Oliver - A Bistro Bordentown, NJ

It's Friday night, so what a great excuse to take a ride to Bordentown City, NJ to meet up with our good friends John and Liz for dinner. They are always a joy to get together with, and John is such a funny guy, but after all, that is his job! John is a "funny man," impersonator, actor, movie star, writer, celebrity performer, etc. Call him whatever you want to call him, and be sure to check out his work at http://www.johnnyd.net/ So tonight, what better restaurant to fit the bill than Oliver-A Bistro. You've heard us rant and rave about Oliver, and it is one of our favorite restaurants to frequent in "The Little City With A Lot of Charm." It is a husband/wife owned and run establishment, and we truly love Matt and Danielle. They are great kids, who have a great vision! Danielle is the smiling face running the front of house, while Matt is the executive chef making sure that all of his creations come out of the kitchen to his liking. They are great kids with a great dream, and their success has been outstanding! We walked in around 7PM and were greeted by owner Danielle, who had our 4 top ready and waiting or us. The first thing I notice on the table was the new stems they got! This is a nice new addition to the restaurant, and very welcomed! Ask, and you shall receive, but these are great all purpose restaurant stems, and it is nice to see restaurants upgrading their stemware! Shortly after being seated we were greeted by multiple members of their team, from Kevin the bus boy, to Bruce and James their servers. You really couldn't ask for a better team, and they have all become great friends over the years. It is truly a joy to come in and have the chance to see all of them and to chat. Out came the vino tonight, and we started off with a (Non-Vintage) N.V. Dr. Konstantin Frank Riesling Célèbre. Danielle brought over some Champagne glasses as James opened the bottle for us. This is a riesling based sparkling wine that we were turned on to from one of our friends Mark, and is always a treat. At $20 a bottle, it is a nice QPR, and a fun sipper. Feel free to read the notes below on this sparkling wine! In the meantime, I opened up the 2006 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains to give it a couple of hours to breathe before dinner. Moments later, John and Liz arrived, and we toasted and cheered, and then took our time looking over the menu. Bruce came over and read us the specials, ranging from 3 different soups, to 5 different entrees, in addition to their regular menu, and their $35 pre-fixe menu. . Tonight, John and Liz and I opted for the pre-fixe tasting menu, while Zelda opted for an appetizer and an entree. I started off with a caeser salad, and John and Liz opted for salads as well. As usual, these came out and were the perfect size for the tasting menu. As always, the flavors were perfect, and the salads were nice and crisp, using great fresh ingredients. . At this point, we opened up a 2008 Frank Family Vineyards Chardonnay Reserve that John and Liz had brought back from their recent trip to Napa. While this wine is a bit young, and needs time for the oak to integrate, this is going to be a going to be incredible in another year or so. Absolutely awesome elements, but again, it needs time for the oak to integrate, and some of that buttery popcorn to settle down as well. But don't get me wrong, this is not the "buttery oak stick" that so many do not like about California chardonnay. . For the appetizer round, Zelda and John opted for the Truffle Mushroom Bruchetta with an extended Boursin crouton, baby arugula, and a balsamic reduction. This has always been one of Zelda's favorite appetizers, and the flavors work together so well. The crouton has a great crunch on the outside, while the center is nice and soft, and really soaks up the flavors of the mushroom and the balsamic. This is then topped with some shaved cheese heaven, that really meshes with the other ingredients. This has been a winner since it was introduced, and continues to be an Oliver staple! Both Zelda and John seemed to be in mushroom heaven. . Liz and I both opted for the Peppercorn Seared Ahi Tuna with white truffle risotto, brown butter, cherry tomato & a balsamic gastrique. This is such a gorgeous dish with really nice elements. The tuna is seared to perfection, with a really nice pepper crust. The tuna itself is such a nice sushi grade, with a nice and tender