It’s been a little while since I have had time to post a review, so I’ll do three today!
2006 Small Gully Wines The Formula Robert’s Shiraz, South Australia
Don’t let the name fool you…there is nothing small about this wine. Sporting 15.9% alcohol (ABV) and brick red color, this wine leaves any doubt that it’s a lightweight. The aforementioned deep red color is ringed with an orange-ish tint.
At first, the alcohol dominated the nose. That blew off quickly and some raspberry notes came through with a touch of chocolate.
The alcohol makes an appearance to let you know it is there, but the fruit quickly knocks it back in line, and finishes with a long, tart finish.
This wine has been rated 90 points by Jay Miller of Wine Advocate
Rating: Love It
Price: $18.99
(Purchased at Fezziwig’s Marketplace in Lebanon, Illinois.)
2007 Abacella Syrah Estate, Umpqua Valley, Oregon
Abacella is a winery located in the Umpqua Valley of Oregon. After much study, this location was chosen because it’s soil makeup and climate most closely resembled that of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), The winery is gravity fed, which means there are no pumps that move the wine, which limits its exposure to oxygen.
This syrah is a deep purple color. The nose contains floral notes, white pepper (but it won’t make you sneeze!) and a touch of caramel. It enters your mouth with big fruitiness up front that balances with the oak and peppery goodness of syrah. Very-well balanced with a pleasant finish. I am very interested in tasting this in 3 or 4 years.
Rating: Love It
Price: TBD
Wine was a sample for tasting at the shop.
2008 High Flyer Pinot Noir Doctor’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, California
I tasted the Chardonnay from High Flyer on my first post on this blog. The Pinot Noir has stepped up to the plate, and I have to say that is back-to-back homeruns for High Flyer.
The wine is a deep brick red color with cherry, plum and a touch of vegetal aromas going on. When you take a drink, tart cherry flavors fill your mouth, followed by other red fruit flavors through the mid-palette. The finish on this wine is long and balanced. I’m imagining this with a gorgonzola stuffed filet mignon right about now…
Rating: Love it!++
Price: $58 per bottle/$52 per bottle case price
We have access to a limited amount of this wine and are unsure about the future availability of this vintage, so contact me if you are interested in purchasing!
Enjoy!
| “Gentlemen, in the little moment that remains to us between the crisis and the catastrophe, we may as well drink a glass of Champagne.” |
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| — Paul Claudel |
This is a great everyday wine. It is a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot, and Petit Sirah. A beautiful garnet color in the glass with a nose of black cherry and smoke. On the palette, cherries and rhubarb show up. It does thin out a bit on the mid-palette, but ends with a long whisper of a finish.
Wine for Real People 