Cabernet Sauvignon » A Glass After Work

Coppola Cabernet...A Year Later

$11-$20, 4 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Mar 012010

Today was my last day before a very large project deadline. This project has been quite a challenge, as it’s dealing with a topic that is new for me. This meant late hours last week, a significant amount of reading and learning about the issue in a short period of time, and a bit of panic as I walked into the office this morning, particularly as I encountered a few unexpected pitfalls. By early this afternoon, things brightened, and the project was back on track. By the time finally I left work, everything was in place for a smooth day tomorrow. Whether that actually happens still remains to be seen, but, in the meantime, I have a good feeling about how the day will go. Today, though, was definitely one of those days where I earned my paycheck and looked forward to heading home afterwards. While waiting for Hubby to get home, since he was working late, and, in honor of A Glass After Work’s birthday, I opened a Francis Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon because it was the first wine I reviewed.

The 2006 Francis Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Collection (winery, snooth) had a medium-to-dark ruby color, with the slightest hint of garnet on the rim. On the nose, there was cedar, followed by cherries, blackcurrant, and a hint of blackcurrant leaf, smoke, and vanilla. In the mouth, there was cedar, smoke, black cherries, dark plums, and vanilla. The wine had a nice, full body with big, firm tannins and high acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $17, this wine has a lot of complexity, particularly for how inexpensive it is. The wine is fun to really puzzle through, as I enjoyed doing with this bottle. However, it’s also a good, easily drinkable option for someone who doesn’t know a lot about wine, but is still looking for a quality glass. This is evident from the review that I did a year ago when I was just learning how to taste and talk about wine. The Francis Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon is very food friendly, but also can stand on its own big, beautiful legs.

Overall: 4 Corks

Another Night of Fabulous Pinot Noir

$21-$30, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Oct 222009

***I received this wine as a sample.***

For as crazy of a day as I had on Tuesday, Wednesday was fairly calm and quiet work day. With the exception of a few meetings, my schedule was fire drill free, so I was finally able to catch-up on some emails and research. It was one of those days where I didn’t have a big project to show for my hard work, but I still left the office feeling satisfied that I’d accomplished a number of items on my to-do list. The only downside to the day was that I came home to a sick Hubby. Since he wasn’t feeling well, dinner was pretty light and quick, but that just gave me more time to settle into the evening with a nice glass of the 2007 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir.

Looking at the several bottles of the Willamette Valley Vineyards’ wine in my wine rack, it was immediately evident that the winery is very concerned about sustainability. On the front label of the 2007 Pinot Noir, there is a big icon that says “Stewardship of the Land,” and on the back label, among other things, is an icon to indicate that the vineyard as Salmon Safe. Therefore, I was not surprised to discover on the vineyard’s website that they offer a 10 cent refund for every bottle that is returned to the tasting room and a $1 refund for every bottle that is returned through the mail. They also recycle all corks and were the first winery in the world to be certified by the Rainforest Alliance for their use of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standard corks. The winery has a great one-page outlining all of their sustainability efforts, if you want more information.

As for the wine itself, the 2007 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir was light, bright ruby with a rim that was turning garnet. On the nose, there were big, juicy red fruit aromas—strawberry, raspberry, cherries—followed by a touch of leather, white pepper, green tea, and vanilla. In the mouth, there were cherries, cherries, and more cherries. The cherry flavors tasted a little candied, and they were followed by a touch of raspberry, powdered cocoa, white pepper, violets, vanilla, and ferns. The wine had low-to-medium tannins with medium acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $25, this wine has a nice complexity that is fun for the more experienced wine drinker to puzzle through, while also being easy enough to drink that its flavors aren’t lost on the novice drinker. In addition to all of that, it’s a particularly good choice for the environmentally conscious. One thing to keep in mind when buying a bottle is that while the wine was very good, it tasted a little young. Therefore, you shouldn’t feel rushed to drink this wine right away, as it definitely has some nice aging potential. That said, if you want to drink the Pinot Noir now, it is a wine that is enjoyable both on its own and with food. I ended up pairing the wine with pistachios and the most recent episodes of Castle and So You Think You Can Dance. The saltiness from the pistachios enhanced the earthiness of the wine for a wonderful, rustic taste, while the TV shows enhanced the relaxation factor of drinking a nice glass of wine after a satisfying day of work.

Overall: 3 Corks

Wines from Around Catalonia

$10 and lower, $11-$20, 2.5 Corks, 3 Corks, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Sep 182009

After learning about and tasting Cavas during the second day of The Wine Academy of Spain’s Spanish wine course, Jesus Bernard powered through the various areas within Catalonia. Considering that Catalonia includes well-known Spanish regions like Penedès, Priorat, and Monstant, there was not only a significant amount of viticulture and vinification information, but also a lot of history that significantly impacted this wine growing region. It was very interesting, but admittedly slightly overwhelming.

