October 17, 2025 • 40 mins
Wines of Place
@Merriamvineyards @martinraywinery #russianriverwine #wine #cawine #podcast #radioshow #host
Co hosts : Good ol Boy Harmeet, Good ol Boy Justin, Made Man Bob
SIPS – In this episode, our hosts dive into a delightful tasting featuring the Merriam Vineyards and Martin Ray Winery. Expect lively discussions, hilarious banter, and insightful tasting notes as we rate each wine on our signature sips scale from 1 to 5 with 5 being the best. Justin breaks out his sensory training challenge with “wet sock” and “cigar box with leaves.” Whether you're a seasoned wine enthusiast or just starting your journey, this episode promises to be a flavorful adventure that will leave you craving more!
5:20 Merriam Danielle’s Estate Russian River Valley Fume Blanc 2022 3 SIPS
9:38 Merriam Windacre Vineyard Russian River Valley Merlot 2021 4 SIPS
15:40 Merriam Diana’s Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2022 4 SIPS
22:28 Martin Ray Hallberg Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2022 3 SIPS
28:47 Martin Ray Diamond Mountain District Napa Valley Pinot Noir 2021 3 SIPS
34:59 Martin Ray Synthesis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 5 SIPS
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Wine Tasting, Russian River Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Martin Ray, Miriam Vineyards, Wine Ratings, Sustainable Farming, Organic Wine, Wine Reviews, Wine And Food Pairing, Wine Notes, Sonoma County, Fume Blanc, Tasting Notes, Wine Enthusiasts, Wine Education, Wine Culture, Wine Podcast
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
>> Announcer (00:00):
On the next episode of Sip, Suds and Smokes.
>> Brent (00:04):
And here are the wines we're going to discuss
today. So for Miriam, we have Miriam Daniels State
Russian River Valley Fume Blanc 2022, the Miriam
Windacre Vineyard, Russian River Valley Merlot 21,
Miriam Diana's Estate, Russian River Valley Pinot
Noir 22. And for Martin Ray, we have the Martin
(00:26):
Ray Hallberg Ranch, Russian River Valley Pinot
Noir 22, the Martin Ray Diamond Mountain, uh,
Cabernet sauvignon Napa Valley 21, and the Martin
Ray synthesis Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon 2022.
>> Harm (00:41):
Well, what about you? You're having a glass of
wine? I'm not having a glass of wine. I'm having
six.
>> Brent (00:47):
It's called a tasting and it's classy. There you
go.
>> Harm (00:51):
So 100 true.
>> Announcer (00:53):
We'll be right back after. Brought to you almost
(01:19):
live from the dude in the basement studios.
>> Brent (01:21):
Why?
>> Announcer (01:22):
Because that's where the good stuff is. It sips
suds and smokes with your smoke and host the good
old boys. And now it's sipping.
>> Brent (01:59):
Hey. Yes. It's seven time again. Welcome to this
sips episode where everything good in life is
worth discussing. Sure is.
>> Harm (02:05):
We'll discuss so many things, but none of it makes
it to air. Yeah, well, it's not an R rated show.
>> Brent (02:10):
Yeah, you can't put that stuff on the air. You
know, I've been around you when we're not on the
air. Believe me, it's not fit for publication.
>> Harm (02:17):
So it's, it's, uh, it's the. All the good PJ
things in life.
>> Brent (02:23):
Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, I remember one time I
was talking to Peewee Herman. He goes, harm. Oh my
God. Yeah, yeah, I know, I know.
>> Harm (02:32):
So we're the best thing on it when?
>> Bob (02:34):
2:45Am yeah, that's when, um, Ballard ends with
Maggie Q. Oh, gotcha. Then I'll listen to this
show.
>> Brent (02:47):
This is Made Man Bob. And joining me today are
good old boy Justin.
>> Bob (02:52):
Pleasure to be here as always.
>> Brent (02:54):
And good old boy Harm.
>> Harm (02:55):
You like you forgot his name. Mhm. It was a big
pause between good old boy and Justin.
>> Brent (03:01):
That's a dramatic pause.
>> Harm (03:03):
Too dramatic for me.
>> Brent (03:04):
All right, I was acting master thespian.
>> Harm (03:09):
I. I can't follow that. Okay, thanks. Nice, good,
good, good, good, good guy.
>> Brent (03:12):
I was acting. So was I.
>> Harm (03:14):
Yes.
>> Brent (03:14):
Okay. I would, I would gladly take a sell out to
dinner, but all I have is Brazilian currency.
Yeah, I'm the president. Well, our sip segments
are all about wine. Distilled Spirits, tea, coffee
and anything else you can sip.
>> Harm (03:30):
Third 30 year old SNL segments.
>> Brent (03:32):
Yeah, and here are the wines we're going to
discuss today. So for Miriam we have Miriam
Daniels State Russian River Valley Fume Blanc
2022, the Miriam Windacre Vineyard, Russian River
Valley Merlot 21, the Miriam Diana's Estate,
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 22. And for Martin
(03:52):
Ray we have the Martin Ray Hallberg Ranch, Russian
River Valley Pinot Noir 22, the Martin Ray Diamond
Mountain District, uh, Cabernet sauvignon Napa
Valley 21 and the Martin Ray Synthesis Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon 2022. So we do all of our wines
on a one to five SIPs ratings. And rather than
(04:15):
make you sit through all five of them, we're going
to have Justin pick a number and do it for us.
>> Bob (04:21):
We're gonna do number five.
>> Brent (04:23):
Number five. Okay.
>> Bob (04:25):
Oh my. I was unaware anything could be this good.
That's the ticket.
>> Harm (04:32):
Oh my goodness.
>> Brent (04:35):
Santa's elves.
>> Harm (04:38):
You know, what was his name again?
>> Bob (04:40):
Johnny Flanagan.
>> Brent (04:41):
Tommy Flanagan.
>> Harm (04:42):
No, the actor, the actor.
>> Brent (04:44):
What's his name?
>> Bob (04:45):
John Lovitz.
>> Harm (04:45):
Lovitz. Even at the 50th anniversary of Saturday
Night Live this year, they made him sit across the
street.
>> Brent (04:50):
Yeah, yeah. He was in a diner or something.
>> Bob (04:54):
Yeah.
>> Brent (04:54):
Why am I over here in this diner? Oh, don't worry
about it.
>> Harm (04:57):
Yeah, yeah, I love, love it. Sorry, go ahead.
>> Brent (05:01):
Hi, I'm Tonamy.
>> Bob (05:03):
Do I still get paid?
>> Brent (05:04):
That's fine for pathological liars and Adamants.
In fact, I'm, uh, I'm, I'm the president of the
organization. Yeah, that's.
>> Harm (05:10):
Hey, Bob, you want to talk about the next wine or
the first wine?
>> Brent (05:14):
Straight in the toilet we go. All right. So
Merriam Vineyards, uh, began when Peter Merriam,
after 20 years in the retail side of the whiskey.
Whiskey business. Wine business. Purchased the
property in 2000. Their wines are produced from
grapes grown on their estate vineyards at Miriam
Estate and Windacre vineyard in the Russian River
Valley. From the beginning, they've been committed
(05:35):
to sustainable farming practices and their 21 acre
estate is certified organic by the California
Certified Organic Farmers. Their Windacre
vineyard, located just north of the Miriam Estate,
was originally planted in the late 1800s and is
one of the oldest vineyard sites in Sonoma County.
So our first wine is the Miriam Daniels Estate,
(05:56):
Russian River Valley Fumay Blanc 2022. It's 14.3%
ABV, Sonoma, um, County, Russian River Valley, 90%
SA Blanc and 10% Simeon. So on the Color, kind of
a light, light gold on the nose. Honeysuckle melon
(06:25):
got a distinct sweetness on the nose. They
mentioned pineapple, and I'm just. I'm not getting
any of that. There is definitely a sweetness in
the nose, though, but. And on the palate. Hold on.
M. It's got some nice acidity to it. Lemon, um,
(06:51):
lots of lemon, regular lemon. Meyer's lemon tart
green apple. M. Almost a hint of lime on the
finish on the back palette. Very interesting.
What'd you think, Justin?
>> Bob (07:07):
Well, you can foo me once, but you'll never foo me
twice.
>> Harm (07:11):
God damn it.
>> Bob (07:14):
So I got candied ginger on the nose, melon and
slight hint of lemon on the palate.
>> Brent (07:21):
Every time I see you, remind me not to talk to
you, will you?
>> Bob (07:25):
On the palette, I got green apples. It was, uh,
nice and acidic, and I got green apple on the
finish, but that faded off, really, over time.
What did you think, Harm?
>> Harm (07:36):
This is not the style I like. This is old style
Fume Blanc from California, from the 80s and 90s
style. They're really going retro on this. They've
got 12 months of, uh, oak. From what I found
online, I could smell it on the. On the nose. I'm
not a fan of oak Sauvignon Blanc, I'd like give me
some clean concrete, egg, or stainless steel type
(07:57):
stuff. This is too much oak for me. And it's not
overly done. They've got time on the leaves.
There's 10% semillon to give some mouth. Nice
roundness on the mouth. I'm behind all that. But
on the nose, I'm just. It's overpowering. It's
overpowering with the oak. Toasty oak. I mean,
(08:17):
the, The. The melon is there. Bob got honeysuckle.
I get that. But it's just the toasty oak is. Is.
Is there. And it's the acidity cuts some of that.
So I understand why they did it, but it's just not
balanced the way I like.
>> Brent (08:30):
It's just not yours.
>> Harm (08:31):
It's not my style. It's.
>> Brent (08:33):
It's.
>> Harm (08:33):
It's old school.
>> Brent (08:34):
Robert Mondavi is what it is.
>> Harm (08:36):
Yeah, well, Mondavi made the term Fum Blanc to
describe the, uh, fog, uh, on the vineyards, the
smoke, because he didn't want to call it Sauvignon
Blanc, but it's Sauvignon Blanc and it's
California Sauvignon Blanc. It's. It's just not
the style. There's other California Sauvignon
Blancs I like. They're much More restroom
Restrained on the oak. That's not my thing.
