Round Pond Cabernet Sauvignon

Round Pond Estate
Cabernet Sauvignon
Rutherford, Napa Valley
Rutherford, California, U.S.A.
2007
14.5%
$39.00 -- H.E.B., Austin, TX

Color: Deep cherry red
Nose: Cherry
Body: Full
Front: Cherry vanilla, banana
Middle: Clove, cream, raspberry
Back: Heat, blueberries, strong tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Back when I first tried Caravan and liked it, the sommelier at Wolfgang's in Highlands, NC told me I should try Round Pond. I thought, awesome: and then it turned out their Cabs were really expensive. For some reason, this was on sale at HEB, so I went for it.

Admittedly, 2007 was a good year, but this is quite lovely under any circumstances. It takes a while to loosen up, and even then, the Rutherford tannins are still assertive. But the fruit is lovely (some people will hate the banana-vanilla-ish business in it, but I like that) and the oak is tempered. It's great with a grilled ribeye and tomato salad, and makes Band of Horses songs sound even better than usual.

Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay

Kumeu River Wines
Chardonnay
Estate Bottled
Chardonnay
Kumeu, New Zealand
2005
13.5%
$20.29 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Rich light gold
Nose: Lemon, salt, bread, slightly burned popcorn
Body: Medium
Front: Lime
Middle: Steely lemon (know you not the power of the steely lemon?)
Back: Balsa wood, tea leaf
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Screwcap

I've heard good things about these wines for some time, and am glad I finally took the (20% reduced price) chance to try one out. According to the back label, this should have been drunk a year ago at the latest, but I find it's still quite lovely; crisp acidity right off the bat, and well-tempered oak that keeps the fruit flavors (all tangy--no cloying melon or honey) present and functioning.

Part of what's cool about drinking this wine now is that there's lots of oak on the nose, so to get the acidic cut up front is kind of delightful. You could put the forgetting power of wine to work: Drink it while you're doing something distracting, so you will keep forgetting the taste and having this experience over and over again.

My new favorite pairing with chardonnays is manchego cheese; but I think given the low alcohol and charming acid of this one, it'll go with many foods, so fear not.

Note 1-21-2011: Tried the 2007; it's much more plainly oaky on the nose, mixed with salty lemon, but the palate had the same wonderful sparkly, cutting acidity up front and balanced fruit, cedar, and flowers on the palate.

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!

Nickel & Nickel Searby Vineyard Chardonnay

Nickel and Nickel Winery
Searby Vineyard
Chardonnay
Russian River Valley
Oakville, California, USA
2007
14.4%
$34.99 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Light gold
Nose: Lemon, salt, honey, hot pepper, cedar
Body: Medium to full
Front: Salt, meyer lemon
Middle: French toast with honey, eucalyptus
Back: Oak, basil
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Nickel & Nickel is a Far Niente project, of single vineyard wines from groovy places other than the Far Niente estate. This one has a distinctive California style; big and salty, buttery, oaky. It is elegantly balanced, lively, and delicious. If you don't like the oaky flavor, avoid it. Otherwise, you'll very much like this, I suspect, with a wide range of foods and especially grilled or roasted fish, I reckon.

I'm having it with a range of cheeses: Lincolnshire Poacher, Stichelton, Lancashire, and a bit of medio curado Manchego; it's stunning with the latter. It goes beautifully with the Motown Christmas record, which I can't recommend highly enough.

Château Petit Fombrauge St. Emilion

Château Petit Fombrauge
St. Emilion Grand Cru
Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Libournais, Bordeaux, France
2000
13.9%
$35.98 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Medium to deep ruby
Nose: Pear, mustard, thyme, cherry
Body: Light to medium
Front: Cassis, tobacco
Middle: Chocolate, pickles
Back: Coffee, orange, sage 
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This wine is haunting and delightful. The nose is absolutely stunning; it holds your attention and, I fear, might be better even than the taste. It's good with food (perhaps best with the Stichelton cheese tonight, though with the pate, cornichons, and mustard it was pretty damn fine) and enchants the whole room.

Domaine du Pegau Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Domaine du Pegau
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France
2004
14%
$60.98 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Deep ruby
Nose: Barnyard--the whole yard: broccoli, straw, manure, jerky, black currant, mixed berry jam, mint
Body: Full
Front: Licorice, plum
Middle: Red pepper flakes, bacon, mint
Back: Elegant tannins, rocks, 
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is one of the world's most famous, and judging from Cellartracker, adored wines. And I can see why. This 2004 is still young, but it's delicious. It's big, yet not heavy; striking, yet not bombastic; tasty, without being generic. The combination of fruits, vegetables, and earth in this wine is phenomenal--frankly, among the most fascinating of any bottle I've tasted. It will be great with *everything* on the table: potatoes au gratin; roast beef; steamed broccoli; buttered rolls; you name it.

