Spirit of Wine Review & Rating: ***+ $ J. Lohr Bay Mist Riesling, Monterey County, CA, 2010 (BEST VALUE)

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By way of background: Riesling has a friend in cooler growing regions.  This riesling, from the Monterey area of California, hails from the ubiquitous J. Lohr line from the 2010 vintage, a vintage characterized by unusually cool, El Nino-influenced weather. 

Initial review : This is J. Lohr Bay Mist Riesling, Monterey County, CA, 2010 , finished at 11.9% alcohol, and with almost 2% residual sugar.  The white riesling grapes are supplemented by a tiny amount of orange muscat and gewurztraminer.

In the glass:  Light effervescence, light yellow and green olive

On the nose: Poured cool with a brief decant and swirled vigorously, shows light stainless steel and sweet.
  From the aroma, seems like this will be fun, easy, with perhaps an element of minerality.

On the palate: The primary elements on the palate are in fact sweet citrus and sleek, finishing medium length and clean. A bit of sugar cloy on the finish.

In summary: Overall, rates three stars on the five-star Spirit of Wine scale, with a plus for character.  Best value at a bargain price.

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Spirit of Wine Review & Rating: ***+ $ Ave Malbec Premium, Mendoza, Argentina, 2007 - (BEST VALUE)

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By way of background: Ave Malbec hails from the well-regarded area of Mendoza, Argentina, popularly-speaking the malbec capital of the world. It has been developed by Alberto Antonini in an Italian tradition at the Perdriel Estate. The 2007 vintage is finished at 14.2% alcohol.

Original review, November, 2009:


In the glass: Ave Malbec is deep purple magenta in the glass, opaque to within an eighth-inch of the edge of the glass.

On the nose: Deep, buoyant, liquored aromas, pumping creamy purple grape-sicle notes straight up into your nostrils. Fat oak framing.

On the palate: Two elements hit first: an acid twang at the sides of your mouth, and a deep black/purple fruit that coats the top of your tongue and touches the tip of your mouth. The oak and sweet tannins come as the sip settles in - tannins strong enough to pull in your cheek cavities. A powerful, deep - but still bright - experience.

And the finish: Held by the solid alcohol and tannins, the finish holds court for quite a few seconds, fading to a light purple mist.

In summary: Truly a potent experience - not for the faint of heart. Three stars on the five-star Spirit of Wine scale, as it is clearly worth a return engagement, but a plus comes along for its continuing promise too. I'd see a long decant or a few more years of bottle age as good for its prospects. Great value.

Wine Spectator liked the Ave Malbec, awarding 90 points, with this report: "Deliciously vibrant, with mouthwatering acidity running through the dark plum, violet, pastis and licorice snap notes, which stay tangy and pure on the nicely driven finish. Drink now through 2010. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 8,000 cases made."
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Updated review, a year and a half later, June, 2011:  The deep color has held fast during the past year and a half.  Most of the original aromas are there, with the creamsicle elements having faded into deep underlying fruit. The sip now moves first and foremost onto your mid-palate, bringing creamy, dark berries with sweet oak and tannins.  The finish is slippery, lush and full.  Interesting how the acids have integrated since this wine was young.  Almost makes the leap to four stars.  Still a phenomenal value. Note that even the Wine Spectator review picked up the bright acids in the initial tasting. Following long decant, several days kept cool in partially filled bottle:  The aroma is more tired now.  The palate brings many of the former elements, but now with an overlay of more generic light oxidation.  I liked the in-bottle time, but favored this with only a very short decant.

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Spirit of Wine Review & Rating: ***+ $ Domaine de la Chesnay Cotes du Rhone, France, 2007 (BEST VALUE)

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Original review, July, 2009: Domaine de la Chesnay is a recently released Cotes du Rhone blend, which consists of 70% grenache, 20% syrah and 10% carignan. Alcohol level comes in at a modest 13%.

In the glass, Domaine de la Chesnay is medium, deep, dusty red. Big, bold aromas - they first hit as helium balloon, but that is likely to blow off with a little air. Along with that, a strong sweet red berry.

On the palate, a mid-bright sweet red cherry is apparent first; that is followed by a rush of prickly, minerally acids rushing along the cheeks. Clean, fun finish - crisp and lasting. Three stars, as I want to try this again - I'd see using it wherever a pinot noir might work.

The quality/price point makes this an outstanding value versus just about any pinot noir you will find.

Gary Vaynerchuk awarded a comparable 88-90 points.

