All wine geeks out there can understand my excitement when Dionysus comes calling. My humble cellar (Which I’m proud of by the way) would never produce from it’s shadows such gems as were offered up on Bob’s kitchen counter just the other night. In all my years as a wine dude I have come to appreciate that one does not have to spend a boatload of money to have nice wines that you can drink now or put away for a few years. However, I also have learned that there are great wines out there that demand a higher price and for those with the discretionary income to purchase them, they are certainly worth it.
Fred Franzia has been quoted as saying that if you spend more then eight bucks on a wine, you have spent too much, or something to that effect. Really? I’ll be the first one to tell you that there are a lot of gems out there under twenty bucks. But I have no qualms about spending more if I know I am in for an experience. Of course Mr. Franzia made the above comment,that is his market. He makes his living off of selling cheap wine… Some good, some not so good. His comment is self-serving.
Bob and I had the opportunity to test Mr. Franzia’s statement with wines that were shared by the ever generous Dionysus. None of the wines we tried were under twenty bucks, in fact I believe none were under a hundred dollars. Price should never be the dictate for judging a wine. Trying to be as objective as possible I did my best to rate each wine by the wine itself, not by label or price. In all fairness, the wines I am about to review had been opened for a couple of days. This makes a difference in the flavor profile so keep that in mind. They say that the average consumer drinks a bottle of wine within a couple of hours of purchase, and most do not decant. Pop and pour is the name of the game. Most of my reviews are based on this method although I decant the more structured reds before I review them, such as a Bordeaux or Barolo. In general I believe a review should be based on what the consumer will experience when they drink the wine. The wines I am about to review all fall in the decanting category. One would be missing out on a lot of the nuances of the wine if they simply “Popped and Poured”.
2005 Sine Qua Non The Naked Truth Estate Grenache (Eleven Confessions Vineyard) Santa Barbara County California
I have wanted to try a wine from this producer ever since I read the Wine Spectator article on Manfred Krankl, wine maker an owner (along with wife Elaine) of Sine Qua Non Winery. A cult winery that has a waiting list to get on the waiting list to purchase their wines. Big and bold, the wines express the passion of the wine maker in his quest to produce some of the best wine in the New World. Grenache is one of Manfred’s favorite grapes so I was very eager to give it a try.
A bouquet of ripe raspberries, black licorice and red currants. On the palate this wine is intense, silky and spicy with dark fruit notes penetrating the palate backed by notes of black tea and tobacco. The wine intensifies (hard to believe) on the mid-palate with exotic spices all over the wine. The finish shows off some red currant notes backed by hints of tobacco leaf. This wine is 15.8% alcohol and it shows a little on the finish and nose. The wine has incredible balance for as big a it is. I had a little left in the bottle which Bob let me take home and I asked my wife to give it a try. When she put her nose in the glass the intensity of the wine made her cough. She let our Chihuahua take a sniff and it even made the dog cough. It was so funny! Great wine, just a little hot for my palate. 94 points
1999 Tenuta dell`Ornellaia Masseto Tuscany, Italy
winemaker’s notes:
The great 1999 vintage at Tenuta dell’ Ornellaia produced one of the most extraordinary vintage Masseto ever made. The wine is rich with profound depth. The aromas, which continue to evolve, remind us of the complexity of the grapes at harvest. The tannins are exceptionally rich and literally fill the palate indicating a magnificent aging potential. 100% Merlot.
The experience I had with this wine was very interesting. As Bob and I tasted it, we noticed a huge dose of earth and mushroom aromas on the nose. The palate had notes of spice,forest floor, black cherry red currants and a little old leather on the finish. I was impressed but not sure of what I was drinking since I had not drunk a Masseto in recent memory. Bob also let me take this bottle home and I tried it again later in the evening. Something seemed off, and then I realized the wine was corked. This tells me that this wine is superb if it takes a couple of tries to discover it was slightly off. Too bad, because I am quite sure a good bottle would be mind-blowing since a corked bottle was not too shabby. No score
1997 Fisher Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County, California
Aromas of black currants, kirsch, black licorice and blackberry with a little alcohol hit. Deep dark fruits on the palate backed by silky tannins, spice, leather and tobacco. The wine had a nice minerality on a long finish. The finish was slightly awkward as the alcohol fought with the fruit flavors just a little which was interesting since the label showed only 14%. 90 points
2001 Peter Michael Les Pavots Knights Valley, Sonoma County California
Aromas of sweet blackberries and red currants with just a slight hit of alcohol. Rich and silky with notes of black currant, leather, spice and white pepper. Wonderful balance with a seamless flow across the palate showing layered notes of chocolate and mocha on the mid-palate leading into hits of anise on a seemingly endless finish. This is a “New World” wine with a lot of “Old World” style to it. 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petite Verdot 98 points
2006 Harlan Estate The Maiden Napa Valley Red Blend
The last Harlan Estate wine I tried courtesy of the “Great Dionysus” scored a perfect 100 points in my notes. I believe it was the first time I felt I had tried a flawless wine for my palate. Remember that scores by wine writers are only palate scores. A wine that I score 100 may be a wine that you do not find to be quite as good. Needless to say, I approached this wine with eager anticipation.
This baby is bright on the nose with notes of licorice, brown sugar, black currants and herbal notes. Soft and plush on the palate which I did not expect since the nose seemed to indicate a lot of acidity. Notes of boysenberry, black currant and spice. Tar notes show up on the back of the mid-palate with some leather hits on a medium to long finish. Although plush this wine shows good intensity and structure. 94 points
2005 Bryant Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley California
I have known about Bryant Family Vineyards for a long time but this is the first time I have ever had opportunity to try it, and I am impressed. A bouquet of cherries, black tea, red currants and underlying minerals. The minerality comes through on the palate with notes of iron, plum and hints of eucalyptus. Nice and velvety (Hope that’s a word) on the mid-palate with underlying notes of leather and black currants leading into a finish that has a slight tannic grip with hints of cigar box. This wine has a lot of finesse and will certainly age nicely over the next ten years. 93 points
As the guy who is endeavoring to “Take The Snob Out Of Wine”, I vow to continue my search for the best values on the market. As a wine geek, I would never pass up an opportunity to taste the wines I have reviewed above, I hope you feel the same.
“Nothing more excellent or valuable than wine was ever granted by the gods to man.” — Plato
Cheers! Stan The Wine Man
