BITS & BOBS…

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Stan The Wine Man

We had a great tasting event with Marty Clubb, owner of and wine maker at L’Ecole Winery in Walla Walla Washington. Every time we do one of these, the group says it’s the best one yet. It’s nice to know that we have that kind of talent coming to our island to share their knowledge and wine. Marty even mentioned that this was one of the biggest groups he has presented to. Funny, he had to travel across the state, take a ferry to our small but bustling island to find the biggest group. Just goes to show the caliber of our local wine enthusiasts. Marty is encyclopedic when it comes to wine and the Washington wine scene. He was a pleasure to listen to and I would love to have him back in the future. Marty and I shot a You Tube episode together and I will be putting that out on Tuesday. I interviewed him and we shared a bottle of an amazing Chateaunuef-du-Pape from the 2000 vintage. Check it out.

Speaking of my You Tube channel; I am going to crank it up a bit as I feature wines for Christmas. I finished shooting an episode featuring Petite Sirah which should go up Friday. After it will be one featuring Amarone, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, then… Yet to be determined. As I mentioned in the past, I love the wines that come out during Christmas. Many people love to go big during this holiday meal or to share with friends and family. It is one of my favorite times in the wine department as I guide folks to their choices. What makes it so much fun, is I know most of the people this time of year. I love selling wine during the summer months, don’t get me wrong, but it is to many I don’t know, who may never come back to share their wine experience. It makes me feel good when a customer comes back to the store to share with me how they liked (hopefully) the wine I recommended. It also gives me a bead on their palate, especially if they were not to keen on my guidance. This is very helpful and I of course, try to make it up to them.

The key to being a good wine steward, is paying attention to each customers preferences. I make it a priority to try to understand each customer’s palate. It’s not easy of course, but if I pay attention to what they are telling me (which I do), I can hone in on specifics that will help nail down the wine they will enjoy. In the book I am writing, I have a chapter on the five questions I ask each customer before I point them to a wine. Two of the most important of these questions is; what have they liked in the past, and how much do they want to spend? They will say up to forty bucks, and I will show them a twenty-five dollar bottle that rocks. It always amazes me how many will grab two bottles of that wine because it is so much less. Now, they have spent fifty dollars instead of forty. That was not my goal of course, but it happens a lot. It is because I was listening to them carefully and asking questions that they felt comfortable about my direction. I am always careful not to go to a favorite of mine, unless I am sure it fits their palate preferences. I am hoping to finish the book in 2018. Stay tuned. Any encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man

Posted in Main | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

STAN’S PICK FOR DECEMBER 2017

Posted on December 7, 2017 by Stan The Wine Man

Who knew? What the heck! I would never have thought to seek out of all things, a Cabernet Franc from Veneto, Italy. Yet, here we are. The specific area of the Veneto where this little gem emanates is Colli Berici, one of the only hilly areas in the Veneto (colli meaning hills). The soil suggests it is part of an ancient seabed (alluvial soil) with coral, urchins and algae. For all you wine geeks out there, you know what that translates into…Minerality baby! Also layers of flavors not found in all wines. The best part of this pick of the month is its price…

’14 Marcato La Giareta


’14 Marcato “La Giareta” Cabernet Franc (Colli Berici, Italy)… $11.

Smokey aromas of raspberries and cherries with hits of tobacco and licorice. Sweet tannins support notes of cherries and raspberries with a tiny hit of green bell pepper underneath. There is a good spine of acidity that is well-integrated with the fruit. Plum and licorice notes join up on the mid-palate with minerality trickling into the mix. finishes strong with a hit of citrus sneaking into the back-end. This baby is interesting and shows some complexity.

30% of the juice is aged 7-8 months in 4,000 liter old oak casks. The other 70% spends 7-8 months in stainless steel. It spends another 3 months in bottle before release. A seriously good Cabernet Franc for a stupid price. (B+/A-)

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man

Posted in Main | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BITS & BOBS…

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Stan The Wine Man

Well, I nailed the prediction for the Seahawks in my last Bits & Bobs (check it out if you don’t believe me). I said the Hawks would spank the Eagles, and they did just that. Pete Caroll kept silent on the sidelines and let the Hawks do what they do…Win big games. No fake this or that, no unnecessary challenges. Bevells still made some bonehead calls as he does so frequently. With Russell and crew, they worked around his play calling and executed when they needed to. All in all it was a great game. It’s amazing to me what they can do with such a weak offensive line. What about Mike Davis? I was very impressed with his running. Maybe they have found a solid starter. We will wait and see. One can only hope the Eagles beat the Rams next week and even things out.

