Pisoni Vineyards and Winery 2004 Estate Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

Last night we opened a bottle with dinner that I had very high expectations of. I have had several vintages of the Pisoni Vineyards and Winery Estate Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir before, and they have always been great. I assumed and hoped that the 2004 wouldn't let me down either.

The color in the glass is a vivid deep garnet.

The nose exudes black cherry, dark raspberry, notes of blackberry, sweet violet, and a touch of tobacco (?).

On the palate big, broad fruit and berries with ripe cherry, dark raspberry, vanilla, an earthy touch, and slight tart fruit at the finish. The acidity is plentiful and the tannins integrated with a young edge to them. This wine has a great backbone and complexity, and I wish I had another bottle to open up in a year or two to see how it develops.

As you understand this wine did not disappoint me what so ever and I would say that this is one of the more complex vintages of this wine. The earlier ones that I have had have been even more ripe, lush and fruit forward but perhaps lesser in depth and complexity.

My first encounter with this wine was the 2001 vintage at The Kitchen restaurant in Sacramento and I distinctively remember saying out load as I had my first sip: -This tastes like liquid blueberry pie! This vintage definitely does not warrant that expression but definitely shows its fair share of beautiful fruit and berries.

Find it while you can at RobertsMarket.com for $64.99 or at BlackTieWines.net for $76.99.

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Valhalla Cellars 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

I could not resist picking up a bottle of Valhalla Cellars 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon when I saw it on the shelf in the local grocery store. Being from Sweden with our heritage of Norse Gods and Valhalla I just had to try this wine that I had never heard of before. I just loved the label with the viking ship!

Valhalla Cellars was founded in 2001 by Todd Martin and Madeleine Beeler Warner, both of Scandinavian decent. Therefore the name of their label. They are small producers that buy grapes from top vineyards in areas that produce the best quality grapes for the wine they intend to produce.

This wine was fermented in open top fermenters with the cap punched down 3 times daily. It was then aged for 21 months in 60% new and 40% two year old French Oak. Only 70 cases produced.
The wine has a very dark dense ruby color in the glass with slight cloudiness. Red cherry, dark red currant, liquorice and vanilla meets you on the nose. It is relatively smooth on the palate with red fruit, spice, vanilla, good acidity, and young, slightly tart tannins that step in at the very finish.

The color of the wine through me off a little bit to start with. I expected more darker nuances in the fruit and berries, but they are young and red. Never the less, I enjoyed this wine and for $23 I would not hesitate to long to get it again.

The only site I can find it at online is at the winery's web site for $28. They do not have a store online but I am sure you can contact them to purchase and have it shipped.

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Three reds...

The other night we had neighbors over for a glass, or two (or three) of wine. I took some brief note that I thought I would share with you...

We started of with the Alexander Valley Vineyards 2003 Alexander Valley Syrah. A slightly cloudy and dark red/purple wine. On the nose bright black cherry, blueberry and vanilla. The palate showed raspberry, blueberry, ripe cherry and oak. We all thought this medium to full bodied wine was enjoyable on its own, with integrated firm tannins and long fruity finish.

Find it from $14.99 at Wine-Searcher.com

Next up a bottle that our friends brought, Summers Winery 2004 Villa Andriana Vineyard Napa Valley Charbono. It is not very often you see a 100% Charbono and I was very excited to try this wine. The color in the glass was extremely dense purple/black color. On the nose first perfume with violet and rose. Then dark cherry, blackberry and a touch of creme brulee at the end of the nose.

Palate was lively with ripe, dense fruit and soft tannins with a slight edge. A very interesting and quite nice wine.

Find it from $24.99 at Wine-Searcher.com.

Third out was the Fratelli Ponte 2004 Barbera D'Asti Superiore. I was recommended this bottle in our local grocery store for $10.99. At that price I had nothing to lose and grabbed a bottle.

This was a medium bodied wine characterised by fresh yeasty bread, dark cherry, and a slight touch of plum and raisin. For the price I guess it was not to shabby, but I would personally not buy this wine again.

