2003 Cenit

"Made from 60- to 100-year-old ungrafted Tinta de Toro vines, the 2003 Cenit boasts outstanding concentration as well as beautiful intensity, purity, and texture. This opaque purple-tinged effort reveals notes of graphite, kirsch liqueur, blackberries, and smoky oak. Rich, full-bodied, and impressive, it can be drunk now or cellared for 10-12 years." -90 Points - Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate

2006 Mica Napa Cabernet

"Following in the footsteps of Buccella is the Mica (pronounced mee-cah), which is produced by the winemaking team from Buccella with consulting winemaker Celia Welch Masyczek. The 2006 Mica is the inaugural release of the baby Buccella. This wine has beautiful richness of black fruits, silky mouthfeel and long lingering finish that makes this a sensational wine at a great price. 90% Cabernet, 4% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cab Franc and 1% Malbec. " Wine store in California sent this blind. Very fine. About $60.

Bourbon Street 12/31/09

Laissez les bon temps rouler!!!

2006 Lilian California Syrah

"RP94: The 2006 Syrah from Lillian is even better than the excellent 2005. Totally sourced from the White Hawk Vineyard, and aged in 65% new oak for 23 months, there are 508 cases of this beautiful Syrah. Notes of creme de cassis, blackberries, spice, incense, flowers, ground pepper, licorice, and subtle smoke are followed by a full-bodied, layered, multidimensional, big Syrah. Beautifully balanced, elegant, and pure, it should age gracefully for a decade or more"

I don't like to blindly follow the scores to buy wine, but this is a great wine! The label says California but I'm reading that the juice came from White Hawk Vineyard in Santa Barbara. Wine maker was the assistant at Sine Qua Non and now is the winemaker at Antica Terra in Oregon. 500 cases. Good luck finding any!

1997 Stonehedge Napa Valley Zinfandel

Found this one in the cellar and put it into the kid's selection like it was a throw away. (He's been trained to leave the "good stuff" alone.) Wonderful aged Zin with mellow aromas and flavors and a long finish. Damn, I'm rescuing the rest of the bottles!

Bengal Blues

This is how you take the sting out of another Bengal loss!

2006 Revana Napa Cab

I know it's a bit early to drink this but wanted to get a benchmark and share with the boy. Napa Cab with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Elegant, complex and a long finish. Should be good for at least 10 years. Another great wine from Heidi.

But I don't think you'll find this in any wine stores back at Stetson plus 2 bottles would bury your monthly allowance.

2001 Larkmead Napa Merlot

Sweet, aged fruit, tannins subdued, smooth. Drink now. Good juice. About $40.

2002 Chateau Latour a Pomerol

Shut down, little complexity, no mid-palate, short finish. For $72, ouch! Could be a bad bottle. Bad bottle!

Two days later in an open container, right before I was going to dump it down the drain, it showed a long finish and elegance. Who knew!

Napa/Sonoma/Mendocino 2009

Here are the photos from my recent trip.

Tino Vino

Cincinnati's Newest Winery



I stopped by yesterday to taste some wines from Cincinnati's newest winery, Tino Vino, where you can make your own wine. The Super Tuscan ($19) was very good. I look forward to trying to make some myself. Bon Appetite and Good Luck!

WBW #37 -- Go Native

What: WBW is the international Internet wine tasting event held monthly. Lenn is the mastermind. Details and past postings are here.

Host/Hostess: This month's event is hosted by Dr. Vino.

Theme: "Go Native" with indigenous wines.

The Wine: 1998 Chateau Musar Blanc

Sometimes the journey is more enlightening than the final destiny. Due to the summer heat I considered Albarino from Spain or Torrontes from Argentina (and was going to defend the choice as it only grows in Argentina with a dash used in Chile’s cheap plonk), but then I stumbled onto my final choice, a wine I have loved for years, which has its devotees and detractors. One critic trashed it, and then went on to say he loved drinking it and will keep buying it. Go figure!

It doesn’t get much more indigenous than this. Although vitis vinefera did not originate in Lebanon, as they probably arrived from the South Caucasus via Mesopotamia, wines have been made there since at least 2,500 BC, more than 4,000 years ago!

