Mendelson Pinot Noir

Mendelson Wines
Pinot Noir
Sleepy Hollow Vineyard
Santa Lucia Highlands
Napa, California, U.S.A.
2007
14.5%
$34.29 [$48.99] -- Twin Liquors, Bee Cave, TX

Color: Dark brick
Nose: Stewed plum, wet gravel, sour sage cigarettes, heat
Body: Full
Front: Fruit soup, orange
Middle: Plum licorice, espresso grounds
Back: Thyme, a little heat, burned popcorn
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

I'm going to go buy another bottle of this wine, because it has a combination of characteristics that I find absolutely enchanting. The heat on the nose and in the glass is a little unfortunate, especially five years out, but it's not overwhelming. Oddly, there aren't many reviews of this wine, perhaps because the maker is best known for dessert wines. Then again, maybe he just pissed everybody off.

Either way, here's the thing: this tastes almost exactly like two other high-tone Pinots I've had, that had a little age on 'em. Stewed fruit, then some earthy or beefy or smoky secondary flavors, and a burned popcorn type of ending. And the flavor profile didn't evolve in any of these cases either: an hour later, they basically tasted the same as after 15 minutes. Two hours, same deal: still delicious, but still the same flavors in the same structure.

This puts me in a quandary. One of the things I love about wine as opposed to, say, Dr. PepperTM, is that it sometimes evolves as it opens. A single wine can be delicious in five or twelve different ways over the course of a few hours. Then again, I love Dr. PepperTM! And this tastes a lot like it.

So I'm going to get another bottle, as I said. And I'm going to be flexible about what I imagine the unfolding of a wine that I enjoy might be like. At $35, I think this is an absolute steal in Pinot, unless you hate sour sage cigarettes.

Von Strasser Cabernet Diamond Mountain

Von Strasser Winery
Diamond Mountain District
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Calistoga, California, U.S.A.
2005
14.1%
$39.43 -- Spec's, Austin, TX

Color: Dark cherry red
Nose: Stewed plum, herbes de provence, black cherry pipe tobacco
Body: Medium
Front: Sour cherry
Middle: Roasted fig, orange
Back: Toasted spices, soft tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

I got this wine on a bit of a sale; I'd heard good things about the house, and loved a Diamond Mountain cab that I had at Sattui's Castello di Amoroso a couple of years ago.

This isn't a huge wine, but it's complex, and evolves in an interesting (though not quite distracting) way as it opens up. The nose is delightful; like the palate, it combines fruit and herb elements in a seductive way.

Virage

Virage Vineyards
Napa Valley Red Wine
Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa, California, U.S.A.
2007
14.4%
$45.00 -- Virage Vineyards, Napa, CA

Color: Deep ruby with a tinge of purple
Nose: Herb, spice, a little lovely stank, vanilla, violets
Body: Medium to full
Front: Cherry
Middle: Currant, cilantro
Back: Smooth tannins, anise 
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

My affection for Cabernet Franc is well-known to my tiny following. As it happens, one of my blog's followers makes one, and this is her maiden vintage. I'm delighted to be among the first to drink this wine, and have been looking forward to it for months. As a point of information, this bottle (pictured at right with Wayne Bates pottery) wasn't a gift; indeed, I've never had a wine company send me anything to review, which shows that I have been doing something wrong!

This is a wine of tremendous subtlety, that rewards patience and a good meal to accompany it. The nose is enchanting, and more so the more air it gets. It has a combination of greenness--herby greenness, more than broccoli or that sort of thing--with dark fruit and telluric aromas that I like in some European wines and that's pretty rare in American ones.

At this price point, doubtless people who encounter this wine will decant it and give it an hour or two to open. Having gifted three bottles of it (see, Emily, I'm spreading the word in the best of ways, not just in the watered-down medium of a review!) I'm going to lay down my other two for two and five years: structurally they're built to last, and I am excited to see what the future holds for them and their younger siblings. {Note, in 2014: Just a beautiful wine, evolving slowly and surely.}

Chateau Fuisse Pouilly-Fuisse

Chateau Fuisse
Pouilly-Fuisse
"Les Combettes"
Chardonnay
Cru de Bourgogne
J.J. Vincent, Burgundy, France
2006
13.5%
$40.99 -- Wine Library, Springfield, NJ

Color: Rich light gold
Nose: Lemon, salt, lime, bread
Body: Full
Front: Lemon, orange
Middle: French toast, parsley, salt
Back: A hint of bread, pear rind
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is a stunning wine. It's big and lush, but has a slice of acid in it that's truly delightful, and in just the right place. It has a long, clingy delivery and is fantastic with nuts, white cheeses, pate, all sorts of foods. I wish more California makers could get this style at this alcohol level.

