All posts by Dr. Jim

I love drinking wine, writing simple wine reviews, scotch and having an occasional cigar.

White Wine: Grunerveltliner Wachau, Austria

88 Points 

Light honey colored with flowers, fruit and grapefruit nose. Spicy grapefruit taste. A great wine chilled. It would be good as an apperatif or with white fish dishes. This wine is made in the Danube Valley. Gruner Veltliner is the number one grape varietal produced in Austria. A good table wine.

 

White Wine

Name: Grunerveltliner Wachau

Grape: Gruner Veltliner

Region:  Austria

Maker: Domaine Wachau

Price: $15

Alcohol: 12.1%

 

Red Wine: Spy Valley Pinot Noir, 2010, Malborough, New Zealand.

89 Points – $25

Translucent pinky red in color with plum, fresh fruit and mild floral aroma. Creamy palate of cherries, licorice and black tea. Nice finish. Not a bad New Zealand Pinot.

Red Wine

Year: 2010

Name: Spy Valley

Grape: Pinot Noir

Region: Malborough, New Zealand

Maker: Spy Valley Wines

Price: $25

Alcohol: 14%

Red Wine: Old River Road Ponderosa Vineyard, 2005, California.

86 Points – $27

Medium in color and body, this wine has a tannic smell with notes of oak and currants. Acidic in taste with fruit and mocha overtones. Plush furry finish. Needs to mellow with decanting.

Red Wine

Year: 2005

Name: Old River Road Ponderosa Vineyard 

Grape: Pinot Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: California, U.S.A.

Maker: Old River Road Cellars

Price: $27

Alcohol: 13.6% 

White Wine: Columbia Crest Chardonnay, 2004, Washington, U.S.A.

88 Points – $15

Clear in color with the aroma of peach and a buttery ripe fruit taste with a tangy grapefruit finish. A very popular Chardonnay. Best served chilled.

 

White Wine

Year: 2004

Name: Columbia Crest Chardonnay

Grape: Chardonnay

Region:  Washington, U.S.A.

Maker: Columbia Crest

Price: $15

Alcohol: 13.5%

Red Wine: Negroamaro Salento, 2010, Italy.

70 Points – $19

Dark red in color with a nose of caramel and earth, almost dusty. A mouthful of burnt carmel and dust with a finish that coats your mouth with fur. A weird taste indeed.Negroamaro means black bitter and it is just that. Probably an acquired taste.

Red Wine

Year: 2010

Name: Negroamaro Salento

Grape: Negroamaro

Region:  Apulia, Italy

Maker: Cignomoro

Price: $19

Alcohol: 13.5% 

Red Wine: Cornas Arenes Sauvages, 2003, Rhone, France.

88 Points – $15

Cornas is 100% syrah made from old vines on property in the northern Rhone Valley. It undergoes a long maceration and is fermented 18 months in oak. It is black in color with aromas of raspberries, fruit and oak. Smooth and well rounded mouth of fruit and cassis with a supple long peppery finish. Truely a good Cornas.  Would be great with meat or stronger cheeses.

 

Red Wine

Year: 2003

Name: Cornas Arenes Sauvages

Grape: Syrah

Region:  Rhone, France

Maker: Cave de Tain L’Hermitage

Price: $65

Alcohol: 14%

 

Red Wine: Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009, California, U.S.A.

92 Points – $26

This wine is one of Jayson Woodbridge’s finest. Dark red with a pipe tobacco and mocha nose. Rich taste of chocolate, fruit and spice with a full long spicey finish. Excellent stuff, drinking very nicely now with potential for some aging.

Red Wine

Year: 2009

Name: Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region:  California, U.S.A.

Maker: Layer Cake

Price: $26

Alcohol: 14.1%