by | March 4, 2010

Lucien Albrecht Tasting

AJ McClellan

Marie Albrecht, from Lucien Albrecht wines, came in to taste us on her line-up of Pinot Gris and Riesling. All of the wines were fantastic and we had a great time getting to know Marie and her wines. One interesting fact that I found out is that every member of the Albrecht family has one of the wines named after them. Unfortunately we did not get to try Marie’s wine due to the fact that her wine is a Gewurztraminer, “because she is spicy”.


NV Lucien Albrecht – Racy acidity with fresh pineapple and melon. Lemon Fraiche supported by notes of sourdough bread.

NV Lucien Albrecht – Creamy strawberries and cranberries with light yeast notes and toast. Very light and fluffy on the palate.

2008 Lucien Albrecht Reserve Riesling – Pineapple and pear salad with petrol dressing and garnished with green apple peel and white flowers.  Very clean on the palate with a long finish.

2007 Lucien Albrecht Henri Riesling – Pink roses and petrol on the nose with even more floral notes on the palate backed by white peaches and unripe Asian pear.

2005 Lucien Albrecht Pfingstberg GC Riesling – Flowers doused in petrol on the nose with Asian pear and unripe green apple on the palate. Pink roses and laser-like acidity adding layers of complexity. Lots of minerality, very nice finish.


2007 Lucien Albrecht Reserve Pinot Gris – Sweet pear and lemon up front with unripe peach and stone fruit on the back. A nice minerality and surprising acidity distinguish this wine from most other Pinot Gris.

2007 Lucien Albrecht Cecil Pinot Gris – Tulips and peaches with unripe pears and petrol notes. Again a great minerality and acidity with a slightly bitter finish on the wine.

2006 Lucien Albrecht Pfingstberg GC Pinot Gris – Razor-like acidity with a nice round body. Green apple, pear, and peach fuzz with a great chalky minerality and floral notes on the back. Well constructed but again there was a slight bitter finish.

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by | March 4, 2010

Albrecht After Party

AJ McClellan

As always after the scheduled tasting the members went onto their cellars and brought out some fun wines to pass around the table.

1999 Rayas – Purple flowers and Barnyard with cinnamon, spice, and lavender on the nose. Compost and wet tar with tanned leather, stewed raspberries, cherries, sour berry, and Bramble on the palate. Complex on and long lasting with a touch of wood spice and funk on the back end.

1997 Georges Mugneret Chambolle Musigny Les Feusselottes 1er – Compost and forest floor with roasted cranberry and raspberries up front. Slight matchstick on the back with lots of roasted fruits, pine tree, and evergreen on the back sweet and sour sauce on the finish.

1991 Ridge Lytton Springs – Dry cranberry and wood spice with big liquorish on the back. Complex with cooking spice and nice finish with more wood spice.

1999 Flaccianello – Tar and leather with smoke, dusty cherry, and cooking spice. Liquorish and forest floor with old barnyard and old well worn wood, savory sage and old moldy wood, fall leaves and saddle leather with coco bean and cigar box. Cherry cobbler flambé topped with crumbled chocolates.

2005 Cyrus – Black Cherry and boysenberry with black berries and leather and tobacco. Crushed rock and haystack with cooking spice and big tobacco.

2002 Hartwell – Black cherries and chocolate with boysenberries and tar, leather, black liquorish, and root extract – root bear, coco extract with lots of wood.

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by | March 4, 2010

Cliff Lede and Poetry Tasting

AJ McClellan

Jack Bittner From Cliff Lede

We had Jack Bittner of Cliff Lede come in and taste us on his lineup; I was very impressed with these wines.
2008 Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc – Pineapple and grapefruit with tropical fruits and wild white flowers on the nose. A classis Sauvignon Blanc with great minerality and crisp acidity. The palate was complex with green apple peel, peach fuzz, concrete, and crushed flowers.

2006 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon – Cocoa bean and dried leather on the nose with dried cracked cigar leaf and clove. The palate was very nice with cinnamon, wood spice and a medley of dark fruits. Well balanced and plush with a long lasting finish.

2006 Poetry –
Black pepper and fruit on the nose.

With tobacco and earth on the back.

Jammy strawberry, silk that flows.

Balance and complexity: this is no hack.

