Palate Press: The eMagazine, Wine Reviews 2011

Palate Press: The eMagazine

Volume 2, November 2011

The Tasting Notes

Edited by David Honig

Published by Palate Press LLC at Smashwords

ISBN 978-0-9831789-2-7

Copyright 2011 Palate Press LLC

9425 Meridian #201

Indianapolis, IN 46260

Palatepress.com

License Notes

This magazine is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This magazine may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this magazine with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of our authors.

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A special Thank You to our readers

Thank you for reading Palate Press: The eMagazine. Our next edition of will be available on December 1, 2011. Please download a discounted edition for just $0.99, fifty cents off our regular price, at Palate Press: The eMagazine, Volume 3, using Coupon Code SZ55K.

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Table of Contents

About Our Reviews

Reviewers

Palate Press Wine of the Year

Argentina

Australia

Canada

Chile

Croatia

France

Bordeaux

Burgundy

Champagne

Languedoc-Roussillon

Rhone

Other France

Germany

Italy

Lebanon

Mexico

New Zealand

Portugal

Spain

South Africa

United States

California

Massachusetts

Minnesota

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Oregon

Texas

Virginia

Washington

Spirits

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About Our Reviews

Recommended. Not Recommended. Highly Recommended. No Recommendation. Sometimes, even Very Highly Recommended. At Palate Press we use words to tell you what we think about a wine, not numbers. We add food recommendations to our taste descriptors, because we think that puts the review in context and gives life to the description. We also don’t use points at Palate Press. That is for two reasons. First, nobody can put on a blindfold and tell the difference between an 89 and a 90, yet that one random point is the difference between selling out and landing on the clearance table. Second, different numbers mean different things to different people. Does 92 mean the same thing for a $7 wine as a $70 wine? How about a $700 wine? We prefer a dynamic score, one that takes into account not just how well the wine is made and how it tastes, but how well it will pair with food, how well it will age, and whether the price reflects the quality. If a Palate Press review says highly recommended, that means exactly what it sounds like, we think you should buy this wine.

For those married to numbers, or who need help translating, the following is a rough comparison of common scoring systems to the recommendations at Palate Press.

"Not Recommended" means exactly what it sounds like. We don’t recommend you buy this wine. It is not good. That does not mean it is flawed. We try not to rate wines with possible bottle flaws, problems that might not appear in another bottle of the same wine of the same vintage. It means it is poor. On the 100-point scale, this is a wine that would score less than 80 points, usually quite a bit less. It is a zero- to one-star on a five-star scale. It is nine points or lower on a 20-point scale.

"No Recommendation" means we are neutral on the wine. It is not poorly made. It is perfectly acceptable, competent, adequate. But would you recommend a friend run out and buy something acceptable, competent, adequate? Neither would we. If you find one of these wines at a great price, if you need a case or two for a picnic, these are perfectly acceptable wines. On a 100 point scale these would range from about 78 to 85. Yes, there is an overlap between Not Recommended and No Recommendation. There are overlaps in all our review descriptions because we do not pretend there are razor-sharp lines of precision from one level of wine to another. On a five-star scale these get two stars. On a twenty-point scale these wines get 10-13 points.

"Recommended" means we think this is a wine worth buying. Keep it in mind. If you see it in the store consider buying it. It is well made, tastes good, pairs well with food, and is enjoyable. It is an 84 to an 90 on a 100-point scale, a 13 to 16 on a 20-point scale, and gets three stars on a five star scale.

"Highly Recommended" describes a good wine, a very good wine. We think you should seek this wine out and buy it. We think you will enjoy it and that it is worth the price. Wines that are Highly Recommended are tasty, terroir and variety appropriate, balanced, and fun. They are what we are all looking for in a bottle of wine. They are 90+ wines on a 100-point scale, 17+ wines on a 20 point scale, and four or five stars on a five star scale. These are the stars of the wine world.

"Very Highly Recommended" is only used when Highly Recommended just can’t contain our giddiness over a bottle of wine. These are the true superstars of the wine world, the ones we know, once you drink them, you will track us down to personally thank us for the suggestion. On the 100-point scale they would get at least 98 points, sometimes even 100 plus an asterisk. They get 19 or 20 on a 20-point scale and all five stars on a five-star scale.

