'06 MacRostie Chardonnay

Another 89 point wine. '06 MacRostie Chardonnay ($23.99) I had this a few weeks ago at a party I threw to take a look at the differences between wines rated 89 points and as similar as I could find 90 point versions to find out if I could spot the differences. Since I found a few examples, I thought it would be fun to hear what others had to say, so I invited such luminaries as Luscious Lush Thea, Dr. Xeno (Ward) and Tom from San Jose along with , of course, the other Brix Chick, Xandria. Six people---Seven bottles of wine (with a little absinthe chaser) Good times! And material for more than one post of course. So I'll start with my notes on the chardonnays. Normally I rate wines 1 - 10 based on how much I like them. But I fudged a little on this one and just attempted to hang the "89" on the right bottle. I found the MacRostie to have a richer hue and a "better" taste. It had a slightly citrusy taste and hints of more recognizeable (to me) flavors of apples and pears. It had some oak on it, which seemed to produce an almost spicy taste. So I rated it higher.

I was wrong.

When we peeled back the wrappings on the bottle, the '06 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay ($12.29) was the actual 90 point "winner". Although the color wasn't as nice and the initial nose was of gasoline, this wine took its time opening up and then eventually had a more floral quality to its aromas. It was more food friendly than the MacRostie chardonnay. My fellow wineaux totally had it pegged. In several cases, they like the MacRostie better, but indicated that they thought it was the 89 point wine. Since both the wines were agreeable examples of local chardonnays, I felt like we were all winners. Tasting them blind was a super fun exercise and let me stop and focus on #3 vs. #4 without the influence of labels, price or reputation. Interesting...
More on the other matchups later...

Don't forget the Pinot Blanc

I can just hear this wine saying, "Marsha. Marsha! MARSHA!". First, It's a pinot blanc, not noir. Then, it got an 89 while it's more illustrious sibling snagged a 90. Still, I was fortunate enough to get to try it at a recent outing to Solano Cellars in Albany, CA.

2007 Ponzi Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley ($17) The color was a very clear, very pale yellow. It had a medium +body. It displayed aromas of savory fruit. I particularly liked the sweetly citrus scent and and fragrance of exotic fruit. Because the nose was sweet, I expected the wine to be as well, but it was dry. Dry and fruity with flavors of coconut and lemongrass. The finish was exotic citrus. This wine made us want to go out and find more Thai food. http://www.ponziwines.com/wines/pinot-blanc.asp

89 Point wine wins Wine of the Week!

Okay, so it won in Baltimore. Nevertheless, we applaud the achivement of this '06 Rosenblum Heritage Clones Petite Sirah I had been lucky enough to have this wine at a fun Italian restaraunt in Cupertino, Fontana's. My table found it to be a great companion to the hearty Italian fare, but also smooth and complex enough to be enjoyed by our guest who was watching his girlish figure and opted for a salad. The wine had flavors of berries, chocolate and coffee. Still, with its 14.8% alcohol and balanced acidity, it was food friendly and stood up nicely to Fontana's delicious sauces. The black fruit flavor came forward and made it a wine we could enjoy while waiting, as well as a bottle that we found enjoyable throughout the meal. The mocha finish even made it compatible with the chocolate dessert we somehow managed to squeeze in. Aged in American and French oak, the vines go back 80-100 years, representing a long tradition of Petite Sirah in the area near San Francisco, Contra Costa county. Petite Sirah is a dark wine guaranteed to stain your teeth Wine lover's purple. After the long two days of meetings we endured, we were happy for the giggles. So even though Wine Spectator only gave it an 89, the Baltimore Sun singled it out for wine of the week, And more importantly, our server suggested it as a great option for us. Despite its ignominious ranking, its quality and,Rosenblum's leadership in good value petite sirah is carrying this little gem along. However, I noticed that the online wine list at Fontana's does not list this! So I called to make sure a) it was still available and b)I was not hallucinating. Funny! The menu does call out those offerings that received 91 points or more. If you do find yourself in Cupertino and need a place for dinner, try Fontana's http://www.fontanasitalian.com/index.htm. And while you're at it, give an 89 point wine a chance. You won't be sorry

Kicking it at Kick Ranch

On Day 1 of the Wine Blogger Conference, if you arrived early enough before the first “official” event, you had the opportunity to head out to Kick Ranch Vineyard for lunch and a tasting. The tasting consisted of 12 wineries who source grapes from Kick Ranch pouring some of their current selections. I originally thought this would be an event where each winery would pour the Syrah they make from Kick Ranch grapes, for example, but instead, the wineries seemed to be pouring lots of stuff from both Kick Ranch and from other vineyards. The owners of Kick Ranch provided a delicious lunch for us, which I went straight for, having not eaten a thing but 2 slices of toast when I left Murphys way earlier in the day! I only managed to taste my way through what 8 of the wineries had to offer, I ran out of time and needed to head back to Santa Rosa in time for the “speed dating” tasting, which I already wrote about here.

