2021 Doubleback Merlot

Well, it's been a long week, and I think I can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel as we heard toward the weekend.  And one bright spot is a virtual wine tasting tonight with Drew Bledsoe and Josh McDaniels of Doubleback Winery, so what better way to celebrate than opening a bottle of their first vintage of Merlot!  The 2021 Doubleback Merlot is a blend of Merlot (94%) and Cabernet Franc (6%) from Shafer Vineyard which is on the north side of the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington, adjacent to the Leonetti Upland Vineyard, which is known for quality Merlot.  So, let's get a taste with the virtual tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, as you might expect from a high-quality Merlot.  A gentle swirl releases aromas of vanilla bean, ripe red fruit and a hint of oak.  The first sip is a rush of ripe red fruit, plum, raspberry and currant that transitions to some dark chocolate and peppery spice midpalate.  The tannins are soft, and well suited for the warm dry finish.  During the tasting, Drew mentioned a story about a Merlot symposium they held at Doubleback before they even started making a Merlot, and the screenwriter from Sideways showed up.  He mentioned how he noted that he had a lot of guts showing up to a Merlot symposium after he singlehandedly killed Merlot, but he responded that he didn't kill Merlot, he saved it.  There were a lot of mass-produced, low-quality Merlots at the time, and the movie served as a catalyst to the good producers to elevate the quality of the varietal.  I thought that was an interesting perspective!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a pleasant drinking Merlot that really shows the earthy texture of the Walla Walla Valley.  This wine would pair well with a range of dishes, from barbecue to steak, spicy tacos to soft cheeses.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a classic comfort dish of stuffed cabbage!  I made this batch a bit spicy, but this wine stands up well to it.  Cheers!

2020 Elizabeth Chardonnay

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Tonight I had the pleasure of enjoying a virtual wine tasting with Drew Bledsoe and Josh McDaniels of the Bledsoe Family Winery!  It was a real treat to listen to these two great influencers of Walla Walla wine.  I learned of Drew's grandmother Betsy who is the namesake for the Elisabeth Chardonnay and things just got more interesting from there.

Drew and Josh spoke at length about the Bledsie Family Winery, and their vineyards as well as the community feel they have for the other wine members of the Walla Walla Valley.  The wine itself was really nice, and you know I'm not a white wine fan.  This Chardonnay was not the classic buttery, oak laden wine that so many are used to.  The nose presents lovely floral notes, with hints of green grass and earthy mineral elements.  A taste reveals notes of pear, citrus and hibiscus that just scream summer/  The summer flavors ease into some wonderful mineral notes midpalate. before leading to a long, smooth dry finish that lingers on the palate. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a pleasant drinking Chardonnay that is ideal for sipping on the patio on a summer evening.  This wine would pair well with a variety of summer salads. but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic lemon pepper sockeye filet with wild rice and baby cauliflower.  Cheers! 

2005 Helix Columbia Valley Merlot

Happy Saturday!  So, I've taken the rest of the year off from work, so you might expect me to be posting a bit more, particularly since I have a number of great dinners planned over this time.  Today, however, I was busy Christmas shopping and getting ready for the holidays and came home mid-afternoon to enjoy a virtual "mystery" tasting of Helix Merlots with Chuck Reininger and Dorian Williams, the cellar manager for Reininger Winery.  I was able to order a pack of four "mystery" library Merlots for the tasting, including a 2003, 2005 Columbia Valley, 2005 Stillwater Creek and 2006, and I decided to open just the 2005 Columbia Valley for the tasting (but don't worry, I'll be sure to share the rest with you through future blog posts!).  So let's see how this wine is tasting after 15 years!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry and prune at first, but once it opens up for a few minutes in the glass, the prune gives way to rich black cherry.  The taste is filled with black cherry, blackberry and plum intermingled with Asian spice and smoke that transitions to some notes of vanilla bean midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured with a good bit of acidity, providing for a wonderfully smooth, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just about to peak, perhaps another year or two before it gets over the hill.  This wine would pair well with a lot of casual dishes, from tacos and pizza to burgers and sushi.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled bison New York strip served with mashed potatoes and gravy and some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2014 Charles Smith Boom Boom Syrah

