This wine cost me 7 bucks at Trader Joe’s. Bottled by Cocobon in Livermore, and distributed by Underdog Wine Merchants (also from Livermore), this wine is a blend of 61% Zin, 17% Cab Franc, 12% Merlot, 6% Petite Verdot, and 4% Petite Sirah.
I decanted the Cocobon in two Cuvaison glasses for about 2 hours. I didn't think it needed to be decanted that long... I just forgot about it.
Color: A nice and bright cherry wood.
Nose: I got a lot of plum, chocolate, and dust. I noticed little hints of wood and orange peel as well.
Taste: Up front, there is a very aggressive flavor of cherry, chocolate, and cranberry. Those initial flavors give way to a hollow finish of chocolate and smoke that lingers for a while. There is not a lot of depth to this wine, but it was tasty. I give it a solid 88.
The back label says the wine, “Pairs nicely with a dark chocolate walnut cake with a cherry coulis.” I didn’t have one of those, but I did have a chocolate chip cookie on hand. I don’t know what “Coulis” is, but if it’s anything like a chocolate chip, I can see why it works.
I’ve got 8 wines that I’ve been thinking about opening up. What I need you to do is take a look, and leave a comment telling me which of the wines you would like me to taste for you.
Okay?
Go!
A) Vina Zaco 2006 Tempranillo
B) Cocobon 2009 Red Wine
C) Chateau Du Seguinier 2005 Bordeaux
D) Chateau Ballan-Larquette 2006 Bordeaux
E) Franciscan 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
F) Joseph Drouhin 2007 Pinot Noir
G) Mont Gras 2009 Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon - Syrah
H) Kendall-Jackson 2006 Syrah
So now it’s up to you.
Leave a comment, and let me know which wine you want me to taste. If you think I should try something else, let me know.
“No,” I responded to the wine buyer at Rocca’s Market in San Martin, “but I’ve heard good things.”
“It’s good stuff. Enjoy!”
The Justin 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles cost me $23.99. It’s usually a good sign when you get a set of Farmers’ Almanac-type notes from the wine maker on the label. It gives you a good sense of the respect that a winery has for the terroir. I was happy to learn that the Justin Cab is 100% free run juice.
Opened it Justin time for dinner.
Color: This wine is a dark beet red. Look…
Justin case you wanted to see it.
Nose: There is an immediate smell of lush dark plums. There are hints of smoke, leather, and blackberry. There is also this chalky mocha thing that I love. You know me by now. I’m a teacher. I love chalk!
Taste: Up front, there is a tart cran-raspberry cocktail flavor. The tannins are very soft, round, and pleasant. Probably because it is free run juice; it is very silky. It has a long, tart, mouth-watering finish. There is just a little bit of a buttery pie crust (or maybe crescent roll) component.
I’m a big fan of the Justin. This wine would pair well with a thick bloody steak. Give it a 91, and buy it.
I’ve been playing fantasy sports since 2001. It started as a way to keep in touch with one of my long time high school friends when he was living in another state. It did not take long, however, for this hobby to become an obsession.
The first league I took part in was of the fantasy football variety. I’ve always been a San Francisco 49ers fan, but I never really paid attention to the rest of the NFL. In that first season, I had a horrible draft, I didn’t win a game until week 8 (Thank you Trung Canidate!), and I got hosed in the worst trade of all time (I traded Steven Davis for Doug Flutie and Larry Centers!). In a word, I was UNPREPARED.
In the seasons to follow, I learned the value of watching more games, reading injury reports, and listening to “experts”. I realized that the more time you put into the game, the better your team would perform. Don’t get me wrong. Luck plays a HUGE role in the success of your team, but hard work is what puts you in the position to win it all. It was not long until I won my first Fantasy Football Championship.
Football is the perfect sport for an introduction into fantasy. Most people already watch it. Each team only plays 16 games in the season. There’s a limited number of players on each team that can earn you points. And let’s be honest… Football is just RAD.
I have played other fantasy sports. I did fantasy basketball for two seasons, but gave it up after I lost out on the championship because of a tie-breaker. For the last two seasons, I’ve played fantasy hockey. I hate hockey, but my buddy asked me to play, so you know… I won the championship my first year, and came in second this last year. If I had to choose my favorite fantasy sport though, it would have to be baseball.
My first season of fantasy baseball was in 2004. Much like with my first football league, I came into baseball being unprepared. My draft was horrible, and my team sucked ass for the first half of the season. Since the baseball season is so long, I did have time to improve my situation through trades and free agency. Although I finished 9th out of 12 teams, I knew that if I worked hard enough, I could eventually master fantasy baseball.
