Top 10 wines tasted in 2010

1) 2003 Rutherford Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

2) Le Lapin Ingenuity White

3) Bogle Petite Sirah

4) 2009 Matua Sauvignon Blanc

5) Tarrica Zinfandel

6) Mercer Riesling

7) Rosenblum Cellars Roussanne

8) Bitch (Garnacha)

9) 2008 Palo Alto Reserve

10) Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose

2007 Mercer Riesling

Taste:5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $13

Mercer Estates is a family-owned Washington State winery and a partnership of the Mercer and Hogue families. Despite the description below, I found the finish to be off-dry. Can't wait to try it again with Asian food!

"Riesling grapes grown in the Washington State's cooler Yakima Valley appellation produce a brisk, tangy and refreshing wine. Flavors and aromas of apricot, peach and tangerine along with the bracing acidity of the Mercer Estates Riesling reflect the unique character of Washington State Riesling. With little less than a percent and a half of residual sugar this Riesling is a bit dryer than many Rieslings and lends itself quite well to food pairings." -David Forsyth, winemaker

Wine Spectator: 88 points

Wine Advocate: 87 points

2009 Tamaya Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva

Taste: 4/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $10

A $10 Cab? Really! Apparently great values really do come out of Chile, Limari Valley to be exact. Located at the foothills of the Andes mountains and adjacent to the most arid desert in the world, the Atacama, with cooling fog from the Pacific.

A bouquet of red ripe fruits, dried herbs and fine spicy oak, this wine is juicy with a lot of texture, and the mouth is firm and powerful. Other varietals from this vineyard include: Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Merot, Carmenere, Syrah and Sangiovese.

2009 Escarpmant Vineyards Over the Edge Pinot Noir

Taste: 3/5

Value: 3/5

Price: $15

I am probably the most picky about Pinot's as many of them fall flat on my palate and gravitate towards the more cherry berry. This selection from Martinborough, New Zeland, is 70% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Gris, 5% Riesling, and 5% Pinot Blanc. This wine was far from flat, with an earthy, spicy nose and a darker fruit palate, with a full bodied mouthfeel.

2008 Il Cuore Chardonnay

Taste: 4/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $10

This wine's motto is "less oak, more fruit" and it shows. My first thoughts were bright, crisp, apple and pear and enough acidity to stand up to a rich dish. It reminds me of a chardonnay/sauvignon blanc blend, but is actually a 91% chardonnay/9% viognier blend. The viognier enhance the tropical fruit aromas and adds flavor complexity on the palate.

Il Cuore is a North Coast CA vineyard (Mendocino County), where they have complex soils, warm daytime temperature and cool nights. I completely agree with their philosophy that "one shouldn't have to pay special occasion price to get a bottle of well made, interesting wine".

2008 Pagos del Moncayo

Taste: 3/5

Value: 3/5

Price: $15

With a 90 point rating from Wine Advocate, I really wanted to like this wine more than I did. A blend of 65% Grenache/35% Syrah, I expected a softer, fruitier wine. What I experienced was an initial worry that the bottle was skunked. With statistics like 1:10 bottles being at risk for this, it is entirely possible, but then I didn't get the same mustiness from the wine that I got from the cork. Then again, for being briefly oaked it sure had quite a bit of oakiness to me.

Bodegas Pagos del Moncayo is a Spanish winery, that carries out the entire winemaking process by hand, to ensure the final wines will express their true terrior. Robert Parker labels it a great value for drinking over the next 5-6 years, so perhaps I will need to rebuy this and give it another try.

