2003 Domenico Clerico Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra

2003 Domenico Clerico Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra - quite a mouthful, no? What it means is "big dog" in Italian. Nebbiolo-based wines from the Piedmont are usually quite interesting. None more than Barolo and Barbaresco. I had two of these and couldn't wait for a good occasion to pop one to see how it's coming along.

I've read Barolos will age 20 years or more and it's true. Even with this many years on it, it's not ready. But it is large, tarry, and tarty now. Tannin is large and the structure is immense. In years to come, the tannin will subside leaving a mountain of fruit, spice, and earth. Today, it's still a big dog which changes in the glass. It's a long-time sip, taking well over an hour to get through my part of the bottle. No signs of fading, only more pleasure with time.

Anyone who wants to know what the fuss is about in a Barolo should start here. This will show you what you've been missing if you consume California wines only.

T-Scale 92+ It will only improve with age. Not as high priced as other quality Barolo - $49-79. I've found it on sale at the low end of the scale, a superior deal when you can find it. Add this to instantly enhance your cellar and impress your snobby friends.

Big Cabernet weekend - (3) reviewed

I was feeling the need for a big cab weekend, so I pulled one from the cellar to start off Friday evening - a 2005 Madrigal Las Viñas del Señor Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. We bought this one directly from the source after a nice tasting at their estate in St. Helena.

The nose yields dark fruit and cassis with a bit of earth. First taste tells me the tannin subsided and the cherry fruit is showing nicely. Very smooth, nothing bitter or tanninic. Quite nice, ready now. I would not let this one sit much longer, I can't say how much life is left in it.

Next, we lucked into two giant finds at local retailers. First, the La Jota 2005 Cabernet arrived in a six pack box as we were tasting. All six bottles sold instantly. We don't know which distributor held these back, but thanks!

After decanting and Vinturi, the La Jota came to life. As time passed, this got better and better. This is a true slow-sipping Cab with a lot of life and a lot of change with each passing moment. It is wise to exercise patience with the La Jota, it will pay off with palette-pleasing notes and flavors that become more enjoyable with each sip. Very nice!

The last was a fluke find - the 1998 Crocker and Starr Stone Place Cuvee. This wine still wore the original $49 sticker from it's delivery to the shelf. (Keep in mind that the 2009 release of the Stone Place is $96!) Being familiar with recent vintages, I was anxious to compare the early release of Pam Starr's now famous cuvee with the current releases.

The structure paid off with a long shelf life. Plenty of fruit and green peppery taste left. All tannin subsided and fruit became forward. This held up nice with air and time, showing what good structure will do for a long-term investment wine. The current releases are certainly even more structured and cellar-able. The 1998 is at the end of its life span, however. If you have one, drink now.

Madrigal 2005 Las Viñas del Señor Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - $80 - T-Scale 89, pricey, but nice

La Jota 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon - $39 - T-Scale 93!!! It's a steal! This IS my idea of great Cab

Crocker and Starr Stone Place Cuvee 1998 - $49 (the original price at release!) - T-Scale 89, shelved well, at end of its life, but still a good wine.

Kenwood Russian River Pinot Noir 2009

Pinot Noir is just the best isn't it? I'd drink daily if I could, but let's face it, it's cost prohibitive. Good Pinot in my cellar runs $40 plus per bottle. I really wanted to find a daily drinker Pinot but hadn't until now found one I liked.

Kenwood's 2009 Pinot Noir Russian River now fills my void. This is a full, somewhat spicy and fruity wine that has a bit of complexity. This impresses me as a bottle which should be over $20, but it's quite a bit less than that.

10% of the grapes went through fermentation in stainless, and all of it saw 11 months in "newer" oak. Not bad for a sub-$15 bottle! Thus, we purchases a case.

From Kenwood's notes:

"Sixty-two percent of the grapes were grown on estate vineyards. A small amount of Syrah was added to the final blend to supply additional body and complexity."

"This vintage of our Pinot Noir serves up a delicious array of cherry and fresh fruit flavors, combined with spicy notes and smooth tannins that make for an exceptionally enjoyable wine."

T-Scale 89 points. Cellartracker community average - 89.9. Price $13.99 per bottle. Hot deal for daily drinking Pinot Noir.

Hanna Bismark Mountain Merlot 2000

After nine days of winery tours in Napa, Sonoma, and Anderson Valley, this is the first of the wines I shipped home to get uncorked. Hanna Winery is located in the Alexander Valley close to Silver Oak and Alexander Valley Vineyards. Our tasting at Hanna was well done by a friendly staffer who offered us library selections as well as current releases.

Most of you know that I'm not usually a Merlot lover, but there are some exceptions. Some Merlot (think Petrus, Cheval Blanc) has structure and long cellar ability. Some Merlot comes off flabby, gritty, and too jammy and fruity. I'm not quite at the "Miles Raymond" feel for Merlot, but I do poo poo it often.

Hanna's Bismark Merlot approaches this often overdone varietal with the structure I like in a long-term wine. As a bonus, we were able to sample the 1994, 1995, 2000, and current release from the same vineyard. There was a bit of life left in the 94, more still in 95, but the 2000 was the winner. The tannin subsided leaving smooth blackberries and dust on the nose. No harsh tannin remained on the palette and no flab or jam remained. What remained was one of the best Merlot-based wines I've tried. My only regret was not buying more of these.

The library wines are out of Hanna's cellar and ready for you to buy at a big discount! Instead of hiking up the price, they've lowered the price of the library selections. I'm going to get a few more of these before they're gone. They're drinking very well right now.

http://www.hannawinery.com/

California 2011

It's that time of year again. Time to head out to the promised land in search of this year's top grape juice. 43 wineries are scheduled in 10 days. Some of the highlights include Hendry, Stag's Leap Vineyards, St. Francis, Gary Farrell, Alpha Omega, Merry Edwards, and many many more.

I'll keep everyone posted in the trip blog:

http://battleofthewineclubs2011.blogspot.com/

Bremerton Wines - Matilda Plains 2008 Cab Shiraz

Bremerton Wines hit home with their latest offering from Langhorne Creek. This is a great blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It reminds me of a Chris Ringland wine, but this one is very affordable. Think Mollydooker or similar...

It's big, but not overly so. Raisins, black cherries, and a but of dust on the palette. Good finish, better than most at this price point. This would make a nice winter red for the weekdays but also would pair well with a big red meat dish. Also, I'd try it with grilled bbq sauce meats for summer.

Price - $11 or so on sale, $18 retail.

T-Scale: 90 points! Very good price for this quality in an Australian big red wine. This from the winemaker's web site:

VINTAGE
2008

REGION
100% Langhorne Creek

VARIETY
64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Shiraz, 12% Merlot

SPECIFICATIONS
Alcohol - 14.5%
Total Acidity - 5.9 g/L
RS - 1.7 g/L;