Javi Revert Sensal

 

Saw this wine and had to give it a try.  The label was what really intrigued me.  Then I looked into the wine/winery.

Javi Revert makes his home in Valencia Spain, which is located in the on the eastern coast about mid-way down the east coast. 

Javier Revert is a young, enthusiastic, traditionalist winemaker at Celler del Roure. He uses indigenous varieties and yeasts, whole clusters, stone lagars, and aging in amphorae were made easy because all these things were present at this traditional estate.

While visiting his grandfather in 2014, Javi mentioned his work in recovering old vines of indigenous varieties for Celler del Roure. His grandfather mentioned that just such a vineyard existed near the village – one Javi’s great-grandfather planted in 1948. Named Pla del Micalet, this north-facing, terraced site is surrounded by forest and scrubland at an elevation of 710-730m with poor sandy and chalky soils, resembling the albariza of Jerez.  Exposed to the wind, sheltered from the heat of the day, and quickly cooling at night, Javi can harvest up to a month after his neighbors only a few kilometers away on the valley floor, yet his wines are lower in alcohol and higher in acidity. Farming is strictly organic but not currently certified. His vineyard work is manual, including harvest. Fermentations are with indigenous yeasts and entirely in neutral vessels – seasoned French oak, demi-johns, or amphorae. The reds have varying amounts of whole clusters depending on the vintage and variety.

Javi is truly an up and coming star in the Spanish wine making industry.  With his family traditions and history the future of the winery is in great hands.

This wine is a master piece!  Made from a blend of Monastrell, Bonicaire, Arcos and Garnacha. The wine is deep and bold.  The color deep purple with a slight glycerin edge, the nose of Blackberry, Black Pepper, Cocoa, and Tobacco.  Take the first sip and wow the fruit is front and center then the other elements of Cocoa and black pepper show up.  All cleaned up by a beautifully blanket of acidity. 

Now this one isn’t cheap for sure but if you’re feeling like a splurge pick this up.  I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Cost $46.00

Cheers,

The Villages Wino

All wines available at Two Old Hags wine shop in Leesburg unless otherwise noted

 

Noah River Pinot Noir

 

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Ok I love this wine!!  It cost $20.  It so over delivers for the price.  This wine drinks well north of $25.00.

The wine is made by a guy named Jamie Whetstone.  A true wine country guy.  Wild Crazy and super talented.

 Jamey Whetstone was born and raised in South Carolina, and lived in Charleston before moving out to Napa in 1996. “I bused tables and washed dishes at my grandmother Marguerite’s restaurant in Georgetown, SC during the summers beginning at age 10. She taught me the importance of Southern Hospitality and the art of being present”

Once in Napa, he found himself captivated by the community, lifestyle, and culture of wine country, and quickly began to grow roots. By 1998, he had begun his winemaking education at Turley Wine Cellars, where he would remain in his apprenticeship until 2005.

During that time, he spent a summer sabbatical working for the Seysses family at Domaine Dujac in Morey-Saint-Denis. “Christophe Morin & Jacques Seyssess gave me a crash course in farming Pinot Noir in Burgundy, and the importance of family. Jacques once said to me ‘If it comes down to making 1000 less cases of wine in exchange for being at all your kids' games – do that.’”

“My first job and lucky break in the wine industry was driving a tractor and pruning old vine zinfandel for Larry Turley. Under the direction of Ehren Jordan (Failla Wines), I garnered a ground level education in farming along with a few life lessons

The Noah River brand has 3 wines, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet.  All are over deliverers for sure.  The wife loved the Chardonnay and the sister loves the Cabernet.

The pinot is simply a great drinking wine.  Works with food, works with app.s, works all on its own.  Solid garnet color in the glass.  Nose of ripe berries, cola, a little earth.  In the mouth full and balanced.  Fruity yet not sweet a hard task.  Smooth and so drinkable.

 

Buy his one by the case!!!!

