2010 Roadblock

Sounds like the name of a wine, but it's not.  It's the result of my lack of interest in much of anything, or perhaps my interest in so many things that I became incapable of doing much more than just dabble in a bunch of stuff.  Over the year I brewed 13 new homemade beers, mostly IPA's.  I wrote 17 new songs, 12 of which are going on my new album.  (Yes, it's a new album - even for those of you who didn't know that I had ANY albums at all.)  I began school again - yes, again.  I guess I needed to get out of my head and open myself up to new ideas, even old ones that I'd not considered. 

And I tasted some really good wine.

And I got pretty cynical about wine in general.  At what point does it really matter?  I mean, we have our individual taste buds and some of us like one thing while some of us like the other.  Take note: taste buds don't know that you have a credit card.  They can't read tasting notes.  They can't distinguish between wine of the year awards and those that are never mentioned. 

But taste buds can tell the difference between the things you've decided that you like and don't like. 

Personally, I care as much about what I don't like as what I like.  The dichotomy of these polar opposites give me perspective and reference points.  So, when I opened a bottle of Penfolds bin 128 Shiraz that I paid $18 for and find out that I like it less than the $6 Pillar Box Red, I take note of both. 

That said, my favorite wine for 2010 - the one that resonated with me the most - is the 2008 Pali Riviera Pinot Noir.  I like the price and the 'big-ness' of this otherwise delicate pinot stunned me.  It's flat out delicious. 

So is the 2008 Columbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet - tastes like chocolate.  I love chocolate.

The 2006 and 2007 Zaca Mesa Santa Ynez Syrah's are both magnificent.  As is the 2008 Marquis Philips Shiraz and the 2009 Mollydooker Boxer and Two Left Feet. 

The 2009 Santa Barbara County Syrah from Jaffurs in, um, Santa Barbara is a wonderful treat.   My daughter, Michelle, and I joined them early September to help with bottling.  The kind folks at Jaffurs served up a tasty Mexican lunch with many different wines before we jumped to the mobile bottling assembly line.  A very fun day!

I drank some Sea Smoke, some Williams Selyem, Mondavi, Justin, Yellow Tail, Layer Cake... found something enjoyable in all of them.

Love what Rosenblum has been doing over the last couple of years, especially in the Zinfandel area - they know what they're doing, in my opinion.

And this is all my opinion.  That's it.  Tonight I'm going to cook a steak and open a bottle of something; I don't know what yet.  I'll let the moment decide.  Meanwhile, have a great Christmas season and I'll catch you next year.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers!

My Favorite (somewhat) Cheap Wines...

Not much comment here... just a list of wines that are usually (as long as the store you buy them at doesn't overprice them) about $20 or less... some quite a bit less... some not...

Marquis Philips Sara's Blend - about $12 at Costco
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet - about $8 at Trader Joe's
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot - about $8 at Trader Joe's
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay - about $8 at Trader Joe's
Pillar Box Red - about $10 at Cost Plus World Market
ERATH Oregon Pinot Noir - about $14 at Costco
Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir - about $15 at Costco
Mondavi Napa Cabernet - about $18 at Costco
Vina Santa Rita 120 Cabernet - about $6 at Trader Joe's
Concha Y Toro Puente Alto Marques De Casa Concha Cabernet - about $15 at Costco
Sterling Vintner's Cabernet - about $11 at Cost Plus World Market
Carmel Road Pinot Noir - about $15 at Wine Exchange
3 Rings Barossa Shiraz - about $16 at Costco
Kim Crawford Sauvingon Blanc - about $17 at various stores

There's much more but, these are wines that I tend to keep around on an ongoing basis.... they aren't mind blowing but they're all very good in their own way. Drink up!

Cheers :)

More on Wine Ratings....

When I think about rating wine, my first thought is - what did the person (or people) who taste the wine have for breakfast.... or dinner the night before.... or do they have a cold or hay fever... etc etc... anything that could affect their perception of the wine...

Also, I wonder if price has an effect... or if it's totally erroneous. In my previous blog I alluded to two 95 point wines from Wine Spectator - the 2005 Screaming Eagle Cab and the 2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cab.... the Screaming Eagle comes in at $750... the Columbia Crest at about $25. Are you going to tell me that the quality of these wines is equal? If so, Screaming Eagle can fly off as far as I'm concerned. (Unless of course you are one of those shallow people who brag about how much you spend on pointless purchases just to impress those around you.)

Here's a couple of other examples... WS rates the 2005 BV Rutherford Cab at 88 points - about $27. At the same time, the 2005 Magnificent Wine Company House Red also gets 88 points - priced at $10... as did the Grace Family Cabernet - about $225. If all of these wines are equal, why not stock up on the MWC House Red and spend the rest on some great prime steak?

You see where I'm going with this; it's all so subjective. I mean, sure - there are wines that really suck. I'm sorry, but you know they do - you open the bottle and, as soon as you taste the wine, you realize that a cupful of white wine vinegar would have been smoother! And, I'm not talking about 'cooked' or 'tainted' wine. Some wines just are better than others.... but when it comes to rating systems, we are treading into very subjective territory.

Now... can anyone tell me why the 2006 Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet - about $27 has not yet been rated at WS? Did it come in at 98 points - well ahead of Mondavi's more expensive bottles? I ask because I think this cab is phenomenal... I've had about 5 bottles under different scenarios and this wine is a freaking beast! And it's the first Cab from Mondavi that has not been rated at WS in a few years... Wine Enthusiast gives it 95 points... I would agree - but, perhaps the rater and I unwittingly ate the same food before tasting the wine.

That said, I'm still a sucker for wine ratings - they certainly affect what I buy - and sometimes I agree with them, sometimes I don't. Ratings add a dimension of fun for me.... but I do get a bit suspicious when something isn't rated or a particular vintage unexpectedly varies greatly in score from other vintages from the same winery.... different winemaker, maybe? different climate, perhaps?

Or maybe that balsamic vinegar dressing and garlic and roasted onion pizza from last night is still coming out of your pores as you ponder that really bitter $500 dollar bottle of meticulously crafted Bordeaux.