My New House Wine

Cork: Authentic
Name: Toasted Head
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2006
Region: North Coast California
Country: USA
Producer: Toasted Head Winery
Price: $14.99
Purchased at: Cheers Liquormart
Date: 08/12/08
Served With: Colby Jack Cheese Chunk
Appearance: Looks meduim bodied, Garnet
Aroma: Cherry, Coffee and Chocolate
Taste: The aroma did not disguise the taste. Numbs the tip of the tongue on entry then spreads evenly throughout the mouth. Excellent tannin structure that represents a solid body which slightly belies the appearance but it all matches up in the end.
Comments: You gotta love a wine that warms the belly without being overly heated. We have made this wine our new house wine and did a blind test with our old house red wines (Blackstone Cab and Hayman & Hill Cab) and there was simply no comparison. This wine has much better body, is more even and is a better fit overall for my current palate. And the price is good too…I’ve seen it online for as low as $11.99.

Cork:Authentic
Name: Molly Dooker Gigglepot
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2006
Region: South Australia
Country: Australia
Producer: Molly Dooker
Price: $54.99
Purchased at: Wine.com
Date: 11/09/07
Served With: Dry Rub Pulled Pork Sandwiches, cole slaw
Appearance: Wow! This is the deepest, darkest, richest looking Cabernet I’ve ever seen. Makes my mouth water just looking at it!
Aroma: Ripe dark berries, Maybe some black pepper
Taste: Very jammy…plummy. Balanced and smooth.
Comments: This was a very nice bottle of wine to enjoy with friends. It’s fun to say the name and I could stare at the glass all night! I just could not get over how luscious this looked. While it had some very jammy flavors it was not too sweet by any means. I found it to have great tannins which helped define a finely structured and layered wine that I enjoyed for as long as I possibly could.

One of my friends who is really on a Shiraz kick lately really enjoyed this wine (as we all did) but it’s worth noting because if not for the tannins that characterize a fine Cabernet Sauvignon I could have thought I was drinking a Shiraz. I give it an 8+.

Cork:Authentic
Name: Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2003
Region: Napa Valley
Country: USA
Producer: Grgich Hills Cellar
Price: $55.99
Purchased at: Wine.com
Date: 11/09/07
Served With: Salmon marinated in reduced balsamic vinegar with capers and herb-scented olive oil
Appearance: Like a garnet stone; deep burgundy with red on the edges where the light shines
Aroma: Cherries, crushed red roses, berry cobbler, currant, oak
Taste: Very tasty, slight fruity taste on the front of the tongue, a mellow middle and a balancing, tannic finish.
Comments: If a cobbler was cooked with cherries, currants and sweet tobacco in an oak-fired oven it might come close to the taste of this wine. Add the alcohol, of course!! This is one of the more balanced Cabernet Sauvignon wines I’ve had. I loved the balanced tannic finish…it’s like the flavor spreads evenly around your mouth as you swallow creating a very satisfying, warm experience. We decanted this wine for about 30 minutes before enjoying it with a salad and then with the main course of salmon. I’m not great a pairing wines yet and this was good with the meal but better before and after.

I must say that going back over my previous reviews where I gave J. Lohr 2005 Cabernet 8.5 corks I may consider adjusting (normalizing) some of my previous reviews. Not that the J. Lohr isn’t a great wine for a great price, because it is, but because to compare an 8.5 of J. Lohr to the 8 corks I give this wine is grossly unfair. This Grgich Hills Cabernet is a very good wine. But, if I had to choose between this bottle at $55+ or the Spectacular Shiraz at $27 I’d take the Canonbah Bridge every time!

Sorry, a little off track there but you get the idea! Taking nothing away from Grgich Hills - it’s a great wine and deserves all the kudos it gets!!

Another huge thanks to the Wine Hiker where this bottle of wine came from!

