AlaWine.com: Super Award Winning Wines

Domenico Wines 2005 Miscela

The Award-Winning Wine:
Domenico Wines 2005 Miscela, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Reason for Reviewing:
Domenico Wines 2005 Miscela earned a top-honor Gold Medal Award from 2009 American Wine Society Wine Competition.

Noteworthy:
Founded in 2004, and selling wine since the Spring of 2005, Domenico Wines has received more than 200 wine competition medals. Miscela, blend in Italian, is otherwise known as meritage.

Winery Notes:
Full bodied with nice mouthfeel. Aromas and flavors of dried fruit, herbs, tobacco, molasses, and casis.

AlaWine Notes:
Domenico Wines 2005 Miscela pours in the glass as a deep ruby-to-garnet color. Aromatic berries and beetroot on the nose. Blackberry and blackcurrant flavors predominate in a smooth opening, and cascade through a long, complementary, spicy oak finish.

Bottom Line:
Domenico Wines 2005 Miscela is a rich and juicy, well integrated, red wine blend of primarily Cab Sauv, 85.5%, along with 6% Merlot, 3% Cab Franc, 4.5% Petite Verdot, and 1% Malbec. Overall composite score: 96 points.

Vina Robles 2006 Signature

The Award-Winning Wine:
Vina Robles 2006 Signature

Reason for Reviewing:
Vina Robles 2006 Signature earned a top-honor Platinum Award at the at the 2009 Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition and Gold medals from the 09 Long Beach Grand Cru International Wine Competition, the 09 Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, and the 09 Grand Harvest Awards.

Noteworthy:
Vina Robles 2006 Signature is made from three grape varieties that winemaker Matthias Gubler feels are the ultimate expression of Vina Robles' terroir. It is a blend of the Bordeaux varietals Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon with the Rhône varietal Syrah.

Winery Notes:
Dark, saturated garnet with intense aromas of dark fruit, including notes of blueberry, preserved fruits and all spice complimented by toasty oak. Primary flavors of blueberry and blackberry with hints of tobacco and a long finish.

AlaWine Notes:
Vina Robles 2006 Signature stands in the glass as a deep garnet color. Prominent aromas of ripe dark berries, and a floral highlight, waft to the nose. Rich fruit flavors or blackberry, blueberry and plum fill the palate in a smooth mouth and hold nicely through a long round finish with moderate tannins and a leather note.

Bottom Line:
Vina Robles 2006 Signature is a full-bodied red wine, full of ripe fruit flavors, supple, round and lush. Interesting layers of flavor complexities, well balanced and quite delicious. Suggested retail price is $39. Overall composite score: 97 points.

Tasawik Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

The Award-Winning Wine:
Tasawik Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

Reason for Reviewing:
Tasawik Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon won a Double Gold Medal award at the Tri-Cities Wine Festival.

Noteworthy:
The vineyard is named after the Palouse Indian village of the Tasawiks which was located by the shores of the Snake River, in Washington, below the vineyard site.

Winery Notes:
Dark color, purple and tannic. Lots of berries. Pronounced and concentrated aromas and flavors.

AlaWine Notes:
Tasawik Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon pours in the glass as a dark, but bright, purple color. Lots of ripe berry aromas radiate to the nose. Blackberry and blackcurrant flavors open and persist through a moderately dry cedar and oak finish.

Bottom Line:
Tasawik Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of 90% Cabernet and 10% Merlot, is a smooth yet hardy Cab. It is well balanced with rich fruit and a complementary finish, a delicious wine. Suggested retail price is $26. Overall composite score: 95 points.

2006 Basel Cellars Inspired

The Award-Winning Wine:
2006 Basel Cellars Inspired

Reason for Reviewing:
2006 Basel Cellars Inspired won a Double Gold award at the Tri-Cities Wine Festival.

Noteworthy:
Basel Cellar’s main building design evokes the spirit of casual grandeur found in venerable American lodges such as Yosemite’s Awahnee Lodge, Mary Colter’s Bright Angel Lodge at the Grand Canyon and Mt. Hood’s Timberline Lodge.

Winery Notes:
...dark red... Black cherry, cedar, and spice

AlaWine Notes:
2006 Basel Cellars Inspired stands in the glass as a dark ruby color. Aromatic, ripe fruit emanates to the nose in an earthy context. Blackcurrant and gooseberry flavors fill the palate in a smooth opening and sustain through a long dry finish with leather and spice notes.

Bottom Line:
2006 Basel Cellars Inspired is a medium-bodied Merlot, Cabernet Franc blend. Well integrated with interesting layers and a satisfying finish. Suggested retail price is $40. Overall composite score: 93 points.

Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir

The Award-Winning Wine:
Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir

Reason for Reviewing:
Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir earned a top-honor Platinum Awards at the at the 2009, first annual, Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition.

Noteworthy:
Richard Sanford came to the Santa Ynez Valley (Santa Barbara County) 38 years ago with the desire to create wines that would rival the best of France. First to recognize the potential of the Santa Rita Hills (now an officially accredited American Viticultural Area as Sta. Rita Hills), and first to plant Pinot Noir vines there...

