Ramey Wine Cellars wine tasting

Saturday we went to our local wine store, Capitol Cellars in Roseville, for a Ramey Wine Cellars tasting. Five wines were poured, and to my excitement they tasted one of my favorite Napa Valley wines, the Ramey Jericho Canyon Vineyard. But let's stat at the beginning...

First to be poured was the 2006 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($39). A round chardonnay with tropical fruit, creamy lemon, cooked apple and oak notes, with good acidity. A good start indeed with nice acidity backing up the fruit and oak.

Next was the 2006 Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($39). This wine had some more complexity to it and was fitting my palate better with tropical fruit, citrus, white floral, and again the slightly buttery oak. Good acidity balance the fruit and makes it complex, and refreshing/crisp, at the same time.

The third wine was one of their vineyard designated Chardonnays, the 2006 Hyde Vineyard ($61). This chardonnay was the most multifaceted of the three. It shows tropical fruit, white floral, pineapple, and light peach. This wine is supported by great acidity and minerals that really lifts the wine and makes it stand up to the more concentrated fruit and round oak. Full-bodied and complex with a long finish. It is perfect for me to enjoy right now, but can definitely rest quite a few years in the bottle for the palate that prefers a more mature Chard.

On to the two Cabernet Sauvignons that was poured.
The first one was the 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($51) displaying concentrated fruit and berries with black cherry, sweet dark currant, plum, and chocolate. Tart, green tannins dominates after the fruit lingers off. Needs a year or two in the bottle for the tannins to melow out and become more balanced.

On to a favorite that I have enjoyed previous vintages, the 2005 Jericho Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon ($111). This was the first taste for me of this vintage. It has a dark garnet/purple color in the glass. The nose exuding blackberry, earth, strawberry jam, violet, and oak notes. The palate is intense and jammy with black cherry, blackberry, dusty black currant, earth notes, and oak. Full bodied with good acidity and young, green, massive tannins. Definitely a bottle to lay down for a couple of years before revisiting. This is going to be a beauty!

What a great flight of wines to taste on a sunny terrace! A perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

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Paul Hobbs 2002 Hyde Vineyard Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir

Paul Hobbs 2002 Hyde Vineyard Carneros Pinot Noir has a dark dense garnet color in the glass.
The nose shows vibrant dark raspberry, cherry, and vanilla.
The first thing that hits you on the palate is ripe, deep, blackberry, supported by cherry, spice, and a nice vanilla/oak component. The acidity is still going strong and the tannins are smooth and well integrated. The balanced medium to long finish has beautiful, elegant, dark fruit and berries, with a trace of pencil lead at the very end.

I bought this wine in a local wine store, Capitol Cellars, about 3 years ago for $60. After some research at the Internet I come to the conclusion that this wine is hard to get a hold of. I could not find a single store/website that carries it.
It really drinks beautifully at this point and if you can get your hands on a bottle do not hesitate to get it.

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ZD 2005 Carneros Pinot Noir

I am finally back after having had family in town for the two last weeks with a lot of traveling (and no blogging). Thank you for being patient...

Tonight we opened the ZD 2005 Carneros Pinot Noir with dinner. It is made from fruit sourced from two vineyards in Carneros. After crush it was fermented in small open top fermenters with hand punchdowns every six hours, then aged for 10 months in French Oak barrels.

This wine shows a dark ruby red, clear color in the glass. The nose is lush but still elegant with ripe red cherry, rose, vanilla and a slight hint of thyme. In the mouth it expresses red cherry, dark raspberry, dust and smokey oak. The tannins are soft in this medium bodied wine with a moderate finish, that could use a little bit more punch.
At first I was slightly disappointed at the very restrained fruit but as I let it open up about 30 min the more lush, ripe berries emerged and made this elegant wine quite enjoyable. After an additional 30 min it was even more fruit forward and round. I strongly recommend to let this bottle sit open for about 1 hour (or decant it) before enjoying, as it only opens up and develops to the better.

