Wine down Wednesday - Wine tasting review: Temecula.

It was a wine tasting weekend for me! My friend Liz and I took our first night away from our little ones. Our husbands watched our little ones and we were on our way!

We went to the following wineries:

Leonesse Cellars
I talk about this winery quite often. This is one of the first wineries I've joined. The wine there is the BEST in the valley. Period. There are 3 types of membership at Leonesse. 1. CS (Cellar Select), 2. VS (Vineyard Select), and 3. SS (Signature Select). I belong to the SS membership. The bottles are generally $90.00 a bottle (if your not a member), and $70.00 if you are. They are the best of what Leonesse has to ofter. The wine shipment is quarterly. :)

Some of the wines we tasted and really enjoyed were (just going to name a few):

Limited Collection Series SEVEN - Tasty! I bought this wine because I missed out on SIX since I was pregnant last year! ;)

Melange De Reves (which my next SS shipment is the SS Melange). - EXCITED PEOPLE!! Very good middle of the road blend red.
$28.00 for non members.

Melange de Rêves is a very special blend of Syrah, Cinsaut, Mourvedre and Grenache. Medium bodied with lively aromas and flavors of cherry and raspberry with hints of smoky tobacco and black pepper, this wine was aged for 19 months in small French oak barrels.

Barrel Tasting Room at Leonesse.

2007 SS Cabernet Sauvignon
$90.00 for non members
When you go to Leonesse this bottle is usually waiting in the decanter for you to taste. If your there you must taste anything that is an SS. I HIGHLY recommend the wine at Leonesse. I have to say I've never met anyone at Leonesse that doesn't like to work there. They are proud of their wines and are very knowledgeable.

Wiens
I used to belong to Wiens. They have pretty good red wines. When I went down my list of memberships this one didn't make the cut. There is so many wineries in CA and I need to keep my options and other memberships open! I belong to too many to name. ;)

GROW BABY GROW! ;)

I did purchase one for Grant so that we could have that on a date night.

2007 Reserve Petite Sirah
$59.00 for non members
Spicy dark fruit, and toasted oak notes.

Mount Palomar
With all the years I've been going to Temecula, I have never been there. I've seen the winery, but never actually gone.

The wine was ok. I didn't buy anything. Nothing really stood out. Perhaps because it was busy and really crowded I lost interest? There was a couple that wouldn't stop talking to Liz and I so I was very distracted the entire time. YIKES. The winery itself might be the prettiest winery in Temecula. It's gorgeous (wish I would have taken more pictures of the winery). I also found out it was owned by Greeks... perhaps because of that reason alone I should go back?

They have a restaurant on site. The food smelt good. I will definitely come back to the restaurant and try it. Maybe re-taste as well.

Churon
The only reason why we went there is because we were staying there. The winery has a bed and breakfast. They had a free tasting for people staying at the hotel from 5:30-6:30pm. Liz and I got down to the tasting around 6:15pm (after we were all checked in) and we didn't get great service. I'M ALL ABOUT SERVICE. If I don't get proper attention I will not only not buy the wine, but I wont go back. And then winegirl15 will blog about it! ha ha. JK. I didn't think the wine was all that good in general. I don't recommend the winery. The rooms were ok. For $295.00 a night I would have rather stayed at the villas at South Coast Winery. I was able to negotiate the room for $250.00, but still...

You live and you learn. I was proud I went out of my box to try new things, but I'll continue to go to my favorite places.

I will list those for you:
LEONESSE
MONTE DE ORO
WIENS
SOUTH COAST WINERY.

To end Churon on a good note is that the people were friendly (despite the girl at the tasting room... she may have just been stressed with the amount of people tasting), and they had a Tempranillo that was decent.

View from our room. Pretty.

On Sunday, we Toms Farms in Corona, CA. I highly recommend this open market. They have fresh produce, nuts, candy, wine, etc. They have live music on the weekends as well. Growing up my parents would take my brother and I there. We would buy lunch meats, bread, cheese, and drinks and sit out on the tables and listen to the music. Then on the way home my mom would buy produce. It wasn't very close to our home but it was a place we went every so often. If your close, or going to be in the area... GO!

Cheers,
winegirl15

October - $60 bottle of wine.

Temecula: Southern California

Winery: Leonesse Cellars
38311 De Portola Road
Temecula, CA 92592
(951) 302-7601

http://www.leonessecellars.com

2006: Signature Selection Merlot

Price: $95, only 212 cases produced.

