Blue Water Dry Riesling 2009: Review

Blue Water Winery

Carsonville, Michigan, USA

In the Thumb of Michigan 

Bluewaterwinery.com

12% abv

$14.00

Appearance: Light straw with a yellow hue

Aroma: green apple

Flavors: green apple tartness, citrus zip with a lemony touch

Mouthfeel: very dry and has a little pucker power.

To the Point: if you like it dry, this should work for you.  

Blue Water Semi-Dry Riesling 2009: Review

Blue Water Winery

Bluewaterwinery.com

Carsonville, Michigan, USA

12% abv

$14.00

Appearance: light straw

Aroma: green apple and a hint of cat pee.

Cat pee is an old term that they don't use anymore. I think they call it guava now.  

Flavors: a mix of green and red delicious apple flavors, touch of pear and a hint of sweet nector

Mouthfeel: it lives up to the name ‘semi-dry’

To the Point: I would try this again.  A decent Riesling for the money. 

Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2008: Review

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley

Rutherford, California, USA

Caymus.com

15.2% abv

Appearance: a very pretty dark purple

Aroma: dark berries; blackberry dominates, nice oak and brown spice

Flavors: dark berries; black currants, black plum, and let’s throw in a little black cherry.  Then there is a swirl of vanilla-caramel-oak in the mix here on the first glass.  A touch of tart cranberry on the finish.

Mouthfeel: smooth and supple texture.  The sweet notes hit the front and then a touch of spice in the mid and then a light tartness on the finish.  A long linger aftertaste of dark berries and a light touch of vanilla. 

To the Point:  I have to say on the first two or three sips I was a little concerned.  The vanilla-caramel note was smack in my face and the rest of the flavors seemed to be hiding in the background.  After swirling the glass for a minute or two I must have called all the flavors to order. 

So, decant this bottle for a little bit and the flavors should all be inline and ready to enjoy.  

J. Lohr 2008 Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon: Review

J. Lohr Winery

Produced at Paso Robles, California

Bottled at San Jose, California

Jlohr.com

13.5% abv

78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Sirah, 4% Syrah, 3% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cab Franc, 1% other reds

$20.49 a bottle – I believe I bought this bottle about this time last year at the local Kroger grocery store.

Visit this link to read about this wine -

http://www.jlohr.com/wines/estates/cabernet-2008

The last few wines just have not done the trick.  Today, I opened a Norton 07 Malbec before dinner and it had to be one of the worst Malbecs that I have ever had.  Needless to say, I watered the grass with that bottle.  I sure hope I have a winner here.

Appearance: this is one dense wine color; deep, deep garnet; almost black; by the color I say I am in for a treat.

Aroma: cherry and berry like and I cannot put my finger on the other note but, the aromas come together for a nice and light bouquet.  I thought it would be a little bolder from the appearance.

Here is what they say on the bottle for the aroma, “cherry, blueberry, violet, and vanilla.”

Flavors: Oh, this is nice, see what they say about the aroma; well that is what I taste.  Fresh cherry and blueberry with a touch of black currant, then there is a touch of violet on the mid-palate and a hint of vanilla that swirls around. 

On the second glass the wine starts to open up a little with a light toasty oak and a soft dark berry note coming through – along with the other tasty notes from before.

Mouthfeel: super sexy smooth

My Strength Rating: 4 – mild-medium

To the Point: to me not that complex but, it is very tasty and it does have a very light bouquet.  This would be a good choice before dinner; maybe an everyday wine; having a few friends over – serve this J. Lohr Cab.

If you were going to have this with dinner I would pair this with a Barbeque glazed salmon, pecan encrusted rainbow trout, a lighter meat like filet mignon straight up or with a cherry sauce.  

Chateau Grand Traverse Gamay Noir 2008

Reserve Gamay Noir

Old Mission Peninsula

Cgtwines.com

Traverse City, Michigan, USA

On the back of the bottle they describe the wine as, ‘aromatic and fruity with distinct tart cherry, red plum and black pepper flavors.’

I have to agree with what they have written here - The nose is aromatic, fruity and I am going to add spice to bouquet.  The tart cherry, red plum and a fine grind black pepper shows through on the flavor profile.  The appearance is a shiny crimson color.  The mouthfeel seems thin at times and I feel like something is missing with each sip.  Maybe I am picking up a watery edge that is interfering with the structure of the wine and that is making wine seem uninteresting.

Let me come back to this bottle in a day or two.

Two days later:

That watery edge seems to be gone.  Today, the flavors are melding together.  Besides the tart cherry, red plum and fine grind black pepper I am going to add cedar today.  There is a little cedar spice mixing in with the black pepper spice.  There is a lingering earthy and cedar tone on the palate.  Two days ago there was nothing on the aftertaste but, sheer boredom dancing alone on my tongue.   

This wine needs time to breath after opening. 

  

Uppercut Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 and Gurkha Ancient Warrior Cigar: Pairing

Uppercutwine.com

Napa Valley

Time to visit an old friend.  I reviewed this wine, with a lamb dinner, back in 2010.  I have not had it since (the wine – okay that too), so let’s see how it is aging.