As it turns out, and as dhonig kindly pointed out, four of the wines I tasted garnered 89 points from various wine media folks! So I've cross posted those 4 wines here, and you can read about the whole Kick Ranch experience here.

2006 Pax Cuvee Christine: Syrah. Bright red fruit, flowers, berries, vanilla, toast, violets, slight chocoalte, spice, pepper, dark, tannic.

2006 Lynmar Russian River Valley Pinot Noir: Smoke, leather, earth, strawberry, raspberry, nice red fruit.

2006 Enkidu Kick Ranch Syrah: Black cherry, floral, spice, toasted oak, brown sugar, tannins earth.

2005 Enkidu Fazekas Petite Sirah: Dark chocolate, black fruit, vanilla, dark, slight red fruit on the edges, tannic. I loved this wine!

Of these, my favorite was the Enkidu Fazekas Petite Sirah. I can't believe this only got an 89, I found it to be gorgeous, and if they were selling it there, I would have easily tucked some into my take home cases. Then again, we all know I adore Petite Sirah, so that may just be my bias showing through! ;)

Twitter Taste Live #8

The 89 Project is hosting Twitter Taste Live: The 89 Project. It will be TTL's very first BLIND tasting. Every participant will receive four bagged bottles (no cheating, don't look at the cork), and we will all discuss what it is, where it's from, and why we think it got an 89 score. Not just that, but you might be able to get that four-pack free:

The 89 Project and Twitter Taste Live are delighted to announce a contest for Twitter Taste Live #8, December 13 at 8 Eastern. This TTL is sponsored by The 89 Project, will be TTL's first blind tasting, and will feature four 89-rated wines from around the world. The contest winner will receive the blind four-pack free, including shipping. The contest rules are simple. The joint member of TTL and The 89 Project who puts up the most new posts over at The 89 Project from right now through December 3 wins. Don't cheat. The posting has to be for a wine rated 89 by ommercial media. That is it. Pretty simple, really. So go find yourself some 89-rated wines and get drinking (that's the easy part), then get posting. Ties will be broken by lot. Even if you don't win, all joint members of Twitter Taste Live and The 89 Project members will receive an additional 10% discount off the usual TTL 20% discount from regular retail price. So if you haven't signed up yet, get to it. We will see you at TTL#8.

Sanchez Romate Marismeño

Hola! David has asked me to cross-post. The Sanchez Romate Marismeño below got 89 from Wine Spectator on 31st October 2005. I'm not sure why, perhaps they thought it was a oxidised. It is rounder than most Finos. Being a European I don't really get the points thing, but I guess it can mean make or break for anyone trying to get into the US market. I think both theses sherries are worth more than 89!

It's very windy in Jerez today, the "levante" is blowing. Nothing better than to retreat indoors and try some sherry. Two finos from medium-sized bodegas: Alvaro Domecq "La Janda" and Sanchez Romate "Marismeño".

Romate remains in the ownership of local families, and have not joined the trend of cashing in and moving out of the centre of town. They must be sitting on some valuable real estate! Alvaro Domecq are less central but also in town. Control of Alvaro Domecq was recently gained by Manuel Jove, a spanish billionaire.

The Alvaro Domecq "La Janda" has a typical pale golden colour, the Sanchez Romate "Marismeño" also pale and golden but with perhaps a touch more colour than the La Janda.".

On the nose they are very different. The La Janda seems light for a fino, and has clean, green, stalky aromas. The Marismeño is not pronounced either and has a sweet, fruity nose which reminds me of grated ripe apple.

The La Janda is light, clean and crisp in the mouth. A bit like biting into a Granny Smith. There is a flavour of flor, which did not come through so strongly on the nose. There is a more rounded, fuller feel to the Marismeño and the flavour is of ripe apple.".