Finally, look for our Palate Press Wines of the Week.™ Every week we ask our readers, knowledgeable and enthusiastic wine lovers, to vote on their favorite wine from the week’s reviews. These are our readers’ pick for the best wines of the each week. Some are hidden bargains, others are well-known blockbusters, but they are all one thing, our readers’ choice as the Palate Press Wine of the Week.™

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Reviewers

Palate Press uses five regular reviewers, all members of our Editorial Board. Reviews are also contributed by Authors and Contributing Editors in support of their stories. Reviews by members of the Editorial Board are identified by their initials. Reviews by Authors and Contributing Editors are identified by the reviewer’s full name.

Rémy Charest is a Quebec City based journalist, writer, and translator. He has been writing about wine and food for over 12 years in various magazines and newspapers. He writes two wine blogs (The Wine Case, in English, and À chacun sa bouteille, in French) and, as if he didn’t have enough things to do, he also started a food blog in English, The Food Case, and one in French, À chacun sa fourchette. RC

Becky Sue Epstein is Palate Press’s International Editor. An experienced writer, editor, broadcaster, and consultant in the fields of wine, spirits, food, and travel, her work appears in many national publications including Art & Antiques, Luxury Golf & Travel, Food + Wine, and Wine Spectator. She began her career as a restaurant reviewer for the Los Angeles Times while working in film and television. BSE

David Honig, the Publisher, looked at the thousands of quality wine blogs and realized there was a ready-made staff for the best wine magazine in the world. David has been running 2 Days per Bottle for two years now, and started up The 89 Project, focusing on that most unfortunate of scores, 89. He is a self-educated oenophile, and defers to the tremendous experience and wisdom of the amazing staff at PALATE PRESS: The Online Wine Magazine. DH

Having grown up in the midwest, Ryan Reichert followed his passion for wine to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Always the explorer seeking to learn more he has travelled around the United States and through France, Spain, and Italy. He holds the Advanced Certificate with Distinction from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, is a French wine enthusiast, a certified Spanish Wine Educator, and is working towards certification as a sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers. Ryan is the creator and author of Northwest Whites, a site dedicated entirely to the white wines of the Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Ryan lives in Portland, OR. RR

Gary Thomas is a 35-year veteran of journalism, spending much of his time having served as a foreign correspondent in places like Islamabad, Kabul, Phnom Penh, and Bangkok. He finds gainful employment as a senior correspondent/news analyst at Voice of America. He was the wine columnist for the Austin American-Statesman in Austin, TX and has also authored pieces for the Wine Spectator. He lives in Arlington, VA, across the river from Washington DC and just up the road from the Pentagon. GT

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Palate Press Wine of the Year

2007 Cornerstone Cellars Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

WHO: Cornerstone Cellars

WHAT: Cabernet Sauvignon

WHERE: Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, California

WHEN: 2007

HOW MUCH: $75

Improving with every sip, gaining structure and depth with every extra minute of air, this is a beautiful baby that will, with time, mature into a gorgeous adult. Dark fruit (blackcurrant and mulberry) has a background of tobacco leaf and the tiniest touch of cayenne. Rich very dark chocolate and espresso pop on the mid-palate. Tannins are very sweet and dusty. Even with all the rich sweetness, it also has good acids and an underlying minerality, offering a decade or more in the cellar, maturing and offering layers of primary and secondary flavors in the future. Drink with a good steak and a better friend. Very highly recommended. DH

An interview with Craig Camp, General Manager of Cornerstone Cellars. Craig’s experience in the wine world began as partner and Vice President of Direct Import Wine Company, President of Terlato Wine Group, Italian Wine and Food Editor of eGullet.org, President of Anne Amie Vineards, and now, General Manager of Cornerstone. Craig serves on the Board of Directors of the Howell Mountain Vintners and Growers Association and on the Napa Valley Vintners Association Marketing and Social Media Marketing Committees.

Congratulations on being awarded Palate Press' Wine of the Year Award. That is selected by first, our readers, who pick the Palate Press Wine of the Week in our