You can find it at Wine-Searcher.com from $29.99 which I would say is a fair price for this level quality bottle.

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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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Artesa 2005 Carneros Chardonnay

The 2005 Artesa Carneros Chardonnay has a pale straw color in the glass with a slight green tint. On the nose I pick up pear, green apple, citrus, and some yellow peach at the end. On the palate the apple and citrus comes through really nice, with a smooth, round, creaminess. The wine is however not to buttery but instead quite lively and fresh. This character comes from 2/3 of the wine being fermented in oak and 1/3 in stainless steel tanks, plus the fact that only 1/2 of it went through the secondary malolactic fermentation. The malolactic fermentation is the step in wine making that gives the wine its buttery creaminess. Since only half went through it, you still keep some fresh fruit character. It lacks a little bit in complexity, but it is over all a really nice white.

I enjoyed this chardonnay thanks to the fact that it was not overly oaky, or to buttery/creamy. If I had to pay the winery price ($30) I would opt for something else, but when finding it at Wine-Searcher.com from $9.99, I had to admit that it is a really great price for a good wine.

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Senders 2005 Carneros Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir

We picked up this bottle today at our local wine merchant after the owner recommending it to us.
I have never heard of this pinot before and trying to do some research online I found...nothing... The website given on the label is not active, I could not find any reviews or prices anywhere...
I did not get the story behind the wine when purchasing it so I am not quite sure if it is a new winery or what is going on...

Oh well, on to the wine. It has a very clear, not very dense, ruby red color in the glass. The nose offers red cherry, red raspberry, cranberry and a touch of oak. The cherry and cranberry follows through to the palate with medium acidity and sleek tannins. That is, tannins are definitely there, but are not to obtrusive, and on the other hand, not overly smooth either. A little thin on the fruit on the mid palate and finish for my taste, but never the less a very nice wine.

This, I would say, is a really good pinot to pair with food. Very good on it's own indeed, but it will match many different dishes easily because of it's not to overly fruity, more delicate structure, with acidity and tannins to support it.
I payed $ 34.95 for this bottle. For my palate I have a few pinots in this price range I would pick before buying this bottle again, but do not let that statement discourage you. This is a very nice pinot if this is the style you prefer, and I really would have no problem paying this price for this bottle of wine again. I can't recommend a place for you to by it since I could not find any, but if you run into it give definitely give it a try.

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Clos Pegase 2005 Mitsuko's Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay

Tonight I had a shrimp and broccoli fettuccine for dinner and paired it with the Clos Pegase 2005 Mitsuko's Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay.

This wine has a clear, medium straw color in the glass. Sticking your nose in the glass you pick up citrus and white peach with light floral notes, and a hint of almond. Sipping it ripe pear, citrus, and again, the white peach, coats the palate. It has soft a creaminess with some buttery oak, balanced out by medium firm acidity giving this white a clean fresh finish, with metallic minerals leaving it's mark at the very end.

It paired very well with dinner and having 90 degrees+ up here today a chilled, not to oaky chardonnay was exactly what I needed. I got this at Safeway on sale for $22.99, but you can find it at Wine-Searcher.com for as low as $19.99.

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Robert Sinskey Vineyards 2005 Los Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir

The philosophy of Robert Sinskey Vineyards is "Farm conscientiously and make wine with minimal manipulation...". The tail starts in 1982, and it's to long of a story to tell here... Read more about it here!
The 2005 Los Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir was a recent gift from friends. I knew I should keep my hands off of it but I could not resist it and tonight it got popped open. Intense ruby red color in the glass with great clarity. At first, earth and spice on the nose with the yeast smell of rising bread at the end. Letting it sit for a little bit, soft red cherries and berries emerges with herbaceous notes. Tart red cherries and raspberry on the palate with pencil lead on the finish. Good acidity and medium firm tannins. A really good bottle at this point, and letting it age for a couple of years I would expect it to improve...
Find it at Wine-Searcher.com or Winezap.com from $31.98.

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