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.

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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.