Well, I finally decided to crack open this amazing bottle of wine and see if I enjoy it as much as I did the first time I tried it. The Les Ruchets Cornas from Jean-Luc Colombo is made from 100% Syrah. These Syrah vines are on average 90+ years old and are planted on the steep slopes of the right bank of the Rhone.

The grapes are de-stemmed and fermented in stainless steel tanks with 4 days of pre-maceration, 7 days of fermentation with a maximum temperature of 82.4°F and 3 weeks of post-maceration. The wine is then aged for 18 months, 70% in new oak and 30% in one-year-old oak barrels. It is unfiltered.

This darkly colored wine is brooding with deep and rich black currant and herb aromas. The bouquet is very intense and continues to open up and show urethral nuances of crushed stone, tar ,prune, mineral, dark chocolate, and hints of molasses. On the palate this wine touches down with a silky texture and intense flavors of black currant, dark Swiss chocolate, espresso bean, black olive, cedar, and slight hints of vanilla. The finish is very long and penetrating and leaves you tasting amazing chocolate covered raisin and spice flavors. 93+ points

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There's really nothing that bothers me more about a wine then if it has absence of place. Many wines that we classify as "new world" achieve this feet everyday, but I've had my share of European wines that taste like "nowhere" wines as well.

I love the Tuscan wines with their leather and musky cherryness! Bring on the band aid and barnyard of an aged Bordeaux! Hit me over the head with the petrol and slate of a German Riesling!!! There's nothing I love more then smelling and tasting wine with distinct and defining characteristics. Characteristics of the terroir that swipe you away to far away lands and make you feel and understand the culture and love put into every bottle.

So they may keep the skittles and hi-c and put it on the shelf with the oak chips and butter! I want the Eucalyptus and mint of a Barrosa Shiraz, and the coco and black raspberry of Rutherford! These are the real wines of the world, the wines that embody a "Sense of Place".

This Napa Valley Chardonnay is made from grapes sourced from the Haynes vineyard which is a site that was planted in the 1960's in the southeastern portion of the Napa Valley. Haynes Vineyard's vines enjoy rocky alluvial soil with underlying volcanic ash.

The resulting wine is packed full of beautiful aromas of baked golden delicious apple, Asian pear, coriander, spice, lemon custard, and just the slightest little hint of anise. On the palate the baked apple aromas continue to impress but then citrus dominates on the finish. It's a decent Chardonnay that I think smells a bit better than it tastes, and finishes long but also has a bit of lingering heat too. 86 Points

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Clos Martinet is owned by José Luis Perez who runs the estate with his very talented daughter, Sara. Besides being a qualified oenologist, Sara has studied in philosophy at Barcelona university. Sara and Jose Luis consult for a number of other producers and are also behind recently established Cims de Porrera project.

Clos Martinet makes about 3000 cases from approximately 10 hectares of vineyards. Half is labelled as Clos Martinet and half as Martinet Bru, the well priced second wine. About 7 hectares are located close to the Siurana river on the road from Falset to Gratallops. The remainder are elsewhere in the Priorat appellation, mostly near Porrera, the origin of the old vines, Carignan and Grenache.

The wines, about 45 % Grenache, 20 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 % Merlot, 5 % Syrah, 10 % Carignan, rank with the very best of Priorat. They produce rich and intense wines with a classic spicy, peppery bouquet and enormous power, depth and length. The Clos Martinet is aged in 100% new medium toast French oak. These are gorgeous, complex juicy wines of immense appeal. The Martinet Bru is also aged in French oak and is just a little less complex than the Clos. This wine is very approachable young and represents an outstanding value.

