jasons wine blog

For those that know this blog the introduction above serves aplenty. For those that don’t, the Gypsy is as close as it gets to a Trader Joe’s cult wine. That’s right, a $5 cult wine. What’s that? A cult wine has to be expensive? I disagree, it only has to inspire wide spread passion! And trust me this one does. I’ve written three posts on this wine and those compose my top three commented post, generating almost 200 responses. Over the weekend, the buzz over this one kicked into full gear. RMS first tipped me off after noticing the ‘08 vintage mentioned on the Chariot Wines website. Angela, my Trader Joe’s insider, added shortly thereafter that the new vintage is scheduled to appear in the next Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer. At almost the same time Jerry, who tipped me off to the ’07, checked in to let me know he had the scoop that this one will be appearing in stores before the end of February. Since you are all my friends I’ll be more forthcoming, Angela let me know that the next Fearless Flyer is scheduled for February 16th. Given that we can expect to see this bottle in stores within the next two weeks…

So what can we expect from the wine? I think the big question is can they maintain the quality as they expand the production. For the ‘07 vintage the demand was so high that I am all but certain they produced two different versions of this wine. I have seen many old Trader Joe’s favorites journey this road to mediocrity which leaves me plenty skeptical. Hopefully my angst is for not. We will know shortly! I’ll look forward to hearing all your thoughts once this one hits the shelves. Until then, here is what the winery has to say about the latest vintage:

“The Chariot Gypsy 2008 is a delicious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Sangiovese from great vineyards in the Napa Valley, Sonoma, San Joaquin, and Monterey counties.

Winemakers Jeff Hunsaker, Marco DiGiulio and Nancy Walker describe the wine like this: “The 2008 ‘Gypsy’ displays a dark garnet color with a clear violet edge. It shows mixed fresh berry aromas — raspberry and strawberry, with hints of white pepper and pastry. Very clean and lively with juicy berry fruit, firm acidity and a touch of smooth tannin. Excellent and versatile food wine particularly well suited for pork chops and poultry”.

We think it is the perfect everyday red wine!”

Price: $12.00 @ Friend/Gift

What They Said:

Cameron Confidential: Lot 112 Napa County Merlot represents exceptional value. Sourced from the un-appellated Coombsville and Jamieson Canyon regions (which is why it has the Napa County designation), this wines has the beautiful, supple structure and classic fruit profile of great Napa Merlot (which requires a few minutes of swirling in the glass to get going). Sourced from one of the most-respected wineries in the Napa Valley (where it is sold for $24/bottle), this wine is sure to please those of you who crave Merlot or those of you looking for a supple wine with harmonious mouth feel and great character.

Taste: Dark, almost blackened crimson color; Aromas of cherry, spice, and chocolate spring from the glass underpinned by bright fruit notes of strawberries and plums. A supple, rich mouth feel coupled with well-integrated oak presents a complex, yet smooth Merlot, perfect for that wintertime cocktail party.

What I Think:

Though I am very aware of Cameron Hughes I have rarely tasted his wines. In fact my records show I’ve that this is just the second of his offerings that I’ve sampled (the other being Lot 55 Napa Valley Meritage). For those that need an intro Cameron Hughes is very well known négociant who sources high quality wines from around the world and sells each as a lot in his series. The easiest place to find his wines for those interested is Costco, at least from what I hear…

So let’s get to the wine. On the nose this one shows cherry and oak. When the wine hits your tongue you get a glimpse of soft red fruits that disappear before you can decide if it was strawberry or raspberry. From there the wine becomes dark and rich. This is a very well structured effort that is smooth and balanced throughout. The finish is dusty and chocolaty and leaves your mouth coated with tannins long after the glass is empty. A nice, smooth, easy drinking bottle. I would argue everything you expect for $12 but not more at the same time. If I had to choose whether or not to buy another bottle I’d likely roll the dice on trying something new.

Rating: Pricey

And for those interested in another opinion how about one from the man himself… Check Cameron Hughes in the video below, he start talking about this one around 4:50 into the video. Enjoy!

