2009 Domaine Coudoulis
Lirac, France

Get a bottle
Highland Wine – $22

2006 Domaine de Nerleux “Clos des Chatains”
Cab Franc
Vieilles Vignes Saumur-Champigny Loire

Get a glass, but other Cab Francs far exceed this in taste and at a better price point.
Highland Wine – $19

Lately, tried a few new guys… here’s the dish!

2008 Flora Springs Merlot
Napa Valley, California

http://www.florasprings.com

Not bad for a Merlot, but I wouldn’t buy it again.
Twist-off
Highland Wine – $19

2009 M. Chapoutier Belleruche
Cotes-Du-Rhone, France
60% Grenache/40% Syrah

Get a glass, but not a new favorite.

2010 La Closerie des Lys les Fruitieres
Languedoc, France
Pinot Noir

Get a case – delicious!
Twist-off
Highland Wine – $13

2007 Single Vineyard Don Maximiano Estate / Vina Errazuriz Cabernet Sauvignon
Aconcagua Valley, Chile

Very nice – get a bottle!
Highland Wine – $18

2005 Baxter Zinfandel – Francis Fashauer Vineyard
Mendocino Ridge, Elk, California

http://www.baxterwinery.com

Get a bottle – very jammy and fun!

2009 Blau
Cellars Can Blau
Montsant, Spain
50% Carinena, 25% Syrah, & 25% Garnacha

Get a case!
Highland Wine, $14

2008 Plungerhead Old Vine Zinfandel
Dry Creek Valley, California

Get a bottle (or a case if you can afford it)!
Highland Wine – $23

2010 Damilano Barbera D’Asti
Piedmont, Italy

I’ve had another Barbera D’Asti from Piedmont and liked the other one a lot better. I’ll pass next time on this one.
Highland Wine – $16

Spain
$16
Get a glass!

California Pinot
highland Wine
$21
Get a glass!

Another new favorite — the 2008 Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel blew my socks off a few weeks ago when we paired it with slow cooked BBQ pork ribs that had been on the Big Green Egg all day!

This Zinfandel from the Lodi region of California was very rich, full of mature fruit flavors but also with some nice tannins to round it out – just superb!

Origin: Lodi, California
Where: Highland Wine
Price: $18
Next time: Get a case! or definitely Get a glass!

2009 Banshee Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, California
Price: $22
Origin: Santa Lucia Highlands, California
Where: Highland Wine
Next time: Get a glass!

2008 Basico Rojo, La Mancha, Spain

A seriously delightful, delicious wine that goes easily with many dishes and is ridiculously inexpensive for how great it is. 50/50% Tempranillo/Cab Sauv blend.

Price: $8
Origin: Spain
Where: Highland Wine
Next time: Get a case!

2006 Baxter Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley, Toulouse Vineyard, California

Price: $27
Origin: Anderson Valley, California
Where: WineryInsider.com
Next time: I’ll pass.

2009 RouteStock Cellars, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Price: $18
Origin: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Where: Highland Wine
Next time: Get a case!

It’s been a while since I’ve wine blogged lately, so this post is way overdue. This post will be a catch up post of quite a few wines that I’ve tried over the past few months, as I’ve been busy being a newlywed and also being a new puppy owner and a busy employee at my job and on and on… The majority, if not all, of these wines are from Highland Wine whose great monthly wine club I’m still thoroughly enjoying!

• 2006 Obsidian Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County, California $29 – I’ve continued to go back to this fabulous wine for special occasions. Here to confirm that it should be on your must-have list for great dinners, special occasions, gifts, and just a great wine you can always count on to be amazing! Get a case if you can; or definitely get a glass.
• 2007 Moillard Cotes Du Rhone “Les Violettes”, France, $13 – The first time I had this at a tasting, I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, this bottle wasn’t as good as I remember it being – or maybe something was wrong with this bottle. I’ll give another bottle another chance sometime soon (especially at $13 a bottle), but I’m less excited about this being a long-term prospect as I once was.
• 2005 Prima Voce Toscana, Italy, $18 – This wine is a Super Tuscan blend of 72% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Syrah. I paired it with the leftovers from the Mother’s Day dinner I cooked my mom last night! It paired extremely well with the pork chops (minus the apple sauce) and asparagus and mushroom tart – give all three a try! Warning – lots of sediment was in the cork, so you’ll want a strainer to filter this one. Get a glass!
• 2007 BearBoat Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA, $17 from Hop City – I first tried this wine last year at a fun engagement party that my friend threw for my then-fiance/now-husband. The party was so much fun, and this wine was delicious and had a cute, funny cartoon on the back about bears enjoying this wine. Get a glass!
• 2005 Campo Viejo Reserva Tempranillo, Rioja, Spain, $15 – This wine was absolutely spectactular. Not too many tanins, not too fruity, just a great enjoyable balanced wine. Get a case, especially at this price.
• 2009 Arthur Wilbanks Pinot Noir, Edna Valley, CA, $12 – I’ve bought a few more bottles of this wine since the initial tasting, and it still delivers! Great with easy chicken and salmon recipes.

I purchased three bottles of the 2004 Chateau de Clarefont from Winery Insider (wineryinsider.com) in April. I finally got around to opening one of the bottles last week. Over time, I’ve learned that many French wines benefit from being decanted a little earlier than other wines (maybe this applies more to European wines in general, as opposed to American and South American wines… I’m still forming my generalization though).

The Chateau de Clarefont was a nice Bordeaux, from the Margaux area of France. I was hoping it would be as great as the Chateau Mongravey that I tried in March at a Bordeaux tasting.  The Chateau de Clarefont was good, but not as stellar as the Mongravey. However, the price difference is about $10, with this wine running around $18 (not including the shipping from the online retailer) versus $28 for the Mongravey.

Origin: Margaux, France
Where: Winery Insider
Price: $18
Next time: Get a glass.

The Masi Tupungato Passo Doble is a fun weeknight wine made with 70% Malbec and 30% Corvina grapes. It went great with pizza and I can see it going well with a hamburger – something meaty and substantial. Bold but not overwhelmed by tannins or spice. Easy and fun to drink, but I recommend opening it several hours or a day ahead of time. The time to breathe made a big difference!

Origin: Argentina
Where: Highland Wine
Price: $15
Next time: Get a glass!