Butterfield Station Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 wine review by (PB)

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Youthful looking with dark black cherry hue.
The bouquet is full of dark berry fruit and some cedar.

Palate--Integrated tannins, some real cab flavor and a nice surprise at $6 on a sale.

Why did I bother with such an inexpensive Cabernet? Even though it is a sourced wine 2007 was a stellar year for Napa and most other cab regions. So I figured for the price, I just might score a wine that was a bargain and I did! So raise a glass. --A Review from The Wine Cask Blog. Creative Commons: Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 applies

Chateau de Myrat Sauternes 2009 Wine Review (NW)

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Tasting notes:

Beautiful honey, almonds, and apricot on the nose

Full bodied and richly textured on the palate

Long, rich finish that's almost creamy with honey, citrus creme, and tropical fruit

Summary:

A beautiful young Sauternes! It's absolutely delicious but kind of a crime to be opened so young. Your crime will be forgiven, though, because it's understandable that you'd want to drain a bottle of this dessert nectar at the end of a nice dinner. It has a huge nose and a long, long finish that is richly layered. The retail price is $45, but you might also find half bottles for around $25. Raise a glass!--A Review from The Wine Cask Blog. Creative Commons: Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 applies

Tenute Folonari Campo al Mare Bolgheri 2009 Wine Review (NW)

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Tasting notes:

Smoky dark fruit and floral notes on the nose

Full bodied on the palate

Layered finish of cassis, roasted meat, and charcoal

Summary:

There's an intensity and persistence to this wine that's expressed in the dark fruit, roasted, and smoky profile. Priced at $32, it's made from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc in the Bogheri region where this type of blend is the norm. There will be plenty of cellaring potential if you choose to. If you open it young, simply aerate or decant to open up the aromas as much as possible. Hearty Tuscan fare should prove a good match. Raise a glass!

--A Review from The Wine Cask Blog. Creative Commons: Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 applies

Belleruche Cotes Du Rhone 2011 wine review by (PB)

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Ripe tropical fruit
Palate--Fruity tropical melange with good acidic backbone. Fleeting and short.

A tasty aperitif with a light cheese spread waiting the standing rib roast Christmas dinner.

Chapoutier puts together some classic Rhone quaffs at reaonsble price points. this is the ubiquitous $10 price point and is what you might expect.

*A house full of scents from candles and cooking skews a reasonable appreciation of the bouquet but even with the strong scents, the tropical fruit cuts through it all.

A refreshing aperitif so raise a glass!--A Review from The Wine Cask Blog. Creative Commons: Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 applies

Chateau Gigognan "Vigne Du Regent" 2004 wine review by (PB)

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Mature garnet hue with pronounced bouquet of rustic cherry and crazy olive but this was upon opening.

After 4 hours of breathing this wine opens to a really nice Chateau Neuf Du Pape with a delicious palate that is complex and warm, rich and textured berry with rustic cherry and a touch of smoke on the finish. A couple reviews I read were not impressed with this wine however it may very well have been that they either did not let it get a few years going for it or opened it without sufficient breathing. This wine needed several hours to open.

This was the first wine we opened for our "roast beast" on Christmas day of standing rib roast.

Expect to pay $40 for it and its well worth it.

Raise a glass to beautiful Rhone wines that strut their stuff without killing your budget.--A Review from The Wine Cask Blog. Creative Commons: Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 applies

ZD Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 wine review by (PB)

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Deep purple hue to the rim with rich, black licorice front with deep berry and a coffee twinge to the lush rustic fruit underneath.

Palate--gloriously integrated on a bed of plush tannins balanced with mocha notes and more fruit.

ZD winery stands for Zero Defects and that is what you get with this beautiful Cab. It is a stunning Cabernet from a stunning vintage from the Cabernet capital of the world--NAPA, Ca. Finishes with toasty oak!

This was the second wine I opened with our standing rib roast for Christmas and it was a stellar accompaniment to the meal.

This was a gift from friends on a trip a year or two or three? ago to Napa and thought enough of us to present us with this bottle and two winery glasses which I am sad to say did not last as long as the wine. I laid it down for a couple years knowing I would be rewarded for the patience of waiting on the 07 vintage to get a little maturity under its cork. I was right.