Cost $20

Cheers,

The Villages Wino

* The wine tasted and reviewed was a 2021.  The label above shows 2018

All wines available at Two Old Hags wine shop in Leesburg unless otherwise noted

 

Building Bridges Rogue Valley Tempranillo

 

This wine is a Naked Wines selection.  My sister and her husband shared this wine with us at dinner the other night. 

First a little bit about the winemaker Scott Steingraber. 

After having a wine moment with an Oregon Cabernet Sauvignon, Scott and his family went all in in 2006 – never looking back – buying a ranch in Rogue Valley where they planted vineyards from scratch. Scott’s made wine from different areas for over 25 years – but Southern Oregon’s warmest and driest region won his heart. There, he can make his beloved Cabernet Sauvignon and other varieties – his way. The Rogue Valley isn’t Oregon Pinot country – it’s something new – and spectacular.

Now a little about the Rouge Valley in Oregon. 

Nestled in the southern-most reaches of Oregon, riding the border of California and comprised of 3 adjacent river valleys is the Rogue Valley AVA (a sub-appellation of the Southern Oregon AVA).  The area was originally planted by European settlers in the mid-1800s with the first official winery being Valley View Winery opened in 1873 by one of the regions pioneers in wine, Peter Britt.  Sadly, when prohibition went into effect, Rogue Valley was all but lost to memory until 1968 when an Oregon State University professor planted an experimental vineyard to great success and the area was essentially rediscovered.  Rogue Valley was established quite sometime after its revitalization, acquiring recognized AVA status in 1991.

With a large designated land area of a little over 1.1 million acres, only 87 vineyards are currently established with around 2,300 acres under vine (0.2% of total area).  There are only 33 wineries in the whole region to date.  Suffice to say, it is still a “small” region, excluding the size of the designated AVA boundaries.

Now the wine;

Rich red fruit with notes of smoke and pepper, coco and chocolate hints.  Very nice on the palette.  And I nice acisty to finish leaving you wanting another sip it paired well with the our dinner of T-Bone steaks and pasta. Absolutely delicious!

If you want this one look up Naked Wines and give it a try!

 

 

This wine was shared with me by my sister. 

Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

 

I was at dinner with friends last night.  One them shared this amazing bottle of pinot noir with the table.  So I decided to do a little research into it and share it here with you.  Here is what I found out about Flowers.

Joan and Walt Flowers, purchased the flagship property, Camp Meeting Ridge, in 1989 and the first vine went into the ground in 1991. Located just two miles from the Pacific Ocean, our Camp Meeting Ridge estate consists of 321 acres with 18 acres planted to Chardonnay and only 11 acres of Pinot Noir. Elevations range from 1,150 to 1,450 feet, positioning the vineyard above the coastal fog layer, thus allowing generous amounts of sunshine during the growing season. Planted in 1998, Sea View Ridge Vineyard is perched upon Smith Ridge, higher and closer to the ocean than Camp Meeting Ridge Vineyard. Sea View has unobstructed views of the rugged coastline, green valleys, and surrounding mountains. Elevations range from 1,400 to 1,800 feet — well above the ocean fog layers that cool the vineyard from below. Like Camp Meeting Ridge, Sea View contains a large amount of land (327 acres), but only 43 acres are under vine.

The current winemaker is Chantal Forthun, she has led the winemaking team at Flowers Vineyards & Winery since 2012. Using minimal intervention in the winery, Chantal and her team’s goal is to create wines with true site expression.

All harvesting is done by hand, using 100% native fermentation, and crafting wine with minimal intervention. Our unwavering commitment to creating distinctive wines that capture the spirit of the Sonoma Coast has been the bedrock of our success, and will continue to guide us for years to come.

Recently Flowers was sold to Huneeus Vineyards owners of several wineries like, Quintessa, Benton Lane, The Prisoner and Faust to name a few.

