What is a "Big Ass" red? I'm pretty sure that's not a technical wine term, so I'll give you my definition. A "Big Ass Red" is a wine that warms you to the bone on cold days like this past week. It could be because of style -- lots of fruit -- or just straight-up alcohol content. Or maybe it tastes "hot" (high in alcohol) but really isn't. For whatever reason, these are reds you can't ignore, and you probably don't want to put them with food that relies on subtlety. For me, the quintessential BAR food is steak. Pizza works, too, which is what we ate before last Thursday's tasting at JavaMonkey.
Here are the wines:
2007 Di Arie Zinfandel (Sierra Foothills, California):
I was surprised to see a Zin leading off the list -- usually those come last -- but this one wasn't as full-bodied as I expected and had elegant balance. The bright, fruity nose literally made my mouth water, and the wine's smooth, dark fruit led to a little hot kick at the very back of my palate.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent
2006 Chasing Lions (Napa Valley, California): Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Syrah
I had high hopes for this one with its promising blend, but apparently chasing lions is a lot like herding cats: it's hard to get everything you want in the same place. There just wasn't much to this wine beyond a little insipid fruit.
Rating: Okay
2007 Bon Anno Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, California):
Attack of the killer tannins, at least at first! With persistent swirling, it opened nicely to leather and fruit (but not in a kinky way).
Rating: Good
2006 Del Rio Vineyards Claret (Rogue Valley, Oregon):
The nose has anise on it, and this wine definitely qualifies as "chewy" in the beginning. It moves to nice fruit at the end with oak in the middle. This was one I kept sipping just to feel and taste the interesting chewy-oak-fruit progression.
Rating: Very Good
NV J. Bookwalter Subplot No. 23 (Columbia Valley, Washington):
Smells hot, but kind of like chocolate-covered raisins with its undertones of milk chocolate plus ripe fruit.
Rating: Good to Very Good
2006 Don David Tannat Reserve (Cafayate Valley, Argentina):
The first pour our table got of this one was from a so-so bottle. We all commented on the funky nose and concluded that it was close to corked, although not all the way. With all the bottles we go through at these tastings, it's bound to happen occasionally. I tasted a sip from a different bottle and got berries and spice.
Provisional Rating: Good, but worth a revisit
The favorite of the evening for me was the Di Arie Zinfandel with the Claret close behind. If you can't find those but want to experience big reds, try any of the reds from the Lodi region of California, especially the Cabs and Zins. They're usually pretty reasonable, too.
Showing posts with label Del Rio Vineyards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Del Rio Vineyards. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Friday, July 24, 2009
Tasting Notes: Pacific Northwest Wines at JavaMonkey's Thursday Wine Series
I almost got my wish for Pacific Northwest weather last night. A small black cloud blew over Decatur but didn't stick around long enough to do much. Oh, well.
Thanks to all of you who checked in on Twitter to play the drinking game. I tried to make it easy for you.
The wines:
2006 Four Legged White (Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% Riesling
Yes, this one is made in a winery just outside of Walla Walla. I know this because I've been there and have even met the dog on the label. There are a group of wineries located in old hangars near the airport, and half the fun of visiting them is to see how they converted their spaces. This one actually looked like a real tasting room.
The wine itself was billed as "off-dry," but the general consensus is that it's actually way off dry with hints of honeysuckle. The nose was misleading, being mostly mineral and lemon.
Rating: Good, would be good as a component of Kir
2007 Lange Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley, Oregon):
Green apple and pineapple nose, but a good bit of mineral and lime on the palate. It gets kudos because it's a Pinot Gris that Hubby actually liked, although my preference would still be for the Big Fire, which has more fruit.
Rating: Very Good
2006 Novelty Hill Chardonnay (Columbia Valley, Washington):
Chemical cedar nose ("like licking the inside of a cabinet," one taster said). This wine is kind of like a novelty store with all sorts of odd things juxtaposed, and it's hard to tell how well they go together. The oak carries through with a vanilla butterscotch finish. I tried it with brie, a natural pairing for Chard, and found that the cheese actually killed the wine and made it watery. Confused AND wimpy? Would give it a miss.