Because these regions within Catalonia have their own microclimate, soil and vinification techniques, after discussing each regions unique qualities, we did three back-to-back tastings of wines from Catalonia. The first was a more general region overview.

Tasting #3 on Day 2
Catalonia

2.5 Corks

2006 Raimat Viña 32 Cabernet Sauvignon (winery, snooth)
Medium-to-dark ruby
Cocoa powder, blackberries, nutmeg, black pepper, and a touch of green pepper on the nose
Blackberries, black pepper, and blackcurrant leaf in the mouth
Medium acidity and medium-to-high tannins

3 Corks

René Barbier Mediterranean White (winery, snooth)
$6
40% Xarel-lo, 30% Macabeo, 30% Parellada
Pale lemon with a green tinge
Green apples and herbaceous on the nose
Lime, green apples, and a touch of thyme and basil in the mouth
Simple

3.5 Corks

2005 Crev de Lauit Segura Viudas
Xarel-lo
Pale gold with big legs
Peach, pear, and green apple on the nose
Wet stone, pear, and green apple in the mouth
Silky with medium acidity and a medium body

2006 Raimat Viña 43 Tempranillo (winery, snooth)
$17
Medium ruby with flecks of purple
Very berry, licorice, and a touch of nutmeg, violet and smoke
Good tannins and medium acidity
Nice finish

A Steak House Night In

$11-$20, 3 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Sep 032009

For as calm and as warm as the water was early in our Outer Banks vacation, it was equivalently rough and cold towards the end of the trip. By day number 4, the water felt like an ice bath, although the waves made it fun and the sun was strong, so I didn’t stay out of the water. After getting tired from a day of playing in the waves, Hubby and I decided to keep dinner low key and order deliver from Pizzazz Pizza. While we waited for the delivery guy, I opened a bottle of the 2007 Steak House Cabernet Sauvignon by The Magnificent Wine Company.

The 2007 Steak House (winery, snooth) is with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The wine had a deep purplish-ruby color with some tartrates that settled at the bottom of my glass. The wine was slightly reduced, but after it had time to breathe, it was much better. On the nose, there were a lot of black fruits— black cherry, blackcurrant, and dark plums—followed by some blackcurrant leaf and a touch of earthiness. In the mouth, there were black fruits, tobacco, and a hint of soil. The wine had a medium body and medium tannins, with good acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll definitely have a decent, reliable glass of wine. At $11, this wine has a great quality-price ratio. The Magnificent Wine Company says the Steak House, obviously, is ideal for steak, and I agree that would probably be a good pairing, but I also think that it would go well with almost any grilled meat. As for the pizza pairing, while our pepperoni and sausage pizza was just ok, the wine was a good accompaniment. I suspect that if you pair the Steak House with a good NY slice, it would be a match made in heaven.

Overall: 3 Corks

Day 2 of WBC09: First Mystery Vineyard Was Sterling Vineyards

$11-$20, 2.5 Corks, 3 Corks, 4 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Aug 132009

For the Wine Bloggers’ Conference day around Napa Valley, conference participants split into small groups and visited a number of different Napa wineries. My bus’ first stop was the historic Sterling Vineyards. Having studied the vineyard for my WSET course, I was particularly excited when I heard that this was one of our winery tours.

As our bus turned into the vineyard, we picked up winemaker Alison Crary. She talked to us about the vineyard as we drove from the entrance, which is at the bottom of the valley, to the winery, which is perched up high on a hill. Once at the top, when we walked from the bus to the private tasting room, there was sneak peak at the gorgeous view of the valley from the vineyard’s overlook.

In the private room, Sterling Vineyards had a great set up of three wines for us to taste. The 22 of us also received boxed Dean & Deluca lunches and listened to Alison talk about the wines as we hurriedly ate and tasted. Unfortunately, we were running a little behind schedule, so there wasn’t any time to dawdle.

The three wines we tasted—a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, and a Cabernet Sauvignon—were from Sterling’s new organic wine collection. However, the grapes were actually grown in Mendocino County, not from the Napa Valley, which was something that bothered me. Don’t misunderstand; it was exciting to taste their new collection, particularly as the Cabernet Sauvignon is not being released until September. However, as the Napa Valley Vintners were a premier sponsor of the WBC and as conference attendees were spending the day visiting Napa Valley wineries, it seemed slightly disingenuous to have our group taste Mendocino wines while we were visiting the Napa vineyards.