Description: Complex aromas of blackberry, coffee, tobacco, and vanilla accented by a subtle herbaceous note. Flavors of ripe cherry are complemented by firm, supple tannins and a long, lingering finish.

Wine is made of: 85% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot.

Winegirl15: Why did I choose a Merlot you might ask? This is now a popular question since the movie “Sideways”. The quote from wine snob character Miles tells his friend Jack before a double-date dinner: "If anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am not drinking any f -- Merlot." After the movie people wouldn’t order merlot, and if you dare order merlot people will look at you funny!

Now, I’ve done a little research on the subject of grapes (I majored in Psychology so don’t be too critical). And basically Merlot was one of the most popular and over produced grapes and even one of the most used grapes to blend… counterpart being Cabernet. In the early 80s Merlot grapes were rapidly planted until it was so widely available that it brought down the value. Some say that this could happen to the pinot grape. Interesting thought, or is that a myth because pinot grapes are more finicky to grow?

"Wine is more than a part of dinner - for many people, it's a fashion statement. And no varietal is more vulnerable to the vagaries of coolness than Merlot."

Personally, I don’t generally order merlot not because of the movie hype, but I find it to be your typical table red that is sometimes overly fruity in flavor. So, I would say I’m definitely a Cabernet or Pinot girl… However, if the Merlot is a high end wine… I have no problem ordering it! They can be outstanding!

This month I was surprised to see the winery my husband and I belong to sent out our shipment of 3 2006 Signature Select Merlots. Leonesse has 3 different wine club levels. Grant and I belong to the best of the best. And that is what they are. Leonesse is the best winery in the valley… hands down! They were even featured in Westways magazine for November/December issue. I’ve been a member for 4 years, and I will always remain a member there. I got engaged there, bachelorette party, and I go every other month (if not monthly). I suggest this wine for anyone that has a special occasion or a special holiday gift.

I thought the wine was exceptional. I really enjoyed this bottle of wine. I used my Vinturi aerator and sipped slowly. I could taste the blackberry, boysenberries, and a hint of tobacco. The finish definitely lingered and I had a hard to sharing with my husband. Good thing we have 2 more bottles!

Hope you enjoyed my blog! Below is a picture with one of the girls at Leonesse… I was enjoying a tasting of the 2006 Signature Select Merlot there! :)

Cheers,
xoB

October - $30 bottle of wine.

Temecula : Southern California

Winery: South Coast Winery
34843 Rancho California Road, Temecula, CA 92591
(951) 587-9463
website: http://store.wineresort.com/wild-horse-peak-petite-sirah

2006 Petite Sirah: Wild Horse Peak, Mountain Vineyards/Reservoir Block

Price: $38.00 / Case: $456.00

Description: Lavender earthly flavor, fig aroma with spicy oak, berries, damson plum, and aged in French Oak.

Winegirl15: Let me start out by saying why I chose Temecula this month… Temecula was the area I grew up going to with my parents, and it’s a place I frequent about every other month now. My parents belonged to Wilson Creek Winery when I was a child and would often go with friends, and my first winery that I belonged to was South Coast Winery. I call Temecula “A grown up’s Disneyland”, because it is the happiest place on earth... Or at least the happiest place close to where I live.

“Life’s too short to drink bad wine.”

My husband and I drank this wine while we were meeting with our financial advisor (he meets at our house quarterly). The ironic part was when we were talking about our savings account and what we generally spend our money on… even though my husband and I don’t spend thousands of dollars on wine, our advisor definitely gave us a look when I said that the current bottle we were drinking was about $40 (if he only knew the next bottle for another tasting was $95). Grant and I gave each other a look and giggled.

“What is the definition of a good wine? It should start and end with a smile.”

Comments on my chosen wine: This was a fantastic wine. I definitely suggest this wine for anyone that likes a fuller body wine. I thought it was a tad spicy which I like in a Sirah and I tasted the plum with every sip. I used my Vinturi aerator to open up the wine because I didn’t decant this wine. If you don't have one, I suggest you also buy one of those as well. You can get them at crate and barrel and at Bevmo. I have those websites on the side of my blog. So, click and buy!

I hope you all enjoy my blog! I have the other I'm finishing later today, and it will be posted tomorrow!

Cheers,
xoB