Ok,  now let’s talk about this wine.  It blew me away.  What a great Pinot Noir.  I love Sonoma Coast fruit.  It always seems to jump out of the glass. Moderately light reddish-purple color in the glass the nose here is lots of cherries and baking spices.  It almost smells warm if that’s possible! On the palette it is smooth and juicy.  Elegant acidity helps finish making you want another taste.  Really good.  I so enjoyed this wine!!  

Thank you, Steve my friend that shared it with me, may we never drink worst together!!

Almost all of this was found on the Flowers and Huneeus websites, except for the tasting notes which are mine.

Retail should be around $50

 

This wine was shared by a friend at dinner and I’m sure Two Old Hags can acquire it.

Goros Monasrtell - Syrah

I love Monastrell or Mourvedre they are the same grape.  Much like Pinot Grigio – Pinot Gris and Fume Blanc, Syrah Shiraz.  Anyway you get the point. Mourvedre is a blender in a favorite of mine GSM from either the Rhone Valley or Australia.  Here are a few fun facts about the grape before we talk about the Goros.

Mourvèdre/Monastrell is one of the oldest wines and it seems it was introduced to Spain by the Phoenicians over two thousand years ago. Originally the area around Valencia was the center for this wine but the cultivation of the wine expanded over time into France, in particular, Provence and the Rhone. Mourvèdre vines were devastated by the ‘Phylloxera’ pandemic which encouraged the vine cultivations to be moved to America and Australia.

Mourvèdre is a full-bodied red wine made from the distinctive black grapes. It is grown in France, particularly in the southern Rhone valley where the warmer climate suits this grape. In Spain, the variety is known as Monastrell while in the USA and Australia the wine is called, Mataro. While Mourvèdre is available as a single varietal wine it plays a pivotal role in blending with Syrah, Cinsault, and Grenache.

OK.  This wine is simply delicious!! What a great drinker.  Plenty of fruit and great mouth feel, full bodied and impressive.  Tons of raspberries here, showing tannins which are soft and nice.  Not like ones from the Rhone which present stronger tannins and blackberry flavors. The Syrah adds some backbone to the blend.  This one is a keeper for sure.

This one will set you back $20 but the old Wino thinks it worth a twenty dollar bill for sure. You might even want to pick up a few bottles once you have tasted this one.

 

Cheers,

The Villages Wino

 

All wines available at Two Old Hags wine shop unless otherwise noted

Morevino in Ocala

 

We ventured up to Ocala and had lunch.  Man you have to go to this place.  Morevino’s is best described as a Manhattan restaurant on the square in Ocala.  This is a small quaint place full of a great vibe, great food, and great wine.

The owner is Brian Morey.  He has a long and storied career as a wine rep for numerous companies and places.  His wine knowledge is second to none.  He has a great palate and his selections show it on the wine list.  His passion for cooking has always taken a back seat to his passion for wine.  He moves here and opens this place.  Well I am very happy to report his cooking is as good as his wine knowledge and maybe even deeper.

Everything is farm to table.  He shops the local farmers market and gets the foods of the day, then heads to the kitchen to wow his guests.

On our recent visit we had the Sausage sandwich, the Rubén, Chinatown Nachos and Quiche Lorraine. 

Let’s start with the Ruben. 

I ordered it. Everything is made in house from the Corned beef to the sauerkraut.  Brian explained to us that he ferments this in house and during the summer it takes only a few days and it a bit stronger. This batch was fermented during the winter so we were to expect a slightly darker version not as tart but more flavors.  He killed it, it was so good.  The sandwich piled high with the corned beef was a perfect mixture of fat and lean.  Topped with that amazing sauerkraut and the house made dressing I was the best Ruben I’ve had in years and years.

The sausage sandwich, this sandwich is huge!  My friend couldn’t eat half.  The bread is fresh made in house every day. The sausage large covered in peppers and onions this sandwich isn’t from around here for sure. A must try

The China Town Nachos

A large bowl of nacho’s covered in sweet Thai chili sauce and large perfectly cooking shrimp.  Green onions garnish.  The chips are all nice and warm and crisp.  The shrimp perfectly cooked and another large portion left overs for sure if it’s for one or a great table app to share.

