Villa San Juliette Petite Sirah 2007

Has a high-alcohol scent that I’m not too interested in. It’s 15% alc. hmmm. Very black and inky in color with a slight floral scent that is nice. Full bodied with decent flavor. Pass.

Villa San Juliette Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

With former winemaker from Hahn. Paso Robles. Dark berry colored with an intersting nose with a little clove and thyme. Has an elegant finish that is remarkable.

Line Shack Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Lots of fruit in the nose, black cherry black berry and blueberry. Non-descript in the center with a finish that is not memorable. Nah.

Line Shack Roussanne 2008

San Antonio Valley, Monterey. Husband and wife team that focus on Rhone and Bordeaux varietals. A freshly mango and peach scented wine. Straw-colored with a full body reminiscent of chardonnay and has a certain creaminess that would be good with garlicky food.

Crios 2007 Syrah-Bonarda

Looks black, like octopus ink. Bonarda, used mainly as a blending grape in Italy, flourishes well in Argentina. This blend has been highly regarded by the Wine Spectator. Smells of cassis and black cherry with garnet edges. Very lively and has ripe red plum and black raspberry flavors with a slightly spicy character and a long, juicy finish. Nice fruitiness and finishes with good structure.

Chateau LaRose-Trintaudon 2004

Haut-Medoc Deep brick and ruby colored with a deeply scented nose. The finish falls flat to me, as it did in a previos tasting. Maybe its because its just over-produced?

'Josh' Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Joseph Carr a California negociant. Predominately Lake County fruit. Very fruity with black berry and a toasted finish that can be very good with salty/grilled food.

Chateau Greysac 2004 Medoc

Bordeaux. Northern Medoc 45% merlot and cabernet sauvignon with a bit of cabernet franc. Garnet colored with a nicely fruited body with fresh raspberry and a leathery finish. The body has good structure and is drinking very well.

Corte alla Flora Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2005

Deep ruby with rich tobacco and blackberry scent. Medium bodied with a nice fruited finish. There is good acidity and has a light touch.

Acrobat Oregon Pinot Gris 2008

Made by King Estate in Eugene. Very fresh nose with grapefruit and citrus. Clean to the point with a full center and a very light finish. On the shelf for $12.99, sustainably grown.

Chateau L’Ermitage Blanc 2008

Rhône Valley Costieres de nïmes, easternmost Languedoc town of St. Gilles. Primarily roussane, with 20% grenache blanc and viognier. Very gravelly nose dry and acidic. Hints of grapefruit white peach. Would be a lovely compliment to cheese and pate appetizers.

Domaine Richou, Chauvigné 2007

Right across the river from Savennieres in Anjou ‘noir’, this area is know for its black slate soil that imparts a minerality that is absolutely fruity, while maintaining a bone-dry acidity. 100% chenin blanc. Fermented almost entirely in stainless steel, but spends some time in old oak. This gives an intense finish that is just incredible.

Chateau L’Ermitage Rouge 2007

50% syrah 30% mouvedre, 20% grenache. Toasty fruited nose from rocky soils and sees about 4 months in used oaks casks. Comes off light and dry has a rich black cherry finish. Very nice.

Domaine Richou, Les 4 Chemins 2008

Cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon blend. Deep garnet red. Harvested from some younger vines. Domaine managed by Didier and Damien Richou. Not certified, but this is farmed organically and hand-harvested. Nice cherry flavor with a dry mineral finish a hint of violet and licorice on the remarkable finish. Richou wines flaunt their purity and depth of fruit. Richou wines are beautifully transparent vis-à-vis their terroir: these are wines of Anjou; even more specifically, wines of Anjou’s schist soil.

Hillinger Zweigelt 2006

Austria's most widely planted red grape, zweigelt- a hybrid or blaufrankisch and saint laurent grapes, developed in 1922. Black cherry color; a little fennel in the scent with black berries and wood. Medium bodied with nice a fruity - maybe mapled finish. A contender!

