (try it! let me know!), or a peppery wild boar ragu with mushrooms and pasta.

Somebody please let me know if nopal has been used before in a tasting note. I've tasted it before in some southern hemisphere whites but didn't have the courage to utter it.

Chateau St. Jean Belle Terre Chardonnay

Chateau St. Jean
Chardonnay
Belle Terre Vineyard
Alexander Valley
Sonoma
Kenwood, California, USA
2007
14.4%
$13.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Medium gold
Nose: Wood, banana, salt cod
Body: Full
Front: Lemon-lime
Middle: Soy sauce, butter
Back: Oak, white pepper
Burns clean?: Mostly
Cap: Cork

It's been late April since I reviewed a Chardonnay--and there are so many great ones out there yet to taste! So I get off the unusual-white-varietal train for a bit.

This is a big, almost frightening sort of wine. It's neither charming, nor particularly elegant. Both the nose and the palate feature things not normally encountered in Chardonnay, including fishy and salty odors and flavors, which I confess I find attractive. In fact, it tastes a lot like a parmesan-encrusted, baked sole with plenty of lemon juice. Partly this is because the acids in this one aren't particularly strong, so as a wine it feels a smidgen out of balance. As a fish I love it.

If you like the ripe oak bomb, you will find this wine to be a big bargain. But there is a hint of nail polish, late in the mid-palate, that will put some folks off.

Loyal readers have demanded my review of Austin wine bars. It's an interesting time here on that score, so I'm going to pony up soon, I promise. A teaser: how often do you find a wine bar where the music is as good as the wine? Or where you can listen to the sweet sounds of a drive-through burger joint next door as you sip? And the kicker: how many of you have been to an Irish wine pub--in the U.S.?

Wild Rock Pinot Noir

Wild Rock Wine Company
Pinot Noir
Cupid's Arrow
Central Otago
Hastings, New Zealand
2008
13.5%
$18.98 -- Wine Trader, Lake Travis, TX

Color: Medium garnet
Nose: Strawberry, fish, smoke
Body: Medium
Front: Cherry
Middle: Strawberry cola

Back: Raspberry, Skittles, no tannins to speak of
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Screwcap

This one reminds me a lot of the Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir. It's bright but smoky, with a couple of layers, and at a decent price point for Pinot in general. There is a little third-stage candy-esque, raspberry thing that delivers on the finish, that is endearing, and makes it easy to drink. I'm hoping it will pair well with a chicken korma this evening; the low alcohol suggests a good pairing with food. It certainly goes well with the sunset!

Fess Parker Viognier

Fess Parker Winery
Viognier
Santa Barbara County
Santa Maria, California, U.S.A.
2007
14.9%
$16.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Medium  straw
Nose: Hazelnut, lemon, mango
Body: Full
Front: Honeydew
Middle: Honey, a little residual fizz
Back: Oak,
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Fake cork

We're nearing the end of the "experimental white grapes" extravaganza that I've been on lately. I think the end of it will come with the sparkling wine comparison that's upcoming, as the grapes that go into southern sparkling wines like cava are different from the traditional champagne grapes.

I've heard about Fess Parker wines before--there was a controversy about Parker selling land back to Native American tribes a few years ago that brought it to my attention--but have never tried one before today. This one is rather dark, almost Vin Jaune-y, with a delightfully nutty nose. It's a rich one--perhaps too much so for my taste, but I'm going to drink it outside in the 90-degree heat and I bet I'll appreciate it more. It'll go well with fruit and many cheeses. If you like a full-bodied, complex Chardonnay, but always find yourself wishing it was just a hair sweeter, go for this one.

Louis de Sacy Champagne Brut

Louis de Sacy
Brut
Grand Cru
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier
Verzy, Champagne, France
NV
12%
$28.99 -- Spec's, Austin, TX

Color: Pale gold
Nose: Carr's table water crackers, lemon,
Body: Light to medium
Front: Lemon
Middle: Bread, orange
Back: Lime, wet stones
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This isn't the most complex Champagne I've ever tasted, but it's not bad and it's got great acidity with a charming, yeasty nose. It's a very hot day here; there's a little Brie Couronne and garlic crackers going down after a nice dip in the pool, so situationally it's hard to beat what this wine is putting out!

I should really do a run-down of sparkling wines, as I tend to drink them without reviewing them. I think it's a strange market for them right now, with the French ones way overvalued in many cases and some Iberian ones slightly undervalued. Perhaps I will invite a bunch of folks over for a little Champagne tasting and see what happens....

Silverado Merlot

Silverado Vineyards
Merlot
Napa Valley
Napa, California, USA
2002
14.5%
$27.99 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Dark garnet
Nose: Cherry, orange, anis, a touch of heat
Body: Medium
Front: Strawberry
Middle: Chocolate, graham cracker
Back: Leather, oak, soft tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Merlot! I often love it. I visited Silverado Vineyards recently and enjoyed all of the Merlots they poured. They aren't super-complex, but they are charming, and have a nice acidity to balance the usual Napa bigness. And so perhaps unsurprisingly: I'm eating a tomato and avocado with lime and oil and vinegar salady sort of thing, and the 2002 pairs elegantly.

Note: The 2005 is really delightful: it has a healthy dose of mint on the nose and a bit on the palate. This is no coincidence, as there used to be eucalyptus trees around the vineyards from which the grapes came. They were removed after the '05 vintage, however, which I consider a most unfortunate decision. Boo! But...choose your poison, wisely.

Chateau de Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône

Louis et Cherry Barruol
Chateau de Saint Cosme
Les Deux Albion
Côtes du Rhône
Syrah
Gigondas, France
2007
14.5%
$13.99 -- Spec's, Austin, TX

Color: Deep purpley red
Nose: Cassis, strawberry jam, coffee
Body: Medium
Front: Cherry
Middle: Licorice, game, pepper
Back: A little heat, charcoal, soft tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Like most of the '07 southern Rhone bottles I've had, this one is dense and rich, a big personality in the room. It's almost too intense for me, for a Côtes du Rhône; that it's all Syrah is interesting. I'd almost wait a year or more to try this again--or be prepared to drink it with some reasonably substantial food, perhaps something roasted and peppery. It'll take some age; I vacuum pumped it and tried it two days later and it had calmed down a bit, but was still lovely.

One of my followers has observed to me that I've been out for two weeks: indeed, in Napa Valley. When I get a few hours, I'll lay the latest on you from the tasting rooms there.