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.



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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.



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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.

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