2007 Newton Claret

2007 Newton Napa County Claret
This is a red blend of 60% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Syrah. Claret is a red wine done in the style of French Bordeaux. Katie and I had this wine with a steak dinner at Marlowe's Chophouse (5280 Denver Restaurant Week).

Beautiful deep red on the pour. Uniform color, many little legs surround a good swirl.

On the nose I get a big kick of strawberry, a bit of plum, black cherry and a little spice box (nutmeg in particular). About 20 minutes after the first pour, this wine smooths itself on the nose, less obtrusive edges, very nice on the nose.

Then on the palate the strawberry disappears completely; instead, the palate is heavy and long-winded with black currant, blackberry, dark plum, also a touch of licorice (but it is quickly washed over). The spice box continues on the palate, more with cloves than the nutmeg of the nose. Very enjoyable in the mouth by itself, but with the flavors of a spiced rare steak also very brilliant.

Rating: 90
Retail: $25

2006 Chateau de Pierreux Brouilly

 

2006 Chateau de Pierreux La Reserve de Chateau Brouilly
Brouilly is the largest wine area in Beaujolais. The grape from this region is Gamay. The wine that most people have heard of from this region is Beaujolais-Villages.

This wine is a medium ruby on the pour, a bit purple too.

On the nose I get black currant, blueberry, raspberry, plum, and a bit of earthy dirt smell. I decanted this for about an hour between my first taste and second glass. The smells did not change over this hour, but they were a bit less intense after the decanting, more rounded edges on the nose.

On the palate I really noticed a change from the first tasting out of the bottle and after the hour of air.

First, the initial tasting: floral flavors, black cherry and plum. Nothing outstanding but nothing obtrusive either.

After an hour in the decanter: continuing floral, black cherry and plum; but the addition of sweet tannins is brilliant. There is definitely an alcohol flavor at the end, which is refreshing in a good red wine (often they are too fruity but this wine has a nice balance). The warm alcohol flavor is followed immediately by the tannins again, a very well done balancing act.

This is not a big, huge, dark wine; I think of it more as a happy red grape. I enjoyed this wine with a seared steak and a spicy vinegar spinach salad; it would also go well well poultry and even a darker chicken dish.

Rating: 89 - This is a very good wine, but it is not complex enough to coax a 90point rating from myself.

Retail: $16

2007 Burgáns Albariño

2007 Martín Códax Burgáns Albariño Rias Baixas
Albariño is a grape variety from Rias Baixas (ree-ahs buy-shuss), which is region in Galicia, located in northwest Spain.

On the pour, this is a beautiful light-gold colored wine, more yellow than green in the bottle and in the glass. Zero legs whatsoever on a good swirl.

Before the swirl, I gave it a sniff and got lots of floral (crisp floral) and a little lemon zest, pretty simple and straightforward initially. Then after a good swirl, it opened up a bit on the nose: still heavy with the floral component, more lemon peel (pleasant, not overly sour at all), but the mineral smell that is common with good Spanish white wines makes its debut after a bit of O₂ is added to the mix. There is also a fruit flavor on the nose just at the end, white peach is what comes to mind.

On the palate I really enjoyed what I experienced. Chilled to between 13 and 17˚C, this is very crisp and refreshing. The acidity of this wine is very well done; I mean that it is very present and definitely wakes up the mouth, but it is not obnoxious or painful. There is a surprising velvet component on the palate (makes me think of good red wine while in the mouth from time to time, fun!). I get the floral aspect from the nose returning intermittently along the palate. The finish is structured and leaves the drinker satisfied.


I enjoyed this wine with a seasoned fresh fish fillet (orange roughy) and a light spinach salad. BUT, like I say, pairings are overrated, be creative and experiment. 

Rating: 90
Retail: $14
Very great value! Not the best Albariño out there, but the $/glass value is unmatched in my experience (aka best Albariño under $20 without a doubt).

2007 Francis Coppola Pinot Noir

2007 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Pinot Noir
Magenta on the pour, deep and fancy-looking like good Pinot should be.

The nose is heavy with plum, strawberry, black cherry, a touch of a floral component and a nice bit of spice box too. The 12 months this wine spent in a french oak cask are not terribly apparent on the nose but there is definitely some sort of a wood note present for a second or two with the floral component (just a bit of bark on the ground around the flowers or something like that). I do like the complexity of this aromatic set, especially for the price.

This inexpensive wine is remarkably complex and is a lot of fun on the palate. At first I get black cherry, black currant, strawberry, and the plums make a return from the nose. This initial burst of flavor is followed by a strong kick from the tannins, which are very present and bitter and prevent this wine from earning 90 points. The tannins do not linger forever, but they were present a bit longer than I had hoped for. The finish is long and elegant with cloves and other spices making a late tongue/palate appearance which helps knock the tannins off the tongue.

I had this wine with lamb tenderloin with a port reduction (with shallots, garlic, and cumin). It would also be good with pork, anything with a cream sauce, and foods with a large spice profile. Pinot Noir is a notoriously versatile wine, so be creative and have fun with it

Rating: 89
Retail: $20
This wine is often on sale (buy it buy it buy it!) and the 2009 that is currently available in stores has great potential to be similar and possibly even better (it all depends on its tannin profile in my opinion, because I am sure that Francis Coppola Winery didn't mess with the rest of the flavors).