The Quiche and Salad

The Quiche Lorraine was the quiche of the day on this visit.  It was a nice slice creamy and wonderfully seasoned with plenty of cheese and ham.  A nice crust flaky and homemade for sure.  The salad greens and fixing were from the Ocala farmers market and fresh as can be.  Perfectly dressed with a house made vinaigrette the salad was not an afterthought on this plate.

This place is a must visit if ever in Ocala.

Morevino Restaurant & Wine Bar

11 East Silver Springs Blvd. Ocala Florida 34470

Call: (352) 304-5100

As a PS if you follow them on facebook you can see all the wine events they do.  Here is the link

https://www.facebook.com/morevinowinebar

Sierra Del Mar

 

Sierra Del Mar

Talk about bang for your buck.  Today you get four wines for the read not just ne. Ran across these wines as house wines at a restaurant.  I rarely drink house wine but the server was very encouraging so we gave the chard and pinot a chance.  After that we gave the SB and Cabernet and these wines are not to be missed.

These wines are made by Vinum cellars.  The grapes for this wine come from various cool climates in California such as the Clarksburg Delta area near Sacramento known for its cool afternoon breezes from the San Francisco Bay which moderate the warm days allowing for ample sun light into the canopy by day and a cooling off period well before sundown. We pick the grapes when very ripe. When fully developed, we pick the grapes in the morning when the vineyard is cool and the grapes are cold. This makes it a little challenging to sort them at 7am on the crush pad, but worth the effort.

 

The brand comes in Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet. Those are the ones we will be talking about today.

 

The Sauvignon Blanc

This wine carries a Central Coast designation.  I am not a big Sauvignon Blanc fan most are to green for me and tart. Here is my assessment Aromas of lemon, and citrus fruit.  On the palate tart and acidic.  Very clean finish.  As I said not a fan of SB.  But I could drink this if I was at your home and you served thi.  It is drinkable  I have had many that were not… $20

The Chardonnay

Ok his is the wine that started this party.  The wine carries a Central Coast designation.When we tasted this wine for the $10 a glass price we were simply blown away. For me a nose of vanilla, baked apples, and a small sniff of lemon curd.  In the mouth; nice and full, nice fruit / acid balance.  Tangerine, Passion fruit, Honeycomb, baked apples. Soft creamy Latic acid gives the wine the amazing texture.  Wonderful finish of tart apple and apricot.  This a a very good example of Chardonnay  $20

The Pinot Noir

This wines carries a California Designation. 

The grapes for this wine come from various cool climates in California such as the Clarksburg Delta area near Sacramento known for its cool afternoon breezes from the San Francisco Bay which moderate the warm days allowing for ample sun light into the canopy by day and a cooling off period well before sundown. We also use Monterey County Pinot Noir grapes whose mornings are dotted with coastal fog which balance the days with cold mornings. We pick the grapes when very ripe. When fully developed, we pick the grapes in the morning when the vineyard is cool and the 

Medium garnet color with pretty ripe cherry notes and classic Pinot Noir aromatics. The palate is generous with creamy vanilla and French oak flavors which envelope the silky cherries elegantly. This silky little Pinot then coats the tongue with smooth crushed, ripe raspberry flavors and textures and finishes dry again with ripe bing cherry and subtle clove flavors. This wine is another example of over delivering at the price this is a buy by the case wine for sure. $20

The Cabernet

The grapes for this wine come from cool climate grapes grown in southern Monterey and northern San Luis Obispo County including Paso Robles.  Mornings are dotted with coastal fog where the cold mornings balance the warm days.

The color of this generous Cabernet is medium plum with brick red tones. The aromas are ripe with deep blueberry followed by black cherry notes. The palate enters with rich cassis and vanilla and backed by plush plum and spice notes with black pepper and clove. This is a true bottle of cabernet.  You just do not expect this from a $20 cabernet 

All wines were purchased at Two Old Hags unless otherwise stated.