This is a Shiraz, Cab, Merlot and Cab Franc blend.
This bottle was looking at me for a long time, not sure why I kept passing it up. Lets just say blueberry, blackberry come the closest. I wouldnt at this point decant at all.
We really liked this easy to drink shiraz, maybe are expectations were low. Either way it was enjoyed. Not going to put a rating on it, probably hard to find now. But dont let bottles go to waste wating on the perfect moment to open. We got lucky on this one, so dig around and pull out that bottle you saved. Cheers
2009 Sea Smoke Gratis Chardonnay
This has been a suprise! Came in the mail as a former club member. Why was I a member, Pinot of course. But wow is this an incredible Chard. Love the color nice medium yellow, great nose, not overly oaky at all. Just right. The acidity is low, the fruit is great. I have to say we loved drinking this wine.
OK, Sea Smoke known for Pinot. This Chard is a home run. The sad part is, its not for sale. Nope. Hence the name Gratis, so... Get a membership, go to Sea Smoke and search this one out.
On my scale of of gotta own and love to drink, a full 9 out of 10 here.
Posted by Jeff Harig on Sunday, May 31, 2009,
In :
Cabernet Blend
Link to Video This is a cool bottle of wine that I have often gone in search of. This is a second label from the folks at Miner. This is a Meritage style wine. 36%Cabernet Franc, 17%Cabernet, 17%Merlot, 2%Malbec, 1%Sangiovese.
Nice dark blackberry comes at you first, nose and on the palate. Lots of good darker fruit in a bowl. Mixed berry its great. Not a heavy tannin wine, its soft on the palate. For me this wine is about the nice fruits that roll around in the mouth as you drink it. Great a... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Wednesday, May 27, 2009,
In :
Syrah
Link to video here Chapin is in the Temecula valley about an hour north of San Diego. For those outside Southern California you may not be familiar with it.
Chapin is a small family owned winery, making the Syrah from Temecula grown grapes. The nose on the wine has a bit of spice and delicate fruit aromas. While the taste hade a cranberry and blueberry note to it. Some spice as well, Not too much but maybe for some. The color was sort of a cross between a ruby and garnet, medium color with l... Continue reading ...
This is a stately Merlot, nice big, deep, ripe, dark fruits. The nose starts of with a berry, lets say strawberry with a hint of dark chocolate. There is still that slight cherry nose behind it as well.
The first wash over the palate reveals those nice dark ripe fruits, fills the mouth well with flavors of berrys and then the minerals wash in and the long smooth tannins hang nicely to the palate.
This wine may fool some, the fruit says Merlot real quick, but as you drink it, ... Continue reading ...
First I want to thank Ted Henry for letting me sample this bottle. 150 cases made of the Napa gem. Tried the video in the kitchen rather than the office, not sure. Took a lot of notes when tasting, lot going on in this bottle.
The first thing that got to me was the nose, it has these nice dark berries, dark cherries and a spice. Now this is a 13.6% alcohol, not typical these days with the big fruit bombs of alcohol that we have gotten used to.
The 2006 Migration Pinot Noir is from the people at Golden Eye in the Anderson Valley.
This wine brought on a great nose of strawberry, raspberry and thar subtle floral not that we associate with the varietal of the area. Its medium bodied wine, that is sweet, spicy and has a soft earth finish. Not full water of stones mineral power but real subtle. The finish is nice and long and lingers well a real good representation of Pinot Noir.
Posted by Jeff Harig on Friday, May 15, 2009,
In :
Shiraz
Link to Video Picked this up last night while out tasting wine. My friend Lori at the Wine Merchants in Carlsbad tasted me on it and Iam glad she did. My first thoughts were big red cherry nose, Nice cherry, peppery taste. Just what you like from Barossa valley Shiraz. Being on Barossa a blend of Grenache gives it that slight earthy and mineral taste and nose, gives is a bright light cherry taste too.
Colin Glaetzer is a pretty big name in the business, Ben his son, seems to be doing great as ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Friday, May 15, 2009,
In :
Charbono
Video Link Here This is cool grape, my first go at it. Robert Foley Charbono is this inky dark juice, Its has a deep dark cherry flavor. The fruit is nice, not jammy in any way but real pleasant. I really enjoyed it. The body is nice, medium. Well structured and hangs well on the palate with nice soft tannins. A wine you can drink with almost any thing.
