The Holiday Tasting #2 2009 focused on an array of wines that would go well with the meals and celebrations to come in December. Christmas ham, turkey, prime rib, seafood platters, holiday sweets and of course bubbles for the New Years celebration and just for having around the house in general for the holidays. Fifteen wines in all were offered for tasting at the event. This is quite a few but it gave all of us a nice range of wines to compare and a nice range of pricing. For those who read the entire e-mail that was sent prior to the tasting there was a special treat to try with the port. I was impressed with how many came up to me with the secret word of the month... Good Job! This tasting held true to what I figured would be the most popular wines at the event. Here are my tasting notes and scores, along with what turned out to be the most popular wines with the crowd.

　

　

Bisol Jeio Prosecco, Veneto Italy...

I believe that Prosecco has gotten a little out of hand as far as price goes in the last year. I sold this wine at my shop for eleven bucks everyday, two years ago. Now it goes for seventeen bucks on deal. I love Prosecco for its clean, refreshing presentation. Good bubbles and nice citrus notes on the nose. The front of the palate with this Prosecco is nice and big with some toasty notes backed by granny smith apples and good acid. The finish is fairly persistent. I like this wine and only wished that it still went for eleven bucks. I guess it is what it is... 88 points.

The crowd really liked these bubbles as I knew they would and the price offered on it was quite reasonable. This wine ranked about fourth in favorites of the night.

　

Lucien Albrecht Cremant, N/V Brut Rose, Alsace France...

I love rose, whether it is still or sparkling. Unfortunately the stigma of pink wine still sticks with many folks who can only think of white zinfandel or Andre pink. I asked a participant latter after the tasting if they liked the rose’ and they said they didn’t even try it for the very reason I just mentioned. I will continue my efforts to try and get folks to understand just how awesome rose’ is! This sparkling rose’ from Alsace which is one of the best producers of sparkling wine outside of Champagne lived up to my expectations. A wonderful nose of watermelon and cherries on the palate the flavors of sweet cherries exploded on the palate with excellent acidity giving it a nice refreshing dry finish. There was also a hint of watermelon hard candy (Remember that delicious confection?) on the back end leading into a pleasant and long finish. 91 points

This one did not go over as well for the attendants. It could of been the higher price which wasn’t that bad $17.90 or as I believe is the case, many passed it up because it was pink.

　

Le Ja Ja de Jau Sauvignon Blanc, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

I wrote about this sauvignon blanc on my blog a couple of months ago because I felt is was a tremendous value and excellent wine. Very racy with excellent fruit notes of lemon and lime. Good balance and a pleasing finish. I feel that good sauvignon blancs from the States are hard to find, but from France and New Zealand, not so hard. New Zealand can get carried away with the grapefruit character from time to time. Sancerre is the best expression of this grape, followed by New Zealand and Bordeaux, in my humble opinion. This effort is outstanding and a pleasant surprise, especially at the price point of eight bucks. 90 points

The crowd was with me on this one, it came in second as far as orders went. I am sure the price was a factor, but I know my tasters and the juice has to be good!

　

Nugan Chardonnay Visions, Riverina, Australia

Australian wines are taking a nose-dive these days in popularity. Known for there big, fat buttery chards it was nice to try one that had a different profile. This chard had a nose of toast and yeast with whiffs of caramel. Very round on the palate without being hedonistic it showed notes of toasty vanilla, caramel and nice lemon drop tones. The finish was seamless and did not diminish too quickly. 89 points

I got mixed reviews from the tasters on this one, half liked it and half gave it a wave.

　

Rutherford Wine Company Lander-Jenkins Chardonnay 2007, Monterey California

Now this baby screamed California Chardonnay! Big buttery nose, reminded me of going into a movie theater. Big juicy palate with a wonderful underlying creaminess. Butter and oak came through big on the palate, but I felt that it was balanced and well made. Seamless from the start to the finish with some nice tropical notes showing and a little grip on the finish. This chard might not be for everyone, but it you are in the mood for a hedonistic effort, this is the one I would pick. The price is right and the quality is there. 89 - 90 points.

This was the favorite chard of the two for the participants, and I agree.

　

2008 Montoya Pinot Noir, Monterey County California

I have been touting the virtues of this pinot since the 2006 vintage. For fourteen bucks, I would dare anyone to find a better quality pinot noir. This 2008 version shows just a touch more "New World" then the past two vintages but it is still delicious and shows all the qualities that a good pinot should bring to the table. A wonderful nose of strawberries and cherries, on the palate this pinot shows ripe cherries and strawberries on silky yet structured tannins. There is good acid on this wine making it a great compliment to foods. Very outstanding. 90 points

The crowd agreed with me on this one and it was by far the most popular red at the tasting and got the most orders. No surprise here.