I think the La Janda would go very well with salty, grilled prawns and the Marismeño, ice cold, on its own as an aperitif.".

Hofer Gruner Veltiner 2007

(cross-posted by the delightful Gretchen Roberts from Everyday Wine.

If you're not familiar with this wine, there are a couple of things you should know about Gruner Veltliner:

1. It’s the hot new wine of sommeliers and chefs around the country, so if you drink it you’re in the know.

2. Gru-Vee, as it’s sometimes called, absolutely deserves its celeb status, as it’s one of the most food-friendly wines around.

I found the most interesting bottle of Gruner Veltliner at the wine store; it was in a dark green liter bottle (larger than a standard wine bottle by 250 mL, or almost 2 extra glasses) with a bottle cap lid. Cheap, or great find? I wondered. Then I turned the bottle over and saw the winning words: “A Terry Theise Estate Selection” (see page 34 of the catalog for his wonderful description).

Terry Theise is arguably the best cool-climate white wine importer around; if you see his name on a bottle of German or Austrian wine or Champagne, you can snap it up and be assured of its quality, complexity, finesse, and charm. Wine geeks read his catalogs for entertainment because, though he’s in the sales business, his lovely prose reflects his passion for the growers and vineyards he works with.

The Hofer was just $15.99, and with the extra ounces an excellent deal. I’m pretty decent at reading wine labels, even those super-confusing French and German bottles, but I have to admit this one had me stumped. It was just a jumble of Austrian words, and I had to turn to good old Google to help me solve the riddle. Turns out the producer is Hofer, the grapes were grown in Auersthal, and the estate is certified organic. I checked it out on Wine Enthusiast's free ratings, and though the '07 wasn't rated, the '05 got an 89. Bingo: time for an 89 Project cross-post.

The Gru-Vee, true to its cool-climate roots, was fresh and acidic, not unlike cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc. Also like Sauv Blanc, GV has a grapefruity varietal character and is extremely food-friendly. But that’s where the similarities end: while Sauvignon Blanc often tastes herbal and grassy, Gruner Veltliner has what’s often referred to as “peppery” notes, as in black pepper. It sounds strange for a white wine, but it’s absolutely true, and that’s probably part of the reason it’s so great with food. Just don’t gulp it alone, because the acidity that makes food sing will turn your stomach inside out alone.

Price: $15.99 (about prices)

Rating: Great Value (about ratings)

1999 Clos Fourtet, St. Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux ($50)

This wine got RP 89-91 in 2000, 89-91 in 2001, and 88 in 2000. Poor thing, it's kind of like Anglo-Saxon law. Few people care to study it or, in the case of this wine, drink it because it sounds "too mature" (RP) and "superficial" (RP), read "boring." Yet if they gave it a chance, they would find that it is a hidden treasure of exciting flavors.

Cheers,

Wine Reviews at Chateau Petrogasm

Malbec: Old Vines vs. New Vines

Malbec, known as one of the six red grapes allowed in a bottle of Bordeaux, has been found mostly in the Cahors region of Southwestern France. This dark and inky juiced grape was later introduced to Argentina in 1868. Often referred to as Côt in France, lost it's popularity in the 1950's when a frost devastated about 75% of the vineyards. However, Malbec remained the premier grape in Argentina and eventually found it's way to California and Washington and especially in Walla Walla, Washington.

If you have been keeping up with the 89 Project blog, I blogged an earlier article regarding aMaurice Cellars Malbec - 2005. aMaurice is a winery from the Walla Walla Valley and I actually craved this wine after the first sip at the winery. It was "s_w_o_o_n" worthy! I rationed my first bottle for three evenings and every evening it became more interesting. The color was an inky plum color and the nose wafted out dark fruit - reminding me of a treasured family recipe of huckleberry coffee cake made from the berries we picked during our summers in Montana. The other nice surprise was the finish - graham crackers! The second evening it was if the flavors built up and became even more intense but with dark deep cocoa added. The third evening, the intense flavors remained but with a pleasant bit of spice in the finish.

So as Teddy Roosevelt once said over a cup of coffee served to him in Nashville, Tennessee - - "it was good to the last drop." And unfortunately Dr. Jay Miller never asked my opinion about the wine, because Parker pointed it an 89 - only 89.

