ODE TO VAYNERCHUK…

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Stan The Wine Man

I can remember the first time a good friend of mine told me to check out this person who does wine reviews on the internet. He told me I would get a kick out of this guy who was a little off center but fun to watch. I checked it out and thought to myself, here is a guy that takes the same approach to the wine world that I do. I was hooked. I didn’t watch him religiously, but I tried to get a few episodes of Wine Library TV in every week hosted by Gary Vaynerchuk.

“Hello everyone and welcome to Wine Library TV. I am your host Gary Vay-Ner-Chuk and this my friends is the Thunder Show, the internet’s MOST PASSIONATE WINE PROGRAM…” This is the way he started out every episode. He was both dynamic and knowledgeable with a “Jersey” attitude that came through. He appealed to the younger generation simply because he knew there lingo and spoke about wine using the terms that they could relate to. He had a New York Jets bucket and an action figure of some sort sitting in front of him nearly every episode. He would drink wine and analyze it either straight up or in a blind format. He did his best to educate or as he would put it “Nerd it up”. Sometimes he would have a guest on the program related to wine, and many times they were big names. Jorge Ordonez, Jancis Robinson, Randall Graham, George Tabor and Kermit Lynch to name a few.

Gary has a great palate, or as we say he understands what he is drinking and also has a good barometer for what most people like. This is due in part to the fact that he worked in the retail side of wine. His father Sasha owns a liquor store in New Jersey and Gary eventually took things over becoming the General Manager of the business. Gary took sales from somewhere in the 2 to 4 million dollar mark to nearly 60 million dollars, making his presence as a successful business man. He spent many hours in his early career hustling wine on the floor helping customers make the right choice in their purchase. This experience was invaluable for him when he started his video wine program.

Gary’s true passion lies in business, and although he loves wine and the wine world, he loves being an entrepreneur. He is big into Angel Investing and he loves to give motivational talks. I do not believe there are many out there that understand the value of Social Networking better then Gary. He has recently written his third book entitled “The Thank You Economy” in which he preaches the value of the Social Network to businesses in particular. His book “Crush It” is still one of my favorites that I refer to often as I develop my own skills in social networking.

He ran with Wine Library TV for five years doing one-thousand episodes. He retired from that format and soon started “The Daily Grape” which was similar to his prior show but much shorter and one that he could do on the road since that is where he was most of the time. It was a good program but lacked the steam that he had generated with Wine Library. He had trouble (which is understandable) keeping it going on a daily basis. Recently, he announced his permanent retirement from video blogging (The Daily Grape & Wine Library TV) and said that he is on to other passions which include nurturing his entrepreneurial spirit. and spending time with his daughter and wife.

Gary will be sadly missed. I for my part learned many things from Gary and I enjoyed the format that he developed. I made comments on his video blog and even criticized him from time to time. Gary was always gracious when responding to criticism and I believe he truly cares about people. There is nothing fake about this man and although he has an ego he is truly interested in those that support him. I for my part do not believe that we have seen an end to his video wine interests. Someday, and it may be sooner then we think, Gary will pop up somewhere on the internet with a video about wine.

I wish Gary well and look forward to seeing what he is up to next. Cheers! Stan The Wine Man.

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FROM MY MOLESKINE TO YOU…

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Stan The Wine Man

These past two week have been busy for me. I conducted a private tasting out at Roche Harbor that was an absolute blast. We did a single blind tasting of wines that were out of the everyday category. A Tannat from Uruguay, an Albarino from Oregon and one from Spain. We also tasted a Mouvedre a Petite Verdot and a Bonarda. It was a lot of fun and I think the group learned something and tasted some great wines. I also had my “Intimate Tasting With The Wine Maker” featuring Chris Primus from San Juan Vineyards. It was held at the vineyards under beautiful sunny skies with a backdrop of the vineyard. I will write an article about that event and post it soon.

With all this going on, I did not have much time to taste wines at home, so you will not have much to read about this week. However this does not include the wines from San Juan Vineyards which I will give you my thoughts about in a separate article. So for this week here is what I tasted and my notes and scores straight from my Moleskine to you.

