a bottle a week

I Have A Hypothetical Child

2009-05-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hello followers, friends and family members I've bribed to read my blog:

This is the dawning of the age of Aqurius.

I mean, this is the dawning of a new age. I have officially moved blog sites. If you are reading this message, it is because I posted it a week and a half late and my editor/publisher power team is yet to figure out how to route the old blog to the new. Like I could do it. Pff. Technology, uuuhhh!!!

Yes, I am blogging my same ol' ish on WinoMagazine.com. I tossed and turned over what to do with this possible big move for me, which seems silly for some but was damn near life altering for me. abottle/aweek is my baby, as I explained to my editor, and I don't want anyone to call my baby by a different name, raise her differently or give her a wardrobe change/haircut/ear piercing without my 100% approval. You know how mothers can be a little overprotective.

Anywhosers, check my hypothetical baby and I out at our new address at WINO Mag's Web site here.

And go with wine, my children.

Cheers,
Erin

Cote Bonneville 2005 Carriage House Red Wine

2009-04-29T16:07:00.001-07:00

*Bottle #60: Cote Bonneville 2005 Carriage House DuBrul Vineyard Red Wine

*Price Tag: $54
*Running Tab: $772 (The boy bought...)

Considering Cote Bonneville is one of the highest-rated (94 points from Wine Spectator), estate-grown (DuBrul Vineyard is one of the most prestigious and older vineyards in the state) and premium Merlot producers around, one would think they'd have a better/functioning Web site.

Side note - I seem to really like using parentheses in this blog (obviously).

To compensate for the bad Web-marketing, this is what I picture happening... Cote Bonneville decided: "Hey! We don't make enough money from our $120 critically acclaimed and more often than not sold out Cab/Merlot, let's make a second label!"

Basically, give or take a few words.

After much annoying Googling, I couldn't find squat on these guys. Thank goodness Seattle Magazine just did a blurb on them - yes, they received "Most Outstanding Wine of the Year" for the previously mentioned blend. That and the previously mentioned crazy good estate vineyard of theirs in Yakima Valley, resting right above the Yakima River, just received "Vineyard of the Year" as well.

Woodward Canyon and Own Roe are a few to name that battle it out for the right to purchase fruit from this vineyard. They probably produce pretty good grapes there, even for the likes of this $54 second label "table wine." Yowza.

73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc for good measure, the Carriage House Red Wine produces a nose full of dark, lush fruit, rich with plum and dark raspberry protruding after some time with cloves and pepper sticking out all the way through.

Thick and juicy on the palate, with that chewy dark raspberry and almost a leathery, complex touch on the tongue. Beautifully structured, with multi-faceted levels and details that open up over time, this will be an amazing bottle of wine with another two years or so in the bottle. Rounded yet assertive tannins allow for a lengthy finish.

Those tannins are the kind that I love. The kind that you first think are wussy and then after you've taken a couple sips, they come back and kick you in the back of the head. It's like I'm the fourth grade bully and the tannins are some skinny kid I've been picking on who, low and behold, is stealthily aggressive and kicks my ass when my back is turned.

That never happened to me. But this wine did. And I liked it. All $56 worth of it.

Score: 9.

3 thoughts in my head. That's it.

2009-04-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

Slackity slack slack.

No review this week, however, I have drank a substantial amount of wine. Like that's new...

Have been SLAMMED this week with work (boo) but got some news to share with you all.

1) I was approached by a remotely scary flaming-redhaired "French" woman (quotes because she had no accent, very disappointing) to join the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine. Yup. It's an ancient brotherhood dating back to the Round Table - like King Arthur, not the nasty pizza joint. She said she could "knight" me and I would be a "gentlelady." Made me giggle.

2) My women's wine group that was supposed to have its 4th event last night at a South Seattle winery has somewhat flopped. For some reason, people don't like to get together and drink on weeknights, it seems. I'm going to give it one more shot and then give up. Hah.

3) A Seattle publication, who will go nameless for the sake of discussion, has asked to pick up my blog for their Web site (Hi, Doug). I believe I will be the lone blogger featured (other than their own), I'm the only one writing for me (like I'd allow anything other), all the content is mine (dur) and I will eventually get paid for (who knows how long that is). This is one of my goals with abottle/aweek, along with becoming rich and famous and winning lots of awards (obviously).

However... This is somewhat a loss of individuality for me. Serious identity crisis because it's a big move, something that I've wanted, but now I'll be associated with something, representing something other than myself (which I usually screw up anyway). I have the success of something other than myself in my hands! Kind of... It's scary!

Big steps, for abottle/aweek. Leaps and bounds, even. I still haven't decided yet. Thoughts, concerns, questions, heartbreak, single tear?

Will I be selling out or will I be achieving one of my goals?

To be continued...

Spindrift Pinot Gris

2009-04-16T12:52:00.001-07:00

*Bottle #59: Spindrift Cellars 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot Gris
*Price Tag: $15
*Running Tab: $772

My girlfriends are my rock. True and true, through thick and thin, always down for a good laugh and a cheap drink(s). More often than not, unless one of us is on some bizarre diet (sorry, Katie), we will get plentiful amounts of cheap drinks, usually enough to quench the thirst of many deprived small children in a starving third world country.

My girlfriends are rocks with bad wine taste. I take that bad, not bad, they just don't know, therefore they don't care. And I was the same way, two years ago. Now that I am the (obviously) more evolved wine drinker (and person, essentially), I try to press wines that might be $15 a bottle instead of $9 1.5L bottles aka magnums. Beringer, Gallo and Yellowtail, oh my!

My girlfriends LOVE the Pinot Gris and Grigio. Often times, I get phone calls from QFC or Safeway, from my perplexed friends asking the difference between the two.

Difference, I say? Nay. Example given to friends: They're like hot twin guys that were separated at birth, one just grew up in France and the other is from Italy.

"OOoooohh! I love hot twins!"

This week, I chose to put the hot French guy in my mouth. Heh heh heh.

For American Pinot Gris, the best way to go is Willamette Valley fruit. Oregon Pinot Gris' are typically light but not thin, full of good acid but not overwhelming loads and bursting with citrusy and summery fruit.

With the promise of that description plus some minerality and "unique notes," I went with the 2007 Spindrift Cellars Pinot Gris.

The nose was fabulous. The unmistakable lychee fruit on the nose gives off a lush and lavish fruit tone with something nutty lying in the background. Definite minerality seeping through and a caramel scent comes out after the wine warms up a little bit.

The palate was a little lackluster after such explosive aromatics but not disappointing. Lots of citrus and tart astringency up front forming a very well structured and far from thin midpalate. Grapefruit comes out in the finish and ends up tart and acidic just like the actual fruit does.

This is a French guy that when I usually drink it, he's cheap and skinny. This French guy was what I've come to expect from Euro descendants in Northwest soils: Distinct, beautiful and not as expensive as its origins.

I would take this Oregon-reinvents-Eurotrash any day. And my girlfriends will drink anything.

Score: 7.

Where to be on Friday, April 17th in Seattle...

2009-04-14T11:34:00.001-07:00

You.

Yeah, you.

This is what you want to be doing, Friday, April 17th (as in 3 days from now):

EIGHT WINERIES OF THE HOLLYWOOD WINE DISTRICT Present:
A Preview to Passport to Woodinville Production

April 17th - 4 - 8:00pm

Welcome to HOLLYWOOD! Starring... Adams Bench Winery, Brian Carter Cellars, Chandler Reach Winery, Hollywood Hill Vineyards, J. Bookwalter Winery, Matthews Estate, Northwest Totem Cellars, Woodhouse Family Cellars.

No tasting fees for ONE NIGHT ONLY! No passport? No Problem. Or use your Passport early!

Come enjoy special wines not offered on other days of PASSPORT. All participating wineries are open Friday, April 17 from 4 to 8 pm. Tasting fees will are being waived for these hours and this evening only. Wineries are open to Passport holders only on Sat/Sun April 18-19

More information on Passport to Woodinville Weekend, click here.

See you then...

Tune in this week...

2009-03-31T00:24:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I'm going to pitch a show to the Travel Channel.

I'm sure no one else has had this idea, other than my counterpart who plans on co-hosting our brilliant concept. Actually, in all honesty, it probably was his plan. I just have a crappy enough memory to give him the credit... Dang it.

WHO: Myself and ol' what's his name.
WHAT/WHERE: Traveling the globe, embarking on each national and cultural beverage and food tradition and any associated beliefs, folklore and history.
HOW: Travel checks, obviously.
WHY: To emphasis the importance of food and drink, how they are connected and how they help each other, help me, help you.

Title ideas? I'm not that creative.

The bond between booze and grub is relevant to all!

Note to my nonalcohol consuming friends: Remember that cream sauce you loved or what you're dipping your uncooked foods into at the Melting Pot? There's alcohol in that. There's booze in food and food in booze. It's the circle of life. It's what makes the world go 'round.

Booze n'grub make the world go 'round. Think about it.

Mark Ryan Winery 2006 Water Witch

2009-03-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #57: Mark Ryan Winery 2006 Klipsun Vineyard Water Witch
*Price Tag: $32 (discounted), normally $45
*Running Tab: $742

From the viewpoint of an employee for a competing winery in the Woodinville area, you can't help but be a little jealous of Mark McNeilly, owner/winemaker of Mark Ryan Winery. In the Puget Sound region, no one has a bigger cult following than this guy. Wine enthusiasts, critics and fans alike flock to his releases and random weekend appearances in the booming Woodinville warehouse wine district, named "Hoodinville" for its no-frills atmosphere.

Mark, the man, is a huge, cuddly teddy bear, standing high in stature and wide in a huggable, less scary bear sort of way. A newly wed to an about-to-pop bride and seemingly best friends with everyone in the industry and the area, Mark Ryan McNeilly's popularity is equivalent to the local high school's homecoming queen's status. "Rock star," "wine celebrity" and "urban chic" are all descriptors used in his resume. There are "I (Heart) Mark Ryan" t-shirts, for God's sake.

Probably one of the worst Web sites I've seen for some of the best wines I've had. But I'm nitpicky.

Mark Ryan, the wines, are mouthwatering and robust moneymakers; notoriously consumed for their rock-em, sock-em Red Mountain fruit profile. People line up outside his door, just waiting to taste and purchase as much as they can for his limited releases.

Stylisitcally and with his background, it makes sense that I would like a Mark Ryan wine. He trained and got experience at Matthews Cellars, another Woodinville winery whose red wines fit my big wine criteria.

As frequent of a visitor to the Woodinville Wine Country that I am (okay, daily) and as much as his red wines are everything that I have been looking for in these recent reviews, Water Witch was my first Mark Ryan red wine.

Wine pop culture shame!

At 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot and all from the beautiful Klipsun Vineyard in Red Mountain, the 2006 Water Witch was dark, rich cherry backed with subtle spice instantly dumped out of the nose of this wine, a little tarry and more fig and boysenberry over time for aromas. Serious oak comes out with vanilla and toastiness.

This monster mouthful of "rotten grape juice" (as McNeilly once called it) has official soothed my big needs. I'm a woman.

Smooth but with tannins that scrape the roof of your mouth, this full-bodied red showed detailed plum and leathery dark fruit aided by well-blended acidity. The wine enters almost bittersweet and finishes similar.

This is a nasty witch though, she comes back to get you once you think it's over with young and barbaric tannins in the lingering finish. I think they'll most certainly be there with age, maybe more refined and elegant but just as core-shaking as now.

I appreciate the recommendations for big wines for my lovely readers (YOU DO EXIST!), but I can finally rest. I will probably see Mark, the man, sometime this week and shake his hand. This homecoming queen has my vote.

I (heart) Mark Ryan.

Score: 9.

Slacker.

2009-03-22T17:14:00.001-07:00

I am a slacker. I missed last week's review and now you just have to listen to me talk about myself to cover it up. I was really busy, stressed, broke, blah blah blah. I know all of you devout, fanatical readers of mine depend on this review so you know what to drink each week, amiriiigh?

Uh huh.

Anywhosers, still in great pursuit of locating the big f'ing red wine that's going to change my life and I will continue to drink myself silly until I do.

Stay tuned for more action in the progression of my alcoholism as I have an outside source seriously recommending this week's review to be my end all to be all in this search.

We'll see.

In the mean time, I've been drinking a lot of Syrahs, Shiraz nonsense, looking for that full-bodied lady killer and it's been nothing. A wine broker from Melbourne told me to look in the Coonawarra if I want to go the Shiraz route for big, jammy, tarry, darkness of the varietal.

Any recs? Please send away!

Efeste 2005 Big Papa Cabernet Sauvignon

2009-03-12T12:34:00.001-07:00

*Bottle #56: Efeste 2005 Columbia Valley Big Papa Cabernet Sauvignon
*Price Tag: $40
*Running Tab: $710

One of my favorite winos in Woodinville, WA wine country is Efeste's Brennon Leighton. Winemaker for the label, Brennon looks to be more likely on a Harley than in a cellar. Painted in tats, massive in size compared to, say, Lou Facelli in his 5'6" frame and usually caught guzzling some sort of alcoholic beverage (I've witnessed a chocolate martini to Limoncello to stout transition), Brennon and his equally large business partner, Patrick Smith are the faces of this equally large Northwest winery.

Speaking of large, the reason why I went with this wine this week was because I am in pursuit of a big, f'ing Cab. I'm talking huge, abrasive, tarry, bad-for-your-lungs tobacco, the darkest fruit around, vuluptous, suck-your-mouth-dry while punching-you-in-the-face kinda Cab Sauv.

Now, most would go looking for such specific Cab in a warmer climate based off of these characteristics than Eastern Washington, but nay! Must support Washington!

Brennon gets a little assistance on the Big Guy from DeLille Cellar's Chris Upchurch. The man is known for making big, robust reds so for my Cab requirements, we're in the clear. Formerly a winemaker for Chateau Ste. Michelle (but who wasn't...), Brennon knows his mass production wine and went the other direction with his Efeste juice, producing much smaller lots.

The Big Papa is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, which is actually a little rare because it's such a tannic mouthful of a varietal. In my case, I thought: bring it on. Then they throw in 90% new French oak, allowing the already hugely tannic varietal to suck in fresh, hugely tannic oak. Brennon used 100% malolactic fermentation to smooth it out, so you are able to keep your jaw attached after drinking this wine in all its tannic glory.

And finally, these are old vines. Old vines in Washington means 30 years and up (35 years with Kiona Vineyards in Red Mountain and Sagemoor Farms). So older, smaller clusters of grapes creating more concentrated fruit for an already sturdy and concentrated varietal.

All signs point to huge.

Dark fig and plum aromas with a touch of earth on the nose of Big Papa. Dark stoned-fruits, with the actual pit smell coming out, backed by clove and herbal notes. It was questionably stewy smelling (not usually a good characteristic) with pepper and licorice used to cover it up.

All smells point to huge...

All flavors were not as big as I had hoped. A dry attack led to a soft and mildly fruity midpalate at medium+ bodied and velvety smooth. Finishing dry and not overly tannic at all. I was surprised, for mostly new French oak and 100% Cab, this (hypothetically) should have been bigger.

Deep and complex but not big and abrasive. One would call this a beautiful fine. I would call it that but it did not soothe my craving.

I think Alanis Morissette put it melodically as "it's like 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife." Which isn't exactly irony, it's just more so not what you're looking for. And thus is life.

Score: 7.

How to Stalk Erin

2009-03-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

I will be at the inaugural Sip of Snoqualmie, Saturday, March 14th, 6:30pm. I will be pouring for my anonymous winery while trying to play swapsies/score some free wine from other Washington labels that I don't necessarily get to try.

Ones I'm looking forward to, in no particular order...
1) Hightower Cellars
2) Saint Laurent
3) Terra Blanca
4) Sleight of Hand

Sip of Snoqualmie, a benefit for Encompass, a 40-year-old not-for-profit organization that provides preschool services for children with special needs.

The Sip allows guests to try wines from all over the Northwest, speak with the local wineries and enjoy food from the Snoqualmie Casino. A silent auction and raffle will take place with many unique, exciting and high-value items. All proceeds will benefit Encompass.

More! - Da Sip

PS. Erin Loves You

2009-03-06T17:53:00.001-08:00

Oh, and it's freaking Washington wine month! Everything that I stand for and more!

Keep reading for updates and whatever else I can stir up for the month. I'm pretty good at getting people to tell me things they aren't supposed to and somehow inviting myself to who's who events (usually working them...) so stay tuned!

GOOOoooo Evergreens!

Cheers,
Erin

I take pictures.

2009-03-04T16:12:00.000-08:00

I've been working on getting these pictures off my phone and into a post. Victory!

These are plump and almost ready to pick Pinot Noir grapes from the 2008 harvest, circa October at the Elk Cove Vineyard in Gaston, Oregon.

Same vineyard, just the zoomed out view.

My most prized photgraphic possession. Yes, I got a little help in the aesthetics department, but taken with a lomographic camera, the one single shot is spliced into 4 as you move the camera along. This is from a vineyard in Santa Barbara County that I can not remember for the life of me...

You can't even see, but these are little grape buds on a very early growing vine at Roblar Winery and Vineyard in Santa Ynez, California.

Barrister Winery NV Rough Justice

2009-03-04T15:20:00.001-08:00

*Bottle #55: Barrister Winery NV Columbia Valley Rough Justice
*Price Tag: $18
*Running Tab: $670

I'm not going to lie... My tongue might have been a little under the weather for this tasting. I had consumed some wines before and had just recently burnt my tongue on pizza. That being said, I am a completely reliable and unbiased source and you should listen to me. End of story.

I'm also not going to lie... This wine is produced in Spokane, WA. For some of you locals, names such as "Spokompton," "Spokanistan" and "Spokangeles" might come to mind. But nay, ghettolicious titles will not deter my quest for good, cheap wine!