　

Bodegas Goulart Malbec Clasico 2008. Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza Argentina

The popularity of Malbec keeps growing and growing. Of course, when you run across a malbec like this for only ten bucks, you begin to understand why. Vibrant dark fruit on the palate with well balanced acidity that drives the fruit flavors to a crescendo into a long and pleasing finish. For ten bucks, it does not get much better then this. 92 points

The tasters were as excited about this wine as I am. It did not beat out the Montoya, but came close. It was the second most popular red that evening.

　

Writer’s Block Grenache, Lake County California

This wine would have been one of my top choices for best wines with pizza. Very well made but still very youthful (2007). Cherry and cedar on the nose with some hints of mint and chocolate. Blackberry and plum notes on the palate with hints of wood. Good tannic grip on the back end with bright acidity. This wine screams for food, especially pasta with red sauce, pizza, barbequed ribs, steak or hamburgers. Without food it might be just a little too tight for the average palate. This wine also has great ageing potential and will soften up over the next four to five years. 89 points

The crowd really got into this wine and I believe it is because they were thinking "Prime Rib", yum!

　

Chateau de Vaugelas Corbieres "Le Prieure". Corbieres, France

A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan this was the surprise star of the show for me.

I knew what I was getting with the Montoya and Goulart, but had no idea with this one. A pleasing nose of smoked bacon cured with brown sugar and hints of brambleberries. On the palate it showed nice spice, dark berries and anise backed by balanced acidity and structured tannins. The finish was smooth and earthy. This is everything I look for in a well made wine from southern France. 89 points

This was well received by the attendants and it was very close in popularity with the Montoya pinot noir and the Goulart Malbec.

Domaine Baron de Rothschild Bordeaux Rouge Reserve 2006. Pauillac, France

Minty cherry on nose, borderline eucalyptus. Very herbacious on the palate. It reminded me of a tossed salad with chopped green peppers. The green vegetable effect stuck to the sides of my mouth for some time. The finish was somewhat weaker then I had hoped for. I like this style of wine from time to time but I felt that it could have used just a touch more fruit for ageing purposes. 88 points

The tasters were not into this wine at all, which does not surprise me. Even my tried and true Francophile did not like it. Not for everyone, but there were a couple of folks like myself who enjoyed it.

　

Buried Cane Winery Cabernet Sauvignon. Columbia Valley, Washington

I had never heard of this winery, but I was impressed with this effort. Smoky on the nose, almost syrah like with nice notes of cherry. Rich dark berries on the palate with notes of cedar, anise and chocolate on firm yet smooth tannins. The finish was excellent and long. 90 points

Just about everyone loved this cab and were surprised that they have not heard of it before either, since many of them had traveled to Eastern Washington recently. It turned out to be #4 in popularity for reds.

　

Montoya Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa, California

It is not hard to find a good Napa Valley Cab, but it is hard to find a good one for under twenty bucks. This cab is actually pretty good for only sixteen bucks. The nose shows eucalyptus and dark fruit. The wine fills the palate with dark fruits that are not super rich but well structured. This cab has a pleasing finish that is decently long. All said this is a super good value. There are no flaws and it shows good fruit with tiny hints of tannic grip. The wine is meant to drink now and over the next couple of years. 87 points

This cab caught the interest of the crowd because it is a very good value in Napa cab and it is a good quality wine.

　

Terra Valentine Cabernet Sauvignon. Spring Mountain (Napa Valley) California

We threw this one in the mix to give everyone a chance to taste a premium cab from Napa Valley in comparison to the lesser expensive Montoya. Even though the Montoya cab is a great value, this wine showed it’s pedigree. Very rich and silky with dark cherry tones, hints of spice box and chocolate on deep sexy tannins and seamless from start to finish. The finish was quite lengthy and elegant. A very well made wine. 91 points

All the tasters came back for seconds on this one. I believe that this was the top wine of the bunch, but with the economy the way it is not too many wanted to spring on the price.

　

Quady Starboard Ruby Port... Madera California

This is a port, it is not from Portugal so it had to be named something else, so why not Starboard. Ruby style ports are very rich and this one lived up to expectations. I find it hard to rate sweet wines, because I have a sweet tooth and I love port. This one is exceptional and if you are a ruby port fan this one should fit the bill. Rich, intense and sweet, what else needs to be said? 90 points

The crowd loved this one and of the two sticky’s this was the most popular.

　

Royal Oporto Tawny Port... Douro, Portugal

Unlike the Ruby port, this one had a lot more of the caramel aspect to it that is so common with the tawny style. Very yummy of course and it was well received. I am a big fan of this producer and especially this lower priced version. 89 points

All in all, it was a very successful night and everyone had a good time. I am looking forward to next year as we continue to taste and educate ourselves about the wine world. Happy New Year. Stan