A Diehl Dornfelder 2007

A new (1944) hybrid grape - all native German grapes, that we can think of as a 'pinot noir' or 'gamay' style. Liter bottle. Bright red cherry with a hint of ripe black berry that is very appealing. (I'm very interested in these German reds, mainly because I have no knowledge of them...). Very quaffable, but little residual sugar. Smells like firewood. I think it may be an acquired taste. But I like it.

St Ludwin Niersteiner Kabinett 2008

Germany white - that has roses and poached pears on the nose. Straw colored. This is neirsteiner the grape, that finishes clean and creamy with tight mineral and a little lime. Reinhessen.

A Diehl Gewürtztraminer 2007

Passionfruit and lychee sweet in the mouth. A little too loose for me.

A Diehl Riesling 2007

From Pfalz, Germany. This wine Arik calles a "porch pounder". Mineral and citrus-scented this wine is only 11% alcohol. Creamy with lychee and finishes with a nice light honeyed citrus flavor.

Felsner Grüner Veltliner 2008

Hand-harvested, Austrian grape. Musk melon nose with fruity body that comes off clean at the end. Wine guy, Arik says that the Austrians drink this in cafes with mineral water mixed in - a classic white wine spritzer, but is good enough on its own. It has a bottle cap, in lieu of a cork or screw-cap; I guess you have to drink it all in one sitting!

Weingut Groiss Grüner Veltliner 2007

Austria. I carry this wine and have not posted the notes: here it goes!
Screw-cap with a wheaty character that finishes fresh with citrus (blood orange) and lime. Its a bit gravelly at the end and very enjoyable. Liter-bottle retails for $12.99

Wine Dinner at Haley's Thursday October 8, 2009

Wines from Match Imports, meet winemaker Guido Serio and taste his delicious Tuscan wines: San Fabiano Calcinaia Chianti Classico, Cellole Chianti Classico Riserva and more!

Food by Chef Paul Baker of Foodie's Feast. More details to follow.

Don't miss it!

Illahe Wilamette Valley Pinot Noir, Oregon 2007

A new vineyard with first plantings in 2001. Lowell Ford, winemaker son Brad, and Michael Lundeen have a winner on their hands. You may recognize the Ford name as they have supplied grapes to Evesham Wood, Cristom, Penner-Ash, and others. They are a 'green' operation with solar panels and a gravity-based harvesting system. A very light-colored cherry red wine with a deep, dark blueberry flavor that is surprising for a wine so light in color. There is a deep vanilla essence on the finish - oaked for nine months. A very stylish wine that wins with its versatility.

Doudet Naudin Marsannay 2007

In the Côtes de Nuits, most northern section of Burgundy. 100% pinot noir. The color is a clear, ruby red with a light, simple flavor. The nose is fresh, tart cherry and raspberry. Nice, but I think I will be hard-pressed to sell amongst other fuller French pinots that I currently have in stock.

Domaine de Bachellery Pinot Noir 2007

Languedoc outside of Beziers, on the Mediterranean. The Domaine has been producing wine for centuries. Under the current ownership for over 100 years. They also make olive oil and varietally labelled wines . Very clear cherry color and are aged in used oak casks. Marina + Bernard Julien - winemakers. Interesting medium bodied with ripe plum nose and pleasing dry, warm-spiced mouth. Decent.

Ramiat Tempranillo 2004

Black in color and blackberry jam colored when swirled. Nose is spiced with thyme, black cherry, tannins are very forward and there is little sugar, which reminds me of (get this:) Spanish wine. What's missing? The earth, the oak, the love. Not very exciting...

Forest Ville Cabernet Sauvignon California 2007

Inky color and rust-colored rim, the fruit is harsh and tannic. The nose is gravelly and reminds me of rotting peaches. Not interested.

Forest Ville Pinot Noir California 2008

Dusty plum color and sweet, ripe black cherry the flavor is gamey and has a hint of bacon fat. The finish is flat and I'm not impressed.

Codorniu Cava Brut

The largest producer of cava, in the world (even more than Frexinet!); made from 100% pinot noir. Very dry with a cherry backbone that is reminiscent of a cremant de loire. It is very light bodied like the tickle of a feather - some people will like that, some may not. I was hoping for more complexity, though it's not pricy, the bottle and package styling look the part.

