Hi Everyone!
The Spring 2017 wine sale will start this Monday, April 10, and run through Saturday, April 15, or if your store is open Easter Sunday, through April 16. I’ll be getting a few things I’ve heard are good or about which I’m curious, but right now my sinuses flare up if I have even a sip of wine, so I’ll mostly be sitting this one out. I will instead be asking, “Hey, I saw this interesting-looking wine! Has anyone tried it?” 🙂
Please use this space to describe what you’re finding and tasting, going back for more of (or not), or stocking up on for near- or long-term drinking. Cheers!
The magical world of wines from Grocery Outlet 
I would like to correct a comment I made last night on the Filaree Zin 2012 from Mendocino, First it does have a natural cork but it is a reconstituted cork, not solid. Second the wine is good for the price not great but I did buy more, I might warn people it might have some bottle variation or not be good for long term storage as the wine in my opinion was not warehoused properly. Upon opening both bottles I noticed the end of the cork was not as moist and colored as I would expect for a wine that has been in the bottle for at least 4yrs, I suspect instead of storing the boxes on a pallet upside down so the wine has contact with the cork to keep it from drying out the boxes where stored upright. Just beware if using a Ah-so or you notice the cork has a tendency to push into the bottle the cork has dried enough that it might of let air into the wine
First time commenting in a very long while.
Had fun shopping for myself and a few friends at Oakland.
2015 Cour Bellevue Corbieres (bought post sale $5.99 because they ran out) Earthy, savory, spicy, delicious. Got the Minervois as well.
2015 M. Chapoutier Bila Haut Rose: Dry & tasty
2015 Cantina Di Solopaca Aglianico Beneventano
2012 Vina Arnaiz Rivera del Duero Roble
2014 Vina Barroca Bierzo Mencia
2014 Citadel Carignane Mendocino: Boysenberry & pepper. Love it.
2012 Edward Lane Canihan Syrah Sonoma: Got the last two for friends, purchased mine pre-sale for $14.99 as per Robaire’s recommendation.
Already had enough white wine in the house so concentrated on reds
Hi Angela! It’s nice to hear from you. We didn’t get to run into each other this sale.
Hiya,
Yeah, Mark at the Oakland store was told Tuesday for the start day rather than Monday, so I came that day. Man was he pissed, not having any back up or boxes.
BTW, I’m moving up in the Wine world. Transferred to Rockridge TJ’s last year and I’m the Cellar Master for the German Wine Society this year. Email me if you want to be contacted about events. Next one is May 6th at Brandy Ho’s in SF.
This sale was kind of a tale of two sales–the one in California and the one in the PNW. Almost none of the the desirable wines showed up in the Seattle area, leaving me to buy a few random bottles of summer rose wines and casual drinking Spanish reds and not much else. (Well, except for the Cecchi riserva that got re-priced.) I’m glad that I didn’t need this sale, what with a full cellar, but I hope this is not a sign of things to come…
More stores spread inventory kinda thin on certain wines.
Weird sale for me. I went in for the northern Italian whites, the Selene SB, the Windstorm zin and not much else.
I personally didn’t find anything new that I bought in any volume. I used the sale as an excuse to pick up a couple more bottles of several wines I had tried previously and enjoyed, and to sample a range of inexpensive mostly Spanish and Chilean wines that I figured would at least be decent in the $4-6 range. I really did not come across anything new that compelled me to grab a lot of it, although I still have not tried most of those Spanish and Chilean wines.
First sale for me and 5 cases up. 1.5 Cases 2011 Bailiwick Sonoma Coast – cleared the shelf. 1 Case 2012 Tilla Tina Marie. 1/2 Case of the Santa Alicia and Morande offerings. 4 Cornerstone Sav Blancs. 2 Cairdean Petite Verdot. The rest were a sampling of bottles recommended here or that looked interesting. Of the few that I tried this week, I enjoyed the 2011 Shingleback Mclaren Vale Shiraz the most – Tight, clean boysenberry and blackberry with good acid and long finish. Disappointed in the 2014 Sacred Hill Marlborough Pinot Noir – overripe, one dimensional with an off putting funk. Couldn’t get past the raisin and prune in the 2009 Pata Negra Rioja either. Both bottles destined for the stove or the sink.
Too bad that none of those bottles that BeerBudget bought in volume were ever available in any store in San Diego during the sale, with the exception of a smattering of Santa Alicia wines, most of which had arrived a month before the sale and were nearly gone by the time the sale began.
Good buy on the Balliwick, its all gone in the Santa Rosa and Petaluma stores. This sale I didn’t make it to Grass valley or Auburn or Roseville.
So you’re the one who cleared the Sonoma Coast Bailiwick! I snooze, I lose 🙂 Picked up 2 of the Cairdean PV as well and opened one Sunday. It was showing very well. Nice pickups!
Tasted many GO wines today. Tasted the 2013 Selene Sauvignon Blanc, Hyde Vd. in the parking lot so it wasn’t chilled which is better for evaluation. Wonderful aromatics of a nongrassy, fruity nature, but the downside was a bit of heat in the finish. For me there isn’t much Sauvignon character in nose and flavor. The bottle was finished with a vintage branded whole cork. The alcohol stated was 14.2% but I wonder if it isn’t more. Slight bitter. Bought some for my wife since she doesn’t like NZ SB. We tasted the 2014 White Cliff SB from Marborough NZ, $5 presale, which was heavy with pyrazine character and she liked it so got some of that which is quite a switch for her..
