Wines of the Year 2012 (Number 5)

5. NV Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Brut - France, Champagne (11/28/2012) Great stuff and as good as many vintage Champagnes. For $28 a super QPR. Minerals, sour apples, spice and pear. Crisp wine and refreshing. Complex, medium finish. (93 pts.) By far the cheapest top ten of the year and this might outperform many vintage efforts for four times the price. I have tasted this wine 5 times this year and they all are in the range of 91-93. Well done Piper!

Wines of the Year 2012 (Number 6)

6. 2008 Antica Terra Pinot Noir Botanica - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (3/31/2012) Light in color. Exotic nose of floral, dust, earth, cranberry and smoke. Complex wine with a medium plus finish. Improved with some time and this has a decade plus of enjoyment. (94 pts.) A new find in 2012 and it won’t be the last. Wonderful, balance Pinot Noir that for the money will beat just about all from Burgundy.

Wines of the Year 2012 (Number 7)

7. 2008 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe (6/3/2012) Super light in color, almost clear. Apricots, floral, peaches and super balanced. A touch of sweetness but this should really age into an amazing wine in a decade or enjoy right now! (94 pts.) I love Riesling and this was the best German of the year. This should age a long time and can be enjoyed today.

Wines of the Year 2012 (Number 8)

8. 2009 Thibault Liger-Belair Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Saint Georges - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru (4/6/2012) Should improve with age and my wine of the night! Complex with earth, ripe fruit, coffee and spices. The perfect "funk" quality on the nose that makes you realize how good Burgundy can be. Long finish and tannic and should age nicely for 30 years. 94-96. (94 pts.) Tasted at a Winestreets private dinner event this wine shows how good young Pinot can be but promises so much more with cellaring. Thanks Brad.

Korta Katarina Customer Service Needs Help

Korta Katarina Winery from Croatia was pouring at Haskell's last week and whoever was pouring the wine was clueless. She had a corked bottle of the Rose and I told her and she said people liked it. I said it was corked and should be pulled from the lineup which did not happen. I emailed the winery with local Minneapolis ties and no response. This is a winery Leslee Miller worked for promoting their wines for pay of course and I am sure she poured these at her events. While the wines weren't too bad they certainly did not justify the price points. A rose for $20 is not what I call a great QPR. If you want to make it into the worldwide scene you need to make sure your wines are pouring at their best. No one in the real wine world is talking Croatian wines and not following up a obvious problem is not a way to get the word about your product. Try harder in 2013 Korta Katarina.

How to pronunce Bordeaux like a pro

How to pronunce Bordeaux like a pro. One of the worlds's best wine shops has a ton of info on the wine regions of the world! http://www.bbr.com/pronunciation?linkid=leftmenu

NV Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée Brut, France, Champagne - CellarTracker

NV Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée Brut, France, Champagne - CellarTracker Bollinger makes one of the best N.V. Champagnes out there. A few more bucks than the over popular Veuve Clicquot but well worth it. Other than Vilmart it is one of my favorites.

Wines of the Year 2012 (Number 9)

9. 2008 Kitchak Cellars Adagio - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (5/17/2012) One of the best wines in Napa Valley for under $100. Intense nose of cherry, oak, vanilla, licorice, blueberries and tobacco. Firm tannins and super long finish. Concentrated wine and this will age a decade or more. Outstanding and a chance to improve in the bottle. (95 pts.) An undiscovered Napa gem that the wine geeks have not discovered. Every vintage tasted so far as knocked my socks off.

My 2012 Top Ten Wines (Number 10)

10. 1996 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (5/5/2012) My wine of the night and groups wine of the night. An amazing effort that is balanced, powerful, graceful, elegant, etc. One of the best wines from Bordeaux I have sampled to date. Intense nose of clay, chocolate, figs, stones and raspberries. Long finish and complex. Drink now- 2040. Wonderful effort!!! (97 pts.) My number ten wine that should age for 30 years. Again if I could only afford to drink these Super Seconds more often.

A few picks for the Haskell's Sale

As the only wine educator that promotes good wine shops in the Twin Cities and certainly beyond here are a few good buys at the Haskell's sale.

