Castellroig, "Terroja," Penedes, Spain 2006

Reminded me of a Sauvignon blanc both in terms of color and aroma. Light citrus and steel on the nose, followed by excellent acidity. Two and a half out of five stars.

Quinta do Carmo 2002

A nice touch of earthiness on the nose, though not enough fruit -- there is a definite presence of brett here, but not too much to make it undrinkable. Very smooth on the palate. Easy two and a half stars out of five.

Alpha Omega Winery and a weekend in Napa.

This weekend included a nice, relaxed (though busy) trip to Napa. I will write more later, but I wanted to focus right now on Alpha Omega Winery. One word: wow.

Alpha Omega is a relatively new winery (their first release was last year), and their prices are relatively low for Napa standards. If you want an idea of what their wines are like, check out the tasting notes for their various wines. In particular, their proprietary red is struck me as being Bordeaux-like -- it will be interesting to see how it ages.

I would describe their late harvest wine as lying somewhere between a Suduiraut and a d'Yquem. Yes, very tasty.

Finally -- the Chardonnay. Definite banana on the nose, along with a host of other flavors. Little to no oak, and no strong signs of malolactic fermentation. And at $38 a bottle, darn cheap (relatively speaking). Exquisite. I liked this wine so much, I am giving it five out of five stars.

Dom Martinho 2004

A "cheaper" read produced by Quinta do Carmo, which is owned by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (as a side note, I once had the pleasure of taking a wine tasting class run by a vice president of the wholly owned subsidiary of DBR that was responsible for distributing its wines in the United States). In fact, it was the Quinta do Carmo wines that got me into dry Portuguese table wines.

But back to the Dom Martinho. The wine has a great purple/violet color. The nose is coffee and dark fruits, including cherry and plum, with some hint of wood on the nose (maybe cedar). With the right amount of tannins (this wine would be great with a medium bodied meat), it coats the palate. The finish lingers, making this wine very enjoyable. At $14 retail, this is a great bargain. Three and a half stars (with a half star for value) out five.

Top ten list from 2007

I think I'm a little overdue in posting this, but here's a top ten list of my favorite wines from 2007.

1. Dominus Estate Napa Valley Napanook Vineyard 1996. An amazing, amazing wine, and enjoyed with two of my best friends (whom I haven't seen in almost a year). Smooth, filled with fruit and amazing character. Worth buying, and great to enjoy (especially over some Venison with Maytag Blue Butter).

2. Grgich Hills Paris Tasting Commemorative Chardonnay 2003. A great wine, and enjoyed with a wonderful person. Great memories.

3. Francois Chidaine Montlouis Sur Loire Les Boumais 2005. An amazing wine, and really shows how great Chenin blanc can be. As complex as a Chardonnay, but not as in your face.

4. Plumpjack Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. I'm glad I have a second bottle of this... and I'm eager to open it!

5. Dow's Vintage Port 1994. I had only a taste of this at the Philadelphia Wine Festival, but it was almost worth the price of admission (okay, I'm probably overstating that). Great wine, and it makes me wonder about the Bishop of Norwich.

6. Crozes-Hermitage Paul Jaboulet Aine "Thalabert" 2003. A wonderful Rhone, and enjoyed at a great restaurant.

7. Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes 2001. A great Sauternes, I can't wait until I open the d'Yquem.

8. Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. I can't wait for the 750 ml bottles to come out!

9. Quinta do Vale Meao Douro 2003. I can still taste it, and I wish I had a bottle of it right now.... Maybe I can pick one up when I'm home in February?

10. Vasco Sassetti Brunello di Montalcino 2001. It turned me on to Brunellos.

And looking over this list, and the host of wines I've tried over the past year, and I can say that I feel really lucky to be able to enjoy this hobby.

Quinta do Vale Meao

I've received a ton of hits recently for people searching for reviews on Quinta do Vale Meao. Here are my notes on the 2004 and 2003. These are very enjoyable wines, both by themselves or with a nice, hearty meal. In fact, I wish I could find a good supplier of these wines in the Bay Area (while Total Wine always seemed to keep them stocked, I don't think they've made it west of the Rocky Mountains). These wines have cost about $65 to $80 for recent vintages which, while expensive, is a better bargain than what one would find from top producers in California and Bordeaux -- and, I've found these wines will easily compete with those producers in terms of quality. So, if you're thinking about buying a bottle, pick up two (you'll regret not having one around).

