2001 Cline Sonoma County
Pinot Gris/Chardonnay
Pleasant and lively medium-bodied mouth feel with bright pear and smooth melon on the finish. Has a balanced roundness that shows the Pinot Gris’s ability to present its fuller side. A bit of vanilla from the oak aged Chardonnay makes for a perfect $11 bottle that never lets you down. The blend is 64% Pinot Gris and 36% Chardonnay. All southern Sonoma County fruit produced 5,752 cases.
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BACCHUS is the biggest International Wine festival which takes place in Spain. Was held on 12 to 16 March at the Grand Casino de Madrid. It is an international competition sponsored by the OIV (International Organization of wine) and organized by the UEC (Spanish Tasters Union).
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VISIT TO Espelt VITICULTORS

Building on the principle of Summer Vacation, and encouraged by the success with which the winery, the publicity makes it, and that he had recently tested the Kasumi , I went to Vilajuïga to visit.

Xavier was waiting for us, its commercial director, who showed us the facilities, took us to visit some of the wineries offering tasting and ended up with almost the entire range Espelt.
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The pulse of a Dreamer

Michael is fulfilling his dream on his farm in El Molar grown, so respectful of the environment, a few acres of twisted vines and some other well combed trellis planted by himself … The fruits of these vineyards, wisely managed with the assistance of Coca Toni are two wines from which more than three years I have knowledge.
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One of the main reasons why this summer I spent a few days in Galicia, was to visit this winery, and ready for the occasion, keep the visit on the last day.

Arrive on time for the event, and there we waited Rebecca and Loch, hosts who made us and taught us the winery and the farm.
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Alexander

This spectacular Pinot Noir may be one of the best bargains from California. The Alexander Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir would pair nicely with veal in a piquant sauce or with venison (or other wild game).
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Entering stage left is rich plum with a plume of fresh thyme in the hat. Flavors of complexly ripe fruit with, again, nice herbal nuance, then plum, blackberry, a hint of earthy dust, along with delicate floral hint of violets. This soft but assertive red will match a big steak, or any assertive red meat dish.

“We usually add 5-7% Cabernet into the Merlot blend,” explains Hank Wetzel.

This Chardonnay exhibits ripe melon, mineral/limestone and lime/citrus in the nose. The sip presents a wine with restraint, though there is citrus marmalade and toffee. The Alexander Valley Vineyards Chardonnay is bright, complex and beautifully balanced.
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Hells Canyon
2000 “Seven Devils Red” Table Wine
Profoundly juicy concentrated fruit showing lots of deep blackberry and loganberry flavors, with medium tannins and a chewy, robust thickness that proves this blend is serious.

Dark purple with nice traces of tobacco and a leathery grip that balances out the fruit and ads some complexity into a really great blend. A lighter cherry brightness starts to creep in while I let this wine sit in my glass for a good 15 minutes, and a gentle black olive taste starts to get all over the roof of my mouth.
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It may well be the least exciting and uninteresting part of learning about wine, but come on, if that little piece of tree bark wasn’t shoved in the bottle what do you think would hold in all that juice you inevitably want to get at? Screwcaps? They are out there. Pieces of leather covered with a wax seal? It’s been done before (150 years ago). So realize, it’s all about the cork my friend.

Corks have hundreds of years of history behind them as bottle stopping devices. They have the ability to compress and expand, they transmit no flavor into the liquid (unless tainted), and with it’s elasticity can (while moist) keep an air tight seal for decades in a bottle. The cork is made from the bark off a type of oak tree found in Spain and Portugal known as Quercus suber.
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