texture, and awesome flavors. The pepper adds a nice element of spice, and pairs nicely with the brown butter and balsamic gastrique. The white truffle risotto is such a nice accompaniment, topped with a gorgeous cherry tomato, and a few bean shoots of short. I could eat the risotto alone as an entree and fall in love! What a great elegant dish! . At this point, we dove into the Stefania cabernet, and as many of you have already read, their wines are always winners! For what these wines cost, you just cannot beat them, so feel free to check them out at http://www.stefaniawine.com/ . Johnny D's entree tonight was the Seared Salmon with garlic confit, new potatoes, overnight tomato, baby green bean & kalamata ragout in a Saffron Broth. This looked like a nice portion for the tasting menu, and looked really nice. Unfortunately, I don't think I even asked what he thought of it at this point, but if I remember correctly, his bowl went back to the kitchen empty, so I am assuming that it could not have been that bad! Regardless, the presentation looked nice, and you really cannot go wrong with Chef Matt's salmon. . Tonight, Zelda opted for the Wasabi Dusted Shrimp with jicama & Chinese cabbage slaw, brown rice, and a citrus soy nage. I consider this to be one of Oliver's winter staples, and yet again, Chef Matt did his research creating this dish to make the flavors work in harmony together. From the tasty brown rice to the crunch of the slaw, the sweetness and spiciness really meld well together making this a treat. The giant shrimp are always cooked to perfection, and Zelda had more than enough to give everyone at the table a nice taste. I really like the flavors of the wasabi here, which doesn't overpower the other spices, and is seasoned perfectly. This looks like such a simple dish, but the flavors are far from simplistic! What a treat! . Liz and I both opted for the rack of lamb, and as I have said before, this is some of the best lamb you will find in New Jersey. These "lollipops" come to us from New Zealand, and are served on top of a bed of goat cheese smashed potatoes, with French green beans and a port wine reduction. As always, these were cooked absolutely perfectly to the temperature of medium rare, and the chops themselves are big and thick. They are not fatty in the least, and the sear on them is really nice, with a nice char on the outside, and a hot pink tender inside. The goat cheese smashed have a really nice texture, and the goat cheese has it's opportunity to shine here. The tang from the goat cheese is stellar, and the port wine reduction compliments both the lamb and the potatoes with some good pizazz. The Stefania cabernet was the absolute perfect pairing for this dish. By this point, we were all stuffed, but how could we possibly pass up dessert when we were having a great night, with great friends, and great conversation. Bus boy Kevin came over to take after dinner drink orders, and to tell us about the dessert specials. You want to talk about a nice young ma with great manners, this is him. This is the boy that every parent would love for their daughter to bring him. He is just a nice young man, and is very well mannered, and he knows the menu to a "t." John and Liz opted for some coffee and tea, while Zelda and I finished the last of our cabernet. . We opted to have the creme brule tonight, while John and Liz had the flourless chocolate decadence cake, and the chocolate pecan pie. The desserts that James makes speak for themselves, and as always they are a pleasure. All in all, what is there to say other than an awesome night with good friends, an incredible meal, and some of the best service around? It was one of those nights that we just didn't want to end, yet, at some point it had to, so we said our goodbyes, and stopped by The Cool Cricket in Fieldsboro on our way home for a nightcap, and to sing a few songs at karaoke. What can I say...I'm Filipino! I'll try to clean this up more when I get some time, as it is just thrown together with details, but it's a busy day, so I will have to get back to it! Also, please excure the pictures as they are from my Blackberry and do not do Matt's creations justice. I really need to get over my fear of looking like a dork, and start bringing the XLR with us for high quality pictures! Cheers! -F. Scott Oliver-A Bistro 218 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown, NJ 08505 Phone: (609)298-7177 http://www.oliverabistro.com/