Quinta do Vale Meao Douro 2004

An interesting contrast to the Quinta do Vale Meao Duro 2003 that I tasted a few weeks ago. There was a similar nose of plums and spice on the nose, however the tannins were much, much stronger (mouth puckering, so). The wine also exhibited clear signs of oak, which gave it a milk chocolate texture. A very good wine, and may be even better two years from now. Four out of five stars.

Quinta do Vale Meao Douro 2003

An amazing red wine, though very, very young. Dark purple in color, going to the extreme of being almost inky black. Plum, currant, spice and cedar on the nose, there were also powerful tannins on the palate. The wine transitioned smoothly from midpalate to aftertaste, which lingered. This reminded me of a young Californian Cabernet Sauvignon even though it was made from native Portuguese grapes (e.g., Touriga Nacional). Truly exceptional, and worth cellaring for at least another year. Four and a half out of five stars (the only reason it did not get five stars was because it's $60 a bottle).

Tria Fermentation School

Tonight, I attended my first "class" at the Tria Fermentation School. The theme was "Lafite-Rotchschild Around the World" -- essentially, the wines produce by Lafite-Rothschild outside of their first growth estate in Bordeaux. Seven wines were opened tonight, and it made for a great chance to try a lot of different wines. It was a great night, and I learned some new and interesting things. Plus, I couldn't help but smile at the instructor's frequent digs at California wine -- while I enjoy a good California Cabernet, those wines sometimes focus too much on power, and not enough on finesse.

Bordeaux Blanc "Reserve Speciale," Lafite-Rothschild 2005
A Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blend, with an excellent aroma of lemon and tropical fruits on the nose. The palate was smooth with some crispness. Three and a half out of five stars, with an extra half star for value. The Reserve Speciale makes for a great party wine.

Moulin de Duhart 2002
Awful and vegetal, though it may have been a bad bottle given Wine Spectator's tasting notes. Nonetheless, I would have drunk it if I was in a pinch. As it was, I took a single sip and moved on. One and a half out of five stars.

Chateau d'Aussieres 2004
A delicious blend of Syrah and Grenache, with a nice touch of spice and smoke on the nose, followed by a well-rounded palate. The aftertaste lingered without losing flavor or quality. Four out of five stars. I will buy a bottle of this wine!

Quinta do Carmo Reserva 2003
A fresh do Carmo Reserva and, as expected, delightful. Blackberries and coffee on the nose, with a light palate (the instructor claimed that this was a big wine -- I would beg to differ). This Reserva would be great as a purchase to go with an evening dinner. But, like other do Carmo's I've tried, I would not store this wine out of hope that it would improve. Three out of five stars, loosing a half star for price and another half star for lack of aging potential.

Vina Los Vasco "Le Dix De Los Vascos" 2003
Black fruits, cherries and oak on the nose, and the palate showed strong, lasting tannins. Great now, but I have to wonder how delightful it will be in a year or two. . . . Four stars out of five. Another wine that I will buy if I find it!

Bodegas Caro 2003
A Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon blend, it had a great touch of what I call the Malbec punch -- that element of spice (though not like a Rhone) that a nice Malbec has. The Cabernet helped add some dark fruit flavors. Three and a half out of five stars. Another wine I will buy if I find it....

Chateau de Cosse 1999
While no d'Yquem (but, that's never a fair comparison), this was still a delightful wine to finish the night with. Honey, apricot and pineapple on the nose, and a very smooth palate. Nonetheless, it seemed cloying. Three out of five stars.

Quinta do Carmo Alentejo 2001 and Faded Wine

I had a Quinta do Carmo Alentejo 2001 when it was first released. At the time, it seemed mature and balanced. The wine had a nice touch of dark fruits with minimum tannins, and went very well with a meal. In short, the wine was delightful.

I opened another bottle of this wine tonight, and something seemed off. While still present, the fruit was diminished. Whatever tannins had been present seemed inconsequential. While still recognizing the wine I loved, it wasn't how I remembered it. Like a former lover whom one sees after many years, the wine had lost the charm that once made it attractive.

Wine is a living, breathing thing. It rewards those who are passionate about what the world has to offer. Some wines, when treated lovingly, will grow and expand through out an entire life. Others are only short lived -- leaving their best behind in their youth. What's more, one can never really be sure how long a wine will last. So what is one to do? For me, I'll always hope -- and try to avoid regretting waiting too long.