The Desert WIne Guy - 2007 Kamiak White Wine

The Gordon Family

   What do you think when you see written on a wine bottle the title "White Wine? I can tell you what I think, I think forget about it. That is at least what I use to think until I tasted the 2007 Kamiak Cellar Select White Wine from Gordon Estate (http://gordonwines.com/the-wines/kamiak-wines.htm). I must admit that I didn't expect to much when I grabbed the bottle and headed upstairs to my loft. I mean a wine that describes itself simply as a "White Wine", really? Go ahead, call me a wine snob if you like. Well I am here to tell you that I had my mind changed when I actually drank this "White Wine".
  Kamiak Cellars is owned by Jeff & Bill Gordon and is located in the Snake Valley in Southeastern Washington State and is owned by Gordon Estate, formally Gordon Brothers. The Winery has been in existence since 1980 but first released a wine, a small batch Chardonnay in 1985. The winery and Vineyards are still family owned and operated with  Marc Nelson who is Jeff's son in law, managing the Vineyard. In May of last year Gordon Estate had some major upgrading to the Winery and announced the opening of their new wine bar with three separate areas. Aside form the wonderful wine that you can have either by the glass or bottle you can also enjoy that wine with some salad and / or finger foods. There is also a 1908 Chicago Grand Upright Piano that is a heirloom of Jeff's wife, Vickie's family.
   The 2007 Kamiak White Wine is a blend three wines. This blend consists of 60% Chardonnay, 35% Sauvignon Blanc, & 5% late harvest Gewurz. The wine costs me $10 and as you will see, is worth every penny.                                   

2007 Kamiak White Wine

   As I pour the wine I see an almost clear slightly golden, almost pale in color wine. The color is just dark enough though to keep you in high expectations that what you are about to taste is going to be very good. In the glass the wine seems to deepen in color to an almost yellowish, bright gold.
   The bouquet of the wine is of Honeydew mixed wonderfully with Apple and Pear. The wine does not hold back these beautiful aromas and that allows you to further appreciate and anticipate what it has in store for you in your mouth.
   On my first tasting of the wine I tasted a very fruit forward wine with Apple opening it up and then as in the Bouquet followed by Pear and that wonderful Honeydew. This is one of those wines where no particular flavor overpowers another and yet you still taste each flavor. In this wine everything works great together. There is an ever so slight finish of Grapefruit at the end which I think is very appropriate in helping to finishing this wine and I believe it also helps in keeping the sugar sensation on your pallet in check because with all the fruit forwardness of this wine I think there is always the danger of making a wine that can be overpowered by the sugar of the fruit. There is one more point I want to make here. The wine does not have that syrupy feel in your mouth like some fruit forward white wines that I have tasted exhibit. I believe that this has much to do with the amount of Chardonnay and the addition of the Grapefruit finish.
   In finishing up here I highly recommend this wine.  I think this wine is well done and to be able to grab a bottle at $10 is a steal. that you drink this wine slightly chilled and served with some Sushi rolls consisting of Tuna and of course Wassabi. Since it is a 2007 vintage I recommend that if you can find it you buy a few bottles and put some away for that end of Summer blow out I know you are going to have. O.K maybe one for the beginning of Spring party as well.


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The Desert WIne Guy - Follow Up Review - 2010 Charleston Peak Barrel Reserve Petite Syrah

Grape Crusher

   Today we are going to talk about a wine that comes from a tiny city just outside of Las Vegas named Pahrump. The wine for review is the 2010 Charleston Peak Barrel Reserve Petite Syrah. This is also  a follow up tasting of a wine I already reviewed in June of this year. I haven't done any second reviews on a wine before and I wanted to see if my tastes have changed at all. I can say for a fact that my tastes have not changed and my followup review of this wine maintains the same as my initial review....bad. I am adding some more information about the winery and the wine however since there are positive points to the Winery itself that I think would be of interest if you should decide to pay the winery a visit. Located about 1 hour outside of Las Vegas, Pahrump weather wise and terrain wise is identical to Las Vegas and that means Desert, crazy heat and very little rain. Pahrump also believe it or not has two Winery's. There is the Sanders family Vineyards http://sanderswinery.com/ and Pahrump Valley Wineryhttp://www.pahrumpwinery.com/. The latter is what we will concern ourselves with since that is where out reviewed wine comes from.
   The proprietors of Pahrump Valley Winery are the Husband and Wife team of Bill & Gretchen Loken who also make the wine. The Pahrump Valley Winery  produces 7 different varietals of wine. The Vineyards actually grow two Estate grown varietals which are Zinfandel and Syrah. The rest of it's grapes come from Nelson Vineyards, Veronica's Vineyards & School Lane Vineyards which are all  located a short distance from the Pahrump Valley Winery. On the California end there is Capp Family Vineyards, Tumbus Vineyards, Mariah Vineyards, Tecklenburg Ranch.& Penn Valley Vineyards.  The wine tasting is free by the way.