-Info. courtesy of Michael Skurnik Wines

This dark and deeply colored Priorat is chalk full of flavor and unique Spanish flair. On the nose I get black plum notes combined with aromas of spice, saddle leather, grilled game meat, black currant, tobacco, burnt earth, and unsweetened cacao. On the palate the wine is densely compact with black fruits but has a streamlined soft texture that isn't too thick. Flavors of black plum, blackberry, dried flowers and herbs, black cherry, and dark chocolate. There is good acid here and the wine and the pure black fruit finish lasts for at least a minute or two. I will agree with ol' Robbie Parker Jr. and score it 92 points. 

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Priorat or Priorato is a tiny isolated region just west of Tarragona, in Catalonia. It's an ancient wine region where vines have been planted since before the Romans arrived to mine of lead and silver. Priorat was named after the Spanish word for "Priory", refering to the presence of the monks during the middle ages, that established a Carthusian Monastery. 

The famous wines of Priorat are all reds, and are some of Spain's most powerful, intense, inky, and massively structured wines. They tend to be high in alcohol and tannin, and have thick port-like textures and are loaded with ripe blackberry, chocolate, and licorice flavors. The rugged terrain and poor, rocky, slate-laced soils are in-part responsible for the concentration of these wines. The low-yielding old vines also make for very intense fruit. 

The climate in Priorato is intensely hot during the day and very cool at night. The vineyards are planted over valleys and slopes that reach over 3000 feet in elevation, many of which were planted on terraces built centuries ago.  These vineyards are mostly planted to two native red grapes, Garnacha and Carinena.  There is also quite a few vineyards that use small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Tempranillo.

Unlike the wines of Rioja and Ribera del Duero, the wines of Priorat are not categorized by or according to the hierarchy of Crianza, Reserva, or Gran Reserva. 

I'm a big fan of Chardonnay from Australia and this wine has all the complexity and depth that I look for when searching for a solid bottle. On the nose I get gorgeous baked apple notes, creme brulee, buttered toast, hints of caramel, and a touch of ripe pear. On the palate this wine continues to show it's richness and creamy style with flavors of baked apple-spice pie, buttered toast, lemon curd, and hints of nutmeg. The color of the wine is quite light for how dense and rich it shows on the palate and from what I gathered in the tasting notes, only a portion of the wine was aged in American oak barrels and aged on the lees. The only thing that this wine lacks to make it a star is a bit of acid, but it's an elegant style and for around twenty bucks it's a steal. 90 points

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St. Barthelemy is a small family owned winery focused on producing varietal ports from various California appellations. This Barbera port is a single vineyard wine made from grapes grown in the Lodi Appellation.

On the nose the wine is slightly nutty and shows hints of prune, sugared dates, and chocolate truffle. On the palate the wine is rich and creamy and the flavors remind me of sweet almond paste, white raisin, and prunes. I couldn't help thinking this port would be extra special with some dark chocolate to pair with it. A very well balanced port with good intensity and a nice nuttiness. 89 points

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This is a second label wine from the famed Baldacci Family Vineyards in Napa Valley. It is made from 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc sourced from vineyards in the Stag's Leap District. The aromas glimmer with intense black fruit, cherry, and hints of fig. On the palate the wine shows textbook Stags Leap dark chocolate notes combined with a generous amount of cassis, mocha, and black cherry. 

When I first popped this bottle I could have sworn I detected a bit of brett or dill (common with American oak) but after having the bottle open overnight that muskiness seems to have blown off a bit. I couldn't find the info on the barrel regimen so I will leave that one to a guess. 

Overall it seems to be a pretty nice wine for the price point and neat example of Stags Leap fruit with it's chocolate and dark fruit character. This wine is a bit young so I suggest a good decanting or perhaps a pass through your vinturi. 89+ points

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As I have mentioned in previous posts, I love the wines of Jean-Luc and think he produces some of the best wine in France. This wine comes from the Crozes-Hermitage region in the Northern sector of the Rhone Valley located on the left bank of the Rhone river.  It's produced from 100% old vine Syrah sourced from a single vineyard planted on terraced granite slopes. The grapes are harvested by hand into small, shallow containers and vinified traditionally, undergoing a lengthy maceration in the process. The wine is aged 15 months in oak barrels ranging one and two years in age. 

