{"id":583,"date":"2018-08-29T11:22:00","date_gmt":"2018-08-29T15:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rdilauro.com\/CarpeVino\/?p=583"},"modified":"2020-10-25T10:50:11","modified_gmt":"2020-10-25T14:50:11","slug":"my-reds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rdilauro.com\/CarpeVino\/2018\/08\/29\/my-reds\/","title":{"rendered":"Reds"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Red Wines<\/span> <\/strong>
\n(most recent at bottom of list)<\/em><\/p>\n

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Gott 5<\/em>
\n2007 Earthquake Petie-Sirah<\/em>
\n2004 Frank Family Zinfandel<\/em>
\n2010\u00a0 Catena Malbec<\/em>
\n2010 Dry Creek Optima Zinfandel<\/em>
\n2010 Casalvento Chianti Classico Riserva<\/em>
\n1961 Chateau Batailley<\/em>
\n1934 Chateau Margaux<\/em>
\n1967 Echzezeaux<\/em>
\n2010 Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon<\/em>
\n2006 Martinelli Pinot Noir
\n2012 I Balzini Black Label Super Tuscan
\n2016 RackHouse Cabernet Sauvignon
\n2001 Marchesato degli Aleramici Brunello di Montalcino
\nGott 14
\nScott Kelly 2016 Oregon Tempranillo
\nGoldeneye 2016 Pinot Noir
\nHartford Court 2016 Pinot Noir
\nRuffino 2014 Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico
\nTomaiola 2014 Toscana Super Tuscan
\n11*14 Oakville\u00a0 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/em><\/p>\n

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\u00a0GOTT 5\u00a0 \u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0Though the photo shows the GOTT 13. I have had the GOTT\u00a0 5, 6 and 7.\u00a0 The GOTT 5 was an amazing wine.\u00a0 One of the best Cabernet Sauvignon I have had from Napa Valley.\u00a0 \u00a0It was everything you want in a Cabernet.\u00a0 Rich, bold, full body with hints of cassis and blackberry.\u00a0 \u00a0A touch of a smoky taste with a good balance of chocolate.\u00a0 \u00a0The tannins were there, full, but very tamed. The finish was almost as good as the first sip.\u00a0 Lingering, the fruit stayed with you along with a bit of light mint.\u00a0 \u00a0I’ve had the Gott 6 and 7, they were both very good, but did not compare to the Gott 5.\u00a0 \u00a0At the store I worked at, we had an in store point system (something I came up with).\u00a0 Instead of assigning numbers, it was an A,B,C,D system.\u00a0 The Gott 5 got a definite A++, while the 6 and 7 I rated as a C<\/p>\n

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2007 Earthquake Petie-Syrah\u00a0<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/strong>
\nThe best way I can describe this wine was that is was BIG, very BIG.\u00a0 Such full body with a rich overall taste.\u00a0 \u00a0The first taste just filled my mouth, hitting all points of my tongue.\u00a0 Not a lot of fruit, but I felt that there was a fair amount of chocolate and mint.\u00a0 \u00a0Since the wine was so big, the finish was just as big.\u00a0 \u00a0I gave it an a B.<\/p>\n

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2004 Frank Family Zinfandel\u00a0 \u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/strong>After having this wine in California, I made sure we brought it into the store.\u00a0 A bit on the pricey side ($40ish), but well worth it.\u00a0 \u00a0Best way to describe this one is that it is jelly-jammy with full peppery spice.\u00a0 Fruit friendly, but it was hard to distinguish any particular fruit.\u00a0 The alcohol content was a 15.5% which gave you the impression that this wine was a bit on the sweet side.\u00a0 \u00a0But so many full rich Zinfandel’s do demonstrate this trait.\u00a0 I gave this one an 22A+<\/p>\n

