Wine of the Week: 2008 WaterSone Napa Valley Merlot

"I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." ~ Henry David Thoreau

Nothing like a little Thoreau to get the creative juices flowing and reminding us all that, there are times in everyone's life where something good can from an unexpected source, and at times while in the pursuit of one's dreams. That said, it's time once more for another wine of the week feature. While there is not going to be any earth shattering revelations from an unexpected source, there certainly is going to be a very delightful wine in today's review spotlight I certainly didn't see coming. I've been sampled on previous vintages of this same wine, which I didn't think measured up to the kind of quality I look for in the wine of week feature.

That said, this wine, the Waterstone 2008 Napa Valley Merlot really deserves it so much more than few other wines I've sampled, mainly because the price point of $14 - $18 represents outstanding quality for such a reasonable price.  For many folks this is the kind of wine that you will want to purchase by the case. Trust me on this point folks; this won't stay around too long, it's not the type of wine that you can just walk into any wine-store haphazardly and expect it to just be waiting for your arrival. I'd say grab some now and grab it quickly [even with 900 plus cased produced], it will disappear fast.  I'm one the last folks writing a review about this wine, as many other wine writers also had many good things to say about this wines immediate appeal right out of the bottle. This wine requires no fuss, no muss, it's like the girl who looks great with or without make-up, a rare commodity [just saying]. 

So here's what is going on, as I see it, many others may disagree, but here we go. First, a majority of the grapes for this wine were grown in the Truchard Vineyard, Carneros [hello]. Second, according to the winemakers notes; "during bloom, temperatures soared and further damaged the potential crop, resulting in fewer clusters and smaller berries" in my opinion, a huge factor in helping develop this wines very tasty profile. And the last point is this; "The wine was aged in small French oak barrels with extended lees contact for twenty-one months" of which only 35% the barrel regiment was in new barrels. I believe all these elements came together to make an outstanding Merlot for the money. By the way; did I mention, I'm not particularly a big fan of California 100% Merlot? I tend to prefer Merlot from Washington state. If not, this fact should also enter into your consideration for my reasons to slobber so much praise on this Napa Valley Merlot.

This is the kind of wine you, which will marry easily with many different types of foods. It's also a great switch hitter, meaning it's wonderful on its own or with the Sunday evening dinner party. If you're looking for a pairing recommendation, I'd round up some pot roast, dial-up some mashed-potatoes, bourbon gravy from the drippings and fresh corn on the cob. But that's just me, by the way, it was a great match. In the glass you have a ruby colored core, on the nose, abundant ripe plums, vanilla, red vine licorice and floral notes swirling about, captivating me right away. After the first slurp, wow fresh baked cherry pie, cooling on Grandma's windowsill, home-made crust and all, from the first slurp to the last drop, seamless. Great acid, structure and mellow tannins holding it all together. I drank the whole bottle very easily; left me checking the empty bottle more than once to see if I had somehow missed a drop or two. Looking for the score, okay if you insist, I gave this wine a solid 90 points. There you have it, I hope you will give it swirl, until next time folks sip long and prosper!

Central Coast Wine Day: My Top Ten Slurps

Slurps up! Come on you bunch of vino-sapiens, time to get a splash of the Central Coast in your empty stems. Why, because today is Central Coast Wine Day, a day to celebrate all the wonderful regions that fall into a rather broad category, but one that should cause the average vino-sapien to leap for joy. Why, because there's some fantastic finds just north of Los Angeles and just south of San Francisco. Fantastic wine regions that sadly at times, for some folks fall under the radar. But shining a big bright light [via Twitter] on the Central Coast will help folks to identify this under-served region so much better.

To help you get a quick tutorial on; what exactly is meant by the term Central Coast Wines, a friend of mine and fellow blogger has put together a great article, complete with fantastic pictures, which will help you quickly get a handle on the Central Coast Wine Scene, so please click on over to the Wandering Wino to get the scoop.