>> Brent (08:56):
Yeah.
>> Harm (08:57):
Yeah. We're all different.
>> Brent (08:59):
Yeah. Everybody likes something different.
>> Harm (09:01):
I mean, I'm just. I'd be object. I'd object if you
gave it a high rating, though. What do we got for
it?
>> Brent (09:07):
Well, everybody likes something different. It's
just, you know, sometimes you're wrong.
>> Bob (09:10):
So, you know, is it Sir D lease or Misty in this
case?
>> Harm (09:14):
It's so bad.
>> Brent (09:16):
God.
>> Harm (09:17):
Misty Lean.
>> Brent (09:18):
Uh, yeah. No hope for you. So we're. No,
definitely not. We're going to give the, uh,
Miriam Daniels estate, Russian River Valley Fume
Blanc. Three sips.
>> Harm (09:32):
There we go.
>> Brent (09:34):
So that brings us to our next wine. We're gonna
have Justin tell us a little bit about that one.
>> Bob (09:38):
So we're going to talk about Miriam. Windacre
Vineyard, Russian river Valley. Merlot 20, 21.
>> Harm (09:44):
It's Windakere.
>> Brent (09:46):
Yes.
>> Bob (09:47):
And if you haven't been drinking, you're never
going to be able to say all those words. So it's
14 and a half percent alcohol by volume. It's 100%
merlot. It's from Sonoma Valley. Russian River
Valley. That's the Appalachian. And it's age 18
months and 30% new French oak. Um, the color looks
(10:08):
like red. Like wine.
>> Harm (10:11):
It's wine red.
>> Bob (10:12):
Wine red.
>> Brent (10:13):
Okay.
>> Bob (10:14):
On the nose, I got really, a lot of cigar box, um.
And faint notes of stuff that might be in a cigar
box. Like old pennies and some leaves. And on, um,
the palette, it was, like, very jammy. I like the
texture kind of like thick raspberry jam. And then
(10:36):
the palette just came off pretty light. What did
you think, Harm?
>> Harm (10:40):
Um, it doesn't smell like merlot to me.
>> Brent (10:45):
I'm just trying to figure out why is a sar. Why do
you have a cigar box.
>> Bob (10:47):
Full of leaves, tobacco leaves that have fallen
out of the middle? Because they've just been in
there too long.
>> Brent (10:54):
Thought he got them out of the yard.
>> Harm (10:55):
Cigars.
>> Brent (10:56):
Old cigars.
>> Harm (10:57):
All right.
>> Brent (11:01):
Hey. And we're back, and we were discussing the
second, uh, wine we've got here from Miriam.
What'd you think, Harm?
>> Harm (11:07):
It doesn't smell like merlot to me. There's a
little pluminess. There's a lot of good spice and
clove and coming out. Um, it's. It's like
blueberries. It's. I'm not getting that. The. The,
like, traditional merlot notes to me, I'm not
getting that chocolatiness at all. It's. It's
just. It's. They're growing merlot In Russian
(11:28):
River Valley. And it's really not known for great
merlot. They're known for great pinot noir and
chardonnay. Um, I guess people do grow Russian
River Valley more love. These guys obviously do.
And as for the color, um, wine dark like the sea.
Homer's Odyssey, before they had the word blue in
Greek.
>> Brent (11:46):
Ah.
>> Harm (11:47):
The sea was wine dark. There's no blue. It's kind
of cool.
>> Brent (11:51):
Yeah.
>> Harm (11:52):
So I. I like where you went with the, uh. What was
that? Red like wine Red like wine. Or it could be
like, uh, dark like the sea.
>> Brent (12:00):
Yeah.
>> Harm (12:00):
Here you go. Um, it's. It's interesting. It
doesn't. Like I said, not traditional merlot
notes, but still very pretty. It's not bad. It's
just not traditional merlot notes. The, uh, seems
like the alcohol is a little bit high at 14.5% on
(12:21):
this one. Lots of dark fruit. Um, good acidity.
Like, a little bit higher than I expect from.
Hello. It's just a little. It's nice and
interesting, but it's not what I expected. Bob,
what do you think?
>> Brent (12:37):
That's what your wife said when she met you?
>> Harm (12:39):
No.
>> Brent (12:40):
No.
>> Harm (12:40):
She was enamored, my friend.
>> Brent (12:41):
Yeah.
>> Harm (12:42):
I should have seen those eyes flash when she saw
me. That smile.
>> Brent (12:45):
That's what happens.
>> Harm (12:46):
That's what happened when they're reminiscing.
>> Brent (12:48):
That's what happened. The roofies hit her system
after the drink. Yeah, that's not flashing light.
>> Bob (12:54):
That's glazed over eyes.
>> Brent (12:56):
Okay. That's. Yeah. Okay.
>> Harm (12:59):
That white smile, man.
>> Brent (13:01):
Yeah.
>> Harm (13:02):
Love you, baby.
>> Brent (13:03):
As they roll. As the eyes roll back into her head.
Yeah. He has a complicated dating history, so.
>> Harm (13:09):
Um, I actually used to sell, um. Yeah, Bill Cosby
used to shop at my store.
>> Brent (13:16):
I'm sure he did.
>> Harm (13:17):
He bought Russian vodka.
>> Brent (13:19):
M. Expensive.
>> Harm (13:19):
M. Russian vodka. Hard to get stuff. So I'm
complicit, apparently, in some of those crimes.
>> Brent (13:25):
Yeah, it, uh, covered those vodkas. Yeah, it
covered up the taste.
>> Harm (13:29):
Okay.
>> Bob (13:30):
How does that make you feel?
>> Brent (13:32):
Yeah.
>> Bob (13:34):
Actually, he's the one that did the feeling.
>> Brent (13:36):
Yeah.
>> Bob (13:37):
Yeah.
>> Brent (13:38):
He feel like jello pudding. Uh, on the nose.
>> Harm (13:44):
We're on wine.
>> Brent (13:45):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
>> Bob (13:46):
Oh, is that what we're talking about?
>> Brent (13:48):
So on the nose, Definitely. There's. It's
definitely cedar. Some gar box, some dark berries,
blackberries. Yeah, it's got a real jammy kind of
nose. So, um, on the palette. Hold on.
>> Harm (14:13):
But does it scream merlot.
>> Brent (14:16):
Now?
>> Bob (14:17):
Whispers it.
>> Brent (14:21):
I mean, yeah. I mean, it doesn't scream merlot,
but it whispers melo for sure. I mean, I'm not
mistaking it for a cab.
>> Harm (14:29):
Right?
>> Brent (14:31):
But it is a little different than standard
profile, I'll give you that. But nonetheless.
Interesting. Yeah. Really nice. What'd you think,
Justin?
>> Bob (14:46):
I. I enjoyed this. It was red.
>> Brent (14:51):
It was jam.
>> Harm (14:52):
We already went. We went through Justin's review
already. Remember?
>> Bob (14:54):
He just wanted to see if it's red, like, stuff.
>> Harm (14:57):
It's red like wine.
>> Brent (14:58):
Okay.
>> Harm (14:59):
Dark, like to see.
>> Bob (15:01):
Actually, that's what you said.
>> Harm (15:05):
Homer said that in the Odyssey. The wine, dark
sea. Come on, man.
>> Bob (15:08):
Homer Simpson.
>> Brent (15:10):
I was gonna say. No, he said. Yeah, yeah. Wrong
Homer.
>> Bob (15:15):
That's where our audience face is.
>> Brent (15:17):
Homer Simpson. Okay.
>> Harm (15:19):
All right. Ratings. Ratings.
>> Brent (15:21):
Next one we're gonna give the Maryam Windacre.
Russian river valley, uh, merlot 2021. Uh, forceps
play.
>> Harm (15:29):
Are we. Yeah, that's classified. Really?
>> Brent (15:32):
Yeah.
>> Harm (15:33):
Thank you. Looking at the wrong one, dude.
>> Brent (15:35):
Nope.
>> Harm (15:35):
All right, man. The Miriam Diana's estate. Russian
River Valley Pinot Noir is our next wine. Is 2022.
14.2 ABV 100 Pinot Noir. The Appalachian is Sonoma
County, Russian river valley. Age for 12 months
and 20 new French oak. The color is what, like the
sea? No, it's translucent. Uh, ruby to garnet. The
(15:56):
nose is orange peel, black tea and raspberry and a
little bit of violet and a hint of rose petals.
And then the spice comes back. This is
quintessential. Quintessential Russian River
Valley Pinot Noir. This is varietally correct.
This is interesting and gorgeous. This is the one
should. That should be getting the higher rating.
(16:17):
Not that Merlot, you fool. Um, I love this wine.
This one's the one. This is the one I like. This
is the one. Just really impressive.
>> Brent (16:25):
Also. We're so glad we can make you like
something. It's all about you, apparently.
>> Harm (16:30):
It's all about me, man. It's all personal. Wine is
subjective, and I am the subject. Go. What's your.
What do you think, Bob?
>> Brent (16:36):
You're something. I don't know exactly what, but,
uh. Yeah.
>> Harm (16:42):
Well, what about you? You're having a glass of
wine?
>> Brent (16:45):
I'm not having a glass of wine.
>> Harm (16:47):
I'm having six.
>> Brent (16:48):
It's called a tasting, and it's classy. There you
go.
>> Harm (16:50):
So 100% sure.
>> Brent (16:52):
Well, let's see.
>> Harm (16:53):
So.
>> Brent (16:57):
The nose is definitely it. Definitely. Get the
black tea. Get dark fruit.
>> Harm (17:06):
Citrus hit me first, man. Citrus hit me first.
That orange peel hit me first.
>> Brent (17:09):
The thing that hits me first is the black tea.
Yeah, I mean, the citrus is there. It's. It's an
undernote but the black tea just leaps out into my
nose.
>> Harm (17:17):
Why's it got to be black tea, Bob?
