2006 Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir Balcombe Vineyard

All I can say about this wine, is that I wish I waited to open this, but curiosity to open a "Patty Green" was killing me.

This wine is so young, and is going to be fabulous in another 5 years. We aerated this through the Vinturi and decanted for an hour prior to drinking. I think that a 5 hour decant would have been good, but an hour is better than no time at all.

Nose of blackberry and black cherry, with hints of cola and earth as well. On the palate, more black fruit with hints of spice, but for the most part, typical of an Oregon pinot. There is still some acidity on this wine, and I attribute it to the fact that we drank it so young.

Long and short of it is, put a few of these in the back of your cellar, out of sight, out of mind, and revisit them in 2 years at the earliest. I'd like to get another 4 to 6 of these to stockpile for some years down the road!

Overall, 90 points, but will definitely go higher with some time!

2006 Snoqualmie Vineyards Riesling Winemaker's Select

All I can say is WOW! What a great Riesling for the money. Purchased at Canal's on Route 38 in Pennsauken, and this a great American Riesling, and a great QPR (quality to price ratio).

Snoqualmie must be doing something right in the Columbia Valley of Washington! This wine is spot on for the price, and will be a great summer sipper in my opinion.

This wine possesses the sweet quality of Riesling that I have not come to grow very fond of, however, I am really enjoying this wine. The nose is crisp and floral, with hints of sugar cane and mellow citrus fruits. On the palate, it is crisp, with lots of apricot marmalade, honey, and pear There is very little acidity and a hint of mineral. The finish is short and sweet, but what do you really want for under $8?

All in all, this wine will be revisited many times over the summer, and will make a great deck and "on the bistro sipper." This is a wine that I feel is worth buying by the case.

All in all, 85 points based on the 100 point scale. More nose and a longer more complex finish would have gotten this wine more points.

Notes from the winemaker: 10.8% alcohol by volume.

Under the Moon - Bordentown, NJ

As many times as we have frequented Under the Moon, I have yet to do a review on the restaurant and their food. Well, it's about time! Tonight we had the pleasure of meeting up with the Tom and Denise, of which Tom frequents one of the wine forums that I like to spend some time in. We both brought a great selection of wine, but unfortunately, we didn't get around to any of the wines that we brought. Special thanks to Tom and Denise for providing the wine for our dinner. Upon arriving, it was great to see "Mama," "Santi," and "Fawn," as well as some new faces in the dining room and in the kitchen. As usual, the menu had 6-8 appetizers and salads, as well as 8-10 entrees. First up was the wine, and Fawn opened up two wines that Tom and Denise had brought. The first was a 2004 Copain Pinot Noir Hein Family Vineyard that was absolutely fabulous. It was good "pooped and poured," and only got better as the bottle had time to breathe, and the wine had time to breathe in the glass. On the glass, it had a nice ruby color, with lots of red fruits on the nose, mainly bold cherry and strawberry. On the palate, there was the faintest hint of spice, with hints of cherry, cherry cola, and the smallest hint of earth. The finish was vibrant and balanced, with some hints of raspberry. All in all, a great wine that I would love to revisit in the future. I still think this wine is a bit young. For dinner, Zelda and Tom had the chicken tikka. This is an Under the Moon staple as far as Zelda is concerned, and is a real treat. Denise had an eggplant dish of sorts, that I think had thyme in it, and it too looked fabulous. I had the wasabi crusted tuna, and it was incredible. Sushi grade tuna served rare over wasabi mashed potatoes that were to die for. The dish came with more tuna than I could eat, and it looked and tasted absolutely gorgeous. Next up in wine was a 2003 Rhys Syrah Alesia Sonoma Coast that had a good hour to breathe in the bottle. Nice medium red color in the glass, with tons of blue and black fruit on the nose...blueberry, blackberry, pepper, and the slightest hint of oak. On the palate, there was great depth with more of the black fruits and spice. All in all, a nice finish with very fine tannins that were not overpowering in the least. For dessert, Zelda had the triple chocolate brownie that was also incredible and sinful! All I can say is yum. I had the green apple bread pudding, with homemade caramel sauce on top, and it goes to show that Santiago knows how to make some great desserts. All in all, another awesome night at Under the Moon, and this just solidifies the fact that they are one of Bordentown's best BYO's! I look forward to our next trip to Under the Moon!

2004 Cherry Hill Winery Pinot Noir Estate

We brought this wine along with us to Oliver - A Bistro in Bordentown. For those of you who are not familiar with Oliver, be sure to check out their site at: http://oliverabistro.com/ Chef Matt and wife Danielle are doing a great job over there, and I will have a full review to come in the future!

Popped and poured, and this wine could have used an hour, if not several in a decanter. Unfortunately, that was not an option, but what can you do. Either this wine is still young, which is possible, but overall, I just think it is not a top notch Oregon pinot. Lots of sour cherry and raspberry all over the nose. On the palate, more of the same, with hints of oak, and lots of acidity. The finish seemed sour and un-complex, and overall, this wine left a lot to be desired for the price. Definitely some better values out there for the money, but it was worth trying something different. 83 points.

