Rudd Oakville Estate 2002 Red

We had this with steak on the balcony overlooking Atlantic ocean and palm trees in candle lights. This 2002 Claret is Cab Sauv 79%, Cab Franc 11%, Petit Verdot 6% , Merlot 3% , and Malbec 3%. Aged 20 months in oak. We have a mixed feeling about this wine. The nose is very nice with floral, cherry, mineral and hint of camphor (cedar) and leather. We like the nose. The taste is rather austere Bordeaux-like. Oak and strong tannin are there with full mid palate and long finish. With the vacation atmosphere and nice steak, if this wine does not taste great, we are not sure if it is worth this price. We are not sure. By the way, RP 95.

D'Arenberg 2002 Shiraz "The Dead Arm"

Appreciate Prioca's covering for me Friday. Hope his taste buds recovered from fatigue. About the same time you guys were tasting "2" wines, we were tasting "Barrel Monkeys" (see previous post). While we are on the subject of Australian Shiraz, after we got here, we tasted "Dead Arm" Shiraz 2002 twice. In the past we tasted this several times. The memory of that and two additional tastings bring a good point. The wine tastes appear to change. The first time we tasted this, I felt it was too tannic. With recent tasting, the nose has plum, cedar, and some smokiness. The taste is very complex with plum, back fruits, and again spices with cedar note and slight earthy or smoky taste. The tannin structure was just right. Nice finish. We like this more than before. But again when you are on vacation, everything tastes better.
P.S. Nice view of the ocean and sunny day!!!

FRIDAY NIGHT TASTINGS (OCTOBER 26, ANNO DOMINI 2007)

A 2, AGAIN. A rather pleasant California cab. Uncle E thought it was a Cab. franc, Uncle Piroca thought it was "oakey" (but he was overworked on Friday, so most wines were oakey) Uncle winepath liked it, should have gotten a 3-, at least.
End note: the cheeese and the breads got a 3; one should remember that they enhance the taste of the wine, no kidding.
PS Uncle N was missed at the tasting, but it sems that he was feeling no pain- tasting wine at 9 am (Barrel Monkeys), at the Reagan National Airport...

OK, NOW THIS IS WORTH EASILY A 3, BUT GOT ONLY 2. Uncle winepath was taken with this Bordeaux (he brought it, of course) there was no chracteristic funk, it tasted as a dark, rich, young California Cab. Other comments: "Cab franc, New World" and "oakey Chilean". I was told that this has great promise, to be drunk in 2012 (if you are still alive, by then) RP gave it 92.

SO THIS IS A DEFINITE 2. Most people identified this as "italian", "thin". "sangiovese ,Toscan", "acidic", "short finish". Well, I agree; RP thought this was a 91. What was he drinking?

Another one from Red Head Studio

Just a quick note of this Australian Shiraz. We liked Amarone style Shiraz from this winery "Pierri Azzardo Shiraz Amarone Style" but wines from this winery are difficult to come by. Now this one "Barrel Monkeys" became available from Winelibrary.
This is very good for the price and a classic fruits bomb Shiraz from Australia. Nice plum nose with a hint of bacon and black pepper. Slightly sugarfied fruits but not over-the-top. Nice mild tannin and good finish. In the same group as Tait "Ball Buster" but we liked this one bit better. How can we not like with this kind of label!
We will give score of 3+. (At National airport 10-27-07 while waiting for the flight).

EFFECTS OF RESVERATROL AND DIETARY FIBER

A study conducted in Germany's Goethe University, showed that resveratrol, found in red wine and peanuts, seems to synergize with dietry fiber in helping prevent colon cancer. The fiber is broken down into butyrate by colonic bacteria. It is butyrate and resveratrol that have this prophylactic effect.

PROOF THAT RED WINE WORKS!

Uncle N, has detected the misspelled "E" in AGEING . This is direct proof that his eyesight is improving due to moderate consumption of red wine! Needless to say, the misspelling was a clever test inserted by winepath.

