FRIDAY’S THIRTEEN…

Posted on November 6, 2015 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 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.

2013 Michael Pozzan “Dante” Chardonnay (North Coast, CA)… $9.

It seems a little fake on the nose with hits of oak, pears, fig and apples. It tastes like cheap Chardonnay…Period. Oak notes seem fake which covers slight pear notes, leading into an awkward, funky finish. There are a ton of Chardonnay in this price range that are a lot better. (D-)

2013 Au Bon Climat Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County, CA)… $23.

Aromas of pear and butterscotch with a touch of fig. Nice nuances, not over-powering. Excellent balance of acidity and fruit. Notes of pear, butter, lemon and slight butterscotch coming through. Clean, bright, lingering finish (B)

2013 Dakota Creek Winery Dry Riesling (Columbia Valley, WA)… $22.

Apples and apricots on the nose with a touch of figs and a slight soapy edge. Creamy on the palate with apple notes coming through and just a hint of rubber boot on the back-end. Fig notes hit on the mid-palate with a little tangerine sneaking in on the finish. (C-/C)

2011 Glacial Lake Missoula Wine Co. “Larobe” Rebecca’s Vineyard (Oregon)… $22.

Aromas of rose petal, tobacco, orange peel and apples. Sour cherries on the palate backed by notes of crushed red brick, tobacco and orange peel. Nice balance, good structure and a touch on the tart side, but not too tart. Reminds me a little of a Gamay with pineapple thrown in the mix. A blend of Chardonnay and Gamay Noir (kind of weird, but cool). (C+/B-)

2008 Legoe Bay Winery Reefnet Red (Columbia Valley, WA)… $12.

Rusty Iron and Cherries on the nose backed by BBQ spices and dried herbs. Soft, structured tannins support red plum and cherry notes with a nice backdrop of baking spices and white pepper. Sweet fruit, but not over-powering. Orange blossom notes sneak in on the back-end of the mid-palate into the medium length finish. (B-/B)

2012 Dynasty Cellars Red (Columbia Valley, WA)… $20.

Blackberries and cherries on the nose with a backdrop of tobacco and blueberries. Round cherry and blueberry notes on sweet tannins front to back with a nice spicy edge and a little orange peel on the finish. Good structure and balance with a little grip action on the back-end. 80% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 10% Sangiovese (B)

2010 Dakota Creek Winery Cabernet Franc (Rattlesnake Hills, WA)… $24.

A little dirt action on the nose with hits of tomato stem, rose petal, currants and tobacco. Currants all day on the palate with a good dose of chocolate and tobacco. The flavors expand on the mid-palate. The tannins are sweet and the wine is seamless across the palate with chocolate and nutmeg notes lingering with just a hint of veggies. This is a sexy Cab Franc (B+/A-)

2014 Astruc Viognier (Sud De France)… $9.

Aromas of apples, white flowers and wet stone with a touch of pear and lemon pith. Nice and round on the palate with just a touch of viscosity. Notes of wet stone, honey, orange blossoms and apricots with a bright tangerine element in the background. This is a nice transition wine from new world Viognier to old world Viognier. (A-)

2013 Pazo Serantellos Albarino (Rias Baixas, Spain)… $13.

Aromas of Fig Newton crust with notes of pears and wet rocks. Fairly intense on the front of the palate with notes of fig, pear and banana skin (not bitter). Nice backbone of acidity leading into a finish of orange and tangerine with a splash of lemon and honey. (B+)

2014 Chateau Bas Rose “L’Alvernegue” (Coteaux D’Aix En Provence, France)… $10.

Wet stone, strawberries, herbs and a touch of hay on the nose. Good acidity backs light strawberry and cherry notes on the palate. Dried herb and wet stone notes are prominent on the mid-palate into the finish with a hit of citrus coming through and wet stone notes lingering. A blend of Cinsault, Mourvedre and Grenache.
Hopefully you haven’t given up on Rose` just because the weather is cooler. Rose` is good year round and certainly would make a nice compliment to the Thanksgiving table. (B/B+)

2013 Mas des Mas (Saint-Chinian, France)… $10.

Interesting aromas of rose petals, tobacco, bacon fat and a little char, currants and black plums thrown in the mix. Red fruits on the palate with a blend of rose petals, red cherries and plums. The tannins are smooth with a slight chalky element. The finish is clean with notes of bacon fat and tobacco coming through. Good structure and balance. 60% Syrah, 30% Carignan, 10% Grenache Noir. (C+/B-)