Tre Piani - Princeton, NJ

Review coming soon!

Lobster Club Sandwich $20.00 pancetta, vine-ripened tomato, and bibb lettuce on toasted bread with wasabi mayonnaise and crispy fried potatoes

Rigatoni with Filet Mignon Tips and Gorgonzola Cheese

RELEASE ALERT - Sea Smoke Cellars

Got the e-mail today that Sea Smoke allocations are up. For those of you who have not heard of them, check them out at: http://www.seasmokecellars.com/ They are making some awesome pinot noir there, and these wines are a must buy for us again this year!

I got bumped up to a C4 member this year, however, my allocations were still the same this year:

(1) Sea Smoke "Ten" $79

(4) Sea Smoke "Southing" $49
(1) Sea Smoke "Botella" $39

There has been some complaining by list members that the "Ten" went up $10 this year. No big deal...the way I see it, if you don't want to shell out the extra $10, then don't buy it. That just might mean more for us later when the have the "leftovers sale."

That said, if you are not on their waiting list, I suggest that you sign up as it is a 2-3 year wait currently. Also note that Kris Curran, the current wine maker has put in her resignation and will be going to Sea Smoke, but her assistant wine maker at Sea Smoke, Don, will be taking over at the helm. I am curious to see what is going to happen with their wine, but with the awesome quality fruit they are producing from yet young vines, I think Don is still going to be making quality vino! So check them out, sign up for their list, and when you get on and get your first allocation, throw them in the back of your cellar and forget they are there for a few years!

Happy Apple Inn - Imlaystown, NJ

Today Zelda and I took a drive to the tiny little village of Imlaystown, NJ, and had lunch at the Happy Apple Inn. The Happy Apple Inn is the only restaurant in Imlaystown, and pretty much the only attraction in Imlaystown. It is situated on a lovely lake, overlooking a waterfall. Upon walking up the the restaurant, it is a great looking old white farm house with black shutters and a nice wide front porch. Upon entering the restaurant, it is indeed an old farm house, and could use some updated decor. As you walk in, you will see a nice bar located to the left, and the dining room to the right. One thing I did find amusing was the carpet with a lovely apple woven into it, and the words "Happy Apple Inn" woven into the pattern throughout the restaurant. This was a cute touch, and one that has probably been there for 20 years. Being a Sunday, we found a lot of seniors frequenting the restaurant, to which they had some great senior specials. This is usually a good sign. I for one was not expecting the pricing that I saw on the menu, but we figured that it just may have been worth it. The staff was nice, but not overly friendly. We both enjoyed a nice ice cold Coca Cola, and I ordered the Nutty Pork at $22.95, while Zelda ordered the Chicken Saute' Jean at $21.95. Both of our lunches came with the salad bar, which we are not usually too fond of, but it was worth a shot. The salad bar did have a nice selection of iceberg lettuce, an your usual "salad bar type" items. The Parmesan peppercorn dressing was actually quite a treat, and the slice yourself french bread was stellar. Once our lunch arrived, we were both shocked at the size of the portions. My pork chop was stuffed with a homemade stuffing, containing onions, celery, and many other items that was very tasty. The pork was about 2 inches thick, and cooked to absolute perfection. Zelda's chicken was smothered in cheese and a great mushroom sauce, and had 3 good sized chicken breasts. We both have the twice baked potato on the side, and these too were awesome. Next time we want to check out the bar and bar menu, to see what kinds of other, more affordable selections they may have on there. Their wine list had a great selection surprisingly, including wines from Cakebread, BV, Grgrich, and some other decent names. They did also include bottles of Yellowtail, Glen Ellyn, and some other less desirable wines. All in all, it was a nice list. Overall, the food was excellent, and the potions were ridiculous. The service left just a tad to be desired, but it was a Sunday afternoon, and if I was waiting on a dining room full of seniors, I too may have been a little on the grumpy side.

2003 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix

What can I say about this wine other than incredible! This pinot has aged very nicely, and it probably still has a few years left before you will start to see a decline.

This was purchased at the Pennsauken Canal's on Route 38, with a sticker price of about $27. Absolutely worth it for the price, and I only wish they had more of this vintage...or older for that matter.

Nice dark ruby red in the glass, with a nose of big red fruits: raspberry, strawberry, cherries, and the smallest hint of earth or soil. On the palate, this wine explodes with gushes of cherry and dark fruit, more than likely plum. The finish is perfect, nice and medium in length, with more plum flavors and the slightest hint of cola.

All in all, a great drinker, that I would drink over the next 2 years, possibly up to 5 more years depending on how it is stored. 91 out of 100 points!

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!

2004 Peachy Canyon Jester

First tried this wine at Jester's Cafe, and I really enjoyed it, so I picked up a few bottles at the first place I saw it around here. This wine is a very strange blend, almost like a Bordeaux, but a lot like a Rhone wine as well. Grapes used were cabernet sauvignon, syrah, petite sirah, and cab franc. On the nose, hints of raspberry jam, plum, cherry, and cedar shine through. On the palate, tons of blackberry and raspberry, with currants, and lots of wood. Cedar, oak, you take your pick, but they are both there. There is something about this wine that I absolutely love, but I cannot put my finger on it. Maybe it is because it has the same qualities of two regions that we love, Bordeaux and Rhone. Maybe because it's a bigger wine. I only wish I knew. What I do know is that we have 2 more bottles, and I look forward to opening them. In short, a fun wine, worthy of 89 points. Cheers!

