Banshee Rosé 2019

Oh I love Banshee's wine so much, and this Rosé in no exception! The 2019 vintage is salmon in color and made with 48% Sangiovese, 25% Grenache, 16% Syrah, 8% Barbera, and 3% Zinfandel. Cantaloupe is all over it, with honeydew melon, lemon, and toast. I could smell it all night! This is not a quaffing rosé. This is one that you want to cradle and savor.

Listen to Mike and Joey talk about it on Grapes & Capes Episode #3!

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Grapes & Capes Episode #3: Robots don't eat cookies

Michael and Joey read The Ultimates #1 and Vision #1 while tasting Oak Farm Vineyards Fiano, La Crema Sonoma Chardonny, and Banshee Rosé. Wines provided by Colangelo & Partners.

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Wine #1: Oak Farm Vineyards 2018/2019, sitting on the leese

Comics #1: The Ultimates #1 (2002)

Wine #2: La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2018, New World wine vs Old World wine, effects of oak, what is Zinfandel

Comics #2: Vision #1 (2015), Tom King's Batman, War of Jokes and Riddles, Tom King's comicsgate controversy, Scarlet Witch

Wine #3: Banshee Rosé 2019, how they make pink wine, orange wine, dry rosé vs sweet rosé

Comics #3: the death of Deadshot, DC Universe Infinite, HBO Max, call Tony Stark at 212-970-4133, Marvel getting cosmic

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Best of Fall 2019!

Today is the first day of Winter so here are the Top 5 wines that I reviewed and rated this Fall!
Deciding on 5 through 3 was not an easy task because I had to choose between six wines that I rated 4.5 in price vs quality!

#5. Masottina Prosecco Treviso Brut

Region: Prosecco, Veneto, Italy
Review Release: September 26th, 2019

man, this is some awesome Prosecco for $14. It's got a rather floral nose with white flowers, fruit aromas of  lemon and apples, and a little bit of honey. There's flavors of pears, apple, lemon, and herbs. On the midpalate it's light and crisp and fluttery, but then it goes ahead and finishes creamy as the carbonation froths up in your mouth.

This is probably the best deal for a Prosecco in this price range that I've had in a long time. Elegant yet still fun, bright and happy, and just good quality for the price.

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $14

Rating: 4.5/5 = Recommended / Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#4. Yalumba "The Y Series" Viognier 2018

Region: South Australia, Australia
Review Release: November 1st, 2019

The color of the wine is a pale yellow with a greenish hue. There's a lot of honeysuckle and vanilla on the nose, but there's also aromas of apricots, lychee, lemon zest, and menthol. On the palate it's light bodied with a sharp acidity and a bit of an oily mouthfeel. There's flavors of apricot, tart lime, and banana. Then it finishes with a mixed bowl of tropical fruits and a drop of sweetness.

This is fantastic, just a happy wine, and an outstanding deal for $12. And it's even better with food; lobster, baked scallops, chicken piccata, ham, or even hot dogs! You know what? I really think this wine would make an outstanding pair with hot dogs! Let's try it!

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $12

Rating: 4.5/5 = Recommended / Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#3. Bogle Phantom Red 2015

Region: California
Review Release: November 24th, 2019

So the color of the wine is freakin' purple. And man, I loooove the nose! There's black cherries, blueberries, chocolate, black licorice, toasty oak, and like a drop of black olive juice. I need to go change my underwear. It's medium bodied with a semi-rich mouthfeel with dusty tannins and moderate acidity. On the midpalate there's flavors of blackberries, black cherries, vanilla, mocha, maple, and a little bit of dirt. There's a savoriness and heat to the long lasting finish, with flavors of blackberries, mocha, and zippy raspberries.

The Phantom Red is one of those popular $20 wines that sells extremely well, especially among casual wine consumers who really don't know know all that much about wine. So it's easy to think that it's just overrated, overpriced, and overproduced. To that thought I say this: There's a lot of Zinfandel characteristics in this wine. I hate Zinfandel. And I think this is killer. 

