Col Solare 2006 Red Wine

The Winery:  Col Solare
The Wine:  2006 Red Wine
The Price:  This wine was provided by the winery.  The wine retails for $75 and can be purchased directly through the winery.

Col Solare is an interesting winery.  It is a partnership between Chateau Ste Michelle, a Washington State winery; and Marchesi Antinori, a Tuscany winery.  The partnership was formed with the intent of producing ultra-luxury wine. 

The 2006 Red Wine is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Syrah. 

As I would expect from a premium wine, the bottle was stopped with a natural cork.  I don't normally comment on the cork itself, but the cork in this bottle was exceptionally clear and seemed to be of higher quality than the corks I've encounter with other wines.  The wine was decanted an hour before tasting. 

The wine has a very, very deep burgundy color, taking on the color of a good Cabernet Sauvignon.  

The wine has very bright black cherry and blackberry aromas with a hint of vanilla.  The aromas are very well balanced and well pronounced. 

The wine is absolutely phenomenal! It has a very smooth and velvety feeling to it.  The wine has bold flavors of blackberries and black cherries with a chocolaty finish.  It is absolutely the best wine I've ever reviewed!  At this price point, it's clearly not an everyday wine.  But if you're looking for a great wine for the holidays or a special occasion, you can't go wrong with this one.  I very highly recommend it.

Scott Paul 2006 La Paulée Pinot Noir

The Winery:  Scott Paul
The Wine:  2006 La Paulée Pinot Noir
The Price:  $35.00 at Jack Cellars

Scott Paul Wines has an unusual history.  They were founded in 1999 in California.  But then they relocated to Oregon's Willamette Valley.  I don't recall ever hearing of a winery moving from one state to another.  If you think they were crazy for doing so, you do not understand how great the Willamette Valley is for growing Pinot Noir grapes.

The La Paulée Pinot Noir was stopped with a screw cap.  I much prefer a natural cork to a screw cap.  It's difficult to take a wine seriously when it is stopped with a screw cap.  The wine was decanted over an hour before tasting.

The wine is ruby in color, but not quite as dark as many of the Oregon Pinot Noirs that I've sampled.

The wine has aromas of cherries and blackberries.  The aromas are not as pronounced as I typically expect from a Pinot Noir.

The flavors of this wine are understated, but very good.  The wine has very well balanced flavors of blackberries and cherries.  It has the velvety feeling that I've come to expect from the better Oregon Pinot Noirs.   The wine is deliciously ready to drink now.