Retasted the Ribolla Gialla and has lower acid than the White Cliff which I would rather have with oysters. In addition to the Ribolla we had another Volpe Pasini wine, the Pinot Grigio, a much more complex wine compared to the Ribolla. I got some which is a first for me since I never bought any or Pinot Gris for the cellar. Liked the Pinot Grigio so much, I picked up the Pinot Bianco too.
There were reds tasted and one was the Gauthier PN Sonoma Coast, Rocking H Vd. and thought more highly of it compared to the more expensive Gauthier PN Carneros. BV SB wasn’t interesting nor was the Sterling Merlot.
Hi Darrell. There were apparently a few vintages of the Gauthier Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir around. We got the 2012 and 2013 at Richmond, but the price tag said, IIRC, 10 / 12. Do you recall which you liked?
BW, it was the 2012 and I liked it enough to get a few although not the value of Bailiwick. Tasted this in Petaluma and Steve liked it enough to post notes which emptied the slot on the shelf while the Gauthier PN Carneros slot stayed full.
Darrell, I got a case of the White Cliff, 3 bottles of the Perseverance Zin, 1 bottle of a Italian Pinot G. and that was about it. Nothing was compelling from tasting prior to the sale for me to load up on, or buy to put in the cellar.
ITWC, glad you got the White Cliff since to me it’s just a wee bit better than some of the GO NZ SB’s in the cellar. Maybe there is less of that cat stuff, but this isn’t for everybody who doesn’t like their vegetables in wine. I’d like to thank Don for piquing our interest in those Italian whites brought in by Chateau and Estates. Nothing compelling here either and might as well save for the gems that occur off sale. The only wine I was willing to stock up on was the wine I suggested here, the Santa Alicia CS, Grand Reserva. I couldn’t find another bottle for the life of me.
Darrell,
That one bottle you were looking for must of been hiding waiting for me to find. I grabbed the last bottle off the shelf in Santa Rosa and looked all over for more.
You too? When I visited Santa Rosa, they didn’t have too much Santa Alicia wines. I got my bottle in Petaluma.
Last pass through the San Diego stores for some real bottom-feeder bargain pickups – prices are pre 20% discount:
Vina Arnaiz Ribera del Duero 2012 Roble 4.99
Canto del Agua Limited Edition Maipo Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 3.99
Trivento Amado Sur 2013 Torrontes (80%) also 10% each Viognier and Chardonnay 3.99
Carmen Gran Reserva 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, Leyda Valley 2.99
And finally, picked up the last 2 bottles in Poway of the Bonny Doon 2013 Mourvedre with the T-Rex label for 8.99 pre-sale
Stuff that I bought multiples of during this sale:
The aforementioned Bonny Doon Mourvedre
Gauthier 2013 Los Chamizal Zin
Peta Negra 2009 Rioja Reserva
Alder Springs 2013 Row 5 red blend
Stuff that I WOULD HAVE bought multiples of during this sale, except I did so just prior to the sale:
Hardy’s 2013 Oomoo Shiraz, South Australia
Santa Alicia Millantu 2008 Cabernet blend.
Vista Regua 2013 Carater Duoro.
Also returned to the Oceanside store this morning to grab the last 4 bottles of the 2009 Pata Negra Rioja Reserve, a half dozen bottles of 2015 Aglianico Beneventano from Cantina di Solopaca ($4.99 pre sale) and a case of 2015 Le Charmel Cotes de Provence Rose ($3.99 pre sale). The Rose is on the dry side which I prefer. Wine cellar stuffed full again.
So let me ask the group. I live in Berkeley and my usual stores are Oakland and Richmond. Is there a store within an hour drive of here you’d recommend I travel to for the sale tomorrow? Lots of folks like Palo Alto, anyone have any thoughts about it vs SF or Petaluma or another?
SF is a small store but always has a good wine selection as the owner used to work I think was it Southern wine and spirits? But on occasion he sells a high demand bottle like a 1.00 more than other stores, example the Ardente Atlas peak when it was around. BUT I don’t blame them for doing so a SF is a high rent district.
SB, it depends on what you are looking for. For instance, if you are looking for the Santa Alicia Millantu, Petaluma is out and Palo Alto had plenty when I was there. Petaluma had plenty of the Selene SB while SF had less. I would reconnoiter Petaluma and also checkout Santa Rosa while in the North Bay. Petaluma is closing early Sunday.
It’s been quite awhile since I posted on this site, good to see BW, SB, Darrell & Limit13 still sharing thoughts amongst other long time tasters and the newbies too. Concerning the sale; here’s what I PU in Portland…nothing to do cart wheels over, but a couple decent wines. 2012 Locati Columbia Valley Innovation (Sangiovese, Barbera & CS) $6.99 prior to sale discount. Nice wine, opened up on Day 2. 2012 Locati Walla Walla Valley Sangiovese $6.99. Haven’t tasted yet, suspect it will be nice. Did taste the lineup at the Marcus Whitman Hotel in WW, where they have a tasting room in the last year. Beringer 2013 Clear Lake Zinfandel $4.99, big, dark berry fruit flavors, complex 15.3% ABV bought a couple based upon a thimble like taster from a plastic cup. Great vintage, like the appelation, we’ll see on this one could be a sleeper, good notes online. Did PU a dud, 2013 Luna Napa Valley Merlot, thin, watery, lacking fruit, structure/ depth $6.99…will be returning which I very rarely do. Really disappointing effort from Luna, at least this bottle.