2007 Sequoia Grove Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Taste: 4/5

Value: 4/5

Price: $30

This wine retails for $35, but with my frequent buyer discount I was able to obtain for $30, which gives it a leg up in the value category! So, this is the first "splurge" wine that I purchased from my recent sister's trip to Napa the end of September. Sequoia Grove was one of our favorites, largely because we liked all of the wines and also because of the special added touch of the tasting room hostess. We were her only customers at the time, and realizing that we both had a deep appreciation of the nuances of wine, she pulled out her sensory evaluation kit and let us guess a few scents. The funny thing was, her scents had been replaced in the wrong spot in the case so when we both correctly identified the scent, she kept telling us it was something else. We persisted and she figured out the error! Back to the wine...while I did buy two other bottles there, I waited to buy the Cab at home since it is widely distributed. The 2007 was just being released, so it's possible that we tasted the 2006 at the winery, but I remembered it being better at the winery. I give points for its richness, balance and soft tannins, but if I'm going to spend $30 for a Cab, I'd buy Mount Veeder for about the same price.

2006 Sterling Vinelyards Cellar Club Rutherford Cab

Taste: 5/5

Value: 4/5

Price: $40 (available only at winery)

One thing I learned on this most recent trip to Napa is that most of my favorite Cabs are from Rutherford grapes. They seem to maintain enough fruit forwardness to balance the tannins a create such an incredible nose and palate. When my glass was empty, I was content to smell the inside and savor the memory - enough said! After tasting several wines priced higher, this would definitely make my list of re buys.

2009 Jezebel Blanc

Taste: 3/5

Value: 4/5

Price: $16

An Oregonian blend of my three favorite whites: Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer, in roughly equal parts. I really want to rate the taste score higher, but while pleasing on the fore, the aft was lacking in substance and actually quite watery and bland. That said, I will probably buy another bottle and pair it with some Asian food. For now, I would have to give props to Le Lapin's Ingenuity for $8.

2008 Menage a Trois

Taste: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Price: $12

Half way through drinking a glass of this California Red blend, I realized I felt like I was drinking the juice of fresh plums and liking it! This wine exposes the fresh, ripe, jam-like fruit that is the calling card of California wine. Three saucy grapes make up the blend. Zinfandel adds a juicy character, Merlot mellows and Cabernet adds backbone. Forward, spicy and soft, this delicious dalliance makes the perfect trio. I'd like to try this wine again after decanting a couple of hours.

2003 Arbios Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $25

So, I would normally have trouble giving a $25 bottle of wine a 5/5 value rating, but given the fact that bought today, this 2003 bottle sells for $50 I will concede. I am learning that I much prefer Cabs from Rutherford CA, but Alexander Valley may be a close second. Arbios Cellars focuses on a single Bordeaux-style red wine, made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown on a mountain top vineyard in the Alexander Valley of Sonoma County. The Arbios Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted in classic Bordeaux-style to have moderate alcohol and good fruit character. This Cab is soft and pleasant, with ripe cherry, blackberry, raspberry and herb flavors that are well oaked. Just enough tannin without being astringent...decanting for a few hours may have helped with this.

2006 Gallo Sonoma Merlot

Taste: 3/5

Value: 4/5

Price: $13

Ok, I'll just say it, I'm just not a Merlot fan. It has nothing to do with the movie Sideways, the varietal just doesn't do much for me. This is a pleasant enough wine, fruity with a touch of oak.

86 Points GOOD VALUE, Connoisseur's Guide to California Wine - Here is an honest, if youthfully frontal, moderately fruity Merlot whose nominal themes of ripe cherries are seasoned by a deft touch of vanillin oak spice. Its immediate appeals nearly win it unqualified recommendation, yet its flavors are bothered by and become a little less amicable due to its last-minute astringency. Serve with a savory burger and set it right.
Winemaker Notes: Our Sonoma County Merlot showcases the softer, fuller and richer side of Merlot. The aromas are warm and inviting with hints of crushed berries, vanilla and spice. The palate follows with dark and deep flavors of blackberry pie, wild berries and jam with a lush, round mouthfeel.