This wine retails around $50 price point and if you happen to find one and happen to have the means and the inclination to buy it, it is exceptional and classic Napa Cabernet.

So raise a glass to a great wine, Napa Valley and good friends! Thanks M and K!!!--A Review from The Wine Cask Blog. Creative Commons: Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 applies

Charles & Charles Red Blend 2011 wine review by (PB)

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Thin cherry hue with aromas of vegetal fruit with a touch of mocha.

Palate--bready, non-nondescript, dark fruit with a finish of milk chocolate.

This blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Syrah is your basic plonk, an adjective I don't use often.

This wine is collaborative effort between Charles Beiler and Charles Smith, the iconoclastic wine guru of the reliable Washington State K Vintner's. Smith always does a decent job on his wines whether single vineyard or basic sourced blends. This is an exception to what I expect from Smith and while I am not familiar with Mr. Bieler, he seems to be an opportunist who is more interested in scoring an experience rather than investing in the art of wine making. (This is based on what I have read online; beyond this I have no frame of reference for Mr. Bieler)

This is a big disappointment even at $11 and I would urge Mr. Smith to regain focus and do what he does best--producing quality and value Washington State wines.
Find something else of which to raise a glass!--A Review from The Wine Cask Blog. Creative Commons: Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 applies

Barone Ricasoli Brolio Chianti Classico 2009 Wine Review (NW)

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Tasting notes:

Spicy cherry with blackberry jam notes on the nose

Full bodied on the palate

Savory, earthy finish that's full and layered with tobacco and raspberry

Summary:

This wine has been consistently good for at least a decade. It has been at the forefront of the richer, more extracted style evolution of Chianti Classico that has taken hold in recent years. Ever since the requirement for white blending grapes was lifted and the Sangiovese percentages loosened, Chianti Classico has been steadily improving and this dense, juicy, extracted style has emerged as the wine of choice.  In fact, in blind tastings, many Classicos are now mistaken for Brunello which shows the potential for this region.

While Barone Ricasoli makes a number of very good reds, this is a consistent and widely distributed offering. It's great young, but also cellars for at least 10 years. I'm still drinking the 2003, which hardly tastes older than this 2009. Try to find a deal, though, as prices have crept up over the $20 mark. While no longer a bargain, it's good juice.  Raise a glass!

--A Review from The Wine Cask Blog. Creative Commons: Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 applies

Our 8th Anniversary! (NW)

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Wow, it's our 8th Anniversary at The Wine Cask Blog. Hard to believe! The three of us have been enjoying the world of wine for a long time and our more that 2,500 reviews on this site bring back a flood of memories. Our no-nonsense approach to reviewing wine in plain language was ground breaking in the blogosphere eight years ago. Our full disclosure policy on sponsored reviews was unheard-of back then, when corporate America was quietly buying favorable blog reviews for everything from diapers to DVD players.

A lot has changed, for sure, and we marvel at the way wine blogs in particular have taken off. There's a lot of great content out there, and a lot of enthusiasm for the incredible developments in the world of wine. Wine is an everyday occurance for us, and we gladly share it with our readers. Thanks for stopping by, and raise a glass!--A Review from The Wine Cask Blog. Creative Commons: Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 applies

Korbel "Extra Dry" sparkling wine review by (PB)

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New Years Eve calls for bubbly and I am notoriously frugal when it comes to bubbly unlike "Billy" of this blog who is a Champagne nut.

I would just as soon pay for a well made low end sparkler that I enjoy rather than $30 or more for a nuanced sparkling wine that is nice but just too darned expensive.

I grabbed this for New Years Eve with my wife and I paid a whopping $10 for it.

Pale straw, with subdued aromas of melon and a hint of hazelnut.

Palate--Actually quite enjoyable with a crisp, fresh taste of very light fruit and again a touch of nuttiness.