>> Brent (17:20):
Sorry. Because I. I'm sorry. Unlike you. Yeah. Um.
Oh, yeah. Because I'm not a big green tea guy.
>> Harm (17:30):
I'm not green.
>> Brent (17:30):
Never have been.
>> Harm (17:31):
Never.
>> Brent (17:32):
It's not my thing. So on the palate. Hold.
>> Harm (17:37):
Mhm.
>> Brent (17:43):
Again, black tea notes. Cranberry.
>> Harm (17:47):
You don't get the citrus. The orange peel, it's
been harder. Black tea is there, but the black.
>> Brent (17:53):
Tea is, for me, is more forward than anything.
That's. I'm getting the tea. I get a bit of a tart
cranberry. I get the citrus on the back. There's.
>> Harm (18:01):
Cranberry is a good call.
>> Brent (18:02):
There's a kind of an herbal under note to it that
comes in on the back palate. On the finish. It's
got a nice finish. It stays with you.
>> Harm (18:11):
It's like time.
>> Brent (18:12):
Yeah. It's like you said, this is your
quintessential. If you went to the dictionary, it
said Russian River Pinot Noir. This is it. I mean,
this is. This is lovely. This is. I'm with you. I
love this one. What do you think, Justin?
>> Bob (18:26):
This changed a lot for me. So when it first came
out of the bottle, we had it. I got prominent
notes of wet sock and forest floor. And then those
faded to the background.
>> Harm (18:38):
I want to stab you sometimes.
>> Brent (18:40):
Hold on, I'll go get a knife.
>> Bob (18:42):
Yeah, they faded to the background and now I'm
getting the black tea and, uh, like orange.
Dehydrated orange dust on. On the front. And, um.
>> Brent (18:55):
Yeah, I was just saying the other day as I was
dusting, this dust is like dehydrated oranges.
Yeah, it's what.
>> Bob (19:04):
Dehydrated orange powder. You know, like, um, what
you get with people you send to the moon. They got
all the dehydrated tang.
>> Brent (19:10):
You're saying it tastes like Tang?
>> Bob (19:12):
Yeah, but tang. If it was like high end Tang.
>> Harm (19:16):
You.
>> Brent (19:17):
You imbecile.
>> Harm (19:18):
You bloated idiot. You stupid fat you.
>> Brent (19:24):
I'm with Peter Laurie. I'm just. I'm. I'm beside
myself.
>> Harm (19:28):
I don't. I don't think it's. I don't get. I
understand where you're going with it. I really
do. The dehydrated orange peel, but, uh, with that
dustiness, it's got the dustiness of the tannins,
but to me it's the oil from the. The rind of an
orange, so that's okay.
>> Brent (19:42):
Fair enough.
>> Harm (19:44):
So anyway, before you set it on.
>> Bob (19:46):
Fire in the Cocktail?
>> Harm (19:47):
Yeah, of course.
>> Brent (19:48):
Yeah. All right, fair enough. Yeah.
>> Harm (19:50):
Just.
>> Brent (19:50):
Just the peel, none of the pith.
>> Harm (19:53):
It's just very fragrant and pretty. Yeah.
>> Brent (20:01):
Hey, and we're back and we were just finishing,
uh, up our discussion on the Miriam Diana's Estate
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Anybody else have
anything else you wanted to say?
>> Bob (20:12):
Nope.
>> Brent (20:13):
Nope. The man of. Shut up, would you? You talk too
much.
>> Harm (20:19):
I just. I really cannot get over how good the nose
in this wine is. I love that.
>> Brent (20:23):
It's real pretty.
>> Harm (20:24):
That just balance gorgeous citrus and floral notes
and. And the black tea backbone is there. You guys
only smell black tea? Apparently, at front. To me,
it's the backbone of this wine. Oh, um, it's so
good.
>> Bob (20:36):
One man's black teas, other man's wet sock and
forest.
>> Harm (20:44):
After the show, remind me to stab it. Okay, we got
three more wines to go get.
>> Brent (20:47):
I'll get you a knife right now if you just cover
the microphone for me. So.
>> Bob (20:52):
So, um, I would be applied to the audience.
>> Harm (20:54):
It's Got it. And the other thing we didn't
mention, it's got a really good long finish.
>> Brent (20:58):
Yeah, yeah.
>> Harm (20:59):
What do we got for your rating, sir?
>> Brent (21:01):
Well, we're going to be giving the Miriam Diana's
Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2022 A well
deserved. Four sips there.
>> Harm (21:10):
No objection there. That's perfect.
>> Brent (21:12):
And although we don't actually have it down on the
script, they were also kind enough to send us a
small bottle of, uh, some of their estate grown
extra virgin olive oil that we've been eating for
the last, oh, hour and a half.
>> Harm (21:25):
It's not the olive oil, it's. It's the baguette
that's messing up my blood sugar right now. Thank
you, Bob. Yeah, well, been trying to start on yelp
for you.
>> Brent (21:31):
Been trying to get rid of you forever. And it's
the easiest way out. So.
>> Harm (21:34):
Kill me, kill me, kill me with wine and bread what
a way to go.
>> Brent (21:39):
But no lovely oil. M. Yeah, much more, um, Ols
vary, you know, some are more green, some are more
peppery. This is more on the green side.
>> Harm (21:50):
Yeah.
>> Brent (21:50):
Pretty, but really pretty. Really well done. It's
amazing when you go out to California, there's
vines growing here and there's orange trees over
there, and then over here there's olives. I swear
to God, they can grow anything in that place.
Yeah. But, uh, yeah, whenever there's. Whenever we
go to a winery, when we go out to California, if
they've got olive oil, I've got to bring A bottle
(22:12):
of that back. So kind of a oil.
>> Harm (22:14):
The perfect economy accompaniment for your Publix
baguette.
>> Brent (22:19):
Exactly. Hey, Publix makes the finest bread. Come
on. I know the guys in France, I think they've got
that down. But yeah, heck with them. All right,
well, Justin, tell us about our next winery.
>> Bob (22:29):
Martin Ray Pioneer. Dedicated to crafting single
varietal region specific wine from 1943 to 1972 in
Saratoga, the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Mentored by the famed producer early California
sparkling wines, Paul Masson, um, Ray took a
(22:53):
Burgundian approach to winemaking and developed
what is now one of the most historical properties
in California, known as Mount Eden. Nearly 20
years after Martin Ray's passing, Courtney Benham
purchased the brand in 1990. In 2003, Martin Ray
(23:15):
Vineyards and Winery made its home in the Russian
River Valley on the edge of Green Valley at one of
the oldest continuously working wineries in
California. Originally established in 1881.
>> Brent (23:30):
Wow.
>> Bob (23:31):
So the first wine we're going to talk about is the
Martin Ray Hallberg Ranch River. Russian River
Valley Pinot Noir 2022. It's 13.2%. It's a, uh,
Russian River Valley appellation. It's a hundred
percent Pinot Noir fermented separately in small
open top fermenters with gentle punch downs.
(23:54):
Maintained at moderate temperatures until dry
basket pressed and racked to 30% new French oak
for 12 months, 38% Pomard and 62% clone. 115
gentle punch downs.
>> Harm (24:11):
This home of your sex, we name your sex type.
>> Brent (24:13):
Yes.
>> Bob (24:14):
Hallberg Ranch is, ah, available at VHS near you.
Hallberg Ranch is 100% dry farm vineyard set on
rolling hills where Green Valley southern edge
meets the Russian River Valley. So the color is
ruby red. And my pages are stuck together probably
(24:38):
because of the punch down video. The nose is nice,
dusty, plummy on the palette. I got cherry
blossoms, I got like dried fruits. Fennel. Uh, I
think this would go really good with pho, or pho,
whatever they call it. Vietnamese soup. Subtle
(25:01):
touches of violets and lavender and it was nice.
The finish was pleasant. What did you think,
Harmeet?
>> Harm (25:10):
I think that call and the fennel was, is good. I
didn't really figure out what I was smelling
there, what that spice was until you said it,
which is crazy because we eat a lot of fennel in
Indian cuisine. Uh, the note, the colors, that
translucent ruby you're talking about, I got
raspberry roses, violets and baking spice. And
then fennel that was on the nose, that was it uh,
(25:34):
on the palette, I just can't. I didn't. Don't even
go to the palette. I keep on coming back to smell
it. Every time I smell it, it just keeps getting
more interesting and complex. Sometimes the spice
note hits, sometimes the floral note hits. It's
really. I just want to smell this wine. So
gorgeous.
>> Brent (25:52):
Smell it, baby.
>> Harm (25:53):
There's a hint of, uh, that, that orange peel too
as well, but not much. That's not like that, that
much, that orange we got in the previous Pinot
noir. Yeah, but just a hint. Like more like your
dried orange peel you're talking about. Um,
gorgeous. I just love the nose on the palate. I
(26:15):
think it's a little bit lacking here because the
acidity is a little bit too high. It's over the
top of the acidity. I could use a little more tan
in here. Uh, it's silky on the palate. Got good
fruit flavors, got that herbal note, got those
floral notes, but little. The acid's a little too
(26:37):
high and the finish is a little bit short. Bob,
what do you think?
>> Brent (26:40):
Well, like you, I, I think the nose on this wine
is absolutely fantastic. This is one you could
just literally sit there and smell.
>> Harm (26:50):
All day, all night, just smell this. Just. And a
nice bowl of pho. With beef. Beef marrow.
>> Brent (26:58):
Oh, yeah, it's rose petals, violets, there's
pomegranate in there. There's, um, an herbalness
to it underneath, an underlying herbalness to it.
(27:18):
But that floral note is just absolutely beautiful
and just a slight, slight hint of cherry. Like a
tart cherry.
>> Harm (27:26):
You know what that herbal note to me is? Bay leaf.
>> Brent (27:29):
Mhm.
>> Harm (27:33):
Just a little bit of bay leaf.
>> Brent (27:36):
And I'm, I don't know, the, the acidity doesn't
bother me. Maybe just slightly a little bit hot.
