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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.

Our sister/friend/DEPS alum Jen from RNDC/Cumberland came by today with Jeff Washburn of the Domaine Napa Wine Company, one of the many arms of Bronco Wine (Fred Franzia’s organization for global wine domination):

Forest Glen Pinot Grigio California 2007. Grade=Average. Jeff added the caveat that this was supposed to be 2009 but somehow the 2007 materialized in the samples. Actually it wasn’t bad, with decent fruit and nice acidity.

Crane Lake Moscato California 2008. Grade=Average. It was sweet, yet with a small percentage of Chardonnay added, there is a little bit of body and acidity to it. Okay, but the $4 price tag makes it agreeable.

Montpellier Chardonnay California 2008. Grade=Average. A fairly decent, textbook Cali Chard, with the oak and butter and cream all present. A good party quaff.

La Boca Torrontes Mendoza 2008. Grade=Average. Not a lot of floral character, but overall a decent easy-drinking white wine.

Montpellier Cabernet Sauvignon California 2007. Grade=Average. Kinda sweet red and black fruit flavors with a light grip on the palate. For $6, whaddya want?

La Boca Malbec Mendoza 2008. Grade=Average. A solid, medium-bodied red from Argentina. Hits all the obvious points, and gets the job done.

Sea Ridge Merlot California 2007. Grade=Average. Again, nothing offensive here, just a solid, medium-bodied red with decent tannins and good up-front fruit.

Sea Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. Grade=Average+. A surprisingly good Cab for $4? No joke, this has good grip, nice fruit, surprising balance. Not too bad at all.

The first of my sales rep visits this Wednesday was Jesse, from SWS/Starz division. Jesse sort of popped in the office to drop off a sample of the new Blüfeld Riesling Mosel 2009 from Germany. A pretty decent, medium-sweet Riesling with a lot of candied apricots and fresh peaches, a hint of mineral and some Rainer cherries too. It finishes with some sweet stone fruit and some bright acidity too. This new German endeavor from the wine megalith Constellation is better than I expected. Grade=Outstanding.

NOTE: I couldn’t help but think Blofeld from James Bond though. The connotations could be endless (no Mr. Bond, I want you to DIE!!!).

Today has been one of those strange days that you are never really sure how to take. You just go through it like you’re watching a movie or you’re playing a video game, and while you have time and energy vested in what is going on around you, you are ambivalent as to any of the consequences.

I hate to get into all the “Phenomenology” of things on what is a gorgeous day like today (at least here in the Cincinnati area), but this is where I live today – swimming in the Zen vomit of some nefarious New Age guru. The unofficial kickoff of summer begins this weekend, with backyards afire with flaming charcoal brickettes and charring carcasses of varying species emanating glorious scents of intermingling spices and bug sprays, all while backyard daredevils light bags of cheap fireworks, and drink cases of beer and cases of wine and cases of spirits (which is all good for business here), all to commemorate our fallen heroes of wars past and present.

I don’t mean to sound glib, it’s just that I’ve been particularly perplexed by some of the things going on. In reading one of Wine Enthusiast writer Steve Heimoff’s blog posts the other day, his discussion of wine scores turned into a firestorm of comments both in support and in dissent of the “100-point” scale. Those who have read me for a while are aware of my own level of disdain for wine scores, but I’ve gotten to a point where I am not really so concerned about them; after all, it’s just wine.

Yet it is funny to me how the critics who use the system are continually forced to defend them. As more and more people begin to understand wine – its infinite supply of variety, the stylistic differences, countries of origin, winemaking techniques – the state of wine is far different than it was 30 years ago, or even 20 or 10 years ago. With the Internet, the deluge of wine bloggers, wine magazines, wine-related TV shows, innovative restaurant wine lists, at-home wine tastings, in-store wine tastings, it is truly a more informed, more adventurous consumer landscape.

My little regional blog reviews wines – I am actually getting samples sent to me now, along with all the ones I taste each week as part of my job as a retail wine buyer – yet I balk at the thought of using the 100-points scale, simply because I think quantifying an experience is like running in circles; you don’t go anywhere.

I respect Mr. Heimoff immensely, even if I have fired off a few volatile comments his way over the years. He is one of the most honest wine writers out there, along with Charlie Olken of Connoisseur’s Guide, and David Schildknect of the Wine Advocate, and he isn’t afraid to speak his mind, as evident in this post. I find it interesting though that the mention of varieties such as Chenin Blanc and Albarino wouldn’t merit high scores in their grading scales for varying reasons, and the rationale all gets murky to me.