This is not the sale it used to be and there is very little I have interest in. If you are into name brand wines that are under $15 it is a good sale for you.

2009 Hook & Ladder Gewürztraminer - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (4/14/2012)
Floral, minerals and orange peel. Not too sweet and a balanced wine overall. Enjoy on the patio as a starter wine for the warmer months ahead. (87 points) $11.95

2009 Château de Pierreux Brouilly - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Brouilly (4/14/2012)
This is what Gamay should be. Nice fruit featuring cherry, raspberry and plums. Mixed in is some earth and minerals. Medium finish and nice concentration. Should age for a few years but why wait. (88 points) $11.95 (Great price!)

2008 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (3/31/2012)
Drinking well now with raspberry, earth, minerals and floral notes. Medium finish. (90 points) $32.50

Plus:

Dr. Loosen "Dr. L" Riesling (Germany)
Wineglas has introduced this wine to more people in the Twin Cities than any other wine educator. $8.95 (Best price around)

Spain Buys
2007 Sierra Cantabria Unica Rioja Reserva $24.95
Atteca Garnacha (always good every vintage)
Muga Rioja Reserva (A house wine favorite at my place).

Champagne
NV Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Brut - France, Champagne (1/13/2012)
Another good offering of the newer N.V. Dough, orange peel, raspberries, lemona and minerals. Good acidity and medium finish. (91 points) $25.95

Certified Sommelier misses the Mark!

It is always interesting in the Twin Cities to see what other wine experts recommended to the consumer. As the only mainstream, professional wine reviewer in Minnesota I cringe when I see others recommend mediocre quality brands such as Mark West, Cycles Gladiator, Minnesota wines and even worse recommending you pay the maximum price for wine. Recently a friend found a 2005 Ladera Lone Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon on sale at Haskell's (Upcoming Spring Sale) for $50. Leslee Miller of Amusée is trying to get her email receipents to buy it direct from the winery for $65and talking up how some of the older vintages are up to 60% off regular price. These wines max out at $65 which is the full retail price. An internet search reveals many of these wines to be much cheaper than the $65 direct from the winery.

I am not sure why Leslee is not familiar with wine searcher when searching for the best wine prices in the country but maybe that don't teach that in Sommelier School.

Probably the quote of the year she made is found in this excerpt:

"Hi Tim,

Wow, that's a good deal! For their regular Napa I can see that being the price, but if it's for the Lone Canyon- that's obviously a great deal. Usually direct from the winery is always best pricing. Guess Haskells got a good deal fr the distributor. Honestly, I would buy current vintage then from Haskells and use up this coupon (below) for the older vintages, since those are no longer for sale in a retail setting.

Thanks for the heads up!"

Leslee D. Miller
Amusée
Certified Sommelier
www.amuseewine.com

By the way the regular Napa is $26 on sale at Haskell's. This once again proves that Wineglas is the place for all the deals and best advice on wine in the Twin Cities and beyond. Please don't "Shhhhhhh" and do tell your friends and neighbors about my great advice on wine and if you want to upgrade to the Wineglas Grand Cru Email Blast it is just $25 a year. Email me at john@wineglas.com for more info.

Cheers,

John Glas

A nice closeout wine at Big Top Minnetonka

Some of the best wine deals in the country are found at Big Top Liquors in throughout the Twin Cities. I can't even tell you how cheap the Joh Jos Prum wines were a year ago.

While not the best deal off of what you normally pay this wine delivers for the money and is in a good drinking place right now.

Might be available at other shops but I bought mine at the Minnetonka store.

2007 Montes Syrah Alpha - Chile, Central Valley, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley (3/28/2012)
Third time trying this wine and improvement since the last bottle. Black olives, pepper, spice and licorice. Medium finish and good acidity. For sure a good buy at $11.50 a bottle. 90/91. (90 points) $11.50 (Half off of $23)

The Best Wine Regions in the World???

“GRAND RED TASTING – CHAMPION'S CLUB, TARGET FIELD
Join us for an exceptional evening of red wines & gourmet bites
in the exclusive Champion’s Club at Target Field.
The evening begins at 6 p.m. and features a fantastic selection of red wines that represent almost every wine region in the world. Enjoy gourmet bites from Chef Pastor Jimenez. All guests will receive a commemorative Riedel wine glass.”