This darkly colored wine has a bouquet laden with black plum, crushed rock, blackberry, raisin and hints of cinnamon. On the palate I get pretty distinct blackberry notes accompanied by touches of spice, and the reassurance of mineral/crushed rock nuances. This wine also has a plum skin character and a lot of dry real-fruit flavors. What I mean by that is it's not candied or overripe like a lot of other Syrah's I've recently tasted. What I don't like is the touch of heat on the finish and the absence of texture on the mid-palate. It's not a bad effort, but not entirely what I was expecting from a single vineyard Syrah from Colombo. For his better efforts make sure to seek out the Cornas wines. 

86+ points 

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This is a relatively newer brand on the market brought to you by the Vintage Point wine portfolio. The interesting thing about this "brand" is that whoever produces these wines sources the grapes from various parts of the world. There is Italian Primitivo, Argentine Malbec, Aussie Shiraz, Cotes du Rhone, and Napa Cab. I tasted three of the wines a few days ago and took some notes because I was interested in sharing what I thought with you.

2006 Layer Cake Primitivo - IGT Puglia
The first wine I tasted was the Primitivo from Puglia, Italy. Primitivo is said to have a relation to Zinfandel and right from the start I could tell this wine was similar to Zin with it's candied aromas and hi-c like artificial fruits. The bouquet also showed notes of grape jelly, banana runts, french vanilla, and a touch of black licorice. On the palate I got slightly sweet flavors of vanilla, melted black licorice, blackberry jam, black currant, and oak. I think it would be safe to say that this wine shows absolutely no sign of Italian terroir and almost seems like an Aussie fruit bomb. Even though I'm usually a fan of wines that show a sense of place, I think this wine drinks nice if your into candied fruit. 85 Points

2008 Layer Cake Shiraz - South Australia

This is probably the best selling wine of the group in retailer terms. On the nose there is slight hints of mint and eucalyptus, dark chocolate, and mulberry. On the palate this wine shows notes of dark chocolate, black currant, and hints of oak. There really isn't much here in terms of length or complexity and the finish is almost non-existent. There is also a touch of bitter tannin on the finish. 76 points

2007 Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley

This was my hands down favorite of the group but it is also about double the price of the previous wines mentioned. It's comes as no surprise to me that the enjoyed a Napa Cab the most because it's hard to source fruit from this region and screw it up too bad! On the nose this wine shows a very nice black raspberry, vanilla, Bing cherry, and perhaps a bit of strawberry preserve action. The flavors typify Napa Cab with hints of rich milk chocolate, raspberry, cherry sauce, vanilla, spice, and a bit of black licorice on the finish. This wine shows much more purity and length then the Shiraz and Primitivo. 88 points

Botrytis cinerea or commonly referred to as "Noble Rot" by oenophiles, is the magical necrotrophic fungus that affects many plant species, although its most notable hosts may be wine grapes. It's responsible for the worlds most famous dessert wines such as French Sauternes, Hungarian Tokaj, and various Late harvest German Rieslings.

In viticulture Botrytis cinerea can be an amazing blessing upon those who seek to create sweet dessert wines, or a complete disaster for the everyday vigneron. The fungus gives rise to two different kinds of infections on grapes. The first, "grey rot", is the result of consistently wet or humid conditions, and typically results in the loss of the affected bunches. The second, "noble rot", occurs when drier conditions follow wetter, and can result in distinctive sweet dessert wines.

In the positive Botrytis infection known as "noble rot", the fungus removes water from the grapes, leaving behind a higher percent of solids, such as sugars, fruit acids and minerals. This results in a more intense, concentrated, and amazingly complex wine!

Botrytis bunch rot can be a negative condition of grapes caused by Botrytis cinerea that causes great losses for the wine industry. It is always present on the fruitset, however, it requires a wound to start a bunch rot infection. Wounds can come from insects, wind, accidental damage, etc. To control bortrytis bunch rot there are a number of fungicides available on the market.

