A Very Good Year: A Review In Progress

A Very Good Year: The Journey of a California Wine from Vine to Table. Just last week I was sent A Very Good Year to read and review and promote. Well I have read the first thirty pages and I like what I have read so far. The premise of this book is to follow the grape harvesting through winemaking and release of a single bottle of wine from California. Specifically the 2002 Fume Blanc from the Ferrari-Carano Winery. So far a few of the key players have been introduced and everything promises to be exciting. This should complement our research for our wine documentary. Pick up a copy today, as soon as I'm done I'll give a more in-depth review, but for now it looks to be very promising.

Tastings and Notes

Apparently I missed two tastings this past week, but my wife managed to get some notes for me. I honestly haven't even had time yet this week to look at them. I will get to them soon. As to the calendar idea, I still want to make an events calendar, but it's going to take more time to get it going, so it won't happen very soon. Til later, drink up!

Wine Across the Country

I just spent the last week in Atlanta at the Convention for my new business. A couple of us couldn't afford to fly so we drove the 23 hours straight. I noticed that there is wine and vineyards in a wide variety of states. I think Kansas may have had a winery or two near the highway at the eastern end. Missouri had free tastings at one winery right off the highway. Their vineyards were also next to the road, so that was neat. For more information visit Missouri Wines.com.

After travelling through Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee when we arrived in Georgia there was instantly a billboard for a winery. This one is The Georgia Winery. All of the wineries and tasting rooms were intriguing, but there was no time to stop.

On the way home we decided to take the southern route through Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma. I didn't see any wine signs that I remember in Mississippi or Louisiana, but that doesn't mean there aren't any active wineries in those states. In Texas I did see one or two wineries, but I think we weren't driving through the right place to see a lot more Texas wine.

Wouldn't it be fun to take a road trip where you visit wineries across the country? I think it would be a blast. I had fun just imagining what those places had to offer. Someday I will stop at them and enjoy a glass or two, or three.

Go Drink Wine, Have Fun, and Be Happy!

I will be gone this week and most likely won't have internet access, so I will leave you with a list of upcoming wine event. Thursday at Powers Liquor Mart they are having a French wine tasting at 6:00pm and 7:30pm. The wine expert is new to tastings at Powers, so this event promises to be good. Then on Saturday again at Powers Liquor Mart Small Vineyards is doing an Italian wine tasting. They always do a fantastic job, so go! That tasting is at 1:00pm and 1:30pm. Both of the Powers Liquor Mart tastings are free, so go have fun!

This coming weekend Lafayette is having a wine festival, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, starting with either a wine tasting party at 6:00pm or the wine dinner at 6:30. There is a cost to each event, so visit their website and plan accordingly. I would estimate being able to taste 15 to 20 wines an hour. There is a Gaelic Highlands festival in Canon City Friday through Sunday where you will be able to taste Holy Cross Abbeys wines and discover Celtic culture. This event also costs money, so plan what you most want to do.

Muga Prado Enea Gran Riserva 1995 (Spain)

Price - $35.99 Size - 750 mL- Spanish Wine Tasting held on Saturday June 4, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs with Mike "Professor" Klaus.

Gran Reserva means this one sees 7 years aging before release. In this case 5 years are on oak and 2 in the bottle. This has a deep red color with a slight brown tinge. Has heavy legs with a cherry earthy nose. Deep flavors mix with cherries to create a smooth velvety wine. Despite all the depth and flavor this wine is not overpowering. Has a long clean finish. For more information visit Muga Wines website. Buy Muga 1995 Gran Reserva Prado Enea . Grade: A+

Muga Reserva 1999 (Spain)

Price - $18.49 Size - 750 mL- Spanish Wine Tasting held on Saturday June 4, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs with Mike "Professor" Klaus.

The Reserva tag means this wine sees a minimum of 3 years aging before being released. This wine is a deeper red with heavy legs. Has an almost mossy nose. This wine is very smooth, slightly velvety and has nice hints of dark cherries. It's dry but not overpowering with a long good finish. For more information visit Muga Wines website. Grade: B+

Borsao Crianza Seleccion 2000 (Spain)

Price - $10.49 Size - 750 mL- Spanish Wine Tasting held on Saturday June 4, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs with Mike "Professor" Klaus.

The Crianza term on the label means this sees a minimum of 2 years aging before release. In this particular case it sees 10 months in French and American oak and 14 months aging in the bottle. Has heavy legs with a dark red color. Earth with a hint of light fruit on the nose. When you drink this it's BAM! It just hits you with a wall of flavor. This wine is dry, spicy, peppery and has good acidity. Has a long, smooth, and deep finish. Yum! Excellent quality for this price point. Grade: A

Telmo Rodriguez Dehesa Gago Tempranillo 2002 (Spain)

Price - $11.49 Size - 750 mL- Spanish Wine Tasting held on Saturday June 4, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs with Mike "Professor" Klaus.