This was a night with a wide variety of flavors and impressions. Isn't that what makes wine tasting (and drinking) so much fun? You never know what's next and what surprises it might bring...

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Zaca Mesa 2004 Z Cuvee Santa Ynez Valley Red Wine

Zaca Mesa Winery is located in Santa Ynez Valley on an 750 acre estate whereof 244 acres are planted vineyard. The winery was founded in 1972 and was one of the first in Santa Ynez Valley since the prohibition ended. It was originally planted with varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, etc. In the early 1990's it was determined that Rhone varietals such as Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Viognier, and Roussanne grew best on the site, and it was decided that these were the varietals the winery would focus on. Since 2002 an additional 100 acres have been replanted with new clones of Rhone varietals.
All grapes used in their wine is grown on their property with sustainable wine growing as the goal.
An interesting trivia is that their Syrah was served in the White House by President Clinton to the French President Chirac.

The Zaca Mesa 2004 Z Cuvee Santa Ynez Valley Red Wine is a Chateauneuf-du-Pape style blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah and Cinsaut. The different varietals were fermented and barrel aged separately for 7 months. They were then blended and aged an additional 9 months in French oak.

This dark ruby red wine shows raspberry, sweet vanilla, cherry and a hint of strawberry on the nose. Once in your mouth the palate reveals soft raspberry, cherry, blackberry and a big kick of peppery spice at the end. The finish is at first fruity but is soon overpowered by the earthy, tart tannins.
This wine did not make me jump with joy but neither was it totally off. I wish it was more balanced and had softer, more integrated tannins for a smoother finish. The vanilla on the nose was also slightly overshadowing the fruit.

You can order this wine direct from the winery for $18. Or you can find it for as low as $13.95 at both Wine-Searcher.com and Winezap.com.


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Paul Martin's American Bistro Grand Opening

As we had a good friend in town last night we decided to take him to Paul Martin's American Bistro where we went for the soft opening last Friday (read my review here). This was their first night open to the public and we thought it would be a great opportunity to try out the dinner menu.
We originally had reservations for 7:15 pm, and because we were awaiting a third party we had to change the time. Though they were booked up, the staff was very accommodating to our needs and demonstrated first rate service.

At arrival we sat down in the bar while waiting for our friend to arrive. I was very pleased to see that they had quite a few wines by the glass and not afraid to put some more pricey wines in that category as well. We ordered the Sonoma Coast Vineyards, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($19), as we had this a while back and really enjoyed it (read my review here). A new bottle was opened for us, and we were not disappointed by our choice. A nice touch is that wines by the glass are served in a small carafe on the side and you fill up your glass as needed.
The wine list over all has a relatively small selection (they all fit on one page), but they are well chosen with something for every wallet. The only negative with the wine list is that it does not display vintages. As someone who knows a little bit about wine I am very interested to know whether I will be receiving a 2002 or 2005... Of course you can ask, but I just prefer to know upfront as I am looking at the wine list, and making my decision.

As our friend arrived we were seated and I ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that was new to me, Kelly Fleming 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($94). Kelly Fleming is the wife of Paul Fleming (one of the founders of the restaurant) and as I did some research today I found the following facts: The grapes are organically grown on a 12 acre site in Napa Valley with Jim Barbour as the vineyard manager. He is very experienced and highly regarded, and the list of vineyards in Napa Valley he is working with is never ending. Celia Welch Masyczek, formerly of Staglin Family Vineyards, is the consulting winemaker, and works with a limited clientele in Napa Valley such as two other favorites of mine, Hollywood and Vine Cellars, and Husic Vineyards. 500 cases was made of this wine and it is available at the wineries website for $85.
From my mental notes this wine displays a dark ruby color in the glass with hints of purple. The nose displays dark, ripe fruit and berries with notes of fresh bread and vanilla. The dark berries carries on to the palate with dark cherry, blackberry, black currant, vanilla and a slightly earthy note. Great acidity and young, firm, but still lush, tannins. I was pleasantly surprised by this wine and really enjoyed it. This is a new favorite added to my list of wines that I will keep my eyes open for in the future.