Here’s how I’ve done over the years in my hardcore fantasy baseball league…
Year: Team Name: Place:
2004 The Sweet High Heat 9th of 12
2005 Tha Team Builders 6th of 12
2006 A Dumb Owner 3rd of 12
2007 The Vampire Bats 4th of 12
2008 The Mythical Beasts 8th of 14
2009 The Witty Retorts 4th of 14
2010 Big Papa Shango 4th of 14
Before the 2010 season, we decided to turn our league into keeper league, in which you can keep up to 3 players by drafting each player a round earlier than you got them the year before.
My keepers going into this season were Andrés Torres (12th round), Nick Swisher (13th round), and CJ Wilson (20th) round. Midway through the season, Here’s what my current roster looks like…
Chris Iannetta – C
Carlos Pena – 1B
Ben Zobrist – 2B
Alex Gordon – 3B
Troy Tulowitzki – SS
Logan Morrison – OF
Nick Swisher – OF
Shin-Soo Choo – OF
Bobby Abreu – OF
Andrés Torres – Util
Jayson Werth – Util
Raul Ibanez – Util
Ryan Roberts – Util
Edwin Encarnacion – Bench
Ryan Dempster – SP
David Price – SP
Derek Holland – SP
Carlos Marmol – RP
Rafael Betancourt – RP
Leo Nunez – P
Tyler Clippard – P
Chad Qualls – P
CJ Wilson – P
Eduardo Sanchez – DL
Brad Lidge – DL
I have 3 other roster spots that I use to stream pitchers.
So here’s the deal. My team does not look good. There’s nothing sexy about it. I’m middle of the pack in home runs and runs batted in. My batting average is horrible. My most dominant statistic is walks, for crying out loud!
With all that said, at the halfway point of the season, guess whose team is in first place?
I’ll give you a second…
That’s right! Mine!
Big Papa Shango is in first place by a game and a half!
I’ve been asked what the appeal is with fantasy sports. For me, the answer is simple.
I pride myself in being right… ALWAYS. If I am beating you in fantasy sports, what it means is that I am RIGHT. I’m running my team the right way. I’m making the right decisions. I picked up the right pitcher on the right day.
If I beat you, that means I’m better than you.
The problem with fantasy baseball is that I haven’t won a league yet. I’ve been in first place before. I’ve dominated all season long. The playoffs, however, are a different story. When it comes to the playoffs, that’s when my team usually lets me down. As much as I get a kick out of winning, it’s the losing that sticks with me. Losing is Hell. Until I win a championship in fantasy baseball, I will never be able to have peace.
Fantasy baseball is my Mount Everest. Halfway done, I’m feeling good. Just half a season more ’til glory. Glorious glory.
On Friday, Kara and I decided to head over to Sarah’s Vineyard in Gilroy. Sarah’s is a small winery, tucked into the Santa Cruz Mountains. The breezy climate makes it perfect for Burgundian and Rhone varietals. I am a big fan of their light style of wine making.
The reason for the trip was to attend their Summer Music Series. They have a neat patio and lawn area where different local bands will come to play. The tasting room stays open late to sell their wines by the bottle to enjoy with the music. You can bring your own picnic, or buy something to eat from whichever catering company is there (it changes from week to week).
Kara and I brought homemade Brie Paninis with Mango Chutney, Turkey (for me), and Spinach. We also bought a bottle of the Sarah’s Vineyard 2006 Central Coast Pinot Noir for $15.
Sarah's Vineyard 2006 Central Coast Pinot Noir and Kara's foot 2011.
Color: This Pinot had a cloudy dull red color. You could recreate that color by mashing a bunch of over-ripe roma tomatoes into a paste and adding water and a pinch of dirt. I know that doesn’t sound very appetizing, but I must say it looked fantastic. See…
Tomatoes and Dirt and Awesome!
Nose: There was a nice whiff of smoke, butter, and pepper. As I took a bit more in, I noticed a rubbery cola aroma. Nice!
Taste: This Pinot Noir had a very meaty and buttery taste on the palate, rounded out with a touch of cherry cola. On the finish, a touch of cranberry and walnuts became present.
I really liked this wine. I also appreciate that Sarah’s did not jack up their prices for the event. I give it a solid 87.
As the sun began to set, the wind really started to pick up. It got hella cold, hella quick. The cover band, Naked in Vegas, was alright. They were not, however, good enough to keep our cold asses at the vineyard after we had finished our bottle of Pinot Noir.
Yesterday, Kara and I did a little tasting at Guglielmo Winery. I originally went there with the intention of tasting and scoring EVERY wine we tasted. Things did not go as planned. The problem was that a tasting room is not an ideal space to score wines. Too many people. Too many wines. Too many distractions. That, and it’s embarrassing to write down a score in front of people working for the winery you are scoring.