I think you should search out this wine and the grape. I will be looking for more of this varietal. I have read people trying to compare to Pet... Continue reading ...
My buddy showed up with this tonight, a wine I have really liked in the past.
All right this is a wine I bought about a year ago maybe a bit longer for the same price about $25. It was drinking really great back then and I think was a real steal. The fruit was still present and it held up like a big boy Napa Cab. I think 2003 was just thought of as a bad year on average and it got caught in the mix. Sure 2004 and 2005 were really good,but this also was a great drink. Some were ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Monday, May 11, 2009,
In :
Sauvignon Blanc
It was a nice afternoon on the patio when the Larkmead Sauvignon Blanc came out. A nice looking wine with a bright clean pale yellow color.
The 2006 was opened first, I am a club member and I am not sure this was allocated outside the winery or club. As expected we got that crisp clean feel, citrus, maybe a little grape fruit on the palate. We all enjoyed drinking it. It also had this earthy tone, minerals, almost woody as someone described it. A really neat tasting wine.
Posted by Jeff Harig on Friday, May 8, 2009,
In :
Barbera
Stopped in at the Wine Merchants in Carlsbad today and tasted this little gem today, wish I would of had more. But I can tell you this, great fruit. The nose is light, spice maybe a little cherry like, not overwhelming, maybe a little light. Its a light body to medium body wine, but the fruit is what gets you right off with this one.
I would think eating ribs, pizza, early afternoon snacks on the patio with friends. Its easy to drink, it does not last long and wont overwhelm you. You not goin... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Cabernet Blend
It was claimed to be restaurant only for the 2005 vintage, but most
shops seemed to have it. Some were asking almost $30 Thinking they had
a real find that no one could get and it was worth the money. But then
slowly it leaked out that this was a real bargain and could be bought
retail under $20 and then most shops had to make the offer. Now it
seems the 2006 vintage is going to stores without a hassle, I think. I
walked into it at one of my shops just sitting there waiting for me to
buy, I ...
This week lets not break the bank! I am
going after the elusive under $20 bottle of wine that is still
drinkable! You know we all search for that.
So that being said this week I will put
these three gems to the test, and possibly others. The reason I pick
these three. They appear to be readily available in most wine shops I
walked into. When I gave them the preliminary taste I found them to be
“not bad” and one is under $10!
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Merlot
This has great fruit, black cherry, maybe some chocolate. A little
licorice too. It has a lot going on. The nose is beautiful, dark fruit
bowl of mixed black berries, black cherry.
Being a Beckstoffer farmed grape, its got all that fruit flavor you
expect. It then has this great long finish, a real mouth full of crisp
clean fruits, tannins. Drinking this wine was great.
So it had all that fruit,but then came in with licorice, pepper,
spice. There is a lot going on here. One of my friends fir...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Cabernet
This is almost all cab 4% malbec thrown in, since they make a pretty good malbec.
Deep red cherry nose, its subtle though. On the palate you get the
berry, some tobacco flavors, casis. Its doing a good job of tasting
like a cab, NOT from Agentina. I find it easy to drink as did those
around me. Poured straight from the bottle and it was nice so don’t
worry if you order it out. Put it through the Vinturi and it really
opened up the fruit flavors. I think decanting would be good if you...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Zin
As you may have read WCW is a big fan of Cosentino. This wine in particular was a reason I jumped in a bunch of years ago.
However this vintage left me wanting more for the gang over there
off 29. The fruit was like a dark chocolate covered black cherry, dense
and as some like t say “jammy”. It hung around OK, but after the fruit
let loose so did the rest of the wine.
Cosentino has plenty of others, this one just has a great price
point and generally speaking its a good $20 buy. First t...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Cabernet Blend
This guy says Cabernet, but is a blend. 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec.
While it may not make anyones top 100, its not bad.
Its a dark red wine. Black Cherry even a bit of plumb on the nose.
Look for a brighter berry taste, not quite raspberry but close. Long
full tannins, it can really fill the mouth for a wine under or near $20
This is a great wine to keep around, and pop mid week or just as
that bottle we drink later. It wont break the ba...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Pinot Noir
OK this is the bomb! I mean this is one of the rock stars of Pinot.
