Mood: Thankful

Wine Selection: Sorry, you’re going to have to read on for that!

The scoop:

So, this may come as a shocker, but I’m moody. I know….the Moody Wine Drinker is moody? Who would have thought. My moodiness is the culprit for my lack of posts lately. Many of my loyal readers have probably been a little disappointed in my lack of writing. Don’t despair. I’m back! My most convincing excuse is that I’ve been moving and had a lack of time with my computer. My lame excuse is that I’ve also had a lack of enthusiasm about wine. I just haven’t had it in me. I’ve been exhausted and irritated and no one wants to read about that, so I’ll cut to the chase. I was auctioned off at a school fundraiser, for the first time, and I fulfilled my commitment today. I was able to taste some fantastic Santa Cruz Mountain wine and have some fantastic conversations. The result? I’m back in the wine saddle again!

 

 

This posting is in a little different format than usual. I’m going to list the wines tasted and give you a little tasting info, then give you some conversation points that were discussed. Sound good? Read on….

Alfaro Family Vineyard 2006 Lindsay Paige Vineyard Chardonnay
This is a big full bore Chardonnay that is ultra rich and incredibly deep and focused with lovely flavors and a long lush finish. Hazelnuts and white flowers lead to pure pear and apple fruit, with touches of clove, mineral, honey and vanilla.
Silver Mountain Vineyard 2004 Miller Hill Pinot Noir This wine is beautifully composed, balanced and sleek. The wine was aged 16 months in tight grained Hungarian oak, a barrel choice that complements the delicate Pinot Noir fruit, lends a light toasty, smoky character, and produces a smooth, silky mouthfeel.
Clos Tita 2004 Gironde
Named after the Southwestern French Department which contains Bordeaux. This wine contains Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Rich, round, smokey, plenty of mountain fruit stuffing. Drink now until 2015
Stroth-Hall 2005 Nelson Family Vineyard Syrah
The hallmark of this wine: spice! This Syrah out of the fermenters has a greater resemblance to a spice cabinet than to wine. A pronounced black pepper and coriander nose lead to a mouthful of black cherry, licorice, wet earth and more spice than Martha Stewart’s spice rack.
River Runs Late Harvest Zinfandel
This stunner of a wine is truly unique. sweet odors of ripe raspberries exude from the bottle. picture lush velvet berry swirls in your mouth. The vineyard is over 110 years old. Harvest of five acres picked at 37brix yielded only one hundred and seventy gallons of wine with a residual sugar of 6.1%. the total acidity of .84 and alcohol of 15.1% indicate a long life and the magnificent fruit characteristics make it a wine to have and to hold.

There were a number of great questions and conversations that went on. Some highlights for me were…

Why do you say that these wines taste like pineapple and oak? I just taste wine…

I applaud the honesty here. I mean, who cares if we taste butter or wine? All that matters is, do you like it or not? It doesn’t have to be a long list of things that you taste, it just has to appeal to you.

Is there a difference between “Petite Syrah” and “Syrah?”

Yup! They are actually two totally different varietals. Like comparing a fuji apple and a granny smith apple. They are very similar in flavor components, but Petite Syrah has noticeably smaller grapes, giving it more skin to juice ratio. The result? A peppery, tannic, full bodied wine that is delish!

Is there a reason why some bottles of wine are supposed to age before you drink them?

Absolutely! If you buy a big, full bodied, tannic bottle of cabernet sauvignon, you should “lie it down” for 5-10 years before opening it. That may sound crazy to some people, but that’s why the wine maker made the wine that way. Over time, the tannins really smooth out and the jammy fruit softens, and you get an end result that was worth waiting for.

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