Wow, this wine is great.

Elegance, feminine charm and beauty.

The next sip just cannot wait.

This wine is nothing less than poetry.

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by | March 3, 2010

Temple Family Vineyards Tasting

AJ McClellan

We had Arthur Spencer from Temple Family Vineyards come in and taste us on his wines today – good times.

Arthur Spencer From Temple Family Vineyards

2006 Temple Cabernet Sauvignon – Black raspberries and plums with a nose of dried cranberries, dried leather, and dark chocolate. The palate was exciting with sweet currant, compost, and dried tobacco, with a slight twinge of vanilla and a touch of residual sugar. The wine was all together in balance and easy drinking.

2005 Temple Cabernet Sauvignon – Big tobacco with crushed rock and sweet candied plum. Ultra ripe strawberries and black currant with lavender and black pepper on the palate. Again with a nice balance and elegant finish.

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by | March 3, 2010

Jim Clendenen is a Zany Guy

AJ McClellan

Now everyone knows Jim Clendenen is a zany guy, but he surely knows how to make wine. I just tasted this 20 minutes ago and was blown away. With Pinot Gris(Beurrot), Pinot Blanc, and Aligote as the blend, these vines are supposed to resemble cuttings from Le Corton. During the reign of Charlemagne, the vines were planted for his wife Empress Hildegard, of which she absolutely loved.

2004 Au Bon Climat “Hildegard” Santa Maria Valley - Beautiful, pure, fresh and delightful, with superb balance right from the start. This wine has a terrific depth of fruit with unripe green apple, pear, and unripe peach. The sense of grace and harmony are overwhelming with the excellent balance of the wine. Toffee, light caramel, toast, and popcorn insure balance and a finish of limestone minerality that lingers for a good 45 second gives me the impression of a great Corton Charlemagne.

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by | March 1, 2010

2004 Silver Oak Napa

AJ McClellan

Raymond Twomey Duncan and Justin Meyer paired up in 1972 with one vision – to create a winery that would forever raise the standards of California wine. Thus Silver Oak was born.

2004 Silver Oak Napa – The 2004 Napa Valley Silver Oak is a classic vintage of a classic wine. With a nose of black plum, sandal wood, say sauce, chocolate, sawdust, and roses and a palate that is expressive as its nose this wine is exactly what one would expect from this producer.

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by | February 25, 2010

Fun Random Tasting

AJ McClellan

One of the great benefits of being a member at Graileys is having the opportunity to taste a slew of great wines when the Reps come into town. Today was one such day, a tasting of their newest and greatest wines.

The members had gotten a head start with two great bottles already popped and poured around the table.

2004 Floridene – Great little white Bordeaux with a nose of tropical fruits and gravely soil. The palate had hints of pineapple and Washington red apple, with crumbled white rock and a finish of peach pith.

2006 Favia Cerro Sur – Always a favorite with the majority of this wine being Cabernet Franc, it is unique and a delight to drink. Big plum and black currant up front with a lavender and clove backing. Tobacco and milk chocolate on the palate with purple flowers and wet soil minerality. Very soft, like melted chocolate coating the mouth.

Then our reps came in and laid out a feast of fun wines for us to try.

2007 Betts & Scholl The O.G. – This is a terrific Grenache from Australia with a bright fruit forward nose of red cherries and red currant with a light tint of red roses. The palate was a little hot but this is to be expected from Australia, and after some time in the glass the heat gradually dissipated. On the other hand there was a unusually exciting acidity that evened out the wine nicely and brought it back into balance. This wine reminds me of the song “Strawberry Fields” from the Beatles.

NV Gloria Ferrer Va de Vi Sparkling Wine – Creamy pear with white flowers and a little yeast. Slightly one dimensional but good for what it is. Finish of a nice stony minerality.

2005 Chateau Preuillac – Dried red fruit and overripe plum with a slight minerality of dried dirt and crumbled boulder.

2007 Finca N Malbec – Big tannic monster with blueberries, black cherries, and ripe plums. Despite the heavy tannins the finish was soft and pleasant, working out to have a nice balance.

2005 Chateau Taillefer – Classic Bordeaux with dirt and graphite and a dusty plum. The wine had great balance and finished with a long and smooth cherry mocha.