As for me, my small contribution for today's events and tomorrows buying decisions; is going to come via what I will call my "highlight-reel" of some new recent favorites, as well as some favorite old standby's in the famed Central Coast Wine Scene. I've had the good fortune to travel to wine regions like San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz Mountains; Santa Maria; Paso Robles, Santa Barbara on a pretty regular basis to catch-up and to stay fresh as possible with new players and old favorites. I have been fortunate enough to attend trade tasting featuring wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands, which is a fantastic area for producing wonderful Pinot Noir.

So the list; which you see below is ten of my favorite producers, who are putting juice in a bottle that any of you could easily count on year to year and season to season, to wow you. I say that because one; these are the wines you'll find in my own cellar in plentiful supply. And two; these are wines in my opinion fall into the tag-line you see as you click your way over to my landing page; "The intersection of where great wine meets reasonable prices".

Who is the arbiter of “reasonable”? Yes, I know one man’s reasonable price is another man’s extravagance. But for me, living in a place called ‘real-ville’ I deal with wines which fall nicely into the Benjamin and under category. What does that mean? [You can pay more, but you won't get more] For me; these are wines which fall into my “reasonable” category and are wines you'll find reviewed here day in and day out. You'll will find the producers I want to introduce you to below; who are very representative of this blog's mission statement [uggh, did I just say that?]. Anyway here we go, sit back, buckle up, grab a glass and hopefully enjoy the ride!

1. Hahn Family Wines: Where their 2010 GSM was declared "Best of Class Rhone Blend" and won a platinum medal. Folks this wines sells for $14, a great every day value or as some of my friends like to call it, a wonderful Taco Tuesday wine. I've encountered their wines at more than a few tastings and I'm always impressed with the great bang for the buck values I find here. But please stay tuned; they have sent me a few samples, which I unfortunately did not have a chance to uncork tonight. Poor me I know; I had to another previously scheduled work related wine tasting, just sampled some fab new French wines and a block buster Rutherford Cab, selling $19, wowsers.

2. Paraiso Vineyards: They produce other fab wines; like their Chardonnay. I'm a huge fan of their Pinot Noir. If you'd like to get an idea of why I think so highly of this producer, please click here. I hope some day to get the opportunity to visit them in person.

3. Per Cazo Cellars: These great folks from Paso Robles; are a new find for me and I'm so happy to list they here in my top ten. Frankly I wasn't surprised to hear their name called in the sweepstakes round of the San Diego International Wine Competition, after the big unveil, after the judging had concluded. Their Cabernet Sauvignon, called 2009 Confluent, scored a Platinum Medal. I'm a big fan of the Petite Sirah, wowsers!

4. Calcareous: Another Paso Robles winery, part of the Far Out wineries. I was just in their tasting room three weeks ago, and came home with a good number of their wines. This producer won best of show at the recent San Diego International Wine Competition. Again not surprised, as I've been a fan of their wines for sometime now. Their 2008 Syrah got the nod for best of show and wine of the year honors, spectacular juice, for a reasonable price [$34]. But that wine is just the tip of the iceberg, another fantastic Central Coast Winery.

5. Daou Vineyards: This winery in Paso Robles, which has incredible views of the surrounding countryside from the tasting room, which itself is pretty amazing, comfy and inviting. I can see two of my favorite wineries, listed above [3,4] from their tasting room. The winemaker Daniel is often seen in the tasting room, greeting the wine slurping masses and talking them up. The wines produced here are 100% free-run, there's according to Daniel, "no pressed juice in any bottle". A fact which seems self evident as I worked my way up and down the tasting menu, I was hard-pressed to find a wine I didn't want to take home. Prices range from $32 to $56, most wines can't be found outside the tasting room.

