Columbia Winery  2015 Merlot  Columbia Valley

I like Merlot from WA State, the climate and soils there are suited to maximizing the nuances this variety is capable of. In my experience the bottles I've tried have been a good value and from certain sites this grape can have more body and power than Cabernet Sauvignon, a good example of this is the Merlot from Chateau Ste Michelle's Cold Creek Vineyard. A warm site with an extended growing season that produces great wines almost every year....

We tried this wine in Montreal at the annual tasting event last year or the year before, good wines made by dedicated people.The winery offers bottlings across several price points, all were solid to very nice wines at fair prices. It was a nice surprise to see this on the shelf in West Leb today...

This opens with notes of dark berries, a hint of very ripe strawberries, a spicy note, and some other nuances in the nose I couldn't quite place but are intriguing. I taste cherry, a mix of black and blueberry flavors, it has a nice mouth feel with fine grained tannins and a lingering berry flavor. Even though it's 3 years old at this time, I think it has the structure to evolve further and would benefit from resting in the cellar for another 12 to 18 months.

I enjoyed this with slow cooked pork ribs from the grill, but it would also pair well with a boneless chuck roast slow cooked in a crockpot with a cup or so of this wine along with onions, carrots, and red potatoes.... an oven roasted chicken dinner also comes to mind.

Available on sale now at the NH Liquor outlets for $12.99 per bottle, a good wine and a nice change of pace from the California or European Merlots you usually find on the shelves...

Cheers!

Ed

STARMONT  2013 Carneros Pinot Noir

I enjoy a good Pinot Noir occasionally, and for my palate (and wallet) my favorite regions are Oregon, Switzerland, and Carneros in CA. These three areas produce world class wines at reasonable prices, and are usually made in the classic style. They're not over extracted, lighter in body, but full of flavor and great with a good range of foods.

Starmont started out as a "second" wine of Merryvale and was more affordable than the main label, (it still is) but has expanded it offerings over the years and now has it's own winery located on part of the historic Stanley Ranch property in Carneros. Starmont offers Chardonnay, Merlot, Rose of Pinot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, there is a limited release selection that has Viognier, Syrah, Malbec, Pinot Gris, and a couple of single vineyard Pinots.

This Pinot opens with notes of cherry and red/black plum, hints of strawberry, and a slight attractive spicy note in the nose. The palate matches the nose, the spicy note is there also, along with some other flavors I couldn't quite pinpoint but are seductive.... the tannins are fine grained, and finishes with the fruit fading nicely. I kept taking small sips trying to figure it out but wasn't too serious in this endeavor, for the wine is quite pleasant as it continues to open up with time.

I enjoyed this with grilled garlic/herb chicken sausage served on a bed of pasta topped with a 4 cheese red sauce. I think some oven baked stuffed chicken breasts and classic risotto would work also. Grilled pork roast stuffed with plums also sounds good...

Available at some NH Liquor outlets for $14.99 per bottle in the powerbuy section,  or $21.99 at Total wine in Natick(they also have more wines from Starmont) there's also a 15% case discount on Pinot's and Chardonnay's at NH Outlets.... this is a chance to buy a very good Pinot from a special region at a great price, let me know what you think.

Cheers!

Ed

Mark Herold Wines 2013  Flux  Red blend  Napa

This wine was brought to my attention by someone who knows that I like red wines, it's a new powerbuy wine at the West Lebanon Liquor store. I've never heard of this wine company but I liked the blend of grapes in this bottling, and in recent years growers in CA have been figuring out where the best places are to grow them.

Flux is a blend of 66% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 14% Mourvedre. Upon opening there are notes of blackberry, black raspberry, a bit of tobacco leaf, and a floral note that reminds me of roses.

The palate matches the nose, with an added hint of blueberry... it's not over extracted, slightly translucent with a nice color. The finish is smooth with fine grained tannins and a berry note.

Day 2 brought more of the berries in the nose, it reminded me of a mixed berry pie smell, the tobacco leaf note is a bit more present but balanced with everything... very interesting. The mouthfeel became a bit more viscous, with the berry flavors blended together, with a spicy note on the finish.

Available at a number of NH Outlet stores in the powerbuy section for $14.99, also at Total Wine in Natick for $27.00 per bottle.... There is also a 15% case discount sale that ends tomorrow night at the NH Outlets....

Cheers!

Ed

2016  Alamos  Red Blend  Argentina

I have tried a few of the wines from Alamos, for a "second wine" of Bodega Catena they are well made and a good value for the money. Their Torrontes white and Malbec "seleccion" are among the best $10 to $15 bottles out there right now.....

So when I saw the Red blend bottling on the shelf the other day I figured it would be worth a try. The 2016 blend is primarily Malbec, Bonarda, and Tempranillo, with small amounts of other grapes. While the website only mentions the blend from 2014, I'm guessing there is a bit of Syrah also. There was the strong note in the nose typical of Syrah, but on day 2 everything had blended together nicely. I have tried a Bonarda on it's own before, great flavors and nose, but a bit acidic on it's own.

