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Archive for March, 2008

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Brutocao Cellars – 2005 Zinfandel & Personal Vineyards Program

Posted by Gabe on March 18, 2008

Today I’ll be looking Brutocao Cellars 2005 Hopland Ranches Zinfandel. But before Personal Vineyardsgetting to that I want to mention a fairly unique program that Brutocao Cellars runs in addition to their world class winery. Personal Vineyards is aimed at those wine lovers who want to become involved in the process. It’s a scaleable club that allows you to base your participation in wine-making at a level of commitment that you’re comfortable with. After joining you might choose to get down and dirty in every step of the winemaking process or you might just make a few key decisions about your wine. Specific vines will be assigned to you based on the varietals you choose. Ultimately the grapes from those vines will be used to make 16 cases of wine that bear a label you have the ability to design yourself. If you’re a wine lover you’ll not only gain hands on experience with one of your passions, you’ll also have a tangible result in the form of wine you can enjoy for years to come and share with friends and family. The Personal Vineyards website has much more detailed information. You can also contact Leslie Bramwell-Smith the Executive Director of this program by e-mail, leslie@personalvineyards.com or phone 1-866-530-4567.

As mentioned, today’s wine is their 2005 Zinfandel. The fruit was sourced from  two separate blocks on their Hopland Ranches Estate. 18% of the wine spent 16 months in new oak. 1850 cases of this Zinfandel were produced and the suggested retail price is $22. Zinfandel

The Brutocao Cellars Zinfandel has a huge nose of jammy candied blackberries, black pepper and subtle mocha notes. This is followed by a mid palate with more dark berry fruit. The finish which maintains the dark fruit also features tingly white pepper and earth character. The Brutocao Zinfandel is big, ripe and in your face, but it also has sufficient acidity and balance to make it a wine you can enjoy with a meal. This zinfandel would be an excellent choice with grilled meats, particularly a rack of baby-back ribs.

For close to 10 years, one of my favorite Zinfandel’s year in and year out has been Cosentino’s CigarZin. So it’s certainly a compliment when I say that the 2005 Brutocao Cellars Zinfanel reminds me of CigarZin. As of this writing Brutocao Cellars has also released the 2006 Hopland Ranches Zinfandel. Production in 2006 was just over 3300 cases making it their largest single varietal bottling to date.  Considering the total production for Brutocao Cellars is 12,000 they’re clearly vested in this great varietal.

Two days and wines into my week long coverage of Brutocao Cellars, the story of their wines is emerging. These are appealing, food friendly wines which are also fairly priced.

Up Next from Brutocao Cellars: Quadriga, a blend of four Italian Varietals

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Brutocao Cellars – 2005 Chardonnay Riserva d’ Argento

Posted by Gabe on March 17, 2008

Back in January at the Sun Wine Fest I tasted many excellent wines. Several of the standout wineries of the weekend were from areas in California that aren’t always on the tip of peoples tongues when they think of picking up a  bottle. In this case, the winery is Brutocao Cellars and the area is Mendocino County. Often times wines from these areas provide better values than the better known regions. During this week I’ll post my impressions of six releases from Brutocao Cellars. In addition to that I’ll touch on some other aspects of what Brutocao Cellars is all about.

425 cases of the 2005 Chardonnay Riserva d’  Argento were produced. It was barrel fermented in French Oak. The retail Chardonnayprice is $25.

Tropical fruit, vanilla spice and an undercurrent of green apple are all present in the nose of this 2005 Chardonnay. The first sip reveals creme brulee notes that are underpinned by toasty oak that is ever-present but does not detract from the fruit. The mod-palate is rich, creamy and opulent. The Risvera d’ Argento’s finish is long and lingering. Spice notes dance on the tongue along with some mineral notes at the wine comes to a close.

My taste in Chardonnay runs towards those made in a Chablis style. I’m happy to say that this release from Brutocao Cellars reminds me more of the wines of Chablis than it does typical California Chardonnay. The Brutocao 2005 Riserva d’ Argento Chardonnay does have plenty of oak on it. But it’s used in a restrained manner that enhances the fruit rather than overwhelming it. As such it’s a wine that’s made to serve with food. Oven roasted chicken would be a perfect accompaniment.

While there are many Chardonnays you could buy in the $25 price-range, I have only found a handful that offer the sort of complexity this one does in that price bracket. That makes this a wine that is well worth it’s retail price. I’d bet it has a couple more years of enjoyable drinking ahead of it.

Up Next: Brutocao Cellars Zinfandel

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Brutocao Cellars

Posted by Gabe on March 16, 2008

BrutocaoAll the wine coverage this week will focus on Brutocao Cellarsfrom Mendocino California. My first experience with their wine was back in January at the Sun Wine Fest in Connecticut. A couple of their wines there impressed me and  I decided to take a closer look. I’ll post reviews of six of their wines this week. Additionally I’ll post information about their wine club and a unique program they have called Personal Vineyards. So please stay tuned all week to read about the wines of Brutocao Cellars.

 

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Smidge Wines – The Donald – Barossa Valley Zinfandel – 2005

Posted by Gabe on March 15, 2008

The DOnaldThe last selection I looked at from Smidge Wines this week is The Donald. It’s a Zinfandel from Barossa Valley. It strikes me as fitting that Zinfandel is starting to emerge from Australia. Many of the characteristics of great Shiraz are reminiscent of great Zinfandel. So it should only be a matter of time before we see significant inroads in the amount of Zinfandel  being produced in Australia. If that’s the case, Smidge Wines will have a leg up as they already produce two Zinfandel’s.

The Donald spent 11 months in 2-4 year oak before being bottled unfiltered. A mere 140 cases of The Donald were produced and it retails for $29.

The nose of The Donald is full of dark berry fruit and mocha notes. The first sip reveals lots of black pepper and spice continuing through a mid-palate that is deep, dark and reminiscent of Bosco due to the mouth-filling chocolate notes that absolutely envelope the palate and explode on the back of the throat with the smooth feel of syrup. The finish has some light toasty notes and more spice accompanied by the ever-present mocha notes that carry themselves throughout The Donald. This is a big, rich and extravagant tasting wine that’s balanced by firm acidity and gentle tannins. A steak would be a terrific match for The Donald as would dark chocolate.

Zinfandel in Australia is essentially in it’s infancy. But Smidge Wines has managed to produce one that is reminiscent of some of the great California Zinfandel’s of the Dry Creek Valley. An area that often sets the benchmark for Zinfandel.

The Donald was tight and a bit tart coming out of the bottle. I recommend decanting it for about 90 minutes to get maximum pleasure when drinking it. Having had Smidge The Wine Australia Festival and again this week I feel strongly about recommending them as one to look out for. A ton of Australian Wine makes it to the Unite States and it’s often hard to navigate through all that’s available. Smidge Wines are one producer that it’s worth going out of your way to find. I’d expect The Donald to drink well at least through 2011.

Coming Up: A Week long look at Mendocino’s Brutocao Cellars

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Smidge Wines – The Adamo – 2005

Posted by Gabe on March 13, 2008

One of the things Smidge Wines has stated they set out to do is make wines that have a sense of place. One of the key things with that is finding the right grapes for each area. It certainly makes sense then that they make a  Barossa Valley Shiraz. Many fine wines have emerged from Barossa, but Shiraz is king there.

Adamo300 Cases of the 2005 Adamo were made. 20% of it spent a year in new French oak. The remainder was aged in 2-4 year old oak. Adamo was bottled unfiltered.

Blackberry and spice lead the nose with leather and cedar notes present but far more subtle at first. The first sip of Adamo reveals lush, rich fruit that has a slight undercurrent of tartness. The tartness subsides as the wine breathes. The mid-palate has dark plum and mocha characteristics accompanied by copious spice notes. The finish, which is substantial in length has cherry and spice notes along with additional mocha that lingers. For a wine with very big fruit upfront Adamo is balanced by a terrific acidity. This wine would go perfectly with a pulled pork sandwich. Failing that, grilled meats in general would be a great match. In fact with Easter coming up, this is a great choice for anyone serving Lamb.

The bottom line is that Adamo is big, rich, opulent and expressive. Smidge Wines has created a terrific expression of Barossa Valley Shiraz. The retail price is $35, and it’s well worth that. I’d expect this wine has at least 5 years of enjoyable drink-ability ahead of it.