>> Harm (27:47):
I could use a little more tannin on this one.
>> Brent (27:48):
I could definitely use a little more tannin on it.
I think they, I think it would, you know,
definitely, uh, round out the palette a little bit
more. But, um, all in all, I think a very good
wine. Um, and the nose on it is absolutely
fantastic.
>> Harm (28:03):
So you know what it is? You didn't serve this
with, uh, bone marrow. You served us just plain
bread. This is the, this is your fault, Bob.
That's why they have to.
>> Brent (28:14):
Well, I could take Justin out in the back with an
ax. I mean, I, I know he wants.
>> Bob (28:18):
To after my flavor notes from this show. Uh, uh,
just give him a reason.
>> Brent (28:25):
But yeah. Ah, overall, just a really, really
pretty wine. So we're going to be giving the, um,
Martin Ray Hallberg Ranch Russian River Valley
Pinot Noir 2022. Uh, three sips. Interesting. So
that takes us to our next wine from Martin Ray.
(28:47):
Um, let me grab it. Which is the Martin Ray
Diamond Mountain District Napa Valley Cabernet
Sauvignon 2021. It is 14.2% ABV. Uh, Napa Valley
Appalachian Diamond Mountain Vineyard. 100%
Cabernet Sauvignon fermented in small 4 to 6 ton
open top fermenters with rice. Daily pumpovers for
(29:10):
cap management. Upon finishing fermentation, the
wine is allowed to rest on its skins for up to a
month, aged in 60% new French oak for 18 months.
So let's take a look here at the color. Got a
really nice dark, dark garnet, some nice, yeah,
(29:35):
very nice color. Uh, and on the nose, uh,
cherries, raspberries. And we'll be back.
>> Harm (29:54):
Smells like we'll be back.
>> Brent (30:01):
Hey. And we're back. Um, so on the nose again. Um,
pomegranates, violets. On the palette though. M.
This is the Martin Ray Hallberg Ranch or the
Martin Ray Diamond m District Cabernet 21. Um,
(30:27):
yeah, dark cherries, raspberries.
>> Harm (30:32):
Plum.
>> Brent (30:32):
Um, there's a minerality in there. There's a
little bit of a dustiness, maybe a little
graphite. It's got a nice firm mouth feel. Coats
the tongue, gets the front side in the back. Um,
got a good acidity to it. Got really nice tannin.
(31:00):
I like this one a lot. What'd you think, Justin?
>> Bob (31:02):
It's a very complex wine. It's got a. I feel like
I'm got my back to a room where they're drying
tobacco and then there's like, uh.
>> Harm (31:14):
But you're not facing that room.
>> Bob (31:16):
No, it's behind me. Then in front of me is like a
bunch of tanks of wine and, uh, just enjoying like
tobacco, meats, fruit. And there's a beautiful
dryness on the palette. And the finish is light
(31:36):
and dry. It's not its strongest component, but
the, um, the nose is really where it's at on this
one.
>> Harm (31:45):
Loved it.
>> Bob (31:46):
What'd you think, Harmeet?
>> Harm (31:47):
Um, at first I was. Didn't know what to think
about this wine because it didn't have traditional
Cabernet notes. For me, it turns out it just
needed air. And you, you may have heard me, uh,
using the aerator next to the microphone there
because I poured another glass of it.
>> Brent (32:02):
I just thought you just said Indian food again.
>> Harm (32:07):
Those noises, that wasn't my gut.
>> Brent (32:09):
Um, I know it wasn't. Your gut? No, it was
somewhere else.
>> Harm (32:12):
This is the 2021 cabernet sauvignon. Um, and I
think it needs more time.
>> Brent (32:17):
Oh, it definitely needs more m. Time.
>> Harm (32:18):
Uh, we, We. We killed a child here, man. This wine
is way too young to be drinking right now.
>> Brent (32:24):
Yeah, it's. I feel guilty, you know, drinking it,
rating it, because it definitely. A couple more
years at least. It's just. I mean, it's great now,
but it's just gonna get better.
>> Harm (32:35):
So I. That's why I was a little put off by it at
first, but giving it time, uh, to breathe, you
know, it's been sitting here open for over an hour
while we've been discussing wines. And, um, you
know, we start tasting, you know, quite a bit
before we start recording. And then I just pour
through the aerator again and I'm getting some
(32:55):
more traditional cab notes. There's like a hint of
cassis there, but more black cherry tobacco, like
you said. Uh, you've got the Tobacco Barn behind
you, not in front of you. Right. But in the
vicinity somewhere. I smell that Tobacco Barn, uh,
black plum bay, um, leaf, white pepper. It's. It's
(33:18):
got really hints of leather, um, coming out as
well. And then on the palate, it's just lots of
fruit and tobacco.
>> Bob (33:29):
Rather have the bottle in front of me than a
frontal lobotomy.
>> Harm (33:35):
I was spitting out the wine just now. I'm going to
spit it across the room. Um, thank you. Welcome.
Ah, very plush mouthfeel. This wine is wonderful.
It's just. We just drank it too young. Yeah, I
like it a lot.
>> Brent (33:46):
Yeah, unfortunately, that's, you know, how many
times do we say this on the show? Because, you
know, we're. We're getting whatever the current
release is, and that's our job is to sort of taste
through it. And sometimes it, you know, it tastes
like it tastes, but sometimes you taste it and you
go, yeah, this is.
>> Bob (34:05):
It could taste potential.
>> Brent (34:06):
This is going to be so much better, uh, in a
couple of years. So, yeah, we're going to be, uh,
we're going to be giving the, um, Martin Ray, uh,
Diamond Mountain District, uh, Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon 20, 21. Um, three sips, but I
think, I.
>> Harm (34:24):
Think it deserves higher. I think just the
potentials, though.
>> Brent (34:26):
Yeah, it's. It's a openness. Next year it'll
probably be four, four and a half. So that takes
us to our last wine, and we're going to have Harm
tell us about that one.
>> Harm (34:38):
Our final wine of the evening. Is the inception.
Sorry, is this Martin Ray Synthesis? The inception
of synthesis was 1997 with the intention of making
a flagship wine that was defining a representation
for their love of the vintage. What does that
mean? What weird markets.
>> Brent (34:55):
You read it wrong. That was a defining
representation of their love for the vintage. You
read it wrong.
>> Harm (35:00):
I'm dyslexic, but whatever.
>> Brent (35:02):
Well, you're something.
>> Harm (35:03):
Uh, I've been drinking. And each year they set out
to highlight each Synthesis vintage by blending
their best barrels. So Martin Ray Synthesis Napa
Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is 14.3% ABV. It's
Napa Valley 100% cab grape sourced from Oak Knoll,
Mount Veder, Rutherford and Diamond Mountain
District. Hand picked grapes fermented in small
(35:25):
five ton open top fermenters for two weeks with
pumpover and 40% new French oak. New French and
American oak for 16 months. The color is an opaque
garnet with, uh, ruby edges. It's freaking
gorgeous. The nose berries and cassis and black
(35:47):
olive and thyme. Uh, I just got ripe red fruit,
black olives. Such good acidity on the nose too.
It's really balanced and bright. Wonderful
(36:08):
mouthfeel. Absolutely silky.
>> Brent (36:11):
Gorgeous.
>> Harm (36:12):
The, uh, balance of tannin and acidity here is
absolutely perfect. This is what I really like.
Sweet and savory fruit. And again, that olive on
the palette. Floral notes. Uh, this is, this one's
the one I want. Yeah. Bring this one home, man.
(36:33):
What do you think, Justin?
>> Bob (36:34):
So I got nice oak on the nose to start and then
that Rutherford dust note came after that. Um,
it's a really nice blend of the different
Appalachians. You got the Christmas, the crispness
of the Diamond Mountain District. You got the body
of Mount Veeder.
>> Harm (36:53):
You said rubbing for dust already. Yeah.
>> Bob (36:55):
Smoothness of, um, Oak Knoll. They did a great
job. Keep making this, please. It's my advice.
>> Harm (37:06):
Yeah.
>> Brent (37:06):
What do you think about, uh. I loved it. Um, this
was the highlight of the, of this episode. This
one was really, really well done. Um, again, all
three of their wines were lovely. One was just,
ah, it just. I'm, um, still. And this is 22. And
the last one was a 21. It just goes to show you.
>> Harm (37:26):
So the 21 needs more time. The 22 is drinking
perfectly right now.
>> Brent (37:30):
Yeah, I mean it's, it's so well balanced. It's
just the black olives just leap out of the glass.
Dark red berries, a little bit of cherry in there.
The currants, the thyme. I mean the nose on this
thing is just absolutely fantastic. Mhm. And the
(37:55):
palate's even better. It's so well balanced. The
acidity is there, the tannin is there. They just
balance in complete harmony. Really, really,
really nice. So we're going to be giving the
Martin Ray synthesis Napa Valley Cabernet
Sauvignon 5 sips.
>> Harm (38:13):
Oh my goodness.
>> Brent (38:19):
So there you go. That's, uh, that's all we have
the time for today. We've eaten, we've drank.
Well, we've eaten at least a loaf of bread and a
quart of olive oil. So it's a good day.
>> Harm (38:31):
Yeah.
>> Brent (38:33):
I do love it when they send the olive oil. Um, I
want to thank our host for joining us. Thank you,
Justin.
>> Bob (38:40):
Pleasure to be here. Ready for my nap?
>> Brent (38:42):
Yeah, me too. I think Harm's already asleep. Harm,
are you sleep?
>> Harm (38:46):
The wine and the bread and my blood sugar says nap
time, baby.
>> Brent (38:50):
Your wife's been trying to get us to kill you for
years. This is how we're trying to do it. It's
just going to take us 25 years to do it.
>> Bob (38:56):
So.
>> Harm (38:56):
Yeah, she gets the insurance. My answer.
>> Brent (38:58):
Yeah, she gets it or who?
>> Harm (39:01):
Yeah, my daughter.