Haiti Wine Silent Auction/Donation - F. Scott and Zelda Give Back!

22 JAN 2010: UPDATE: 12PM: Big thanks, and big congratulations to Chowhound reader John F. of Asheville, NC who stumbled across our BLOG on Chowhound, and put in the winning bid of $550. I am waiting for the e-mail confirmation from him, as well as the confirmations from The Salvation Army and Doctors Without Borders, confirming that donations of $275 are made to each of them. Once I receive those, I will send him his bottle of the 2006 Kosta Browne 4-Barrel, as well as a bottle of Stefania cabernet sauvignon from our cellar as a thank you. We could not be any happier with the response that we received, and I received a total of 122 bids which I find awesome! The compassion and caring that everyone showed is great, and I did not receive a single bid under $100. Thanks to each and every one of you for your support on what I feel is a worthy cause. We are glad that we could do something to make a different, and we are absolutely flattered at the responses received. It’s such a great feeling knowing that we did something to help, so thank you again John F. Thank you all again, and keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers! 20 JAN 2010: UPDATE: Special thanks for all the bids so far, and remember that the silent auction closes at Noon Eastern Time on Friday 22 JAN. We have had over 100 bids thus far, and your generosity will not go unappreciated. The outpouring we have received from all of you, as well as the kind words just prove that this is the least that we can do. Special thanks to all of you for supporting such a wonderful cause! 15 JAN 2010: It is with much sadness and a heavy heart that Zelda and I send out or sincere prayers to all of the victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti this past week. The stories that we have seen on the television, as well as the pictures I am seeing online are heartbreaking, and we want to help. As Zelda and I talked about the devastation and what our organizations are doing to help the victims, I think that it is only right that we try to raise a few dollars on our own to donate to an organization who can help those people in Haiti. We went through our cellar to see if there was a bottle of wine that we could donate, and hold a silent auction with, where we will donate 100% of the funds raised to either The Salvation Army, or Doctors Without Borders, who will then forward the funds on to the victims in Haiti. This is the least that we can do, and we are truly honored to be able to help these organizations, and the people of Haiti. Our cellar may not contain a lot of "cult wines" so to say, but we all know how much people love the wines crafted with love from Dan Kosta and Michael Browne of Kosta Browne. With that being said, we have selected a bottle of the 2006 Kosta Browne 4-Barrel, and whomever offers the largest donation will receive this bottle. As many of you know, this is a very rare wine, and it is next to impossible to get allocated one of these rare gems! . We think that this is the least we can do, so we are calling on all of you oenophiles to help us. Note that this bottle was purchased on release, and stored in our climate controlled wine cellar at 55 degrees since it arrived on 12 DEC 2008. . To make a bid, please send me an e-mail at markjahnke@gmail.com with "Haiti 4-Barrel" in the subject. The silent auction will close one week from today, on Friday January 22nd, 2010, at 1200 hours Eastern time. . We know that funds are tight in our struggling economy right now, but please reach deep into your pockets, and let's do whatever we can to help these victims. We can figure out logistics on this once the auction closes as far as payment goes, but we can probably do it right online through the Salvation Army or Doctors Without Borders websites so that you know that 100% of the funds raised will go directly to the Haiti relief efforts. Note that there will be no privacy issues, and I will not have access to any of your personal/billing information other than the address that you want me to ship the wine to. Once your donation has been made and verified, I will ship your wine, and we'll even pick up the tab for the shipping so that your entire donation goes to help these victims. Note that the highest bidder will also receive another treat from our cellar as a thank you. The wine that you will be surprised with is one of our favorite California cabernet sauvignon from the Santa Clara Valley, and has a retail value of just under $40. . In short, thank you all in advance, and I truly hope that we get a good response for this generous offer. In short, open your hearts, and let's do our part to help, and while you are at it, say a few prayers for the people of Haiti! As always, kudos to the United States for stepping up and helping out a country in desperate need! God Bless America! Cheers! . NOTE: This was originally posted at 1400 hours on 15 January 2010, however, I have been changing the date and time of this to get it to appear at the top of our page. Please be sure to look at the articles below this, as there may be some new items posted since you last visited.

2006 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

I know I said that I would wait another 2 years before we opened up another one of these, but after thinking about the Kosta Browne 4-Barrel we are auctioning off for the relief efforts in Haiti, what nicer opportunity to open one of these tonight? Needless to say, I grabbed one of these from the cellar to enjoy at Blackbird Dining Establishment in Collingswood, NJ.

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This was popped and poured, and served in a Rona glass at the restaurant, and let me say that this was by far one of the nicest restaurant stems that we have seen in quite a while. So much that we even left the Riedel's in their carrying case, so this saved me a bit of hand washing! Great touch in my opinion, so kudos to Blackbird!

