Stan The Wine Man

In a weeks time, I taste a boatload of wine (seriously). I lot of my friends think that 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 Duck Pond Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley, Oregon)… $10.

Pears and apples on the nose with a kiss of melon and white flowers. Nice creamy mouth-feel, but remains dry. Apple notes are prominent on the palate backed by creamy pear notes with a little hit of lemon grass on the finish. (B/B+)

2014 J Winery Pinot Gris (California)… $17.

Aromas of perfumed herbs, apple and melon with a touch of pear skin coming through. Good balance and weight in the mouth with notes of melon, apple and pear that blend nicely front to back into a clean, decently long finish. (B/B+)

2014 Cougar Crest Viognier (Walla Walla, WA)… $15.

One of my favorite wines to smell is Viognier… In most cases it is very fruity and floral. This one from Cougar Crest did not let me down. Aromas of banana, peach and melon with hits of coconut meat and a little celery action. Fairly rich on the palate with notes of banana, papaya and mango. The fruit is rich, but the wine remains clean in the mouth, avoiding any heaviness. Good balance front to back with peach and coconut meat notes joining the action on the finish. A very good example of what Washington State can do with this varietal. (A-)

2013 Davis Bynum Chardonnay River West Vineyard (Russian River Valley, CA)… $23.

A load of oak on the nose with notes of smokey pears and hits of butterscotch. The oak is overwhelming on the palate…You can almost chew this wine. Pear notes come through, but it’s almost like someone smeared pear butter on a board and served it up wood and all. The fruit tries to come through with some pineapple notes on the finish, but the oak is too dominate. (D+/C-)

2014 Altesino Rosso (Toscana, Italy)… $19.

Aromas of rose petal, soft older leather, tobacco and cherries with a tiny hit of cranberry coming through. Nice cherry fruit on the palate with a tobacco edge. Plum notes are the backbone of this wine with a nice balance of acidity. A mineral component sneaks in on the back of the mid-palate leading into a cherry, chalky finish. This is a well made wine for twenty bucks with a good balance of fruit, acidity and tannins. (B/B+)

2011 Castello di Bossi Chianti Classico (C. Berardenga, Italy)… $20.

Very savory on the nose with a little saline action, joined by notes of dark cherries a hint of tobacco and forest dirt. Sweet tannins support cherry and mineral notes front to back with a little worn leather underneath. Licorice notes hit on the finish with a touch of grip to the tannins. This wine shows old world rusticity with enough fruit to keep new world wine drinkers interested. (B/B+)

2013 Campos De Risca Monastrell-Syrah (Jumilla, Spain)… $12.

The name of the winery means the field of rocks which I thought was very cool, and the wine is made from organically grown fruit. It’s real grapey on the nose with a backdrop of red flowers. Plum and strawberry notes come through big time on the palate front to finish. Nice acidity backs the fruit along with a good hit of minerals. Rose petal notes sneak in on the mid-palate leading into a plum jam element on the finish joined by notes of white pepper and crushed rock. It never ceases to amaze me how these wines from Spain deliver so much at ridiculous prices. (B/B+)

2013 Baron Des Chartrons Bordeaux (Bordeaux, France)… $9.

This Bordeaux is very challenged on the nose with slight cherry, tobacco and crushed rock notes. This baby is very tart on the palate, showing notes of under-ripe cherries with some minerality and worn leather notes backing it up. This puppy is bright and simple. If you like this style and the price, knock yourself out. (C-)

2013 Davis Bynum “Janes Vineyard” Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, CA)… $30.

Aromas of cinnamon, Asian spices, cherries, cola and black tea. You want to get me excited about a Pinot, throw these aromatics in the mix. Dark, ripe cherry notes are prominent on the palate without getting heavy. Notes of Root Beer and Asian spices join the cherry party with hits of black tea sneaking in. Long pleasing finish. This Pinot has nice balance with enough acidity to keep everything in check. (B+/A-)

2011 Camaraderie Cellars Cabernet Franc (Washington)… $20.

Intense aromas of currants, chocolate and violets. Smooth tannins support notes of currants and chocolate front to back, with hits of pencil lead sneaking in. This is really a chocolate party in the mouth with cherry and violet notes making an appearance. Seamless flow across the palate into a long, delicious finish. This is not a Cab Franc for fans of Chinon (which I like a lot). That being said, there are a ton of you out there that are going to love this baby. (A-)

2012 Benson Vineyards Merlot (Lake Chelan, WA)… $26.

Blackberries and cherries on the nose with just a hint of licorice. Nice intensity of fruit on the palate with good balance. Notes of currants and dark cherries on smooth, polished tannins. Hints of tobacco come through on the mid-palate, with just a touch of chocolate showing up on the clean, fresh finish. This winery out of Lake Chelan continues to impress me with their wines. (B+/A-)

2012 Browne Family Vineyards Tribute Red (Columbia Valley, WA)… $29.

Deep and sultry on the nose with notes of cherries and black plums, joined by notes of violets and an interesting sugar element. Structured tannins that have a little grip action support notes of dark cherries and currants. Tobacco notes lie underneath with hits of milk chocolate sneaking in on the long finish. Yes, this wine has fruit, but it also has good balance of acidity and tannins telling me it will age for 5 to 8 years and only get better. (B+/A-)

2013 Double Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon (Horse Heaven Hills, WA)… $25.

Ripe cherries and wilted rose petals on the nose with just a touch of tobacco. Very fruit-forward on the palate with notes of currants and ripe dark cherries coming through. Very polished in the mouth but surprisingly not hot alcohol wise. Red fruit notes sneak in on the back-end with a little licorice joining the party. To have so much fruit and show the balance it does is impressive. This is a new world cab and proud of it…Not for those yearning for the old world. (B+)

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man

I recently took a trip over to eastern Washington, the heart of Washington wine country with my lady friend Susie, who has never walked in a vineyard or visited a winery. It was refreshing to spend time with someone who was eager to learn about something that means so much to me. Here are a few bits & bobs about our trip.