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2010 Cantena Malbec\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>First time\u00a0\"\"<\/a> I had this was when I was running a wine dinner.\u00a0 The dinner theme was Dont wine for me Argentina\u00a0<\/em>so all my wines came from there.\u00a0 \u00a0There are several levels of the Cantena Malbec.\u00a0 This is what I describe as the entry level, coming in around $19.\u00a0 \u00a0My first impression after opening the bottle was that there was a lot of tannin in there.\u00a0 I let the wine breathe for about 2 hours before tasting it.\u00a0 \u00a0The Malbec grape has a distinctive aroma apart from many of the other mainstay red grapes.\u00a0 The main fruit flavors in a glass of Argentine\u00a0Malbec<\/b>\u00a0are blackberry, plum, and black cherry. The nuanced flavors offer milk chocolate, cocoa powder, violet flowers, leather, and, depending on the amount of oak aging, a sweet tobacco finish.<\/em>\u00a0It pours a very deep ruby red color with purple hues.\u00a0 \u00a0The aroma herewas full of ripe and dark fruit,\u00a0 with hints of violet and lavender.\u00a0 \u00a0With the initial taste, I picked up some vanilla and chocolate\/mint flavor.\u00a0 \u00a0The wine was bone dry, on the light side and I would say light to medium body.\u00a0 \u00a0The after taste left me with a very dry mouth, but the wine really did not linger.\u00a0 \u00a0 For me, this was a B-<\/p>\n

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2010 Dry Creek Optima Zinfandel\u00a0 –\u00a0<\/strong> This was a wine\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I purchased from WTSO.\u00a0 I originally bought the standard 4 bottles, but we enjoyed it so much, I went back in an order a full case.\u00a0 I love Zinfandels, and the idea of blending a little Petite Syrah seemed so interesting.\u00a0 \u00a0This wine was full and robust.\u00a0 \u00a0At 14.9% abv, you almost tasted a touch of sweetness, but that jammy jelly appearance was soon taken over by strong peppery spices.\u00a0 \u00a0When first opened, this one had a bit of aggressive tannins, but after about an hour of breathing, they really tamed down.\u00a0 \u00a0Lots of fruit and spice here, from the moment of your first sip, while you are tasting it and the finish.\u00a0 I gave this a B-<\/p>\n

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2010 Casalvento Chianti Classico Riserva\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/strong>Another WTSO purchase. What intrigued me about this wine, was that it was a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet \u00a0Sauvignon gapes.\u00a0 \u00a0I always thought that all Chiantis had to be made from 100% Sangiovese grapes and when other grapes, ie Cabernet, Merlot were blended, the wine became a Super Tuscan.\u00a0 \u00a0This wine was bone bone bone dry.\u00a0 \u00a0As with most Chiantis, this one was light in body with fruit flavors of tart and sweet cherry and some violet with a dash of plum.\u00a0 By itself, this was not a very interesting wine, but pair it up with some Italian food, and it begins to shine through.\u00a0 \u00a0I gave it a C+<\/p>\n

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1961 Chateau Batailley\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(Notes from my 1973 tasting)<\/em> This is just one of those wines you come across and find out that its more than a gem<\/em>.\u00a0 \u00a0 No question about the ’61 vintage for Bordeaux\u00a0 being touted as the best of the century.\u00a0 \u00a0Some may argue, but having tasted many of the other best vintages (1934, 1945, 1955, 1957, and 1959), I still side with the 1961.<\/p>\n

Chateau Batailley\"\"<\/a>is a 5th growth Grand Cru Classe from the Pauillac appellation of Bordeaux.\u00a0 \u00a0 The best way I can describe this wine, was that it was a close to perfect as I could ever\u00a0 imagine.\u00a0 \u00a0Once I pulled the cork, I knew I was going to be in for a treat.\u00a0 \u00a0It poured such a deep ruby red and the bouquet of cassis, blackberry\u00a0 and chocolate was so evident.\u00a0 \u00a0The initial taste was amazing, so rich , and full with just the right amount of tannins.\u00a0 The wine just settled around every part of my tongue so that all the senses could pick up the best attributes of this wine.\u00a0 The finish was as close\u00a0 to spectacular as I can think of with any wine.\u00a0 It was long and lingering, the taste of black current, hint of chocolate and mint, along with a smoky leathery taste just stayed and stayed. Overall, this was one of the best balanced wines I have ever tasted and that includes several of the 1st growths.\u00a0 \u00a0I am happy that I purchased a case of this 1961 back in 1973.\u00a0 Unfortunately, all of these wines are now gone.\u00a0 I gave this an A<\/p>\n

