I decided to end the year with a look back at the wines that I have tasted in
2006. This summary is a shortened version of what I would like to write but time constraints force me to share
only the very best of the year. The term "best" gives me the
creeps; there are so many opinions on the Internet regarding wines that are not trustworthy. I continually
ask myself if I'm any different the the other wine writers.
I can honestly say is that this site does not make money from selling or
recommending wine. I don't get wined and dined by wineries or distributors. I try to be honest and call it as I
see it. I hope you enjoy tasting the wines I've listed below and please send me your feedback on the ones that you
have tasted. These are on my short list for the 2006 tasting year.
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Wine
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Tasting Notes
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How do I get it?
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I've written about the 2003 Scarecrow Cabernet a number of times; the first being in
June when Scarecrow Cabernet was not released and then again in
October when the 2003 Scarecrow arrived in my wine cellar.
I've now tasted the
Scarecrow Cabernet three times and each time the wine reminded me of a young Dalle Valle Maya. I will not
re-taste the 2003 Scarecrow for another 2-3 years since I'm convinced that this wine is a superstar. The
vineyard history and colorful background can be reviewed on their website:
www.scarecrowwine.com
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The richness and integrated tannins of this wine can stack up with any of the California cult wines; all which I have
tasted upon release. This is no flash in the pan. Keep an eye out for their next vintage and my tasting
notes.
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Get on the Scarecrow mailing list ASAP but the 2003 vintage is sold out.
If you act fast you may get some of the 2004 vintage when it releases.
Since the amount of wine produced is so small, the only place to buy this wine now is through auction sites.
The price has jumped from $100 a bottle to $300 a bottle after
Parker gave it 98 points!
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I wrote about the 2003 Almaviva Cabernet in April and
shared my surprise that such a fine wine could be produced in Chile. This past week my good friend Don Asay
stopped by and we re-tasted the 2003 Almaviva; it was even better than April's notes.
This is simply the finest wine from Chile that I have ever tasted and can beat the pants of 85% of all
California Cabernet produced today. This is an amazing wine that is a MUST for any serious collectors cellar.
Get over the fact that you don't have much from Chile in your cellar!
This is in my top 10 new wines for 2006 and I'm very excited to see what comes out of the vineyard next year.
I'm not sure if this is a flash in the pan but while the 2003 vintage is on the market, buy all the
2003 Almaviva Cabernet you can get! This wine was also ranked 26 of out the Wine Spectators top 100 for 2006.
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I visited the
Spring Lake Bottle Shop today
and was shocked to see wooden six-packs of the 2003 Almaviva in the store.
Unknowingly,
Tom Murray, the owner,
shared in my excitement about this wine and bought up all he could find.
Bottle Shop has the wine on sale at $59.99 a bottle; this quality and price makes it a great wine value for the 2006
calendar year.
You can still find this wine on the marketplace but I haven't seen it cheaper, it normally sells around $75 a bottle.
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E|K
Stiling Vineyard |
I have to be honest an open this review with a disclaimer that I have limited my purchases of
California Pinot Noir because I have not been impressed with how they age. In general, wines that don't stand up 5+
years in the cellar, don't get much space on my wine racks.
I don't know how the Pinot Noir's from
Eric Kent Wine Cellars
will age but who cares; I plan to drink them right now. The 2004 Eric Kent Russian River Pinot is the best new
Pinot Noir producer I have tasted in 2006. It is addicting and this has been confirmed every time I shared this
wine with friends.
The odd thing about this wine is that it is a bit cloudy; it must not be filtered. Aside from that visual
pause, the noise and flavors produced in the glass is amazing. I have not served this Pinot to anyone who didn't
enjoy it. If you like a nice light red wine, then get on their mailing list.
The fruit comes from the
Stiling Vineyard in the Russian River and the independent vineyard owners sell their grapes to: Gary Farrell,
Scherer, Darioush, Simi and
Eric Kent Wine Cellars
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I found this wine a
Dean and Deluca in St. Helena
on my trip this past summer to the Napa valley. This is a great store and a great place to discover new wines.
