2012 Casey Flat Ranch Open Range
2011 Bedrock Wine Co Zinfandel Old Vine
2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands
2011 Waters Interlude
2009 Agharta Wines Cabernet Sauvignon White Label Mountain Terraces Vineyard
2011 Evening Land Vineyards Pinot Noir La Source Seven Springs Vineyard
2010 John Duval Wines Shiraz Entity
2012 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
2012 Casey Flat Ranch Open Range – $9.74
This was another purchase from Last Bottle wines, one of my favorite “flash” wine sites. If you use the provided link and sign up, we both get a credit to our accounts after your first purchase. Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.
This has been a personal value priced favorite over the last few years. This wine, as most blends, change every vintage. This vintage is a blend of 52% Syrah, 33% Petite Sirah, 8% Merlot, 5% Mourvedre and 2% Cabernet Franc. This wine always offers great QPR (Quality to Price Ratio).
This wine has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.
The wine is a deep ruby to purple color. The very open and giving nose is full of black cherries, licorice, black peppercorns, blackberries, baking spices, dry earth, underbrush, dried herbs and violets. This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and nice acidity. On the palate black cherries, black pepper, spice and blackberries pop out on the front end with dried herbs, dry earth and underbrush coming in later. The finish has nice length with licorice and spice adding nice depth to the fruit. This could easily pass for a much more expensive bottle of wine. This can be enjoyed over the remainder of the decade. (89 pts)
2012 Casey Flat Ranch Open Range
2011 Bedrock Wine Co Zinfandel Old Vine – $22.00
The Bedrock Old Vine Zinfandel is always a bargain. This wine uses grapes from several older zinfandel vineyards in Sonoma County such as Stellwagen, Casa Santinamaria, Los Chamizal, Rossi Ranch in Kenwood and Monte Rosso. This also contains a bit of Carignane and Mourvedre from the estate’s Bedrock Vineyard.
This wine has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.
The wine is a deep ruby color. The inviting nose has brambly berries, warm baking spices, cherries, black peppercorns, licorice, tobacco, dried violets and dark chocolate. This has medium to full body with moderate to solid ripe tannins and good acidity. Juicy, crushed berries, cherries, baking spice and black peppercorns coat the palate on the front end with dark chocolate coming in later. The finish has very good length with a nice floral note entering the picture. This is a lighter, livelier style of zinfandel that is a perfect companion to a hearty meat dish. This is in a very nice drinking window and it should hold for a few more years. (92 pts)
2011 Bedrock Wine Co Zinfandel Old Vine
2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands – $25.00
In my opinion, the Loring appellation wines are some of the best bargains out there when it comes to quality California Pinot Noir. The Loring appellation wines are, at least to me, dialed down a notch compared to their single vineyard siblings. This and the lower prices, under $25 make them a nice way to kick up a week night dinner several notches without breaking the bank.
This has 14.7% alcohol and is closed via a Stelvin+ screw cap.
Winery history
My name is Brian Loring and my obsession is Pinot Noir. OK, I’m also pretty crazy about Champagne, but that’s another story. While in college, I worked at a wine shop in Hollywood (Victor’s), where one of the owners was a Burgundy fanatic. So, my very first experiences with Pinot Noir were from producers like Domaine Dujac, Henri Jayer, and DRC. Needless to say, I found subsequent tasting safaris into the domestic Pinot Noir jungle less than satisfying. It wasn’t until I literally stumbled into Calera (I tripped over a case of their wine in the store room) that I found a California Pinot Noir that I could love. But it would be quite a while before I found someone else that lived up to the standard that Josh Jensen had established. I eventually came to understand and enjoy Pinots from Williams Selyem, Chalone, and Sanford, but I really got excited about California Pinot Noir when I met Norm Beko from Cottonwood Canyon at an Orange County Wine Society tasting.
For more information, to buy wine, or to join the mailing list, visit their website.
My Tasting Note
The wine is a ruby red color. The alluring nose has raspberries, warm baring spices, cola, cherries, wild flowers, plums, eucalyptus, and some earthiness. This has medium body, soft tannins, and decent acidity. On the palate the baking spices and fruit jump out and take hold slowly allowing a touch of eucalyptus and earthiness to break through on the back end. The finish has good length and adds some minerality to the fruit and spice. I’d drink this one over the next year before the acidity slides a bit more. (91 pts)
2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands
2011 Waters Interlude – $16.98
The grapes for this wine come from Stone Tree, Seven Hills, Cold Creek and Old Stones vineyards. The wine was aged in 20% new French oak and 80% neutral French oak. There were 1,550 cases of wine produced. I should note, I bought the wine at a great price from Garagiste Wine, the suggested price for the wine is $28.
