Professor Bainbridge...on law, politics, religion, culture & food

Mel & Rose Wine Tasting

Went to a wine tasting at Mel & Rose wine shop. I bought some of the first three and skipped the others. Wines Bought Gargiulo Vineyards Money Road Ranch Pinot Grigio (Napa Valley) 2003: Excellent white wine. Strong nose and very tasty flavors of pears, herbs, and green tea. Crisp acidity makes it a great food wine or just for sipping. (Brian Leiter would like this one.) Grade: B Dynamite Vineyards Merlot (North Coast) 2001: Great nose of blueberry, blackberry. On the palate it's very fruity, with chocolate, cherries, and red raspberries. It's still pretty tannic and needs a little time to integrate. Grade: B Twenty Bench Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) 2002: Second wine of Regusi. Good dark fruits with classic cabernet flavors, but is very young and quite tannic. Needs time to pull everything together. Grade: B Wines not Bought Wild Horse Chardonnay (Central Coast) 2002: Clean and typical nose. Relatively quaffable for California chardonnay. Moderate oak and good acidity. Round and full oaky vanilla and pears. Angeline Pinot Noir (Carneros) 2002: Second wine of Martin Ray. Vegetal rather than fruity. Modest albeit clean pinot flavor profile. Not recommended. Grade: D J. Garcia Zinfandel (Sonoma County) 2001: From Clos du Bois; named after Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. Gritty tannins over modest blackberry and spice. Odd chemical nose. Not recommended. Grade: E Roederer Estate sparkling wine (California) NV: Apples and tart citric aromas and flavors. Lightly oaked. Short finish. Not recommended. Grade: C San Simeon Petit Sirah (Paso Robles) 2000: A chocolate covered sour cherry from a Whitman's sampler. Grade: D+