The Wine Spectator came out with their Top 100 wines for 2017. As most of you know, I am very skeptical about any magazine that rates wine and is paid by the same wineries they score, for advertising in their periodical. They of course claim to taste and judge all the wines in the blind format. I have a ton of respect for anyone with a passion for wine that these folks have, but still have reservations. Just remember, wine is one of the most subjective items on the planet. Don’t run out and try to get your hands on one of the top thirty just because they picked it. Consult with a trusted wine steward that you deal with all the time and ask their opinion. They know your palate (hopefully) and will guide you appropriately.

That being said, The Spectator put 2015 Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay at #28 on their list. At $17. that’s an interesting choice. Of course, I had to buy a bottle to see what they discovered to garner such a prestigious position in their Top 100. At first taste, their was nothing that stood out to me that would make me pause and reflect, which is what it would take to make me score it so high. It had good balance. It was smooth and delicious with butterscotch and tropical fruit notes. The finish was medium to long. I probably could find eight to ten in the same price range that might be equal or better. Here is the kicker. I consumed half the bottle, putting the rest in the fridge. Two days later, I pulled it out and tried it again. It held up beautifully, tasting almost identical to the first time around. That is impressive! If you are a chard drinker, you no doubt have consumed KJ at some point in your life. I think this vintage is worthy of revisiting. Top 100? Not sure about that, but it is well made juice.

As we trek towards Christmas, keep your eye on my You Tube channel, Stan The Wine Man TV. I will be focusing on wines that go with prime rib or ham. I am putting an episode up tomorrow that will feature reds made from the noble grape Nebbiolo. Barolo and Barbaresco are classic expressions of this grape, but usually need some age before they are ready to drink. Langhe Rosso which is Nebbiolo can be found for next to nothing compared to it’s bigger siblings, but still packs that Nebbiolo flavor without needing the age. I believe that Nebbiolo is a perfect pairing with ham, which many of you will cook up for Christmas dinner. Along with Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir is a classic pairing with ham, so I hope to review a few of those in upcoming episodes. Of course, I will review some big reds to go with prime rib, a common Christmas meal (one that I look forward to). I have in the queue an episode featuring Petite Sirah as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and some big blends.

I really appreciate all you that take the time to watch my You Tube channel. I do my best to make them entertaining and informative. If you have any ideas for me for future episodes please let me know through email or by commenting on this blog or on You Tube. Any input is appreciated. Sometimes I just need a little help to get those creative juices flowing. Also, if you could subscribe to my channel that would be awesome. The more subscribers, the more privileges on You Tube. My goal is to hit 500 subscribers by the end of 2018. You can make that possible.

Susie and I are getting very excited for our upcoming trip to South Africa. I have set up a couple more appointments with wineries, which I hope will make it on my You Tube channel. We booked a safari and have put some of the final touches on accommodations. I even hope to get a round of golf in while we are in Cape Town (the least of my priorities of course, but silly not to experience it). It always makes such a huge difference in your perspective when you actually visit a particular wine region. The experience is priceless, and it helps one visualize what you are actually writing about. Very exciting indeed. It should give me a ton of material for this blog.

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man

Posted in Main | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

FRIDAY’S THIRTEEN…

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Stan The Wine Man

A boatload of wine

A boatload of wine

In a weeks time, I taste a boatload of wine (seriously). I lot of my friends think I’m lucky. Well, they’re right, and I wouldn’t give this job up for the world. The only thing that makes my job hard, is my feeling of responsibility to taste the samples given to me as quickly as possible and to put my reviews either in my Moleskine, on my Youtube channel (Stan The Wine Man TV), or right here on Stanthewineman.com. Here for your reading pleasure, are thirteen wines that I have reviewed in my Moleskine (good or bad), this past week.

