January 2009: 2005/2006 Central Coast CA Wines

Welcome to the first entry for the 2009 Traveling Wine Club! The first meeting was a great success as we started getting to know our new members and a whole new batch of delicious wines. Yummy food, wine and Guitar Hero - what else do you need for an awesome Saturday night? There are definitely some rock stars among us and from now on, I will have a special smile when I hear Eye of the Tiger.

The concensus for this evening was that the wines were exceptional, and not just the wines toward the end of the night, but the ones at the beginning too. There were quite a few favorites so this list will be great to take to the wine store with you next time you go. I am trying to standardize (a little) the rating scale on the wines we taste, so where possible, I marked the overall reactions to the wines.
Here is the scale:
- Did Not Enjoy
- Average
-Would Drink Again
- Very Good
- Love it

$12.00 bottles

Qupe Syrah - 2005 Central Coast - This wine was very dark with almost no tannins. One of Amy's favorites, and Dave's. Voted: Would Drink Again

Five Rivers Merlot - 2005 Central Coast - A medium bodied, mellow spiciness made this wine very enjoyable. No tannins to speak of, it was easy to drink. One of Kristi & Thane's favorites. Voted: Would Drink Again

Trinchero Family Merlot - 2005 blend of grapes from Monterey, Santa Barbara and Napa counties - This wine had some tannins and a great flavor. One of Dave's and Wayne's favorites. Voted: Would Drink Again, except for Corrin who is anti-tannin.

Sterling Vintners Pinot Noir - 2007 Central Coast - Yum, yum! This wine got the most overall accolades and was one of Amber's, Amy's and Lance's favorites, Lance especially. Voted: Very Good

Sterling Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon - 2006 Central Coast - There were some tannins in this wine, but they did not overwhelm the full bodied flavor. This was another great wine and one of Damon's favorites. Voted: Would Drink Again, except by Corrin for tannins again.

Parker Station Pinot Noir - 2007 California - The women in our group all seemed to like this one a lot. It was a little sweet and a nice departure from the wines we tasted previously. Yum!
Voted: Would Drink Again

$6.00 bottles

Leaping Horse Shiraz - 2005 Lodi, CA - hmmm....I don't have any notes for this one, but I was drinking on the job.

Echelon Cabernet Sauvignon - 2005 Central Coast - This wine was gone before we knew it so I didn't get any notes, so it's up to you to decide if that was a good sign.

Turner Road Chardonnay - 2005 Central Coast - This white was a refreshing way to reawaken our palettes. It was very smooth and little fruity, but not too sweet. Voted: Would Drink Again

Jacob's Creek Cabernet Sauvignon - 2006 Barossa Valley, Austrailia - No notes on this one either...I plead Guitar Hero!