I will say that I had a great time there. None of their wines felt like must-haves, but Guglielmo is a fun place to be. All of their wines fall in that 83 – 89 point range for me. All of the people that work there are more like 92’s. Great, great folks and a neat place to visit if you are ever visiting the Santa Clara Valley.
The wine that stuck out the most to me was the 2010 Estate Grown Rosatello. It was an interesting rosé wine made from the grignolino grape (a super nerdy varietal from Italy). Guglielmo claims to be one of only two wineries in California to grow the grape in any significant quantities. The wine seemed food-friendly enough, so I purchased a bottle for $16.
I’m not a HUGE rosé drinker, so it is a tough category for me to score (It’s tough to type too. Alt + 0233 = é). Part of this blog experience is to try new things. So how do I transition from a novice into an expert on pink wines?
THE THREE BOTTLE THROWDOWN!
This morning, I picked up two more bottles of Rosé from Trader Joe’s to compare against the Rosatello. One from the Rioja of Spain ($6.99) and one from the Rhone of France ($4.99). I know what wines I have purchased, but I will not know which of the three I am drinking until after I take my notes. I had Kara pour the wines into three different glasses…
The three Rosés were labeled with wine charms: "Red", "White", and "Blue". In the battle between Spain, France, and the USA, I think we all know who should win... or do we?
After I taste the wines, I’ll see which one is which. Wish me luck…
Wine #1:
"Red": You know what time it is!
Color: This is the darkest wine of the bunch. It haa a cool blood-orange type of color.
Nose: There is a really pretty nose to this one. Peach skin, oranges, and licorice dominate the nose. There is a strong minerality that is rounded out with a hint of strawberry.
Taste: This is what I would expect a Rosé to taste like. Very dry. There’s a nice orange and peach fruit to this, but the wine is much more driven by its minerality and acidity. There is a long rubbery finish that I really like. My guess is that this is the French Rose.
Wine #2:
"White": More like orange! Heyohhhhhh!!!!!!
Color: The color is a very dull, very light, orange tint.
Nose: The nose is very tight. There are hints of sugar and salt. There’s a subtle touch of peach.
Taste: The first second of the taste was salty minerality. This flavor gave way in an instant to a beautiful mouth full of cream and licorice. It has some oak notes that remind me of a California red wine. I really like this! I’m thinking that this is the Spanish Rose.
Wine #3:
"Blue": The candle is for Evan.
Color: The color on this wine is almost identical to that of the second (“White”) wine. Light, dull, and orange.
Nose: The nose is giving subtle hints of peach and minerals.
Taste: All I can think of when tasting this wine is the viscosity. This wine is the thickest of them all. There’s a light acidity and minerality. This wine would go well with food, but mostly because it would not get in the way of the food. I doubt, however, that it would do anything to enhance the food experience. This wine confused me. It’s not bad. It’s pleasant. It just doesn’t bring much to the table.
Now…
The scores have been tallied, and the I’ve seen what’s what. Here are the results from worst to first.
In last place…
Marques de Caceres 2009 Dry Rose Wine. Rioja, Spain. This wine made me "Blue".
I originally gave the Marques de Caceres an 85+, but the more I thought about it, the more I disliked it. Again, it is not bad. The problem is that for 7 bucks, I can find at least two wines that are significantly better in a similar price range. Give it an 82 with shrugged shoulders.
In second…
Cellier du Rhone 2009 Cotes du Rhone Rose. "Red" and Rad!
The Cellier du Rhone is a steal at 5 bucks a bottle! Give it an 86. This is what I want from a summer time rosé.
And in First Place…
Guglielmo Private Reserve 2010 Estate Grown Rosatello. Santa Clara Valley, California. In spite of the look, this is NOT a crappy "White" zin.
The Guglielmo Rosatello is not your typical rose. I am, however, in love with the creaminess of this wine. Give it an 88 and save it for a hot summer afternoon.
So, there you have it. I don’t know if I’m an expert yet, but I think I learned a lot today.
Setting the mood: I have this tempranillo decanting in two huge wine glasses. The candle is for show. It will not be lit.
There are a few advantages to having summers off. One such advantage is having a ridiculous amount of time to kill.
The other day, I spent almost two hours at the Gilroy BevMo just looking at wine. Scoping the labels. Reading the blurbs. Scouting for deals.
A “deal” is NOT the same as a “sale”.
They are having their 5 cent sale right now. It’s a scam that will be discussed on another day.
By deal, I’m talking about value. A Rad wine at an equally Rad (if not Radder) price. With so much time on my hands, I found that the best deals (on paper) were in the Spain, Chile, and Argentina sections. I came across hella wines that were highly rated by the Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (Not Wilfred Wong! Again… will discuss on another day) that were in the 10 to 20 dollar range.