On to the food. We started with a Butcher's Board ($9.95 per person) for the table that consisted of an orange and fennel salami, pork tenderloin, a third cold cut, Point Reyes blue cheese, a soft Laura Chenel goat cheese drizzled with olive oil, a semi firm aged Gouda, olives, caper berries and whole grain mustard. Well put together and a great start to the meal.
We tried two new entrees not reviewed in my last post. My husband had the New York Steak with Fries and Zinfandel Butter ($29.95). The steak was cooked as ordered, nicely marbled, juicy and had a great flavor. The fries were short of fantastic, crisp almost all the way through, just slightly soft in the center, and perfectly seasoned with salt and parsley.
I had the Mesquite Grilled Tuna with Tomato and Olive Salsa ($19.95), and sauteed yellow and green beans. This was a very fresh dish that felt light and healthy. The quality and cut of tuna was great, and the flavor paired very well with the tomato and olive salsa. The beans just lightly sauteed with a nice crunch to them.
For dessert we had the same dessert as Friday, the Devil's Food Cake ($6.75) and the Pear and Huckleberry Crisp ($6.75). The Devil's food cake has less ganache in the layers this time which was an improvement, but as a true chocoholic I still missed that really intense dark chocolate flavor that I personally prefer in my cake. On the other hand it is chocolate so I can't really complain...

Two highlights of the evening were that Paul and Kelly Fleming was there, and Mr. Fleming came up to our table and chatted briefly. A very pleasant and charming man.

The second surprise was that the executive chef Peter Serantoni came up to our table and recognized me as reviewing the restaurant Friday. Turns out he is Swedish as well, originally from Stockholm, and came here when he was twenty years old, and has since then moved around in different states and now lives in California. It was certainly exciting to speak Swedish, and a great pleasure to meet a fantastic chef.

The service throughout the night was excellent. The attention to our, and all other tables as well, was great, with managers, several servers etc., coming up to make sure that everything was ok. Was there anything we needed? A great effort from the whole staff on grand opening night!

I can really recommend this restaurant as the reasonable prices are surpassed by the quality of food and service.

Go there, eat, and let me know what you think. I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback!

Paul Martin's American Bistro

1455 Eureka Rd

Roseville, CA 95661

(916) 783-3600

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Vino Noceto 2004 Shenandoah Valley Sangiovese

Vino Noceto, a small family run winery in Amador County, was founded in 1987 by Suzy and Jim Gullet. They concentrate on the Italian varieties Sangiovese, Barbera and Muscato Bianco. They also grow Zinfandel which the area is known for.

I picked up a 375 ml bottle of the Vino Noceto 2004 Shenandoah Valley Sangiovese the other day at our grocery store, and tonight we are giving it a try.
The wine shows a bright ruby red color in the glass with a slight dark pink hue.
The nose gives of aromas of dark cherry, rose hip fruit, sweet vanilla and black tea. In the mouth notes of cherry, cranberry, spice, earth, and a touch of pencil lead at the very finish. The acidity is relatively high and the tannins slightly tart.

This wine has good balance, is very approachable at this point in time, and a really nice wine with food (I can definitely see it with spaghetti and meatballs...) or enjoyed on it's own.

For $12.99 at Wine-Searcher.com and WineZap.com it is a really good deal. I really like the fact that it comes in a 375 ml bottle as well. Great if you only want a glass and don't want to open a full 750 ml bottle...


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A.P. Vin 2004 Clos Pepe Vineyard Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir

We picked up a new Pinot Noir today at Selland's Market while getting some of their unbelievable carnitas to bring home for dinner. Selland's has a small but extremely well chosen selection of wine, thanks to Josh, and there is always a new small production winery among all the other options every time you go there.

Today's choice for us was the A.P. Vin 2004 Clos Pepe Vineyard Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Having had wine from several producers from this vineyard before I was expecting a wine that I would enjoy. This wine was aged in French oak for 11 months and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Only 50 cases made.