Now there are great things to come out of Spokane, WA... Like Gonzaga U basketball's finest recruit, Adam Morrison, it's the second largest city in the state AND it hosted the 1974 World Fair! See! This wine could be #4!

The ultra-prestigious and accurate (cough) Wine Press Northwest prophesied Barrister Winery to be "one of the Northweset's emerging superstar wineries" and with just under 3,000 cases released in the 2009 vintage, the two cellar masters have definitely grown from daytime attorneys into nighttime garagistes.

Producing small quantities of Bordeaux-style red wines - a familiar tune Washington winemakers like to sing - Barrister keeps its title as a Spokomptonite artisan winemakers - a tune Washington winemakers have started to forget.

Cleverly dubbed "Rough Justice" by two city attorneys, this multi-varietal, multi-vintage blend might have sampled from many other blends' songs. Merlot-based, blended with Cab, Syrah and Cab Franc from such and such Red Mountain vineyards and such and such high-rolling, prominent grape growers' influence. Sounds like a lot of other melodies.

But look at how many Beatles' songs Oasis ripped off and they're still successful!

So how bout it, Spokane?

Sitting in my glass, this wine was nothing special. Her color was a deep burgundy with dark and jammy fruit juicing out of the glass with some hints of clove and cocoa. Swirl and spin her around to this similar tune and she still puts off the same, generic aromas and even a little bit of booze.

Sounds like a girl you'd like to dance with to that same song? Bring her up to your lips and she'll give you the same dark and jammy fruit with a marginally sweet midpalate and an toasted oak finish. Then you'll realize she laced her kiss with an ellicit drug that put your own your ass.

... Almost likewise, the Rough Justice stays true to its name where it's so sweet seeming at first, then it shocks you with moonshine and fierce, almost harsh acidity. I like it when you get a wave of tannins as a wine finishes but a hurricane of acidity is a different hypothetical environmental crisis.

My friend's response to the wine sums it up: "Why does it sting when I swallow it?"

Now flip that in as many dirty ways as you want, sickos, but keep in mind, wine drinking should be a pleasurable experience. This was not.

Score: 3.

2007 Neil Ellis Pinotage

2009-02-25T12:15:00.001-08:00

*Bottle #54: 2007 Neil Ellis Stellenbosch Pinotage
*Price Tag: $23
*Running Tab: $652

Duh du du DUH! (That was my attempted trumpet horn simulation).

Announcing the second step to my new year blog approach: Guest bloggers! This week, for the inaugural guest blogger kick off, I persuaded another industry wino to consume something other than his boss' juice. Really twisted his arm with free wine. Please welcome N.J.

So here it is, my first guest blogging sesh and my first shot at Pinotage! Pino-wha, you might ask?

"Peeno-taj:" a successful hybridization of Pinot Noir and Cinsault. Professor A South African professor decided to play Grape God in 1925 when he cross-bred this two varieties as "Hermitage" and eventually dubbing it Pinotage. Dionysus might have been a little threatened.

No locally-bred South African varietal is more planted in their soils but the grape itself only takes up around 7% of the available vineyard area. With 60 appellations and many other varietals planted nationwide, this region of Stellenbosch takes the title for Pinotage.

Now Pinotage can sometimes be a little whiney bitch. Although it's easy to farm and rear, major criticisms have been made about the hybrid wine to be containing volatile acids, causing there to be some funky smells coming out of the glass. And that stuff doesn't blow off over time in the glass, it's what you're getting for aromas.

Why it's a pain is because it's entirely up to the winemakers - the fate of this seemingly simplistic varietal lies in the hands of often times equally whiney and bitchy vintners... It is the battle of the divas.
Likewise, here we are faced again with the battle of the wine reviewing divas. In all actuality, N.J. and I agreed on this wine for the most part so there was no hair pulled or nails sharpened...

Both of us being South African virgins, please don't take advantage of us.

Color

NJ: I was struck by the color, an inky purple reminiscent of Syrah that I hadn’t expected.
E: Although we were drinking it together, I saw a ruby, almost brick red color. I also have a stigmatism in both eyes...

Nose

NJ: Coming out of the bottle the wine smelled grapey, one-note and not terribly good. After decanting, notes of lavender and violet were surprisingly forward, while subtle earthiness rounded out the nose.
E: I witnessed the wine post-decant, so I found it to have dark, ripened fruit with a tarry, inky, leather-like aroma. That soil/dirty fruit smell that I thought a region known for minerality might add to the wine was definitely present and dark fruits like black currants and some steady plum notes were mixed in.

Palate

NJ: More soft floral and herbal tones filled the mouth and were well-balanced with the little hints of fresh dark fruit rolled over my tongue. The fruit was like a polite passenger in this wine, quiet, pleasant, kicking in for gas along the way, but never driving.

E: I found this wine to be very well-structured, especially in comparison to Bottle #2 that we consumed following this guy. The dark fruit was more present for me, with a rich and borderline semi-sweet mouth entrance. Soft supple tannins drifted in the mid-palate pushed by waves of the same semi-sweet finish that finalized with those dry, young tannins.

Everybody's a Critic

NJ: My only real complaint with this wine was that it was too young. Even after the hour it spent in the decanter, the pepper tones were just a bit strong, and the tannins a bit fine. The combination made for a zesty little finish that was more rustic than the refined nose and mid-palate deserved
E: What he said.

Last Thoughts

NJ: It was my first time with Pinotage and it was all I could have hoped for: gentle, soft, classy, not vulgar or crass. It knew I was nervous, confused, not sure what to expect. This Pinotage had a slow hand, and it left me wanting more.
E: Perv.

This was a nice bottle of wine, despite it's youth - which I've done some reading and found that Pinotages aren't necessarily known for their aging capabilities so this was actually a good call.

Drink it again? Always. Drink always? Of course.

Score: 8.

Some tasting notes.

2009-02-23T15:21:00.000-08:00

Dear Washington Winos,

Check out the following events:

*February 28th-March 1st - Hollywood Hills Winery is opening a tasting room in Woodinville, WA, a local Pinot Noir grower and producer... www.hollywoodhillvineyards.com
*March 14th - The Sip of Snoqualmie, featuring Washington wineries and food from the Snoqualmie Casino... http://www.encompassnw.org/subcontent.aspx?SecID=73
*March 15th - Bags & Bottles, swapping new and used handbags for wine tastings... http://www.gildasclubseattle.org/fundraisers/Event.php?id=116

I think there will be many a spring barrel tastings coming up in the next two months too, which is exciting and would be awesome if I could actually make any of them. I'll keep you posted!

Cheers,
Erin

2006 Novelty Hill Stillwater Creek Viognier

2009-02-18T11:26:00.001-08:00

*Bottle #53: 2006 Novelty Hill Stillwater Creek Viognier
*Price Tag: 22
*Running Tab: $639

Being the new year - my new year of the blog, not the Chinese - I have decided to take a no-holds-barred approach. No, I will not be posting topless photos, you won't find me making out with all of those Seattle celebrities at the club and I won't be shaving my head any time soon (RIP Crazy Britney).

I'm talking a new blog me. First step: honor my virtues. In the case of this review, I have to be upfront, honest and admit that I am a former staff-member of the Novelty Hill-Januik Wineries.

That being said, I did not work the harvest or aid in any of the production processes of the 2006 vintage and I am no longer a tasting room employee. So I was worthless!

The point: I no longer harbor any bias for their wine other than my own opinion.

And in the grand scheme of this blog, that's the only thing that matters and you remember that!

I do like to tell Mike Januik's story, winemaker for Novelty Hill and Januik wineries. Because I am a fan. Me and everyone else in the greater Seattle area.

A straight descendent of Chateau Ste. Michelle, he left his 10-year position as head winemaker at Washington state's greatest beverage monopoly to embark on a solo mission. Having 15 years as a winemaker in the bag, Januik already had a cult following and took a chunk of Ste. Michelle change with him.

For having an excessive, concrete and steal-constructed winery compound reminiscent of the downtown Seattle REI complex (cough same contractor cough), Mike Januik the man is miles away from extravagant. Mustache-clad and smile-resistant, the man's public commentary is far and few between. He has one set head shot he uses instead of unique photo shoots for each of the articles written on him and quotes from him are often a few years old. Behind the safe bomb-shelter-esque walls of his winery's production facility, Januik is notorious for his quick wit, his sincere humility and horrible shockjock one-liner jokes.

Mike heads up both operations as well as helps to run NH's estate vineyard, Stillwater Creek.

Now who's been paying attention? Aw yes, Stillwater Creek - one of Washington's most highly sourced vineyards. But you remembered that.

Mike's 2006 Viognier is quintessential for the varietal and the man.

A light, straw yellow pigment shines translucently through the case with aromatically stimulating bright fruit of citrus and nectarine crossed with flowers. Barrel-fermented in 100% French oak, this classically trained winemaker brings out the butter in the 100% Rhone variety.

The most interesting aroma, which completely profiles the Stillwater Creek Vineyard and the Rhone Valley, is the minerality in the wine. The soils are high in basalt from when Mt. St. Helens blew in the early 80s. That lava rock salt really does it for me.

The palate packs a punch of refreshing acidity with a full-body of big green apple (but not sour) and that same lemon-lime citrus from the nose (but not like a 7-Up). That grainy minerality courtesy of St. Helens. comes through in the finish.

Wine Enthusiast seemed to like it too: "...it's just got that indefinable mix of flower, perfume, citrus and stone fruit that typifies the finest Washington Viogniers..." 93 points later...

Not a bad thing to say about Mike Januik's small-scale 196-cased wine.

I'm typically more of a stainless steal or concrete white wines person, but this is oaked Viognier is easily one of my favorite of this varietal from Washington. I know those people over at Enthusiast have something called "credentials" that give their stance some more status but you should probably take my word for it.

Score: 9.

Pendulum 2006 Red Wine

2009-02-11T12:05:00.001-08:00

*Bottle #52: Pendulum 2006 Columbia Valley Red Wine
*Price Tag: $18
*Running Tab: $617

This right here is my 52nd review and I just happened to inadvertently post it on the exact one-year date. Yay, subconsciously brilliant me!

But why this wine for such an epic and cardinal affair?

Since I seem to be the only one celebrating (I am, however, awaiting my huge success that is to come after joining Twitter, according to my tech-infused PR friends), I went with a bottle to satisfy me. Just like a woman and damn proud of it.

Reasons why the 2006 Pendulum Red Wine from Columbia Valley pleases moi:

1) It was incredibly hard to figure out anything about this wine via the "Internets" but it was done. The enigma itself was tantalizing enough...

2) Great Washington wine names to back it up: Allen Shoup of Long Shadows in Walla Walla ($) and Andrew Browne of Precept Brands in Seattle (think the black and white labeled "House Wine" red blend).

3) Great story behind those names: Former arch nemeses turned business partners. Shoup used to head up Ste. Michelle labels and Browne was the leader of Corus Brands (which was owned at the time by Columbia Winery). These two giants stare at each other from across the street in the big city of Woodinville, WA. In those days, it was the constant battle of who can sell more, buy up more, exploit more, move through brilliant-over-produced winemakers faster...

4) Mystery blend exposed: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Sangiovese, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Syrah. Predominatly Cab, it should take on a good majority of those characteristics...

5) Mystery vineyards exposed: A little bit of Alder Ridge in my life, a little bit of Candy Mountain by my side, a little bit of Pepper Bridge is all I need, a little bit of Conner Lee in the sun and a little bit of Weinbau all night long. The "Mambo No. 5" of Horse Heaven Hills, Wahluke Slope and Walla Walla and that's not even all the vineyards used, I just got overwhelmed.

6) It's easy to drink, it's red, it uses all of the varietals Washington should be proud of and cost me $18. Done and doner.

The juice in the wine supposedly is the left-overs from Long Shadow's Feather, a beautiful and noble red wine that triple this one's price. And just like food left-overs, the original dish is so much better than what you have the next day, even after attempting to salvage it by heating it in microwave.

Nose: There's some berries in there, you just have to search for them. This wine is young and tight in aromas but they're there. Subtle mocha with milk chocolate - distinctly milk chocolate because it almost gives off the impression of creaminess. Nice, actually. Black olives come into play later.

Palate: Bright red fruit, spice and good acidity with a war on the front of the mouth with tannins. However, being medium-bodied and second-rate, it strains out a little in the end and is almost thin.

This wine's like a current war we're in: there's a lot of words, weapons and names being claimed and thrown around but none of them are really making an impact in the overall situation... Pendulum might have a hefty arsenal guarded by Shoup and Browne and filled with prominent AVA's fruit but the wine is still a disappointment.

Here's some more unnecessary sensationalism I found on the back side of this bottle. And I quote...

"A MOMENT IN TIME.
The fluidity of the seasons.
The perfect reflection
of elements in balance."

Sip on that for a while.

Score: 5.

CoughTwitterCough.

2009-02-09T16:20:00.000-08:00

I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm finally on Twitter. "Follow" me or "tweet" me or "update" me or "add" me... I seriously have no idea what I'm doing on this site except for it's that greatest thing since Justin brought "Sexy Back" and we all know how long that lasted.

Help.

Pssst.

2009-02-06T13:09:00.000-08:00

Next week is my one-year anniversary of this purple-soiled rubbish of a wine blog.

I'm pretty excited.

If you have any comments, concerns, compliments (please?) or recommendations you'd like me to cover in that entry or within the new year, do share!

Cheers!

Facelli Winery 2003 Private Reserve Syrah

2009-02-04T14:44:00.001-08:00

*Bottle #51: Facelli Winery 2003 Private Reserve Bacchus Vineyard Syrah
*Price Tag: $28
*Running Tab: $599

Things you should know by now:
1) I have a weak spot for artisan winemakers.
2) I have another one for Italian wine.

Take a small-town, 3,000-case producing, Italian winemaker and now you're getting somewhere - Lou Facelli of Facelli Winery in Woodinville, WA.

The general experience of Facelli Winery is a little ordinary compared to some of its neighbors (see all that is the chateau of Ste. Michelle Estates and the REI-modeled new Novelty-Hill/Januik Wineries building). The tasting room looks like an office kitchen with a 6-foot bar shoved in it, complete with an easy-access sink, a simple dual-rack dishwasher and personalized coffee mugs.

Getting into the tasting room while you can during their 8-hour open-to-the-public weekly cycle is a must. You will be crammed in the corner, bumping up against someone who either smells or has been tasting a lot that day and your wine glass will empty rather quickly as they do not pour hefty loads of their half French, half Italian wines.

However, you will have a full-on Lou Facelli encounter.

Button-up shirt (often times flannel), fastened to his belly with faux silver-clipped suspenders, a black beret that may or may not match, all accompanied by his mustache which may or may not have a smile under it. He's constantly hustling from one glass to the next, pouring wine for you while explaining it to the guy next to you. And he signs every single bottle that is purchased from that register, even ones that are ordered and shipped over the phone.

Facelli has been in the biz since 1981, releasing his first vintage in 1988 and has kept his nose to the grindstone ever since - wife Sandy and two daughters, Lisa and Lori, are usually present in the tasting room, in the cellar and slaving during harvest. It's a family affair from grapes that are hand-picked, hand-sorted and made into wine with love, dedication and relationships.

That is an artisan winemaker.

This is an artisan wine: the 2003 Private Reserve Syrah was the first of its kind. The fruit was sourced from specific rows of grapes in the Bacchus Vineyard (think back to Cuillin Hills' Weinbau Vineyard Cab Franc - same grapegrowing company). These specific Syrah grapes are cropped at a lower tonnage per acre = smaller grapes = more concentrated fruit. 100% Syrah, 100% French oak barrels and 100% Bacchus. An equation for some good ish.

The boldness and the beauty of this wine is embodied in its rich purple dye of the glass. Small dark berries (think blackberries and blueberries), vibrant spices and an awesome game note (meaty bacon!) fill up the nose. Extremely aromatic and mouthwatering.

The same aromas transfer over to the attack of the wine, that inital sip, but seem to dampen over the midpalate. Fortuntely, the finish saves the impression of the wine, almost baking the tastebuds and leaving them plump with flavor from well-rounded tannins and dark fruit.

Drink this bottle now. If that midpalate is even slightly dwindling now, I can't imagine this Syrah lasting much longer. As for today, it's pretty appetizing. Lou should be proud.

Score: 7.5.

Fill del Temps 2004 Gran Seleccio Red Wine

2009-01-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

*Bottle #50: Fill del Temps 2004 Gran Seleccio Terra Alta Red Wine
*Price Tag: $18
*Running Tab: $581

My wine shop owner tells me somewhere between here and Spain (via a LA importer), Spanish wines can tend to be a "little skunky," often times one bottle per case falling into that descriptor.

"Skunky" wine*: An analogous smell, which is caused by mercaptans.
"Mercaptans*:" The result of hydrogen sulfide combining with the components of wine. The result is a pungently offensive, sour odor that can smell like garlic, stale sweat, skunk, or rubber.
*Definitions courtesy Epicurious.com

This is often a sign of careless winemaking and let's you know the wine's turning into crap, for lack of better phrasing... No offense.

The first time I tried the 2004 Fill del Temps red blend of 55% Garnacha, 40% Carignan and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, I was hopeful. I've really liked my recent Grenache experiences and Carignan is getting bigger and bigger in my local wine area, where as Cab is often times fail-proof and in this case is a backbone for the blend.

Upon tasting this wine, all hope, tastebuds and my stomach went to the wall. I could have sworn the wine was port from my first sniff of the wine. I smelled raisins, dried fig and some leaf-like aromas in the back. Beyond ripe fruits with oak came out a lot but I think the best way to describe it is that the nose was like the winemaker crushed the grapes and pressed the skins off the grapes but then bottled the skins with the juice.

Nose = Chewed up and spit out grape stems. Yeah.