READ THE FULL REVIEW

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $20

Rating: 4.5/5 = Recommended / Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#2. Panthera Russian River Chardonnay 2017

Region: Russian River, Sonoma, California
Review Release: December 1st, 2019

It's light gold in color. The nose is dominated by vanilla, followed by pineapple, apple, butter, honey, and ginger. Damn I love the smell of oaky Chardonnay. On the palate it's full bodied with a rich mouthfeel and a bright acidity that lifts up the weight of the wine. There's flavors of vanilla, pineapple, apple, banana, and butter. Then it finishes with a thick coating in your mouth of apples and banana.

I'm still in love with this wine. It's oaky and buttery and hedonistic and gorgeous. And it's my wine pick of the month, so go get it!

READ THE FULL REVIEW

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $45

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#1. Two Hands Angels' Share Shiraz 2018

Region: McLaren Vale, Australia
Review Release: November 3rd, 2019

This is 100% Shiraz from McLaren Vale, Australia, and oh that color is straight up purple and it's beautiful! And what a wonderful jamminess this wine has! There's aromas of big juicy plums, grape jelly, lavender, vanilla bean, and black table pepper. And there's nothing subtle about any of those. On the palate it's medium bodied with a silky mouthfeel yet a grainy tannin and low acidity. The flavors imitate the nose and are just as big and juicy and expressive, and then it finishes lengthy and boozy and lustly.

Hell friggin yeah. Hell. Friggin. Yeah. I was expecting something with a bit more intricate, something a bit more French Syrahish in style, but this does not hold back from all the Australian Shiraz that it is and was really meant to be... and it's so goddamn good. It punches you right in the face and I love it.

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $33

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

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Wine Quickie: The Federalist Bourbon Barrel-Aged Zinfandel 2016

This is the conclusion of five wine quickies that I've done for The Federalist this month, and in the first four I surprised myself by liking them all except one. The final wine is their Bourbon Barrel-Aged Zin from Mendocino County aaaaand.... well.... let's just say I'm really not into Bouron Barrel-Aged wine. Most of it is just garbage thrown in Bourbon casks for a few days so they can slap the Bourbon name on there. That said, I'm not crazy about this one here but I also don't mind it. The Bourbon flavor is there but not overpowering, and six months in those casks have mellowed out the Zinny characteristics. It's medium bodied with a lush mouthfeel, sweet tannins, and an acidity with a bit of a pop. There's aromas and flavors of raspberries, strawberries, tea, and lots of vanilla and caramel. So yeah, it's okay for a Bourbon wine. But I suggest their other Zins much more, though.

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Wine Quickie: The Federalist Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2016

This is the fourth wine out of five by the Federalist that I'm writing quickies for this month and we've got another winner! The Dry Creek Zin is earthier and spicier than the Lodi. An anise bomb blows up on the nose with other aromas of blackberry, plum, black pepper, and toasty oak. It's medium bodied with a silky smooth mouthfeel, sweet tannins, and moderate acidity. There's flavors of blackberry, plum, blue raspberry, vanilla, black tea, black pepper, and a little bit of dirt. It finishes hot and spicy and juicy. This is a Zinfandel I could hang with all night and, as you probably already know, there's not many of those. FYI: This Zin pairs extremely well with Brie.

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Wine Review: Bogle Phantom Red 2015

Bogle Vineyards gave me two bottles from their Phantom line to share with friends, family, or followers on social media. So I said "forget the friends and family, I'm reviewing them!" First itw was the 2017 Chardonnay on Thursday and now it's the 2015 Red Blend!

Though the Bogle family has been farming in the Clarksburg region for six generations, their involvement in the wine business spans back 50 years. In addition to passing down a strong work ethic and dedication to quality, the success of Bogle over the years is rooted in the day-to-day involvement of the Bogle family. - Read more about the history of Bogle

2016 was the first vintage for the Phantom Chardonnay, but the red blend was created in 1999 around Patty Bogle’s dining room table as the family blended some of their finest vineyard offerings. The name "Phantom" seemed fitting as "Bogle" is the Scottish word for "ghost".

The 2015 Phantom Red Blend holds the California appellation and is a blend of 44% Petite Sirah, 44% Zinfandel, 10% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. It saw 24 months in 1 and 2 year old American and French oak, and has a 14.5% ABV.