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1934 Chateau Margaux\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>I was very fortunate working for an excellent wine retail store on Long Island during the early 1970’s.\u00a0 \u00a0I had access to so many of the greatest French, German and Italian wines.\u00a0 \u00a0I thought nothing of buying 1 or 2 1st growth French Bordeaux every week.\u00a0 \u00a0Keep in mind, back then, along with an employee discount, I was paying anywhere from $30 to $50 for almost any 1st growth Bordeaux.\u00a0 \u00a0I had a case of Lafitte Rothschild 1961, that I paid $50 dollars a bottle for.\u00a0 \u00a0There were exceptions and that was for some of the real older vintages of 1st growths.\u00a0 \u00a0I paid about $85 for this Chateau Margaux 1934. Today, it can retail for about $1100!\u00a0\"\"<\/a> \u00a0 We opened this wine at my house with several of my friends who were really into French wines.\u00a0 \u00a0This was back in early 1975.\u00a0 The cork looked a bit old and I was afraid that it might fall apart as I was pulling it.\u00a0 \u00a0I slowly used the best cork screw I had and the cork came out to my surprise with ease and intact.<\/p>\n

We were all blown away by the aroma and bouquet.\u00a0 It was as if we just opened a fresh new wine from Bordeaux.\u00a0 \u00a0It was hard to distinguish, but blackberry, blueberry, mint, chocolate, cassis, smoke and more. I always referred to Chateau Lafitte Rothschild as being the King <\/em>of French Bordeaux, and Chateau Margaux as the Queen<\/em> of Bordeaux\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The main grape used in the production of Margaux is\u00a0Cabernet Sauvignon,\u00a0<\/em>followed by\u00a0Merlot,\u00a0Cabernet Franc,\u00a0Petit Verdot,\u00a0Malbec\u00a0and Carmenere.<\/em>\u00a0.\u00a0 I like to describe Margaux as the most floral of all French Bordeaux.<\/p>\n

The taste was so smooth, almost like silk\u00a0 \u00a0I do not think I have ever had a wine that was a full, rich and soft as this Margaux.\u00a0 Every possible sensory aspect you can have was taken over by this wine and it was all so very outstanding.\u00a0 \u00a0For a wine being that old, I would have thought the tannin would be almost gone and the color slightly brownish.\u00a0 \u00a0This was not the case here.\u00a0 \u00a0Still a brilliant red and there were enough tannins to make you appreciate the overall balance to this wine.\u00a0 The finish was as great as the start was.\u00a0 \u00a0I still remember the lasting taste of this special Margaux.\u00a0 \u00a0To me, it was once in a lifetime to taste a pure classic!\u00a0 \u00a0I gave this an A++<\/p>\n

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1967 Romanee-Conti Echezeaux\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

I remember having this wine some time in the early 1970’s\u00a0 \u00a0 It was one of my initial tastings of some of the great French burgundies.\u00a0 \u00a0 The bright ruby red color really amazed me.\u00a0 The bouquet was almost like taking a walk in the woods near a berry patch.\u00a0 \u00a0The taste was perfect,\u00a0 silky on the tongue, full in body, dry but not bone dry, low on tannin, but all so very soft.\u00a0 It was as the wine exploded in your mouth delighting every possible sense.\u00a0 \u00a0The after taste was lingering and long, full of berry, cherry, plum flavors that seemed to stay for every.\u00a0 \u00a0Gave this one an A+++<\/p>\n