Happy Wine Wednesday!  So tonight I've decided to host a virtual wine tasting with some of my work colleagues, which in this remote work environment is both easy and safer (no worries about driving home when you're done tasting!), but the challenge with a remote tasting is finding a wine that everyone can easily buy locally.  So in that light I found that my local Meijer store had several vintages of the Charles Smith Boom Boom Syrah on clearance for just $9.99, so my decision was easy, though I opted for the 2014 vintage, the earliest of the 2014-16 options.  So let's see how this one tastes.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect for a Syrah.  The nose is an interesting combination of ripe black fruit, blackberry, plum and cherry with just a slight undertone of leather and spice.  The taste is classic Syrah, with a rush of ripe, jammy fruit up front, that transitions easily to some notes of cherry cola and dark chocolate midpalate, before finishing off with some peppery spice.  The tannins are somewhat subdued, making for a moderately dry finish that lingers ever so briefly on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a pleasant drinking Syrah that is consistent wherever you can find this wine (which is just about everywhere) and it's a terrific value at just $10. This wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes, from steaks to pasta, to burgers and pizza.  Tonight I've gone big since I'm already at home and made a tasting menu of roasted beet and goat cheese salad with Neapolitan herb balsamic and grilled baby octopus with a range of grilled veggies.  Cheers!

Snooth Murrieta's Well Virtual Tasting

Well, tonight is another wonderful Snooth.com virtual wine tasting featuring wines from Murrieta's Well Estate Vineyard located in the Livermore Valley of California.  The virtual tasting was curated by their winemaker, Robbie Meyer, who struck me as being very down to earth and truly connected to vineyards and someone that treat winemaking more as an art than a science.  In listening to him speak about the vineyards, vines and the wines, he reminded me of some of the wonderful wine craftsmen of the Northwest, like Chuck Reininger, who let their passion shine through their wines.  Overall a pleasure to listen and interact with such a wonderful artist!

We tasted through the wines is a somewhat quixotic order, but I've organized my tasting notes putting the white wines first, followed by the rose and then the reds.

2015 The Whip, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (30%), Semillion (30%), Chardonnay (30%), Viognier (7%) and Muscat Canelli (3%) - Very nice aromas, notes of flowers, mild citrus and some marked mineral notes, very nice use of the Viognier and Semillion really come through on the nose.  Taste is a perfect summer food wine, I could easily sip this in the patio with some hummus or enjoy with a light summer dinner.

2016 Muscat Canelli (100%) - Pineapple, papaya, white floral, lovely crisp refreshing white, perfect for summer.

2016 Dry Rose, a blend of Grenache (55%) and Cournoise (45%) - Farmed to be a rose, canopy management, picking, to give a great fruit/floral expression.  Lovely floral notes on the nose, peach, apricot and some mineral notes.  Crisp acidity and a very nice, dry finish.  Would be great with cedar planked Coho Salmon filet.

2014 Spur, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Petite Sirah (22%), Petit Verdot (14%), Merlot (10%) and Cabernet Franc (9%) - Some may group this wine with a Bordeaux style blend, but the addition of Petite Sirah really makes a difference and places it outside the traditional Bordeaux Blends (it also makes a big difference in the taste of the wine, bringing in more fruit.  Nose just makes me want to drink this wine immediately.  Aromas of leather, smoke, oak, warm spice, lovely black fruit, blackberries, cherries.and some notes of dried fig.  Lovely fruit up front, lovely mineral and smoke notes midpalate.  Wonderfully dry, velvety finish.  This was absolutely my favorite of the wines we tasted, and would pair well with a big grilled steak any day of the week!

2014 Cabernet Franc, a blend of Cabernet Franc (88%), Cabernet Sauvignon (6%) and Petit Verdot (6%) - Great earthy nose, white pepper spice, perfect for a chilly autumn evening in front of a fire.  Great with pasta, perhaps with a creamy white sauce, would also be wonderful with a more mellow fish dish, perhaps a halibut steak.