And it tasted just like it smelled, but not in the good way that I get excited about. Remember, chewed up, spit out grape stems.

A sharp and acidic attack with lots of oak, grape skins, borderline fruit leather-ish on the mid palate and finishing out with, again, that acid and lingering sour on the tongue.

Yummy, right? So we figured there was something wrong with the bottle. It wasn't corked, it might have been oxidized or just a crappy bottle of wine. I took it back to the wine shop, told the owner about it and enter the "skunky" speech. He gave me a new bottle, promised with a sales smile that it was just as much of a "fruit bomb" as he had initially described and so I tried it a couple weeks later.

Low and behold, it was just as bad as the first bottle. Flat out undrinkable. Case and point, Spanish wine is known to have that occasional bad bottle in the bunch but not two bottles in a row from the same case.

This was simply bad wine. But gosh, did it look pretty!

Score: 1.

Stained Tooth Club

2009-01-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

I started a follower's group because one person decided to be a follower of my blog (Thanks, Jeremy). The rest of you... Join. Do it now.

Cheers,
Erin

Cuillin Hills 2006 Weinbau Vineyard Cabernet Franc

2009-01-23T10:02:00.001-08:00

*Bottle #49: Cuillin Hills 2006 Weinbau Vineyards Cabernet Franc Wahluke Slope
*Price Tag: $26
*Running Tab: $563

Darren and Derek Des Voigne are brothers. They are also winemakers and owners of two separate wineries, sourcing from different vineyards, specializing in different varietals and varying price points. Darren's wine feature "Tuscany-inspired" blends while Derek leans more toward Rhone and Bordeaux style varieties. Darren enjoys the smooth jazz of Miles Davis and Derek sometimes wears a kilt and plays the bagpipes - rumor has it that's how he caught his Scottish wife's eye.

These two separate companies are separate, seemingly, only by title and style. They share production facilities, tasting room suites and a last name.

Funny to think it all started with encouraging their fathers' drinking habit in the late 90's, Derek later left his family's basement winemaking practice to take on the grape giants at UC Davis.

Derek's Cuillin Hills (pronounced Coo-lin) limits his production to 600 cases a year and opens his tasting room doors only once a week to the public, sanctioning an impression of exclusivity to form. Keeping his case numbers relatively low, Derek also keeps his prices and reputation modest with his recent releases of a claret blend, Cabernet Franc and Syrah.

Representing some of the best vineyards in the state, Derek bought grapes from the prestigious Sagemoor Group, a group of Washington grape growers since 1972, for his 2006 Cabernet Franc. Their Weinbau Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA, a site known for its Cab Franc grapes, was the source for this 97% Cab Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon blend.

To gain a bit of perspective: 62 wineries, of the 500 some-odd wineries in Washington, source their fruit from one of the four Sagemoor vineyards. They do a pretty good job.

Beautiful black currants and spice fill up the nose of this wine with subtle draws of cocoa and white pepper. Derek recommends decanting her for about a half hour but letting her sit in the glass or in the opened bottle did her decent justice. A plush and rich aroma came out immediately and you can imagine how it only became a more luxurious experience.

The palate was soft and velvety with smooth cassis in the back of the finish. The Cab Franc had a real gentle acidity with easy and rounded (soft) tannins. Like last week's bottle, this one really charactertized the meaning of "dark, fleshy fruit."

I believe Derek produced a very nice Cab Franc. All of that being said, I'm just not sold on the varietal. This purchase is apart of my great search to find a Cab Franc that blows me away. I've spoke with several shop owners, winemakers and sommeliers about how to find such a thing and I keep hearing exceptions, tasting them and just not fixing my palate.

What it comes down to is the cold hard facts: Cabernet Franc is a blending grape. One of the five noble Bordeaux varietals, it still just can't quite stand alone.

Score: 7.5.

Gilbert Cellars 2006 Allobroges

2009-01-16T12:10:00.001-08:00

*Bottle #46: Gilbert Cellars 2006 Columbia Valley Allobroges *Price Tag: $24
*Running Tab: $537

Here's one of my favorite "industry perks:" Wine events, wine people, wine talk usually involves cheap or free wine. And there is nothing wrong with free, even if it's not a good free, it's still free.

This week's freebie was a bottle of "Allobroges" from Gilbert Cellars, a Rhone Valley structured blend straight from Yakima, WA.

Here's a tid bit of contrasting information: The state of Washington is known particularly for growing Bordeaux varietals that exemplify the original region of France itself.

What: Bordeaux red varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec) and white varietals (Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon).

Why: Washington's latitude - 45°31' N. France's latitude - 44°1 N. Pretty similar.

French is French? Not necessarily. Considering a different grape variety can be as different as a banana is to an apple, those different varietals grow differently in different climates, soils, sun exposure, land sloping, etc.

The Rhone Valley, located in Southern France, has many varietals that grow beautifully in both Washington and California, but the latter exceptionally well because of California's similar latitude to Rhone.

However, despite the geographical contrasts, Rhone varietals have the potential to grow beautifully and distinctly in Washington State.

Gilbert's Cellars seemed to agree but it appeared as if the wine was a little afraid to show off its swimming legs before taking the big dive into impressing me.

The "Allobroges" - originally a group of Celtic people who roamed the Rhone Valley during the Roman Empire and "dark, rich red wines" - is now a mastered blend of 60% Syrah, 22% Grenache and 18% Mourvedre.

With a classic Rhone nose full of spice and bright fruit, the depth of the aroma truly opened up after a half hour of uncorked bottle time into a dark and rich red wine.

The winemaker's notes mention a "fleshy" dark fruit tone and I couldn't have said it better myself. However, that "umpf" doesn't come out until some oxygen has coaxed the wine into really going all out.

First sip of this wine, I found it light with not much flavor, a supple acidity and a mediocre palate. It wasn't bad, I just wasn't blown away. It had the potential for substance but stopped a little short. It seemed to have all the right things - a good name, good people behind the label, good fruit, a decent vintage and harvest...

And just when I had given up home, the Allobroges came through. Earthy, medium+ bodied and lovely spice tones with "fleshy" dark fruit. Job well done.

Score: 8.

J. Calvet Reserve 2005 Medoc

2009-01-07T11:55:00.001-08:00

*Bottle #45: J. Calvert Reserve De L'Estey 2005 Medoc

*Price Tag: $7

*Running Tab: $537

One thing: Trader frickin' Joe's. Bargain after bargain, I've shopped their aisles, grabbing $2 packages of gnocchi, single portion baby bokchoy and organic goodness of multiple splendors.

I have always been a good girl with self control and stayed away from the fully stocked shelves of wine. But this week's trip, I decided to indulge in value wine.

Perusing the wines at first seemed a chore but a very young stocker/possible wine steward was kind enough to help me narrow done some uber cheap and desirable choices. When faced with $8 Bordeauxs and $10 Burgundys, it's easy to get a little ahead of yourself considering these typically are not inexpensive purchases.

I don't know if it's the French translation and my piss-poor attempt at trying to Internet the heck out of it so I can comprehend all eight names used to identify this wine, but it seems as if the wine has the astute ability to be in two places at once... Let me explain. This particular Bordeaux blend from producer J. Calvet, a long-time mass-producing winery in the Saint-Emilion area of the Bordeaux region, happens to be made from the grapes of Medoc, another area of the Bordeaux region.

Still too much? This is how I dumbed it down for myself. A Napa located winery bought grapes from a Sonoma located vineyard, thus producing a Sonoma Valley wine.

It just sounds so much more exhaustive and convoluted in French.

The wine, however, is rather the contrast. J. Calvet's 2005 Medoc Reserve Red - blend unknown but presumptively Cab/Merlot/Cab Franc - lets lose some quiet aromas of black cherries, black currants, strawberry rhubarb and distinct oak. Some soft spice tones come later with vanilla.

Let me say here and I hope I have not contradicted myself in the past but I hate strawberry rhubarb in wine. What an awkward "fruit," what a horrible pie and artificially fruit leathers tend to ruin most flavors anyway.

That being said, I don't think the nose was half bad for a 7 Buck Chuck. Neither was the palate. The wine sweetly enters and dries out in the mid-palate and finish. Easy cherries and berries with delicate nutmeg sprinkled on top.

And yet, the cons. If you build a cheap house, it's likely you use cheap materials to hold up the structure and foundation of this overall cheap product. The house might look and feel fine at first but chances are, those materials will refuse to hold and the house will fall down. Just like this wine: fresh and bright up front and after 20 minutes, it's crumbled to the ground with a lack of structure, tannins and acidity.

But what you can you expect? Spend this little money on a wine and I hope you drink it fast and share it with people who don't care what they're putting down. Speaking from experience, I can thank Katie, Erin, Leann and Jason, ABC's new bachelor. No, he didn't drink it with us but we drank it for him.

Score: 6.

3 Sixty Cellars Oro Red Wine Blend

2008-12-24T13:21:00.000-08:00

*Bottle #44: 3 Sixty Cellars Oro Columbia Valley Red Wine Blend

*Price: $30+?

*Running Tab: $530

Sometimes free is better simply because it is free.

There's a partner that will go unnamed of 3 Sixty Cellars, a Tri-Cities, Washington bed n' breakfast and now winery. Seemingly unwed and flirtatious was this co-owner of his overnight wine escapade who gave me this bottle of Oro, a red blend from 3 Sixty Cellars after I attempted to avoid him during a tasting. I did a little research and found out the guy's not only been married for a while but he owns the business with his wife. He's the second creep I've ran into on this wine blog who either hit on me or a friend over wine.

Needless to say, this fermented juice stuff can bring out the good, the bad and the unnecessarily randy side of people... Lushes.

Coming around full circle: free, in this case, did not taste or smell any better simply because it was free. In fact, this situation may have made the wine worse. With the Oro, Spanish for "gold," there was no masking what it really was. A dog dressed in gold is still a dog, even if it's free or well-trained.

The bed and breakfast itself is said to be stunning, sitting on a hill overlooking the Columbia River and a 360 degree turn of the Tri-Cities. All in a name.

40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 30% Syrah, the Oro is a product of Victor Cruz, the winemaker for the neighboring Canon del Sol Winery. Victor, I hope you are not reading this...

Earthy with simple cherries and plums on the nose, the aroma opened up with white pepper and dumped out asparagus, something petrol and a distinctly medicinal note. There was a moment when I smelled borderline wet wool substances in the glass to the point where I got a new glass because I thought that could have been the problem. I was wrong.

The palate lacked in matter except for tannins. Those were there more than anything else. Astringent with weak fruit composition, I was able to pull a little bit of red berries out but even then I was digging. The texture was odd but that could have been me still picturing the wool-like aroma on my tongue. Hollow, flabby and disappointing for free.

The Oro was a simple-minded, lackluster and structureless blend that almost shamed the three varietals used in the wine that grow so well in Washington state.

Score: 2.

Herdade Dos Grous 2006 Tinto/Red Wine

2008-12-17T19:09:00.001-08:00

*Bottle #43: Herdade Dos Grous Vinho Regional Alentejo 2006 Tinto/Red Wine

*Price: $18

*Running Tab: $530

Possibly the coolest element of the Herdade Dos Grous Red Wine was the label's Webpage. Not a complete 180 from last week's criticism but Herdade Dos Grous has various translation options (Dutch, please?), a silhouette of their elusive grouse (two, to be exact) and a Google map of their exact location, (latitude, longitude and something else?). How hip.

Claiming "great wine" as their duty, the site showcases photos of the Dos Grous estate vineyards and stunning manor by the unnamed river in Albernoa (research says the Guardiana River) but all at a quick glance with no description other than the title. All we get on the winery itself is a brief mission statement and the rest is left to the taster's discretion. Aw, objectivity.

There's a little bit of subjectivity. Well, the facts.

The Alentejo region of Portugal is not only one of the oldest regions in the nation but one of the oldest left on the planet. Along with being the largest region, Alentejo is said to be particularly tailored for "typical wine" production of exceptionally high quality.

The Tinto - Red Wine blend from Herdade Dos Grous harbors a few varietals that were unchartered territories for me, not to mention my only grasp of Portugal is 1) Port and 2) Touriga Nacional (the main variety used in Port).

So with 15% Syrah being the only familiar part, here's the remaining role call:

- 35% Aragones: The Portuguese version of Tempranillo. Deep purple, full-bodied berries and tobacco.

- 30% Alicante Bouschet: Blending grape used for its polyphenols (color and tannins).

- 20% Touriga Nacional: Lotsa tannins, juicy dark fruit and considering to be Portugal's finest. The grape of Port.

And in the end, the only thing that matters is how it smells and tastes to me. Case and point.

Smells like... Dark and jammy, full of spice and plum notes, dried fig after awhile and a really nice hint of cloves. I decided this: if the color purple had a smell (not the Oprah-funded musical), this would be it. Luscious and with a mysterious tone I couldn't pull out until after some time... It was floral - violets! Delightfully fresh-room scented, like clothes under the effect of a dryer sheet.

Tastes like... Fruit! Dark and jammy, acidic with some subtle tannins that come back to bite you post-swallow and just enough heat. Complex and multifaceted but approachable and easily enjoyable. Kind of the real meal deal, man.

Downside: Dies after just a few hours of oxidation. If you're going to drink this puppy, drink it in one sitting because it does not taste good after a few hours of uncorking, let alone the next day.

Drinking a bottle in one sitting is no problem for two-three people, let alone me solo.

Score: 8.

Chelan Estate 2004 Reserve Red Wine

2008-12-10T16:39:00.000-08:00

*Bottle #42: Chelan Estate 2004 Reserve Red Wine Stillwater Creek Vineyard

*Price: $30

*Running Tab: $512 (Free for me, again...)

I complain a lot. I'm aware of that. But I do have some signature pet peeves that I fuss over more than most things. For those who know me, I swear this becomes endearing after many years of tuning me out...

A classic no-nonsense vex of mine is bad business Web pages. If you have enough money to run a sufficient business and launch a Web site, you should have the sense or means to find someone with the sense to create a page that looks decent. I have a very difficult time taking businesses serious whom own poorly designed sites. I know this is faintly over-scrupulous, but come on! How hard?!

Case and point: this week's winery. Raved and acclaimed to be one of the best wineries in the Lake Chelan Valley (which is inches away from becoming an appellation in the state of Washington), the Chelan Estate Winery has their Web site on the City of Commerce page. Come on!

The Stillwater Creek Vineyard 2004 Reserve Red Wine from Chelan Estate is a perfect example as to why the winery should better portray itself. A classic blend of the five Bordeaux varietals that is completely taken advantage of under false pretenses of crappy marketing.

Everybody and their mother sources fruit from Stillwater Creek Vineyard in Washington - it's a model representation of the state's terrior, high in basalt (bless that Mount St. Helens) and sloping at one of the steepest sites in the greater Columbia Valley. Why wouldn't Chelan Estate do a red wine blend of the varietals that grow the strongest in the state at one of its most successful vineyards? That being said, everybody and their mom produces this five-graped booze juice.

But what distinguishes the Chelan Estate version? The Web site would never tell you... So I f'ing will. The free wine I should be getting for my duties...

The winery, owned by two married couples who decided to go into business over love of wine, is tucked just behind the rocky shores of Lake Chelan and claims its fame from a Chardonnay-Viognier blend as well as a Pinot Noir. I think this Reserve Red Wine is probably the safest bet considering I have the firm belief vintners should stop trying to grow Pinot out here...

This is a patience wine. One that you can't just dive your nose into, it's going to take some time for these waters to warm up and jumping in prematurely will cause shrinkage. :)

Once the aromas release, dark, subtle fruits come out with some cherry in the back after a deep inhale of the juice. Definite oak is present but more than anything, it smells like cream soda. It's the cola/vanilla/soda pop combo that also gives off a licorice/anise quality.

Sweet on the nose but soft and dry on the palate. More acids than tannins - think tip of the tongue rather than sides of the tongue dehydration. More fruit than those cool spices found on the nose. But it was not a disappointment - this reserve wine drinks a bit more like a table wine, as far as the label hierarchy goes, but drinks nicely.

After my lecture on how to run your business efficiently because I totally have the qualifications... I hope we have all learned something here today: Never listen to Erin.

Score: 5.5.

Gnarly Head 2006 Old Vine Zin

2008-12-03T12:43:00.000-08:00

*Bottle #41: Gnarly Head Vintage 2006 Old Vine Zin, Lodi Zinfandel

*Price: $11

*Running Tab: $512

First intentions are the most pure intentions. I think I made that up. Not at all always true, but in the case of this particular blog, it might be so.

I started writing a bottle a week in order to find the best wine I could get for the best price point. However, my perception of "best" has changed in the past 42 weeks (really!), my no-frills side of wine has skewed somewhat and you should see what I order when I go out. I am not a cheap date if I am drinking wine. Sorry, boys.

In search of my original principles, I'm going to drive that point for not only myself but encourage you to do so as well for the next few weeks. Hey, we're all broke here, we're spending our last dime on gifts for friends and family, the least I can do is help you to do it in stained-tooth style and maybe with a wine slur if you're lucky/consume enough.

Perfect example. California back-to-basics extraordinaire Gnarly Head Wines. Zinfandel vines in the state of California are some of the oldest growing wine grape trunks in the nation and the varietal is often considered to be American (vitis lubrusca as opposed to vitis vinefera, the European wine grape genus). Bush-approval seal, please.

Not to rain on California's parade, the Zinfandel varietal actually originally dug its roots into the soils of Croatia. Think that steamy doctor from ER... The grape is also the genetic equivalent of the Italian Primitivo varietal. How unAmerican.

Zinfandel's flavors and aromas vary due to its location more so than many varieties I'm familiar with as it can take on more jammy, raspberry tones in cooler climates vs. blackberries, black currants and pepper in warmer areas. In Gnarly Head's case, with their warm days/cool nights, they claim the fame of this easy-peasy, accessible and comprehendible grape.