2007 Toolbox Cabernet Sauvignon

Ahh, a wine with a story...although, don't they all have one, really? When in Napa a few weeks ago, my sister and I visited what I will refer to as the trifecta from Bottle Shock, a movie about how California won the Paris tasting years ago. We visited Chateau Montellena, Grgich (where the then winemaker is now) and Gustavo Thrace, the winery spin off by the lead character's friend. Toolbox is a brand by the Thrace half of Gustavo Thrace - Thrace Bromberger and two friends with the goal of making quality wines at an everyday drinking price. This is a very enjoyable wine. From the wine notes: this wine really, really delivers for the price point. It has a classic Cabernet nose layered with aromas of dark currants, a bit of mint and rich earth. It is 100% Cabernet and is everything we look for in this variety, along with a good dash of fresh fruit, earthiness and a lingering finish.

2008 Quintay Clava Chardonnay

Taste: 4/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $13

If you prefer Chardonnays that are not heavily oaked, yet true to the varietal, this just may be the perfect choice. Fresh, crisp and vibrantly mineral, this Chardonnay delivers a serious mouthful of juicy white fruit with just the right amount of complexity and zest. A perfect balance of wood and wine. The operative word here is fresh! Lots of poached pears, lemon zest and wave after wave of white peaches; a touch of green apple on the finish.

Wine Spectator 85 points: "Plump, with good juicy yellow apple fruit backed by a modestly buttery finish. Drink now. 3,000 cases made."

Produced from Chile's cool climate regions for wine, in the valleys of Casablanca and Leyda. The winery was founded by a group of like minded producers, known as "the Casablanca Boys", based on a common objective of maximizing the potential of Chile's boldt current. Here, cool air is pulled in by the warmer central valley, providing a natural coolness throughout the growing season. This, along with long, slow summer and cool nights, ensure grapes intense fruit flavors.

2007 Marchese Di Barolo Maraia Barbera Monferranto

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $12

Another great wine club pick from my friends at The Wine Merchant from Piedmont, Italy. The operating principle being this family owned winery is a firm conviction of and commitment to the indisputable quality of the wines produced in this region. This wine is 90% Barbera and 10% Dolcetto, aged for one year in small French barrels. With a nose of wild berries, currants, black cherry and hits of vanilla and toasted oak, the flavor is robust, full bodied, slightly fruity and well-balanced. A definite re-buy!

2009 Mauta Sauvignon Blanc

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $12

Not being a big fan of the herbaceous, grassy sauvignon blancs, I was pleasantly surprised by this New Zealand varietal. Had it been a blind tasting, I would have guessed it a dry Riesling, but then on the aft palate, was the unmistakable citrusy grapefruit that lingered nicely. Fruit driven, nice acidity for structure and balance - a great accompaniment to chicken piccata!

2008 Palo Alto Reserve

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $12

This is a delicious blend of Cabernet, Carnemere and Syrah (60/25/15)from Maule Valley, Chile. I particularly like the rich berry flavors and light oak - just enough to give structure without overpowering the palate. The nose is fresh and fruity giving way to intense, full-bodied flavors of blackcurrant and blackberry with a touch of spice. WS, 86 points

2006 GV Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

Taste: 2/5

Value: 3/5

Price: $13-$18

I'll admit up front, this may be an unfair review as I opened this bottle as a follow on to Rutherford Hill Cab, which was phenomenal - smooth, round, dark berry fruit - and this was just not comparable. The tannins were harsh and I really did not enjoy this wine at all. One description cites bittersweet chocolate - I definitely found the bitter. Quite a disappointment since this label produces a Syrah that made my top 10 list last year, but I can't seem to find it in Cincinnati.

2003 Rutherford Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $18

It is wines like this that make me wish I had a rating stronger than 5/5...this was a bit of a splurge purchase, knowing it was marked $10 off and an additional 10% discount, it is questionable as to whether I would repurchase at full price, but for $18 it was a steal! Rated 90 points by Wine Enthusiast for it's rich, black cherry fruit and structured tannins. This is a softer cab with a nice round, lush mouth feel.