Gundlach Bundschu Vintage Reserve Cabernet

Gundlach Bundschu Winery
Vintage Reserve
Cabernet Sauvignon
Sonoma, California, U.S.A.
1996
13.9%
$54.98 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Deep ruby with a brown tinge
Nose: Cherry, eucalyptus, sage
Body: Medium to full
Front: Raspberry, stewed plums
Middle: Coffee, sage
Back: Firm tannins, leather 
Burns clean?: Mostly
Cap: Cork

It's a special night, let's face it. Time to break out the good shit. This isn't a fat cabernet, though; it's got an old-world vibe, a lightness in the middle and a seriousness about its non-fruit flavors. A cigar-drinker's wine; a foodie's wine. This one is better with pickles and mustard--palate-cleansers.

Ondarre Rioja Reserva

Bodegas Ondarre
Reserva
Rioja
Tempranillo
Viana, Spain
2004
13.5%
$14.98 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Medium deep rose
Nose: Cherry, mesquite smoke, cream, truffle
Body: Medium
Front: Raspberry, dried cherry
Middle: Coffee, sage
Back: Firm tannins, leather, orange peel 
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Spanish to the core. As much a tactile as a taste experience; a little fruit, a little earth, a bit of herbal kick. This isn't a big wine; indeed, there's a bit of hollowness to the mid-palate that is disappointing. This can take more time in the bottle, and if you open it soon, give it plenty of air so that it chills out a bit and loses its tightness. It will be great with any kind of food, as it was for example with the pepperoni pizza I had with it tonight.

Toad Hollow Chardonnay

Toad Hollow Vineyards
Francine's Selection
Chardonnay
Unoaked
Mendocino
Healdsburg, California, USA
2007
13.9%
$14.99 -- Wine Pro, Paducah, KY

Color: Light gold
Nose: Pear, pickles, salt
Body: Medium
Front: Salt
Middle: A little honey
Back: A little lemon
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

I am not tasting anything on this wine, which is unusual. It's a little salty, with a bit of spritz, perhaps, on the mouthfeel. But seriously: if there's something here I can't taste it. Very strange. But, insamuch as it tastes a lot like salt water, it will go with almost any kind of food, or use it as a nasal cleanse! I suspect it's over the hill--so, if you find this one, make sure it's young.

Trio Reserva

Viña Concha y Toro
Trio
Reserva
Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Cabernet Franc
Maipo Valley, Chile
2007
14.1%
$13.98 -- Whole Foods, Austin, TX

Color: Medium to deep ruby
Nose: Creamy cherry, pepper, herbs
Body: Medium
Front: Black cherry
Middle: Dusty tannins, strawberry, herbes de provence
Back: Roasted jalapeño, cedar
Burns clean?: Not really
Cap: Fake cork

As my several fans know, I'm not much of a Chilean wine drinker. But every now and then, I give one a shot. It's claimed by many that excellent wines at low prices are coming out of Chile. This is a reserved wine, not too bombastic either on the nose or the palate, but interesting nonetheless. I'm not eating yet, but I suspect it'll hold up--given the tannins--to a wide range of foods. And it's inexpensive, but balanced, so try it out!

Freemark Abbey Chardonnay

Freemark Abbey Winery
Chardonnay
Napa Valley
Oakville, California, U.S.A.
2009
14.1%
$16.88 at Wine Pro, Paducah, KY

Color: Lovely light straw
Nose: Oak, lime, salt, pear
Body: Medium
Front: Honeydew
Middle: Oak, plastic
Back: Mild jalapeno, butter
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is a smooth-drinking Chardonnay, in a big-oak style. The buttery oakiness predominates, so if you are, as I am, a more fruit- or mineral-oriented white wine drinker, you might steer clear. I find an oddly plastic-tasting element in this that I can't quite pin down but that's deterring me from pure delight. This will be super with a little Spanish chicken dish of some sort, or a rich fish dish, or perhaps some succotash.

It is going very well with a little Christmas brass music. Yee haw!