Sourcing from vineyards up and down the Central Coast, Gnarly Head uses grapes from vines ranging in ages 35 to 80 that produce small in size and small amounts of robustly flavored grapes. Allowing the wear and tear of time to kick in, the vines twist, sprout and knot into "umbrellas - truly gnarly heads" of the vines.

And that a story make.

The nose on the Gnarly Head Zin gives off a hint of alcohol (14.5%), grape juice, licorice and plums. After some time, pepper comes out as well as notes of cola. Sweet, simple and grapey.

Sweet, simple and grapey on the palate as well. Think Britney Spears, "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman" era. And just like Ms. Spears, this wine will always stay a girl. Juicy, tiny pricks of acidity on the tip of the tongue with plum on the mid-palate and a spicy, fruit-forward finish.

Plain and uncomplicated, just like how I used to like them... And that an $11 wine make.

Score: 5.5.

Feudo Di Santa Tresa Nivuro 2004

2008-11-26T12:11:00.001-08:00

*Bottle #40: Feudo Di Santa Tresa Vendemmia 2004 Sicilia, IGT

*Price: $13

*Running Tab: $501

With the holidays approaching, people are returning to old comforts. Be it nostalgia from potpourri, Grandma's pumpkin pie-spiced eggnog or uberfattening and delicious bacon-grease coated stuffing, everyone has their own end-of-the-year-our-economy-sucks-I'm-so-broke stomach settlers.

Mine just happens to be Italian wine. I know, I know, you've heard me say it 100 times and this time is no different. I'm a sucker, I always will be. I loved that wine for every juicy, anti-acidic, miniscule tannic ounce there was. And I drank it all.

This time it was Feudo Di Santa Tresa Nivuro 2004 from Sicily. So I guess this time I can constitute a difference as I know both the mainlanders and islanders would agree - this wine is Sicilian! Not Italian! Ha!

The Italian designation by the IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) approves the use of foreign grape varietals in Italian wine and the Nivuro is no different under its regulations. This $13 bottle is 70% Nero d'Avola (Italia - Sicily) and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon (French - Bordeaux). Assuming by now we all are familiar with the latter, let's talk about Nero wha?

Nero d'Avola is said to be "the most important red wine grape in Sicily." This country is silly because there can be one grape with over 20 different synonymous names. Italians/dedicated sommeliers might also know this grape by the names of Calabrese D'Avola/De Calabria/Di Noto/Dolce/Pittatello/Pizzuto, Calabriai Fekete, Raisin De Calabre Noir and Struguri De Calabria.

What's in a name - Nero d'Avola wines are comparable to Australian Shiraz full of plum, spice and sweeter, fine-grained tannins.

Beyond the facts, I obviously have my opinion. That's what you're here for, right?

Deep purple (not the classic rock band) and rich in color, the nose on this Sicilian was not what I was expecting in an Italian-style wine. Very well-integrated and slightly tight aromas to begin with, the Nivuro had a handful of spices (dried thyme - like the kind in the jar in your kitchen cabinet), vanilla (like the real stuff, not extract or flavored-Coke) and oak (like barrels).

As far as fruit goes on the bouquet of this wine, it wasn't too forward and put off the scent of simply grapes, which later developed into dried fruit... Raisins! Despite the obvious, the most unique characteristic was tar. That and the combination of oak gave off a beach wood/beach tar aroma/nostalgia. Definite childhood moments of playing on the beach now enhanced by the sweet minerality of Italian vino.

After such a defining nose, the flavor wasn't exactly standing beside it. It tasted Italian - big and juicy fruit tang with those lose tannins. The wine attacks sweet and continues so onto the mid-palate and finishes a tad astringent, leaving your mouth salivating consistently and immediately. It was odd, I haven't quite had a wine notably do that to me before but it wasn't necessarily a good nor bad thing.

For a $13 imported IGT bottle of wine that just got better once oxygen hit, this is a great bang for your buck. I was going to say something dirty about Italian men like I usually do but I'll just leave it at that for now...

Score: 7.

Brian Carter Cellars 2006 Oriana

2008-11-13T12:19:00.000-08:00

*Bottle #39: Brian Carter Cellars 2006 Yakima Valley Oriana

*Price: $24 (Free - Got the hook up)

*Running Tab: $488

My homeland of Washington has really taken off in the wine blending trade. It's often times rare to see a red wine around here that is 100% the varietal. State regulations allow a wine to only be 75% of the varietal the bottle claims - for example, to call a wine a Merlot, it only has to be 75% Merlot (or the main varietal) and the rest can be whatever the winemaker sees fit to make a successful blend. On a related note, it can be 98% that main varietal and yet still has the option to be called a blend.

It's all just a little bit of marketing repeating, folks.

Even though everyone's doing it, one man stands to battle it out as the creator of it all. In the Woodinville wine country of Washington, that is.

Brian Carter, aka former winemaker and consultant for Apex, Hedges, Kestrel, McCrea, Paul Thomas and Washington Hills, created his own label a couple of years back and is basing his winemaking practices on European styles from across the board. With a Super Tuscan, a Bordeaux and a Rhone blend, Brian Carter Cellars not only epitomizes the experienced Washington winemaker with nearly three decades under his belt but is influencing other local grape enthusiasts to follow in his footsteps.

Easily Woodinville's Sweetheart, Carter and his crew have a cult of winos who pledge their allegiance to his blends. And I may have been there one or seven times.

His one and only white, the 2006 Oriana (Latin for "golden lady") is 46% Viognier, 35% Roussanne and 20% Riesling.

Smells like:

Extremely aromatic with tropical fruits a la pineapples (Roussanne), my latest obsession of apple-pear cross something floral (Viognier) and definite orangey pitted fruits - the official term may be apricots and tangerines (Riesling).

Tastes like:

Those orange fruits just lightly crumbled with honeycombs. Not the cereal but the real deal. Love the crisp acidity and finishes easy and pairs great with olive oil-cooked shrimp and penne. Mostly because that was all the options I had in my house.

I may frequent this particular winery's tasting room often and know most of their employees by name as well as their dogs, but I do it for the wine! And the industry discount... And the hook-ups... But mostly for the love of the wine! Don't judge me, I'm poor.

So continue I will to schmuck-schmuck with fellow wine industry people in the pursuit of wine donations. Such a noble deed.

Score: 8.5.

Explaining Myself.

2008-11-06T12:28:00.001-08:00

Due to the all-encompassing death head-cold that I've managed to acquire using my weak immune system powers most likely attributed to my drinking habits, I will not be able to do a review this week. Considering I can not smell the wine and therefore tasting is altered, not to mention I have a constant fuzzy feeling in my head similar to the second-day-stubble your teeth grow from not brushing. I'm not exactly thinking with clarity.

That was three sentences... Lord, I'm wordy.

Anywhosers, I will not you leave this site empty handed. Oh no, I will not have all four of you that read this walk disappointed, dismal from the lack of wine suggestion for the week since you avidly follow my vinocentric counsel.

This week, kids, we're going to be learning about sensory evaluation! That's right, your tongue can feel more than kissing and your nose smell more than your boss' posterior.

A wise wino once said that the analysis of wine is 80% smell and 20% taste. The nose knows and there's no way around it.

In a step-by-step process, wine tasting can be narrowed down to many cheesy acronyms so we'll keep it simple. You look at the wine to observe the color and marvel in its beauty. I've learned that the appearance of the wine has little to do with the tasting process other than the fact that you can get a bit of insight into the age of the wine from the color's distinctness as it hits the rim of the glass (the darker, the older). The cloudiness or clarity of the wine can tell you a bit about the filtering and/or fining processes of the juice but can have little to no effect on the actual smell or flavor of the wine.

Get a looksy then take her for a spin. Swirling the wine in the glass releases the aromas for you to suck in and absorb the majority of what that girl has to offer. The stronger the perfume, the more you can take with you as you taste.

Smelling the wine you'll pull out initial aromas as well as ones that come along later after the wine has had a little time to take in oxygen and open up. It's like laying out in the sun - you'll get a better tan the longer you're exposed to the rays. However, if you're out for too long, you might get burned. Same as the wine, it can get over-oxidized and become flat. Bad analogy.

In your mouth, the wine should have three separate effects. The attack of the wine is the first taste you're getting, the initial reaction to the juice on your tongue. The mid-palate is the quality taste as you're savoring the wine in your mouth. The finish happens once you've swallowed, the lingering affect of the wine.

Finally, as I've found it, after the looksy, the sniff, the taste n'gulp - comes the drunk. This is the fuzzy feeling in your head, the warmth in your face and chest and sometimes why there's a new person in your bed and loss of memory regarding previous actions.

Aw, wine. The drink of the Gods, the juice of the happy drunks and my new best friend. I've hope I've given a better understanding to how I roll and you two can now be as close as we are. Then let's drink up.

2007 Viu Manet Malbec Reserva

2008-10-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #38: 2007 Viu Manet Colchagua Malbec Reserva

*Price: $10

*Running Tab: $488

My days off consist of me wine shop shopping. Whether or not I actually buy anything depends on how far in the distant future a paycheck is from me. In this case, the paycheck comes before I need to pay off my credit card so it's a win-win-win. 1 for me, 1 for the shops and 1 for the wine.

It's like going to a pet shop - those little bottles starring up at me with their flawless labels and shiny foils, dusted perfectly with a little bit of age so you know they're bottle-trained and ready to go home with a thirsty and adoring owner.

My pocketbook was relinquished of its duties this day on four different bottles (only spent around $90...) but this particular purchase stood out to me. When I bought the wine after it was recommended to me by a renowned Seattle area wine shop, I was told this pig was ready to go. I questioned this notion, politely as I'm sure this wine steward knew a bit more than myself, because the Viu Manet Reserva Malbec was only a 2007. I thought it was too young to drink before the wine even hit my lips.

Chilean producer Viu Manet (say it like it's spelled) makes this wine, at 100% Malbec, in both stainless steel tanks (for the fermentation process) and in barrels for 10 months (92% French, 8% American oak). Which for the amount of oak you pull from both the nose and palate, you'd assume it spent more time in the barrels than that.

Background check on Chilean wine: Grapes came from Bordeaux, France to Spain to Chile in the early 1800's. The lovely wingless wonder bug, Phylloxera, spread like wild fire in the European and North American vineyards, killing off many quality vines and potential land. Chile is situated between the Andes and the Pacific so that the nation's vineyards were perched in a fashion that even this deadly louse couldn't kill off their vines.

A powerhouse and lucky SOBs, Chilean vines are some of the oldest around exuding robust and flavorsome wines and a spirited toast: "Salud, amor y dinero, y tiempo para gustarlos!" (Health, love and money, and time to enjoy them!)

And enjoy, from a different perspective, I did.

I've been getting a pie-crust aroma from wines lately - maybe it's something I've been eating or is stuck up my nose but it's definitely there again in this Chilean Malbec. This time it's boysenberry pie, very muted however and backed by a vegetal touch - I'm thinking broccoli. The oak stands out very obviously in the first sniff but really comes out in a little time. A dark stoned fruit aroma was there as well but it was more the pit than anything. As if the fleshy fruit has been sucked off and all that is left is the pit to gnaw on.

Speaking of gnawing, both the tannins and a leathery flavor are really chewing on you in this 2007 Malbec. Showing great potential to tame down in the mouth-drying department, this wine's leather note is affable and the fruit pushes out a little bit of juice for this typically spiced varietal. The oak comes out after awhile and shows in the finish with parching tannins that have you questioning if your tongue ever was wet to begin with.

This $10 bottle will be a steal in two years, even better in five. It's a beautifully stunning and forbidden Lolita wine. A pervert's wine. That made me laugh.

Right now, the Viu Manet 2007 Malbec is just not ready to come out and play which makes Erin a sad girl.

Score: 7.5.

Portalupi 2007 Bianco Wine

2008-10-23T16:03:00.001-07:00

*Bottle #37: Portalupi 2007 Bianco California Table Wine

*Price: $16

*Running Tab: $478

The best kind of narcissistic satisfaction is when you win an argument and all you want to do is scream "I told you so!" and gloat and smirk. Unfortunately, that is no longer acceptable adult behavior past the age of six so now you just have to say "Oh, did I?" when presented with a win over a mature debate.

When I was tasting the Portalupi 2007 Bianco at local wine shop, I was told this 2006 blend was mostly Gewurtztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and probably Semillon, but the wine steward wasn't quite sure. He was positive of the fact that there was no Chardonnay used in the blend, which I was just fine with considering it was a California blend and I'm not a huge fan of big, over-oaked, buttery, diacytel-saturated Cali Chards. No bias.

Upon tasting, I found some nice apricot and tangerine notes, backed by some minerality and a slight hint of honey. It took me a wiff or two but I was smelling pear on the nose as well, something uncharacteristic of the varietals that were to be in this blend but something very common for Chardonnay...

The taste of the wine was exactly what I was looking for that night and I give the steward props for picking this out according to what I said I wanted. Dry and crisp but full of those orange fruits and minerality. Medium-full bodied with a little touch of something vegetal in the finish as it dimished. Nice, brisk acidity through and through, which I love in my whities. A little flabby once it sat in the glass/palm of my hand for too long, the Portalupi '07 White Wine still fit the profile for the night.

After a couple swigs, I was tasting more and more of that pear tied in with Granny Smith apples (Chardonnay!!! - but I wasn't doubting Buddy Boy just yet).

And here's the punch-line.

Post-taste/posthaste, I Googled the stats on it via my Blackberry Curve (product placement - please pay me?!), I found out that this 2007 blend (there isn't an '06 from this label) was actually 46% Sauvignon Blanc, 47% Chardonnay and 7% Muscat Alexandra. More Chardonnay than anything else in the blend!

Ba-bow! I completely and utterly smirked and gloated by myself (yup...) and ran a little mental victory lap. Looks like I'm starting to know my ish better than I give credit for. I thank you.

Score: 7.

Highway 14 2005 Red Wine

2008-10-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #36: Highway 14 2005 Columbia Valley Red Wine

*Price: $15

*Running Tab: $462

Jim, Jack, Johnny and Jose - most alcoholics' favorite American (and Mexican) men.

Syrah, Counoise, Grenache and Mourvedre - this new wino's favorite French men.

Background check:

1) Syrah: Sometimes floral, sometimes super juicy dark berries, sometimes chocolate and espresso and black pepper. Big, bold and beautiful and can't always make up its mind.

2) Counoise (coon-wahz): Spicy, peppery and slightly abrasive in its acidity, the Rhone Valley rarely let's it out of it's borders. Kind of a back-up, yes-man for more audacious grapes (i.e. big bro Syrah).

3) Grenache: A late bloomer, spicy yet soft on the palate and most often used for blending.

4) Mourvedre (Moo-vahd/Moo-vey-druh): Tomayto, tomahto, very strict to its area, this grape often shows charactertistics of game, earth and red fruits.

With 70% Syrah, 14% Counoise, 11% Grenache and 4% Mourvedre, the Highway 14 blend from the Northwest Vine Project represents its founding fathers well. I'm talking winemakers, not French guys.

Carlton, Oregon's pride and joy of their non-Pinots (there aren't many that color outside of the lines) is Andrew Rich, who strategically joined up with Irish wine patriot David O'Reilly from Owen Roe wines to create the project. The two feature inexpensive wines for a quality that's mostly tagged with higher prices in their Columbia Valley based co-op.

The 2005 Red Wine, including the grapes and their traits as listed, gives off bright cherries and other bright red fruits, cinnamon, blueberries and later eucalyptus (but that took great discussion to narrow that guy down). After about 30 minutes, I finally decided there was red bell pepper in there too - which also after much discussion, I realized that wasn't exactly a compliment (vegetal tones are not the greatest aroma for a Rhone style red blend) even though I didn't think it was bad.

A cinnamon flavor was the first thing to happen on the palate - I'm not sure if it was the seeming texture of the attack of the wine or if it was actually there or something I ate before... Bordering on sweet, the fruit was smooth, well-structured and medium-bodied, with tannins just tickling the tip of the tongue in the finish.

If I didn't know better, I'd think this wine was flirting with me.

Flattery will get you everywhere. Rhone varieties seem to grow well in the state of Washington (where this "Oregon wine" got its grapes) and produce a bit more fruit to them than in their traditional origin. This I did like, for 15 bucks - how can you lose?

Score: 8.

Nota Bene Cellars 2005 Miscela

2008-10-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #35: Nota Bene Cellars 2005 Washington State Miscela

*Price: $29 (free for Erin though, somehow scammed my way again...)

*Running Tab: $447

I'm done with Italians, I swear.

This one just happens to be an Italian-named blend but Washington born and raised grapes! Look! I'm making larger steps out of my little circle of bias!

This one doesn't even use any Italian varietals and is a Bordeaux style blend. See!

A new world blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, Nota Bene - "N" for Tim Narby and "B" for Carol Bryant - was formed by the three star-crossed lovers over a bottle of Chateau Margaux 1982. I'm talking Narby, Bryant and the wine. The triangle began at first sip and has been a consist affair since 2001, but can be traced back to an amateur crush (of grapes) in 1986.

Bryant, the self-proclaimed "company Latinist" (information acquired from their handy, dandy Web site), transcribes the Latin root of "amateur" to amo, meaning "to love." She feels wine "must be the product of love."

Aw, the good old days when wine was produced for the love of the wine, not the love of the money. But what do I know, I just drink it.

"Note well," as Nota Bone translates from Latin, is what Narby and Bryant have done well. After a few trial and errors, they believe their blend epitomizes the state of Washington. The Seattle-based cellars sources from several of the region-specific profiled vineyards the state is growing in repute for.

