In this episode, in an effort to get over the Super Bowl loss of his 49ers, Jeff tries a Napa Valley Merlot…
Wine Tasted:
Franciscan 2007 Merlot
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Find wine and wine related products on Amazon.
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Stay Rad Wine Blog TV Episode 83: Napa makes Merlot too!
February 4, 2013Stay Rad Wine Blog TV Episode 82: #StayRadDay!
January 27, 2013In this episode, Jeff tries a tasty Napa Cabernet for #StayRadDay…
Wine Tasted:
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Find this wine and help support Stay Rad Wine Blog on Amazon.com.
Cheese with my wine? Heck yeah!
January 24, 2013After waking up in Monterey this past Monday, Kara and I took a quick drive South to the beach town of Carmel-by-the-Sea to do a little wine tasting.
Our first stop was Wrath Tasting Room…
Wrath
Wrath specializes in epic single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from the Santa Lucia Highlands…
I was loving this Wrath 2010 Tondre Grapefield Pinot Noir…
But this Wrath 2010 KW Ranch Syrah was off the charts good!
After checking out Wrath, we poked our heads into The Cheese Shop next door. Dave TheVegetarian and his wife Kara TheVegetarian told us that we had to hit this place up… So we hit it up.
The Cheese Shop is awesome!
The moment we walked in the door, we were offered samples of some killer cheese. After a little snacking, we headed to the back of the store to do a wine and cheese tasting…
Wine and Cheese at The Cheese Shop
If you ever make it to The Cheese Shop, you’ve gotta do the wine tasting. All you do is tell them what color of wine you want to taste, and they give you the wine… I was really digging on the Cahors they chose for me.
After cheesing it up, we headed down the road a bit to the Morgan Tasting Room…
They make some fantastic wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands. I was a big fan of the 2010 Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir.
Before heading home, Kara and I stopped by the Sea Harvest Fish Market for some tasty seafood…
Oysters!
Clam Chowder!
Wooden Pelican
After such an action-packed weekend, it was tough having to go back to work.
Please forgive me while I wine.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Get Out of Town!
January 22, 2013Sunday was awesome!
Earlier in the day, Kara and I watched the 49ers dominate the Falcons… But you already knew that.
After the game, we decided to drive on down to Monterey for dinner.
After checking in to the Hyatt Regency, we enjoyed a little wine while getting ready for dinner…
Krupp Brothers 2007 Stagecoach Vineyard Black Bart Syrah
This Krupp Brothers Syrah holds a special place for us. It was part of a wedding gift to Kara and me from Jan and Dr. Jan Krupp of Stagecoach Vineyard. We have been sitting on this wine since the Summer of 2010… Waiting for the perfect occasion… With the 49ers headed to the Super Bowl, we figured that this was as good a time as any.
Now…
On to the wine…
Color: Black. This wine is black. Look… Syrah can get inky… And, yes… There is a little bit of red in this wine, but this Syrah is black! Look…
Black! This is probably due to the awesome power of Stagecoach Vineyard… That and the 2% Viognier that’s blended into it. Yes… Viognier is a white grape, but it makes Syrah darker. You can trust me, or feel free to google it… I’ll wait…
Nose: Tasty blackberry on the nose, with tons of black pepper.
Taste: Wow! What a fun play between the savory notes of leather, tobacco, forest floor, and clove as well as the big fruit of cranberry, orange, and fig. This wine is super silky and refined, but has the structure to go another 10+ years.
Score: This wine was fantastic! The only problem was that the bottle ran out of wine too quickly. 93+ amazing points from the Krupps and their Stagecoach Vineyard.
After the wine, we hit up a really nice restaurant located at the Hyatt…
TusCA Ristorante
Kara and I split a Caesar Salad.
This Sausage and Peppers Pizza was all mine!
Make sure to tune in next time, as I tell you all about our fun day in Carmel–by-the-Sea…
Stay Rad,
Jeff
So Excited! I’m Howelling!
January 21, 2013By now, you’ve got to know that I am a HUGE fan of the San Francisco 49ers…
So when my buddy Dave TheVegetarian invited us over on Sunday to watch the Niners play in NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons, I was all like, “Heck yeah, Foo!”
I had another sample from Cornerstone Cellars, so I decided to bring it over for some good football mojo…
Cornerstone Cellars 2009 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
Howell Mountain is one of the more prestigious regions of the Napa Valley when it comes to Cabernet Sauvignon. This effort from Cornerstone has 5% Merlot blended in.
Color: Super dark ruby-red to purple.
Nose: Brambly blackberry and plum fruit with herbs of mint and tobacco and a crack of black pepper.
Taste: Big tobacco and leather notes up front. Very spicy, but rounded out with good fruits of cranberry and orange zest. There’s a really good integration of oak, mint, and herbs. In spite of its big time structure, this wine is mad silky and smooth.
