Casa Nuestra

Cabernet Sauvignon
California
2007

Casa Nuestra is a small, family-owned winery that was established in 1979.  They have supported a lot of progressive values over the years, including holding a few music festivals.  They only bottle a very limited number of cases each year - because of that, their wine is top notch, but it is also rather expensive.  They only made 199 cases of this Cabernet.

Colin:  It's hard to be biased when you like a wine so much, but what's great about this exclusive wine is that you can almost taste the Napa Valley soil with it's oaky, warm embrace.  Probably the richest Cabernet I've had yet, some who do not enjoy tart flavors of a Cab will not enjoy this.  It pairs amazingly well with Italian good - this is a brilliant wine.
Rating:  10 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  It smells and tastes equally delicious.  It has a rich oakiness, a smooth finish, and the bold flavors of a Cab without any of the lasting sourness.  There is also such a smoothness to the finish.  I love Casa Nuestra's winery (they have two awesome goats) and I love their wine.   I would choose their wines again and again, even at the expense.
Rating: 10 out of 10 glasses

Aerate: Colin - No // Rachel - No

Where can I find it?
Unfortunately, Casa Nuestra is so small they don't distribute.  The 2007 Vintage is actually sold out.  You can look at all their other varieties here:  casanuestra.com.  Their Meritage is also really good, as is their Riesling.  You can't really go wrong with a bottle from here.

Cost: $55.00

Lost Sonnet

Meritage
Napa Valley, California
2007

This Meritage is a mixture Cabernet Sauvignon (58%), Merlot (20%), and Cabernet Franc (20%). It has the bold flavors of a Cabernet Sauvignon, but the light finish of a Merlot. If you like a bold red wine, but hate the lasting, deep finish this is a good wine for you.  Interesting Meritage wine fact:  A red Meritage must be made from a blend of at least two or more of the following varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot or Carmenère, with no varietal comprising more than 90% of the blend.  There are also white Meritage wines.

Colin:  This wine requires a meal, so do not attempt to drink without. Once a nice, garlic and heavy Italian taste is in your mouth, this wine compliments nicely with its meaty juiciness. However, the finish is where the wine loses points. If it was a little more oaky, it would be perfect. Otherwise, it's worth the money.
Rating: 8 out of 10 glasses.

Rachel:  Since this wine has been aged so long, there is an initial chalky feel to it. After drinking a few sips, it loses that feeling and instead becomes spicy, bold and flavorful wine. This wine has a bite to it and is delicious for its price.  Definitely a good buy, especially for those that don't like the lasting finish of a strong Cab.
Rating: 7 out of 10 glasses.

Aerate: Colin - No // Rachel - No

Where can I find it?
Trader Joe's

Cost:  $6.99

Chateau St. Michelle

Riesling
Washington
2009

Rieslings are sweet, not dry at all, and definitely quench your thirst on hot, summer days.  They are between Pinot Grigios and Moscatos on the sweetness scale and can pair nicely with any light meal.  We both recommend that you serve any Riesling, especially this one, chilled.

Colin:  Riesling is my favorite type of white wine.  This is decent and fairly smooth, with a bit of a bite, which makes it less of a favorite.  The colder it is server, the better - as my rating got lower the warmer my glass got.
Rating:  7 out of 10 glasses

Rachel: This Riesling is great for the price - would purchase again.  It has a great balance between dry whites and sweet whites.  Some hints of peach and pear.  This hit the spot on our warm Los Angeles night.  There was a bit of an initial bite, not off-putting, but that's the reason I don't rate it higher.
Rating:  8 out of 10 glasses

Aerate: Colin - No //  Rachel - No, aeration brings out the alcohol taste on this one

Where can I find it?
Trader Joe's

Cost: $5.99

Pourtal: Stewart, Kopke, and Lioco

Stewart

Caberet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, California
2007

Colin: It's almost perfectly balanced between oaky and fruity.  This is definitely in my top cabernets.

Rating:  9 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  This cabernet is delightful.  It entices all of your taste buds.  It has sweet and sour notes, along with a super smooth and lasting finish.  This is one for your entire palette.

Rating:  9 out of 10 glasses

Where can I find it?  You can get this wine on Stewart Cellars' website.

Cost:  Directly from Stewart Cellars is $62.00  You can also shop around - we found it at allstarwine.com for $47.99

Kopke
Tawny Port
Portugal
10 years old

This wine would qualify for a 15 year Tawny Porto category, if one existed - but alas, there is not a category.  If you do purchase this port, know that you are getting more aging for your money - and with dessert wines, the longer it is aged, the better it typically is.  It is a rich, honey red color and is very sweet.

Colin:  This tawny port is warm, rich, and delicious.  Not too sweet, which is kind of nice, but I wish the flavor was a little deeper.

Rating:  8.5 out of 10 glasses

Rachel: Ports are a little too sweet for me.  They have this bold sweetness, which this one stands up to.  And they tend not to be too fruity.  But, that being said, this port was easy on the palette and good dessert wine.
Rating:  7.5 out of 10 glasses

Where can I find it?  It's on sale at Vine & Table, but they cannot ship to all states.

Cost: $21.99 for a 375mL bottle.  And $41.99 for the 750mL bottle.

Lioco: "Charles Heintz"
Late Harvest Chardonnay
Sonoma Coast, California
2006

Rich, golden dessert wine.  Full of fruit flavors, and strangely, hints of oak and vanilla.  We say strangely, because this wine was not, in fact, aged in oak barrels like most Chardonnays.

Colin:  There's a nice apricot and pear combination in this Late Harvest.  I don't know if this is as good as the Raymond's Vineyards Late Harvest.  It is a little more acidic than that dessert wine, but this is still ultimately delicious.

Rating: 7 out of 10 glasses

Rachel:  This Late Harvest is very sweet and fruity, but it does have a bit of a sharpness to it.  It's still really nice, regardless.  I think Late Harvest Chardonnays tend to be my favorite, thus far, out of the dessert wines.

Rating:  8 out of 10 glasses

Where can I find it?  That's a good question too.  Lioco's website has it labeled under their "wine list," but if you click in the link, it says the product isn't found.  They have plenty of other Chardonnay's available, including through their website.


We hope you all enjoyed getting a small taste of what Pourtal has to offer.  We will be back to our regular style of reviews starting next week.