Gnarly Head Chardonnay

The Chardonnay grape deserves respect.  The king of white wine has earned it.  But with that earned respect comes great expectation, and these days low to mid-tier producers of Chardonnay face unprecedented levels of competition from varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Viognier, particularly from up and coming foreign producers.  So when I recently had an opportunity to taste Gnarly Head’s latest Chardonnay offering, I too had expectations.   Not just because I’ve been tasting value priced Chardonnays for over 15 years, searching for high quality examples in the price segment for my customers, but also because I’m a fan of the Gnarly Head brand.   I love their light-hearted and mildly irreverent approach to wine making.  And, of course, I love the name…..I mean come on who doesn’t like the name Gnarly?
But back to the task at hand…..how’s the Chard?  Well if you believe the back label it ought to be pretty good.  “This mouthwatering wine takes you headfirst into tropical flavors of pineapple and citrus, followed by a zingy ginger accent and hints of graham cracker and vanilla on a creamy finish.”  It goes on to claim “full bodied”, “waves of flavor” and “well-balanced”.  That’s some bold language.  I like that bold language.  This SOUNDS great.  Let’s see how it tastes.

I actually spent some time with this wine, tasting it alone and with food, allowing it to breathe and reach mildly warmer temperatures to see what it would reveal.  I found that the nose delivered on the bold language, offering the tropical notes, including some mild ripe banana, and some mineralization.  However, the wine didn’t quite deliver on the palate.  While there is the zingy tropical fruit, the wine is too linear, and not as balanced as I would prefer.  That’s not to say there’s too much oak, on the contrary, this is a fresher interpretation of Chardonnay, which I like.  It’s just that the fruit on the palate belies what the nose, and the label, would indicate.  Some may like the creamier finish, but I would prefer a bit more acidity and length, particularly if you are going to pair this wine with food.
Don’t get me wrong.  This is a good Chardonnay for the money.  But it’s not exceptional.  I guess it’s all about expectations.
A  Salute!
Wine: Gnarly Head
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 84
Price: $9.00
Find Gnarly Head Chardonnay with Snooth
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

View the original article here

Godiva Collection

A rich assortment of Godiva confections is assembled for this exclusive gift basket. Godiva dark chocolate covered cashews and raisins, milk chocolate Bavarian pretzel, dark and milk chocolate truffles, dark chocolate graham crackers, dark chocolate caramels, chocolate creme coffee, milk chocolate hot cocoa, milk chocolate with smooth caramel centers and a matching candy dish make up this rich gift that everyone will enjoy and appreciate. Gift Size: 15" x 7" x 10" - Item 541
Price: $49.95

Click here to buy from Amazon

Trumpeter Pinot Noir

We’ve been reviewing a lot of pinot noir over the past several weeks and we’re getting toward the end of this series.  In the lineup, we’ve only reviewed one from Argentina so far, the Humberto Canale from Patagonia.  And the Trumpeter makes it two, this one coming from the Mendoza region.
Trumpeter is produced by Rutini Wines, a winery with a history going back to 1885.  Although it was run as a family winery for four generations, it was acquired by a group of investors in 1994 and has gone through extensive modernization since then.  The winemaking at Rutini is currently let by Mariano Di Paolo, who joined Rutini back in 1995.

This wine is a slightly darker than I expect from a pinot noir.  The nose is a little bit tight at first, making it difficult to get any distinct aromas.  But once it opens up, it shows raspberry, cherry and floral aromas, but it’s still rather soft.  The fruit is much more lively on the palate where strawberry and cranberry flavors show up with good concentration.  The mouth feel is nice and silky, which is one of the things I like most about this wine.  And that strawberry flavor sticks around on the finish for some time.
This is a good wine and at ten bucks, it’s a great deal.
Wine: Rutini Trumpeter
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 85
Price: $10.00
Find Rutini Trumpeter Pinot Noir with Snooth
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

View the original article here

Marques de Gelida Brut Exclusive Reserva

Yesterday, we reviewed a Prosecco — which is a great sparkling wine option when it comes to QPR.  Another good option is Cava, which is a sparkling wine from Spain.  Traditionally Cava just referred to a particular style of Spanish sparkling wine, but since 1986 it also means that wine is produced in a specific areas designated as DO Cava.
This Cava from Marques de Gelida uses the traditional Cava grape varieties of Macaubo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada, plus some Chardonnay is in the blend.  As a “reserva” it was aged three years before being released.

The color of this cava is a deep straw, showing just a touch of age—which is what it has.  The nose of this wine shows a touch of age too, with a butterscotch aroma layered over yeast and apple.  The aromas are fairly powerful too.  The palate offers crisp acidity with apple and plenty of yeast flavors.  It finishes with a citrus acidity, butterscotch and more yeast.  This is a nice bottle of bubbly.
Wine: Marques de Gelida Brut Exclusive Reserva
Variety: Cava
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 11.5%
Rating: 88
Price: $16.99
Find Marques de Gelida Brut Exclusive Reserva with Snooth

View the original article here

Estancia Pinnacles Ranches Pinot Noir

Regular readers here should know that I’m a big fan of Chilean wines.  But this wine is from California, so why am I talking about Chile?  Because the founder of Estancia, Augustin Huneeus, was born in Chile.  I’m not sure if that has any relevance to my appreciation for this wine or not, but I found it an interesting fact.
Huneeus purchased the former Paul Masson vineyard in Soledad, California in 1986 and established the Estancia winery there.  I can still remember the famous Paul Masson commercials with Orson Welles from when I was a kid.  The tag line was, “we will sell no wine before its time.”
This Monterey County land is a cool climate region and Huneeus appropriately planted it with chardonnay and pinot noir.  This land was named the Pinnacles Ranches vineyard for Estancia, and while it’s the first land Huneeus purchased for Estancia there have been subsequent acquisitions that have expanded the footprint of their vineyards.