Last week, we celebrated the evening of the election with another Malbec - - one from Mendoza, Argentina. And to make this even more interesting, the Malbec fruit was hand picked from vines that were over 90 years old.

Gourlart Grand Vin Malbec was also a 2005 vintage like the Malbec from aMaurice Cellars. The color was a deep red. There wasn't quite an inkiness going on, but definite shades of violet came through in the color. At first I thought it had an extemely complex nose - it was almost difficult to define. Perhaps due to terroir that was not directly familiar to me? But later notes of ripe dark berries, chocolate and spice came out of the glass. The tannins were balanced and the acids were "juicy." I also picked up a familiar spiciness that was heavy on the oak - - in fact this wine had spent 14 months in 100% new French oak. I also noticed that in another year or six-months this wine would be needing some decanting - which is not a bad thing.

How did I feel about this particular Malbec from Argentina? It wasn't quite "s_w_o_o_n" worthy of the local Malbec, but it was definitely "crush" worthy (And remember, my "crush"worthy and "s_w_o_o_n" worthy may be different than your idea of "crush" worthy and "s_w_o_o_n" worthy). One very important thing: at first sip, I knew it was not of familiar terroir and would have almost guessed this Malbec to be a French wine.

While both wines are Malbecs and of the same vintage, it is very difficult to say which one is the better wine. It's all about taste and style - each wine bringing something different to the person savoring the liquid. Comparing the two wines could also depend on how you pair them with particular foods. The Goulart Grand Vin definitely screamed for some spicy foods such as Tex-Mex and Cajun influenced food. The aMaurice Cellars would be accented wonderfully with a charcuterie and/or cheese plate, or an herbal induced rich beef stew, beef stroganoff or even a tomato sauce enhanced pasta dish.

And when it came to points how did the Goulart Grand Vin - 2005 from Mendoza, Argentina with fruit picked from 90 year old vines compare with the aMaurice Cellars - 2005 from Walla Walla, WA picked from relatively newer vines? Well, the Wine Spectator gave the Goulart Grand Vin - - drum roll - - 89 points.

Now this is where you will allow me to jump up on my soap box. As we know, 89 points can kill the sale of a very delicious and well-made wine. Personally, I feel that those who over look a wine because it received an 89 are really missing out on some well-made and interesting wines. And for argument's sake, let's say if the Malbec from aMaurice Cellars received 90 or 91 points, some "narrow-pointed minded" people might over look the Goulart Grand Vin because of it's mere 89 points. Or if the Goulart Grand Vin received a 90 or 91, the aMaurice Cellars Malbec with it's 89 points could also be forsaken. The point is that the crushworthy wine was an excellent wine, but missing a component that I personally enjoy in a wine that the swoonworthy wine had. So, if the crushworthy wine received a 91 and I forsake the swoonworthy wine because of the 89 points - I am the one losing out. Me - the consumer. And isn't that (forgive me here) the point of the points? My taste buds and Dr. Jay Miller's are not the same! How can you pit each wine against each other - it's like the flaw of the Oscars. How do you give an Oscar to the best movie of the year when your choices are a comedy, romance, western and a sci-fi? To sum it up - -

To choose one of these Malbecs over the other - - it can't be done because missing out on either wine - - well, you are just missing out - - period.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #51 (Baked Goods) gets some 89s

Following is a re-post of this month's Wine Blogging Wednesday from 1WineDude.com. Our fearless 89 Project leader pointed out there there are 2 wines in my write-up that are 89-pointers (I'd not checked any scores before obtaining the wines that I reviewed):

"Wine Spectator - December 23, 2005

BLANDY'S Sercial Madeira 5 Year Old NV (89 points, $21)
Dried apricot, golden raisin and smoky flavors fill this fresh and lively Madiera. Balanced, and edged with lush spicy notes, which linger on the creamy finish. Try on ice as an aperitif. Drink now through 2010.

-Kim Marcus
---------------------------

Blandy's Malmsey 10 Year

KM Wine Spectator 12/31/05
89/100"

These wines (especially the Malmsey) were very good, and certainly worthy of attention (no matter what the WS score...). Enjoy!

---

Welcome to Wine Blogging Wednesday #51(WineDude)!
Dude here is hosting the 51st edition of the venerable WBW, and today's theme is "Baked Goods" - reviews of wines that are deliberately heated (aka "Madeirized"), and we're also allowing reviews of sweet Fortified wines to be included. For the scoop on how Wine Blogging Wednesday works, check out the WBW site. More details on the background of the theme can be found here.

Now... let's get this funk started!

I love Madeira. Love is a strong word. And I love Madeira.

It's often sweet, incredibly tasty, high in refreshing acidity, and because it's already been exposed to oxygen and heat (which would utterly destroy normal wines), it's virtually indestructible.

A Madeira wine from 1935 will pretty much taste the same today as it did in 1935, even if opened and enjoyed tablespoon by luscious tablespoon from then until now. Not only is it tasty, indestructible, and food-friendly, it also boasts an abv of 19% or more. It's a bad-ass wine!

Normally, I'd expound on the storied history of Madeira, and give you background on the traditional styles of Madeira, food pairings, etc.

But...

Rather than take you through the history of Madeira wine - which I figured might be covered by one or more of the other fine WBW participants anyway (and if not can easily be found in detailed play-by-play on the web) - I thought I'd instead show you, by way of comparison, just how bad-ass Madeira actually is.


Let's compare kick-ass, indestructible Madeira to the so-called "Invincible" IRON MAN:

	The "Invincible" IRON MAN	Totally Kick-Ass Indestructible Madeira
Abilities	Superhuman strength, Repulsor-ray technology, Genius-level intellect	Intense aroma , Mouth-watering acidity , Ass-kicking 19%+ abv Edge: Madeira
Protection	Bullet-proof, temperature-resistant armor - TIE	Impervious to hot ovens, attic temperatures, and long, perilous sea voyages - TIE
Creator	Stan Lee	The Dutch Armada Edge: Madeira
Nemesis	The Mandarin , Alcoholism , Soft spot for Pepper Pots , Very large magnets Edge: IRON MAN	Cork Taint
Tastes Like	Metal alloy	Nuts, caramel, dried figs. - Edge: Madeira
Result of Oxidation	Rust	Characteristics of nuts and honey Edge: Madeira

No contest: Madeira totally trumps IRON MAN, 5-2.

Anyway, traditional Madeira comes in four flavors of grapes, each chosen to highlight a particular style of the wine, examples of which I tasted in comparison (witness below).


Notice how the color of each wine gets darker? This is a key to the style, which range from dry and nutty to lusciously sweet and caramely (is that a word...?):

Blandy's Dry Sercial (Aged 5 Years in oak): Made from the Sercial grape, grown in the cooler high-altitude regions of the Madeira island. Sherry-like, nutty (almonds, baby!) with searing acidity. Pass the hors d'oeuvres!

Blandy's 5 Year Vedelho: Made from Verdelho (also grown in the cooler Northern part of the island) - Sherry-like, but this time its darker and more 'Oloroso-ish'; the oak is more pronounced, and there's touch of sweetness balancing the acidity.

Cossart Gordon Medium Rich Bual (15 years): From the Bual grape (probably my favorite) from the warmer southern portion of Madeira, it ripens to higher levels so it can be made into a sweeter style. And sweet it is - as in sweet fig, vanilla, and hazelnut, with a long nutty finish.

Blandy's Malmsey 10 Year: Malmsey is the malvasia grape, grown in the warmest and lowest-altitude regions of Madeira. These wines can become ultra-indestructible and typically have a near-perfect balance between acidity and sweetness. In this case, the wine is bursting with burnt caramel, rum, honey, and smoke, with a smooth, luscious mouthfeel.

Now do you see why I use the word "love" when I'm talking Madeira?

Just don't tell Mrs. Dudette... she might get jealous...

Cheers!
(images: 1winedude.com, malone.blogs.com, historyguy.com, wikimedia.org, sahistory.org.za, d210.tv, wilsoncrfeekwinery.com, fruitsstar.com, purplemissues.blogspot.com)

Campbells Rutherglen Muscat NV

Hello, 89 Project readers. The following post is taken from the Wine Blogging Wednesday #51 post on my blog Bloviatrix. As stated in my post, this wine received a rating of 91/100 from Stephen Tanzer of International Wine Cellar (actually in summer of 2006), but also received a more recent rating of 88/100 from the Wine Spectator, which averages to 89.5. I have also noticed it receiving a 92/100 from the Wine Spectator in a different recent vintage (blend). Despite the efforts at Campbells winery to maintain consistency from year to year in this Solera-process blended dessert wine, perhaps there has been variation from year to year. The only reason I could think that this wine would rate an 88 or 89/100 is that while delectable and very well-made, it perhaps lacks some complexity that would set as a truly top-tier fortified muscat. My post is following.

This month's Wine Blogging Wednesday theme is hosted by 1 Wine Dude blogger Joe Roberts. This fun theme is "baked goods", literally wines that have been maderized (or heated) such as Madeira. The theme has been extended to include wines that have been fortified as well. I have chosen this month the Campbells Rutherglen Muscat, which is a dessert wine made from the Muscat grape (fortified with grape spirits). Rutherglen is an area in Northeast Victoria, southeast Australia that is famous for distinctive fortified Muscat and Tokay dessert wines. Campbells has been in the winemaking business since 1870, which is impressive.

I purchased this 375ml bottle a few months ago at a New Hampshire State Liquor Store in Nashua for about $15. Was I attracted to the fine old Scottish name on the bottle? Perhaps. Was I lured in by the big Decanter Gold Medal label on the front? Sure. Do I appreciate a delicious fortified sticky? Absolutely.

According to the Campbells web site, the wine is made using the Solera system, that is, from a blend of wines from several vintages, hence there is no vintage on the label. The alcohol by volume (ABV) is a relatively modest 17%. This wine recently received a 91of 100 from tough wine critic Stephen Tanzer of International Wine Cellar, which says to me it must have some special qualities.

I have to be honest- I only had a small glass of this before a guest quaffed the whole thing. It just really tastes good, especially if you have any kind of sweet tooth. I'm always happy to be a good host :-). But I did take down some tasting notes. The nose reminded me right off the bat of plum pudding and hard sauce that I used to have sometimes on holidays as a child. It's so funny that on Campbells web page describing the wine they state that it pairs well with plum pudding and hard sauce. That made me chuckle. Also prominent on the nose are candied raisin and burnt caramel. I sensed also on the nose something that reminded me of cognac, but more unctuous. The finish is good and very pleasant. I'll probably try to round up another bottle of this at some point!

2007 Sportoletti Assisi Rosso

This wine hits both of the honig nails on the head. It tastes great after one night open on the counter (see 2daysperbottle), and it’s rated 89 points in the Wine Advocate (see the 89project).

It’s the 2007 Sportoletti Assisi Rosso, wherein Assisi Rosso is a DOC. One that does not appear in the Oxford Companion to Wine, the text for all WSET students. This wine has a record of 90-point reviews — in ‘01, ‘04, ‘05 and ‘06 — and it is delicious and affordable, priced under $20.

The DOC is centered around the Umbrian city of Assisi, famous for its saint, Francis, and applied to a rosso, a bianco, a rosato and a novello. The DOC calls for the rosso to be at least 50 to 70 percent sangiovese; this wine is 50 percent of that variety blended with 30 percent merlot and 20 percent cabernet sauvignon.The consultant is Riccardo Cotarella, who in 1998 was dubbed by Parker as the Michel Rolland of Italy. It’s a medium-deep bright ruby with purple highlilghts and youthful aromas of milk chocolate, plum, vanilla and cloves. It’s dry with a high alcohol content (a surprising 14 percent) that is balanced by lively acid, light tannins and clear fruit flavors of sour cherries, red fruit and some spice. It’s not too complex, but has a medium to long finish that stretches back on the palate. Get some.

As to why this wine gets an 89 rather than a 90, I think the fame of the winemaker, who consults all over Italy and in France, regularly attracts the 90 points. It's probably not going to get much more because it's made to be drunk young and simple and sell for less than $20. 2007 was a little too hot in Umbria and the wine shows it in the high alcohol. It obviously still works, but the other vintages showed better balance.

DOMAINE CARNEROS BRUT CARNEROS 2004

I think I am the first to review a sparkler on this site, yet regardless, one of the best-drinking sparklers out of California is Taittinger’s Domaine Carneros Brut, which year-in-and-year-out, proves to be a phenomenal wine for the price. Especially these days, if you want sparklers, most of us need to look for something domestic (unless you’re thinking Cava).

The press, which fluctuates on sparklers (reviewing them only every so often – some producers go two or three years between reviews) is usually quite exemplary for Domaine Carneros, with the Brut Carneros usually scoring well. On the 2004, the interesting thing is that it gleaned an 89 from Wine Spectator and an 85 from Wine Enthusiast.

