2004 Sanford Pinot Noir (Central Coast, Santa Barbara County, Santa Rita Hills)

This was quite possibly our favorite Sanford pinot noir for years, and I hate to say it, but I think that it may just finally be on the decline.  Storage conditions on this bottle, as well as the others have been perfect since release.

Popped and poured today at Manila Bay on Castor Avenue in Philadelphia, as we celebrate 15 years of faithful service to the neighborhood. Today however, Manila Bay opens its doors for the last time, and we bid Cherrie and Bob a fond farewell. They are the closest thing I have to Filipino family on the East Coast, and it's sad that this is our last visit.

Gorgeous ruby red color in the glass, but the nose is starting to fade compared to when we last had this wine 2 1/2 years ago. Some cherry and strawberry on the nose, with hints of cola and spice, but these are all
fading and subdued. Some herbal notes round out the nose.

On the palate, the first thing you notice is a bit of sour cherry, where the cherry used to be fresh, lively, and forward. More strawberry on the palate, with a hint of black cherry, raspberry, and cranberry. A little spice and caramel round out the palate, and the alcohol and tannins are nicely integrated at this point.

Plenty of nice flavors still on this wine, but it's not nearly as fruit forward as it used to be. I actually chose this wine after seeing almost a case of the 2004 between two different stores here in Jersey last Monday. I figured I could re-visit this wine, and if it was still showing well, I'd go back and pick up the case.

This wine has always had a special place in our hearts, and it definitely has a few years left. Unfortunately for me, I don't see it getting any better, so I think I will just sit on our last bottle, and try it again in a few years. Maybe this is a mistake, maybe it's not. We'll see! For now however, this is worthy of 87 points. Cheers!

2003 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix

I grabbed this bottle out of the cellar tonight after a '98 Harford Court Jennifer's pinot noir I opened was showing nothing at all on the palate, and was unpleasant. Unfortunately, this bottle didn't have the wow factor that several other bottles have had as recently as January of this year. Even so, this was still a pleasure to drink, and we love Kathy Joseph's wines.

As always, that beautiful Santa Rita Hills nose with that earthiness that is so distinguishing. Nice black cherry, pomegranate, and raspberry, with some oak, spice, and brown sugar. On the palate, there was a bit of bittnerness, which is out character for Fiddlehead. Some strawberry and black cherry dominated, with subtle hints of spice, and surprisingly, there was really no cola on this wine at all. The finish was typical Fiddlehead, and berry, I mean very pleasant, but it just didn't live up to the greatness of other bottles. Even so, it was still nice to drink, and we look forward to some other bottles in the future. 88 points.

Sea Smoke Cellars - RELEASE ALERT - 2008 VINTAGE

Yet another mailer is on the way, and for those that are C0 or C1 list members, you have already received your allocation, and are able to order your 2008 pinot noir.

I got an e-mail from Katie at Sea Smoke saying that we have moved up to C2 status this year, which is a beautiful thing.  The different tiers are a reflection of where you stand on the list.  This number gets it's designation from the length of time you have been on their list, as well as the dollar amount you have spent.  Obviously, the longer you have been on the list, and the more you have spent, the higher you will be in member status.

This year, the C0 received an offer for 12 bottles of each of the 2008 pinot noir.  These bottles consistof their least expensive offering, "Botella," at $40, their middle of the road bottling, "Southing," at $52 a bottle, and their high end bottling, "Ten"at $80 per bottle.

This year, they are also offering magnums at the same time, of the "Southing," at $120, and their Chardonnay at $120 per magnum.  For those high on the list, there is also one more bottling called "One Barrel," that comes from one barrel that they selected as the best invidual wine.  This wine is being released at $150 per bottle (750ML), and is very low in production.  Unfortunately, we are not high enough on the list, and I doubt we will see an allocation of this, as we didn't last year either.  We are also not high enough to receive their Chardonnay, called "Gratis," which they give to their best/longest supporting customers.  This is a chardonnay that they include at no charge, and that is a heck of a nice gesture!  I am however glad that we are offered the chardonnay in magum format, as it truly is a nice wine!

From what I am told, the C2 allocations should be out at the end of March, and we should be getting 2 Botella, 10 Southing, and 4 Ten.  I have not heard what C3, C4, and C5's will be offered, but I am sure if you e-mail Katie, she can answer that for you.

