Paso Creek
Cabernet Sauvignon
2012
13.55 ABV



Almost a deep purplish red color, the bouquet is heady and immediate and fruity. Strong berry notes, maybe also plum. Very sweet, with just a little bit of a bite and enough tannin to give it creaminess without going bitter. Refreshing for a red. Great drinking wine, but I'm also having some steak.

Shatter 2012 Grenache

Shatter 2012 Grenache

Maury, France

Joel Gott

Dave Phinney

15.6% alcohol.

I'm really excited to try this wine, because I've not had a grenache before! It's a red wine, and from the looks of it, packs quite a punch. The name Joel Gott is familiar - I have a bottle of their 815 Cab sitting in my wine "cabinet" (really just a drawer in my bedroom). 

The wine itself is a paler red than I had expected. The bouquet is immediate and strong and fruity, I think I'm getting hints of black cherry, blackberry, or black currant. 

The taste is bold, semi-sweet, and spicy. It's rounded off by a nice bitter tannin finish, which isn't too strong. The aftertaste is of dark chocolate. Amazing. After drinking whites for the past few blog posts, it's good to have a nice complex in-your-face red.  

I would drink this wine on its own. 

According to wine.com:

"Dark, deep and rich with ripe, dense blackberry, cassis and notes of chocolate; velvety, lush and balanced with fine structure."

Benziger Family Winery
Chardonnay
2012 Sonoma County
Certified Sustainable Grape growing program

Color: yellow
Bouquet: apples, melon? herbal, like fenugreek
Very very smooth and buttery. Dry finish. Almost nutty.

From label: lemon, pear, apricot, and a hint of meringue while boasting creamy texture.

I didn't know meringue was a flavor!

Recommendation : chill but leave at room temperature for 10 min or so to warm up a bit - it improved the flavor a lot!

Fetzer Gewurztraminer
Monterey County
2013


Sometimes I'm just in the mood for a white wine...and this time it ended up being a sweet white wine at that!

I popped this one into the fridge to chill for about 20 min before uncorking. It's a clear greenish yellow color, slight sparkle, but nothing too noticeable.

The bouquet is fresh and fruity, with honeydew, Japanese car air freshener. It's fairly sweet, but not cloyingly so, like a moscato might be, and it's balanced by a nice bit of acidity. Mostly clean aftertaste, a little grassy which is nice. Definitely fruity, but I'm not used to identifying particular flavors in sweet white wines. However, it has a distinct honey-mead like flavor. Supposedly also fresh peach and apricot.

I chose to drink this with a mild Japanese style curry over rice, and I'm enjoying the pairing. It could stand well on its own as a dessert wine however.

Wild Horse
Cabernet Sauvignon
2012
13.5% alcohol

Deep garnet color,
bouquet sort of swimming pool locker rooms

Immediately fruity, low on tannins, but with a nice spicy finish.
Hints of coffee, mocha, as well.

Would be a great drinking wine, a good casual wine. I can see myself getting easily tipsy with this one. As well as using it in a nice recipe.

From the back of the label:
black berry and cherry with hints of cocoa and clove.

I'm getting better at this.

No mention of swimming pools, though.

4/5.

Geyser Peak Winery 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
$20
13.5% alcohol.

Does an older vintage mean a better wine? Let's find out.
I found this wine among 2012s-2014s at the grocery store, and it was reasonably priced.

Sort of a floral, lavender like bouquet, which is unusual
also getting hints of seeds, wood, pine?

It's immediately smooth and buttery on tasting. Fairly sweet too. Almost has a hint of aged scotch, sort of peaty.

I'm sure the label will say cherry and vanilla, or blackberry - I have a hard time discerning those flavors in general.

And, what do you know? "Black cherry and cassis flavors and vanilla nuances..."

This is a good drinking wine - I would pair it with nuts because of it's richness, and they recommend roasted beef, sauteed mushrooms, and mature cheeses. I think it's the earthiness that it complements.