6. Tablas Creek: [aka, the Rhone Zone] This winery has long been a favorite of mine, since my very first trip to Paso Robles and they continue to impress with each and every visit. I always walk out the tasting room doors with a few bottles in tow. Since they have re-done the tasting room, expanded it, the experience is so much better. This winery folks is a class act [not to say the other are not] but they stand-out out in my mind as one of the best examples of this how you do it [wineries in Temecula, please take note]. Mrs. Cuvee and I; unannounced [they don't know I have a blog] feel very welcomed right away, no hand up-front collecting tasting fees, just wonderful easy-going Paso Robles style customer service. The wines are off the chart good, you would find it difficult to not like something.

7. Alta Colina: Wow, another Rhone-Zone super-star in the making, not just another high-flying act either, these are some serious, very well built wines which come dressed to impress right away. The tasting room, is comfy and inviting, sharing work space with another winery next door. Their vineyards are beautiful, tucked away in the Paso Robles hillsides, but the views from the top are as impressive as the wines in the bottle. This place was highly recommended to us by the great folks at Calcareous, thanks for the tip. A boutique winery; which sells nearly 70% percent of the fruit they produce. A visit to this Central Coast winery is a must for any Rhone-Zone seeker.

8. Jada Vineyards and Winery: Another great Central Coast winery serving up some fantastic Rhone selections, ready to titillate the taste-buds of even the most snobby of wine-geeks. Stephen Tanzer, renown wine-critic, not known for flabby or feigned praise, gives Jada high-marks nearly across the board. I too join with him, these wines are well made, wonderfully executed winemaking, exquisite fruit, long caressing finish, crisp elegance. There's nothing to think about here, just walk-in, grab a mixed case and go home a happy vino-sapien.

9. Sextant Wines:  Another Central Coast wine scene superstar; this year was my first visit to their tasting room in San Luis Obispo or SLO for short. They are working on open a tasting room in Paso Robles, on the wine super-highway 46 west. The tasting room in SLO is very inviting, they also have fantastic cheese selection, that you don't want to miss out on. They produce some of the very best Zinfandel's, you will encounter in the state, along with Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnays which are not the typical buttered popcorn style, which has caused some folk to flee to the ABC club.

10. Kenneth Volk and Lone Madrone: Two of my favorites under one roof in the heart of Paso Robles wine country. Both are super-stars in their own way and both produce wines which are ready to rock your palate in a serious way. Each time I visit, I'm hard pressed to not walk out with more than a few bottles. You can find them both located on highway 46 west.

There you have it folks, my top-ten list of Central Coast wines, that I know, will make your palate and your wallet very happy. There were more than a few places which were left off this list [sigh], but as top-tens go, you will may be hard pressed to disagree with it. If I left your favorite off the list, feel free to pipe-up, and or pop-off in the comment section below. Until next time folks sip, long and prosper!

Campania Uncorked: 2010 Fiano di Avellino, TerreDora

“With drops of Jupiter in her hair, she acts like summer and walks like rain, she listens like spring and talks like June” ~ Train

Many folks like to describe wines as being either feminine or masculine, I too like to think of wine in that way and have often described Cabernet Sauvignon as masculine and the lighter, generally more delicate Pinot Noir as feminine. But in today's wine review spotlight, is a wine which is somewhere in between those two ends of the spectrum. In Campania, you have the red wines from Taurasi which are big, strong and very masculine and Falanghina, a bit more of a delicate, feminine style of white wine. But the Fiano, seems to fall somewhere in-between, reminding me a bit of the lyrics from that song, "Drops of Jupiter".

To me the Fiano I encountered in the bottle, just last week was very "tom-boyish" it definitely has a feminine side to it, but with plenty of, in your face, "these boots are made for walking" attitude. Now that's my kind of wine, in a cage match this wine would pummel chardonnay like a bad habit, frankly it wouldn't be much of a contest. It would give everyone with the Chardonnay Conundrum, a new champion to fill their glasses, with wines that have a soul, especially in contrast to California Chardonnay. And believe me, having just judged 30 different Chardonnays and over 30 different Viogniers [SDIWC], all nearly monolithic wines; folks it's time for the wines of Campania to find a place in your own cellar.