There has been a lot of speculation about the 2008's, as this is Don Schroeder's first year making the wne on his own, with no help from former winemaker Kris Curran, who left Sea Smoke and is now at Foley.  Last year, Kris still consulted with Don at Sea Smoke, but she did not for the 2008 vintage.  Regardless, I am very confident in Don's abilities, and once again, we will be taking everything we are offered from Sea Smoke.

Peope always ask us what we like about Sea Smoke, and for me, the beauty of these wines is age.  If youare looking for a wine that you can start drinking as soon as they arrive, then these wines are not for you.  We are currently just working our way to our 2005's, and I still think that these need another year to 3 years to really start showing their stuff.  In my opinion, the "Ten" is easily a wine that can cellar for 10 plus years, and when that time comes, it will be one of the biggest, and best pinot you will ever drink, for my palate at least.

That said, if these sound like a wine you like, I highly recommend you sign up for their list at http://www.seasmokecellars.com/ and tell them that we sent you! Sea Smoke has alot of promise, and these wines are only going to get better as the vines continue to age!  Sea Smoke has a great story, a great piece of land, and a heck of a great team crafting some of our favorite wines!  Give them a whirl with some age on them, and you'll see where my love for these wines comes from!  Cheers!  -F. Scott

2007 Siduri Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills

Unscrewed and poured tonight at Kenji Fusion in Hamilton, NJ and high octane right off the bat! Huge fruit on the nose, and that ever so identifiable Santa Rita Hills nose! I can't get enough of it. Nice ruby color in the glass, but thinning quite a bit towards the rim and showing it's youth. Nice strawberry and cherry cola, with subtle spices and more cherry. No funk detected whatsoever, and the nose was just a joy. On the palate, I think this wine will settle down quite a bit with another year in the bottle. Still a bit rough around the edges with some alcohol and tannin, but once that settles, the fruit profile will really shine, and this wine is big! But does Adam Lee really have many wines that are not huge? I don't think so, and that is one of the reasons I love his Siduri wines! Nice dark fruits, raspberry, cherry, blackberry, and strawberry with a nice spice and a bit of blueberry. With time, this wine started to show it's stuff, but now now, it's a hold for the short term as I think the elements need to integrate. Showing solid potential for the future, and still worthy of 89 points now. We'll give it a whirl with over the summer once it's had another 6 months in the bottle. Definitely shows potential for at least another point or two. Good job Adam! Cheers! -F. Scott

2003 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix

There is something about Santa Rita Hills pinot noir that we are so fond of, and Fiddlehead brings out an even bigger fondness. Kathy and her team are creating outstanding wines year in, year out, and this was a classic Fiddlehead example of a great, mature wine! WOW!

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Popped and poured tonight at Manon in Lambertville, this showed well from the first swirl and sniff. This wine was full throttle from the get go, with amazing fruit! Great Santa Rita Hills dark ruby color in the glass, still showing a little thinning near the rim of the Riedel.

Gorgeous of red fruits on the nose, black cherry, raspberry, plum, and tons of berry! Subtle hints of cola round out the nose with some nice spice and a hint of vanilla/butterscotch.

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On the palate, the fruit is definitely there, and has some great age to it. I really have a hard time seeing the fruit showing any better on this wine, but I won’t be surprised if it does. More black cherry on the palate, with a bit of cola and raspberry. This is an absolute joy in the mouth. The alcohol has integrated nicely, and the acidity is absolutely perfect. There is just enough there to make you appreciate it, and is not overpowering in the least. This wine is absolutely magnificent, and it is BIG! The finish lingers on for a good 30 seconds, and couldn’t be any more pleasant!

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Only downside I can report about this wine is the fact that we are down to our last one now. Have a couple of the ’02, and might have to give one of them a try tonight for comparison sake. Another incredible effort by Kathy and her Fiddlehead crew. We’re huge fans! 93 points! 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 Sanford Pinot Noir

This was not as tasty as past bottles, but it was also popped and poured and consumed right away. This definitely benefits from air as it's still young by my book, and an hour splash decant would not hurt in the least. Still the same earthy cherry and strawberry notes on the nose, with subtle hints of spice. Still some strawberry notes and spice on the palate, but it seemed to be lacking that cherry cola that I have grown to love from the Santa Rita Hills AVA. The finish was short and a bit more acidic than past bottles, but again, this wine is still young in my book. Will revisit plenty of times in the future as this is always a wine that we buy many of, but at this point, I think that the Alma Rosa is more to my liking. Sanford just hasn't been the same without Richard and Thekla! Locals: Glendale on Quakerbridge Road has this wine for under $25 cash and carry. This is the best price that I have seen on this wine in the area. Cheers! 88 points.

