Hug Cellars 2005 Bassetti Vineyard Rena Block Syrah - A Perfect Syrah?
September 19, 2008 by vegasrenie · 3 Comments
How close to a perfect Syrah can you get?
It is inky and viscous, coating the glass with a ruby-purple hue. It has a beautiful, conversation-stopping nose, with blackberry, pepper, black cherry, black ripe plums, and coffee, with the palate adding a bit of smoke and just a touch of earth in that striking mixture. Tannins are smooth and food friendly, and the finish goes on and on. Because of its young age, it is still very fruit forward, so I won’t be opening up my other bottles for quite a while. Maybe.
I had this in mid-2007 and “liked” it, but I wasn’t blown away by it. Boy, how time can change what happens in a wine bottle! Hug Cellars only made about 200 cases of this, so if you have an opportunity, don’t pass it up! A little pricey by Paso Robles standards (about $40-something), I don’t think you’ll find a better Syrah anywhere.
This Syrah was fabulous with Rod’s marvelous pot roast (don’t laugh) dinner.
Sphere: Related ContentA Taste of Paso Wines - New Friends
September 6, 2008 by vegasrenie · Leave a Comment
Steve of Kaleidos and Me!
I missed my old friends when I visited A Taste of Paso Wines, including Hug Cellars, Villicana, Vines on the Marycrest, Midlife Crisis, and Tobin James just to name a few. With that being said, it was great making new acquaintances with the wineries that were there. And some of whom are literally very, very new!
Let’s go down the list, where I can talk about them and their wines. These aren’t in any particular order, as I found myself flipping through my notebook making additional notes as the day wore on. I have to admit that palate (and brain) fatigue set in later in the day, and the only thing I could really taste by evening were the dessert wines. I can say with confidence that I didn’t taste any bad wines. They ranged from “good” to “mindless weekend with George Clooney” in quality.
Some of the wineries I met for the first time have been around awhile, of course. That’s what made it fun … I
GC Wines Abounded!
finally got to meet some of those that for whatever reason (major holiday weekend, for example), I hadn’t had the opportunity to meet beforehand. Here are a few of them as well as some who are just releasing their first wines.
Kaleidos had come highly recommended by fellow Paso-philes, and I couldn’t agree more. We tasted the three wines that they offered, and enjoyed each one. The 2005 Kaleidos Morpheus is an SGM blend with an incredibly dark color and body. The 2004 Osiris is a 50/50 Grenache Mourvedre blend that surprised me with the strawberry and spice on the palate. They only made 48 cases of this wine. And finally, there was the 2004 Syrah, which is 100% Syrah. And, of course, it had the bold spice, pepper, leather, that you’d expect from a Paso Syrah. Only 148 cases made. Read more
Sphere: Related ContentHug Cellars – 2007 Cedar Lane Vineyard Arroyo Seco Sauvignon Blanc. Whew.
June 29, 2008 by vegasrenie · 2 Comments
It’s a typical hot summer day in Las Vegas. The temperature is hovering somewhere around 105F (but it’s a dry heat!), and the dogs are lying on the tile floor, panting away and enjoying the coolness. I’m hungry and in the mood for a nice Caprese and a glass of wine.
Five minutes ago, the basil was still growing in my itsy herb garden. The small tomatoes I’d picked a little earlier when the morning was relatively cool had been washed and were draining on a paper towel on the counter. I retrieved the container of Trader Joe’s Mozzarella from the fridge and found the Pasolivo California Olive Oil in my cabinet. I was already in Caprese heaven.
Sphere: Related Content2005 Vines on the Marycrest - My Generation
June 25, 2008 by vegasrenie · Leave a Comment
Like the other reds in its portfolio, Vines on the Marycrest has named this, its flagship wine, after a song - in this case, My Generation by The Who.
Visitors had come by, and I wanted to share a bottle of a nice wine with them and spotted the My Generation in the wine fridge. I was in a celebratory frame of mind (almost the end of my “medical house arrest” woo hoo!) and wanted to open a bottle of something special.
Of course I’d only open this bottle with real “wine people,” and I’m almost glad that I did. I love sharing, but damn . This was so good that I wish that I’d been a little more selfish!
Sphere: Related ContentThe Accidental Tasting - 2007 Chasing Venus Sauvignon Blanc
June 15, 2008 by vegasrenie · Leave a Comment
Zachary (of 2BC fame) has been my hapless chauffeur during the last month as I’ve been recuperating. So he has had to do my bidding, and as such, found himself meeting Natalie and Theresa at Vino 100 for the first time.
We tasted a couple of wines and then … you know that ah-ha! moment that happens every now and then? Well, this pretty Sauvignon Blanc did it for us.
According to Natalie, the wine had been opened the day before. I never would have guessed. The color was light straw with vivid clarity. And then I sniffed. I was blown away by the intense fragrance of this wine. The minerality of flint, the bracing citrus aromas of fresh lemon and grapefruit, the ubiquitous “cat pee” characteristic that I expect from SBs, newly mown grass, and just a soupçon of tropical fruits assailed my nose. We inhaled for a long time before we ever tasted. This is a “dab behind the ears” wine if ever there was one. Heavenly perfume!
None of this would mean anything if it didn’t have the palate. I needn’t have worried.
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