Terry Theise- One of my favorite importers who has perhaps the best German and Austrian portfolio on the planet!! Also does a small portion of boutique Champagne. http://www.skurnikwines.com/msw/terry_theise.html

Jorge Ordonez- A pioneer of the Spanish wine trade who has one of the most amazing Spanish portfolios in the world. http://tv.winelibrary.com/2008/12/02/jorge-ordonez-spanish-wine-tasting-episode-588/

Dan Phillips- If anyone hasn't heard of Grateful Palate Imports then they need to seek some of this juice out! Grateful Palate has one of the best Aussie books in the world! http://www.gratefulpalateimports.com/index.html

Kermit Lynch- Amazing wines from the most recognized regions of France to the most obscure. What I love about Kermit's portfolio is the QPR and the great unknown wines he imports. http://www.kermitlynch.com/

Oliver McCrum- Oliver is a seasoned wine professional that has been in the business for over 30 years and has a great boutique Italian portfolio. http://www.omwines.com/

North Berkeley Imports- One of the great importers working close with the producers and bringing us great boutique wines from France and Italy. http://www.northberkeleyimports.com/

Beaune Imports- Beaune Imports is a small, family run wine importer dedicated to bringing you some of the most interesting wines of France and Spain. http://www.beauneimports.com/

Weygandt-Metzler Importing- Peter Weygandt offers an eclectic portfolio of wines from across various regions and is known for the amazing quality of his portfolio. http://www.weygandtmetzler.com/

Louis/Dressner- Louis/Dressner Selections is a portfolio of over 60 vignerons that span the lengths of France, Italy, and Portugal. They focus on delivering wines with "No Brand". http://louisdressner.com/

Hand Picked Selections- Hand Picked Selections is an independent national wine merchant, selling through 48 distributors in 39 states. They have always emphasized moderately priced wines to help the consumer find wines available for the everyday wining and dining. http://www.winemerchant.net/

Yes, I finally pulled the trigger and bought myself the ticket to go along on my family's yearly trip to Ecuador. It's been about 3 years since I have indulged in this voyage and I can't wait to see what awaits!

You see my wife is from the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador and every year I fork out the dough and send her and my boys to see her family. How this has become a yearly tradition, I will never know! 

Anyways, it will be extremely interesting to see the wine selection this time around. I remember last time I went there was a huge selection of Chilean, Argentine, and Spanish wines to choose from. Californian wines were very poorly represented and there were just a dozen or so European wines (excluding Spain). 

I will be there for around 2 weeks so I will make sure to take lots of pictures of the wine selections and liquor shops so everyone can get an idea of the local wine market down there. It's a very warm country and so I'm a bit worried about buying a lot of cooked juice, but I will definitely be exploring wines I've never seen before. Cheers!

I had the chance to taste a few heavy hitters again last night but sadly I didn't take serious notes this time...Sorry peeps :(    Anyways, I tasted a 1989 Margaux and I have to admit I was completely blown away. The bouquet of this wine was perhaps the most haunting and brilliant I have ever encountered. We tasted a host of other cult wines and big name jazz and I just couldn't get the thought out of my head that FIRST GROWTH BORDEAUX IS NOT OVERRATED!  Every experience I have had thus far with the "world famous five" has been nothing short of immaculate. I have ran into a few flawed bottles that were corked or otherwise damaged and so there has been a few moments of infamy, but I honestly believe that these wines are worth all the hype. Call me a trophy hunter or whatever but I stand by this statement 100%. 

A few wines tasted last night:

1989 Chateau Margaux

1989 Chateau d'Yquem

1997 Phelps Insignia

2003 Alban Seymour Syrah

2002 Paul Hobbs RR Chardonnay

1997 Shafer Hillside select

Colgin Syrah - but I can't remember the vineyard or vintage