Category Archives: 60 Second Reviews

60 Second Wine Review — Brilliant Mistake Cabernet Sauvignon

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Napa Valley, Wine reviews

Published on April 15, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2014 Brilliant Mistake Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.

The Geekery

Brilliant Mistake was founded in 2013 by John and Stacy Reinert with Rebekah Wineburg making the inaugural vintage, sourcing Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards in Rutherford and the Stags Leap District.

With a background that included stints at Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, Staglin, Rudd and Buccella, Wineburg finished the 2013 vintage before returning to Buccella and later moving on to Quintessa. She was succeeded at Brilliant Mistake by Maayan Koschitzky, a protege of Philippe Melka.

An Israeli native, Koschitzky started in the wine industry with Margalit Winery in Galilee before moving to Napa Valley in 2011 to work at Screaming Eagle and then Dalle Valle.

At this year’s Premiere Napa Valley, Brilliant Mistake was one of the top selling lots at the auction joining the likes of Chappellet, Shafer Vineyards and Ovid to help raise more than $4.1 million for charity.

The Wine

Rich dark fruit like plums characterize this Napa Cab.

Medium-plus intensity nose. Very rich dark fruit–black plums, blackberry and noticeable oak spice.

On the palate, those rich dark fruits carry through. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how well balanced the richness was with the medium-plus acidity. The noticeable oak spices of clove, cinnamon and allspice are also present. But the oak is well-balanced with the sweet vanilla playing a supporting role in rounding out the high tannins. Very full bodied and seductive mouthfeel with a long, minute-plus finish that lingers on the juicy black fruits.

The Verdict

This is your classic, hedonistic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon but an exceptionally well made one. It seduces you with the bold, rich dark fruits. But it certainly toes the line with enough acidity and structure to keep it from being sweet and one dimensional.

While it’s drinking absolutely scrumptious now, I’m skeptical at how much better it will get with bottle age over the next 5-10 years. Compared to its Napa peers, the wine is well priced at $150-175 a bottle. However, I can see this wine eclipsing the $200 mark soon enough.

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60 Second Wine Review — Anne de K Exception Pinot noir

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Wine reviews

Published on April 14, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2010 Anne de K Exception Pinot noir from Cave de Kientzheim-Kaysersberg in Alsace.

The Geekery

Cave de Kientzheim-Kaysersberg is a co-operative founded in 1955 based around the villages of Ammerschwihr, Sigolsheim, Kientzheim and Kaysersberg. Located between the major winemaking towns of Colmar and Ribeauvillé in the Haut-Rhin region of Alsace, most of the vineyards are planted on the low slopes of the Vosges Mountains.

The co-op is made up of 130 vineyard landowners, many of them descendants from the original founding families, with parcels in the Grand Cru terroirs of Furstentum, Kaefferkopf, Mambourg and Schlossberg as well as the notable lieu-dits of Altenbourg and Patergarten. All the Grand Crus and lieu-dits are farmed sustainably.

The Wine

Dried cherries and star anise spice characterizes this Alsatian Pinot noir.

Medium-minus intensity. Some faint cherries and a little herbal tomato leaf note. There is a slight spiciness along the edge that isn’t very defined.

On the palate, the cherry notes come through but are still very faint. The spiciness becomes more defined as star anise and has seemed to replace the herbalness from the nose. High acidity makes the mouth water but with the lacking fruit has a tart bite to it. Medium-minus tannins have more edge to them than a Pinot should which contributes to the skeletal feel of this wine. Short finish.

The Verdict

Admittedly my experience with Alsatian Pinot noir is fairly limited but my gut tells me that the very light style of this wine is not meant for aging. It probably was drinking at its peak 3 to 4 years ago when its high acidity amplified the fresh cherry flavors that would have made a good food pairing for hearty sausages, particularly with the anise/fennel spice.

Now with the freshness of that fruit gone, the wine is just tart and thin. At around $24-28, it’s priced like an upper-tier Hautes Cotes de Nuits Bourgogne Rouge or a mid-tier Bourgogne Rouge with the Burgundies offering better value and more aging potential.