I’ve decided to go my own way with reviewing wines, make it as informative and as entertaining as I can, speaking with my voice and my experience. If the critics think I’m a hack, screw ‘em. I don’t blog or review wines for money, prominence or prestige – I do it because it is a natural extension of a job I love doing each and every day. It is a way for me to communicate why I brought a wine into the store, or why I think a customer is going to love it. It is a way for me to make manifest the two things I love doing in life, together – wine and writing. I am not in it for accolades, or extra income. I just do it because I love to do it.

This is my kung-fu, and it is strong.

Good friend and regional sales manager Rudy from Vias Imports swung by on his way back from Louisville to drop off a few samples. It was Friday and utter pandemonium, but I managed to squeeze them in after rounds (not sure if they had been opened earlier in the day or the previous day):

Torre di Luna Chardonnay della Venezie 2009. Grade=Outstanding. Though I am not a huge fan of Italian Chardonnay, this one was a nice, easy-drinking Chard with some tart green apple, some minerality and hints of nectarine and Clementine.

Cantele Negroamaro Rosato Salento 2009. Grade=Outstanding. Bright and lively notes of strawberry and cherry. Nice acidty too.

Damilano Barolo Lecinquevigne 2004. Grade=Outstanding. Intense aromas of vanilla and licorice with loads of juicy red berry fruits, fleshy tannins and a dry yet velvety finish. Probably could go for a few more years in the cellar but opening up nicely.

Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 2005. Grade=Amazing. Very powerful with big notes of blackberry, black currant, black truffle, Black No. 1 – it’s really dark and brooding. I don’t get to taste Brunello as often as I’d like but it’s funny how much bigger Brunello is compared to Chianti. Like Chianti is little Sangiovese and Brunello is big Sangiovese. Picture actors Paul Williams and Pat McCormack in “Smokey and The Bandit” (Little Enos and Big Enos for those of you too young to remember that one).

So Jeff, my up-until-now rep for Vanguard, stopped by with his boss and our good friend, Drew Neiman, owner of Vanguard and winemaker for Neiman Cellars, to show off Drew’s latest project from Randolph Street Wine Company - we tasted the 375 Wine Rosé a few weeks ago - a Riesling entitled Cabinet. It took a few seconds for the correlation to the German kabinett to sink in - it been a long day of tasting after all - but the AHA! went off in my head, and I could move on to thinking about what was in my glass.

Coming in a liter bottle, this semi-dry Riesling was really nice, with some Rainer cherries, orange blossom, and quince flavors as well as a nice bit of minerality and white flower notes in the nose. I could really get into this wine with some sushi or some grilled shrimp and scallops. Grade=Outstanding.

As we tasted, Jeff was letting us know that he was moving on to another distributorship and Drew and I talked about some possible replacements, as well as my standard flogging of the Washington Wine addiction and prodding him to look at some of the unrepresented WA wineries that could really kick ass around here. (Namedropping: Buty, Bunnell, Cadence, Walla Walla Vintners)

We’ll be seeing Jeff soon in his new gig, and we’ll be seeing a new rep from Vanguard soon as well. It’s all something of an incestual whirlygig in the wine biz, as we can attest to here at DEP’s (we currently boast 6 former employees now serving as sales reps with various distributors, so you could call us the AAA team for the local wine biz).

Look for Drew’s Riesling soon, and listen for more changes on the way. Things change in this business as much as, well, as much as anything else in this world.

Thursday, the Spanish theme continued with my Heidelberg rep Wendy coming by with Lynn from Quality Wines of Spain. It was something like Spain Overkill with 13 wines on the barrel. Madre mia!

Pampano Blanco Rueda 2007. Grade=Outstanding. While slightly old, it no doubt was still showing lots of bright lemon and gooseberry fruit with some guava and kiwi notes as well. Looking forward to the 2009.

Orballo Albarino Rias Biaxas 2009. Grade=Outstanding. A brand new wine fro QWS, this light-bodied white has lots of pears, melon and even some blanched almond notes. Well-balanced acidity too.

Vina Alarba Tinto Catalayud 2007. Grade=Average. This is a decent red wine, quaffable, with some simple red berry notes. For $5 a bottle, it’s a great one for parties when quantity is more important.

Vina Alarba Old Vine Garnacha Catalayud 2008. Grade=Outstanding. I have always liked this wine; very classic style of Grenache, with some white pepper, red berry and earth notes. Great QPR too!