In the glass a dense, slightly cloudy, dark garnet color. The nose promise me great things to come with black raspberry, blackberry, some floral, thyme, and wet stone. I take my first sip and can't help but smile. This is gooood..... Dark berries dominate the palate again with some dark cherry and light notes of earthiness. The oak is there but does not stand out, just playing a supporting element together with good acidity and relatively firm but well integrated tannins. The long beautiful finish with earthy berries makes this a wine to remember.

Owner and winemaker is Andrew P. Vingiello has a pretty impressive list of people to thank for advise and help through his start up years. Read more here. No wonder his wines are so high in quality...

At $44.99 this is not cheap wine, but oh so worth it. I am sorry to say that I can't find it online available for purchase. Give Selland's Market above a call for a bottle or two.

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M2 Wines

Last Saturday we went to a wine tasting at our local wine store, featuring M2 Wines. I was not familiar with this winery and excited to try something new. Chris Matheny, owner and winemaker, did all the pouring and was very informative and loved to talk about his passion, and wine in general. Needless to say, I had a great time.

Chris Matheny and Layne Montgomery

M2 Wines got it's name from the first letter in two gentlemen last name, Layne Montgomery and Chris Matheny. The two of them met in 1999 and in 2000 they started making wine as amateurs. In 2004 it was time to go commercial and since 2006 they have their own winery in Lodi. M2 does not own their own vineyards but buys grapes from premium vineyards throughout California. That way they can source the different varietals from the areas where they express the best characteristics.
Chris explained to me that their goal as winemakers are to intervene as little as possible to let the vineyards and grapes express themselves in the wine, showing the essence of the location and the grape varietal. Getting there they use only the highest quality yeast, barrels, etc. Another amazing fact that only proves their commitment to producing great wine is that they actually punch down the cap 2-3 times per day. Far from always the case at many wineries...

On to the tasting:

The 2004 Dos Arkies California Red Wine (named after the fact that they are two guys from Arkansas) is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petite Sirah. Great blend for $18 that is a tad bit low in complexity but easy and pleasing to drink. Red cherry, black berry, and blue berry dominates on the nose. The palate offers red cherry, black currant, some spiciness from black pepper, and smokey oak. Great value for this medium bodied wine that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
The 2005 Singularity Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley($35) is a Cabernet Sauvignon blended with a small amount of Syrah and Petite Sirah. Did not take any tasting notes on this one as I was preoccupied talking to Chris... I do remember that I liked it...
Next up was the 2005 Duality Red Wine Sierra Foothills ($20). A blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah. Again, talking to much with Chris but I do remember the strong impression of the dried, smoked meat and dark berries that hit you big time on the nose. The palate again carried that dark fruit and berries along with mouth puckering firm, high tannins . Big wine, big tannins! This one demands a good BBQ!
The 2005 Row 23 Herzog Vineyard Clarksburg Petite Sirah ($28) was poured next. This wine offered floral/perfume on the nose with dark berries. On the palate vivid, round dark fruit and berries again, with smooth, round tannins. Different at that point from the previous wines that all had more edgy, firm tannins.
The last wine was a surprise as it was not on the tasting list. Chris had pulled a barrel sample that morning from the 2006 Clone 6 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (3-pack for $120) and poured is as a future. This one made me really excited. Only 175 cases produced this will be bottled in March and released in October next year. Straight out of a French oak barrel that morning this wine was bright in fruit with red cherry, black cherry and violet on the nose. The red and black cherry shows up on the palate again with black currant and oak notes. Very high in mouth puckering tannins at this point, I can not wait to see what it has to offer next October when my shipment is arriving.

This is a realtively new, up and coming winery and I am looking forward to follow them as they develop over the years. Their wines are all really nice and leaves a promise of things to come in the future.
Find their wines at their website.


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Sonoma Coast Vineyards 2004 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

The Sonoma Coast Vineyards 2004 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is composed of grapes from seven vineyards, Abbott, Baranoff, Clay, Koos, Leepin, Nunes and Zephyr Vineyards. It spent 20 months in oak barrels, 50% being new French Oak.