Ramiat Albarino Vina 24 2007

Spanish wine, this is one of the early vintages. From a new area: Costars de Segre, near Penedes (cava region). These wines are 'line-priced' and retail for about $10. Bright and tart with a nice mineral scent. Not complex and I wouldn't carry this because I have much better albarinos (though a little pricier) that are more palatable. A bit flat.

Forestville Chardonnay 2007

Smells like tutti frutti sfruit stripe gum. Minimal aged american oak 3 months. Nah.

Forestville Chardonnay 2007

Smells like tutti frutti sfruit stripe gum. Minimal aged american oak 3 months. Light and medium dry. Perhaps just the thing value-minded folks are looking for in chardonnay. Marshmallow on the finish, not long.

Gordon Bothers 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

Columbia Valley. Winemaker is Jeff Gordon. I now remember why I carry this wine. Just smelling it alone is reason enough to love it. It’s a lesson in paradox: bright and deep, rich and spiced, I haven’t yet put it in my mouth and it’s given me so much already... A very round and delicious cabernet sauvignon, that is velvety and has a tremendous finish. A steal at $ 23.99.

L’ecole no. 41 2005 Columbia Valley Merlot

Aged in French Oak 18 months. Made by one of the premier winemakers in Washington Marty Chubb. (Note to self, I hate the label). Dark cherry and tobacco, leather up front. The finish is rich and full. There is a nice maple syrup flavor and deep satisfying undercurrents of smoked meat. A really nice merlot that beats the pants off of others twice the price. $39.99

Gordon Brothers 2007 Merlot

Inkier in color than most merlots, it has brick red edges and a spicy blueberry scent. A drier, leaner French-styled merlot that any wine lover would want. Aged in French oak and has a warm, earthen toastiness that yearns to be in front of a fire. Gordon Brothers is 1 of 28 wineries in Washington State that grows and produces its own single vineyard fruit. This is more special than you think! Wine by Jeff Gordon.

Murphy's Law 2006 Washington State

Columbia Valley. 65% merlot, 19% cabernet franc, 9% malbec, 7% sangiovese. Made by David O'Reilley from O'Reilley Pinot Noir (Oregon). Purchasing fruit and hiring winemakers to 'freelance to make the wines, Local Wine Company also produces Jigsaw and SNAFU (both of which I have carried in the past). Deep brick red with bright cherry and tobacco the body is sweet and almost syrupy. It's not pricey and had a tart spicy finish that is Spanish in style to me. I can see people who love rich wines with maple and cassis loving this.

Homegrown Family Harvest Red 2007

Petite Sirah, syrah and barbera blend (equal parts), deep dark color and galoshes on the label make for a trendy- restaurant table wine. Taste: starts off drier and then has a big, juicy finish that says: CHUG ME! I think I can sell buckets of this wine, as it is a palate-friendly pizza and lasagna loving wine that would also be just as good on the couch on a cool autumnal Sunday afternoon. It will be in store on 9/5, come-n-get-it!

Fontanafredda Briccotondo Barbera 2008

Piedmont. Clean light syle with a deep inky color. The edges look violet and there is a pleasant dried currant flavor and is a great buy! Will have to get this in for the fall!

Wente Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Dark brick-red and ruby with medium bodied slightly oaked and fennel-scented. Also fully-fruited with a good deal of sweetness that would be a good compliment to salty foods.

Wente Sandstone Merlot 2006

Arroyo Seco Monterey. Clear rose ruby color with a balanced full-fruitedness that is what I like about merlots. Dry back-end structure, that would be good with food.

Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay 2008

Livermore Valley, as well. Cool chardonnay scent with a definite oak grounding (on staves?). Crisp with medium body that is very appealing.

Wente Louis Mel Sauvignon Blanc 2008

5 generations in Californaia. Livermore Valley, southwest of San Francisco Bay. Very pale green-straw color with fresh and zippy nose. A little dull on firste taste, then brighter green apple and a hint of mineral and celery stalk.