2005 Winner's Tank Shiraz Langhorne Creek

I tasted this one a few times. Enjoyed it quite a bit when I first had it this winter (2007) so bought a couple more bottles. So last night had a bottle that had been in our cellar for 6 monts or so.

Original notes
This shiraz had a deep purple hue, giving the look of a dense wine. I got a heady bouquet of violets; a whiff of spring despite being the heart of winter. My first taste I picked up tones of vanilla, and noted the smooth, velvety finish. Sipping a bit more, I was struck by the BIG FRUIT taste of this wine. The fruit taste was so powerful it was a bit hard to place what fruit I was tasting, berry I suppose. Served with beef brisket.

Recent tasting
Still had a bouquet of violets but more subtle. Interestingly, the initial taste was rough around the edges, like a wine that needs to age more. It did open up after breathing bi, and the berry fruit flavor came through. But it was definitely smoother the first time. Not sure if this wine was just meant to be drunk young or if the storage conditions in my basement aren't good; going to need to check on that.

Price: $18
QPR: good
Pair with: beef or grilled chicken
Region: Austrailia

2005 Sebastiani Chardonnay

Definitely a chard in the California style. Toasted butter and a bit of oak, smooth finish. If you like this style, which I do from time to time, it's good; but not the thing if you're looking for more of a "naked" fruit forward style.

Price: $12
QPR: very good
Food: pasta with creamy sauce
Region: sonoma

2005 Heritage du Chateau Sauvignon Blanc

A bit of tart grapefruit taste, softened after breathing. Drinkable wine, OK for the price, but wouldn't buy again.

Price: $12
QPR: fair
Food: pesto
Region: Touraine, Loire Valley

2006 Charles Krug Sauvignon Blanc

Lemony bouquet. Taste has strong floral elements--notes of hibiscus--along with melon. Smooth, pleasant drinking wine. From the first Napa Valley winery established in 1861.

Price: $21
QPR: very good
Food: pesto, appetizers
Region: Napa Valley

2004 Inspiration Vineyards Zinfandel

More subtle and light than many zins. Taste of leather and raspberries, with notes of chocolate after it had breathed a bit. In a blind test I might have guessed it was a pinot with depth.

Price: $20
QPR: good
Region: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
Pair with: beef, grilled or roasted chicken

2005 Henri Bourgeios Sancerre

This sauvignon blanc from Chavignol has a medium straw color in the glass. The steely bouquet is very restrained. Tastes grassy, with light hints of lemon and a subtle mineral undertone. I expected a drier, more mineral based taste than the grassiness, based on my general experience and expectation of sauvignon from the Loire Valley area. In fact, I was surprised to note that a sauvignon from New Zealand I had tasted recently was more subtle than this bottle. I did then read in The Wine Access Buyer's guide that wines from Chavignol tend to be more bold than others in Sancerre, which might explain what I noted a bit.

Price: $21
QPR: good
Region: Chavignol, a Sancerre in the Loire Valley
Pair with: pesto, such as Caprese Salad with Pesto (recipe coming soon!)

2006 Dutton Estate Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc

The wine has a clean taste, with a hint of citrus. It has just a bit of tartness on the aftertaste, which helps it combine well with gruyere cheese.

Price: $20
QPR: good
Region: Russian River, Sonoma, California
Pair with: gruyere cheese; salmon, such as this Grilled Salmon with Sesame Soy Sauce

2005 Baletto Vineyards Sonoma Coast Estate Pinot Gris

This white has light herbal tones and is fairly dry.

Price: $14
QPR: good
Pair with: Pesto, such as this Orzo Salad with Pesto. Probably would work with light seafood.
Region: Sonoma Coast, California

2006 Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Crisp taste with just enough citrus taste to make it refreshing. Clean finish. A very good example of the NZ version of the varietal, without overdoing the citrus.

Price: $13
QPR: very good
Region: Marlborough, New Zealand
Pair with: pesto, such as this orzo salad with pesto; or salmon, such as this Grilled Salmon with Sesame Soy Sauce

2006 Babich Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Citrus bouquet. Effervescence on the tongue. Taste of grapefruit causes a slight pucker…but this has a refreshing quality. I prefer sauv blancs a bit more restrained on the citrus, but still a good wine.

Price: $15
QPR: Good
Region: Marlborough, New Zealand
Pair with: rich creamy cheese, spicy food

Jim Jim Shiraz

Oops, no year here as the bottle has been recycled before typing in these notes! I think it was 2004 or 2005. This one has some pluck, deep cherry flavors with a bit of spice. Peppery on the finish.

Price: $12
QPR: very good
Pair with: beef, especially grilled beef with a spicy barbecue sauce

2003 Chateau La Nerthe

Uses all 13 allowable varietals, and it showed in the complex flavors of the wine. With its heady bouquet of fresh violets, I could have just sniffed this wine all night (OK, not true, it needed to be drunk too). I generally use some type of fruit to describe a wine from California; a Rhone red like this requires a broader vocabulary. I tasted a bit of leather and bark, along with a dark blackberry flavor. This wine got better as it breathed, opening up with more fruitiness.

QPR: very good
Price: $40
Pair with: grilled beef, root vegetables
More info: Tasted at an Aujourd'hui Epicurean Evening. Read more about it.

2004 Andezon Cotes du Rhone

Features a big bouquet evoking summer roses. Black cherry on the taste, with a bit of woodiness and hints of violet. The spicy sweet finish made it seem a bit like zin. A very complex and good quality wine for the price.

QPR: Very good.
Price: $12
Pair with: lamb, such Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Pesto

2004 Perolla Maremma Toscana

Smooth, cherry fruit taste. Blend of sangiovese, merlot, syrah. This blend softer than a chianti or other versions of sangiovese.

QPR: Good
Price: $9
Pair with: Pizza, roast chicken