2008 Ecco Domani Merlot

Taste: 4/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $9

Rich with ripe, dark berry fruitiness and subtle tannins, this wine had a softness that was a pleasant surprise. I'd all but given up on Merlot, as there are several other varietals I prefer, but this is one I would buy again and have on hand, especially for pairing with italian food. Check out eccodomani.com for some tasty sounding recipes like this one:

Farfalle Pasta with Chicken

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red peppers, drained, finely chopped
6 oz. grilled chicken breast strips
8 oz. farfalle (small bow tie pasta)
2 package (4 oz. each) crumbled Feta Cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Preperation
Cook and stir garlic in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on medium heat 3 minutes. Add roasted red peppers, grilled chicken breast strips and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Cook farfalle pasta as directed on package, drain.
Toss vegetable mixture with hot pasta and feta cheese. Sprinkle with parsley.

2006 Layer Cake Cotes Du Rhone

Taste: 3/5

Value: 3/5

Price: $17

I've liked all other Layer Cake wines that I've tried to date, but was not overly impressed by this Syrah. While it had a nice spice to it, overall I found it flat and with a chalky mouth feel that I didn't care for - French soil maybe? Good level of tannin but not very fruity.

2008 Toasted Head Chardonnay

Taste: 4/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $10

So, if you don't like big, oaky Chardonnay's, you're not going to like this wine, but I was in the mood for such and found this quite pleasing. A crisp citrusy forward, reminiscent of lemon zest, with nice acidity and buttery rich, yet soft finish. Perhaps not a go-to Chardonnay, but when in the mood for big, I'd buy and drink this one again.

2007 Ravens Wood Vintners Blend Zinfandel

Taste: 3/5

Value: 4/5

Price: $9

I've read for quite some time that Ravenswood is known for their Zins. It must be for their higher priced Zins because this was not it for me. I found it more bold, even brazen, compared to the Zins I love. In general, it was the spiciness that came through at the sacrifice of the jammy fruit I crave in a Zin.

Teusner 2006 Joshua - Barossa Valley Red Wine

Taste: 3/5

Value: 3/5

Price: $20

This Barossa Valley red wine is an unoaked blend of 65% Grenache, 25% Mataro and 10% Shiraz. Description: "This wine shows a fruit intensity and warmth that speaks of a warmer growing region but without the jamminess, or baked fruit notions that can belie fruit from such an area. Here the fruit is Barossa sourced and its generosity is evident, but the difference is the pitch and higher toned brightness that gives it such an engaging lift and purity. Loaded with delicious black cherry, black raspberry and blackberry flavors that are layered throughout the palate, this has intensity and scale, but more importantly, the vibrancy and freshness that gives it so much personality." I couldn't resist the purchase with a description like that, but upon drinking, I just didn't find that description to hold true. There are plenty of other wines I like better for under $15, I won't likely buy this wine again.

NV LeLapin Ingenuity White

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $8

LeLapin is the newest line of wine from Rabbit Ridge Winery, Sonoma CA, which opened in 1981, with a commitment to producing high quality wines at affordable prices. Made with grapes grown exclusively in Paso Robles, LeLapin wines are non-vintage, meaning they may be comprised of two or more vintages, which allows for the blending of a newer wine for freshness with an older vintage for complexity. Ingenuity is a blend of Chenin blanc, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc, and is crisp and light without being too citrusy. An all around great summer white!

2008 Rayun Carmenere

Taste: 3/5

Value: 5/5

Price: <$10

If this wine hadn't had a screw top, I would have thought it was corked based on the nose - very musty. "Touches of spice and tar show on the expressive nose; the mouth is rich, with deep black/red fruits and earthy notes of incense and tobacco. Tannins are fine and silky, while the finish is long and ends on a suggestion of eucalyptus honey. If you've never experienced Carménère, this is the place to start." Just a guess here, but I think it was the tar, incense and eucalyptus honey I didn't care for. From past experience, had I read eucalyptus on the label's description, I would have passed it up.

