Stephen Inrig

8.5

This was a young wine, medium bodied - it was a French Cab Franc that wasn't trying to be something else. One of my friends from Europe feels this really exemplifies the floral baseline notes that constitute a French Cab Franc; not one of these American impostors. It was fruity and floral, its tannins weren't overbearing. A nice $10 Cab Franc for a hot Texas night. — 12 years ago

Stephen Inrig

8.8

Krug was one of the first wineries Jula and I visited together. It is a nice place up near Beringer and Markham, and we didn't know much about wine when we first visited - much less the politics of wine families in Napa that Krug represents. Anyway, this was a nice solid Cab. Rewarding. Unremarkable, but still a really nice option if you want a solid Napa valley floor cab. This is from the Yountville vineyards. — 12 years ago

Stephen Inrig

8.2

2005 Finca Anzil Vendimia Seleccionada Toro So, Jula and I enjoy Spanish wine from the Ribera del Duero region (Tempranillo wines locally known as Tinta de Toro). This Finca Anzil is from Toro, an appellation near Ribera del Duero, and apparently one of Spain’s "up-and-coming wine regions." This is a dark and inky Tempranillo. It is very flavorful, but the flavors are not so much juicy or jammy as they are dark berries. It's tannins are wound very tightly, so it could do with some aging to open it up a little - and I would recommend eating it with a creamy, strong cheese to cut them. That said, once you get past the dark fruits, the finish is soft and elegant. The wine is very concentrated, so don't confuse it for a smooth sipping red or a velvety relaxing red. — 12 years ago

Stephen Inrig

8.5

For the wine club, this one was an interesting one. It is 50/50 Viognier/Roussanne blend. Almost an orange wine. I really like Rhone Blends, though you might guess I'm partial to reds. Still, this white Rhone blend was interesting to me. It is a Saab of a wine. A lot will like it; several others will dislike it. I really liked this. Nice floral notes with a fruity body that fills the mouth. — 12 years ago

Stephen Inrig

8.3

Look, we wanted to enjoy this wine, 'cause Hess is a fun winery to visit over on Mt. Veeder. They have a great art collection and beautiful Koi pond, but their wines can be spotty. We had a good one earlier this year, but the Allomi was too jammy for our tastes. It just hit you with a little too much fruit, so you couldn't enjoy it as much as you'd like. The fruit wasn't bad, it was just so intense as to be cloying. Kinda the way the Finca Anzil was. — 12 years ago

Stephen Inrig

8.0

We had this for wine club. It is a nice Syrah-Cab blend, though some of our club noted the slight scent of inflatable raft. — 12 years ago

Stephen Inrig

9.2

This was truly tremendous. A really nice Chateauneuf du Pape. Jula was out of town, so I opted for something different than what she likes and this was really rewarding. — 12 years ago

Stephen Inrig

8.5

We had this the other night at our local wine bar. I wanted a Petit Verdot, she wanted Cab Franc; she won. So this is a good Cab Franc. It is a little heavy for what I like in a Cab Franc. I'll post another that I like better. This tries to be too much like a Cabernet Sauvignon for my tastes. I like a little more finesse, I need that floral bouquet that good Cab Franc can have. But this may be a good entry-level Cab Franc for those who have trained their palates on California fruit-bomb Cabs. — 12 years ago

Stephen Inrig

9.1

This was a very charming cab with that distinctive "valley floor" flavor that old school Napa Cabs often have. This was a really rewarding Cab. Not a home run, mind you, but certainly worth drinking on a special night. — 12 years ago

Stephen Inrig

8.6

Look, truth be told this is our standard house wine. We both like Carménère and Jula particularly enjoys it. There is nothing fancy about this, and there are far better Carménère. That said, you can also pay more for worse Carménère. So this functions as our house wine. We usually have bottles of this around along with a sold house Cab. While some years, like 2009, weren't particularly good, they have done a relatively good job maintaining a taste/flavor/aroma stability that lets us know what to expect. We tend to buy this by the case or half case, since you can't justify spending $10 on it, but can justify $7-8. — 12 years ago