Cork:Authentic
Name: Meridian Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2000
Region: California
Country: USA
Producer: Meridian Vineyards
Price: $12.99?
Purchased at: Cheers Liquormart
Date: 11/09/07
Served With: Teriyaki Chicken & White Rice
Appearance: Deep purple, rich
Aroma: Faint berries, very light, not much, if any, oak
Taste: A layered wine with smooth cherries on the front with a citrusy finish.
Comments: Hmm…I had to think about this one for a while. This wine doesn’t have the characteristics that I typically applaud in a Cabernet Sauvignon. However, as my wine education grows one of the things I’ve learned is not to judge this, or any, wine based on what I like, rather judge or rate it based on the wine itself and what it is telling me. Kinda like “Deep Thoughts”, with Jack Handy! Anyway, there are some layers present here but no tannins to speak of. I had to go back and double-check the label to make sure this wasn’t a Merlot! Maybe it’s the age of the wine, seven years old, or just the way it was produced but this is a very smooth, unoffensive, “great for guests” bottle of wine. I’d drink it again!

It arrived today. The famous case of wine from the California Wine Hiker. One week after winning the award I have 12 fabulous bottles of wine to share with you all!

I know you would like to know what the inventory consists of. I know because if I were you I would want to know!

Before I reveal what this great case of wine consists of I want to whet your palate a bit. I know that wine ratings aren’t everything but this is, after all, a wine review blog and it’s worth noting that not a single rated bottle of wine in this case came in less than 90. There is one bottle that is not rated but after seeing everything else in the case I thoroughly trust the Wine Hiker.

Additionally, It seems to me that Russ put a lot of thought into choosing each bottle. I can’t say enough how appreciative I am of not only the wine but the thought that went into it. From Malbec to Muscat and Rose to G.A.M. the list doesn’t disappoint!

Now, let met pimp another site for just one second as I tell you that I have compiled the list of wines at wine.com. They allow you to create multiple wine lists, wish lists, etc. and also tell you the rating of each wine from various reviewers, whether or not it is an organic wine, a collectible wine and lots of other cool features as well.

So, without listing each wine here and without further adieu here’s the list of awarded wines from the Wine Hiker. Incidentally, each wine will be reviewed here!

Cork:Authentic
Name: Frei Brothers Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Type: Blend - Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2003
Region: Alexander Valley, CA (Northern Sonoma)
Country: USA
Producer: Frei Brothers Vineyards
Price: $14.99 with super duper discount card
Purchased at: Cheers Liquor Mart
Date: 07/17/07
Served With: Some home made chicken and noodle concoction
Appearance: So dark it’s almost black!
Aroma: Alcoholy, oaky, some eucalyptus and mint
Taste: Very well balanced, medium tannins, smoky
Comments: Here’s a wine that is still a bit tight but has a very smooth, balanced, not overly fruity taste. It is very tasty, not overloaded with fruit, has some complexity with the eucalyptus and mint and would be hard pressed to offend anyone. BUT, it normally costs about $19 per bottle. That’s a bit high for me even at the sale price of $15.

Overall, I really liked this wine. It offers the consistency that I look for in lower priced wines like Cellar 8 or Blackstone Cabernet but at a higher price. In my opinion it doesn’t knock my socks off enough to warrant buying on a regular basis.

Cork:Authentic
Name: Wildhurst Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Type: Blend - Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2004
Region: Lake County, CA
Country: USA
Producer: Wildhurst Vineyards
Price: $16.99
Purchased at: Vintage’s Wine & Spirits
Date: 07/10/07
Served With: Fillet Mignon prepared Medium
Appearance: Excellent legs, thick and juicy (not the steak!)
Aroma: Dusty, vanilla, cherry, allspice
Taste: Full and rich with a tasty finish. It lingers for a medium finish offering layered and complex flavors of coffee, chocolate and even some carmelization. Light tannins; a bit heavier tannins would have been perfect!
Comments: This was a great wine. Do you think it had anything to do with the great fillet I had it with? Sure it does! As I’ve mentioned before the atmosphere and food pairing can have a large influence in the way I enjoy wines. I think it truly affects everybody. I drank this the night that I was trading wine glasses with my wife and it made for great conversation and fine tastes. The medium finish on this wine with its complex flavors led to a lengthy exchange of what I tasted vs. what Robin tasted vs. what glass we tasted them from.

