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Our resident Queen of the Covington Jungle and SWS/Crane rep, Sheena popped in Wednesday with a couple of wines from Antinori. I hadn’t tried either in a really long time, and despite the fact that Sheena had had these wines opened since the previous Friday (5 days?!?), I was willing to give them a shot:

Antinori Chianti Classico Peppoli DOCG 2008. Grade=Outstanding-. Predominantly Sangiovese with some Merlot and Syrah to give it some New World panache, this medium-bodied red lost a step or two (obviously) but still had a decent presence of dark cherry, plum and slight mineral notes.

Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva Marchese Antinori 2006. Grade=Outstanding-. Sangiovese with Cabernet and some other anonymous varietals, this red is only produced in the best vintages, and this one, despite being slightly tired and worn, was still showing some nice red and purple fruit, kind of like a window into the glory days past. Alas, a fresher revisit is in order.

I have been balls-out all week, and sporting a sweet cold to boot. It ain’t been all that easy trying to get the Web updated, throw a bunch of wines on clearance, get ready for our next Twitter tasting and Tweet Up with our friends out at Napa’s St. Supery, catch up on the ridiculous backlog of blog posts, join in with my blogger brethren online for another Wines of Chile tasting, head down to Louisville for another trade show and get the staff ready to taste some Arizona wines and screen the wine flick BLOOD INTO WINE this Sunday, all on top of the usual standard bedlam.

Working on a couple blog posts simultaneously right now, but wanted to stick this update online to let you all know I am not slacking, just WAY behind!

Earlier in the week, good friend and Vintner Select rep Brian came by with the wines of Milla Handley:

Handley Pinot Gris Anderson Valley 2009. Grade=Outstanding. Very pretty in the nose with lemongrass and orange blossom characters, displaying nice notes of mineral, stone fruit and lemon zest. Has a finish of thyme, pear and spice.

Handley Chardonnay Anderson Valley 2007. Grade=Outstanding-. Lots of stone fruit and baking spice character here, with a bit of lemon custard, vanilla and apple pie notes. Might just be starting to show its age though. Just a tiny bit.

Handley Riesling Mendocino County 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Very Alsatian with loads of lychee, d’Anjou pears, plantain and white flowers, possessing an underpinning of lemongrass, white peach and a dash of nutmeg and mineral. Not too sweet either. Delicious!

Handley Gewurtztraminer Anderson Valley 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Not nearly as obnoxious with the trademark spicy peach and honeysuckle you get in a lot of Gewurtztraminer, this is sublime with notes of pickled ginger, orange, Golden cherries, nutmeg and allspice. I really like this wine!

Handley Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 2007. Grade=Outstanding. Very floral with bright cherry, red raspberry, cherry cola and sassafrass, this delectable light-bodied red finishes silky smooth with just a touch of bitter chocolate.

Last week, my boss decided to have a little employee get-together out at a fairly new local winery – Atwood Hill in Morningview, KY, just south of Independence. It was a drab and dreary Monday night, yet Mrs. Boss whipped up a picnic-themed spread and of course, there was built-in wine with the wares of the host facility. Being all-business and going stag (I heard you laughing out there), I immediately jumped in and tried the lion’s share of their roster:

Atwood Hill Harvest White NV. Grade=Outstanding. Made from the Cayuga grape, this wine is crisp and dry with nice notes of white peach and apricot. Soft on the palate. Not bad.

Atwood Hill Atwood Reserve White NV. Grade=Outstanding. Composed of Vidal Blanc, this shows off nice notes of green apple, baking spices and persimmon. Finishes slightly sweet.

Atwood Hill Cabernet Sauvignon NV. Grade=Average. Interestingly earthy, with rustic tones of blackberry, elderberry and dark plums. Finishes a bit tart and austere, but nonetheless very pleasing.

Atwood Hill Chambourcin NV. Grade=Average. This drier-themed version of this local workhorse grape shows some spicy black fruits, mineral and dried prune notes.

Atwood Hill Syrah 2007. Grade=Oddball. Truly bizarre – a wine that David Cronenberg might make; has some real grapey elements, with cloves and burnt cinnamon stick. The pale, brackish tint to the wine really throws you off, and the finish is like William S. Burroughs backwash.

