#1 — 2007 Trentatre Rosso
#2 — 2007 Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles
#3 — 2008 Sauvignon Republic Stellenbosch Sauvignon Blanc
#4 — 2008 VINTJS Syrah
#5 — 2007 Now & Zen Wasabi White
#6 — 2007 Perrin Cotes du Rhone Reserve
#7 — 2008 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Carmenere
#8 — 2006 Chiusa Grande Tommolo Montepulciano d Abruzzo
#9 — 2008 La Granja Tempranillo
#10 — 2007 Dr. Beckermann Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Spatlese
2008 Sebastopol Hills Pinot Noir
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
Gotta say I was really disappointed with this second batch.
Definitely thin and blah!
@manskybook: You must have somehow stumbled onto a stash of the first batch, which was yummy & delicious. Lucky you!
@DP Thanks for the tip on ABV. Had hear that before and followed up. Have been placing a little to much importance on that number! Thanks again…
@manskybook Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I remember being similarly pleased when I had this back in January. For whatever reason the notes on this one have been spotty as of late…
@Angela I almost ended up buying some of this again based on early comments and then I had a vision of the first bottle being a twist off. I couldn’t find any pictures to confirm but think I have better than a 50% chance of being right on this one!