Amateur Speed Blogger, at your service

SPEED BLOGGING @ The North American Wine Bloggers Conference 2009
(Yep, I'm here! Does this make me a real blogger now?)
July 24th, 2009

You will know that this is indeed a live wine blogging post by the increasingly nonsensical descriptions of the wines to follow. I hear there will be around 40 glasses coming my way, and my spitting skills are lacking (er, non-existent). So, pay close attention to the first 10 or so wines...and the rest you may have to read for entertainment purposes only! Here goes...

1) BENOVIA - 2007 Savoy Vineyard (same as Radio Couteau) Pinot Noir, Russian River (2nd vintage...they're new) - classic Pinot nose, soft berries, warm spices...cinnamon, cardamon. Palette is very dry, mostly earth. Not your typical tarty RR Pinot. 14% ABV 370 cases. $50 Tasting by appt only.

2) LIONS PRIDE 2007 RR PINOT NOIR - 115 CASES, $35 (sales go back to ag dept. at El Molino HS) Delicious nose, like cherry pie. On second sniff, smokey meat. Best of both worlds. Pure fruit at first sip, zippy, jammy, great for amateur pinot drinkers who are terroir-phobic. Plummy, hint of herbal tea. Students from Forestville HS make this stuff!! Is that legal??

3) 2005 ROCKAWAY CAB from Rodney Strong, Alexander Valley.
Big beautiful bottle - super masculine. Porty nose, chocolate covered cherries. Instant chalkiness on the palette (but that's why you drink cab, right?) Tannin bomb, but nice balance of jammy fruit and that dirty taste some of you love. Needs a med-rare steak by it's side for optimal consumption (that, "or a hot tub and a very good looking lady" says the wine rep) 1800 cases. by allocation only. 4% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot, the rest Cab. $75

4) CORNERSTONE CELLARS 2005 HOWELL MTN CAB (they only do cab here) - tingly nose, putting off some raisiny fruit. Very chalky, duh (I don't think I'm a cab girl yet). Why am I tasting smoked salmon on the finish?? Is that supposed to happen? I guess we'll call it meaty. These wines are made for the shelf, he says. 600 cases. $100...yikes

5) 2006 SIGNATERRA by Benzinger - Bordeaux blend 64% cab, 36% merlot. $40 New brand. Certified organic. Complex, mentholly, surprisingly light for a Bord.blend. Merlot gives it a nice ripe fruitiness while still staying bold. I actually like this one (even though I said "I hate Bordeaux blends" when it was poured). You can find this in stores soon.

6) *MATTHIASSON "WHITE WINE" Napa Valley. Sauv Blanc, Ribolla Gialla, Semillon, Tocai Fruilano -each one contributes to the overall yummy balance. So many things going on here...citrussy, tropical (papaya?), silky body and zesty finish. Even a pinch of summertime grassiness. This one I gotta swallow! 290 cases. $35

7) 2005 Napa Cab, Joseph Phelps - I hear this is pricey stuff, even though I'm none too thrilled about ANOTHER Cab. Geesh. They are Cabist around here. Pretty earthy, but not as tannic as the rest. Meh. Next...

8) *2005 CIGARE VOLANT, BONNY DOON VINEYARD - Homage to Chateneauf du Pape. Our table is verrrry excited about this wine (and the fact that the infamous Randall Graham is pouring for us). Pretty, French-ish label. Maybe it's a placebo effect, but I'm getting cigar on the nose. Oh my, the taste is so spicy...is it cumin? Ethic, for sure. Pepper...so sexy. Goes down silky, like it's been breathing for hours. This is a date wine! Each sip is a new encounter with pleasure. Buyer beware! $32...you can't get a better deal than this.

9) *KAZ 2008 PETIT SYRAH, grapes from Lake County, winery in Kenwood - It's a family affair, father makes the wine, son designs the labels, sister pours? Anyway, it's cute. They're kooky and lively. Very interesting...bursting, slightly tangy berry flavors. Not your typical chalk-bomb PS. They did an expert job hiding the 16.6% ABV!! Doesn't pack the heat you'd expect (which is good if you like drinking more than you should). I'd buy this one. Lemon rind or something tarty-bitter going on. Available at the winery in Kenwood.

10) CONCONNAN - 2006 PETITE SYRAH (Flagship varietal). Grown in Livermore. They love this stuff in France. Much drier than that Kaz...not really my style, but I think it's quintessential PS style. But for $15, I'll give them some props!

11 ) BELLA ZIN - Don't think I need to taste this one...been there, done that, visited the winery.

12) RIVER OF SKULLS, TWISTED OAK, - 88% Mourvedre / 12% Syrah. Very excited about this one...there is a huge skull on the label. 100% creepy, they say. TB Released next month. Damn, I love Mourvedre!! This is a red wine that's not afraid to be a little girly. Much more fruity than skully. Hmm, I quite like it.

Well, so much for my 4o glasses. I'm still sober. I want my money back!
At least y'all have some goodies to add to your shopping list, anyway.
Cheers!