One last note on the Cairdean wines that were here a couple months ago, I bought the ’12 Sangiovese, ’12 Caidrich CS, Syrah, Merlot & Petit Verdot blend & some ’11 unoaked chardonnay. High abv on all these wines & over oaked, in my view, certainly drinkable but nothing to revisit.. Lastly as Connasewer has mentioned, it does seem the GO does not get the quality of high end wines as in years past…looking back a decade or two. The high quality wines we tend to see at GO here are upstarts who are asking $25- $50 bottle retail for a Pinot Noir nobody has heard of….efforting to compete against the Eyries, Ponzi’s, Erath’s and many other quality Oregon veteran producers. There are some nice wines in this newer producer mix, but many poorly made wines, which does make the hunting fun…but perhaps more of a challenge than in years past? Good hunting all, Happy Easter/ Passover!
Hi JWC! Thanks for checking in and sorry for taking so long to post this. It was for some reason I don’t understand sorted into the spam folder.
Glad to hear you got some Cairdean wines up there. I reported on the ’11 unoaked Chardonnay after trying one bottle, but when I returned to get more, it was gone. Instead I got the Cairdean 2012 Chardonnay which seemed in short supply also. GO overpriced some of the reds.
The Selene Sauv Blanc is going on the floor right now at Palo Alto. There’s also still about 3 cases of the Riaza “Outsider” tempranillo left as well.
I bought the last bottle at Richmond.
SB, I assume you meant the Selene. I tend to buy NZ and Loire SB’s and really don’t have any CA, but I started looking at Selene SB Cellar Tracker notes of past vintages and the flavor profile sounds inviting. Since the wife dislikes NZ SB, I’ll give this a try. It seems the flavor and aromatics description parallel Carneros Chardonnays with slight differences. I wonder if the Carneros microclimate is that strong an influence?
Anyone looking for interesting whites that combine some of the most attractive qualities of non-oak-aged Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs should give Torrontes a try whenever they come across one. A couple of the GOs around San Diego have the Crios 2013 Torrontes for $3.99 pre-sale and I can tell you that it’s a steal at that price. I’ve also seen the Trivento Amado Sur Torrontes blend (80% Torrontes) with a dollop of Chardonnay and Viognier added at the same price. I’ve not tried that one, but I’d suspect that it too is a very nice sub $4 white. Basically, these wines taste like Sauv. blancs but without the grassiness, and maybe more melon, and pineapple on the nose and a more weighty mouthfeel comparable to a chard.
That and Italian Soave, which I have only seen two of in my 7 years of purchasing wine at GO in Nor and now So Cal…
This might be a dumb question, but does anyone know if the wine sale also includes beer and liquor?
The sale does not include beer or liquor.
It should include Miller High Life, because it is “the Champagne of Bottled Beer”.
You had me guffawing for a minute.
I checked out the Tacoma stores, and Lacey. No Glen Fiona left (why I went to Lacey as I was in Dupont, but W Oly too far). Wines I noted:
2014 Gabrielle Ashley Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles $7 ($30)
2011 Goose Ridge Vineyards Merlot g3
2010 Parlay The Bookmaker CA Red (CT 88.4)
2015 Cour Bellevue Minervois – opened this up tonight, I like. Weird black pepper (not green pepper, I loath that under-ripe flavor, often found in Cab Franc) tone that I’ve never come across in a wine before, minerals. Leather and tobacco. I’m going back for more.
For unusual, 2013 Puklavec & Friends Cab-Merlot (50-50) Macedonia (Negotino Hills, where ever that is next to Greece – likely much better than any Greek wine I’ve had). Also several whites from this maker from other Former Yugoslav Republics (Moscato, Pinot Gris = cheap cooking, tastes decent,and for $3.20 plus tax decent for cooking, not bad for drinking (not great, but under $4)).
When I was checking out Calif wines I noticed many weren’t the same appellation as prior vintages, looser. Guessing this is due to the drought and fires. Example, Ch St Jean Chard is just Calif, rather than North Coast.
For lim13 and RB (and other WA folks), 2011 Domaine La Crois D’Aline Saint-Chinnian (Languedoc) was imported by Bordeaux Wine Locators of Tumwater WA. It is worth the $4-5 price, but nothing special (and nothing offensive). Decent French Table wine.
Thanks. I have tried, and liked, the Domaine La Croix. Picked up a few pre-sale. The trip to the Olympia store wouldn’t have yielded much – as of yesterday there were only 3 or 4 bottles of the Glen Fiona Syrah left.
Tried the NV Le Grand Massat, Cote du Rhone for $6 and it wasn’t inviting for further purchase. I agreed with my wife that the nose was better than the flavor and she said to not buy any more. In the mouth, the wine was “austere” to quote a recent commenter. In fact, at dinner she requested the Jewel Box CS over the remaining Grand Massat. Now that’s saying something. The Redwood City GO had this wine at $8.
I tried my best, Darrell.
