Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio 2009

I came home from a long day of windshield time and L was preparing beef skewers on the grill. I asked what kind of wine she wanted and she said, "Something Big!!". So, I served up a surprise. What? A tasty, full bodied, serious drinking wine from where? Jumilla, Spain? Just because my expectations were so low doesnt diminish the results of this blockbuster tasting. As noted in an earlier blog, we're huge fans of big fruit filled Syrahs and this stood with the best of them, with none of that metallic, mineral or creosote that I expected of a Spanish Red. A blend of  70% Monastrell (and 30% cabernet sauvignon) which I now know is aka Mouvedre which is the M in GSM - Genache, Mouvedre and Syrah, a popular blend in the Rhone River Valley as well as South Central Australia. Now I learn that the chief winemaker for this wine is Chris Ringland of R Wines as in big fruity Aussie Shiraz. - is there a pattern emerging here? 

The 2009 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio, much like the 2004, is another in a series of show stoppers, consistently over-achieving, full-bodied reds. Look at this track record (all scores from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate): 2003 - 96 points; 2004 - 97 points; 2005 - 95 points; 2006 - 95 points; 2007 - 94 points, 2008 -94 points. 

While I found this to be not as fruit filled and oppulant as the earlier tasting of the 2004 (see my earlier blog of the 2004 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio), the 2009 gets high marks and glowing reviews indeed. Glass-coating opaque purple color, full bodied with a full bouquet of black fruits - black berry, black currant and black cherry, a layer of smoke, anise and expresso with a long lingering subtle oak moderate tannin finish. Give it time to open. It was more approachable ninety minutes later... but we were finished by then. While not inexpensive at $40, it does pack a lot for that pricepoint and delivers a reasonable QPR (quality price ratio) even at that level. and it lists for more in a lot of places. 

RM 91 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1248745

http://www.orowines.com/ 

See the Rhone Report who gives it a 95+:
"Possibly my favorite vintage of this to date, the brilliant 2009 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio, mostly old vine Monastrell that?s aged in new French oak, boasts awesome aromatics of smoky blackberry and creme de cassis that?s intermixed with notions of roasted coffee, chocolate, mineral, and sweet spice on the nose. Full-bodied, impeccably balanced, and awesomely fresh and focused, this blockbuster has layers of sweet fruit and texture, ripe tannin, and a detailed, clean finish. While no doubt a seriously fruited wine that carries a shine of classy oak, it has real depth, character, and structure. It's beautiful now with a decant, but should be even better with 2-3 years of bottle age, and drink well for a decade or longer. I'm a huge fan and this is all around impressive!"

International Wine Report 92+
"The 2009 Clio is made in a very modern style. The color on this is deep purple almost black, it is packed tightly with blackberry jam, blueberry, sweet currant, spice, citrus peel, toasty oak, espresso and crushed floral. This is deeply layered, dense and racy with polished tannins that explode on your palate. This finish doses out more black fruit and chocolaty espresso notes that linger. This is delicious and hard to resist, so give this a few hours of air-time if drinking now."

Chateau Tanunda "Chateau" 100 Year Old Vines Barossa Shiraz

Chateau Tanunda "The Chateau" 100 Year Old Vines Eden Valley Barossa Shiraz 

Full bodied, complex, concentrated, full lingering tannins predominate the dense, black and blue berry fruits with hints of liquorice, plum and spice and spicy oak.

RM 93 points.

The Barossa is home to some of the world’s oldest Shiraz vines and the grapes for this wine come from hundred year old vines from a high altitude, one acre single vineyard in the Eden Valley.


We discovered this wine at the Wine Spectator Grand Tour in Chicago when it was being poured by Chateau Tanunda's Dagmar O'Neill. Only 100 cases were produced. We orchestrated a purchase of nine three packs in OWC's (shown below) which we split amongst the wine team, pictured below.

Tasted with/at Eric & Cathy's - a perfect combination with bar-b-que'd boneless pork loin ribs and roast with Shoup's famous Indiana Bar-B-Que sauce.

Shown at left are the three pack OWC (Original Wood Cases of
Chateau Tanunda "The Chateau" 100 Year Old Vines Eden Valley Barossa Shiraz.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=937673

http://www.chateautanunda.com/

OTB - Open That Bottle! Wine team at Grand Tour Chicago -
(L-R) Rick, Ernie, Bill, Dan, Eric and Lyle.

Here are Bill's notes from Cellartracker.

"WOW! A real heavyweight and a spectacular bottle of wine. Deep indigo color. Clings to the glass. Full of fruit as expected but rounder and better balanced than most Aussie Shiraz. Does not express the tangy almost medicinal taste associated with the better Shiraz."

Bill C - 96 points. 