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60 Second Wine Review — 2004 Opus One

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Napa Valley, Wine reviews

Published on April 10, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2004 Opus One from Napa Valley.

The Geekery

Opus One was founded in 1979 as a joint partnership between Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Ch. Mouton-Rothschild.

In his 1989 book, California’s Great Cabernets James Laube describes Opus as one of the “First Growths” in California back when they were making around 11,000 cases a year.

The 2004 Opus One is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec with around 22,000 cases made.

The Wine

Simple black currant fruit characterize this wine.

Medium intensity nose. A mix of dark fruits that aren’t very defined, noticeable oak spice but also some tertiary tobacco notes.

On the palate those dark fruits become slightly more defined as black currants and bring an herbal element with them. Medium-plus acidity adds freshness and balances well with the velvety soft medium-plus tannins. The mouthfeel is the best part of the wine by far. The mix of oak and tobacco spice are still present and last thru the moderate length finish.

The Verdict

This was the third time I’ve had Opus after tasting the 2009 at an event and 2011 at the winery. I was very underwhelmed with both but have been told repeatedly by wine folks that “Opus needs time” and that it’s unfair to judge them with less than 10 years of bottle age. After trying an Opus now with more than 13 years of bottle age, I have to wonder what follows the old proverb after “Fool me thrice…”.

Especially at the $300+ price point (with the 2004 now around $450 a bottle), I can name dozens of Bordeaux wines at or below that level that deliver way more value and pleasure. From Napa, there are bottles from Chappellet, Groth, Bevan, Frank Family, Moone-Tsai, Diamond Creek, Blankiet, Dominus and more that I would be happily content with having 2-3 bottles of for the price of one Opus.

It’s not a horrible wine but it is distinctly one that you are paying more for the name than anything else and, frankly, I’m done paying.

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60 Second Wine Review — 2000 Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Wine reviews

Published on April 9, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2000 Château Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The Geekery

According to Harry Karis in The Chateauneuf-du-Pape Wine Book, the origins of Beaucastel date back to 1549 when Pierre de Beaucastel purchased land in Coudoulet. The property came under the control of its current owners, the Perrin family, in 1909 when Pierre Tramier purchased the property and turned it over to his son-in-law, Pierre Perrin.

Beaucastel is most notable for using the 13 historic grape varieties of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. According to their website:

Grenache and Cinsault provide warmth, colour and roundness; Mourvèdre, Syrah, Muscardin and Vaccarèse provide structure, aging abilities, colour and a very straight taste; Counoise and Picpoul provide body, freshness and very particular aromas.

Since the 1960s, all the vineyards have been farmed organically with several parcels biodynamic.

The 2000 vintage was a blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, 5% Cinsault and 15% combined of Vaccarèse, Terret noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne.

Each grape variety is harvested and fermented separately. For reductive grapes like Mourvèdre and Syrah, fermentation is done in oak barrels while oxygen-sensitive grapes like Grenache are fermented in cement tanks. The finished blend is aged for a year in large foudres. Around 16,665 cases made.

The Wine

Savory grilled meats notes feature prominently in this wine.

High intensity nose. Lots of tertiary notes–meatiness, leather and tobacco spice. Dried red cherries come out with some air.

On the palate, those savory characters come through but more “animal-like”. Two Brett Stars but very well balanced with smoke and tobacco spice. Medium-plus acidity takes the dried red cherry notes and bring them back to life with freshness. Medium tannins are quite soft but still provide good structure. Long finish ends on the spice and meaty notes.

The Verdict

Gorgeous on several levels. For folks who like savory and tertiary notes, this wine is drinking perfectly now and with the acid will probably still be giving pleasure for at least 3-5 more years.

Well worth the $100 average retail but even at a restaurant mark-up around $185, I still think this is an exquisite bottle.

