7/30/2022 - Snoot Doggie Dogg Likes this wine:

According to the label, the grapes for this wine were harvested from fairly old vines aged 45-54 years situated on an eastern-facing slope with clay and limestone soil located 270m above sea level. The grapes were picked by hand on 20SEP2019, fermented with native yeast, aged in French oak (20% new) and then bottled on 16JUN2021.

Light ruby in color with a transparent core, this wine is rather aromatic, offering a delicate, perfumed nose that features a mix of fresh red fruits, floral notes, forest floor, a bit of spearmint and a touch of leather. Upon sipping, one is met with a light-bodied wine with supple tannins, a silky texture and high acidity. The attack brings an ephemeral mushroom note, which is followed by fresh red cherry, fresh red raspberry, a bit of pomegranate, and some minerality. These are accompanied by forest floor, cocoa powder and a touch of leather. The finish is quite long and dry, starting off with red raspberry and a smidge of oaky vanilla before gradually fading away with cherry, leaving a lingering acidic tingle.

I tasted this side-by-side with a Monterey area Pinot Noir of a similar price point (the 2019 Boekenoogen 3-Clone Pinot Noir), and by comparison this wine had a darker core and a more floral, albeit less intense, nose. In terms of flavor, the Boekenoogen was more concentrated, more fruit-forward and offered a wider variety of fruit flavors. Indeed, the Californian wine was more flamboyant, while the Burgundy was more reserved. Interesting to see how the Old World stacks up against the New World!

Overall this is a very well-balanced wine with no weaknesses to speak of. Delicate and with a good degree of finesse, has a lovely, silky texture this is quite enjoyable. The single drawback is that there are not terribly many layers to the fruit flavors, being a bit more on the reserved side. This is, however, by no means a problem, as it is still a lovely wine!

8/27/2023 - Snoot Doggie Dogg Likes this wine:

While Foxen has its own vineyards, many of their wines are produced from grapes sourced from a number of top notch locations throughout Santa Maria Valley and Santa Rita Hills. The winemakers have been in business since Foxen was founded in 1985 at Rancho Tinaquaic. This particular wine features grapes from La Encantada Vineyard, which is just west of Sanford’s vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley. It consists of mostly clone 667 fruit with some 115 and Swan clones mixed in, and it was bottled without fining or filtration.

Pale ruby in color, this wine features an intense nose that mixes aromas of ripe red cherry, pomegranate, cranberry, red plum and blackberry bramble with an underlying substrate of forest floor and, curiously, a detectable black pepper note. In a weird way, this almost seems like a Pinot Noir trying to masquerade as a Syrah. Upon sipping, one meets a dry, light-bodied wine with light, delicate tannins, grippy high acidity and high alcohol. The attack starts off with a fresh red cherry note, which is quickly joined in the intense midpalate by ripe red plum, ripe cranberry, and pomegranate, all supported by underlying black pepper, forest floor and graphite notes. The finish is long and earthy, starting off with a blast of black pepper before being joined by cranberry, red plum and graphite that gradually fade away after quite some time.

Overall this is a very enjoyable wine! There is plenty of earthiness, which makes me suspect it received quite a bit of sun, something not terribly surprising given its proximity to the relatively warm (for the area) vineyards of Sanford. It would get a 91, but the peppery character makes it stands out, earning it a bonus point. Recommend enjoying with some smoked gouda cheese!

6/4/2022 - Snoot Doggie Dogg Likes this wine:

One of the largest Champagne houses (500,000-600,000 cases per year production), Pommery owns some of the best vineyards in Champagne, almost all being Grand Cru vineyards with an average rating of 99%. The firm’s house style emphasizes elegance vice power, producing wines that are light-bodied, perfumed and have plenty of finesse.

This wine is made exclusively from seven Grand Cru vineyards of Avize, Cramant and Ay, consisting of 50% Chardonnay 50% Pinot Noir. Considered one of the great values of the Champagne region, it offers consistently good quality from year to year; due to the number of vineyards at Pommery’s disposal the firm can produce good quality wines even in “off” vintages.

Medium straw colored, this Champagne is moderately aromatic with a very biscuity nose accompanied by lemon, yellow apple, bosc pear, a touch of honey, and something I can only describe as “sunny” that is vaguely reminiscent of dried pineapple. There is also an interesting cheese note akin to Muenster cheese, serving as a pleasant result of extended lees ageing. Upon sipping, one meets a rather acidic wine that, despite its high acidity, maintains a velvety, delicate texture. I cannot over-emphasize how silky-smooth this is! Its fine bubbles caress the tongue, though these bubbles are fewer in number than would be observed for a younger Champagne (thus indicating its age). In terms of flavors, Meyer lemon and brioche (autolytic character) predominate, and these are accompanied by yellow apple, bosc pear, a bit of butter and honey. After a few sips a certain minerality works its way in there as well along with a bit of apricot, the latter of which is a sign of some bottle age. The finish is very long with and leaves one with yellow apple, lingering honey and a curious almond note that emerges after a while.