I got a case of wine today, mostly things I am curious to try one of these weeks… (prices pre-sale):
Volpe Pasini 2014 Ribolla Gialla, Delle Venezie IGT, Italy, $5
Gauthier 2014 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, Rockin’ H Ranch Vnyd, $7
Magnolia Court 2013 Chardonnay, Central Coast, CA $7
Selene 2013 Sauvignon Blanc, Hyde Vnyds, Carneros, CA $10
Judson Hale 2012 Pinot Noir, Walsh Ranch, Yorkville Highlands AVA, CA $8
Gauthier 2013 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Rockin’ H Ranch Vnyd, $10
2 Bohème 2010 Pinot Noir, English Hill Vnyd, Russian River Valley, CA $15 (for a gift)
Goodnow 2015 Tempranillo, CA, vinted and bottled by JLGiguiere, Zamora, CA $5 (see here)
Vasco Urbano 2013 Grenache, Livermore Valley, CA $10
Chateau Bellevue 2015 Bergerac $6
Alder Springs Vineyard 2013 “Row Five” red $7
The Selene should be outstanding…gotta get me some.
We got only 3 cases and it was selling pretty quickly given its high-for-a-white-at-GO price.
Tried the 2015 Windstorm old vine zin last night.. Steve the wine guy at Petaluma was spot on. It is a pleasant zin but not big and bold with layers of multiple flavors as the name suggests. Nothing offensive about it, not overly fruity or too acidic, just a bight cherry fruit for sipping on a warm breezy day..But not the big brooding zin I like for having with food. I will pass on loading up on it.
Funny, your description is exactly why I like this wine. It is well balanced. I find most efforts to make “big” zins fail due to insufficient acid, off flavors (the pruniness of the Hilt and Sword or whatever it is called) or harsh noticeable alcohol.
seedboy, I am going back to get some of the Perseverance Zin ? ( sorry if I got it wrong) I liked it in the past and hope its the same vintage I saw at the Santa Rosa store last week. I agree in a way I don’t like the big over the top high alcohol zins, but a nice medium bodied one is what I look for. I like keeping a couple of bottles around to cook with. I am a big believer in only cooking with a wine I would like to drink!
SB, I tried one last night I think you might like, I didn’t write about it sooner as I wanted to go back and get a couple bottles before I did 🙂 At the sale on a whim I picked up a bottle of the Filaree zin. I was trying to find something not from Lodi and this is from Mendocino. I didn’t notice at the time but it a 2012 and drinking beautifully right now. The tannin’s have smoothed out and the fruit is there and not overbearing. Nice bottle age. They went with inexpensive glass but its a solid all natural cork. Should be good to keep for a couple more years but I would enjoy it now. 5.99 regular price.
THERE WAS SELENE SAUV BLANC?!?! Man. Missed that one. Hope it makes it’s way to Palo Alto eventually. I love Mia’s wines.
Yes. I got two bottles.
I also got some at the SF store on Geary Blvd today. Then, I was at dinner tonight at Cavallo Point and saw it in the menu (a glass costing more than the whole bottle I got at GO).
Finally got up to San Marcos and Escondido today. Found nothing of interest in San Marcos that wasn’t also in National City. OTOH, the Escondido shop had a few things I was seeking that I didn’t find elsewhere: Picked up a couple of bottles of the Pata Negra 2009 Reserva Rioja ($5.99 pre sale), a bottle of the Alejandro Fernandez 2009 El Vinculo Tempranillo (5.99), and a bottle of the Forefront by Pine Ridge 2012 Sonoma County Zinfandel (7.99). Sadly, they had sold out of the Morande Late Harvest Sauvignon blanc that I picked up a half bottle of the week before the sale.
This wine sale was for me the most underwhelming since I’ve been wine-hunting at GO. None of the touted Pinots seen in California surfaced here in the greater Seattle area, I think.
What I got:
2015 Michel Chapoutier Bila-Haut Rose’, Pays d’Oc
2015 Cour Bellevue Corbieres
2015 Campo Marin Grenache, Carinena (finally made it here to PNW!)
2014 Ress Rheingau Riesling
2009 Glen Fiona, Basket Press Syrah
2015 El Gordo Garnacha rose’ (from the same producer as the Campo Marin; also the Divinis Tempranillo from many months back)
2012 Cecchi Riserva di Famiglia Chianti Classico
All of these have been reported on elsewhere here, except I think the El Gordo and the Cecchi Riserva di Famiglia. The only GO I found those at was the Crown Hill GO. The El Gordo is a bone-dry but fruity Spanish rose’, medium in color and body. Not as good as the La Vie en Rose bottle seen a while back in these parts, but entirely serviceable for all your summer rose’ wine needs. The Cecchi wine I found to be very good indeed. Deep dark Bing cherry in color, medium body but beautifully delineated in its dark fruit and berry flavors, with a pleasingly long finish. I picked up one before the sale at 6.99; by the sale date, it had been re-marked to 14.99, sadly. Still worth it at the sale price, though, so I got another. It is drinking very well now, but no hurry, I think it will be delicious for some time. If my cellar weren’t full, and my wallet a little fuller, I’d happily stock up on this one.
Gee, was the $6.99 a mistake?
Entirely possible. I didn’t bother to ask anyone about it. They did have another Tuscan wine by Cecchi for 4.99, but that one clearly seemed to be an entry level Tuscan blend. So 7 dollars for a reserve Chianti by the same winery would seem too good a deal to be true. And, in the end, it was.