Christmas is past, but thanks to this wine I'm still in the spirit!

Morot Beaune Cent-Vignes 1er Cru

Albert Morot
Beaune Cent-Vignes
1er Cru
Pinot Noir
Beaune, France
2007
13%
$50.00 -- Austin Wine Merchant, Austin, TX

Color: Light to medium strawberry
Nose: Cherry, peat, tobacco
Body: Full
Front: Strawberry
Middle: Cherry, a hint of cassis
Back: A touch of oak, sage
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

I went to a wine shop today, The Austin Wine Merchant, that has been much-recommended to me. They've got a particularly strong selection of French and Italian wines; I saw many old favorites. And they're knowledgeable and not pushy, which I like. Under the circumstances, I approached helpful Dan about a Pinot Noir, and he led me to this one.

While my favorite wine of last year was a Burgundy, it was an exception--I just glanced back through most of my accounts of them, and they're eh. So-so. Okay. Part of the problem is that these wines close down after a year or so in bottle, and don't reemerge for awhile. When they do, they're often way, way better than before. It's not quite a shell game, but it is an investment-driven style: you have to find something young, know it has promise, buy some bottles, and wait. Repeat annually. Six or seven years later, you will have a non-stop supply of awesome wine. In the meantime, drink Zinfandel. Also pray that none of your choices are stinkers, and follow Cellartracker to see how they're drinking.

This wine, I think, is going to be delicious ten years from now. It is balanced, if subtle, and there's enough fruit and enough other interesting flavors to entertain. The tannins are in effect, but before they hit, the wine is very smooth.

Note: After leaving half the bottle overnight (vacuvin), the nose is much richer and more interesting, and the palate is a little more elaborate. So--the future of this one looks good, I think!

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.

L'Aventure Optimus

Stephan Vineyards
L'Aventure
Optimus
Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot
Paso Robles, California
2004
14.9%
$29.99 -- Grapevine Market, Austin, TX

Color: Dark garnet, even a hint of purple still there
Nose: Cassis, mint, pumpkin pie
Body: Full
Front: Plum
Middle: Chocolate, fig
Back: Firm tannins, sage
Burns clean?: Mostly
Cap: Cork

This wine is elegant and balanced. With a little air (it's still young) it grows into a beautifully haunting mixture of fruit, herbs, earth, and sweets. This right here exemplifies the potential of Paso Robles.

Note: 12-22-2010; had the 2005, and it is stunning. Blackberry, spice, chocolate, and much more. Again, it evolves as it opens--I would decant half the bottle, and leave the rest in there, and compare them over the course of a few hours. A true delight.

Grgich Hills Cabernet

Grgich Hills Estate
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Rutherford, California, USA
2005
14.7%
$38.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Dark garnet
Nose: Cherry, licorice, cigar
Body: Full
Front: Ripe plum, cassis
Middle: Cedar, cafe Americano
Back: Vanilla, firm tannins
Burns clean?: Supremely
Cap: Cork

After one of the longest days ever, it's nice to have a stout Cabernet.  This one is beautifully structured, dark and dense, and likely to be really fantastic in a few years. If you drink it now, it needs air -- a couple of hours. And beware, it is throwing sediment. Tasty sediment.

It wasn't the perfect pairing with extra-moist brisket, but went pretty well with mashed sweet potatoes and deliciously with French bread. I'm pairing it with Toni Morrison, which I think is going to work out. Morrison would never end a sentence with a preposition. If you find an exception, send it on.

