Varietal:  100% Pinot Noir
Region:  Willamette Valley – Oregon
Cost:  $21

Winemaker’s Notes:  This Pinot Noir was produced from twelve distinct vineyard blocks on our estate. The cooler 2010 vintage produced wines with bright aromatics and pronounced berry character accented with spice and mocha. While it’s a delicious wine now, this cool-climate Pinot Noir will age gracefully and will pair well with a wide variety of dishes.

My Review:  On a recent trip to the wine store to pick up a bottle as a present, I noticed the 2010 Montinore Estate Pinot Noir on a rock and decided to give it a try. I’ve been a big fan of the 2009 Montinore Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, and while this bottle isn’t the reserve, I felt compelled to give it a try anyways since I’m down to my last bottle of the 2009.

In the glass the wine was a very light garnet color, easy to see through the glass to what was on the other side. On the nose I got berry and spice, mostly cherry, with a hint of tartness. In the mouth the wine was very light, with tart cherry flavors and a hint of cola on the finish as well. Paired with a dinner of chicken and potatoes the wine was a decent pairing, though it neither complimented nor contrasted against the food in any real memorable way.

I’d be lying if I said I was blown away by this wine, but neither was I disappointed in it either. For the price it’s a good wine, and I’d be interested to see it after some aging. That being said, having tried a Reserve from Montinore I’d like to try the 2010 to compare to the 2009, as I don’t think the 2010 non-reserve is a fair comparison. Still, if you’re looking for a respectable Pinot Noir, and you’re in the market for a wine made from organic grapes, which this is, it’s certainly not money wasted.

If you want to try this wine and can’t find it at your local store, follow this link and have it shipped directly to you.

Guys, seriously, quit having bad websites. I know that your focus is on making great wine. That’s awesome, I want you to focus on that, but you have to realize that a part of making great wine is selling it, and websites are a part of that, especially if you sell your wine through your website (not every winery does or can). There are a couple of things that a lot of vineyards and wineries do on their websites that just kill me. What are they?

Flash:  Knock off the heavy use of Flash on the websites. You want a Flash element on the site that’s fine, but having sites that are entirely created using Flash isn’t doing you any favors. The biggest reason to stop doing this is because you’re preventing your site from being viewed on Internet capable phones, which is just about all of them. Look, I understand that 5 or 6 years ago when you had this website built that this wasn’t an issue, but it is now so if you’re running a site that’s entirely Flash, it’s time to reevaluate.

Mobile Sites:  This goes back to the Flash argument, but if you don’t have a mobile friendly version of your site, it’s something you should look into. This makes it easier for those using phones to browse your website to avoid any Flash elements you might have on the site, or large images that can be hard to load on a phone, by removing or resizing them to fit a phone.

Location Information:  Yes, you’re probably going to have a page called “Visit Us” that will have more information, but on the home page, and really every page, I should be able to find your address and phone number. A site-wide footer is a great way to do this. This makes it easy for me to find your address for plugging into my GPS or your phone number to confirm your hours or ask a quick question. It’s an easy website fix that not enough take advantage of.

Wine Information:  I’m really good about keeping notes when I’m tasting wine. I either write down my own notes or jot down additional notes on the tasting sheets that most wineries provide. That being said, I do still miss things. Having information about your wine goes beyond just a listing of what you currently have available. Pricing and tasting notes should all be on there. Basically, I want a copy of the tasting sheets you have in the Tasting Room available online.

Now like I said, I’m not trying to single out any single winery, but this is a trend I’ve noticed as of late, and one that is, quite frankly, unnecessary. Having a quality site that is easy to update, looks good, and is user friendly isn’t hard or expensive, it just takes working with the right companies.

Ok, rants over. I feel better. Also, if you’re a winery or vineyard and you’re reading this and think your website might be in the category of sites that I’m talking about, my contact info is on the website – I’m happy to help or point you in the right direction. Wine and the Internet – I love these things and want to see them both work together better than they currently are.