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Price: $6.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

My initial Google search returned nothing. The back of the bottle noted that this one is made by DnA Vineyareds which I recognized from two previous offerings; Trader Joe’s Captain’s Catch and the TBD Zinfandel. The DnA Vineyards site hardly exists hasn’t been updated in ages. Failing on that front I decide to give the COLA registry a try and learned that the Mendocino Wine Group is ultimately behind this one. They are responsible for numerous labels with Paraducci being the most widely known offering (and for football fans the Mike Ditka wine label which I didn’t know existed…). Neither Rootstock or DnA Vineyards are mentioned on the site. Looks like yet another TJ’s orphan wine!

So what did the bottle have to say? “Combining four different Lodi Zinfandels and blending in a special lot of Lodi Petite Sirah gives this succulent wine added depth and color. This wine is full bodied and round with very integrated tannins that lead to a long and silky finish. The mouthfeel harbors licorice and cedar with a slight fennel note in the background. Versatility is the key here when considering what food to pair with; burgers, pastas and grilled veggies all work wonderfully.”

What I Think:

Reading my review on the TBD Zin which also was mostly Lodi Zinfandel I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t almost the same juice, with the same winemaking team under a different label. I find myself playing the role of skeptic as I put this on the table to pair with meatloaf.

So, what’s in the bottle? On the nose you are greeted with bright, hot cherry notes. On the palate this one is big & fruity but mostly one dimensional. You think a spice component is going to emerge near the mid palate but it quickly falls apart. The wine then turns hot leading to a slightly chalky finish before the heat once again emerges and lingers on. This one is not to be had on its own (IMHO), much better with food. But then even still it is rough around the edges. I may be being a bit harsh but couple my experience with the $6.99 price tag and I am not likely to buy this one again. By the way to my earlier point on playing the skeptic, my notes on the TBD Zin don’t sound all that different. But then again I do always enjoy a good conspiracy theory…

Rating: Skip It

Price: $3.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Bordeaux Etc.

What They Said:

I was able to track down Mountain River Wines, who is responsible for making this one, on the intrawebs but their site still highlights the ‘08 bottling. They have yet to post any notes on the latest vintage. From previous versions it appear the grapes for this one are sourced from the West Cape. Given we have nothing concrete here is what the bottle has to say: “Mountain River Wines proudly presents the 2009 vintage Sauvignon Blanc. This fresh, crisp white wine has a beautiful nose of figs and melon.”

What I Think:

I’ve had mixed success with the Pinotage from the same maker but had been hearing good things about this one so I decided to give it a go. As I took my first sip I realized that this was likely my first wine from the ’09 vintage. Guess it is true, time does fly when you are having fun. So what was on offer?

The nose was crisp showing lemon notes. The palate started slight tart but not to the point of puckering (which for the record I like). After the initial impression cantaloupe and lemon flavors emerged to dominate the mid palate. Perhaps there were some gooseberry notes as well? I always think so but I just added buying some to mentally record their smell to my list of wine resolutions for 2010 (post coming shortly…) so I’ll be sure next time. The finish shows a balanced acidity with lemon flavors leading to a stony/flinty ending that lasts for some time.

For $3.99 this is a nice, value priced quaffer suitable for any occasion. That said, I think it could really excel when paired with cold shellfish. I know I’ll be buying more. If you decide to grab a bottle, or have previously, please let me know what you think in the comments below…

Rating: Buy It

I kicked off the 2009 year in review by giving thanks to all of you that are reading this today! For the second part of this series I wanted to, much as I did in 2008, take a look across all of the wines I tasted during the year. As much as I would like to use a tool like Cellar Tracker or VinCellar on Vinfolio (who, by the way, just declared pseudo-bankruptcy) I am still chugging away with my little home grown (Microsoft Access) tool that could. That said, it allows me to take a good look into the rear view mirror so let’s get to the tale of the tape…

For the year I tasted 318 wines with an average cost per bottle of $10.18 which brought me back in line with my numbers from 2007 when I averaged $10.03 (versus $8.93 in ’08). This can be certainly attributed to the drop to 56% (avg. cost: $6.18), from 72% in ‘08, of purchases being made at Trader Joe’s. Winery direct at 14% (avg. cost: $17.86) and K&L Wines with 12% (avg. cost: $11.29) round out the top three in the purchasing category. 2007 (33%) replaced 2005 as the most prevalent vintage consumed with 2008 (23%) jumping past 2006 into second. Wonder how those ‘06’s are missing my cart… My oldest wine of the year was a ’94 Vintage Cava from Segura Viudas that I opened on New Year’s Eve.

As many of you know, what draws me to wine is the proxy it provides for physically traveling the world. First and foremost on my mind is always the opportunity to try a new grape or a new region. With that, in 2009, I samples wine spanning 44 grapes from 13 countries representing 54 different wine regions. The US led the way at 57% with Italy, France and Chile filling the next 3 spots. Red Blends were once again the dominant choice with Zinfandel moving into the 2nd spot and Pinot Noir the 3rd. I attribute Pinot being 3rd to the incredible offerings Trader Joe’s has had over the last six months that brought this varietal into a comfortable spending range from me.

Six wineries crossed into the 10+ bottle category this year. Three, Navarro, Rosenblum and Epicuro, are repeats from last year. Of the three to join the ranks one is a new favorite in Sobon Estates where I have tried many of the offerings and never been disappointed. Another is Central Coast Wine Warehouse who has been placing a number of private label offerings in Trader Joe’s. My personal favorite being the Franc Merlot which I am hoping to see a new vintage of soon. And the last is Jim Neal Wines, maker of the Chariot Gypsy which purely based on my consumption of that single wine…

To round out this segment the let’s take a look at both ends of the price spectrum. On the lower end I had 2 offerings at $3, the 2008 Down Under Chardonnay and 2008 Il Valore Sangiovese. Against the odds, I was a fan, and have repurchased, both! As I found this of interest I took a quick look at the $4 lot and was surprised to find that I found 25% (5 of 20) to my liking. Might dig further into the QPR aspects in a further post. As for the most expensive, for Open That Bottle Night I picked the 2003 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at $55 which, while it didn’t disappoint, failed to excite me.

By the way Open That Bottle Night takes place on the last Saturday of every February. That means it is just around the corner. Start thinking about what you might want to pull out of that special hiding spot for the evening! While you’re thinking stay tuned for the last in this “2009 Year in Review” series where I plan to cover highlights of what I learned about wine, my most interesting wines of the year and some thoughts for where I see myself headed in 2010. Hope everyone’s New Year if off to a great start!

As everybody is well aware on January 12th, 2010, a magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck 10 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, causing widespread destruction to the city and surrounding areas, leaving thousands in need of medical attention and many more desperate to survive. The Red Cross estimates the disaster has affected 3 million people and while no official figures exist, media are reporting that thousands are feared dead.

Now nearly one week after this disaster struck, as the spotlight begins to turn away, the needs are as stark as ever. With that, and I realize how far out of character this is, I wanted to ask all of you to consider contributing, knowing many already have, in any way you can to the relief efforts. Here are four ways I have done so:

1. SMS text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts. This is no doubt the fastest way to contribute to the cause.
2. Donate money to the charity of your choice (more here…) and don’t forget that your employer likely matches your contribution doubling the impact.
3. Donate frequent flyer miles/hotel points (more here…)
4. Bid in the Palate Press Wines for Haiti Auction auction or visit enobytes for food & wine fundraisers for Haiti. Consider reallocating your wine budget for the next three months to purchase wine via one of these auctions.

I’m not concerned with how, where or what you donate. All that I ask is that you do all that you can to support those afflicted during this time of need. If you have any questions or ideas on how I can help further please share them in the comments below. Thank you for your consideration.