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In the glass, a gorgeous color, ruby color, and as the glass sat on the table, I could already smell that seductive Kosta Browne nose that is so identifiable as Kosta Browne. I don't know what it is about these wines, but they are so easy to pick out, and that is a beautiful thing.

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The nose was dominated by an intense sweet black cherry, with nice hints of cola, spice, a touch of vanilla, and a subtle earthiness. The nose on this wine is huge, and I absolutely love it. As the wine warmed up and was allowed to breath, there were also secondary hints of jammy red berries, hints of plum, and raspberry. I also picked up a bit of alcohol, which Zelda did not pick up, but I will be the first to admit that she has a better nose than I do, and I am also a bit stuffed up today. That said, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if it were just me.

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On the palate, what can you say other than the fact that this wine is HUGE! Once again, the dark cherry dominates, and it is a bit on the candied side, which is not a bad thing at all. The cherries explode in your mouth, along with some jammy, sweet red berries. As the wine mellowed in the glass, secondary nuances of raspberry, strawberry, and plum come through, with a nice bit of earthiness and spice. On the mid palate, the acidity has settled quite a bit, and the wine has rounded out nicely since the last time we had this. There is still a bit of heat on the finish, but it does not dominate, and it is not offensive in the least. This just proves my theory that with another year in the bottle, this is going to integrate nicely.

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All in all, another great Kosta Browne! There seems to be a very defiant love hate relationship with these wines, but we just happen to be part of the crowd that loves them. I really look forward to trying this wine side by side with an '07 in the future, and I am sure that we will get a chance.

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This wine picked up another 2 points since we last had it, and is worthy of 92 points. Another point is definitely possible as this wine continues to come together! Stay tuned, and keep up the good work Kosta Browne! Cheers!

2006 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard

Also had this on New Year’s Eve after having an ’06 Siduri from Clos Pepe as well. This seemed to drink in a similar style to the Siduri, and I actually ended up rating them both exactly the same. This was my first ’06 Clos Pepe from Loring, so I didn’t have a previous bottle to compare it to. This bottle was unscrewed and left open over the course of 2 hours at cellar temperature. Very similar ruby/garnet color as the Siduri, with a nose black cherry and tons of spice. You could also smell the alcohol on the nose, and it was definitely more prevalent than the Siduri. Once this wine came up to room temperature, there were more strawberry and earth tones to it, as well as some red fruits, but again, nothing stood out. On the palate, there was again some tart black fruit, with subtle hints of raspberry, strawberry and cherry. No hints of cola whatsoever in this bottle, but again some nice acidity and a bit of tannin. The alcohol came through a bit on the finish, and just proves that this could really use a good 3-4 hour splash decant, or an aggressive decant. Good pinot, but I don’t know if it is worth the price tag at this point. This seems to be more and more of a reality for me with ’06 pinot, but who knows. Regardless, still nice to drink, but not the Loring that I have grown to love. 89 points.

2006 Siduri Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard

This was wine number one on New Year’s Eve, and unfortunately it was popped and poured as there was no time to decant. From previous bottles, I think that this wine definitely benefits from a few hours in the decanter before serving. Regardless, it was still drinking well, but not the Siduri that I have grown to love. Typical ruby pinot color in the glass, with a nose of cherry, and spice. Definitely some other black fruits on the nose, but nothing really stood out. There were also some hints of spice, and a bit of earthiness to it, but it didn’t have that typical Wes Hagen Clos Pepe nose for whatever reason. On the palate, the fruit almost seemed over ripe, but again, this bottle was a bit different than other bottles we have consumed. It was definitely lacking that “Siduri shine” that I have grown to love, with some plum and sour cherry that stood out on the palate. No sweetness on this wine to say the least compared to other bottles, but it was still very drinkable, just not as enjoyable as I remember. There was some good acidity on the finish, but a bit more heat than I remember. All in all, a nice wine, but it paled in comparison to other bottles. Still worthy of 89 points.

