2003 Carema

Last night I tried a bottle of the 2003 Carema from Cantina Produttori Nebbiolo di Carema. This wine is from the northwest region of the Piedmont section of northern Italy. This area is mainly known for its outstanding Barolos and Barbarescos. The grape for all of these wines is the nebbiolo. While the Barolo and Barbaresco are fuller wines, the Carema is a medium bodied, less tannic wine that is grown higher in the Italian Alps. The aroma is sweet like strawberries and roses. A very fruit forward wine with tastes of raspberries and plum. It had a long enjoyable finish. For half the price of a nice Barolo,try this Carema 2003. This will cellar nicely and only get better. Paired very nicely with pork but will be great with most meats and pasta.

Sula Sauvignon Blanc 2007

This weekend we had dinner with our friends to celebrate their Indian Christmas and they introduced us to Sula, meaning sun. We drank the 2007 sauvignon blanc and boy were we surprised. The wine had great floral aromas and crisp citrus flavors like a nice Californian Sauvingon Blanc. The acidic finish was refreshing and long. I would not have thought of India as a wine region. This winery was started by a Stanford grad who left his job at Oracle in Silicon Valley and moved back to India to build a winery. In fact, it was the first winery in India. Today there are 30 wineries in India. Give this a try if you can find it. Look for the sun on the label.

Villalta Amarone Della Palpolicella

The 1999 Vilalta Amarone was a very nice medium to full bodied wine with some raisin and prune aromas and a blackberry and raisin taste. Nice long finish with smooth tannins. Grapes include corvina, rondinella, molinara and rossignola. Great for grilled meats. It is best to decanter this wine for up to 2 hours before serving. I have had this in my cellar for a few years so I'm not sure what it retails for today ($70-$80). It is stored in oak barrels for 4 years and in the bottle for 1 year before being released to the stores. I have a few more bottles of this wine to finish.

Domaine Ostertag

The 2004 Fronholz Muscat by Domaine Ostertag in France was disappointing. It had a very pale color with a small amount of lime smell. Not the typical Muscat. There was very little fruit flavor and quite dry with NO finish. Some oak present. PASS!!

Bleasdale Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2005 Bleasdale Cabernet from Australia is a medium bodied cabernet that has aromas of currants, cranberry and cedar. The vintner also says mint and eucalyptus. The wine is fruit forward with blackberrys and and has subtle tannins with a decent finish. My wife and I both felt it was ok, but would not run out to buy it any time soon. Retails for about $16. Rated 90 points by the International Wine Cellar and 89 points by the Wine Advocate. These are generous ratings.

Liberty School Cabernet

The 2005 Liberty School cabernet sauvignon from Paso Robles, CA is a medium-bodied cab that has a subtle chocolate covered cherries aroma with a hint of spices. The fruity cherry and blackberry taste along with a peppery back-end taste is nicely combined with soft tanins. No need to cellar. This is nothing spectacular but if you are looking for an easy-drinking cab, give this a try. I prefer big cabs but this one is OK. I would drink it with burgers, pork or cheeses. I would not pair it with a nice grilled steak. Retails for about $14.

Lois Gruner Veltliner

As I mentioned in my Zweigelt write-up, Austria has been producing some very good wines. The 2007 Lois Gruner Veltliner by the Loimer winery is one of my favorite Gruner Veltliners. It has a very crisp aroma of green apples, pineapple and honey dew. Along with the citrus, there is a spicy/peppery taste. This is a wonderful summer wine that can be paired with many foods or just enjoyed with some appetizers. Retails for about $15. GREAT VALUE for this wine. We have been a big fan and buyer of the Lois.

Chappellet Mountain Cuvee

The 2005 Mountain Cuvee by Cappellet is a blend of 57% cabernet, 41% merlot and 2% petit verdote. The nose was blackberry, cherry, vanilla and coffee. This was a fruit forward blend with flavors of cherry, blackberry and plum. There is some oakiness to this ink colored wine as well. It is a full-bodied and complex wine, but the finish is not very exciting. This wine is similar to the Bordeaux blends and needs to open up, BUT FAR FROM A TRUE BORDEAUX. Wine Enthusiast gave this a 90 point rating and I would tend to agree, although it's agressive. Put it away for a few more years.