I must be missing something with this lineup: http://www.foodwineshow.com/grand_red_wines.php


Almost every wine region in the world is represented?

What is missing???

The two best wine regions in the world! Bordeaux and Burgundy
Champagne
Willamette Valley
Northern Rhone
Chateauneuf du Pape

Missed these countries:
Chile
Australia
Portugal
Germany
Good Spanish Wine

Maybe next year they can add these missed treasures!

Food & Wine Show vs. Hennepin Lake Tasting

I will let you decide which is a better event. Food & Wine Show is over $80 vs. Hennepin Lake's Fall Tasting which is $25. Hennepin Lake wines in bold. By the way the Food & Wine Show lists these as best of show.

Cabernet Sauvignon
Roberts and Rogers 2007
$60
Vs.
2007 Hewitt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
A super wine with spice, cherry, earth, mineral and oak. Everything is in place for a decade or more of fine drinking. Long finish and not too tannic. This wine improved over the course of the night and I would recommend a two plus hour decant. (94 pts.) $80

2008 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (USA, California, Napa Valley) 10/28/2011 wineglas 94
Hennepin Lake's Annual Tasting (Tons of Napa Cabs) (Minneapolis, MN): A gritty wine with fine sediment. Dark in color and a nose of dark currants, oak, earth and minerals. Medium finish and full bodied. This should develop into a super wine within ten years. Complex. (1385 views) $140


Imported Red
Tempus Alba Vero 2007
Vs.
2005 Domini de la Cartoixa Priorat Clos Galena - Spain, Catalunya, Priorat
Wonderful wine and sampled a few times and a different bottle which yielded similar results. Dark fruits, floral, wood and blueberries dance around the palate. Medium finish and concentrated. No heat and could be enjoyed now but I recommended 5 years in the cellar. (93 pts.)

2009 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Pepper, spice, floral and earth. Young and will improve over time. Medium finish. (92pts.)

Meritage/Blends
Stella Maris Red Blend 2007
Northstar Winery
(Not a bad $25 wine but not Bond)
Vs.
2005 Bond Matriarch (USA, California, Napa Valley) 10/26/2011 wineglas 95
Hennepin Lake's Annual Tasting (Tons of Napa Cabs) (Minneapolis, MN): A huge wine that will only get better. Dark fruit, coffee, oak, vanilla and earth come together to create a complex wine with a long finish. It is showing firm tannic structure but there is a ton of offerings that will emerge over time. Should drink well for 15 plus years! (2780 views)


Merlot
Northstar Columbia Valley Merlot 2007
Northstar Winery
Vs.
2008 Columbia Crest Merlot H3 (USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills) 2/18/2012 wineglas 89
Ripe fruit, smoke, vanilla and earth. Good concentration and balanced overall. Medium finish and a crowd pleaser. For $8.97 few are better.



Pinot Noir
Villa Maria Reserve Pinot Noir 2007
Vs.
2007 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Spice, raspberry, oak and floral notes. Overall balanced but lacks concentration I would like to see from a $50 Pinot. Medium finish. (90 pts.)


Red Zinfandel
Opolo Mountain Zinfandel 2010
Opolo Vineyards $20
Vs.
2008 Mazzocco Zinfandel - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
Nice wine with cranberry, dust, spices and oak. Not a fruit bomb and balanced. (89 pts.)

Syrah/Shiraz
Sequel 2007
Long Shadows Vintners
Vs.
2010 Mollydooker Shiraz Velvet Glove - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Wow! For a young wine this is drinking off the charts. Not decanted and the nose offers blackberry, pepper, cherry and violets. Over the night the wine evolved and became more interesting. I see this wine drinking well for a decade but is drinking well right now. Long and intense finish. A balanced wine and no heat. Should be a top ten wine for sure! (96 pts.)
NOTE REALLY FAIR!

Champagne/Sparkling
Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Brut NV
$25 on sale and at every free tasting around town
Vs.
N.V. Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut Rosé - France, Champagne
Nice with strawberry, minerals, rose petals and raspberries. Medium finish and good acidity. (91 pts.)

