The Grape Crusader

Winery: Charles Joguet

Bottling: 2007 Cuvee Terroir

Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants

Region: France

Sub-Region: Loire Valley, Chinon

Estimated Retail Price: $18

Purchase Details: Purchased from Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants in Berkeley, California for approximately $17.

Tasting Notes: In the glass, such a beautiful pure color of red and blue hues.  On the nose, wonderful perfumed and sweet aromas of berries, lavendar and spice.  In the mouth, you immediately sense how lively and refreshing the acidity of the wine is, as the fruit flavors seem to come alive.  I taste red and blue fruits like blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and cherries.  The wine is medium-bodied and has just enough tannins to keep the stuffing in place, and they’re also soft enough so one can enjoy this bottling early in its life.

(more…)

Winery: Domaine Catherine et Pierre Breton

Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant

Region: France

Sub-Region: Bourgueil, Loire Valley

Estimated Retail Price: $19

Purchase Details: Purchased for $16.99 plus tax at the Redwood City K&L Wine Merchant store.

Tasting Notes: On the nose, stinky blue cheese and dirty athletic socks.  In the mouth, this wine is all about acid and texture.  Juicy dark sour cherry fruit, plum and a kind of briny olive tapenade flavor.  Good grippy tannins that are also silky and caressing.  I can’t get over how alive the wine tastes due to the underlying fresh, palate-cleansing acidity.  A really nice finish that lingers and then fades very slowly.

(more…)

Winery: Chateau Soucherie

Bottling: 2008 Rose de Loire (Not sure..Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc or a combination of the two)

Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant

Region: France

Sub-Region: Loire Valley

Estimated Retail Price: $15

Purchase Details: Purchased for $15 plus tax at Arlequin Wine Merchant in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco.

Tasting Notes: Pale salmon color hues.  On the nose, faint aromas of strawberries, roses and mineral.  On the palate, flavors hints of strawberries, lemon and citrus juices.  There’s a fair amount of acidity here that makes your mouth pucker and your face contort; in a good way of course.

(more…)

Winery: Domaine Richou

Bottling: 2006 Anjou Rouge “4 Chemins” (Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon).

Importer: Vintage ‘59 Imports

Region: France

Sub-Region: Anjou, Loire Valley

Estimated Retail Price: $15

Purchase Details: Purchased for $14.99 plus tax at the K&L Wine Merchant in the South of Market neighborhood in San Francisco.

Tasting Notes: Looking at the wine in the glass, I see a dark, opaque purple core with dark red edges.  On the nose, perfumed aromas of violets, fresh dark fruit, and a little meat and pepper.  Flavors of fresh blackberries, plum, pepper and more violets lead to a lasting spicy finish.

(more…)

The back label of the bottle.

Winery: Orin Swift Cellars

Bottling: 2005 Papillon, Bordeaux Styled Red Blend (63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec and 2% Petite Verdot)

Region: California

Sub-Region: Napa Valley

Estimated Retail Price: $55

Purchase Details: Purchased at Tamura’s Fine Wine & Liquor in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Tasting Notes: This wine sports a dark, ruby red color in the glass.  On the nose, I smell sweet oak, cherries, berries and spice.  In the mouth, wow!  Generous loads of sweet cherries, wild berries, and a dusty spice.  The wine is dense and chewy, but more importantly, full-bodied but un-heavy.  Firm tannins and an insanely long, lip-smacking finish.

(more…)

Winery: Pahlmeyer

Bottling: 2005 Jayson Red — (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec)

Region: California

Sub-Region: Napa Valley

Estimated Retail Price: $55

Purchase Details: Purchased for $63 at Vintage Wine Cellar in Honolulu, HI.

Tasting Notes: Pahlmeyer Winery makes a flagship red called simply, Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red.  The wine is excellent, but it doesn’t really begin to show very well unless the wine has spent a few years in the cellar.  It also retails for around $120, so its not the most accessible wine.

(more…)

Winery: Titus Vineyards

Bottling: 2005 Cabernet Franc

Region: California

Sub-Region: Napa Valley

Estimated Retail Price: $36

Purchase Details: Bought for approximately $70 off of the wine list at Ruth’s Chris steak house.

Tasting Notes: Violets, velvet, flowers and berries delight.  These were the characteristics that really stood out in this wine and are what formed the personality of the 2005 Titus Cabernet Franc.  On the nose the wine had a lightness  and elegance that was reminiscent of smelling a pinot noir, except that it didn’t smell like a pinot.

Violets, lavender, spice and berries on the nose.  In the mouth, more violets, berries and chocolate covered dark cherries.  The wine was no doubt delicious, but more impressive was its velvety smoothness and caressing texture.  It was a very balanced wine that had just the right amount of structure, fruit, tannin and acid.  You could tell that this was a wine that was made with care in the vineyard as well as in the winery.

(more…)