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60 Second Wine Review — Lanzavecchia Essentia

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Wine reviews

Published on April 7, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2010 Paola Lanzavecchia Essentia blend from Alba.

The Geekery

Paola is a third generation winemaker in the Serralunga d’Alba region of Piedmont, following in the footsteps of her father, Daniele, and grandfather, Pietro Lanzavecchia, who founded the family estate in 1959.

A graduate of enology and agriculture from the University of Turin, Paola Lanzavecchia assists her father with the family’s Villadoria wines while also making wines under her own label.

Kerin O’Keefe notes in Barolo and Barbaresco: The King and Queen of Italian Wine, that while Lanzavecchia is on a “perennial quest to raise the bar on quality” she still sticks to mostly traditional winemaking methods.

The 2010 Essentia is a blend of 80% Nebbiolo, 15% Barbera and 5% Merlot. While the Nebbiolo is harvested normally, the Barbera and Merlot are allowed to partially desiccate on the vine prior to harvest. It’s a treatment kind of between a super ripe late harvest Napa and letting the grape fully dry out like Amarone.

The wine is aged for 9 months in 2nd and 3rd year French oak barrels.

The Wine

This wine has juicy Rainier cherries with spicy, floral notes.

High intensity bouquet. Pop and pour there is a gorgeous mix of flowers (both fresh and dried rose petals) with tobacco spice. With some air the red cherry and plum notes come out.

On the palate those cherry notes become more pronounced and are noticeably juicy with the medium-plus acidity–like fresh Rainier cherries. Medium-plus tannins have a soft edge to them but amply hold up the full-bodied weight of the fruit. A little star anise spice joins the tobacco spice, adding more layers. The long mouthwatering finish brings back the rose petals.

The Verdict

Beautiful wine that more than merits its $27-33 price tag. It has a lot of character and elegance of a beautiful Barolo but the “super-ripe” Barbera and Merlot add fruity softness to balance Nebbiolo’s notoriously high tannins and acidity.

It’s drinking exceptionally well now but I can see this continuing to deliver pleasure for another 3-5 years.

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60 Second Wine Reviews — Ruinart Brut

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Champagne, Wine reviews

Published on April 5, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the NV Ruinart Brut Champagne.

The Geekery

While I love geeking out over grower Champagnes, I must confess to having a soft spot for Ruinart. While frequently lost in the LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) portfolio of mega-brands like Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Dom Perignon, the quality of this house has always been top-notch.

I reviewed the Ruinart Blanc de Blancs and Rosé over a year ago in my post A Toast to Joy and Pain where I give some background about the house and also note the apt description by the LVMH Brand Ambassador that Ruinart is the “best prestige house that most people haven’t heard of.”

Tom Stevenson and Essi Avellan note in Christie’s World Encyclopedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wine that Nicolas Ruinart, who founded the estate in 1729, was the nephew of Dom Thierry Ruinart who was a close friend of Dom Perignon.

The Ruinart Brut (also known as ‘R’ de Ruinart) is a blend of 49% Pinot noir, 40% Chardonnay and 11% Pinot Meunier. The wine usually includes 20-25% reserve wines from older vintages. It is aged for around 36 months before being bottled with a dosage of 9 g/l.

The Wine

Medium-plus intensity nose. Noticeable toasty bread dough with baked pears and almond shavings. This wine smells like you are in a French bakery.

This Champagne smells like you are walking into a French bakery.

On the palate those pear and doughy notes come through but also bring a spice element of cinnamon and allspice. Very weighty and mouth-filling with a silky mousse. This Champagne feels like a meal in itself. Well balanced with the dosage though I wished it was tad drier. An intriguing white floral element emerges on the long finish to go with the lingering toastiness.

The Verdict

While not quite to the level of Ruinart’s Blanc de Blancs and Rosé, this is still a phenomenally well made Champagne.

At around $55-65, it is a bit of a bump from your basic Champagnes like Veuve and Moët but the quality jump is significant.

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60 Second Wine Review — Insito Extra Brut Cava

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Wine reviews

Published on April 4, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the Insito Extra Brut Cava made by Bodegues Sumarroca.