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Wine Quickie: The Federalist Lodi Zinfandel 2016

This is the third of five wines that I'm doing quickies for by The Federalist this month, and as an admitted Zinfandel hater I'm really liking this one. It's purple in color with aromas of plums, strawberry jam, lobster shell, and cinnamon. On the palate it's medium bodied with a fluffy mouthfeel and sweet tannins. There's flavors of plums, raspberries, dark chocolate, and black table pepper. Then it finishes hot with plums and black table pepper. American mythos tells us that George Washington could not tell a lie, and I'm not lying when I say that this is a Zinfandel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

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Wine Quickie: The Federalist North Coast "Honest" Red Blend 2017

This is the second of five wines by The Federalist that I'm writing quickies about this month. The "Honest" Red Blend is from the North Coast appellation of California and it's 46.4% Merlot, 24% Zinfandel, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7.6% Malbec. It saw 15% in 35% new oak. Hey, and I'm liking it! It's dark purple in color with black cherries, blueberries, licorice, and hot cinnamon. Medium bodied with soft dusty tannin and an acidity that brightens the fruit on the finish into strawberries and raspberries. I'm being honest here (see what I did there?), this is a great deal for a $20 red blend!

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Wine Quickie: MANCAN Canned Wine

Huh. Canned wine marketed for men. IIIII'm not so sure about this one, guys, but it's actually better than some of the other canned wines out there. I'd take it over Darkhorse or Cupcake any day of the week, but that doesn't mean it's Underwood or Santa Julia.

The White Fizz, which is a semi-sparkling unoaked Chardonnay and Viognier blend, is the best of the batch and I actually really enjoyed it. Crisp and quaffable with lots of apples and pears. I was honestly surprised at how serviceable it is as a canned sparkling wine. The White Wine is a blend of unoaked Chardonnay and Viognier, with a single note of dull melon and no liveliness. It's flat and uninteresting. The Rosé is a blend of  unoaked Chardonnay and Zinfandel, and it has your basic rosé profile of watermelon and strawberries. It's okay but it'll make a good summer crusher, ice cold right out of the can. The Red is a blend of Merlot and Zinfandel. It has nice black cherries, chocolate, and caramel, but it's lackluster in all other aspects such as mouthfeel, acidity, and tannin.

All things said, I like the story of the founders and the winery (check out their website to read about it). Their goal is to create "carefree wine that you can take anywhere without the persnickety" and it looks like they're having a good time doing it. Buy that White Fizz if you see it, guys!

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Wine Quickie: Artezin Old Vine Zinfandel 2017

Artezin is Hess Family's ode to the craft of Zinfandel, and for $16 it's one of my favorite suggestions for Zins in the $15 to $20 price range. This wine is 85% Zinfandel and 15% Petite Sirah out of Mendocino and sustainably farmed. It's garnet in color with violet highlights. There's a lot of tarragon on the nose along with plums, pomegranate, black table pepper, and black iced coffee. On the palate it's full bodied and rich, has soft and sweet tannin, and flavors of plums, raspberries, cinnamon, and tarragon. And I gotta say it is pairing INCREDIBLY well with this Gouda! Good stuff!

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Wine Review: Dane Cellars Gopher Run Zinfandel 2016

Bart Hansen is the founder and winemaker of Dane Cellars and just from the brief conversation I had with him over the phone two years ago I could tell he's just one hell of a guy. Funny, open, honest, and kind, with a big heart full of passion and love. Bart started off in the industry during harvest; trucking grapes from the vineyard down a hill, five tons at a time. In 1986 he started winemaking for Kenwood, and then hopped over to Benziger in 1998. But he left Benziger to become a stay at home dad to his son Dane. And when he felt like he needed to get back in the game, he founded Dane Cellars in 2007.

You can read all the reviews I've written on Bart's wine under the Dane Cellars label for the blog, but this time I'm reviewing his 2016 Valeria, 2016 Chenin Blanc, 2016 Zinfandel, and 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon. (PS: I still have a bottle of his 2012 Justi Creek Cabernet Sauvignon that I'm waiting to open on a special occasion and can't wait to see how it evolved)

The Gopher's Run Zinfandel is so new that it's not even available on DaneCellars.com yet! So because of that, I don't have any winemaking information. But that's okay! After you try this Zinfandel out you won't even care as long as it gets in your belly!

