Posted by Ben in 2008, General, Other, merlotJun 19th, 2010 | No Comments
Now we'll give a try to the Chez Ray Merlot, made from fresh California grapes. Description of the associated winemaking for the 2008 vintage (coded M8) is
here.
In the glass: Chez Ray Merlot shows as in medium deep red in the glass, it never gets opaque.
On the nose: Poured cool with a brief decant and swirled vigorously, this purebred young merlot shows a fleshy, slightly meaty, mid-red berry nose.
On the palate: The first elements on the palate area still-young, yeasty red berry overtone, then bearing down with stronger black walnut, smoke and slashing alcohol tones. Wants to settle down a bit still.
In summary: Overall, potential for being solid base in a blended mix. Rates three stars on the five-star
Spirit of Wine scale.
Find prices and retail availability of low-priced merlots.
Posted by Ben in 2004, General, Other, cabernet francJun 8th, 2010 | No Comments
Original Review, January, 2009: The Chez Ray Cabernet Franc, 2004, was made from Lodi grapes, fermented warm, with a combination of French and American oak.
In the glass, the cab franc is a light ruby, slightly brick red/pink. Think pinot noir with a couple of years.
Aromas have a strong cork/woody element, which I recognize from a particular brand of agglomerated cork I used for some bottles in these vintages. Once you sniff past that, you get to a bright, light fruit.
On the palate, a bright, even middle of red cherry trickles down the sides of your mouth carried in light acids. The woody/cork taint hangs its tattered cloth over the otherwise light, sweet, acidic blend. Two stars out of five on the
Spirit of Wine scale. Might be a plus in there with a different cork. Can't see it hitting three stars though - the stuffing just doesn't seem to be there in the underlying fruit.
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Updated review, almost a year and a half later, June, 2010: muddy mid red in the glass. Still that agglomerated cork aroma, with fruit. Bright red cherry, light wood, light cork. I'll hold at two stars.
Posted by Ben in 2007, General, Other, sonoma, syrahJun 6th, 2010 | No Comments
Original Tasting and Review:
By way of background: Stage Gulch Vineyard Syrah from Petaluma, Sonoma CA for the 2007 vintage was made from frozen grapes procured from Brehm Vineyards, as code number 527 - 07SGS. For my collection, the finished wine is called SG7P, because it was fermented with Pasteur yeast.
Here is the approach used to winemaking for this selection.
In the glass: Stage Gulch Vineyard Syrah 2007 shows as medium deep velvet red in the glass, opaque at the center.
On the nose: Poured cool with a brief decant and swirled vigorously, this Sonoma syrah brings an intriguing charcoal-broiled steak aroma forward, with plums and a touch of oak mixed in.
On the palate: The first elements on the palate are a sweet, almost light red middle, buckled up with some charry oak. A meatiness moves to your cheeks, and alcohols come on towards the end, allowing the balanced light acids and underlying tannins to peek through.
In summary: Overall, a full experience in a nicely darkened aromatic package. Rates three stars on the five-star
Spirit of Wine scale.
Find prices and retail availability.
Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherJun 1st, 2010 | No Comments
The other day I pulled a well-aged Burgundy I made some time back from a rack. Because I could see a sludge along the lower side of the bottle, I carefully stood it up and let it settle. After a half hour I opened it gently and carefully decanted it, leaving the sludge and a tablespoon of wine in the bottle. The resulting wine, after breathing, was incredibly smooth. In its youth it had been harsh. The harshness now hid in the sludge. Read more....
Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherJun 1st, 2010 | No Comments
Several yeast strains (see below) are touted as high glycerol producers. I particularly like one of these strains for its stable color extraction and wide temperature tolerance (50-90° F.), but the knowledge that it is a high glycerol producer and should present a denser mouthfeel has always been an additional plus. But what if this glycerol-equals-enhanced-mouthfeel belief is a myth? Read more....
By way of background: Stage Gulch Vineyard Syrah from Petaluma, Sonoma CA for the 2007 vintage was made from frozen grapes procured from Brehm Vineyards, as code number 527 - 07SGS. For my collection, the finished wine is called SG7P, because it was fermented with Pasteur yeast. Here is the approach used to winemaking for this selection. 
