Welcome to Capo's Wineblog

Welcome to Capo's Wineblog.
This being my first foray into wine criticism/review, I thought it would be best to give just a few notes on my background. I grew up on the East Coast in a food and wine loving family. My Aunt Morgan was (and still is) in the wine business, so great wine always made it to our table for holidays and gatherings. I started tasting wine long before my 21st birthday, so I got a bit of a head start into the world of wine. I think I was 13 (might have been 14) when I tasted a flight of six Chardonnays together for the first time. Learning the differences between different places and vintages has always captivated me. The unending learning curve of the wine world is addictive (intellectually speaking) and I have to say that those who have gotten a taste for it are never the same. I had an early preference for white wines until a college friend (Thanks Erin) introduced me to some mid range reds and that, as they say, was that. I drank every wine I could afford (not that many on a waiter's salary) for a few years, until I got a job as Sommelier for Chef Cindy Wolf Charleston in Baltimore, MD. Under Tony Foreman, I had the opportunity to taste and learn well beyond my salaries limitation, and it helped to turn me from an interested hobbyist into a Chateauneuf crazed lunatic. A few years of this sort of liver expanding "study" and I felt ready to head west.
After Thanksgiving 2005, Allie and I packed up the car, threw the dog in the back seat and headed west to wine country...
So here I find myself in America's undisputed epicenter of wine culture...and I've decided to write a blog. Why? Well to give me something to do while Allison studies for the Bar, and to make myself taste and think about wine in a more cohesive manner.

Do you find yourself always scouring the wine aisles looking for a label you DON"T recognize? Do your friends automatically (and somewhat fearfully) hand the wine list to you when you go out to eat? Do your friends wonder why you have no savings, then look into your cellar and mumble something about bad fiscal planning? Congratulations, you're one of us...this blog's for you.

So without further ado, here's what I'm drinking this week, in no particular order.

1) Russian Hill "Top Block" Syrah, Russian River Valley, 2003
Actually, this is first for a reason. This is most likely one of the best California Syrahs I've tasted in a few years. Beautiful delineation of fruit, super ripe raspberry and kirsch aromas dominate the nose, giving way to soft and elegant floral tones
(no doubt a product of the small percentage of co-fermented viognier, a'la Cote Rotie). On the palate the texture is full and plush with considerable depth of dark raspberry and plum fruit with soft and integrated tannins. The finish is bright and long with hints of licorice, white pepper and cola. I served this with a roasted pork loin with a cherry compote and some wild mushroom risotto with considerable success. A tremendous glass of Syrah and a tremendous value. Retail price is around $34 if you can find this very very limited gem.
95 points.


2) Domaine de la Janasse, Cotes-du-Rhone 2004
As you will soon learn dear reader, my Allie is a Grenache fanatic. So am I. This leaves us constantly rifling through the southern Rhone aisles looking for everyday drinkers at law student friendly prices. This is one. Mostly grenache with a bit of older vine carignan, this shows intense spicy dark cherry fruit on the nose, along with some hints of gravel and garrigue (I know every taster has a different definition of garrigue so here's mine; a melange of rosemary, herbs de provence, smoke and fresh loam). On the palate it has good intensity and balance of acidity. I treated this as if it were a Chateauneuf and decanted about 30 minutes prior to serving. Spicy classic Cotes-du-Rhone and well worth its $13 retail price.
89 points.


3) Celler Capcanes, Cabrida, Montsant 2001
Ok so here we go again with the Grenache. This stuff is much more serious in it's intent. Think about the difference between a very nice and pleasant japanese sedan and say a six figure German or Italian sports car. This stuff is about 5-6 times the price of the CDR I just mentioned, and it is very much worth the investment. Montsant, for those not familiar, is a crescent shaped patch of geography that borders Priorat and produces (by and large) the same types of wines. This vintage of "Cabrida" is inky black/purple saturated to the rim. Overtly fruity and exotic on the nose with loads of spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, basil and mint among others). Super rich palate presence with a mountain of raspberry, plum and cherry fruit. This continued to open up in the glass for more than 2 hours, getting better by the minute. The finish is super long and all that spice comes rushing back. Retails for around $60.
95 points.


4)Bodegas Juan Gil, Jumilla 2004
Looking for something a bit different a few nights ago, I stumbled upon this at the local wine shop. I had tasted a barrel sample of Juan Gil's previous vintage and I remembered the fat structure and texture of the Monastrell (Mourvedre en Espagnol) being truly impressive. My memory served me well. The pure purple/black color is the first clue to this wine's dark brooding character. A nose of black pepper and super extracted black fruit gradually evolves in the glass to aromas of coffee liquor and kirsch. A super rich and textural wine on the palate (super heavy velvet comes to mind), the intense fruit dominates, along with some spicy notes form the oak and a bit of dark caramel on the finish. Explosive and very heavily fruited, this is serious wine, do not be fooled by its very friendly $14 price tag,
91 points.


5) Finca Luzon, Luzon 2005
Inspired by my find with the Juan Gil, I thought I'd have a go at another of Jorge Ordonez' super value wines from Jumilla. The Luzon is a blend of primarily Monastrell, with about 30 percent Syrah added. A few minutes after opening, this little charmer showed a nose of ripe plum and sour cherry, a touch of spicy bacon. On the palate there is ripe dark red fruit with good tannic structure and a spicy finish. Like a nice Cotes-du-Rhone with a much richer texture. Most definitely worth the $6, this will very likely be a staple around my casa.
87 points

Please note: All prices are those which I paid, and may not reflect pricing or availability in your market.
All scores given are my ratings based on the now familiar 100 point scale.



Cheers,
TRC
"Wine can of their wits, the wise beguile. Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile."
Homer, The Odyssey