2006 Lillian Syrah

Once again, a bottle sourced for the holidays, and popped and poured way too early! But when traveling and having to source, this is one of he few times that I don't mind committing the act of "infantcide," especially when there are more at home in the cellar and I am not tapping into that stash. This wine is definitely going to need some time to come around, but will be every bit as good as the '04 and '05. In the glass, this is a nice dark, purplish inky color. Very dark, and very attractive...I MEAN DARK! On the nose, some alcohol and oak as I expected with oodles and oodles of black fruits: blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, and boysenberry. Also has nice hints of raspberry and spice. On the palate, big and young is an understatement. Again, THIS WINE NEEDS some serious bottle time for it to come together, but even after an hour in the glass, it opens up nicely with blackberry, black cherry, and raspberry on the palate. Nice subtle spice and white/black pepper round out the palate. There are some hints of alcohol and acidity, and there are definitely some tannins on this wine, but this will round out in time. Our remaining 3 will sleep for a good 3-5 years before revisiting, but once again, Maggie has created yet another baby Sine Qua Non here, and this is going to be incredible with some age. 92 points now with some air, but it'll definitely gain a few more points based on complexity alone once everything integrates and comes together. Another winner! Kudos to Maggie! Decant 4-6 hours before consumption, but I would hold for 3-5 years unless you have many to play with. Cheers!

2006 Cambria Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard

Popped and decanted for 45 minutes from 1/2 bottle. Same notes as before....however, this bottle was a bit sour on the finish with some heat, but it's expected as it's young. What I did however like on the finish was the nice orange tones that came through. I don't remember this at all in the first bottle.

Same red fruits on the nose for the most part, but there was nothing candied about this bottle, whereas the last had some candied fruits. There was nothing super bright about this bottle either, and the fruit was very subdued. Odd. Bottle variation? Probably. Off bottle, definitely not. Just wondering why this bottle shows no candied fruits at all. Very strange. Had to revisit this after seeing Parker name it his Wine of the Year...not a bad bottle in the least, but definitely lacked a lot from the last bottle. 86 points.

2006 Fess Parker Viognier

This might not be the best viogier out there, but it sure was tasty. Bottle number 1 of 2 after the NCAA Women's Semi Finals at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton. This was a great "bistro wine," and worthy of 86 points. Formal notes to come!

2006 Taz Pinot Noir Fiddlestix

Unfortunately, this didn't measure up to previous vintages, but it was still very drinkable. Paired nicely with sushi at Tsukasa. Formal notes to come!

MAILING LIST ALERT: Maybach Materieum

For those of you anxiously awaiting the 2006 release of the Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium, your wait is over. Even though my e-mail is still not functioning properly, I logged in to Maybach's website and saw my allocation sitting there for 6 bottles. Unfortunately, I could only go in for 3 bottles, but hope to go in for the other 3 once pay day hits, but we will see. With 2006 being our anniversary year, and not being able to afford first growth Bordeaux fo the 2006, this is pretty much a no brainer. I picked up a 6 pack of the 2005's thanks to Chris, and those are still sleeping comfortably in the cellar, and will continue to sleep for some years to come. Unfortuantely, it looks as though their list is full, but you can still sign up for their waiting list at: http://www.maybachwines.com/mailinglist/ Also, visit http://www.maybachwine.com/ for more details. 2006 MAYBACH MATERIUM100% Cabernet Sauvignon 745 cases produced 80% new French oak 14.8% alc. 2006 MateriumRobert Parker Review THIRD RELEASE of Maybach Materium, from a single block of the Weitz Vineyard, which sits at 1000 feet elevation on the eastern hillside of Oakville, a bonded growing area unique in all the world. The vines here struggle to grow among boulders and stones and in shallow soil, giving deep concentration to the fruit.

2006 Belle Vallée Pinot Noir Reserve

Popped and poured this one tonight at Under the Moon in Bordentown, NJ, this wine showed a nice Oregon pinot, ruby color in the glass. On the nose, there were some hints of plum and black fruits, blackberry, and a hint of black cherry. Moving on to the palate, this was a very light wine in my opinion, with slight hints of plum and blackcherry. This wine seemed very thin to me, and definitely seemed like it was missing something. Yes, I know, it's from Oregon, and isn't your typical California fruit bomb, but I think that it lacked complexity. The finish seemed very short to me, and overall, this wine just didn't knock my socks off. Maybe it is in a weird phase like some of the other 2006's and needs more time in the bottle. 86 points. Cheers!

