Live Wine Blogging from WBC in Sonoma



By Kori ~ July 24th, 2009.

2:30pm
Dad (John), Colby, and I are here at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma County, California. We are just about to begin the Live Wine Blogging segment featuring wines poured for us by the winemakers themselves. We will update this post as we go.

Having major wi-fi issues at the host hotel. So they’ve switched a few things on the agenda and postponed the Live Wine Blogging segment. Hopefully, they’ll get it sorted out and we’ll be back soon.

3:38pm
2007 Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, CA): 89% Zinfandel, 8% Petite Sirah, 3% Syrah. Dark cherry, black fruits, lots of oak. A little hot. Very dry. Long finish. Young, should get better with a little age.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $38

3:42pm
2007 Twisted Oak Winery River of Skulls Calaveras County Mourvedre (Calaveras County, CA): 88% Mourvedre, 12% Syrah. Red fruits especially raspberries. Smoky aromas. Smooth, long finish. Will be released in one month.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $35

3:49pm
2006 Schramsberg Vineyards North Coast Blanc de Blancs (North Coast, CA): 100% Chardonnay. A beautiful sparkling wine. Citrus, vanilla, and nutty aromas and flavors. Smooth, crisp. Long finish. Very well-balanced.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $36

3:54pm
2008 FishEye California Pinot Grigio (California): Apple, pear, melon. Very crisp, fresh. Amazing value for a summer sipper.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $7

4:00pm
NV Pinot Evil Pinot Noir (Vin de Pays de l’ile de Beaute, France): 3L boxed wine. Once opened, will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 6 weeks. Nose is very tight. Muted black fruits. Some acidity. A little too plain and simple.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $19.99 [3L box]

4:06pm
2007 Cupcake Vineyards Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon (Central Coast, CA): Lots of oak on the nose. Dark cherries, blackberries. Chocolate, cocoa. Medium to full-bodied. Long finish. Approachable now.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $13.99

4:12pm
2005 Snows Lake Vineyard Two (Red Hills Lake County, CA): 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Cabernet Franc. Luscious black fruit aromas, black cherry, blackberry. Full-bodied, lively, high tannins. Long finish. Should soften with a little more age.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $45

4:18pm
2007 Cecchetti Racke Line 39 Lake County Petite Sirah (Lake County, CA): Earthy, barnyard aromas. Dark black fruits and bitter chocolate on the palate. Full-bodied. Very acidic, long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $10

4:24pm
2007 Cline Cellars Ancient Vines Mourvedre (Contra Costa County, CA): Bing cherries, burnt toast on the nose. More cherries and pepper come through on the palate. A bit tart. Medium-bodied, medium tannins. Smooth, long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $16

4:30pm
2007 Tandem Wines Manchester Ridge Vineyard Chardonnay (Mendocino Ridge, CA): Butter, oaky, vanilla, and lemon zest aromas. Fortunately the oak is not as heavy on the palate. Lemon, lime, lots of citrus flavors. Medium-bodied, smooth, long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $54

4:36pm
2007 Foggy Bridge G.E.O. San Francisco Bay Chardonnay (San Francisco Bay, CA): G.E.O. stands for Green Earth Origin. Predominately apple aromas with a hint of cheese. Doesn’t taste like a typical Chardonnay. Light-bodied, crisp.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $18

4:42pm
2007 Clif Family Winery Gary’s Improv Syrah (Napa Valley, CA): Same family that owns Clif Bar Company. Dark fruits and beef jerky on the nose. Black plums, blackberry, and pepper come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, high tannins, long finish. Seems a little young, should improve with age.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $35

4:49pm
This concludes the Live Wine Blogging segment. Whew! A fast-paced process but lots of fun.

Cheers!


Filed under: American Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Wine, Chardonnay, Five-Bangs For Your Buck Wines, French Wine, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Red Wine, Shiraz/Syrah, Sparkling Wine, White Wine, Wine Activities/Events, Wines NOT To Buy (1 & 2 Star), Wines Over $25, Wines Under $10, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, Wines Under $25, Zinfandel

Reader's Comments

  1. VintageTexas | July 24th, 2009 at 3:27 pm

    Do any of you have the ability to tweet or blog from your SmartPhone?

    Russ

  2. Kori | July 24th, 2009 at 5:03 pm

    Hi Russ,
    Just saw your comment. I do have the ability to tweet from my Blackberry but was glad they got the wi-fi back up so I could post directly to the blog. Cheers!

  3. vintagetexas | July 24th, 2009 at 5:15 pm

    You have the best notes I have read so far. Most are social banter on twitter.

    Russ

  4. Kori | July 24th, 2009 at 11:37 pm

    Thanks, Russ. I really appreciate your kind comments. Cheers!