Flor de Oliva Robusto Cigar

A while back, my good friend John aka "Farmer" at The Briary hooked me up with some of these when I was shopping for a good, reasonably priced everyday smoke. When I first picked these up they were less than $2 a stick, making them a really good value. They have gone up since then, due to a bunch of new tobacco taxes, but are still coming in at $2.70/stick which for a good quality cigar like this is a very good deal.

The wrapping on these is a light Sumatra with 100% Nicaraguan filler. The are rolled pretty well, but they are not uniformly even and some feel more loosely wrapped than others. The draw is pretty relaxed, although sometimes it is extremely so. The burn was pretty consistent, but I did have to rotate a couple of times to get one side to catch up.

There are subtle flavors of spice, some nuttiness and a slightly sweet finish.

I've put a couple of bundles in the humidor for everyday smokes. Cheers!

Ring Size: 50

Length: 5"

2004 Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva

Rioja is predominantly made from the Tempranillo grape, with Garnacha Tinta, Graciano and Mazuelo also typically added to the blend. There are several levels of Rioja, which must be aged for minimum periods of time as follows: Crianza (2 years, at least 1 in oak), Reserva (3 years, at least 1 in oak) and Gran Reserva (5 years, at least 2 in oak and at least 3 in the bottle). They typically have a rustic, earthiness to them that mellows with aging.

We spotted this 2004 Reserva the other day and thought it would be a good match for some tacos that we were planning to have. And we think we were spot on!

The initial nose was definitely earthy, with hints of currant and leather. The palate was much more fruit forward that I expected, but still balanced by sweet tannins. Overall, it was lighter than I would have liked but still very good.

We paid $10.99 which makes this a steal! Cheers!

2007 Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc

A light, crisp and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc from what is one our favorite regions and well priced to boot... what more do you need?

The nose was citrusy with hints of flowers and wet stone. The palate was predominantly grapefruit with crisp lemon zest and honeysuckle nuances throughout. The finish was a touch short and pretty acidic, but pleasant.

At $9.99 this is a good value white. Cheers!

2005 Hart & McGarry Cabernet Sauvignon

I had great hope for this cabernet, but was unfortunately not terribly impressed.

The nose was pretty closed down, revealing little if anything. It did have a twinge of dusty earth, somewhat similar to the "barnyard" Bordeaux smell but not nearly as pronounced.

On the palate, there was some red fruit and touches of oak but these were nearly overwhelmed by a damp, vegetal flavor. We thought that it might just need to open some, but even after an hour in the glass there was no improvement.

At $14.99 a bottle we were extremely disappointed.

2007 Barons de Rothschild (LaFite) Reserve Speciale White Bordeaux

Since we've been drinking a lot of New Zealand and domestic Sauvignon Blancs lately, I thought it would be fun to switch up to a white Bordeaux as a change. Because a white Bordeaux is going to be blended with Semillon, as well as the difference in terroir, these are completely different styles and only in the vaguest of generalities can they truly be compared.

This one, from Barons de Rothschild (LaFite) is actually 60% Semillon with the other 40% Sauvignon Blanc. There is still that crisp acidity that lets you know it is Sauvignon Blanc but there is none of the bright citrus or grassy notes that you'll get in other Sauvignon Blancs.

The nose on this one reminded me of white honeysuckle and fresh lemon juice. The palate showed a lot of melon fruit, with touches of jasmine and apple. It was not as crisp as I would have like, being much more rounded and full-bodied.

We drank this solo, but I suspect it would have been better with some food. At $10.99 a bottle, this was a good value.

Cheers!

2005 Chateau Doisy Daene Sauternes

Chateau Doisy Daene is a 2nd tier producer in the 1855 classification system and produces several different wines both sweet and dry. Allison had to go out of town overnight, and as a result I was able to open a half-bottle (375ml) of their Sauternes. Allison doesn't care as much for these sweet wines as I do. I love a good Sauternes, and this was fantastic!

The nose was massive, delivering notes of lush fruit layered with a unique sweetness that I've only seen in Sauternes. The nose doesn't have the petrol nose of German riesling nor is it syrupy like some dessert wines can be.

The palate was a wonderful blend of apricot and honey, with notes of apple and melon. The wine is somewhat "thick" feeling, coating the mouth and lingering for minutes. The only downside was a slight bitterness at the very end, but it was faint and didn't last but for a second.

I obviously drank this one way too young... it has the ability to age for decades. While it is drinking wonderfully right now, I suspect that it 10-15 years it will be even better. I paid $26.99 for the half-bottle.

