Cork Hoarder

Roxanich | 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

The favorite Cab Sauvignon amongst Hotel Lone’s staff. Tasty.

Bibich | Ambra, Croatian Dessert Wine

Like a fresh port. Great ending to a very educational day.

Festigia | 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon - Istra

Croatia also produces some more familiar varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon being one of them. We think the body and structure of this particular Example from Festigia has room for improvement, but overall a very potable and fair Cab.

Benvenuti | 2010 Malvazija - Istra

The Istra region, aside from truffles, is known for a white wine called Malvazija - and for a growing wine region overall. Benuenuti produces a great example of this product.

Heavy viscosity, citrus, stone fruit, round simple profile. Fairly wet mouth, but dry finish. Almost like a chenin blanc.

Started making our way through Croatia yesterday. Our first host is Hotel Lone in Ravinj - this is an absolute must visit.

Dario Cecchini Solociccia | Vino de Vittorio

If you’re a meat eater and find yourself in Panzano in Chianti, DO seek out Dario Cecchini’s Solociccia. This place met, then surpassed our expectations by bounds. As soon as you enter they’ll also offer you a glass of their simple house wine, “Vittorio’s Wine” they call it, and for a simple wine it is delicious. For a simple wine it possesses structure, integrity and the entire spectrum of flavor profiles one expects in a classic Bordeaux - although, of course, very subtle.

Castelnuovo Tancredi | 2006 L’Assedio (Orcia DOC)

Outstanding Sangiovese Merlot blend hailing from the Orcia region of Tuscany. Thanks to Michael Giuliani of Astrum Immobiliare for the bottle.

Opened for 12 hours. Earthy palate cluttered with clumps of dark red fruit.

Drinking our way through Tuscany.

Matthiasson | 2009 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

This bottle had a “tang” from the get go but after sitting around for the past 2 or 3 years that “tang” turned into a “thunk.” Well, it certainly wasn’t what I expected and was actually pretty tough to drink. Rather than drain pouring this bottle, as I usually love what Steve Matthiasson does with his wines we capped it and left it in the fridge overnight. On the second evening those notes we were seeking for arrived. Some pineapple, grapefruit, some grass and a bit of acid. Maybe we should have opened this one earlier, but reminded us that the good ones are still worth not giving up on. 

Ridge | 2008 Mikulaco Chardonnay

This bottle has been mind-boggling, and we don’t mean that in a most positive way. It’s been open and sitting in our fridge for the past 72 hours now. Upon uncorking it was tight, a bit unsettled, even sour. There was no fruit, and just not the chardonnay we recalled when we originally had it at Ridge. Fast forward to tonight, strange notes hit us immediately - oak and butter. How odd, we usually pride ourselves on skipping past those bottles but it was there; oaky and buttery, but the tropical fruits were also back and something tangy further back. Maybe we’ll hope for tomorrow. 

Joullian |  2009 RogerRose Chardonnay

We fell in love with Joullian’s big luscious reds early on, but for some reason never partook in their whites. During one random visit and unplanned tasting I had a chardonnay that stopped the the multi-task nature of my mind. This is tasty I thought, no…this is just delicious, incredible even. Although tasty, did it have the legs to age?

This bottle has sat in our cellar for a few years, and we decided to open it as the recent weather was balmy enough for us to want a white wine. Still fantastic and an abundance of life. Wish we had more.

Stack House | 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

Although you haven’t heard of Stack House, you may have heard of its winemaker - Anna Monticelli. If you haven’t heard of Anna, hopefully you’ve had her wines in the form of Piña or ESCA. 

Alright, so you may not have heard of Anna or Stack House, but I’m sure you’ve heard of Philippe Melka as well as Bryant Family. Anna studied under Melka, and was one of his assistant wine makers while at Bryant Family. Regardless of pedigree and experience Anna Monticelli’s a name you’ll want to familiarize yourself with, and Stack House is something you’ll want to keep on hand to not just please the crowds that walk through your threshold but the oenophiles that find their way into your living room. 

Big earthy notes, bright red fruit, composed tannins, and a velvety mouth feel. It’s a cheaper bottle ($18-22), with a big return. Scot at STASH wines mentioned that if one wanted they could lay this bottle for 2-3 years, we thought it was drinking well right now. Regardless, one can’t lose when the odds are stacked in their favor. 

Purchase at STASH wines

Luli | 2012 Sauvignon Blanc

Forgot what this actually costs, but this is probably one of the best summer QPR wines we’ve come across. Bright clean flavors. Hints of grass, and almost completely dry. Perfect for the hottest climates. 

Pick some up from STASH wines!

Tor Kenward | 2009 Hommage Allen Rock

One of my favorite Syrahs from the 2009 vintage. Upon release it was medium bodied, eloquent, clumps of black fruit. As it aged it developed broader shoulders, some tannin structure, spice, and it’s once luscious fruit has subsided just a touch. Still a favorite.  

Edward Sellers | 2011 Rosé

A 50/50 blend of Grenache and Syrah, and one of the biggest surprises from our recent Paso Robles visit. I believe this was a $12 bottle, and of all the rosés we had the pleasure of consuming was head and shoulders above with the exception of Denner’s…which was also north of $30. 

Find some. Buy some.