Rosenblum - 2006 Black Muscat

When deciding on an after dinner drink, one to go with our pies at Thanksgiving, we chose to try the 2006 California Rosenblum Cellars Black Muscat Gallagher Reserve. This dessert wine was produced from the rare Black Hamburg grape. A rich chocolate and cherry flavor made for a nice dessert wine. This is a small sipper, as a little will do you with this 16.8% wine. I am not one for a sweet wine, but this was a nice way to end the night with our dessert. If you haven't already, try this Muscat and enjoy.

Stone Wolf Vineyards - 2006 Pinot Noir

For those who have not heard of, or tried any wine from, the Willamette Valley of Oregon is the up and coming Napa Valley (still in its infancy). Willamette Valley actually made a top 10 list, ranked number 6, destinations for 2009. A destination for wine lovers to try before it is the next high priced, tourist destination.

Along with our BBQ Turkey for Thanksgiving (which turned out fabulous), we enjoyed the Stone Wolf Vineyards (http://www.stonewolfvineyards.com/) 2006 Pinot Noir. I am not a big fan of Pinot as they tend to be very simple red wines. This Pinot was a complex, medium bodied red that paired well with our turkey. Priced at $18-$20, this is a wonderful wine, one to be enjoyed as a starter to the night or with your dinner - or just to drink for no other reason. I was surprised by this one, and would recommend trying this along with others from the Willamette Valley.

Da Vinci Chianti Riserva 2004

The 2004 Riserva is an exceptional medium bodied wine made up of 100% Sangiovese grapes. The nose is very fruity, although somewhat smokey, along with a slight hint of cinnamon. The taste is very fruit forward with plum and cherry and nice soft tannins that give this wine great balance. No need to cellar. Enjoy it now. Would pair nicely with grilled meats, but bettter with lasagna. Wine Spectator gave this a 91 pint rating. I have to agree with them. This wine retails for about $23. If you have never been to Tuscany in October for grape harvesting, put it on your things to do.

Peju - 2003 Cab

If you haven't had a chance, I recommend trying Peju Winery...this family owned, boutique winery in the Rutherford area of Napa produces a very nice Cab, along with a zin and their Provence which is a nice every day wine.
We opened a 2003 Cab this weekend with our friends for an early Thanksgiving dinner. The 2003 Cab is a library wine, currently on Peju's website at $65/bottle (although it is sold out). The website describes this wine as having aromas of bing cherry, vanilla, clove, blackberry, black pepper, creme de cassis, toast, roasted coffee, fresh herbs and green olive. big, rich and round on the palate, displaying flavors of black cherry accented with toast and campfire notes.
This was a smooth cab that was full of flavor. Put this on your list of wines to try.
If you are in Napa, this is also a nice winery to visit. They have a beautiful tasting room and an area to enjoy a picnic. For more on Peju, visit their website at http://www.peju.com/.

2007 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc - Viognier

Pine Ridge winery was the first CA winery to develop this blend (80% chenin blanc and 20% viognier) several years ago and the 2007 is excellent. It is a medium bodied wine with nice pear, melon and citrus aromas and pear, green apple and citrus taste. There is a hint of grapefruit on the back with nice refreshing acidity. This is a great wine for appetizers or a salad. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave this a 90 point rating. I may have to go slightly higher. This is a $10-$12 wine that is better than some of the $20-$25 wines I have had. Highly recommend this wine, especially at this price.

Plenum Quartus 2001

This summer while having dinner in Porlezza Italy overlooking Lake Lugano, the sommelier recommended a bottle of 2001 Plenum Quartus by Dievolo. It is a 50% sangiovese and 50% Touringa Franca mix that is medium to full bodied with an intense plum aroma and a berry taste with some light spices and soft tannins. This is a very nice wine if you can find it. We specially ordered it for $35/bottle and enjoyed the first bottle this weekend from the wood box that every 6 bottles come in. This wine would pair nicely with grilled meats or an italian risotto.

Firiatta Chiaramonte 2005

The Chiaramonte is a Sicilian wine made of 100% Nero D'Avolo and is a medium bodied wine that has a nice deep purple color with a nose of prunes and raisins. On the palate, I picked up some peppery cherries and some chocolate on the back with some really soft tannins. I paired this with a grilled chicken and herbs. It would go well with most grilled meats and would also go nicely with pasta. It retails for about $15. Give this one a try. We really enjoyed this wine.

Domaine De Fenouillet

We had a bottle of the 2005 Cotes Du Ventoux from Domaine De Fenouillet this weekend and it received two thumbs down at our house. It is a medium bodied Pinot Noir from France that had a fresh berry nose but lacked taste and substance. Retails for about $12. PASS!!!!

Castle Vineyards - 2003 Zinfandel

Castle Vineyards is located in the town of Sonoma, CA. The winery is a small boutique winery. I received this bottle more than a year ago through a wine club. The wine was pale in color compared to most Zin's. There was no definition in flavors. Just a bland red wine. I was not impressed. This may work in a pinch for cooking wine, but not worth drinking at roughly $20. Go on to the next bottle.

Girard Chardonnay 2006

We are not big Chardonnay drinkers but are VERY BIG Girard fans. Their Petite Sirah is fantastic and the sauvignon blanc is very good. Bill, from BevMax, had ordered some after I told him how much I liked Girard. Suprisingly, I liked the Chardonnay also. It is a light to medium bodied wine from the Russian River Valley in CA and has a peach (white peach) aroma with soft citrus flavors and a hint of oak. Nice with appetizers or just by itself. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave it a 90 point rating in August. It is currently sold out at the winery. Girard wines are hard to find but are worth the search. If you are a chardonnay drinker, give it a try. It retails for about $22.

2007 Alamos Seleccion Malbec

Argentina has been getting a lot of press about the nice Malbecs they have been producing. This weekend we served the 2007 Alamos Seleccion Malbec which is a nice medium to full bodied wine that has a spicy blueberry nose with a hint of vanilla. The wine has rich blackberry and cassis flavors along with soft tannins. We have served this numerous times and it has been consistantly good. Our favorite malbec. Wine Spectator scored this a 90. Retails for $13. We highly recommend the 2007 Alamos Seleccion Malbec.