2012 Domaine Combe Juliere Rasteau (Rasteau, France)… $18.

Rose petals, tobacco and plums on the nose with a dose of cherries and an edge of petrol. Solid structure on the palate…Seriously old world. Notes of crushed rock all day on the palate joined by notes of tobacco, plums, tar and violets. It’s a little tight right now with a slight backdrop of acidity and leather. It lacks pizzazz being a little flat front to back. It’s a ’12 so I’m not sure if it will open up anymore. (C+)

2012 Cellers Unio “Perlat” (Montsant, Spain)… $11.

Nice intensity on the nose with notes of tomato leaf, blackberries, currants and violets. Just a touch of stink and wet stone. Currant notes front to back in the mouth with an underscore of minerality, spice and a touch of funk and earth. Notes of dirt and leather join the party on the finish. A very interesting red from Spain for a prayer. 40% Grenache, 40% Carignan and 20% Syrah. (B/B+)

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man

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STAN’S PICK FOR NOVEMBER 2015…

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Stan The Wine Man

I love picking the wine for November for one reason…It’s my birth month, so I allow myself to go to left field a little on the pick. Another words, a wine that is more aligned to my palate preference, rather than searching for and eighty percent wine (a wine I feel 80% of the people who try it will like it). Funny thing, last year when I did this, we sold a ton of the wine at the store. I like it when you stretch out your palate horizons and try something that isn’t necessarily mainline. This year, I was at a wine tasting event and ran across this little gem and knew immediately it would be my pick for November.

Stan's Pick For November

Stan’s Pick For November


2012 Mocali Fossetti Rosso Toscano (Tuscany, Italy)… $11.

This wine is 100% Sangiovese Grosso from Montalcino fruit (think Brunello). Fruit with thicker skins and smaller berries, makes for a deeper more complex wine. This red shows all of that (and the ability to age) for a ridiculous price.

Aromas of cherries with a little rust thrown in, joined by tobacco, tar and hits of cranberries. Polished tannins support tobacco and cherry notes on the palate. It is amazingly elegant for the power that lies underneath. Rust notes and tobacco dominate the mid-palate into the finish with a little cranberry action sneaking in. This wine shows rusticity and deliciousness at the same time, and let me tell you that is a hard thing to attain. There is a nice acidic backbone lending this wine well with food. Excellent balance and structure. I believe this wine will age and improve over the next five years. Think of this as a working person’s Brunello. I know I’m tucking a few of these away in my cellar.
By the way, the cheapest I found this wine on-line was $13. I don’t blame merchants for taking a higher margin for the quality this wine shows. If you know where I work, you know right now you can get it for $12 all month…Just saying. (B+)

Distributed by Dickerson Distributing (Bellingham, WA) and Click Wholesale and Distributing (Seattle, WA)

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man

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WHAT’S GOING ON WITH STAN THE WINE MAN….

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Stan The Wine Man

The past few weeks have been a flurry of activity. I have shot a number of episodes for Stan The Wine Man TV, including a great interview with Stuart Barker from Sean Minor Winery. I hooked up with some friends and we did a Bordeaux tasting in the blind format. The results were very interesting with the least expensive of the bunch coming in first place. I will write an article on this experience so keep your eyes open. The Bordeaux is under twenty bucks, is available, and beat out some that were quite a bit more expensive…Stay tuned.

As the holidays get closer, be prepared for some You Tube episodes on wines that go with the upcoming meals. I will also be writing a few articles on this subject. The time is coming quickly for my “Top Forty Wines Under Twenty Bucks” that I put out every December. I will also be announcing my choice for “Winery Of The Year” in December. A lot to do, and a lot to look forward to.

Here are a few of my You Tube Episodes that I put out there over the past couple of weeks. Thanks for your support for my blog and for watching my You Tube Channel.

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe.

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FRIDAY’S THIRTEEN…

Posted on October 30, 2015 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 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.

