Stan The Wine Man

A boatload of wine

2014 Idiots Grace Chardonnay White Salmon Vineyard (Columbia Gorge, WA)… $24.

Slightly challenged on the nose with slight apple and melon notes. Creamy on the palate with a little spice action going on along with notes of apple and melon. Nice balance of acidity and fruit with a slight bitter edge on the back-end, joined by a kiss of minerals. Good complexity and a semi-long finish. (B+)

2014 Memaloose Mistral Ranch Red (Columbia Valley, WA)… $21.

Aromas of dirt, coffee, plums and boysenberries, with hits of perfumed red flowers. Plush on the front of the palate with notes of plums, earth and coffee bean front to finish. Boysenberry notes lie underneath along with a little black raspberry. Nice depth and good balance. Dirty and delicious. 57% Syrah, 43% Grenache (B+/A-)

2014 Monte Zovo Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore (Valpolicella, Italy)… $20.

A little stink action on the nose, joined by bark and dirt with hits of cherries and black currants. Rich and light at the same time. Earth and currant notes blend nicely on the palate with a poopy element underneath and a little spice action. Spicy and fresh on the finish with a little raisin and black pepper sneaking in. Good structure and balance. (B+/A-)

2017 Passatempo Vinho Verde (Portugal)… $7.

A dried herb garden on the nose with a splash of melon. Sparkly melon and apple notes on the palate with a hint of Root Beer and apple skin. Simple and delicious. (C+)

2016 Longship Cellars “Gingerman” Syrah (Walla Walla Valley, WA)… $30.

Blueberries and vanilla on the nose with hits of coffee bean, chocolate and licorice. Loads of coffee bean on the palate joined by tobacco and roasted meats. Notes of blueberry lie underneath. Well-integrated bright, solid tannins that are smooth with a little edginess to them. Meaty finish with tobacco lingering. Jammy element tries to sneak out but is held in check. Very Saint-Joseph like. (A/A+)

2014 Thurston Wolfe JTW’S Blend (Horse Heaven Hills, WA)… $15.

Aromas of tobacco, black plums, blackberries and hits of dried bark and dark cherries. Big hit of ripe, black currants on the front of the palate, sprinkled with white and black pepper on smooth, sweet tannins. Bark and tobacco notes linger underneath leading into a spicy, long finish with currant notes lingering. A jam fest with a lot of savory thrown in. (B-/B)

2016 Pilota Hondarrabi Zuri (Getariako Txakolina, Spain)… $19.

Aromas of melon and wet stone with a touch of apple and a bit of stink action. Bright, stainless steel like acidity on the palate supports notes of lemon, green apple and kiwi front to finish. Laser sharp, crisp and vibrant into a long finish. Reminds me of a Champagne without the bubbles. (B+/A-)

2017 Barinas Rosado (Jumilla, Spain)… $12.

Light strawberry and plum notes on the nose with a little pie crust thrown in. Strawberry and watermelon notes on the palate, underscored by bright acidity and a kiss of citrus. Vibrant on the mid-palate with citrus and watermelon notes lingering on the finish. It grips the gums a bit. Made from Monastrell. (B-)

2015 For A Song Syrah (Columbia Valley, WA)… $16.

Deep boysenberry and dark cherry notes on the nose, mingled with licorice, dark flowers and a kiss of bacon fat. Dark cheery and boysenberry notes rest on tannins that have a little attitude. It goes meaty on the mid-palate with tobacco notes joining the palate party with a kiss of blueberry underneath on the finish. The is old school wine mixed with a little new world love. (B-/B)

2015 Bodegas Zugober Belezos Rioja Reserva (Spain)… $28.

Aromas of mint, currants, tar, violets, cinnamon and tobacco. Intensely wound up on the palate, with notes of blueberries, currants and raspberries on bright, almost minty acidity. Blueberries meet citrus and raspberry on the tight but long finish. This baby needs time in the bottle. (B+)