Atwood Hill Preslee Red NV. Grade=Outstanding. A bit sweeter version of the Chambourcin, this red struts some juicy, overripe blackberry, elderberry, cinnamon and allspice with a lot of mineral and earth underpinnings.

Atwood Hill Oh Charlie NV. Grade=Outstanding. A blend of Vidal Blanc and Chambourcin, this red is very grapey, with some hints of cinnamon and white pepper, and a bit of pomegranate and mulberry undertones.

Atwood Hill Sunset Lynn NV. Grade=Outstanding. My first white Chambourcin, this is very nice, slightly-sweet with lively notes of Bartlett pears, Golden apples and white flowers. A touch of wet stone and white plum finish up nicely.

Atwood Hill Vidal Blanc NV. Grade=Outstanding. Fairly sweet, but not cloyingly so, this white possesses lovely honeyed pear, baked apple, apricot and orange blossom. Reminiscent of a nice Riesling Spatlese from the Nahe.

Atwood Hill Paige White NV. Grade=Outstanding. More from the Cayuga grape, this is sweet honeyed apple, honeysuckle, persimmon jam, hints of nutmeg and ginger candy, and a pretty, floral finish.

Former tobacco farmers, this family moved into growing grapes in 2005, and while the wines are currently available only at the winery, I think they’re good enough to be in our store. If you want to find out more about the winery visit their Web page.

Last week, our good friend and Vintner Select wine guru Gary Boswell came by with Suzanne Frontz, general manager of Cinnabar Winery in Paso Robles. I had to confess to Suzanne that I’ve often thought their Mercury Rising is one of our store’s hidden gems (sadly enough it has been hidden even from me at times). So Shannon and I got to try these wines, for Shannon (some of these for the first time) and for me, for the first time in a LONG TIME (cue that Boston song!). And Suzanne, in explaining the origin of the name Cinnabar, brought an actual piece of cinnabar for some show-and-tell (BIG SECRET REVEALED!!! – I am a closet geology FREAK! Want to get me revved up, show me some rocks, people. Seriously. I won’t let my wife toss out my geology books from college, and I still have a groovy old mineral book my Grandma gave me for my ninth birthday.)

Cinnabar Chardonnay Monterey 2008. Grade=Outstanding+. I really like this Chardonnay. 80% sees stainless steel and the rest aged in oak, this medium-bodied Chard shows off creamy orange, lemon, butterscotch, toffee, apple, nutmeg, vanilla and slightly toasted almonds. Great mouthfeel from start-to-finish.

Cinnabar Pinot Noir Santa Cruz 2007. Grade=Outstanding. Really impressive, this surprisingly extroverted Pinot Noir demonstrates nice notes of red plum, cherry, pomegranate and mulberry aromas and flavors with nuances of cinnamon stick, light mocha, black tea, and black truffle. Wonderful stuff.

Cinnabar Merlot Paso Robles 2007. Grade=Outstanding. I’d hazard the argument that this is one of Paso Robles’ best Merlots. Blackberries and black cherries in the nose and on the palate, revealing smoky wood tones, some sultry baking spice and mineral underpinnings and a juicy black fruit finish.

Cinnabar Mercury Rising California 2007. Grade=Outstanding. This awesome Bordeaux blend is quite frankly one of California’s best kept secrets, for better or worse. Kick-ass black and blue berry fruits, loads of mocha and spice, a jolt of espresso, and some toasty oak bring it all together.

Cinnabar Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz 2006. Grade=Amazing. Gonna stick my neck out on this one – I would like to see this go up against Ridge Monte Bello, because I think you may not be able to tell the difference. Obviously WAY cheaper than Monte Bello, this big, bold Cab rates high on the Sexy Beast scale, with dark fruit, bold spice, chocolate, baked earth and roasted herbs, finishing with truffle oil and black currant compote.