Cheers!

Cohiba Extra Vigoroso (XV) 550

I picked up one of these yesterday on a whim... I had not had a Cohiba in several years and these were ones I definitely had not tried.

The size was perfect, 5 inches long with a ring gauge of 50. The wrapper is Ecuadorian Sumatra and was practically flawless. It was wrapped a touch tightly for me, and this carried over into the draw which was somewhat strained.

The flavor was much milder than I would have expected, with notes of cedar and cocoa. As noted above, the draw was somewhat tight and the burn was a little uneven at times but not terrible.

I enjoyed this, but at $8.99 I expected better. Cheers!

2006 Paraduxx

We are huge fans of Paraduxx, which is a Zinfandel/Cabernet Sauvignon blend that is part of the Duckhorn family of wines. Each year an artist is commissioned to create a label featuring two ducks. You can read more about it here.

In 2006, the blend was 64% Zinfandel, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc.

The nose was classic zinfandel fruit - plum, red cherry and hints of spice. The palate was full-bodied, with the fruit plus notes of chocolate, black pepper and silky tannins on the finish.

Allison said she didn't care for it as much as the 2005, even though the blends were very similar (the 2005 if I recall correctly had a little less zinfandel, maybe 60-61%, and a little bit more cabernet while the merlot and cabernet franc were virtually identical). My guess is that the age factor came into play, so you may look to snag a couple of bottles and give them a year or two in the cellar although it is drinking well now. I paid $41.99, which was actually a mis-price and should have been $49.99. At either price, this is a fantastic wine! Cheers!

2006 Shannon Ridge Viognier

This one was on the clearance rack at the local ABC store at half-price. In my opinion, domestically grown Viognier is much better young. In fact, I prefer them within a year or so from the vintage date so this was definitely was outside of that range. Of course, there are always exceptions and there were two things that caused me to give this one a shot: first, it's Viognier and second, it was half-price. So, was it worth it?

The color was richly golden, almost as much as a well oaked Chardonnay can be. If I were using some highly sophisticated rating system that gave points for color, this would probably have been a strike. Viognier should not be this dark... generally.

The nose had the classic green apple and flower profile that is typical of Viognier. There was also a hint of lemon that was unexpected. Interesting...

The palate definitely gave up the apples as well as bringing into play some fresh pear, peach, lavender, and an interesting hint of white pepper and sage.

The finish was crisp, but not as crisp as a fresh Viognier might have been. In fact, the finish had some creamy, buttery notes but it was a short finish and this didn't really have time to develop.

I think that this one definitely was past its prime. It was still very, very good but it didn't have the liveliness that Viognier should have. While the fruit was still present it felt tired and subdued. I will definitely look for this one in a more recent vintage, but can't recommend it when it is this old.

2005 Chateau Ste. Michelle "Orphelin"

A number of Rhone varietals are grown by Chateau Ste Michelle for blending purposes, but not all of it finds its way into a bottling and becomes "orphaned" as it were. So, what do you do with this juice? Why, you make a new blend of course! Hence the Orphelin name...

The final blend was about half Syrah, with large portions of Mourvedre and Cinsault as well as small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Touriga, Pinot Noir and Viognier. It was aged in American and French oak barrels.

The nose was a rich blend of dark fruit, dried apricot and spice. On the palate, black cherry and peppercorn was dominant but there was balanced by lighter red cherry nuances and touches of dusty earth, leather and licorice. The finish was rich and complex, with vanilla oak and firm tannins that lingered for what seems liked hours.

We absolutely loved this one! The best part is that this wine could easily fetch $25-30 but is a steal at $14.99! Cheers!

2008 Silvertop Malbec

We've recently had pretty decent success with Malbecs, but unfortunately our luck seems to have run out with this bottle.

At first it seemed promising, with a nose of black currant and some earthiness but that was about as good as it got. The front palate was nothing but damp earth - no fruit at all. As it settled in, there was a jumble of harsh tannin and subdued fruit. The finish, thankfully, was very short but highly acidic.

At $6.99 a bottle, I sort of feel ripped off :-( Next please...

2005 Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz

This was a new one that I spotted a few days ago when browsing the miscellaneous Australia section. I've seen other wines from Wyndham Estates but never this particular one.

There was a lot of plum, blueberry and blackberry fruit, both on the nose and palate. This was nicely balanced by bell pepper, spice notes, hints of vanilla and oak and a touch of minerality. The tannins were there, but very subtle. This was medium-bodied, but definitely not a wimpy wine. We had it solo but it would have definitely worked with lighter grilled meat like chicken or pork.

I'm going to add this to our everyday list - at $8.99 it has a ton of stuff going on and I think works well on its own in addition to be a great food wine. Cheer!

2006 Echeverria Reserva Syrah

Wow! We were in Fresh Market yesterday picking up stuff for dinner, and Allison decided to try some of the wines being sampled. She brought home two bottles, including this one. According to the girl pouring the wines this is new to the market and they brought it with very special pricing. Regularly $19.99, it was on sale for $12.99.

The nose was full of spice and dark fruit. On the palate there was peppers, plum and black cherry fruit along with a smoky oak finish. The pepper profile was very pronounced, which I like a lot. The fruit and tannins did a great balancing job but let all of that spice show itself beautifully.

At the regular price, I don't think I'd call this an everyday wine but at the sale price I think we'll be picking some more up soon! Cheers!!

2007 Cristia Gigondas

Allison isn't a big fan of Gigondas, which is a shame, but she absolutely loved this one! I happen to think very highly of Gigondas, and this was definitely one of the better ones that I've had in a while.

The nose was full of black fruit and spice, while the palate also showed some leather and touches of cedar. The finish had some faint cocoa and oakiness to it, and seemed to go forever.

This is 75% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre and 10% Cinsault et Clairette and we paid $21.99 for it.

Cheers!

2006 Kaiken "Ultra" Cabernet Sauvignon

This is the last of the wines we purchased at Michael's Wine Cellars monthly tasting this past weekend. I saved the best for last :-) The "Ultra" labels (there is also a Malbec) is their cream of the crop, and is intended to really show what Argentine wines can do. They succeeded.

This was a monster... full-bodied, with cedar, blackberry, currant and leather dominating. The silky smooth tannis kept this from being overpowering, instead turning it into an incredibly smooth, rich drink.

On the finish, there were touches of oak and it seemed to last forever.

I am not a huge fan of most South American wines, but this one rocks! It will definitely be on our short list of wines and I highly recommend grabbing a bottle or two if you get a choice. You won't be disappointed! Cheers!

2006 Avontuur Vintner's Red

This past weekend, we went to Michael's Wine Cellars monthly tasting (read about it here) and brought home several bottles that I promised to write up separate reviews for. This is one of them.

Allison liked this one a lot more than I did, but it was still pretty tasty. This is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc.

The nose was black cherry with a hint of raisin. The palate showed a lot of plum, cherry fruit and touches of currant. There was a subtle hint of smoke on this finish, as well as good firm tannins. It had a moderate finish that showed some oak.

At $11.95 a bottle, it was a good buy. Cheers!

2006 Kaesler "Stonehorse" Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre (GSM)

This was a tremendous effort and a fantastic wine resulted. We love a good GSM blend from Australia. You get the full-body from the Grenache, a good helping of spice and fruit from the Shiraz and an earthy undertone that keeps everything grouded from the Mourvedre. To be honest, it has been some time since we last tasted a GSM blend -- mostly because we just haven't been seeing that many of them. But this serves as a reminder of how good they can be.

The nose on this one hinted that it was going to be pretty "inky and brooding". There was tons of plum, spicy peppers, some blueberry and a hint of jammy fruit. The color was a fully saturated purple, almost black, that stayed constant all the way to the rim.

On the palate, there were delicious notes of bell peppers, plums, some silky tannins and an earthy, oaky finish that just kept coming. Very full-bodied, but the fruit was pronounced enough to make it seem less so than it really was.

This one came in at $22.99 a bottle which is pretty reasonable when you consider the quality. The blend was nearly equal parts Grenache (45%) and Shiraz (44%) with the balance (11%) being Mourvedre.

Cheers!

2006 Morgan Cotes du Crows

We had this at the monthly Michael's Wine Cellar tasting yesterday and enjoyed it enough to bring a bottle home. Ok, I enjoyed it there because Allison didn't try it. Once we opened it last night though she agreed with me... that's always nice when that happens :-)

This is a blend of 55% Syrah and 45% Grenache from Monterey. The wine fact sheet on Morgan's website indicates that the grapes are sourced primarily from the San Lucas and Arroyo Seco appellations.

This was medium bodied, with a dark inky purple color. The nose hinted of pepper and licorice. On the palate there was blueberry fruit, spices and finished with just a touch of mint. This one has a nice, lengthy finish to it.

