Wine Wise Guys

Wine without the Attitude!

Jessie's Grove 2005 Ancient Vine Carignane

I was strolling through the aisles of our local wine store and label of this wine caught my eye. Carignane was a grape that I wasn't familiar with, but "ancient vine" got my interest, so I purchased two bottles and headed on home to try it out.

Doing a little research, I found that Carignane considered to be a "workhorse grape" in France and Spain, its ancestral home where it goes by Cariñena. Today there is a renewed interest in the grape and the intense color, acid, and tannins that it can add to a blend. Although it is primarily used as a belding wine, Jessie's Grove has produced an outstanding Carignane that has received numerous awards and outstanding reviews.

Jessie's Grove Winery is nestled between the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Lodi, the perfect environment for growing premium winegrapes and producing premium wines. They descibe the wine as follows:

"From our two ancient vineyard blocks dating 120-years and 110-years old, these endeared Carignane (“kahr-ing-yawn”) vines produce a smooth-as-rose-petals wine, with layers of intense brambly blueberry, cedar and roasted French vanilla beans, finishing with a mouth enveloping structure made possible due to the ancient age of the vines. Considered one of the classic French Rhone wines, this gem is not shy to wearing gold from numerous Inter-national Rhone competitions."

Harvested: October 27, 2005 - Bottled: August 16, 2006 - 487 Cases Produced

I love this wine and have bough a case of it to enjy. It has deep ruby color with intense berry flavors and an underlying taste of vanilla. The nose brings you in, and the finish is wonderful.

Tobin James 2005 Rock-n-Roll Syrah

The Rochester chapter of the American Wine Society recently held a Paso Robles wine tasting. The Tobin James 2005 Rock-n-Roll Syrah was rated the best Syrah tasted that evevning, and in the overall preference vote was rated third out of the 11 wines tasted by the 50 attendees.

Tom and I tasted this wine in late October in the Tobin James tasting room, a fun place to spend some time and taste some great wines. Tobin James describes this syrah as "Berries & Smoke with a wild spicy finish, and we agreed. We found it to have a light spice on the nose with that promised "wild" spicey finish. On the palate were dark berries, light smoke, and vanilla.

Conde de Siruela Tinto 2003 — Ribera del Duero

Made of 100% tempranillo grapes, this wine has a complex nose, rich with vanilla and dark berries. On the palate, the powerful, chocolate-rich flavors come through, and the finish is smooth, long, and elegant.

We tasted this wine for the first time in a tiny restaurant set on a hillside overlooking the Mediterranean in Mijas, Spain. After a long day of driving south from Madrid, we were ready for a hearty dinner and a great wine. This did not disappoint us. In fact, the wine was so good that we purchased another bottle to go! If only we could find it here in New York State!

Justin 2002 Tempranillo Reserva

"A potpourri of spices and flavors can be found in this homage to the great wines of Rioja. Flavors of smoky plum and rich mocha predominate, while the lean minerality and firm acidity add complexity and give hints of great ageability." - Justin Wines

We purchased this wine untasted at the winery, based on the quality of Justin's other offerings, and we weren't disappointed. Rich, smooth, and full-flavored, this tempranillo transported me to to Spain. Well worth the $30 ($24 to their wine club members), I recommend adding a few of these bottles to your wine cellar, to drink now or to age for a few years.

2001 Monterra Syrah

Deep red in color, this spicy wine has a aroma that is full of ripe berries with a hint of toasted oak. Wonderfully full in taste, its finish is spicy with ripe tannins, oak, and rich black fruit. With a retail price of $9.99, it can regularly be found on sale for $6.99. I heartily recommend the 2001 Monterra Syrah to those looking for that special "Bargain Red" to add to their wine cellar.