Witness Tree Chainsaw Pinot Noir 2009

Submitted by Jack on Mon, 01/02/2012 - 20:33

Who doesn't want to discover that under-$20 pinot noir? Tricky deal. Does the Witness Tree Chainsaw pull it off?

Almost. Close enough that I'm willing to try it again. Read more about Witness Tree Chainsaw Pinot Noir 2009

Rock Wall 2009 Zinfandel St. Peter's Church, Sonoma County

Submitted by Jack on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 09:39

Just the other night, we attended the Viva Amore! event at Rock Wall. They weren't really pouring any zins at tasting tables aside from their Zinfandel Dessert wine. I never bother with those except tonight we were tipped off to try a "Rebecca" -- a glass of sparkling Blanc de Blancs with a heavy splash of the aforementioned dessert zin. Read more about Rock Wall 2009 Zinfandel St. Peter's Church, Sonoma County

Rock Wall 2009 Pearl Hart Reserve Zinfandel

Submitted by Jack on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 09:26

This is Shauna Rosenblum's baby. I've never seen her so excited about one of her wines... and THAT'S saying a lot. Not much was made and I believe it's already been snatched up... which is amazing considering it retails at $50 ($40 for wine club members.)

This vintage is name for Pearl Hart, the lady stagecoach robber from the Ol' American West who famously gave each of the passengers she robbed back some money so they could get a meal and a bed. She was eventually caught. Read more about Rock Wall 2009 Pearl Hart Reserve Zinfandel

Rock Wall Obsidian

Submitted by Jack on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 09:14

The Obsidian is a 50/50 blend of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. No slouch with alcohol content of 15.1%.... it really is super delicious if you are into chocolate and blueberries. (I don't know about the "gamey meat" description they offer on the website.) It really fits in with the Rock Wall zin lineup... fruit explosion!!! but perhaps a tad more subtle than the 2009 Obsidian. Nobody is ever going to accuse Rock Wall of being boring.

Retails at Rock Wall Wines in Alameda for $22 -- wine club discount brings it down to $17.60. Read more about Rock Wall Obsidian

Rock Wall Montepulciano Contra Costa County 2010

Submitted by Jack on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 09:03

Rock Wall Wines, being the offshoot of Rosenblum, is already famous for its fabulous zinfandels. But their greatest achievement may very well be their take on the everyday (lighter style) Italian red wine... montepulciano.

Dan at Du Vin describes it thusly: Read more about Rock Wall Montepulciano Contra Costa County 2010

B.R. Cohn North Coast Silver Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Submitted by Jack on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 08:44

This is a surprisingly satisfying cab from B.R. Cohn, a decent winery up in Sonoma County. Why do I say suprising? Because they are practically dumping it at Safeway and it's such a great deal under 14 bucks. It's already pretty mellow so skip the rack and put it on the table. Read more about B.R. Cohn North Coast Silver Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Rock Wall 2010 Montelpuciano Contra Costa County

Submitted by Jack on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 20:08

The 2009 Montelpuciano won us over to Rock Wall last spring. It was a beautiful light red wine that blew away every Montelpuciano we've tried since -- especially the regular ol' Italian stuff (apparently Italy and Alameda are the only places they make it.) As they say... "this ain't your grandfather's montelpuciano."

We enjoyed it while cooking vegan hoisin-mustard tofu and listening to Italian Surf Academy. Read more about Rock Wall 2010 Montelpuciano Contra Costa County

Rock Wall 2009 Rock Pile Zinfandel

Submitted by Jack on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 20:06

This new zinfandel is a perfect example of what Rock Wall does best >> awesome and distinctive zins.

The Rockpile (guess that's the name of the vineyard) is a welcome addition to the zinfandel lineup, which includes 7 at this writing. The Rockpile is precision balanced... designed to make EVERYBODY HAPPY and pairs perfectly with '73 era Bob Marley & the Wailers.

Goes for $40 retail and we got it in our last club pickup. They often pour it so be sure to taste before you splurge. Read more about Rock Wall 2009 Rock Pile Zinfandel

Rock Wall 2008 Jesse's Zin

Submitted by Jack on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 20:05

For anyone who has tried it, hearing the word "Jesse's" conjures up a massive taste explosion. Rock Wall has zins *covered*, from smooth Rockpile (Steely Dan) to Jesse's Vineyard Contra Costa County Zinfandel (Motorhead.) Actually, it's more like The Runaways' "Ch-ch-ch-CHERRY BOMB!!" Jesse's is Rock Walls' ROCK OUT wine, so we always keep it in stock. Never know when you need to ROCK OUT on a moment's notice.

There's a new Jesse's coming out soon so we can't wait to try it!

Retails for $28 at Rock Wall Wines. Read more about Rock Wall 2008 Jesse's Zin

Judd's Hill 2002 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Submitted by Jack on Wed, 09/07/2011 - 12:28

We visited Judd's Hill Winery up in Napa a few times this summer. It's a very cool, laid back small-production winery near the town of Napa at the beginning of the Silverado Trail. We never would have known about it if it wasn't for my brother who knows Pat, the BBQ Champion who runs their tasting facility. We think all of their wines are awesome and very reasonable too. Read more about Judd's Hill 2002 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon