Storyteller Into the Fog Pinot Noir 2012 Review

Winepress Vintners

Sonoma County

Graton, California, USA

WineFables.com  

On sale at Kroger

For $14.00/ Reg. $21.00

13% abv

Appearance: a translucent crystal red with a deep red core

Aroma: soft and ripe end of the patch berries; as the wine opens there is a hint of floral and a delicate spice note

Flavors: the soft and delicate style continues to the palate with notes of black currant, black raspberry, and a lightly tart cranberry note; a hint of violet evolves with a pinch of of green peppercorn

Mouthfeel: yes, soft and delicate; medium body;

To the Point: a nice wine that you can pick up at the grocery store; probably not one for aging; a very good value wine for under 15 bucks; for 20 dollars and over it’s just okay 

Storyteller Once Upon a Dream 2011 Merlot Review

WX Wine Company

Graton, California, USA

WineFables.com

13% abv

$14.00 at Kroger’s

So, the winery must have changed ownership from 2011 to 2012. WX Wine here in 2011 and on the 2012 bottle the company is WinePress.

Appearance: ruby red and translucent 

Aroma: the spice greets the nose first and then berry note(s) follow(s)

Flavors: red berries that remind me of red currant and red raspberry; peppery spice followed by some alcohol warmth.

Mouthfeel:  thin on delivery; spice on the mid; alcohol warmth on the back and finish; light on the berries; sharp on the tongue

To the Point: for the under 15$ range it is okay; which means I would not buy it again; as a Merlot it is below average; berry notes too simple; overall too simple; the alcohol warmth is too much

Justin Isosceles 2006: Wine Review

Justin Vineyards and Winery
15% abv
86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Merlot – (unfiltered).
Justinwine.com
Sug. Retail: $62.00
6 months barrel aged before blending and then an additional 16 – 18 months oak barrel aging.

After opening you may need to take your pinky finger and wipe the sediment out of the top of the bottle. This bottle has loads of sediment and this is a good thing because it is an unfiltered wine. If it was a filtered wine then I may have a problem. See the sediment pictures at the bottom of this post.

Appearance: deep purple
Aroma: a variety of notes abound, currants, dark cherry, dark berry and fruit along with mocha and a nice smoky note.

Taste: This is yummy and why it is one of my favorite Justin wines. Not only is this a very good bold wine but, it has a soft side that gives it some elegance. Dark cherry, red and black currants, a soft blackberry note, an undertone of tasty vanilla-mocha with a touch of sweet caramel. Oh, that is it I am going to grab a piece of dark chocolate covered caramel. Okay, this is wonderful ... a piece of Kilwin’s dark caramel and a glass of Isosceles. Either take small bites off the piece of caramel or put the whole damn thing in your mouth and either way savor it with each sip of wine. Back to the wine notes. There is a pleasing charred oak and earthiness that brings this all together for one fabulous wine.

Mouthfeel: as I stated above, it has a bold style with a soft side that comes across in an elegant way.

sediment is a good thing here

Oh boy do I love this wine.

Buy, buy, buy.

This wine will age up to 2025 according to justinwine.com. And, I have 4 bottles left that I plan to store till 2016. Wow, this tasted so good it is going to be hard to keep my hands and cork screw off them bottles.

 
 
 

sediment from the bottle

Horse Play Rollicking Red 2005: Wine Review

The blend: Cabernet Sauvignon 44%, Merlot 39%, Syrah 17%
Three of the grapes of Meritage Red Wine
13.8% abv
Vinted and bottled by: Horse Play
Santa Rosa, California, USA
Horseplaywines.com

I picked this bottle up at the local grocery store for only $7.50 a bottle – half off its regular price. I only bought one bottle and got home and tasted it and then went back to buy the remaining bottles. This is a tasty red wine. The aroma has a rich dark berry nose. The taste will not disappoint you. The blackberry and currants are flavorful. The red cherry and plum notes help to balance the lush texture of this wine. The mossy earth, tobacco, and delicate spice undertones help to bring this flavorful wine together.

This is what they have to say on their web site:

“Our debut 2005 vintage was produced from choice grapes grown in Sonoma County and the Central Coast regions of Paso Robles and San Benito County. The outstanding 2005 growing season fostered intense, concentrated flavors in our grapes, greatly enhancing the quality of this robust, yet graceful red, which gained further complexity from five months’ aging in French and American oak.”

Pick up a bottle of this wine if you find it.

Genesis 2007 Meritage

14.4% abv
The Hogue Cellars
Prosser, Washington, USA

This Meritage covers four different grapes from the Columbia Valley region: Merlot 49%, Cabernet Sauvignon 44%, Malbec 6%, Cabernet Franc 1%

The bottle reads, “…juicy berry, cherry and plum flavors and oak, spice and cocoa on the finish.”

I am opening this bottle of wine tonight (11:00pm) to taste it and see if it will be a good match with my filet mignon dinner that I am planning tomorrow.

The first sip seems to have a bite. Little bigger sample and it seems too astringent. This wine needs to breath before sampling. So, I aerate the next sample and swirl it in the glass a little longer and it is still on the harsh side. Maybe, I should have waited another year before opening this bottle – too late, it’s open.

The wine does have a nice dark purple body with some nice ruby highlights on the edges. The aroma is of tart cherry.

I’ll cork it and test it tomorrow. I am going to open another to be ready.

Next day’s notes:

The hash notes are down but, this is a full tasting Meritage wine. Dark strong fruit flavors dominate. I don’t pick up any particular spice or pepper notes. There is a heavy soil earth taste. Overall I am not impressed.