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!

2004 Sanford Chardonnay

A great second wine to celebrate the 4th of July! Full review to come!

2002 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix

We cannot say enough great things about Fiddlehead Cellars and Kathy Joseph! She has these pinot down to a science, and they never disappoint! And at 6 years old, what an absolute treat!

This was pulled out of the cellar and popped and poured at cellar temp tonight at Oliver - A Bistro. Gorgeous color once again in the glass, with a huge nose of cherry, cola, blackberry, and the slightest hint of spice. You can smell the Santa Rita Hills soil along with the Pommard and Dijon clones. Love that SRH smell! Typical SRH soil on the palate as well...tons of candied cherry, black cherry, a hint of blueberry, vanilla and caramel make this wine an absolute treat. I could go on and on about these wines all night, and vintage after vintage, they are wonderful. Kudos to Fiddlehead. 91 points! Cheers!

2004 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir

Santa Rita Hills soil at its best once again! Hints of black cherry, cola, spice, candied cherry, and vanilla on the nose. I love the smell of this wine, but it is possible that the fruit might be slightly starting to fade.

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More red fruits on the palate, with more hints of vanilla on the finish. This is a fruit forward wine, but I am not sure how much longer the fruit is going to be the shining star. This may have been an off bottle compared to others, but even so, it would blow away a lot of the other pinot that we have been drinking. How is this possible on a wine under $25? I have no idea, but you can taste the love that Richard and Thelka Sanford are putting into their wines. All in all, still very enjoyable, and happy that we still have a few more in the cellar. Need to pick up some more '05's and '06's now that they are out. 90 points. Cheers!

Delorenzo's Tomato Pies - Route 33 Robbinsville, NJ

Another outstanding pie, or two at Delo's tonight! Upon arrival, we were told there would be a 30 minute wait tonight. If I had to guess, it wasn't more than 10 minutes, and we were seated promptly. It's great to see this location packed with a line of people waiting as usual, and good to see that those who are afraid to go support Hudson Street based on their opinions of Trenton coming out to support them here. Sure, this neighborhood is a lot safer, but the Hudson Street location is not that bad, and there are always police officers there ensuring everyone's safety. I really don't think this is necessary, but it is nice and reassuring for those who might be a little intimidated.

As usual, Sam greeted us while we waited, as well as when sat. As always, he was friendly, and he and his team are great people. Great staff with great food! Bonus!

Tony waited on us tonight, and came right over and opened up our 2005 Taz Fiddlestix pinot noir. Review on that to come as well! He took our order for the antipasti salad, as well as a large sausage and sweet pepper, and another large sweet pepper. This will leave for delicious leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

The antipasti came loaded up with cheese, fresh mozzarella, olives, roasted red peppers, salami, sesame bread sticks. This salad is huge and a meal in itself that could easily be a great snack for 4 people. So damn good, but so much food! Regardless, we ate a lot of it, and not enough of our tomato pies!

As always, our pies came and were absolutely gorgeous as seen at left. The sweet pepper is seen on the top, and my sausage and sweet pepper is on the bottom. These pies are absolutely perfect. Look at the nice bubbles, thin crust, and tasty cheese! YUM!

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Tomato pie just doesn't not get any better than this. I've said it before, and I will say it again! Gary and Sam have it down to a science, and there is nobody that can even come close to duplicating these pies. From the crust, to the sauce, to the fresh sausage and other fresh ingredients, everything is first class.

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The crust still is a little different from Hudson Street, but that is not a bad thing to say the least. I really think that it is the Trenton water. =) Regardless, it is just as good, just a tad different. Almost as though there is a little more air and density to it. The sausage and sweet peppers on the other hand were perfect. There is no other sausage like this on a pie in New Jersey. The sweet peppers are magnificent as well, and always taste as though they are right off of the vine.

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All in all, another great meal at Delorenzo's with great food, great wine, and great service. Kudos as usual to Sam and his crew, and to Tony our waiter. Keep up the great work an outstanding pies!

2005 Melville Pinot Noir Estate

Another greawt release from Melville! Popped and poured at Tsukasa Japanese Restaraunt in Bordentown, NJ tonight, this wine showed a nice ruby red in the glass. Surprisingly, very little alcohol showing on this wine, even though it was in the mid 15's. This wine would definitely benefit from some open bottle time, but I really have no complaints all considered. I think this wine will also show better with another year in the bottle.