The Donald, a Barossa Valley Zinfandel is next from Smidge Wines  

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Smidge Wines – 2005 – The Houdini

Posted by Gabe on March 11, 2008

Smidge Wines is one of a handful of wineries that really stood out for me back in January at the Wine Australia Festival. That in mind, I decided, their wines were well worth a closer look. Over the next couple of days I’ll examine three of their current releases. While Smidge Wines in Australia is a relatively new project, it’s headed by some solid experience in the industry. Matt Wenk who founded Smidge Wines with his Wife Trish is the head winemaker at Barossa’s highly regarded Two Hands. That he decided to focus some of his attention on his own boutique project is a boon for lovers of Australian Wine.

First up from Smidge Wines is The Houdini. This wine is a blend of 50% Shiraz, 25%The Houdini Zinfandel and 25% Merlot. Each varietal was aged separately in neutral oak and blended right before bottling. 330 Cases were produced.

The Houdini’s nose reveals big, rich, dark berry fruit along with some subtler spice notes. As soon as I took the first sip I was hit with cassis and big jammy fruit. The mid-palate has a ton more dark berry fruit accompanied by mocha notes that become more prominent as The Houdini opens up. The finish on this wine is solid and filled with lots of spice and lingering mocha characteristics. This is a well balanced wine with good acidity.

The Houdini drinks pretty well right out of the bottle, but a solid hour in the decanter allows it sufficient time to reveal many of it’s more complex qualities. The 25% Merlot that was blended in provides a solid backbone and some silky textures for this wine, allowing the brighter fruit of the Shiraz and Zinfandel to really shine up front. It pairs well with grilled meats and strong cheeses.

Smidge Wines The Houdini is an easy drinking wine with relatively soft tannins. I wouldn’t expect it to improve much in the bottle, but 2-5 years of enjoyable drinking certainly seem plausible. The Houdini’s most impressive trick is how quickly it disappears from your glass.

The suggested retail price for The Houdini is $24. At that price, this wine is delivers a lot of pleasure.

Up Next from Smidge Wines: The Adamo Barossa Valley Shiraz 

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New York Wine Expo

Posted by Gabe on March 10, 2008

LogoThis weekend I attended the first annual New York Wine Expo. Similar events have take place in Boston and Washington DC for a number of years. The New York City version was held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Friday and Saturday was open to the public for $85 and $95 respectively. The event also took place on Sunday for those involved in the Wine trade in one form or another.

With clearly numbered aisles and good organization it was easy to navigate around the venue and find particular wineries that were listed in program. The wines of a couple hundred producers were represented. Many wine producing regions were featured but Argentina had a particularly large representation. It was easy to see that there is quite a bit of diversity and quality coming out of this South American country, often at a great price. Being a New York event, local wines were also prominently showcased. In addition to those examples wines from Africa, Portugal, Chile among others were also featured along with the countries people traditionally think of when wine comes to mind.

Of particular note were some dessert wines from Cyprus that seemed to find the intersection between Sherry, Port and Madeira. I sampled four different releases and they were each remarkably delicious and distinct in character. A Pinot Noir from Fulcrum Wines of California also stood out. However these are just a few examples. There were a tremendous number of interesting wines to try throughout the weekend.

In addition to wine a few booths were dedicated to exhibiting food products such as cheese, organic snacks and churros. One strange thing for an event of this size was that bottled water was being sold. Most events of this magnitude seem to have a bottled water sponsor who doles out tons of the stuff for free to attendees. That said, regular ice water was available for free throughout the venue.

All things considered this was a very good event for Wine Lovers. The Javitz center has plenty of room and it was well organized and well run. If you missed it, look out for the 2nd annual New York Wine expo in early 2009.

This Week: Three Releases from Australian Producer Smidge Wines.

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La Tunella – 2006 BiancoSesto

Posted by Gabe on March 7, 2008

One of the best whites I had at the Gambero Rosso Italian Wines Roadshow was BiancoSesto by La Tunella. The wine is a BiancoSesto50/50 blend of Ribolla Gialla and Tocai Friulano. Fermentation for this wine was in oak followed by aging in stainless steel vats before bottling.

