Big California Reds Tasting

Friday, July 20, 2007

Wine Country in Long Beach had a tasting tonight of "Big California" Red wines. Price was $65. Retail prices on the 13 bottles that were poured was from $47 to $130 with the majority of them being over $70.

I will not attempt to make a comment on each wine. I will list what we tasted and state which ones I preferred.

2004 Stag' s Leap Wine Cellars "Artemis", Cabernet, Napa
2003 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, "Fay Vineyard" , Cabernet, Napa
2003 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, "S.L.V." Cabernet, Napa
2004 Duckhorn "Estate Grown", Merlot, Napa
2004 Duckhorn "Three Palms", Merlot, Napa
2003 Duckhorn "Three Palms", Merlot, Napa
2003 Duckhorn "Howell Mtn", Merlot, Howell Mtn.
2004 Duckhorn, Cabernet, Napa
2003 Round Pond "Estate", Cabernet, Rutherford
2003 Beau Vigne, Cabernet, Napa
2004 Oakville, "East Exposure" Cabernet, Oakville
2002 Heitz Cellars "Bella Oaks, Cabernet, Napa
2002 Heitz Cellars, Martha's Vineyard", Cabernet, Napa

I did prefer the Heitz Bella Oaks over the Martha's and The Stag's Leap Artemis over the other 2 Stag's Leap. The Round Pond is a new winery. It was slightly herbaceous but was very nice for the new kid on the block. I'm not a big Merlot fan, but the 2003 Duckhorn Three Palms was as close to a Cab as you can get. Like Randy indicated, if you blind tasted this wine with a Cab you would have a very hard time telling the difference. All the wines were good, but my personal 2 favorites were the Bella Oaks and the Artemis.

At the end Randy pulled out a bottle of a blackberry liqueur that he sells in his store. $13 for a 375ml bottle. My first thought was a new "martini". Vodka, with the blackberry liqueur and blackberries on a stick in the glass. Maybe I will try that on my next "Mary's Martini Madness" night