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2010 Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>I love my Cabs from Napa Valley, but then again, I love Cabernet Sauvignon.\u00a0 \u00a0I first tried a 2007 Franciscan Cabernet at an in-house special wine tasting of California Cabernet.\u00a0 \u00a0I immediately took an immediate liking to this wine.\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Of course it had all the typical characteristics of a good Cabernet, blackberry, cherry, plum, cassis,\u00a0 a hint of chocolate, full and rich.\u00a0 \u00a0With big but easy on the palate tannins.\u00a0 \u00a0I think this is what I enjoyed the most about the wine.\u00a0 \u00a0The wine did not breather very long, yet, it was very soft.\u00a0 You can just about taste the tannins, they were there, full and big, but yet so very tamed.\u00a0 That made this wine even softer and fuller.\u00a0 \u00a0There was a perfect balance between fruit and tannin.\u00a0 \u00a0I still remember the aftertaste as having long lasting soft but distinct tannins.\u00a0 \u00a0I guess, I cant help repeating tannins for this wine.\u00a0 I gave this 2010 a B+<\/p>\n

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2007 Martinelli Pinot Noir\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Has to be my favorite United States Pinot Noir.\u00a0 I first had this about 6 years ago with some friends.\u00a0 Right afterwards, I searched around to purchase some.\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 I couldn’t find any in the local wine shops, so I finally ordered directly from the winery.\u00a0 I purchased 6 bottles @ $85 apiece.\u00a0 A bit pricey, but well worth it.\u00a0 \u00a0 This wine was so very big, soft, lush and rich.\u00a0 Once opened, the bouquet of berries, cherries, plums bounced out of the bottle along with hints of chocolate and a bit of minty sage.\u00a0 \u00a0The taste was so flavorful.\u00a0 It reached every sense on your tongue and filled your mouth with pure joy.\u00a0 \u00a0The fullness is what made this so special, yet it had a degree of dryness to it and some earthy mild tannins that made this one of the more balanced Pinot Noirs that I have every had.\u00a0 \u00a0The aftertaste, well, just as exciting as the first sip.\u00a0 I wish I could find more about this wine, but any search on Martinelli vineyards gives me a\u00a0 Page not found 404 error.\u00a0 \u00a0I wounder if they stopped using the web.\u00a0 \u00a0But if you can find one, and they are on there to purchase, treat yourself.\u00a0 \u00a0I gave this one a A+<\/p>\n

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2012 I Balzini Black Label Super Tuscan\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong>Another of my WTSO purchases.\u00a0 As with any of the super tuscan’s \"\"<\/a>I’ve tried, I let this one breathe for a long time.\u00a0 \u00a0Of course, I tasted it, right after I pulled the cork.\u00a0 The tannins were so intense, that it was difficult to pick up any real qualities of the wine.\u00a0 But as this had a chance to breath, the cherry, the plum, the soft ripened fruit began to shine through.\u00a0 \u00a0As with all super tuscans, this was dry with a lack of being full bodied.\u00a0 \u00a0But it made up for it, with more complexity in the overall bouquet and tastes.\u00a0 \u00a0There was chocolate, mint, eldeberry, so much going on in this wine.\u00a0 \u00a0I tastes it 6 hours after I opened it and it was even BETTER than after two hours.\u00a0 I gave this a solid B<\/p>\n

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2016 RackHouse Cabernet Sauvignon\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>This was one very interesting Cabernet Sauvignon.\u00a0 Its from the Lodi region\"\"<\/a> in California.\u00a0 What makes this wine unique, is that it is aged for four years on charred, oak, bourbon barrels.\u00a0 Doing this, you definitely pick up some of the characteristics of bourbon, the spice, the caramel, the vanilla, some nutmeg.\u00a0 \u00a0Then add in the smokiness from those charred barrels.\u00a0 This was a very big soft wine.\u00a0 Fills your mouth with lots of berry and chocolate overtones, complimented with the smoke flavor.\u00a0 \u00a0The finish to this wine was just as big as the start.\u00a0 I really almost consider this wine to be more of a Red blend than a pure Caberent Sauvignon.\u00a0 \u00a0As a Cab, I gave this one a C+ , as a blend, I gave it a B+<\/p>\n