After a heavy wait time in the glass (I'd say 15 minutes post-initial pour) and followed with devious swirling sessions, the 2005 Miscela came of age. The nose exhibited aromas of blackberries, oak and a later very distinct vanilla extract note. On the negative sounding side, but not necessarily so, a modest cherry-chapstick scent rose up along with something vegetal. And I couldn't help but find an aroma that I've been finding a lot in Cabs lately - Fig Newton. Yeah, those cookies your grandpa eats. Doughy but dried-fruit-like. Very strange.

With a delicate attack, the Miscela doesn't really appear too sharply on the tongue until the mid-palate, where I got a rush of deep red fruits, chocolate and tannins that grip your mouth like a firm yet professional handshake. Warm at 14.8% alcohol per volume - which, in the state of Washington, is given a 1.5% leeway up or down on the scale and usually means it's around 15.2%+ - but tasty after it really opened up.

You all know how I love the story behind the wine song and dance and I never like to sound like a disappointing, patronizing parent but... I kind of expected more. Especially with 11% Malbec in the blend, a Bordeaux varietal I love so much for its spicy qualities, I thought there would be more of a kick behind them perdy red colors and flashy titles.

Score: 6.

Matthews 2007 Stillwater Creek Sauvignon Blanc

2008-10-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #34: Matthews Cellars 2007 Stillwater Creek Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

*Price: $22

*Running Tab: $447 (free for me!)

I'll let you in on a little industry gossip the www. winery sites won't share with you on their event pages... But you've got to keep this just between the two of us, XOXO Gossip Girl, BFFL and all that good stuff.

The eight-acre estate of Matthews Cellars is one of Woodinville, Washington's prominent wine names, synonymous with the equally renowned winemaker Matt Loso. Rumor has it, the 2007 vintage was his last with the label under his own name...

The politics of this trade seem to fly more under the radar than our friends in the financial district. Cough WaMu/JP Morgan Chase cough. But they are nontheless still there...

Loso was one of the three suits behind the winery's name and it seems his tie was revoked as his portion was bought out and the grape genius is no longer involved for reasons unknown...

In respect to his final vintage before Loso inevitably chooses to stand solo as an independent winemaking consultant (it's in the makings...), I've decided to go with one of his lesser known knacks - white wine.

The 2007 Stillwater Creek Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc was crafted under the master hands of a man who channels his thoughts on Bordeaux-style red blends. Keeping it all in the family, he selected the white Bordeaux of Sauvignon Blanc (Semillon is the other white from the French region and typically is blended with ol' SB).

Only 221 cases of this varietal was produced and was eclectically aged for six months in concrete egg, stainless steel and neutral French oak, giving it an array of characteristics.

Picture that cute little pigtailed blonde in the Welch's grape juice commercials and how she flips when there's a white grape juice. That was me smelling this Sauv Blanc. Complete Welch's white grape juice highlighted with fresh cut green grass and crisp, just-squeezed lemon juice. After the wine opened up (it was a little too chilly at first), the aroma gave off a mineral note backed by some tart grapefruit and more citrus.

Acidic, but rightly so with this classic varietal. The initial taste was a bit of an acid attack on the tongue, but followed smoothly with that mineral note and a slightly oaky tone from its time spend in a barrel. The mid-palate brought out some tropical fruits but held strong and statuesque in its minerality.

At 14.3% alcohol by volume, Matt did not miss a beat form one of the most powerful elements of his red blends - the booze factor. Nearing on too prevalent, there was a steady rush of heat flushing down my throat and into my chest with this wine. I always find the higher alcohol content wines affect me that way... Needless to say, I was in a great mood shortly after consumption.

Coming down from the buzz, reality hits that Matthews wines will never be the same again. RIP Matthews Cellars, whether or not the name stays, the brains behind the outfit has left the building.

Score: 8.

Eden Cellars 2003 Forbidden Red Wine

2008-09-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #33: Eden Cellars 2003 Columbia Valley Forbidden Red Wine
*Price: $13
*Running Tab: $447

On a hedonistic indulgence binge, I consumed a large amount of wine, all starting with this little number from Eden Cellars. I thought if I'm going to intentionally sin, I might as well do it with a wine sporting devilishly good fashion.

Smartly positioned and coyly playing off the biblical and sinful desire for the prohibited, Eden Cellars' Forbidden Red quotes the great Mark Twain with such tact and perfection. "There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable," Twain wrote. Nicely said and kudos to Eden Cellars for making the connection. If there are two things we all know I love together, it is wine and well-versed older men. No point in denying it anymore.

I decided to pair up with a semi-versed, little bit older man and taste this wine out, to hear someone else's opinion up against or with my own for my usual winescapades. Plus he's been in the biz longer than yours truly and had a slight contribution this week. His notes are included with mine and I will probably take credit for all of them but I'm attempting to acknowledge him now!

Here's my accustomed disclaimer: I really liked this wine for all that it was. $13 for a table wine that packed a punch (15.2% alcohol). For one such hedon, that was a decent amount for Bottle #1 (of many) for the evening.

Hailing from the oldest vine-growing regions in Washington State, the Forbidden Red from Horse Heaven Hills shot off aromas of pepper, blue and blackberries, black olives and a very strange stewed note. Not bad, just strange. There was an all-around cigar box smell to it as well, the cedar box combined with tobacco. I was later to find another aroma that was defined to me as "brett" - Brettanomyces, a bacteria that grows in fermentation tanks when not supremely cleaned. The smell was later described to me as "blueberrie pie but instead of crust, you get Band-aid." Yummy.

All sarcasm aside, it was tasty for what it was. Juicy, soft tannins with an extremely dry finish, this medium bodied red had a distinct creaminess to it. Passing over "velvety," it was down right like skim milk. Again, not a bad thing. Just not exactly what I was expecting from Horse Heaven Hills grapes... Or maybe just wine, in general...

I feel very Presidential-candidate-esque about this wine. I couldn't make up my mind on my stance and said something about it the first time trying it and then said this later. What's the political terminology? Flip-flopper?

I think I'll just stick to wine.

Score: 5.

Balsamroot Winery 2007 Edelzwicker

2008-09-17T22:21:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #32: Balsamroot Winery 2007 Columbia Valley Edelzwicker

*Price: $18

*Running Tab: $434 (yowza!)

See that picture in the bottom right? That was at the adorable little house that is Balsamroot Winery, home of Ivan the Red, Endless Summer Rose, plentifully abundant antipasti boards and a pourer who claimed to not wear his wedding ring because he was above the restraints of symbolism.

Later that night, after excessive wine-ing and a few dozen tequila shots down, we ran into said winerd who was acting much more like he just didn't believe in marriage, let alone the symbolism of the marital band not on his finger. Men.

Fortunately for the unnamed cellar worker, the bad grape didn't ruin the bunch. Judy and Don Phelps, owners of Balsamroot Winery pride themselves on their wine and obviously the remaining good grapes of their employee cluster. "Nature, sunshine, good times, family and friends" are given unto each of their bottles, they claim, from some of the best land in Columbia Valley - the up and coming, almost an AVA, Lake Chelan Valley.

Robust and flavonoid-packed reds, acidic and fruity whites, Balsamroot Winery whistles a similar tune to anybody making decent wines, but where they sing a little bit louder is with the Edelzwicker. Sounds like a big-boned, angry German broad, but it's merely half Riesling and half Gewurztraminer, traditionally blended from white varietals from Alsace in Northern France by bordering Germans.

In an attempt to hold onto the warm weather that is dwindling up here in the Seattle area (yes, the sun does shine here from time to time), I drank this off-dry delicacy with the impression that the 1.6% residual sugar wouldn't give me a cavity.

And far from it - it was a refreshing balance of sweetness but astringency, fruity but light.

The nose carried an air of honey - like your neighbor is baking something with it so you can just smell it from the window but you know you're not going to get to taste it. Makes your mouth water and is backed by apricot, nectarine and other warm-colored fruits, some minerality, lavender and spice. I was a little put off by something strange that took me swirling til my wrist hurt for me to figure out what it was - vasoline. Probably not the most appetizing smell but I went with it.

Glad I did - this was yummy! Judy's tasting notes were spot on: "Sweet but tart," big and juicy, acidic and crisp. I'm noticing Washington grown Rieslings, if plucked off the wine at a decent time, can be quite drinkable at any time. This should be served ice cold, however, because as the chill began to melt, so did the flavors. The Edelzwicker had a pronounced mid-palate but seemed to damper off in the finish.

"Ed" was tasty but temperamental, big but delicate. You know how those German women are.

Score: 6.5.

DiStefano 2003 Syrah R

2008-09-10T00:21:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #31: DiStefano 2003 Columbia Valley Syrah R

*Price: $29

*Running Tab: $419 (Yikes!)

I first fell in love with wine when I was 20. I had a very fake ID which I used in restaurants that wouldn't dream of an underager coming in and violating their liquor control rules. I'd take full advantage of their conviction and break the law, not with shots of tequila or vodka Redbulls, but, with glasses of Barnard Griffin Cab-Merlot and Bogle Petit Syrah.

I was a bona fide badass.

At 20, grocery store labels like the previously mentioned were all I knew before I was spoiled and snotted up merely a year later. And I loved them for all they were worth. My average bottle was $9 (usually on sale with my Safeway card) and the brightly-lit, highly-leveled wine aisle was my oyster. Once I thought I knew what I was talking about with wine (still don't), I was first smitten by Syrah, the full-bodied, voluptuous, berry-juice-bursting varietal. She sure was perdy.

We got over each other like any other college break-up - she went her way, many others falling for her easy-drinking and bright fruitiness, I went mine and had a tough-love phase with some robust Cabs and boring Merlots.

But like many first loves, it was hard to get her out of my mind. We ran into each other a couple years down the road at DiStefano Winery in Woodinville, WA. And she looked good. After taking her around the block again, I decided to go in for the kill of the $29 purchase.

The DiStefano 2003 Syrah R was noted as a "traditionally produced Rhone-style wine," which is a soft spot for me. I love Rhone varietals (Grenache, Viognier, Roussane, Marsanne, Syrah included), I'm rarely disappointed by one that's grown in Washington - they say the state has similar latitude to that France place.

Blending traditional Rhone varietals is a given, but here, winemaker Hillary Sjolund put a little white into her red - 94% Syrah, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon with 4% Viognier. I like that because for a varietal that's known to be super juicy and full of berries (usually blueberries), the Syrah R now has a great floral note on the nose as well as some supple acidity on the palate.

The rest of the bouquet held in some dark berries and stoned fruits with a slight mineral touch. It wasn't overwhelming aromatic at first but it opened up dramatically over time. I think this was a perfect experiment as far as decanting a wine is considered - the 2003 Syrah R had some quality time spent in the bottle and required a bit of attention from the air.

I couldn't believe how much the wine really came into its full expression probably after at least 45 minutes of oxidation. I never really picked up on much of a tannic structure but there were distinct red fruits, a lot of plum and was a satisfyingly big, juicy Syrah. The finish was mocha and plum, lingering just long enough to make a better second impression.

My only complaint: I think there might have been a little too much alcohol on the nose. Now I don't know how Hillary may have covered that up but I drank this with my friend who declared he knows nothing about wine and much of what he could smell was the 14.6% liquor.

As far as drinking Syrah again, it was good to spend some time with her but I really think I've grown out of our love but will foreverly be burdened with a bit of vulnerability with her. Aw, love.

Score: 6.5.

Carhartt 2006 Pinot Noir

2008-09-04T22:36:00.001-07:00

*Bottle #30: Carhartt 2006 Rancho Santa Rosa Pinot Noir

*Price: $30

*Running Tab: $390

While we were down touring Santa Barbara County, somewhat mimicking the "Sideways" wine trail, we ended up in Los Olivos - the teeny tiny town (kind of looked like a street more than anything) that is home to the world's smallest tasting room.

The room is advertised as just "one block north of the Flagpole" (because there is only one) and appeared to be a well-kept shack. Mike Carhartt, a man of no relation to the hunting apparel line, was sitting behind his tasting bar and that alone took up 1/3 of the room. It was small. Rocking out to Guns N'Roses - which he claimed belonged to his son - Mike poured multiple wines that struck me as unique to not only the terrior and my own palate but I think the influence of the farmer-turned-vintner's love for his craft made an impact as well.

Carhartt (the farmer) and his wife, Brooke (the chemist), threw together this dream and now have their tasting studio and the only vineyard in Los Olivos, with estate grown Merlot and Syrah. So of course, I left with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir...

The couple sourced their grapes for the Pinot from the nearby Santa Rita Hills which is growing in its abundance of plush Pinot Noir grapes so Mike and I came to the conclusion this was a good buy.

Ruby red, almost pretty in pink, the Pinot from the Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard gave off a musty, earthy/borderline gamey aroma full of red currants, vanilla and bright red berries (probably strawberries). A little bit of that typical cherry for the grape and some subtle pepper notes stuck out alongside the initial scents.

The weight of the wine was fairly light once I decided to toss back the glass, full of those red berries and bright fruits with mild acidity and the perfect amount of warmth as it went down.

Ideally, I wish I would have given this wine a little more bottle time. I think it was too early to showcase its bests but showed great potential to age to a more elegant complexity and gain some structure/backbone. It was drinkable now and I really like what it had to offer but I'd give it at least another year or so in the cellar. Too bad I only bought one bottle...

Score: 7.

Bergevin Lane Vineyards 2007 Calico White

2008-08-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #29: Bergevin Lane Vineyards 2007 Walla Walla Calico White

*Price: $16

*Running Tab: $360

Girl power and all aside, I love female winemakers. As far as Washington goes, women entrepreneurs get a bit of money from the state to get started (we're still considered a minority?) and male investors might come easier (so many hurdles to be a girl, really). However, it's always a celebrated feat for a woman to be a successful businessperson and as annoying as this is, one of the reasons why I like Bergevin Lane Vineyards is because of innovative co-owners Annette Bergevin and Amber Lane.

The main reason why I liked their Calico White blend was because of the nose. A combo that could kill - Chardonnay, Roussanne and Viognier. It's becoming very popular in Washington wines to blend Chardonnay and Viognier together, mostly to get the full-body mouthfeel of Chardonnay to mesh with the floral, acidity of Viognier and pulling the great citrus that both varietals give off. Roussane and Viognier are both varietals originating from the Rhone Valley in France and blend flawlessly together (as they should).

The varietals' components broken down as I see it:

- Roussanne = structure and minerality

- Chardonnay = body and complexity

- Viognier = some major aromatics and acidity

All three grapes are known for their richness and fullness. These are all big, robust and proud French varietals and with their powers combined, the Calico White is lavish and easy drinking. Elaborate but not overboard, this shining golden straw colored wine gave off a citrus aroma, backed by tropical fruits (pineapple and mangoes for sure) with a slight hint of honey (but nowhere near sweet). It smelled like Hawaii would smell (I've never been...).

Faintly astringent with medium-plus acidity, the Calico White had an effortless finish that was just as citrus and pineapple packed as the bouquet. The wine was dry, crisp and medium-bodied and in the later palate hit with some bananas, which I loved.

I FINALLY really paired one of my review wines with some food - I brought the bottle to a dinner date with my dad who prepared (all cooked to perfection) salmon, bleu cheese red potatoes, a pear and pine-nut salad with French artisan bread. I almost feel bad not paying him for his culinary expertise.

All in all, for a $16 blend from my beloved Walla Walla Valley, the Calico White could not fail.

Score: 8.5.

Patit Creek Cellars 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-08-20T10:13:00.001-07:00

*Bottle #28: Patit Creek Cellar 2004 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

*Price: $28

*Running Tab: $344

Shout out to my homies, Steve and Tina, for giving me this bottle of wine. My regular winos at the wine bar (which I have recently left), who live in the building and frequently listen to my crazy stories about wine, boys and my so-called life, brought me a bottle after they went wine tasting in Walla Walla Valley in central Washington. They were very excited to give me their last remaining bottle of "good wine" from their trip. Keeping in mind that Steve and Tina are from Texas and are just learning to love Washington wines (love you guys!), I thought this wine could be anywhere from okay to great.

Walla Walla Valley is the hottest thing since sliced bread in the state. The volcanic soils that comprise the ground allow for excellent drainage (which if it isn't great, it can drown the vines) and is currently thriving every varietal you can think of from Syrah to Pinot Noir.

The town itself, within the AVA, is tiny. Patit Creek Cellars is on A Street, for example. However, I find that the smaller the town, the smaller the amount of wine being produced (yields), the better the product. But just because you're from a small town in Kansas, making small amounts of wine does not mean your wine is good, fyi.

Deep, rich and purple in color, the Patit Creek Cab gave off the look of a Syrah. I love that part of Syrah. The nose came off as a bit earthy and musty, a gamey note with black currants, blackberries and maybe some other dark stoned fruits (like plums?).

None of which are bad olfactory features but I found the wine tasting much better than the aroma it gave off. After a while, it gave me a really strange bright, red lipstick smell and I couldn't stop picturing Dolly Parton.

On the palate, this Cab was a bargain for the smell. Smooth and well-balanced, cherries began to come through with the dark fruits (more plum!) as well as a black tea flavor. Rounded tannins kept the wine lingering just enough on the finish to want another taste. The wine grew and opened up very nicely after hanging out in my glass for awhile too.

I was very impressed with Steve and Tina and their selection for me. And of course, appreciative of the free wine. When it's free, it's hard to find things you don't like.

Score: 7.

2004 Franco M. Martinetti Barbera d'Asti

2008-08-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #27: 2004 Franco M. Martinetti Barbera d'Asti Bric dei Banditi

*Price: $24

*Running Tab: $344

I'm always going back to the big, juicy red Italian wines. I think it might be a phase I'm in or if you ask any of my girlfriends and replace "wines" with "guys," then I don't think this is something I will grow out of.

I think what I like about Italian wine is that it is such a part of their everyday life. I don't mean to speak as if I've been there (I wish), more just that I respect their way of life from an outsider's point of view. It's different wines with different courses, with different times of the day, with different people and different moods. Wine is such an anthropology, a culture, part of Italian heritage alongside of their once-prosperous empires and beautifully crafted, age-cracked sculptures. I like that.