2005 Rayas Pignan CDP – Sour cherry and tart blueberries with a light rocky minerality and a back of tobacco, tar, and leather. A light smoke on the palate with cedar and pine needles finishing with a gamey quail and black peppercorn.

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by | February 23, 2010

Bo Barrett Tasting

AJ McClellan

Above, from left: D’lynn Proctor, Bo Barrett, Dave Stearns (partner/owner Graileys), and Simon Roberts (partner/owner Graileys),

Another day and another superstar winemaker for Graileys: today’s superstar is legendary winemaker Bo Barrett. Portrayed by Chris Pine in the movie Bottle Shock, Chateau Montelena put California on the map in the wine world winning the best in show for their 1973 Chardonnay in 1976.
Chateau Montelena was founded in 1882 at the base of Mount Saint Helena by Alfred Tubbs. After building his Chateau he named it after the location Mount-Helena. James Barrett took over and produced his first wine in 1972. A year later we went to win in the Judgment of Paris and the rest is history.


2007 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay – Papaya, pear, and tropical melons on the nose with a slight butter and white peaches on the palate. There was a nice schist minerality on the palate and a crisp acidity that reminded me of a nice Meursault.

2006 Chateau Montelena Estate Zinfandel – Big black pepper with wisps of smoke and big black fruit. There was a slight green stemmy quality and a hard finish.

2006 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon – Tobacco on the nose with leather and cigar box; again there was a slight green stem quality but it added to complexity rather than sticking out like a sore thumb. There was some wood spice, as well as a touch of clove and cinnamon. Great little everyday drinker.

2006 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – Ripe black berry and big black tobacco with a backing of damp earth and cobblestone road after a heavy rain. Big hard tannins that need another couple of years of bottle age, and a finish of tar and tobacco. All in all a great little wine but it needs some age on it.

2005 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – Massive tannins again, but with the benefit of an additional year of bottle age the tannins have softened and smoothed out, making for a more pleasant mouth feel. Jammy black fruit and boysenberry on the nose with a cinnamon / clove spice on the back end. The palate was excellent with a nice dusty minerality and a back of cedar and tobacco.

2001 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – This was my favorite wine of the night. Jammy raspberries on the nose with a hint of red liquorish and fennel. The palate was stunning with soft silk tannins, and ballerina-like finesse finishing with black currant and cocoa butter.

2000 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – Big tobacco, tar, and leather on the nose with a slight astringency on the back. There was a pleasant fruit bouquet on the palate with plums, cherries, blueberries, and black currants.  Wine finishes with liquorish and damp earth.

1999 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – Jammy red fruit up front with stone cherry and sweet plum, big spice and tobacco on the back with red flowers and dirt and tar. Soft well developed tannins we red currants, cassis, and anise on the finish.

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by | February 23, 2010

Bo Barrett After Party

After the tasting, the after party begins. The usual members gather around the table, all pulling wine out of their lockers, and the battle to see who can bring the best wine to the table starts!

1966 Haut Brion – Forest floor and burnt toast with stewed raspberries and a slight cranberry that reminds me of the Ocean cranberry drink. Subtle beef jerky and wood spice with clove and cinnamon on the back. Long finish and lush tannins, with great balance and layers of complexity.

1988 Giacosa Falletto Barolo – Dried cranberries and barnyard with cooking spice on the nose. The palate had velvety tannins with a soft mouth feel. Green tea and ripe red fruit on the palate with a finish of crushed rock and almonds. After some time in the glass the wine evolved to show green cocoa and brambleberry with a hint of guava.

1990 Cos d’Estournel – This wine was a tiger in the glass with ferocious berry blend of red cherries, black cherries, raspberries, currant, plum, and fig. The nose had big forest floor with red roses and violets. The palate was a chameleon, changing every time I went back to the wine.  Bold and toasty with a spicy pepper, dry tobacco, cooked cloves, and burnt cigar. Super smooth and easy drinking.

1990 Camille Giroud Echezeaux Grand Cru – Sour cherry and spicy red fruit set on top of chili flakes and lavender. Up front was the earth of schist and limestone, then came a secondary component of fruit included roasted blueberries stuffed with vanilla beans and muddled with mint and white spring flowers.

