Wine of the Week: 2005 Chateau Petit Bocq St. Estephe

This vintage was released back in 2006 and given a rating of 89/91 score. A well deserving score for such a beautiful wine.

I didn’t stumble upon this fine bottle of wine until this past weekend and opened it today. One word to describe this wine – wow!

This elegant wine is from the Bordeaux regions of France with a mixture of 55 percent Merlot, 43 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2 percent Cabernet Franc and aged one year in French oak. This full bodied vintage has fresh blueberries and roasted espresso on the nose and dense sweet ripe plums, cherries, tannin on the palate with a much desired lasting finish. With such a delicious finish, it would be a shame to follow it with anything else other than another sip.

I normally would recommend a specific dish to accompany this wine, but with the limited availability, I highly recommend savoring this exquisite vintage by itself.

Price: $23-$35

Wine of the week: Pasos Vineyards, 2005 Reserve Dastarte Red Wine

From Pasos Vineyards of Lockeford, Calif. this delightful vintage won the 2008 San Joaquin Valley Winegrowers Association Propriety Blend, Gold Medal and the Bronze Medal award for best Bordeaux blend at the 2009 Florida State Wine and Grape Juice Fair. While this little gem should have placed higher in Florida, its bronze medal recognition is still well deserved.

This bottle of heaven is loaded with smooth delicious flavors and aromas of fruit and a perfect balance of spice and smoky overtones. Released in 2008, this bottle of elegance is perfectly aged and fit to keep its exceptional flavor for the next 7-10 years.

Combined with Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Verdot barreled in new French and new Hungarian oak barrels makes this Bordeaux blend a masterpiece. On the palate is rich with sweet black cherry and ripen plums with notes of pepper, leather, and smoke accompanies a much desired lasting finish.

This very drinkable vintage is well enough enjoyed alone for any occasion or with a nice peppery steak or game. Like all wines produced at Pasos Vineyards, this vintage is in limited production, so stock of this wine is in very short supply. Price per bottle: $49

For more information on this wine and other varietals, contact Pasos Vineyards at (877) 53-PASOS. Located at: 12470 Locke Rd, Suite 268, Lockeford, CA 95237
Hours of operation: Fri-Sat 11-6 p.m., Sun 11-5 p.m.

Wine of the Week: 2006 Obsidian Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon of Red Hills Lake County

2006 Obsidian Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Hills Lake County

This bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon was chosen for its immediate appeal. While I was on a tasting tour of assorted reds, this wine was on my second pour. I raised my hand and gestured to the bar tender to, “Stop right there. I’d like a full glass and a bottle to take home.”

This is an exceptional wine. Immediately from the pour, I knew it was going to be great from the sight of deep reds and plum color. I picked up the glass and I took a deep breath through my nose and took in the richness of plum, blackberries, and cinnamon aromas.

On the palate, it is even more exquisitely refreshing with tastes of ripened black cherry, juicy ripe plums, currants, and bold tannins that electrify the taste buds. While this wine is rich in fruit flavor, there are also tastes of earth which is rich from the very-much-alive, volcanic soil from the high appellations of Red Hills in Lake County. These mineral traits come through with hints of French oak and spicy white pepper.

While this wine may be enjoyed with an assortment of dishes, I implore you to enjoy it à la carte. This Cabernet deserves the utmost and complete attention by itself.

Pricing
When this vintage was introduced, it received an 89 point rating and retail price was introduced at around $45 per bottle. Due to the hardship of the current economy, the price has been reduced to around $25 per bottle.

Wine of the Week: 2006 Bogle Vineyards Petite Syrah

This little gem deserves recognition this week for its medium bodied flavor with its peppery and berry aroma. This smooth harmonious wine has it all – sweetness, intense rich tannins, and a long aftertaste. On the nose, there is a hint of boysenberry, plum, and earthy tones. It is a sweet wine, but bold like an old Zinfandel. It remains bold and spicy which can be enjoyed with good steak, game, pork, or enjoyed with rich dishes with hearty Italian sauces.

While this wine has big flavors of an expensive wine, it has an affordable price tag ranging from $9 to $18.

As compared with other vintages, this is by far one of the best. I have not tried the later vintages (2007, 2008, or 2009), but the wines preceding are just as good, if not better. The only drawback is the price. The early the year the higher the price may be due to availability.

Wine of the Week: Saintsbury 2007 Garnet Pinot Noir

Located in Napa Valley, Staintbury is a lovely vineyard that is a true hidden treasure. While this winery is not open to the public, they will however take appointments for private tours and tastings. This is due to some permit problems with the city.

Saintsbury produces the finest Pinot Noir out of Napa Valley. The textures, tastes, and smell characteristics of this wine is very similar to French Burgundy. Many wine connoisseurs will argue and say, “But, it is still NOT Burgundy”. No, it’s not Burgandy, but its sure tastes good, nor does it have the Burgundy price tag. For a bottle of Carneros Pinot Noir and Carneros Garnet Pinot Noir are one third of the cost of a third tier Burgundy wine. For a second tier Burgundy would cost five times as much. Whoa!