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Wine Review: Masseria Altemura Sasseo Primitivo Salento 2015

In the 4th century B.C., the history of Masseria Altemura began with the construction of the Santa Susana Tower. Masseria Altemura, similar to other masserias, was a fortified farmhouse in Puglia that served the purpose of protecting the land and its resources from foreign invaders. In 2000, the Zonin family acquired the property and restored it to its original splendor. The family has gone to great lengths to preserve the estate's underground river, century old olive groves and the region's winemaking traditions for future generations. - ZoninUSA.com

Puglia is the heel of the boot, and Masserea Altemura is smack-dab right in the middle of the high heel. On reddish soil with chunks of limestone and at 230 feet above sea level, their 370 acres of vineyards enjoy a Maritime climate with warm days, cool nights, and northerly winds.

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Clearance Wine Quickie: Into Zinfandel 2014

I'm not a fan of Zinfandel overall but there are some Zins that I do like, so I'm open to at least trying different Zins... with caution. I decided to give this one a shot at a clearance price on the recommendation of a fellow employee. It's a darker cherry color. Chocolate and sweet spices are on the front of the nose, followed by jammy blackberries. It's medium bodied with soft tannin and moderate acidity. There's flavors of blackberries, prunes, chocolate, and leather. Then it's got a sweet finish of prunes and chocolate. You know what? I don't love it but I actually don't mind it. 

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Wine Review: High Valley Vineyard Zinfandel 2016

October is Shannon Ridge Month on TheWineStalker.net!

In 1995, Clay Shannon discovered a magnificent piece of property in the hills overlooking Clear Lake in Lake County, thirty-five miles north of Napa’s famed vineyards. He quickly set out to develop vineyards, Clay’s vision was simple: "We wanted to grow the best fruit in the world,” says Clay, “but we wanted to do it in a way that made us happy living there... The landscape is rugged and wild, and so are our neighbors – we’re surrounded by wildlife. We’ve got ducks, geese, deer, raccoons, quail, golden eagles, bald eagles, wild turkey, chipmunks and bobcats that visit us regularly. We are also visited commonly by bears, mountain lions and elk." 

Shannon Ridge is passionate about preserving their land, not only for great vineyard sites, but for the wild creatures which share the property. Their sustainability practices integrate a flock of sheep that clean the vineyards, remove the excess canopy, and reduce the need for chemicals, while providing natural fertilizer. “Sustainability wasn’t some philosophical concept;" says Clay, "it is the way we live our lives.”

All of October is dedicated to Shannon Ridge! This is review #6 of 8, and you can read all of the reviews I've done so far by clicking here.

High Valley Vineyards is Shannon Ridge's label from the High Valley AVA in Lake County, which is between 1,600 and 3,000 feet in elevation. The 2016 Zinfandel is from the north facing Round Mountain and Terre Vermielle Vineyards. It saw aging in 80% French oak and 20% American oak, but I do not have the information for how long, nor if this is 100% Zinfandel or if it has other varieties blended in (although, I will take a wild guess and say there is some Cabernet in there). The ABV is 15.1%.

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Wine Review: Little Black Dress Rosé 2017

It feels like it wasn't that long ago when rosé was just suddenly everywhere... but it wasn't a consumer driven push. The wineries and marketers were responsible and the people weren't buying it. Whelp, the strategy worked because since then things have changed. Rosé is HUGE with consumers. And I feel like I've tasted and/or reviewed a thousand of them already this spring (my wine pick for the month of June is even a rosé).

Today I've got Little Black Dress's 2014 Rosé. It's made from Zinfandel and Petite Sirah out of Mendocino County, California, and it has an ABV of 12%.

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Wine Review: Artezin Mendocino County Old Vine Zinfandel 2016

Holy crap, it feels like I've had this bottle forever. To be honest I've been kind of dreading it, because Artezin looks like a great thing with a great crew behind it but... it's *yuck* Zinfandel. I'm not going to get into my issues with Zin for the hundredth time, but let's just say that myself and Zin have issues.

