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Recommendations:
Flavorful, Romantic Wines
for St. Valentine's Day
 With all the spending and celebrations you would probably be doing this Month of Love. I will be recommending wines that are easy on the palate and your budget. This February, the wines we will be featuring are quite intense in aromas and flavors. We have two Rieslings, two Roses and nine Zinfandels. To get the most of your wine enjoyment, I recommend that you drink the following wines side –by-side for comparisons.
- The two Rieslings together, noting the distinctive floral character of the Trefethen and the citrus and tropical fullness of the Eroica.
- The two roses together, noting the spicier, more complex character of the Tablas Creek, and the fruitier, off dry aspect of the Vina Robles.
- The Quivira and the Ballentine Zinfandels together, noting the zestiness and balance of the Quivira and the depth, fleshiness, and complexity of the Ballentine.
- The two Sobon Estate Zinfandels, noting the power of the Lubenko, and the richness of fruit in the Rezerve Zin.
Riesling Wine Recommendations
Eroica, 2005 RIESLING, COLUMBIA VALLEY, WASHINGTON
$21-$23
Exceptional Riesling. Possessing noteworthy depth and balance. Tastes reminiscent of apple, honeysuckle, peach, lime and cherimoya. Floral character and long, persistent end. Drink through 2008.
Trefethen, 2005 DRY RIESLING, OAK KNOLL DISTRICT
$20-$22
Absolutely fantastic Riesling. Refined, sophisticated and elegant. Features characters of peach, pineapple, honeysuckle and orange blossom. Medium bodied and nearly dry. It possesses long, persistent finish. 0.84% residual sugar. Unwooded. Drink through 2008.
Rose Wine Recommendations
Tablas Creek, 2005 ROSE, PASO ROBLES
$26-$28
Ripe and fleshy. Fresh notes of plum, raspberry, oak, caramel and toast. Full bodied and complex in character. Features a delicate finish. 60% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 10% Counoise. 750 cases. Drink through 2007.
Vina Robles, 2005 ROSEUM, SYRAH, PASO ROBLES
$13-$15
Intense purple pink color. Fruit-forward with flavors of baked cherry and raspberry. It is full-bodied with slightly tannic and somewhat long finish. ,335 cases. Drink through 2007.
Zinfandel Wine Recommendations
Amici, 2003 OLD VINE ZINFANDEL, PANEK VINEYARD, NAPA VALLEY
$30-$32
Appealingly intense. This Zinfandel is full-bodied and lightly oaked. Tastes reminiscent of blackberry, cherry, red currant, toast, pepper and oak. 550 cases. Drink through 2008.
Ballentine Vineyards, 2002 ZINFANDEL, OLD VINES, NAPA VALLEY
$26-$28
Aromatic with hints of blackberry, plum toasted oak, and baked cherry. Stays long on the palate. Full-bodied and adequately complex. 10% Syrah, 7% Petite Sirah. 2,630 cases. Drink through 2008.
Eberle, 2004 ZINFANDEL, REMO BELLI VINEYARD, PASO ROBLES
$18-$20
Great value Zinfandel. Full-bodied and light oaky tendencies. Tasting of blackberry, cherry, toast, cedar and oak. 643 cases. Drink through 2008.
Hendry, 2004 ZINFANDEL, HENDRY BLOCK 7, NAPA VALLEY
$30-$32
Supple with slight oaky tendencies. Zin with delicious combination of blackberry, cherry, toast, pepper and blueberry flavors. Persistent, long finish. 14.9% alcohol. 2,000 cases. Drink through 2008.
Quivira, 2004 ZINFANDEL, DRY CREEK VALLEY
$18-$20
Heady Zinfandel. Features medium rich character and well-balanced style. Tastes reminiscent of blackberry, cherry, toast, pepper and oak. Possessing such long finish and exceptional value. 14% Petite Sirah. 6,372 cases. Drink through 2008.
Robert Biale, 2004 ZINFANDEL, OLD CRANE RANCH
NAPA VALLEY
$35-$38
This Zinfandel features a fleshy texture, stylish quality and long palate. Bursting with blackberry, black cherry, toast, pepper and berry jam flavors. 362 cases. Drink through 2009.
Signorello, 2004 ZINFANDEL, LUVISI VINEYARD, NAPA VALLEY
$38-$40
Richly textures and intensely flavored. Tastes of generous plum, boysenberry, toast, pepper and oaky aromas. Persistent, long finish. Unfiltered. 243 cases. Drink through 2008.
Sobon Estate
* 2004 ZINFANDEL, LUBENKO VINEYARD, FIDDLETOWN, $20-$22
* 2004 REZERVE ZIN, AMADOR COUNTY, $23-$25
Elegant, enticing and alluring. The Fiddletown Zin is rich in style, full-bodied. Features intense flavors of blackberry, plum, oak, and aniseed. Possess long finish. Organic grapes. 2% Carignane, 2% Petite Sirah. 15.9% alcohol. 1,242 cases. The Rezerve Zin is ripe and fleshy. Tastes reminiscent of berry jam, plum, oak, and pepper. Long with subtle oak finish. Certified organic wine. 5% Petite Sirah. 15.4% alcohol. 979 cases. Drink through 2008.
If you enjoyed these wine reviews, you
might also find the following wine resources
to be useful:
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