And again, I'm diving deep into another bottle of red Italian wine - a Barbera from Asti, a city and commune in the Piedmont (northern Italy) region. This varietal is the most prominent and renowned red wine in Asti and the Piedmont area is gaining international recognition for those wines. Barbera in general is the most/second-most planted varietal in Italy. A cheaper varietal in the area, Italian-grown Barbera isn't the most complex or depth-defying grape out there but it sure tastes good.

I love Barbera. I haven't been let down yet and this won't be the first time.

Franco M. Martinetti, the wine's producer, has a quirky flair on his grape creations. He's known for setting apart his wines with a "manic-like research for elegance and balance" (http://www.vinissimo-italy.com). And this Barbera d'Asti played out just how he envisioned.

Martinetti's 2004 Barbera stood out with black currants and plum on the nose, backing it up with other dark fruits like raisins as well as a caramelized, roast beef and milk chocolate note. Some definite cedar notes to it, which I think isn't typical for Italian winemaking (I think they usually use stainless steel now for aging). I know it all sounds a little weird and might put you off, but it's what the nose knows, none of those are foul traits and I'm going to go with that.

The wine had a lighter-bodied mouthfeel, with low-medium acidity, medium heat in the back of my throat (around 13% alcohol) and those similar dark fruits with soft tannins. The balance Martinetti was striving for was easily achieve in the wine, however an air of elegance was somewhat passed off by the lack of intricacy in the wine.

It wasn't the best Barbera I've ever had - trust me, I've been on a major binge - but I enjoyed it. So much so that I realized (even though the plan was to share with my roommates) I drank the entire bottle myself. Good job, Erin.

Score: 6.5.

Hugel 2005 Gentil Alsace

2008-08-06T10:10:00.001-07:00

Bottle #26: Hugel et Fils 2005 Gentil Alsace

Price: $15

Running Tab: $330

Why do you keep forcing yourself to try French white wines after so many failed attempts, Erin? Well, Reader, that is a good question. The answer is obvious: Because it's wine. They've got all types of flavors, those crazy Frenchmen, so I've just gots to try them all!

Also, I figured going with the Hugel family of winemakers who've been growing since 1639 in Alsace, one of the pioneering families in today's French wine, wasn't a bad idea.

Upon purchasing this wine, I was well-informed on what makes her special. We all know how us ladies like to hear over and over again how special we are so here we go again. Based off of Alsace traditional winemaking, the name "Gentil" denotes the wine's makeup of noble grapes in the blend. The Gentil is a field blend - where her grapes (Gewurtztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Sylvaner) were interplanted in the same vineyard. Rows weren't even designated and one vine could be one varietal, the next being another.

I think this is very intriguing - this process allows the blending, post-picking of the grapes, effortless. The task is already completed for the winemaker once they start the crushing of the grapes, the juices are instantly blending. Also because they share the same soil, the grapes pick up well-rounded and complex characteristics from the surrounding the varietals.

Although not the most elaborate white wine I've had, the solidly golden Gentil blend has a fresh bouquet full of honey, pear and a note of citrus. Some kind of floral undertone comes through, possibly something like orange blossom from the Muscat grape. And to be perfectly honest, I was looking at a tasting chart to pinpoint that note...

The honey aroma gives off the impression that this wine might be sweet, the Gentil stays strong with its title as a dry Alsace white, yet still providing that honey and pear on the palate. The intensity of acidity was medium-low, nothing too shocking, and came off as a centered and succulent blend.

All good words aside, this was a nice table wine, seems like it would be good with crab (mhmm...) but is a little flabby on its own, which we all know is how I usually drink wine. For being what it is, I say drink it. Like most not super pricey bottles I've purchased in the past, the Gentil won't last past the day it was open so unfortunately, you'll just have to drink it all!

Score: 7.

Vin du Lac 2006 Cuvee Rouge

2008-07-30T08:15:00.001-07:00

*Bottle #25: Vin du Lac 2006 Columbia Valley Cuvee Rouge Red Wine

*Price: $20

*Running Tab: $315 (discounted!)

A couple weeks ago, I went to Lake Chelan, WA for a girlfriend's bachelorette party. Hands down the most alcohol I had consumed in a single weekend since college. A good majority of that alcohol was wine as we did a tasting tour throughout the Chelan Valley, which is striving to achieve AVA status in the state.

We went to four wineries/vineyards, all with beautiful views of the lake with wines fluctuating from decent to great. From the bottles I purchased for less than I should have (yay, industry discount!), I chose the Vin du Lac Cuvee Rouge red blend for this week's rendition.

Since the wine is young (2006) and full of everything but the kitchen sink (Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese), I poured myself a glass and gave it a little time to hang out and open up (roughly 30 minutes). However, this unprofessional decanting may not have been the best idea for this wine.

Hands down, for as many great varietals used in this wine, the Cuvee Rouge was a complete lackluster let down. I remember the vineyard - French and artisan - in a stunning location, placed upon the hill shadowing Chelan Butte, with a grape-cultured staff and a full kitchen offering flavorsome treats alongside of their complimentary four-pour tasting. It seems the facility may have been a slight facade for the passable wines.

The Cuvee Rouge has a distinct smokey, musty and straw aroma to it (which is, in some cases, really nice), followed up with spice, oak and black olives. It was a chore to pull out much fruit on the nose but isn't necessary for me to like the bouquet of a wine.

This time it seemed as so it was a necessary attribute to have fruit on the palate, however. Despite the smoothness of the light and cheerfully-bodied wine, the slight acidity and barely noticeable tannins couldn't keep me from wondering if there was fruit juice squeezed from these grapes or if it was just sugar-eating yeasts turning it into purple booze.

The Cuvee Rouge is just a bland table wine that could increase flavor with food but would fall over if it tried to stand on its own.

I was a little disappointed with this purchase because I looked back on the winery itself so fondly - which could be because it was the last stop on our winery binge and anything may have tasted like Mondavi at that point. Bummer.

Score: 3.

Huge Bear 2005 Sauvignon Blanc

2008-07-23T15:09:00.001-07:00

*Bottle #24: Huge Bear 2005 Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc

*Price: $25 (Free for me!)

*Running Tab: $300

Another perk of working at locations of the vine, other than receiving discounted wine, is getting free wine. Winemakers/salespersons come in daily, trying to get you to sell their wine for a price they deem reasonable to make a profit off their new job, hopefully to justify them making wine instead of their former career as an accountant.

Possibly a former accountant, Tim Carl is a new CEO of wine out in Calistoga, CA and singing his "Proud to be a Californian" tune patriotically with his mint-condition wine label, Huge Bear Wines. As told to me by Carl, the name came from a bear sighting in the 19th century and the bear's spirit of "strength and independence" captured the essence of California, later dubbing the state as the Bear Republic.

A Californian puffed up about his native wines? Unheard of! But with good reason...

With small yields thus smaller batches and typically nicer wines when made in such proportions (less than 100 cases), Huge Bear specializes in three wines grown strongly and sovereignly in California - Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Keeping it close to home, Huge Bear grows its 12-year-old vines in Sonoma County, where Knight Valley is - the home to the elusive "huge bear" story. Full circle, people, full circle.

This Sauv Blanc was atypically aged in oak, even though it was neutral French oak, the grape usually doesn't get near the stuff. I couldn't smell it or taste it anyway so it might not have made a difference other than giving the wine a certain complexity.

It was the strangest thing - and I don't know if it was the power of suggestion by the winemaker - but Huge Bear had a stiff aroma of lime (key lime, says Carl), giving it a very cool mineral note. After spending some time in the glass, grapefruit came out over the lime and minerality. As a Sauv Blanc, I can always find some herbacious hint to the nose and it was there but extremely subtle.

Huge Bear Sauv Blanc has a well deserved title, as it was very flavorful, largely full of those citrus fruits, acidity and light on the palate. This wine is still young so it has time to mature but it shouldn't be laid down for too long before it loses those unique citrus aromas and flavors. Perfect this time of year.

Cheerful and a good combination of sweet and tart, this Sauvignon Blanc should be served cold and crisp to enhance all of the natural characteristics of the grape. I had it around room temperature and still liked it. And I'm fickle!

Score: 8.5.

Woodward Canyon 2004 Syrah

2008-07-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #23: Woodward Canyon 2004 Columbia Valley Syrah

*Price: $34

*Running Tab: $300

I sell this bottle at the Wine Bar like it's going out of style. I sell it like it's my job, because it is and it's a $54 bottle in-house and for some reason, that comes off as a good deal.

I sell the Woodward Canyon Columbia Valley 2004 Syrah because I think it's an awesome bottle for not a horrible price that I was lucky enough to drink for half off (employee discount, woo!).

The cream of the crop, so to speak, for Washington wines are now growing in the Walla Walla Valley appellation. The region, which is widely overshadowed by the only decent wines of L'Ecole 41, is standing out as a low-yielding terroir with only 60 acres of vines. Woodward Canyon, along with the preeminence of the noted Leonetti Winery, were the pioneers of the region, putting Syrah and Merlot on the map in Washington wine geography.

And Woodward Canyon has not faltered since and is now bringing in grapes from Yakima Valley and the Horse Heaven Hills for this vintage. A warm 2004 summer produced rich and complex grapes for the wine. Not to mention the fruit was hand-harvested, which means long, detailed scorching, sweaty days of plucking grapes off vines and not getting the pay deserved for such a task...

For me, I've always loved Syrah. The Rhone varietal is bold, loud and spicy. She is a full-bodied lady, with tons of flavor and plenty of sass. The tannins should be there but not in your face like a Cab.

Ol' Pioneer Woody did not disappoint. I was smelling some awesome blackberries, dark red fruits, raspberries, barrels of spice and vanilla. You definitely can smell the alcohol, Syrah's are typically higher in alcohol content per volume but holy moly, this stands out at a robust 15.1%. And I loved every second of it...

At 100% the varietal, the Syran was velvety smooth once in my mouth, giving it a small tannic tongue squeeze - like a hug! - with gentle, medium acidity at most and heaps of fruit. There's definitely an alcoholic aftertaste that lingered but the fruit held on just as long with it.

Ol' Woody will only get better with age - I give it another five years and some intensity wrinkles should smooth out.

I swear I don't have a thing for old men.

Score: 8.

Las Rocas 2005 Garnacha

2008-07-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #22: Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha 2005

*Price: $11

*Running Tab: $288

Plain and simple, I just like to say this wine. I feel very Antonio Banderas-esque. Too sexy and too easy to impersonate.

As far as being effortless goes,"easy drinking" is an understatement with this wine. Grenache is typically smooth, high in alcohol content and full of ripe fruit. So no way, Jose, am I spitting this stuff out!

There it is, sitting pretty in my huge, designated tasting glass (photo to come soon!), just taunting me with its deep, garnet color that gives promise of a better evening (it had been a long day). Spicey and Spanish, just like Antonio.

Grenache, or Spanish Garnacha (Syrah - Shiraz, Pinot Gris - Grigio, tomato - tomawto), is arguably the most commonly planted red wine grape varietal in the world. Hot and dry conditions nurse this baby into its true self so Spain and southern France are comfortable regions for Grenache to grow in. Second to Tempranillo, Grenache-based wines are as Spanish as the "Running of the Bulls."

What I found odd as I gazed at the red juice in my glass was the physical bubbles going on in the wine. I don't know if that could be from a little oxidation or possible carbonation or some other bottling error - it didn't seem to effect the flavor of the wine, however. The nose still stood true with pepper, black currant and raspberries, to the brim with characteristic spice. With 14.5% alcohol, you could smell the heat bulging out but it wasn't singeing my nose hairs like Everclear. A nice hazelnut pushed through at the end and maybe some brandy. Dirty old man brandy, minus the ice in the glass and the Cuban cigar.

Once in my mouth, I was stuffed with fruit and an equally forceful of an amount of alcohol defending what I smelt earlier. Despite that description, Las Rocas was smooth, simple and easy. So easy that it went down so fast and with that much alcohol, sobriety issues may or may not follow.

Fruit, booze and bad Antonio Banderas accents, how wrong can you go for $11!

Score: 8.

2006 Fillaboa Albarino Rias Baixas

2008-07-02T08:22:00.001-07:00

*Bottle #21: 2006 Fillaboa Albarino Rias Baixas, Spain

*Price: $17

*Running Tab: $277

Okay, first things first. TOMORROW'S MY BIRTHDAY!

Got that out of my system... Because of this glorious and eventful, seemingly normal summer day that I was born on, a white wine was plucked from my withering cellar to enjoy in the abnormal heat Seattle has been enduring.

The Albarino (which I manage to mispronounce almost every time - it's spelt EXACTLY like it should come out of your mouth, except you say "n'yo", instead of "no") varietal is a thick-skinned, aromatic Spanish white grape that is often compared to Viogniers and Gewurtztraminer.

As far as Spanish Albarino goes, the grape can generally be found in the government controlled region of Rias Baixas, even more specifically in the town of Cambados - which kind of sounds like a meat you'd find in expensive fajitas.

I can clearheadedly declare this as my favorite white wine to date, in the face of the fact that I've polished off the entire bottle.

The acidity in the nose almost sparks. It's firm acid is far from abrasive but holds its own as a distinctive and flavorful characteristic of the wine. Stick your nose in there and you'll find almonds, peaches and pears with a mention of wood. I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and say it's oak.

The grape's name should come out of your mouth easy but the wine shouldn't. Because you'd like it. The same peaches are on the palate, with a nice acidity complimenting my above comments and a solid existence of heat from the 12.5% alcohol as it goes down. The finishing mouthfeel is nutty, screaming almonds all the way through. The medium-bodied, slightly sweet smelling wine is smooth and well-built for a full 60-second ride through this Spanish delicacy.

This is what the Spaniards call "delicioso." I'm so bilingual on my birthday-almost.

Score: 9.

Trullari 2006 Primitivo del Tarantino

2008-06-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #20: Trullari 2006 Primitivo del Tarantino IGT

*Price: $10

*Running Tab: $260

Not more than a year past, in a far, far away land known as "Australia," a young, wine-green woman stumbled across an Italian restaurant boasting a quote that caught her eye.

"Amici e vini sono meglio vecchio," the cobalt blue fonted sign read out of her. After inquiring the translation to the thickly Italian cadenced man behind the front desk, she found the meaning to be quite prolific.

"Old friends and old wine are best."

Even though only several months hath past since that date, the young woman still holds dear to the Italian proverb, her love of Italian men and wine, and first and foremost, her oldest of friends.

Surprise! She's me!!!

The truth in those words of wisdom - as most things go - are circumstantial. I've found that my oldest friends have turned out to be quite great ones, even though some have faded with time and some wines are truly given a peak that shouldn't be passed if you plan on drinking them.

Italian mottos and Italian wines, however, should still be highly esteemed and frequently drunk.

Speaking of frequently drunk, I'm still Fantasy Trippin' it in Italy and tested out the Trullari Primitivo del Tarantino. Fancy words, yes. Trullari, the producer, in the region of Puglia of the Tarantino appellation, is home to the Primitivo grape (which is Zinfindel's identical twin, genetically), which flourishes in the limestone soaked soils of this area.

The wine is mostly Primitivo, that gets by with a little help from its friend Montepulciano, and stays true to its rustic, old-world origin in Italy.

The nose stood out with bright, red and ripe fruits. Cherries galore - almost in a Dimetapp fashion (I've never been a fan of the cough syrup) - with a mineral hint to it (must be the limestone) and a metallic aroma that hails from the wine's steel aging.

The same fruitiness comes across on the palate, bordering on sweetness (red wines are not sweet, just fruity!). It was light but held complexity from the sleek tannins, heaps of fruit and gentle acidity. I found it to be quite the opposite of the full-bodied, spicy Zinfindels that I've witnessed from California.

I think what killed this wine for me was that I could taste the alcohol more than feel it. I've gone on and on in previously posts about how I love the heat (alcohol) of the wine as it goes down the back of my throat. This case was different - I could taste the alcohol and not feel the heat. If I wanted to taste my drunk, I'd throw back some tequila.

It could be that this guy was probably bottled roughly two years ago, and that's why I'm wanting to drink old wine instead and keep those old friends as well.

Score: 3.5.

Pieropan 2006 Soave Classico White Wine

2008-06-18T10:46:00.001-07:00

*Bottle #19: Pieropan 2006 Soave Classico White Wine

*Price: $12

*Running Tab: $250 (Free for me - got the hook up)

My future husband is Italian soccer star, Luca Toni - he most likely doesn't know it yet - but I'm the best thing that hasn't ever happened to him. In light of our love that he is unaware of, I've decided to Dream Trip it to Italy. I guess the Italian national team is doing okay in the Euro Cup also...

That means soccer, Dad.

Thankfully, my latest work endeavor offers several Italian choices, from the wine to the cured meats we serve, all for decent prices, considering the shipping/gas costs we have to deal with for international sales these days.

I landed the Pieropan 2006 Soave Classico, a nice $12 white table that is 90% Garganega and 10% Trebbiano. Italian what? Yeah, grapes, I guess.

The Pieropan producers are considered to be one of the best producers of these varietals in Italy, from their hometown of Soave, located in north-central Italy in the Soave Classico Appellation. SO much easier than the French! No wonder the Italian team beat France on Tuesday...

A typical blend together, these two grapes make up the Soave wine, stylized with elegance, citrus fruit and nut, savory but light on the palate.

I couldn't disagree. The golden straw liquid sat in my glass and shined brilliantly back at me. The nose set off a medium level acidity, a noticeable SO2 note (not in a bad way, just in a safely unoxidized way), extreme freshness and some zing to it.

"Zing:" [noun] energy, enthusiasm or liveliness.