As for the wines themselves, they are all made from organic grapes and are all under $20. The wines have screw top closures and are meant for immediate drinking, rather than for cellaring.

The Sauvignon Blanc was not only my favorite of the three wines, but also the least expensive. The wine had nice, bright grapefruit and pineapple flavors with a hint of fresh cut grass. It was a beautiful, refreshing wine with a light body and good acidity. It seemed perfect for a hot summer day. At $14, it is definitely worth grabbing a bottle if you see it. Overall: 4 Corks

The Chardonnay had a little more body and a slightly deeper color than the Sauvignon Blanc did. The wine definitely spent some time in oak, although not too much time. It tasted of apples, pears, peaches, and vanilla with a hint of nutmeg and lime on the finish. At $15, this was a nice, medium-bodied chardonnay. You won’t find anything unusual in the taste, but it was a solid, good wine. Overall: 3 Corks

The Cabernet Sauvignon was the newest wine in the organic grape collection, and it was by far my least favorite. It had plum, olive, and blackberry flavors, with a hint of sour cherry on the finish. The wine had strong tannins and medium acidity. At $18, it seemed a little young and just ok. Overall: 2.5 Corks

Once the tasting was over, Alison walked us to the vineyard’s overlook terrace. In order to get to the overlook, we walked past steel fermentation tanks and oak barrels all filled with wine.

We spent some time at the vineyard’s overlook discussing the winery, specifically, and details about Napa terroir, in general. It was a perfect weather and the overlook was beautiful, so it’s no surprise that we spent as much time talking outside as we did.

Finally, we finished our tour of Sterling Vineyards with a ride in gondolas to the bottom of the mountain. From there, we immediately boarded the bus without a chance to purchase any of the wines we just tasted.

Surprisingly, this was the first of many vineyards that never offered us a chance actually to buy anything we tasted. If we had been offered, I definitely would have purchased several bottles of the Sauvignon Blanc, as they would be perfect to bring to a bbq, both because it tasted great and it would have made a great conversation starter to say that I bought them while at WBC09. Oh, well.

Sonoma Grand Tasting at WBC09

$11-$20, $21-$30, $31-$40, $51 and higher, 2.5 Corks, 3 Corks, 3.5 Corks, 4 Corks, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Aug 072009

I admit it, by the time the Sonoma Grand Tasting started, I was a bit overwhelmed. This was my first Wine Bloggers’ Conference, and up until this point, I’d never tasted more than 15-20 wines in one sitting. At the WBC, though, by 5pm there had already been wine tasting in the welcome room, wine tasting at lunch, and wine tasting at the speed tasting, so the Sonoma Grand Tasting was taking me further outside of my tasting comfort zone than I’d even been before. So, I was nervous, but I was also up for the challenge.

The Sonoma Grad Tasting was a roped-off patio area near the pool at the Flamingo Resort. As you can see from the pictures, there were a lot of bloggers in a very small space, but it served as a way for us to get to know each other very quickly. People were standing around talking, eating delicious cheese and spreads with crackers, and of course, tasting 2, 3, or 4 wines from every vineyard at the tasting.

The Grand Tasting was definitely a success for me. I tasted Murphy-Goode wines for the first time and was pleased with what I tasted, as I had never even heard of the winery before the contest for the Really Goode Job. I worked my way through some well-know, affordable everyday wines that I often look at in the wine store, but haven’t had a chance to purchase, as well as tasted some lesser-known, more-unusual wines that were pleasant surprises. While all of the wines were good, none of them knocked me off my feet. Admittedly, I was nervous that I was the only one who felt that way, but after talking with other bloggers throughout the weekend, it seemed that my opinion was shared by others.

My notes from this event aren’t very detailed, but here are some pictures and my overall ratings:

Murphy-Goode Winery (website)
2008 “The Fume” Sauvignon Blanc—$12.50 3 Corks
Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon—$20 3 Corks
2006 “Liar’s Dice” Zinfandel—$21 3.5 Corks

Chateau St. Jean (website)
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon—$30 3.5 Corks
2007 Chardonnay—$25 4 Corks

Souverain (website)
2007 Chardonnay—$13 3 Corks
2007 Merlot—$15 3 Corks

Frick Winery (website)
2006 Cinsault—$26 4.5 Corks
2007 Grenache Blanc—$27 4 Corks

Alexander Valley Vineyards (website)
2004 Syrah—$35 4.5 Corks
2007 Sin Zin—$17 3 Corks
2008 Dry Rose of Sangiovese—$12 3.5 Corks

