Staff Favorites

Staff Favorites
Farpointe Cellar
Tasted Saturday, April 24, 2010

Flight 1

2008 Viña Cobos Cabernet Sauvignon Felino (Argentina, Mendoza) - 88 Points This wine has a lot of licorice on the nose. Mixed with that is some black fruit and espresso. The palate was very soft, with black currant and black cherry, some coffee, and a licorice finish. It was a little hot, but other than that a pretty nice wine.

2005 Tor Chardonnay Two Rivers Ranch (USA, California, Napa Valley) - 88 Points This wine had a load of lychee fruit and peaches. There was also pineapple and citrus. At the end was some honey. The palate was thick and buttery, but not too much. It had the same flavor profile as the nose. Tasty, but not much going on besides fruit.

2006 Quinta do Portal Douro (Portugal, Douro) - 87 Points The nose had lots of cedar and cherry, a little pepper and roasted meat, and some rose petals at the end. The palate was very soft, with dark fruit and cedar, a little meat, and some floral notes on the finish.

2007 Ferraton Père & Fils Crozes-Hermitage La Matinière (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage) - 86 Points This wine had lots of oranges and lemon zest on the nose to start. There was also some floral notes, and just the slightest hint of spice. On the palate it was thick with lots of acidity. The fruit was mainly citrus, but there were also some floral notes on the finish.

2007 Peter Lehmann Shiraz The Barossa (Australia, South Australia, Barossa) - 85 Points The nose had lots of chocolate mixed with black fruit. It had a lot of creamy oak behind the chocolate and fruit. The palate was the opposite of the nose. Lots of creamy oak followed by chocolate and fruit. The finish was very hot.

Flight 2

2006 Vineyard 29 Zinfandel Aida Estate (USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena) - 91 Points Loads of burnt wood and earth on the nose. There was also black cherry and floral notes, and some pepper and baking spice towards the end. The palate was pretty soft, with dark fruit, floral notes, pepper, spice, and a mocha finish.

2003 Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino Vigneto Manachiara (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino) - 90 Points The nose had a bunch of coffee and chocolate, some black currant, and a little cherry. The palate was rich, and had chocolate and black currant, mocha, and a good cedar finish.