2010 Marques De Caceres Rioja Rose (Spain) … $7.99
Primarily tempranillo with a little grenache thrown in (Somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 to 20%) this rose had a very interesting nose that reminded me of barbecued rhubarb with a splash of cherry juice. Rhubarb all over the front of the palate with some apricot notes on the mid-palate. Finishes nice and dry with the apricot flavors lingering. Nice hang-time on this rose. I liked it and found it quite interesting. May be a little fruit forward for some but with the dry finish it makes a nice summer time rose. 89

2010 Zenato Pinot Grigio (Veneto, Italy) … $10.99
Actually one of the first pinot grigio that I liked from way back and since I had not tasted it recently, I was curious if it still found a place in my heart. A bouquet of Granny Smith apples and minerals. Creamy with notes of peach, lime and apple. It has a beam of sweet fruit on the mid-palate backed by hints of minerality followed by a nice clean, dry finish. Yep, I still like it. 90+

2010 Marques De Caceres Rioja Blanc (Spain) … $7.99
A nose of fresh cut grass, lime and kiwi with a steely edge to it. Creamy golden delicious apples on the palate with a backside of honeysuckles. Made from 100% viura. 89

2007 Gorden Brothers Merlot (Columbia Valley, Washington) … $19,99
A little stink action on the nose with notes of blackberry soaked cedar and some black currants. Plush fruit on the palate with perfumed notes of boysenberries and cedar backed by some nice spice and white pepper notes that carry on through the finish which has good length. This is a sexy little merlot and reminded me of why I have always liked this wine from Gordon Brothers. 90

2009 Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha (Campo De Borja, Spain) … $15.99
I don’t always mention color in my notes but this one caught my attention with it’s dark almost inky appearance. A very interesting bouquet on this baby with notes of raspberry licorice spice box and an interesting doughy element that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. A very concentrated wine with notes of cherry, boysenberry, cassis and currants. Sort of a dark fruit meets red fruit action. Some pencil lead notes hit you on the front with a nice fresh mid-palate where I also got come interesting citrus notes. A little grip on the finish with notes of tar and spice that lingered for some time. Well balanced with a strong backbone of acidity that is balanced with solid fruit. This could be my pick for September, we will have to see. Drinks very good now but will get even better over the next 5-8 years. 91

2007 Hence Cellars “Cultivar” (Walla Walla, Washington) … $16.99
55% cabernet sauvignon, 10 merlot, 10 syrah, 5 cabernet franc, 10 carmenere, 5 sangiovese and 5% malbec. This is what we call in the wine biz a “kitchen sink” blend. I got a lot of raisin and char elements on the nose with hits of vanilla and mint. Ripe black currants on the front with a little mincemeat. Big black fruit on the mid-palate with hints of spice. Finished with notes of minty raisins and some minerality. Unfortunately this wine is not in it’s prime and seemed a little tired. Would have loved to try it two years ago. 81

2008 Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache (Barossa Valley, Australia) … $14.99
Core of raspberry on the nose with notes of perfumed strawberries and hints of licorice. Spicy plush dark fruit on the palate This is what I would call a “Jammy” wine. Some char elements come through on the middle with a sweet blackberry beam of fruit. Spice and ripe fruit linger on the finish which seems slightly hot from the alcohol. 88+

2009 Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer (Alsace, France) … $26.99
A bouquet of nuts and caramel. Very nutty on the palate backed by notes of peach and spice. Nice clean finish this wine is both heavy and light. I have tasted some great gewurz from Alsace and for some reason this one does not deliver what I am used to, especially for the price. 88+

2010 Boony Doon Vineyards Vin Gris de Cigare Rose (Central Coast, California) … $15.99
Very interesting aromas come through on this pink wine. The first thing I got was pencil shavings with some peach juice and wild flowers backed by hints of strawberries. This hits the palate with round notes of peach and cherry which mellow out a bit on the mid-palate and finishes dry with some dairy and peach notes. This rose has some guts to it but is dry enough on the finish to appeal to the “Dry” rose drinker. 90

2010 Domaine Bart Rose (Marsannay, France) … $15.99
Sometimes in my notes I’m not sure if I wrote the name correctly but that’s what I put down. 100% pinot noir this rose gave off aromas of baked apple and rhubarb. Good acidity on the palate with notes of cherry skins that permeated the palate into a lingering finish. I didn’t get much more then cherry and cherry skins on this wine but I liked it alot. Very refreshing and delicious which is what rose is all about. Right? 90

2005 Wayne Gretzky Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, California) … $9,99
Red currants , oak and tobacco notes come through on the nose. A little ‘Old School” action on this cab. Good structure with notes of black currants on the front end that blend into notes of iron, tobacco leaf and faint spice notes. The oak is a little over-bearing on the finish crowding out the fruit notes. Not a bad little cab for those who like a more oak driven style, and the price is right. 87