>> Brent (39:02):
Okay, there you go. Well, this is made man Bob,
reminding your wife is too short to drink bad
wine. Unfortunately, today we didn't have to do
that.
>> Bob (39:11):
Yeah, that's right.
>> Announcer (39:14):
We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you're
listening to us online, do yourself a favor and
tap. Just tap it in the subscribe button.
>> Harm (39:23):
Give it a little tappy. Tap, tap, taparoo.
>> Announcer (39:26):
The easiest way to listen to our show is to ask
Siri, Alexa, Google, Uncle Larry, or whoever it is
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(39:49):
all always buzzing with lots of news. You'll also
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>> Bob (39:53):
The thousands, millions and millions of other.
>> Announcer (39:58):
Fans on those social media platforms. Do us a
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Come back, join us for another episode and keep on
sipping.
(40:25):
This has been a one tan hand production of Sips
Suds, uh and Smokes, a program devoted to the
appreciation of some of the finer slices of life.
From the dude in the basement Studios. Your host,
the good old boys will see you all next time, Sa.
On the next episode of Sip, Suds and Smokes.
>> Brent (00:04):
And here are the wines we're going to discuss
today. So for Miriam, we have Miriam Daniels State
Russian River Valley Fume Blanc 2022, the Miriam
Windacre Vineyard, Russian River Valley Merlot 21,
Miriam Diana's Estate, Russian River Valley Pinot
Noir 22. And for Martin Ray, we have the Martin
(00:26):
Ray Hallberg Ranch, Russian River Valley Pinot
Noir 22, the Martin Ray Diamond Mountain, uh,
Cabernet sauvignon Napa Valley 21, and the Martin
Ray synthesis Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon 2022.
>> Harm (00:41):
Well, what about you? You're having a glass of
wine? I'm not having a glass of wine. I'm having
six.
>> Brent (00:47):
It's called a tasting and it's classy. There you
go.
>> Harm (00:51):
So 100 true.
>> Announcer (00:53):
We'll be right back after. Brought to you almost
(01:19):
live from the dude in the basement studios.
>> Brent (01:21):
Why?
>> Announcer (01:22):
Because that's where the good stuff is. It sips
suds and smokes with your smoke and host the good
old boys. And now it's sipping.
>> Brent (01:59):
Hey. Yes. It's seven time again. Welcome to this
sips episode where everything good in life is
worth discussing. Sure is.
>> Harm (02:05):
We'll discuss so many things, but none of it makes
it to air. Yeah, well, it's not an R rated show.
>> Brent (02:10):
Yeah, you can't put that stuff on the air. You
know, I've been around you when we're not on the
air. Believe me, it's not fit for publication.
>> Harm (02:17):
So it's, it's, uh, it's the. All the good PJ
things in life.
>> Brent (02:23):
Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, I remember one time I
was talking to Peewee Herman. He goes, harm. Oh my
God. Yeah, yeah, I know, I know.
>> Harm (02:32):
So we're the best thing on it when?
>> Bob (02:34):
2:45Am yeah, that's when, um, Ballard ends with
Maggie Q. Oh, gotcha. Then I'll listen to this
show.
>> Brent (02:47):
This is Made Man Bob. And joining me today are
good old boy Justin.
>> Bob (02:52):
Pleasure to be here as always.
>> Brent (02:54):
And good old boy Harm.
>> Harm (02:55):
You like you forgot his name. Mhm. It was a big
pause between good old boy and Justin.
>> Brent (03:01):
That's a dramatic pause.
>> Harm (03:03):
Too dramatic for me.
>> Brent (03:04):
All right, I was acting master thespian.
>> Harm (03:09):
I. I can't follow that. Okay, thanks. Nice, good,
good, good, good, good guy.
>> Brent (03:12):
I was acting. So was I.
>> Harm (03:14):
Yes.
>> Brent (03:14):
Okay. I would, I would gladly take a sell out to
dinner, but all I have is Brazilian currency.
Yeah, I'm the president. Well, our sip segments
are all about wine. Distilled Spirits, tea, coffee
and anything else you can sip.
>> Harm (03:30):
Third 30 year old SNL segments.
>> Brent (03:32):
Yeah, and here are the wines we're going to
discuss today. So for Miriam we have Miriam
Daniels State Russian River Valley Fume Blanc
2022, the Miriam Windacre Vineyard, Russian River
Valley Merlot 21, the Miriam Diana's Estate,
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 22. And for Martin
(03:52):
Ray we have the Martin Ray Hallberg Ranch, Russian
River Valley Pinot Noir 22, the Martin Ray Diamond
Mountain District, uh, Cabernet sauvignon Napa
Valley 21 and the Martin Ray Synthesis Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon 2022. So we do all of our wines
on a one to five SIPs ratings. And rather than
(04:15):
make you sit through all five of them, we're going
to have Justin pick a number and do it for us.
>> Bob (04:21):
We're gonna do number five.
>> Brent (04:23):
Number five. Okay.
>> Bob (04:25):
Oh my. I was unaware anything could be this good.
That's the ticket.
>> Harm (04:32):
Oh my goodness.
>> Brent (04:35):
Santa's elves.
>> Harm (04:38):
You know, what was his name again?
>> Bob (04:40):
Johnny Flanagan.
>> Brent (04:41):
Tommy Flanagan.
>> Harm (04:42):
No, the actor, the actor.
>> Brent (04:44):
What's his name?
>> Bob (04:45):
John Lovitz.
>> Harm (04:45):
Lovitz. Even at the 50th anniversary of Saturday
Night Live this year, they made him sit across the
street.
>> Brent (04:50):
Yeah, yeah. He was in a diner or something.
>> Bob (04:54):
Yeah.
>> Brent (04:54):
Why am I over here in this diner? Oh, don't worry
about it.
>> Harm (04:57):
Yeah, yeah, I love, love it. Sorry, go ahead.
>> Brent (05:01):
Hi, I'm Tonamy.
>> Bob (05:03):
Do I still get paid?
>> Brent (05:04):
That's fine for pathological liars and Adamants.
In fact, I'm, uh, I'm, I'm the president of the
organization. Yeah, that's.
>> Harm (05:10):
Hey, Bob, you want to talk about the next wine or
the first wine?
>> Brent (05:14):
Straight in the toilet we go. All right. So
Merriam Vineyards, uh, began when Peter Merriam,
after 20 years in the retail side of the whiskey.
Whiskey business. Wine business. Purchased the
property in 2000. Their wines are produced from
grapes grown on their estate vineyards at Miriam
Estate and Windacre vineyard in the Russian River
Valley. From the beginning, they've been committed
(05:35):
to sustainable farming practices and their 21 acre
estate is certified organic by the California
Certified Organic Farmers. Their Windacre
vineyard, located just north of the Miriam Estate,
was originally planted in the late 1800s and is
one of the oldest vineyard sites in Sonoma County.
So our first wine is the Miriam Daniels Estate,
(05:56):
Russian River Valley Fumay Blanc 2022. It's 14.3%
ABV, Sonoma, um, County, Russian River Valley, 90%
SA Blanc and 10% Simeon. So on the Color, kind of
a light, light gold on the nose. Honeysuckle melon
(06:25):
got a distinct sweetness on the nose. They
mentioned pineapple, and I'm just. I'm not getting
any of that. There is definitely a sweetness in
the nose, though, but. And on the palate. Hold on.
M. It's got some nice acidity to it. Lemon, um,
(06:51):
lots of lemon, regular lemon. Meyer's lemon tart
green apple. M. Almost a hint of lime on the
finish on the back palette. Very interesting.
What'd you think, Justin?
>> Bob (07:07):
Well, you can foo me once, but you'll never foo me
twice.
>> Harm (07:11):
God damn it.
>> Bob (07:14):
So I got candied ginger on the nose, melon and
slight hint of lemon on the palate.
>> Brent (07:21):
Every time I see you, remind me not to talk to
you, will you?
>> Bob (07:25):
On the palette, I got green apples. It was, uh,
nice and acidic, and I got green apple on the
finish, but that faded off, really, over time.
What did you think, Harm?
>> Harm (07:36):
This is not the style I like. This is old style
Fume Blanc from California, from the 80s and 90s
style. They're really going retro on this. They've
got 12 months of, uh, oak. From what I found
online, I could smell it on the. On the nose. I'm
not a fan of oak Sauvignon Blanc, I'd like give me
some clean concrete, egg, or stainless steel type
(07:57):
stuff. This is too much oak for me. And it's not
overly done. They've got time on the leaves.
There's 10% semillon to give some mouth. Nice
roundness on the mouth. I'm behind all that. But
on the nose, I'm just. It's overpowering. It's
overpowering with the oak. Toasty oak. I mean,
(08:17):
the, The. The melon is there. Bob got honeysuckle.
I get that. But it's just the toasty oak is. Is.
Is there. And it's the acidity cuts some of that.
So I understand why they did it, but it's just not
balanced the way I like.
>> Brent (08:30):
It's just not yours.
>> Harm (08:31):
It's not my style. It's.
>> Brent (08:33):
It's.
>> Harm (08:33):
It's old school.
>> Brent (08:34):
Robert Mondavi is what it is.
>> Harm (08:36):
Yeah, well, Mondavi made the term Fum Blanc to
describe the, uh, fog, uh, on the vineyards, the
smoke, because he didn't want to call it Sauvignon
Blanc, but it's Sauvignon Blanc and it's
California Sauvignon Blanc. It's. It's just not
the style. There's other California Sauvignon
Blancs I like. They're much More restroom
Restrained on the oak. That's not my thing.
>> Brent (08:56):
Yeah.
>> Harm (08:57):
Yeah. We're all different.
>> Brent (08:59):
Yeah. Everybody likes something different.
>> Harm (09:01):
I mean, I'm just. I'd be object. I'd object if you
gave it a high rating, though. What do we got for
it?
>> Brent (09:07):
Well, everybody likes something different. It's
just, you know, sometimes you're wrong.
>> Bob (09:10):
So, you know, is it Sir D lease or Misty in this
case?
>> Harm (09:14):
It's so bad.