I brought this wine all the way home from my last trip to Italy [where there was some choices I had to make because of weight issues], where I had an opportunity to speak at the International Wine Tourism Conference this past January. It was on the way to Campania, where I encountered the Fiano and was given a sample to take home. This wine she signed and gave to me and each one of other wine-writers with me, reminds me of our brilliant, smart and quick thinking host in Campania, Daniela Mastroberardino, President of Moviemiento Tourismo e Vino in Campania and owner of the Terredora Winery. As she speaks you can sense her passion and unrelenting desire to ring the bell, shout from the roof tops, that Campania is home to some of the world's very best wines. Wine destination tourism is alive and well in Campania, come taste the flavors of this great land for yourself, you'll never be the same.

Our blogger wine-bus crew was sucker punched by a snow-storm the likes of which they had not seen in Campania since 1956, so to say it was a Monster Storm, is no where close to being an over statement. Out itinerary had plans for us to visit, Terredora, but circumstances being what they were, I was so sad we missed out on that unique opportunity.

Nonetheless the ever buoyant and fast thinking Daniela, quickly came up with a plan to make lemons into lemonade. She gave us a quick and fascinating tutorial on the wines of Campania. She then arranged with UNA Hotel il Molino's Chef Angelo D'Amico to come up with some dishes, to pair with the amazing wines of Campania. 

Chef D'Amico, then proceeded to give us a quick cooking demo, on how to make, mouth watering ten minute, Campania comfort foods. One of simple but oh-so tasty dishes he prepared, was a mixture of old bread mixed with sautéed garlic, onions and softened vegetables [hello comfort food], sprinkled with a Caciocavallo cheese, which really added some nice depth to the dish and paired so wonderfully both the red and whites wines we encountered. Many of those wines produced from grapes, which sadly, I've had little to no exposure to in the past.

About the the 2010 Fiano di Avellino, which Daniella graciously signed for us; to say it was a mouth watering masterpiece, really does not give this wine enough credit. In the glass a gorgeous golden hay colored hue, on the nose honey from the hive, nectar, lemon and lime rinds tickling the senses. On the palate a beautifully executed mouth watering vibrant acidity, honey, toasted almonds, wet-stone, subtle lemon and lime notes like low hanging fruit, built upon great structure. The finish is long and memorable, inviting slurp after slurp, the kind of wine that makes you sad, when the last drop falls from the bottle. This can be purchased stateside, it sells for $20 to $25 a bottle, I scored this wine 93 points and in my mind this is the perfect "comfort-food" wine. Even if you're not up to making a ten minute recipe, bust out the Chicken Pot pies, pour yourself a glass of chilled, but not cold Fiano, you'll find yourself in heaven.  

As I've shared this remarkable story above, I have but one desire; folks please hear me on this point, you need to search out the wonderful wines of the Campania region for yourself and give them a swirl, your palate will never be the same. Personally, I was blown away by the many different flavors, great structure and easy pairing ability, which nearly every one of these wines brought to the table. Until next time folks sip long and prosper, cheers!

Bandol Uncorked: 2010 Domain Tempier Bandol Rosé

“In the end we shall have had enough of cynicism, skepticism and humbug, and we shall want to live more musically.” ― Vincent Willem van Gogh

It was just about three weeks ago now, that I encountered wonderful expression of a Bandol Rosé, from one of Provence's oldest wineries, Domain Tempier. Mrs. Cuvee and I were dining in Paso Robles and we had booked a reservation with Bistro Laurent. We brought in a bottle of 2007 Justin Vineyards & Winery Isosceles Reserve, a wine which failed to wow many reviewers. An opinion I later shared that evening, it was not ready to drink at present, but I'm thinking a bit more time in the bottle, will help smooth out the rough spots. So my first impression of the wine is a solid 90 points, drinking a bit tight now, not in "wow" territory, still the potential is good, I've five more so I'll let you know later. Now, what was really great about our experience at BL, was the fact that the owner, told us he would have the chef pair our meal around the bottle we brought in, we looked at each other stunned, thinking "really"? "Wow, so okay let's do this".