Artezin, a part of the Hess Family Wine Estates, was founded in 2002 and has had Randle Johnson as its winemaker since the beginning. Artezin is focused on expressing classic Old Vine Zinfandel from Mendocino and parts of Sonoma by working with family-owned farms that have been growing Zin for generations.

The 2016 Mendocino Zinfandel is 84% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, and 2% Carignan. It was aged for fifteen months in French and American oak, and has an ABV of 14.9%.

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November Wine Pick: Cooper & Thief Red Wine Blend 2014

This WINE PICK of the month was written for the Luke's of Cape Cod website.

I’m not one that has really enjoyed the “let’s age everything in Bourbon barrels” trend that’s going on. Especially when it comes to wine. So I was shocked when I tried Cooper & Thief’s Red Wine Blend and absolutely loved it. This is a blend of 38% Merlot, 37% Syrah, 11% Zinfandel, 7% Petite Sirah, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% miscellaneous blenders. It spent three months aging in Bourbon barrels, soaking up the flavors and gaining additional alcohol.

Even without the Bourbon barrel aging, the quality of this blend would still put it in the $20’s. It’s also bold enough to stand up to Bourbon barrels for that long. A lot of the bourbon barrel aged wines are just okay in quality and are only in the barrel for two or three weeks, pinning their appeal on the “bourbon barrel aged” labeling, so they’re usually a disappointment. Not this baby.

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Wine Review: Dane Cellars Los Chamizal Vineyard Zinfandel 2013

This is the second of three wines I'll be reviewing for Dane Cellars. I started with their 2014 Justi Creek Vineyard Grenache, now I'm on their 2013 Los Chamizal Vineyard Zinfandel, and I'll be concluding with their 2012 Justi Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Founder and winemaker Bart Hansen contacted me himself to try his wines and write about them. Bart started off in the industry during harvest; trucking grapes from the vineyard down a hill, five tons at a time. In 1986 he started winemaking for Kenwood, and then hopped over to Benzinger in 1998. He founded Dane Cellars in 2007, named after his son.

Zin is a passion for Bart, and he was the lead winemaker for Benziger's Zinfandel during his time there. Before that, back in his Kenwood days when even White Zinfandel was being made from Old Vine Zinfandel, the red Zin's that were being made weren't those over-extracted, over-alcoholic candied-fruit bombs that we're seeing now. With this Zin, Bart wants to get back to the Zinfandel roots he remembers from '88-'89.  Los Chamizal Vineyard, where this particular wine is from, was planted 40 years ago and is grown by Peter Haywood.

Okay, Zinfandel. Here we are. Meeting again. Will we ever get along? I'm guessing the answer is no. There are Zins that I love but probably about 98% of the ones I've tasted I ask myself "eeew, why would I want a whole glass of that?"

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June Wine Pick: Alexander Valley Vineyards "Sin Zin" 2012

This WINE PICK of the month was written for the Luke's of Cape Cod website.

I make it no secret that I'm not very fond of Zinfandel in general. That's the polite version of how I feel about the varietal. However, the rare Zin that I adore actually does exist! My wine pick of the month is not only one of those Zins but one of my favorite wines!

Sin Zin by Alexander Valley Vineyards started with the 1978 vintage. It saw some controversy over its label and was forced to change a few things before it could be released. Since then it's gone through several redesigns, although with the same concept, but with the 35th anniversary of its release they decided to bring back the label it premiered with. The wine inside, as always, remains fantastic.

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Wine Review: Marietta Old Vine Red Lot Number 61

I recently had a customer that was so adamant about a wine that it was inspiring. He wanted to order a case for himself and said we should carry it as well. He went on to talk about Robert Parker's longtime admiration for the wine, described the wine perfectly with glowing eyes, and recalled past lot numbers and how they fared in reviews. When I went to get him a case price I saw that it was from a distributor we normally don't deal with and it would be a three case drop just to have it delivered. I saw no problem with taking in two cases to stack based on his recommendation.

That wine was Marietta Old Vine Red Lot Number 61. When it came in I bought a bottle for myself and now I'm about to have it for the first time.

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