Author: Renee Witthoff

Origin:  Colchagua, Chili

Grape: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Year:  2014

Alcohol:  14%

Price point:  $7.99

Year Reviewed:  2018

Rated 88. Points.

Los Vacos Cab is not new for me, as I sampled this wine 3 years ago as the price captured my attention.  I was reminded about it again in an article regarding highly rated cabernets under $10.00.  Thought I should try the 2014 and review.  This is an appealing clear deep ruby colored Cab.  Its nose is clean but with a lighter intensity than anticipated.  Aromas of vegetal (cabbage) appear upon uncorking.  Herbal tones and eucalyptus, medicinal, yeast and mushroom smell hit my senses.  Aromas were not very pronounced.   But upon encountering additional air time, the aromas of plum and cherry evoked the table.

On the palate, a dry high acidity wine, with medium tannins, a bit lighter body than expected, with a long finish.  Good quality for the price…….but wait……

Wait is what I did, as I remembered this wine more interesting than it was upon first sampling and reviewing here.  I decanted and let my friend (air) bring out some beauty in this poor closed up spirit.  This wine woke up a bunch of bolder flavors and rounded out better after 1 ½ hours, so keep that in mind for this $7.99 wine…..to decant and your guests will think you are serving a $25 cab to them.

Incidentally the 2015 is supposed to be even better.  I will look for that to blog on also.

Les Domaines Barons de Rothschild has roots in the Bordeaux region of France since 1868.  The Estate has a great reputation for over 5 generations. First references to their wines date back to 1234 Check out www.lafite.com  and the Domaine of Vi~na Los Vascos and discover Los Vacos also has many other cabernets, chardonnays and even a new Rose from cabernet grapes.  South China Morning Post, March 29, 2016, talks about the growth of the Rothschild wines and how they have land in Chili, Argentina and Languedoc, and featured in the article a new purchase of land in Shandong, China to produce vintages for the local demand.

Origin: Red Mountain AVA, Washington State

Grape: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc

Year:  2015

Alcohol:  14.8%

Price point:  $50

Year Reviewed:  2018

Rated 93 points

I learned about Fidelitas wines on my trip to Woodinville, WA.  Their tasting room opened earlier than the others, so there was a natural attraction to visit here first.  The employee explained what made their wines unique….basically two things…Red Mountain and Charlie.

Charlie Hoppes—master winemaker, who has helped out many other winemakers in this area.  Read his story below.

I first became interested in wine and winemaking in the early 1980’s.  I was newly married and the industry in Washington was in its infant stages.  I began by fermenting berry wines and a memorable lot of White Riesling from a family vineyard near my in-laws in Pasco, Washington.

My interest in grape growing and winemaking continued to grow, and with positive encouragement from both my family and members of the industry I decided to apply to attend the renowned Viticulture and Enology program at the University of California – Davis.  In 1988 I graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science and Management with a special emphasis in Viticulture and Enology.

After weighing all my options following graduation, I decided to return to the then fledging industry in Washington.  I was fortunate to start my career working for Mike Januik at the Snoqualmie/Langguth winery near Mattawa, where I was able to get a lot of hands on experience.  After a brief stint in Walla Walla in 1990 at Waterbrook Winery, I again went to work with Mike Januik as a member of the winemaking team at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville.

In 1993, I became the Head Red Winemaker and managed Chateau Ste. Michelle’s newest facility at the time: Canoe Ridge near Paterson, Washington.  This facility was a result of benchmarking the great red winemaking facilities throughout the world. This experience at Chateau Ste. Michelle was invaluable because of the volume of fruit that you get a chance to work with.  The time at Canoe Ridge really shaped my thought process in regard to making ultra-premium red wines.  I had the good fortune to make a number of very nice wines during my time at Chateau Ste. Michelle, including working with the Antinori family on the initial vintages of Col Solare from1995 through 1998.

In the winter of 1999, I made the decision to leave Chateau Ste. Michelle with the hopes of making my own wine.  I joined the startup of Three Rivers Winery and made wines for them from 1999 through the 2002.  At the same time, I was able to get an initial start of Fidelitas in 2000. The first vintage was a Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot blend that we named Optu.  This wine is still in our portfolio today, as our Red Mountain Bordeaux-style blend.

