Sunday Recap

Beth and I headed out to Temecula for the "Instant Classic" Przytarski wedding. We got on the road at 9:30 in the morning to take full advantage of our day in wine country. Let's take a look back at the day that was as I count em down, worst-to-first, Casey Kasem style:

#11: Ponte

Ponte, our first stop, blew. Not only did the wines stink (I didn't have very high expectations for Temecula wineries, just wanted a fun day) but $20 per tasting anywhere outside of Napa is ridiculous. I thought the tasting room was boring and the people working the bar didn't do anything special. On your next trip to Temecula, keep driving past Ponte.


#10: Longshadow Ranch

This was stop #4 of the afternoon. Tom had scouted it out online and it had high reviews. It's located next to a pumpkin patch, had horse stables on the grounds, a lively private party outside, cool tunes playing inside the tasting room, and lots of people. I thought maybe, just maybe, we'd found a gem.

The wines were slightly better than terrible. We did quite a bit of dumping. What offended me/us the most, and I'm getting nauseous typing this, was that most of the wines smelled like raw ground beef. Yeah, seriously. Like we were ready to patty up some burgers. It was really gross.


#9: Burger King Double Cheeseburger
Speaking of burgers, we hit the BK prior to Ponte. I couldn't tell you the last time I had Burger King. Years. For $1.49, the Double Cheeseburger no pickles provided the perfect amount of greasy base for a marathon day of drinking.

#8: Wiens 

Our 2nd winery stop was Wiens. The tasting brochure mentioned that they had "Big Reds." Perfect. The tasting room was beautiful in a modern sort of way, really cool people behind the bar, a great crowd tasting. Awesome ambiance. The wines weren't bad. I actually bought a bottle of Zin here, which you could very well be reading about soon.

#7: Syrah at Faulkner
The wedding took place at Faulkner. A beautiful spot. Like most winery weddings (I think) the bar served beer and Faulkner wines. I instinctively got a glass of their Cab from the bartender. It wasn't very impressive and I was thinking there's no way I could drink it all night, and I'd switch to beer. For some reason on my return visit to the bartender, I decided to try the Syrah. Great move on my part. It was pretty solid. I think I convinced 8 people or so to avoid the Cab and go Syrah. I was feeling pretty confident at that point in the evening.

#6: Lions Comback/My Fantasy Teams Continue to Dominate
I did check Live Scoring from my phone a few times.

#5: Wedding Commute
Thankfully for us, Johnny's girlfriend Amanda was the designated driver because she had to get back home for work today. They were up front, and me, Beth, Roussous, Tom, and Meg piled in the back of Johnny's car like we were Seniors trying to get to Taco Bell and back before 5th period started. To make it feel even more like 1995, we had Dr. Dre blasting "Ain't Nothin' But a G Thang," before switching over to some Fugees, "Killing Me Softly."

#4: Tasting at Doffo

We met up with Tom and Meg around 1, and proceeded to our 3rd winery of the afternoon. Tom had been here before and knew we'd like it. The wines at Doffo were really, really solid. Expensive, but solid. Of the 4 wineries we tasted at, Doffo reminded me of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm-zWDaoCtI

#3: Picnic Lunch and a Bottle of Cab with the Jansen's

We stuck to the afternoon plan of having a picnic at Doffo. Tom came prepared with an assortment of fine meats, cheeses, wraps, and veggies. We bought a bottle of the 08 Cab and sat on the patio overlooking the vineyard. Nice way to spend an hour or so.

#2: Mr. Pryztarski Getting Choked Up Saying His Vows

Mike's new wife is so cool, there's not even an ounce of sadness in me now that I won't ever get to see Single Drunk Pitt try to pick up on girls at the bar again.

Emily was a gorgeous bride. Stunning. And when Mike started in on the vows he lost it, not bawling or anything, but he got pretty choked up, costing me a gentlemanly wager with Tom. Darn.


#1: I Realize We're Aging Like Fine Wine

So the girls have had a few babies and us guys don't have the same hairline we had 10 years ago (except for T.J.), but in my dazed state at some point in the evening, I looked around at the crowd of some of my best friends, and realized, we're getting better with age. Pitt's dancing has improved, the girls are hotter and do a better job of dancing and singing at the same time, we drank the bar dry, and closed the evening with a sick sing along to "Sweet Caroline." Mrs. Klump would call it, "A wonderful, fabaless, fabalee, evening."