Rating: Meh
2007 Montinore Estate Reserve Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon):
Earthy, dark cherry nose. Decent alcohol to balance out the fruit and white pepper. When originally poured, it was a little warm. The fruit really came out after it had been chilled closer to cellar temperature. Gads, I sound like a wine snob! That can't be good, but at least the wine was.
Rating: Very Good
2005 Novelty Hill Merlot (Columbia Valley, Washington): 92% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
A cedar/blackberry nose was a little bit of a tease because the wine was lighter-bodied than the nose had promised. Lots of smooth fruit, cedar, and butter. I said berry, others said dark plum, but you get the idea.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent
2005 Del Rio Claret (Rogue Valley, Oregon): 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 11% Malbec, and 6% Cabernet Franc
A beautiful reminder that Oregon has more than one wine-growing valley. This blend had a very alcohol-forward nose and palate, but only came in at 13.9%. Still, drinking it was like having a flaky, buttery pastry that had been covered with brandy and set alight. Yeah, I liked it. Besides, how can you not feel all classy and literary when drinking Claret?
Rating: Very Good
So that was the tasting. Hubby and I didn't remember going to any of the wineries except the first one, but we do have a picture of Montinore on our "Wineries of the World" kitchen calendar. Yeah, we're wine geeks.
Jess is always looking for new ideas and themes for tastings. If you have one, please feel free to comment. Or comment otherwise.
Thanks to all of you who checked in on Twitter to play the drinking game. I tried to make it easy for you.
The wines:
2006 Four Legged White (Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% Riesling
Yes, this one is made in a winery just outside of Walla Walla. I know this because I've been there and have even met the dog on the label. There are a group of wineries located in old hangars near the airport, and half the fun of visiting them is to see how they converted their spaces. This one actually looked like a real tasting room.
The wine itself was billed as "off-dry," but the general consensus is that it's actually way off dry with hints of honeysuckle. The nose was misleading, being mostly mineral and lemon.
Rating: Good, would be good as a component of Kir
2007 Lange Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley, Oregon):
Green apple and pineapple nose, but a good bit of mineral and lime on the palate. It gets kudos because it's a Pinot Gris that Hubby actually liked, although my preference would still be for the Big Fire, which has more fruit.
Rating: Very Good
2006 Novelty Hill Chardonnay (Columbia Valley, Washington):
Chemical cedar nose ("like licking the inside of a cabinet," one taster said). This wine is kind of like a novelty store with all sorts of odd things juxtaposed, and it's hard to tell how well they go together. The oak carries through with a vanilla butterscotch finish. I tried it with brie, a natural pairing for Chard, and found that the cheese actually killed the wine and made it watery. Confused AND wimpy? Would give it a miss.
Rating: Meh
2007 Montinore Estate Reserve Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon):
Earthy, dark cherry nose. Decent alcohol to balance out the fruit and white pepper. When originally poured, it was a little warm. The fruit really came out after it had been chilled closer to cellar temperature. Gads, I sound like a wine snob! That can't be good, but at least the wine was.
Rating: Very Good
2005 Novelty Hill Merlot (Columbia Valley, Washington): 92% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
A cedar/blackberry nose was a little bit of a tease because the wine was lighter-bodied than the nose had promised. Lots of smooth fruit, cedar, and butter. I said berry, others said dark plum, but you get the idea.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent
2005 Del Rio Claret (Rogue Valley, Oregon): 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 11% Malbec, and 6% Cabernet Franc
A beautiful reminder that Oregon has more than one wine-growing valley. This blend had a very alcohol-forward nose and palate, but only came in at 13.9%. Still, drinking it was like having a flaky, buttery pastry that had been covered with brandy and set alight. Yeah, I liked it. Besides, how can you not feel all classy and literary when drinking Claret?
Rating: Very Good
So that was the tasting. Hubby and I didn't remember going to any of the wineries except the first one, but we do have a picture of Montinore on our "Wineries of the World" kitchen calendar. Yeah, we're wine geeks.