2006 Newhaven Sauvignon Blanc

Formal notes to come on this sauvignon blanc that we have drank many of over the past. Nothing super exciting to write home about, but it is still an enjoyable 83-85 point sauvignon blanc. Still enjoy the Kim Crawford more than this one for the money, but it is still a nice quaffer. Cheers!

2006 Melville Pinot Noir Estate

Very disappointing compared to other bottles. Lacked fruit and complexity. Hopefully this was just a case of bad storage at Canal's or bottle variation. Woudn't have paid $10 for this bottle. 83 points, and formal notes forthcoming.

2006 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

What better way to spend the day than snowed in with a bit of vino? It's amazing how 6 inches of snow can shut down New Jersey, but I'm not complaining as it got us both the day off. So after a walk into town for a sandwich, we ran into "Raffy Two Sleeves" on the way home, and invited him over for a bottle of vino. So after a short nap on the couch, Raphael stopped by with a bottle of Bordeaux, so I figured I would grab a nice pinot noir to drink as a segway into the Bordeaux. That said, I picked a 2006 Kosta Browne Russian River Valley. These have been sleeping in the cellar for just about a year now, and with the 2007 vintage already ordered, I figured why not! This was popped and decanted through the Vinturi into a decanter, and while pouring, it had that very seductive, very familiar, Kosta Browne nose. There is something about the nose on these wines that is so identifiable as Kosta Browne, and that is a beautiful thing! The cherry was overwhelming, and such a joy on the nose, with hints of raspberry, cinnamon, and spice. Zelda and Raph picked up hints of cardamom, which I could not pick out with my nose, but she definitely has a better nose than I do. On the palate, more black cherry, candied cherry, hints of cola, creamy vanilla, and a bit of spice. This wine still seems to be very young, although it does have a nice creaminess to it. Regardless, there was a bit of heat on the finish as this wine warmed up, however, while it was still at cellar temp, the heat was much less noticable. Maybe this will settle out with another year or so in the bottle, but I think this is just the way the '06's came out. Regardeless, another gorgeous offering from Kosta Browne, and one of the reasons we love pinot noir. Will revisit this wine after another year or so. 92 points. Cheers!

2006 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek Vineyard

I know, and I am thinking the same thing. Popping a young '06 cabernet already? Well, seeing as Paul and Stef spoil us, and we get plenty of this wine, I could resist no longer, so we brought one to Oliver-A Bistro tonight in Bordentown.

Popped and poured at cellar temp, although it may have gotten a little colder on our walk up town, we gave this wine time to warm up in the glass as we talked to Danielle the owner, as well as our friends that work there, "Bruce-Y-Boy" and Jimmy. As I looked at this wine in the glass, it was a gorgeous deep red color that just screams cherry! After about 20 minutes of swirling in the glass, the nose revelated some notes of rose petal, and and oodles of cherry, with soft hints of oak and spice. This wine smells absolutely delicious, and seems to have opened up nicely. After a quick toast to Paul and Stef, the palate is smoothered in cherry, with hint of spice, plums, and a nice berry meddley. You can also taste a bit of wood, but this wine is integrating nicely. At first, the finish had a bit of heat, but that toned dwn over the course of the night, and we have yet another winner from Stefania. How are Paul and Stef crafting such great wines vintage after vintage? The truth is in the caring that they give the vines, and the care they give the fruit as it transitions from vine, through the entire winemaking process! This is yet another winner, and this wine is going to be hard to keep in the cellar. Thankully, we have another 16 of these, so we'll figure out a way to slowly enjoy them over the years.

This wine will make you squeeze every last drop out of the bottle! Kudos as always to Paul and Stef! This one is already worthy of 92 points, and will be on the rise. You just don't find many wines at this price that are this tasty! Keep up the great work! Cheers!