Dutton Goldfield Vineyards (website)
2006 Sanchietti Vineyard Pinot Noir—$58 3 Corks
2006 Freestone Hill Vineyrd Pinot Noir—$58 3 Corks
2007 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir—$38 3 Corks
2007 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay—$35 2.5 Corks

Speedy Wine Tasting at the WBC09: 4 and 3.5 Cork Wines

$11-$20, $31-$40, $41-$50, $51 and higher, 3.5 Corks, 4 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Aug 062009

As I mentioned in Speedy Wine Tasting at the WBC09, the Wine Bloggers’ Conference attendees had a chance to taste 11 different wines, each within a 5 minute timeframe—a speeding date with wine, if you will. Thank you to all of the wineries that participated. We may not have had a chance to spend a lot of time with your wine, but we all certainly enjoyed the time we had.

Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of every bottle; however, these wines are ones that I would definitely like to spend more time getting to know.

4 Corks

For some reason, I felt particularly rushed when tasting both of these wines. I wish I had a few more minutes to really play with them, but my first impressions left me wanting more.

2006 Clif Bar Gary’s Improv Syrah (winery)
$35
It had nice, strong black fruit flavors, good spiciness, and strong tannins.

2007 Cline Ancient Vines Mourvèdre (winery)
$16
This wine was dominated by spice flavors, mostly cloves, that mixed with black cherries and plums. There were good tannins, and the wine had a nice finish.

3.5 Corks

2005 Rodney Strong Vineyards’ Rockaway Pinot Noir (vineyard)
$75
The 2005 is the first vintage of this wine, and although it wasn’t quite there for me at this stage, it has potential. There were nice raspberry and cherry flavors, but the wine was a little too “hot” and a little too young to be worth $75. If you see it at a lower price point, though, don’t hesitate to grab it.

2005 Snows Lake Two (vineyard)
$45
The Snows Lake Two is 72% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and 28% Cabernet Franc grapes. The wine was a deep purple, with big legs, and it tasted of dark berries and cedar, with a touch of plums. The tannins were soft and balanced well with the acidity and the body. Honestly, it felt more Cab Franc dominated than it actually was. Overall, this wine would be a good choice, particularly paired with food.

2007 Cupcake Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (vineyard)
$13
The wine rep explained that this Cab was trying to be approachable but complex, and I definitely thought it put forward a good effort. The wine was very purple with a nice, creamy berry flavor and a touch of smoke. The body was surprisingly light, and at $13, it seemed like a good wine for a glass after work.

2007 Foggy Bridge Chardonnay (winery)
$18 suggested retail
According to the wine rep, this Chardonnay tries to bridge the gap between oaked and unoaked Chards. 50% of the grapes are barrel fermented, while the rest are put in stainless steel. Additionally, while they don’t have the certification yet, the vineyard hopes to be organically certified by next year. The wine itself had butter, grapefruit, lime, and mineral notes. The woman sitting next to me also mentioned the taste of toasted marshmallow, which I noticed once she pointed it out. Overall, I expected the wine to have stronger flavor characteristics because it underwent malolactic fermentation, but it actually was surprisingly light and crisp. At $18, this is an enjoyable wine that is definitely worth a glass (or two).

Speedy Wine Tasting at the WBC09: 4.5 and 5 Cork Wines

$51 and higher, 4.5 Corks, 5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 1 Response »

Aug 052009

As I mentioned post about Speedy Wine Tasting at the WBC09, conference attendees had a chance to taste 11 different wines, each within a 5 minute timeframe. These wines really stood of for me.

5 Corks

2005 Cornerstone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (winery)
$100
I admit it; this was a winery I was hoping to taste during WBC09. I’ve read numerous reviews of their wines, but admittedly have had a little difficulty finding any. When it turned out to be our last speed tasting wine, I was very excited.

The wine is still on the young side, with a deep purple color that is starting to trend towards ruby. There were good berry flavors that were matched in intensity with fresh cloves and vanilla. Those flavors were followed with a hint of leather. The wine had good, strong tannins. I think the wine has several years worth of aging potential, and if you’re going to drink it now, I recommend decanting the wine, as the wine opened up as I swirl and sipped.

4.5 Corks

Benovia Winery 2007 Savoy Vineyard Pinot Noir (vineyard)
$55
Benovia winery focuses on growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel grapes. The Savoy’s Pinot Noir had nice red berry—raspberry and cranberry—flavors that were followed by some vegetal notes. The wine had good acid, low tannins, and a medium body, which all played well together, although there was something different about it. Overall, it provided a nice, smooth, enjoyable experience.

