201- St. Urbans Hof Riesling Auslese

Wine to help you get through the Tax season!

#200 Papillon vs. Leviathan

I can't believe it has been 200 episodes already!
I hope you bare with me for a lot more!
Thank you so much for watching.

Joe

Papillon

2005 Papillon

This is our first release of a true Bordeaux style blend.

• 63% Cabernet Sauvignon
• 19% Merlot
• 9% Cabernet Franc
• 7% Malbec
• 2% Petite Verdot

#199 Wubeez Cleaning Cloth

Wuweez cleaning towels for wine glasses.

#198 King Fish Cabernet

King Fish Cabernet

197- Domaine de la Serre Hypogee 2002

Domaine de la Serre Hypogee 2002
Côtes de Roussillon Villages (France)

Made from 40% Carignan, 40% Syrah, and 20% Grenache, all from 60 year old plus vines. Rich, heady, and complex, this full-bodied red is a true find. Aromas of blackberries, black plums, and blueberries are balanced by white pepper, tar, smoke and a pleasant, sweet oakiness. The texture is silky, with powerful tannins, perfect acidity, and so much flavor that the first sip is disarming. This wine is just beginning to show off its character, and needs another 10+ years to really shine, so try a bottle know, and save the rest for 2012-2018. This wine is from the Fenouilledes, a region in the North of Roussillon with legendary black schist soil that has historically created the inky, powerful wines used to add body and character to thinner wines from other places (i.e. Burgundy & Bordeaux). Though such practices have long been illegal in France, it is not hard to imagine that just a little of this wine would be enough to make even the most insipid red taste interesting.

196- The Crusher Wines (all of them)

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine is a medium brick red hue with a tint of violet. It unfolds with rich aromas of blue fruit – like boysenberry, with an undercurrent of ripe cassis and cedar notes. The palate is sappy and ripe with French oak vanilla and cherry fruit flavors. The tannins are soft on the mid-palate and firm on the finish, providing an opportunity for short term aging.

This approachable Cabernet is very drinkable, despite its youth. It is nicely compliments grilled meats like Rib Eye steak, spit roasted game hen or rosemary chicken breast with fingerling potatoes and sautéed bitter greens.

2007 Petite Sirah

The nose of this inky purple colored wine is rich and complex with aromas of blueberry and cassis with a hint of spearmint. The palate is supple and tannic with lip-smacking caramel and French vanilla sappiness followed by a ripe cassis finish. The wine has balanced acidity and firm tannins and worth aging for a few years.

This Petite Sirah is perfect as an evening sipper. Try it with thin crust pizzettas topped with shaved Asiago cheese and wild mushrooms or Margarita with sun-dried and fresh tomatoes with Opal basil. Enjoying it with good sirloin burger served with white cheddar, smoked bacon and grilled onions is always a sure bet.

2007 Chardonnay

This pale golden colored wine is rich with Tahitian vanilla bean and custard notes, layered with tangerine and pear aromas. The palate has tropical notes of coconut, guava and papaya, finishing with crisp red delicious apple and baked apple pie flavors.

This complex, food friendly Chardonnay is nice on its own, as an aperitif, but it also pairs beautifully with lobster Bisque, Chesapeake Bay crab cakes over wilted arugula, or flatbread with goat cheese and caramelized onions.

2007 Viognier

This pale straw colored wine bears a slight glint of steely blue. Intense aromas of jasmine and clove unfold with hints of apricot and peach. The palate has a luscious, nectar like texture, abundant with apricot grit and sweet white peach flavors, and a finish of star anise, vanilla and juicy Bartlett pear.

This Viognier naturally pairs with Asian cuisine. Enjoy it with Vietnamese chicken sandwich with pickled carrots and cilantro served with green papaya salad, Vegetable Thai curry over jasmine rice or Japanese Miso infused sea bass with a seaweed salad.