Baron De Magana 2004

The 2004 Baron De Magana is a red wine from northern Spain that is a blend of 40% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 20% tempranillo. It has a dark sherry red color with aromas of flowers and roasted coffee beans according to the vintner. I also picked up some smokey toast and currants. My first tastes were cherrys and blackberries, followed up with some spicy currants. The climate in this region makes for richer, fuller wines with sweeter and more polished tannins. Open this wine early as it really needs to open up. An interesting wine that I will try again. I think this wine could be stored away for another 5 years and it will be an outstanding wine. The 2004 Baron De Magana retails for about $17. The Wine Advocate rated this a 90.

Leo Hillinger Zweigelt

Austria has been producing some very nice wines lately. On the white side, try the Gruner Veltliners. I really like the Lois. On the red side, try the Zweigelts. While traveling in Europe, we got turned onto this type of grape and wine. The Heinrich Zeigelt is a terrific wine. But last night we had a bottle of the 2005 Leo Hillinger Zweigelt. This is the second time we have opened a Hillinger and was very pleased both times. The wine has a ruby red color and has a spicy cherry and raspberry berry nose, which is common in the Zweigelts. The taste is fruity with the berries and I picked up a hint of blackberry on the back. The tannins were smooth and overall a very vivacious wine. No need to cellar. Great value for $18-$20. High recommendation for Austrian wines.

Oceana Riesling 2007

Last night I decided to try something new. I paired a bottle of wine with spicy Chinese food. Your first thought might be tea or Tsing Tao (beer). I was thinking a gewurztraminer because of the spicy peach and ginger flavors. However, the 2007 Oceana Riesling from the Oceana Estates Winery in Monterey County was suggested by my local wine store. It also had some peach aroma but it was being overpowered by a fig newton cookie smell. The wine was quite dry and sweet with the peach and citrus flavors. Interesting blue bottle with a mermaid logo but it will not entice me to buy another bottle, especially at $20. I think the Gewurz would have been a better selection, or a French Riesling or an Alsace. Don't be afraid to try wine with spicy ethnic foods.

Honig Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Honig is a small family-run solar-powered winery in Napa Valley CA that specializes in Sauvignon Blanc. The 2007 Sauvignon Blanc is a nice light-medium bodied white wine that has a mango and grapefruit nose with a small scent of lemon. The citrus flavors are combined nicely along with some lemongrass and melon. Although we served this with appetizers, this would go nicely with fish. There are better sauvignon blancs, but try this for a change-up. Not as crisp and light as most sauvignon blancs, but still refreshing on a warm day. Sells for about $14.

Esperance Soleil Colombard 2007

This is a cheap ($10) white wine from South Western France that is made from 100% colombard grapes. This flowery grape is typically used for materials to be distilled for Cognac or for mixing with other varietals. Don't waste your money. PASS!!!

Mirassou, 2005 Chardonnary (Monterey Cty, CA)

This wine was just what I was looking for on a warm summer evening set for some relaxation. This is a very light, fruity wine. I think this wine would be great for the amateur wine drinkers like myself. It's described as "offering crisp flavors of peach, apricot, and green apple with hints of tropical fruit and vanilla". For me, it tasted perfect on the first sip. I'm not sure where we picked this bottle up, but their website priced it at a low $11/bottle. When I found that out, it made the bottle all the more enjoyable!

Luigi Bosca Reserve Pinot Noir

The 2006 Pinot Noir is a medium-bodied wine that has smokey cherries and raspberries on the nose with red berries, cinnamon and chocolate in taste. I also had a minty taste on the back. It is very dry and the tannins are firm. The Bosca reserve was aged 6-8 months in French oak barrels. Jay Miller from the Wine Advocate rated this 89 points. I think it is a decent pinot but he was generous. I would say 87 may be a safer score. Pair this with some light foods or cheeses.