The TEN and Southing are equally good, TEN coasting a bit more.
Been a club member for a while just so I could get may hands on these gems once a year and they have not disappointed.
Glorious fruit like tart berries, and earthy tones as expected from
a pinot. Beautiful light garnet color and a floral nose. The finish is
what gets you, a glass of this can really last. It hangs on to your
pallet forever. Let sit open for lik...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Cabernet Blend
Big huge wine! 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet, 6% Cab franc, 4% Malbec and 100% great to drink! This is a real beauty!
Big ruby red color, Big full nose. Black Cherry, Casis flavors are
bold the tannin is just right right in the mouth long, long finish. You
can really enjoy each mouthful.
Drank with friends last night with appetizers, it was the star.
Anyone who likes big reds will love this. We did, Of course I was
buying who wouldnt love that!
Larkmead is located just north of St. Helena, Beaut...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Merlot
Another favorite out of my cellar. 2006 Harris merlot about $50.
Nothing like good single vineyard wines. You get a true feel of the
terroir. You will taste the full on Oakville style fruit. Bluberry/
Cherry dark fruit. A cedar edge comes from the French oak barrels.
This is a top tier merlot for sure. Blind taste a friend, they will
not think merlot you’ll hear Cab or Bordeaux but you will hear they
love it. As with all the Nickel wines.
Where Far Niente is a blend, the Nickel & Nickel...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Cabernet
This wine is produced right here in Carlsbad Ca. Sourcing grapes from a family vineyard in Sonoma.
Producing big dark fruit, spicy tannins with with a great finish Not
heavy on the acidity. Very well balanced for a wine at this price. You
will not disappoint any of you wine buddies.
I didn’t even have to buy this one, oh yes I did. By the glass at a local restaurant in Encinitas, Firefly. Was fun
For around $20 to $25 this is a wonderful everyday drinker!
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Sauvignon Blanc
very crisp finish, smooth on the palet. I notice a sesame nose,
which is interesting. It really reminds me of some of the white I drank in France. A nice wine for anyone who likes whites for sure. As a
primarily red drinker I see this as a great day time wine or summer on
the patio.
The price for me is a bit stiff, $39. There are a lot of good Sauv
Blancs out there for less. But for someone special or if you just don’t
drink much white, this is a great buy for the occasion.
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Wine Shops
The Wine Sellar is also known as the Wine Sellar & Brasserie.
First the store. It has an incredible selection of fine wines from
around the world. Excellent French, German and Italian wines and of
course the great California wines.
I find the selection of Pinot Noir to be one of the best. Great
French Burgundy to the beautiful Russian River. Of course Oregon as
well, but I lean to the Russian River for my Pinot fix.
Wednesday and Saturday is when the have their regular wine tasting
events. V...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Wine Shops
This is a great local shop in Carlsbad, with two sides. Store front
and tasting room. The store front has a nice selection of wines for all
budgets. Its well layed out and easy to find what you are after.
The other side of the shop is a wine bar. With many by the glass
choices and some fantastic beers and espresso. Great cheese boards are
available in a variety of sizes.
The feature a couple of wine clubs, where members can come in and
taste as many as 18 wines and choose two. This typicall...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Wine Shops
One of the older shops in North County, located in La Costa.
When this shop opened it was the place to be. A great selection of
wine and a great reserve room. Over time the people turned over and we
seemed to loose the ones we liked. Other shops opened in the area.
Well there is a new owner, he has done a great job of getting his
prices back to reality, his selection of wine is back to what it should
be. He has totally re-built the inside. It is now back on the list to
stop in and shop.
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Wine Shops
This shop started out a little warehouse style shop with great values and some great selections.
They moved to a nicer location and I think lost a step. While still
some great values, not the selection that I would like to see. The
staff seems to let you walk around and not bother you.
This is one of those cases where they had a good thing and maybe tried to hard to make it better and lost what made them great.
If you are on Miramar Rd. you need to give it a look.
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Wine Shops
This is like Disney Land for wine lovers!
By far the largest selection on EVERYTHING in Southern California
that I have seen. No matter what your flavor, varietal, country you
name it they have it.
