May 102010
Wines From Last Night….May 10, 2010
This is our weekly review of wines we had the opportunity to taste over the last week or so. Unless otherwise noted all the wines were paid for with our hard earned bucks. But if anyone out there would like to donate a wine to end up in this blog…we’re game! This week we look at Merryvale Cabernet, Hacienda Don Ramon Rioja, Saracco MoscatoD’Asti, and Joel Gott Chardonnay.
Merryvale 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Estate – Napa Valley (A WOW! Wine of the Week!)
I had an opportunity to taste the big juicy cab at the Merryvale Winery earlier this year and loved it enough to buy a few bottles ($95) for my cellar. It was rich and complex with dark flavors like black berries and currants with a hint of cedar. The tannins were big but soft enough. At home I was anxious to give the wine another try. At first pour, it was apparent that the wine is still too young and needs a couple more years of cellaring. Obviously the winery decanted the wine for some time before my tasting. However, after two passes through the Vinturi and an hour in the decanter, this bad boy opened up beautifully and tasted just how I remembered it. This is definitely a wine to take to a quiet place and contemplate in a year or three.
Hacienda Don Ramon 2006 Rioja – Spain (A Wine Find of the Week!)
Our Friends at Bounty Hunter Rare Wines in Napa turned us on to this little gem. Very fruity (black cherry) with fuzzy tannins and a hint of oak and cola, this Tempranillo is a winner for $14. It is complex enough to get you thinking but light enough to enjoy on a warm summer’s evening.
Saracco 2007 MoscatoD’Asti – Italy
After an evening of charity wine tasting, we wanted something a bit festive but not as heavy as champagne and maybe a bit sweeter. Saracco Moscato D’Asti ($15) hit the spot. While the 2007 may be slightly past its prime, it is fresh and frothy with hints of pears, flowers, green apples and maybe a bit of lime peel and mineral. The soft flavors make for an excellent food pairing wine, my preference is to sip at the end of a lovely evening.
Joel Gott 2008 Chardonnay – Monterrey
If you have read “Wines from Last Night” before, you know we are ardent fans of big, oaky, buttery chardonnays. If your palate prefers a complete absence of these flavors, Joel Gott Chardonnay ($15) may be the wine for you. At first, I had a hard time getting past the intense green apple flavors but as the wine breathed I picked up hints of citrus and pear but still not to my liking. While we have enjoyed some reds from Joel Gott, we won’t be buying this Chardonnay again.