Last week our good friend and RNDC-Kentucky rep came by with his usual bag o’ tricks:

La Marca Prosecco NV. Grade=Outstanding. I reviewed this a few weeks ago, at a time when my palate was certifiable roadkill. But fear not, homeboy David brought up another sample and this one is nice and vibrant, with fizzy green apple and hints of lime zest, ripe pears and undertones of mineral and thyme. Finishes up with just a note of lightly toasted brioche.

Shiloh Road Chardonnay California 2008. Grade=Average. Soft, supple notes of ripe golden apples, juicy peaches, nectarines, nutmeg and hints of caramel corn. A nice value.

Shiloh Road Merlot California 2007. Grade=Average. The fruit here is lean and tight, tasting something like sour cherry and pomegranate tea, with undercurrents of wet stones, sun-bleached oak, and slight herbs.

Shiloh Road Cabernet Sauvignon California 2007. Grade=Average. Again, this is much more austere, with dark cherry and plum tones, some black and red currants, a hint of cedar and hickory smoke, and some brown leafy characters.

Shiloh Road Syrah California 2007. Grade=Outstanding. The bright spot of this lineup comes in the form of a juicy, jammy Syrah that shows off loads of red and blue fruit aromas and flavors, a bit of baking spice, some earth and game, and just a touch of cinnamon stick at the finish. Very nice.

Caposaldo Moscato IGT NV. Grade=Outstanding. Seems like everyone has to come out with a Moscato these days, but this one is not over-the-top with sweetness, showing light apricot, honeysuckle and white peach notes, and a gratifying finish. I like this one a lot.

I’ve gotten a little bit backed up as of late (and no I am not talking about being constipated). Yet I had to take the weekend todecompress because A) I am fighting some sort of cold/funk/crud, B) “gotta flame out, Engine 3″, and C) the last quarter of the year spells I-N-S-A-N-I-T-Y (maybe I should have my Dr. up my dosage). I have posts on some Terlato wines, Kobrand, and the awesome wines of Paso Robles’ Cinnabar, as well as a brief look at a fairly new winery here in Northern Kentucky. And of course, the various other sundries unfolding this week.

Stay tuned!

I am certainly not taking credit for this, but it would seem as though my tirade on HR 5034 last night was a moot point – though I am happy to bellow out my unsavory bile from atop my diluted soapbox any time, day or night. Seems the committee members saw the forest from the trees as the wheels on the wholesalers’ proverbial short bus came off and they could see this bill as nothing more than wanton protectionism.

Usually when I chime in, the band has already unplugged, the gear has been tore down and packed away, and the trucks have been loaded and are pulling out of the lot as my first syllable meets the stale night’s air. Still, thanks to Christine and Angela of CEI for invoking the junkyard dog in me and many others around the blogosphere.

I am not breaking out the champagne just yet though. If there’s one thing a manic late-night news junkie learns, it’s that bills never die, they are simply wraiths trapped beneath the ethers of the Hill, awaiting a resurrection spell by some tired old blowhard in desperate need of a diversionary tactic of the most vapid and extreme kind. To check out the news the Wine Business.com broke, go here.

[Still waiting…]

Last week, our good friend Jen from RNDC/Cumberland came by with some new wines and new acquisitions:

Greystone Cellars Chardonnay California 2009. Grade=Outstanding. This partially-oak, partially-tank-fermented Chard shows off creamy tropical fruit flavors, a hint of spices, and some nice mineral qualities.

Quickfire Chardonnay Napa Valley 2008. Grade=Outstanding. A bit richer and full-bodied, this Chard shows off some nice buttered brioche, caramel, apricot and nectarine. Finishes with some ripe pear and golden apples.

Greystone Cellars Merot California 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Pretty smooth, medium-bodied red with splashy plum, black cherry and blackberry notes, hints of spicy oak and some creamy berries.

Greystone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. Grade=Outstanding. A taut and firm Cab with nice tannic presence, jammy black fruits, and hints of oak and spice.

Quickfire Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2007. Grade=Outstanding. A bit more structured than the Greystone, this wine exudes some rich dark fruit aromas and flavors, hints of chocolate and mint, wet stones, and baking spice underpinnings.

Fetish The Playmates GSM 2008. Grade=Outstanding. This amazing Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre blend is juicy, spicy and loaded with ripe sweet red berries, fresh-baked rhubarb pie, mint, light chocolate, and tea leaf undertones.