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 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek Vineyard

What is there to say about this wine other than awesome. Many of you have heard me talk about them before, and I think they are producing the best $35 cabernet on the market today.

This is the 2nd bottle we have enjoyed of a half case, and we brought it to Dave's Annual Wine Bash to introduce to others. Needless to say, it went over well and was a huge success, and I am sure a few of you signed up for their mailing list after this.

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I had this bottle opened for a good 4 hours before we took our first pour, and it showed a really nice dark ruby color in the glass, with hints of mocha and dark cherry on the nose. On the palate, lots of darker blueberry and raspberry notes shine through, with a good acidity, and the faintest bits of toasted oak and spice. A nice medium long finish was to follow, and this wine showed to be very well integrated, with a nice and creamy full bodied texture! All I can say about this wine is wow. Great to drink now, or cellar for yet a few more years. This is a must buy for us, and I look forward to their syrah release in the Spring. No matter what they release, you can count on us to go "all in." Awesome wines at $35 a bottle, and to boot, Paul and Stefania seem like great people. I can't wait to meet them at an offline in the future.

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Overall, I'll go a point higher on this wine than the last bottle we had, and give it 92 out of 100 points. Could be a 95 pointer with another couple years in the bottle. We'll see! Check them out at: http://www.stefaniawine.com/ and be sure to let them know that we sent you! Cheers!

RELEASE ALERT - Auteur Wines

The March 2008 release was announced today from Auteur, and this is always a must buy with their highly rated wines. Unfortunately, I missed out on the Fall 2007 mailing, but was lucky enough to get on the Spring 2008 list, and purchased all 3 bottles I was allocated. If you are not on their mailing list, this is one I would recommend signing up for. And as always, remember that you are not obligated to purchase. To sign up, check out their website at: http://www.auteurwines.com/

This Spring release consists of:

2006 Hyde Chardonnay, Carneros Napa

2006 Manchester Ridge, Mendocino Ridge

2006 Sonoma Stage Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

Check out the release notes for more information. Also note that on rare occasions, you might be able to find these wines at some of the local stores in NJ. The Canal's on Route 1 in Lawrenceville/Princeton has had their wines on a few occasions. Check them out and see if they live up to some of their 100 point reviews! Cheers!

RELEASE ALERT: Kistler Spring 2008 Release

Here we are in January, and already receiving the Spring Kistler mailing for their incredible chardonnay. Unfortunately, we were only offered 3 different vineyards this year, and no pinot nor whatsoever.

Kistler's full Spring release consisted of the following wines:

2005 Hudson Vineyard Chardonnay Carneros 2005 Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay Carneros 2005 Vine Hill Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2005 Kistler Vineyard Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 2005 Kistler Vineyard Cuvée Cathleen Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 2006 Stone Flat Vineyard Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2005 Occidental Station Cuvée Catherine Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2005 Bodega Headlands Cuvée Elizabeth Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2006 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Unfortunatley however, we were only allocated the Hudson, Hyde, and Vine Hill, but regardless, they are all delicious. One of these years it would be nice to get on their list to get some of the much sough after pinot noir, but that will come in time with consistent ordering.

This is a list I would suggest signing up for, even if you don't plan on purchasing, because you just never know. More information on Kistler can be found at:

http://www.kistlerwine.com/

Kistler Vineyards

4707 Vine Hill Road

Sebastopol, CA 95472 Telephone: (707) 823-5603

Fax: (707) 823-6709

Cheers!

2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia

Happy Anniversary to us! The 2002 Insignia was a wine that we have been dying to try because of all of the hype. Many of you know that this wine was rated Wine Spectators "Wine of the Year" in 2005, so will the wine really live up to all of the hype? First and foremost, Happy Anniversary to Zelda and I. What better occasion to pop a bottle of this open? Secondly, note that this wine is still extremely young, and the only reason I am even considering opening one is because we have quite a few more in the cellar...that said, why not? Once popped, this was decanted for an hour before we took our first taste. In the decanter, it showed a nice dark rub color, and from 3 feet away you could smell plum, cassis, dark berries, tar, vanilla, and toasted oak. What a great nose! They need to make a "plug in" that smells like this! This wine was definitely showing young on the palate, and continued to evolve in the decanter over a period of 4 hours. This wine is silky smooth in the mouth with layer upon layer of fruit. Lots of black and red berries, a hint of chocolate, spice, minerals, currants, and oak, with supple, well integrated tannins. The finish is silky smooth, and lasts for nearly a minute. All I can say about this wine is incredible. This will probably be the best wine we drink this year, but what better occasion to drink it on? I'm so glad that we have more that we can cellar, and we got these at an absolutely incredible price. All in all, 96 points out of 100, with 1-3 points possible improvement with age. Drink 2012-2025 with proper cellaring! Cheers!