Drink the Vine: Guest Review

Hey folks. I hope your week is going well so far. Now I know you guys are used to hearing from me and Grape Nut regarding our tastes in wine. But, I thought it'd be cool to start to offer you something different from time to time. So today, I'm happy to introduce what will become a regular monthly column...the DTV Guest Review. This seems like a fun way to get our readers perspectives on the wines they are drinking...some of which may very well be recommendations from us. So, without further ado, I am proud to introduce our first ever guest review.

This review was submitted by Jim Tax, a friend and fellow wine lover who lives in Seattle, WA. Jim has the luxury of frequently drinking the wines of Washington and Oregon (many of which don't make their way this far east). Having had the luxury of working on a project with Jim for some 2 months in Chicago last year, we frequently discussed and drank wine together. I can honestly say I trust his judgement when it comes to wine recommendations. Thanks to Jim for sending this over.

If anybody else would like to provide a guest review for next month, please email us at drinkthevine@gmail.com. We will select the best written reviews for use in future columns.

The Wine: 2005 Owen Roe Abbot’s Red Table Wine
Country: USA
Region: Oregon, Walla Walla Valley
Category: Red blend (Claret-esque)
Price: $22.99 retail ($45 in restaurant)
Decanted or Not: No

Tasting Notes:

Color: Medium Ruby Red

Nose: Not what you’d expect from Oregon (power and charm). Some oak, pepper and fruit hit the nose all at once and it is hard to tell which is the strongest. Great balance.

Taste: Plum and pepper open with a long tobacco and chocolate finish. The spice pairs it well with a hearty Italian meal and the finish makes this the perfect pairing for about any red meat. Don’t expect to have just one bottle. This wine is perfect if you have the stereo-typical Napa person that will only drink California reds. Stellar wine with a great range and smooth finish, all at a pretty good value.

The Verdict: 9 corks

Note: While I have never had this wine, I have seen this wine rated from 85 to 93 on cellartracker. So clearly it is a crowd pleaser. Jimbo, if you happen to order this puppy in bulk, I expect a bottle.

Taste of Oregon: Ratings #2 and 3

Hi folks. Yes, I know I've been slacking this week, but this little thing called my job keeps interfering with my ability to drink wine. Anyway here are two ratings, since we missed one yesterday. Both of these are wines that I've enjoyed while out at dinner recently with my wife.

Rating #2:

The Wine: Adelsheim Pinot Noir 2005

Country: USA

Region: Oregon, Willamette Valley

Category: Pinot Noir

Price: $22.99 retail ($36 in restaurant)

Decanted or Not: No

Tasting notes:

Color: Deep Ruby

The Nose: Surprisingly powerful for an Oregon Pinot. Big notes of dark ripe fruit and oak. Little spice/cinnamon.

Taste: Very open with nice plum, cherry and pepper flavors. Wonderful silky mouthfeel, with a nice long finish. Flavors of cinnamon and pepper on the finish seem to linger quite a while. I enjoyed this wine with a very hearty chicken parmesan dish at Rosies Trattoria in Randolph. It was a very nice pairing in my opinion. The wine was excellent, with lots of flavor and packed a bit of a punch.

The Verdict: 8 corks

Rating #3:

The Wine: Amavi Cellars 2003 Syrah

The Country: USA

The Region: Oregon, Walla Walla Valley

Category: Syrah

Vintage: 2003

Price: $20.99

Decanted or not: No

Tasting Notes:

Color: Dark Red

Nose: Very sweet smelling. Intense fruit and cinnamon. Light oak and earth.

Taste: Pretty straight forward. Fruit and spices from the get go...plum, blueberry, cinnamon and vanilla flavors persist. The mid-palate is relatively uneventful as the fruits and spices carry over, but are complimented by leather and pepper flavors. The finish is surprisingly tannic, but smooth, and ends with sweet notes in the aftertaste. Overall I liked it, but wasn't crazy about it. The fruit and sweetness seemed to carry through the whole thing, making it difficult to detect any other complexities in the wine. This wine was enjoyed with a whole roasted chicken seasoned with garlic, onion powder, paprika, pepper and salt. Perhaps it was a poor selection to serve with dinner that night, but i still enjoyed it.

The verdict: 7 corks