Cheers!

Michael's Wine Cellar Monthly Tasting - June 2009

At the Lakewood Wine Club event last month (here), Allison and I were told about Michael's Wine Cellar. We had already heard about it, but had not been yet. Shortly after that, we did visit and signed up for their connoisseur card. Basically, the card accumulates points with every purchase that can then be redeemed for purchases. The card is good not only at the wine shop but also several restaurants around town. And points earned anywhere are good anywhere, so it is a tremendous value. In addition to the points, it also gets you into their monthly wine tasting, the first of which we attended yesterday.

There were 7 tasting tables set up, with 5 inside and 2 out under a tent. It was pretty crowded, even though we got there right as it was starting. I tried to take some notes, but it is extremely difficult to taste, talk and keep good notes all at the same time while being jostled by all of the folks milling around. We did pick up a couple of bottles that we really liked, and I'll highlight those in separate posts later.

The wines that were tasted were:

Table 1

• 2007 Alois Lageder "Riff" Pinot Grigio, Italy, $11.95
• 2008 Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, $11.95
• 2008 Susan Balbo "Crios" Rose de Malbec, Argentina, $11.95
• 2005 Guigal Cotes du Rhone, France, $13.95
• 2007 Saintsbury "Garnet" Pinot Noir, US, $22.95
• 2006 Revolution Shiraz, Australia, $20.95 - I liked this one a good bit. There was solid black fruit and a full-bodied spice. It wasn't "inky and brooding" per se, but it was quite tasty.

Table 2

• 2007 Tasca d'Almerita Regaleali Bianco, Italy, $12.95
• 2006 Rudd Sauvignon Blanc, US, $26.95
• 2007 d'Arenberg "Stump Jump" Shiraz/Grenache, Australia, $11.95
• 2006 Bell Chardonnay, US, $19.95
• 2005 Bell "Claret" Cabernet Sauvignon, US, $26.95
• 2007 Nieto Reserva Malbec, Argentina, $10.95

Table 3

• 2008 Indaba Chardonnay, South Africa, $9.99
• 2007 Albet I Noya Xarel-Lo Classic, Spain, $11.95 - Xarel-Lo is the grape; it was an interesting white wine with lots of floral notes
• 2005 Vinum Africa Chenin Blanc, South Africa, $10.95
• 2006 Wishing Tree Shiraz, Australia, $11.95
• 2007 McManis Cabernet Sauvignon, US, $10.95
• 2007 McMania Petite Sirah, US, $11.95

Table 4

• 2006 Iron Horse "Unoaked" Chardonnay, US, $16.95
• 2007 Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay, US, $19.95
• 2007 Dom. de la Petite Cassagne Rose, France, $9.95
• 2006 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, US, $20.95
• 2006 Kaiken "Ultra" Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina, $17.95 - This was one of the most popular wines being tasted. We grabbed a bottle, and will be reviewing separately.
• 2006 Catena Malbec, Argentina, $19.95

Table 5

• 2007 Graham Beck Chardonnay, South Africa, $12.95
• 2008 Ironberry Chardonnay/Viognier, Australia, $9.95
• NV Graham Beck Brut Sparkling, South Africa, $14.95
• 2007 Gouguenheim "Valle Escondido" Malbec, Argentina, $9.95
• 2006 Ironberry Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz/Merlot, Australia, $9.95
• 2007 Hugh Hamilton "Jim Jim" Shiraz, Australia, $11.95

Table 6

• 2007 Castle Rock "Barrel Fermented" Chardonnay, US, $8.95
• 2006 Martin Ray "Angeline" Chardonnay, US, $15.95
• 2007 Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, US, $25.95
• 2007 Martin Ray "Angeline" Pinot Noir, US, $13.95
• 2006 Morgan Winery Cote du Crow's Grenache/Syrah, US, $17.95 - This was one we picked up and will be reviewing separately.
• 2007 Klinker Brick Lodi Zinfandel, US, $17.95 - Big red fruit bomb with no spice!

