Tastes Of Life

Marimar Estate 2005 Dona Margarita Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Published on 2008-06-01 15:10:00

The Marimar Estate 2005 Dona Margarita Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir just got rave reviews from Wine Enthusiast, 96 point, and seeing it in my local wine store for "only" $35.99 I had to bring it with me home. Said and done, excited about this "gem" we tasted it that very evening.It has a dark, clear, intense, garnet color in the glass.On the nose it shows black cherry, dark raspberry, currant, sweet floral, and earth. It is luring with both darker and more floral/red fruit elements. Curious

Rusack 2005 Santa Barbara County Syrah

Published on 2008-05-14 13:16:00

The Rusack Winery 2003 Santa Barbara County Syrah is made with grapes from the estate vineyard and two neighboring vineyards in Ballard Canyon. The grapes were cold soaked and then fermented in small open-top bins, with punch downs, by hand, twice a day. Aged in 47% new French oak for 16 months. At blending 7% Petite Sirah and 5% Grenache was added for complexity. Bottled unfiltered.In the glass the wine has a dark, dense, ruby color with hints of purple.The nose reveals dark cherry, blackberry,

Waltzing Bear 2003 Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

Published on 2008-05-12 21:40:00

Waltzing Bear Winery is an artisan winery where owner and winemaker Brad Lowman focuses on producing small lots of ultra premium wines.The Waltzing Bear 2003 Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir is made from the first fruit of a new block planted and grown by James Ontiveros in the southern end of Santa Maria Valley, near Bien Nacido Vineyard. Only 74 cases made.The wine has a dark garnet color in the glass.The nose showing deep cherry, earth, mushrooms, and oak. The earth/mus

Melville 2006 Estate Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay

Published on 2008-05-10 15:28:00

Melville Vineyards and Winery puts out a good quality Estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir year after year. The Melville 2006 Estate Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay is no exception. It has a light golden straw color with a hint of green in the glass.The nose displays light citrus, pear, and tropical fruit. The aromas are elegant and subtle in character. (I suspect my wine is a smidge to cold as well...)The palate is round and soft with creamy citrus, light green apple, tropical fruit, and a light note o

Ramey Wine Cellars wine tasting

Published on 2008-05-06 21:00:00

Saturday we went to our local wine store, Capitol Cellars in Roseville, for a Ramey Wine Cellars tasting. Five wines were poured, and to my excitement they tasted one of my favorite Napa Valley wines, the Ramey Jericho Canyon Vineyard. But let's stat at the beginning...First to be poured was the 2006 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($39). A round chardonnay with tropical fruit, creamy lemon, cooked apple and oak notes, with good acidity. A good start indeed with nice acidity backing up the fruit and oak

The Bohan-Dillon 2006 Hirsch Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Published on 2008-05-03 22:04:00

Visiting Selland's Market earlier this week, to bring home some of their fabulous carnitas for dinner, I could not resist taking a look at their wines and of course "accidentally" one of them ended up coming home with me...Tonight it was time to try the "errant bottle", a Bohan-Dillon 2006 Hirsch Vineyards Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Made by Hirsch Vineyards from 97% estate fruit for the cost of $29.99 (at Selland's), compared to the Hirsch Vineyards 2006 Sonoma Coast for $55 (made from the same fr

Foxen 2003 Bien Nacido Vineyard - Block Eight Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

Published on 2008-04-25 12:39:00

Foxen makes some of our favorite Central Coast Pinot Noirs. We opened a bottle of their 2003 Bien Nacido Vineyard - Block Eight Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir a few night ago, and got to enjoy it close to, or at, its peak.The grapes are 100% destemmed prior to enjoying five days of cold soak. They then go through whole berry fermentation before being aged in 65% new French oak for 16 months. Finally it is bottled unfined and unfiltered.The result is a Pinot with a clear, dark, ruby red/purple col

Bonaccorsi 2003 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

Published on 2008-04-23 21:31:00

Not the first time I have had and reviewed a Bonaccorsi Pinot Noir, and although I always think they are stellar, for some reason I am particularly enjoying the 2003 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir tonight. I decided to try all new recipes for dinner and served it with BBQ red wine flank steak, bulgur/roasted beet/mushroom/red onion pilaf, and a red wine vinegar braised carrot and leek dish. It turned out awesome! (both the food and the pairing)The 2003 Santa Maria Valley has a dark, dense, slight

Paul Hobbs 2002 Hyde Vineyard Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir

Published on 2008-04-17 10:35:00

Paul Hobbs 2002 Hyde Vineyard Carneros Pinot Noir has a dark dense garnet color in the glass.The nose shows vibrant dark raspberry, cherry, and vanilla.The first thing that hits you on the palate is ripe, deep, blackberry, supported by cherry, spice, and a nice vanilla/oak component. The acidity is still going strong and the tannins are smooth and well integrated. The balanced medium to long finish has beautiful, elegant, dark fruit and berries, with a trace of pencil lead at the very end.I boug

Sofia Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine

Published on 2008-04-15 22:04:00

I have seen this pink little can in the store for a long time and it was finally time to put it in my basket. At $3.99 the Sofia Blanc de Blanc definitely won't empty your wallet.This sparkling wine is made from Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscat. The producer is Francis Ford Coppola (the famous movie director with a winery in Napa Valley) and it is named after his almost equally famous daughter, Sofia Coppola.It was a little but weird, but on the other hand fun, to pour this bubbly from a

Stone Corral Vineyard 2005 Edna Valley Pinot Noir by Talley Vineyards

Published on 2008-04-09 17:43:00

Strolling through Winecask Wine Store in Santa Barbara we saw a bottle of the Stone Corral Vineyard 2005 Edna Valley Pinot Noir produced by Talley Vineyards. We have enjoyed several vintages of their Rincon Vineyard and Rosemary Vineyard Pinot Noir, and having heard about the newer Stone Corral Vineyard, but never tasted it, we just had to give it a try. At $55 a bottle we saved it for enjoyment with a Saturday night dinner.This wine has a clear, dark garnet color in the glass.The nose shows flo

Nagy2 2005 Garey Ranch Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

Published on 2008-04-06 21:02:00

I picked up a bottle of Nagy2 2005 Garey Ranch Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir at El Rancho Market in Solvang when I was in Santa Ynez Valley a couple of weeks ago. I was on the hunt for something new to try and this bottle came highly recommended by the “wine guy” that helped me in the store. El Rancho has as lot of wine from local wineries that can be hard to find in other grocery stores/wine shops. This bottle was no exception. The only other place I could find it online was at WanderingDog

Walter Hansel 2005 South Slope Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Published on 2008-03-21 11:30:00

Last night we opened and old favorite of a new vintage, the Walter Hansel 2005 South Slope Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. The apperance in the glass; a light, clear, garnet red color.The nose showing raspberry, red cherry, slight hint of strawberry, herbal tea, and touch of basil at the end.The palate tasting of fresh raspberry, cherry, earth, and pencil shavings at the very finish. This pinot has great acidity and young but relatively soft tannins.A beautiful elegant style Pinot Noir

1994 Cristal, 1995 Chateau Gazin and 2001 Pahlmeyer

Published on 2008-03-19 12:25:00

We spent last weekend at Lake Tahoe with good friends who brought a magnum of the 1995 Chateau Gazin, Pomerol, Bordeaux Blend (among others). It was opened a couple of hours prior to dinner and at first we thought the wine was a little bit off and did not particularly enjoy it. We wondered if it could have gone past it's peak. However after enjoying some champagne, 1994 Cristal Champagne, Louis Roederer, (that unfortunately according to my palate was past it's peak) we revisited and discovered a

Recchiuti Confections

Published on 2008-03-12 14:48:00

I spent they day in San Francisco yesterday, and having lunch in the Ferry Building, I walked through the Market Place and salivated, as usual, upon the sight of fresh bread, cheeses, oils, caviar, wine bar, chocolates, cultivated mushrooms, and all the other incredible food, beverages, and merchandise that is offered there.We had an incredible lunch at Boulettes Larder, where I also picked up honey and vanilla sea salt (amazing sprinkled on a chocolate souffle or on vanilla ice cream). After th

Melville 2006 Estate Verna's Vineyard Pinot Noir

Published on 2008-03-04 21:24:00

Melville 2006 Estate Verna's Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100% Melville fruit from their Los Alamos Estate. Aged in 20% new French oak.The wine has a ruby red color in the glass with slight cloudiness.The nose shows ripe lush raspberry, strawberry, sweet red cherry, sweet floral, and a hint of baked rhubarb.The palate displays raspberry, cherry, and red fruit with spice. Soft and round on the palate with young tannins matching the fruit, good acidity and a long savory finish.The wine is medi