Ok, so (for you non-Jewish folk) last night was Seder (first night of Passover), so with a crowd, I popped open a number of the sale vino just picked up from SRosa GO. The Riaza Temp was good (again, I’d rate it a 88), and a rebuy. The Riaza Outsider (w/Grenache) was so-so (84) and no go. The Row Five Alder Springs was decent and passable, but unremarkable…86 and no re-buy. The Judson Hale Chard had a off-nose at the start, mellowed a bit, but proved thin and meh…no rebuy. The Freestone PN (Phelps) was great, but never at GO, unfortunately. Hope these notes help…
And another two: the ’13 Nottingham 1846 Red – no mention of varietals, tastes a bit of merlot and syrah, and probably Livermore cab. A tad hot, bu decently made juice with some structure. Missing a bit of mid-palate (probably from weaker cab material, my guess) but quaffable…87 pt. and potential rebuy.
’13 Hardy’s Oomoo Shiraz – had seen a previous post/comment, so brought this home…live tasting notes here…reticent nose (surprising for Oz), perhaps a hint of alcohol…palate is also weak on entry, tastes like watered-down shiraz….hmmm. Finishes nicer, but only moderately so. I’m used to (and expect) bigger, better fruit here. Lacking all the finer qualities I look for in an Oz shiraz…pass (83 pt).
According to their website, the Nottingham 1846 red is a mix of Cab, Merlot, and Petite Sirah, no Syrah. And sorry to hear you were underwhelmed by the Hardy’s Oomoo Shiraz – I liked it much better than that. And really, for $3.20 on sale, IMHO, it’s better than anything else at that price
Fair enough, Doug. Agree that at $3, the Shiraz is drinkable…I am a fan of bigger stuff…but that’s part of the fun of this hobby we so enjoy. Thanks for the comments back…
Well, I just got back from Cabo, and on my way back from Tijuana Airport, I stopped in to the National City and Poway GOs, and made my first run at the 20% sale: All prices are pre-20% discount. All of these wines were bought in National City except for the Alder Springs 2013 Row Five, which was the only interesting (to me at least) wine in Poway that wasn’t also in National City.
I picked up 2 more of the 2013 Gauthier Los Chamizals zin $7.99 – I had already grabbed two of these before the sale. Everything else was a new purchase for me.
2 bottles Alder Springs 2013 Row 5 Red blend 6.99
1 bottle Cour de Bellevue 2015 Corbieres $5.99
1 bottle Gauthier 2012 Rockin H Sonoma Pinot Noir – $9.99
based on notes from others and the higher price, I passed on the 2013 Carneros
1 bottle each of the 2012 La Boheme Stuller and English Hill Pinots $14.99
Note, these lack bar codes, and the cashier inadvertendly rang them as 2 for $14.99 pre sale
which I noticed afterwards, so I got these for $6 each.
1 bottle 2013 Street Cred McLaren Vale Shiraz $4.99
1 bottle 2013 Nottingham Livermore Valley Red Blend $6.99
1 bottle 2011 Carmen Gran Reserva Merlot, Maipo Alto $4.99
Still searching for decent non-Chardonnay whites and interesting rose’, I picked up the following at the Bremerton, WA GO:
2011 Santa Gloria Reserve Sauv Blanc, Chile $3.99
2012 Ernst Gouws & Co Steen (what the South Africans call Chenin Blanc), SA, $4.99
2015 Michel Chapoutier Bila-Haut Rose’, France, $5.99 (Grenache/Cinsault blend and currently selling at Esquin in Seattle for $14.99)
and I broke down and bought one red: 2012 Francis Ford Coppola Sante’ “Burgundian-style” red, CA, $3.99 (online info indicates it’a a GSM blend; if so, not sure why the “Burgundian-style” info on the label)
There were a bunch of zins that all came from a CA negociant, but I don’t need reds. And there was a slew of red Bordeaux, but I gave up on GO Bordeaux years ago.
Nix the Santa Gloria SB…rather ordinary…and the Gouws CB…very sulfury in the nose and seriously tart and acidic in the mouth. No more of either for me. Have yet to try the Chapoutier and Coppola. Another boring outcome from GO in Kitsap County, so far. I’ll try the other two and report soon. Then back to drinking my cellar. In the last month I’ve consumed two Leonetti Cabs…1986 an 87. Very interesting, but both well beyond their primes.
Opened the last two of my recent purchase and finally…success! Two outa’ four ain’t bad. The Bila-Haut rose’ from the very reputable Chapoutier was tasty enough. Internet sites say it’s Grenache & Cinsault. Brilliant very pale pink; nose and flavors were just slightly corked, but not enough to fully detract; strawberry, raspberry, citrus and rhubarb in the nose and flavors; dry, but fruity; corked notes most obvious in the flavors, but I like what it’s supposed to be; will buy a few more and if any of those are corked, I’ll return them. But I’d be surprised if that were the case.
And the Francis Ford Coppola Votre Sante’ was pretty tasty. Clear medium ruby/garnet; fruit forward, but smoky roasted meat nose; more of the same in the mouth with nice fruit, good balance with acidity, limited oak and medium tannins; most puckery in the finish; a very pleasant quaffer at a great price. Not sure why the label alludes to the Burgundian style of this wine, as I detect little if any Pinot. Winery site shows they don’t make this blend anymore (which may be why GO has it). Apparently the Votre Sante’ line is now all varietals. And other internet sites indicate the wine is a Rhone style blend. That’s more of what it tastes and feels like to me. I’ll grab a couple more. Still no decent whites, but a rose’ is a step in the right direction.