Chardonnay
Artesa Carneros Chardonnay 2010
Vs.
2008 Ramey Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros
Nice overall with lemon, grapefruit, minerals and floral notes. Medium finish and good use of oak. (91 pts.)

Imported White
Jean Daneel Initial Chenin Blanc 2010
Vs.
2009 William Fèvre Chablis Champs Royaux - France, Burgundy, Chablis
Always good with spice, minerals and apples. Medium finish and good acid profile. (88pts.)

Alcohol and Balance – 2011 World of Pinot Noir Seminar

Alcohol and Balance – 2011 World of Pinot Noir Seminar

Wines of the Year 2011

My annual top ten wines of the year!!!

1. 2000 Resalte Ribera del Duero Gran Resalte - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (10/17/2011)
Mixed Bag of Nice Reds (Edina): Almost a done deal on wine of the year. The wine got an hour decant and I did a Vinturi on it. It was good but after an hour in the bottle it was singing. Cherry, raspberry, spice, wood and minerals come together to create a balance and intense offering. Medium to long finish and complex. For $45 a bottle it is a great value. My advice on this wine is to decant an hour and see it evolve over the course of the night. I don't recommend this on day 2 as it was not as good. Drink now. (94 points)


2. 2004 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Schloßberg Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Rheingau (3/22/2011)
My current wine of the year! Super rich and expressive with candied pineapple, petrol, apricot, peach slate and a real thick texture. Super long finish and complexity is off the charts. Very few wines under $50 are this impressive and a leading candidate for wine of the year. 95-97. (95 points)


3. 2005 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River (1/19/2011)
Minneapolis Wine Club: Chardonnay (Gail's House): Easily the best Chardonnay in recent memory. It is rare to see reviewers agree on anything and this was wine of the night by the group with over 80% in agreement. Very fragrant with orange peel, almonds, apple, pear and lemons. The palate shows some oak that is nicely integrated into the wine. Very complex finish and long. No flaws in this wine. Back the truck up if it could be found for under $50 but I will buy a few more bottles to see this wine evolve. I love the fact that it is a screw cap! (95 points)


4. 2000 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Grand Cellier d'Or 1er Cru - France, Champagne (7/26/2011)
This is the best Champagne I have sampled this year. Poured from a mag and this 80% Chardonnay/20% Pinot Noir offers aromas of baked apple pie, minerals, grapefruit, wood, floral and limestone. The palate picks up some nice toast and orange peel quality. The finish is long and complex. A true value in the world of Champagne. Wonderful! 94-96. (95 points)


5. 2004 Bressler Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (11/15/2011)
Minneapolis Wine Club does 2004 Napa Valley Cabs: Decanted two hours. My wine of the night. Cassis, blueberries, floral, spice and baked pie crust on the nose and palate. A little heat once in the glass that blew off quick. Complex and multiple flavors dancing around on the palate. Long finish and medium tannins. Should age a decade and one of the best Cabs I have tasted this year. 95-97. (95 points)


6. 2003 Arcadian Syrah Hommage à Max - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (11/5/2011)
US & Australia Syrah/Shiraz (Two Biale Petite Sirah's) (Minneapolis (Sara's House)): Roasted nuts, white pepper, stones, spice and red fruits. This has an amazing nose and required about an hour in the decanter and a Vinturi to really show its stuff. There is a great scorched earth element to the wine and has long finish. Very Northern Rhone like and one of the best Syrah's of the year. This might be the first time I have ever agreed with the Rhone Report on a score. A top ten wine for sure in 2011. (95 points)


7. 2000 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (4/30/2011)
Major League Bordeaux Tasting at Kevin's (Kevin's House): My wine of the night. Medium to dark in color. Powerful nose with violets, rose petals, chocolate, wood and gravel. Rich on the palate with roasted nuts, tobacco, floral and red fruits. Long finish and complex. This wine was decanted 3.5 hours. A wine of epic proportions. 96-98. (96 points)