2014 Merlot, a blend of Merlot (90%), Cabernet Sauvignon (7%) and Petit Verdot (3%) - you know I love me some Merlot and this one was a standout!  Notes of cinnamon and ripe blackberry on the nose, wonderful black fruit and spice midpalate.  Midpalate some notes of cocoa, mocha and vanilla bean come through.  The finish is smooth and very dry, well structured tannins on the backbone, pure Merlot joy!

Finally, I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to Snooth.com and Murrieta's Well for sponsoring this wonderful tasting, it was a real treat!

2012 Harney Lane Old Vine Zinfandel Lizzy James Vineyard

Here we are, the last wine from the Snooth.com virtual tasting, the big one, the one I've been anxiously awaiting, the 2012 Harney Lane Old Vine Zinfandel from the Lizzy James Vineyard in Lodi!  This was a nice one to taste since Kyle Lerner, the owner of Harney Lane was one of the guests in Lodi broadcast during the Virtual Tasting.

The wine is a lovely deep garnet color in the glass.  The nose is just fantastic, with jammy fruit, blackberry, plum and some earthy notes of leather and toasted oak.  The taste is surprisingly crisp despite the jammy fruit on the nose, with some notes of tart cherry, blackberry and plum and a hint of rosemary and vanilla.  Really nice complexity and great balance, with nicely structured tannins that provide for a long, smooth dry finish that dares you to take another sip.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's one of the nicest old vine Zinfandels I've had, and even though the price is a bit higher at $35, it's well worth it.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with thin crust pizza with roasted veggies, but unlike many Zins, I would by no means limit this wine to pairing with pizza and barbecue.  This wine would hold it's own with lamb or wild game meats, hearty stews or even some hearty seafood dishes.  The best part about this wine is that much of their business is direct to consumer, so you can order this one on their website at http://harneylane.com/  Cheers!

2014 Uvaggio Rosato

With the Snooth.com virtual tasting, you have a really great experience tasting wines along with other users around the world, sharing thoughts and tasting notes.  Best of all, you get to watch a presentation and interact with Q&A with the wine makers that produced what you are enjoying!  So now our second wine of the evening, the 2014 Uvaggio Rosato a lovely rose made from Cinsault.

The wine is a lovely vivid pink color in the glass.  The nose expresses lovely notes of cherry, plum and rose petals.  The taste is quite unexpected, with some bright berry notes up front that yield to tart cherry and some mineral notes of iron midpalate.  The finish is quite nice but not particularly long, but quite dry.  I'll admit that based on the color I was expecting a much sweeter wine, but nothing could be further from the truth.  This wine is crisp, fruit forward, earthy and refreshing, ideal for summer drinking!

Overall I would rate this one a solid 7.5, it's a nice rosato, but for my tastes there are a number of lovely dry roses on the market right now that to me are superior.  Tonight I am enjoying all of these great Lodi wines with some thin crust pizza with roasted veggies, but this one would also be great on a sunny afternoon on the patio with a caprese salad of heirloom tomatoes and aged balsamic.  Cheers!

2014 McCay Cellars Viognier

Well tonight is the big night, the Snooth.com virtual tastings of Lodi wines, we have two reds, a white and a rosato, just to prove that there's more to Lodi than old vine zinfandel!  First up will be the 2014 McCay Cellars Viognier, a classic full bodied white wine.

The wine is a pale amber in the glass while the nose is a rather subdued combination of pear and violets.  The taste is quite well developed, with lovely flavors of pear, violet and a good bit of minerality.  It's not as crisp and shocking to the palate like some white wines can be, but rather has more subdued acidity and a full mouthfeel that makes it almost seem more like a nice red wine.  This finish is quite nice with ripe fruit notes throughout, making this an ideal summer patio sipping wine.

Overall I would rate this one a solid 7.5, as it's a nice white wine that even I could enjoy!  Tonight I am pairing all of these lovely wines with thin crust pizza with roasted veggies, but it would be great with lighter fare, like a baked cod or lemon pepper chicken breast.  Salut!