2012 Ramey Chardonnay (Russian River Valley, CA)… $41.

Aromas of butter and apples with a little roasted pineapple thrown in along with hints of pears and oak. This wine has a soft mouth feel to the point of creamy. Notes of butter, pineapple and pears. Acidity hits on the back-end. Good integration of fruit, acid and oak with a lemon/butterscotch backbone front to finish. Forty bucks is a lot for a chard, but this one delivers. (A-)

2013 Patz & Hall Chardonnay “Dutton Ranch” (Russian River, CA)…$43.

Pears and apples on the nose with hits of cooked butter. Creamy and round notes of apples and pineapples. Seamless on the palate with citrus notes lingering on the finish. A chard lovers chard for sure. The only problem with this one, is it goes down so easy. (A)

2013 Ashan Chardonnay “Kestrel Vineyard” (Yakima Valley, WA)…$47.

Aromas of sautéed butterscotch and butter with a backdrop of pear. Round pear and butterscotch notes front to back on the palate with a little oak showing on the backside. The oak is not over-powering and is taken over by butterscotch and pineapple with a kiss of citrus on the finish. This is pushing the fifty note, but if you are looking for something special, this fits the bill. (A)

2013 Ashan Chardonnay “Conner Lee Vineyard” (Columbia Valley, WA)… $47.

Aromas of butter, pineapple, banana, butterscotch, and a touch of toast. Creamy pineapple and butter notes on the palate with an undertow of acidity front to back. Clean on the palate with oak notes kicking into high gear on the back of the mid-palate into the finish. This baby really needs food to make it work. (A-)

2012 Portteus Cellars Pinot Noir (Rattlesnake Hills, WA)… $11.

Aromas of cherries, cranberries, rusty nails and a little dirt action. A little thin on the palate but good flavors of black tea, earth and cherries. Finishes with a little root beer and a splash of vanilla ice cream and dirt. Simple but effective. (C)

2012 Portteus Cellars Rouge 66 Red (Rattlesnake Hills, WA)… $11.

Aromas of tobacco, cherries and a hit of currants. White pepper notes join dark cherries, tobacco and a touch of earth and leather. Serious structure for the price but just a little thin on the finish. This wine has serious old world attitude. (C+/B-)

2013 Washington Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington State)… $10.

Aromas of licorice, currants, twigs and tobacco. Very smooth on the palate with soft tannins backing notes of dark currants and red cherries with a little plum action thrown in. Green tea notes show up on the finish. Simple but delicious with just a hint of spice on the back-end. (C+/B-)

2013 The Underground Wine Project “Sustain” Red (Columbia Valley, WA)… $15.

A meaty, smokey nose joined by notes of cherries, licorice violets and hits of chocolate. BBQ spices come through on the palate joined by notes of vanilla, currants and dark cherries. Smooth on the palate with just an edge of rusticity. Good balance of acid and fruit with violets all day on the finish with vanilla, chocolate and mocha notes hitting on the back-end. (B-)

2013 Danvito Montpulciano D’Abruzzo (Abruzzo, Italy)… $8.

Tarragon on the nose joined by notes of plums and cherries with a touch of red flowers and cedar. Plum and cherry notes come through on the palate with red flowers and hints of cola. Cedar notes underneath front to back on soft tannins with just a little grip action on the finish. (C+/B-)

2012 Beresan Carmenere (Walla Walla Valley, WA)… $31.

Aromas of licorice, blackberries, currants and a riding stream of dark cherries. Smooth, almost sultry on the palate with a meaty element. It has a hard edge that shows up on the mid-palate with a little spiciness coming through. Blackberries and dark cherries front to back with a splash of tobacco. Excellent balance and structure with smooth tannins. Black raspberry and white pepper notes linger on the finish. (A-)

2009 Beresan Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley, WA)… $31.

Perfumed on the nose with notes of thyme, black currants and oak. Sweet currants on the palate with a backbone of herbs. The oak tries to crowd out the fruit notes but doesn’t succeed. Dark cherry notes underneath front to finish with a little grip action and green tobacco on polished, structured tannins. (B/B+)

2009 Beresan Malbec (Walla Walla Valley, WA)… $30.

Aromas of chocolate, mint, tobacco, cherry liquor and ripe blackberries with a hint of popcorn kernels. Big and powerful on the palate with notes of blackberries and currants with an edge of white pepper supported by sturdy, polished tannins. Fresh acidity is the backbone of this wine with a little dark chocolate sneaking in on the back of the mid-palate into the finish. (B/B+)

2013 Michael David Winery Cinsault Bechthold Vineyard (Lodi, CA)… $24.

Liquid multi-vitamins on the nose with notes of sunflower seeds , violets , blueberries and red cherries thrown in the mix. Round and polished on the palate with notes of cherries and chocolate. Solid acidity backs the fruit notes with notes of blueberries and raspberries brooding underneath. A little tannic grip on the back-end with chocolate and violet notes lingering. (B+)

Cheers & Happy Halloween!

Stan The Wine Man

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