This was my first time having a wine from this winery and it was thanks to my husband who brought it home after finding it at BevMo and thought it looked like it was worth a try. BevMo's price was $54 for this bottle and the only other place I can find it online to purchase is at the winery's website for $60.

On to the actual tasting. A big, dark ruby red color greats me in the glass just before discovering dark cherry, dark raspberry, blueberry and an earthy quality with some grass/herb nuances, on the nose. I am very excited at this point can't wait to take a sip. Again the black cherry is there with some involvement of red cherry as well. Dark berries makes an impact as well with some oak notes at the end. The acidity is definitley there in the right amounts and the tannins are pronounced yet round and velvety.

Not knowing quite what to expect I was very pleased with this wine. The balance between ripe fruit and berries,the notes of earth and grass/herb and the beautiful tannins, plays out great. At the end resulting in a lush, ripe Pinot Noir that still possesses the more delicate nature of a cool climate Pinot. This is a Pinot I will definitely have again. You should try it to!

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Kenneth Volk Vineyards 2004 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

I thought we would try a, to us, new winery tonight. The 2004 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir from Kenneth Volk Vineyards seemed like a good candidate on the shelf in the grocery store.

This wine is a blend from several vineyards from Santa Maria Valley and Santa Rita Hills. It was aged in 60% new, 20% one year old, and 20% three to four year old French oak using barrels from several different coopers.

A clear dark ruby color with a touch of purple reflects in the glass. On the nose, red cherry, raspberry, blueberry, light strawberry and traces of oak. Moving to the palate blackberry and cherry are the main components, with raspberry and oak in the background. This Pinot has good acidity and firm tannins, that together with the pronounced fruit makes for a great balanced wine with very decent complexity and a medium body.

I got this at my local "natural food" market for $ 23.99 and I think that was a good price for this very nice wine. Finding it online for only $17.99 at Wine-Searcher.com, it is a really good deal.

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L Wine Lounge and Urban Kitchen in Sacramento

The L Wine Lounge and Urban Kitchen on 1801 L Street in Sacramento opened about two months ago and finally last Friday we got to try it out.
The owners Marcus and Kolea Marquez has opted for a very chic, contemporary design of the space that fit the new complex it is located in. The space consists of a wine bar, tables for dining at two levels and an outdoor patio area for summer nights. We sat at the patio to enjoy the courtyard and it's sleek architecture.
The wine list is relatively short but well composed and the menu is set up of an array of small plates to match and share. I love this kind of eating as you get to try so may things from the menu. The chef is Ame Harrington, formerly at The Kitchen, and she has done a great job selecting items for the menu.

We started of with the Three Cheese Plate. A goat cheese, a hard cows milk, and a soft cows milk was accompanied by olives, Marcona almonds, peach slices, dates, fig cake, preserved whole walnut (interesting item that I have never seen before), and bread. A great start to our meal!
After that we ordered several items to share at the table.

Flat Iron Steak with jus, fresh porcini mushrooms, and some other mushrooms (that I did not recognize). The steak was incredibly juicy, tender and flavorful. A great dish.
Pan Seared Pizzetta came in two versions and we picked the one topped with a goat cheese spread, eggplant and basil. Perfect to satisfy our craving for carbs. I am not usually a big fan of eggplant but this creation from Ame was fantastic.
Last but not least we had a total of three plates (yes you heard it right) of Slow Roasted Babyback Ribs. These were the best ribs any of us had had in a long time. There was plenty of meat at the ribs and it was extremely succulent and fall-of-the-bone tender. They had a really interesting seasoning to them and Ame was kind enough to share the rub with us: juniper berry, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, salt and pepper. I will have to try my hand on this at home. On the side a grated mango salad with cilantro. Perfectly refreshing and it paired great with the seasoning of the ribs.

We tried two different wine from the wine list. Our group of four that went out that night are all pinot noir fanatics and we started out with the August West 2005 Rosella's Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir. We all loved this big, fruity pinot with plenty of acidity and tannins to stand up to the dark fruit and berries.
Second bottle was the Hatcher 2004 Willamette Valley Oregon Pinot Noir. A more cool climate slightly more elegant pinot noir that we should have given the benefit to be the first bottle. Altough this was a nice bottle too, it had a hard time to stand up to the August West and we were therefore a little bit disappointed... We'll know better next time.