François Gaunoux Meursault Les Clos de Tavaux

François Gaunoux

Meursault
Le Clos de Tavaux Monopole
Chardonnay
Côte-d'Or, Burgundy, France
2003
13.5%
$44.99 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Medium golden, beautiful color
Nose: Salty butter, bacon, cod, thyme

Body: Medium

Front: Salty roasted pear

Middle: Buttered apple, hazelnut

Back: Oatmeal cookie

Burns clean?: Yes

Cap: Cork

The first four times I put my nose in this one, I smelled different things. I put three of them in the description above, before I gave up. Suffice it to say, it's a fascinating experience before you taste it--beautiful in color and intriguing on the nostril.

There's plenty of oak in this, but it's elegantly balanced. As the wine opens and warms up, the butteryness moves earlier in the palate. I would drink this wine anytime--assuming I can ever find it again. I'm not entirely sure where I got it, to tell the whole truth.

I'm drinking it tonight while watching a beautiful Texas sunset, to the lulling sounds of commuters arriving home from work, which they shouldn't have had, as it is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, an important holiday if ever there was one.

San Román Toro

Bodegas y Viñedos Maurodos
San Román
Toro
Tempranillo
Valladolid, Spain
2005
14.5%
$39.98 [$65.00] -- Wine Library, Springfield, NJ

Color: Inky reddish purple
Nose: Mocha, pepper, vanilla
Body: Full and dirty
Front: Cherry and chocolate
Middle: Raspberry mocha pie, thyme, Slim JimTM
Back: Oak, espresso, soft tannins
Burns clean?: Mostly
Cap: Cork

To my taste, this is a stunningly beautiful, seductive wine. It's by no means for everyone, I can tell, even through my ecstasy of affection. It's tannic; it'll cellar for another 5-7 years easily. It's bossy.  With a spicy chorizo-chicken-artichoke dish, it never even flinched. I'm not sure whether to recommend Rage Against the Machine or Beethoven to drink it with; probably either will work perfectly. I'm'a gonna wait until it's on sale again, and hit 'em up for more.

Domaine Jean Grivot Nuits-St-Georges

Domaine Jean Grivot
"Les Boudots"
Pinot Noir
1er Cru
Nuits-Saint-Georges
Vosne-Romanée, France
2001
13%
$40.99 [$63.99] -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Medium, smoky strawberry peach
Nose: Strawberry, grilled ribeye, ...
Body: Medium
Front: Sour cherry
Middle: Broccoli, pencil lead
Back: Substantial tannins, raspberry
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

The flavor description above is utterly phantasmic.  This wine evolved in fascinating ways over the course of about five hours.  I didn't decant it; just left it in the bottle, and started drinking it after it had been open about two hours.  At two hours it was spicy and meaty; at four hours it was passive and graphitic; who knows what it will be like five minutes after I hit "Publish Post."

I got this puppy on sale, and at the price I got it for, it's divine.  Given how long it's been open and how the flavors are still roiling around, I'd have to guess it can age for much longer; so it may eventually be worthy of the top price for it. Usually I don't rank things against each other, but at this price, I think it's important to note that I enjoyed the Pieure Roch more than this from a complexity and general "what the hell is going on in this bottle?!" standpoint.

Note: Day 2 on this wine; open a total of 9-10 hours: roasted fig, olives, cranberry, thyme.  Ferreal.  This thing will age for some time; like, 5-10 more years.

Prieure Roch Vosne-Romanee Les Clous

Domaine Prieure-Roch
Les Clous
Pinot Noir
Vosne-Romanee
Nuit-Saint-Georges, France
2000
11.5 or 12.5% (front and back labels disagree)
$48.99 [$68.99] -- Grapevine Market, Austin, TX

Color: Light, smoky strawberry peach
Nose: Strawberry, darker fruit, wet gravel, sour [something vegetal]
Body: Light
Front: Rose water, tire iron
Middle: Sour cherry, licorice
Back: Graphite, cedar, thyme
Burns clean?: Perfectly
Cap: Cork

An urging from a dear relative a few days ago sent me to the Grapevine Market, where eighty people on their lunch breaks were loading up carts with vast numbers of bottles of (sometimes) fabulous wine. This location is closing down, apparently, so they're selling off wines at a big discount. Thus it was that I was able to obtain my first, and possibly last, taste of real French Pinot Noir, from the relatively new winery of Domaine Prieure-Roch.

