Folie e Deux Amador County Zinfandel 2006

The best thing about this Zinfandel is it's savory swirled flavor. The best way to describe the flavor might be ambling down a dusty trail with a strawberry patch on either side of you. The flavors this wine brings forth are generous and underneath the velvety mouthfeel, there's a spicy quality as well. Three stars across the board, except for the four star (perhaps even four and a half star) complexity. Delightful as a stand alone bottle, best just below room temperature!

Nose: ***

Presentation: ***

Complexity: ****

Value: ***

Overall: ***

Albero Organic Tempranillo 2006

This fiesty tempranillo has a good deal of bite, along with some cherry and gravelly flavors. The nose itself is rocky and terse. Not unlike the great Billie Holiday, this wine has a tone and a style all its own, with a certain combination of roughness and refinement packed into one. I think this is a wine that makes a great deal of sense with Spanish cuisine: olives, bread with oil, almonds, cheese, etc. Wonderful for the price!

Nose: ****

Presentation: ***

Complexity: ****

Value: ****

Overall: ****

"NEXT:" 2007 Pinot Noir (Eugene, OR)

This enjoyable bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir accomplishes a good deal in its subtlety, and is especially striking in its nose. It's most significant flavors are earth and loam, but its nose includes wildflowers and meadow grasses. The nose, simply put, is wonderful. The winemaking also shows good craftmanship. The bottle's psuedo-poetry remarks "we always stand at a crossroads" and this bottle indeed reminds us of that--standing at the crossroads of mediocrity and excellence--it could use a shove in one of the two directions. As it stands, I found it to be lacking in the "bite" or harshness that belies low-quality (and low cost) pinot noirs, but also lacking that which would make it a stellar pinot. [note: this photo features the tough, arduous life of a wine blogger]

Presentation: ****

Nose: ****

Complexity: **

Value: *

Overall: ***

Georges Duboeuf 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau

While not the normal style of presentation that I tend to like, this in-your-face metallic gold, yellow and red bottle makes a big statement. The wine that is held within is a real treat: it's straightforward enough, yet has some lingering aftertaste notes of vanilla and cloves, making it's overall complexity rather delightful. For anyone who's tasted and enjoyed V. Sattui's Gamay, this knocks it's socks off. It's smoothness and velvety mouthfeel rival many good California Syrahs, but with a far lower alcohol content (12.5%). And at about $10 a bottle, it's a value as well.

Presentation: *****

Nose: ***

Complexity: ****

Value: ****

Overall: ****

1985 Rutherford Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon

Presentation: *****

Nose: *****

Complexity: ***

Value: NA

Overall: *****

They say a lot of factors determine if you like a piece of art--what you had for lunch, what kind of mood you're in, who you're with, what song is on your mind, and etc. I think wine is very much the same way. So without too much sentimentality (but at least a bit) I shared this bottle with my Uncle Gary, while watching Butler beat Michigan State in the NCAA Final Four, on a hot afternoon in the Phoenix-area. After we dealt with the crumbly cork via coffee filter, we sampled this wine as is and having passed through his Vinturi device. Both were good. The Vinturi indeed opened it up a bit, but the real treat of this wine was it's mellowness--very much the way a spicy zinfandel will mellow with time. It had all the structure of a good Napa Cab, but none of the "tightness" a newer cab would have. It was plenty dry, generous in flavor and aftertaste, and left me with lingering notes of honey and coffee. Which I don't think was from the espresso we'd had earlier...when we left to get dinner an hour or two later, he had a glass or so left for a future moment. So he'll get the final take on this bottle. Thanks Uncle Gary!

'08 "Felino" wines from Argentina

My grandma (who is 84 and going strong) and I recently had a chance to taste three different wines from winemaker Paul Hobbs's venture in Argentina. The wine goes under the name "Felino" and is a subsidiarity of Vina Cobos.

We both found the Chardonnay to be outstanding. It had a toasty character which reminded me of a marshmallow roasted over a campfire. Lots of oak and toast, but the grape and floral aromas were present as well--I wouldn't say it was over-oaked.

The Malbec was good, but I found it a little less-dry than the Cab. Our verdict was out on both of these, perhaps because we'd given so much attention to the Chardonnay. After admitting to one another that we prefer reds and were most skeptical of the Chardonnay, this was quite a surprise. Malbec isn't my favorite to begin with, and this wasn't one that bowled me over. Certainly it was good, but not remarkable. I would recommend each of these wines, but rank them 1) Chardonnay 2) Cab and 3) Malbec.

You can learn more about Paul Hobbs and the wines he makes here: http://www.paulhobbs.com/

-Erik

Editor's Note

In a few days, I'll be in Phoenix to celebrate Easter with my extended family. I'm looking forward to checking out Cowboy Ciao, Kazimierz, perhaps Granite Creek or maybe some of the wineries up by Camp Verde or the Chino Valley. If you have any suggestions, leave a comment!!!