Shea Wine Cellars 2008 Estate Chardonnay

Posted by Keith Wallace on Mar 19, 2013 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

Oregon Wine Review

Anyone who doesn’t  like chardonnay on principle should feel compelled to drink this wine. A study in  elegance and sex appeal,  this Shea  is an excellent example of how incredible Oregon Chardonnay can be. Toasted almond and Asian pear on the nose, with a mineral and saffron accent. A touch of mulled cider on the palate which deftly segues to apricot and lavender  The finish continues with a wonderful blending of white fruits,  carving out  a rich creamy finish from the austere acidity.

Merryvale 2008 “Starmont” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Posted by Keith Wallace on Jan 7, 2013 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

A rock-solid Napa Cab at a rock-solid price. The nose of pencil shavings, vanilla and toast promises great things to come, and it does deliver. The gritty tannic structure is balanced out by rich body of red and dark fruits with a finish of violet and spice. A very good example of how good Napa Cab can be without all the flair (and cost) of over extraction and oaky opulence.

Previous review: A stunning value for Cabernet Sauvignon. It hits all the right notes with verve. Cedar and burnt sage take the lead, followed by allspice and currant. Offers up controlled fruit that ranges toward the dark fruits, including plum. The finish accents a black olive and cassis quality. Very nice.

Pillar Box 2008 Red

Posted by Keith Wallace on Oct 31, 2012 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

For a wine so damn cheap, a lot of rock star winemakers have been attached to this project. For the geeks, that means Aussie powerhouses Kim Jackson and  Chris Ringland, for starters. For the rest of us all there is to ask is WHY? Well, you don’t  even need to ask that question, just WHERE CAN I BUY IT? This is one of those bottles that over delivers for the price point.

The wine is two-thirds Shiraz, with Cabernet and Merlot filling in the gap. Jammy and juicy, it hits the big points and leaves the nuances to another bottle of wine. Sweet blueberries on the nose, with a touch of spice and mocha. On the palate, it is fulled bodied and round, with black fruit flavors that are a bit reduced, to a wisp of menthol smoke, kinda like a Kools. Finishes big and bold and jammy.

A current trend in Aussie winemaking is to have small wine companies that produce a  half dozen or more  wines under different labels.  Instead of a winery name , you have inventive brand names. Pillar Box is part of a series of wines  that reference the regional Australian postal service, all made by the same company:  Henry’s Drive, Parson’s Flat, The Trial of John Montford, Dead Letter Office, The Postmistress, The Scarlet Letter, and Morse Code.  

Peachy Canyon 2008 Westside Zinfandel, Paso Robles

Posted by Keith Wallace on Oct 12, 2012 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

Paso Robles is a huge AVA, with over a half million acres of vines. Huge wineries like  J. Lohr, Treana, and Meridian dominate the region. However in the cooler hills on the westside of Paso, there are smaller treasures. Wineries like Tablas Creek Vineyard Terry Hoage Vineyard are at home there.

Peachy Canyon lives in both worths. A mid-sized winery that that offers quality Red Zins at a decent price.  It’s one of my de facto go-to wineries for BBQ-friendly red wine. Their gungho fruit-bomb style is a perfect accompaniment to hot smoked pork shoulder.

Their Westside bottling is a winner every year. Since it’s from their cooler vineyards, it’s a bit more layered. This vintage  is layered with sundried cherries and blackberries. A whiff of black pepper, and a huge mouthful of glycerin.

PASO ROBLES in San Luis Obispo county was originally planted with vines in the late 18th century; the Santa Ynez Valley, in Santa Barbara County, had a flourishing wine industry in pre-Prohibition times; Santa Barbara town itself was once dotted with vineyards. Yet both counties were virtually devoid of vines in the early 1960s; it was not until Estrella, in Paso Robles, and Firestone, in Santa Ynez Valley, established vineyards in 1972 that others followed.

Castello di Fonterutoli “Ser Lapo” 2008 Chianti Classico Reserva

Posted by Keith Wallace on Oct 10, 2012 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

The Mazzei family have a very long history in Chianti, and have expanded their winemaking operations considerably over the past few years, including forays into both Sicily and the Tuscan coast. However, no winery bears their name, which is very curious: in many ways, they created the Chianti we know and love.

Since the 15th century, the family has owned Castello di Fonterutoli. Their history goes even further back, to the 13th century when Ser Lapo Mazzei recorded the sale of his Chianti: the first known reference in history.  For that, Ser Lapo is consider the great-grandfather of Chianti.

If Ser Lapo is the great granddaddy, then his descendant Lapo Mazzei can be considered the father of modern Chianti.  By the 1950′s he well into his quest for creating a great wine. At the time, Chianti was an anemic red with an acrid soapy aftertaste with little fanfare, either at home or abroad. He began by modernizing vineyards and importing new vines from Bordeaux. He also introduced the use of  oak barriques instead of  chestnut.  These three changes are now the underpinning for most Chianti Classico produced for the past 25 years.

This wine holds true to that lineage: a depth of flavor that hones to both the past and future of Chianti. The oak is rich and dominant with sweet vanilla  pushing through salted mocha and caraway. The tannins are lean and grainy with black and red fruits under fresh leather and savory licorice. This is an excellent of modern Chianti Classico Reserva.