Best,
Jason

Donate Money

As I mentioned above please donate to the charity of your choosing, any is fine with me as it will help with the overall recovery effort. For those of you that may be looking for a recommendation I would offer Doctor’s Without Borders. They are an organization that has been operating for some time in Haiti and are providing excellent coverage as to what is happening on the ground via their site and twitter. The latest being that they have given primary care to 3,000+ people and performed 400+ surgeries, the need for resources is still immense and their latest supply plane was not able to land in Port-au-Prince. I, for one, appreciate this visibility into the situation and feel like I can see my money at work.

For those interested in other options, here is a list of other support organizations that are actively working in the affected areas in Haiti courtesy of the Gates Foundation:

• American Red Cross
• CARE
• Catholic Relief Services
• International Medical Corp
• International Rescue Committee
• Mercy Corps
• Oxfam America
• Partners in Health
• Save the Children
• UNICEF
• World Food Programme

Donate Miles/Points

We all know times are tight and money may not be a feasible option for some. Think beyond dollar donations by donating airline miles and hotel loyalty points. If any of you are like me you have many accounts open where you will never redeem the points. This presents the perfect opportunity to use them to make a difference. Whether American, Continental or United on the airline front or Hilton, Marriott or Starwood for hotels, those and many more offer the opportunities to convert your miles/points into charitable contributions. The LA Times has all the details here.

With the passing of the New Year it is always good to take a moment to step back and reflect on the year that has passed and look towards the future with fresh eyes and a clean slate. I intend to do that here throughout the month of January. For those that may have more recently discovered the site I am nearing my three year anniversary in the wine blogging arena. 2007 was the year I got my feet under me. In 2008 I transitioned to a self hosted blog and much to my delight began discussing wine with some of you all here on the site. 2009 was a remarkable year. It will be remembered for many things;
Grape Madness, receiving my first samples (more on this in another post), redesigning the site and most importantly really developing an active community to talk about wine.

And on that note, I want to thank all of you! Google tells me that over 95,000 of you stopped by to read the 119 posts that were published last year. Those 119 posts generated a remarkable 1,036 comments! An extra special thank you to Angela and Danny for being the most active commenters. Likewise to joshiemac, RJ, Jeff, DP and PeterB who were also regular contributors. I know at times I can be slow (or worse) to respond but these comments and the dialogue are what keep me going. So thanks again to all for your contributions and please let’s keep the conversation going!

And finally… Everybody knows I’m a sucker for a Top 10 list so I thought I would share how you all voted with your clicks. With that I present the “Reader’s Choice” Top 10 List of Wines for 2009:

1. 2007 Chariot Gypsy
2. 2007 Castle Rock Mendocino County Pinot Noir
3. 2005 Epicuro Aglianico
4. 2006 Chiusa Grande Tommolo Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo
5. 2006 The California Wine Party Franc Merlot
6. 2008 Honey Moon Viognier
7. 2008 Blue Fin Pinot Noir
8. 2006 Epicuro Nero d’ Avola
9. 2005 Howell Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
10. 2007 Pancake Cellars Big Day White

Have you had any memorable moments here on the site in 2009?  If so, I would love to hear about them in the comments…What a year it was!

Next up: 2009: The Year in Wine…

Price: $9.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Nada, the bottle said absolutely nothing. So the detective work began and I think I found my new best friend. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) COLA (Certificate of Label Approval) registry where a search returned these results. This led me to the Owl Ridge Wines which happens to be located in Sebastopol. Once here, Google helped me locate some text near the bottom of the page referencing people to their affiliated winery, Willowbrook Cellars , for information on outstanding Pinot Noirs. A visit there led me to their online store which had a 2008 Sonoma County Pinot on offer with the alcohol content listed as 14.5%, wouldn’t you know it the same as the Sebastopol Hills. Do we have conclusive evidence? Nope, though I have emailed the winery seeking confirmation and will report back if we do. For those that believe we have corroborated enough facts you can find more information about the Willowbrook offering on the winery website where their Sonoma County offering goes for $24.

