In 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
In 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
It’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
In 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
While 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
Kara and I have been traveling all over the place this holiday season.
As you read this, we are here…
Las Vegas!
We’re out here to celebrate a wedding.
Although there is plenty of wine in this town, I haven’t had a single glass.
Don’t worry… I haven’t given up my favorite drink… We’re just taking a break.
Over the last couple of days, I’ve been flirting with a different beverage…
Gin!
I love gin!
Please don’t tell wine about this affair.
Remember…
What happens in Vegas…
Stay Rad,
Jeff
It’s Christmas, y’all!
I hope everyone out there is having a good time with their loved ones close by.
I just wanted to take a moment to share what we’re drinking right now…
This is the Artezin 2009 Mendocino County Zinfandel. I picked it up at the local grocery store this morning for 12 bucks.
Let’s see how it turned out…
Color: Dark ruby red.
Nose: Bright blackberry fruit.
Taste: That same, bright blackberry fruit is very present on the front palate. There’s a whole lot of splintery, oaky tannins with a hint of vanilla. There’s a rich of green pepper and clove on the tail end.
Score: Look… For 12 bucks, you can’t get mad at this wine. It would do just fine with a heavy Italian meal. I was just expecting more. Wine Spectator has been loving the hell out of the 2010 Artezin, so if you’re thinking about picking up a bottle, try that. As far as the 2009, with its poor use of oak, one-dimensional fruit, and thin finish… I’m giving it an 85. You can do better.
Merry Christmas, y’all!
What’s in your glass?
Stay Rad,
Jeff
In this episode, Jeff blind tastes a GV Special for the Holidays…
Wine Tasted:
It’s a blind tasting. If you want to see the wine, either scroll down or watch the episode.
Okay…
Here it is…
Stay Rad,
Jeff
In this episode, Jeff tries to make a drink out of Moscato-Pickled Cucumbers and Jalapenos…
Wine Tasted and Used:
And Here’s the Pickles:
Moscato-Pickled Cucumbers and Jalapenos
Stay Rad, Jeff
Stay Rad 