2006 Once Pinot Noir California/Oregon

Here we are on Superbowl Sunday, relaxing at home, cooking anything amd everything from homemade sauteed onion dip, to sauteed scallops, to wings with ranch dressing, carrots, and celery. As fun as it might be to go out and party at the bars, there is nothing better than Superbowl Sunday, relaxing at home!

Josie "The Pussycat Doll" came over tonight, so we popped a 2006 Once pinot noir that we picked up a few weeks ago at CoolVines. In all actuality however, since this wine has fruit from two different AVA's, they cannot put a vintage on this wine. Regardless, the fruit is from 2006. Nice California/Oregon blend, with your typical pinot color. Nose of ripe black cherry, with hints of cola, and a hint of pomegranate and spice. On the palate, nice cherry taste, not overly fruit forward, so I think that the Oregon helped from that standpoint. Some oak on the palate, but well integrated, and not overly oaked. Simple, complex finish is pleasurable, with no tannic backbone, and light acidity. All in all, a very nice wine and decent QPR. 88 points.

2006 Tobin James Lagrein Silver Reserve

Brought over to Jim and Stacy's tonight in Chesterfield to enjoy with them and Johnny D and Liz. Enjoyed this after a nice Stag's Leap viogner with sushi. Definitely not the best pairing with the sushi, or after the viogner for that matter, but still a nice wine. Old Tobin James and Lance have done it again with another great, albeit over the top wine. One of only 3 wineries making a straight Lagrein in the states, but who knows, that could change in time. No blend needed on this wine, and it is a joy to drink, but what "Toby's" aren't? Very dark color in the glass...almost black like tar. Speaking of tar, lots of tar on the nose, with some jammy raspberry and other black fruits, and hints of spice. On the palate, this wine opened up nicely into another Tobin James fruit bomb. Sure, might not be a classic Lagrein from Italy, but how can you not love these over the top, new world, fruit forward wines. What a joy! Tons of dark fruit on the palate, and almost a bit zinfandel/syrah esque. Lots of jammy fruit once this wine opened up, with raspberry and black cherry. Sublte spices, a smooth finish, with well integrated tannins make this wine yet another Tobin James winner. Great job Toby and Lance! 86 points. Cheers!

2006 Iris Vineyards Pinot Noir

Enjoyed another great bottle of this Oregon pinot noir tonight, and let me tell you, it was every bit as good as the first bottle. This really is a great Oregon for the money, and for what you would spend on Argyle or Benton Lane, I highly recommend this one over them both. Back up the truck, and buy this great wine by the case. 90 points, with notes identical to previous bottles. Cheers!

2006 Chateau Corbin

Great Bordeaux, but I have no idea what it cost since Zelda bought it on the way to the airport in Paris. Gifted to her parents, and they brought it to dinner tonight at Ted's on Main. Great berry nose, with some hints of oak. This wine smells absolutely delicious. On the palate, you can tell this wine is still young, but nice raspberry, with hints of strawberry and plum maybe? Some minerality to this wine in my opinion, with a nice medium body, but a rather short finish. Regardless, this would make an outstanding house wine or daily drinker. Definitely needs some time in the bottle to improve, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with this now, and we just popped and poured with no decant. Wish we had more, or knew where we could find more stateside. We need more Bordeaux like this one...tasty, and affordable! 87 points! Cheers!

2006 Sanford Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills

This was the 3 month re-visit for Sanford, and you can definitely taste a difference between the 2006 with the new regime at Sanford. Definitely young, and in need of a 3-4 hour decant. Young nose of cherry, raspberry, plum, cola, some floral notes, and that Santa Rita Hills soil. On the palate, some dark cherries and spice. It also has some creaminess, with I am assuming is coming from some French oak barrels, but I do not know that for fact. A little tannic finish and some sour notes as well, but I can expect this from such a young pinot. Regardless, it's going to be a good bottle with some time, and I was a little hesitant about Sanford with Richard and his gang leaving. Can't wait to do a side by side comparison with the 2006 Alma Rosa. 88 points now. Cheers!