While only 11,000 cases of the Garnet Pinot Noir was bottled in 2007, it can be found at BevMo and some local grocery stores, at least until the stocks are exhausted, then its gone forever. If you still can’t find this wine, order it directly from Saintbury.

For it’s taste, it still possess that distinguishable peppery Pinot flavor with juicy ripened wild berries, cherry, French oak, tea, and smoke. This is a soft tannin wine with a perfect balance of acidity. These qualities are what make this wine a perfect match with almost any meal or with a plate of cheese and crackers. The price range for this vintage is anywhere between $18 to $24 for a 750 ml bottle.

The Wine of the Week, 2007 Pillar Box Padthaway Red

The wine of the week, hands-down goes to the 2007 Pillar Box Padthaway Red. From the Henry’s Drive Vigernons vineyards comes this Australian little gem that is strikingly bold with just the right balance of sweetness. Made from a blend of 65 percent Shiraz, 25 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10 percent Merlot grapes gives this vintage the perfect balance of flavor. The nose is of bright vibrant wild berries, ripe cherries, black licorice, and vanilla oak. On the palate is rich with cherries, blueberry infused with French oak and vanilla. Even long after the previous sip, the lingering smooth finish will leave a taste of chocolate truffle and pleasant spice.

Bring out this bottle of wine to enjoy alone or have with any meat or pasta dish. This wine would definitely impress your friends, so buy more than one bottle. For the quality, one would expect to pay well over $30 per bottle. Surprisingly, it is priced well below. With a price tag of $10 to $15 per bottle, it won’t break your bank.

For more information about the winemarker, go to Henry's Drive

Wine of the Week: 2006 Hahn Estates Meritage Red Wine

The wine of the week goes to the 2006 Hahn Estates 2006 Meritage. In the year prior, Hahn Estates produced the multi-award winning 2005 Meritage, but unfortunately this exquisite wine is now out of circulation. If you can find a bottle of the 2005 Meritage, cherish it and hold on to it for a special occasion.

The next best thing is the 2006 Meritage. While during unpredictable weather with an unusually cold climate and wet weather during the first quarter, it forced growers to start a month behind. Towards the end of 2006, temperatures were more favorable, yet crops yielded fewer grapes than in previous years. What was produced, the grapes were healthy, but wines became more acidic as a result for many winemakers across the regions of Monterey and Paso Robles.

One of the highlights for 2006 is the Hahn Estate 2006 Meritage, because its flavor seems unaffected by unpredictable weather. This Meritage comprises of 33% merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the remaining mixture of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec all contribute to make this a memorable wine. This bold but soft tannin wine produces a satisfying taste that isn’t abrasive or over powering nor does it have weak attributes. It’s perfectly balanced.

On the nose, a light aroma of asparagus and dark chocolate truffle is evident followed by black cherry and raspberry, while on the palate gives a big taste of rip cherry produces a grip of flavor that lingers long after you swallow. That lingering flavor makes you crave more of that big bold Bordeaux like flavor.

My Food pairing suggestions
While traditionally, this type of wine would go good with red meat, it isn’t a spicy wine, so go light on the peppery meats. I recommend lamb chops, veal, filet mignon, or a lightly seasoned steak. The Meritage also goes well with a variety of Italian dishes. Surprisingly, this wine went well with halibut, but other wine connoisseurs might strongly disagree pairing any red wines with any type of seafood.

The pricing for this wine is between $13 to $20 per bottle. It may seem pricey, but for the quality, it really isn’t. For more information on Hahn Estate wines, click Hahn Estates Winrey

Wine of the Week, 2007 Ménage à Trois Red Wine

Each week I will bring to you a new selection of wine and tell you why I made my selection, why it’s good, and what foods it will go well with.

For this weeks wine, I chose the 2007 Ménage à trois Red wine. It’s a simple wine, but it goes well with many dishes, and it’s a tasty treat especially with dark chocolate.

Grown and bottled at the Folie à Deux Winery in Napa valley, this seductive wine will have you believing you are drinking a $40 bottle of wine. It’s a blended wine with a ménage of three different grapes that consists of Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It’s a well priced wine as well, ranging from $8 to $13 per bottle. When opened, it’s not necessary to let it breathe.

Just released in June of 2008, it’s relatively a young wine, but it’s perfectly aged as is. It starts silky smooth, with tastes of chocolate, juicy ripen cherry, and with light tannins to make this wine a delightful finish.

Enjoy this wine with braised lamb chops, grilled steak, prime rib, filet mignon, pizza, or even a hamburger. There's not much that this wine will not go good with. The 2007 Ménage à trois Red wine my recommendation of the week and for weeks to come.

I hope you enjoyed this weeks selection.