Jess is always looking for new ideas and themes for tastings. If you have one, please feel free to comment. Or comment otherwise.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Tasting Notes: Pink Stuff
When we were at my goddaughter's birthday party a few weeks ago, her two-year-old cousin only wanted to eat the pink parts of the birthday cake. This provided an interesting contrast to Hubby, who wanted no part of last night's rosé tasting at JavaMonkey except for the sparkling one. I don't think his masculinity was threatened by the pink wine because, let's face it, the only way to go more girly with rosé is to add bubbles to it and maybe a maraschino cherry. It's just one more example of different tastes, although we tend to agree on most others with the notable exception of Italian Pinot Grigio (I like, he hates) and oaky Chardonnay (vice versa).
As I tasted, I tried to capture the degree of pinkness in the wine, so there will be an extra line to these notes. Also notable was that this was my first attempt at tweeting a wine tasting. I'll plan to do that from now on, although I won't have space to tweet everything.
Avinyó Rosat Cava (Penedès, Spain): 100% Pinot Noir
Degree of pinkness: dark pink roses
Cranberry nose, tart with nice undertones that almost went plummy after it opened for a bit.
Rating: Very Good
Château Routas Rosé Rouvière (Provence, France): 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 30% Cinsault
Pink meter: Bubble gum
Honestly, this one was shy from the beginning and ran and hid from food.
Rating: Meh
2007 Mercedes Eguren Cabernet Rosado (Castilla, Spain): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon (duh!)
Pink? Like a Converse high top. Yeah, I had them, and the whole pink and electric blue ensemble to go with them.
Strawberry candy nose, but bitter like watermelon with the sweetness removed.
Rating: Meh
2006 Saddlerock Rosé (Central Coast, California): 100% Cabernet
This was introduced as "Barbie wine" because it comes from Malibu. I think that I had a few outfits for my dolls in this color, which was a little darker than Barbie pink and edging toward fuschia.
Cranberry juice box nose, raspberry over grape juice with a hint of butter on the finish.
Rating: Yeah, I know my description doesn't sound all that appetizing, but I gave it a Good/Very Good.
2007 Cusumano Rosato (Sicilia):
Faded pink denim color.
I swear, I got a hint of maple syrup on the nose at the first whiff, but I couldn't find it after that. This one also had a lot of berry and white grape.
Rating: Good
2008 Del Rio Vineyards Rosé Jolee (Rogue Valley, Oregon): 90% early Muscat, 10% Merlot
New ballet slipper pink
This one could pass for a fruity girly cocktail with its peachy nose and syrupy tangerine peach flavor.
Rating: Good for a sweet wine
The next tasting will be Pacific Northwest wines. I'll try to have finished my notes on Seattle by then. You can find me on Twitter @RandomOenophile if you'd like to tune in. Happy weekend!
As I tasted, I tried to capture the degree of pinkness in the wine, so there will be an extra line to these notes. Also notable was that this was my first attempt at tweeting a wine tasting. I'll plan to do that from now on, although I won't have space to tweet everything.
Avinyó Rosat Cava (Penedès, Spain): 100% Pinot Noir
Degree of pinkness: dark pink roses
Cranberry nose, tart with nice undertones that almost went plummy after it opened for a bit.
Rating: Very Good
Château Routas Rosé Rouvière (Provence, France): 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 30% Cinsault
Pink meter: Bubble gum
Honestly, this one was shy from the beginning and ran and hid from food.
Rating: Meh
2007 Mercedes Eguren Cabernet Rosado (Castilla, Spain): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon (duh!)
Pink? Like a Converse high top. Yeah, I had them, and the whole pink and electric blue ensemble to go with them.
Strawberry candy nose, but bitter like watermelon with the sweetness removed.
Rating: Meh
2006 Saddlerock Rosé (Central Coast, California): 100% Cabernet
This was introduced as "Barbie wine" because it comes from Malibu. I think that I had a few outfits for my dolls in this color, which was a little darker than Barbie pink and edging toward fuschia.
Cranberry juice box nose, raspberry over grape juice with a hint of butter on the finish.
Rating: Yeah, I know my description doesn't sound all that appetizing, but I gave it a Good/Very Good.
2007 Cusumano Rosato (Sicilia):
Faded pink denim color.
I swear, I got a hint of maple syrup on the nose at the first whiff, but I couldn't find it after that. This one also had a lot of berry and white grape.
