Rubicon Estate 2005 Cask Cabernet Sauvignon

I have been dying to try this wine. You all know that I love cabernet, and I am crazy about California cabs in particular. I have had the Captain's reserve cabernet from Rubicon before and really liked it. So for my summer shipment, I received two bottles of Cask cabernet (one for me and one for me). I think that it took me about 7 seconds to open the bottle.

Oh boy. This is a big cabernet, but also very soft and supple. The tannins were provided structure but were not overpowering. This wine stayed very consistent over 4 days. Easily one of the best cabernets that I have had. I need more.......

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Serengeti 2004 Shiraz

Ok, I did something that I rarely do. I bought this bottle for $16 based on 2 things: I like shiraz (aka syrah) and I liked the label on the bottle. What can I say? I'm a lucky person. Oh, I also wanted to try a wine from South Africa. I had been reading reviews that mention South Africa as an up-and-coming wine producing region.

Usually wines that I drink are ok on the first day and improve over the next day or two. This one was awesome from the start. There was a strong boysenberry aroma which faded over the next 2 days. Interestingly, the color had an orange hue as it was poured from the bottle. I have not found a syrah that is orange. I have found a barolo that was orange (I'll post that one later). The taste was awesome, but the first day was the best. This is a good bottle to serve at a party or for guests. The wine is somewhat heavy, so it should be served with heavier dishes. It also worked well with burgers, so it can be versatile. I'll get this one again.

For questions or comments I can be found at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com.

Les Piliers 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Oh. My. Goodness. This is BY FAR my favorite cabernet. Run, don't walk, run and buy some. On second thought, don't. That will leave more for me. All of this hubub over a mere $15 bottle of wine. Vin de pays, in fact. It's French freakin' table wine, for Pete's sake! Made by Michel Gassier the grapes were harvested in October and aged 12 months in French oak barrels after fermentation. The wine was bottled and made its way to me.



The cabernet is dark burgundy in color. The tannins are subtle and soft. Over a period of four days, the only thing that was wrong with this wine is that the bottle emptied way too fast as the wine aged gracefully over the four days. This is truly the nectar of the gods.



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Rubicon Estate 2004 Captain's Reserve Merlot

Ah, yes. The shipment arrived. I have not had a bottle of merlot in some time, basically because I got bored with the varietal. Merlot is a nice wine to drink when you don't want to be wowed or are looking for something safe to drink. Merlot, in my humble opinion, is not going to knock your socks off (assuming that you are wearing socks). Having said that, Rubicon Estates has been very reliable in what I had tasted from them, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt. In this shipment (my spring wine club shipment) I received two bottles of Merlot and one bottle of 2004 cabernet sauvignon. I shall be saving the bottle of cabernet for a later date.



For starters, this bottle of merlot was everything that I expected it to be. It was very dark and had a faint aroma of dark berries. I say faint because, as I mentioned previously, merlot is kinda bland for a red. This one is really no different. The wine is good, but bland. I would place merlot just above pinot noir on my priority wine buying list and those would likely be the bottom two. Maybe I just haven't had a REALLY good bottle of merlot or pinot noir. Unfortunately, I likely will not drink a merlot in the near future unless someone like my Mom is visiting or something and I need a safe wine.



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Red Knot Syrah 2006

Finally! I made it to my favorite wine store. Like a kid in a candy store, I was choosing bottles left and right. Of course I put most back, but this one seemed interesting. Since my favorite all time wine is from Australia (we'll get to that one later), I decided to try this one. It cost in the $15 range which is a good value to me. From the McLaren Vale in Australia (is that pronounced "valley"?) this was recommended by a member of the "team" at the wine store. I thought alright, I'll give it a try.



This syrah was ok. It was very dark and somewhat subdued. I really couldn't get a read on this wine. It was strong enough to go well with meals like steak or jambalaya, but was unremarkable with other dishes (usually a strong red goes well with spicy Chinese food, but this one didn't do so well). Oh, I almost forgot. The cork was something that I had never seen before. It had a peel off loop, similar to that seen on milk jugs. The cork was plastic and simply pulled out. The nice thing was that it could be easily replaced to save the wine between glasses. I thought that it was pretty cool.



For questions or comments, please email me at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com.

Sterling Vintners Collection Syrah 2005

I bought this bottle at Target for about $15. I was waiting for time to go to my favorite wine store and just bought this bottle to hold me over. For some reason I have been into syrah lately. Otherwise I would have chosen cabernet sauvignon. I also went with Sterling because I have had Sterling wines before and they are pretty good.



The wine was not remarkable but solid. Dark purple with aromas of crushed berries and ample alcohol the wine goes well with heavier meals and stews. Not a bad bottle but I would likely choose other bottles prior to this one.



Questions or comments? I am at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com.