2012 Fields Family Wines Estate Syrah

Well, it's a Tuesday night and tomorrow I have another awesome Snooth.com virtual tasting of the wines of Lodi (you know I have a special place in my heart for Lodi wines, particularly the awesome Zinfandels), but I couldn't wait until tomorrow so I decided to open one bottle tonight, you know like your parents let you open one present on Christmas Eve.  And tonight it's the 2012 Fields Family Wines Estate Syrah, so here is your sneak preview of tomorrow's Lodi virtual tasting!

The wine is a lovely bright ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose is classic Syrah, with a good bit of pepper, violet and that classic twang of tart cherry and fresh herbs.  The taste is really quite nice, with a blast of tart cherry up front that quickly subsides to some rich, jammy flavors of blackberry and plum midpalate that just scream Lodi.  There are some nice earthy notes of peat and black pepper on the finish, as the subdued tannins create a nice, smooth, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a classic example of the varietal and a solid value at $24 from the winery.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a nice marinaded sirloin, baked potato and some fresh steamed asparagus, a classic early summer meal.  The wine would also pair very well with lamb, braised short ribs or a hearty pasta dish.  If the rest of the wines we are tasting tomorrow are like this one, we'll be in great shape!  Cheers!

2010 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Oro Chianti Classico Gran Selezione

Happy Friday before Pi-Day!  Tonight I am enjoying the last of the four wines we tried on our Snooth.com virtual tasting with Ruffino Wines, though this is my third review - man I really messed up the order on these!  At any rate, tonight it's the top of the heap, the 2010 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Oro Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, a blend of Sangiovese (80%) with the remainder composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Colorino.  The wine was aged in large oak casks for about a year, then transferred to barriques for another 12 months, followed by an additional four months in the bottle.  Now let's taste the result!

The wine is a lovely garnet hue in the glass with ruby along the edges, and great clarity.  The nose is classic Chianti, with lovely aromas of blackberry, cherry and some floral aromas of violet and a hint of spice.  The taste is quite nice, fruit forward with lots of cherry, plum and a bit of spice, maybe a bit of cumin.  The flavors easily transition to some lovely dark chocolate and mocha notes midpalate.  The tannins are nicely integrated, lending support for a long, smooth dry finish that lingers as if to tempt you into another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's exactly what a great Chianti should be, though it's still a bit young - I really wonder how this will develop over the coming decade.  At about $40 retail, this is certainly worth putting up a few bottles in the cellar.  Tonight I am pairing it with a classic American version of bisteca Fiorentina, a rare grilled porterhouse with a baked potato and some steamed asparagus (for once I can enjoy the wine relaxing by the grill since it's above freezing!).  The wine is ideal for big steaks of just about any hearty Italian dish (think meaty lasagna, eggplant parm or mussels fra diavalo with linguine!).  Cin Cin!

2013 Ruffino Chianti

Here we are at the second post of my reviews of the Ruffino wines we recently tasted during the Snooth.com virtual tasting, the 2013 Ruffino Chiant!  Although this is my second post, this is actually the first wine we tasted, being the youngest and lightest of the four wines.  This wine is a blend of mainly Sangiovese (70%) with the balance made up of red varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  So here goes nothing!

The color is a bright ruby in the glass with great clarity.  The nose is chock full of red fruit, raspberries, cherries and plum with a bit of a floral note over the top.  The taste is wonderfully fruity, with some red berries and cherries up front that transition nicely to some hints of spice midpalate,  The typically robust tannins complement the bright acidity of the wine cementing a crisp, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a very good Chianti at a tremendous value price of around $8.  This wine would be the perfect summer red, light, and perfect for a cool June evening on the patio.  Tonight I am sipping this with some olives and a bit of Podda cheese, enjoying the first of some spring weather, cheers!