Fetish The Watcher Shiraz 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Velvety smooth, smoldering red currants, raspberry, blueberry compote, mineral, earth, cinnamon, rhubarb, olive and white truffles. Dense, multilayered and seductive.

Fetish The Field of Dreams Moscato 2009. Grade=Outstanding. I seem to be tasting a slew of Moscato these days, but this spritzy version has nice, pronounced notes of orange blossom, honeysuckle, candied apricots, ginger and fresh peaches.

Recently, good friend Christine Hall contacted me from the CEI (Competitive Enterprise Initiative) passed on the latest crusades of Angela Logomasini, CEI’s Director of Risk and Environmental Policy regarding the continuing saga of the ridiculous and colossally inane proposed legislation known affectionately around the wine biz as H.R. 5034.

The five of you may remember me yammering on about HR 5034 back here, here, here, here and here. I don’t usually get really swept up by the asinine world of politics (did I really just say that?) – I usually defer to the master of all things wine and politics, Mr. Tom Wark of Fermentation – but occasionally I find myself just wondering WTF?

Today, the laughable excuse for legislation is up in a hearing on Capitol Hill, and with any luck, it will be flushed down the pipes and washed out into the Potomac, but having said that, it will probably find its way sandwiched between another bridge to nowhere, and a pay raise for the Senate.

Supposedly, this bill is going to help wholesalers combat underage drinking, enable stricter regulation of the spirits industry by each state, and limit or eliminate the number of lawsuits challenging the status quo by consumers.

To point out that the two biggest jokes of legislation ever in the history of American government were Prohibition and the repeal of Prohibition, this is certainly poised to come in at a close number 3. The biggest and most preposterous argument of this bill is that it will give WHOLESALERS the ability to control underage drinking. HEY ASSHOLES! That’s the RETAILERS’ JOB! And this bill is clearly an attack on the one tier that works their collective asses off specifically for the customers. This bill is nothing more than clandestine protectionism and an open door policy of legitimate intimidation tactics on behalf of the wholesalers and the wholesalers’ lobbyists. Nothing more, nothing less. Anyone who enjoys wine, beer or spirits should tell their congressperson forget about this bill. In a day and age where every job counts, and retailers of all ilks are hurting, why would you come up with something that would crush a very large, tax revenue generating industry like ours?

And don’t get me started about those consumer lawsuits. Don’t you think there wouldn’t be any lawsuits if you – the wholesalers - had consumers’ interests at heart and not your own. I realize that the American Way for business owners is to stomp all over the Middle Class on the way to the top, and stand there with your machine guns and grenade launchers aimed down at the peons, keeping those further down that hill from ever getting close to your gold-covered Shangri-Las.

To see which Representatives really don’t have consumers interests in mind, supporting this monstrosity, go here. To check out the bill in all its nonsensical glory, go here.

In case you haven’t figured out already, I am against this piece of shit. For starters, it will prohibit out-of-state retailers from advertising – which means that our stores, which are bridge stores, and dependent upon out-of-state customers, - we are in deep doo-doo. Ohio retailers advertise on the radio here in this area – which is the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky metropolitan area, and vice versa. And I am sure we are not the only market to be affected adversely by this well-intentioned but monumentally naïve legislative brainstorm. However, the bulk of our leaders on the Hill probably never had to worry about paying their bills on time, keeping food on the table, taking care of your families.

This bill is bad for everyone EXCEPT the wholesalers – so the grape growers, wineries, distilleries, breweries, brew pubs, restaurants, spirits brokers, importers, anyone affiliated with the wine, spirits and beer industries who don’t work for a wholesaler, and let’s not forget the millions of people who do imbibe and spend around $57 billion dollars a year – which generates a helluva lot of tax revenue for state’s programs – that should be sufficient enough a catalyst to get everyone on Capitol Hill to vote no on this thing, if it does make it out of committee.

But we’ll see. If there is a way the government can screw things up more than they already are, it won’t take them very long to find it (a lobbyist has the very idea steaming in his dirty underwear).

[Okay, now bring it.]