 

Mitolo G.A.M. McLaren Vale Shiraz 2003

Mitolo G.A.M. McLaren Vale South Australia Shiraz 2003

We love Aussie Shiraz and we drink a lot of it. This one is classic example of how it at times is over-hyped. Its a big complex, fruity wine with long lingering tannins, but in my opinion, it lacks the breadth, depth, concentration and complexity implied by its stupendous reviews.

The 2003 Mitolo G.A.M. is named for the initials of producer Frank Mitolo's three children: Gemma, Alexander and Marco, a notable tribute indeed. The family owned winery of Frank and Simone Mitolo was joined in partnership by Winemaker Ben Glaetzer in 2001. Fruit for this label is sourced from the single Chinese Block vineyard in the Willunga District at the southern end of McLaren Vale, an hour south of Adelaide. The 2003 growing season had almost perfect ripening conditions from veraison through to harvest that yielded limited quantities of incredibly full flavoured and deep coloured fruit.

The juice was aged in fine grained French oak (70% new plus 30% one and two year old French/American oak). The product resulted in a dense ruby purple color, full bodied, complex flavors of blackberries, black currant, leather, hints of blueberry, cassis, licorice and a layer of spicy oak on a lingering gripping tannin finish. 

Robert Parker gave this wine a rating of  96-100 points and said, "This complex 2003 comes across as a hypothetical blend of a great La Mission-Haut-Brion from Bordeaux and a Rhone Valley Hermitage such as Chapoutier’s Pavillon. Everything is seamlessly integrated into this tour de force in winemaking"


K&L say of this wine - "Winemaker Mitolo delivers wines that express purity of varietal flavour, show elegance of structure with soft tannins whilst being rich, powerful and complex. All the grapes are picked on flavour ripeness which contributes to the soft, ripe tannins and vibrant fruit which is a key characteristic of all Mitolo wines. G.A.M. is opulent and robust, with a focus on finesse and multilayered complexity. It exhibits typical Mitolo softness and richness."

I found the wine to be polished, full bodied, fruit forward with gripping body and tannins, but more subdued than and not a big as the grand rating suggest, or than other labels of near vintages.

Tasted BYOB with L at Angeli's Italian Restaurant in Naperville, our favorite neighborhood Italian Trattoria. 

I give it 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=32822

http://www.mitolowines.com.au/product/G-A-M--Shiraz

Lail Blueprint Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Upon perusing the winelist at Woodmont Grill/Houston's Steak House in Bethesda, this wine popped out as an obvious choice that I wanted to try, and to compare to an earlier vintage of which I had a positive memory. I must admit I was disappointed. I realize now I was comparing this 'second' label with their flagship Daniel Cuvee which is named in a tribute to third generation patriarch and producer dating back to the original Inglenook Vineyards.

Lail Vineyard’s have a rich Napa history reaching back five generations to Gustav Niebaum founder of Inglenook. John Daniel who ran Inglenook which evolved over the generations to the present Lail Vineyards is third generation great granduncle of current generation owner/producer Robin Daniel Lail.

Lail have teamed with legendary winemaker Phillipe Melka who holds degrees in geology, agronomy and enology and 15 years of experience in France, Australia, Italy, and is known to produce a mix of old and new world style wines expressing the 'terrior' or sense of place of the vineyards - the relationship between the terrain, climate, soil, and the wine - crafted to achieve the highest quality the source site can offer.


I'm a big fan of winemaker Phillipe Melka and always welcome a chance to sample his handywork.

This Blueprint Cabernet Sauvignon is made from fruit purchased from four separate vineyards in addition to Lail estate. It strives to provide classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon at a more approachable price.

The 2008 Blueprint exhibits medium to full body, dark ruby/purple color, somewhat subdued black current and black cherry fruits accented with hints of licorice and roasted herbs with soft delicate tannins on a modest finish. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1086294

http://www.lail-vineyards.com/

http://www.hillstone.com/#/restaurants/woodmontGrill/ 

Landing in DC suburb Bethesda, we were waiting for our dinner table at Woodmont Grill who offered a selection of various wines by the glass. We were able to continue our Zinfandel 'flight' from the previous evening with two more Napa Valley Zinfandel based blends.

Brown Estate Napa Valley Zinfandel 2010

From the Chiles Valley, this is Brown's Estate Zinfandel, an expression of their house style. Medium-full bodied, moderately spicy black raspberry, black cherry and black currant fruits, flavors accented by dusty earth, briary asphalt, a touch spice, and toasty oak. A little too earthy with creosote overtaking the berry fruits for my taste.
 
