Wine. What would I do without it?

"During one of my treks through Afghanistan, we lost our corkscrew. We were compelled to live on food and water for several days."
Cuthbert J. Twillie (W.C.Fields) in My Little Chickadee (1940)

Sincerely 2005 Sauvignon Blanc

we're doing a little globe hopping, going from california to south africa for this white. the balwinegeek really liked this one! nose of citrus (lime) and some pear. the mouth feel was almost bubbly. zingy is maybe a better word. lime flavors and a little nutty finish. excellent summer white for the nice price of around $10. this wine would go well with any of your light summer meals.

Zaca Mesa 2004 Z Three

back in may i talked about this santa ynez winery and how they knew how to do the blend thing well. this wine proves that point quite well. the comely brunette and i had reason to celebrate something recently and i pulled this bottle out from the bottom of the rack. here are the details: 44% syrah, 34% grenache, & 22% mourvèdre. on the nose, black cherry and earthy notes. on the palate a lush, medium bodied blackberry, licorice and dry tannic finish that lasted for quite a while. this is an exceptional red blend. might be a tough bottle to find since they only produce about 900 cases but ask your local wine merchant. it is pricey at $40 a bottle, but you will be well rewarded for the money. or get it for a special occasion in the future and lay it for a few years.

Barefoot 2006 Pinot Grigio

you would think that a wine that sells for $6 would not be all that good. this one goes against that trend. we first discovered this gem on a beach vacation for the price of $4, and its popularity has grown, as has the price. what a nice drinkable summertime wine. nose of green apples and citrus. crisp and clean on the palate with tastes of lemon and granny smith apple and a zesty clean finish. a definite best buy.

2005 Finca Luzon Jumilla

priced at about $8 and well worth it, this red blend from spain is a blend of 65% mourvedre and 35% syrah. dark blackberry color, with an earthy, black fruit nose. fruity opening taste followed by dusty earth and some slight licorice taste. medium tannins and a spicy note as well. fairly complex wine for the price. one of the stand by reds at the home of the baldwinegeek.

Redwood Creek 2006 California Sauvignon Blanc

as sauvignon blancs go, this is not typical. a little too much like a chardonnay. not nearly the refreshing kick you get from a good australian or new zealand style. nose of green apples and citrus. tastes of honey dew and some citrus with a buttery texture and not much of a finish. at a price of about $10 it would be a decent buy but i would not purchase this again.

El Chaparral 2005 Grenache

had to sneak a red in amongst all the white that has been reviewed lately. i love a good 100% grenache. many wineries use it as a blending grape, especially in that holy trinity of blends with syrah and mourvedre. this 100% grenache from spain was made from old vines that are at least 60 years old. the nose was not as big as some of the others i have had. there were hints of licorice and earth. but it never really opened up, despite the fact that i had opened the bottle a day earlier. black fruit taste and overpowering tannins that really take the taste right out of the old buds. had a strong finish of blackberry, but the tannins kind of killed that. maybe a longer time in the bottle? paid about $13 for this so maybe another bottle laid for a while would be worth looking into. it just isn't ready to drink right now.

One more from the weekend…

martin codax 2006 alariño. pale yellowish color compared to the macmurray pinot gris. nose was very floral with hints of jasmine and spice. on the palate flavors citrus and a lemon zest finish. sweeter than the previously mentioned pinot gris, but very nice wine. about $14 for this one. well worth the price if you like an easy drinking summertime wine that pairs well with food or stands alone by itself.

wolf blass 2004 yellow label shiraz

yes, i know. another shiraz. i promise to lay off the stuff for a bit and throw in a few other reds. i couldn't quite figure out if i liked this one or not when i first opened it. the nose was certainly inviting. typical of an australian shiraz, it had notes of cedar, pepper and blackberry. the taste was a little a bit of a disappointment. not the nice long finish you might expect. fruity taste of blackberry up front with a bit of the spicy, peppery zing you would expect from a shiraz, but then it just disappears. no long finish. no full chewy mouth feel. sells for about $10-12. but i would pass on this one in the future.

MacMurray Ranch 2006 Pinot Gris

weekend was filled with no time to blog so i have several posts, this being the first. another really nice white from a favorite winery of the baldwinegeek and the comely brunette. they have an excellent pinot noir and this pinot gris is very nice as well. interesting nose of peach, honeydew, and honey and some slightly musty notes. on the palate, peaches, figs, some citrus and spice. very full mouth feel. slightly sweet and the price is Nice at about $14. cool white wines in the warm summer…priceless,