Beckmen, Fog Crest, Palazzo & more Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes from 11/1/11

Beckmen Sauvignon Blanc Santa Ynez Valley ’10

Fruit is from Purisma Mountain. 95% stainless steel tank 5% neutral barrel. Biodynamic. Bright aromas of Melons, goose berries and grapefruit. Rich texture with high acidity. Flavors of lemon, mineral, wet stones, lime zest with a mouthwatering finish.

Retail $14

Costa de Oro Chardonnay “Gold Coast Vineyard” Santa Maria Valley ’09

Full Malo, oak fermented with 10 months sur lees. Aromas of banana, tropical fruits, oak and vanilla. Medium bodies with flavors of lemon custard, nuts and medium acidity. California style Chardonnay.

Retail $22

Moshin Vineyard “Cuvee” Pinot Noir Russian River ’09

Rick Moshin uses a 4 tier gravity flow system. Red brick in color. Aromas of Roses and brick.  Fruit aromas of red cherry and mixed berries. Still a bit young, finishes with rich flavors of red fruit and more roses. Good acid structure. Can’t beat the price point.

Retail $18

Fog Crest Pinot Noir Russian River ’09Wines are made by David Ramey and Daniel Moore in a Burgundian style.  Un-fined and unfiltered using Pommard and Dijon Clones. Aromas of violets and other field flowers. Pepper spice with flavors of mixed berries, strawberries and pomegranate. Long finish of minerals and mouthwatering acidity. Very Delicious!

Retail $45

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October Tasting Notes

Row Eleven

Civello Verdejo California

Blended with Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay from Clarksburg. Aromas of Peaches, Red Apples, very fruity. Racy acidity, great fro the summer.  Finishes with orange rind and honeysuckle.

Retail $11

Row Eleven Vinas 3 Pinot Noir ’08

Sourced from Monterey, Santa Barbara and Sonoma. copper color,  kind of oxidized. Aromas of violets, grapey, Medium body with forest floor, red fruits finishing with good acidity and floral flavors.

Retail $14

Row Eleven Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley ’07

Dark magenta color, Aromatic floral notes of roses and violets. Full bodied, silky and toasty oak notes. Finishes with earth and fruit.

Retail $24

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Vine Hill and Cumbre Wines

The wines from Vine Hill come from the Santa Cruz Mountains. The winery goes back to the 1870’s when it was the John Jarvis Jr. Vineyard.  Vine Hill today makes three brands, Vine Hilll, Gatos Locos and Cumbre. The Cumbre wines are made by Sal Godines, a one time migrant farm worker turned winemaker.  What I like about these wines is that they are true to their terroir. These were tasted on October 5, 2011.

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Tenor Wines

Tasted 10/15/11

The Tenor wines are made by Aryn Morel, a San Diego Native from Scripps Ranch. Aryn moved to Napa at the age of 20 and worked for a filtration company which specializes in filters for wineries.  Here he decided to get into the wines business. Being a biochemist, it was easy to catch on to the trade as a winemaker. Aryn moved to Washington State and became the winemaker for Matthews cellars.  In 2007 he started making Tenor wines at Matthews Cellars.

Tenor Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Whole clustered, fermented in 100% French oak, then in concrete vats and back in French Barrels. Deep yellow color. Aromas of Cinnamon, baking spices and pineapples. A full-bodied Sauvignon Blanc. The alcohol is noticeable, but not hot. Flavors of guava and tropical fruits linger in a long finish. definitely not a New Zealand style. (more…)

Domaine Laffourcade and Chateau Jouannet

Pascal Laffourcade 

Pascal was introduced to me by  a mutual friend, Philipe.  Pascal is the owner and winemaker of Domaine Laffourcade and Chateau Jouannet in the Loire Valley of France.  His wines are imported by Langdon Shiverick.  I tasted these wines at the beginning of October, and what a treat to start the month of Halloween.

Chateau Perray Jouannet Anjou  Rouge ’09

Aromas of sausage, cassis and violets. Spiced licorice, plenty of earth and turned soil, and finishing with a stoney mineral flavor in the mid-palate. 30 hectares of schist soils produce 6,000 bottles.

retail $15 (more…)