The Geekery

The Sumarroca family originally hailed from Llimiana, in Pallars Jussà in Catalonia, but moved to the Penedès region in the 1980s when they purchased the Molí Coloma estate in Subirats.

By 1983, Bodegues Sumarroca was producing sparkling Cava. The family’s holdings expanded greatly in 1999 when they bought the Cava house of Marquis of Monistrol–gaining nearly a 1000 acres of vineyards in the prime sparkling wine terroir around the village of Sant Sadurni d’Anoia.

The Insito Cava is sometimes sold as “In Situ” in other markets (from the Latin phrase meaning “on site”) and refers to the Sumarroca’s family philosophy of only using estate grown fruit instead of supplementing with purchased fruit like many of the larger Cava houses.

Made in an Extra Brut style with less than 3 g/l sugar dosage, the wine is a blend of nearly equal amounts of Macabeu, Xarel·lo and Parellada that was aged 16 months prior to disgorging.

The winery is ISO 9001:2008 certified and practices sustainable viticulture.

The Wine

High intensity nose. A mix of citrus fruit and some pastry dough toastiness. There is also a white floral element.

The combination of zesty lemon, toasty pastry dough and weighty mousse reminds me of a danish pastry.

On the palate this sparkler has a very lively mouthfeel with the zesty citrus notes becoming more defined as lemon. With the toastiness carrying through and the heavy weight of the mousse this Cava has me thinking of lemon cream cheese danishes. Impeccably well balanced for an Extra Brut, the wine is dry and citrus without being tart. The white floral notes come back for the moderate length finish but still aren’t very defined.

The Verdict

At around $15-18 this is an outstanding sparkling wine for folks who are craving something drier than Prosecco (and many American sparklers) but more complex than your typical Cava.

I wouldn’t use this as a “mixer bubbles”. It’s certainly worth savoring with dinner and on its own.

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60 Second Wine Review — CADE Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Napa Valley, Wine reviews

Published on April 3, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2012 CADE Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain.

The Geekery

CADE Estate was founded in 2005 on Howell Mountain by the managing partners of the PlumpJack Group–John Conover, Gordon Getty and Gavin Newsom–where it is part of a portfolio that includes PlumpJack Winery in Oakville and Odette Winery in the Stags Leap District as well as restaurants, hotels, wine shops and event spaces. The name CADE is a play on the Shakespearen term “cades” for wine barrels shipped from Bordeaux to England.

Danielle Cyrot, a UC-Davis grad, is the head winemaker. After working harvest internships at Artesa and Schramsberg, Cyrot spent sometime in Australia and Alsace before coming back to Napa Valley where she worked for six years under Robert Brittan at Stags’ Leap Winery. Following her time at Stags’ Leap, Cyrot was the head winemaker at St. Clement before joining CADE at the beginning of the 2012 harvest.

The 2012 Howell Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot with 5790 cases made.

The Wine

Rich blackberry notes characterize this full-bodied wine.

Medium-plus intensity nose. A mix of dark fruits–blackberries and black currants–and some tarry tobacco smoke. Around the edges there is also a dark chocolate note that hints at the oak to come.

On the palate those dark fruits come through and are very rich and weighty. You can tell the high 15.2% alcohol of this Cab. Medium-plus acidity give much needed balance but could probably use a tad more. The high tannins are present but have a sweet velvet edge to them from the oak. The tarry tobacco notes from the nose is more muted on the palate but the smokiness returns for a moderate length finish.

The Verdict

This is a big, big wine that is holding up well at over 5 years of age. At $110-120, it is priced in line with its high-end Napa peers.

While the CADE paired fine with my steak, it’s full-bodied and highly extracted nature would make it difficult to pair with much anything else.

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60 Second Wine Review — Caroline Morey Chassagne-Montrachet Le Chêne

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Burgundy, Wine reviews

Published on April 2, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2015 Caroline Morey Chassagne-Montrachet from the Le Chêne vineyard.