Bedford Road Estate 2006 Pinot Noir

While I am more of a syrah and cabernet sauvignon fan, I wanted to try a different vintage. I purchased this bottle at a local wine store as part of a wine package around Christmas. This wine is from the Marlborough region of New Zealand, another region that was yet unexplored by myself. To date I have found that the Willamette region of Oregon produces some of the best pinot noir.



This pinot is very light in color with a strawberry aroma. The alcohol seems to be very pronounced which is surprising for such a light wine. In fact, the color of this pinot is so light that it almost appears pink. I would pair this wine with chicken or light pasta, but nothing too heavy. This pinot would likely be good for sipping at a social gathering.

Questions or comments? I can be found at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com.

Beaulieu Vineyard 2005 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

Well I have not been a good blogger. I finished this bottle a couple of weeks ago so I hope that this is accurate. I purchased this bottle for $20 at Target. BV cabernet has a reputation for being a very consistent wine and I thought that I would try it. Pretty good decision on my part.

The wine was dark and clear with aromas of dark fruit. This wine is a very strong wine with lots of tannins. Pair this with hearty dishes and it will shine. This wine is probably not suitable for casual drinking as it is too strong. Nonetheless it is very good.

For questions, email me at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com.

Rubicon Estates 2005 Captain's Reserve Zinfandel

This vintage was included in my Captain's Reserve club shipment. Unfortunately, only one bottle was sent. Fret not, for I know where to find more.



I was really expecting this wine to be a peppery zinfandel. Much to my surprise it is quite mellow, almost like a merlot. Purple and quite dark with an aroma of berries and dark fruit. As I mentioned this is a mellow zin, but with enough structure to support pairing with heavier meals such as steak or chili. This would also go very well with pizza.

I think that this winery is really good. I would highly recommend anything from Rubicon Estates. I am planning on visiting the winery in the near future. I can't wait to see it.

Questions or comments? I can be found at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com.

Banner Elk 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

My family and I recently took a quick trip to the Boone, NC area for a little R&R. Being into wine, I decided to check out any local wineries. Just outside of Boone sits a little sleepy mountain town called Banner Elk. This is a prototypical one-light town between ski resorts. About a mile north of Banner Elk is Banner Elk Winery. Sitting on 9 acres of North Carolina mountain land, Banner Elk Winery makes a small number of wines including chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. While North Carolina wines won't be confused with California wines, the Banner Elk cab boasts a double gold medal winner at the North Carolina state fair, beating larger vineyards such as Biltmore and Childress. I purchased a bottle for $30 at the winery and took it home.

I wasn't expecting much from this wine, having developed a taste for California cab. For starters, the wine was dark red/purple in color. Not bad for an initial impression. The wine has an aroma of ripe red berries in contrast to the darker fruit of a west coast wine. Over a four day period the wine lasted well, never acquiring a sour taste. The wine paired well with pasta dishes and steak. I would expect that lighter fare, such as pizza, would be fine as well. This was not a bad experience, although I can find better wines for the same or slightly less price.

For any questions or comments please email me at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com.

Rubicon Estates Captain's Reserve 2005 Syrah

I have a friend from San Diego who is a wine fanatic like myself. As we were talking about wine and the Napa area she told me about Francis Coppola estate wines. In particular, she was wild about Rubicon, which she mentioned could only be purchased at the winery. That was not an option for me as I live nowhere near Napa. Fortunately for me, I can use the internet. I decided after visiting the Rubicon website to join their wine club, which consists of quarterly shipments. I recently received my first shipment that included two bottles of the Captain's Reserve 2005 Syrah and one bottle of Captain's Reserve 2005 Zinfandel. Allow me to say that joining this particular club was a fabulous idea.



The wine itself is very dark purple and has an aroma of boysenberries on the nose. The last glass (five days after opening) was just as good as the first meaning that this wine does not oxidize easily. It is excellent now and will likely be excellent in a couple of years. Lucky for me that I have another bottle to find out. Fabulous selection.



Questions or comments? I can be found at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com. Until next time...........

Meridian 2004 Merlot

This wine is from Napa, one of my favorite regions. I purchased this bottle for $9 at a local grocery store. I was really looking for something that was relatively cheap yet had the potential to last a couple of days. This wine did the trick.



The color was dark purple, yet the wine itself was medium bodied. I detected very little on the nose, even when swirling in the glass. Not terribly overpowering in stature or alcoholic content. This wine is an good choice for everyday drinking, but I would not choose to serve this to guests.

Questions or comments? I can be found at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com.

Montevina Terra d'Oro 2004 Zinfandel

Usually I keep to certain regions when buying wine. However, sometimes it's fun to try something new. It is a fun way to discover lesser known values. I actually saw this advertised in Food & Wine magazine (so yes those ads really do work!) and did a little research. It turns out that this particular vineyard is in Amador County, California which is near Sacramento. Since I had not recognized the region I had no preconceptions of how this wine would taste. I purchased this bottle at Target. As a side note, where you buy wine is not terribly important. If a good wine is available at a store like Wal-mart for a reasonable price, then by all means snap it up! Don't be a snob on price! High end wines will not be available at discount stores but you can certainly get some reasonable everyday wines.

