Cantena's 2010 Malbec

A consistently well-structured Malbec from Argentina.

I found the nose jammy and a little dusty. 

The taste was light, with supple red fruits, a medium finish, but with a lingering but less pleasant aftertaste.  It did open up after an hour, losing some of the tannic after taste.

Robert Parker gave this vintage a 91, where is has consistently scored over the years.

$ / +

You can find this wine on Wine.com for $19.99.

Geyser Peak's 2007 Walking Tree

A decent cabernet from the Alexander Valley near Napa, California.

Pleasantly strong smell of cherries.

Fruit forward flavor, with a Big, oaky mouthful, medium finish and slightly tannic after taste. 

A great everyday wine which scores on one of the ratings services in the low 90s just about every year.  Perfect for that everyday wine to stock up in your pantry.

$ / +

You find this on Wine.com for $19.99.

Chappellet's 2010 Mountain Cuvee

A blend of red grapes (Merlot, Cabernet, Malbec, etc).

While I normally like their blends, this didn't show very well.

Initial smell of dust/must and cherry.

A biting flavor, with red fruit but too tannic with bitter aftertaste.

A drinkable wine, but not worthy of the extra price.

$$ / +

You can get find this on Wine.com for $33.99.

Shafer's 2009 Relentless

It isn't often you find a decent shiraz from the U.S., but Shafer's Relentless is certainly worthy of note.  With a blend of Syrah and Petit Syrah grapes, the wine continuously shows well year after year.

A very pleasant, spicy and bold nose.
Strong flavors of red fruit (cherries, black berries), with a medium to peppery but very pleasant finish.  Really opened up after an hour or so.
Certainly worthy of a night out with friends.

Robert Parker gave this vintage a 93, but previous vintages have consistently scored in the 95s with him.  Wine Spectator gave this vintage a 95.

$$ / ++

You can find this wine at Wine.com for $72.

The Stolpman Sauvignon Blanc and Sunstone Merlot steal the show

Headed down with a neighbor on Wednesday the 23rd of January to Cafe Firenze in Moorpark, CA, to try their new wine tasting format.

Very pleased with the format, the ambience, and the wines themselves, surprising myself with my top picks being wines I would not normally graviate to.

2011 Stolpman Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez organic, biodynamic, dry farmed

Crisp, light, green apple

$ / ++

$18 on Wine Searcher

2010 Cline Cellars Pinot

Smooth, clove aroma. Smoky. 

Coats the mouth, bitter

? / -

2009 Sunstone Merlot

Spicy smell almost like a barista valley

Big fruit up front, but round quick finish 

$ / ++

$16.00 on Wine Searcher

2008 Zaca Mesa Z Cuvee

Smell of asphalt, leather

Bitter and tannic for a GSM. Lingering bitter finish

? / -

2010 Stolpman Estate grown Syrah

Plum, blackberry jam. Smell

Mouthful of blackberries. Slight dusty finish. Dry, lingering after taste

Coated teeth

? / +

Covento's 2011 Las Claras

From the Ribero del Duero of Spain.

Tempranillo (100%)

Smells earthy with hints of red fruit.

The wine coats your tongue completely, with softer tannins but is earthier than most Tempranillos.

I am not aligned with RP score of 93 on this wine.  Might be a bad bottle.  Will check again and update the blog if I find it different.

$ / +

You can find it on Wine.com for $17.99 

Yalumba's 2009 "The Scribbler"

A decent wine from from Barossa Valley, Australia (my favorite source of Shiraz).

61% Cab, 39% Shiraz

Smell.  Cassis and cherry.

Taste.  Big, mouthful of juice, pleasant finish.

Very drinkable.

$ / ++

You can find this on Wine.com for $19.99

Understanding this Wine Blog

I have been using Pinterest and Photostream in an attempt to memorialize my wine musings.  I wanted to take the time to put a little more structure around my thoughts for my own use and that of a few fellow wine bums.

So I am going to commit to a few principles:
 

• brevity
• honesty
• utility

I will quickly describe the wine (winery, vintage, location).

I will be honest about my thoughts on the smell and the taste (inextricably linked).

I will rate them in drinkability and price:

• -         barely drinkable
• +        drinkable, every day wine, table wine
• ++      a step up in taste, worthy of a Friday or Saturday night out with friends
• +++    incredible, worthy of a special birthday or anniversary celebration
• ++++  once in a lifetime experience

• $        $   0-20
• $$      $ 20-40
• $$$    $ 40-80
• $$$$  $ 80+

I will annotate my "favorites" (of any price) and "gems" (those which are +++ and $$ or less).