Notes of blackberry, plum, cherry, the deep note from Syrah in the nose on day one, next day the Syrah is more in balance with the berry notes, and a tobacco leaf note is present now, adding to the complexity of this wine.

The palate on day one matches the nose, plum, berries, slightly tannic, but interesting. Day 2 brings an added flavor of blueberry, the wine is slightly tart in a good way. The acidity is just right, and the wine finishes clean with lingering notes of berries.

 A good food wine, I would try it with grilled burgers, Italian sausage with peppers and onions, Angus tips, a meat Lasagna would also work I think...

On sale at the NH Liquor outlets for $10.99 per bottle, plus the current case sale gives you an additional 15% on any wines.... that makes this $9.35 per bottle. A very good value!

Cheers!

Ed

Chateau St. Jean   2014 Cold Creek Ranch  Chardonnay

After enjoying the Robert Young Vineyard Chardonnay, I decided to try a bottle of the Chardonnay from the Cold Creek Ranch vineyard. This vineyard is located in the southernmost part of the Sonoma Coast appellation, which is prized for the cool growing conditions that allow for full development of flavors in the grapes and balancing acidity.

Cold Creek Ranch fruit is known for tropical fruit aromas, I noticed pineapple and a floral note I couldn't quite pinpoint. On the palate I tasted peach, pear, lemon, and a nice spice note on the finish.
This vintage was aged in used oak barrels on the lees, (yeast and grape bits) so there is no oak influence, which allows for the flavors of great fruit to shine on its own. Aging on the lees also adds a creamy mouth feel, making for a very enjoyable bottle of wine.

This was the eighth reserve bottling of fruit from the Cold Creek Ranch by Chateau St Jean since 2002, each vintage used is fermented differently depending on how the fruit developes.

Available at some NH Liquor outlets on sale for $13.99 per bottle (regular retail $35.00) and from the winery for $35.00 per bottle. Current case sale at NH outlets is 15% mix and match any wines... that makes the price of this wine $11.64 per bottle.... a steal at that price.

Cheers!

Ed

Maddalena 2014 Monterey Riesling

I saw this wine in the powerbuy section of the West Leb NH Liquor outlet, and knowing that my wife likes a good riesling I decided to try a bottle based on the reviews I could find of this vintage.

The fruit for this wine comes from the Rancho Soledad vineyard, in the Monterey appellation, a cooler climate, which has morning fog and afternoon breezes which allow for slow development of flavors and preserves balanced acidity. The vineyard is 282 acres, planted to Riesling and Pinot Grigio.

When first opened, there are nice notes of wet stone, apple, honey, citrus, and apricots with similar flavors on the palate. I like the mouthfeel, slightly thick with delicious, lingering flavors of apples and apricots. The wine has some sweetness, but it has enough acidity to keep it balanced on the finish.

This wine is perfect by itself with friends and some aged Gruyere on a warm summer afternoon, or with a Thanksgiving dinner. I could also see pairing this wine with spicy food, the sweetness in it would play nicely against the heat of the dish.

Available at some NH Liquor outlets in the powerbuy section for $6.99 per bottle, and $10.99 at some Total wine stores. And there is also a 15% discount on any mixed case of wine currently at the NH Liquor outlets.... how can you go wrong?

Cheers!

Ed

Chateau St Jean 2013 Chardonnay Robert Young Vineyard Reserve

The Robert Young Vineyard is located in Alexander Valley, and planted to the Chardonnay clone of the same name, the original plantings were of the Wente clone. Over time Robert selected vines that produced exceptional fruit in the soils of this site, and his clone 17 was certified in 1989.

This wine is barrel fermented, and aged sur lie (on yeast and sediment) for an extended period of time. This technique gives the wine a creamy mouth texture, the barrels are French oak, about 60% new .... so the oak influence is there but not too heavy for my taste. The wine is also aged in the bottle for a year before being released, so this is a true reserve wine.

The nose has notes of lemon and pear, there's a spice note I can't quite identify but fits in nicely with the other scents. The palate matches the lemon and pear notes, has a nice creamy texture and finishes smooth with perfect balanced acidity. The color is a beautiful yellow with a greenish tint, and there's a nice lingering note of the fruit that fades pleasantly...

I enjoyed this with the Tortelloni Brunelle dish from Lui-Lui's, which has a lemon caper sauce. I think some grilled lemon/lime garlic shrimp would also be good with this wine. Another option would be a veal or chicken schnitzel finished with a wedge of lemon and buttered spatzle or french fries....

Available at the winery for $50.00 per bottle, or at the NH Liquor outlets in the power buy section for $15.99!  If you enjoy a good Chardonnay get in to one of the outlets and grab a bottle or two before they're gone... I think once people figure out what a steal this is they'll fly off the shelf.

Cheers!

Ed