Here is what I had to say on that review on that cold November night back in 2010.

“On the nose there are dark berry fruits with some spice.  The taste has a good blackberry and dark cherry taste but, the alcohol gives a bit of a burn.  So, this wine needs to be decanted to help it to open up.”

Today, I opened the bottle and poured a glass and this wine tastes perfect right off the bat.  The nose has rich boysenberry and juicy blackberry along with a hint of sweet caramel.  Don’t get me wrong this is not a sweet wine.  The alcohol had a bite on the palate back in 2010 and it is not present today.  The wine has aged gracefully.  The taste is just yummy; with notes of dark juicy berries, sweet black cherry, along with a hint of mocha and a swirl of caramel. 

Back in 2010 there was a peppery profile and a dark chocolate style as well, today I do not notice any peppery notes (yet) and the dark chocolate is more of a mocho.  The mouthfeel is more sophisticated and silky smooth. 

Damn, I had a big 8oz filet mignon, for dinner, which was to die for.  I used a coffee bar b-q rub with espresso vinegar on the filet.  Wow, it was just great.  I believe this wine would have been perfect with that dinner.    

I am pairing this wine with a terrific cigar as my after dinner desert.  I have the Gurkha Ancient Warrior which I think is one of the best cigars to pair with a red wine.  The Kristoff Maduro is one great stick to have with a red wine as well. 

The Ancient Warrior Cigar has a tasty forest floor style with notes that remind me of mineral soil, hardwood, sweet toasted vegetation; along with a rich black bread tone. 

The wine and the cigar play off of each so well.  The forest floor likeness of the cigar mingles with the wines juicy berries for an excellent experience.  The Russian bread note from the cigar just soaks up the wines hint of caramel and mocha. 

I am getting down to the final third of the cigar and I do not want this experience to end.  It is just like a passionate night of hot sex (which I know nothing about – I am a married man you know) but, you just don’t want it to end from what I can remember. 

The description on the bottle of wine sounds wonderful, “…an elegant, dark-fruit character and velvety texture. The rich, expansive flavors abound with lush blackberry, black cherry and cocoa expressions, while hints of caramel and spice from barrel aging linger on the fruit-imbued finish.”

Cipriana Bolgheri Rosso 2008: Review

Azienda Agricola Cipriana

Italy

13.5% abv

$55.00 restaurant price

All I could find out about this bottle is that it’s a Bordeaux blend with a Cabernet Sauvignon focus

Appearance: ruby

Aroma: Blackberry, leather, spice

Flavors: Blackberry bite, earthy soil likeness – it’s like you can taste the soil the vines grow in, not that complex

Mouthfeel: moderate acidity, nice tannins, thick berries coat the palate,

To the Point: in its simplicity it has a bit of sophistication to the mouthfeel.  Decent for the price. 

Layer Cake Shiraz 2009: Review

Pure Love Wines

McLaren Vale, South Australia

Layercakewines.com

14.9% abv

Opening Day

Appearance: deep purple

Nose: moderate berries and dark cherry

Flavors: big juicy sweet dark cherries and boysenberry.  This is all berries. 

Mouthfeel: smooth, lingering what? Yes, sweet berries. 

My Strength Rating: 4

To the Point: Not what I think a Shiraz would taste like.  It’s too sweet and nothing but berries.  I have enjoyed this wine in the past (other vintages) but, I am glad I didn’t buy any extra of this one. 

Didn’t change much the next day.  

Amalaya 2009 Malbec: Review

Bodega Amalaya

Valle Calchaqul, Salta, Argentina

14% abv

Blend: Malbec blend

Malbec, Cab. Sauv., syrah, tannat

Amalaya means ‘hope for a Miracle’

On the bottle: “Cherry and boysenberry with nuances of flowers and white pepper, while the palate is full and long with hints of vanilla…”

Appearance: dense purple with a purple rim

Flavors: sweet black cherry with a sweet vanilla cream swirling through; some light dark berries – like boysenberry or mulberry and they are juicy,

This does not make me think of a Malbec.   It’s nice and interesting. 

Mouthfeel: kind of creamy, smooth, tannins are under control and the acidity is nice. 

The next two days the mouthfeel developed a leathery feel and it was not as sweet. 

To the Point: Looking for an interesting wine this is decent for the price.  Looking for a good Malbec there are better ones out there.  Open the bottle and let it stand for a couple of hours and then cork it and serve it the next day. 

St. Innocent Pinot Noir 2009: Review

St. Innocent Winery

Salem, Oregon, USA

Temperance Hill Vineyard

Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA

Stinnocentwine.com

$55.00 from a restaurant

Wine aged in  26% new French oak barrels for 16 months. 

Appearance: good looking dark cherry with reddish highlights.

Aroma: this is fruity, sweet cherry, red raspberry

Flavors: this is a juicy fruit Pinot Noir, lots of fresh red berries like red raspberry, a hint of strawberry and touch of red currant, throw in a nice dose of sweet dark cherry and a touch of vanilla along with a silky smooth mouthfeel. 

