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.