In 2007, we were able to purchase some land in the Red Mountain, AVA and plant a small three-acre vineyard.  We also built a tasting room that could be open to the public and share the wines we are making.  Since that initial purchase, we have purchased an additional ten acres that was planted in the spring of 2015 with red Bordeaux varietals.  It had always been a hope of mine to be part of the Red Mountain, AVA.  That hope is now a reality. Wines from this growing area are in my opinion, very special and unique. Wineries from throughout Washington seek out fruit from Red Mountain on a regular basis to enhance their portfolios. Since making the first Red Mountain wines for Fidelitas in 2005 we have expanded the Red Mountain product line significantly. Beginning with the 2012 vintage, we were fortunate enough to begin releasing our own Fidelitas Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Besides our Estate Vineyard, we are now working with other top growers within the Red Mountain AVA.  We create vineyard designated wines from Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard, Blackwood Canyon Vineyard, and Quintessence Vineyard, as well as blends and varietal wines from throughout the AVA.  This product line will continue to evolve and grow.  I honestly believe our best wines are yet to be made.

When not doing things for Fidelitas, I have an active consulting business making wine for small wineries throughout the region.  2017 marked my 30th vintage in Washington.

My wife, Terri, and I have four adult children who are working and going to school around the U.S.  Our son, Will, recently joined the team at Fidelitas, and heads up the Woodinville tasting room.  He’ll join me in the cellar for harvest of 2019 as we build a multi-generational winery.  For the first time since 1987, we don’t have any children at home, which is an adjustment. However, we’ve been enjoying going to visit them and always look forward to the holidays.

Cheers!

http://www.fidelitaswines.com/?method=pages.showPage&PageID=BFE87850-C2F9-FF74-228A-2A23DA969ECB&originalMarketingURL=About-Us/Charlie-Hoppes

When you open the bottle, you immediately smell the richness.  Dark ruby color, aromas of cherry and blackberry explode.  This wine is rich and velvety, bold and fruit forward.  I experienced tastes of black currant, black berries and baking spices.  The soft rich tannins are a sign of a great wine and winemaker.   You may wish to decant this, as it will open up for more flavor after about ½ hour.  The long finish on the palate was expected from Charlie, as I wouldn’t have expected anything less.   Watch for his wines and who else he is teaching in the Washington Area.  Januik also had some of the best Merlot’s and red blends out of this area.  Price point a bit less than Fidelitas.  So what did I have to eat with this luscious Red mountain wine?   I paired this with prime rib and a double baked potato.  What a delight!  The next day, the wine held up very well in the wine refrigerator, so I paired this with with Casatica Di Bufala (Water Buffalo) cheese from Italy….just an amazing pairing.

Origin: Columbia Valley, Washington State

Grape:  Muscat Canelli

Body:  Medium

Year: 2017

Alcohol:  11.5 %

Price point: $17.00

Year Reviewed: 2018

I was introduced to this wine during a Chateau St. Michelle wine tour in Woodinville. This was the wine we were served at the end of the tour.  The famous Cold Creek Vineyard has 37 acres of Muscat Canelli grapes planted. As I talk about my “sweet” wine lovers, who tend to be the sweet folks I love in my family, I purchased a bottle to bring home from Woodinville.  The appearance of this wine was so very pale lemon, almost colorless.  The nose was tropical, pulling from smells of a tropical drink, tropical soap with nectarines and pineapples and Hawaiian flowers.   On the palate, some sweetness, with higher acidity and some unique flavors that took a while to decipher through.  I picked up apricot nectar, peaches, lemons, oranges, ginger and nutmeg spice.  An incidental note that I had this wine opened for over 2 weeks in the wine frig and it did not lose its quality, taste or nose.

This wine had a long, long finish of tropical juice.