Table 7

• 2008 Morgenhof Estate Chardonnay, South Africa, $14.95
• 2007 Amani Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa, $13.95
• NV Post House "Bluish White" Chenin Blanc/Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa, $14.95 - 70% Chenin Blanc and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, with a slightly spicy flower and mineral palate that ended with nuances of vanilla.
• 2007 Post House "Bluish Black" Shiraz/Pinotage, South Africa, $14.95
• 2005 Avontuur "Vintner's Red" Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc, South Africa, $11.95
• 2006 Camberley "Philosophers Stone" Cabernet Blend, South Africa, $26.95

All told, we really enjoyed the tasting. It was great that there was a range of wine from all over the world and at varying price points. If there was one downside to it I would say it had to be the crowd. There were a lot of people in a fairly small space, but what drives me nuts is the people who will stand in front of a table, making it extremely difficult for others to get to sample the wines, or those that will rudely cut in front of you to get a pour. C'mon folks! There's enough for everybody... get your pour, look at the bottle, ask your question and move aside so others can taste as well! (Ok, I'm off my soapbox now!)

Cheers!

2007 Yalumba Shiraz Viognier

In Australia it is pretty common to see Shiraz blended with a little bit of Viognier. I think it softens up the Shiraz, in some cases way too much, and gives it a lighter structure. Fortunately, this one remained solidly Shiraz all the way. (The blend is 94% Shiraz and 6% Viognier)

This was definitely inky -- solid purple color all the way to the edge of the glass. The nose revealed a mild spice, some blueberry and touches of clover. On the palate, in addtion to the blueberry, there were some light floral notes, white pepper and a faint hint of raisin. Pretty darn tasty!

The only draw back to this one was the finish, with was on the light side. This clocks in at $12/bottle and is a mighty fine quaff. Cheers!

2007 Plungerhead "Old Vine" Zinfandel

Not too long ago, we had dinner with an old school friend of mine at Polo Grill and Bar here in Lakewood Ranch. This was our first visit there. For some reason that afternoon, I wasn't in the mood for a glass of wine and elected instead to go with Tanqueray and Tonics. That left Allison to her own devices with the wine list... She picked out this Zinfandel, which neither of us had ever heard of and declared it to be very, very good. Thus, we were on a mission to acquire a couple of bottles for home consumption.

We happened upon it shortly afterwards and brought home two bottles. The first bottle we thought could have been off, but our tasting notes were pretty similar so I suspect that this is what it is. Which leads us to wonder how the glass at the restaurant could have been so different? Best guess is that it was either a different vintage and/or it had been open for a day or two. Either way, we enjoyed it at different times for different reasons.

At home, we found it to be medium purple in color with some brick orange right at the edge of the glass. The nose was blackberries, cedar and a hint of spice while on the palate we found dried plum, peppers, cocoa, some dusty earth highlights and a lingering finish that was reminiscent of licorice.

At $15/bottle, this was good but there are better Zinfandels out there for the same or less. This didn't have the bold, assertive pepper spice that we like but also it was not a fruit bomb either. Cheers!

2008 Cottesbrook Sauvignon Blanc

Another New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc... if you didn't know us better, you'd think that we liked these ;-) Ok, enough tongue-in-cheek! We do like these. A lot. What's not to like? They are great summer time wines, they work well by themselves but especially work well with food, most people will drink them, etc., etc. But... (you knew there was a but in there didn't you?)

This was not particularly great. It wasn't bad, it just didn't stand out. The color was pale yellow, almost to the point of being clear. On the nose there was a lot of citrus notes but balanced by floral overtones. On the palate there was straw, lemon zest, some minerality and a hint of honeysuckle. The finish was short, and the overall impression of the wine was a very light style.

Not bad at all, and a pretty decent price at $11.99, but there are definitely some better examples out there. Cheers!

2008 Lapostolle Casa Sauvigno Blanc

Another South American wine and another yawn from Gary. Don't get me wrong, there are some really good wines coming out of South America nowadays. And the good news is that most of these are very reasonably priced. Unfortunately, and this is true of all wine regions, there is also a lot of just mediocre wines as well.

Now, don't get me wrong... there is nothing at all wrong with this Sauvignon Blanc. It is a decent white wine for a hot summer afternoon. But, it is also entirely forgettable. There is nothing that makes this stand out from any number of other Sauvignon Blancs out there. It has a great price point, $7.99/bottle here, but for $1 or $2 more you can get some really remarkable wine.

The color of this one almost didn't exist... it was practically clear. Just a hint of yellow straw indicated this wasn't just a glass of water. The nose actually seemed interesting, with lush citrus notes. However, the taste was too citrusy (is that even a word?)... if you had added some sugar and carbonation to this, I would have called it 7-Up or Sprite. It was that pronounced. I did not get any other fruit at all. It is steel fermented, but I think it could have been better with some oak exposure to dampen down the citrus.