What I picked up today at Palo Alto:
2014 Riaza “Esoteric” Grenache + “Outsider” Tempranillo
2013 Gauthier Zin and 2012 Rockin’ H Pinot
2013 Alder Springs “Row 5” Red Cuvee
2012 Cairdean Atlas Peak Petite Verdot
2015 Cour Bellevue Corbieres
And just for fun: a 2014 sparkling chardonnay from the Veneto randomly made by Charles Smith (K Vintners, etc) that I hadn’t seen before. $5.99 pre-sale.
Just popped open the Riaza Grenache / Esoterica – after the very solid Temp, was anxious to try…bad move. My first really bad (vs typical mediocre) wine of the sale. Not potable – will return.
Had the same experience. I wanted to say it was fouled, but given the screw-cap closure, I couldn’t blame it on the cork.
Other wines that look interesting to me:
Flagstone 2012 “Noon Gun,” Wine of Origin Western Cape, South Africa, 45% Chenin Blanc, 29% Sauvignon Blanc, 21% Viognier, 5% Nouvelle, $4
Chateau
Bel-AirBellevue 2015 Bergerac, blend is roughly 30% each of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, remaining 10% Malbec, $7. I liked the 2013 Bell-Air, and I expect the 2015 will similarly be better with some age.Hi all. I goofed above and confused the (2013) Ch. Bell-Air Bergerac with the (2015) Ch. Bellevue Bergerac. Am still curious to try the latter, but am not as optimistic.
My neighbor and I went to the Eureka, CA store today – my purchases were:
2015 Chateau Les Rocs de Plaisance Bordeaux reg. $8,
2009 Pata Negra Rioja reserva $6,
2014 La Croix St. Vincent Lussac Saint-Emilion $8,
2014 Chateau Haut Pougnan Bourdeaux $10,
2015 Campo Marin Carinena Grenache $5,
2013 Librandi Ciro Rosso Classico $5,
2014 Chateau frontenac bordeaux $6,
2014 Vina Barroca Mencia Bierzo $5,
2014 Sterling Merlot Central Coast $6,
2015 La Hormiga Roja Garnacha from Jumilla $5,
2015 Cour Bellevue Corbieres $6,
2015 Cour Bellevue Minervois $6,
2014 Sacacorcho Grenache Catalunya $5,
2013 Pacific Rim Riesling Columbia Valley $4,
2014 Stemmari Rose, Sicily $4,
2014 Pulpo Albarino, Rias Baixas $5
Prices all before 20% discount. We had lots of fun checking out the wines (smartphone up and running). Hope you all had fun too.
We had the Stemmari Rose over the last two nights and really liked it – strawberry nose, good depth of flavors and acidity. Went well with dinners, and would be good for sipping this summer. Nice wine for $3 and change.
Opened a bottle of the 2009 Pata Negra Rioja reserva yesterday afternoon and then went back to pick up a case. This will likely be my favorite purchase in this Spring’s wine sale…nice and smooth right from the start. Only one case left in Oceanside. None in San Marcos or Escondido, although Oceanside did have a younger Pata Negra Rioja (a 2012 I think). Was also hoping to find the 2014 Pulpo Albarino but came up empty on that. Anyone seen it anywhere else in SD County?
That Albarino came and went in No Cal about 2 months ago. The 2012 Rioja is pleasant but the Reserva might be the best deal in the sale..
They obviously put out more of the 2009 Pata Negra Reserva in Escondido, because I picked up a couple of bottles this evening. Another really interesting Spanish wine there was a 2009 Tempranillo from Alejandro Fernandez’ (of Pesquerra fame) El Vinculo estate in La Mancha, for the same $6 price as the Pata Negra 2009 Reserva.
Thanks to your comments I picked up a bottle today. looking forward to trying it in a week or so, after Passover finishes.
also got some 2012 Judson Hale PN and 2012 Gauthier Somoma Coast PN
Joel, I commented below and am thinking about returning my Judson Hale PN, it was so lacking. The problem is the GO is 40 miles away. If you pop it, let me know what you think.
Hi Darrell. I only smelled the Judson Hale PN two days after it was opened, but I thought it showed nice complexity, fruit, and Pinot delicateness. GLPease didn’t like it on the first two days, but thought that on the third day, it was pretty good, enough that he then would have liked to get some more. I got a bottle, but, like everything else I got, I don’t know when I’ll be able to get to it.
I could have gotten a lesser bottle and did like the Gauthier Carneros PN much better from both an aromatic and flavor profile, it’s just that the Gauthier was too tannic for me. The only thing I did differently from you and GLPease was that I didn’t let the wine sit for a couple of days.
Reevaluated the Judson Hale PN tonight with dinner and the first impression of the bouquet was a whiff of diacetyl, a buttery smell, with a faint smell of PN following. There is more PN flavor compared to the nose , but the wine isn’t well balanced with some bitterness. I prefer the Gauthier PN, Rocking H Ranch Vd. from the Sonoma Coast. It’s better balanced, smooth and more PN character all around.
