I know, two posts in one day!
This one is to share with you the absolutely wonderful time I had with Rodney and Cynthia Snapp of Javelina Leap Winery. I had arrived to discuss some magazine business with them and it turned into a great opportunity to enjoy some wines and learn about winemaking.
We went through their tasting menu to start. This is not a WHITE HOUSE . . . only red wines are served here. Do you like sweet wines? You'll want to skip this place and head down the road. Rodney is commited to making full bodies reds and delivers on his promise. He serves Cabernet, Merlot and Zinfandel with an added private Reserve Merlot rounding out the finish.
I was then in for a treat! I love to talk to people who love to share their stories and their knowledge. Well, these two fit into that characterization! Rodney shared four different tastes of Zinfandel from four different barrels. I was amazed at how the barrel aging can really affect the wines flavor. They all had very distinct flavors. The first we tasted was the most "peppery". I know that Josh will love this one. The fourth one I tasted was my absolute favorite - it was almost like a buttery chardonnay - but zinfandel. I didn't think that was possible. It was so smooth and wonderful. The two in the middle were still great wines with completely unique characteristics. The barrels he's aging right now will be released later this year and I'm telling you . . . you will definitely want to stop by and see/taste his end result. It cannot be anything but amazing!
Rodney and Cynthia! Thanks so much for sharing your story with me and sharing your wine.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Tasting Caduceus
What a great time at Whole Foods Market in Chandler. Josh and I went to enjoy some great pizza and a glass of Layer Cake Shiraz. They have a great system where you can pick up food from any of a number of locations (BBQ, salads, hot buffet, italian, mexican, deli, seafood, soups and more) and dine in the Wine Bar. Josh has fallen in love with the Layer Cake Shiraz and we decided to treat ourselves.
After dinner we realized that they offer a tasting flight of Caduceus. The Caduceus wines are not cheap and there's no where else you can taste them before you buy! I know that they rotate their wines but go there if you get a chance and try some of these high quality wine by Maynard James Keenan. All vintages of the wines tried are 2005.
Here's my review . . . remember my caveat . . . I am not a wine reviewer but an experience reviewer. I'll do my best here to describe the wines with my limited knowledge and experience.
Naga: It's a cabernet and sangiovese blend. It smells just like port! I actually thought that the wrong wine was poured. The bouquet is really nice! The flavors tasting fruity with a touch of caramel. It had a short finish.
Primer Paso: This one is a Syrah/Viognier blend. He loves his blends! This one was light with a full finish. It lingered on the palate with a bit of a bite at the end. We love Syrah/Shiraz wines and the Viognier smoothed out the edges. Very nice.
Sensei: The cellar master explained that this one was so powerful it actually ate right through the barrel. The nose was very light, almost nonexistent. The flavor was all cabernet, though. Tannic and bold from start to finish, although after a long finish it did have touches of fruit.
We've had the Caduceus Chupacabra and really enjoyed it. I would say my favorite of the three we tasted at Whole Foods would be the Sensei. It was just so flavorful! Maynard has been reviewed by Wine Spectator for his Caduceus label. He was hesitant to send in the wines because they are currently produced from California grapes. However, upon tasting his Arizona grapes in the barrel, he is confident that his Arizona wines will compete with these California blends.
If you are not a member of Wine Spectator online, I recommend it! Maynard has a blog where he shares his wine experiences . . . from drinking wine on the road with his band to growing and creating wine for his two labels. He's a great writer and I really enjoy his stories.
After dinner we realized that they offer a tasting flight of Caduceus. The Caduceus wines are not cheap and there's no where else you can taste them before you buy! I know that they rotate their wines but go there if you get a chance and try some of these high quality wine by Maynard James Keenan. All vintages of the wines tried are 2005.
Here's my review . . . remember my caveat . . . I am not a wine reviewer but an experience reviewer. I'll do my best here to describe the wines with my limited knowledge and experience.
Naga: It's a cabernet and sangiovese blend. It smells just like port! I actually thought that the wrong wine was poured. The bouquet is really nice! The flavors tasting fruity with a touch of caramel. It had a short finish.
Primer Paso: This one is a Syrah/Viognier blend. He loves his blends! This one was light with a full finish. It lingered on the palate with a bit of a bite at the end. We love Syrah/Shiraz wines and the Viognier smoothed out the edges. Very nice.
Sensei: The cellar master explained that this one was so powerful it actually ate right through the barrel. The nose was very light, almost nonexistent. The flavor was all cabernet, though. Tannic and bold from start to finish, although after a long finish it did have touches of fruit.
We've had the Caduceus Chupacabra and really enjoyed it. I would say my favorite of the three we tasted at Whole Foods would be the Sensei. It was just so flavorful! Maynard has been reviewed by Wine Spectator for his Caduceus label. He was hesitant to send in the wines because they are currently produced from California grapes. However, upon tasting his Arizona grapes in the barrel, he is confident that his Arizona wines will compete with these California blends.
If you are not a member of Wine Spectator online, I recommend it! Maynard has a blog where he shares his wine experiences . . . from drinking wine on the road with his band to growing and creating wine for his two labels. He's a great writer and I really enjoy his stories.
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