Wine Notes
After schlepping six bottles of wine around Tucson all day, the reward at the end of the day is to sit back with a glass of wine. These are all Wanderlust wines.
1) 2007 Cougar Crest Viognier - Deborah Hansen does it again. This is the wine I chose to kick back with. Melon, stone fruit, stoniness, citrus. A beautiful fresh, crisp, delightful wine ( about $20)
2) 2005 Anum Cara Estate Pinot Noir - Anam Cara, Celtic for soul friend. What a great name? We could all use some food for the soul these days. Very dark garnet, nose of mushrooms and forest, complex mix of flavors - fruit plus green and black pepper, a warm lingering finish. Not quite as big as some other Willamette Pinots, but bigger than most. Salmon, steak or stew for this one ( about $37)
3) 2006 Isenhauer Red Paintbrush - What a great palate Brett Insenhauer has! Instead of Burnt Umber, Burnt Siena, Cadmium Red, and a hint of Carbon Black, Brett's palate consists of 67% Cab Sauv, 17% Cab Franc, 11% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. Like a bright alpine flower lighting up the meadow at Paradise on Mt. Rainier, this medium bodied red has a great combo of black fruit flavors - current, cherry and plum. It is so mellow, so full of flavor, so delicious and ready to drink ( about $33)
4) 2006 Saviah Une Vallee - This Bordeaux style blend is from three vineyards in Walla Walla.
Totally tastes like Bordeaux. Yummy, delish, somewhat bigger than the Isenhauer, awesome balance. This wine is soooo berry, berry good. It tastes great by itself, but it will blow you away with cheese, steak, duck and other game (about $42)
5) 2006 Cadence Ciel Du Cheval - This big wine Red Mountain wine comes from one of the most exceptional vineyards in Washington State. In fact, I don't think I've ever had a bad wine from the Holy Trinity - Ciel Du Cheval, Klipsun, and Champoux, nor from Ben Smith either. Ben didn't miss a beat with this beauty. The wine is much more than the quartet of the grapes that went into this wine - 36% Cab Sauv, 32% Cab Franc, 20% Merlot,12% Petit Verdot. Kind of like a Beethoven concerto, much more than a Sonata could produce. I am tasting this wine after it has been open for three days and still going strong - therefore, have with food, decant, or age for three to five years at the least. The color and bouquet of Mr. Lincoln roses, rose petals on the palate, too, without the tar found in the other rose petal wine - Barolo. Black cherry leads the complex symphony of flavors. Even now there is tannin in the finish, but there is definitely a closed coda. Steak, game and roasts! A winter wine (about $47).
6) 2006 Vin Du Lac Ice Wine - Ho, Ho, Ho, there's a snowman on the label. Larry and Micki went out in the snow to harvest frozen Riesling and Gewurz grapes, crushed them ever so gently to bring you an Ice Wine comparable to the best of Canada (home of Ice Wine) at a slightly lower cost. Forty-one Brix at harvest, the wine has 16% residual sugar, but you would never guess it. Smelling like cake with vanilla and almond flavors and lots of frosting, the wine tastes of honeysuckle and exotic fruits, leaves some sweetness in the mouth, but appears to have an almost dry finish in mouthfeel. Very appealing and a great Holiday gift ( about $30)
1) 2007 Cougar Crest Viognier - Deborah Hansen does it again. This is the wine I chose to kick back with. Melon, stone fruit, stoniness, citrus. A beautiful fresh, crisp, delightful wine ( about $20)
2) 2005 Anum Cara Estate Pinot Noir - Anam Cara, Celtic for soul friend. What a great name? We could all use some food for the soul these days. Very dark garnet, nose of mushrooms and forest, complex mix of flavors - fruit plus green and black pepper, a warm lingering finish. Not quite as big as some other Willamette Pinots, but bigger than most. Salmon, steak or stew for this one ( about $37)
3) 2006 Isenhauer Red Paintbrush - What a great palate Brett Insenhauer has! Instead of Burnt Umber, Burnt Siena, Cadmium Red, and a hint of Carbon Black, Brett's palate consists of 67% Cab Sauv, 17% Cab Franc, 11% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. Like a bright alpine flower lighting up the meadow at Paradise on Mt. Rainier, this medium bodied red has a great combo of black fruit flavors - current, cherry and plum. It is so mellow, so full of flavor, so delicious and ready to drink ( about $33)
4) 2006 Saviah Une Vallee - This Bordeaux style blend is from three vineyards in Walla Walla.
Totally tastes like Bordeaux. Yummy, delish, somewhat bigger than the Isenhauer, awesome balance. This wine is soooo berry, berry good. It tastes great by itself, but it will blow you away with cheese, steak, duck and other game (about $42)
5) 2006 Cadence Ciel Du Cheval - This big wine Red Mountain wine comes from one of the most exceptional vineyards in Washington State. In fact, I don't think I've ever had a bad wine from the Holy Trinity - Ciel Du Cheval, Klipsun, and Champoux, nor from Ben Smith either. Ben didn't miss a beat with this beauty. The wine is much more than the quartet of the grapes that went into this wine - 36% Cab Sauv, 32% Cab Franc, 20% Merlot,12% Petit Verdot. Kind of like a Beethoven concerto, much more than a Sonata could produce. I am tasting this wine after it has been open for three days and still going strong - therefore, have with food, decant, or age for three to five years at the least. The color and bouquet of Mr. Lincoln roses, rose petals on the palate, too, without the tar found in the other rose petal wine - Barolo. Black cherry leads the complex symphony of flavors. Even now there is tannin in the finish, but there is definitely a closed coda. Steak, game and roasts! A winter wine (about $47).
6) 2006 Vin Du Lac Ice Wine - Ho, Ho, Ho, there's a snowman on the label. Larry and Micki went out in the snow to harvest frozen Riesling and Gewurz grapes, crushed them ever so gently to bring you an Ice Wine comparable to the best of Canada (home of Ice Wine) at a slightly lower cost. Forty-one Brix at harvest, the wine has 16% residual sugar, but you would never guess it. Smelling like cake with vanilla and almond flavors and lots of frosting, the wine tastes of honeysuckle and exotic fruits, leaves some sweetness in the mouth, but appears to have an almost dry finish in mouthfeel. Very appealing and a great Holiday gift ( about $30)
posted by Gene Stein, Ph.D. @ 4:38 PM
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