Varietal:  100% Pinot Grigio
Region:  Virginia
Cost:  $26

Winemaker’s Notes:  Our estate grown Pinot Grigio is done in the true Northern Italian style that gives loads of lush flavors. It is light, refreshing and fun with lemon zest and citrus notes and a hint of apricot. Pairs great with white pizza, chicken or seafood Caesar, or roast poultry or pork, or just sip and enjoy.

My Review:  Over Easter weekend my wife and I took a trip up to Northern Virginia to visit with our families, during which we decided to take a trip out to some vineyards with my parents. One of those we visited was Three Fox Vineyards, a winery featuring Italian style wines here in Virginia. After doing the tasting and sitting outside to enjoy a bottle, we grabbed a pair of wines to bring home, including the 2011 Calabrese Pinot Grigio which we put aside for a specific dish my wife wanted to make. With the weather finally turning from warm to hot we decided to open up the wine and make the dish.

The wine was light yellow in the glass and gave off aromas of citrus and apricot. In the mouth I got some citrus as well, as was expected, but the unexpected note that my wife and I both enjoyed both at the tasting, and when paired with our dinner was a garlic note on the finish. Paired with a dinner that included cooked shrimp in a sauce with melted feta cheese, scallions, and chives (email me for the recipe), the garlic hit was spectacular, and the subtle acid of the wine did a great job of cutting through the creaminess of the food.

There are a few vineyards in Virginia that produce Pinot Grigio, and while I don’t typically go for the varietal in the state, I will say that Three Fox Vineyards makes one that I very much enjoyed and makes a great compliment to a variety of lighter pasta dishes that are perfect for the heat we’re about to get here.

Varietal:  100% Malbec
Region:  San Juan, Argentina
Cost:  $13 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes:  Dark purple and red with violet hues. The aroma is profound and fruit forward, with ripe red berries, sweet spices, and a hint of black pepper backed by toasted notes from its oak aging.  On the palate the wine is structured and balanced, with ripe tannins and fresh acidity that leads to toasted and vanilla hints on the finish. Pairs well with lamb, grilled beef, spicy food, and poultry.

My Review:  I’ve been sitting on this wine for a bit, in part because I was holding onto an illusion (or perhaps delusion) that I would eventually pair this wine with if not the venison or rabbit that was recommended to me when I received it as a sample, at the very least the osso bucco that was listed on the bottle itself. I finally came to the realization that neither of those situations was going to happen and decided to pair the wine with a steak instead.

Seeing the alcohol content on the wine (14%), I decanted the wine while my steak (and a chicken kabob for my wife) was cooking and being able to compare a small sip of the wine I took before decanting to the wine afterwards I’m glad I did and would recommend if not decanting the wine, at least giving it time to open up to take some of the alcohol note away.

The wine was a nice dark red with violet streaks through it, and on the nose I got mostly bright red fruit with just a hint of spice to it. The fruit from the nose found its way into the mouth and if not as bright as the aroma, it was still dancing the line of being fruit forward and having just enough fruit, though the oak/vanilla note on the end may have something to do with that.

Paired with a steak the wine held up well against the grilled meat, and if it didn’t particularly add anything to the meal, it certainly didn’t take anything away from it. I wouldn’t go so far as to call this an amazing steak wine, but I would recommend it for a cook-out since it’s a good value and is versatile enough to go with a lot of different grilled meats.

*Full Disclosure: This wine was received as a free sample.

Varietal:  Syrah; Mourvedre; Marselan
Region:  France – Cotes de Thongue
Cost:  $10 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes:  Light garnet robe with violet glints. The smell is explosive with aromas of freshly-picked forest fruits. The taste is light, easy to drink, and ends with a sensation of black currant. Drink as an apertif or pair with delicatessen meat, salad, grilled meats, or cheese.