This is actually made with a tempranillo clone called tinta de toro, it is a smaller grape with a thicker skin, should be more concentrated and tannic than regular tempranillo. This wine has a dark red coloring with slow legs. It has an earthy nose. Earthy flavors combine with raisin and some nice spiciness on the finish. This tannic wine has a medium length finish. Grade: C+

Borsao Vina Borgia Grenache 2002 (Spain)

Price - $6.49 Size - 750 mL- Spanish Wine Tasting held on Saturday June 4, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs with Mike "Professor" Klaus.

Has a lighter red color with medium legs. Sugary and alcoholic nose. The first thing that came to mind was dates, yeah the fruit. Besides that it is dry, sedimented, and earthy. This wine has a long finish. Good value and quality combination. Grade: B

Muga Rosado 2003 (Spain)

Price - $10.49 Size - 750 mL- Spanish Wine Tasting held on Saturday June 4, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs with Mike "Professor" Klaus.

This Rose is a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Tempranillo, and 10% Viera. This has a pinkish orange color with heavy legs. Light strawberry hints on the nose. Light strawberry mixes well with fruit flavors. This dry wine has a medium-long finish that gets a touch sour at the end. For more information visit Muga Wines website. Grade: B

Nora Albarino 2002 (Spain)

Price - $14.49 Size - 750 mL- Spanish Wine Tasting held on Saturday June 4, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs with Mike "Professor" Klaus.

The albarino grape is related to riesling, but there is some debate as to where each was planted first. Has light bubbles and is a light gold color with medium legs. Very light nose with the slightest hint of minerals. Has light flavors with some flint flavors. Gets a little sour in the middle. It has a short clean finish which is the highlight of this wine. This wine is normally paired with the catch of the day. Grade: C+

Naia Verdejo 2002 (Spain)

Price - $11.49 Size - 750 mL- Spanish Wine Tasting held on Saturday June 4, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs with Mike "Professor" Klaus.

Light golden color with some light effervescence. Acidic and somewhat citrusy nose. Flavors of lime, mineral and light fruit combine in a pleasant crispy wine. Has a medium to long finish. Grade: B

La Morandina Moscato D'Asti 2003 (Italy)

Price - $15.99 Size - 750 mL- Wines of the World Wine Tasting with Synergy Fine Wines held on Saturday March 26, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs.

This wine is effervescent and has a light gold color. It has a sweet fruity nose. It is sweet, fruity and refreshing. Grade: B

Montage Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (California)

Price - $8.99 Size - 750 mL- Wines of the World Wine Tasting with Synergy Fine Wines held on Saturday March 26, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs.

This wine is dark red with hints of honey and brown sugar on the nose. It has a good depth of flavors and is a little dry. The finish is long and somewhat spicy. Grade: B

Joel Gott Zinfandel 2003 (California)

Price - $13.49 Size - 750 mL- Wines of the World Wine Tasting with Synergy Fine Wines held on Saturday March 26, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs.

This wine has nice fruit flavors and is easy to drink with a long finish. Grade: B+

Big Moose Red 2002 (California)

Price - $9.49 Size - 750 mL- Wines of the World Wine Tasting with Synergy Fine Wines held on Saturday March 26, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs.

This is a blend of 85% Grenache with Syrah and Carignan taking up the rest of the mix. Has a fruity nose. There are fruit flavors but it is not especially deep. It is smooth without very much dryness and drops off quickly. Grade: C+

Vega Sindoa Tempranillo/Merlot 2003 (Spain)

Price - $7.49 Size - 750 mL- Wines of the World Wine Tasting with Synergy Fine Wines held on Saturday March 26, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs.

This wine is a blend of 70% Tempranillo and 30% Merlot. This wine is deep red with hints of raisin and plum on the nose. It has flavors of plums, but not much flavor overall. Has a short finish. Grade: C+

Basa Blanco 2002 (Spain)

Price - $9.99 Size - 750 mL- Wines of the World Wine Tasting with Synergy Fine Wines held on Saturday March 26, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs.

This is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Verdelho and Viera grapes. This wine has a light gold coloring with a sweet nose. This wine from the Rueda region is smooth, has nice acidity, but the finish is far too short. Grade: C+

Anselmi Pinot Grigio 2002 (Italy)

Price - $7.99 Size - 750 mL- Wines of the World Wine Tasting with Synergy Fine Wines held on Saturday March 26, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs.

