LOU’S WINE BAG OF JOY

Our good friend and RNDC/Barkley rep Lou came by Wednesday with, as always, a lineup of some great wines:

Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc Ataware Valley 2009. Grade=Outstanding. Crisp and clean, with some lively grapefruit and gooseberry up front. Finishes lean with bright minerality.

Forefront Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma/Napa 2008. Grade=Outstanding. A little rounder than the Clifford Bay, there is more lime and nectarine coming into play here, with richer notes of pineapple and melon. Softer edges make this easier-on-the-palate too. The Forefront line is new from Pine Ridge.

Chamisal Chardonnay Stainless Central Coast 2008. Grade=Outstanding. A crisp, fruit-driven Chard, this has lots of nice apple, pear and tangerine elements with just a touch of creamy vanilla floating through to its lively finish.

Chamisal Chardonnay Edna Valley 2007. Grade=Outstanding. This is more the typical California Chardonnay style, with more oak aging, more malolactic fermentation, all for more creamy, buttery textures, baked apple, orange creamsicle and toasted brioche notes.

Clifford Bay Pinot Noir Marlborough 2009. Grade=Outstanding. Lean with cherry cola tones, well-balanced acidity, and hints of earth and roasted herbs. A good value from New Zealand.

Chamisal Pinot Noir Edna Valley 2007. Grade=Outstanding. Straddling the line between a Premier Cru red Burgundy and a cool climate California Pinot Noir, this best-of-both-worlds presentation gives you forest floor, violet, Bing cherries, red raspberry, cola nut, truffle, sandalwood, and pomegranate with hints of cherry tart and cinnamon stick at the finish.

Forefront Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2008. Grade=Outstanding-. I only add the minus because this was really shut down when we tried it. Very shy. Hinted at black cherry, black raspberry, cinnamon and nutmeg, with a bit of earthy, dusty tannins in there, but really needed time to open up.

Forefront Cabernet Sauvignon Napa/El Dorado/San Luis Obispo 2007. Grade=Outstanding. A brambly Cab with some Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cab Franc, and Malbec added in to give it loads of brooding complexity, you get a lot of blueberry, dark cherry, coffee bean, caramel, mocha, and tar, all leading you into a rich tannic grip and smooth, plush finish.

Of course, he stumped us with a Brown Bagged bottle, which turned out to be Bota Box Malbec Lodi 2009 3 liter box. It was not even remotely like a Malbec from Argentina, or even Cahors. Hot and humid Lodi gives you something that tastes like a Lodi Zin or a Barossa Shiraz. It’s okay. But if you want Malbec, stick with Argentina. Grade=Average.