>> Brent (09:16):
God.
>> Harm (09:17):
Misty Lean.
>> Brent (09:18):
Uh, yeah. No hope for you. So we're. No,
definitely not. We're going to give the, uh,
Miriam Daniels estate, Russian River Valley Fume
Blanc. Three sips.
>> Harm (09:32):
There we go.
>> Brent (09:34):
So that brings us to our next wine. We're gonna
have Justin tell us a little bit about that one.
>> Bob (09:38):
So we're going to talk about Miriam. Windacre
Vineyard, Russian river Valley. Merlot 20, 21.
>> Harm (09:44):
It's Windakere.
>> Brent (09:46):
Yes.
>> Bob (09:47):
And if you haven't been drinking, you're never
going to be able to say all those words. So it's
14 and a half percent alcohol by volume. It's 100%
merlot. It's from Sonoma Valley. Russian River
Valley. That's the Appalachian. And it's age 18
months and 30% new French oak. Um, the color looks
(10:08):
like red. Like wine.
>> Harm (10:11):
It's wine red.
>> Bob (10:12):
Wine red.
>> Brent (10:13):
Okay.
>> Bob (10:14):
On the nose, I got really, a lot of cigar box, um.
And faint notes of stuff that might be in a cigar
box. Like old pennies and some leaves. And on, um,
the palette, it was, like, very jammy. I like the
texture kind of like thick raspberry jam. And then
(10:36):
the palette just came off pretty light. What did
you think, Harm?
>> Harm (10:40):
Um, it doesn't smell like merlot to me.
>> Brent (10:45):
I'm just trying to figure out why is a sar. Why do
you have a cigar box.
>> Bob (10:47):
Full of leaves, tobacco leaves that have fallen
out of the middle? Because they've just been in
there too long.
>> Brent (10:54):
Thought he got them out of the yard.
>> Harm (10:55):
Cigars.
>> Brent (10:56):
Old cigars.
>> Harm (10:57):
All right.
>> Brent (11:01):
Hey. And we're back, and we were discussing the
second, uh, wine we've got here from Miriam.
What'd you think, Harm?
>> Harm (11:07):
It doesn't smell like merlot to me. There's a
little pluminess. There's a lot of good spice and
clove and coming out. Um, it's. It's like
blueberries. It's. I'm not getting that. The. The,
like, traditional merlot notes to me, I'm not
getting that chocolatiness at all. It's. It's
just. It's. They're growing merlot In Russian
(11:28):
River Valley. And it's really not known for great
merlot. They're known for great pinot noir and
chardonnay. Um, I guess people do grow Russian
River Valley more love. These guys obviously do.
And as for the color, um, wine dark like the sea.
Homer's Odyssey, before they had the word blue in
Greek.
>> Brent (11:46):
Ah.
>> Harm (11:47):
The sea was wine dark. There's no blue. It's kind
of cool.
>> Brent (11:51):
Yeah.
>> Harm (11:52):
So I. I like where you went with the, uh. What was
that? Red like wine Red like wine. Or it could be
like, uh, dark like the sea.
>> Brent (12:00):
Yeah.
>> Harm (12:00):
Here you go. Um, it's. It's interesting. It
doesn't. Like I said, not traditional merlot
notes, but still very pretty. It's not bad. It's
just not traditional merlot notes. The, uh, seems
like the alcohol is a little bit high at 14.5% on
(12:21):
this one. Lots of dark fruit. Um, good acidity.
Like, a little bit higher than I expect from.
Hello. It's just a little. It's nice and
interesting, but it's not what I expected. Bob,
what do you think?
>> Brent (12:37):
That's what your wife said when she met you?
>> Harm (12:39):
No.
>> Brent (12:40):
No.
>> Harm (12:40):
She was enamored, my friend.
>> Brent (12:41):
Yeah.
>> Harm (12:42):
I should have seen those eyes flash when she saw
me. That smile.
>> Brent (12:45):
That's what happens.
>> Harm (12:46):
That's what happened when they're reminiscing.
>> Brent (12:48):
That's what happened. The roofies hit her system
after the drink. Yeah, that's not flashing light.
>> Bob (12:54):
That's glazed over eyes.
>> Brent (12:56):
Okay. That's. Yeah. Okay.
>> Harm (12:59):
That white smile, man.
>> Brent (13:01):
Yeah.
>> Harm (13:02):
Love you, baby.
>> Brent (13:03):
As they roll. As the eyes roll back into her head.
Yeah. He has a complicated dating history, so.
>> Harm (13:09):
Um, I actually used to sell, um. Yeah, Bill Cosby
used to shop at my store.
>> Brent (13:16):
I'm sure he did.
>> Harm (13:17):
He bought Russian vodka.
>> Brent (13:19):
M. Expensive.
>> Harm (13:19):
M. Russian vodka. Hard to get stuff. So I'm
complicit, apparently, in some of those crimes.
>> Brent (13:25):
Yeah, it, uh, covered those vodkas. Yeah, it
covered up the taste.
>> Harm (13:29):
Okay.
>> Bob (13:30):
How does that make you feel?
>> Brent (13:32):
Yeah.
>> Bob (13:34):
Actually, he's the one that did the feeling.
>> Brent (13:36):
Yeah.
>> Bob (13:37):
Yeah.
>> Brent (13:38):
He feel like jello pudding. Uh, on the nose.
>> Harm (13:44):
We're on wine.
>> Brent (13:45):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
>> Bob (13:46):
Oh, is that what we're talking about?
>> Brent (13:48):
So on the nose, Definitely. There's. It's
definitely cedar. Some gar box, some dark berries,
blackberries. Yeah, it's got a real jammy kind of
nose. So, um, on the palette. Hold on.
>> Harm (14:13):
But does it scream merlot.
>> Brent (14:16):
Now?
>> Bob (14:17):
Whispers it.
>> Brent (14:21):
I mean, yeah. I mean, it doesn't scream merlot,
but it whispers melo for sure. I mean, I'm not
mistaking it for a cab.
>> Harm (14:29):
Right?
>> Brent (14:31):
But it is a little different than standard
profile, I'll give you that. But nonetheless.
Interesting. Yeah. Really nice. What'd you think,
Justin?
>> Bob (14:46):
I. I enjoyed this. It was red.
>> Brent (14:51):
It was jam.
>> Harm (14:52):
We already went. We went through Justin's review
already. Remember?
>> Bob (14:54):
He just wanted to see if it's red, like, stuff.
>> Harm (14:57):
It's red like wine.
>> Brent (14:58):
Okay.
>> Harm (14:59):
Dark, like to see.
>> Bob (15:01):
Actually, that's what you said.
>> Harm (15:05):
Homer said that in the Odyssey. The wine, dark
sea. Come on, man.
>> Bob (15:08):
Homer Simpson.
>> Brent (15:10):
I was gonna say. No, he said. Yeah, yeah. Wrong
Homer.
>> Bob (15:15):
That's where our audience face is.
>> Brent (15:17):
Homer Simpson. Okay.
>> Harm (15:19):
All right. Ratings. Ratings.
>> Brent (15:21):
Next one we're gonna give the Maryam Windacre.
Russian river valley, uh, merlot 2021. Uh, forceps
play.
>> Harm (15:29):
Are we. Yeah, that's classified. Really?
>> Brent (15:32):
Yeah.
>> Harm (15:33):
Thank you. Looking at the wrong one, dude.
>> Brent (15:35):
Nope.
>> Harm (15:35):
All right, man. The Miriam Diana's estate. Russian
River Valley Pinot Noir is our next wine. Is 2022.
14.2 ABV 100 Pinot Noir. The Appalachian is Sonoma
County, Russian river valley. Age for 12 months
and 20 new French oak. The color is what, like the
sea? No, it's translucent. Uh, ruby to garnet. The
(15:56):
nose is orange peel, black tea and raspberry and a
little bit of violet and a hint of rose petals.
And then the spice comes back. This is
quintessential. Quintessential Russian River
Valley Pinot Noir. This is varietally correct.
This is interesting and gorgeous. This is the one
should. That should be getting the higher rating.
(16:17):
Not that Merlot, you fool. Um, I love this wine.
This one's the one. This is the one I like. This
is the one. Just really impressive.
>> Brent (16:25):
Also. We're so glad we can make you like
something. It's all about you, apparently.
>> Harm (16:30):
It's all about me, man. It's all personal. Wine is
subjective, and I am the subject. Go. What's your.
What do you think, Bob?
>> Brent (16:36):
You're something. I don't know exactly what, but,
uh. Yeah.
>> Harm (16:42):
Well, what about you? You're having a glass of
wine?
>> Brent (16:45):
I'm not having a glass of wine.
>> Harm (16:47):
I'm having six.
>> Brent (16:48):
It's called a tasting, and it's classy. There you
go.
>> Harm (16:50):
So 100% sure.
>> Brent (16:52):
Well, let's see.
>> Harm (16:53):
So.
>> Brent (16:57):
The nose is definitely it. Definitely. Get the
black tea. Get dark fruit.
>> Harm (17:06):
Citrus hit me first, man. Citrus hit me first.
That orange peel hit me first.
>> Brent (17:09):
The thing that hits me first is the black tea.
Yeah, I mean, the citrus is there. It's. It's an
undernote but the black tea just leaps out into my
nose.
>> Harm (17:17):
Why's it got to be black tea, Bob?
>> Brent (17:20):
Sorry. Because I. I'm sorry. Unlike you. Yeah. Um.
Oh, yeah. Because I'm not a big green tea guy.
>> Harm (17:30):
I'm not green.
>> Brent (17:30):
Never have been.
>> Harm (17:31):
Never.
>> Brent (17:32):
It's not my thing. So on the palate. Hold.
>> Harm (17:37):
Mhm.
>> Brent (17:43):
Again, black tea notes. Cranberry.
>> Harm (17:47):
You don't get the citrus. The orange peel, it's
been harder. Black tea is there, but the black.
>> Brent (17:53):
Tea is, for me, is more forward than anything.