2014 Capezzana Barco Reale di Carmignano (Italy)… $17.

Aromas of blueberries, strawberries, cherries, cola and hits of red flowers and worn leather. Solid acidity supports notes of cranberries, under-ripe blueberries and cherries. Tobacco notes join up on the mid-palate leading into a leather driven finish with a kiss of citrus. (C+/B-)

2008 Trefiano Riserva (Carmignano, Italy)… $40.

Meat marinade on the nose joined by dark cherries, currants, red flowers and hits of worn leather. Aromas of licorice and dried herbs lie underneath. Crushed rock on the palate, joined by notes of red flowers and red currants that “pop” on the palate backed by solid acidity. Licorice and earth notes lie underneath. Tobacco and leather notes join up on the long-ass finish that has a kiss of white pepper. Nice complexity and a little old world funk. (A)

2006 Villa di Capezzana (Carmignano, Italy)… $53.

Aromas of crushed rock and leather soaked im raspberries and blueberries with hits of wilted violets and rose petal with a little currant action. Chocolate notes hit on the front of the palate working into black currants and a solid core of acidity. Almost meaty with notes of tobacco, dirt and leather joining the palate party. Currant notes on the long dirty finish. This has a nice funk to it, that you might expect from this area of Tuscany. (A)

2015 Pico Maccario Villa Della Rosa Barbera D’Asti (Piedmont, Italy) … $11.

Earthy on the nose with notes of dirt and crushed red bricks, joined by notes of perfumed cherries and strawberries with strong hits of violets and licorice. A little on the tart side in the mouth, with notes of bright red cherries and red flowers with a touch of rust underneath. Underlying notes of under-ripe strawberries and blueberries with slight hits of licorice leading into a bright, crunchy finish. This baby needs food. (C+/B-)

2015 Marques De Caceres Rose` (Rioja, Spain)… $10.

Aromas of strawberries and watermelon with hits of red plum. Round fruit notes on the palate with underlying wet stone and celery. Strawberry, blueberry and cherry notes join the palate party with a kiss of watermelon and wet stone on the finish. It dries up nicely on the back-end. (B-)

2015 Dusted Valley “Boomtown” Pinot Gris (Washington State)… ?

Honeyed apple and lemon-lime on the nose. Clean apple and honey notes on the palate with a touch of sweetness on the mid-palate leading into the finish where a little apple skin component sneaks in. Very clean and delicious but a touch on the simple side. (C+/B-)

2015 Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc (55% Mendocino/45% Lake County, CA)… ?

Apples on the nose with a pinch of grapefruit and grass. Apple notes blended with melon and grass notes on the palate with a touch of sweetness underneath. Wet stone notes join the palate party on the clean finish. (B-)

2016 Casasmith Vin Rose’ (Columbia Valley, WA)…?

Aromas of watermelon, cherries and apple with a touch of bubblegum action. Round watermelon and apple notes on the front of the palate, but then goes to lean and dry on the mid-palate into a cherry driven finish with a kiss of grapefruit. (B/B+)

2016 Barnard Griffin Albarino (Columbia Valley, WA)…?

Juicy Fruit gum, lemon-lime flavored on the nose with a boat-load of apple. Lemon-lime and tangerine front to finish on the palate with a mineral/white pepper edge. Nice and dry and good balance with a fresh, tropical fruit finish. Very lively on the palate. (B)

2014 Torres Verdeo Verdejo (Rueda, Spain)… ?

Oily and diesel driven on the nose complimented by notes of banana, fig and melon. Oily on the palate with notes of melon and slight peach coming through with a little apple thrown in. Finishes with notes of apple skin and fig in the mix as it cleans up nicely on the back-end. Very interesting and quirky Verdejo. (B-/B)

2016 Sokol Blosser Rose’ of Pinot Noir (Dundee Hills, Oregon)… ?

Stinky notes of watermelon and grapefruit on the nose. Watermelon soaked in grapefruit on the palate complimented by bracing acidity that doesn’t go mouth-puckering on you. Totally citrus driving with watermelon notes crouching underneath. This baby is linear, clean and delicious. (A-)

2014 Bergevin Lane “Linen” Red (Columbia Valley, WA)… $13.

Aromas of raspberries and blackberries with an underscore of licorice and red flowers. Chocolate covered blackberries on chalky, structured tannins. A solid bed of acidity makes the fruit notes “pop” on the palate. Licorice notes sneak in on the mid-palate leading into the finish where notes of raspberries join the party. Raspberry, blackberry and licorice linger with a bright edge. (B+/A-)

Non-Vintage Delahaie Cru Champagne Rose’ (Champagne, France)… $35.

Aromas of strawberries, cherries, yeast and a touch of almond. Laser sharp acidity supports notes of cherries and strawberries joined by a touch of yeast, almonds and rose petal. Bone dry and mouth-watering with vibrant fruit notes lingering. (A)

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man

Posted in Main | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment