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Four Vines Old Vine Zinfandel 2005

My idea of old is 16 to 50 years old, like the old vines in Four Vines Old Vine Zin. But because I'm approaching 50, I'll have to adjust that soon to include the over 50 vines (which I used to consider ancient vines).

Anyway, the Four Vines people are dedicated to hedonistic principles and you can get in on their more is better approach to life at the under-$15 level with their Old Vine Zinfandel. If you can afford to, by all means, spend a bit more and try out their no-holds barred offerings like Biker Zin and Loco. But if you only have $13 to spend this is a good place to spend it.

Christian Tietje and Company combined some good fruit from all over California with some rather decent small oak barrels before bottling Old Vine Zin '05. Forget about unique terroir, this is a happy-go-lucky mutt of a Zin.

Excellent value ($13). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14.6%.

Style: Plump, fruit forward, tart with some oak spice.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Dark candy apple red with a slight haze. Aromas: Loganberry, framboise, raisins, cola spice and caramelized oak. Medium-bodied and sweet tart on the front of the tongue, the richly layered mature fruit flavors combine with cola spice and the finish kicks out a modicum of caramelized oak.

Comment: Decadent value.

Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2006

I didn't try this wine for a good while because the name rubbed me the wrong way; it's just too clever. Cono Sur = Southern Cone? But the price tag finally got to me. That lured me as did the curiosity of trying a Chilean Pinot Noir. It didn't hurt that Vineyard Brands imports the wine, because I've come to trust their palate.

The result: I'm on my fourth bottle and for my money Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2006 beats the other $10-$11 Pinots out there that currently rule the low end bins. You know who you are. I'm a big Salmon eater and this one works great with my bear like eating habits.

But I still don't like the name and the Cono Sur website is too clever for my tastes as well.

Outstanding value ($11). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 14%.

Style: Light, tart, red fruit forward, with a touch of smoke.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Bright cranberry translucent. Aromas: Redcurrant, cranberry, plum, strawberry. Light bodied on the tongue, the sour cherry flavor mingles with light spicy smoky notes and the finish is elegant, gay, dry, not overpowering but rather uplifting.

Comment: Mrs. Slocombe said "Ignore the shoes". I say "ignore the marketing".

Cambiata Laumann Estate Monterey Tannat 2004

You'll have to spell it out for most anyone when you tell them you tried Cambiata Tannat (pronounced "tah-not"). Having learned that Tannat is a grape usually grown in the Pyrenees with a reputation for being quite tannic, I tasted it with a friend who likes his wines big and tannic. No surprise he smiled when he tried it.

The next guy who walked in the room for a taste wasn't as favorable about this wine but then it's not for everybody. That just leaves more for us.

Eric Laumann produced less than 400 cases of Cambiata 2004 Tannat from his small vineyard in Santa Lucia Mountains, and aged the lots in 24 months in French oak barrels. When Laumann isn't working on his family project, he is busy as Head of Winemaking at Monterey Wine Company.

Very nice value ($30+/-). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14.5%.

Style: Bold, complex, tannic and oaky.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Deep indigo ruby, opaque. Aromas: Cassis, oak spice, licorice and forest earth. The body is rather full and there's a slight sweetness on the front of the tongue, nice fruit and plenty of tannins which are nicely smooth considering Tannat's reputation for power. The fruit, oak and tannins are well balanced resulting in a bold and lush yet deep and brooding experience.

Comment: The fact that Tannat is described as "outlawed in Bordeaux" is a great reason for many of us to want to try it.

Cambiata Winery provided this bottle of Tannat as a sample for review. Winewaves recently reviewed Cambiata Albarino 2005.

A Funny Thing Happened on the way to Buffalo

Last week on the way to Buffalo I had a connection at BWI (Baltimore Washington International) and there was a delay on my outbound flight. I got a glass of green tea and went walking around and discovered Vino Volo over in concourse A. I had forgotten about this location's opening but was glad to see them. As anyone who travels through BWI knows, delays are common.

Twice before I've stopped at the Vino Volo in the Sea-Tac airport and written about them for Winewaves.

Before I settled into this Vino Volo for a flight of wine I figured I should go back to B concourse and check with the Southwest Airlines gate person to make sure I would have time. The delay was now showing longer than before and it seems we were going to be put on another jet that wouldn't arrive until at least 8:00 PM. It was a quarter till 7 so I figured there was time. "Is there any chance the flight will go any earlier?" I asked, "Because I'd like to get a glass of wine over in A concourse". "Just be back here by a quarter till 8", I was advised.

When I got back over to Vino Volo, I ordered the California Kings flight for $10. The three wines included: Teatown Cellars Napa Merlot 2004, Vinum Cellars Slow Lane Cabernet 2004 and Melville Estate Verna's Syrah 2005. I took my time smelling all three as per usual and finally took a slow sip of the Merlot. How civilized! I thought and then the loudspeaker said, "This is a gate change announcement for Southwest flight 2651 to Buffalo. You are now leaving out of gate B7. Please report immediately to gate B7 for boarding now." It turns out several of the people at the wine bar were on the same flight. We paid up. Determined to finish my wine flight, I downed the wines like doing shots. We all hurried back over to concourse B just in time.

As for the wines, they were all good. And I guess I can't complain that our flight left much earlier than expected. However, I look forward to my next delay at BWI so I can spend more than a minute on a wine flight.

Schug Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

The Schug family has never sold out to anyone and always seems to be aiming to define classic wine. Without pretension, Walter Schug presides over modestly priced creations infused with worldly experience such as this Cabernet which bridges the gap between Sonoma and Bordeaux.

The Schug Winery was established in Carneros in 1980 after Walter Schug decided to go it on his own after years of helping put Joseph Phelps and California Cabernet on the map. Walter made the first Bordeaux-style blend for Phelps (Insignia) as well as the first vineyard-designated Cabs (Bacchus and Eisele) and the first varietal Syrah in the US. Having grown up in a Pinot Noir vineyard in Germany, Walter wanted to make Pinot Noir commercially but Phelps didn't. Hence it was off to Carneros where he has been making Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and sparkling wines.

Now Walter has the help of Michael Cox, plus a small to medium sized state of the art winery facility and a modest cave where wines are barrel aged. Sonoma Valley Cab 2004 is a blend of Cab, Cab Franc and Merlot.

Outstanding value ($20). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14.5%.

Style: A bit lusher than a firm Bordeaux but combining the best of the old and new worlds; well endowed with oak.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Deep purple ruby with just a slight haze. Aromas: Classic cassis and loganberry combine with spicy oak and cave earth. On the tongue the body is medium to full with nice tartness and substantial yet lightly polished tannins. The dark fruit and spice flavors are backed with a smidgen of pencil lead and the finish lingers well.

Comment: A good candidate for taking to a friendly blind tasting competition. You know, where everyone brings a bottle in a brown paper bag and the person whose bottle finishes last pays for dinner.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling 2006

Usually when I mention a Riesling to an experienced wine customer who is looking for something different from Chardonnay they say "no thanks - I don't like it sweet". But I think it's really neat that Riesling can be sweet or it can be totally dry, and if it's made well, it can be really good all along the residual sugar spectrum.

For those who find this post later, I posted it on June's Wine Blogging Wednesday. The topic, hosted by Catie at Through the Walla Walla Grape Vine, is Washington State Cabernets. Now Winewaves has posted some beauties, and Walla-squared is one of my favorite places in the world to be. If I had one, I would open and review a bottle of Bergevin Lane, Chatter Creek, Powers (Champoux), Januik, Whitman Cellars, Amavi, K Vintners, Hedges Red Mountain, Hightower Cellars, Bonair, Harlequin Cellars, or 3 Rivers, to name a few. Unfortunately I haven't stopped in at Pete's in Seattle lately. Therefore, I'm reviewing an excellent Dry Riesling from the "oft considered rather dead common but really amazingly good" Chateau Ste. Michelle. As I write about it I am drinking a beautiful Cab which I will tell you more about later (it's a keeper) - a 2004 Sonoma Valley Cab from my friends at Schug in beautiful downtown Carneros, a day or more drive south of Walla-squared. (You go past The Dalles, Portland, Eugene, Weed, and turn right just past Sacramento).

Let me get back to Ste. Michelle's Dry Riesling 2006. Bob Bertheau is as good a wine strategist as director of winemaking. He has delivered the goods and stuck his neck out a bit with a dry Riesling, something more frequently seen coming from Alsace or Australia, and something much misunderstood in the states. No oak of course, just 100% Riesling from the Columbia Valley. Until this vintage you had to live in or around Washington State to get the dry bottling, but now even those of us as far away as Tennessee can get it. Thanks Bob!

Outstanding value ($9.50). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 13%.

Style: Palate cleansing, vibrant, unwooded and refreshingly dry.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Pale to light gold. Aromas: Apricot, lime, citrus rind, and maybe a bit of green melon. Lively tart and crisp as a freshly picked Granny Smith, the appley, white peachy fruit flavors are backed by mandarin lime acidity and sensibilities before your mouth is stripped naked in the pole dance of a finish.

Comment: Have you ever seen the ice fog that hovers over the Columbia Valley hills? I was actually pulled over by a Washington State trooper last January for weaving a bit on the highway as I couldn't keep my eyes from wandering all over the landscape in awe of that scene. The trooper suspected I had been drinking but I had not had a drop that day. Anyway this wine reminds me of the ice fog in Washington's Columbia Valley.

Martin Codax Rias Baixas Albarino 2006

Martín Códax is a Galician Troubadour who lived some 7 centuries ago; his writings were rediscovered in the last century by an antiquarian bookseller in Madrid. The name was given to the winery what produces this Albariño by the same name. Bodegas Martín Códax also produces Burgans Albariño as well as herb and coffee liqueurs.

Like the medieval troubadour Martín Códax, the namesake Albariño is an unwashed expression of the place as well as the grape.

Outstanding value ($14). Closure: Neocork. Alcohol content: 13%.

Style: Exotic, juicy round, fruity and refreshingly dry.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Pale straw with a greenish tint. Aromas: Mandarin, lime, pear and cold blossoms. Medium-bodied, juicy and tart on the tongue, the pear and citrus medley flavors play out over a lengthy dry finish.

Comment: “In Spain, the dead are more alive than the dead of any other country in the world.” -  Federico Garcia Lorca

Winewaves reviewed Bodegas Martín Códax Burgans Albariño 2005.

Cambiata Laumann Estate Monterey Albarino 2005

There are trendsetters and then there are people who are so far out ahead of the wave that they may be looked upon as downright offbeat. Eric Laumann is adept at making more expected wines while crushing and blending for Monterey Wine Company. But his personal family project, the Cambiata label, involves growing and making Albarino and Tannat. Albariño is THE white wine of Galicia in Spain and Tannat is a unique and heady red wine that makes for an great bit of wine trivia. You will typically only find it being grown and made into wine in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains, in the southwest corner of France.

I have no doubt that Albariño has lots of upside potential because it occupies the right sensory position and we're all looking for something different from Chardonnay in a white wine. And then there's the wanderlust factor. Many of us would love to take a tour of northwest Spain but opt instead for the bottle of wine. But very few have considered growing and making Albariño in California. Why not? More power to Eric Laumann and Cambiata.

You may be interested to know that Laumann once worked for another "offbeat" character in the California wine world, Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon, who also grows a bit of Albariño and blends it.

Very nice Value ($22). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 13.8%. Cases produced: 400+.

Style: Exotic, juicy round, intensely fruity and refreshingly dry.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Pale straw with a greenish tint. Aromas: Intense peach plus tangerine, lemon and hints of cold blossoms. On the tongue the mouth feel is medium-bodied, approaching fat yet with excellent acidity. The rich tree fruit and lemony citrus flavors finish lush yet dry.

Comment: You might spend less for an Albariño from Spain or Portugal, but surely curiosity alone will make you want to try this one.

Winewaves reviewed Laumann's Poppy Pinot Noir 2005, a wine he makes for Monterey Wine Company. The bottle of Cambiata Albariño 2005 tasted for this review was provided by the winery.

Sauvignon Republic Marlborough Blanc 2006

A group of enterprising friends comprised of Winemakers John Buechsenstein and Paul Dolan plus restaurant and culinary experts John Ash and Tom Meyer have found an attractive vehicle for marketing their collective favorite white wine variety. Sauvignon Republic Cellars now has three labels: Marlborough New Zealand, Stellenbosch South Africa, and Russian River Valley California.

These guys appreciate the variations you can get when you go around the world looking for Sauvignon Blanc. I agree and think they're onto something and am hoping they also bottle some wine from France and as well as the Columbia Valley in the future.

Excellent value ($18). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 13%.

Style: Citrus-y, a bit tropical, a bit green, un-wooded, very tart and dry.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Pale straw with a greenish tint. Aromas: Gooseberry, passionfruit, celery and green herbs. The tart acidity is in high gear, providing an overall intense Marlborough experience and a shrilling finish.

Comment: Pucker up buttercup.

St. Francis Sonoma County RED 2004

St. Francis is known for Merlot, and in this offering they pony up some great juice in a blended format that has a lot to offer any empty wine glass. Cleverly their blend is simply RED, and each case features twelve different labels sporting variations on "splats" of red wine.

This year's RED blend is 60% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cab Franc and 4% Zinfandel, all 100% is Sonoma County grown fruit according to Winemaker Tom Mackey.

Outstanding value ($11). Closure: Plastic cork. Alcohol content: 13.5%.

Style: Fruit-forward with just a bit of earthiness, with some oak spice, dry.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Deep purple ruby, translucent. Aromas: Sweet spicy oak notes overlay dried cherry, redcurrant and loganberry liqueur, backed by earthy forest notes. Medium-bodied and dusty dry; the spicy fruity flavors are balanced by enough structure and an earthiness that work together in a charismatic finish.

Comment: I've got friends in Merlot places.