The wine list over all has a very reasonable mark up and I have to applaud the owners for that. The August West set us back $62, and in my local wine store the price is $45. I say that shows a pretty fair price for the restaurant.

If you live in the area or are passing by pay this new, modern lounge and restaurant a visit. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Check back soon as I will review the August West in more detail in the near future. I had to order half a case from my wine store the next day and it is coming in not to long...


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Bighorn Cellars 2004 Los Carneros Camelback Vineyard Chardonnay

Bighorn Cellars was founded by Bill Hill in the 1970's and his mission is to produce wines from exceptional vineyards in the best growing regions for each varietal. The Chardonnay is therefor grown in Carneros while other varietals are grown in other areas. Pinot Noir for example is grown in Willamette Valley and Sonoma Coast.

The 2004 Los Carneros Camelback Vineyard was barrel fermented in 100%, 1 to 2 year old, French Oak. After that allowed to go through secondary malolactic fermentation. Then bottled without filtration and aged in the bottle until release.

It has a golden, light straw color in the glass. Initially on the nose, buttery oak overshadows everything else, but letting it sit in the glass for 5 minutes very different aromas appear. This time soft floral and citrus steps in with the oak and leaves a more balanced impression. Tasting the wine, ripe apple and pear, with citrus and some tropical fruit shows up. The mouth feel is round and soft with creamy oak that doesn't step over the line to become buttery. Moderate acidity brings it all together leaving you with a creaminess that still has a freshness to it.

I had this wine with Poached Salmon, Sauteed Spinach and Orzo in a Basil Sauce. It made a great pairing.

Enjoying this chardonnay I would not hesitate to pay $19.99 for it again at my local BevMo. If you want a better deal you can find it online at Wine-Searcher.com from $16.10. A good price for a nice chardonnay.

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Long Meadow Ranch 2004 Ranch House Red Napa Valley

The Long Meadow Ranch 2004 Ranch House Red has a very dense, dark red color in the glass with a touch of cloudiness. On the nose black cherries, spice, earth, wet stone, and a hint of sherry like aromas. On the palate again the black cherry, with red cherry, black currant, and some peppery spice. Again a hint of that sherry quality, that I am not a fan of. The fruit is at first intense but loses strength quickly and gives way to tart tannins on the medium length finish.

This is not a wine I would recommend. I do not like the sherry associations I get on the nose and palate, and the wine is not very well balanced. For $19 I can easily find a wine that fits my palate better.

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Bonaccorsi 2004 Sanford and Benedict Pinot Noir

Bonaccorsi makes some fantastic Pinot Noirs from the central coast. I've had quite a few of them before and also reviewed a couple for them. Read my four earlier reviews here. This is however my first bottle from the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard and I was anxious to see how it compared to the other vineyard designated Pinots.

The Bonaccorsi 2004 Sanford and Benedict Pinot Noir shows a very dark, ruby red, medium dense, color in the glass. On the nose big, black cherry, blackberry, earthiness and a hint of vanilla, greets me. Moving on to tasting it dark raspberry, round, dark plum, and black cherry initially leaves a big impression. As it moves toward the finish, silky tannins and juicy acidity steps in, along side the fruit and berries, and gives this medium to full bodied wine a long beautiful finish, with pencil lead leaving you a final impression at the very end.

This wine is definitely up there with both the Melville, and the Fiddlestix Vineyards that Bonaccorsi also makes (among others). I see this as a little bit more silky and smooth compared to the other two. But considering that the last three ones I have had all have been from different vintages they are not really comparable.

This one, just like the rest of their bottles, is hard to get a hold of and I can only find one source on-line, Wally's Wine and Spirit for $64.99. Pricey, I know. But if you are looking for something special this definitely fits the bill...