2003 Pape Clement – Fun little wine with bright cherry popsicle and unripe plum. The back reminded me of a sour watermelon Warhead with sweet and sour, making me pucker and smile. It finished with milk chocolate, red liquorish, and chewy tannins.

2000 Bouchard Batard-Montrachet – We opened this up with great expectations but unfortunately it was cooked…

We got some to-go food from York Street

2000 Bouchard Montrachet – Honey and caramel with freshly bloomed honeysuckles and a fruitiness of orange peal, apricot, quince, and Asian pear. Very complex on the palate, with limestone, crystallized thick honey, maple and a slight oxidization, finishing with walnuts.

2000 Guigal La Moulin – Smoke and bacon with black pepper and chewy cherries. Quail stuffed with plum and cooking spices. This was a great wine but it was a little disappointing when stacked up against the Guigal’s we have had recently. I went back to this wine the next day and it had opened up considerable; apparently it just needed another 12 hours of decanting.

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by | February 23, 2010

Louis Latour and Simonnet-Febvre Tasting

AJ McClellan

2006 Boncristiani Cream Label Cabernet Sauvignon – Ripe black berry and plum with overripe boysenberry and dry tobacco. There was a subtle hint of green coco on the finish as well as massive tannins; this is a real teeth stainer. Great for a big bold in your face Cab.

2007 Simonnet Febvre Saint-Bris Sauvignon Blanc – This is the only region in Burgundy that is allowed to grow Sauvignon Blanc and they do it very well. Pineapple and grapefruit up front with great acidity and a pleasant crushed white rock minerality; this is a great everyday sipper.

NV Simonnet Febvre Cremant de Bourgogne – Sparkling wine from Burgundy, how fun! Light stone peach and pear skin with a slight yeastiness and zingy acidity. Perfect for enjoying on the porch on a beautiful summer day.

NV Simonnet Febvre Cremant de Bourgogne Rose – light cherry and subtle roses on the nose, the palate is pure strawberries and cream backed by a bold minerality and great acidity. Great easy drinking sparkler that goes down a little too easy.

2008 Simonnet Febvre Chablis – Lemongrass and stone fruit with a tropical backing mixed with summer flowers and a crisp limestone minerality. Another easy drinking wine – poolside lemonade.

2008 Simonnet Febvre Vaillons 1er Chablis – very crisp with a lemon / lime zest and pineapple on the back. The minerality was there, and while the wine had plenty of acidity it was lacking the razor like crispness that I love in a great Chablis.

2007 Simonnet Febvre Les Clos GC Chablis – Surprisingly one of the first things I got off this wine was Roasted vanilla bean from the French oak aging that this wine received, while a few Chablis producers use oak the majority does not. White flowers and lemon peel with a slight green apple twang on the back. The oak aging rounded out the wine and added some white pepper and hints of cooking spice.

2007 Louis Latour Vignes Franches 1er Beaune – I always enjoy red wines from the Beaune, when done right they can express finesse and elegance like few other wines can. Spicy cherry cobbler and ripe watermelon with a light red currant and gripping minerality on the nose. The palate was complex with layers of spider silk intertwined so expertly that at first glance one would think that it was all one thread until you take the time to dissect it and discover the wonders that are hidden in the mix.

2008 Louis Latour Sous le Puits 1er Puligny Montrachet – Pear pith and green apple with limestone and toasted vanilla beans. Slight spice and quince with a hint of wild flowers in the background.

2008 Louis Latour Cailleret 1er Chassign Montrachet – Much more of a clean style with white peach and pink roses on the nose. The palate had a nice acidity but not huge, the finish consisted of a floral display and hints of slatey minerality.

2008 Louis Latour Corton Charlamagne GC – Now this is a wine, almonds and walnuts with blooming honeysuckles and toasty popcorn on the nose. The palate was robust with slate and limestone minerality as well as apricot and juicy peaches playing on the back. The finish was long and reminded me of spring.

2008 Louis Latour Batard Montrachet GC – Oh how I love Montrachet, with lemongrass and summer flowers up front and a lightness of body that allowed the wine to float on the palate this was my favorite wine of the flight. Green apple, lemon pith, and butterscotch on the back end and a lemon / lime finish of crisp acidity.

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