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2009 Ehlers Estate Merlot

thewineinsiders — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:05:50 +0000

Poor Merlot, so picked on. Bad press from snooty critics for years has not done this “Noble” varietal justice. Then came Sideways. The inside joke in the wine industry is that after the movie Sideways came out all of the wineries making bad Merlot changed to making bad Pinot Noir. In the end, that’s a good thing because the bad Merlot, in many cases, has left the market. And the good Merlot, the truly delicious bottlings, have gotten better. My personal favorite is the Ehlers Estate. Winemaker Kevin Morrisey cut his teeth as an intern at Ch. Pétrus so let’s face it, the man knows his way around a Merlot grape.

Another stellar reason to drink Ehlers Estate Merlot is this: One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of Ehlers Estate wines go to support the Leducq Foundation, a highly regarded, not-for-profit foundation dedicated to funding international cardiovascular research. Now, drinking wine is not only good for your health, it’s good for a lot of people’s!

Tasting Notes: This is a complex full bodied Napa red that has the balance and structure to age for decades. It starts off bold on the attack, and continues full and plush. The flavors of raspberry and cherry cola, cocoa and black currants adorn this rich and dense expression of the North St. Helena, terroir. This wine has layers of complexity, a firm acidity, velvety mid-palate, and a long, classic Merlot finish.

This wine is available at Porthos!

Bernard Magrez Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2005

thewineinsiders — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:08:07 +0000

When Bordeaux magnate Bernard Magrez decided to make a Napa Cabernet, he exerted the same exacting standards that he requires at his Ch. Pape Clement (whose ‘05 received 98 points R. Parker). He sourced fruit from cult producer David Abreu’s Thorvelios and Madrona Ranch vineyards, hand-picked and sorted by a team of 80 pickers directly under Abreu’s supervision. The wine was then crafted by Seven Stones winemaker Aaron Pott in conjunction with Michel Rolland, the world’s most famous winemaker. Barrel aged and then released after 7 years, this is truly one of our greatest finds to date, and until today, the Bernard Magrez Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2005 was only available from the Magrez wine shops in Paris and Bordeaux.

Tasting Notes: Intense yet perfectly balanced, this is chock full of raspberry, liqueur of cassis, violet, chocolate and toffee on the nose. An almost glycerin concentration, with bright acidity and a floral element lifting the flavors of dark berries, sweet spices and chocolatey oak. Luscious yet haunting it finishes with espresso, cocao and polished tannins. Perfectly aged for drinking now, will continue to reward for another 10 years. 97 points

Purchase this wine at Porthos!

2009 Alpha Omega Napa Chardonnay

thewineinsiders — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:19:29 +0000

The 2009 Alpha Omega Chardonnay Napa Valley is a triumph. The exceptional conditions for growing Chardonnay that existed in 2009 are brought forth with perfect sugar to acid ratios resulting in a wonderfully balanced and elegant Chardonnay. Plenty of tropical fruit, vanilla, toasted oak and cedar notes on the nose with a palate of fresh citrus, marzipan and honeysuckle with just a hint of buttery oak.

Purchase this wine at Porthos

2009 Stanton Estate Cabernet – Dave Phinney

thewineinsiders — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:21:38 +0000

Well, Dave Phinney has done it again. Fans of his Orin Swift wines (the Prisoner, Papillon and Mercury Head, etc) should sit up and take notice of the 2009 Stanton Estate Cabernet. Driven by that wonderful Oakville characteristic of chocolate, espresso, and ripe fruit, this wine is absolutely stunning.

The Stanton family have been growing grapes for over 40 years. In 1999 they decided to begin producing their own wine and during the 2002 vintage hired Dave Phinney as winemaker.

“In 2009 growing conditions were ideal. The result: a wine that is intensely concentrated with expressive aromas of ripe cassis, blackberry and blueberry, masterfully integrated with 50% new French oak” – Dave Phinney.

Black Kite Pinot Noir Redwoods Edge 2009, My Favorite Pinot Noir of 2011

thewineinsiders — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:40:00 +0000

People often ask my favorite wine. Like many of you, my favorite depends on so many factors that there’s no way to narrow it down to one wine. For 2011, my favorite Pinot Noir was the Black Kite Redwoods Edge. I found it to be heady and muscular without being overbearing. Plenty of black tea and ripe fruit notes. This is a Pinot that has the range to accompany a myriad of foods but can also hold it’s own as a “cocktail wine”. Here’s James Laube’s review:

“Deliciously elegant, supple, graceful and delicate, yet rich in wild berry, plum, raspberry and floral scents. Medium-bodied and deceptively deep and persistent, with the perfumed flavors gaining all the way. Drink now through 2018.” 94 points

Available at Porthos

Vineyard “8″ Chardonnay 2009 – winemaker: Luc Morlet

thewineinsiders — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:11:42 +0000

Fans of Luc Morlet can (and often do) attest to his unique ability to make wines that please both crowds and collectors at the very same time. An example of this unique ability shows itself in the 2009 Vineyard 7 & 8 Chardonnay from Napa. He adds just a touch of fruit from Lone Oaks Vineyard in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley to the Napa Estate fruit which gives the wine a roundness on the palate and an intense finish. Vineyards 7 & 8 is a Spring Mountain property owned by Launny Steffens, a New Jersey Investment Banker and his wife, Weezie.