Honey, honey, honey. Not just what my college boyfriend would say to drive me insane, but also the most prominent fragrance from the bulb of the glass. A summer-welcoming cantaloupe, pear and rainwater were standing firmly behind the honey as well.

Just as I thought, on the mouth, there was pear and honey along with other citrus and tropical flavors. Plenty of acidity but more on the noise than the palate. There was some hint of white tea, like the kind of Starbucks... The Pieropan Soave was fresh and light yet complex with a wonderful finish.

I'm not crazy enough about white wines to say this one put me threw the roof, but I did really like it. I like my Italian boyfriend better though.

Score: 8.

Penfolds Bin 128 2005 Shiraz

2008-06-11T14:32:00.001-07:00

*Bottle #18: Penfolds Bin 128 2005 Coonawarra Shiraz

*Price: $20 (on average)

*Running Tab: $250

Back to Coonawarra, land of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape of Australia and home to the originally to Shiraz vines. Pinned down as Australia's claim to fame in the late 1800's, the Shiraz grape supposedly originated from Persia/Iran, before the French planted their legendary Syrah in the Rhone Valley.

Watch this slick guy... Shiraz IS Syrah! Australia vs. France, respectively.

Just to snub the French where I "was" for the past two weeks, I "went back" to Australia on my magically, mystery wine tour of fiction for the great Shiraz/Syrah challenge. Mainly because of budgetary cutbacks - I dipped into the cellar only to travel back to the Land Down Under because it was my only international wine available... Honesty is blowing my cover as a wealthy sommelier!

Penfolds holds the title as Australia's "first growth" wine and is considered to be one of its finest productions in the grape industry. Other than the lovely licks of Costco's high-selling Yellowtail Wines, Penfolds is one of the most recognizable and palatable labels from Oz. Penfolds Grange (their reserve label), comprised of mostly Shiraz with help from Cab, has received several 99s (out of 100) from Wine Spectator Magazine and wine critic Robert Parker Jr. croons over the "concentrated and exotic" blend.

I'm really not going to sugarcoat it but the Bin 128 2005 Shiraz would not fall into the category I thought this lionized wine would have.

At its finest moment (which was nearly an hour and a half later after screwing off the top), the Shiraz was a nice table wine.

The ruby red color faded as the wine hit the rim, hinting at its young age but giving a promise of plush fruit from the nose which offered blackberries, blueberries, cinnamon and a lot of black pepper. What took me the longest time to pinpoint was the meaty note in the bouquet - I'm not sure if I've been able to pull that out of any of my past wines but Penfolds gave a very distinct gamey scent to the wine.

And there was that meat in the mouth as well but less prominent. A little bit of fruit and pepper from the nose transfered over as well. The wine was balanced with soft tannins that had a decent amount of grip to them but not so much that it felt as if my teeth were wearing pajamas. Now that is potent astringency.

Alas, nothing in this wine was potent, powerful or exceptional. Like your very first kiss - it probably was okay for what it was, tasted fine but didn't shake you to the core. Like that kisser, the wine will probably get better when it's older. I'd lay this down for awhile and give it another try in a couple years.

It was simple, which I've had issues with in the past (kissing and wine) and that descriptor just doesn't seem to float my boat.

Score: 6.5.

Domaine de La Vougeraie 2003 Gamay

2008-06-05T16:23:00.001-07:00

Bottle #17: Domaine de La Vougeraie 2003 En Bollery Gamay

Price: $18

Running Tab: $230

I'm not sure if it was my pathetic cry of desperation to forge into wine or my winning smile but somehow I convinced some crazy people into employing me at their wine bar. I'm ecstatic. 100+ wines by the glass - majority of them in extremely foreign languages with producers and winery names that trail on for days - and even more for retail that blow my mind for the prices these suckers can fly for.

A handful or two of those wines are French and with Todd the Wine Guy training me at the shop n'bar by pouring miniscule tastes of wines for me to spit (boo), I've decided to extend my hypothetical stay in France.

Let me tell you - Le systeme francais de vin semble raisonnable nul. That's a little Francais for you translating out to me still remaining completely confused by the entire French wine-ing system.

In a feeble attempt to understand more, I checked out what Burgundy can produce. And I chose a varietal the province is not typically known for (unintentionally - of course I had no idea!) - Gamay Noir, which is widely grown in Beaujolais.

The break down of this overly complex framework is as I see it like so:

Domaine de La Vougeraie is a wine producer in Cote d'Or, which is a department in the Bourgogne region of Burgundy (which isn't a French province anymore but more of a celebrated wine area) in the country of France. En Bollery (the largest font title on the label) is merely the land plot.

Holy details. Post-history lesson, I relished in this non-Burgundy Burgundy red wine.

The bouquet from the Domaine de La Vougeraie was subtle yet with striking notes of oak, spice - nutmeg?, redcurrant and definite veggies like green bell peppers. A little earthy but nothing like that of a Pinot Noir.

I was more sold on the palate of this wine - as I'm assuming that's how it should be. This bright, fruitful, ruby-colored wine had acidity that struck me at the core. It was solid but not forceful, giving the wine a bounce in its step. Like a Parisian romance song - the wine tasted as if it were in love...

The remainder of the wine was supple with light tannins and had a delightful finish - it didn't linger past its welcome but made a great first impression. Just what you'd expect from a French fling.

Score: 9.

Domaine d'Orfeuilles 2004 Vouvray Silex

2008-05-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #16: Domaine d'Orfeuilles 2004 Vouvray Silex

*Price: $19

*Running Tab: $212

All together now: "Voo-Vray." Yeah, Wikipedia has taught me everything I know about French.

I decided to play this little diddy because I had never heard of such a thing, completely misunderstood French wine and am still uncertain on how to read this wine's label.

Dream Trip #2: France. We'll go over fast facts here because I'm already wandering around lost.

Domaine d'Orfeuilles: The wine's producer.

Vouvray: The French appellation, in the Loire Valley region.

Silex: The selection of the grape.

Vouvray is a white wine made from the Chenin Blanc grape which I had never had before and was eager to try. Chenin Blanc I am willing to give a second chance but I don't believe I will be attempting this label's Vouvray anytime soon again.

The very weak, lemon juice color - although quite radiant - put off a medium-intensity level aroma of fresh cut grass, green peppers, a bit of melon, some almond and an overwhelming mineral sensation I came to find out was flint. Of course, there's flint in this wine! Who's able to pick out that stone, honestly?

The Loire Valley seems to have a plush supply of flint in their soils which results in a "flinty" flavor characteristic presumed to be a famous delicacy... My taste buds severely disagreed. Tomato, tomato (that doesn't have the same effect when you're just typing it...).

My taste buds did find medium acidity, a dry and crisp wine that left my mouth watering but not because I wanted more. It was definitely from an excess of alcohol (not that the overall percentage of 13% was too much, it just lacked balance) and was borderline sour. However, I was able to search for fruits with success - lime, lemon, apricot and fairly plain and simple. And flint. I wasn't too impressed.

Maybe this 2004 was too young - this wine is said to be best when aged 5-25 years and I was only 4 into its development.

Don't take this the wrong way - I am far from shunning one of my first attempts at French wine. I've had many brilliant wines from France that are to die for. This was not one of them.

Score: 3.5.

Punters Corner Coonawarra 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-05-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #15: Punters Corner Coonawarra 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon

*Price: Free for Erin ($25 AUD)

*Running Tab: $193

Over the next few weeks, I plan on traveling all over the earth, sweeping its soils in search of everything its vines can offer. I plan on accomplishing this feat under a $15/week budget, from my couch and through the Internet and all her glory.

In other words, I'm geeking out on wines of the world purchasable at grocery stores near you and am prompting you to get cultured with me.

After careful consideration, research and lack of a finances, I have chosen a variety of wines from the places I wish to visit throughout this erratic and volatile planet.

Dream Trip #1: Australia is a repeat for me - I swear, I really have been there. Known for the Shiraz, Australia also produces a killer cab, primarily from the Coonawarra region of South Kangaroo Land. This region translates to "honey suckle" and is one of the most famous terroirs (aka wine region) in the New World (aka not France).

Unfortunately my visit down under was not for a wine tour and I missed this area but the Boyfriend came through with this great buy. I know it's a bit more than $15 but since I didn't buy it, it still counts!

2003 was the second year in a row with low Cabernet Sauvignon yields in Coonawarra, which typically means a better quality of the grapes and ultimately a better quality wine. As far as Punters Corner goes, this was definitely one of the better Cabs I've had.

A beautiful deep ruby wine sat in my glass just long enough to let a little aeration take place and allow this Cab to reveal its blackcurrants, barrels full of vanilla and oak with an awesome dirty, old man leather smell. In a good way. Think... Sean Connery.

This multifaceted, complex wine was just as stunning on the palate.

The Coonawarra Cab is big, bold and tannic as all hell to make sure you know its there. A nice spread of earth, spice, blackberries and warm raspberries floods over your tongue and hold on tight with a long, lasting finish. The wine spent 14 months in new and old French, Russian and American oak barrels which gave it plenty of gritty wood tannins as well as the powerful tannic bite stripped from the grapes' skins themselves.

Smoky, smooth and sexy, this wine has a chewy texture, somewhat reminiscent of those fruit leather snacks circa 1991.

Not much was stripped from this full-bodied beauty but be prepared for some abrasive tannins. Just like Sean Connery who also was good in 1991 and 2003.

Score: 8.5.

Roots 2006 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir

2008-05-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #14: Roots 2006 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir

*Price: $26

*Running Tab: $193

Author Rex Pickett speaks of his beloved Pinot Noir as if it's his fussy, pre-menopausal ol' ball-and-chain of so many odd years - it's "temperamental" and "needs constant care and attention." But you know he loves it/her because "only the most patient and nurturing" will "really take the time to understand [its] potential then coax it into its fullest expression."

Now that is commitment.

And Art smart, the man knows his words. And his Pinot. The grape is hard to grow and highly prone to diseases, doesn't handle harsh adjustments in the winery well and needs a cooler climate to thrive. But let me tell you, get a winemaker who really knows his Pinot and you'll feel like Pickett and his wife. I mean... Wine. Pure devotion.

For me, I was planted, grown, ripened and am now continuing to age in Washington State. That being said, I don't really know squat about Pinot Noir that I haven't heard in a book. I have learned to be thankful for Oregon's Willamette Valley, whose maritime and breezy coastal shores give just enough chill to keep Pinot Noir from breaking a sweat and making a beautiful wine.

I slipped into a wine shop down by the beloved Pike's Place Market to be greeted but an incredibly knowledgeable (and none bit the pretentious) cellar rat who suggested I go with the 2006 Roots Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir. I had heard of Roots before, tried their Cab and wasn't a fan. I then was taught Oregonians should not grow Cabernet Sauvignon, as Washingtonians should not grow Pinot. Huh.

This wine had the coloring I was expecting from a Pinot - medium ruby, almost a little mauve, maybe garnet. It looked as earthy as it smelt - a nice soil presence with some rhubarb and it seemed a little herbaceous at first but after it opened up, I found almost a maple syrup aroma coming from the glass. Which was great because I love pancakes.

I was surprised to find Roots to have medium tannins (fuzzied my teeth up a bit) with lots of heat and acidity. I found out last week the higher tannins in Pinot is due to the grape being picked riper and was probably done with whole cluster de-stemming (see Wineology 101) to give it the astringency of acid. Them be wine-ing words.

Also on my palate, the wine was silky smooth with dark fruits and a little bit of that maple. Very elegant and pronounced with a lasting finish which made it easy to finish the bottle. Since it's still a young wine, this Pinot will only get better with age.

Just so you know, you can not buy a cheap Pinot. So after paying $26 for the 2006 Roots, I was happy with the price and more than happy with the wine.

I feel like I should have saved this Roots 2006 Pinot Noir for a special occasion. Does Monday count?

Score: 8.5

Concannon 2004 Central Coast Chardonnay

2008-05-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #13: Concannon 2004 Central Coast Chardonnay

*Price: $9

*Running Tab: $167

I started my "wine studies" by reading a book written by the wine editor for Food and Wine Magazine. Her whole premise was to teach her neighbor - Rolling Stone Magazine film critic Peter Travers - the basics of wine. The only varietal Travers enjoyed at the beginning of this trial and error was a "fatty Chardonnay."

The only varietal I knew I did not enjoy was the stereotypical "fatty Chardonnay."

Fixed reasons for repelling: tastes like cubes of butter and wood chips, looks like the wheat fields where I attended college and brings a nostalgia of this dirty old man at a bar I used to tend at.

So I brought in a heavy hitter to knock down my padlocked, double-latched, closed doors that I thought even butter couldn't grease open.

I've heard people rave about Concannon's 2004 Petite Sirah as well as their Pinot Noir, whose vines flourish in the Livermore Valley of Central Coast, California - a high-profile legit grape-growing region. Taking on their Chardonnay was a safe bet. Plus it was $9 and my wallet liked that.

The Concannon Chardonnay had quite a big nose for that specific grape, who usually has a dainty aroma. We're talking Adrian Brody vs. Heidi Montag's new schnoz here. A big, expensive bouquet of citrusy, warm climate aromas like tangerines and pineapple opened up around the rim of the glass with some oak, honey and a lot of butterscotch - not so much butter.

It smells like it would make a couple insta-classic Ben & Jerry flavors.

I dared to followthrough and taste the wine. I'm glad I did. I've had much more acidic wines (see: Sauvignon Blanc or Fume Blanc reviews) but the Concannon held a smooth and stable, medium-bodied acidity. It wasn't too much, too little, it was just right. And the heat - that throat burning sensation I love - was solid all the way down. A balanced portion of alcohol vs. sugars, less drastic than the Adrian and Heidi nose parallels.

There was a distinct buttery aftertaste - which I was afraid of - it was rich, full-flavored and creamy... And I liked it. But it was still a Chardonnay... It's an anomaly.

Score: 7.

Ghost of 413 Columbia Valley 2006 Syrah

2008-04-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

Bottle #12: Ghost of 413 Columbia Valley 2006 Syrah

Price: $15

Running Tab: $157

My uncle has this friend in the wine biz who he's sworn to hook me up with, for questions, future jobs, etc. My uncle has a lot of friends... And that was a year ago...

One of his "good friends" is world-class winemaker and entrepreneur Mark Ryan McNeilly, known for his big, biting and barking red wines.

I had no idea the Ghost of 413 Columbia Valley 2006 Syrah was one of McNeilly's babies he parented with fellow winemaker Chris Gorman when I grabbed it off the shelf at the pricey PCC Market. Still don't know why I buy wine there.

But the ghastly raised stenciling on the mysterious white label drew my attention with its creativity. I think I was also being rushed on my purchase decision and that bottle stuck out in my head. That's good marketing... And I'm pretty predictable.

And so was this wine!

A simple toasty nose with oak and dark fruits in the backlight over a lovely (yet almost forceful) center stage vanilla and cedar. To give a visual, Vanilla was the mob boss, Cedar was its hitman and the other aromas were the posse of "yes" men... Not a wood fan? Not a Ghost Syrah fan. Thought the aroma was a little faint in general, except for that vanilla and wood.

What made it a predictable yet still tasty wine was a mouthful of black cherries, raspberries, tobacco, tannins and oak characters. I think it was the amount of wood in the nose that made it so oaky on the mouth as well. And that would had been fabulous if Ghost had any character and complexity... It was so Casper that the flavor was transparent as well. It finished with a bitter little kick in the pants too. Not very nice.

I don't know if I'm getting snobbier (probably) with my wine-ing but this just didn't do it for me. Ghost is such a young wine too, despite its deep purple color that conceals its rawness, it really does show potential to ripen in the bottle and become quite a tasty wine.

Save it for another year or two and try it again. A little bitter and immature but has good intentions, sweet smells and looks pretty. Similar to most of the guys I've dated...

Score: 6.5.

Waving Tree 2005 Columbia Valley Barbera

2008-04-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

Bottle #11: Waving Tree 2005 Columbia Valley Barbera

Price: $15

Running Tab: $142

One of my bad tasting habits is that I drink wine alone. That makes me sound really sad - I don't drink alone, but I drink the wine by itself. I've learned that's an American matter of course with wine as opposed to, say, Italian culture where they down more wine than most small-stature, suspender-wearers would seem like they have the physical capacity to do so... But they do it with food. It's all about what wine goes with what food.

Keeping in my mind, I went with a Barbera, an Italian varietal, and drank it with some crackers. Baby steps. I've been trying to find a Barbaresco and/or Barolo for less than $50 around here but that's near impossible (nice Italian varietals being imported from the Motherland don't come cheap) so I settled with a grape that sounds like the other two!

I found the bottle as a "new release" feature from this artsy and quaint little cellar I decided to scare the car behind me and abruptly pull over to check it out as I was on joyride last week. The label caught my eye because the colors were pretty. I'm deep. After speaking with the sommelier about the wine, he thought very highly of the deep southern Washington vineyard as well as the winemaker who was in the shop the previous week.

I've been on a decanting binge because I'm so proud of that recent purchase even though I doubt it was too necessary for this 2005 wine. However, I've found letting the wine take a couple deep breaths of oxygen before consuming is never a bad idea.

Nothing about this wine was a bad idea. Move over Robert Mondavi, I've found my new flavor of the week. The Waving Tree 2005 Barbera was simply delicious. The rich purple color in the glass was as rich as the nose coming from crystal. The aroma was everything it should have been for this young varietal - red ripe raspberries tossed with fresh blackberries and possibly some blueberries, a little reminiscent of a sweet sangria. A little toasted scent from being aged in oak for a year or so gave it some good body and tamed the intense fruit bouquet.

On my mouth, the wine was complex but not too overwhelming and had a wonderful balance of tannins and fruit with a little acidity and alcohol giving that heat/burning sensation down my throat that I've always loved. And then for my sweet-tooth, I found a little bit of vanilla in the glass too.