I found the nose of the wine to be incredibly fresh with a touch of vanilla in it. Mostly it smelled like summer to me. Tasting it was an eyeopener. BiancoSesto is very middle of the road in its taste. And I mean that in the best way possible. It has some of the citrus and crisp freshness associated with Sauvignon Blanc without the tartness some of them feature. The wine is substantial and complex like a fine Chardonnay but does not possess the characters that some overdone Chardonnays sometimes do. Most of all I found La Tunella BiancoSesto to be an impeccably balanced wine with good acidity.

In short BiancoSesto is a very appealing wine to drink both on it’s own and with lighter foods such as soft cheeses, an entree salad or appetizers. If you’re having a dinner party or friends and family over for any event this is a perfect “welcome wine” to greet people with at the door when they walk in. That said it’s also a wine worth pairing with and contemplating over a thoughtfully prepared meal

BiancoSesto by La Tunella retails for approximately $20. For that price it provides a good deal of complexity in such an easy drinking wine. This is a unique experience well worth the money.

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Gambero Rosso – New York City

Posted by Gabe on March 4, 2008

Yesterday was the Gambero Rosso Top Italian Wines Road Show in New York City. It was held at 583 Park Avenue, which proved to be an excellent venue for this type of event.

PlenioThe idea to have the best and highest rated Italian wines from the previous year under one roof, is a terrific one. Over two floors and dozens of tables one well made, well rated and often legendary wine after another was available for tasting. The gamut of Italian wines from traditional Chianti, Barberesco, Barolo etc were poured alongside the relatively newer Super-Tuscans and single varietal bottlings of things such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and the like.

One of the most interesting tastings of the day for me was a 3 year vertical of Verdicchio. The years on hand were 2002-2004. All three vintages were unique and interesting. However the 2002 was for my palate the one to drink now. It has achieved a minerality and subtlety that the younger vintages have yet to achieve. This was proof for anyone who tasted through them that some Italian whites can age very well. In fact for me the 2002 Umani Ronchi Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva Plenio (imported by Bedford International) was one of the top two or three White Wines of the event. Considering the great wines being poured that says a lot.

There were approximately 170 of the best Italian Wines being poured yesterday. To get to all of them would have been impossible. That being the case I made my way around in a leisurely fashion throughout both floors and made a point to taste some wines such as Tignanello that I was already familiar with. But I made even more of an effort to seek out wines that I was previously either unfamiliar with or only knew by reputation. I should be covering some of these hear in the not too distant future.

The bottom line is that Italy is producing some of the best wines in the world. Overall quality across price levels was impressive. If you have a way to beg, borrow or steal your way into a future Gambero Rosso tasting, it’s highly recommended.

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Ashton Shepherd Debut Release Out Tuesday

Posted by Gabe on March 2, 2008

Ashton ShepherdASHTON SHEPHERD TO RELEASE SOUNDS SO GOOD MARCH 4

DEBUT SINGLE “TAKIN’ OFF THIS PAIN” TOPPING CHARTS

NASHVILLE, TN – MCA Nashville will release Ashton Shepherd’s debut record Sounds So Good, produced by Buddy Cannon (Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire), March 4.  Shepherd co-wrote 10 songs for the 11-track album, 7 of which she single-handedly penned, including the debut single “Takin’ Off This Pain”.

Wise beyond her years, the Alabama native began performing at an early age.  She taught herself guitar and won a contest that awarded her an opening spot for Lorrie Morgan, which drew attention from Nashville.

“Right after I got the record deal, I was asked how many original songs I had,” Shepherd recalls.  “I said, ‘About 150.’”

“I started singing as soon as I could talk,” commented Shepherd.  “I entered my first country showdown when I was eight years old.  As soon as I was big enough to write on paper, I was coming up with stuff.  I’ve got notebooks where I was writing down songs when I couldn’t even spell correctly, from the time I was five, six, seven years old.  A pinch before I turned 15, I started playing.  When I picked up the guitar, the songs just started pouring out, just one after the other.” 

For more information on Ashton Shepherd, log on to www.ashtonshepherd.com .

Check out some of her music here.

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