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2001 Marchesato degli Aleramici Brunello di Montalcino<\/strong><\/p>\n

A real treat!\u00a0 A 98 rated Brunello that I have been saving for the holiday season.\u00a0 I let it breathe for about 2 1\/2 hours.\u00a0\"\"<\/a> \u00a0Tasted a little every 30 minutes just to see how it opens up.\u00a0 \u00a0Bold and rich.\u00a0 Lots of blackberry and cherry aroma with a good feel of ripe rich raisins.\u00a0 \u00a0The tannins were there, but as the wine opened up more, the full tannins became more of a velvet silk finish.\u00a0\u00a0Love the earthiness of Italian wines made from the\u00a0<\/span> Sangiovese grape from Tuscan and Umbria.\u00a0 \u00a0Finish was typical of most Italian wines, dry , nice but not very lingering\u00a0 I gave this one a B++<\/p>\n

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Gott 2014 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’ve always been a big fan of Joel Gott’s wines.\u00a0 His Cabernet Sauvignon 815 is really nice.\u00a0 BUT you really have to try one if his\"\"<\/a> GOTT xx Cabernets.\u00a0 \u00a0We just tasted the 14 vintage.\u00a0 It during a blind taste.\u00a0 The aroma was defintely Caberent with ripe cherries, a touch of mint and chocolate.\u00a0 \u00a0The initial taste let you know how bold the tannins were.\u00a0 Even after letting it breathe for 2 hours, the tannis were right there big and bold.\u00a0 This was a very young Cabernet, but also complex with some smoke and leather.\u00a0 \u00a0I would love to re-task this wine in lets say 3 years to see how the tannins how calmed down.\u00a0 I gave this one a B<\/p>\n

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2016 Scott Kelly Oregon Tempranillo<\/strong><\/p>\n

This was another blind tasting wine.\u00a0 The bottle had been breathing for only 30 minutes.\u00a0 At first, I was thinking Italian because of a good earthy aroma.\u00a0 \u00a0But when I had the first sip, it definitely was not Italian.\u00a0 \u00a0It was medium bodied with some fruit but not very bold.\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 I started going though different wines from different countries, because this one was stumping me.\u00a0 \u00a0 Last I thought of an old world Merlot since there wasn’t a lot of fruit.\u00a0 \u00a0I was totally shocked when I found it that it was an Oregon Tempranillo!\u00a0 \u00a0The grape for Riojas!\u00a0 \u00a0But it did not resemble any type of Spanish Tempranillo wine.\u00a0 So this was a situation in where on old word grape was grown in the new world and the wine maker definitely made it a new world style\u00a0 \u00a0 I gave this a B++<\/p>\n

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2016 Goldeneye Pinot Noir<\/strong><\/p>\n

I first had Goldeneye Pinot Noir when we visited their vineyard in 2005.\u00a0 Their vineyard was amazing.\u00a0 Beautiful grounds, and we fell in love with their outdoor pizza oven.\u00a0 \u00a0We tried 3 of their Pinots, each one was fantastic. So, I had to try this 2016.\u00a0 I had it breathing for about 45 minutes. \"\"<\/a> \u00a0The aroma was bursting with fresh fruit, cherry tart, blueberry and a hint of mint.\u00a0 The legs were big, so I was anticipating a full wine.\u00a0 \u00a0The initial taste was big and fruity, but there were some big tannins which sort of overshadowed the wine.\u00a0 \u00a0The finish was silky, but still had tannins on my tongue.\u00a0 \u00a0 We were tasting two Pinots that evening, so after this one was opened for over 2 hours, the tannins calmed down and then this Pinot was as delightful as I hoped it would be.\u00a0 \u00a0I gave this a B+<\/p>\n

