Taster's Advantage Club

December 2008 Taster's Advantage Gold Selection 1

Andrew Murray 2006 Syrah “Tous les Jours”, Central Coast
Andrew Murray Vineyards has been praised by Robert Parker, Jr. as one of the finest wineries in Santa Barbara County.  The winery specializes in:  “handcrafted wines from steep hillside vineyards, planted exclusively to Rhône Varieties.”  Although Tous les Jours is French for “everyday” wine, Andrew gives this Syrah the same serious treatment reserved for his more costly wines.  The 2006 is a blend of Syrah from Paso Robles and from the winery’s estate vineyard.  This easy-drinking red is blended to be soft, smooth and full of ripe berry aromas and spice, berry and plum flavors.  It is a great choice for holiday parties.

Wall Cellars 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
We are always pleased to find a tasty wine at a reasonable price, particularly when it is a Cab.  The Wall Cellars 2005, a project of our friends at Twenty Rows, fits the bill.   It is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, all sourced from Napa Valley.  The grapes were picked fully ripe in late September and early October.  Fermentation was started in tank and finished in oak barrels, which allows the fruit flavors and tannins to integrate sooner.  The wine was aged in both French and American barrels.

On the nose the Wall Cellars has hints of cherries, spice and tobacco.  In the mouth there are ripe, balanced flavors of dark chocolate, leather and Bing cherries.  This red has classic Cabernet flavors with good, but not jammy, fruit.  Enjoy this with beef and lamb dishes.  It is a real crowd pleaser and we have very little left of the 2005.  The 2006, fortunately, will be in our store soon.

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Brander 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley
Fred Brander has been making Sauvignon Blanc in the Santa Ynez Valley for more than thirty years.  His was one of the first wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley and his first vintage (1977) won that appellation’s first gold medal at the 1978 Los Angeles County Fair.

The 2007 was made from estate fruit blended with the best Sauvignon Blanc grown in other vineyards in the Los Olivos area.  Most of the grapes were cold fermented in stainless steel while a small portion was fermented in oak barrels.  This white is crisp and dry, with floral and citrus aromas on the nose.  On the palate, the wine displays true varietal expression balanced by flavors of citrus and minerality.  Try this with oysters, crab or broiled swordfish.

Andrew Murray 2006 Syrah “Tous les Jours”, Central Coast
Andrew Murray Vineyards has been praised by Robert Parker, Jr. as one of the finest wineries in Santa Barbara County.  The winery specializes in:  “handcrafted wines from steep hillside vineyards, planted exclusively to Rhône Varieties.”  Although Tous les Jours is French for “everyday” wine, Andrew gives this Syrah the same serious treatment reserved for his more costly wines.  The 2006 is a blend of Syrah from Paso Robles and from the winery’s estate vineyard.  This easy-drinking red is blended to be soft, smooth and full of ripe berry aromas and spice, berry and plum flavors.  It is a great choice for holiday parties.

Click here to see previous months selections

Platinum Selection Plan 1 $49.95         or    
2 Bottles of red wine (tax & shipping not included)

The Platinum Selection 1 features two bold reds which will surely satisfy any wine lover.  We include top wines from prestigious wine growing regions.

Layer Cake 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Proprietor and winemaker Jayson Woodbridge is best known for his cult Hundred Acre wines.  His Layer Cake program provides affordable wines from various countries.  Every Layer Cake wine is a rich, lush expression of the varietal and the place of origin.

This 100% varietal Cabernet was sourced from select vineyard sites along the Eastern hillsides of Napa Valley.  The wine was fermented using hand punch downs and gentle pumpovers.  The biggest structured, most powerful lots were put into new French oak to balance the tannins and extract the rich flavors from the barrique.  Some lots that would benefit from the softening effect of time in oak were put into French barrels that had been used to age Hundred Acre Cabernet.  By carefully blending the different lots – varying oak types and different vineyard lots – they created a balanced and complex wine.

The 2007 displays a beautiful deep garnet color and aromas of blackberry, cassis, violets, cedar, tobacco, and hints of minerals and graphite.  In the mouth it is sweet, densely packed and creamy but with a firm, underlying structure that gives lift to the dark berry, chocolate, and coffee flavors.  This is a very lush  complex wine that coats the palate and spreads out on the long, lingering finish.  Enjoy this now with beef or lamb dishes or age it in your cellar for a few years.

Trefethen 2004 Merlot Estate, Napa
Founded in 1968, when there were fewer than thirty working wineries in Napa Valley, Trefethen is very highly regarded.  Their 2004 Merlot is nearly sold out but we were able to get enough that we could feature it this month.  The wine is sourced from Trefethen’s estate vineyard in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley.  It is composed of 81% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot.

The 2004 is drinking well now.  It displays a deep ruby-purple color and  wonderful aromas of black cherry, blackberry pie, cedar and fresh pea shoots with hints of clove, red and black pepper, and mint. The ripe, well balanced tannins are soft and silky.  In the mouth the wine is rich with intense cherry fruit, bay spice, and toasted oak, emerging in an elegant plummy finish.  This wine will go well with roasted chicken, coq au vin, and, of course, pork, beef and lamb dishes.

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Viña Mein 2007 Ribeiro White, Spain
We discovered this delicious Treixadura-based white at our October Spanish Wine and Food event.  The 2007 Viña Mein (pronounced viña main) is sourced from hillside vineyards adjacent to the Avia River in the historic Ribeiro wine region of Galicia.  It is composed of 80% Treixadura, 10% Godello, 5% Loureiro and 1 to 2 % each of Albariño, Torrontés, Aslbilla and Caiño.  The vineyards were planted 20 years ago by Viña Mein founder Javier Alén and a group of friends.  They wanted to reestablish ancient Galician grape varietals in Ribeiro, famous in the sixteenth century for it white wines.

Josh Raynolds, writing in the International Wine Cellar, praises the deep citrus and orchard fruit flavors of this refreshing white.  Its crisp, precise, nervy but rich flavors make this tasty white enjoyable on its own or an excellent choice to accompany holiday seafood platters or seafood dishes.

Trefethen 2004 Merlot Estate, Napa Valley
Founded in 1968, when there were fewer than thirty working wineries in Napa Valley, Trefethen is very highly regarded.  Their 2004 Merlot is nearly sold out but we were able to get enough that we could feature it this month.  The wine is sourced from Trefethen’s estate vineyard in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley.  It is composed of 81% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot.

The 2004 is drinking well now.  It displays a deep ruby-purple color and  wonderful aromas of black cherry, blackberry pie, cedar and fresh pea shoots with hints of clove, red and black pepper, and mint. The ripe, well balanced tannins are soft and silky.  In the mouth the wine is rich with intense cherry fruit, bay spice, and toasted oak, emerging in an elegant plummy finish.  This wine will go well with roasted chicken, coq au vin, and, of course, pork, beef and lamb dishes.

Click here to see previous months selections