2012 Ruffino Aziano Chianti Classico

Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of participating in another Snooth Virtual Tasting, a great opportunity to taste wines with other wine fans while listening to winemakers talking about their products.  This tasting was all about the wonderful Chiantis produced by Ruffino, a maker that's been producing Chianti since 1877.  We tasted four wines that made up a vertical by vintage (2010-2013) and by price (from $8 to $40).  Given my dinner tonight, I've decided to review the second of the group, the 2012 Ruffino Aziano Chianti Classico, a blend of Sangiovese (80%) with the balance made up of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass with great clarity and somewhat lighter body which is typical of Chianti.  The nose exhibits notes of green herbs and tart cherries with light undertones of leather and tar.  The taste is very fruit forward with notes of raspberries and plum with bright acidity that transitions to some tart cherry midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with some well structured tannins supporting a smooth dry finish that lingers.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very easy drinking wine at a value price of around $12.  Tonight I am pairing this with pizza and a baby arugula and radicchio salad!  Yes, this is an ideal pizza wine, as the nice fruit and bright acidity are ideal complements to the richness of the cheese and toppings of a nice pizza.  Stay tuned for reviews of the other four wines in the coming days.  Cin Cin!

Snooth Vouvray Virtual Tasting

Tonight is a fun night since it's another Snooth Virtual Tasting!  Tonight we are tasting the Vouvray wines of the Loire Valley of France.  Tonight at my house we are tasting two lovely Vouvray wines, the first is the Brut Champalou Sparkling Vouvray and the second is the 2012 Domaine Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray Sec, a dry still wine based on chenin blanc.

The first wine we tried was the Brut Champalou Sparkling Vouvray, very interesting nose, a little floral aromas, and a bit of iron and graphite.  The taste is remarkably bright and crisp with some nice fruit and honey notes at the outset.  The finish is really nice, and super dry, without the aftertaste that so often accompanies a sparkling wine.  Overall I would rate this one a solid 8, as it's a wine that's a good value at $24 as it tastes like a much more expensive sparkler.  I'd be very pleased to offer this to my guests as I did tonight!

The second wine was the 2012 Domaine Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray Sec, a more traditional dry white wine based on the chenin blanc.  This wine has some nice fruit up front some citrus and melon aromas, along with a bit of green grass and herbs.  The taste is so interesting, with a great silky mouthfeel and so much flavor that it keeps evolving in your mouth.  There is a good bit of minerality, it's so smooth and complex rather than crisp like the sparkler, a truly wonderful white wine that would go beautifully with a lovely mushroom risotto or some rich buttery cheeses.  Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 and a terrific bottle for just $21!

So there you have it, our Snooth.com Virtual Tasting of Vouvray, a big shout out and thank you to Snooth and the wines of the Loire Valley!  Cheers!

2013 Avaniel Ribera del Duero Rosado

What a day!  If anyone ever tells you that owning a home is an "investment" in an "appreciating asset" just smack them and inform them they are either an idiot or a shill for the real estate industry.  Homes are the largest depreciating assets most of us will ever own, unlike wine, they do not get better with age, they simply depreciate faster!  Today on my home I had a problem with the plumbing, so I called a plumber he couldn't fix it as apparently there are tree roots or something blocking the sewer pipe between my house and the main sewer line!  All this on the day I was planning my first cookout, so that's now postponed (sorry friends, but believe me, you'll enjoy the party a lot better with indoor plumbing!) and I'm waiting for the contractor to show up Monday!  Investment my butt!

But at least I have wine, and tonight I've opened a bottle of 2013 Avaniel Ribera del Duero Rosado, a wine I was supposed to enjoy with the Snooth.com virtual tasting last Wednesday, but since I was on the road I decided to hold this one until the weekend so I know it would be chilled and delicious.  The wine is 100% tempranillo, which I truly enjoy, and as a rosado I find this a lovely summer wine!  The nose on this wine is delightful, lovely floral notes over some citrus and melon notes and just a hint of strawberry.  The taste is a real treat, wonderful fresh citrus flavors of grapefruit and strawberry, crisp and refreshing with a very long finish for a chilled rose.  This is perhaps the perfect summer wine!

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's crisp, light and refreshing and a terrific value at under $10!  This would pair well with a variety of summer dishes as the heat index rises, but tonight I am enjoying this with some lovely cedar planked wild Copper River Sockeye salmon over a bed of crisp baby kale, some grilled corn and sweet potato fries, so wonderful!  This wine is a perfect compliment to hearty, flavorful fish like salmon, or just sipping on the deck on a warm summer evening, cheers!