This has a nice, well-rounded nose with black cherry, plum, berry and leather aromas.  The palate is exactly what you would expect from the nose, an explosion of black cherry, blueberry and plum flavors.  The tannins and acidity are good.  The finish is a little short, but it’s still a very enjoyable pinot noir at a bargain price.
Wine: Estancia – Pinnacles Vineyards
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $12.99
Find Estancia – Pinnacles Vineyards with Snooth

View the original article here

World Of Thanks Gift Basket

Filled with Godiva milk chocolate caramels and dark chocolate truffles, Jacobsen's butter cookies, Grapevine Trading Company sea salt olive oil crackers, Sonoma Jacks pepper jack cheese spread and cheese knife, and double chocolate chip cookies, milk chocolate caramels and peanut butter pail, Otis and Betty's gourmet snack mix, Italian almond cookies, Nonni's twice-baked roasted garlic crackers, pomegranate candy, Mama Mellace's sea salt almonds and Ghirardelli milk chocolate with peanut butter, this is a great new way to thank those who have helped. Gift Size: 17" x 8" x 11" - Item 515
Price: $39.95

Click here to buy from Amazon

Wine Gift Baskets: Ideas That Will Help You Do It Right

Creating the Perfect Wine Gift Basket...

• Giving gifts on special occasions, such as holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries has been a tradition for ages. And, as it comes to gift giving, folks tend to have a challenge with one thing, which is figuring out what type of gift they should give. If you are looking for the precise gift to give, then nothing will come close to a wine gift basket.

You really can’t go wide of the mark with a wine gift basket unless the person you give it to doesn’t drink. And, even if the person you give it to does not drink wine, they will still be able to take pleasure in the other goodies inside the basket.

However, even if wine gift baskets are considered to be a terrific gift idea, you have to remember that you need to do it properly in order to make it even more special.

For starters, the wine you should include in the wine gift basket shouldn’t be the cut-rate variety. Instead, try going for median range bottles. This will taste splendid and it will surely be appreciated by the person receiving the gift. Besides, try putting yourself in the position of the person receiving the wine gift basket. Surely you won’t take pleasure in drinking a bottle of cheap wine, right?

You really don’t have to go overboard when it comes to buying the wine for the gift basket. Vintage wines are impressive but they can be very expensive. If you don’t have the money for it, go for mid range bottles. If you don’t know a thing about wines, try to consult a wine connoisseur or the clerk at the winery. They will be more than happy to help you out and you will also find out a thing or two about wines.

Along with the bottle of wine in the wine gift basket, you should also include a duo of wine glasses. A clear, crystal glass will do. Along with the glasses, you have to dress them up in your wine gift basket with wine charms. Place the charms at the bottom of the stem.

Although cheese can be a great addition to the wine gift basket as they are well-known to be great matches for wines, they are not really the greatest option. If you really want to fool around with the flavor and enhance the essence of the wine, chocolates should be a notable addition.

Now, once it comes to choosing chocolates, always remember that like wines, you should go for fine chocolates. A box or two of fine Belgian chocolate truffles are fantastic. However, you need to remember that it’s still imperative to pair the wine with the right chocolate. This means that if you are going to give away a bottle of dark wine or full bodied wine, you should go for dark chocolates and creamy or milk chocolates for light bodied wines.

Last of all, you have to decorate the wine gift basket. Do so with silk cloths, roses or rose petals, and ribbons. This will make the plain gift look a lot more elegant and tasteful.

By doing it appropriately, you can be sure that the wine gift basket you give will be very special and it will be appreciated by the person you give it to.

Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir

The latest edition of Mutineer Magazine, issue #14, is out and in it you’ll find my Wine Steals column, which this month features pinot noir for under twenty bucks.  This is one of the wines I mention in the article.
The name of this producer, Au Bon Climat, looks so simple and yet I feel like I’m mispronouncing it every time I say it—and I probably am.  But that’s really the only thing I don’t like about this wine.

This one comes from Santa Barbara County, which is a cool-climate region and is perfect for pinot noir and chardonnay.  It’s far south of the better known California wine country of Napa and Sonoma.

The aromas from this pinot noir are sharp and focused, at least that’s how I visualize it when I take a whiff.  Sometimes aromas trigger aural analogues in my mind when I smell them and sometimes they trigger visual analogues. In this case, it’s more visual.  It’s spicy with cinnamon, cherries, berries and floral aromas.  The palate has outstanding acidity with cranberry, raspberry and strawberry flavors.  It finishes with bright acidic fruit flavors and tea-like tannins.
This pinot noir definitely gets a thumbs up.
Wine: Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara County
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 87
Price: $17.99
Find Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir with Snooth

View the original article here