Winery Notes:
Luxuriant, dark and supple, packed with vivid ripe berry flavors, a deep smoky plumminess, and slick balanced tannins, the wine promises a very rewarding future (although the present is quite nice as well).

AlaWine Notes:
Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir shows as a medium-dark ruby color. Rich aromas of dark berries in a shady forest lift to the nose. Blackberries, black cherry, and plum meat flavors wash across the palate and hold through a a very long, smooth finish.

Bottom Line:
Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir is a juicy, flavorful wine with supple, complementary tannins on the close. Elegant and quite quaffable and food friendly. Likely to compliment a variety of menus and satisfy a wide range of dinner guests. Suggested retail price is $43. Overall composite score: 94 points.

Highway 12 Winery 2007 Bordeaux Blend

The Award-Winning Wine:
Highway 12 Winery 2007 Bordeaux Blend

Reason for Reviewing:
Highway 12 Winery 2007 Bordeaux Blend won Double Gold at the 2009 Sonoma Valley Fall Wine Competition.

Winery Notes:
Each varietal brings its characteristic flair from intense Cabernet (34%) richness, silky elegance from the Cab Franc (33%) and lush, earthy tones from the Merlot (33%).

AlaWine Notes:
Highway 12 Winery 2007 Bordeaux Blend pours in the glass as a dark purple-ruby color. Subtle aromas of ripe berries, in an earthy context, on the nose. Blackberry and blackcurrant flavors predominate in a smooth mouth, full of fruit, and persist through moderate tannins, a dry finish, and a leather highlight.

Bottom Line:
Highway 12 Winery 2007 Bordeaux Blend is comprised of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot from a single Sonoma County vineyard. Bold fruit, interesting layers of complexity and some grip on the finish make this a very interesting and satisfying wine. A great wine for grilling some steaks. Good value at a suggested retail price of $24. Overall composite score: 96 points.

Domaine Carneros 2007 Pinot Noir

The Award-Winning Wine:
Domaine Carneros 2007 Pinot Noir

Reason for Reviewing:
Domaine Carneros 2007 Pinot Noir won a Platinum Award at the 2009 Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition.

Noteworthy:
The Domaine Carneros château is a landmark of the Carneros region. The classic 18th century château-style building was architecturally inspired by the historic Taittinger-owned Château de la Marquetterie in Champagne.

Winery Notes:
...rich with fruit tones of black cherry, raspberry and black current overlaid with notes of chocolate, toast, clove and exotic spices. Luscious flavors end in a very long and silky finish.

AlaWine Notes:
Domaine Carneros 2007 Pinot Noir displays as a medium ruby color in the glass. A bouquet of red and black fruit waft to the nose. A medley of fresh cherry and raspberry flavors emerge on the palate and hold abundantly through a smooth finish.

Bottom Line:
Domaine Carneros 2007 Pinot Noir is an elegant and refreshing Pinot. Quite quaffable. Suggested retail price is $35. Overall composite score: 93 points.

Parallel Wines 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

The Award-Winning Wine:
Parallel Wines 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Reason for Reviewing:
Parallel Wines 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon won a Platinum Award from 2009 Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition.

Noteworthy:
Parallel is also the story of parallel lives and friendships of four couples unfolding over 30 years. That circle of friendship now encompasses two special places: the mountains of Park City, Utah, where they their friendship, and the hillside vineyards of Napa Valley, where they now pursue their common dream. The label captures the essence of the lines carved by skis on the first run of the day.

Philippe Melka Winemaker Notes:
The flavors express ripeness and intensity with blackberries being dominant. The mouth feel is just the perfect harmony of what we worked on during our numerous sessions of blending, a combination of approachability with lush and sweet characters and longevity with dark toast, black cherry, truffles, coconut and finishing with super fine grained tannins and lively fruit.

AlaWine Notes:
Parallel Wines 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon pours as a dark garnet color. Ripe, dark berry aromas rise from the glass. Blackberry and dark cherry flavors fill the palate in a smooth mouth, with bright fruit highlights carrying through moderate tannins and a light leather note, in a lush and lengthy finish.

Bottom Line:
Parallel Wines 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is a beautiful wine, well balanced, well integrated, with complementary and satisfying layers of rich flavors. Quite food friendly, but best appreciated on its own. Suggested retail price is $55. Overall composite score: 98 points. Exquisite.

Cadaretta 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

The Award-Winning Wine:
Cadaretta 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley

Reason for Reviewing:
Cadaretta 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon earned a top-honor Platinum Award at the at the recently completed 2009 Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition.

Noteworthy:
The winery is named for a ship that once carried the Middleton family’s goods to market.

Winery Notes:
"...elegant and balanced, with plum and cassis aromas and a rich, lingering mouthfeel."

AlaWine Notes:
Cadaretta 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon settles in the glass as a very dark garnet color. A rich bouquet of ripe berries rise to the nose. Wild berries, red and black, blackcurrant, and whole plum flavors wash across the palate, and hold on very well through a long, dry finish.

Bottom Line:
Cadaretta 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, comprised of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, compares well with more expensive French Bordeaux blends. The flavors are full, rich, and bright and the finish is quite satisfying. A very quaffable red wine. Suggested retail price is $40. Overall composite score: 95 points.