Merum Grenache-Syrah Madrid 2006. Grade=Outstanding. Eerily like a Cotes-du-Rhone, this dusty presentation of red berries, white pepper, rhubarb and blueberry compote is a standout value.

Merum Monastrell Jumilla 2006. Grade=Outstanding. Somewhat drier than some of the other Monastrell I tasted today, this is nonetheless a lip-smacking good red wine, with medium body, medium tannins, and well-balanced acidity.

Legado Munoz Tempranillo Tierra del Castillo 2008. Grade=Outstanding. An easy, light-bodied Tempranillo that displays some tart cherry and red raspberry fruit flavors with hints of pomegranate and acai berry as well. Some mineral and earth tones give it depth.

Callejo Tempranillo Ribera del Duero 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Tart, crisp, slightly tinny in the middle, this medium-bodied red shows off some Bing cherries, tobacco, and hickory smoke. Very nice.

Callejo Crianza Ribera del Duero 2007. Grade=Outstanding. Incredible grip and gushing with red and black fruit, this medium-to-full-bodied beast is sensuous and enthralling. Smoky plum, cigar box, tar, dark roasted coffee beans and anise create a very complex presence on the palate.

Legon Roble Ribera del Duero 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Some noticeable blackberry, vanilla and spice box notes intermingle with nice, dry tannins, and some rose petal and violets in the nose. Finishes long.

Murtia Monastrell Jumilla 2009. Grade=Amazing. I like this new number from QWS; smoky blueberry and vanilla plum character with some cinnamon stick, nutmeg, cedar and mocha. It is probably my favorite of this lineup.

Onix Priorat 2008. Grade=Amazing. This has always been the best introduction to a very pricey wine region. The Onix is a tank-fermented blend of Grenache and Carignan, making it very fruit-forward, showing off spicy red berry characters and some mineral and white truffle notes as well.

Vinito Sangria NV. Grade=Outstanding. Man, call me crazy, but I could see myself knocking back a bottle or two of this stuff with the wife on a hot summer day, grilling out some bison steaks and making some sort of saffron-seasoned veggies and yellow rice. It’s fruity, it’s fun, and it goes down easy. No wine snobbery here!

So winding down my tasting notes from what was arguably the fastest out-of-town trade show tasting to which I have ever been, I finish with my favorite wine region, and perhaps the best part of Palm Bay Imports’ portfolio – Italy.

We stopped first at Ferrari, one of the most incredible sparkling wine producers anywhere in the world, and always a big surprise for those not already “in” on the secret. My man, Dr. Gonzo, was blown away to try method champenois from Trentino, but there they were, glorious, in all their Champagne-esqe glory, the Brut, Brut Rose and Perle – three magnificent sparkling wines made of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Well-built, sexy and delicious – what more do you want in sparkling wine, eh?

I paraded Dr. Gonzo over to Feudi di San Gregorio, and while he was reveling in all that this mighty Campanian producer had to offer, I sojourned over to the Fonterutoli table and strolled through their Chianti wines, the wines of Maremma and even the Zisola wines – their project in Sicily. One of the oldest wine families in Italy, they do an incredible job, with their Badiola a terrific “Super-Tuscan” value, the magnanimous Siepi, the Belguardo Serrata, and the Zisola Doppiozeta (my favorite of them all) as well as a remarkable rosé from their Belguardo line that was really elegant, something like a Bandol Rosé.

Seeing a familiar face, we stopped in at Planeta, where wine guru Jamie Stewart, formerly of Fosters Wine Estates, was now working for one of Sicily’s superstars. As always, the wines were showing great, particularly their Chardonnay, Santa Cecilia (their Nero d’Avola), and Burdese (a Cab/Cab Franc blend) and their Passito, an incredible dessert wine reminiscent of a Tokaji from Hungary, just all coiled up sex in a glass, leaving me thinking about Scarlett Johannson and Penelope Cruz in Vicky Christina Barcelona, oy!

Stepping away from their and retreating to the appetizer tables, a swarm of intoxicated retails, wholesalers and restaurateurs laying siege to its battlements of egg rolls, skewered chicken pieces and cru de te, we soon found our way to the table of San Patrignano and the amazing Simona Rossi (pictured above), who led us through these hidden gems from Emilia-Romagna (gastronomical center of Italy). While tasting the Aulente (a straight-up Sangiovese) and the Montepirolo (a Bordeaux-style blend of Cab, Merlot and Cabernet Franc), Simona gave us the story behind San Patrignano, a community of families that have been directly or indirectly affected by drug addiction. More than just a winery, San Patrignano is a refuge for people trying to turn their lives around, a place where they can learn a trade, and learn how to live life free from addiction. Great wines, and really a great cause too.