My picks for this sale are:
Coelho 2014 Renovação Estate Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley), $5.99 pre-sale
Hilt & Blade 2015 Antecedence Zinfandel (Lodi), $6.99
http://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/hilt-blade-2015-antecedence-zinfandel-lodi
and maybe some more of the Glen Fiona Basket Press Syrah, $7.99
I believe all of these are at the Olympia and Lacey stores
Also of interest:
Goose Ridge 2011 g3 Merlot (Columbia Valley), $6.99
http://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/goose-ridge-2011-g3-merlot-columbia-valley-wa
I tried the Hilt and Blade based on the review linked above. It is going back. Pruney tasting from grapes that were, to my taste, way over-ripe.
I had the Hilt&Blade and really enjoyed it it had lots of dark fruit and was easy to drink.
Tried three wines bought at Salem Oregon GO stores. First is a Muscadet that I recently saw at Oakland. This wine is sound and tastes like a Muscadet. It was open 3 days and probably showed best on the third day at (Portland) room temp. Second, the Ruby pinot. Why is it that so many wines today taste like flat grape soda? This wine has simple cherry flavor and is inoffensive. Third, Highwire CS Napa Valley 2011. This wine was around a while back and I never tried it. Pleasant old school cab (herbaceous) with resolved tannins and moderate fruit.
I have mentioned the 2011 Santa Alicia CS Grand Reserva elsewhere and do recommend it for those who don’t mind herbaceousness in CS and related varieties. Wine & Spirits gave the wine 92 points. While not the same, it reminds me of a well made Stellenbosch Cab and related varieties wine. I won’t be buying the Millantu or the Anke Blend 2. Good hunting, all.
Did a pre-sale run at Palo Alto today and things that look interesting to me:
A trio of 2014 wines from Riaza winery in Lodi
– a 100% tempranillo from 3 vineyards
– a Grenache
– a red blend called “faultline”
All 4.99 before the sale with SRP’s of $25.99
The 2013 Gauthier Zin (7.99 / 44.99 pre-sale) and 2012 Sonoma Coast Pinot Rockin H Vineyard (9.99 / 29.99 pre-sale). I bought a bottle of the zin to try, but loved the 2012 and I’m remembering reading good things on here about the Pinot?
2015 Bila Haut Rosè Pays D’Oc 4.99 / 12.99 pre-sale. Solid producer, never had any of their rosès before but have liked their Rhone blends.
2012 Matahiwi “Holly” Pinot Gris, Wairarapa, NZ 5.99 / 19.99 pre-sale. I reviewed this one a while back and really liked it and am glad to see some still around.
2014 Volpe Pasini “GriVo” Pinot Grigio, Friuli, IT. 5.99 / 24.99 pre-sale. Anyone tried this one?
As far as older favorites:
There’s still a bit of 2011 Bailiwick Sonoma Coast Pinot, the Cairdean Atlas Peak cab and Petite Verdot, the ’08 Santa Alicia Millantu, the 2011 Saint Glinglin Bordeaux, and 3 bottles of the Morande Syrah. There’s also heaps of the 2012 Macrae Family Winery “Hidden Ridge” Sonoma Mountain Cab left around, still at 19.99 / 40.00. Anyone had one of these recently?
There’s also some intriguing new French wines:
2015 Cour Bellvue Minervois 5.99 / 14.99
2015 Cour Bellvue Corbieres 5.99 / 14.99
Le Grand Massat “Cuvee Tradition” Cotes du Rhone 5.99 / 15.99. The vintage escaped my hastily snapped photo, but this is bottled in a bordeaux styled bottle and looks pretty interesting.
I tried the Riaza Tempranillo and the Grenache. They are very fruity with surprisingly light body and not enough acid to my taste. Others might like them.
We tried a bottle of the Riaza Temp and enjoyed it…plenty of depth, good varietal character, solid wine for the price. Frankly, wouldn’t want any more acid on this style, but it isn’t a long-term ager either.
I agree, Zoel, about the Riaza Tempranillo. I liked it well enough that when I went to the Santa Rosa store this morning I picked up more of the “Outsider” Tempranillo, as well as the “Faultline” blend, which is 90 per cent Tempranillo and 10 per cent Zin.
I have a weakness for G.O. wines that are from “real” wineries, like this one (Riaza is in Lodi, and Yelp has many positive reviews of their tasting room), as opposed to the meany G.O. wines that seem to be from anonymous producers with labels that have been ginned up solely for the purpose of getting rid of some excess production.
Another “real” winery item that I picked up this morning was the Adler Springs 2013 Row Five Red Cuvee. Adler Springs is in northern Mendocino County, near Laytonville — at least, that’s where the vineyards are, but this wine shows as having been produced in Ukiah. Wine Enthusiast had a writeup on the 2012 vintage: “Potent and intense, this has a dark red color that goes to the rim and exotic huckleberry and dark cherry aromas. Thick layers of fruit, dark chocolate and spice on the palate combine with firm, framing tannins and acidity for a lip-smacking finish.” That matches my impressions of the 2013 (from the bottle I picked up pre-sale) so I bought a few more bottles today.
Oops — should be “Alder Springs”.
I saw the Alder Springs there also and asked the wine person there what the blend might be and couldn’t comment. The head wine person there is from the SF GO store. The Gauthier Carneros PN is running out there. Tom, I await your tasting of the Alder Springs and I understand your meaning of a “real winery” since one of the first things I look for is “produced and bottled by.”
