March 23/10 California Wine Fair Media Preview Tasting

The Time and Date:  Tuesday, March 23, 2010 5Pm to 8:30PM
The Event: California Wine Fair Media Preview Tasting
The Venue: Far Niente Restaurant
The Target Audience: wine media
The Availability/Catalogue: all wines will be at the April 19th
California Wine Fair – most will be in the Ontario market by the end of
summer.
The Quote/Background: My favourite form of tasting is a sit-down with
no talking – just an examination of several different wines in the
glass. There were several different flights: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir,
Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon (twice as many cabs as any other wine
flight). There were nine other miscellaneous wines, such as Merlot and
Syrah. We tasted all the flights of wines blind, with knowledge of only
the grape variety. There were 53 wines, out of an anticipated 420 at
the show.
The Wines:  

 

**** Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Sanford St. Rita Hills Pinot Noir Santa Barbara 2007, $43.95 Vintages
08/10
-Michael David Winery 7 Deadly Zins Lodi 2007, $24.95 Vintages 08/10
-Stag's Leap Wine Cellars FAY Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2006, $134
Profile Wine Group PO
-Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2005, $89.95 Vintages
-Bennett Lane Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2006, $136
Consignment from Kruger Wines and Spirits

 

***1/2 Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Rodney Strong Chardonnay Sonoma 2007, $18.95 (2008 at Vintages or
Consignment)
-Chappellet Chardonnay 2008, $42.95 Vintages 08/10
-Cuvaison Chardonnay Napa 2008, $26.95 Vintages
-Miner Chardonnay Napa 2008, N/A
-Testarossa Vineyards Pinot Noir Palazzio Central Coast 2008, $34.95
Vintages
-Pedroncelli Pinot Noir Russian River 2008, N/A
-Clos La Chance Wines Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, N/A
-Stags Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2006, $49.95 Vintages
-Cline Cellars Ancient Vines Zinfandel 2008, $17.95 Vintages
-Titus Vineyards Zinfandel Napa 2007, $34.50 Consignment from 25 Brix
-Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel Sonoma 2008, $29.95 Vintages
-Signorello Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2005, $71.95 Consignment
from Profile
-Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, $69 Prevedello and Mathews PO
-Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2006, $66.95 Consignment
from Rogers
-Francis Ford Coppola Winery CASK Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 2006,
$95, Vintages 10/10
-Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon Trailside Vineyard Napa 2004, $70 Consignment
from Lifford.
-Stolpman Vineyards Estate Syrah Santa Ynez 2007, $32.75 Consignment
from 25 Brix

 

*** Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Wente Vineyards Morning Fog Chardonnay Livermore 2008, $16.95 LCBO
-Dry Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Creek 2006, $22.95 Vintages
-Rutherford Wine Co Lander Jenkins Spirit Hawk Cabernet Sauvignon 2007,
$19.75
-Lucas & Lewellen Cabernet Franc Santa Barbara 2006, $26 Schiralli PO
-Ironstone Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel Lodi 2007, $17.95 Vintages
05/10
-Truchard Vineyards Zinfandel Napa 2007, $21.95 Vintages 05/10
-Gloria Ferrer Winery Pinot Noir Carneros 2006, $27.75 Vintages

 

The Food: as always, anticipated and good: upscale gourmet sandwiches,
skewered meats, shrimp, hot hors d'oeuvre, and the like.
The Downside: it was in the evening, which is a bad time for me, but
c'est la vie!
The Upside: my fave kind of tasting.
The Contact Person: paula@praxispr.ca
The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 92.

 

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com