Rating: Good
2008 Del Rio Vineyards Rosé Jolee (Rogue Valley, Oregon): 90% early Muscat, 10% Merlot
New ballet slipper pink
This one could pass for a fruity girly cocktail with its peachy nose and syrupy tangerine peach flavor.
Rating: Good for a sweet wine
The next tasting will be Pacific Northwest wines. I'll try to have finished my notes on Seattle by then. You can find me on Twitter @RandomOenophile if you'd like to tune in. Happy weekend!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Tasting Notes: Random Oenophile Selects
Greetings, fellow oenophiles!
I think I might've wasted a good worry yesterday.
Last night, for JavaMonkey's Thursday Wine Series, Jess put together a list from wines that I had rated highly in the past year. I was afraid that a lot of people would turn out for the tasting, and they'd all hate the wines, and then I would be booed and have to slink out of JavaMonkey in disgrace. Of course, none of that actually happened, first because all of six people turned out for the tasting (including me and Hubby), and second because the wines were really good.
I'm trying to figure out why there wasn't a bigger turnout. Maybe the rainy weather had a lot to do with it. That's what I'm going to tell myself, anyway. Or I could blame the economy. Yeah, that's what everyone else is doing, so I'll go with that. Turnout was poor because of the economy, by golly!
Are you as sick of that excuse as I am? Yeah, I thought so. Let's just move on to the wine. Here's the lineup with stories and notes:
Gruet Rose Brut, NV (New Mexico):
Hubby and I are adventurous and want to taste wine in all of the states that grow and make it (no outsourced grape wine from Alaska, pls). New Mexico is definitely on the list of destinations, and I'm glad that this one was on the list.
Gruet is best known for their sparkling wines, which are pretty much what's available here, but I've heard that they have some good stills as well. This wine was somewhat tart with notes of strawberry. It has what I'm looking for in both a rose and sparkling: well-balanced between sweet and dry and something that makes it fun. Even better, it's reasonably priced, too. Okay, and it's pretty.
New Rating: Very Good
2006 Foris Leanne Vineyard Pinot Noir (Rogue Valley, Oregon):
We "discovered" Foris Pinots a few years ago, and since then, we've liked all of the ones we've tried. The distributor didn't have the baseline Pinot, so Jess got this single vineyard one, which is typically a step up. It was a really interesting (in a good way) wine that told a story as it moved over the palate. It had a cranberry nose, and the taste went from anise to spice to cherry to butter. The really neat thing was that it did all that even if I swallowed it quickly. The only thing I didn't like was that there was a little bitterness to it at first, but that smoothed out as it opened.
Rating: Very Good
2008 Campos Reales Tempranillo (La Mancha, Spain):
The only "Old World" wine on the list, this one drinks like a "New World" one. When Hubby and I were in Birmingham one time last year, my father had one of these in his wine stash. We plotted all weekend to get him to open it, which he did for Sunday dinner.
I love this wine. It has a buttery nose, and it's smooth and fruity and buttery on the palate, kind of like currant pie. The dark fruit builds as you sip it. Okay, so it's not the most complex wine in the world, especially not after the Foris, but I'll never turn it down.
Rating: Excellent
2005 Del Rio Vineyards Claret (Rogue Valley, Oregon):
Looking at the blend in this lovely Bordeaux-style wine -- 41% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Malbec -- it's easy to see why I like it so much. It didn't have much of a nose, but it hits the palate full-force with smooth dark cherry and a nice structure. Yum!
Rating: Excellent
2005 Abundance Syrah (Lodi, California):
We visited the tasting room at Abundance during the Wine and Chocolate Festival (and yes, I know I still need to give you all the delicious details of that weekend) and actually got to taste a little bit from a real barrel. Yes, I'm a wine geek -- I found the barrel thing to be really exciting. They had grilled sausages that were really good, too. Unfortunately a bus arrived before we could taste too many wines, and we had to escape the crowds through the side door.
This wine is big and fruity but nicely balanced. It has that overtone that you find with a lot of Lodi wines, just a hint of caramel sweetness on the nose and finish. This one is good on its own or with meat.
