2009 Stepping Stone “Rocks!” Red Wine (from Cornerstone Cellars)


HE says:  A few months back, we told you about Cornerstone’s rocking’ idea to create blended wines from what they determined is the best varietals of the vintage.

SHE says:  Here it is! It was a Cornerstone Fourth of July for us this year!

Cornerstone Cellars 2009 Stepping Stone "Rocks!"

HE continues:  We loved the white, which was a unique blend of chardonnay and muscat.  Well, I’m happy to say that the “Rocks!”  Red Wine follows nicely in its footsteps.  Ok, maybe more like plods over it because this is one big and bold wine.

It’s again a unique blend – zinfandel and pinot noir.  Now, I’m a huge zin fan and I don’t think I’ve ever had, yet alone heard of, such a pairing.  Zin is usually very fruity and “in your face” while pinot noir is more delicate and refined, so putting them together is a bit like having Mick Jagger duet with Sade.  But, you know, it works.

HE says some more:  The nose is really forward as is the fruit in this wine.  I didn’t know the blend when I tasted it and my senses kept telling me syrah.  The flavors are lots of black fruits and black cherry, with a hint of cocoa.  I thought it would have some zin, but I never imagined the pinot noir. Regardless, it’s a pretty juicy bomb of a wine.  The alcohol is up there, at 14.9% and the acid comes through more than the tannins.  So I recommend you have this wine with food, like barbecue ribs or meat or a juicy burger.
I rated it a very good 15.

SHE says:  You, my love have a complicated palate.  And you, my wine:  You’re a sharp, but friendly kinda wine.  Leaving a little fire in your path, I’ll likely follow. :-)

Full disclosure stuff some fed somewhere thinks we should tell you:  This review is not a paid review.  We purchase most of the wines we write about (or steal them if we have to).  We do occasionally receive wine releases from Cornerstone Cellars.  Our readers know that free wine would never interfere with our honest opinions.  (Just glance around the blog and you’ll see that’s true.)

Wine and Dine: The Unbearable Lightness of Being with Wine


She says:  We have a habit.  It’s a benign habit, but it’s a habit.  Often we will take pictures of the light in a restaurant as it shines through the wine in our glasses.  Sometimes we capture candle light, sometimes it’s the light above the table.  Just depends.  Whoa, can you believe how adventurous we are?  Ha, ha!!   We’ve set a few to music, and we share them with you here.  Enjoy!

Cornerstone Cellars 2009 Sauvignon Blanc


HE and SHE both say: Well, we’ll be darned — this is Cornerstone Cellars first ever sauvignon blanc — and not only that, it’s their first ever white wine!  Whoa!   After 18 vintages, they gave Sauvignon Blanc a try and they mastered it, of course.  We served this one with appetizers of goat cheese, an exquisite Epoisse (a cheese to live for), various salamis and olives.

Cornerstone Cellars Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Cornerstone Cellars Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

HE SAYS: I enjoy a nice, approachable sauv blanc and this wine was just that.  It’s easy drinking, with notes of citrus, straw and tropical fruits.  It was crisp and clean, and would really complement fish and seafood.  We had it with an assortment of appetizers — it went very well with goat cheese as many sauv blancs do.   I gave it a very good score of 14+.

SHE SAYS: Clear as a bell!  Ding!  Cornerstone, you’re getting very interesting — aren’t you?

HE and SHE both say: Read about Cornerstone’s care and romancing of this grape from dry-farmed vines over at the Talcott vineyard in St. Helena  right here.

SHE has one more final say: Please be sure to designate a driver when you are drinking wine.  Thank you.  The life you save, might be mine.

Cornerstone Cellars 2006 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon


HE and SHE BOTH SAY:
Cornerstone Cellars Howell Mountain Cabernets… mmmmmm.  You don’t share them with just anybody.  Choose your friends ‘wisely’ for the sharing of this wine as you want to be sure they appreciate the textures, the mood, the love.  And maybe choose your friends with long noses because the aromas are 1/2 of the romance with the Howell Mountain Cabs.

We haven’t visited Howell Mountain yet, but those mountains are calling to us with this wine.  We hear the terrain is rugged and this is what helps to give this cabernet its intensity and power. The wine holds the spirit of the terroir and so will you after you drink it.    If you’re still wondering what the mysterious “terroir” is that wine enthusiasts talk about, taste the Cornerstone Cellars Howell Mountain and you will grasp it.  Terroir is the land, it is the terrain, it is the fog, the air,  the people, the fruit — the everything.

HE SAYS:
Like most Howell Mountain wines, this one is big and bold.  The nose was very intoxicating — I just kept on wanting to inhale it.  It is a very complex and well balanced wine, with wonderful cherry flavors and medium tannins. The ’06 is very enjoyable now, but you could age this wine for a few years and allow the tannins to soften even more.  Serve with meat! Really quite nice, I gave it a very strong score of 16.

SHE SAYS: You’re a little mysterious, aren’t you?  Bold and sexy, but mysterious.  I want to meet you back here in a few years.

FRIENDS SAY:
S: Very tannic. Opened up nicely to subtle cherry’s.  Beautiful Oak.
KS:  Opened up quickly and nicely.  Very pleasing experience.  I’d like to go there again.
KMS: A seductive tango of berrys with subtext.
T :  Opened rapidly.  I forgot all about beer for a moment.
CC:  I want more.  Has a nice peppery midrange.
AR:  I’d drink it again and I’m a picky girl.

Which Wine Would Barry Serve?


SHE SAYS: I wrote a poem to HE…  While planning our next wine dinner, HE asked SHE – “Which wines should we serve from the Cornerstone wines?”   SHE snickered and said, “Really, you’re asking me?”  Thu-dunk is all that goes through my mind w/such a question. THU-DUNK.  “I’m still learning, please tell me, what would you choose?”  And then, the poem came…

Which Wine Would Barry Serve?

Which wine to serve with dinner?
Which wine to serve with lunch?
Which wine to serve with breakfast? (you lush)
Which wine to serve with brunch?

Which wine to drink on Thursday?
Which wine to drink today?
Which wine to drink on Monday?
Which wine to put away?

Which wine to calm your mother?
Which wine to calm YOUR nerves?
When it’s time to choose just ask,
Which Wine Would Barry Serve?

We’ll be adding a new page called WWWBS — which wine would Barry Serve…You can ask us questions about which wine to serve with your dinner and we’ll answer.  We’ll share notes with you on which wines we served with lunch, dinner and maybe brunch.. ;-)
Stay tuned!  It’s definitely going to get finished sooner than the shopping page.


Melinda’s wine photo published in NewsMax magazine.


HE and SHE both say: NewsMax Magazine emailed us a few weeks ago while they were writing an article on the best wines of Argentina.  Nice work if you can get it.    They requested permission to re-print Melinda’s photo of three bottles of Achaval Ferrer wine, a photo taken in the Achaval Ferrer tasting room in Argentina.

So here you go… proof of our emerging clout in the wine industry…ha, ha…  It’s two photos of the photo!   It appears in NewsMax March 2010 issue.   Yeah, it’s that tiny little thing in the middle with a barely perceptible credit on the far right hand side of the page.  On newsstands now! Hurry before it shrinks any smaller.

It’s actually a really great photo in it’s original size and you can see the original photo at this post:
http://barrysentials.wordpress.com/2008/11/16/achaval-ferrer/

Melinda’s photo published in NewsMax magazine, March 2010 issue.

Melinda’s photo of 3 Achaval Ferrer wine bottles published in NewsMax magazine March 2010.

HE SAYS: She’s finally published.  I wonder if she’ll chill now.

SHE SAYS:  Nope. I love to share!