Wine Review for November

I have several wines to review. The quality of Impressions Red Blend has fallen so it ceases to be my go-to wine. I've shifted over to Rex Goliath Free Range Red, which I have reviewed before. It's a very fruity wine and some may find it too sweet but its good with fruits, cheeses, crackers, and Formula 1 time trials in Abu Dhabi. I watched from the comfort of the living room here in Grass Valley, where fermentation of grape is not illegal.

I will also give credit to Rex Goliath for their Cabernet Sauvignon, which is good consistent quality. Cabernets are hard to screw up and very much alike so every winery does them but none of them enjoy it. No mutation, no variation, all the same, but its a standard. Its like scrambled eggs. If you do it wrong everybody notices but if you do it right its not worth commenting on. Isn't that just ironic? If Huell Howser were a wine taster, what would he say? Cabernets are go-to wines, in general. Its hard to go wrong, as long as that is what you want to drink.

The other wine I purchased for the rack is the Dancing Bull Zinfandel 2011. It's very consistent good quality zinfandel. Not stunning, but good. Considering its $7/btl that's worth noting since Zinfandel is one of those wines where you typically have to pay for quality. Campus Oaks, for example is $12/btl or $10 on sale, if you can find it. A go-to Zinfandel, if you have that kind of money are are willing to drive most of an hour to buy it.

Go-to wines are one thing. A broader palate is something else. I got to taste a rather surprising wine from a rather surprising place. Some varietal wines aren't that great. Some blends of varietals can improve them, and others are still in experimentation and not quite there yet. And some surprise you with how good they are, already.

I got a surprise from Goal Winery 2010 Syrah, from Soledad (yes, the town where the prison is) in the Salinas Valley, about halfway between Salinas and Paso Robles. As Paso Robles (near San Luis Obispo)  is producing good wines, its not that shocking for the Salinas Valley to gain some talent and quality as well. We know there are good wines in Monterey, which is West of Salinas. Growing good quality grapes to make good wines is no small task. If you get a good balance of heat and fog, you can make good wine. It is unrelenting heat or too much fog that can screw it up. Viticulturists have found ways to make good wines without fog in the last 15 years, in places like Lake County, the gold country foothills, and the San Joaquin Valley. I've been really impressed with the quality from Lodi, north of Stockton, known for its heat and the giant cattle pens that stink when you drive past them on I-5. Anyway, Goal Winery's Syrah is very good once it breathes a little while. It's fruity like a Zinfandel, very aromatic and well rounded flavor. I would drink that again.

Bon appetit!