Artadi Viñas de Gain Rioja

Artadi viñedas y vinos
Viñas de Gain
Rioja
Laguardia, Alava, Spain
2007
14%
$20.98 -- Wine Library, Springfield, NJ

Color: Medium deep rosy-purple
Nose: Blueberry, violets, chocolate, stewed fruit, smoke
Body: Medium
Front: Cherry pie
Middle: Orange,vanilla
Back: Soft tannins, graphite, cigar
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is a smooth operator. Very easy to drink. Fruit, funk, flowers--what more could you want?

But: I'll wait a few years before I open another one of these. It was dang-o-licious with pork chops and mashed turnips and butter and salt and pepper and so forth, but it'll be way better with alla that stuff and more in about five to fifteen years. The tannins are there, but the character of the fruit and earth flavors is there too. Deeelightful!

Stonewall Albariño

Pedernales Cellars
Albariño
Stonewall, Texas, USA
2008
14.2%
$17.99 -- Pedernales Cellars, Stonewall, TX

Color: Light gold
Nose: Pear, bandaid, verbena
Body: Medium
Front: Pear, apple
Middle: Butter, roasted green chili
Back: Oak
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Texas wine, finally! Okay, sure, the grapes are actually from California. (There's a horrific infection of Texas vines happening that is challenging winemakers here.) But both the winemaker and the philosophy at Pedernales are sound--make wine from grapes that thrive in the climate of Texas. I'll report more on this winery later, but for the moment, I'll say that the Albariño is delightful and good with a sharp cheese.

Christian Mouiex Pomerol

Christian Moueix
[Gran Vin]
Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Libourne, Gironde, France
2005
13.5%
$18.99 at Wine Pro, Paducah, KY

Color: Dark ruby
Nose: Mushroom, cherry
Body: Medium
Front: Cherry
Middle: Coffee
Back: Chocolate, firm tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork


Another somewhat disappointing Bordeaux. If I had a bottle of this, I'd wait another year before opening it, perhaps two, in hopes that it'll integrate better. As with many Bordeaux, it needs air, but even then, though the fruit and the chocolate come out, it retains a slight astringency and resistance. If you dig astringency and resistance, you will *love* it! You perv.

It wasn't bad with chili and beans, I dare say, on a frigid night. 

Elizabeth Spencer Sauvignon Blanc

Elizabeth Spencer Wines
Sauvignon Blanc
Mendocino
Ukiah, California, U.S.A
2008
11-14% (!)
$13.49 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Light dirty gold
Nose: Grapefruit, wood, honey
Body: Light to medium
Front: Kiwi
Middle: Apple, banana
Back: A little maderization, acetoney
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Fake cork

This, I suspect, was a lovely wine a year ago, but it's starting to go over the hill right now. It tastes better a little warmer, though, so don't follow (U.S.) custom in chilling it massively before serving it--a little bit is enough--and don't wait too long before you drink it. The mid-palate flavors are tasty; the apple is notably focused, which reminds me why I like this winemaker so much.

Sadly, I have no food pairing to report, except that it tastes good with almonds. The cupboard is bare. But good things are to come shortly. As the end of the year approaches, the wine begins to flow and the food to appear, copiously and experimentally, and this year will be no exception, as your favorite deity is my witness!

Note, 1/15/2011: Tried the 2009, and indeed, it's brighter and lacks the faint maderization. Bright acidity, good with cheese and such.

Andrew Will Sheridan Vineyard

Andrew Will Cellars 
Sheridan Vineyard
Yakima Valley 
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Vashon, WA, U.S.A.
2004
14.2%
$37.99 at Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Dark ruby
Nose: Mushroom and yeast, raspberry peat
Body: Medium to full
Front: Forest floor
Middle: Raspberry, cherry
Back: Oak, soft tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork


I ferment. In this wine's wake I think a lot about...stuff. Brilliance in balance seems modeled for a moment: but the shroomy nose unbalances it in a happy way.

Can you find it (either unbalance or this bottle)? Maybe not. Praise your host if he or she bestows it on you: your company must be a delight, if so.

Robert Sinskey Cabernet Franc

Robert Sinskey Vineyards
Cabernet Franc
Vandal Vineyard
Los Carneros
Napa, California, USA
2002
13.5%
$20.99 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Deep ruby
Nose: Chipotle-cedar chocolate covered cherry
Body: Full
Front: Sour cherry
Middle: Licorice, raspberry
Back: Cigar wrapper, coffee, assertive tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is only the second Cab Franc I've reviewed, despite my affection for this varietal. There's something elusive and haunting about it. People talk about the soft tannins, flowerdy smell, and about the chocolateyness of it, but that ain't it for me. I've had tongue-wrappingly tannic ones, and dark fruit dominated ones with no sign of mocha. I find it a moving target, when it's the principal grape in the blend.