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Lodi Wine Tasting

My birthday is coming up and yesterday my two good friends Robyn and June picked me up in the morning to go to a, for me, unknown destination for a day of fun.

An hour or so later we arrived in Lodi. Now, I have never been to Lodi before, but I do know that they make quite a bit of wine there, so of to wine tasting we went.

We started off with Jewel Winery were the majority of the wines are under $10. They pride themselves with offering great wine for a great price. I started of by tasting the 2005 "Un-Oaked" Chardonnay ($9.99). Not to bad at all for the price. Good amount of fruit while refreshing from the acidity, and non existing oak. Got myself a bottle of this one. The 2004 Firma (blend of Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Syrah), has a nice balance of dark fruit and smooth tannins. For $9.99 it is not to shabby as a crowd pleasing table wine. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon ($9.99) was really not all that bad either but it was lacking a bit in structure with to much fruit, although not to ripe, and not enough tannins and acidity to carry it up. The 2005 Petite Syrah ($9.99) had a good amount of dark fruit but was way to high in firm, edgy tannins. Did not enjoy this wine. Last up was the 2002 Estate Raffaele "Diamant" ($24.99). This was the most complex of the wines poured. I did however not care for it a big deal considering the price. I can find better bottles in this price range. Over all I do think they achieved their goal. These are good wines for the price you pay.

Lodi Wine and Visitor Center

Next we visited the Lodi Wine and Visitor Center where they pour wines from many different wineries in Lodi. We had a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable young man pour us the wine and he really enhanced our experience. Thank you Fungai! We started with the 2005 Vino Brio Pinot Grigio ($16). It had very soft, muted nose and palate with not enough acidity to make it interesting. This wine did not really do it for me. Moving on to the 2005 Gustavo Thrace, Mohr Frey Ranch, Sauvignon Blanc ($16.50) I kind of had the same experience. These are certainly not bad wines and nicely chilled they are a good option for a hot summer day, but not much more then that. On to some red wines we were poured the 2005 Jessie's Grove "Ancient Vine" Carignane. This was a real surprise coming from 117 year old vines. It is not very often you see a "pure" Carignane wine (81% Carignane, 15% Petite Sirah and 4% Syrah) as it is mostly used as a blending grape, especially to a high extent in France. This wine however was full of dark red fruit and berries with nice supporting acidity and tannins to give this very smooth medium bodied wine a medium length finish. Had to get a bottle of this one... The 2004 Mettler Syrah was up next. This Syrah was made in a more elegant style than many other syrahs, with just medium dark fruit and less spice than usual. At the first sip I really liked it but then I discovered a funky note on the nose of wet hay. Can't say that the wine was spoiled or defected, maybe a stylistic approach, but not to my liking... Last up was a Cabernet Sauvignon and the sad thing is that I really enjoyed it but I do not remember the maker or vintage... Oh well...

From here we just walked a few steps to have lunch at Wine and Roses (a hotel, restaurant and spa resort). I have read about this place and I was very excited that my friends had planned for this as our lunch stop. We started of by trying the Dungeness Crab Cocktail, with mango, avocado, and topped with wonton chips. The crab tasted super fresh and was deliciously sweet and well paired with the avocado, mango and some other ingredient that I can not recall. We also tried the Squash and Zucchini Soup with green zucchini, yellow squash, onion, and some additional vegetables in a broth. Light but so incredibly flavorful. A great soup for the summer.

For entree I had the Grilled Scottish Salmon glazed with a BBQ sauce, on Israeli couscous, sauteed pea tendrils and baby organic beets. The salmon was perfectly moist and the beets soft and sweet. Altogether an awesome dish! I would have it in a heart beat again. After that I was surprised with a birthday dessert. The plate consisted of three chocolate items. A Chocolate Irish Cream Mousse with a Butterscotch Cream Center sitting on top of an Oatmeal Crust. To die for! On the side was a Dark Chocolate Ganache Chip studded with chocolate chunks and a creamy, Frothy Vanilla Drink with a Chocolate Dipped Tuille. Trust me when I say that I was in heaven after this meal. Outstanding! If you ever pass by Lodi make sure to stop here for a meal or two...

