Alexander Valley Wines - Delicious!

Blind Wine Tasting hosted by Mike and Becky

Featuring 4 wines from the Alexander Valley region of California, plus 3 Bonus Wines (Look for the fun quotes!)

Guess what we're drinking tonight?

Wine #1: 90+ Cellars Alexander Valley Reserve –2010 Cabernet Suvingnon Lot 74

Tasting comments:

Wayne “I’m guessing Northern Hemisphere”
Sue “A smooth bleu cheese with the wine”
Bob “The wine is actually…pretty great. A little bite that goes away.”
Robert “It doesn’t overstay its welcome”
Andy “Light with a bite”

Becky “It does have a dry element to it”
Linda “The food takes the bite away”
Kara “I like it best after the bleu cheese”
Karen “It’s not dry enough and it’s sweet”
Wayne “A medium bodied wine with a spicy note”
Jess “No after taste. Kind of just there. Not memorable. Drinkable.”

WINE #1 SCORING:

Bob 7, Karen 6, Mike 7, Becky 7, Andy 7, Elizabeth 6, Wayne 7, Linda 7, Jessica 6, Robert 6.5, Kara 6.5, Jason 4, Sue 6

Wine #2:  2009 Stuhlmuller Vineyards Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting comments:
Everyone (except for Jason) said “Smells good. Like this one better than the first one.”
Jason’s score plummeted to a 2. ***Note*** Jason does not like red wine.

Karen “Bold taste from beginning to end”
Wayne “Full mouth of wine with a long finish”
Linda “Really smooth. Even flavor.”
Jess “I like the dry finish”
Becky “Very smooth. Dry finish.”

WINE #2 SCORING

Bob 8, Karen 8, Mike 8, Becky 8, Andy 7.5, Elizabeth 7.5, Wayne 8, Linda 8, Jessica 7.5, Robert 7.5, Kara 8, Jason 2, Sue 8

Wine #3:  Simi – Landslide Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting comments:

Karen “I taste smoking”
Wayne “Tobacco. Peppery.”
Bob “Smells dusty”
Mike “A different taste at the end”
Karen “Not as full”

Bleu Cheese

Mike “It has good legs”
Elizabeth “Has a bite at the end. Pass the bleu cheese.”
Andy “Like macaroni art. Accessible but fun.”
Jess “He did not stoop to macaroni. That is bean art.”
**Note** Jessica is referencing Mike’s “bean art” landscape that hangs proudly on the wall
Wayne “I actually enjoyed this wine. Mike, you picked out some good ones.”
Mike “I like this one”

WINE #3 SCORING

Bob 7, Karen 7, Mike 8.5, Becky 7.5, Andy 7, Elizabeth 5.5, Wayne 7, Linda 6, Jessica 8, Robert 7, Kara 6.5, Jason 2, Sue 7

Wine #4:  Alexander Valley Vineyards – Sonoma County 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting comments:

Jason made a “not bad” face. “Better than I thought. I was surprised! Sweeter. Not bitter. Tastes like it doesn’t have things in it that don’t belong”
Karen “You can analyze as much as you want. It isn’t getting any better.”
Wayne “If we had had this wine before the others we would have ranked it higher.”

TANKS vs HUMVEES. It has no chance.

Robert “That is the danger of wine night”

Jess “It ‘s much like a box of chocolate….”
Everyone “You never know what you’re going to get”
Wayne “This would be good with a pork roast because it wouldn’t over power it”
Robert “Drinkable”

The Four Alexander Valley Wines

Andy “Unrefined. Somewhat harsh.”
Linda “Bland”
Wayne “Pedestrian”
Bob “The flavor is vague”
Becky “Sour”
Kara “That’s what I said! Sour.”

WINE #4 SCORING

Bob 6, Karen 6, Mike 6.5, Becky 6, Andy 6.5, Elizabeth 6, Wayne 6.5, Linda 6, Jessica 6, Robert 6, Kara 6, Jason 5, Sue 5

BONUS WINES:  Wayne insisted that we continue to log our tasting notes

Hidden by Wayne's socks

Bonus Wine #1:  Colle Carpito Toscana San Luciano 2009 

Tasting comments:

Sue “Smells like ground”
Bob “That’s a good one”
Karen “I’ve been sitting here swirling it and it’s good now. I did not like it at first.”
Sue “Does not improve”
Linda “A funny after taste”
Sue “Vinegar-y”
Mike “A sour taste”
Bob “It started off good, but not as good now”
Robert “Third taste. Sharp. I like it.”
Karen “Tart.”
Jess “In the middle…nothing…tart..nothing”
Karen “I don’t like it when I’m drinking it, but I like the finish…when it’s out of my mouth”
Bob to Andy “It puts hair on your chest”
Andy “I have my chest toupe on”

BONUS WINE #1 SCORING

Bob 6.5, Karen 5, Mike 6, Becky 6, Andy 6.5, Elizabeth 6, Wayne 6.5, Linda 5, Jessica 6, Robert 6, Kara 5.5, Jason 3, Sue 4.5

Bonus Wine #2:  Mencia Roble – Alvarez de Toledo  2009 

Tasting comments:

There were 13 tasters tonight!