WINE AND AGEING

Remember when your mother used to urge you to drink up your wine? (Only in alcoholic families). Truth is, moderate consumption of red wine may prevent age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly. So if you want to become elderly, but maintain your eyesight (e.g. for microscopy, as an elderly pathologist), consider the benefits of moderate red wine drinking.

wonderful evening at Uncle N

As usual, Uncle N and Carol put on a delicious repast in their beautiful home and we were treated to superb wines! It was a delightful evening in wonderful company--what more can one ask for!
Jbug

Wine Tasting on October 19, 2007

Held at Uncle N's. The tasters are Piroca, Winepath, Uncle-N, and, special appearance of Carol and Julia. Six wines were tasted blind and the desert wine was also consumed with chocolate truffles and brownies. The wines appear as we tasted them.

1. Larkmead Napa Cab. Sauv 2003; Score=3
This was, at one time, our favorite, and we tasted different vintages including 2003 several times previously. No body (besides Uncle-N who submitted this) could not identify it. The best nose among the five with floral aroma and red cherry. The taste is pleasant with red fruits but mid palate is bit thin and tannin structure is weak.
*
2. Tait "Ball Buster" 2005 Austrian Shiraz; Score=3
Shiraz (82%), Cab Sauv (9%) and Merlot (9%)
Slight earthy nose. Hint of "sugarfied" fruits and some of us identified this as Australian Shiraz. Not as "over-the-top" as Molleydooker. Everybody liked this as a pleasant wine to drink.

3, Meadowlark Napa Cab Sauv 2005; Score=3-
The second label of Larkmead. Nose is rather closed with some red cherry coming through. Nice red cherry, raspberry tastes and firm tannins. Relatively short finish. Good everyday wine.
**
**
********
4. Clio Jumila Spain 2004; score=4
Monastrell (70%), Cab Sauv (30%)
Best of the tasting. We had this several times but we (except Piroca who submitted this) could not identify it. Unanimously the best. Nice nose with vanilla, caramel and mineral-laced fruits. Piroca describes as "baby powder" smell from his childhood. Complex taste with lots of fruits and structured tannin,good mid plate of berries and chocolate. Long lasting finish. definitely new world wine from old world (Spain).

Shame that this can not be obtained (or very difficult). Looking forward for 2005.


5. Axios 2001 Cab Sauv; Score=3+
Mineral on the nose with appreciable "funk" reminiscent of Bordeaux with some vanilla coming through. Good tannin structure with some fruits but rather austere (not austere as Bordeaux, though). Everybody felt this is either Bordeaux or Bordeaux-style California Meritage. New Old world wine.*
***
6. Olivia Brion 2003 Napa Cab Sauv; Score=2
Aromatically challenged with slight "funk". Thin taste with very mild tannin. We were not impressed with this one, although it is easy to drink.


7. Ch La Fleur Des Pins Graves 2005 (dessert wine); Not scored Sauternes-style dessert wine from Graves. Very pleasant aromas of pear, cantaloupe, pineapple and citrus. Sweet but not overwhelming. We (at least some of us) were impressed especially for its price range as compared to comparable quality Sauternes.

AMARONE

You all have an idea what Amarone is. Here is an actual description of how they make it:
Grape Type: 65% Corvina, 30% Rondinella, 5% Molinara.

Country: Italy

Region: Valpolicella

Vinification: Ripe grapes are picked at the beginning of October in "in rosso" with 8 to 10 days skins maceration, natural decanting and racking. They are kept in stainless steel until February. The "ripasso" (the must ferments on the Amarone skins) takes place in order to enrich the structure, the aromatic intensity and the softness. It is aged for 12 months in Slavonian oak, and a short period in new Allier barriques. It is bottled and kept in the cellars for 6 months before release.

DID YOU KNOW THAT:

All white grapes (about 55 different types) originated from red grapes, as a result of a rare mutation in a common ancestor? The mutation probabaly occured thousand of years (3,000) ago.