Pitt, thank you for connecting me to almost every California friend I have. I feel so blessed. 

Cheers to the newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs Przytarsky. May you enjoy Maui, and many, many years of happiness. We love you guys. 

Friend of the Family

Sobon Estate 2009 Hillside Zinfandel ($9.99)
Sobon Estate 2008 Fiddletown Zinfandel ($19.99)
     Wine Spectator  92 points


Fresh off my Total Wine class (more on that later), I decided to put my family through a tasting of two Zins, both from Sobon Estates. I've already reviewed the Sobon Estate's Old Vine (I gave it an A-, and is a Purpletooth Trimester 1 Award frontrunner), so I decided to set out and see if the Sobon's really know what they're doing. Turns out, they do.

I cracked the Hillside first. Everyone was happy with it. It had a sweet  yet slightly dry finish to me. I found it to be very raisiney. To my surprise, this was the rest of the crowd's favorite. I liked it, but I think I liked the Old Vine quite a bit more. The Old Vine had a little more pizzaz and was smoother. Both are a steal for under $12.

The Fiddletown to me, had a lot more going on. This was a Big Boy Zin. I found it to be much bigger, more complex, almost chewy compared to the Hillside. I tasted a lot of fruit, but also tobacco, peppery flavors with a really long finish. I grilled some filets from El Toro, and I found the match to be heavenly . Beth thought it was "too raisiney," while Joe found it to be "too scratchy." I loved it.

In conclusion, the Hillside was Jennifer Anniston (very likable, yet nobody's favorite) and the Fiddletown was Angelina Jolie (crazy, exotic)

Bottom line, Sobon Estates makes some good wine.

Hillside Zin Grade: B- / 2.8       Beth's Grade: B-
Fiddletown Grade: B+ / 3     Beth's Grade: C

Back to Malbec

Amalaya 2009 Malbec Blend ($13.99)


About a week and a half ago, having beers for breakfast while watching the early morning college football games at Rudy's in Newport Beach, Tom, Johnny and I somehow turned our conversation to wine. Johnny had mentioned that this bottle, Amalaya, a less expensive Malbec, from the makers of Colome, was his go-to for wines under $20. While at Hi-Times on Saturday, I twisted my own arm and placed a bottle in my basket.

While preparing dinner, I cracked this open, and, right out of the gate, everyone was impressed. There's a lot going on in the glass, especially for a Malbec. A very fruity, cherry nose. After the first sip, and I realize if I had any credibility at all as a wine drinker, I might lose it right here, but the fruity flavor immediately took me back to my grandma's kitchen and I swore I was drinking Hawaiian Punch out of a cup with my name on it. I love me some Hawaiian Punch, this isn't meant to be a bad thing. Once the punch blast subsided I tasted a lot of cherry and berry that effortlessly turned into a nice spice that still managed to go down smoothly. Like I said, there was a lot going on with this wine. All good things.

We kept dinner pretty simple tonight, Trader Joe's chicken sausage (apple and mango). I thought the wine was a tad too big for the meal, and might pair better with with a steak.

Grade: B / 3
Beth's Grade: B

Weekend Roundup

As you can see, we kept the recycling man in business this weekend. From Joe needing a wine for his "meatballs and sawce" Saturday night, to Keira's baptism Sunday, and washing down tonight's grilled chicken dinner, we've been crushing some grapes.

I hit up Hi-Times Saturday morning, and had a little help from the lady who had steered me towards Purple Tooth Summer School award winner, Papa Luna. She went 2/3 with a check-swing foul ball of my own. 

Here's the breakdown, and a reminder of my new numbered grading scale:

1- Dump it. Regardless of price.
2- Just alright. Maybe save it for tomorrow but have no intentions of polishing off the bottle.
3- Pretty good. Pour it out evenly and enjoy.
4- Great. Hope you get more than your fair share, especially if drinking with someone who may not appreciate it.

Blah:

Il Bastardo 2010 Sangiovese ($7.98)

-The Il Bastardo was pretty bad. As Joe said, "Jason...it didn't get any better from the time you tried it." Good wines shouldn't get worse after they open up. It did last 3 days and we gave it 3 attempts hoping to fall in love with it, but no dice. Joe had the quote of the night last night when I broke my glass, spilling the remains of the bottle, "well, finally, the end of the Bastardo." 