Following decant  - it picked up a more terroir - some elements of the barnyard along with the fruit. Sort of like pinot noir with a funky note. Add a plus for intriguing indeed!
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Updated review, about two years later, June, 2011:  Color and nose are EXACTLY the same, right up to and including the helium balloon!  But still enticing aromas.  The bright, sweet red cherry remains on the palate; now the acids play a helpful role in supporting the bright red frame.  Wow, this is aging slowly and effectively. 

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Spirit of Wine Review & Rating: ***+ $ Villa Farnia di Farnese Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy, 2008 - (BEST VALUE)

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By way of background: Villa Farnia di Farnese is made of the montepulciano grape from the southeastern Italy region of Abruzzo. Winemaker Filippo Baccalaro finished this at a modest 13% alcohol. It was acquired as part of the introductory Zagat Wine Club selection. It also seems to be a regular component of other wine club offerings, including such as WSJWine (Wall Street Journal Wine) and 4seasonswine.

"ZagatWine" - part of the broad Laithwaites Wine group from the UK - is promoted by the well known Zagat Survey group, offered by founders Nina and Tim Zagat. This collection included a case of 12 wines, with four reds and four whites each. The initial shipment arrives with a promotional pitch to have your friends join the club, along with one-pagers on each of the delivered wines.

Original review, November, 2009:

In the glass: Deep blood red with burgundy highlights, opaque a half inch from the side of the glass.

On the nose: Fresh, laundered blackberry aromas.

On the palate: Subtle violet fruit hit first at the back of your palate, quick slick. It roams forward across your tongue, bringing slightly sandy plums. A light acid twang hits your cheeks, and unfolds a slightly sweeter, lasting plum fruit.

And the finish: Clean, more acid- than tannin-based, with modest length. Mineral and black fruit tones.

In summary: Solid experience. Three stars on the five-star Spirit of Wine scale. This bottle is only a year from the vintage date, and I do believe it could rest safely another year or two. Great value at the bargain introductory wine club price.
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Updated review, a year and a half later, June, 2011:  Consistent color.  The nose shows nice fresh baked bread along with blackberries on the side.  Lightly sandy plums remain on the aromatic palate.  A clean finish of modest length, bringing balanced acids and tannins.  Adding a plus to the three stars for its modest improvement over time. Ready to drink now, three years from vintage date.  Remains a best value. Following long decant, one day kept cool in partially filled bottle:  Aroma has gone mute.  All the flavor and balance remains on the palate, however. 


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Spirit of Wine Review & Rating: **** $$ Cameron Hughes CH Lot 82 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa CA, 2006 - (BEST VALUE)

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By way of background: Cameron Hughes is a negociant operating from the United States and serving primarily retail markets, though also distributing via a direct mail web site. I've reviewed a number of CH wines before, and have found them generally (although not always) good values.

This is definitely a higher-end bottling for the Cameron Hughes wine label, coming as a pure cabernet fruit of indistinct origin. As Cameron says on his site, "I got it from a guy who got it from a guy." Let's see what he got from this guy...

Original review, October, 2009: 

In the glass: A deep, magenta, dusty red. Fully opaque from just a fingernail inside the glass. Highlights are deep purple red.

On the nose: Aromas are solid, thick and red fruity. The 14.5% alcohol lifts the somewhat clenched aromas a bit. There's some wood with the deeper red fruit.

On the palate: A thick black fruit middle is the first note, quickly highlighted by deep, sweet, full tannins and just a touch of acid. It is deep, ripe blackberry on steroids.

And the finish: The wine coats your palate fully, leaving you with nothing to do but to wait, wait, wait as the full-on experience fades slowly and sweetly away.

In summary: A powerful, quite memorable experience, not bringing an enormous sense of place. At this point, a solid three star effort on the Spirit of Wine scale. However, I will allow it a bit of a decant before a final assessment.... Following the decant, I note the solid but silty tannins still holding up a finish. A plus will be added to the three stars in recognition of future potential for the wine upon storage. Decent value.
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Updated review, over a year and a half later, June, 2011:  Color and aroma are entirely consistent with the earlier tasting.  So, too, is the palate, thick and full and ripe blackberry and potent.  Sleek, full, thick and, yes, potent.  Ageless, it would seem, as well. Following long decant, two days kept cool in partially filled bottle:  Aromas are red ink lifted by the alcohol.  The palate is significantly more integrated - lush, luscious and layered.  Super-sweet tannins pull the finish into a point way out on the horizon.  Four stars with the long decant.  Best value now, with age and decanting. 

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