Spectator’s description goes like this: “Appealing aromas of Gala apple, toasted almond and vanilla lead to focused, creamy Asian pear and spice flavors that finish with a vibrant crispness. Drink now through 2012.” Sounds good, right?

Enthusiast doesn’t seem as convinced: “The vintage was a very ripe one, and the heat shows. It’s very forward, almost jammy, in sweet strawberry and peach flavors. This robs the wine of some elegance, but it’s still an attractive sipper.” Okay, so -4 points for just being a 2004? Or there was too much alcohol poking through?

My take on this wine goes something like this: aside from Roederer Estate Brut NV from Anderson Valley, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better sparkler from California. Light-to-medium-bodied, with creamy stone fruit, toast and nuttiness buoyed by lively effervescence and acidity, this wine gives you long-lasting pleasure on the palate, making it perfect for anything celebratory, like an Obama victory, right?

89 rated wines around the blogosphere

As hard as it is to believe, there are still a few wine bloggers that have yet to join The 89 Project. I will try to bring you their reviews of 89-rated wines when I find them, to link to them and to encourage them to join the project, as well as to increase the visibility of these wines.

The first one today comes from Confessions of a Wino, and its review of Château Durfort-Vivens 2003. I won't steal the whole reveiw, but in summary:

Very impressive wine, though, and I would always choose a Margaux if I had more than two sous to rub together.

Go on over, give the review a look, and don't forget to leave comments encouraging him to join The 89 Project.

Cline Small Berry Mourvedre (WE 89)

I had the Cline Small Berry Mourvedre, most recently, last Thursday night. I confess, I adore this wine and used to visit a restaurant that carried it just so that I could drink it on a weekly basis. But, I moved away from that city about a year ago, and had completely forgotten about this little gem of a wine. Until last Thursday. When I saw it on the wine list, I knew we had to revisit it.

When you first open the Small Berry, you get tons of tobacco and leather on the nose. Really heady stuff, so give it a good 30 minutes to decant before proceeding. Then the palate is very cigar box and spicy jam, some raisin and prune hide in there too. The tannins are satiny and elegant, with just enough linger to let you know that you just had something really good.

We had this wine with ostrich and elk and it was fabulous. It really stood up to the gamey flavors of our dishes while not overpowering them. It also went really well with the salty bleu cheeses we had proceeding the meal.

I have only seen this wine in restaurants so far, but I know you can order it from on-line retailers. Every time I check, it is around $30, and well worth it. This wine is easily an 89, every time I have had it, it doesn't disappoint. I think that it is varietal-y correct, consistent and worth a try.

Chateau Haute-Bailly 2001

This wine got an 89 rating from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/June 2004, Issue #114

from 2 Days per Bottle.

Grand Cru Classe' de Graves
Pessac-Leognan
$45.98 in Indianapolis, Indiana
12.5% alcohol by volume
imported by USA Wine Imports, New York, NY

This bottle of wine is a floral delight. On Night One it seems promise years of cellar growth to come, but we will know more about that on Night Two.

Night One

Purple flowers, lavendar and lilac, just float out of the glass, along with some dark plum and plum skins. On the palate the same flowers take center stage. There is fruit there, too, but it is hidden behind strong tannins that scream out for more years in the cellar. Plums, nee plum skins, are the primary fruit, but more will surely come out of hiding on Night Two. I hope you will join me to see if my prediction comes true.

Night Two

Floral aromas once again lead the nose on Night Two, but the additional time with some air brought out black fruit, more blackberry than blackcurrant, but both were there. The palate has more to offer than on Night One, but the overall impression is that this could use more time. Pencil lead, cassis, and tart plum skins are slowly wrapped in firm tannins as it moves from initial attack to mid-palate, where a hint of unsweetened chocolate makes a quick appearance. Acids and tannins are both pwoerful, but well-balanced. The finish is long.

This is pretty good but still young. The sense of it is that it is just waking up now, just starting to come out of a closed phase. It might well be much better in as little as a year or two. There is plenty of backbone, acid and tannins, to give it time to grow and knit together.

Is this an 89? No, perhaps not. To me an 89 is something that is technically perfect but just barely missing "that certain something," or having "that certain something" while also having an obvious but minor flaw. This wine is good, but not technically perfect. It also doesn't really have anything particularly special about it. It is certainly a more than competent wine, but it is not borderline great.