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2016 Hartford Court Pinot Noir<\/strong><\/p>\n

We did a side by side tasting of this Pinot with the Goldeneye.\u00a0 \u00a0I was comparing the Anderson Valley vs Russian River Valley wines.\u00a0 \u00a0As with the Goldeneye, I let this breathe for about 45 minutes before tasting.\u00a0 \u00a0The aromas were more pronounced than the Goldeneye and all I could take it was berries, all types, cherry, raspberry, blackberry and more. \"\"<\/a> Less legs, but this wine was so very smooth and easy drinking.\u00a0 The berries continued as I was tasting this wine.\u00a0 \u00a0The finish was typical for a\u00a0 Pinot, pleasant, dry, and not long lasting.\u00a0 Initially, I liked this Pinot over the Goldeneye, but as you can read above, once the Goldeneye opened up some more, there was a big difference.\u00a0 I gave this one a B<\/p>\n

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2014 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let this one breathe for about 2 hours.\u00a0 Still a good amount of tannins, but the overall attributes of this wine balanced everything out.\u00a0 \u00a0Aromas were of ripe cherry, other berries, but mostly cherry.\u00a0 \"\"<\/a>\u00a0Earthy overtone with a hint of licorice and smoke and vanilla traces.\u00a0 \u00a0Medium legs, very dry, high on acidity and as I said, the tannins were up there.\u00a0 Fuller than most Chianti’s I’ve hade.\u00a0 \u00a0Problem, because this came directly from the town of Chianti, thus allowed being called a Classico, versus the inexpensive Chiantis that can come from anywhere in the region.\u00a0 Close to 100% Sangiovese grape.\u00a0 \u00a0I gave this one a B<\/p>\n

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2014 Tomaiola Toscana Super Tuscan<\/strong><\/p>\n

We did not allow this wine to breathe when we first tasted it.\u00a0 It was part of an experiment with two different Italian wines.\u00a0 \u00a0The wine did not show the typical earthy aromas of most Tuscany wines.\u00a0 \u00a0The aromas were of plum, blackberry, cherry, leather, licorice and smoke.\u00a0 \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The taste follow suit with the aromas, especially with the cherry and smoke.\u00a0 \u00a0This wine was fairly big.\u00a0 It was full and very soft.\u00a0 Surprisingly, the tannins were very mild, which made this even more drinkable.<\/p>\n

The finish was soft and left a very pleasant taste, making me wanting another sip.\u00a0 \u00a0 I was very surprised that this IGT was a Super Tuscan.\u00a0 \u00a0Most Super Tuscans I have had in the past, I had to allow them to breath 2 to 3 hours to soften up.\u00a0 \u00a0 The grape blend for this one is<\/p>\n

85% Sangiovese
\n10%\u00a0 Cabernet Sauvignon
\n5%\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Merlot<\/p>\n

I gave this one a solid B<\/strong><\/p>\n

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11*14 Oakville 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I purchased this wine from WTSO on a hunch.\u00a0 Ihad read a lot of good reviews about the Ant+Farm Winery.\u00a0 \u00a0Vivino listed as $99, WTSO had it as a special for $39 per bottle.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I was NOT disappointed!\u00a0 \u00a0First thing I noticed was the extra heavy bottle .\u00a0 I’ve only had a few bottles heavy like this, one being GOTT 5.\u00a0 So things started off positive..\u00a0 \u00a0It was a very dark cherry red.\u00a0 The aroma indicated a bit of smoke and leather with lots of blackberry overtones.\u00a0 \u00a0The first sip was BIG and BOLD, there was a good amount of tannins, but they were soft and easy to drink.\u00a0 My mouth exploded with everything I want in a Cabernet Sauvignon.\u00a0 This wine is suppose to be great right up to 2035.<\/p>\n

I gave this one a\u00a0 A+<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Red Wines (most recent at bottom of list) Gott 5 2007 Earthquake Petie-Sirah 2004 Frank Family … <\/p>\n

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