The color of this wine is stunning; it's very light, and in the glass it's like a peachy sunburst, almost going to clear at the edges. I can't quite describe the nose. A quick whiff and it's like most pinots, but less juicy fruity--then you stick your nose in the glass and way more interesting layers of things hit you. The palate is equally difficult to capture, though that's partly because I drink so few pinots. The tannins are incredibly soft, and I really like the sour and spicy mixture of flavors on top of a delightful mineral bed.

Here's what I'd say about this one: don't drink it if you are in a hurry. Don't drink it if your mind is set to accounting, or multitasking, or catching-up, or getting-ahead modes. It won't demand your attention, like this wine will, but it will reward your patience and attention. Also: the brownness in the color may well be evidence that it's moving past its peak--it is hard to find information about Prieure-Roch wines online (I've linked the most useful thing I found to the title above), but it seems equally possible, from the taste, that we are nowhere near its evolutionary end. It is a blend of grapes from several vineyards and, I think, not the top-of-the-line stuff from this house.

Having not done a lot of Pinot pairing, I'm staying safe with slow-cooked chicken, onion, and garlic, and roasted yaller potatoes tonight. Also maybe an avocado. And a Texas sunset, part of which reflects the color of this wine much better than my prose.

Robert Craig Affinity

Robert Craig Winery
Affinity
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Napa Valley
Angwin, California, USA2006
14.5%
$55.00 -- Wildflower, Tucson, AZ

Color: Rich ruby
Nose: Boysenberry, licorice
Body: Full
Front: Cherry
Middle: Coffee
Back: Chocolate cream pie
Burns clean?: Yes, though I had weird dreams
Cap: Cork

Another Wildflower half-off deal. This one wasn't as memorable as the 2005, which I first tried at this same restaurant last year. It's mostly Cabernet (judging from the front label, which declares it a Cabernet Sauvignon) but it's billed as a blend (judging from the back label which heralds the varietals listed above.

Whatever it is, it's great with all kinds of food, from the duck with cherries and spinach I had to the rich Mahi Mahi extravaganza my mom ate most of next to me. I do think I have an "affinity" for this wine, but I think in all honesty I'd say that it doesn't quite extend to passion. But friendship is more than enough.

Chalk Hill Chardonnay

Chalk Hill Winery
Chardonnay
Russian River Valley
Sonoma
Healdsburg, California, USA2006
14.8%
$26.00 -- Wildflower, Tucson, AZ

Color: Pale, milky gold
Nose: Pear, butter
Body: Full
Front: Apricot, lemon
Middle: Garlic butter
Back: Cedar, rosemary, truffle
Burns clean?: Yes, though I had weird dreams
Cap: Cork

I'm breakin' my own rule about reviewing wines served to me at restaurants. Wildflower's got a half-off special on bottles of wine on Tuesdays during the raging hot months of the summer, and this was way too good to pass up. I haven't had Chalk Hill in 10 years; when I was a youngster, my parents used to get it because it was a fantastic Chardonnay for around 20 bucks. Then it skyrocketed, along with a host of other Californiay Chardonnays, and they didn't buy it anymore.

It's a stunning wine. A long, long development on the palate, with clear structural shifts and an immaculate balance of acidic fruits up front, mellowing out to soft butteryness in the middle, and evolving into a woody, earthy finish. My father compares it to a Puligny-Montrachet, and I think that's right, though it's bigger, beefier, somehow. Still, it's subtle.

Wildflower has a world-class tuna tartare, and this was perfect accompaniment. But! We took the last few ounces of it home, and I had the last glass this evening while in my parents' pool. It was just as good with a hot afternoon swim as with raw fish.

McPrice Myers Beautiful Earth

McPrice Myers Wine Company
Beautiful Earth
Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre
Paso Robles
Santa Maria, California, USA2006
15.4%
$50.00 -- Vino100, Lakeway, TX

Color: Opaque purple red
Nose: Blueberry pie, spice
Body: Full
Front: Blackberry
Middle: Spice, tobacco
Back: Cassis, cream
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is the kind of wine that shows what is so awesome about Paso Robles wine. It’s complex, multilayered, and rich, with both fruit and old-world-style tobacco and spice flavors. With velvety tannins, it will go with a range of foods; I had it with some fresh-made orzo, mango chutney, and toasted bread, and it was delightful.