195- Colores del Sol Malbec Reserva 2008

Colores del Sol Malbec

Colores del Sol meaning “Colors of the Sun.” is a Malbec that captured the exciting, alluring qualities of the Malbec grape in a wine which utilized modern, high-quality winemaking. The vineyards in Mendoza are among highest in the world – therefore, closest to the sun where the sun's light is most pure. That pure light reflects from grapes and vines like a starburst, revealing all the colors of the sun. The grapes are watered with pure melted snow channeled from the Andes, using a centuries-old irrigation system inherited from the native settlers, the Huarpes Indians.

194- Asunto de Vino Carmenere 2006

Asunto De Vino Carmenere

Tasting Notes
A unique Chilean wine, that is almost black in colour, with hints of exotic spices and a long velvety finish. Soft plum and berry fruit flavours define this smooth easy drinking wine.

Cellaring Potential
An easy drinking wine designed for immediate enjoyment and will also age for several years.

Suggested Food
Ideal with Texmex or spicy foods. Also goes well with hard cheeses or pan fried chicken.
(Available in 750ml packaging)

193- Domain Carneros vs. Cambria Pinot Noir

Cambria 2006 Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir

Aromatic and velvety Julia's Pinot Noir, named for owner Barbara Banke's younger daughter, is a signature wine of the estate.

Wine Enthusiast- This is the best Pinot Noir at this price on the market. Easily. It’s picture-perfect cool climate, absolutely dry and silky, with complex flavors of cherries, Mandarin orange, cola, pomegranates, licorice and cinnamon spice, made even richer by smoky oak. Just lovely, and gets even better as it breathes in the glass. - S.H. (2/1/2009) - 93pts!

Domaine Carneros, 2006 Pinot Noir Carneros

Our classic Pinot Noir made to show off the superb qualities of our organic vineyard, is rich with fruit tones of black cherry, raspberry and black current overlaid with notes of chocolate, toast, clove and exotic spices. Luscious flavors end in a very long and silky finish.

Wine Enthusiast Rating, 91 points: 2006 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir, Carneros, $35
"This bottling has been getting steadily richer and better over the years and has now reached the point where it’s an authentic Carneros beauty. The ’06 is a Pinot Noir to drink now, to savor its raspberry and cherry freshness, crispness and silky texture." — Steve Heimoff (12/31/2008)

192- 2005 Ortman Syrah Paso Robles

2005 Ortman Syrah - Paso Robles

Overview
Our 2005 Syrah hails exclusively from Brave Oak Vineyard in Paso Robles, where warm afternoons yield nightly to coastal breezes. This reciprocal climate offers excellent growing conditions for Syrah, which are accentuated by Brave Oak Vineyard's notable terroir and progressive viticulture. We have known Brave Oak winegrower Tony Domingos for many years, and he and his vineyard were at the top of our list when we added Syrah to our small family of wines.

Vineyard
Brave Oak Vineyard is located a few miles north of the Paso Robles airport, where the sloping terrain reaches an elevation of 800 feet. Winegrower Tony Domingos does an excellent job of limiting cluster size and ensuring balanced yields. Our grapes come from a small 3.3-acre block that is sloped toward the morning sun. This slope enhances drainage and limits exposure to potentially harsh afternoon sunlight. The soil is composed of shallow clay loam mixed with limestone. All of these factors converge to yield a Syrah with mature black fruit flavors, firm structure and silky tannins.

Winemaking
Heavy winter rains preceded a healthy growing season in 2005, with steady normal temperatures from spring through summer, and excellent weather during harvest. The must was cold soaked for four days prior to fermentation in small open-top fermenters. The cap was punched down twice daily. A full rack and return was employed both prior to and halfway through fermentation to ensure a full exchange between the juice and skins. The wine was aged in French oak barrels for 14 months, inclusive of 30 percent new oak for enhanced structure and complexity.

Tasting Notes
Our 2005 Syrah offers toasty aromas of blueberry, violets and raspberry jam. The palate is round a supple, with juicy flavors of black cherry, plum, smoked bacon and oak spice. The finish is full and velvety with lingering black fruit. The deliciously juicy flavors of the 2005 Syrah appeal to a wide variety of dishes, including bacon-cured skirt steak, grilled lamb chops, eggplant parmesan and gnocchi with fennel-sausage ragu.