I was SO impressed by this $15 bottle and I recommend it mostly to people who are iffy about wine. This will make you fall so hard you're head will ache in the morning because you'll finish the bottle off solo - as in by yourself, without food. Love hurts.

Score: 9.5

Greenstone Point 2004 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

2008-04-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #10: Greenstone Point 2004 Marlborough, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

*Price: $14

*Running Tab: $127

I have this conviction that all good Sauvignon Blanc comes from New Zealand. I haven't been proven wrong yet but then again, I'm new to the white category. To test this thesis, I bought a bottle of the juice from a local PCC (yikes, pricey supermarket) because of its origin.

The Greenstone Point 2004 bottle sports a simple label but it was the review the store gave of this wine as "fresh and lively" that fit my expectations of a Sauv Blanc. Considering the weather in Seattle has been far from the wine's descriptors, I thought this could work as a good pick-me-up.

In the glass, the wine had a solid golden straw color - in a very Rumpelstiltskin-esque manner. I think that means it was of good-drinking-age (4 years - I did the math for you).

My take on the nose of the wine was full of spices, green bell peppers and green beans. A very vegetal aroma that I believe is typical of Sauvignon Blancs. That was a strange start for me with this wine but after a couple swirls, I was able to get some fruit aromas that were more familiar like some mango and pineapple.

The back label of the bottle said the bouquet consisted of "gooseberries and capsicum," in which my response to reading the fact sheet was: "What the hell is a gooseberry?"

With the help of my good friend Wikipedia, I was able to see a gooseberry (ironically enough looks like a green grape) and pinpoint that capsicum is related to peppers... Lightbulb!

And the gooseberries taste like gooseberries - seemingly acidic on the initial impact with little heat down my throat (not remarkably low alcohol - 12.5% - but not a lot) and a short finish that didn't want to hang around on my palate for long. Maybe I had bad breath.

I was able to detect a pear/apple flavor to the wine making it enjoyable but overall found the taste of the wine to be of fair and simple quality - a little flat and a little hollow. Not a lot to this PCC-organic-overpriced grocery store wine and I don't plan to blow my pocket change on this again.

Score: 4.

Substance Wines 2006 Malbec

2008-04-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #9: Wines of Substance 2006 Walla Walla Valley Malbec

*Price: $18

*Running Tab: $113

I have a fiscally-irresponsible habit of purchasing many Seattle-area publications and never reading them. Well, in this slightly rainy month of April, Seattle Magazine released a food and wine award issue and I was all over the inside of that cover. I flipped through the pages, recognizing a lot of local labels and winemakers' names when I stumbled upon something of "substance."

The final and probably oddball award ("Coolest Wine Label") was given to Waters Winery and Gramercy Cellars' joint configuration, Substance Wines. The label was a periodic element symbol, allotted for more than two dozen different varietals from Walla Walla Valley in Washington. Voila - www.winesofsubstance.com.

A pretty awesome idea (and an innovative, interactive Web site) so I thought footing the $18 bill would be worth it to keep the "cool" bottle alone. I chose Mb - the 2006 Malbec.

Considering this was still a young wine and it is a brand new release, it's sold old (to stores) with their Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon still in stock and a '07 Pinot Gris and Chardonnay to follow later this year. I felt special to get my mitts on the original limited vintage.

This Bordeaux-style varietal was attacked by one "old-world" winery (Waters) and one "cutting edge" cellar (Gramercy) to give it its flair. I haven't quite been able to put my finger on what Bordeaux-style wines are supposed to smell and taste like, but this Malbec threw me for a loop.

My experience with Malbecs have been hit or miss - understandable because the style and quality of this grape depends on its origin (Argentinean Malbec vs. Californian). For some reason, I thought they were comparable in characteristics to a Syrah but not here. With Syrahs for me, I get a hefty mouth-full of spices, peppers and bacon or tobacco. The Malbec had none of the sorts (or anything like a Syrah) but had more of a fruit-forward effect than the Chiquita Banana Lady.

Substance brought deep plum color with a further plum aroma and topping it off with the most sharp fruit flavor as plum. Whodathunk. Beyond the fruit, there were soft and ample tannins, giving the wine a complexity and edge so that it wasn't merely grape juice.

I liked this wine, it just didn't send me skipping over the hills, hand-in-hand, to devote the rest of my life to it.

Score: 6.5 .

Barnard Griffin 2005 Fume Blanc

2008-04-02T17:24:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #8: Barnard Griffin Columbia Valley 2005 Fume Blanc

*Price: $9

*Running Tab: $95

Today, I've opened a new book in my life. Literally... Several hours ago, I began my winemaking certification program at a community college and I dropped a dime on three teeny books with pretty pictures. Pseudo going back to school. It's fun to learn again and then I remembered why I graduated... School is hard!

So now I'm going to offer a much more knowledgeable and scholarly approach to my blog. Maybe by next month when I've learned more than flashy wine vocab and I stop swallowing the tasting wines I'm to spit out.

With my fresh comprehension on wine, I've taken on a local big-boy, Barnard Griffin and their Fume Blanc. A little ironic background on this week's guinea pig: Fume Blanc is the brainchild of my last week's boyfriend, Robbie Mondavi. It was his way of dodging the negative rap Sauvignon Blanc held in the 70s (too sweet and lacked texture).

Let me tell you, this is "dry Sauvignon Blanc" (BG labels that as the translation). So dry that when I did a soft smell (as in did not even swirl my glass), I coughed from the astringency. I kind of got punched in the face. After I shook off the initial sting, I was able to sense a distinct floral aroma, similar to the spring flowers that are trying to bloom here in spite of the hail storms of late. Very fresh fruits tossed with vanilla sticks.

Flavors were crisp, just right ripe fruits - melons, passionfruit and maybe some more spring sensations like fresh cut grass. Great acidity and left my mouth watering which, today, I learned means it has high alcohol content! It was tasty and had a decent lengthed finish that stayed in my mouth. It complimented the blackened salmon and fresh salad I shared it with for dinner. The cookies I had to follow, it did not.

Score: 6.5.

Robert Mondavi 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-03-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #7: Robert Mondavi Winery 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

*Price: $40-60, depending... For Erin = Free!

*Running Tab: $86

Napa Valley... Ever heard of it?

I've seen my fling for the week, Robert Mondavi, looking flashing on many restaurants' charged-up reserve wine lists. He's racked up a lot of dough and has wine ratings sky-rocketing so he deserves his big head in the Valley of Wine.

So you can imagine how psyched I was when my roommate brought home this gem for me. He took it from his hotel room and accidentally bought the mini-bottle... He doesn't drink so I reaped the benefits.

The bottle is mostly on backorder and is sought-after by many aficionados. I haven't had a lot of high-roller wines and I pretty sure Robbie classifies as one of them, but this was the best cab I've ever had.

The bouquet was incredible, I could almost taste the rich, dark berries and black currant with a bit of some coffee (straight espresso maybe?) with a punch of spice. The taste was just as fabulous, offering those exact characters with complex yet submissive but noticeable tannins. It was all-encompassing - this is love.

Robert Mondavi was seductive, powerful, knew just how to caress my tongue and linger in my mouth for minutes after my first swallow. I wanted to propose after our one-night-stand but I thought that was a little too forward. We'll settle with a high score on my lionized seventh wine blog.

Score: 9.5. (There's always something better out there...)

Kennedy Shah 2006 Auntie Meredith's Picnic Blend

2008-03-18T22:54:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #6: Kennedy Shah 2006 Columbia Valley Auntie Meredith's Picnic Blend

*Price: $20

*Running Tab: $86

Winemaker Tom Campbell sold me on his description of his 2006 Kennedy Shah label, Auntie Meredith's Picnic Blend. He offered "diversity and quality" with a "unique blend of new world fruit" tied into "old world structure" of the wine. Plus, the little girl in me really like the colorful logo.

Well, Tom, I feel like you kind of threw me a fast one here. I wasn't quite ready for the battle of old vs. new wine to have a dual in my mouth, throat and ending in my stomach.

I'm not going to say I didn't like this white blend, just as I'd never say I don't like hot dogs. They always have this great allure to them until you've finish it and realized you've just choked down a gut bomb.

I am going to say if you want to taste the drunk you're having, you'll have to let Auntie Meredith take a shot.

I don't know if it's my inexperience with whites but I could not only taste the alcohol but smell it on Auntie Meredith's breath. Other than the sharp distinction of booze, I found delightful pear, peach and other tropical fruit aromas and just as easily was able to find them on the palate. But that was once I was past the alcohol. She's 50% chardonnay with the definite oakiness of her body and 25% viognier which gave Meredith her sharp curves.

She's a bit pricey for the quality of the time I spent with her but Auntie is a boutique wine from a small Washington winery so what can you expect when you buy it in-house.

Not a wretched bottle of absinthe but Auntie Meredith's Picnic Blend is not something I can picture someone skipping along with in a wooden basket. I lost that image when she stung my nose hairs with her acidity and now I think I'm drunk.

Score: 3.

Los Zorros Roble 2004

2008-03-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

*Bottle #5: Los Zorros Roble 2004 Bodegas Vinas Zamoranas

*Price: $12

*Running Tab: $66

The further I venture into old-world wine, the harder time I have understanding the people selling it to me. Enter Jens Strecker, German-American wine shop co-owner in Seattle, who was forced to repeat himself several times to me when finding a wine to my liking. I went with Option #3 he presented, half to save him the agony of translating and half because I had never tried a tempranillo.

Thank God Jens was there otherwise I would have no idea what the label said. American wines are generally the only wines that are labeled by varietal and I haven't really read Spanish since 9th grade. I know, I'm a typical American.

A couple factors I found enticing about this Spanish wine before I actually opened the bottle were the description of the wine in Germish ("juicy"), the alcohol content (one whopping percent more than most American wines) and a label my boyfriend could probably pronounce (I think it's sexy when he plays with Spanish).

This particular Spanish delicacy was aged in the barrel for 8 months and is 100% tempranillo. The varietal is a black grape typically used for full-bodied red wines, specifically Rioja. Looking at the wine in my glass, its scarlet hue was intimidating. I was afraid it would taste too much like grape juice, which would mean I'd be forced to pound in the bottle in sheer ecstasy.

My taste-buds were watering as I put my nose into the glass - berries, vanilla and plum fragrances seduced me with what I think red wine should smell like. It was delicious.

The palate was the best I've had yet, as far as the first glass goes. The vanilla and sweet fruits truly taste of a black grape. Jens was right, the wine was very juicy, Welch's for grown-ups. However, I could still find the tannins but it was so well balanced that I almost had to go in search for them.

The only downfall of this wine is that it's so very rich, I could have no more than two glasses. It was too much of a good thing. Which, if you ask country icon Alan Jackson, is a good thing.

Score: 9.

A to Z Pinot Gris

2008-03-05T15:11:00.000-08:00

*Bottle #4: A to Z 2006 Oregon Pinot Gris

*Price: $13

*Running Tab: $54

I'm not going to lie, I bought this because the name rhymed and I'm a thoroughly amused nine-year-old. A to Z Pinot Gris - how fun is that! Plus, it was a screw-top and I'm lazy and irritable when it comes to breaking off corks with my rusted corkscrew.

Now, the drum roll please... My first review on a white wine! Keep your pants on, I'm pretty excited too. Surprisingly, I really do like white wines - they're crisp and fresh like Sprite! My new zeal toward white wines comes from knowing they probably have as much sugar as soda but I achieve a much finer buzz from the bottle of fermented grape juice.

Starting with a pinot gris was my idea to ease my drinking partner for the week into the world of whites. I figured the basic and distinguishable sweet fruits would welcome her, considering she's a dessert fiend.

Gung-ho and in it for the long run, I opened my screw-top bottle of A to Z, poured out the glazed and flaxen toned wine only to sense a smell in my glass I've been able to identify maybe twice. Wet newspapers... This bottle smelt as if it were corked but there was no cork! My partner couldn't tell the difference.

1 out of 12 bottles of wine are corked - spoiled by oxygen or bacteria that came in with a shoddy cork. Kind of discouraged me from buying a case of any one wine... I'm still at a loss for how this scent was pulled off without a cork in this bottle.

Despite the nose dive (pun intended) that stunk up my initial impression of the wine, I decided to give it a try anyway. A sommelier from the Glen Fiona Winery told me to never judge a wine on the first sip if your palate isn't spot-free because you're picking up on whatever was last in your mouth. My assumption was that this may also apply to the bouquet of the wine.

Good thing I listened to that guy because the wine was much better in my mouth. I found pronounced characters of honey, apples and pears with a resounding sweet pineapple finish that lingered pleasantly after I swallowed. Yummy.

The nasty aroma for the cork-less, seemingly-corked bottle of wine almost threw me but I was able to hold on for the ride while it smoothed out.

Score: 7.

Hedges CMS Red

2008-03-01T14:01:00.000-08:00

*Bottle #3: Hedges Columbia Valley 2005 CMS Red

*Price: $13

*Running Tab: $41

I swear this is my last red for a while. That's one of my things - I'm a red wine girl, I subconsciously enjoy having blue-stained teeth. It's unbelievably sexy and so is a classic red wine. I shot for a blend to be my final red for at least one week, courtesy of my local Safeway.

The Hedges Columbia Valley 2005 CMS Red (they have a white blend under the same acronym) is a cabernet sauvignon-merlot-syrah blend. I shared it with my uncle who kept referring to it as a cabernet-merlot-sauvignon blend, which was entertaining paired with his discolored teeth.

The CMS is what it is. A slightly overpriced bottle from a slightly over-glorified local winery. I've been to the stunning family estate chateau in the Red Mountain region of Yakima Valley, with its intentional Bordeaux-style architecture and hints of French reminisces. Despite being surrounded by the sheer artistry of the building, I wasn't blown away by this simple wine. Don't get me wrong, simple wines can be good - I especially like it when I can easily detect what I'm drinking. However, I was bordering on yawning here.

The aroma of the wine is plum and raspberry but it wasn't very significant - a disappointing nose. The wine was tannic, being the blend of fuller-bodied grapes, but held a gentle acidity. It was just enough to burn a little on the way down on the first sip, which I love. I don't know exactly what that says about the wine...

I also found a hint of cinnamon which was refreshing after so many reds with so many "big, dark fruit" flavors. The overall taste of the wine was refreshing as well but I hold to my earlier point that it's overpriced. Good and simple but far from bracing and definitely overpriced even at a discount grocery store on sale.

Score: 5.5

Layer Cake 2006 Shiraz

2008-02-19T22:12:00.000-08:00

*Bottle #2: Layer Cake Barossa Valley 2006 Shiraz

*Price: $16

*Running Tab: $28

I found this little number at the trendy deep south Seattle Verve Wine Bar and Cellar. Kate, the sommelier and co-owner, coaxed me with promises of confections and a picture of a cake on the label. Yup, proud owner of a sweet tooth.

Kudos to the winemaker and his story on the back of the label detailing his grandfather's love of wine as a layered cake. "The cake with fruit, mocha and chocolate, hints of spice and rich, always rich,"reflects the winemaker of his patriarch.

My impressions of the shiraz were just a bit let down after reading the passionate description a la connoisseur. I'm pinpointing the bottle, at a 2006 vintage, was a little too young and with a lackluster richness that Grandpa Layer Cake was shooting for. However, I found the wine to have a lovely bouquet... You know, it smelt awesome. I swear, I could detect multiple things in the glass, none of which I could really put my finger on until tasting...

I took a wine class a couple weeks ago and the sommelier told us a wine's taste is however you personally find it. So I'm slowly learning how to cook (as in not from a cookbook) and I'm pretty sure I found some nutmeg in this guy. Plum was the most distinct flavor I got with the tannins and the fruit holding a solid balance, which was surprising for me because I thought it'd be more tannic, being a shiraz. Still, no mouth drying or bitterness that I usually gain from tannic, fuller bodied wines.

Overall, I found the Layer Cake to be very cutting edge. The label was intriguing and Kate whistled my tune in her romance of the wine. The bottle did not go wasted nor was it a buzz not worth the while but I'll be over it by next week.

Score: 5.

Silver Lake 2003 Reserve Merlot

2008-02-11T23:31:00.001-08:00

*Bottle #1: Silver Lake Columbia Valley 2003 Reserve Merlot

*Price: $12

*Running Tab: $12

Regarding my numero uno blog review, I wanted to take a somewhat easy spin on my joyride of wine tasting so I went on what I thought was the plateau of red wines. I chose the Silver Lake Columbia Valley 2003 Reserve Merlot. This is a local for a Seattlelite such as myself and taking a road much traveled for me east of the mountains was a safe bet for this premiere.

The Silver Lake 2003 Reserve Merlot bottle is right in my target price range and I've been to both the vineyard in Zillah, WA and the winery in Woodinville, WA - the two wine meccas of Washington state. The taste was familiar.

I poured, swirled and spilt on my couch. Jamming the glass gracefully into my nose, I smelt bold, dark fruit aromas - like black cherries, a delicacy of Columbia Valley in early summer. Tasting the wine, I found a hint of oak (the merlot grape was aged for 28 months in oak barrels) in my sip as well as full-bodied fruit and a pinch of honey cloves. As I expected with a middle-grade intensity red wine, the Silver Lake Reserve Merlot had a harmonious balance of fruit and tannin. I found it soft, velvety and definitely ready to drink.

I'm far from being a pairing-specialist but I thought this wine, since it was so balanced, would match awesomely with a strong cheese like brie or gouda and crackers. I tested and thought it paired swimmingly. I also did a test-run with chocolate chip cookies that passed with flying colors as well...

I'm not sure if this is a good note for the wine, but I liked it much more with my second glass.

Since this was my first review, I don't want to give too high of a rating on this bottle but I have no intention of discrediting the wine...

Score: 6.5.

Cheers.