Mouthfeel: the acidity is low, there is a mineral like quality, silky smooth texture, a touch of oak on the finish and aftertaste, mostly red berry like aftertaste, along the way I get a hint here and there of a light spice box.    

To the Point: While it has a very nice red berry taste it just seems to lack depth, character, and complexity.  Have this with lighter fare.  Their web site says this vintage can be aged for eight years.  

Zen of Zin 2008: Review

Old Vine Zinfandel

Ravenswood

Sonoma, California, USA

13.5% abv

Zinfandel blended with: petite sirah, syrah, and carignane added

Appearance: deep purple body with purple highlights

Aroma: mulberry, slightly inky, black licorice,

Flavors: dark berries, mild toffee flavored coffee with cream, thick earthy tone, little milk chocolate like, oak,

Mouthfeel: fairly smooth, blackberry like bite on the back of the palate, lingering berry and earth notes. 

As the wine opens up I think the aroma becomes a little sweeter and the taste a little juicier. 

My Strength Rating: 5.5 – the berries and the earthy tones help to give it a good medium body

To the Point: a pretty decent Zinfandel and worthy to purchase a bottle to give it a try.  For under 15 bucks you can’t go wrong. 

Peninsula Cellars Merlot-Cabernet Franc 2007 Reserve

Peninsula Cellars

Old Mission Peninsula

Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Peninsulacellars.com

$30.00 a bottle

13% abv

34% Cabernet Franc and 66% Merlot

2 ½ years barrel aged

The cork looks in a little ruff shape.  See the picture below.  I hope the wine is not corked. 

Appearance: rich crimson

Right after opening

Aroma: dark berries, earthy tones, oak

Flavors: dark berries, tart cranberry, earthy tones, oak

Mouthfeel: bit of an alcohol note, acidity a little strong, tannins are at work

Let me decant this wine for a half hour.

Didn’t change much.  Overall I found it uninteresting. 

Click here to read about the Cab-Merlot by Peninsula Cellars

Syrah Le Pousseur 2007: Review

Bonny Doon Vineyard

Santa Cruz, California, USA, Earth

13.5% abv

$16.20

It has been a long time since I have had a Bonny Doon Wine.  Back around 2000 they were growing and growing fast.  One day at the doctor’s office I was reading a wine magazine and it had an article about the Bonny Doon owner downsizing because – he wanted to.  He wanted to spend more time in the field between the grape vines and less time marketing his wines. 

Appearance: Purple with a pretty purple rim

Aroma: light, very light, is my glass empty?, did I not pour the wine?, it’s in there but it sure is the lightest bouquet I have ever experienced.

What am I in for?

Flavors: okay, it’s tasty, nothing wrong here so, let’s get to it.  Nice juicy dark berries, a hint of cherry, earthy – soil like, this is strange with the lack of aroma. 

I like the taste that I am experiencing but, I feel like I am being cheated – I know there is more

Mouthfeel: seems to have a nice medium body but, I think I am missing a few notes or flavors due to the lack of aroma and I think that would give me a different read on the overall texture, 

Okay, I’ll light up a cigar and finish this glass while I decant some of the wine in preparation of dinner. 

My Strength Rating: 4.5 – medium body – the wine never opened up – I felt cheated.

To the Point: a bit disappointing, the flavors are nice but, they could be more with a nice bouquet

Muscedere 2010 Riesling vs Bower Harbor 2010 Riesling

Michigan Riesling vs. Ontario Riesling

First Up: Muscedere Vineyards 2010 Riesling

Coming from: Harrow, Ontario, Canada

Muscederevineyards.com

11.8% abv

$16.00 a bottle

Appearance: bright straw

Aroma: very faint, fresh apple, and let’s call it sweet apple blossom.  You will have to swirl that glass a bit and get the nose down in there. 

Flavors: a mix of fresh apple, maybe a touch of tart apple, and the acidity is giving it a little citrus squeeze. 

Mouthfeel: the acidity is a touch more than I would expect and it comes across like a citrus note. 

To the Point: I don’t know if I would guess Riesling here but, it is a tasty little white wine.  The more I drink it the more I like it.  I would pair this with shellfish – lobster, shrimp, and mussels – oh yes; cook some mussels with this that would be perfect. 

Why would I not guess Riesling?  I think for one it is the apple focus and not peach like and I am not picking up that classic petrol or mineral like quality.  So what – pick up a bottle and you’ll like it. 

Next up: Bowers Harbor Vineyards 2010 Riesling

Coming from: Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Langley Vineyard on Old Mission Peninsula

Bowersharbor.com

10.5% abv

$19.00 a bottle

Appearance: looks just like the Ontario wine – a bright straw color

Aroma: oh, that nice touch of mineral or the good old term of petrol,

Flavors: white peach like on the delivery, washed stone mineral note, a little honeysuckle, just a wee hint of citrus (actually, I think that is more on the aftertaste) and a sweet finish with a touch of petrol on the aftertaste. 

Mouthfeel: a nicely balanced white wine, the acidity seems undercontrol, a lingering touch of sweet citrus with a hint of petrol

To the Point: a nice display of the Riesling grape, very tasty and I think I’ll do this with my fish dinner tonight.