Score: If you’re looking to splurge on a Napa Cab, this is the wine for you. Big enough to be the star of the night, and stand on its own, this Howell Mountain Cabernet has the balance and acidity to pair with a variety of foods. I’d love to try this next to a Flank Steak with Chimichurri. This bad boy deserves all of the 93 points I am giving it.
Speaking of food…
We ate a lot…
A lot of food!
And speaking of scores…
The Forty-Niners won the game, and are going to the Super Bowl!
I wonder what I should bring to the next game?
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Stay Rad Wine Blog TV Episode 81: Go Niners! Go Ridge!
January 13, 2013In this episode, Jeff celebrates a 49ers playoff win with a championship caliber wine from Ridge Vineyards…
Wine Tasted:
Ridge 2010 Buchignani Ranch Carignane
After the Fact:
I forgot to score the wine on camera. Check out the Rad Wine Reviews page for my official score.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Stay Rad Wine Blog TV Episode 80: I’ve Got a Crush
January 10, 2013In this episode, Jeff breaks open a value wine from Robert Mondavi…
Wine Tasted:
Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2011 Coastal Crush Red, Central Coast
Stay Rad,
Jeff
The Rad List: The Raddest of the Rad from 2012
January 6, 2013It’s that time of the year everybody!
It’s time for the Rad List!
What you are about to read is an alphabetical list of my most memorable wines from 2012. These are not necessarily the top scoring wines that I tasted in 2012 (for that, just take a look at my Rad Wine Reviews page). These are the wines that were delicious, thought-provoking, and just plain rad. Along with each wine, I’ll give you the reason why I picked them, as well as my original tasting notes.
So…
Without further ado…
The Rad List: The Raddest of the Rad from 2012
1. Argyle 2011 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir – 91+
This is the second year in the row in which Argyle has made the Rad List. At $17, this tasty Pinot Noir is a fantastic value.
Let’s go to the tape!
2. Bonny Doon Vineyard 2007 Le Cigare Volant normale – 90+ (en foudre 91+ / en demi-muid 91)
Kara and I got into this wine (in all three versions) on a quiet day in Santa Cruz. Here’s why I liked the wine so much…
Bonny Doon Vineyard 2007 Le Cigare Volant normale
Le Cigare Volant is Bonny Doon’s Chateauneuf-du-Pape style blend of 60% Grenache, 32% Syrah, 4% Mourvedre, and 4% Cinsault. This is their flagship wine. I can see why. Good raspberry nose. Raspberry, cranberry, leather, and pepper on the palate. This wine is mad complex. This wine is mad balanced. I’d plant my flag in this wine too. 90+
The neat thing about Le Cigare Volant is that you can also try a couple of variations of the same wine based on the vessel in which they were aged…
Bonny Doon Vineyard 2007 Le Cigare Volant en foudre:
The normale blends some wine aged in giant casks and others that were aged in normal sized wine barrels. The en foudre is just the stuff that was in the giant cask. Since less of the wine is in contact with the wood, the en foudre is a bit juicier than the normale. Blackberry nose. Raspberry, cranberry, and leather are still the prodominent flavors on the palate. Everything just seems to be a bit more rich and ripe. Good stuff. 91+
Bonny Doon Vineyard 2007 Le Cigare Volant en demi-muid:
With the smaller barrels, a lot more wine is in contact with the oak. On the nose, this added some pepper notes to the blackberry fruit. The pepper also comes through on the palate… and it lingers for a while. 91
Yeah… Bonny Doon pretty much brings it.
3. Cornerstone Cellars 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – 92 (93 the second time around, when paired with a bacon-wrapped filet mignon)
I got to taste a whole lot of stuff from Cornerstone Cellars this past year. Their 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet is an exceptional example how a fantastic wine can get even better when paired with the right foods…
Color: Dark ruby-red to black.
Nose: Blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry fruit with a hint of leather, spice, menthol, and tomato skin.
Taste: Up front, there is this beautiful dark fruit component with a pop of red fruit. Think of blackberry and plum with a blast of cranberry. There are these awesome, velvety tannins that round this wine out beautifully.
Score: Fantastic! It’s not often that I refer to a $65 bottle of wine as a steal, but this wine can go toe-to-toe with the best of them. 93 points.
Back to the meal…
Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese and a Big Ass Baked Potato
The juiciness of the filet mignon amps up the black and blue fruit in the wine.
4. Joel Gott Wines 2009 California Zinfandel – 90+
I have a lot of fun doing videos on this blog. This video I made with Dave TheVegetarian was one of my favorites. The wine was really good too…
5. Krupp Brothers 2008 Stagecoach Vineyard M5 Cabernet Sauvignon
A personal wine highlight for me last year was getting a personal tour of Stagecoach Vineyard from Dr. Jan Krupp. Here’s a bit of what happened on the tour.