On the nose, lots of dark cherry, spice, and earth...it had that typical Santa Rita Hills soil smell. On the palate, more of the same followed, along with hints of plum and red fruits. This wine was a little spicy when first popped, but it settled down nicely in the glass, making it a joy to drink, and a great QPR. Will purchase more of this in the future, and will be great with another year in the bottle. All in all, yet another from Santa Rita Hills worthy of 90 points! Cheers!

2006 Sanford Pinot Noir - Santa Rita Hills

Sanford's latest release, and another good one...but be patient and give it some time in the bottle...

Nice red/violet color in the glass with raspberry, black cherry, blackberry, other black fruits which I can't identify, a hint of cola, vanilla, oak, and pepper on the nose! Lots of dark berries on the mid-palate, with strong tannins and acidity. The finish was short, and a tad on the sour side. This wine is showing well for being so young, but lacking the complexity and the "candied cherry" that I have grown to love in the '04. In my opinion, this is a better offering right off the bat than the '05, but I said it before, and I will say it again, Sanford hasn't been the same since Richard and Thekla left! Regardless, they are still making a good wine!

In short, this wine is still young in the bottle and needs more time! Based on the tannin structure in this bottle, I think that this bottle will age nice for up to 5 years...maybe more!

2004 Sanford Pinot Noir

What can we say, other than "YUM" about another great bottle of this '04 Sanford Santa Rita Hills? This is the wine that changed our thoughts on pinot noir forever, and is just such a darn good bargain! Unfortunately, stock on the 2004 is starting to run a little thin, so lets hope some similar pinot releases are soon to come. With the thousands of pinot out there, I am sure we will find one, but for now, this is just so darn enjoyable!

Tonight we brought this along with us to Blue Bottle Cafe in Hopewell, NJ, and as always, it was a pleasant treat! Popped and poured at this "new to us" BYO, this wine showed the usual hints of the '04 Sandford. Great ruby color in the glass, thinning ever so slightly near the rim. Tons of cherry, strawberry, and raspberry on the nose, with the faintest hints of cola and spice. Lots of candied cherry on the palate, and a finish that likes to linger pleasantly for 20-30 seconds.

There is something so special about the '04 that the '05 lacked, mainly in the fruit department. Was this because the harvest was that much better in 2004? What the fruit harvested earlier? Later? I wish I knew the answers to these questions, but I don't.

Unfortunately, I do not see this wine improving at all any further, but I think it will hold steady for another 2-3 years with proper cellaring. I have a local hot spot with a few more bottles, and maybe I'll have to clean out their inventory so we can enjoy one a year for the next few years...hmmm. Another consistent 90 point Sanford! Cheers!