For me, it accomplished what I hoped for; an all purpose accompaniment to whatever appetizers or snacks I might have. The sparkle is actually very good (which is important at any price point) and for the price this is a raise a glass sparkler; simple, shallow and quick but refreshing none-the-less so raise a glass and may your new year be your best ever.--A Review from The Wine Cask Blog. Creative Commons: Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 applies

Eden Road's The Long Road Shiraz wins Best Shiraz

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A wonderful Australian Shiraz I reviewed this past summer, The Long Road Shiraz 2010 has won Best Shiraz in Australia's National Wine Show. Production only began in 2008 when they won The Jimmy Watson Memorial trophy for their first vintage.
"The vineyard for this wine is located in Gundagai, where some of the most exciting Shiraz in Australia is being grown," explains Eden Road's Winemaker Nick Spencer. "The region features basalt-rich soils, which deliver highly perfumed, aromatic wines, and ironstone-rich soils, which provide a mineral, crushed rock and gravelly tannin structure."

Congratulation Eden Road! Well Done!

Six vintages of Soldera Wines Destroyed

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One of the better producers of Brunello di Montalcino, Soldera/Case Basse, has been vandalized by unknown assailants who entered the winery and emptied all of the barrels of the wine from the 2007 through 2012 vintages, according to Gianfranco Soldera. There is talk in the wine trade that organized crime might have been responsible.

First reported by WineNews.it and Jeremy Parzen of DoBianchi.

Great Holiday Gift Ideas: Three Excellent Reds for Under $40 Each

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Every once in a while you need to splurge a little, and now is the perfect season to buy that really good wine you've been wanting to try. Well, here are picks of three of my favorite reds to treat yourself to.... (or bring as gifts for the holidays) for under $40 each.

Castello di Gabbiano Alleanza 2009 IGT, Italy
Sourced from the best Merlot and Cabernet vines on the Gabbiano estate, this blend is made from 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented in stainless steel and aged for 18 months in new French oak.

Starting with rich ruby red colors, a beautifully complex bouquet of roses, fresh herbs, black pepper and mild spices, while delicious flavors wind through a blend of blueberry, blackberry, ripe dark cherry, leather, raspberry and especially cloves.

Very balanced, mild sweet tannins with fresh acidity and a dark fruit finish. Love this wine! $40
Termes 2009, Spain

100% hand harvested, 4 months in stainless steel tanks, then aged in French oak barrels for 14-16 months. (The 2008 was expressly fresh fruit, while the 2009 was slightly warmer vintage like 06, 03 with a level of intensity, and lots of character). Aromas of raspberry, strawberry, fruity, sweet lush tannins, lively vibrant fruit character. nice structure, toasted, cedar, layered juicy texture on palate. Pairs beautifully with salumi, which rounds out the tannins. SRP $30

Macari Vineyards Merlot 2005, Long Island

soaked in a perfume of damp earth, green peppers, currant, blackberry, vanilla and ripe plum enmeshed with an herbaceous and lush mouth-feel surrounded by caramel candy and lively tannins redolent of leather and a long toasty finish. $36

Vina Ventisquero Pinot Noir Reserva 2011, Chile

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This very nice Pinot Noir is from the Vina Ventisquero Vineyards of Casablanca Valley in Chile where it's fermented in open tanks, then 70% of the juice is aged in French oak while 30% in stainless steel tanks for ten months.

Colors in the glass are a cool ruby tone, aromas are fresh strawberry and cherries with vanilla and mild minerality. Spices appear on the palate along with vanilla bean and bing cherry and a really good finish. The $12.99 price tag makes it a smart but inexpensive choice to accompany a Christmas dinner, and would pair well with roast pork or turkey.

Arnaldo Caprai, Collepiano Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCD 2005, Umbria

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Last month, to celebrate Umbria Month here in NYC, I got a chance to sample a delicious Sagrantino from producer Marco Caprai, who also talked about his wines with palpable passion.

Made with 100% Sagrantino grapes of the finest quality, aged for 30 months in French oak barriques followed by six months or more in bottle before release. Intense and dark ruby in color, the aromas fly out of the glass on wings of vibrant earth, leather and vanilla. The palate shows delicious ripe fruits atop deep spices and violets. Full bodied with intense flavors, beautifully balanced and complex, and a long finish that is most memorable. I was astounded at the perfect pairing of Porchetta con Lenticchie Umbre, especially the before and after. Tasting was held at La Scuola di Eataly.