Back to this vintage. For starters the color was much lighter than I anticipated based on my previous experience with zinfandel. This suggested that it would be more of a medium variety and less heavy. Usually I like to drink zinfandel with spicy food and I think that this vintage will be fine with those foods as well. I would really suggest trying this wine with pizza. The food won't overpower the wine and vice versa. I also like to drink a medium body wine with Chinese food, and kung pao chicken comes to mind to pair with Terra d'Oro. Overall this is a pretty good wine for the value.

I'll be back in a few days. As always if there are any questions or comments I can be found at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com. Have fun!

Turner & Cole Cabernet Sauvignon

Since I am the only person in my family who drinks wine, it typically takes me 4 days to go through a bottle. That can be both good and bad, depending on the bottle. I have found that some wines oxidize quickly, leaving the wine tasting sour. Others get gradually better, peaking on day 2 or 3 and remaining good until the bottle has been finished. After opening a bottle I make certain to stop the bottle tightly to limit the amount of oxygen that enters the bottle and comes in contact with the wine. A little bit of oxygen is ok, as it tends to soften the tannins in the bottle. In fact, there are some bottles that I would recommend be allowed to breathe for a period of time. The bottle I am going to talk about today actually was very good straight after the opening.



I just finished a bottle of Turner & Cole 2004 Kamp Ridge cabernet sauvignon which I purchased from a local wine shop. This wine is from the Sonoma Valley appellation. Cabernet sauvignon is possibly my favorite variety of wine, and the Napa/Sonoma area is my favorite region for cabernet. This particular wine is very dark purple and as a result I suspected that it was quite heavy. I was somewhat surprised as it went well with burgers on one night. That would attest to its versatility. As I mentioned the wine was very good on the day it was opened and did not deteriorate over 4 days. The alcohol was noticeable without being overbearing. I liked the wine, and I think that it would benefit from cellaring for a couple of years. Lucky for me that I have another bottle.



If there are any questions or comments, I can be found at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com.

My philosophy about wine

Hello. I'm back. Let me get started by saying that one day I was thinking (fell free to comment to yourself, "Uh oh"). When reading wine reviews, you always read about a wine having characteristics of a certain taste. For example, with merlot it is popular to described it as having a raspberry or strawberry taste. For chardonnay, butter seems to be a popular choice. Personally I don't get any of that when I drink a glass of wine. For me, wine is about enjoyment with food. I'm too busy enjoying the wine to think "Now, does this taste like currants or raspberries?". I would rather classify wine into categories such as light, medium and heavy and pair those categories with the food that I am eating. With chili I tend to select a zinfandel because it is a heavier wine that tends to complement the spiciness of the chili.

Now each individual has different tastes, and everybody needs to figure out those tastes for themselves. I can tell you what I like and you can use that as a guide but ultimately you know what you like. That pretty much goes for any advice that you receive in regards to wine. Stick with what you like.

There are two types of wines: red and white. The reds are, well, red such as pinot noir, merlot and cabernet sauvignon while whites include pinot grigio, reisling and chardonnay. I personally am a big fan of reds and as a consequence that is what I will write about most of the time. That doesn't mean that there are no good whites. In fact there are people who love whites more than reds. I would consult them for white choices (i.e. not me because I don't know).

Ok, onto the reds. I really isn't as easy as listing the red varietals because there are really different varietals in different regions of the world. I would encourage you to think of wine in global terms, as some regions seem to produce better wines of a certain varietal. One example that I can give is for syrah. I happen to prefer Australian syrah (or shiraz in Australia); to me it tastes the best. In particular, syrah from the Barossa region is my favorite. I'll write more about my favorites later. Red varietals include pinot noir, merlot, sangiovese, malbec, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, syrah, petite syrah, zinfandel, barolo (and barbaresco), chianti and temperanillo. There are more, but those are the ones that I can think of right off the top of my head. Those are also some of the most popular that are found in stores. A quick classification is shown below.

Light: pinot noir, temperanillo
Medium: merlot, sangiovese, cabernet franc
Heavy: cabernet sauvignon, syrah, zinfandel

You can use this as a quick guide at the store when trying to pair wine with food. If you are going to be grilling steak, I would choose a medium or heavy wine. With pasta dishes, really any of these will be good in my opinion. With chicken or turkey a light red is great. The only suggestion I would make is to avoid red wine with fish. The oils in the fish do not pair well with red wines.

I think that is enough for now. The next time I can write a little bit more about some of my favorites and maybe a bit more about wine regions. In the meantime, if there are any questions or comments please drop me a line at thewinedoctor@yahoo.com. See ya later!