2008 Henry Estate Pinot Noir (Oregon) … $16.99
Henry Estate Oregon Pinot has always been a great value showing good quality to price ratio. This is no exception. On the nose notes of cherries and pie crust with a back end of strawberries and tar. Round fruit on the palate but not jammy. Cherries, oak and black tea notes with hits of minerals and herbs on the finish. Good balance of acidity and fruit with just a little more oak then I personally prefer. This should appeal to most palates and it is a great price. 88+

NV Rive Della Chiesa Prosecco Brut (Veneto, Italy) … $13.99
Just in case you didn’t know, NV stands for non-vintage. Prosecco is one of the hottest tickets in sparkling wine on the market right now. Light, crisp and fruity, it is not complex but very enjoyable. This prosecco has aromas of dusty apples and pear. Red delicious apple notes dominate the palate with underlying notes of pear and hints of ginger which I found quite fascinating for a prosecco. Clean and dry on the finish. Good bubbles. 90

2009 Volver Single Vineyard Tempranillo (LaMancha, Spain) … $15.99
This tempranillo had a very interesting nose that evolved quite a bit over a couple of hours. It went from aromas of black licorice and blueberries to vanilla and boysenberries. Deep dark fruit on the palate with good structure and silky tannins. Notes of blueberries, blackberries, tobacco leaf and tar come through on a big mid-palate. A slight grip on the long finish. This wine screams for grilled meats, pizza or a bowl of chili. 90

2009 Cheriz Encruzado (Dao Portugal) … $9.99
When is the last time you tasted an Encruzado? That is the name of this white grape from Portugal and it is the first time I have experienced this wine, at least to my memory. Not much on the nose of this wine, all I got was some dusty rock elements. The palate is where this wine took off. Notes of crushed rock, grapefruit rind, peach pit, licorice and hints of cut grass come through. Good acidity up front and then it rounds out in the mid-palate and then finishes with just a little bitterness (banana skin). This wine will appeal to the wine geeks out there who like quirky little wines. I thought it was good but do not think this example of the grape will have mass appeal. If you want a palate adventure, give it a try, it’s only ten bucks…C’mon. 88

2010 Paso A Paso Verdejo (LaMancha, Spain) … $9.99
A bouquet of grapefruit, melon and a little grassy. Nice crisp acidity comes through on the palate. Good balance with notes of melon, peach and hits of grapefruit. Nice minerality on this wine making it a perfect wine to pair with shellfish. Oysters and Paso A Paso…. It doesn’t get any better. Simple but good. 88

There you go, my notes for the week and it was a good run. Normally I get a few more stinkers then this but that is o.k. with me. I hope this little addition to my blog is helpful to you and I will do my best to keep up with it. Cheers! Stan The Wine Man

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STAN’S PICK FOR AUGUST…

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Stan The Wine Man

2008 Tamas Estates Double Decker Red Central Coast, California … $8.99

The sun is out and the barbecue is as busy as ever. Hot dogs, hamburgers, steaks, ribs or whatever we feel like eating that can be put on the grill. There is nothing better then sitting out on the deck on a warm day and enjoying friends, family and food. What wine do you pop and pour for these occasions? If you are like me, you want something good but cheap since you will probably be pouring a lot of it. And, if you are like me you do not want to compromise quality just to save a few bucks. This makes it just a little harder, but if you put forth the effort you will be rewarded.

This offering from Tamas Estates is pay dirt! A blend of cabernet sauvignon, petite sirah and barbera, this red is made for the grill. Smooth and easy to drink but no whimp. Dark fruits on the palate with an interesting smokey edge to it. Flavors of dark cherries and blackberries come through on the front and mid-palate with a polished edge to the finish. When I pay only nine bucks for a bottle of wine, the first thing I look for is whether or not the wine tastes a little fake. This wine has no make-up at all, it is the real deal. The other bonus? It is only 13.5% alcohol which means you will not get blasted by alcohol and bombed after a couple of glasses. My pick for the grill and for the month of August, the Tamas Double Decker Red is a real bargain, and a great wine. 89 points

Cheers! Stan The Wine Man

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IN THE LAIR OF DIONYSUS.

