Kiona will always hold a special place in my heart. I went on a wine tasting tour with a bus-load of friends and Kiona was one of our stops. What I found was proof that an $8 bottle of table wine doesn't have to taste like an $8 bottle of table wine.
Kiona is by no means perfect, but for the price, it is a lovely drinking wine that has more character than other alternatives. The nose is super oaky. I'm reminded of Gary Vaynerchuk's "Oak Monster" comment. Its forgivable because it is interesting. This is not your mama's box wine.
On the palate, the wine is definitly oaky, but also exibits a fruity flavor. I think of sour cherries, finishing towards a bittersweet chocolate, to just a pure bitterness.
This is not a prestigious wine. If you are having company, look elsewhere. But for an inexpensive wine, you could do worse. In fact, this is good enough to have been the red wine at my wedding reception. Great budget wine for events.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
2006 White Rose Nekaia Pinot Noir
White Rose was an accidental, but fantastic discover in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Every time I go to a wine region, I try and ask the tasting room people what wines (besides their own, of course) they are in to. A few years back, White Rose was pretty much the consensus pick. A visit proved the rumors to be true, and I discovered what has been my favorite Oregon Pinot Noir ever, the Michelle. Unfortunately, the Michelle was a single release (if you find it, buy it immediately), but the last visit proved the Michelle wasn't a fluke and I came home with 5 bottles of the 2006 Nekaia, and a bottle of the 2006 Estate which I'll review another time.
The nose is fantastick. Fruity... I think of plumbs and cherries with a bit of vanilla. It is a light ruby-garnet color.
The taste is quite good. Fruity, with solid acid, light tannins. Strawberries and ripe cherries. The finish is a bit peppery, with a vanilla-carmel flavor that lingers. The finish is long and dies into a slight bitter flavor, but not what I would call bitter chocolate.
This is a lovely, drinkable Pinot Noir. I did decant it, but drank it straight away. The balance is excellent as-is. Don't think those other 4 bottles are going to stay in the cellar too long.
The nose is fantastick. Fruity... I think of plumbs and cherries with a bit of vanilla. It is a light ruby-garnet color.
The taste is quite good. Fruity, with solid acid, light tannins. Strawberries and ripe cherries. The finish is a bit peppery, with a vanilla-carmel flavor that lingers. The finish is long and dies into a slight bitter flavor, but not what I would call bitter chocolate.
This is a lovely, drinkable Pinot Noir. I did decant it, but drank it straight away. The balance is excellent as-is. Don't think those other 4 bottles are going to stay in the cellar too long.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
2007 Facelli Winery Lemberger
About three weeks ago the missus and I spent an afternoon out in Woodinville. We went out specifically to visit Woodhouse Family Cellars (details in another post) but since we were there we stopped into a few other wineries. Facelli is one of the oldest wineries in Woodinville. It is family-owned, and you are likely to run into the whole family when you visit on the weekend. We tasted several of the Facelli wines and decided on their Lemberger.
I honestly don't know that much about Lemberger. The only other Washington winery that I know of producing single-variatal wines with it is Kiona. Since I don't really know what a Lemberger's flavor profile is supposed to be, I get to give you a pretty open review of what it is like.
The wine is ruby red. The nose... I get raspberries. But with a sweetness that often makes me think of strawberries. Let's call it sweet raspberries. I also get a hint of a smell I associate with new carpet. Sort of a chemical/synthetic smell.
The wine is fruity on the palate, confirming the previous sweet raspberry thoughts. No real tannins, and the acid is light. The finish is short, and trails into a sour fruit flavor. Sort of like a cherry jolly rancher, with a touch of bitterness that doesn't quite fully develop into bittersweet chocolate.
Its a drinkable wine. I can't really tell you how it is as a Lemberger, but as a table wine, it is decent. At $17 a bottle, I think you can get a better table red or daily-drinker red. Still, if you are looking for something different, you might find it interesting.
I honestly don't know that much about Lemberger. The only other Washington winery that I know of producing single-variatal wines with it is Kiona. Since I don't really know what a Lemberger's flavor profile is supposed to be, I get to give you a pretty open review of what it is like.
The wine is ruby red. The nose... I get raspberries. But with a sweetness that often makes me think of strawberries. Let's call it sweet raspberries. I also get a hint of a smell I associate with new carpet. Sort of a chemical/synthetic smell.
The wine is fruity on the palate, confirming the previous sweet raspberry thoughts. No real tannins, and the acid is light. The finish is short, and trails into a sour fruit flavor. Sort of like a cherry jolly rancher, with a touch of bitterness that doesn't quite fully develop into bittersweet chocolate.
Its a drinkable wine. I can't really tell you how it is as a Lemberger, but as a table wine, it is decent. At $17 a bottle, I think you can get a better table red or daily-drinker red. Still, if you are looking for something different, you might find it interesting.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
2005 Marigny-Neuf Sauvignon Blanc
Lately I've been on a bit of a Sauvignon Blanc kick. It started with a search for a good spicy food wine, and the typical high-acid of an SB seemed appropriate. With their relatively-low alcohol, they make for a great daily drinker. I've found the variety you get, from grapefruity to tropical and their price point (typically I can find good ones under $15) makes them a fun wine to drink.
I've been drinking a lot of New Zealand, Australian, and South African SBs, so I have grown to expect a nose with lots of citrus or flowers. The Marigny-Neuf was completely different. The nose seemed a bit tight, and there was no standout aroma. On the palate, I got a lot of minerality. The fruit was is the background, like a glass of grapefruit juice that had been watered down. I could feel the acid on my tongue more than I could taste it. The finish was long, with just a touch of honey moving to a lime-peel bitterness.
Weird thing is that this is not at all what I typically am looking for in an SB, but I found it strangely compelling.
I had it paired with fajitas. Seemed like a good combo to my palate.
I picked it up for $8, so I can't complain too much. A decent wine, but I've had wines I like a lot more at this price range.
I've been drinking a lot of New Zealand, Australian, and South African SBs, so I have grown to expect a nose with lots of citrus or flowers. The Marigny-Neuf was completely different. The nose seemed a bit tight, and there was no standout aroma. On the palate, I got a lot of minerality. The fruit was is the background, like a glass of grapefruit juice that had been watered down. I could feel the acid on my tongue more than I could taste it. The finish was long, with just a touch of honey moving to a lime-peel bitterness.
Weird thing is that this is not at all what I typically am looking for in an SB, but I found it strangely compelling.
I had it paired with fajitas. Seemed like a good combo to my palate.
I picked it up for $8, so I can't complain too much. A decent wine, but I've had wines I like a lot more at this price range.
Why?
Well, I drink a lot of wine. I'm not really one to "cellar" wines with the hope they will gain value. My biggest challenge is not breaking into what I'm supposed to be putting away for 3-5 years.
I could use cellar tracker, but that involves discipline in adding wines to the list as I purchase them. It is much easier for me to write about them as I drink them. So this blog is about wine drinking, my thoughts on various wines, and other wine-related tidbits.
I could use cellar tracker, but that involves discipline in adding wines to the list as I purchase them. It is much easier for me to write about them as I drink them. So this blog is about wine drinking, my thoughts on various wines, and other wine-related tidbits.
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