Blue Bottle Cafe - Hopewell, NJ

After several months of trying to get up to Blue Bottle Cafe in Hopewell, and not finding the time, tonight, we finally had the opportunity to dine at Blue Bottle, and what a great experience it was! We've heard many great things about the Blue Bottle Cafe in many newspapers, publication, magazines, and even on the wine boards, that it is one of the premier BYO's in the area. Upon driving up, it really doesn't look like much other than an old house, but upon walking in, you will find a great restaurant, with cozy decor, and lots of blue glass accents and bottles, hence the name. Tonight, we didn't have a reservation, but we were smart in getting out early to beat the crowds. I think we arrived at Blue Bottle around 5PM, and they were able to seat us in the back atrium, overlooking the woods and a creek. The staff was very friendly, and we started off by opening yet another 2004 Sanford pinot noir Santa Rita Hills. God we love this wine! We started off with an appetizer and salad: Pan Seared Crab Cake with Chick Pea Puree, Sauté of Chorizo, Leeks and Roasted Tomatoes, and Yellow Pepper Emulsion $12.00 Blue Bottle Salad: Mixed Baby Greens with sliced red Grapes, Toasted hazelnuts, red wine and honey Vinaigrette, shaved manchego cheese**$8.00 Both were absolutely delicious, and the preparation was gorgeous. As you might know, I am very picky when it comes to crab cakes. In mine, I don't use much filler, or anything else for that matter, as I really like to just taste the good crab. That said, I was a little bit weary, but I was pleasantly surprised. The crab cakes itself was delicious, and the chorizo, leeks, and roasted tomato were tasty. I ate the crab cake separate from all of this, but enjoyed the chorizo on it's own. It was a pleasant treat to say the least! As for the salad, that was great as well, with a very nice red wine and honey vinaigrette, that had great flavor, but was not over powering. The hazelnuts were a very nice touch, along with the delicious grapes, and most of all the manchego cheese. This was the perfect salad, and for us, splitting the salad and the crab cake was quite filling! As for our entrees, Zelda ordered the Roasted ‘Griggstown Farm’ Breast of Chicken with Braised Chicken and Spring Vegetable Risotto, Preserved Lemon and Roasted Garlic Jus $25.00. I did not try her chicken, however, the risotto was great, cooked absolutely perfectly, and was very Spring-esq and refreshing. Very tasty! The chicken was nothing to write home about, and wasn't necessarily bland, but it was lacking some zing and pizazz. It could have just used something else, but I cannot put my tongue on exactly what that is. Myself, I ordered the Duo of Beef - Pan Roasted Painted Hills Cote de Boeuf with Ribeye Braciola, Parmesan Polenta Cake, Asparagus, Grape Tomato Relish and Natural Beef Jus $34.00. This was absolutely gorgeous, and the meat could not have been cooked any better! I ordered it medium, and it came out perfectly medium. The flavors were great, they were great cuts of meat, and it tasted like meat, not a bunch of flavors and spices trying to cover up a mediocre piece of meat. Even the polenta was good, and I am not even a polenta fan. There is something about the texture of polenta that just does not do it for me. The asparagus on the side too was wonderful, and the dish also had some very nice grape tomatoes. All the veggies were perfectly cooked, and they were a nice side item that added great flavors to the dish. All in all, yet another good BYO in the local area, or just a 30 minute drive or so. I can't say that it was excellent, but I can say that by the time my entree came, I was not all that hungry. That said, we need to come back again in the future, skip the appetizer and salad, and then we will be able to give it a more accurate review I think. Great service, good food, and a romantic little place to take your wife out on a date! I look forward to going back in the future! Cheers! The Blue Bottle Cafe 101 East Broad Street Hopewell, NJ 08525 Phone: (609)333-1710 Http://www.thebluebottlecafe.com/

2004 Sanford Pinot Noir

This is one of the wines that changed our wine world forever. The '04 is still such a good wine, and I love the fact that we still have a 1/2 case left in the cellar.

Nice ruby color in the glass, with great hints of red fruits, mainly cherry and strawberry on the nose, with hints of cola and herb. More of the same on the palate, and a finish that is absolutely delicious.

This wine is much better than the 2005 in my opinion. Maybe it is attributed to the weather in 2004 versus 2005. Maybe the fruit was just that much better. Or maybe the '05's just need some more time in the bottle. Regardless, I still swear by the '04's, and look forward to getting my hands on some more! 90 points consistently from 5 bottles thus far. Great pinot for sub $25! Also check out Richard's new project, Alma Rosa!

2001 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix

Happy Valentine's Day! Zelda and I enjoyed this half bottle tonight at Cafe Kabul, located at Rat's Restaurant at the Grounds for Sculptures in Hamilton, NJ.

This pinot has aged very nicely, and could quite possibly be on the down slope now, but it was still tasty. Lots of red fruits on the nose, with the slightest hint of brettiness. On the palate notes of more red fruits, especially strawberries prevalent, with a nice, not overly complex finish. Hints of plum came on the finish as well. All in all, if you have any of these, I would suggest drinking them in the next 2 years or so, but I think you will enjoy them! 90 points!

2005 Sea Smoke Southing

Received these off the mailing list about a month ago, and can't resist the urge anymore to pop one. I know it's nowhere near ready to drink yet, but there's 3 more that we'll cellar until 2010 plus, so why not? Opened and decanted for 3 hours. Gorgeous plum/ruby in the decanter and glass. Nose of black cherry, raspberry, blueberry, and a hint of spice and oak. On the palate more strawberry prevalent than anything, with some spice and wood. The finish on this bottle lasted a good 30 seconds, and the tannins definitely need some time to settle down, and the oak needs time to integrate. This wine definitely very young, but I just couldn't resist. This is a big wine, and I look forward to revisiting it in 3-5 years. All in all, currently rated at 91 points, with 94-95 points possible with time in the bottle. If drinking now, be sure to decant at least 2 hours. We'll hold these until our 2010 allocation comes in. As always, Sea Smoke is a must buy for us! Cheers!