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Stan The Wine Man

Generosity is defined as unselfish giving, a readiness or liberality in sharing. This is what I experienced first hand when I was invited to the lair of Dionysus. Not just generous, but generous to the tenth power! Just dwell on this line-up of wines for a moment and you will begin to understand what I am saying…

1982 Krug Champagne
1986 Krug Clos Du Mesnil Blanc de Blanc Champagne
2002 Roederer Cristal Rose Champagne
1989 Haut-Brion Grand Cru
1982 Grand Vin De Chateau Latour
1947 Petrus
1997 Gaja Sperss Langhe
1998 Beaucastel Hommage A Jacques Perrin Chateauneuf du Pape
1967 Chateau d’Yquem

No, I am not kidding, those are the wines that were lined up for our tasting enjoyment by Dionysus himself. I have to say that I was at first stunned, then absolutely giddy to be part of such a feast of Bordeaux and more. I studiously brought my moleskin along to take notes knowing that my palate was in for a fantastic ride. Who was I kidding? I was so caught up in the whole moment that many of the times I simply wrote down the names on the labels.

When we first arrived, Dionysus had laid out the two bottles of Krug mentioned earlier, the ’89 Haut-Brion, ’97 Gaja Sperss and the ’98 Hommage A Jacques Perrin. I had been a recipient of the 2000 Haut-Brion about two months earlier and was very excited to see how the older version stood up to it’s famous sibling. I had tasted a Gaja Barbaresco years earlier and have never introduced my lips to a Beaucastel Hommage A Jacques Perrin. I think all you wine geeks out there can understand the energy that was running through my body as I prepared my palate for these gems.

We dove into the Champagne first and they were amazing, what else can I say? As Dionysus pointed out, Krug is the pillar of consistency with it’s coconut, bread dough and pineapple flavors backed by a core of apple. Fragrant on the nose and deliciously dry the 1982 Krug is a muscular Champagne that makes you pause and think with each sip that you take. It reminds me of a body builder that can perform ballet.

The 1986 Krug Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blanc is of course made from 100% chardonnay grapes. Amazingly this Champagne reflected many of the same characteristics of it’s sibling although slightly drier on the palate. Complex with a finesse that made it dance across the palate with hits of citrus on the long finish… And I mean long! I have had a vintage Krug and the cuvee but it has been a long time ago. I had never tasted the Clos du Mesnil before and it is special. As we are drinking the bubbles and talking about the virtues of Champagne, and the pure consistency of Krug, Cristal came up in the conversation. Roederer Cristal is a highly marketed Champagne that gets way more attention then Krug in the general public. I have had Cristal a couple of times recently and I agree with Dionysus on the virtues of Krug over it’s famous cousin. However, this does not take away the fact the Cristal is delicious, and has an amazing bouquet. As we talked, I mentioned for no reason in particular (I wasn’t fishing) that I had never tasted the Cristal rose’.Guess.

Yes, from out of nowhere comes a 2002 Roederer Cristal Rose… Talk about sensory overload! Like the brut, the nose is amazing on this Champagne with notes of strawberries and cherries filling the olfactory senses. I think I could of stood there and smelled this wine all night. Actually I could of stood there and smelled all three of the offerings all night! Not as complex as either of the Krugs it was still a “10” in the delicious factor with the strawberry and cherry notes backed by hints of grapefruit filling the palate into a dry long finish. Not easy to get your hands on, I felt privileged to be drinking it. However, in the lair of Dionysus, nothing surprises me…. Maybe.

As we were talking amongst ourselves about the wonderful spread of food, including the oysters baked with a layer of fresh Parmesan that matched perfectly with the bubbles, I noticed Dionysus working on something. As I walked over his way I noticed a weathered bottle sitting in front of him. As I peered closer,I just about passed out when I saw what he was up to. In front of me was an open bottle of 1947 Petrus! Bordeaux lover’s know that Petrus is the D.R.C. of Bordeaux, the creme de le Creme. ’47 is an iconic vintage and there are very few Bordeaux left out there that can stretch their power for this long. Having never put my lips to any Petrus in my lifetime you can only imagine the thoughts that were going through my mind.