My Review:  And so I finally opened up the final bottle of the three samples that Moulin de Lene had been kind enough to send me back in February. I feel bad that it took me this long, but the reds mentioned grilled meat, and when a wine suggests that, I try to be obliging. Unfortunately, the weather here in Richmond, Virginia wasn’t as accommodating as I would have liked, but now that we’ve moved into the warm season, it’s full grill ahead. But I digress. So, what did I think of the Red Always from Moulin de Lene’s Alphonse line?

The wine was, as advertised, a garnet color with streaks of violet running through it. This was especially evident as I poured the wine into a decanter after throwing my steak, and some asparagus, onto the grill. On the nose I got some red fruit and a touch of spice. My first sip was hot, in that I got a good bit of alcohol on it, which was surprising given that the alcohol content was only 12.5%/volume. However, by letting the wine sit in the decanter while I cooked the steaks this quickly went away, so I do recommend letting the wine open up before drinking.

In the mouth the wine was fruity, but not in a fruit-forward cheap Cabernet sort of way. The fruit was lush, juicy, dark. It was approachable without being too simple. It was what I would expect from a wine about $10 more expensive to be honest, which makes the price point on this wine an even better value.

With dinner the wine held up well enough with the steak, though I will say that the other red I had from Moulin de Lene was a better pairing with pork, so I’d be interested to try this with a lighter grilled meat to see how it does. That being said, the wine was just in that middle area where it worked well with or without food, and for $10 you can easily do it with either and not feel bad about it.

I know that some people get wary when they are offered French wine, but I’ve appreciated the approachable nature of the Moulin de Lene wines I’ve been able to try, and I would definitely recommend them to anybody looking to dabble their toes in French wines without taking the plunge into some of the more complex (and expensive) ones.

Well it’s that time of year again. Time for another Wines of Chile Virtual Blogger Tasting. I really do look forward to these in the Spring and Fall as they’re a great way to not only experience new wines, but to interact with my fellow wine bloggers on a grand scale while we all try wines and share our thoughts with each other, the winemakers, and Twitter. This time the tasting was a selection of 8 Coastal Whites (5 Sauvignon Blanc and 3 Chardonnay). Before I go into some detail about each wine I do want to say that this was easily one of my favorite tastings and that there wasn’t a single wine that I categorically disliked the entire night. These wines were all great values and I’ll definitely be on the look-out for several of them at my local wine shops. So, what did we taste?

2011 Casa Silva Cool Coast Sauvignon Blanc  - Colchagua Valley ($25)
A light yellow color in the glass with citrus, pineapple, and a grassy/bramble note on the nose. Very tart with flavors of citrus, especially lime. Very crisp with a touch of petrol and grass in the mouth and a ton of acid on the finish. This was one of two wines that I’ll be interested to see if the acid mellows in a day or two when I finish the bottles.

2011 Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc – Casablanca Valley ($14)
Light yellow in the glass with aromas of lemon, grass and acid on the nose. In the mouth the wine was “green” with a touch of pepper, lemon, and an acid finish. Crisp and clean with lots of citrus fruit, it would make a good deck wine. This was the other wine that I look forward to revisiting in a few days to see what happens to the heavy acid on it.

2011 Cono Sur Vision Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc -  Casablanca Valley ($15)
Nearly clear in the glass with aromas of peach, flowers, and apple. In the mouth the wine had a softer acid than the previous two with apple, grapefruit, lime, and a hint of minerality. This was a great wine, and Cono Sur has become a favorite throughout the various Wines of Chile tastings that I’ve done. This was my wife and my favorite Sauvignon Blanc of the evening.

2011 Vina Casablanca Nimbus Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc - Casablanca Valley ($13)
Nearly clear in the glass with peach and a subtle lemon on the nose. In the mouth the wine showed pithy citrus, lemon, minerality, and herbs with a kind of creaminess and dryness on the finish that I actually enjoyed. This would be a great deck/patio wine during the humid summers we get here in Virginia with its crisp, dry finish.

