Montinore Estate - Willamette Valley - Estate Reserve - Pinot Gris Entre Deux Vineyard

It's been a weird day, and because of that I decided to switch gears. I know I've been reviewing Red wines as of late, but today I'm going to introduce the Pinot Gris grape. A place that is and has been receiving a lot of recognition for this grape varietal is Oregon. The wine I 'm reviewing from Oregon is Montinore Estate in Willamette Valley, Estate Reserve Pinot Gris Entre Deux Vineyard. On the nose of the Pinot Gris, I find Pear, Orange peel, Bananas, and peaches. On the tongue I get a rich wine with great balance of fruit and oak. This wine definitely has a great concentration of fruit. To elaborate, I also catch a finish that lasts very long. Oregon is not the only place producing great Pinot Gris outside of France, but I do believe that it is the place to find a great value in an area of exceptional fruit and great wine makers.

Rendez-Vous Beaujolais Nouveau 2009

Anyone who hasn't tried Beaujolais Nouveau from France, needs to seek a bottle out and expand their palate. Matter of fact Trader Joe's just added a new Beaujolais to their roster in the form of the Rendez-Vous Beaujolais Nouveau 2009, which is the wine I am now drinking. My notes on the Rendez-Vous starts, as always, with the nose. The fragrances that jump out at me consist of only two nuances, flowers and rasberry. I know I normally elaborate on the nose of the wine, but honestly, the only thing is rose petals and rasberry. So, moving right along, the taste consists of sour rasberry which translates from the nose to the palate. Also on the tongue, I get a hint of strawberry, with the rose petals hitting the mid-palate, extending through to the finish. Most of the fruit seems to be concentrated on the sides of the palate, and the finish is nice and long. By itself, this wine may not be for everyone, but try pairing it with pork dishes, turkey, of even ham, and you will understand the potential of this area in France. So, to all reading, live a little, go out and try a wine outside of Bordeaux and Burgandy, then let me know what you think.

La Rareza Prestigio Cabernet-Malbec 2006

Today I decided to travel to Argentina, minus the passport, wonderful food and beautiful eye candy. I'm sitting here in California, tasting a wine that truly reflects Argentina. What's on the menu tonight is La Rareza Prestigio Cabernet-Malbec 2006. On the nose, it seems a little closed, but some of the scents that came across were dark fruit mixed with cranberries. Also, I caught some woody purple paint chips that had me wondering what scents would translate to my palate. So, let's get into it, upon tasting the Cab-Malbec, I first noticed the great concentration on the sides of my tongue. Also, I'm not going to sugar coat the big tannins on the back end, which also took by surprise. Mixed in with the tannins was stone minerality and cranberries on the finish. I also enjoyed the length of the finish, which was a great reflection of the Argentina's terrior. This Cabernet-Malbec is an exceptional wine, which provides the pure fruit from the Malbec grape, but has the girth of the Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine does have one or two low points, but for those who want to understand how wine plays a good part in understanding a lands terroir, try this.

Ramsay - Cabernet Sauvignon - North Coast 2007

So, I've been a away for a while, and I sincerely apologize. I'm not going to bore you with details or excuses of why I haven't written anything in a while, I'm just going to continue where I left off, with a little twist. Wine will continue to flow throughout this website, but the posts will be a bit more concise, and with that I will start. I'm drinking Ramsay 2007 North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon tonight. The Ramsey Cab's nose consists of figs, hint of eucalyptus, strawberry and vanilla. On the palate I get black cherry, some strawberry, and a nice long finish. I also get some light minerality on the finish. All in all, this is a decent wine, not really too much pizzazz, or wow factor but a solid well made wine. If you get a chance, check it out and post your comments. Till then, find your passion and run towards it.

Halloween Dark chocolate pairs with Wine

With the spirit of Halloween I wanted to tie in chocolate. More specifically, dark mint chocolate. Maybe you're asking if I've switched from being a wino to being a foodie? Honestly I like both, but I love wine and of course, this being a wine blog, a pairing was inevitable. So after tasting numerous red wines, and pairing them with Dark mint chocolate, I only found couple that paired modestly. Then I thought, what about a Riesling? The reason being, the Riesling grape has the ability to pull off dry and off dry wines equally. This time I already know which Riesling will pair well. The Chateau Ste. Michelle is very accessible at the price of 10 dollars. When you pair it with, to be specific, the Ghirardelli Intense dark chocolate Mint bliss and this Riesling you get from the chocolate a light bitterness, and a subtle mint. With the wine you pick up green apples, a little spice and a earthiness that pair very well with the mint. This wine also has a spritz of lime and bell pepper, which enhances the good concentrated acid up the middle of the tongue. All in all, if you Halloween goers love Dark mint chocolate, here's a wine that can pair well with your indulgences. So to all you Vampires and Werewolves have fun, and be safe this Halloween while drinking wine.