2010 Semele Ribera del Duero

Yesterday was time for another Snooth.com virtual tasting, how I love those and have missed them as it seems like it's been six months or so since the last one I participated in.  The subject of the tasting was the wines of the Ribera del Duero region of Spain, which is perfect since I really am a big fan of the nice wines coming out of Spain at very reasonable prices.  Tonight's wine is just such an example, made with a blend of Tempranillo (90%) and Merlot (10%) aged in French and American oak over a little more than a year before bottling.

The wine is a nice ruby color in the glass, bright and clear.  The nose is very earthy, with a burst of green grass, fresh herbs and oak overlaid with a hint of tar.  The taste is really nice and easy drinking, making it a great wine to pair with a variety of dishes.  The taste is not as fruit forward as many other examples I've seen, just a hint of blueberry and blackberry at the outset quickly gives way to floral and herb notes.  The tannins are somewhat green, but still providing a great foundation for a long, smooth dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's drinking well now, but I think it will improve with a little time in the cellar, and it was a terrific bargain for only $15!  At the virtual tasting I enjoyed this wine with some hummus, olives and a bit of feta cheese, but it would be great with a variety of dishes, particularly some nicely spiced Mediterranean dishes, or simple tapas as I had.  Cheers and a big thank you to Snooth for providing another great and informative virtual tasting!

Snooth Alto Adige Virtual Tasting

So tonight I had the pleasure of participating in a virtual tasting on Snooth.com (one of my favorite wine websites, you should really join, don't cost nothin'!).  For those who have never experienced this, a group of us all over the world sit in front of our computers and taste the same wines (gee, that just sounded really geeky, but oh well), led by an expert in the wine field, most often Gregory Dal Piaz, Snooth's editor in chief.  So on tonight's VT, he was sitting in the Alto Adige region of northern Italy, with several wine makers from the region as we tasted their wines.  And without further adieu, my tasting notes from the tasting.

2011 Castelfeder Pinot Grigio, tasted with Ines Giovanett of Castelfeder - this wine was much different that many of the pinor gris or pinot grigio I've tried (and those who know me know I've tried very few).  The wine has great fresh, crisp aromas of light fruit, peach and grass and some light floral notes.  The taste is quite complex, and I think round would be a great word to describe it, as it's not nearly as sharp and acidic as many domestic examples.  As the wine opens up a bit, the minerality of the region really comes through.  A great white wine, perfect for late summer or early fall, and would pair nicely with some seared sea scallops.  I give this one a solid 8!

2009 Andrian Pinot Nero (Noir) - has a lovely light red color, lovely aromas of red fruit, ripe plum and blackberry, the aroma really takes me back to my days living in Portland and enjoying the wonderful pinot noirs of the Willamette Valley.  The taste is light and warm, with delicate fruit flavors of ripe berries, and strawberries.  There is some mild acidity that makes for a very delicate finish.  I think this wine would pair very well with a beautiful cedar planked salmon filet with a little rosemary.  Overall, I would rate this one a reasonable 7.5.

2010 Manincor Lagrein, tasted with Count Michael Gross-Enzenber of Manincor - this is a whole other country when it comes to wine, as the Lagrein is a unique grape to the Alto Adige.  This is a mountain red wine, and it really seems that way with some lovely aromas that make me feel like I'm standing in a pasture.  The wine is a lovely dark ruby to purple in the glass, with some sweet aromas of ripe fruit.  The taste has some subdued fruit and very nice warmth to it, I was expecting a big bold Cabernet like wine, but this one is much more rustic.  Very gentle tannins, and a nice minerality on the finish.  This wine would pair so nicely with some beef tenderloin and wild rice, or perhaps some braised lamb shank.  Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8, but I can't wait to let this one open up a bit and have some more tomorrow!

So there you have it, your virtual experience of my virtual tasting!  Thanks Snooth and thanks of all the great wine producers of the Alto Adige!