Dionysus and I each poured ourselves a glass of the ’47 Petrus. The bottle was ugly with sediment all over the neck and shoulder inside the bottle. As I smelled this sixty-four year old Bordeaux I was simply amazed at the wonderful aromas of cinnamon, leather, forest floor and dusty cherries. Dionysus agreed that the nose was amazing but cautioned that many times this can be deceiving with an older wine. We must taste. As I was getting ready to imbibe of this sweet liquid I heard an odd noise and noticed Dionysus heading to the back patio. He told me I had to give it a try. Phenomenal, ridunkulous, and incredible! Is it true that such and old wine can still express such sublime characteristics on the palate. Yes. Elegant and silky yet powerful. Notes of leather, cherry, nutmeg, and warm spices with an underlying earthiness. The flow across the palate was seamless and the finish was silky and persistent. Did it taste old? How would I know since it was such an amazing wine and I have never tasted a younger version of Petrus. I could not score the Champagne we drank since my notes were limited. However, I have no problem giving this ’47 Petrus a perfect 100 points. Beautifully built,I found no flaws in this wine. Robert Parker Jr. scored this wine 100 points on two different occasions. I do not always agree with his scores but on this one I concur. If this was the only wine Dionysus had shared with me I would have felt as deeply indebted as I do now.

I was eager now to try the ’89 Haut-Brion and again was amazed at the complexity and freshness of this wine even at this old age. In many ways, this was a toned down version of the 2000 vintage. Beautiful in it’s seamless flow across the palate, showing notes of tobacco, spice, cassis and red currants. Still showing some acidity on the mid-palate with some forest floor notes hitting on the finish. Dionysus and I agreed that this wine had another 5-8 years left in it. Although I disagree with the ridiculously high prices put on these wines, I now understand the fascination with Bordeaux and the amazing wine making skills passed on from generation to generation. They certainly demand a higher price then anything I have tasted from California or Washington. I only wish that they were more accessible to folks like myself.

Beef tenderloin was waiting for us at the table and Dionysus suggested that we should taste the rest of the reds to see what we would want to accompany the meal. Having already tasted the ’47 Petrus and the ’89 Haut-Brion I gave the ’97 Gaja Sperss a try and knew immediately that it needed more time to breath. It was restrained somewhat on the palate showing hits of blueberries and tobacco. I will come back to this one later. One taste of the ’98 Beaucastel Hommage A Jacques Perrin Chateauneuf-Du-Pape and I knew what I was going to drink with dinner. On the nose this wine was quite gamey backed by aromas of leather, spice, mud puddle and rusty iron. On the palate the wine was muscular with notes of old leather, sweet blackberries and black currants. The flavors penetrated the palate across the mid-palate with a core of balanced acidity that drove the flavors back by notes of forest floor, spice and black pepper. The finish on this lasted over a couple of minutes. Yes, I took notes on this baby and it was perfect with the beef. 97+ points.

As we ate a wonderfully prepared meal, and drank the wines that Dionysus had so generously opened, dessert came our way. Again Dionysus disappeared only to reappear with another gem to accompany the peach and cream tart. Unbelievable, a 1967 Chateau d’YQuem. I know it’s hard to read this without saying…”Stan, you are one lucky #@st*$.” I will not argue with you on that one, I know how lucky I was to be tasting all these wines. The d’YQuem lived up to all the expectations. The bouquet was fresh and clean with wonderful aromas of golden raisins and mandarin oranges. On the palate this wine had both intensity and finesse at the same time. Notes of golden currants, caramel, butterscotch and dried papaya penetrated the palate. The amazing thing is how this beautiful sauternes finished up with notes of earl grey tea and bright citrus notes on a clean finish. I wished I had saved an oyster to go with this wine because that would have been an excellent match. 99 points

This night is seared in my memory right up there with the loss of my virginity and the birth of my first child. (These two events are not connected by the way). Not only did Dionysus share these wines with us, he told us to take home whatever was left. Seriously? Yes he did. Bob and I amiacably agreed on who should take what and one of the bottles I took home was the Gaja Sperss since I wanted to see how it would open up. I went home that night in la la land and slept peacefully with visions of old Bordeaux dancing in my head. Thank you Dionysus… From the bottom of my wine glass. Cheers! Stan The Wine Man

P.S. Having allowed the ’97 Gaja Sperss to sit overnight I have just a few notes on what I tasted…
1997 Gaya Sperss Langhe (Nebbiolo)
Aromas of sweaty leather, game, mushroom and tobacco with whiffs on mint on the backside. Black currants, leather, tobacco and dried beef notes are bold on the front and mid-palate. Wonderful balance with a seemingly endless finish marked by some tannic grip. This is a youthful wine that took some time to open up. When it finally did, Wow! Give this wine another eight to ten years and you are in for a real treat. 98+ points.

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