2004 Earth, Zin, & Fire

SGK bought this wine at Cost+ a couple of years ago on an experimental Zin buying trip.

The presentation is campy - a Bordeaux bottle with flames on the label and painted onto the foil capsule. There is a concert ticket theme to the labeling "With Special Guest Old Gnarley" on the front, and a section/row/seat layout on the back complete with :Showtime begins at 5:00. Love, Zin, and Rock 'n Roll. It had a real cork embossed with a horse of all things. The campy packaging is kind of fun, but my complaint is that the vintage is not displayed clearly, and the vintner is very difficult to determine.

The notes on the vintners page continue the concert theme, but give some additional production information.

Despite the campy appearance and poor labeling, I liked this wine. The nose was pleasant and noticeable from over 12 inches away. SGK thought it was peppery, I got fruit dominating. SGK also craved truffles (the chocolate kind) whilst I wanted truffles (the fungal kind) to accompany this wine. It had legs galore.

It was simple, not complex. Acidic. with a full fruity taste. Pouring it back and forth between glasses softened it up quite a bit. I loved the smell.

The Verdict:

Thumbs up

Style:	Zinfandel
Varietals:	Zinfandel
Appellation/Terrior:	Lodi, California
Vintage:	2004
Vintner:	Jessie's Grove
Alcohol:	14.2% by Volume
Price:	$12.95

2003 Firefly Ridge Central Coast Syrah

This was another Safeway deal. I was attracted to the Central Coast appellation, year, and price ($7.99). I initially thought it was slightly young in taste; but my wife liked it. Upon further research it turns out to be Safeway's private label. Congrats to Safeway's buyer.

The nose on this wine was of burnt rubber, followed by figs. Now, burnt rubber? Many people freak about this; but it is a typical characteristic of a Syrah and no; it does not taste of Burnt rubber. I take it a sign of quality; If this aroma is present, then the winemaker really knows how to make a Syrah.

I liked the deep burgundy colour. The taste was tannic, lemony and slightly sour. Where did my figs disappear to? But there was more to it than that - there was something there that I can't quite put my finger onto; but it was a taste that I liked.

The presentation was OK. Traditional Rhône bottle with an agglomerated cork. The label lacked info - even a website; but then again this is a private label wine OEM'd by Safeway - you wouldn't expect much to tie it back to the original vintner.

The Verdict:

My wife liked it enough that I bought more.

Style:	Rhône
Varietals:	Syrah
Appellation/Terrior:	Central Coast, California
Vintage:	2003
Vintner:	Firefly Ridge
Alcohol:	13.5% by Volume
Price:	$8.69

2004 Steele Shooting Star Barbera

I first had a Shooting Star Barbera when it came in my Steele wine club shipment; it was a 2003. I enjoyed it as a light pizza accompanying wine, so I ordered more, but alas All they had by the time I got around to ordering it was a 2004; but hey how different could it be?

Well, it turns out quite a bit different. This Barbera, while having the same light and bright colour as the 2003 had more of a Bordeaux flavour to it than the Cal-Ital I was expecting. There was Bordeaux on the nose too; I can only surmise that Jed chose a different vineyard for this vintage, and that vineyard had some Cab Franc or Merlot vines interspersed. I cannot believe that the blending would have been done intentionally, as a Barbera isn't strong enough to be included in a Super-Tuscan.

The wine was legless; but with the low alcohol, that was to be expected. True to form, this Barbera tasted like the house red at a Pizza restaurant (and as Barbera is the wine for the masses in Italy), and since this is what I was expecting it went well with my supper of leftover spaghetti and re-heated panini. There were no fruit flavours.

After 45 minutes, I re-tasted and it was light and airy, with only the lingering reminder of the Bordeaux taste, so I decanted it and waited another 1/2 hour and it opened up quite a bit.

The presentation was OK. It came in a Bordeaux bottle; which is an improvement over the traditional jug (think Carlos Rossi). It had an agglomerated cork, which given that this is Steele's budget label is to be expected. The label was poor, listing only the legal requirements.

The Verdict:

Barbera is a good Pizza wine. This vintage did not stand up to the 2003, so I am unlikely to buy more, but as I liked the 2003 I would have tried the 2005 if Jed had made one, but it does not appear that he did.

Style:	Italian
Varietals:	Barbera
Appellation/Terrior:	Lake County, California
Vintage:	2004
Vintner:	Steele
Alcohol:	13.5% by Volume
Price:	~$12.00

2002 Voss Napa Syrah

This wine was one of what I call a "Safeway Bargin" I was at Safeway, and noticed it at the checkout. It was cheap, so I took a chance. After all the fruit that I've been having in my wines recently (thank you Rosenblum), I was welcoming the chance to return to a more traditionally flavoured wine.

The presentation was good. It came in a typical Rhône bottle. It had a real cork, and an outstanding label (even if the tasting notes contradict the label). The front label had the legal requirements, and the rear, in addition to the standard tasting notes gives real info about the decisions made in the making of this wine. The inclusion of viognier in the blend may sound unusual, but it's true to the style of a Côte Rôtie and improves this particular vintage greatly.

It had slight legs. The cork left me a light tattoo, with next to no penetration. The colour and nose were both light for a syrah, but then again I've been drinking lots of Rosenblums' lately so I may just be too used to the over fruitiness of the good doctors wines. It was nice and smooth. I drank it with a BBQ'd pork loin that I had for dinner, and it neither added to nor detracted from the meal. After the bottle had been opened for a couple of hours, I had a sip following a piece of licorice and boom it exploded with a mouth full of richness.

The Verdict:

For $10???!!!! I returned to Safeway and bought every bottle they had on display. This tastes like a $20.00 bottle of wine.

Style:	Rhône
Varietals:	Syrah, Viognier
Appellation/Terrior:	Napa, California
Vintage:	2002
Vintner:	Voss Vineyards
Alcohol:	14.9% by Volume
Price:	$10.85