That's. I'm getting the tea. I get a bit of a tart
cranberry. I get the citrus on the back. There's.
>> Harm (18:01):
Cranberry is a good call.
>> Brent (18:02):
There's a kind of an herbal under note to it that
comes in on the back palate. On the finish. It's
got a nice finish. It stays with you.
>> Harm (18:11):
It's like time.
>> Brent (18:12):
Yeah. It's like you said, this is your
quintessential. If you went to the dictionary, it
said Russian River Pinot Noir. This is it. I mean,
this is. This is lovely. This is. I'm with you. I
love this one. What do you think, Justin?
>> Bob (18:26):
This changed a lot for me. So when it first came
out of the bottle, we had it. I got prominent
notes of wet sock and forest floor. And then those
faded to the background.
>> Harm (18:38):
I want to stab you sometimes.
>> Brent (18:40):
Hold on, I'll go get a knife.
>> Bob (18:42):
Yeah, they faded to the background and now I'm
getting the black tea and, uh, like orange.
Dehydrated orange dust on. On the front. And, um.
>> Brent (18:55):
Yeah, I was just saying the other day as I was
dusting, this dust is like dehydrated oranges.
Yeah, it's what.
>> Bob (19:04):
Dehydrated orange powder. You know, like, um, what
you get with people you send to the moon. They got
all the dehydrated tang.
>> Brent (19:10):
You're saying it tastes like Tang?
>> Bob (19:12):
Yeah, but tang. If it was like high end Tang.
>> Harm (19:16):
You.
>> Brent (19:17):
You imbecile.
>> Harm (19:18):
You bloated idiot. You stupid fat you.
>> Brent (19:24):
I'm with Peter Laurie. I'm just. I'm. I'm beside
myself.
>> Harm (19:28):
I don't. I don't think it's. I don't get. I
understand where you're going with it. I really
do. The dehydrated orange peel, but, uh, with that
dustiness, it's got the dustiness of the tannins,
but to me it's the oil from the. The rind of an
orange, so that's okay.
>> Brent (19:42):
Fair enough.
>> Harm (19:44):
So anyway, before you set it on.
>> Bob (19:46):
Fire in the Cocktail?
>> Harm (19:47):
Yeah, of course.
>> Brent (19:48):
Yeah. All right, fair enough. Yeah.
>> Harm (19:50):
Just.
>> Brent (19:50):
Just the peel, none of the pith.
>> Harm (19:53):
It's just very fragrant and pretty. Yeah.
>> Brent (20:01):
Hey, and we're back and we were just finishing,
uh, up our discussion on the Miriam Diana's Estate
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Anybody else have
anything else you wanted to say?
>> Bob (20:12):
Nope.
>> Brent (20:13):
Nope. The man of. Shut up, would you? You talk too
much.
>> Harm (20:19):
I just. I really cannot get over how good the nose
in this wine is. I love that.
>> Brent (20:23):
It's real pretty.
>> Harm (20:24):
That just balance gorgeous citrus and floral notes
and. And the black tea backbone is there. You guys
only smell black tea? Apparently, at front. To me,
it's the backbone of this wine. Oh, um, it's so
good.
>> Bob (20:36):
One man's black teas, other man's wet sock and
forest.
>> Harm (20:44):
After the show, remind me to stab it. Okay, we got
three more wines to go get.
>> Brent (20:47):
I'll get you a knife right now if you just cover
the microphone for me. So.
>> Bob (20:52):
So, um, I would be applied to the audience.
>> Harm (20:54):
It's Got it. And the other thing we didn't
mention, it's got a really good long finish.
>> Brent (20:58):
Yeah, yeah.
>> Harm (20:59):
What do we got for your rating, sir?
>> Brent (21:01):
Well, we're going to be giving the Miriam Diana's
Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2022 A well
deserved. Four sips there.
>> Harm (21:10):
No objection there. That's perfect.
>> Brent (21:12):
And although we don't actually have it down on the
script, they were also kind enough to send us a
small bottle of, uh, some of their estate grown
extra virgin olive oil that we've been eating for
the last, oh, hour and a half.
>> Harm (21:25):
It's not the olive oil, it's. It's the baguette
that's messing up my blood sugar right now. Thank
you, Bob. Yeah, well, been trying to start on yelp
for you.
>> Brent (21:31):
Been trying to get rid of you forever. And it's
the easiest way out. So.
>> Harm (21:34):
Kill me, kill me, kill me with wine and bread what
a way to go.
>> Brent (21:39):
But no lovely oil. M. Yeah, much more, um, Ols
vary, you know, some are more green, some are more
peppery. This is more on the green side.
>> Harm (21:50):
Yeah.
>> Brent (21:50):
Pretty, but really pretty. Really well done. It's
amazing when you go out to California, there's
vines growing here and there's orange trees over
there, and then over here there's olives. I swear
to God, they can grow anything in that place.
Yeah. But, uh, yeah, whenever there's. Whenever we
go to a winery, when we go out to California, if
they've got olive oil, I've got to bring A bottle
(22:12):
of that back. So kind of a oil.
>> Harm (22:14):
The perfect economy accompaniment for your Publix
baguette.
>> Brent (22:19):
Exactly. Hey, Publix makes the finest bread. Come
on. I know the guys in France, I think they've got
that down. But yeah, heck with them. All right,
well, Justin, tell us about our next winery.
>> Bob (22:29):
Martin Ray Pioneer. Dedicated to crafting single
varietal region specific wine from 1943 to 1972 in
Saratoga, the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Mentored by the famed producer early California
sparkling wines, Paul Masson, um, Ray took a
(22:53):
Burgundian approach to winemaking and developed
what is now one of the most historical properties
in California, known as Mount Eden. Nearly 20
years after Martin Ray's passing, Courtney Benham
purchased the brand in 1990. In 2003, Martin Ray
(23:15):
Vineyards and Winery made its home in the Russian
River Valley on the edge of Green Valley at one of
the oldest continuously working wineries in
California. Originally established in 1881.
>> Brent (23:30):
Wow.
>> Bob (23:31):
So the first wine we're going to talk about is the
Martin Ray Hallberg Ranch River. Russian River
Valley Pinot Noir 2022. It's 13.2%. It's a, uh,
Russian River Valley appellation. It's a hundred
percent Pinot Noir fermented separately in small
open top fermenters with gentle punch downs.
(23:54):
Maintained at moderate temperatures until dry
basket pressed and racked to 30% new French oak
for 12 months, 38% Pomard and 62% clone. 115
gentle punch downs.
>> Harm (24:11):
This home of your sex, we name your sex type.
>> Brent (24:13):
Yes.
>> Bob (24:14):
Hallberg Ranch is, ah, available at VHS near you.
Hallberg Ranch is 100% dry farm vineyard set on
rolling hills where Green Valley southern edge
meets the Russian River Valley. So the color is
ruby red. And my pages are stuck together probably
(24:38):
because of the punch down video. The nose is nice,
dusty, plummy on the palette. I got cherry
blossoms, I got like dried fruits. Fennel. Uh, I
think this would go really good with pho, or pho,
whatever they call it. Vietnamese soup. Subtle
(25:01):
touches of violets and lavender and it was nice.
The finish was pleasant. What did you think,
Harmeet?
>> Harm (25:10):
I think that call and the fennel was, is good. I
didn't really figure out what I was smelling
there, what that spice was until you said it,
which is crazy because we eat a lot of fennel in
Indian cuisine. Uh, the note, the colors, that
translucent ruby you're talking about, I got
raspberry roses, violets and baking spice. And
then fennel that was on the nose, that was it uh,
(25:34):
on the palette, I just can't. I didn't. Don't even
go to the palette. I keep on coming back to smell
it. Every time I smell it, it just keeps getting
more interesting and complex. Sometimes the spice
note hits, sometimes the floral note hits. It's
really. I just want to smell this wine. So
gorgeous.
>> Brent (25:52):
Smell it, baby.
>> Harm (25:53):
There's a hint of, uh, that, that orange peel too
as well, but not much. That's not like that, that
much, that orange we got in the previous Pinot
noir. Yeah, but just a hint. Like more like your
dried orange peel you're talking about. Um,
gorgeous. I just love the nose on the palate. I
(26:15):
think it's a little bit lacking here because the
acidity is a little bit too high. It's over the
top of the acidity. I could use a little more tan
in here. Uh, it's silky on the palate. Got good
fruit flavors, got that herbal note, got those
floral notes, but little. The acid's a little too
(26:37):
high and the finish is a little bit short. Bob,
what do you think?
>> Brent (26:40):
Well, like you, I, I think the nose on this wine
is absolutely fantastic. This is one you could
just literally sit there and smell.
>> Harm (26:50):
All day, all night, just smell this. Just. And a
nice bowl of pho. With beef. Beef marrow.
>> Brent (26:58):
Oh, yeah, it's rose petals, violets, there's
pomegranate in there. There's, um, an herbalness
to it underneath, an underlying herbalness to it.
(27:18):
But that floral note is just absolutely beautiful
and just a slight, slight hint of cherry. Like a
tart cherry.
>> Harm (27:26):
You know what that herbal note to me is? Bay leaf.
>> Brent (27:29):
Mhm.
>> Harm (27:33):
Just a little bit of bay leaf.
>> Brent (27:36):
And I'm, I don't know, the, the acidity doesn't
bother me. Maybe just slightly a little bit hot.
>> Harm (27:47):
I could use a little more tannin on this one.
>> Brent (27:48):
I could definitely use a little more tannin on it.
I think they, I think it would, you know,
definitely, uh, round out the palette a little bit
more. But, um, all in all, I think a very good
wine. Um, and the nose on it is absolutely
fantastic.
>> Harm (28:03):
So you know what it is? You didn't serve this
with, uh, bone marrow. You served us just plain
bread. This is the, this is your fault, Bob.
That's why they have to.
>> Brent (28:14):
Well, I could take Justin out in the back with an
ax. I mean, I, I know he wants.
