Gundlach Bundschu comes to Roys !!

We stayed close to home and attended a wine tasting at Roys in Summerlin. Jeff Bundschu a sixth generation vintner was there pouring some of his wines from Sonoma. We met Jeff who explained that this was the 146th harvest at his vineyard. That is an amazing feat ! The first wine we tried was his Gundlach-Bundschu Chardonnay, Rhinefarm Vineyard 2004 Sonoma Valley. These grapes came from 15 acres comprised primarily of vines aged over 30 years. In the glass this wine showed medium to heavy and gold in color. On the nose there was a burst of French Oak that gave way to lemon and pineapple. The palate produced notes of mineral and butter as well as lemon and pineapple that finished balanced with excellent acidity.We moved on to the Gewurztraminer, Rhinefarm Vineyard 2005 Sonoma Valley. These vines were planted in 1969 on about 20 acres. This vineyard is located only 6 miles from San Pablo Bay thus allowing the cooling influence from the flog to impact the grapes. In the glass it showed light to medium body with a straw like color. On the nose my immediate impression was how it reminded me of an Alsatian style. There were the classic hints of lychee and almonds. On the palate the typical spice came through with a nice lemon-lime finish. We also enjoyed the "Block 13" Pinot Nior 2005 Sonoma Coast. These grapes were sourced primarily from vineyards around Sonoma County, including Russain River Valley, Sonoma Coast and even Monterey County. In the glass this wine had a beautiful burgundy color and a medium body. On the nose there were aromas of cherry and spice at the front. These give way to a hint of smoke. On the palate , the cherrys and spice combine with the smoke for a very long and well balanced finish.

It was a real pleasure to meet Jeff Bundschu who is very personable and even taught people a special dance to remember how to pronounce the winery. Roys as always did a great job hosting and providing the appetisers. Cheryl did an incredible job putting this event together and we look forward to attending many more. There is a link to the right of the page that will take you to the Gundlach-Bundschu web site. These wines were fantastic and if you visit the Sonoma Valley stop in and ask for Jeff tell him VinoLasVegas sent you . You may even get to learn the dance.

Bleu Gourmet

We were going to say that Bleu Gourmet is one of Summerlin's best kept secrets. We probably could have said that a year ago. Bleu Gourmet has become a real jewel in Summerlin. We go to Bleu Gourmet at least once a week. Every Wednesday they have a free wine tasting with a purchase of an entree. You really cant beat that. Tobin James was featured just last week. The food is prepared fresh and if you like thin crust pizza there is nothing better. The wine selection is what I call eclectic. There are wines here that you cant find anywhere else in town. And better yet there is no corkage fee on a bottle that you pull off the shelf. You can stop by for breakfast, lunch or dinner and you will not be disappointed. And if you are into beers, Bleu Gourmet has a fantastic selection of imported beers. Bleu is located in Summerlin across from Boca Park. There is also a link to the right that will tell you more of what Bleu has to offer. Cheers Sonny !! keep up the great work.

Rock n Roll Wine at MIX

Our wine trail took us 64 stories above the Las Vegas strip to attend a Rock-n-Roll wine event at MIX in the Mandalay Bay. We have attended a few of these events in the past and they are alway fun. The view from MIX is stunning and when you combine the view , wine , music and great company you cant but have a great time. There were eight wines represented at this event. St. Elena Pinot Grigio ( Italy ), Paoletti Merlot 2000 Napa Valley. Our good friends at Stanley Lambert were represented by their "Full Sister" Semillon and "Sensitve Cousin" Pinot Noir. The very reliable Dr. Loosen "L" Riesling was very refreshing. Rock and Roll Wines was pouring their own wine called " The Grotto " Shiraz from the Yarra Valley Australia. The last two wines we had the opportunity to try were Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand) and Chateau Felice "London" Cabernet Sauvignon Russian River Valley.

This event was very well attended. Infact, it was a sell out. If you want to know more about Rock-n-Roll Wine events there is a link to the right of the page. We both had a great time and would like to thank Chris and Kate from Rock-n-Roll Wines for their conversation and hosptality .

Congratulations to Ampelos Cellars

Congratulations go out to our very special friends at Ampelos Cellars ! Two of their 2005 vintage were just rated.

AMPELOS Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2005 89-91 $35 / $28Fresh and vibrant, with a distinct wild berry-boysenberry-raspberry mix of fruit. Offers a hint of mineral, sage and lead pencil and ends with firm tannins, but has most of its parts in the right place. 1,400 cases made. —J.L.

AMPELOS Syrache Santa Ynez Valley 2005 85-88 $28 / $23Ripe, grapey wild berry, raspberry and black cherry fruit is high-toned and zesty, picking up a touch of anise and spice. Syrah and Grenache. 500 cases made. —J.L.

Ampelos Cellars employs biodynamic farming practices. Click this link to Watch a short video where Peter explains Ampelos's farming philosophy. It is very informative.

We will be talking much more about Ampelos in October when we get back from helping with Harvest and Crush. Until then I raise my glass and toast our Ampelos friends for such a great job !

Cheers.

Saint Benoit Chateauneuf-Du-Pape Grande Garde 2004

Here we are once again with a few members of Tex and Gidget's wine group for a Saturday lunch blind tasting. Andy Ashbaugh, American Wine Society Las Vegas Chapter Chairman joined us as well. For some added difficulty, Irene from VegasWineaux chose the blind wine. In the glass this wine was light to medium bodied. The age ring suggested 2004-2005 vintage and the color was a deep Burgundy. On the nose most people reported spice, smoke , earth , and nutmeg. On the palate we had alot of red fruit, cherry, high alcohol and med to high tannins. It was time to make our guess at the wine. Some people suggested is was a Burgundy and others a Tempranillo. Irene told us we were all on the wrong track ! We gave it a second try and suggested it was French , possibly a Chateauneuf-Du-Pape. This time we got it right. The best thing about wine is that blind tasting can be a very humbling experience.