As always, I include my wife’s expert opinion: “All I taste is that candied citric acid that you roll onto candies in to make your mouth pucker. Like Warheads. Just that sour Warhead taste. It’s terrible. It feels good, though, it’s very smooth, fine, effervescent.” At least she likes the texture?

This is a delicate Champagne and goes quite well with a soft cheese. I found provolone and muenster did well, though that is what I happened to have lying around and I’m sure there are better cheese pairings. At the time of drinking, this 2008 vintage is ready to drink, and no further ageing needed. Definitely buying this again. It’s damned good!

2/12/2022 - Snoot Doggie Dogg Likes this wine:

Master of Wine Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan mentioned this wine in one of her Great Courses lectures, so I thought I would give it a try. The winery gets its name due to the fact that, at the turn of the 20th century, the property was used for raising frogs to be sold to French restaurants for their legs. The owners also wanted to poke at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars by using a similar name. With its 230 acres of vineyards, the winery produces about 60,000 cases per year, 30% of which is Sauvignon Blanc, with the rest being divided between a variety of other grapes to include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel and Chardonnay among others. The winery style tends to focus on wines with a good amount of acidity, which sets them apart from many Napa wines. Being from Rutherford, which is sandwiched in between St. Helena and Oakville, the vineyards are situated pretty far inland on the valley floor, giving them plenty of sun and warmth, making them ideal for growing warm-weather grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon.

Medium-dark ruby with an inky black core, this wine is moderately aromatic, offering notes of dark fruits, green bell pepper, forest floor (dry leaves), cedar and a slight hint of tobacco leaf. I even caught a slight whiff of red raspberry at one point, which was surprising. Upon sipping, one is met with a medium-full bodied wine with high tannins and a tingling acidity. The attack is largely overshadowed by the tannins and acid, but the midpalate offers plenty of tart cherry with blackcurrant, black plum, and green bell pepper and an accompaniment of oaky vanilla and some underlying tobacco leaf. The finish is rather long, offering quite a bit of black plum and an acidic tartness that lingers for some time.

A bit tarter than a typical Napa cab, though I suppose that is to be expected from a winery that places a premium on high acidity. I could see this improving with age; right now it’s a bit young, as the tannins and acidity are like a kick in the face, so this would be better if that calms down a little courtesy of a few years in bottle. Buy some now and lay down for a bit. Anyway, I enjoyed this with some aged gouda (Old Amsterdam, to be specific). Not a bad pairing! One needs a powerful cheese to stand up to these tannins and acid.

2/4/2022 - Snoot Doggie Dogg Likes this wine:

Master of Wine Konstantin Baum featured a sampling of Penfolds wine in one of his YouTube videos: the 2017 Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz Mataro. He gave it quite a good review, saying it would be perfect for a holiday dinner as everyone at the table would like it. He also added that, due to its high alcohol content, if you do not like your relatives it can help you get through the evening. Certainly a bonus! This intrigued me, so I sought out some Penfolds at the nearest Total Wine & More. Maybe I should save some for when the relatives come over?

This particular bottle advertises itself as a wine in which “the structure and definition of Cabernet Sauvignon coupled with the richness and depth of shiraz align, courted by the Prudent use of American oak.” Evidently it combines wines from several different regions to include Barossa, McLaren Vale and others. Regarding the 2018 vintage, it states: “Relatively dry conditions coupled with near long-term winter/spring temperatures indicated an early start to the growing season… Warm and sunny weather prevailed throughout spring providing optimal conditions for flowering and fruit-set…Late flowering and the delayed onset of veraison throughout the south-east slowed harvest by a few weeks. The warm, dry weather carried into autumn, setting up an Indian summer with favourable conditions for ripening grapes.” So overall, from the sound of it one can expect big, bold fruit dominating this wine.

Somewhere between a deep ruby and a deep purple in color, this wine is strikingly aromatic and can be smelled even when the glass is sitting on the table. Indeed, it presents a rich nose full of red and black fruits, under which lie an interesting combination of cedar, forest floor and whiskey barrel with a subtle touch of vanilla extract. Upon sipping, one is met with a full-bodied wine with a supple body, medium acidity and beefy yet velvety tannins. The attack offers ample blackberry and black cherry flavors, which are soon joined in the midpalate by quite a bit of black pepper, black plum, and tobacco. These in turn lie over a substrate of oaky vanilla and an earthy note that as difficult to pinpoint. The finish goes on for days! It starts off with ephemeral notes of cocoa, after which the blackberry and black raspberry linger for quite some time, fading gradually into nothingness. After a few sips, a vague menthol character builds up in the finish. Eucalyptus, anyone?