8. 2002 Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (7/15/2011)
Minneapolis Wine Club does Washington State Reds (Surprise winners) (Tracy's): A tale of two wines. Decanted 2 hours which was not enough and my score at the time was a 92. Later in the night it opened up and offered leather, spice, blueberries, cherry and coffee. Complex to say the least and a long finish. A true gem and I am glad my friend was able to pick up 2 more bottles via Wine Searcher. Great wine! 94 points
Interesting enough this wine along with the Long Shadows Pedestal finish 2nd and 3rd in comparison to the Meek Family Estate Inherit which is a similar blended wine. The blind test was interesting as all the members doing it apply the tasting process are more serious wine drinkers. (94 points)

9. 2001 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Coeur de Cuvée - France, Champagne (12/8/2011)
Wow! My Champagne House of the year just got better! Amazing nose of apples, pear, strawberry, minerals and spices. On the palate an amazing smoke flavor develops and this changes over time with a really long finish. I loved the texture as it really had a full bodied experience. Complex and amazing what they did in the 2001 vintage! (95 points)

10. 2006 Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (7/23/2011)
A wonderful wine that should get better with age. Leather, spices, bing cherries, minerals and plums. On the palate oak and vanilla are evident. This is a complex wine and it should improve with some cellar time. At $23 a great QPR wine. (92 points)

Best Wine of the Year (Price not a factor)

2010 Mollydooker Shiraz Velvet Glove - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale (10/26/2011)
Hennepin Lake's Annual Tasting (Tons of Napa Cabs) (Minneapolis, MN): Wow! For a young wine this is drinking off the charts. Not decanted and the nose offers blackberry, pepper, cherry and violets. Over the night the wine evolved and became more interesting. I see this wine drinking well for a decade but is drinking well right now. Long and intense finish. A balanced wine and no heat. Should be a top ten wine for sure! (96 points)

*At $200 a bottle I think I will pass but a wonderful wine.

Sorella In Store Tasting January 2012

2011 was a down year for in-store tastings in the Twin Cities. I could count on one hand the number of worth while trips to wine shops to sample before buying. Most were offered the same stuff as the last one and the wines were boring to say the least. Too much corporate wine. Sorella's started the year off right with some really nice wines and here is a recap plus pricing:

2010 Viña Herminia Rioja Rosado - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
Nice rose with strawberry, raspberry and minerals. Light overall with a short to medium finish. Refreshing. (87 pts.)

2008 Anima Negra ÀN/2 - Spain, Balearic Islands, Vi de La Tierra Mallorca
Smoke, ripe fruit and earth. Easy drinking wine and a crowd pleaser. Drink now. (87 pts.) $20.97

2009 Bodega Del Desierto Cabernet Sauvignon 25/5 - Argentina, La Pampa, Alto Valle del Río Colorado
Very nice wine with blackberries, cherry, spice and minerals. Balanced and medium finish and a good price come together for a no brainer purchase. (90 pts.) $12.97

2008 Bodegas Salentein Malbec Killka Collection - Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco
A great value wine to start off 2012. Blueberries, plum, spice and mild pepper. Medium finish and not a powerhouse wine but real elegant. Drink now and at $12 a real great every day wine. (90 pts.) $11.97

2008 Pulenta Estate Cabernet Sauvignon La Flor - Argentina, Mendoza
Not great and simple featuring spice, minerals and light fruits. Short to medium finish. (84 pts.) $14.47

2010 Viña Cobos Malbec Felino - Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo
Much better effort then the 08 La Flor Cab. While young should age for five years featuring blackberries, spices, floral and mineral notes. (90 pts.) $16.47

2006 Kilikanoon Shiraz Testament - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Floral, blueberries, cedar, underbrush and blackberries. For $25 not a bad buy. Drink now to five plus years. (90 pts.) $24.97

2009 Viña Cobos Cabernet Sauvignon Bramare - Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo
Well made wine with cherry, oak, spice and plum. Complex overall with a medium to long finish. Should improve with age. (91 pts.) $32.97

2006 V.E.S.A. Seña - Chile, Aconcagua
Very nice wine and it helped it was open a day before. Bordeaux like with tobacco, spice, minerals and underbrush. Soft fruits and balanced. Medium to long finish and showing nice acidity. Hard to find a flaw on this wine and worth $50. 93-95. (93 pts.) $49.97