The Chateauneuf-Du-Pape Appelation is located in the southern most part of France's Rhone region. In 1923 this area was the first to adopt strict rules for grape growing and winemaking. These rules became the basis of the French national system. This areas red wines are traditionally big, rich and full bodied with spicy, raspberry favors and are capable of ageing 5 to 20 years.

Marsannay Les Longeroies Grand Vin Burgundy 2002

Once again a few members of Tex and Gidget's crew got together at Marche Bacchus for our usual lunch and blind wine. The Chef chose the wine and it was brought to the table decanted. In the glass, this wine was light to medium bodied and burgundy in color. The age ring indicated it could be from the 2002-2003 vintage. On the nose , there was an immediate aroma of cherry that jumped out followed by strawberry and slight hint of earth and musk. The taste confirmed the nose with cherry being very prominent followed by strawberry and finishing with a hint of spice. Two members of the group immediately indicated they thought this was a Burgundy from France. Other members suggested this could be a Sangiovese. The bottle was reveled to us as a Marsannay Les Longeroies Grand Vin Burgundy Cote d Or 2002. Of note , In 1987 the Marsannay Appellation became the first new Appellation established in the Cote d Or area since the 1930's. The village of Marsannay is located at the northern end of France's Burgundy region. This Burgundy in my opinion was well balanced and would go well with almost any meal. Congratulations to the two people in the group who got this one right on the nose !

Rosemary's Restaurant

Rosemary's Restaurant has to be one of our favorite places to go. In fact, they just won two very impressive awards. These are
"Restauranteur of the Year" awarded to Chefs Michael & Wendy Jordan by the Nevada Restaurant Association and “Best Gourmet Restaurant." Awarded by the LasVegas Review-Journal 2007 Best of Las Vegas Awards; Eight Years Running!. Rosemarys is open for lunch Monday - Friday 1130-230 and Dinner nightly 530 until close. No matter when you go , the service and food is very good and consistent. Chefs Michael and Wendy Jordan do a great job providing spectacular service and food that is one of a kind. One item that is very well known is the Hugo's Texas BBQ Shrimp with Maytag Blue Cheese Slaw. This is so good we have just had this and a bottle of wine at the Bar. Tex and Gidget's wine group has met there a few times for dinner and a blind wine or two. Michael Shetler Director of Operations and Sommelier picks out some really tough ones for us. That really keeps us on our toes. We had three blind wines and Tex was gracious enough to give me his tasteing notes on the three wines. Wine #1 was purple-black in color with no noticeable age ring and aromas of jammy dark fruits, spice, blackberry liqueur & leather; flavors of blackberries, heavy in body with tartaric crystals. Most of the table agreed that it was a Syrah, but only Gidget guessed that it was from the Rhone Valley. Our sommelier was shocked! This was the:Bernard GripaSt.-Joseph Le Berceau 2004 Fresh and elegant, with dark cherry fruit and a supple texture, showing hints of mineral and grilled herb on the finish. Drink now through 2008. 250cases made. –JMScore: 89 Wine Spectator Release Price: $45Country: France Region: Northern Rhône Wine #2 was inky black-purple in color with aromas of blackberries, spicy French oak, eucalyptus, herbaceous & woody, heavy in body & staining the glass; flavors of blackberries, licorice, white pepper, oak & cocoa with medium tannins. Rob , Sommelier at Marche Bacchus amazingly correctly identified this as a Carmenere/Merlot blend from Chile & Fritz agreed with him! This was the:Casa LapostolleClos Apalta Colchagua Valley 2002 Beautiful color, with vivid boysenberry and blackberry fruit flavors that easily handle the layers of vanilla-tinged toast. Roasted herb, briar and black currant notes run through the finish, which shows the firm edge of the vintage, but a superb effort nonetheless. Carmenère, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2009. 3,150 cases made. –JMScore: 93 Wine Spectator Release Price: $65Country: ChileRegion: Rapel Wine #3 was red-purple in color, noticeably lighter in color that the previous 2 wines, with a slight age ring leading us to guess it to be a2003-04 with funky aromas of barnyard, tart cherries, leather, oak & black tea; flavors of dried cherries, spice, leather & black tea with mild to moderate tannins. We all agreed that this was a Pinot Noir and were more than a little disappointed when it turned out to be: Walla Walla Valley 2004 Distinctly herbal, with a nose of rosemary and green bean that's more prominent than the fruit. But this a solid version of the type. Not for all tastes. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through2010. 328 cases made. –HSScore: 83 Wine Spectator Release Price: $55Region: Washington. If your a tourist or a local , Rosemary's is one of the best places you can go for Lunch or Dinner. For more information just click on the Rosemary's link on the right side and that will take you to their web site. Cheers !

A Couple Special Wine Friends in Vegas

There are two people we would like for you to check out. The First is a friend of ours Irene. She has a fantastic blog that is very informative and is a must see !. Her Blog , Vegaswineaux can be found at http://vegaswineaux.blogspot.com/. The other wine site about the Las Vegas wine scene is Vegaswinenews by Charles Moncrieff. His site can be found at http://vegaswinenews.com. Both of these sites are very well done and are informative about Fine Dining and Wine in the Las Vegas. Good Job guys !!!
Cheers