2009 Garnacha de Fuego

2009 Garnacha de Fuego Old Vines

A deep purple on the pour, nothing remarkable about the look of it. The label on the bottle, on the other hand, is eye-catching and does nothing but help this good Spanish wine.

On the nose I get a deep black cherry and a kick of spice box. I like how intense the nose is, but at the same time it was still pretty smooth.

Concentrated ripe fruit on the palate: cherry and a touch of blueberry. I was surprised with the smoothness of this wine, especially for the price. In my notes I wrote 'well balanced with no hard edges, smooth start to finish, but not terribly complex.'

Rating: 88
Retail: $9
I would recommend this to anyone experimenting with reds; this is a good example of a great cheap wine that has a number of things going for it.

2007 Velt.1 Grüner Veltliner

This Austrian wine (my first ever wine from Austria) is a very light yellow/green in the glass, served at 10°C.

On the nose I get a ton of green apple, the sour cooking variety, followed by the sweetness of apple blossoms and other floral notes. There is also a bit of a raw green veggie flavor on the nose, maybe peas or green beans right off the vine.

The taste is very citrus, followed by apples; very juicy and fruity. There is a mineral component that is present intermittently along the palate and down the throat...it reminds me in a way of the smell of cold wet rocks right after a rainstorm...kind of out there, i know, but I its what came to mind.

Rating: 87
Interesting to be sure, but not brilliant in any aspect. Serve chilled for optimal flavor. Very nice on a warm afternoon.
Retail: $14

2007 Stags' Leap Viognier

 

Full name: 2007 Stags' Leap Napa Valley Viognier

While pouring this into a glass for the first time I was mesmerized by the golden color of the wine. Upon a swirl, long skinny legs get your attention for a second or two.

The nose is large and inviting, with notes of pear, and the acidity of pineapple balanced by sweet notes of honeysuckle and ripe apricot.

The palate is layered nicely. First I get a touch of grapefruit and tropical fruit-sugar. Then I get a subtle flavor of oak, which is brilliantly placed and it is one of the reasons I love this wine! The pear then returns from the nose to the palate along with a light peach note. The finish is long and enjoyable with the palate still sensing bits of orange or tangerine with a creamy peach flavor as well.

I had another glass about half an hour after removing the bottle from the chiller, and the wine opened up a bit. This resulted in the nose being a bit stronger aromatically and the flavors on the palate being smoother but unchanged in quantity or duration (fewer sharp edges is what I'm trying to say).

Rating: 92

With a price of $25 this is a wine worth experimenting with, especially if you've had your fill of the same old chardonnay for a while and want to try something similar, but at the same time brilliantly different.

2006 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon

Full name: 2006 Chateau St. Jean Sonoma Cinq Cépages Cabernet Sauvignon
Cinq Cépages means '5 grapes' or '5 vines' and it signifies the Bordeaux-style blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.


I had this at Wine Experience Cafe and World Cellar last night with a meat platter which consisted of prosciutto, mortadella, and bastirma served with a freshly prepared relish and Moroccan green olives and a nice french loaf.

Deep violet, darker than maroon-red in color. Thin but exciting set of legs on this beauty; variable in size and shape, but very multi-directional and fun if nothing else.

On the nose I get big red fruit initially, raspberry and strawberry even. Then there is a note of a floral component on the nose, I'd like to call it Violet, but I'm not knowledgeable enough about horticulture to say with certainty.

Multilayered on the palate...first I get dark fruit, blackberries and a touch of sweet like a blueberry. This is followed by the classic big Cab tannins that get your attention, but are balanced well with the sweet, big fruit flavors that follow directly, including a rich plum shadow. The aftertaste is brilliant and long with ripe fruit and minimal tannins.

Rating: 93
Expensive ($70) but well worth it, one time, for an educated palate to enjoy for hours. Complex and beautiful!

2006 Las Rocas Garnacha

Full name: 2006 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha Calatayud
Varietal: Garnacha, which is the Spanish version of the Rhone varietal Granache.

Deep red in color. Legs of a varying nature, but nothing noteworthy visibly on the swirl.

On the nose, I get a big whiff of blackberries and black cherries straight away. The nose opens up with a dose of spices, black pepper, and then it finishes with a dull, dirty raspberry note. Neither the nose nor palate were altered with an hour or more of decanting.

The first taste was smoother than initially anticipated, and extraordinarily pleasant therefore. But upon a second and more thoughtful tasting moments later, it is full bodied and broad on the palate. Subtle tannins present but not overpowering. Definitely get the dark berries from the nose returning on the palate. A very enjoyable and brilliantly cheap wine! I am definitely going to pick up another bottle the next time I see one.

Rating: 92
Recommended to any and all for the reasonable price of only $12/bottle, but still complex enough to make the most educated/primed of palates sing for minutes at a time with its long finish.