Origin: Columbia Valley, Washington State

Grape:  85% Merlot, 8% Syrah, 5% Malbec, 2% other Red

Body: Full

Year: 2014

Alcohol: 13.7%

Price point: $10

Year Reviewed: 2018

Merlot doesn’t get enough interest, ever since a silly movie actor who said they didn’t like Merlot in the movie Sideways. But honestly, this movie was quite destructive to the Merlot business on a whole.  You may think that is quite odd, but the sales of Merlot plummeted.  Fortunately, I do have my feelings, since wine is trendy, that Merlot will have a comeback in the near future.   I personally love well blended Merlots from several regions, Columbia Valley AVA, being one of them.  This wine is from the Columbia Winery, who I had the honor to visit in Woodinville, Washington.

In the glass, this clean dark purple colored wine smells of plum and other red fruit. The juiciness and richness of the Merlot grape was evident, but I could pick up the Syrah flavorings of the spiciness.  Lots of black cherry and plum, sprinkled with clove, and a mocha caramel spattering…maybe a chocolate turtle.  This wine finishes lovely but with a medium finish.  Medium finish.  No doubt, I will be purchasing this again due to the quality and the price at the Sav-Way in St. Charles, IL.

Origin: Mosel, Germany

Grape:  Riesling

Body: Medium

Year: 2016

Alcohol: 8.5%

Price point: $22

Year Reviewed: 2018

So this was fun….I was going to teach two people who love sweet dessert wines (which they drink for any reason) how to rate and evaluate a wine. Here is what they came up with……with some very intense direction and coaching.  “On the eyes, this is a clear pale lemon colored wine.  They struggled with the smells they were getting on the nose, but after not letting them drink the wine, they finally came up with aromas of green fruit (green apple and pear), pineapple, nectar, and yeast.  After their palates were refreshed twice, they experienced some pineapple, pear, nectarine and melon.    They rated the wine as sweet, higher in acidity, medium body and a long finish, lasting over 2 minutes.  They both rated the wine’s quality as Outstanding.”  I truly enjoyed teaching them how to blog on this sweet balanced German wine, while I continued to drink my dry red one.  Lol

The producer of this wine is Weingut Monchhof.

moenchhof.eymael@t-online.de
www.moenchhof.de

Robert Eymael leads since 1994 the Wine Estate. Joke and humor paired with a quality-conscious individualism, describe his philosophy, which reflects itself in the inimitable style of its Riesling wines. The Mönchhof, formerly in the possession of the Cisterian abbey Himmerod, is one of the oldest Wine ‘Estates at the Mosel. Pope Alexander III already confirmed the first Wine Estate possession of the abbey in the year 1177 in Uerzig. The monks of Himmerod built the wine-cellar at that time and in 1509 the estate you can admire today. In 1804, after the secularization by Napoleon, our family could acquire the Wine Estate in Paris.

Read more: http://www.snooth.com/winery/weingut-monchhof-urzig-mosel/#ixzz5Gwt9tHyp

The Mosel regions and steep banks

The Romans planted the first vineyards along the Mosel river and the city of Trier around the second century. Today, this region is known for its steep slopes overlooking the rivers, on which the vineyards are planted. Indeed, the steepest vineyard site in the world is located in the town of Bremm, with an incline of 65 degrees.

The Mosel and its vineyards

The Mosel has a very cool, northern continental climate, and such slopes are very effective in optimizing the vines’ exposure to sun, facilitating the ripening of the grapes. The best sites also take advantage of the solar radiation reflecting off the rivers’ surface and onto the vines, and the dark slate soil’s ability to absorb heat during the day and radiate it back to the vines at night. In summer the weather is warm, but certainly not hot, with an average July temperature of around 65ºF (18ºC). A long growing season helps develop the intense flavors in the Riesling grapes while keeping potential alcohol levels low.

One disadvantage of such steep vineyard sites is that they are inaccessible to machinery, meaning as much as seven times the amount of manual labor is required to tend them, compared to level vineyards. In winter, rain washes slate from high on the hillsides down to the rivers, and vineyard workers must gather it and carry it back up to the vineyards, where its heat-retaining properties are required. Occupational safety is a major issue on the very steep sites, and fatalities among vineyard workers have been known.

https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-mosel

Origin: 60% Monterey County, 23% Santa Barbara, 17% Sonoma, CA

Grape:  Pinot Noir

Body: Medium

Year: 2016

Alcohol: 13.7%

Price point: $18

Year Reviewed: 2018

Whenever I meet an avid Pinot Noir lover, I ask them their price point on wines and refer them to these two lovely choices: Meiomi Pinot Noir (under $20) and Belle Glos Pinor Noir (around $50).  I am featuring Meiomi here, as for a price point of $20, you will get an amazing Pinot.