2011 Veramonte Ritual Sauvignon Blanc - Casablanca Valley ($18)
Light golden in color with aromas of pineapple, passion fruit, and a creaminess at the tail end of the nose. In the mouth the wine had light acidity with green apple, lemon, and tropical notes with just a touch of vanilla at the finish. This was a very subtle wine, with all of the flavors being evident, but none of them really jumping up to smack you in the face.

2010 Santa Rita Medalla Real Chardonnay - Leyda Valley ($18)
Yellow with hints of green, the wine showed aromas of nectarine and floral notes with a nuttiness. In the mouth the wine showed pineapple, vanilla, and a subtle creaminess that when combined with a touch of acid and the vanilla made me think of lemon chiffon. This was a unique Chardonnay to me with lots of tropical notes.

2010 De Martino Legado Reserva Chardonnay - Limari Valley ($16)
Light gold in color with a creamy, vanilla and nut nose. A very subtle acid that tempered notes of pineapple, vanilla, and a nuttiness that I quite enjoyed. Having spent some time in oak I wasn’t sure if my wife would like this Chardonnay, but there’s just enough acid and the finish is more nutty than buttery so she was quite open to it.

2009 Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay - Limari Valley ($19)
Golden in color with creamy aromas of pineapple, vanilla, and hazelnut. In the mouth I got green apple, hazelnut, vanilla, and some minerality. This wine was light enough to enjoy by itself, but would be great with some food. This wine spent 12 months in oak and much like the De Martino, my wife found herself enjoying it thanks to the nuttiness as opposed to a buttery note. I see myself revisiting both this wine and the De Martino repeatedly in the days to come.

This was another great tasting, and presented some great wines. My thanks to the winemakers in Chile for taking time out of their busy schedules to discuss their wines with myself and the other bloggers, and thanks to The Thomas Collective for putting together another great Wines of Chile tasting. I can’t wait for the next one.

Varietal:  Syrah; Merlot; Cabernet Sauvignon
Region:  France – Cote de Thongue
Cost:  $15 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes:  The alliance of Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon gives this wine a big aromatic wealth all in delicacy. Very deep robe, with ruby glints. Powerful aromas of red fruits (raspberry, morello cherry). Spicy mouth with stewed fruits. Cacao finish. To be served with grilled meat and cheese.

My Review:  I’ve been sitting on a pair of samples from Moulin de Lene for some weeks now, not because I didn’t want to try them, but rather because both called for grilled meat and between rain and the last vestiges of cold weather, I just hadn’t been using my grill. That’s changed in the last few days, and last night I threw some pork chops on the grill, made a side dish of potatoes to go with them, and took my corkscrew to the bottle of Romanus that had been sitting on my racks these past few weeks.

The wine was a nice deep red in the glass with a slash of violet when I first poured that quickly disappeared. On the nose I mostly got red fruit, mostly raspberry, which carried through a bit onto the palate with a hint of earthiness. The wine was medium-bodied – not too light, not too full, and had a nice cacao finish that I wasn’t expecting, but rather enjoyed.

Paired with pork chops off the grill (crusted with rosemary, basil, salt, pepper, olive oil, and a touch of lemon juice) and some mashed potatoes out a package (I didn’t have the patience to actually mash my own potatoes), it paired well with grilled flavors of the meat, holding up, but also providing a nice smooth finish that was well served with the pork.

I know that some people get wary around French wines, and I’ll even admit to being on of them as it’s an area I’m still slowly expanding my wine knowledge of. That being said, while I don’t think anybody is going to call this wine a game-changer, it’s certainly a nice approachable wine that would do well at numerous tables as we move full on into the grilling season.

Varietal:  Chardonnay
Region:  Virginia
Cost:  $20

My Review:  If you noticed, a few weeks back my wife and I, along with my parents, spent a day out in Virginia wine country trying (and buying) some wines. Among our stops was Blenheim Vineyards, in part because it’s a long-time favorite of mine, and also because my parents had never been to the actual winery. We came back with both their Cabernet Franc and their Chardonnay, and on a recent evening on the deck, my wife and I opened up one of those bottles of Chardonnay.