Lunch was over and we were stuffed as we headed of to the next winery, Van Ruiten Family Winery. The 2004 Rose of Cab-Shiraz ($12) was bone-dry with nice rose petals and raspberry on the nose and palate. I am usually not a big rose fan but this one was actually really nice. Next up was the 2003 Cab-Shiraz ($15) that had nice full body, with dark fruit, dark cherries, black currant and some spice, but nothing special. My favorite from this winery was the last pouring, the 2002 Old Vine Zinfandel ($18) It had dark, ripe, lush fruit and berries with a nice spiciness from pepper and good acidity and tannins as backbone.

Last stop was the Michael David Winery. I had not heard of them before and to my surprise they produce the wines I so often see in the grocery store, like Seven Deadly Zins, Seven Heavely Chards, Incognito etc. We tasted to many wines for me to keep track of here, but let me talk about the ones I do remember. Sparkling Duet is a sparkling wine made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Without giving to much detail (because I do not quite remember), it was slightly sweet, but light and refreshing. I am guessing a nice little bubbly, but since I did not take mental note of it I suspect nothing extraordinary. The 2005 Seven Heavenly Cards ($13) is a crowd pleasing, tasty chardonnay with fresh citrus, apple, some creaminess and good amount of acidity to keep it relatively light and refreshing. One of my favorite here was the Don's Lodi Red because it is so simple and plain but still satisfying to an extent. This is a blend of Carignane, Syrah and a touch of Symphony. A great everyday wine that I can see working great with meaty pasta dishes. A fruity, pleasing, simple blend that will not blow anyone away, but will be sure to please a lot of people as an all around table wine. On to the 2005 Seven Deadly Zins ($15). This is another budget favorite year after year. This zinfandel has great dark fruit with, black cherries, blackberry, and some pleasing peppery spice. Unfortunately it has to heavy oak for my taste, but on the other hand the majority likes this. This wine would be better (for my palate) with less oak and a little bit firmer tannins. Last but not least was a new interesting wine from the winery. The 2005 Petite Petit is a blend of Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot. I did not take any specific tasting notes for this wine but I remember it having pleasant flavors of dark fruit and relatively balanced, and I brought home a bottle and I'll make sure to review it in the near future. What made my whole day in the end was that Don, the father of Micheal and David, was in the store and when he learned that my big

Robyn, myself, Don and June

three zero was coming up he came up and wished me happy birthday and gave me a bottle of his Don's Lodi Red and signed it with a birthday wish for me. Plus he threw in a bottle of the Seven Deadly Zins. What a kind man and what a great way to end our wine tasting! Thank you Don! And thank you Mark, (the tasting room guy who poured us the wine and entertained us), you did an awesome job!

What a day! And as if that was not enough my friends now took me back to Wine and Roses for a 90 minute ultimate spa treatment. I do not get spa treatment very often but when I do it is usually at pretty descent places around the world, and I have to say that this was one of the best ones I have ever had. Thank you June and Robyn for an absolutely wonderful day!!!
Cheers!

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Capiaux 2004 Garys' Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

After having the Capiaux 2005 Chimera Pinot Noir a while back I had to try the "one step up" pinot noir from them as well. They have several of the these and I picked the Garys' Vineyard having had many pinots , from other wineries, from this appellation before and always enjoying them.

This wine shows a slightly cloudy, dark ruby red/purple color in the glass. Aromas of dark and red cherry, raspberry, perfumy floral, and smoke, hits you on the nose. Tasting it, black currant, red cherries, and smokey oak, shows up. This is a medium to full-bodied wine with supple acidity and relatively smooth tannins with a long beautiful, complex, finish.

This is a really good pinot that I hope to enjoy many more times in the future. It is a great pinot if you do not like some of the "fruit bomb pinots" that are being made out there. It is very well balanced with great structure. Give it a try!

I bought this at a local wine store for $55. You can find it for as low as $40 at Vinfolio.com. I know it is kind of pricy, but definitely worth it.

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