Rating: Excellent
2004 C. G. di Arie Zinfandel (Shenandoah Valley, California):
Of course an Oenophile Selects tasting would have to end with a Zin, although this was a slightly sneaky blend with 86% Zinfandel (the minimum to label it as a single grape), 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cab Franc, 4.5% Syrah, and 0.5% Mourvedre. Yeah, I'm a bit confused, too.
The wine itself wasn't confused, though, being a berry bomb, as Dan called it. I found it to be a bit more structured than a lot of the really fruity Zins, which made it more interesting. This was also not the baseline product, but a step up, and a nice way to finish the tasting.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent
I'd like to thank Jessica Williams, owner of JavaMonkey and the one who puts the wine tastings together, for doing such a great job. I sent her a long list, and she kept in touch with me during the process of whittling it down according to availability. I really appreciate her persistence, and I'm glad that the first "Oenophile Selects" tasting had sort of a "big ass red" theme.
I hope everyone enjoys the lovely weather this weekend!
I think I might've wasted a good worry yesterday.
Last night, for JavaMonkey's Thursday Wine Series, Jess put together a list from wines that I had rated highly in the past year. I was afraid that a lot of people would turn out for the tasting, and they'd all hate the wines, and then I would be booed and have to slink out of JavaMonkey in disgrace. Of course, none of that actually happened, first because all of six people turned out for the tasting (including me and Hubby), and second because the wines were really good.
I'm trying to figure out why there wasn't a bigger turnout. Maybe the rainy weather had a lot to do with it. That's what I'm going to tell myself, anyway. Or I could blame the economy. Yeah, that's what everyone else is doing, so I'll go with that. Turnout was poor because of the economy, by golly!
Are you as sick of that excuse as I am? Yeah, I thought so. Let's just move on to the wine. Here's the lineup with stories and notes:
Gruet Rose Brut, NV (New Mexico):
Hubby and I are adventurous and want to taste wine in all of the states that grow and make it (no outsourced grape wine from Alaska, pls). New Mexico is definitely on the list of destinations, and I'm glad that this one was on the list.
Gruet is best known for their sparkling wines, which are pretty much what's available here, but I've heard that they have some good stills as well. This wine was somewhat tart with notes of strawberry. It has what I'm looking for in both a rose and sparkling: well-balanced between sweet and dry and something that makes it fun. Even better, it's reasonably priced, too. Okay, and it's pretty.
New Rating: Very Good
2006 Foris Leanne Vineyard Pinot Noir (Rogue Valley, Oregon):
We "discovered" Foris Pinots a few years ago, and since then, we've liked all of the ones we've tried. The distributor didn't have the baseline Pinot, so Jess got this single vineyard one, which is typically a step up. It was a really interesting (in a good way) wine that told a story as it moved over the palate. It had a cranberry nose, and the taste went from anise to spice to cherry to butter. The really neat thing was that it did all that even if I swallowed it quickly. The only thing I didn't like was that there was a little bitterness to it at first, but that smoothed out as it opened.
Rating: Very Good
2008 Campos Reales Tempranillo (La Mancha, Spain):
The only "Old World" wine on the list, this one drinks like a "New World" one. When Hubby and I were in Birmingham one time last year, my father had one of these in his wine stash. We plotted all weekend to get him to open it, which he did for Sunday dinner.
I love this wine. It has a buttery nose, and it's smooth and fruity and buttery on the palate, kind of like currant pie. The dark fruit builds as you sip it. Okay, so it's not the most complex wine in the world, especially not after the Foris, but I'll never turn it down.
Rating: Excellent
2005 Del Rio Vineyards Claret (Rogue Valley, Oregon):
Looking at the blend in this lovely Bordeaux-style wine -- 41% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Malbec -- it's easy to see why I like it so much. It didn't have much of a nose, but it hits the palate full-force with smooth dark cherry and a nice structure. Yum!
Rating: Excellent
2005 Abundance Syrah (Lodi, California):
We visited the tasting room at Abundance during the Wine and Chocolate Festival (and yes, I know I still need to give you all the delicious details of that weekend) and actually got to taste a little bit from a real barrel. Yes, I'm a wine geek -- I found the barrel thing to be really exciting. They had grilled sausages that were really good, too. Unfortunately a bus arrived before we could taste too many wines, and we had to escape the crowds through the side door.