The Geekery

In the Morey Edition of my Keeping up with the Joneses in Burgundy series, I gave some background on Domaine Caroline Morey which was founded in 2014 by Caroline and her husband, Pierre-Yves Colin.

Caroline inherited most of her 17 acres (≈ 7 ha) from her father, Jean-Marc Morey–including choice parcels in Chassagne-Montrachet. Le Chêne (or Les Chênes “the oaks”) is a village-level cru located just below the Premier Cru vineyards of La Maltroie and Ez Crets (which is usually labelled as neighboring La Maltroie).

Les Chênes is planted to both Chardonnay and Pinot noir like several crus (Les Chaumees, Morgeot, Champs Jendreau, Clos Saint-Jean, En Remilly, etc) in Chassagne-Montrachet. Among the other notable producers making wine from this cru include Philippe Colin (rouge and blanc, Wine Searcher Ave $32 for rouge and $49 for blanc), Domaine Alain Chavy (blanc, Wine Searcher Ave $53) and Domaine Roux Pere et Fils (rouge, Wine Searcher Ave $45)

The Wine

Medium-plus intensity nose. Lots of tree fruits–ripe apples and a little spiced pear. It has an intriguing but not quite defined slight citrus note around the edges.

On the palate, the mouthfeel has a lot of weight and concentration. It won’t fool anyone for a California Chardonnay (no diacetyl butter) but there is noticeable creaminess in the mouthfeel. The apples and spiced pear carry through. Medium-plus acidity highlights the citrus streak and provides much needed balance for the richness and medium-plus weight of the fruit. Moderate finish.

Modified from map provided by https://www.bourgogne-wines.com for public use.

Location of Les Chênes within Chassagne-Montrachet.

The Verdict

At around $60-65, Caroline Morey’s example from Le Chêne definitely eclipses its peers in price. The wine is certainly superior to most village-level Chassagne I’ve had. Impressive weight.

I don’t know if I’m keen to buy at this price point though. It’s missing some of the minerality and long finish I crave. However, that could be its youth at play.

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60 Second Wine Review — Kerloo Grenache

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Washington wine, Wine reviews

Published on March 30, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2014 Kerloo Cellars Grenache from Upland Vineyard on Snipes Mountain.

The Geekery

Kerloo Cellars was founded in 2007 by Ryan Crane, a protege of Forgeron Cellars’ Marie-Eve Gilla and Justin Wylie of Va Piano. The winery’s name is a play on “Curlew”–a genus of long, slender birds with down-curved bills that are distantly related to cranes.

Located on Snipes Mountain, Upland Vineyard is owned by the Newhouse family who have been farming wine grapes since 1968. The vineyard includes blocks that were originally planted by W.B. Bridgman in 1917 with Paul Gregutt speculating, in Washington Wine, that the 1917 Muscat of Alexandria at Upland may be the oldest vinifera vines in Washington.

Kerloo is one of over 20 wineries that sources fruit from Upland–joining a list that includes Betz, DeLille, Pomum and K Vintners.

The 2014 vintage was Kerloo’s 4th release of Grenache from Upland Vineyard. 100% varietal, the wine was aged in neutral French oak barrels for around 9 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Around 240 cases were produced.

The Wine

Medium-plus intensity nose–an interesting mix of black fruit and toasty cinnamon spice. This wine smells like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.

This wine smells and tastes like a less sweeten bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.

On the palate, the black fruits carry through and become more defined as blackberries and black cherries. Medium acidity gives the wine some lift and freshness but not quite enough to be mouthwatering. The Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal action also carries through but it adds character rather than sweetness. Medium tannins are very silky and balances well the medium-plus body of the fruit. Moderate length finish brings some pepper spice to the party.

The Verdict

At around $40, this is a well made and pleasurable wine. But you are certainly paying a bit of a premium for it being a single vineyard wine and a relatively unique varietal.

It’s a good change of pace but would be a far more exciting wine in the $25-30 price range.