If there's not a smidgen of Merlot in this, I'll be shocked. 2002: it's eight years old at this point, and still tannic, and no sign of brown at the edges. Try it with chocolate, or something lightly spicy, and I think it'll drink easier. But for me this is a wine for drinking when you want to think about things, including the weirdness of taste, as an experience. It's far from easy drinking, but far from unrewarding, too.

Charles Smith Eve Chardonnay

Charles Smith Wines
Chardonnay
Columbia Valley
Washington State
Mattawa, Washington, USA
2008
13.5%
$10.99 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Light gold
Nose: Pear, wood, butter
Body: Medium
Front: Pear, apple
Middle: Buttery oak
Back: Lemon
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Screwcap

This is one of crazy Charles Smith's wines--always interesting, a little edgy. (One of the best video blog moments ever [~8:15] is when, while being interviewed by wine critic Gary Vaynerchuk, he unfolds his large pocket knife and puts it on the table.)

I'm a huge fan of Smith's K Syrah, and needed a little acidic contrast with the many reds I've been drinking lately. This wine had a lot of residual spritz, which I enjoyed, and a nice balance of flavors, though the oak was a little...chemically for me at first. On day 2 (I just re-capped it and put it in the fridge) it was really delightful.

Meiomi Pinot Noir

Belle Glos Wines
Pinot Noir (Meiomi)
Sonoma, Monterey, and Santa Barbara Counties
Rutherford, California, USA
2008
13.9%
$18.00 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Medium purpley red
Nose: Cherry, cranberry, bread pudding
Body: Medium to light
Front: Cherry
Middle: Baking spices, cranberry
Back: Strawberry, caramel
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Screwcap

Until this had been open for half an hour, it was hot, acidic, and acetoney. So beware: it's a "cheap" pinot, but it's also not. It's been open now for six hours, and it's rich, layered, and fascinating. The mouthfeel is silky; it lunges into you like a Gerard Manley Hopkins stanza.

Most importantly, perhaps, it's good with food. I made a chicken and chorizo dish, with artichoke hearts, red onions, garlic, and red peppers. I knew I'd need something red, and a with little spice to go with it, but I wasn't sure what to pair with it and didn't feel like a syrah. So I tried a new edition of an old favorite, the 2007 Caravan (about which more in a moment) and this pinot.

At first, it was an even split. The Caravan brought out the tomato and the artichoke, which was delightful, and asserted its personality, too. But eventually, the Meiomi emerged triumphant; after it had opened up, chocolatey, bready, and cinnamony notes sang in combination with the paprika, chorizo, and caramelized elements of the dish. The management of the oak on this wine will please many, and the fruit is vibrant without getting bubble-gummy or lick-the-envelopey. Try it with pickles.

Back to the Caravan. This is one of my favorite wines. But I can't help but note a minor, yet important change to the back label. They used to credit the quotation there this way: "Adapted from Rumi"; now, it's more definitive: "The Rubiayat by Omar Khayyam." Both of these may be true, sort of.

Why sort of? Because Rumi came after Khayyam, and thus may have borrowed from him, or transformed him, or indeed, may not have, and the original attribution might have been pure fantasy. And yet, only sort of, because, fantasy or no, in this attempt to correct the "record"--an attempt which I would argue is out of touch with the Sufic mode of this ghazal--the labelists spelled "Rubaiyat" wrong. In the abstract, a wrong spelling means little. In the attempt to purify, it reminds us of the importance of imbalance over perfection: of passion and meaningfulness, over integrity. Look at the Meiomi: grapes from three different counties! But passion makes them sing harmoniously. Why credit and quote, Caravan, when you could sing it yourself?

That said, I hope that the Wappo tribe, from whose language "Meiomi" is taken, is getting some kickbacks on the profits from this wine, which I suspect to be the broad-market bottle from Belle Glos.

V. Sattui Pinot Noir

V. Sattui Winery
Los Carneros
Pinot Noir
Napa Valley
St. Helena, California, USA
2007
13.8%
$28.00 -- Sattui Winery, St. Helena, CA

Color: Medium garnet
Nose: Cherry, cranberry, mesquite smoke
Body: Medium
Front: Cherry
Middle: Orange, roasted fig
Back: Black cherry, soft tannins, a little heat
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Another delightful bottle from Sattui. This is an assertive wine, with the distinctive profile of a Carneros Pinot; there is a balance between fruit and smoke (sometimes earth, in other Carneros Pinots) that I enjoy. It's smooth, but not silky; with another year or two in the bottle, I think, it has a chance to match up its structure with its mouthfeel. Great with salad--so that is a plus!