I have raved before about this wine as one of my favorite white wines, but be sure to decant for at least 8 hours and serve slightly chilled (50 to 55 degrees). Each glass will open over time and improve with stunning complexity.

Château Musar was founded by Gaston Hochar in 1930 in Ghazir, 15 miles north of the capital Beirut. The current proprietor is Gaston's son, Serge. Musar grapes grow in the Bekaa Valley, a fertile sunny valley situated 25 miles east of Beirut. Despite war in Lebanon, wine was produced at the Château every year, even when tanks invaded the vineyard.

The vineyards of Château Musar are located at an altitude of over 3,000 feet (1,000 meters) in the Bekaa Valley where the vines are sheltered by the surrounding mountains running parallel to the Mediterranean coast. They cover 180 hectares and produce a limited yield of about 35 hl/ha. The Bekaa Valley is almost frost and disease free, with long mild summers, rainy winters with an annual rainfall of 20 inches, and an average temperature of 75 degrees.

The white wines are made from a blend of Obeideh and Merwah, which are native to the Bekaa Valley and Mount Lebanon. According to the legend, Obeideh and Merwah were taken back to Europe with the Crusaders and are the likely ancestors of Chardonnay and Semillon respectively.

Both varieties are partly fermented in oak "barriques" where they mature for a further 9 months. They are then blended, bottled and aged for a further 4 years before release.

In Memoriam: Paul Ortiz

The Cincinnati wine community was shocked to hear of Paul's passing. We will miss his dry sense of humor and keen nose! I have heard there will be a local Memorial service Wednesday, August 29th at Morton's at 7pm.

17th Annual Taste of Duveneck

17th Annual Taste of Duveneck at the Cincinnati Art Museum on June 7th at 6pm. Tickets are $75 but the food and wine will be great. I will be pouring wine for any winery that will have me!

Fleurs de Fete

2007 Fleurs de Fete

When: Sunday, May 20th, 1 to 4pm

Where: Dayton, Ohio -- Carillon Historical Park

Cost: $60 at the door

Info: 937-223-4117 ext. 107

Rumor has it this is the best wine festival in the area due to quality of wines and foods, and the fact that it is not a complete zoo with overcrowding. Mark's tips for going to a wine festival are spot on!

If I finish with golf in time I may head up.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #33

What: WBW is the international Internet wine tasting event held monthly. Lenn is the mastermind. Details and past postings are here.

Host/Hostess: This month's event is hosted by Doktor Weingolb.

Theme: Languedoc-Roussillon value wines.

The Wine: 2003 Domaine de la Tour Boissee Minervois Red

2003 DOMAINE DE LA TOUR BOISEE MINERVOIS RED

Jean-Louis Poudou represents the fifth generation of the Poudou family to produce wine on this domaine in the Languedoc region of southern France. He has nearly 100 acres of vineyards in the Minervois. The wine is a blend of 30% Syrah 30% Grenache 30% Carignan and 10% Cinsaut, with the average age of the vines about 60 years old. The wine is unfiltered and aged in steel tanks. Full bodied, the wine has the taste of dark fruits and spice. A wonderful finish adds to the enjoyment of drinking this wine. Food and Wine Magazine rated this wine a “best buy” in September 2001.

In a last minute scramble I ran through the warehouse and stumbled onto this pick. Full-bodied and very accessible with a medium finish. A great quaffer that at $14 tastes like at least $15 to $30!

Road Trip!

I will be on the road to Pittsburgh June 15th to the 18th to catch a few rounds of the US Open. When I last went in 1994, the heat was overwhelming and the fairways were slick as a twisted landing strip. (As a sidenote, after an afternoon round at Fox Chapel on Friday, I also caught the famous OJ slow chase in his white Bronco.)

Wine Spectator - South Beach Wine & Food Festival

Yes, I really was there. Here's the proof in the May 31, 2007 issue of Wine Spectator. After downing all that wine, I managed to nibble on some lunch bites. See you next year on the beach!

New Addition

Welcome to the latest member of the Grandin Road petting zoo. Visiting hours are restricted so call ahead! I am guessing this is the first horse born in Hyde Park in 50 years. Mom and son are doing fine.