Six years and still going…

A month behind posting this, but there was a lot of good wine to drink and blog about. J  Somehow, our wine inventory has exploded over the last year.  But that just means more great wines to write about in the future!  As we look forward to another exciting year of sipping and blogging, we hope to feature some wonderful little known wineries from some unexpected locations.  It is always a treat to visit one of those small tucked away boutique places before others know about them, as well as, finding that hard to find bottle of wine at a small town store.  We’ll certainly have these plus many more surprise wines to feature for the next year to come.  Salute!

Barranca -2013; Kuhlman Cellars; Stonewall, Texas

Barranca, Barranca…turn to the left….turn to the right or straight up the vineyard valley.  Either way, you are steering in the direction of everlasting wine paradise.  First, that “popping” sound after just opening the bottle entices your senses for something new and exciting.  Like a child just discovering some fantastic candy, you can’t help but immediately smell the bottom of the cork to get a hint of what is to come.  Your wine Jedi training has disciplined you to let it breathe a bit before tasting because you know this will lead to some fantastic wine to taste!  Better yet, you probably will use a decanter.  This six blend red of 41% Petite Sirah, 36% Malbec, 14% Grenache, 5% Carignan, 2% Cinsault and 2% Mourvedre will definitely seduce you with some intense aromas.  Yes, the warm red color is seducing as you make that first pour.  Make note of sweet berries and licorice which initially greet you.  Nice, isn’t it?  Now take another sip to ensure your palate gets to catalogue all the wonderful flavors in the wine. Though mostly a middle mouth feel, it is full bodied with some dirty and leathery characters. The structure is quite nice and not too tannic.  Yes, the finish is long and very nice!  Pour another glass and linger over the dusty, mellow elegantness that is Barranca. Yes, a bottle you will cherish and love for eternity.  Enjoy well! 

www.kuhlmancellars.com

San Pasqual Winery – La Mesa, California

This small boutique winery has been around since the 1970’s.  In 2009, Linda and Mike McWilliams became the new owners and have since established three tasting room locations in the San Diego area.  They focus on small batch hand crafted wines which concentrate a lot of love and hard work into some quality wine.  Grapes are sourced from area vineyards as well as California viticulture areas.  We visited the Seaport Village location which is a great downtown place along the bay to hang out, visit and enjoy sipping wine.  They have many great wines to choose from for your tasting.  For this visit, we tried a couple of the whites and reds, along with a fruit wine.  Their 2015 Chardonnay comes across as very clean and quite crisp.  A very good afternoon choice for a long hot summer day.  The 2015 Rose’ is made from Cabernet Franc. It’s not too dry or sweet and has some lovely candy apples notes toward the finish. The 2013 Malbec is quite opaque with strong tannins and a rich, earthy mouth puckering feel.  The 2013 Zinfandel has a little spice to complement the berry flavors with just a touch of cedar aroma.  Now the Passion Fruit Blanc is to die for!  Locally sourced, it’s very, very clear and light colored but packs a very luscious tropical flavor that’s quite addictive. Bring a wine suitcase, because you’ll be dreaming of throwing a Hawaiian party when you bring many of these Passion Fruit bottles back with you. This is a really great quality wine bar addition to the San Diego community. It fits right in with the lifestyle and the people. When in the area, stop by and get acquainted with their wines, you won’t be disappointed!  Enjoy!

www.sanpasqualwinery.com

WA-4 NV; Location Wines; Washington

This particular location wine in the series is a blend of fruits from all over Washington State.  It’s primarily a Syrah blend with Merlot and Petite Syrah.  It’s best to let this wine breath for at least a good hour to bring out the best it has to offer.  It opens up nicely and the flavor profile reveals good dark fruit and ripe berries that are quite pronounced.  The wine is medium bodied and smooth, with a nice tannic structure that is not too heavy. The varietal blend seems well balanced and has a nice long lasting finish that is not too dry and has a little smokiness and hint of spice.  It’s a nice wine to compliment a variety of dishes and can easily be enjoyed by most earthy, drier red wine drinkers.  We found this one to be one of our favorite location wines thus far. Drink well and enjoy!

www.locationswine.com