We stopped by Sleight Of Hands Cellars in Walla Walla and Trey Busch graciously gave us a tour of one of his new projects in the Blue Mountains, a vineyard he calls Ziggy Stardust. When we got there, I understood his exuding excitement. This vineyard sits on a 35% slope facing south/southwest. He’s planted Marsanne, Grenache and Syrah in an area that reminded me a lot of the Douro in Portugal. He is going to get grapes out of it this year, so keep your eyes peeled, this s@^t is going to rock it, especially with the wine making skills of Mr. Busch at the helm.

After admiring Ziggy Stardust, we trekked over to the “Rocks” district and met up with Rich Funk from Saviah Cellars to visit with him and tour Funk Vineyard. Bud break is about 3 weeks ahead of schedule in 2016 so Rich is looking at an August harvest which might be the earliest ever if Mother Nature continues in the same direction.

Rich and Trey talked a bit about the rocky soil in the area and how it affects the fruit. Because of the heat that is retained in the rocks after a hot day, the grapes literally ripen in the night as the heat radiates from the stones. Rich allowed a ground cover this year between the rows to stave off some of the heat spikes that the vineyard had to deal with last year.By doing this, he will be able to have more control on the ripening process. If the grapes get too warm, they will shut down into survival mode…Something that can delay the ripening process.

We had a chance to meet the Funk family at Saviah Cellars as they were deeply immersed in bottling some of their 2015 wines. We were impressed with their kindness and hospitality. Rich makes some amazing wines at Saviah Cellars and I would suggest you get in their wine club if you want some of the wines that are not available in stores. As an example, the 2013 Saviah Tempranillo. This juice is stunning, and it is flying out of the tasting room. They only made 151 cases of this wine, and at $38 bucks, it’s a steal.

After Walla Walla, we made or way to Prosser and stayed at Dessert Wind Winery. They have a few rooms that you can stay at and Susie and I were deeply impressed with the facility and the wonderful service there. A big shout-out to Bree who was about as friendly and accommodating as a person can be. I am a fan of Desert Wind Wines and their Merlot is something you have to experience (get off that hate Merlot train please).

We made a quick trip to Red Mountain so Susie could see one of my favorite appellations in the state. We stopped in at the Fidelitas tasting room, a very cool modern feel. Charlie Hoppes has always impressed me with his wines. I scored a bottle of the Ciel Du Cheval Merlot and as you might have guessed, it was stunning.

Our next stop was in Mattawa to visit Wahluke Wine Co. and Milbrandt’s wine makers Josh Maloney & his assistant Emily. We did some barrel tasting of some of their vineyard designate Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a new project for Milbrandt so stay tuned, you are all in for some amazing cabs. They are also embarking on a new white wine portfolio that is still in its infancy. We had a chance to taste a couple of the wines for this project which is headed up by Emily. I am very excited to see what they come up with because the whites are exceptional.

One new little fun fact I learned on the trip… Walla Walla has less vineyard acres planted than Red Mountain…Something I never really thought about. For as long as the appellation has been around, Walla Walla has a little less than 3,000 acres planted, whereas Red Mountain (a younger appellation) has just over 4,000.

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man

Spring has definitely sprung here in the beautiful San Juan Islands, and while we may be thinking more about drinking some whites and rose`, I couldn’t help but pick a cab for this month. The reason? It is absolutely stellar for ten bucks and I want as many as possible to get their hands on this juice. What are we talking about?

2014 Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown (Colchagua, Chile)… $10.

This winery is owned by a very famous French producer whom you may recognize…Domaines Baron De Rothschild (Lafite). These folks have been making wine in Bordeaux for what seems like forever and have reaped much praise and recognition from both critics and consumers. In 1988 after extensive research and touring of many areas in Chile, they purchased Los Vascos which means The Basques in honor of its Basque origins. The rich soils, extensive daylight and proximity to the Pacific Ocean makes this site ideal for grape growing. Many of the Cabernet vines were planted in 1990 and now are benefiting from the maturity of the vines. I have given mixed reviews on the wines from this producer over the years, but most recently I have noticed a dramatic change in the quality of these wines on a more consistent basis. This 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic example of the efforts the Rothschild family have been putting into this Chilean property.

Aromas of currants, black plums, licorice and worn leather. Silky, yet structured tannins support notes of currants, black plums and licorice front to back. There is good acidity that is well-integrated with the fruit, making it a nice companion for grilled meats and stews. The balance is amazing for the price and it definitely falls heavily into the delicious category. Notes of leather and chocolate sneak in on the medium to long finish. This wine has enough going on to keep you interested and the price is stupid for what you get. I would consume it now and over the next 3-4 years. A crazy good cab for only ten bones just cannot be ignored. (B+)

Distributed by Unique Wines (Renton, WA)

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man