>> Bob (28:18):
To after my flavor notes from this show. Uh, uh,
just give him a reason.
>> Brent (28:25):
But yeah. Ah, overall, just a really, really
pretty wine. So we're going to be giving the, um,
Martin Ray Hallberg Ranch Russian River Valley
Pinot Noir 2022. Uh, three sips. Interesting. So
that takes us to our next wine from Martin Ray.
(28:47):
Um, let me grab it. Which is the Martin Ray
Diamond Mountain District Napa Valley Cabernet
Sauvignon 2021. It is 14.2% ABV. Uh, Napa Valley
Appalachian Diamond Mountain Vineyard. 100%
Cabernet Sauvignon fermented in small 4 to 6 ton
open top fermenters with rice. Daily pumpovers for
(29:10):
cap management. Upon finishing fermentation, the
wine is allowed to rest on its skins for up to a
month, aged in 60% new French oak for 18 months.
So let's take a look here at the color. Got a
really nice dark, dark garnet, some nice, yeah,
(29:35):
very nice color. Uh, and on the nose, uh,
cherries, raspberries. And we'll be back.
>> Harm (29:54):
Smells like we'll be back.
>> Brent (30:01):
Hey. And we're back. Um, so on the nose again. Um,
pomegranates, violets. On the palette though. M.
This is the Martin Ray Hallberg Ranch or the
Martin Ray Diamond m District Cabernet 21. Um,
(30:27):
yeah, dark cherries, raspberries.
>> Harm (30:32):
Plum.
>> Brent (30:32):
Um, there's a minerality in there. There's a
little bit of a dustiness, maybe a little
graphite. It's got a nice firm mouth feel. Coats
the tongue, gets the front side in the back. Um,
got a good acidity to it. Got really nice tannin.
(31:00):
I like this one a lot. What'd you think, Justin?
>> Bob (31:02):
It's a very complex wine. It's got a. I feel like
I'm got my back to a room where they're drying
tobacco and then there's like, uh.
>> Harm (31:14):
But you're not facing that room.
>> Bob (31:16):
No, it's behind me. Then in front of me is like a
bunch of tanks of wine and, uh, just enjoying like
tobacco, meats, fruit. And there's a beautiful
dryness on the palette. And the finish is light
(31:36):
and dry. It's not its strongest component, but
the, um, the nose is really where it's at on this
one.
>> Harm (31:45):
Loved it.
>> Bob (31:46):
What'd you think, Harmeet?
>> Harm (31:47):
Um, at first I was. Didn't know what to think
about this wine because it didn't have traditional
Cabernet notes. For me, it turns out it just
needed air. And you, you may have heard me, uh,
using the aerator next to the microphone there
because I poured another glass of it.
>> Brent (32:02):
I just thought you just said Indian food again.
>> Harm (32:07):
Those noises, that wasn't my gut.
>> Brent (32:09):
Um, I know it wasn't. Your gut? No, it was
somewhere else.
>> Harm (32:12):
This is the 2021 cabernet sauvignon. Um, and I
think it needs more time.
>> Brent (32:17):
Oh, it definitely needs more m. Time.
>> Harm (32:18):
Uh, we, We. We killed a child here, man. This wine
is way too young to be drinking right now.
>> Brent (32:24):
Yeah, it's. I feel guilty, you know, drinking it,
rating it, because it definitely. A couple more
years at least. It's just. I mean, it's great now,
but it's just gonna get better.
>> Harm (32:35):
So I. That's why I was a little put off by it at
first, but giving it time, uh, to breathe, you
know, it's been sitting here open for over an hour
while we've been discussing wines. And, um, you
know, we start tasting, you know, quite a bit
before we start recording. And then I just pour
through the aerator again and I'm getting some
(32:55):
more traditional cab notes. There's like a hint of
cassis there, but more black cherry tobacco, like
you said. Uh, you've got the Tobacco Barn behind
you, not in front of you. Right. But in the
vicinity somewhere. I smell that Tobacco Barn, uh,
black plum bay, um, leaf, white pepper. It's. It's
(33:18):
got really hints of leather, um, coming out as
well. And then on the palate, it's just lots of
fruit and tobacco.
>> Bob (33:29):
Rather have the bottle in front of me than a
frontal lobotomy.
>> Harm (33:35):
I was spitting out the wine just now. I'm going to
spit it across the room. Um, thank you. Welcome.
Ah, very plush mouthfeel. This wine is wonderful.
It's just. We just drank it too young. Yeah, I
like it a lot.
>> Brent (33:46):
Yeah, unfortunately, that's, you know, how many
times do we say this on the show? Because, you
know, we're. We're getting whatever the current
release is, and that's our job is to sort of taste
through it. And sometimes it, you know, it tastes
like it tastes, but sometimes you taste it and you
go, yeah, this is.
>> Bob (34:05):
It could taste potential.
>> Brent (34:06):
This is going to be so much better, uh, in a
couple of years. So, yeah, we're going to be, uh,
we're going to be giving the, um, Martin Ray, uh,
Diamond Mountain District, uh, Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon 20, 21. Um, three sips, but I
think, I.
>> Harm (34:24):
Think it deserves higher. I think just the
potentials, though.
>> Brent (34:26):
Yeah, it's. It's a openness. Next year it'll
probably be four, four and a half. So that takes
us to our last wine, and we're going to have Harm
tell us about that one.
>> Harm (34:38):
Our final wine of the evening. Is the inception.
Sorry, is this Martin Ray Synthesis? The inception
of synthesis was 1997 with the intention of making
a flagship wine that was defining a representation
for their love of the vintage. What does that
mean? What weird markets.
>> Brent (34:55):
You read it wrong. That was a defining
representation of their love for the vintage. You
read it wrong.
>> Harm (35:00):
I'm dyslexic, but whatever.
>> Brent (35:02):
Well, you're something.
>> Harm (35:03):
Uh, I've been drinking. And each year they set out
to highlight each Synthesis vintage by blending
their best barrels. So Martin Ray Synthesis Napa
Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is 14.3% ABV. It's
Napa Valley 100% cab grape sourced from Oak Knoll,
Mount Veder, Rutherford and Diamond Mountain
District. Hand picked grapes fermented in small
(35:25):
five ton open top fermenters for two weeks with
pumpover and 40% new French oak. New French and
American oak for 16 months. The color is an opaque
garnet with, uh, ruby edges. It's freaking
gorgeous. The nose berries and cassis and black
(35:47):
olive and thyme. Uh, I just got ripe red fruit,
black olives. Such good acidity on the nose too.
It's really balanced and bright. Wonderful
(36:08):
mouthfeel. Absolutely silky.
>> Brent (36:11):
Gorgeous.
>> Harm (36:12):
The, uh, balance of tannin and acidity here is
absolutely perfect. This is what I really like.
Sweet and savory fruit. And again, that olive on
the palette. Floral notes. Uh, this is, this one's
the one I want. Yeah. Bring this one home, man.
(36:33):
What do you think, Justin?
>> Bob (36:34):
So I got nice oak on the nose to start and then
that Rutherford dust note came after that. Um,
it's a really nice blend of the different
Appalachians. You got the Christmas, the crispness
of the Diamond Mountain District. You got the body
of Mount Veeder.
>> Harm (36:53):
You said rubbing for dust already. Yeah.
>> Bob (36:55):
Smoothness of, um, Oak Knoll. They did a great
job. Keep making this, please. It's my advice.
>> Harm (37:06):
Yeah.
>> Brent (37:06):
What do you think about, uh. I loved it. Um, this
was the highlight of the, of this episode. This
one was really, really well done. Um, again, all
three of their wines were lovely. One was just,
ah, it just. I'm, um, still. And this is 22. And
the last one was a 21. It just goes to show you.
>> Harm (37:26):
So the 21 needs more time. The 22 is drinking
perfectly right now.
>> Brent (37:30):
Yeah, I mean it's, it's so well balanced. It's
just the black olives just leap out of the glass.
Dark red berries, a little bit of cherry in there.
The currants, the thyme. I mean the nose on this
thing is just absolutely fantastic. Mhm. And the
(37:55):
palate's even better. It's so well balanced. The
acidity is there, the tannin is there. They just
balance in complete harmony. Really, really,
really nice. So we're going to be giving the
Martin Ray synthesis Napa Valley Cabernet
Sauvignon 5 sips.
>> Harm (38:13):
Oh my goodness.
>> Brent (38:19):
So there you go. That's, uh, that's all we have
the time for today. We've eaten, we've drank.
Well, we've eaten at least a loaf of bread and a
quart of olive oil. So it's a good day.
>> Harm (38:31):
Yeah.
>> Brent (38:33):
I do love it when they send the olive oil. Um, I
want to thank our host for joining us. Thank you,
Justin.
>> Bob (38:40):
Pleasure to be here. Ready for my nap?
>> Brent (38:42):
Yeah, me too. I think Harm's already asleep. Harm,
are you sleep?
>> Harm (38:46):
The wine and the bread and my blood sugar says nap
time, baby.
>> Brent (38:50):
Your wife's been trying to get us to kill you for
years. This is how we're trying to do it. It's
just going to take us 25 years to do it.
>> Bob (38:56):
So.
>> Harm (38:56):
Yeah, she gets the insurance. My answer.
>> Brent (38:58):
Yeah, she gets it or who?
>> Harm (39:01):
Yeah, my daughter.
>> Brent (39:02):
Okay, there you go. Well, this is made man Bob,
reminding your wife is too short to drink bad
wine. Unfortunately, today we didn't have to do
that.
>> Bob (39:11):
Yeah, that's right.
>> Announcer (39:14):
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>> Harm (39:23):
Give it a little tappy. Tap, tap, taparoo.
>> Announcer (39:26):
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(39:49):
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>> Bob (39:53):
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Come back, join us for another episode and keep on
sipping.
(40:25):
This has been a one tan hand production of Sips
Suds, uh and Smokes, a program devoted to the
appreciation of some of the finer slices of life.
From the dude in the basement Studios. Your host,
the good old boys will see you all next time, Sa.
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