When I hold wine demos, I slightly chill my pinots down to about 60 degrees. I have been questioned by several Pinot Noir lovers, as to why I do that.   All reds, not just heavy reds, need to be served at a temperature cooler than room temperature, or you end up tasting too much alcohol in the wine.

This wine remains relatively consistent from year to year.

A clean garnet color, there are full juicy berry (cherry and strawberry) flavors on the nose. Also aromas of mint and anise are apparent. In the glass upon tasting, you should receive a jammy, cherry or chocolate covered cherry well-blended experience.  The wine opens up well and you will get even more fruit and oak flavors.  100% pinot from three regions is the secret of this wine.

Not unusual of character in Pinot Noirs, the finish on this wine is medium. Pinot lovers, you have to try this and let me know what you think.  Meiomi also makes a Reserve Pinot Noir that you can order from their website.

Origin: Napa Valley, CA

Grape: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot

Body: Full

Year: 2014

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price point: $40

Year Reviewed: 2018

Sometimes it is fun to evaluate and judge a wine and then read someone else’s review and what aromas and tastes they did reveal from their experience. So I chose this wine since it was a wonderful blend of Cab, Cab Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot….on the order of Bordeaux’s.

Interestingly enough this wine was not clear ruby…It was actually hazy (cloudy) red, but nothing was wrong with this bottle. On the nose, I pick up a bunch of interesting aromas of earth, gamey, animal, leather and black currant leaf, chocolate, and vegetal.

On the palate, you should experience black current, kirsch or menthol, leather, animal and farmyard. You should experience medium bold tannins, medium acidity.  I was expecting a much longer finish on this wine, but it did finish short, although the quality would be rated very good.

Vineyard Notes

While Maestro is inspired by Bordeaux blends, at heart, it’s a free spirit. Rather than a set style, we take our cues each vintage from the vineyards themselves. 2014 was a fantastic season for Cabernet Sauvignon in our prized Wappo Hill and To Kalon vineyards, which led to the inspiration behind this blend. Our 2014 Maestro is designed to capture the refined balance between these two estate vineyards. Part of the Stags Leap growing region, Wappo Hill is a special site offering delicious consistency, and bringing freshness and softness to the wine. Fruit from Oakville’s long-revered To Kalon vineyard, considered Napa Valley’s grand cru, adds structure and bold tannins to the final wine.

Production Notes

2014 started with worrisome, drought-like conditions, and many feared a parched, dry spring as in 2013. Refreshingly, spring rains came in February and into March providing water for the soils and filling reservoirs. The wine growing season will most be remembered for the August 24th earthquake that occurred just as harvest was commencing in the Napa Valley. The vines were not affected and harvest finished early, bringing in beautiful, healthy fruit. Grape picking took place from September 17th to October 17th.

Winemaker Notes

The grapes were hand-harvested into small bins and carefully sorted in our gravity-flow cellar. The clusters were gently destemmed directly into traditional French oak tanks for cold soak, fermentation and extended maceration – a total of 24 days of wine to skin contact – maximizing the extraction of varietal character and complexity while keeping the tannins fleshy and supple. The new wine was drained and gently pressed into 28% new French-oak barrels for malolactic fermentation, assuring seamless integration of fruit and oak. The final blend was assembled through repeated tasting trials over the 21 months of barrel aging.

94 Points

Named for the opening of Robert Mondavi’s To Kalon Cellar in 2000, when the man himself threw a huge “cellar-bration” featuring a commissioned chamber-orchestra piece aptly named “Ode to To Kalon.” It was there that Mr. Mondavi leapt to his feet to lead the music. As a tribute to the pioneering Maestro of Napa Valley’s success, this wine—a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc and 2% each of Merlot and Petit Verdot—offers up a meaty nose of deep, dark chocolate-covered strawberries. Flavors of tobacco, soil, slate, tar and olives go long on gritty tannins, and with a wave of the baton, it finishes on a high note of lilacs and caramel-coated coffee bean.