I went early to North Bay Go’s and did pick up the 2014 Outsider Riaza Tempranillo in Santa Rosa. Funny thing is that Santa Rosa and Petaluma were ready and well stocked for the sale, but Rohnert Park was sorely lacking. Their shelves were quite unstocked. Found the Judson Hall wines and picked them up, too, and regret after reading BW’s comments about the wine.
Judson Hall PN doesn’t have any kind of PN nose and very little PN flavor. It costs $7.99 before sale. Save your money. Being ignorant about Tempranillo, I am not sure what to think about the Riaza and have to defer to others who say it is true to type. The one characteristic it had was a raisiny, oxidized grape nose, but maybe that’s the way Tempranillo should be.
As for the Alder Springs Row Five Red Cuvee, I couldn’t find anything online concerning the 2013 vintage (or 2012, for that matter) but there is a writeup from 2014 that describes the 2011 Red Cuvee as “a blend of 50% Petite Sirah, 36% Syrah, and 14% Malbec” (https://www.celebrationswineclub.com/alder-springs-vineyard-0814/).
The wine is intense and has a spicy finish, but it’s quite smooth and would probably be a good match for grilled meats. By the way, the price at the Santa Rosa G.O. is $6.99 (or $5.59 on sale). They had a big stack of it on Monday.
As info, Eric Asimov of The New York Times did an interesting piece on Alder Springs last year: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/30/dining/wine-mendocino-county-alder-springs-vineyard.html
I had said that I couldn’t find anything online about the 2012 or 2013 Alder Springs Row Five Red Cuvee. However, here’s a short review of the 2012: http://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/alder-springs-2012-row-five-red-cuvee-mendocino-lake-counties-mendocino.
I just got the Judson Hale tonight. It’s a nice wine with a unique funky, quality to it. I like things that stand out. After my first sip, I looked at the glass and said, “Wow!” I like it! Going to pick up a case tomorrow-hopefully.
Calling Doug Green…what’s good here in San Diego?
Well I´m in Cabo until tomorrow, so I don´t know what´s arrived or vanished during the past week, but certainly, the Gauthier Los Chamizal zin is worth grabbing. Also if it´s still around, the Santa Alicia Millantu cab blend, and a wine I really like is the 2013 Vista Regua Carater from Portugal.
I was in the San Marcos store this past Saturday. They did not have much new but it did look like they were clearing floor space for a new load for the sale. Sure hope so.
Hi David. The Riaza Tempranillo is one I thought looked interesting. I bought a bottle to eventually try, but for now it’s just sitting here. There’s another CA Tempranillo, “Goodnow,” that looks interesting despite the strange name and label, mostly because the notes on the back tout “black fruits,” which sounds promising. There were 4 whites from Volpe Pasini which looked interesting. I commented about them in What’s New recently, and I believe Don Bevins said he liked the Sauvignon Blanc a lot. There’s a CA Chardonnay, Magnolia Court, which has a pretty label and very promising notes (Seedboy check this out if you see it) on the back, for $7 IIRC. I can’t believe the Palo Alto store has so many good wines that were long gone from the Richmond store. The Cour Bellvue wines were well-liked in these parts, especially the Corbieres. I’d say to give the Grand Massat CdR a pass. It’s non-vintage, in a Bordeaux-style bottle, and I recall hearing that it was awful. Although of course if anyone has liked it, I’d be glad to hear otherwise. In Southern French wines, there’s also a GSM blend and a Cabernet from Domaine Arnaud. Haven’t heard anything about the GSM, but the Cab has been well-liked by those who tasted it from the Richmond store.
I had commented kn the Grand Massat a little while ago.
I grabbed a bottle of the 2014 Volpe Pasini “GriVo” Pinot Grigio last week and finally opened it tonight. I’ll definitely go back for a half case for summer drinking. Notes: medium-bodied, medium-acidity and somewhat juicy, with lemon, white flowers, pear and almonds. Low on the pinot grigio bitterness scale.
Arrived today:
– Judson Hale 2012 Pinot Noir, Walsh Ranch, Yorkville Highlands AVA, Mendocino County, CA. $8 “Elsewhere” $39. A couple not especially helpful CellarTracker notes here.
– Judson Hale 2013 Chardonnay, Sanel Valley, Mendocino County, CA, $6 “Elsewhere” $25.
FWIW, GLPease, although a fan of Yorkville Highlands Pinots, was not impressed with this one. Something about lack of structure.
Seedboy, check out the Salem Lancaster GO. It usually has the more interesting selection.
I went to the other one before I got this, not a very good selection.
Had the 2015 Mencia and it was just a very nice wine. Round with plump fruit and smooth tannins and all for $5 a bottle. Keeping an eye out for Grenache since they have had some real winners in the past year.
I’m going to be in Salem tonight, driving down from Portland, anyone have any advice on which GOs have the best wine selection?
East Salem is usually the best of the southern Willamette Valley GOs.
Yes, it was much better than the one downtown.
Hi BW, I was up in Portland and Medford two weeks ago. Last Oct. we stayed a couple days in Ashland and went wine tasting over in Jacksonville while there. One tasting room was pouring River’s end Pinot and I picked up a 2014. So I grabbed some in the GO in Medford when I saw they had the 2011 two weeks ago, anyone up there should see if its still there. Also the GO in Mcminnville had a good selection and I picked up a good Malbec that we get down here a lot and is a solid performer.