The French guest

Winepath's old friend, M, has evaluated this Saturday the 2006 Chateau Hartmann (which was bottled in a high-end Bordeaux bottle) and thought that it was definitely "Bordeaux-like", not bad and better than an Australian fruity "meritage" which was the competition. He polished off most of the bottle and took another one with him back to France.

Wine tasting on October 12. 2007

Three wines (all California Cabs) were tasted. We usually have more variations including Spanish, Australian, Argentinian even French wines but so happened that only California cabs were tasted. The tasters are Piroca, Winepath, Uncle N and E. There are some difference in opinion. All felt that these are decent California cabs but nothing extraordinary and no body wanted to buy these bottles again.

1. Spann 2003 Cab Sauv: score=3 (2 by some)

Nice nose of red fruits and floral. Nice balance of acidity and tannin with good red fruits. Thin mid palate but good long finish. Some felt that it tasted somewhat thin (due to thin mid-palate). Winepath and Uncle N felt this is most balanced among the three and therefore the best of the tasting by slim margin.
*

2. Plumpjack 2003 Cab Sauv; score=3 (2 by some)

Some controversy as to the nose. Definitely strong oak and some funk on the nose. Winepath felt that there is strong "sulfa" smell. Some fruites and vanilla. The majority felt the wine is very oaky (not by Piroca) but has good tannic structure with berries and good mid plate and long finish with vanilla and caramel. After exposed to air for a while both nose and taste improved. This wine may be the best of the three but may need decanting. Piroca liked this best (after all he brought this one).

3. Von Strasser 2004 Cab Sauv; score=3 (2 by some)

Pleasant nose of fruits. Good tannin and some fruits. Nothing remarkable or extraordinary.

LOOK AT HEALTH BENEFITS OF RED WINE, IN TODAY'S QUIZ

EVEN IF IT IS PINOT, IT LOOKS GOOD!

A FULLY RIPENED PINOT NOIR BERRY

BOTH IN CARBOYS

The Merlot was pressed late last night. Both the Cab and the Merlot are awaiting graceful ageing. The bladder press worked well and it now sits idle till the next season. First racking is not expected for 3-4 weeks.

MERLOT

The Brix having dipped below 0, the merlot is ready for pressing. hopefully, this will occur tonight. Considering the mess and the length of time this will take, we are hopeful that the product will eventually be drinkable. By the way, it tastes like acid-alcohol, so worst comes to worst-we could always use it for the acid-fast stain in the lab...

THE PRESS

The cab is being pressed-there was enough must to fill a 20-liter carboy. We hope to do the merlot soon.

THE LATEST FERMENTATION NEWS

Malo-lactic fermentation having started, the next step the winemaker is strongly considering is pressing the cab sauvignon, (possibly tomorrow) while leaving the merlot on the "lees" a little longer. The new bladder press is promissing gentle squeezing, so let's hope the 2007 vintage will be drinkable.
By the way, congratulatuions to the Wine Club: You all guessed that the Seavey was a Cal. Cab; beyond that we were not so sure, but we all liked the first three. The Clos du Bois had no friends, however, earning a miserable 2. What do you expect for $179/ bottle, anyway? Uncle N, you cannot use this one for coq au vin. Uncle Piroca is treating us next week to Chateau Petrus, 1992 and Screaming Owl, 1997 (not to be confused with Screaming Chicken, the best wine ever produced).

Tasting on October 5, 2007

4 wines were tasted blind. The tasters are Winepath, Uncle N, Piroca, and Jimmy.
This is ordered from low to high score.

All tasters, please edit as you see fit.

*********************************************************
4. Clos Du Bois 2004 Cab Sauv

Score=2

Mineral dust nose, Austere with simple tannin taste. Not much fruits.

3. St. Clement 2004 Cab Sauv

Score=3

Black cherry and funk (not as bad as European wines) on the nose. Sour cherry taste with good tannin structure. Skimpy mid palate and short finish. Skimpy?

2. Leviathan 2005 Red Meritage

Score=3

Nice dark fruits on the nose. Lots of fruits with slightly sugarfied taste. Rounded tannin easy to drink. Short finish.

