Not this past Saturday but the week before I happened to be at the local store when they were tasting some Rosenblum wines. I don't have a lot of experience with Rosenblum, but based on the wines I've tasted, they make distinctive wines of good quality. Also included here are two unusual Italians I drank at home.
Rosenblum tasting (9/6/08)
Rosenblum, Viognier, Appellation Series, Kathy's Cuvee, California 2006
Citrus and wonderful, ripe, sweet peach and tropical fruits, with creamy vanilla. Lots of character. Wow. This is the best Viognier I've had to date. This can be had for under $15, and at that price a tremendous value. Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91). [9/6/08]
Roseblum, Mourvedre, Appelation Series, San Francisco Bay 2004
Nice, interesting nose. On the palate, cherry, plum, violets, smoke, and spice. Frim finish. Very fruity and aromatic for Mourvedre. Lots of character. Great wine. Around $15, and a good value. Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91). [9/6/08]
Rosenblum, Syrah, Rominger Vineyard, Yolo County 2006
Dark berries, earthy herbs, spice, and a touch of mineral. Very nice, but not nearly as interesting as the Mourvedre. If you can find this for $15, it's worth trying, but the price online seems to be around $20, and at that price I'd pass. Excellent (87 - 90). [9/6/08]
Rosenblum, Zinfandel, Appellation Series, Paso Robles 2006
Softish cherry with a touch of raspberry upfront, then blackberry, and a spicy finish. Quite good, but more or less 'just another' California Zin, and for around $15, not all that exciting (although it's not an unfair price). Excellent (87 - 90), but only merely. [9/6/08]
And the Italians:
Voga, Quattro, Sicilia IGT 2005
This is a blend of (are you ready for this?) Cab Sauv, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. Clearly an attempt to cash in on the appeal of the 'Cal-Rhone' style blends. Cherry upfront, followed by a touch of soft red berry (that might suggest the Pinot), then Shirazy plum, and currants (from the two Bordelais), with a finish of white pepper and Cab Sauv / Merlot - style structure. With all of that, a touch of tomato paste, orange rind, and generous acidity that that hints at its Italian provenance. The white pepper does perhaps hint that's it's Sicilian. Very fruity and extracted - reminds you strongly of California or Australia. The fruit mellowed a bit the second day and it tasted much more Italian. Definitely a nice wine, and worth it's under $10 price tag, but not if you're looking for something that tastes Italian. Very Good Excellent (86 - 88). [9/6/08]
Vini di Bacco, Vino da Tavola Rosso NV
Cherry upfront, with a tantelizing hint of blackberry, and espresso (which cupples with the fruits to given an impression of cola), then juicy red plum (and perhaps even a bit of plum tomato), a touch of aromatic vanilla, and a generously spice finish. Also has a touch of orange rind to it. Very lush. A lovely wine. No grape indicated, although I noted that the front palate reminded me strongly of Montepulciano. The fine print on the back label says it was bottled in Asti, however, which led me to guess it must have been Dolcetto. But, looking it up online, it is actually a blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano. Now, the strange part is that having had two glasses, I vacuum-sealed the bottle and stuck it in fridge for later. But, coming back to it only a hour later for a another half-glass to sip on, I found that it had gone very far down hill (and under vacuum no less!). I'll I can say is that this is an NV, obviously for basic everyday drinking, and this batch of bottles has been at a local store for over a year. An example of what I call the 'time-capsule effect,' which is to say wines that have somehow been perfectly preserved well past their prime, but subsequently collapse very rapidly upon openning. All that aside, if the current bottling is comperable, then this is a steal of a value (under $10), and the Italophiles should buy it by the case for everyday drinking. Lovely stuff. Excellent (87 - 90) when first openned. [9/6/08]
