Easter wines

Enjoyed a couple of wines with a "traditional" Easter dinner of glazed ham, scalloped corn, braised brussel sprouts and candied sweet potatoes. The white choice of the evening was the 2008 Bastianich Friulano, Colli Orientali del Friuli. Light gold in color, the nose reveals pretty jasmine and mineral notes. And although those aromas may suggest a lighter style white wine, the palate on this one is quite rich and oily with flavors of petrol and anise. Bone dry and refreshing with crisp acidity. This one is all about the texture.


The red was the decadent 2008 Lincourt Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills. A powerful rendition of this grape, the nose is packed with smoked tea, licorice and sweet black cherry. The black cherry and licorice are echoed on the palate which also features strong notes of spicy oak flavors. Good acidity and firm tannins suggest this one might age for a couple of years. Long, toasty finish. Very nice Pinot for under $25.

2009 St. Hallett "Poacher's" white

The 2009 St. Hallett Poacher's, Barossa is alive with a cornucopia of fresh green fruits ranging from green apple to lime to sliced cucumber. This blend of Semillon (61%), Sauvignon Blanc (25%) and Riesling (14%) is thoroughly refreshing with mouth-watering acidity and a long finish reminiscent of cut grass, wet stones and minerals. Those averse to sweet wines shouldn't let the 14% Riesling scare them off as this wine is bone dry. Don't make the mistake of serving this ice cold out of the refrigerator. It takes on considerable body as it approaches room temperature. Quite impressive for just over $10.

2009 Pedroncelli "friends.red"

The 2009 Peroncelli friends.red, Sonoma County went down way too easily with home made pizza tonight. Cranberry red in color, this inexpensive blend of Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah and Sangiovese has a nose featuring spicy Zin fruit, black pepper and a good whiff of alcohol. Red fruit on the palate. Good acidity probably comes from the Sangiovese. No hint of oak. Quite nice with the pizza. Would probably make a nice partner with grilled foods or BBQ. I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a complex wine, but it's a fun ride for $12.

2008 Dunning Ridge Top Zinfandel

"Bottle shock" be damned, I'm not afraid of pulling the cork on a bottle of wine that UPS delivered yesterday morning; especially when it's a Dunning Zinfandel and baby back ribs are on the smoker! The 2008 Dunning Vineyards Ridge Top Zinfandel, Paso Robles is a dry farmed "Westside" Zinfandel from a plot at the highest peak of their estate Zinfandel vineyard. The data sheet included with the shipment says this wine was aged in a combination of American and French oak, but the label only mentions French oak. Either way, there's no hint of dill/Bourbon - and that's always a good thing. fruit on the nose and palate is a compote of blackberry, blueberry and raspberry with considerable spice and black pepper playing a supporting role. 15.2% alcohol is not intrusive. Tannins are firm, but it's not really built to age. Drink this one now while the fruit is lively. $28 before wine club discounts and shipping.

2005 Dunning Syrah

Happiness is knowing that the spring shipment of Dunning Vineyards is coming tomorrow! In case you missed it that last couple of times I mentioned it, I'll go ahead and state again that Dunning was one of our 2-3 favorite wineries we visited on our trip to Paso Robles in 2009 and a darn fine B&B to boot. I highly recommend this as a base camp on your next excursion to California's Central Coast.

In anticipation of our shipment arriving tomorrow (and the lamb skewers on the grill) I pulled the cork on a 2005 Dunning Vineyards Private Reserve Syrah, Paso Robles tonight. I've had their 2007 Syrah on numerous occasions, but as far as I can recall this is my first/only experience with the '05 vintage. This particular wine is inky black in color with a complex nose of kirsch, pencil lead, vanilla, toasted French oak and a distinct meatiness not necessarily common to Paso Robles Syrahs. The palate is all about the interplay of massive tannins, 15.2% alcohol, sweet cherry fruit and the acidity that keeps everything perfectly in balance. Not for the faint of heart or oakophobes, but a very nice choice to accompany grilled lamb skewers with a spicy teriyaki glaze. Very reasonably priced around $30.

2009 Sean Minor Sauvignon Blanc and 2008 Gain Bay "Cabernet Family"

We're looking to expand the concept of a "farm" around here. My wife has been diligently working in the garden planting all sorts of vegetables, herbs, flowers and berry bushes. We ended up hatching 3 chicks out of a clutch of 15-16 eggs. The three newbies are doing well under a heat lamp in the basement for now. We'll probably add to the new flock by purchasing a couple of hatchlings from one of the local farm stores. Pigs are on the way. We have a couple of sources and should have two by the end of the month. (We've warned the kids to not become too attached as these hogs are destined for the dinner table.) So today's project was building a shelter for the pigs. I'll install the heavy duty "hog wire" fencing around their pen tomorrow.

So after a long, hot, windy day's work, a nice dinner and a couple of wines were in order. First up was the ever-delicious 2009 Sean Minor Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County. I enjoyed the sweet grapefruit, lemon and slight herbaceous aromas and flavors while I was waiting for the our lamb shanks to finish their long braise. A great summer sipper for those of us who enjoy tropical flavors without the over-the-top, green pepper characteristics of most New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs.

The shanks were enjoyed with the 2008 Gain Bay Cabernet Family Red Wine, Napa Valley. Splendid color with initial aromas of black olive and coffee. After a while in the glass, it picks up a distinct herbal note; probably from the Cabernet Franc. Quite tannic on the palate with plenty of black fruit and a certain meatiness. Thick, but there is plenty of acidity to keep everything nicely balanced. At $23, this is an excellent Bordeaux-style blend of 55% Cab. Sauv., 27% Cab. Franc, 15% Petite Verdot and 3% Malbec

2008 Dona Paula Malbec

I had a tart, citrusy experience with this wine back in January so I thought it was time to re-visit (and kill off my last bottle). While the 2008 Dona Paula Estate Malbec, Mendoza wasn't overly tart or acidic this time, it was still a far cry from a pleasant drinking experience. This time around, the nose seems jammy-sweet with a raspberry-like aroma more reminiscent of a new world Grenache than a Malbec. There's a bit of black pepper and alcohol in the background, but you can really sense the sweet fruit is going to dominate. And dominate it does on the palate. Sweet, thick, syrupy red fruit flavors with frightening alcohol (seems much higher than the stated 14%) and a really "artificial" acidity. Kind of reminds me of an inexpensive, highly acidic Zinfandel that you might have gotten from the 1997 vintage.

I've had a number of estate wines from Dona Paula, both Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, and I haven't been impressed with any of them. But I do indeed enjoy their lower-end Los Cardos "second" label; particularly the Malbec rose.