2008 Tarrica Zinfandel

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $13

Tarrica Wine Cellars sources grapes primarily from the Paso Robles viticultural area, which is ideally situated for growing premium varietal wine grapes. Nestled slightly inland, the warm, clear days are insulated from clouds, fog, and severe winds so sufficient heat reaches the grapes. Following sunset, a marine layer moves over the region and cools temperatures approximately 50 degrees, providing conditions conducive to maintaining outstanding acid structure and overall balance. Most consider this fluctuation to be a key component to the varietal character displayed in the resulting wines.
Tarrica Wine Cellars is a small, family owned winery started in 2000
in the Paso Robles Wine Country. The focus of our winery is to produce
value priced wines that are a clear expression of viticultural origin
and varietal flavor.

Described as ripe berry flavors wrapped with cedar box and caramel tones. Full body with balanced tannins and berry fruit carries long into the finish revealing creme brule nuances. This wine was a hit with all who tried it!

2009 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose

Taste: 4/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $10

I had the opportunity to try this wine at the Cincinnati International Wine Festival last month and was intrigued by a rose made from Cabernet grapes from South Africa. Rose is not my favorite wine, but this was a pleasant surprise that I would definitely keep on hand. A very fruit forward wine with strawberry, red cherry and raspberry. Quite zippy and nicely balanced.

2007 Bogle Petite Sirah

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $12

WINEMAKER NOTES
Thirty-one years after it was first produced by the Bogle family in 1978, Petite Sirah is today considered Bogle’s “heritage” varietal. Ripe summer blackberries and plums overwhelm both the nose and palate of this wine. Its trademark inky, jammy qualities are a barrage of black fruit and spice, adding layer upon layer of complexity. Notes of supple leather and toasty oak envelop the flavors through the finish, giving way to wisps of caramel and vanilla.

All I can add is berry, jammy, spicey...yummy!

2007 Roogle Red

Taste: 2/5

Value: 4/5

Price: $12-$13

2007 Roogle Red is an Australian blend of 50% Shiraz, 30% Cabernet, 10% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and is aged in seasoned French and American oak for 12 months. Marquis Philips wines began as a joint venture between American importer Dan Philips and the Australian wife-and-husband winemaking team of Sarah and Sparky Marquis, giving inspiration to the roogle mark. Roogle Red came about a few years into the venture when a decision had to be made on what should be done with the wines that didn't fit into the blend for the winery's more upmarket wines. Each year the blend varies according to what wines are available. If all the wine is used for the first-tier bottlings then no Roogle Red is made that year. The label bears a picture of a cross between an American Bald Eagle and an Australian Red Kangaroo. Winemaker notes: Deep crimson. Fresh fruit of plums and ripe red berries. Some savory notes balanced by licorice and marzipan, subtle tobacco leaf and brambly characters. My take, despite a 90 point rating from Robert Parker, I found this wine overpowering, with unripe almost bitter fruit and nothing overly fantastic to rave about. Maybe it's the licorice, or perhaps the marzipan, the Petite Verdot which tends to tighten up a wine, or even the American oak. All I know is my opinion is starkly different than many others' of this wine (and it couldn't have been corked, because it was a screw top).

2007 Rosenblum Cellars Roussanne

Taste: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Price: lists for $24 (although I found it on sale for ~$15)

From the Rosenblum website: "The Roussanne grape produces a wine with vibrant aromatics of a tropical fruit cocktail and a floral arrangement of hibiscus and orange blossom. The grape originates in both the Northern and Southern Rhône Valley, where scant acreage of the grape is planted. This delicious Roussanne features ripe pears, essences of stone fruit and a hint of honeyed mango and papaya." A delicious wine that reminds me of a cross between Off Dry Reisling and Sauvignon Blanc. I would characterize it as big for a white, but very well-balanced with a bit of crisp acid freshening its lingering fruity finish. I would definitely buy more if I can find it for ~$15 again!