RM 87 points. Robert Parker 91 points. Connoisseurs Guide 91 points.

http://www.brownestate.com/wines

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1082991

 

Duckhorn Paraduxx Napa Valley Red Wine 2008

Medium to full bodied, dark and brambly, with black raspberry and black cherry fruits, cedar, dried sage, tobacco leaf and hints of dark chocolate and subtle hints of pepper, cinnamon, and clove spice.

RM 88 points. 

Blend of 68% Zinfandel, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1074154

http://www.paraduxx.com/

Tasted w/  Danny, George, and Nelson.

Ravenswood Zin Pair and Phelps Napa Cab

Ravenswood Zin Pair and Phelps Napa Cab

I believe every wine cellar needs a selection of Zinfandels for pairing with hearty cheeses, tangy pasta sauses and bar-b-que. Ravenswood with their motto "No Wimpy Wines', is a staple for every cellar, especially more modest cellars, given their range of selection and offering of high QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) wines. Joel Peterson of Ravenswood, the 'Godfather of Zin' is arguably the world's leading Zin producer.

Tonight we comparison tasted two Ravenswood Zinfandels, a 'County' selection from Napa Valley and a Single Vineyard designated selection from Sonoma County Tedelschi Vineyard. After this experience, I will expand that recommendation to also include some single vineyard designated Zins in addition to basic or standard label offerings. Of course other Zinfandel producers noted for single vineyard designated selections with such quality and breadth and depth of Zinfandel selections are Ridge Vineyards and, no discussion of Zinfandel collections would be complete without mentioning Helen Turley wines, although she lacks the modest lower price entry level offerings available from the others.

Not a fair fight. This pairing posed a bit of a challenge - a single vineyard designated bottling versus a standard label blend. Which one do you do first? This experience was an object lesson to taste the pedestrian basic wine first as the conventions spelled out in my Wine Tasting 101 rules of wine tasting dictate - lighter, simpler to heavier and more complex.  In this case we tasted the higher quality designated label which completely outperformed and outshined the lesser label rendering it lackluster and uninspiring. Had we started with the lesser wine it might have had a chance - we might've enjoyed and appreciated it for what it was, and then be pleasantly surprised and treated to the more complex, polished and distinguishable designate. Indeed, on the producer's website they list the Single Vineyard designated wines in tasting order and even there, the Teldeschi is listed sixth out of seven in rank order. All the more reason to have a tasting strategy - even at a basic dinner experience. In this instance, I jumped on the Teldeschi - eager to try it, without considering what might follow. After tasting and finishing the first bottle, I then selected the second as a basis for comparison. I am glad I did, but in retrospect, we should've done them in reverse order. Only we wine-geeks consider or obsess over such detail! I'll hold on to my 'day' job and continue to do this for recreation!

Ravenswood Teldeschi Vineyard Sonoma County Dry Creek Zinfandel 2008

The mostly old vines that of the Sonoma County Teldeschi vineyard are Zinfandel, Carignane, and Petite Sirah. The three varieties are fermented separately and blended to taste.

Consistent with what the winemaker's notes indicate, the 2008 Teldeschi is nearly black in color, complex, smooth and polished with big forward aromas of black cherry, coffee, hints of caramel, and dark chocolate with full flavors of sweet cherry liqueur, vanilla and smoke leading to a ripe, dense, gently tannic, long and bright fruit finish.

Blend - 75% Zinfandel, 20% Petite Sirah, 3% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet

RM 91 points.

http://www.ravenswoodwinery.com/wines/release/2008_teldeschi_zinfandel 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=901367

Ravenswood Napa Valley Old Vine Zinfandel 2010

From the Ravenswood 'County' series.

Full-bodied, aromas and flavors of blackberry and black cherry with notes of cocoa and baking spices, finishing with jammy fruit, dark chocolate, and lively acidity. A bit flat and single dimensional compared to the Teldeschi above.

RM 87 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1378016

The Blend: 76% Zinfandel, 23% Petite Sirah, 1% Carignane
Source of fruit: 44% Napa Valley, 27% Oakville, 23% St. Helena, 6% Sonoma County


To finish the flight, George selected a traditionally classic Napa Cab.


Joseph Phelps, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

The grapes are sourced from five (of seven) different Phelps estate vineyards: the Home Ranch in St. Helena, Suscol in South Napa, Yountville in the Oak Knoll District, Banca Dorada in Rutherford and Las Rocas in the Stags Leap District.

Full bodied, complex, nicely balanced, smooth and polished with aromas and flavors of blackberry, black cherry, ripe plum with notes of chocolate mocha and anise, and hints of espresso and spicy oak on a long silky tannin finish. 


Blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot.

 RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1334608

http://www.jpvwines.com/ 


Tasted at Seasons 52 restaurant in Tyson's Corner w/ Danny A, James S, George N and David I.

http://www.seasons52.com/