1. Seavey 2003 Cab Sauv:

Score=4

Best of the tasting. Classic California Cab. Great nose of black fruits and vanilla. Lots of fruits (cherry, black berry, blue berry). Very structure tannin. Good mid palate but relatively short finish.

Fermentation News

Not that anyone cares, (except the dedicated winemaker), the cab has reached 0 BRIX, (from the original 24.5) by turning into an alcoholic sour mash in about 5 days of furious fermentation. It is awaiting a secondary fermentation kick by the malolactic bugs, hopefully to be started this Saturday. After that, it is up to Bacchus, who will determine if this batch will become a new bust or a "3". The Merlot is much slower, at 5.5 BRIX , not bad, considering it started with a sugar content of 26. It tastes sweet, like grapa, we shall see. This will surely get a 96 from RB.
The Ed

EXAMPLES OF GRADED WINES, AS PER UNCLE PIROCA

"5" HARLAN ESTATE, 2002

"4" CAYMUS SPECIAL SELECTION, 2002 OR 2004

"3"LARKMEAD 2001, 2002, 2003

"2" CHATEAU HARTMANN,2005

"1" FLORIDA WINES; SOME 1999 E. EUROPEAN REDS

IMPROVED WINE SCORING

The editor has gratiously agreed to some changes in the scoring method. It contains a 5-point grading. Please see updated scale in deep purple, above, the October 4 blog.
The Ed.

Health Benefits?

What are the benefits? Only side effect it has on me is headache.

Winepath Editor's Reply to the comments

Now that some people like non-big cabs and occasionally Bordeaux, we could always include those (reluctantly) in our weekly evaluations. I am afraid you won't be able to hide the lack of the "hawaiian punch" bouquet of the former nor the presence of the "basement funk"in the latter.
By the way, any of you aware of the latest, i.e. that women have a three-fold higher risk of breast cancer if they have more than three drinks a week? Surely, this excludes red wine. So is our prostates at risk as well? After all, we must be talking about estrogen induction by the alcohol? Thought that most prostatic tissue is androgen-responsive.

NEWLY PROPOSED GRADING SCALE FOR TASTED VINOS

"5" - SUPERB. It is so good, it makes you feel young again (or, if you are young, it is wasted on you). You won't get this often.

"4" - VERY GOOD. No need to explain. You will know right away.

"3"- GOOD. You like it. It is what you feel when you are pleased with yourself.

"2"- ACCEPTABLE. It is like going to work everyday. You don't much like it but got to do it.

"1"- BLEAACHH! Disgusting. Tell the winemaker to go back to his original profession, embalmer-in-chief to pharaoh Shishak.

The beginning

We had our first reportable tasting last Friday. Not a terribly impressive show. Some bottles were definitely stinky, or worse. Uncle N got bottle "A" smack bull's eye-he guessed it was a cab franc. I guessed it right away too-(which was not supprising since I brought it). The cheese was ok, but I am worried about the size of some of the wine club members' rear end due to heavy cheese consumption. Uncle E was not happy with his own bottle, it is due to the storage facility he has at home.
Saturday was the debut of uncle D's seasonal vinification process. Two cases of Napa merlot and 2 cases of Lodi cab sauv. were destemmed by yours truly, OJ (who serves as an assistant wine maker and wife) and uncle P. As part of the vinification process, the three of us were impressed by the libations brought by uncle P: El Moro, from Ribera del Duero, a great Aussie Shiraz from Clare valley and the masterpiece: Bond's 2002 Melburry. The last one, I am thinking to make it into my table wine. After the grape stomping and the polishing off the contents of the 3 bottles. none of us felt any pain. Except during the night, the massive headache, which must have been due to the chinese food I had last month.
So, all is well with the grape juice, the BRIX was 25-26, this promises to be a great year, broke the cap already, the fermentation is proceeding, keeping fingers and toes crossed! I am thinking $275/ bottle in terms of futures, should anybody venture to invest at this time.