This wine is big and fruity but nicely balanced. It has that overtone that you find with a lot of Lodi wines, just a hint of caramel sweetness on the nose and finish. This one is good on its own or with meat.
Rating: Excellent
2004 C. G. di Arie Zinfandel (Shenandoah Valley, California):
Of course an Oenophile Selects tasting would have to end with a Zin, although this was a slightly sneaky blend with 86% Zinfandel (the minimum to label it as a single grape), 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cab Franc, 4.5% Syrah, and 0.5% Mourvedre. Yeah, I'm a bit confused, too.
The wine itself wasn't confused, though, being a berry bomb, as Dan called it. I found it to be a bit more structured than a lot of the really fruity Zins, which made it more interesting. This was also not the baseline product, but a step up, and a nice way to finish the tasting.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent
I'd like to thank Jessica Williams, owner of JavaMonkey and the one who puts the wine tastings together, for doing such a great job. I sent her a long list, and she kept in touch with me during the process of whittling it down according to availability. I really appreciate her persistence, and I'm glad that the first "Oenophile Selects" tasting had sort of a "big ass red" theme.
I hope everyone enjoys the lovely weather this weekend!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Tasting Notes: Del Rio Vineyards, Rogue Valley, Oregon (JM Thursday Wine Series 9/18/08)
Normally I'm wary of tastings limited to just one winery because as we've discovered on our wine trips, sometimes you just don't like anything from a particular place. Luckily the featured vineyard, Del Rio Vineyards and Winery, located in Rogue Valley, Oregon, had a good range of wines, several of which were very nice.
2007 Chardonnay:
Flowery nose with mild citrus on the palate and a mineral finish.
Rating: Very Good
2007 Pinot Gris:
Peach nose, lots of mineral on the palate, but a somewhat harsh alcohol finish.
Rating: Good
2006 Viognier: 96% Viognier, 4% Chardonnay
In spite of the blending, this one was a rather basic Viognier. It didn't have much on the nose and was a little bitter on the finish.
Rating: Okay
2007 Rose Jolee:
Slightly sparkling. The nose is very sweet with notes of summer flowers. It was floral with strawberry on the palate. The tasters generally rated this as being slightly more sophisticated than Cold Duck. I thought it was a fun pink wine and hit that sweet spot between too dry and too sweet.
Rating: Good/Very Good
2005 Syrah:
The nose is a subtle blend of grape and dark fruit. It's smooth with dark fruit and butter. The final finish at the back of the palate was a little bitter. It probably wants food.
Rating: Good
2005 Claret: 41% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Malbec
This was the favorite of the evening, at least for me and Hubby. It has a nice nose that promises a lot, and then delivers with dark berry, cedar, and butter. Plus, who doesn't feel sophisticated when drinking a wine called Claret, even if it turns your teeth purple?
2007 Chardonnay:
Flowery nose with mild citrus on the palate and a mineral finish.
Rating: Very Good
2007 Pinot Gris:
Peach nose, lots of mineral on the palate, but a somewhat harsh alcohol finish.
Rating: Good
2006 Viognier: 96% Viognier, 4% Chardonnay
In spite of the blending, this one was a rather basic Viognier. It didn't have much on the nose and was a little bitter on the finish.
Rating: Okay
2007 Rose Jolee:
Slightly sparkling. The nose is very sweet with notes of summer flowers. It was floral with strawberry on the palate. The tasters generally rated this as being slightly more sophisticated than Cold Duck. I thought it was a fun pink wine and hit that sweet spot between too dry and too sweet.
Rating: Good/Very Good
2005 Syrah:
The nose is a subtle blend of grape and dark fruit. It's smooth with dark fruit and butter. The final finish at the back of the palate was a little bitter. It probably wants food.
Rating: Good
2005 Claret: 41% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Malbec
This was the favorite of the evening, at least for me and Hubby. It has a nice nose that promises a lot, and then delivers with dark berry, cedar, and butter. Plus, who doesn't feel sophisticated when drinking a wine called Claret, even if it turns your teeth purple?
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