Tasting: Stickybeat Chardonnay

Stickybeak Chardonnay
Russian River Valley, California
2010
$12.95
Review Provided by the Vintage Cellar: The nose shows intense characters of pear, spice and almonds. with underlying peach notes. The palate is long and powerful displaying dried pear, toasty, creamy, custard tart and nuances of cashew with lingering stone fruit and a fresh, clean acid finish.
My Review: Stan, the guy pouring wine at the Vintage Cellar on Saturday, gave us a good explanation of where the term "Stickybeak" comes from. Stickybeak may be located in California, but it is Australian-owned. "Stickybeak" is an Australian term for someone who is nosey or a busy-buddy. When you look at the label, you can see above the hole in the fence so that a nosey neighbor can see in to the next neighbor's yard to see what's going on. I could definitely tell this wine had spent some time in oak. Stan told me that it is mostly stored in old oak, but can be stored in new oak as well. I got that sense from the spicy, toasty, almond tastes dancing on my palate.

Tasting: Bogle Petite Sirah

Bogle Petite Sirah
California
year unlisted
$12.95

• Review provided by The Vintage Cellar: Deeply inky, this wine coats the glass and lingers before the first sip has been taken. Heady aromas of boysenberries and blackberries headline the entry, while flavors of wild blueberries steal the show. Full-bodied and concentrated, seductive juniper and anise tangle with coffee and leather tones as the wine's finish lingers on stage. Enduring and enthralling, this wine is perfectly suited for an encore. 
• My Review: All that being said about the wine lingering on the palate when you finish? Definitely true. I had to take a bite of bread provided by The Vintage Cellar to clear my palate for the next wine. This wine is quite dry. It is also very full-bodied, and has the unmistakable notes of berries in its smell and taste. Be sure to clear your palate of this one, because it will take it's dear sweet time getting off the taste of your tongue.