Unfortunately my wife wanted nothing to do with this bottle. I guess I'm enjoying it on my own...oh darn.

This is wonderfully complex! A solid choice and I can see this wine ageing very well; it certainly has the tannin structure to support it. It is, however, quite drinkable right now. But for now, this is a beefy wine that needs your time and attention. Recommend sitting down with it and some aged gouda (I find Old Amsterdam is a good choice). Enjoy!

6/4/2021 - Snoot Doggie Dogg Likes this wine:

Valpolicella is a region in Northern Italy, whose name translates to "Land of Many Cellars", named so because it has been making wine since the time of the Ancient Greeks. Made from the same grapes as Amarone, these wines are actually blended with the leftover grape must from the making of Amarone, giving it some of Amarone's delicious character but without quite the same degree of alcohol. This particular wine is made out of 70% Corvina and 30% Rondinella and saw 18 months in oak before bottling.

Light ruby in color, this wine is surprisingly aromatic with an intriguing blend of bright red fruit notes, violet, star anise and a slight spiciness. Upon sipping, one is met with a medium-bodied wine with low tannins and a rather high acidity. In terms of flavor, right from the attack there is quite a bit of tart red cherry and some red raspberry. The midpalate is reminiscent of chocolate covered cherries and also sees the emergence of leather, peppercorn and cinnamon that join the blend with a bit of oaky vanilla. The finish is dry and moderately long, starting off with a slight cinnamon note that reappears briefly before fading off and leaving one with hints of vanilla and pepper.

I do have to say, the most outstanding thing about this wine is its nose; it's a really unique blend of floral notes and red fruits. I can't stop sniffing it!

As always I asked my wife for her expert opinion. Her response: "Who burned a cherry cobbler??" Oh well.

Overall an enjoyable and food-friendly wine! I found it went quite well with my wife's gnocchi and meatballs. Definitely a good food wine; its acidity lets it stand up to tomato sauce quite well!

5/29/2021 - Snoot Doggie Dogg Likes this wine:

I was bad. I liked this bottle so much I made it disappear before I wrote a formal review, instead enjoying it over a couple of meals before I could write about it! Fortunately I did take some notes to later construct the following review.

Pale yellow in color, this wine is fairly aromatic with a rather herbal nose. Thyme stands out most notably along with some citrus undertones and a substantial vegetal characteristic. In fact it smells a bit like sticking one's nose into a salad with some sort of citrus-based dressing. Upon sipping one is met with a medium-light bodied wine with very strong acidity. In terms of the flavor profile, there is plenty of lemon, lime and passionfruit, with a smidge of honey. A bit of green bell pepper is present as well, though it is subtle and not overwhelming, and there is also a significant mineral tone reminiscent of gravel. A hint of mandarin orange later emerges just before the finish. The finish is rather long and starts off with lemon before fading and leaving one with a tingling acidity.

As always, I give my wife's expert opinion: "This smells like lemon and tastes like hydrogen peroxide. It's like a weird case of wannabe Listerine! If you ever want to play a practical joke on someone, swap out their Listerine with a bottle of Sancerre."

When I first opened the bottle I enjoyed it with some herb crusted pork loin, and the next day I finished the rest with some robusto gouda. Both were great pairings! The herbal notes in the wine matched quite nicely with the pork to form a congruent pairing, whereas the wine's acid cut through the creamy cheese with ease.

Shame that it's all gone. I want more!

12/23/2020 - Snoot Doggie Dogg Likes this wine:

Another Rioja! I fell in love with the region when I worked in Spain for several months. I remember how impeccably well it went with the local cuisine. So food friendly! The more of these I taste, the more I fall in love with that region.

Medium ruby in color, this wine is moderately aromatic with notes of blackberries and red plums with an underlying herbaceousness. Upon sipping, one is met with a medium-bodied wine with rather high acidity and moderate tannins. The flavor is a bit herbal on the attack, after which fresh cherry notes unfold along with a substructure of vanilla, red plum and a bit of leather. The finish is long and leaves you with a lingering vanilla note from the oak. The plum become more pronounced in the nose after a few sips.

This is a solid choice: flavorful with a delightful mouthfeel. I'd definitely recommend this with some Iberian jamon and Manchego cheese!

8/27/2017 - cliffkol wrote:

Tasting at Lamoreaux Winery, Seneca Lake, NY: Light, buttery, acidic. Apples, citrus. Bon and Nate loved this. D 92