“This beautiful wine exhibits an intense bouquet of ripe lemon, wild honey and toasted almonds, intermixed with notes of chamomile and crushed stones. Medium bodied, this bottling has great balance, displaying zest, mineral background and a smooth finish.” – Luc Morlet

California’s Central Coast Grenache – The Perfect Pairing Wine?

thewineinsiders — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:30:17 +0000

I’ve recently been enjoying two fantastic Central Coast wines: the 2009 Sans Liege “En Gedi” Grenache blend and the 2009 Dragonette Grenache. Both are tremendous wines and about as food-friendly as a wine can be. I had the Dragonette a few nights ago with a fingerling potato and prosciutto pizza and it was the perfect pairing! Grenache is a grape that can pair with almost anything, from steak to quiche to (yikes!) vegetarian dishes.

2009 Dragonette Grenache Santa Rita Hills – ($44) The wine displays classic Grenache aromas of sweet red raspberry, strawberry and kirsch. On the palate, the wine combines waves of expressive, high-toned red fruits, along with streaks of creosote, and leathery notes in a pure, expressive, medium-bodied package. The wine’s finely textured fruits are lifted and maintained through a long finish by ripe acidity and firm, yet complex and spicy tannic structure, which will also provide for aging potential. Just delicious! 95 points

2009 Sans Liege “En Gedi” – ($45) A luscious California Grenache blend featuring bright strawberry and raspberry aromas with hints of the complexity of flavors to come. On the palate there are loads of rich cherries with brooding black tea, chocolate and lavender. Classic 95 points

The Dragonette is available at Porthos

The Sans Liege is available at Porthos

Chateau Beard La Chappelle Grand Cru St-Emilion 2009

thewineinsiders — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:12:26 +0000

Oh, to enjoy a good Bordeaux. Sadly, with the exception of wildly expensive bottlings, I often find the experience a bit underwhelming. Well, here’s some good news: The ‘09 Chateau Beard La Chappelle Grand Cru is under $50 (barely!) and yet has the stature and body of one of those pricey bottles. Truly, this is one of those rare finds.

Exquisite ruby color with intense ebony hue. Captivatingly complex nose of gingerbread, black cherry, rose, cinnamon and bitter chocolate. Round and full-bodied, rich and weighty on the palate. Superb concentration of spice, kirsch and semi-sweet chocolate on the finish with an exotic cinnamon note lasting a full minute. This is an exceptional wine that may be enjoyed after decanting (15 minutes) tonight but will continue reward those with patience, peaking 2016 – 2017 in our estimate. 95 points

Purchase this wine at Porthos!

The King Has Passed His Sceptre, Robert Parker and the Beginning of Retirement?

thewineinsiders — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:07:03 +0000

It was with a bit of a shock that we here at the Wine Insiders office met with the news of Robert Parker’s decision to step down from the rigors of scoring our beloved California wines. There’s no doubt that Robert Parker is the most influential individual in the world of collector wines and has been for the past two decades. Parker has dramatically changed the patterns of wine purchasing as well as the style of winemaking worldwide. But as the Bard said “…I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him!” so, Friends, Romans and Countrymen, let’s get on with what this means to the average collector: if you’ve relied heavily on Parker’s scores to inform your decision to purchase or pass on a wine, you can relax.
Antonio Galloni will soon take the reins for scoring California wines (as well as keeping up with his current duties of scoring Italy, Champagne, Chablis and Cote D’Or) and while his palate is wildly different from Parker’s his experience and insight is just as thorough. There are a couple of differences. Parker enjoys wines with huge amounts of ripe fruit, chocolate and espresso while Galloni seems to enjoy varietal specific flavor profiles. While Parker handed out several 100 point scores each year, Galloni is much more restrained in his scoring. For perspective, in Parker’s Napa Cabernet review last year over 20 wines received 99 – 100 ratings. In Galloni’s initial review, ZERO wines were rated 99 – 100.
However, some will point out that while there are fewer 100’s in Galloni’s scoring his average score is actually higher. Parker’s average score is around 91 points while Galloni’s average is around 94. Also, he recently scored Cathy Corison’s Napa Valley Cab a 92 and her Kronos Vineyard Cab 94 stating that the difference is that Kronos “is made in a richer, riper style”. Maybe he put on his Parker hat for California scoring. Who knows, maybe he bought the hat for his new job!
My conclusion? The scoring may change, we may have fewer of the heart pounding 100 point scores, but Antonio Galloni is a well-respected critic and his reviews are as thorough and insightful as Parker’s.

Don Juan Nahuel Malbec Reserva 2006 – 95 Points!

thewineinsiders — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:13:01 +0000

Two words popped into my mind as I sipped this Don Juan Reserva: “Oh my”. This is what Malbec is supposed to taste like! All the hype you hear about South American wines comes to fruition in this one bottling. It’s dense and rich and powerful. It’s got the chocolate and vanilla and ripe fruit. There’s spice box and a bit of cedar. There’s ripe cherry and fig. There’s the long lasting finish. It really does compete with the best of the big Cabernets from Napa and yet…it’s less than $40. Awesome!!

“Rich, dense and very well-focused, with a rock-solid core of blackberry, fig and raspberry ganache flavors layered with alluring cocoa powder, exotic spices and plush oak. The long, seductive finish has great underlying brightness, allowing the silky smooth texture to appear seamless. Enjoy tonight through 2016 with any grilled meats or mushrooms!” - 95 points, The Wine Insiders

Purchase this wine at Porthos!