This is a blend of 61% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec and 11% Petit Verdot from Washington. The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color. The very expressive nose has cherries, cassis, stony minerals, eucalyptus, licorice, freshly ground espresso beans, dried leafy herbs, cocoa powder and dried earth. This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and nice acidity. On the palate ripe cherries and berries hit first with minerals and espresso beans quickly joining in. The finish has nice length with dried herbs, cocoa powder, dried earth and a hint of eucalyptus entering the picture. This may be a bit on the young side but it tastes delicious. I wouldn’t want to stash this in the back of the cellar, enjoy this one over the next couple of years. This has 14.1% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork. (90 pts)
2011 Waters Interlude
2009 Agharta Wines Cabernet Sauvignon White Label Mountain Terraces Vineyard – $38.60
Agharta is also commonly known as a mystical place on earth where the hills are made of gold and the rivers run with wine…sounds like a great place to me. Pax Mahle
This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Mountain Terraces Vineyard located high above Sonoma Valley and was crafted by Pax Mahle.
I was able to snag a few bottles at a great price from the Garagiste Wine e-mail list about a year ago. Even though I think this will be on the young side, I wanted to check in on it to decide when to start opening my remaining bottles in their prime.
This wine has 14.7% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork and a thin was coating.
The wine is a deep ruby red color. The inviting nose has cassis, plums, cedar, white pepper, crushed stones, tobacco, dried herbs, licorice and warm baking spices. This has medium body with solid tannins and very nice acidity. On the palate dark fruit, white pepper and crushed stones quickly take control, slowly allowing dried herbs and cedar to come into play. The finish has good length with licorice and baking spices adding nice depth. The tannins are solid and a touch rough at this time, enjoy this with a piece of juicy grilled meat now or let it sleep for a few years. This has the depth and balance to last in the cellar for another decade or longer. (92 pts)
2009 Agharta Wines Cabernet Sauvignon White Label Mountain Terraces Vineyard
2011 Evening Land Vineyards Pinot Noir La Source Seven Springs Vineyard – $28.71
This was another purchase from Garagiste Wine. My purchases from them have declined over the last couple of years but I still end up receiving a case when shipping season rolls around.
The wine has 12.9% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.
The wine is a bright ruby red color. The enticing nose has cherries, baking spices, earthy underbrush, white pepper, wild flowers, wet stone minerals, black raspberries and roasted leafy herbs. This is barely medium body with soft to moderate silky tannins and very good acidity. On the palate tart cherries, baking spices and wet stones quickly take hold with white pepper and earthy underbrush coming in on the back end. The finish has very good length with roasted herbs and black raspberries entering the picture. This tastes great now with some air but will be better in a year or two. (93 pts)
2011 Evening Land Vineyards Pinot Noir La Source Seven Springs Vineyard
2010 John Duval Wines Shiraz Entity – $33.24
This vintage of Entity includes some Eden Valley Shiraz to help maintain the elegance and style of Entity. The wine was aged in 100% French oak for 18 months, 36% of which was new.
This wine has 14.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.
My Tasting Note
The wine is a dark, inky purple color. The very open and powerful nose has blackberries, baking spices, dark chocolate, vanilla bean, blueberries, white pepper, candied violets and a touch of cedar. This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity. This is a beast on the palate, full of dark berries and spice up front with vanilla bean and dark chocolate coming in later. The finish is very long with white pepper, candied violets and spicy oak adding considerable depth. This is drinking very nicely but will improve with some time in the cellar. Outstanding! (94 pts)
2010 John Duval Wines Shiraz Entity
2012 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – $28.17
I had a fair amount of credits in my account at Underground Cellar when a Sojourn Pinot offer popped up. I quickly grabbed a 6 pack knowing the lowest priced wine I would get was this wine, their Sonoma Coast wine. By a freak of luck, I only received one bottle of this one, and 5 bottles of their much more expensive single vineyard wines. That’s how Underground Cellars offers work, you pay the x bottles of the lowest priced wine in the group and some of your bottles get upgraded for free. Who knows, you may order a mid level California Cabernet and get the steal of the century and get a bottle of the coveted Screaming Eagle. Check them out by clicking here. If you sign up via the link I provided we both get a $20 credit when you make your first purchase.
This wine has 14.4% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.
The wine is a medium to deep ruby red color. The very appealing nose has cherries, licorice, warm baking spices, cola, dry earth, violets, cranberries and a touch of cedar. This has medium body with moderate silky tannins and nice acidity. On the palate spicy cherries, cola and dry earth jump out first with cedar and cranberries coming in later. The finish has nice length with a nice floral note joining the cherries and baking spices. This improved greatly with air so let it sleep in your cellar for another year of give it an hour in the decanter. (91 pts)
2012 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
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Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines. I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar. I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com. Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear. There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.
Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase. I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store. Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges. None of the prices include the sales tax.
All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.
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