Recent Tasting Notes
I'm making an effort to publish tasting notes again, lest you worry that we've become teetotallers.
These wines were samples sent to me by wineries or their P.R. reps. I don't promise to review samples here or in a paid article, but I do promise to give the wines a fair, "official" tasting and I might as well share my thoughts with you. I tasted three wines in this session, but one was so uninteresting that I'll give the producer the benefit of the doubt until I taste it again.
2001 Astrale e Terra "Arcturus" Red Wine, Napa Valley, $39
This restrained Bordeaux blend from one of Tom Wark's clients was my favorite of the three I tasted, and I saved the bottle to accompany my steak dinner that night. The wine offers sturdy aromas of dark cherries and leather with a splash of mint. Decent tannins and a nice acidity play nicely with the dark cherry flavors, and the long finish gives you a chance to tease out a slight vanilla note.
2001 William Hill Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Napa Valley, $35
This wine seems aimed at critics. Interesting aromas—pepper, leathery mustiness, and meat—have little to do with the jammy, cooked fruit flavors that come out on the palate. Low tannins, good acidity, and a viscous feel round out the critic-pleasing forumla. These types of wine always remind me of cough syrup, but if you're a fan of the style, this is probably a decent representative.
- Come On Here, Carmenere
Over the last year, I've fallen out of the habit of writing detailed, professional tasting notes. I still evaluate wines, of course — I don't think I can stop — but I haven't been filling up my small, spiral-bound notebook with...
- Wtn: Some Napa Cabs
When we had our tasting of grass-fed beef, I decided to also taste some of the Napa Cabernet Sauvignon I've received as samples in the last few months. 2000 Narsai Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Bay Area foodies will recognize Narsai David's...
- House Red Hunt: Summer 2006
Melissa and I recently went on a hunt for a "house red," an inexpensive red wine that pairs well with a wide range of foods. A wine we can afford to buy in "bulk" and open for the most casual of dinners. (As a couple who amass German...
- Golden Glass, June 2006
If only it was this empty for the whole tasting. Photo by Melissa Schneider. I wish I imported wine. It seemed as if we couldn't get any of our favorite wines from the recent Golden Glass event, because none of them have U.S. importers. Slow...
- Rosenblum Article Sidebar (and Correction)
Photo by Melissa Schneider. My sidebar didn't make it into my Edible East Bay, Issue 2, article about Rosenblum, so I decided to run the text here. The tasting notes cover wines that stood out as I researched the piece. I've also added the...