Tasting x2

I made it to both tastings this weekend & tried some great wines. First, was the Grateful Palate tasting hosted by Great Wines. It was all Australian wines imported by Dan Philips of Grateful Palate fame. There were some outstanding picks in his line-up.
My scribblings from the tasting...

Trevor Jones' Boots White '04/'05- a muscat/reisling blend. light & fruity. nice.
Marquis Philips Holly's Blend '04- a blend of sauvignon blanc & verdejo ***
Paringa Chard-Semillion-Sauvignon Blanc '04- light & crisp. refreshing.
Trevor Jones' Boots Grenache '02/'03- my favorite. **** maple syrup, rich, balanced by a nice acidtiy.
McLean's Farm Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon '04- light & simple, good food wine. nice finish.
Alliance Shiraz '01- nice thick nose, coffee, deep & dark, with lots of fruit. ****
Brothers in Arms Shiraz '01- spicy, smooth, thick, meaty, smokey, palate coating, but hot. nice lingering finish.
Marquis Philips S2 Cabernet Sauvignon '04- dense, dark nose with leather, caramel & dried fruit. Toffee, caramel, sweet roasted peppers & currants in the mouth. deep. nice.

I talked to Dan Philips briefly & he was a really nice guy. He seemed to float effortlessly around the room, making time to say hello to everyone. Everyone seemed to really like his offerings too.


Next up, was the "Wines with your BBQ" themed tasting hosted by Buster's. They had a nice spread with three...count 'em, THREE Zinfandels. I was excited to say the least & zipped right through the whites more or less as a formality, but really just to see if anything spoke to me. Two did.

I tried an Argyle Chardonay Williamette Valley '04 that was very nice. It was crisp & oaky, full of toasted almond sweetness, almost like a jordan almond. I might have to get a bottle at some point.

The next wine that unexpectedly grabbed my attention was the E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rose '04. It was full of bright cherry & strawberry. My notes say "Get a bottle!". I will.

My notes are barely legible at this point. I already tried two of the three zins, a 2003 Renwood Zinfandel & the 2003 Ridge Three Valleys Zinfandel both are some of my favorite Zins. The Ridge is loaded with espresso, cocoa & coffee. The Renwood is full of ripe jammy berries & a touch of smokey, meat.

I also tried a 2004 Alexander Valley SinZin which was very nice but I think the Renwood is much better value at $12, while the SinZin comes in at $17 & doesn't offer anything the Renwood doesn't have.

I also tried a 2001 Zaccagnini "Stick Wine" Montepulciano. This was my first taste of this Italian varietal & I loved it. It wasn't too acidic, but still had enough backbone to stand up to a good red sauce. It was spicy & full of fruit. This is another one for the shopping list.

It was a great time & a lot of really fantastic wines were tasted. I wish every weekend was this action packed with tasting action.