While we have tasted Pinot Noirs from California before, this one was a gathering of only those from the Central Coast, the large region of appellations roughly south of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles in California. Our winner was a near-unanimous favorite, out-scoring the second place bottle by 19 points, and exhibited […]
War of the Central Coast Pinot Noirs Read More »
The July tasting was a comparison of sparkling wines from three states in the union, with a broad array of flavors and styles. Tasters were pleased about the wines, as they showed remarkable diversity, and overall high quality. Every bottle received at least a few points. The winner was a consistently excellent bubbly from
Domestic Bubbly Battle Read More »
This was our third tasting of Washington wines, and except for one bottle, we were impressed by the depth of flavor and diversity of these wines. It was difficult to vote. Indeed, the top two wines were separated by only one point, with the third place wine not far behind. The winner showed real
Washington Syrah Showdown Read More »
The Sonoma County appellation encompasses a very large area, and includes some very prestigious sub-appellations, such as Alexander Valley and Chalk Hill. The region is diverse in landscape, and importantly is less famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon than its neighbor to the east, Napa Valley. This is important, because along with less familiarity comes lower
Sonoma Cabernet Clash Read More »
This month’s wine tasting was unusual for many reasons. First, that two people brought the same exact wine; second, that every wine came from the same vintage; and third, that there were three guest tasters. Overall, we were surprised at how much diversity these wines had, and decided that these were all good values
Oregon Pinot Gris Battle Read More »
Nearly two years ago, we tasted Washington Merlots. This month, we tested wines from the same state, but switched to Cabernet Sauvignon. All the wines of this tasting were produced by the Chateau St. Michelle wine company (formerly known as Stimson), which owns Columbia Crest, Northstar, Col Solare, and others. It is the largest
Washington Cabernet Clash Read More »
It’s often said that in California, Cabernet is King. While Cabernet Sauvignon currently gets the most attention in the Golden State, the Syrah grape is gaining kudos as the “next best thing”. Unfortunately, our sampling of California Syrah showed that while it may be an up and coming variety, that time may be a
California Syrah Challenge Read More »
In November of 2005, we tasted Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons. For April, we turned our palates to Merlots from the same appellation. Once the red wine of choice in the early 90’s, Merlot has in more recent years had a lot of negative press, receiving no help from the movie Sideways. Often praised
Napa Valley Brawl #2 Read More »
Originating from a cross of Syrah and Peloursin grapevines, Petite Sirah is anything but small in flavor. Also known as Durif, it makes wines of incomparable color and unique character. While it is grown in France (barely), the United States, and Australia, the amount of acreage devoted to the grape is miniscule compared to
Petite Sirah Showdown Read More »
David feels that wines are meant for consumption. He feels that wines should not be held in a cellar just for impressing people with their expense or rarity. Rather, they should be enjoyed (when ready) with people who can appreciate them, and learn from tasting them. The format for this tasting was of four
Cellar Inventory Reduction Read More »