In the glass the wine has a nice golden color to it which can be associated with having spent some time in oak barrels. On the nose I got a subtle citrus and nutmeg note, while in the mouth I got vanilla and pineapple. The wine is crisp at the beginning, but has a nice subtle roundness to the finish thanks to the oak that I find very appealing – it’s not overly oaked, but just enough to add some character to the wine.

Paired with a dinner of grilled chicken sliced and placed on top of a salad it was the perfect pairing, with just enough acid in the wine to pair with the meal, but not so much as to overwhelm it either. What I like so much about this wine is that while it pairs well with dinner thanks to having more than just one note, it’s also great for sipping on the deck on a warm day since there is a crispness to it, and in fact I think I enjoyed just sipping on the wine while sitting on the deck as much as pairing it with dinner.

This is a great wine for anybody that doesn’t particularly like oaked Chardonnay, but wants something more than the typical stainless steel Chardonnay. It’s a great value, and one I recommend buying if you have the chance.

Varietal:  100% Pinot Noir
Region:  Central Coast – California
Cost:  $11

Winemaker’s Notes:  A medium-bodied Pinot Noir bursting with aromas of violet, cherry, earth, and spice with an elegant and supple finish. Enjoy with macadamia-crust halibut or a decadent chocolate souffle’.

My Review:  I’m a fan of Concannon wines, and in fact in September when my wife and I were in California on vacation we made a point of driving out to Livermore Valley to visit the vineyard and got to sit down and spend some time with Jim Concannon which was easily one of the highlights of our trip. So when I was in the grocery store last week and I walked down the wine aisle and saw a Pinot Noir from Concannon, a varietal I’d never tried from them, I felt compelled to pick up the bottle.

In the glass the wine was fairly light, with me being able to see through it easy enough, though certainly not the lightest Pinot that I’ve ever seen. On the nose I got cherry and violet notes, with cherry carrying through to the palate along with a bit of cola. The wine was light in my mouth, which made it a nice pairing with some chicken out of the oven, as well as being an easy sipping wine before and after the food.

I’m not going to come out and call this a life-altering wine, but as budget Pinot Noir goes, especially from the region, it’s a good table wine and certainly something I’d be comfortable sharing with friends during a party. If you want to give it a try and can’t find it near you, simply follow this link and have some shipped directly to you.

Varietal:  Pinot Noir
Region:  Casablanca Valley – Chile
Cost:  $11

Winemaker’s Notes:  A lively, medium bodied wine with ripe cherry flavors and silky tannins.

My Review:  I’ve made no secret of my fondness for the wines of Chile; they tend to be a good value and the quality usually far outstrips the cost associated with having a bottle on hand. Root:1 wines in particular have been a favorite for Sauvignon Blanc and Carmenere, two varietals that have increasingly found their way onto my wine racks. So it was with no hesitation that I picked up a bottle of the 2009 Root:1 Pinot Noir when I recently saw it at a local store.

My wife and I recently decided to redo the home office in our home, and after a day of removing all of the furniture from it and putting on two coats of paint (we went with a color deep red color called Spanish Tile), we decided that dinner would be some pizza ordered from Papa Johns while we finished up some spots on the wall. All of this work also called for some wine, and I quickly decided on the bottle of Root:1 Pinot Noir I had grabbed the week before.

The wine was medium dark in the glass, still letting light through, but also darker than other Pinot Noir that I’ve had. On the nose I got cherry and cola notes that carried through to the palate of the medium-bodied wine. A smooth finish made this a great wine for sipping at and the more robust nature of the wine versus others of the varietal let it hold up well to pizza loaded down with meat.

I was pleased when I found a Pinot Noir from Root:1, and having tasted it I can say that it’s one I imagine I’ll pick up again the next time I come across it. If you’ve tried wines from this winemaker before and enjoyed them than there’s no reason not to grab this one, and if you’re a Pinot Noir fan looking for a good value, or a Pinot from a region you probably haven’t tried before, than this is a good one for those reasons as well.