Crasto Douro '09 $14

Douro Valley, Portugal

So my last few postings have been on California wines, so as not to rule out the rest of the world, let's go to Portugal. I've never been but I must say they make some great wines and especially wonderful Ports. Interestingly this wine comes from the same valley where many port wines are made, The Douro Valley. Additionally, the 4 grape varietals used in this wine are amongst the top 5 used for port wine production. However, by no means is this wine sweet like you would find in a port.

Comprised of 35% Tinta Roriz (also known as Tempranillo), 25% Tinta Barroca, 25% Touriga Franca and 15% Touriga Nacional, this wine hit a big WOW factor with me. The aromas were full of dark cherries, white pepper and hints of leather and flint. Blackberries, dark ripe cherries and a soft hint of mocha brought the flavors together for a perfect structure. Medium bodied with a soft mouth feel and silky tannins definitely put this wine at an amazing level for the price point.

I paired this with a rosemary rubbed, thick, bone-in grilled pork chop. The wine complemented the meal perfectly as I feel it would with many other grilled meats. A 2010 is out now and I’ve seen nice reviews on it.

Ridge Pagani Ranch 2010 $35

Sonoma Valley, CA

While visiting this winery a few months ago I was informed this wine was receiving incredible reviews and selling out everywhere.  I don't usually jump on that type of hype however knowing that Ridge makes other great Zinfandels, I bought 2 bottles to try it.  The tasting room wasn’t sampling it due to limited supplies and strong demands.

Well I opened my first bottle the other night and wow, they weren't kidding about how good this wine really is.  From the first swirl and sip to finishing the bottle on night 2, it was probably one of the top 5 best Zinfandels I've ever had.

Tantalizing, rich aromas of plums, ripe cherries and hints of freshly cracked pepper filled my glass.  It was almost like the scents were warming my insides.  With a deep purple color and heavy legs falling slowly down the glass, I couldn't help but believe I was in for a rich, full-bodied experience to follow.  The flavors were full of dark cherries, ripe dark plums and a wonderful mocha on the finish.  Silky tannins, subtle and soft, displayed the care in crafting this beautiful wine.  Comprised of 82% Zinfandel, 16% Alicante Bouschet and 2% Petite Sirah this wine is barrel aged for 16 months on American oak.

So maybe hype for hype sake takes place all too often, however not in this case.  Listening to the our new friends in the tasting room paid off.  Ridge makes some other great Zinfandels as well in case you can't find this one.  Start your search now before the 2009 and 2010 vintages are gone.

Bogle "Phantom" '09 $18

California (Clarksburg, Lodi & Amador)

With a perfect balanced blend of 52% Zinfandel, 46% Petite Sirah and 2% Mourvedre, I think I've found a new favorite, easy drinking red blend.

Dark red berry fruits with woody spice and hints of mocha deliver an aroma that's a pleasant start to the flavors ahead. Dark ripe raspberries bring out a full-bodied fruit intensity with hints of cocoa and black pepper spice.

With over 2 years in American oak it's no wonder the concentrated Zinfandel shows its best characteristics.  A firm finish with subtle tannins paired this wine well with a grilled ribeye steak. It even complimented the warm baked brownies for desert.

As Bogle suggests, "Welcome the winery ghost into your home again with this latest vintage...before it vanishes."  This is a great wine for the price point.

Ridge Vineyards, Lytton Springs

Healdsburg, CA  (Sonoma, CA area)

I had the pleasure of being introduced to Lytton Springs Zinfandel almost 5 years ago and I’ve always wanted to try their other wines.  I happened to have that chance a few weeks ago while visiting the Sonoma valley.  

One interesting thing I learned during my visit was some of the vineyard plantings have remained for over a hundred years, hence the term "ancient vines."  Some vines have roots over 20 feet down stretching into the water table.  Italians planted some of these plots in the early 1900s and back then it wasn't confirmed what some of the varietal plants were.  The majority is Zinfandel however a subtle mix of Carignane, Pettie Sirah and others are spread throughout.  Not all of the lots (fields) are grown this way however for those that are, all those grapes go into that particular wine. For example; the Lytton Springs Zinfandel has 67% Zin, 23% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane and 3% Mataro.  So technically it's a Zinfandel but the blending of other varietals makes it quite nice.

Some of the other wines I particularly liked were;

'10 Geyserville Zinfandel - A nice subtle balance on the oak due to older barrels.  Subtle berry fruit flavors, well structured with silky finish.

'09 Carmichael Ranch Zinfandel - One of my favorites in the group! Soft tannins, subtle mocha flavors, aged on American oak. 96% Zin, 4% Petite Sirah

Lastly for those of you wanting that "special" occasion wine, the '09 Monte Bello was amazing!  It's 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 6% Petite Verdot.  This is in their Collector series and rightfully so at $150/bottle.  Aromatics full of blackberry, soft licorice and warm toast.  Definitely one of the smoothest red wines I've had.  It's no doubt this will age for years to come and match up to any fine wine from around the world.  Robert Parker gives it a 98!

In the end, a big thank you to our hosts in the tasting room and I look forward to drinking more of what I bought to bring home.

www.ridgewine.com 

Little Vineyards, Sonoma, CA

Little Vineyards, Sonoma, CA

2009 was a great year for many Napa and Sonoma wineries and for Little Vineyards it was no exception.  I originally discovered this amazing boutique vineyard in the spring of '09...well before what was to be a banner year.  They've been around since 1996 when Rich and Joan Little purchased the property however it wasn't until 2002 when their first vintages were released publicly.  Ted Coleman (Joan's brother) is the winemaker and everything I've tasted from here has been outstanding!

During my second visit a few weeks ago, I was introduced to their '09 Cabernet Sauvignon and with overwhelming applause a standing ovation is in order.  Aromas of ripe black currants, subtle toasted oak and a pleasant vanilla hint spoke to the "yum in the glass” I was about to experience.  Dark crushed cherries, mocha and silky tannins balanced a flavor profile that was absolutely delicious.  There's just the right amount of oak in this wine to not over do it. You can tell a caring and talented process is involved in this small production of less than 500 cases. Their Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Syrah were also winners.

Joining their wine club is probably the best way to get their wines and you get some great discounts as a member. It's free to join and the commitment is definitely fair for great quality wines you won't find in most stores.   www.littlevineyards.com

My visit had one other special moment and it was to have an opportunity to sit in on drums with Rich in his recording studio onsite and jam. We had a blast and I think we actually made some good music.  Look for his the latest CD coming out in a few months.