We took a left at the stagecoach…
- The Stagecoach
And drove to the top of the world…
While Kara and the Krupps set the table…
- Kara and Dr. Jan setting the table.
I took a little time to enjoy the view…
- The low sun over the Napa Valley
Dr. Jan served us some fantastic wines…
- Krupp Brothers 2009 Napa Valley Chardonnay
- Krupp Brothers 2007 Black Bart’s Bounty Syrah
- Krupp Brothers 2007 Veraison Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
- Krupp Brothers 2008 Stagecoach Vineyard M5 Cabernet Sauvignon
The Krupp Brothers wines were fantastic. They were each a great expression of the rugged terroir of Stagecoach.
6. Kunde 2009 Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – 86
When I do my blind tastings, I am usually way off…
When I made this video for the 200th post on Stay Rad, I knocked it out of the park…
7. Ridge 1993 Monte Bello (Half Bottle) – 95
You know I am a huge fan of Ridge. As members, Kara and I take many trips up the mountain in Cupertino to taste everything they have to offer. Just when I’ve gotten to the point when I thought I had tried them all, they broke this one out…
Behind the counter, they had open a Half Bottle of Ridge 1993 Monte Bello, so we had to have a taste. It’s hard to believe that this wine is 19 years old. Considering that half bottles age more quickly than those that are full-sized, it was neat to see how young it still behaved. The color was a dark reddish-purple with just the slightest rustiness near the rim. The nose had this fantastic spice that Kara and I were having trouble putting a name to. Kara settled with chai tea. The spice to me was more that of nutmeg and carob. There was also a generous aroma of plum. On the palate, this bad boy brought it all. Black tea, green peppers, clove, mint, ginger, blackberries, cranberries, and leafy tobacco married perfectly. This wine, right now, is in a sweet spot. It is F-ing great! 95
8. Tablas Creek 2009 Esprit de Beaucastel – 92
When Kara and I took a trip down to Paso Robles last year, we were pleasantly surprised by how great all the wineries were. Tablas Creek happened to be the most exceptional of them all…
Tablas Creek is partly owned by the Perrin family of Chateau de Beaucastel in the Chateauneuf du Pape region of France. Slowly, but surely, over the years they have been importing Rhone vines from France to plant in their vineyards. It is an extremely time-consuming, and expensive process, but I can’t think of many other places in California that can match the style and quality of the Rhone wines that we tasted on Tuesday.
Here are some of my favorites…
Tablas Creek 2010 Cotes de Tablas
Tablas Creek 2010 Mourvedre (How do you pronounce it?)
Tablas Creek 2009 Esprit de Beaucastel: Ripe blackberry and raspberry on the palate. Rich. Luscious. Dope. 92
9. Williams Selyem 2009 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – 93+
When it comes to California Pinot Noir, Williams Selyem sets the standard. I had a blast tasting this one…
Well…
There you have it.
Another year…
Another Rad lineup of wines.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Stay Rad Wine Blog TV Episode 79: In Cot We Trust
January 3, 2013In this episode, Jeff takes a break from writing up this year’s Rad List to taste some Cot…
Wine Tasted:
Thierry Puzelat 2008 KO: In Cot We Trust
Stay Rad,
Jeff
BurGR and Beaujolais: Two Meals. Two Cities. Too Cool.
December 30, 2012While in Las Vegas for a wedding a few days back, we noticed that Gordon Ramsay had just opened up a new restaurant in the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. Since we were staying there, we were all like, “What the heck? Let’s check it out!”
Gordon Ramsay BurGR
Our view from the table…
To start the meal off right, we ordered up some beer…
And BOY did they have a lot of it!
I got me a Stone Pale Ale
Here’s what we ate…
This Salt and Vinegar Hummus was out of this world…
The Truffle Parmesan Fries were legit…
But this Artisanal Burger with Shaved Prosciutto, Dried Salami, and Reclette Cheese is one of the best burgers I have ever tasted.
Everything about BurGR is fantastic.
The food.
The service.
Even the menu…
I mean… Come on… How cool is this?
Yesterday, we flew from Las Vegas to Reno, Nevada to visit my folks.
After picking us up from the airport, we headed out to dinner at Beaujolais Bistro.
Yes…
This French restaurant does serve Beaujolais, but I was in the mood for something different…
The Saint Cosme 2011 Coetes-du-Rhone is full of bright red fruit, but has a great herbacious, spicy, earthy sensibility. Highly recommended.
Here’s what we ate…
Olives. I love olives.
Mixed Lettuces with Blue Cheese, Walnuts, and a Creamy Lemon Dressing
The Muscovy Drake Duck Breast in Blood Orange Sauce was ridiculously juicy and flavorful. The richness of the duck was evened out by the tangy blood orange. The wine made this dish sing.
Oh man…
It’s not that often that one can tout having had two of the best meals of their life in the same week…
I can.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Stay Rad 