When I'm in the area, I stop in and get a mixed case of wines from all new producers. i then go back, taste
them and compare notes with the staff at Dean and Deluca. This system has proven to ferret out some great
new wines.
Eric Kent has limited national distribution but you can still find some of this vintage on-line; I found the
wine at
The Cork Screw. You
should also get on their mailing list by visiting their website at:
www.erickentwines.com
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2001 Kobalt Cabernet
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I first wrote about the
2002 Kobalt Cabernet
in February after my friend Joe Monte opened a bottle of the 2002 vintage. I had previously tasted the 2001 but for
some reason, did not write an article on the experience.
Just last week I re-tasted the
2001 Kobalt Cabernet
and it was rich, showing hints of sweet fruit and delicious like a Colgin Herb Lamb Cabernet from a great vintage.
I only have a few bottles of the
2001 Kobalt in my cellar and I
am now starting a search to order another case, if I can find it on the market. This is a stellar wine that
reflects the very best of the 2001 California vintage. I just can't believe why more people are not raving about
this wine?
I suggest that you get on their mailing list before this wine gets any more press.
www.kobaltwines.com or you can call them at:
707.738.8742
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I have never seen the 2001 Kobalt in a New Jersey wine store so locally I don't have
any answers.
Take a look on the Internet, it looks like the wine is trading at $135 per bottle for the 2001 vintage;
Raeders Wine is
showing it in stock as I write this article.
Wine Commune had many lots trade at prices around $100 per bottle but there are no active auctions that I can see.
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2001 Casanova
Di Neri
Tenuta Nuova
Brunello di Montalcino
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I get a chuckle when I write about a wine that is later picked up by the national wine press. I first
wrote about the 2001 Casanova di Neri Brunello in
September of 2005; over a year before Wine Spectator named it
Wine of the Year.
I tasted the 2001 Brunello at the home of Giacomo Neri, winemaker and owner,
on my trip to Montalcino in July of 2005.
I was blown away on how good this young Brunello tasted. It was inky purple and loaded with concentrated fruit;
unlike many of the traditional Brunello's made in Montalcino.
Giacomo is testing out new techniques to bring the very best expression of the Sangiovese grapes grown in Montalcino.
Their
new winery facility is
mostly underground and one of the finest facilities in the area.
Many of my wine friends do not like Italian wines; so if you don't like the rustic and dry edges of Brunello's.
don't but this wine. However, if you enjoy Italian wines then I would strongly recommend purchasing this wine
and let it age until 2009 and then start drinking the velvety wine.
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The wine is very well distributed but once the Wine Spectator article came out, price went
up and availability went down.
Before the Wine Spectator review, the wine was selling for $60 a bottle. Now, the
wine is selling for over $100 per bottle.
I don't want to say I told you so, but....
Check out the on-line retailers and auction sites. The wine is out there so you should not have a problem
adding the 2001 Casanova di Neri Brunello to your collection.
Enjoy this wine with a plate of hard Italian cheese, Proscuitto di Parma and some crusty Italian bread dipped in
extra virgin olive oil. Mmmmmm....
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2000 & 2001
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Keeping on an Italian theme I found my ultimate Italian wine this past summer in Rome. Its a
tradition of mine when I visit Rome to east at
Ristorante Enoteca Capranica, located in Piazza Capranica. Mario Rispoli, the owner of the restaurant,
has an amazing knowledge of Italian wines and a great selection of wines to enjoy with your meal.
He recommended that I taste the
2000 Tenuta Di Trinoro; at $300 a bottle I was a bit skeptical.
I'm so glad I trusted his judgment because the wine was fantastic. The finest red wine I have tasted from Italy.
My brother Scott, who is an avid Bordeaux collector, called it the Screaming Eagle of Italy. He loved the wine and
bought a case of the 2001 vintage at
Osticcio. I first wrote about this story in
July and then again in
August. I also had the 2001 vintage at dinner at Villa D'Este on lake Como and that was a spectacular,
although a much younger feeling, bottle of wine.