Also, I actually took out my aroma card/cheat sheet to help me define some of the flavors we were enjoying. On the one hand it was helpful in helping to define some flavors but on the other hand it may have been an aid in reaching for flavors that may or may not have existed. I believe that the flavors were actually there and the card was a great tool to aid in explaining the tastes of the wine.

My recommendation is to try a new bottle of wine with multiple types of wine glasses and an aroma card. Your wine drinking experience could grow by leaps and bounds!

Cork:Authentic
Name: J. Lohr
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2005
Region: Paso Robles
Country: USA
Producer: J. Lohr Winery
Price: 9.99 (on sale)
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/15/2007
Served With: Pepperoni Pizza
Appearance: Deep Purple Man
Aroma: Smells high in alcohol content, oaky
Taste: Bold but smooth. Gets better after decanting. Pairs with just about anything to compliment the food.
Comments: I like this wine a lot. Its one of my favorites but is typically more than my $11 self-imposed limit for everyday wine drinking. This is one wine that I notice that benefits from decanting. I run it through a funnel with sprinkler-like opening at the bottom and let it sit in the decanter for 10-15 minutes. You can buy that funnel here but you can definitely find it much cheaper elsewhere. It virtually eliminates the alcohol smell and takes the edge off. This is a very versatile wine in that it will enhance just about any food you’re eating. It brings out the spiciness in a pepperoni pizza and is also a nice companion to chocolate after dinner.

Cork:Authentic
Name: Liberty School
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2004
Region: Paso Robles
Country: USA
Producer: Liberty School Winery
Price: 10.99
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/09/2007
Served With: Chicken Fajitas
Appearance: Very rich, deep purple color, excellent legs
Aroma: Vanilla, chocolate, berries…mmm, mmm!
Taste: Even, unoffensive, smooth and tasty! The vanilla comes through in the taste as well. Strong berries and cherry undertones.
Comments: This has become one of my all-time favorites in the Cab category. For smoothness in a cab its tough to beat this wine. It truly is unoffensive allowing you to serve it to just about any level of wine drinker and they will probably enjoy it. The vanilla and cherry flavors in this wine make it very tasty but don’t be fooled, its not a sweet wine. It fits the dry category but these other tastes smooth the edges of what can sometimes be pretty sharp in a Cabernet Sauvignon.

The same producer also makes a Syrah that I’ve not tried yet but look forward to checking out.

Look here for a couple of other reviews on this Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon.

To digress slightly on the ‘unoffensive” remark, in my opinion many non-blend wines such as Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah can have a very strong flavor. For someone that doesn’t drink wine often this can sometimes be overpowering and cause newbies not to like it. When I say unoffensive I mean that its very smooth and most likely won’t overpower even the novice wine drinker.

Buy it here.

Cork:Authentic
Name: Santa Rita Reserva
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2003
Region: D.O. Maipo Valley
Country: Chile
Producer: Santa Rita Vineyards
Price: 8.99
Purchased at: D & B Wine & Liquor
Date: 06/09/2007
Served With: Chicken Fajitas
Appearance: Medium body, decent legs
Aroma: Spicy, alcoholy
Taste: Very dry, even flavored yet thin. The finish reminds me of a Carmenere with a somewhat spicy finish.
Comments: My first impression upon opening and pouring is that this wine is a bit thin for my tastes. When I say thin I mean strong alcohol overtones. However, with time and/or decanting this bottle turned out very nicely. We didn’t drink the whole bottle on Monday, having had only 1/3 of the bottle. We finished it on Tuesday night (along with an entire bottle of Liberty School Cab, review coming tomorrow, but there were 3 of us!) and it was much smoother the second day. I find that this happens frequently with South American wines and I should know to just decant them but if I only end up drinking one glass I have to pour from the decanter back into the bottle and its always a mess.

Just to finish up the Carmenere thought, I think that most carmeneres have a less than ripe taste on the finish. At first it can be troubling if your mind can’t get over the under-ripe visions. However, I’ve learned to appreciate the taste and quite enjoy most Carmeneres these days. Because I’m just a redneck its probable that this flavor that I’m contributing to Carmenere is just more common in South American wines though so far I’ve only attributed that taste to Carmeneres and this Cab.

For another take on this Santa Rita Cab check out the weingolb site.