From that BevMo adventure, I ended up buying 3 bottles of wine. Of the bottles, the one that I am the most excited to taste is this bad boy…
The Mas Que Vinos 2007 Ercavio Tempranillo Roble cost me $10.99 and was given a 90+ rating by Robert Parker. Now, Gary Vaynerchuk would tell me to trust my own palate, but I must say that my palate usually agrees with that of Robert Parker. For 11 bucks, why not try it?
Now, it’s time to taste…
Those smudges on the label are not supposed to be there. I'm that messy.
Color: This wine is a DARK ruby. There is a not quite rusty rose color along the outer edge of the glass.
Nose: One sniff of this tempranillo filled my mouth with cocoa powder. You know how you’ll be opening a packet of instant cocoa and a cloud of powder wafts up to your nose? THAT kind of cocoa powder. The chalkiness of the nose also reminds me of opening the box for a new bicycle tube. There is a green component to this wine as well. Slightly minty. A little like fresh lettuce from the garden. There is a deep note of plum.
Taste: I don’t want this to throw you off. My first thought in drinking this wine was of a grapefruit. Imagine that tart citrus component of a grapefruit. Now take away the mouth-puckering sour aspect. I guess I’d call it essence of grapefruit.
Now, take that grapefruit and dip it in chocolate. Delicious!
There is a lingering acidity. A little lime. There are some nice soft tannins that tell me this is as good as this wine is going to get.
This wine is a solid, confident, beast…
This wine makes me want food… Now! I want tacos. I want burgers. Bruschetta. Cheese. It is extremely versatile.
After my initial taste, I jumped up to raid the fridge. My initial thought was to grab some cheese. Since I was thinking about tacos, I grabbed some hard cotija cheese from Mexico (Literally! I flew down to Mexico just now to get this cheese).
While I was cutting the cheese (Childish joke. Though not intended… appreciated!) My mouth began to water with this flavor of caramel and chocolate (Rollos anyone?), so I grabbed some strawberries.
The saltiness of the cotija paired very well with the acidity of the wine. The strawberries did a great job of stepping up those chocolate notes.
This wine is a solid, food friendly, mo fo.
Considering that this is my first official review for this blog, I had a tough time scoring this wine. I must tell you that I loved it. You must also know that I doubt it has the structure to last another two years in the cellar. All I’m thinking right now, however, is that I want to go buy a whole case right now. I want to drink this wine with as many different food pairings as I can. It is THAT good. But… I’ve had better. But… It’s only 11 bucks.
I’ve got to tell you, I could not have asked for a better wine to score first for you. This is THE threshold for me. I’m giving it 90 points, and I’m telling you that you MUST try this.
When I was a senior in high school, my mother was talking with my uncle on the phone. My name had come up in the conversation, and my uncle proceeded to tell my mom,
“If you don’t like Jeff, you don’t like people.”
My mom relayed the words to me a few days later, and I was completely flattered. That is, without a doubt, the greatest compliment I have ever received.
Those words were said well over a decade ago. Although I doubt today that neither my mother nor my uncle would recall that conversation, I’ve worn those words like a metal ever since.
That quote means so much to me, because they explain so perfectly how I want people to think of me… A genuinely nice person. That’s not always the case (just ask one of my old roommates), but I try.
Whether you’ve known me since I was a kid in Ben Lomond, met me as a punk rocker at San Lorenzo Valley High School, studied biology with me at San Jose State, or are reading my words for the first time in this blog (Hello There!), I want you to know that I’m a good dude who’s always looking to enjoy life.
That brings me to this blog.
My goal here is to highlight as many good things in life as I can. I want to tell you about what I’m watching on TV. I want to tell you about my fantasy sports teams. I want to tell you what I’m listening to on my iPod. I want to tell you how my last race or long run went.
BUT
I also want to give you focus. Because of this, I’ve decided to make this a blog about WINE. I can’t think of any one thing that does a better job of bringing all of the good things in life together.
What am I sharing with my wife when we watch TV together?
How do I celebrate my fantasy football championships?
How do I set the mood?
How do I congratulate myself for a job well done?
WINE (period)
This blog will be THE place to find my wine reviews. I am not an expert. I am not critically acclaimed. I do, however, love wine.
You will also read about the people and places I encounter whenever wine is involved.
My hope for you, is that you simply enjoy this blog. Please subscribe to it, and tell your friends, if you like it. If you can’t get enough of me, you can also follow me on Twitter @JeffIsRad.
It’s possible that some of you could end up reading this only to find that you hate me. (Yikes!) You may think that my writing lacks pizzazz. (Ouch!) You could be frustruated by my spelling. (Yowza!) You will tell your friends that I have no business writing a blog about wine at all. (Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!)
If that is the case, please just remember what my mom once told me my uncle said to her on the phone over a decade ago…
Stay Rad 