Lorca 2001 Gary's Vineyard Monterey County Pinot Noir

Published on 2008-03-03 21:55:00

Lorca Wines is located in Rutherford, Napa Valley, and produces Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc with grapes from Monterey County, Pinot Noir form French-clone vines of Gary Pisoni and Gary Francione of Santa Lucia Highlands, and an old vine Petite Syrah from Napa Valley.The Lorca 2001 Gary's Vineyard Monterey County Pinot Noir has a dark ruby red color in the glass with a hint of purple. The nose is pretty intense and complex with dark cherry, raspberry, dried herbs, earth with a hint of smoke, vanil

Coast Restaurant and Bar at The Canary Hotel, Santa Barbara

Published on 2008-02-21 19:59:00

This review is way overdue but here it finally is. Two weeks ago when I visited Santa Barbara during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, my cousin, Anki, and I went to a newly opened restaurant, Coast Restaurant and Bar at The Canary Hotel. Formerly Andalucia Hotel, the property was purchased last year by the owner of Shutter Hotel On The Beach in Santa Monica, where they also have a Coast.I have stayed several times in the past at the Andalucia hotel, and we've always enjoyed our sta

Ramey 2005 Larkmead Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Published on 2008-02-15 20:40:00

The Ramey Jericho Canyon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon has been a favorite of mine for years, and for Valentine's dinner it was time to try the Larkmead Vineyard.The Ramey 2005 Larkmead Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon consists of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petite Verdot, and 1% Malbec.It has a beautiful dark red/purple garnet color in the glass.The nose shows dark fruit and berries, spice, oak, and toasted brioche.On the palate cherry, plum, black currant, and oak, with earthy mushr

Seagrass Restaurant, Santa Barbara

Published on 2008-02-04 23:45:00

Saturday night me and my cousin went to dinner at Seagrass Restaurant, a newly opened restaurant located in the old spot for Sage and Onion (that I miss so much!). Seagrass' chef and owner team is the same as that of Bouchon, a highly regarded restaurant in Santa Barbara. As the name suggest this newest venture has extensive seafood options on the menu, but also beef, chicken, etc.A small remodeling has been done to the space, with new colors, wall coverings, light fixtures and removal of the ba

Crushcake Cupcakery, Santa Barbara

Published on 2008-02-03 13:50:00

Finally Santa Barbara has it's own cupcakery like so many other cities. One can wonder what took Santa Barbara so long...I had the privilege to step into Crushcake Cupcakery yesterday afternoon, their very first day open. As to not overeat I had already decided that I could only get two cupcakes for myself, so imagine my thrill when discovering that they offer mini cupcakes. That meant that I could get four of them instead, perfect for trying multiple flavors. I headed home with bag in hand and

Alma Rosa Winery and Vineyards wine tasting

Published on 2008-02-02 15:36:00

Spending the weekend in Santa Barbara I decided to go to the Alma Rosa wine tasting at East Beach Wine Company last night. Stepping into the shop the place was packed and it took a minute before we reached the counter and could pay for two tastings and get our glasses. To our delight the owners, Thekla and Richard Sanford was there themselves, with their daughter Blakeney, to pour and talk to the customers. Nothing beats the opportunity to talk to either the owners or wine maker as you taste a w

Young sommeliers setting the trends

Published on 2008-01-31 20:21:00

I just read an article in Sacramento Bee today regarding the annual Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento, the largest conference of the year for the U.S. wine industry.It talks about the explosion in the last couple of years of young sommeliers in restuarants, and how they are influencing the future trends of what we drink. Sommeliers are responsible for only a fraction of wine purchased for consumption, but has a considerable influnce over the wine trends that are set. So what rocks t

Pessagno 2005 Lucia Highlands Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

Published on 2008-01-30 18:54:00

We went to check out the newly opened Total Wine and More (an all beverage super maket) in Roseville last Sunday, and after spending more than 40 minutes walking through the seemingly endless ailes of wine and other alcoholic beverages, we left with three bottles of wine.We opened the first one, the Pessagno 2005 Lucia Highlands Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir, a couple of nights ago for a glass of wine before dinner. It showed a dark garnet color in the glass. The nose had red ripe

Pahlmeyer and Vineyard 29

Published on 2008-01-29 21:07:00

Sunday night we had dinner with good friends and had two bottles of really good wine.We started of with a bottle of Pahlmeyer 2003 Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine. Winemaker Erin Green made this from 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petite Verdot, and 0.5% Malbec.This wine shows a dark garnet color in the glass.On the nose, dark fruit and berries with oak and a smokey note.The palate exudes dark plum, black cherry, black currant, and again notes of smoke. The wine is s