Speedy Wine Tasting at the WBC09

$10 and lower, $11-$20, $31-$40, $41-$50, $51 and higher, 2.5 Corks, 3 Corks, 3.5 Corks, 4 Corks, 4.5 Corks, 5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 3 Responses »

Aug 052009

Someone at WBC09 described the Live Blogging Wine Tasting event as “speed dating” with wine. For each wine, we had 5 minutes to talk with the representative (usually the winemaker), ask questions, taste the wine, and take notes before the next representative was at our table to start the process all over again. I tasted 11 wines total during the speed tasting. The comparison to speed dating was perfect because 5 minutes was enough time for a quick introduction, a little flirting, and a decision as to whether or not there was enough interest for a follow-up, but definitely not enough time to learn everything there was to offer or to really get a detailed impression. For me, though, there were a couple of differences, mainly that I tried to take pictures and to tweet during the event. I would never do (or at least openly do) either of those things during speed dating. That said, although I took a number of pictures, most of them didn’t turn out, and anyone who follows me on Twitter (@Alleigh) knows that I quickly abandoned my attempt to Tweet in order to spend a little more quality time with the wine.

With that in mind, here is a quick overview of how I rated each wine in this post. In an effort to keep this organized and make my notes more searchable in the future, I’m going to put my tasting notes in separate posts that are organized by rating level.

5 Corks
2005 Cornerstone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (winery)—$100

4.5 Corks
2007 Benovia Winery Savoy Vineyard Pinot Noir (vineyard)—$55

4 Corks
2006 Clif Bar Gary’s Improv Syrah (winery)—$35
2007 Cline Ancient Vines Mouvedre (winery)—$16

3.5 Corks
2005 Rodney Strong Vineyards’ Rockaway Pinot Noir (vineyard)—$75
2005 Snows Lake Two (vineyard)—$45
2007 Cupcake Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (vineyard)—$13
2007 Foggy Bridge Chardonnay (winery)—$18

3 Corks
2007 Lion’s Pride Pinot Noir (website)—$35
2007 Tandem Chardonnay (vineyard)—$54

2.5 Corks
2007 Line 39 Petite Sirah (website)—$10
NV Pinot Evil Pinot Noir (website)—$19.99

Traditional For A Reason

$21-$30, 4 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Jul 222009

For as stressful as last week was, this week has been surprisingly pleasant. Sure, there is a lot to do at work in preparation for taking three days off, but it was clear by mid-day on Monday that everything would fall into place. Granted, I had book club last night, which definitely cut into my travel preparation time, and I also made happy hour and dinner plans for tonight instead of saving it for packing. Overall, though, it hasn’t made a difference because Monday was just one of those successful days. Have you ever had that happen—all of your meetings are productive, all of your projects are on schedule, and, surprisingly, everything suddenly is running smoothly? That was Monday. To make things even better, Hubby prepared and started baking the potatoes for dinner, so by the time I arrived home, I simply had to season the steak and open my wine—a 2006 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon, which I originally purchased to help study for my WSET blind tasting, although never ended up opening.

The 2006 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon (winery, snooth) is an interesting blend of grapes—85% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, 6% Petit Verdot grapes, 3% Syrah grapes, 2% Malbec grapes, 2% Cabernet Franc grapes, 1% Petite Syrah grapes, and 1% Merlot grapes. The color was a nice, deep purple with ruby tints and very noticeable legs. On the nose, there were black cherries, blackcurrant, and blackberries, along with a hint of fennel, all-spice, and cloves. In the mouth, there were very pronounced black fruits—mainly black cherries—mixed with cloves and a touch of cocoa powder. The wine had nice, solid tannins, good acidity, and a lengthy finish, although it was slightly too “hot.”

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely! If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At $26, this wine offers nice complexity, particularly considering how young it still is. Plus, the wine has a bit of diversity, as it drinks well on its own, but also plays well with food. As if all that isn’t enough of a recommendation, while it’s enjoyable now, the 2006 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon is still young, so I think it has some good aging potential. On night one with this wine, I paired it with a grilled lemon-herb salmon and rice, which was a very nice pairing as the fish helped calm the slightly high alcohol. On my second night, I paired this wine with a grilled filet mignon that was simply seasoned and a baked yam. This pairing was a more traditional, but there was clearly a reason why—it was perfection. The Worcestershire sauce on my steak enhanced the spices in my wine to create absolute pleasure in every bite and pure enjoyment in every sip. I will say that three days with the wine, though, was one too many, as by that point, the wine tasted more like Robitussin than it did Cabernet Sauvignon.

Overall: 4

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