We wanted to be adventurous, so we cast off our fears and leaned into his suggestion. When we inquired about the "corkage", we then thought it would be best to grab a bottle from the list instead to save the corkage against the price of an extra bottle. When we know it's going to be a two bottle night, we like to start with a rosé, we asked for a recommendation and the first words out of his mouth was how about Domain Tempier, I looked at Mrs. Cuvee who nodded in knowing approval that we were down for what turned out to be a wonderful gastronomic experience. I'm not just saying that because it sounds "cool" it's because our dining experience that night was in a word, "wow" far more than simply just dining out. The chef brought the house, it was so fantastic, I wanted to pinch myself.

But my experience at Bistro Laurent is not the subject of today's review; however without their solid wine recommendation and our willingness to be adventurous eaters, I may have not had this, opportunity to write this review, especially with an apt quote from Mr.Van Gogh. One of histories most under appreciated great artists during his life, but who is now celebrated as one of the "masters" of impressionism. A great artist who took his own life, and robbed us all of what could have been an amazing body of work.


I bring this up, because Van Gogh spent a good portion of his short-life in Provence; in a town called Arles, which sits on the left bank of the Rhone, painting the world as only he was uniquely able to see it. Paintings which beckon us all back to bygone era when artistic impressionism was making its impact and reminding us that seeking new adventures is part of the excitement in life. It's also a possibility that Van Gogh, had slurped down his own share of wines from Domaine Tempier, as their family has been in the wine business in Provence since 1835. It's also not a stretch of the imagination to think that perhaps; Van Gogh took some of his inspiration from the beautiful wines of which may have sparked his insatiable thirst for seeing life’s music via a palette of colors.

Now for the wine in today's review spotlight, it's the 2010 Domain Tempier Bandol Rosé, one of the finest examples of this style of rosé that I've come across in a long time. I will warn you right now, these wines are not the fluffy uber pink stuff you see on many supermarket shelves, oh-no this style of rosé is the "real" deal. You may like that other stuff and you're welcome to it [here's your straw]. This folks is a serious foodie, wine, the pairing opportunities are virtually endless. This Bandol which my wife and I slurped down some three weeks ago now, really wowed us both, however [moment of honesty] the price really didn't, as we spent a crisp new "Grant" on that bottle. This was one for the record books, thee most money I ever spent for a rosé, was it worth the price of admission? At $50 I'd have to say emphatically no, but in the retail price realm, I'd buy it again and again.

What I did find out is that bottle does sell for about $30-35 outside of the restaurant, so not too much of a mark-up. In the glass as you can see from the picture which I took with my phone in low-light, a brilliant salmon color. The nose is very inviting, like a wave of summer time potpourri; dried roses, ripe peach, newly ripened strawberries and subtle orange rind, or other undefined citrus notes. After the first splash down, you'll find a dry, but full-bodied, layered with a florals, ripe peach, strawberry zing and citrus, great acidity to balance the ample fruit from this blend produced from 50% Mourvedre, 40% Cinsault, and 10% Grenache. A little factoid, all the  rosés from Bandol must contain at least 50% Mo-ved, to be street legal. Mouvedre is the signature grape of the Bandol AOC region. I scored this wine 92 points, ripe, rich and elegant, a rosé built to age, or to be enjoyed in its infancy with all the fun, fresh flavors of a summer day. Food pairing recommendation; we dived headlong into a smoked salmon dish, reclining upon a bed of lentils, off the hook. Until next time my friends, continue to sip long and prosper, cheers!

Piedmont Uncorked: 2003 Beni di Batasiolo Barolo

“To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living.” ~ Anthony Bourdain

And to me not having as much familiarity as I would like with the great wines of Barolo is a crying shame. Something I aim to correct, starting with this gem I brought from home [byob], from a small collection of these wines quietly acquired over the years. This particular wine has been sitting in my cellar for quite a while and well tonight was my "open that bottle night".