The wine is crafted by an eccentric winemaker who hands picks his grapes and has made it his goal to make the single
best bottle of wine in Italy. I think he has accomplished that feat!
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This wine is highly allocated and the best restaurants in New York City only get a few
bottles.
The wine is available on some auction sites but I have not seen the great 2000 or 2001 vintages for sale.
This is a wine to watch out for an contact your local wine shop to see if they can order the next vintage that is
released.
You can also visit the winery website at:
www.trinoro.com
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2005 Enchanted Path
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Let me first say that I'm on the consumer advisory board for Mollydooker as well as building their
winery to consumer website.
That aside, I think I can be very objective in saying that their first year releases took me and the wine public by
storm.
Their portfolio of $15 and $20 wines were probably the best wine value of the year. Then they backed these
wines up with Enchanted Path (RP-96) and
Carnival of Love (RP-99) to show that they can make wine to please every day drinkers
as well as wine collectors.
I first wrote about their new project in
March and then hosted the first East Coast tasting of the
2005 Mollydooker portfolio at my home. Before all the scores came out my tasting group ordered over 140 cases of
wine. Lucky for everyone who responded to the invite as their wine investment doubled before they even got the
wine! My friend Don Asay only ordered three cases of one wine, since he loved only one wine; Carnival of Love
(RP-99). He was a visionary that night; even though a bit picky!
Then I arranged a tasting for the public to attend at
Hamilton Jewelers in Red Bank NJ in July, just after parker
gave their entry level wines great scores including 95 points to "The Boxer". It has been a long time since
Parker gave a $20 bottle of wine 95 points.
Their entire portfolio was wonderful but my favorite of the pack was the
Enchanted Path
(original retail $60). This wine was drinking smoother than the Carnival of Love Shiraz at my summer
tasting. Both wines are powerhouses that need a few years of aging to start their evolution to perfection.
I recommend getting a few bottles of Enchanted Path and Carnival of Love and mark them to be opened in 2010, 2013 and
2016. If you have that much self control, I think you will be amazed on how well Sparky and Sarah's wines age.
Based on my tasting notes on their first 1998 Shiraz that I tasted this year, they have a fine track record of success.
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The 2005 vintage is sold out at the retail level. There are some stores still carrying the
more expensive wines but they have been marked up since Robert Parkers scores came out. Right now the
Carnival of Love (original retail $60) is selling for over $120 per bottle.
The wine
is readily available at these inflated prices on sites like
www.winebid.com or you can just come over and drink a bottle with me! Bring some good aged Gouda.
I strongly recommend that you signup for their mailing list at
www.mollydookerwines.com
Starting in late January, they will open their mailing list to their new US wine club. This will allow you to
purchase their wines direct without the Parker markup. The 2006 vintage includes some new wines including a new "Integrity"
killer that will knock your socks off.
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Rising Stars in 2007?
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It never hurts to get on a mailing list of a winery that may be an up and coming star to your
palate. In 2006 I wrote about a few new projects that I am anxiously awaiting to taste again. I would recommend you
write and get on the mailing list of these new names:
Buccella Winery - Wrote about this wine in
November and their 2004 vintage offer just came in the mail.
MX Winery - The only zinfandel a
raved about this year was the "Amnesia" from this project. I also wrote about their massive
2004 Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet in November as
well as the original inside scoop article back in
March.
Pharaoh Moans
- This is one that will be shipping this Spring and I can't wait to dig in. I love Shiraz and Syrah based wines so
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this lives up to the inside hype. I first wrote about this project in
May.
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Looking at 2007
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I want to thank everyone who visits the site and send in their feedback. This is a fun project and it
motivates me when people react to what I write.
I'm always looking for new writers, so if you would like to submit and
article to this site, send me a draft. Pass the word on to your wine friends; additional commentary would be
great.
I'm also looking for writers that work or live in New York City for a new project on
William and Beaver Streets. I would like to have interested writer highlight some of the best places in lower
Manhattan in the William beaver neighborhood.
Wishing you and your family a very Happy and Healthy New Year!
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