This wine is golden with a semi-sweet nose. This wine is smooth, acidic and has a good aftertaste. Grade: B+

Clos Mimi "Petite Rousse" Syrah 2002 What's the Final Verdict?

If you've been following the reviews here I have tasted and reviewed this Syrah 3 times at the least in the past year plus. The first time I tasted it was on Saturday April 3, 2004. Here's the review:

This wine is blended from 2 single vineyards. Wine is very dark, and has heavy legs. Taste is smooth and fruity, a little bit oaky, has nice fruit with berries and raisins, good wine. Grade: B+

The second time I tasted it was just over a month ago on Saturday April 23, 2005. Here's the second review:

This wine had a foul mossy nose. The wine has a mossy flavor, too much earth, and no discernable grape flavors, maybe even a little tea flavor. For my taste, this wine was terrible, I'm not sure what others saw in this wine, though some people thought it was fantastic. If you think something else about this wine, leave me a comment. Grade: F

Whoa, wait a second, an F? I didn't understand it myself, especially after I looked over the first review again. Let's see if a third tasting will shed some light on this. A third tasting took place on Saturday May 21, 2005. Let's see what we can come up with:

Inky dark with heavy legs giving away the 15% alcohol on this one. Has dark berries and strong earthiness, almost moss, on the nose. Spicy with fruit and deep flavors. Full-bodied, slightly dry with a medium finish. For more information visit Clos Mimi website. Grade: B

Now that's better. What could be some reasons for this? I would say that it was tasting its best at the first tasting and is starting to lose fruit due to age. But what about that second terrible review? I'm not totally sure, I would say a lot of it had to do with my mood that day. Maybe I couldn't handle the earthy nose, or maybe I hurried my tasting and didn't get good notes. I would say that if you are going to get a Clos Mimi "Petite Rousse" Syrah 2002, that you should do so soon, it might just be losing too much fruit. In my limited knowledge of wine I would say this is a good example of what happens when a wine hits its peak and starts losing fruit.

Beringer Knight's Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 (California)

Price - $19.49 Size - 750 mL- Beringer-Blass Wine Estates Tasting held on Saturday March 26, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs.

Has a sweet nose with a hint of alcohol. Has a somewhat deep mix of flavors. Drops off a little fast on the finish. Wine Spectator uses this as an example of what Cabernet Sauvignon should be. Buy Beringer 2001 Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon . Grade: C+

Meridian Paso Robles Syrah 1999 (California)

Price - $15.99 Size - 750 mL- Beringer-Blass Wine Estates Tasting held on Saturday March 26, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs.

This has a pleasant nose with fruit notes. Has good earthiness in the middle. Finish is pleasant with a slight sour note on the end. Grade: B

Meridian Pinot Noir 2001 (California)

Price - $8.99 Size - 750 mL- Beringer-Blass Wine Estates Tasting held on Saturday March 26, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs.

Has a fruity nose. Decent flavor with some earthiness and dryness. Grade: C+

Chateau Souverain Chardonnay 2003 (California)

Price - $12.49 Size - 750 mL- Beringer-Blass Wine Estates Tasting held on Saturday March 26, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs.

This has a fruity nose. This wine is oaky, spicy and has some melon flavors. This is a heartier chardonnay with a decent finish. Grade: C+

Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay 2002 (California)

Price - $12.49 Size - 750 mL- Beringer-Blass Wine Estates Tasting held on Saturday March 26, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs.

This has a fruity melon nose. Has a light oak flavor but not much else. Grade: C

Beringer Stone Cellars Pinot Grigio 2001 (California)

Price - $6.49 Size - 750 mL- Beringer-Blass Wine Estates Tasting held on Saturday March 26, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs.

Sweet nose on this one. Not enough flavor here and it is a little sour. Grade: C

Beringer Johannisberg Riesling 2002 (California)

Price - $7.99 Size - 750 mL- Beringer-Blass Wine Estates Tasting held on Saturday March 26, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs.

Slightly effervescent with a golden color and a sweet nose. Decent but not impressive for Riesling. This wine is not crisp enough and feels somewhat "fat" as if there is too much sugar, makes it feel too heavy. Grade: C

Beringer White Merlot 2002 (California)

Price - $5.99 Size - 750 mL- Beringer-Blass Wine Estates Tasting held on Saturday March 26, 2005 at the Powers Liquor Mart in Colorado Springs.

Light red color with a fruity nose. Nice fruit flavors combine to form a smooth, acidic, light and easy to drink wine. The best value for this tasting. Grade: B