Grade: D / 1.5

Yum:

Mohua 2010 Sauvignon Blanc ($9.98)

-The Mohua was the Hi-Times #12 rated "Down Under" wine. I really liked it and it seemed everyone else did too. Everything I enjoy about Sauv Blanc. Just sweet enough. Smooth. Really good.

Grade: A- / 3.5

Joe's Grade: A

What the...?

Tres Picos 2009 Garnacha ($13.99)

-Tres Picos was a wine I loved a few weeks back. I was disappointed this time around. It had a great nose, but lacked the flavorful punch I remembered and finished a bit dry. Could be that it didn't fit with the Sunday afternoon setting? Either way, not nearly as impressed.

Grade: C+ /  3

Eh, yeah, I guess:

Ridge 2007 Lytton Springs 71% Zin / 22% Petite Sirah / 7% Carignane ($41.99)

-We had Ridge Lytton Springs side-by-side with the Tres Picos, which is a strange midday matchup, but nobody was complaining. I thought it had nice flavor. My only gripe with it was the finish. Too dry for my palate. Pretty sure that's from the 22% Petite Sirah. Quality wine, just not my favorite style.

Grade: B- / 3

Yeah, yum:

14 Hands 2008 Hot to Trot Red Blend ($8.98)

-Tonight, Hot to Trot pranced onto the patio for dinner (buh-dum-CH!) I was really close to putting this bottle back on the shelf due to a somewhat cheesy label and very cheesy name. It was really good in a Folie a Deux, safe play sort of way. I think it would be hard to not like this. Very easy drinker.

Grade: B- / 3

Beth's Grade: B

Joe's Grade: B

WTSO shines in debut

Verdict:

Eponymous 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon ($29.99)
Wine Enthusiast Rating: 93 Points


I think it's pretty safe to assume that if you pay $25+ for a Napa Cab, you'll get something better than decent. This write-up isn't so much about this bottle, which was better than decent. It had all the great things that one would expect from a Napa Cab: great nose, dark cherry, "chocolatey raspberry" (Beth's quote) and a fantastically smooth finish. Nope, this write-up will focus on the purchase. A first of perhaps many for me.

A few weeks ago, Tom pointed wtso.com in my direction. "Wine 'Til Sold Out" is a site that sells one wine at a time, at a discounted (allegedly) price, until it sells out, then it's on to the next bottle. Order a certain number of bottles and get free shipping.  So, I partnered up with Johnny on my (our) first purchase, the '06 Eponymous. I think this wine was originally $60, but don't quote me on it, and was discounted 50% to $30. Together we got the 3 bottle minimum for free shipping. A few days later, the Fed Ex man dropped it off on our door step. Everybody's happy.

I brought it to Opah for dinner, paid the $15 corkage fee and enjoyed every last drop of it. Not a bad little restaurant either, by the way.


Grade: A- / 4
Beth's Grade: A

Inspired, But Not Really Impressed

Kim Crawford 2010 Sauvignon Blanc ($12.97)


We opened the popular Marlborough, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc the other night. It was somewhere between ok and good. It smelled like a bag of Skittles, very tropical fruity as the bottle said it would be. The bottle also said I'd smell grass, but I didn't sneeze when I took a whiff. It had a little too much grapefruit tart for my taste. Beth said she tasted grass and swears she didn't hear me talking about the back label with my mother-in-law. Grass? Really?

Anyway, this bottle gave me an idea for a new rating scale. A 1-4 scale to coincide with the letter grade that I use now. Let me run it by you:

1- Dump it. Regardless of price.
2- Just alright. Maybe save it for tomorrow but have no intentions of polishing off the bottle.
3- Pretty good. Pour it out evenly and enjoy.
4- Great. Hope you get more than your fair share, especially if drinking with someone who may not appreciate it.