2013 Parusso Barolo (Piedmont, Italy)… $50.

Aromas of rust, strawberries, sweaty socks, crushed brick and wilted rose petals. Very savory on the palate with notes of fennel, caraway seed, crushed brick and rust with faint strawberry notes underneath. Caraway and crushed rock linger on the back-end with a little calamata olive sneaking in. This is what Barolo is all about. (B+/A-)

2014 Thurston Wolfe “Conglomerate” Cabernet Sauvignon Upland Vineyard (Snipes Mountain, WA)… ?

Savory on the nose with notes of meat marinate, currants, dried herbs and vanilla. Currant notes on the palate supported by sturdy tannins joined by a little spice action. Tobacco and BBQ spices join up on the mid-palate into the finish. Well-integrated acidity kicks up the fruit notes giving it brightness on the lingering tobacco and currant notes. (B/B+)

2017 Minuty Rose’ (Provence, France)… $20.

Aromas of strawberries, cherries, herbs and a hit of tangerine. Dried herbs, cherries, white pepper and a kiss of citrus on the palate. Minerality rolls in and out with watermelon joining up on the finish with hits of crushed rock. Dry and savory with solid acidity. (B/B+)

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man

I’m writing while sitting in a Starbucks on my way to a wine tasting in Bellingham. I had to catch an early boat off the island due to an alternate schedule put into effect for two weeks for boat repairs. Bad timing for sure, but at least I can get a few things done before the event…Like this article. Living on an island definitely has its challenges and every time I sit in my vehicle in the ferry line waiting for a boat, I wonder why I live here. The first answer to that question is my job. I work for a fantastic company with an owner that is a good friend. He takes good care of me and my wife and allows me to expand my horizons as a wine guy, giving me a lot of freedom to grow. He has two daughters that are beginning to take a larger roll in the company. I have known both of them since they were babies and they have turned out to be awesome adults. The company is in good hands. Being a wine specialist isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but having good folks to work with makes a huge difference.

Speaking of wine tastings, we had a Spanish wine tasting on the island just a couple of weeks ago that was fun and educational. Marshall Jorgensen from Classical Wines (they import mostly Spanish wines), addressed my wine group and did an outstanding job educating them on the amazing world of Spanish wines. I love putting the events on, because it is a chance for folks to learn about different parts of the wine world and expand their palate horizons. Many in my wine club have attended nearly all the events I have orchestrated. They have met wine makers, along with experts on French, Italian and Spanish wines. Over the years, they have tasted through hundreds of wines and many of them are drinking wines they may never have tried if it wasn’t for these events. That makes me very happy! At the aforementioned event, they tasted Godello, Albarino, Hondarrabi Zuri, Temparanillo, Garnacha and Monastrell. Nice palate exposure for one night!

I am back in full swing on You Tube. Now that the wedding is over and we have settled in, I am now able to focus on this venture I started a few years ago. I am hoping to build my audience to educate and entertain. Recent episodes include Syrah from different parts of the world, and an episode on vintage featuring inexpensive Bordeaux. Click on the links and check them out. The hardest part about doing You Tube episodes is cleaning up the leftovers. 🙂

Personally, I have never put much into wine and Halloween. From my experience, Fire Ball and beer seem to be the beverages of choice for those who choose to imbibe during this celebration. Trust me when I tell you that I have tried to promote different wines for this day, only to fail miserably. I suppose I could dress up and shoot a You Tube episode of some sort. I just might do that. What do you suggest I dress up as? Let me know as Halloween is just around the corner. Of course, I will focus my attention on wines for Thanksgiving as this is a holiday that is big on wine. I have some different insights that I will share with you over the next month. There are wines that I have promoted in the past that I have given up on. I will explain in the future. Stay tuned. I will devote several You Tube episodes to the subject of Thanksgiving and wine and why some work and some don’t. I hope you check them out, and if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to my blog and my You Tube channel. I would be deeply grateful.

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man