Paraduxx

Duckhorn Wine Company
Paraduxx
Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Napa Valley
St. Helena, CA
2005
14.5%
$49.99 at Whole Foods, Evanston, IL

Color: Deep raspberry
Nose: Blackberries, anise, pepper
Body: Medium to full
Front: Plums
Middle: Chocolate
Back: Cedar, banana
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

A few years ago, my good friend Todd introduced me to this wine. Todd is a lover of what most of us would call bad puns. His favorite joke is the old standby, “A horse walks into a bar…” etc. So I was taken a bit by surprise when this wine with a silly name turned out to be astonishingly good, complex, rich, evolutionary. Todd’s jokes turned out to be funnier than I thought; the world seemed to be a more recoverable project; the birds were all lightness and splendor; and even the squirrels seemed full of wisdom.

That was the 2003, I think. The 2004 was better; the 2005 is stunning, too. Though it’s largely Zinfandel, this is Silverado Trail wine, so it can stand up to serious food. This wine is a catalyst for joy.

Keenan Cabernet Sauvignon

Robert Keenan Winery
Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon
St. Helena, CA
2004
14.3%
$40.15 -- Spec’s, Austin, TX

Color: Rich, jammy red
Nose: Apricots, bananas, berries
Body: Full
Front: Pepper, spice
Middle: Early tannin attack, plums
Back: Licorice, and bread or pencil lead, way out there
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

You have to be paying attention when you drink this one. It's not an explosive wine, though it has the strong character of Napa Cabernets. It's spice-imbued, not fruit-imbued. Leave it open awhile before drinking it; or leave it closed for a few more years, since this I'm thinking will age for a good while longer and just become more interesting. The nose is great, so you nasally oriented types can smell it while your tongue-oriented friends wait for it to open up and it'll be a perfect collaboration.

I was told about this wine's high marks by a manager at the perfectly stocked Pastiche Wine Shop in Tucson, Arizona. It doesn't disappoint, but it deserves more than just a number and a few stock adjectives.

V. Sattui Preston Vineyard Cabernet

V. Sattui Winery
Preston Vineyard
Cabernet Sauvignon
Rutherford
St. Helena, Napa Valley, California
2005
14.8%
$45.00 -- V. Sattui Winery, St. Helena, CA

Color: Deep ruby
Nose: Blackberry, shrimp creole, eucalyptus
Body: Full
Front: Dried cherries
Middle: Tannins
Back: Graphite and wood
Burns clean?: More or less
Cap: Cork

This wine has won more prizes than Annika Sorenstam. It's darker than Tim Burton's imagination. It's richer than shrimp creole. It's tastier than chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. And it's better for you than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

Elizabeth Spencer Pinot Noir

Elizabeth Spencer Wines
Pinot Noir
Special Cuvee
Sonoma Coast
Calistoga, California
2005
14.3%
$45.00 -- Elizabeth Spencer Tasting Room, Rutherford, CA

Color: Rich medium strawberry
Nose: Young strawberry, beef jerky
Body: Medium
Front: Tart cherry
Middle: Strawberry, pine smoke
Back: Peat, clover
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is a delightful Pinot Noir. I like it because it doesn't have the fruit-solo taste many Pinots do; there are layers in here, strata of interesting, strange flavors on the heels of the fruity taste. The delivery is long on the palate, too. Check here for a fact sheet on the wine, but don't read too much if it will delay your ordering bottles and drinking them.

Note: still tasted great the next evening.

Keenan Merlot

Robert Keenan Winery
Napa Valley Merlot
St. Helena, Napa Valley, CA
2004
14.3%
$44.50 -- Pastiche Wine Shop, Tucson, AZ
Color: Deep garnet
Nose: Cassis, mocha, smoke
Body: Medium to Full
Front: Berries
Middle: Spicy
Back: Leather car seats
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Give it air! It comes out a little tight, even after years in the bottle. This is a little more French than I'm used to in a Napa Merlot. Hear hear. It's well-built, economical, and will run smoothly for years; plus, who doesn't like leather seats?*

I'm amused to find that this is the first Merlot I've reviewed.

*No animals were harmed in the writing of this review.