Grade: B- / 2.5
Beth's Grade: C+

Red Carpeting the Hood

LWC (Clos Pepe Vineyard) 2009 Pinot Noir ($36.99)
Wine Spectator rating: 93 Points


My dad, sister and brother-in-law got out of  the Arizona heat this holiday weekend to spend some time with us. They got the 2011 Royal Eldridge treatment. Pulled pork for lunch, with beer by the way, football was on. For dinner we seared some Ahi steaks with crab stuffed mushrooms. Maybe it's a good thing they're leaving today; we have no more tricks up our sleeve.

The Pinot we cracked for dinner has an interesting story. About a month ago, Jared sent a text about a "phenomenal" Pinot he had the night before. I asked for a pic because, shocker, I had plans to go to Total Wine with Tom later that day. I got the pic and wasn't impressed by the spray paint stencil look, but decided if Total Wine carries it, I'd get a bottle. Must satisfy my reader, right?

On the Pinot aisle, I pulled the pic up on my phone and searched for LWC (Loring Wine Company). I instinctively grabbed my pants to protect my money and looked side to side expecting to get mugged. There on in the middle of the aisle were 7 or so different LWC Pinots. So much purple spray paint, for a split second, I thought I was in Compton. My mind was quickly put to ease, however, as I noticed most had Wine Spectator or Wine Enthusiast tags dangling below the bottles. Whew! Then I noticed the prices. Who does Jared think he is cracking $30 bottles of Pinot on Sunday nights? I shot him a text telling him I found LWC, but they were pricey. He got back to me saying "That makes sense. My wealthy friend brought it over last night." Classic. I decided I wanted to see what the wealthy people were drinking and got the highest rated one: a 93 pointer.

Don't let the label fool ya. This was a very nice bottle of wine. Strong earthy / cherry nose. Loads of flavor, yet still soft. Very well balanced. Tom picked up a bottle as well and described it as "lush, earthy,  and elegant." I couldn't agree more. Excellent pickup.

Grade: A- 
Beth's Grade: B+ 
Aimee's Grade: A
Tom's Grade: A-

Wut U Had

Thanks for the audience participation last night. America has voted:

Jared's Pick: Sequana 2008 Pinot Noir ($36, on sale for $16.99)


Grade: A

Tom's Pick: Frog's Leap 2008 Zinfandel ($17.99)
Wine Enthusiast Rating: 91 Points


"The Carlsbad Jansens paired their gourmet Dominoes 2 mediums for $5.55 feast with a 2008 Frog's Leap Zin from Napa Valley $19.99, 91 pts WE). This wine impressed from the start and we were glad we made the "leap." It was everything a zin should be, a nice fruit forward approach with a spicy finish. This wine had a decent amount of petite syrah in it which gave it some nice tannins and a bit of a drier finish. Very robust though, I'm convinced this wine could have held its own with any meal (steak, pizza, bbq). I really am back on the zin train, for a variety of reasons. One Zin might be medium-bodied and very fruity, some are rich and full-bodied, others are a bit sweet (my least favorite), and some are even rustic and tannic. You are 

almost always assured of a wine that will be full of zesty spices, like pepper, cedar, bold red fruits. Ok, I'll get off my soapbox and let the professional do the bloggin:)


I have to commend Mr. Purpletooth himself on a great site. In a world gone mad, it's nice to see good people talking about good wine, especially with the prose and palate of one Jason Eldridge. Keep up the good work J, you're the next Robert Parker!"

Gracias!

Grade: Not Given

Beth's Pick: Mallee Point 2009 Shiraz ($4.99)


"Surprisingly de-lish! Smooth, kind of fruity and just GOOD."

I actually got paid to get this bottle. I had Total Wine's usual, get $5 off every $50 coupon. My bill on one trip was $48 at check out. So, they have these bottles at the check stand, like gum at a grocery store, and by spending $2, they took $3 off my bill. The checker said it is his favorite wine under $5 in the store.

I had a glass at midnight to celebrate a Sea King victory. Nice flavor. A tad dry, but I didn't have it with food. A bag of sunflower seeds probably didn't do my palate any favors, though.


Beth's Grade: B+ / My Grade: B-

Show Me What Ya Workin Wit

It's Friday! It's also September. This combination will find me not on my patio with a bottle of vino, but under the lights at some high school football field in Orange County. Tonight's stop: Anaheim.

Let's hear from you guys tonight. Use the comment box, tell me what you're drinking, and give it a grade. Bonus points if you include a pic.

Enjoy the long weekend, cheers!