2008 Piazzano Chianti

Taste: 4/5

Value: 4/5

Price: $14.99

A blend of 80% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo and 10% other red varietals from Tuscany. This wine is bright ruby with hints of wood fruits and distinctive cherry overtones. Full bodied, smooth and just enough tannin to give good structure. A very nice pairing for red sauce Italian that I would recommend and buy again.

2006 Scandale

Taste: 5/5

Value: N/A

Price: $50

For Christmas, my sister gave me a very unique present. She adopted a grapevine from St Helena Winery in Napa Valley. With that adoption, comes a certificate of adoption and two bottles of wine made from this and sister vines. It is a very limited production (156 cases) and the only way to get the wine is to adopt a vine. I planned to (and did) open one bottle for my birthday, and it was fabulous!

History of the name:
The 2000 vintage was our first professional venture into winemaking and we wanted to share our creation with our friends and family back in France. During our 2001 New Years Eve Party we thought it would be fun to put our wine against some well known Bordeaux wines in a blind tasting which included a 1997 Haut Brion. An overwhelming majority of our close friends and family picked our wine over the French wines. This will forever be known as the Scandal or Scandale.

This wine delivers dark garnet/blackberry color, ripe blackberry, earth and dark chocolate aromas; velvety full mouth-feel, brambly fruit notes, currant liqueur; concentrated and structured, medium-fine grain tannins with a very long finish.

2008 Novellum Chardonnay

Taste: 3/5

Value: 3/5

Price: $12.99

This is my second bottle from my wine club gift from my wonderful husband (which he extended for my birthday). This was better the first day, but lost quite a bit by the second, which is the reason for the moderate rating. The wine comes from the Lafage Estate in the Languedoc-Roussillon region (the largest wine growing region in the world) on the appellation vin de Pays de Cotes Catalanes. The vines that produce this wine are 30 years old, growing in deep, rocky soil. Thirty percent of the grapes are barrel fermented with the balance in stainless steel; the aged 3 months on viognier lees.

89 points wine advocate..."The 2007 Novellum Chardonnay (already reviewed in issue 178) – from two sites with cobbled and alluvial soils, and 30% barrel-fermented – boasts subtle and alluring aromas of white peach, toasted almond, hazelnut, flowers and fine herbs. In the mouth, it offers an uncanny balance of lees-enriched creaminess with lightness of touch and refreshment. (The lees here included those of Viognier.) This lingers with a refinement and suggestions of minerality that many a Macon selling for up to twice the price would envy." Reading this, seems like I should like it more than I did!

2006 Bitch

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price $11

I never would have bought this wine if not for the urging of my sister, who made her husband go on a pilgrimage to find it on a trip to OH last year. Now that I live here, I can get it whenever I want, and I will (I just wish it had a different name). From R Wines, this wine is 100% grenache from Australia. 90 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Bitch Grenache is sourced from 40- to 60-year-old vines from the Ebenezer sub-region of the Barossa. With the price of Cotes du Rhone soaring due to the weak dollar, I am hard pressed to think of a better value in full-flavored Grenache. The 2006 Bitch Grenache received no oak treatment. Medium ruby-colored, it presents an alluring bouquet of earth, smoke, rhubarb, cherry, and strawberry. Supple, sweet, and tasty, this wine totally over-delivers for its humble price and is an exceptional value. Hear, Hear, Robert!

2006 Clos Du Bois Merlot

Taste: 4/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $13.99

I had this at a wine tasting with my sister, served with a chopped mushroom brie and was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. The black cherry and plum notes were nicely complemented by cocoa, toast and a touch of cigar. Velvety mouthfeel and just enough tannin to give good structure.