Wood Aging Barrels

   O.k so here we go with our review. Lets get down to business here because I'm sorry to say it but this wine still doesn't deserve to much time taken up on it. The bouquet of this wine was of Plum mixed with paint fumes. I know that is a weird description but that was my initial impression when I put it to my nose. The wine was very, very rich and sweet. It tasted almost like candy. There was a sweet Bing Cherry taste to it mixed with Blueberry Pie and Molasses like taste. There were no Tannins whatsoever and nothing to give the wine any substance although with a wine this sweet I don't think it would matter or should be expected. The sugar level according to the Vineyard is measured at 24 Brix which you would think means bolder or more intense taste, unfortunately this is not the case here. To sum this up quickly this wine had the sweetness of a Medeira. It would be better used as a dessert wine if you were to buy it. It had a strong, overpowering liquor taste. I assume that I don't need to tell you that I do not care for this wine at all. That is it, there is nothing more to say on this wine. My original review still stands
    I would like to finish the review on a positive note however since there are positive things about the Winery. I recommend that if you are in Las Vegas the Pahrump Valley Winery is worth the trip to Pahrump. Gretchen is very nice and knowledgeable in growing grapes as well as giving an excellent tour and answering all of your questions. She is also not shy about interacting with you if you engage her in conversation. She answered all my questions with a wonderful personality and made it a pleasure to talk with her. The Vineyards are kept up nicely and the aging/production room is clean and nice. If you are learning about wine and enjoy being around the Vineyards like me I recommend you check it out and spend a few hours there relaxing. There are plenty of places to have a PickNik and there are bands that play there occasionally.  There are events that take place there over the growing season and a Grape Stomp to end the season. There is a restaurant also but I did not eat there so I do not know how the food is although I have read reviews and they appear to be very favorable.  If you are after food, especially the most awesome Hamburger there is in the world get to the Golf Course which is nearby you will not be sorry. One of the interesting things to point out here is that the Winery claims to have won many awards such as 2 Double Golds, 1 Gold & 1 Silver medal for their 2010 Primitivo as well as 1 Gold, 3 Silver & 1 Bronze Medal for a 2010 Tempranillo as well as others. I do not see any awards for the 2010 Petite Syrah however.  Last little bit here. Take a break from the Hustle and Bustle of Vegas and go relax at the Winery BUT as for buying a bottle of the reviewed wine I would definitely say STAY AWAY from it.

Bill & Gretchen

                                                                                                                
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The Desert Wine Guy - Wine Reviewers Fact Or Just Opinion

   Today I am going to discuss something that effects us all and hits close to home. Today's article is on the wine critic/reviewer. What makes him or her so special or right about the wines they like or dislike? What makes them a pro or someone we should listen to? Why is the wine reviewer more qualified then I am to determine what is a good wine and what is a bad wine? Let's be honest here....the answer is probably not really much. There are some things that might set the wine reviewer apart from the average
  I think we have all had a wine that we loved and either heard from a friend or read on a blog that that particular wine is not rated good. I know that I have said out loud "WHAT who is this guy reviewing the wine, is he crazy? What gives him the right to review wine anyway?" Writing a wine blog I have come across wines that I have been asked to review and gladly did so but the person asking me to review the wine was not happy with the review I did. Take for instance the Castello del Poggio, Moscatto. I had a women ask me to review the wine on my wine Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DesertWineGuy and I thought the wine was terrible. I never heard from that woman again. I have also had the opposite happen. I have a very dedicated fan to my Facebook  who agreed with one of my latest reviews. She also loved a particular wine. For me to determine what you will like or dislike is kind of hit or miss unless I know your particular likes and dislikes. Do you think you should like a wine simply because other people do? What then is the best reaction to a wine critic bombing the wine we have already tasted and love? The simple answer is we continue to love the wine we love. If you are one of those people who are swayed into not liking something you know you already like then I don't know what to say to you, that is your choice. I know that for me I know what I like and what I don't like and no matter who likes it I will continue to like or not like that product.
person but then again there doesn't have to be. I have been reviewing wine for around 2 years and everything I have learned is from research and experience on the topic of wine. That means reading, watching educational videos, interviewing people and experiencing different aspects of the wine industry first hand. I have taken trips and talked to wine makers and Vineyard growers concerning the whole process from planting to picking to aging. I also actually grow the Grapevines. In the scheme of the things I really don't know much considering there are people who have been doing this their whole lives. I know however what I like in a wine?  Can I tell you what you like? no, no one can do that. I cannot and neither can anyone else no matter what they say. I can describe certain features in a wine and you can hopefully be able to determine from that description whether you want to venture out and get a bottle or not. I can tell you that I have read many reviews and purchased a wine to review based on nothing other than talking to a workers at a store or Vineyard. It works like this. I describe to the worker what I like in a red or white wine and the employee or Winery rep usually takes it from there. I also engage the person doing the recommendation in conversation. This way I know what knowledge level of employee I am dealing with. If I am confident in the persons knowledge then I will probably give the wine a shot. Yes, it is that simple. There have been many times that I described a wine to someone representing a Winery and they have recommended a wine they had on display and when I have done a tasting I have been disappointed. That is O.k however because it is part of the whole wine experience. I will learn that next time that person cannot be trusted to suggest a wine to me. That person either lied or that persons opinion is different from mine on what enough Tannins would be or what the limit of sweetness in a wine should be. That is actually what I am going to fill you in on in this article. Wine is subjective.

