B.R. Cohn 2010 Silver Label North Coast Chardonnay While looking through my cellar, I came across a B.R. Cohn 2010 Silver Label North Coast Chardonnay. Recently, I have been disappointed with some 2010 Chardonnays (as I believe some were past their prime), so I decided to give this 2010 a try. This Silver Label offering from founder Bruce Cohn, who (for us older rockers) managed the Doobie Brothers, one of my favorite groups of the 70’s. Mr. Cohn, when not managing the Doobie Brothers, was learning all about wine and launched a winery in 1984. I opened his 2010 North Coast Chardonnay, chilled at about 48 degrees, (my wife likes it colder…
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Shafer 2010 Relentless Napa Valley We went to visit my sister-in-law Cindy, who is recuperating from a bad fall that broke her shoulder. I wanted to make her dinner and bring a nice bottle of wine, so I reached for Shafer’s Relentless. Shafer is an outstanding Napa Valley winery that makes exceptional wines. Shafer’s beginnings trace back to 1972, when publishing industry veteran John Shafer move to Napa and set down roots by purchasing a 210 acre estate in the Stags Leap District, and replanted the vineyard, which dated back to the 1920’s. Shafer had their first crush in 1978, producing 1,000 cases, and a year later began construction on…
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Robert Mondavi 2011 Napa Chardonnay Robert Mondavi winery, located in Oakville, CA, makes a number of outstanding and consistent quality wines. I thought it was best starting at an entry point with his Chardonnay offering from Napa. Robert Mondavi established his winery in 1966 with a vision to have his Napa Valley wines to be among the world’s finest. Robert Mondavi also believed his wines should reflect its “roots” and be a signature creation from a combination of the soil, climate and production techniques, both new and old, which transforms the grapes into a fine wine. Opening a bottle of 2011 Napa Chardonnay, you notice a pale golden color sparkling…
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2010 Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Pinot Noir I first became acquainted with Sonoma-Cutrer during a Sonoma wine tasting event in the 80’s and met Brice Cutrer Jones. When I tasted his Chardonnay, in a word, outstanding, one of the best I have tasted, but that was a while ago. In a few weeks I will review Sonoma-Cutrer’s current Chardonnay offerings, however today I will focus on their Pinot Noir, which by the way came sometime afterwards. Brice Cutrer Jones focus was only Chardonnay when he started the vineyard in 1973 and released his first vintage in 1981. In 1999, Brown-Forman, the Kentucky-based drinks giant whose holdings include Korbel California Champagnes (and I use…
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2012 Mollydooker, The Boxer, Shiraz Let’s go down under where the weather is 80 degrees and NO Polar Vortex! Thinking about warm weather, I came across a recently released 2012 Shiraz from Mollydooker, The Boxer, and decided to give it a try! The winery, owned by Sarah & Sparky Marquis, is located in McLaren Vale, less than an hour outside of Adelaide in Southern Australia. I would suggest that you visit the Mollydooker website as there are a number of interesting things to read and a bit about Sarah & Sparky Marquis and how Mollydooker came to be. In addition, the winery suggests that you do the “Mollydooker Shake” before…
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Altos de Luzón 2007 Bodegas Luzón Another Polar Vortex! Looking to warm up I reached for lush Spanish red from Bodegas Luzón, a wine from Jumilla, which is sure to warm you up a bit. The Jumilla region has been growing grapes and making wine for over 5,000 years. The climate in Jumilla is somewhat challenging with warm summers, little rain and cold winters, even snow at times, so the vines must be able to withstand the extreme changes. The vines, planted in rocky soil and limestone, are spaced far apart due to the lack of irrigation, resulting in low yields with concentrated fruit, thick skins, good sugar and acidity. …
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Mongrana 2010 Agricola Querciabella I was looking for a Super Tuscan recently. A “Super Tuscan” is usually the blend of Cabernet / Merlot & Sangiovese. The blend varies somewhat, but the blend naturally lures the dominance of Cabernet Sauvignon, the fruitiness of sweet Merlot and the grit and pungent taste of Sangiovese, which is the significant grape in this blend. I absolutely love how the Sangiovese interacts with the Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot and gives these Super Tuscans the unmatched Italian character and flavor. I came across Mongrana 2010 Agricola Querciabella, which was in the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2013. I wasn’t “rating shopping” (which I will discuss…
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Girard Artistry 2010 Wanting something nice for the weekend to sit and enjoy, powerful, but not as big as a 100% Cab, but has some finesse, I found this little Gem from Girard Winery, their Artistry 2010 which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (58%), Merlot (17%), Cabernet Franc (11%), Malbec (8%) and Petit Verdot (6%), a Bordeaux style blend (five permitted red Bordeaux grapes). Girard’s Napa roots go back about 30 years ago, about the time Napa was getting world accolades as a premier wine growing region, and they have become a fine producer of quality wines. Since about 2000, Pat Roney, a longtime California vintner (Sonoma wineries Ch.…
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Chateau St. Jean 2011 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast The internet said last week that 49 of the 50 states had snow! Where is some of that global warmth? Trying to rush the warm weather, I grabbed a nice classic white that reminded me of summertime. Chateau St. Jean’s 2011 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast was my choice. The estate of Chateau St. Jean is located at the foot of Sugarloaf Ridge in the Sonoma Valley near Kenwood, California. The estate was founded in 1973 and recognized as a true leader in “Vineyard Designated” wines. The winemaker, Margo Van Staaveren, brings with her 30 years of experience and draws out the best that Chateau…
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Moët & Chandon Imperial Brut Earlier this week I talked about Cava, now it’s all about Champagne! Not just Valentine’s Day, but any day is a good day for Champagne, however splitting a bottle of bubbly with your sweetheart is not a bad way to spend Feb 14. Moët Champagne is legendary as they have been in existence for over a quarter of a millennium. Founded by Claude Moët in 1743, his effervescent wine soon became the icon of elegance and success throughout the world, and has not changed much since. The House style of Moët is distinctive, showing an elegant maturity resulting from the labor intensive process it takes to…