Becky “This is really dry”
Karen “This is better than the last one”
Wayne “Floral”
Karen “Floral. A nice dry finish.”
Bob “Even Jason likes it”
Robert “Tastes like fermented grapes. I haven’t made that joke since the last time I was here.”
Karen “Can we please rank this wine? I need another glass.”
Sean “This is pretty good.”

BONUS WINE #2 SCORING

Bob 6, Karen 6, Mike 6, Becky 6, Andy 6.5, Elizabeth 6.5, Wayne 6, Linda 6, Jessica 6.5, Robert 6.5, Kara 6, Jason 4, Sue 5.5

 Bonus Wine #3:  Leese-Fitch Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 

Tasting comments:
Wayne “This wine came highly recommended”
Karen gave her wine to Bob….not a fan

BONUS WINE #3 SCORING

Bob 7, Karen 2, Mike 6, Becky 6, Andy 7, Elizabeth 6.5, Wayne 7, Linda 6, Jessica 6, Robert 7, Kara 6, Jason 4, Sue 3

Bonus Wines Revealed

The Terraces at Quarry Vineyards

Blind Wine Tasting hosted by Karen and Bob

Featuring 3 delicious wines from The Terraces at Quarry Vineyards. This wine was recommended by Tony at Super Cellar in Avon, and he didn’t steer us wrong!

Wine #1: The Terraces 2010 Petite Sirah Napa Valley

Tasting comments:

Karen “Mmmmm! Smells good.”

Bob “Smells really good”

Becky “It tastes really good too”

Elizabeth “Fruity”

Wayne “Pairs well with the salty food. Spicy.”

Becky “That’s the word I was looking for. It was biting my mouth.”

Karen “A spicy finish”

Linda “I like it”

Karen “Look at the color. It’s beautiful.”

Jess “You really get the full flavor when you let the wine linger in your mouth”

Kara “I like the spicy finish”

Wayne “I’m guessing this is a Cabernet Franc”

WINE #1 SCORING:

Bob 8, Karen 8.5, Mike 8, Becky 8, Andy 8.5, Elizabeth 8, Wayne 8, Linda 8.5, Jessica 8.5, Bryan 8, Brian 7, Kara 8

Wine #2:  The Terraces 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Tasting comments:

Wayne “This is a full-bodied wine. I’m guessing it’s a Merlot”

Elizabeth “Not as spicy as the last one.”

Mike “Blackberry”

Elizabeth “I say black cherry”

Andy “I say currants. Substantial.”

Karen “Smells more earthy”

Becky “I agree”

Wayne “A hint of cloves”

Becky “Definitely fruitier”

Kara “Good taste but I wish it had more dry”

Jess “The fruitiness over powered the dry”

Bryan “It gets better as you drink it”

WINE #2 SCORING

Bob 7.5, Karen 8, Mike 6.5, Becky 8, Andy 7.5, Elizabeth 8.5, Wayne 8, Linda 7.5, Jessica 8, Bryan 7.5, Brian 8, Kara 6.5

Wine #3:  The Terraces 2010 Zinfandel Napa Valley

Tasting comments:

Bryan “Smells like Jerk sauce”

Andy “Really good. In between the other two.”

Bryan “Doesn’t taste like Jerk Sauce”

Elizabeth “Smoother”

Karen “No finish”

Bob “Mine has cork in it. Who opened this bottle?!?”

Andy “I’m sticking with currants”

Wayne “Coffee. Unfiltered. Or very poorly filtered.”

Karen “An ‘alcohol-y’ taste. Or maybe because of the peach I just ate. Like a shot of vodka.”

Kara “You would love that!”

Karen “I did!”

Wayne “I’m guessing a Zin”

WINE #3 SCORING

Bob 7, Karen 7, Mike 6.5, Becky 7, Andy 8, Elizabeth 6.5, Wayne 6.5, Linda 7, Jessica 7, Bryan 7, Brian 7.5, Kara 6.5

As you can see in the photos below, we also tasted a few more wines. No “tasting” notes are available as the scribe needed a break!