Pierre Sparr Alsace Pinot Blanc – 2006 – 8.9 – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

This is a splendid Pinot Blanc; a wine that has a stake in the acid, alcohol and fruit camps equally.  The acids are bracing and abundant; this wine gives a great diversity of notes: truffled honey, white nectarine, tart apple, wood,  early harvest mellon and white pepper.

Purchased at K&L Wines, San Francisco. klwines.com – $7.99 reg $11.99; such a great deal.

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A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions around the world. Read more of my wine reviews: jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2009 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez – All Rights Reserved.  James the Wine Guy also on Facebook, Twitter and most major social medias.

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Maison Angelot Bugey Mondeuse – 2007 – 8.3 -James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

Closure on this bottle is synthetic (points deducted); I was disappointed; and in spite of this closure the wine did well—imagine this wine with a natural cork.

This is a varietal that we hardly see.  The Mondeuse presents a unique wine and a very gorgeous color of rubies.  The wine gives a generous acid backed with significant dark fruit; blueberry, blackberry; Fall wood and dense earthy tones in a back drop of splendid spice of ground clove, cinnamon, and cardamom.

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A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions around the world. Read more of my wine reviews: jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2009 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez – All Rights Reserved.  James the Wine Guy also on Facebook, Twitter and most major social medias.

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Fontanafredda Briccotondo Piemonte Barbera – 2007 – 8.8 – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

This Barbera is quite dry presents with considerable and bold acid; Boysenberry, vanilla, pine and cedar forest, underbrush, plum confit, and ground mace.  A lovely wine that is nice with food and equally nice as a stand alone wine.

Purchased at K&L Wines San Francisco – $11.99

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A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions around the world. Read more of my wine reviews: jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2009 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez – All Rights Reserved.  James the Wine Guy also on Facebook, Twitter and most major social medias.

See James the Wine Guy channel for videos on YouTube:

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Alamos Mendoza Viognier – 2007 – 8.7 – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

This Viognier possess abundant citrus notes: grapefruit zest, Meyer lemon, pineapple, almonds and white flower notes.   This is satisfying wine (not my dream Viognier) but for $7.99 you can’t go wrong.  Purchased at KL Wines San Francisco (klwines.com) $7.99–a steal.

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A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions around the world. Read more of my wine reviews: jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2009 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez – All Rights Reserved.  James the Wine Guy also on Facebook, Twitter and most major social medias.

See James the Wine Guy channel for videos on YouTube:

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Closures; Don’t Count Cork Out – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

Published today in Wines & Vines is an article citing that cork closure creates less pollution than any other closure type including screwcap.  Cork led in six of seven categories; and the categories are:

1) Energy consumption

2) Water consumption

3) Greenhouse gases emissions

4) Atmospheric acidification

5) Contribution to the formation of photochemical oxidants

6) Contribution to eutrophication

7) Solid waste production

The only category where cork did not excel was water consumption.  Cork has had a bad rap for over a decade and unnecessarily so.  I have read of cork failure at 10%–a 10% failure rate is greatly exaggerated.  I have experienced less than a 1% failure rate.

And cork for me gives me the assurance of purity of flavor; I am not the only one with a sensitive palette that notes the synthetic cork and how this does have a profound touch on the wine it is protecting.

Though this study is one step to getting back to cork; I do think it will take more awareness to bring this back to the center point it has been as the dominate closure.  The deciding factor will not be the environment; unfortunately, as long as other closures are less expensive it will be hard to stem that tide.  Given our hyper awareness of environmental issues and coupling a preference for cork can bring this closure back to it lauded position.

I know that cork is for me and the wine bottles that I possess.

http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=61681&htitle=Study%20Calls%20Cork%20the%20Most%20Eco-Friendly

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A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions around the world. Read more of my wine reviews: jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2009 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez – All Rights Reserved.  James the Wine Guy also on Facebook, Twitter and most major social medias.