While it is larger than most, they still have an incredible staff
here. Actually buyers for Cabernet, Pinot, Chardonnay etc. While
shopping they ask if you have questions or if you are looking for
something specific. If its not out, they may have it out back.
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Cabernet
OK, I just received my 2006 Pina Cabernets!. If you are not familiar
with this winery try and find them your next trip up. Just off the
“Trail” not hard to find at all. They started out 40 plus years ago in
the vinyard management business. Tending to some of Napas best.Now
producing big dense cabernets.
First is the Howell Mountain Buckeye Cab and the second is the Napa Valley D’Adamo both 100% Cabernet.
This is a neat little location with a small area for tasting, if
your lucky like ...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Winery
OK, the WCW and his wife love this place! The staff is just awesome.
The array of wine that Cosentino makes is amazing. And if you are in
the club you will love it. Sometimes “Whacky” But you are not going to
get the same old two cabs or a cab and a white. They are going to mix
it up on you, give you something to look forward to!
Now going to the winery is a great place to start a Napa trip They
are on the 29 just north of Yountville. Start there, and work your way
north. Right next door...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Winery
We went with about 30 people on a limo bus this weekend and had a
great time, good people. Try their famous Almond champagne and the
Chocolate Port.
They have a large tasting area in front and in the back with the
barrels. Sure its Temecula, Ca. But its a lot of fun and they do
produce a variety of really good wine.
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Cabernet Blend
07 Hedges CMS
Cab, Merlot, Syrah $17 Columbia Valley Wa. Not much here.Surprised it
didnt have more umph. No Fruit, no back end. Cab Merlot and Syrah. But
man there was not much here. Sure easy to drink, no finish, no fruit,
nothing to say wow. But I can not say it was bad it just was… Continue reading ...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Pinot Noir
06 Lucia-Garys
Vinyard Pinot $39. Garnet red, black berry, All spice, dense flavor,
light tannin nice long finish. WCW will buy this again Continue reading ...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Pinot Noir
07 Russian River
Coho Pinot $42. nice expected valley flavor. light earth bramble casis
and some berry, well structured a joy to drink. Not too expensive
relative to others of this flavor Continue reading ...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Cabernet
La Petite Vice
Versa- Paul Hobbs, $36 -$49 Bechstoffer To-kalon fruit. Big finish,
little young yet, suggest decanting or Vinturi if you have one. A mini
Vice Versa Continue reading ...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Cabernet
04 Stone House
Cab. Knights Valley. Supposed to be Berringer 2nd label. about $20 nice
red color, easy but not long lasting finish Light berry. For $20 its
not bad to take to game or pour for a lot of friends Continue reading ...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Pinot Noir
Martin Alfaro
Pinot. Sonoma coast.$25 real nice. very friendly pinot not huge but a
good drinker. I think everyone will enjoy drinking this, you friends
who are real Pinot snobs will not be offended. The light berry, taste,
some earth tones make this an easy Pinot Continue reading ...
Posted by Jeff Harig on Thursday, May 7, 2009,
In :
Cabernet Blend
Last
Night:Eponymous Napa Cab/Merlot from Robert Pepi. Mt Veeder. Nose black
cherry, earth. Color deep red. Flavor Smooth lingering tannins Continue reading ...
New and improved site should be coming soon. Its been a while I know! But the real job, you know the one that pays the bills and will get our daughter through college....
OK the summer is here and I am looking at nice warm weather wines. Typically you are expecting big reds, I know. Look for some crisp white wines like Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc, and Cosenting Pinot Grigio to appear soon!
Today I am heading over to Caruth Winery in Solana Beach Ca. Looking forward to some good stuff
Cheers, Jeff
Link to video here
I don’t need to say more… They did have a pink wine that was decent. 
New and improved site should be coming soon. Its been a while I know! But the real job, you know the one that pays the bills and will get our daughter through college....
OK the summer is here and I am looking at nice warm weather wines. Typically you are expecting big reds, I know. Look for some crisp white wines like Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc, and Cosenting Pinot Grigio to appear soon!
Today I am heading over to Caruth Winery in Solana Beach Ca. Looking forward to some good stuff
Cheers, Jeff