Wine you see is  like a lot of other items and that is subjective. Do you like a sweet Riesling or a dry one? Do you like a red with some Tannins or without? Do you mind a non filtered wine? These are just a few things that might make a difference in a wine review.  A well known wine reviewer can do a review on a wine and rave about it and when you drink that wine you might truly like it ....but then again you might hate it also. I believe this is more common than we think. As I have said in a previous article what I think us wine overs should do is find a wine reviewer that happens to like a wine that you do and try to follow him. Let me give you an example. I reviewed the 2011 Peju Cabernet Sauvignon http://desertwineguy.blogspot.com/2014/05/2011-peju-cabernet-sauvignon.html and loved it to death. If you have tried that Cabernet Sauvignon and agreed with my review then you might want to follow me, at least on Cabernet Sauvignon. You might even want to e-mail me and ask me to try a certain Cabernet that you have been thinking about drinking but haven't as of yet. On the other hand I could be way off from what you want in a white wine though and you might think twice about my reviews on white wines. That doesn't mean that my or any other reviewers wine review is not interesting, it is a great way to learn about wine HOWEVER the purchasing of that white wine might mean you going out on a limb. One more example is Dom Perignon. We have all heard of the Champagne and if presented a bottle of it we would all fall on the ground worshiping the person who gave it to us however......when was the last time a bottle of Dom Perignon won any awards or lived up to what the media has hyped up the name to be? When I see Champagne reviews in Wine Spectator Magazine or other well known wine magazines I never see the name Dom Perignon, why is this? There might have been a time when Dom Perignon had a great year or even a great couple of years but for whatever reason that time has long since come and gone. A rating for the 1992 Dom Perignon from Wine Spectator Magazine rated it on a 90 points. On the other hand Wine Advocate gave it 96 points. The price on the Champagne when it was widely available was $169.00, want to take a chance on it?
   Lets wrap this up now with one last topic concerning the wine reviewer. Do some wine reviewers get paid or compensated for their reviews. What I mean is do they get regular bottles in the mail from certain wineries that they have given a positive review to? I don't know for a fact but I would think the answer is yes. Does this mean that their reviews are suspect? That I can't answer. What about reviewers that work for a wine magazine or a winery? Let me answer that by asking a question. If you went to a winery and the person doing the tasting told you that the aging of the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve was flawed, would you buy a bottle? If the wine critic who wrote for a magazine bombed a wine from a winery who advertises a lot in their publication is there a chance that the review might not be included in the next issue of that magazine or that the Winery would stop advertising with that magazine?  I am NOT in any way shape or form saying that this does happen I am simply presenting something for you to think about. Here is one more example for you. My wife and I once had dinner with a very big wine maker and after a couple of bottles the girls (one being my wife the other his "handler") went to the restroom and he and I finally had a chance to really talk. I asked him about the honesty of a certain big wine magazine and whether the reviews were really honest.....he gave me a look as if to say yes and no. I thought that was an eye opener and I appreciated his honesty and told him so.
   One last thing I would like you to take note of is this. I do NOT get paid to review a wine. The wines I taste are wines I buy myself, at a store for myself. I do not except any kind of gift or "goodies" from a winery or store. I guess what I am saying is you might want to know who you are trusting for your wine reviews. If there is a review for Robert Mondavi Winery does the person doing the review work for Robert Mondavi Vineyards? I myself have a regular job during the week. That is where I make my money. I do this wine review and blog because I enjoy it. That does not mean that in the future I will not receive a bottle in the mail from a Winery or establishment but when I do I will lead off my article with that information. There is a bill http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/nevada-lobby-targets-big-county-wine-ban coming in the next legislature here in Nevada to allow winery's and Vineyards in Las Vegas and I have e-mailed the person spearheading the effort and notified her that I want to be in on the "ground floor" of the movement. If I should become involved with one or more Vineyards or wineries or advertising concerns for a Vineyard or winery I will be the first to disclose this. I hope I have shed some light on the subject of wine reviewers or any product reviewer for that matter. I believe I might have opened some eyes and made people think about what they read and who they read it from. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me at desertwineguy@gmail.com. if I can be of any help to you.

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                                                                                                                    The Desert Wine Guy