Domaine Chante Cigale Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Domaine Chante Cigale
Châteauneuf-du-Pape 
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France
2007
14%
$29.95 -- Central Market, Austin, Texas

Color: Dark red, purple edges
Nose: Cherries, genoa salami, cigar wrapper, plums
Body: Full
Front: Stewed cherries
Middle: Roasted fig, venison
Back: Tobacco, licorice, basil
Burns clean?: Quite so
Cap: Cork

My love of 2007 southern Rhone wines continues. The flavor profile above is deeply contingent on when you engage the wine. Early, the nose was closed and the palate starkly acidic and earthy. After a half hour open, fruits and a little stewedness came in. Now, at two-plus hours open, it's acquiring the profile I describe above. This is the sort of wine that convinces me that putting bottles in the cellar and trying to forget they're there is worth it. The texture of it is delightful--superfine tannins, dangerously drinkable (especially at, I suspect, closer to 15% than the 14% listed on the bottle).

Chalone Sauvignon Blanc

Chalone Vineyard
Sauvignon Blanc
Monterey County
Soledad, California, USA
2008
13.5%
$8.99 -- Whole Foods, Austin, TX

Color: Pale straw with a tinge of green
Nose: Bread pudding
Body: Medium
Front: Butter
Middle: Orange peel, bread
Back: Apricot, cardboard
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

After a long hiatus, the Emptyer is back! I was out making money, faithful reader, and it has to last.

This is an interesting wine. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say it's awesome, but it's very good with food, and it has a few distinct layers that will be interesting to many people. It's certainly American, with a butteriness (despite a kind of chalky mouthfeel, actually) and a bigness that overbalance the acidity, a bit. But I'm drinking it with Spanish chorizo and it's a good combination, refracting the flavors of the wine in ways different from when you drink it alone.

I think the price is right, and for many people it will be a bargain.

Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains

Martin Ray Winery
Cabernet Sauvignon
Santa Cruz Mountains
Sonoma
Santa Rosa, California, USA
2002
14.4%
$24.99 -- Grape Vine Market, Austin, TX

Color: Deep red
Nose: Mint, cherries, tar
Body: Full
Front: Cherries
Middle: Raspberries, chocolate, licorice
Back: Mint, cream, cigar wrapper
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

A delightful wine. Balanced and smooth on the palate. There are tannins enough to suggest it can still age longer, and plenty of acid to balance them. The cherry and raspberry flavors beautifully set up the meatier, chocolatier flavors in the mid-palate, and it pairs elegantly with grilled food of any kind.

{Note, in 2014: That is the kind of thing I write when I don't want anyone else to know how good a wine is--at least, as far as I can taste. This wine was heavenly. It poked through the veil of universe and smiled into my little well. If you own some, please, please send it to me.}

Domaine de Triennes St. Auguste

Domaine de Triennes
St Auguste
Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot
Vin de Pays du Var
Nans-les-Pins, France
2005
13.5%
$14.99 -- Spec's, Austin, TX

Color: Dark garnet
Nose: Black cherry, those purple flowers on the wisteria vine sometimes, Tootsie Rolls
Body: Medium to full
Front: Black cherry
Middle: Blackberries, licorice
Back: Black tea, chocolate
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is not a blend I'm used to from France, but I like it. It's nicely balanced, rich, aromatic, but not cloying or too stewed. It didn't completely change my world, but it's good with food. The roasted lamb was a little too much for it; there's a bit of a dip in the intensity of the wine in the mid-palate, which on its own lets some nice blueberry come out, but with food gets drowned out. With a meal that's even just a little lighter--turkey--this would rock it.

Stoller Pinot Noir

Stoller Vineyards
Pinot Noir
JV Estate
Dundee Hills
Dayton, Oregon, USA
2007
13.3%
$17.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Medium strawberry with a touch of peach
Nose: Cranberries, cherries, bacon, cinnamon
Body: Medium
Front: Cherry
Middle: Peach, cotton candy
Back: Sage, graphite
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Screwcap

In a world of $45 crap Pinots, this is a delight to find. A hint of earthy stank on the nose, and another hint in the glass, but plenty of fruit (the cotton candyish flavor isn't overbearing) and a light, not cloying body. Bring it! This will be perfect with the red pepper and garlic, sausage, and farfalle I'm making tonight, but it'll be even better, I'd guess, with fish.

{Note, from 2013: Still magnificent. Doubtless better.}