The Rolling Stone - Best of Friends

Today your humble author has a wierd new twist for the blog. I received a letter, not more than five days ago, from my old friend Tiberius, living somewhere in southern Mexico and traveling freely about the country. The letter was written on a long sheet of papyrus and sealed inside an empty wine bottle, for reasons that have not been made clear.

It seems like a desperate attempt at publicity from this wretched bastard, and perhaps some last-ditch effort to increase the stock of the vineyard he has just invested in.

If for nothing other than the sake of entertainment, here is the letter, in its near entirety, courtesy of Tiberius Wellington Nero:

Dear Jay,

Trapped inside this fucking room with nothing more than a bleeding pen and this rancid shred of papyrus paper that I found in the corner. They must have abandoned me here for two hours already. Something about a drug deal gone bad. I was scouring through the room when I found an unopened bottle of La Redonda Vino Blanco Semi Seco; 2004.

Desperate with panic, I uncorked the bugger and twisted it toward my lips.

The first sip was filled with cork, which I swallowed down heartily. Never use a Swiss Army pocketknife to open a bottle, my friend. But then you already know that.

But back to the wine, eh?

Upon my first real sip, which I have just taken, I feel the zest of lemon, or some kind of sour citrus.

Fuck! The staleness at the tip of my tongue is wretched. Keep going. Tangy now. A twist of some kind of grapefruit. Maybe.

People are familiar with the wines from our Baja Region, but few know of the secret treasures of the cabernet and malbec vino here in Queretaro, Zacatecas and Aguas Calientes,

I am thinking of fish now. Suddenly. Maybe some Halibut or Mackerel. Yes. A squirt of lime with fish would be nice. Always squeeze the lime upward. Keep the seeds out of your food.

Fuck. Open the bottle Jay. Take a whiff of this sweet fruit. Grown right here in the bitter heart of Queretaro. Maybe, just maybe, this bottle will get me through the next few hours. Hopefully less. No one really knows the raw power of the beast. This sickly mead we sip on in the dark hours, when we think no one is looking. But that is for us to know and them to find out, eh? Women may have the call of the siren, but we will always have the upper hand -- as long as we control the booze.

Faster now. Half the bottle is gone, and I still have a ways yet to go on this papyrus. There is a damp, musty smell in this rotten room, and the oak-laden texture of this fucking grape soda is not doing much to help it.

But I apologize. I know better than to refer to wine as grape soda. Especially in front of an old merlot field like yourself.

....................[Edited due to obscene content].......................

Reaching the bottom of the bottle now. Too hazy to focus. I have to get out of this room. Shit, this letter may be the last I write. I am drifting off. Got to preserve it. Stick it in the bottle. I hope this letter reaches you well. Sorry there was no wine left. But

I have always been a liquor-monger.

Keep the Faith.

Yours,

T.W.N.

Dolcetto: Where have you been all my Life.

In the world of wine, some varietals, in my opinion can only be described as sexy. My friends, let me introduce you to Dolcetto (dole-chet-toe). Based out of Italy, this wine is not as big in the United States market, as say it's fellow country grapes; Chianti or Pinot Grigio, but it's just as consistent of a wine. I personally love wines from Italy, and have tasted a good number of them, but because of limited access to Dolcetto, it took me awhile to get a taste of this grape. Well, now that I've sunk my teeth into this wonderful varietal, the word I would use to describe Dolcetto is sexy. And for around 11 dollars, you too can experience a Jonz in your Bonz without even listening to D'angelo (listen to the man's first album, and you'll know what song I'm talking about). The name of the specific bottle I'm reviewing is Bruno Porro San Luigi Dolcetto di Dogiani 2007. The seduction of this wine begins with it's nose which has a beautiful array of rose petals, smeared in candied red fruits such as cherry and strawberry. This Dolcetto also carries with it hints of vanilla and licorice. Now that this Dolcetto has teased your taste buds with a little four-play, it's time to consume it. As this wine embraces your mouth, your palate at the front end, is smothered with pure earthy wild cherries that travels through to the mid into the finish, but as it moves throughout your mouth it's joined by some other distinctive flavors. Joining the previous flavors it also introduces a chalky chocolate component on the transition mid to finish. This wine brings together a number of characteristics that when combined translate into silk throughout your palate. So to all you self-professed wino's out there, go ahead and romance yourself with this smooth as silk wine, I know I will, Cheers!