What I Think:

So what about the wine itself? I opened this with hamburgers on the menu and it’s a beauty. You’re greeted with blueberry, herbs and mint on the nose. The palate delivers deep fruit flavors on a well balanced and structured profile. A nice acidity emerges late in the mid-palate and leads to a dry, herbal lingering finish. This one has some very nice depth and length to it. I need to grab a few more bottles of this one before it disappears…

Rating: Buy It

With New Year’s Eve less than 24 hours away in some places I wanted to take the chance to share my limited insight into the offering in a limited time frame. In an effort to keep this short let’s jump right in. Before doing so I once again want to profess that this is an area where I have had difficulty scoring over the years. Nonetheless, here are my top four value choices. Let me
know your faves and I’ll be sure to give them a try over the next few months as time and circumstances allow. Without further adieu let’s talk bubbles…

1) Zonin Prosecco Brut ($6): This one is a long time favorite that I have been serving to guests for years and has yet to disappoint. The nose shows floral aromas with hints of citrus. This wine is a nicely balanced and offers a frothiness in the glass that leads with lemon flavors throughout the palate. The finish is very dry and clean. This is a battle tested sparkler that may be right for your New Year’s Eve celebration! And if not there this is perfectly suited for mimosas the morning after.

2) RSVP Brut Sparkling ($6): A new offering to Trader Joe’s this one arrives with a Bronco Wine Co. pedigree. For those unfamiliar with Bronco they are the owners and producers of Two Buck Chuck amongst fifty or so other labels. Even with that predisposition I couldn’t help but like this one. Nice and frothy up front it is quickly brought into balance and turns slightly sweet on the finish leaving me to dream about lemon custard pie…

3a) Blason de Bourgogne Blanc de Noirs ($11): This is about as close as you are going to get to the ancestral home of Champagne without breaking the bank. Bourgogne, in nearby Burgundy, delivers this sparkler that is full of fizz and bubbles in the glass. In the mouth you can feel the creaminess but a slightly (sour) acidic note continually pushes to the fore. The finish is dry and fades quickly. I’ve liked this one more in the past than I did this time around. As this generally mimics the profile of the above offerings I would steer clear and get two time as much for my money by grabbing one of those other bottles…

3b) Schloss Biebrich Sekt ($5) My initial post tried to shed some light on the history of Sekt for those interested. As for the rest of you let’s get to the juice. This one showed subdued fruit aromas; mostly apples and peaches. The palate starts full and rich, towards the middle the bubbles kick in full force and I mean a lot of bubbles. The finish is light, crispy and just a hint tart making it a crowd pleaser.

And for all of you big spenders looking for a dead ringer, this Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut ($40) is always a hit. Enjoy your festivities and don’t forget to let me know what wines were on offer as you welcomed in the New Year…

Price: $2.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Americal Beverage Group

What They Said:

Per the bottle “This 100% Sangiovese wine from the Puglia region is smooth and fruity with a touch of red berries.”

What I Think:

I had this one a while back and promised to revisit it. I did so, beginning with the label. Sangiovese traditionally hails from Tuscany, the center of the Italian wine world. This one, however, comes from the heel of the boot in Puglia which is located on the southern Italian peninsula. Wonder what the difference in terroir might mean…

With spaghetti squash pasta on the table I decided to take the opportunity to find out. The nose is muted. The palate delivers racy acid that settles nicely with food showing dried cherry & herb notes. This likely isn’t one those new to wine would enjoy and I wouldn’t recommend drinking it on its own. While complimenting its merits I was reminded of a comment I saw from joshiemac on RJ’s Wine Blog. Prior to that I would have called this one a nice table wine, but think joshiemac’s nice cooking wine is much more appropriate. This isn’t something to impress your friends with but it is a perfect wine for sipping while simmering some spaghetti sauce…

If you’re interested in another take check out what The Gourmez had to say about this one.

Rating: Buy It