The event was 4 hours that just flew by, and there really wasn’t enough time to try everything Palm Bay had to offer. Pretty much in the bag, Dr. Gonzo, our Palm Bay guy Michael and I stumbled back to the hotel (just a few blocks away), checked ourselves in (under assumed names of course, I was Manny Mota), and gathered ourselves a bit before assaulting the sushi bar downstairs.

With half the contents of Sea World now in the aquarium that was my stomach, the three of us made it wearily back to our rooms, where I had hoped to sleep enough before getting up at 3 to catch a ride to the airport.

It was another great adventure, and I hope to get there again next year.

One of our most “on-it” sales reps is Brian from Vintner Select. Brian doesn’t come around much but he always lets me know what’s new with his company (that means new wines, allocations, etc.). He stopped by to show off some of their Spanish selections from Eric Solomon and Rare Wine Co.:

Espelt Vailet Emporda 2008. Grade=Outstanding. A really nice blend of Garnacha Blanca and Macabeo that is light, crisp and refreshingly clean, with some nice citrus notes and minerality.

Burgans Albarino Rias Biaxas 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Always a standout from the Galicia region of Spain, this shows of nice notes of honeydew melon, d’Anjou and Bartlett pear and some lemon zest and dried herbs. Would make for a great summer deck wine.

Gramona Gessami Penedes 2008. Grade=Outstanding. I love this wine but it is a tough sell. A blend of Muscat d’Alexandria, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat Frontignan, this highly aromatic and slightly sweet white wine would be a heavenly pairing with an oyster roast, grilled shrimp or roasted chicken. If it was only a bit less expensive…

Bodegas Castano Monastrell Yecla 2008. Grade=Outstanding. A stunning effort, this entry-level wine from Castano is tank-fermented Spanish Mourvedre that shows off much more spicy character than is typically found out there, with blackberry, dark plum, cinnamon, black pepper and dried currants.

Rubens Tempranillo Tierra de Castilla 2007. Grade=Outstanding. A tasty Tempranillo that shows off nice notes of licorice, loganberry, red cherries and slight cedar and tobacco smoke. Finishes with some nice acidity.

Creta Roble Ribera del Duero 2006. Grade=Amazing. I think that for the money, this is a home run, with dark black fruits, some toasted oak and cedar smoke, a bit of tobacco, truffle and dusty earth. Lots of grip and a rich finish, I think this wine is in the store next week.

Alvaro Palacios Camins del Priorat 2007. Grade=Amazing. Made from the same fruit as their Les Terrasses, this less-expensive Priorat is a welcome addition to a category steeped with too many $50-and-up wines. At last, a Priorat for the masses, and a good one at that. Showing its youth, it still displays red raspberry, red currant, a bit of white pepper, some cedar and mineral qualities, and some black truffle and cinnamon stick too. Gorgeous.

Thursday was us getting back into a normal groove, with our Cutting Edge rep, Lauren popping in for what was the beginning of Vino Espana day:

Piacere Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2006. Grade=Outstanding. A nice, simple red from Italy that was made more attractive by the price. A good Montepulciano for $6-$7 bucks? Hell yeah.

Terre d’Aleramo Dolcetto Monferrato 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Soft, fruity Piedmontese red with tart cherry, red raspberry and red apple peel notes. Nice acidity. Needs a big bowl of pasta. (I missed lunch.)

Terre d’Aleramo Barbera Monferrato 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Medium-bodied, with more tannic grip, and some dark cherry and red berry fruit aromas and flavors. A solid effort, made more appealing by the price.

Tarima Monastrell Jumilla 2008. Grade=Outstanding. This is Jorge Ordonez’s replacement in his book for the Finca Luzon, according to Lauren, and it is a winner. Silky and sexy with juicy, jammy black and blue fruit, lots of spicy characters, and a plush finish.

Triton Tinto 2008. Grade=Amazing. Damn, this is good stuff! 100% Tempranillo, and according to Lauren, Jorge’s replacement for the Altos de Luzon. This is a big, full-bodied red with some new French oak aging, loads of velvety tannins, and a lot of power and elegance. Incredible.