Dining-out is still a treat for Mrs. Cuvee and I, we decided to try another local eatery, and having just returned from Italy, I thought it was time to to give this new-to-me Italian Restaurant here in East Lake, called Villa Capri a swirl. You'll find it situated in a quiet corner of town, just off Proctor Valley Road, obviously a spot designed for many a warm evenings, considering the huge patio presence. It looks like it'd be a great place to grab a tasty bit of Italian cuisine on warm evening, in the early summer months and take-in the weekend entertainment.

For those who don't know, wines from Italy's Barolo commune, are produced from the Nebbiolo grape. Don't be confused with the any of the feeble attempts of those slapping Nebbiolo on the label here in the New World, because they're nothing like the wines produced from the same grapes found in Piedmont, try as they may.

Again for those just now joining this blog for the first time or perhaps your a wine newbie, the wines from this region are still very well regarded by many vino-sapiens [myself included] as one of the kings of Italian grapes [yes plural]. I was very happy to find this wonderful expression of Barola from a great producer filling my glass at the dinner table.

In the glass you will find a classically powerful and full-bodied wine ready to rock your palate with palette of wonderful flavors and aromas. After having the bottle uncorked for me, obviously in restaurants uncorking your own is frowned upon [what eve's]. Upon the waiter successfully uncorking my wine and molesting the cork, he pours my first slurp for me, wow, bang, intense ruby red with a light presence of orange reflections filling the rim, like an old brick from the billets I use to live in back in day [hello North Carolina].

The aromas bouncing upon me like my poddles waiting for a snack, my senses are whacked with an elegant, yet intense, hint of withered roses, ripe dried plums, minerals, sweet tobacco, unsweetened black liquorice, smoked leather [who would do that?]. Finally, giving nodding approval to the waiter, letting him know the wine I brought in; is indeed fabulous so that he could go away until I was ready to order [grumble]. I found the wine to be deliciously full bodied, a crush of dark cherry and ripe plum, with an orange peel dancing near some very velvety tannins [Ooh, la, la] stretched out on a huge structure, full of complexity, leading to a long and lingering finish.

These wines can be quite tannic in their youth [mouth puckering], but this 2003 while relatively young, is drinking very nicely at the moment, as we linger long over dinner this wine continued open and expand it flavors. I decided to pair the wine against the Veal Scaloppini, a dish which to me is always the best measuring stick of any restaurant that would like to open its doors, with an Italian shingle.

The Barolo growing region lies to the southeast of the town Alba, Italy. This wine is what I would call a typical Piedmont style of wine and in its expression, a wine I would consider a highly sought-after classical style of Barolo, without the big price tag. It’s a wine that falls easily at $40, into the reasonable range, especially when we’re talking about Barolo, as many wines from that region can easily fetch astronomical price points, that even Galileo Galilei would have missed.

Since I knew I was going to be reviewing this wine today, I thought it would be a great time to dive back into my notes and glean a few observations from my copy of the Wine Lovers Companion and the WSET Advanced text. So here's the readers digest version: In what is known as the commune of Barolo; this is an area which is highly regarded for producing wines built for long term aging, thanks in part Nebbiolo's very tannic nature. Three of the more well known communes of Barolo are the Castig-lione Falletto, Serralunga d’ Alba, and last but not least is Monforte d’ Alba which are all located on Barolo’s eastern side. The general trend for wines from the east-side stylistically is a tip of the cap to wines which are bigger, brawnier, showing much more structure than any of their west-side counterparts. Wines from these regions need much more bottle time before you want to even consider approaching them, and lies in sharp contrast to the wines from the west side. 

Then of course there's the constant struggle of the traditionalist, who want to keep things the way they have always been versus the modernist, who wants to make their wines in what some call a more "international style", a wine culture wars of sorts. I hope this review has in some small way piqued your interest for your own journey into the wines of Barolo, I look forward to hearing your own thoughts and impressions. Until next time, sip long and prosper folks, cheers!