Meridith May – The Tasting Panel, August 2017

93 Points

This second vintage of a Bordeaux styled blend made in tribute to founder Robert Mondavi features bold menthol aromas and flavors at this point in its development, and there is a fair amount of new oak evident. That said, there’s plenty to like here, both now and for the future…I’m reminded of some of the early offerings from the winery under the maestro’s baton – they always came around.

Rich Cook – WineReviewOnline.com, September 5, 2017

https://www.robertmondaviwinery.com/2014-Robert-Mondavi-Winery-Maestro-Napa-Valley

Origin: Bolghere, Italy

Grape: 30% Cabernet, 30% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot, 10% Teroldego, 10% Syrah

Body: Medium

Year: 2015

Alcohol: 14%

Price point: $26

Year Reviewed: 2018

In the glass, we have a clear medium ruby wine. On the nose, you will experience medium intensities of a variety of aromas, including spices, chamomile, black olive, medicinal, biscuit and yeast, mushroom and toasted smokiness.  Amazing nose.   Once you savor, this wine brings on a higher acidity, medium tannins, a combination of tastes such as raspberries, plum, cabbage, black olives, wet leaves and forest floor.  Love this interesting blend of grapes.  Let this wine get some air, as it will open up lovely in 1-2 hours for some new intense flavors.  Will buy again.  Pair with Lobster Ravioli run over with a Bolognese sauce.

In 1982 Michele started his own winery, one of the first in Bolgheri, with newly acquired vines from his previous employer. In this famous region of Tuscany, Michele rapidly earned respect and became known quickly as a vigneron. Michele even worked as a consultant for other properties in the early 1990s, including Ornellaia at which time Michele planted many of their vineyards. Michele has always been the local expert on the great terroir of Bolgheri and this is why his wines have been so well regarded in Italy.

Michele is a father of six (an example of his traditional roots), a farmer and a winemaker. He is an uncomplicated, sincere and humble man with very clear priorities; family and vines. While he is a traditionalist, he is also a non-conformist. This deferential character, when combined with a deep dedication to perfection, balance in the vineyards and great attention to detail in the cellar, produces Bolgheri wines that communicate the amazing uniqueness of this man and his terroir. Walking with giants is no easy feat, unless you are Michele Satta.

https://www.wine.com/product/michele-satta-rosso-2015/256449

So have you heard of the Teroldege Grape??????

Teroldego is a red Italian grape variety grown primarily in the northeastern region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy

Description[

Wine has been produced since ancient times in “Campo Rotaliano”, an alluvial plain between the rivers Adige (Etsch) and Noce. Teroldegomay take its name from its traditional method of cultivation, trained on a system of “tirelle” or wire harnesses, an explanation that’s more likely, albeit less pretty, than its legendary association with German dialect for gold of the Tirol. Another theory, put forth in the book “Wine Grapes” ^[1] credits a northern Italian village called Teroldege, or Teroldeghe, where documents dated in 15th century refer to the sale of Teroldego wine.^[2] It has recently been discovered to be a full sibling of the Dureza variety from France, which is one of the parents of Syrah.^[3]

The grapes ripen around the last week of September or the first week of October.

Cultivation & winemaking

The wine Teroldego Rotaliano, which is made with this grape in Trentino, has had DOC status since 18 February 1971. It is planted on about 400 hectares and is cultivated by over 300 producers.

Some California authorities compare Teroldego to Zinfandel, with its spicy red fruits, and hints of tar, pine, and almond, but few tasters would confuse the two varieties in a blind tasting. Its snappy acidity makes it a versatile food wine.

In Australia the variety is sparsely planted and has found homes in warmer, coastal climates such as McLaren Vale (Geoff Hardy) and Margaret River. Producers such as Amato Vinoare forging a new direction for the variety with great promise.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teroldego