See James the Wine Guy channel for videos on YouTube:

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Time to Celebrate – Inaugural Wines – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

I know a few people who plan to open a bottle of bubbly to celebrate Barack Obama’s Presidential inauguration during the broadcast—for the West Coast that begins at 8:00 am and the East Coast that is 11:00 am.  What ever your plans for the inauguration it is a time celebrate.  Bubbly is a great wine to usher in milestones and in particular this historical moment.  And milestones marked by bubbly is coveted and recalled.   To reflect Obama’s pledges for a new era in international relations are wines not just American wines but Champagnes as well; French is an international language and is used in almost all international documents and treaties.  And interestingly is how much of American sparkling wines have a relationship with a Champagne house

Sparkling Wine & Champagne

•    Roederer Estate L’Ermitage 2002 – 52% Pinot Noir and 48% Pinot Noir – a wine that comes from Anderson Valley – a superbly cool and apt appellation for sparkling.  This is a coveted wine that will be remembered.
•    Domaine Carneros La Reve – 100% Chardonnay
•    Domaine Chandon Etoile Brut – 53% Chadonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, and 2% Pinot Meunier
•    Canard Duchene Brut N.V.
•    Ayala Brut Majeur N.V.
•    Bollinger Grande Année 1999
•    Bruno Paillard Brut Premiere Cuvee
•    Charles Heidseick Brut Reserve

These inaugural wines are all memorable.  I have highlighted the higher end American sparklers because they are special and well made bottles of wine.  Few people enjoy these wines and this occasion lends itself for opening something spectacular.

The Champagne with the exception of the Bollinger are non-vintage widely available in larger to middle sized metropolitan cities.  The prices are reasonable and quality is superb; theses wines from the other red, white and blue that are outstanding and will remembered.  You may have a tried and true bottle of bubbly—why not make a change in a year of change and in this auspicious milestone of change.

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A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions around the world. Read more of my wine reviews: jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2009 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez – All Rights Reserved.  James the Wine Guy also on Facebook, Twitter and most major social medias.

See James the Wine Guy channel for videos on YouTube:

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Maipe Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon – 2007 – 8.2 – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

This wine presents with a multitude of blueberry confit,; underbrush, sage, fennel and Malabar pepper; disappointed this has a synthetic closure–I taste this immediately on first taste.

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A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions around the world. Read more of my wine reviews: jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2009 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez – All Rights Reserved.  James the Wine Guy also on Facebook, Twitter and most major social medias.

See James the Wine Guy channel for videos on YouTube:

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Viu Manent “Secreto” Casablanca Valley Sauvignon Blanc – 2007 – 9.0 – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

A stunningly gorgeous wine shimmering with a pale straw-gold color this wine gives bold and scintillating acids; abundant tropical notes: pineapple, guava and passionfruit; ground clove, cinnamon and black pepper.  A wonderful find and an outstanding value (Wine Club San Francisco $8.99)

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A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions around the world. Read more of my wine reviews: jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2009 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez – All Rights Reserved.  James the Wine Guy also on Facebook, Twitter and most major social medias.

See James the Wine Guy channel for videos on YouTube:

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Valdelainos Rueda Verdejo Rueda – 2007 – 8.9 – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

This Verdejo exhibits a polish between acid, mineral and summer melon; a completely lovely wine that gives noticeable summer fruit and is tamed by notes of pecan and almond.  A wine that is approachable year round and is an extraordinary buy.

I purchased this bottle at Costco in Plano, TX for under $10.

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A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions around the world. Read more of my wine reviews: jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2009 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez – All Rights Reserved.  James the Wine Guy also on Facebook, Twitter and most major social medias.

See James the Wine Guy channel for videos on YouTube:

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Frei Brothers Russian River Valley Reserve Chardonnay – 2006 – 8.7 – James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez

This is a straw yellow wine; quite pale and encapsulates acid that balances  intense baking spice: nutmeg and mace with just sliced green apple.

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A plethora of wine reviews from wines regions around the world. Read more of my wine reviews: jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com © 2009 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez – All Rights Reserved.  James the Wine Guy also on Facebook, Twitter and most major social medias.

See James the Wine Guy channel for videos on YouTube:

www.youtube.com/user/jamesthewineguy