You may be wondering, what exactly is The Great Whatsit? And where does it come from? How did I get it? Well I'll answer all that for you! The Great Whatsit is a Domain547 selection and this year it is a 2005 Syrah from Santa Ynez Valley. Domaine547 intends to have a Great Whatsit bottled every year, though there's no telling Whatsit will be from year to year! I purchased this wine from Domaine547 for $20, it clocks in at 14.9% alcohol by volume, and comes under a screw cap closure.


On the nose I found plums, cinnamon, baking spice, cobbler, pie, blackberries, licorice, espresso. It smelled like my kitchen when I've been baking, a veritable buffet of my favorite fruity cinnamony desserts all wrapped up into the nose of a wine! In the mouth I got flavors of black cherry, plums, bitter coffee, blackberry, and spice.

Overall, the wine had some tannins to spare, so let it air a bit or save it for a year. This is a dark wine, big and fruity, with a nice finish. Quite yummy! I think it might be up to $25 as I got it at an introductory price, but as with many of the wines Jill has recommended for me, this is great at the price point!

Matt and I love Michel Schlumberger. So on our most recent CA adventure it was a no brainer to stop by for a 2nd attempt at a tasting when we were out and about with Russ (who I will be hiking with on Wednesday!) and Patrick (who hopefully can join me for lunch on Thursday, haven't talked to him yet...) in Sonoma. I will also be heading back to Michel Schlumberger this coming week for another tasting! I promised you yesterday that I'd take a look and dig up my notes from the latest tasting as a preview for the upcoming Bin Ends Wine live Twitter tasting!

We tasted through the current line up, and some barrel samples, though I know since the tasting, the 2006 Chardonnay has come out, as well as the 2007 Pinot Blanc (which you can get through the tasting pack I created for Domaine547.)

2006 Pinot Blanc: Crisp, citrus, melon, tropical, one of my favorite CA white wines that I've had the pleasure of tasting.

2005 La Brume Chardonnay (the 2006 will be part of the Bin Ends Wine tasting): apple butter, lemon, pinepple, very tasty.

2004 Pinot Noir: Estate grown, cherry cola, cherries, raspberries, tannic, I bought two bottles to bring home with us.

2005 Syrah (part of the Bin Ends Tasting): chocolate, tannic, dark fruit, dark berries. I have a bottle from a club shipment. You can find my full tasting notes from the post I wrote on this wine here.

2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Deux Terres: minty, herbal, strawberry, tannic, needs some time, very nice though

2003 Cabernet (the 2004 will be part of the Bin Ends Wine tasting): sweet currants, cherry, very fruity, tasty. I have the 2004 from a club shipment.

2005 Deux Terres Cabernet Sauvignon: Barrel Sample. Dark chocolate, herbs, slight berry, licorice, dark fruit, tannic. I expect this one to be excellent on bottling.

So there you have it. I don't have any notes for the Merlot we will be tasting, though I did have the 2002 Merlot in 2007 and thought it was good. I hope you will all join us on September 18, 7pm est for the live Twitter tasting!

The wine for the evening was the 2003 Esporao Trincadeira 2003. I purchased this wine from Domaine547 for $24.99, it clocked in at 14.5% alcohol by volume, hails from Portugal, and I believe it had a real cork closure, though to be honest I didn't write it down. (For some reason my Firefox spell check has decided that it doesn't like contractions anymore...)

On the nose I found blueberry, spice, blackberry, plum, raisins, prunes, vanilla, and toast. The wine's nose struck me as a combination of a Syrah and Petite Sirah. I purchased this bottle in my quest to try some new varietals, so I had absolutely no expectations leading into trying the Trincadeira grape, nor do I have anything to compare it to!

In the mouth I got flavors of blueberry, plum, blackberry, spice, baking spice, and raisins. The wine had huge tannins. It was full in the mouth, fruity up front, but drying in the back palate. I was really struck by the blueberry in this wine, making me lean almost toward it being kind of Peite Sirah like.

We drank this on its own, but I think with the big tannins it would have shown with a nice thick steak or a rack of lamb.

*Disclaimer: I received this wine from Domaine547 as a sample.

The wine for the evening was a 2005 Wise Semillon Sauvignon Blanc Classic White from Australia. In case it wasn't obvious, it's a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. It clocked in at 13% alcohol by volume, had a screw cap closure, and it could, at one time be purchased from Domaine547 for $16.99, but I am incredibly tardy in my review and they are sold out. Not that I get too many samples or anything, but I think I made a mistake in putting them in the wine racks where they would belong if they were wines I purchases. From now on I will clear a rack and designate it for sample so I will be much more timely in my reviews. Sorry Jill!. But I figured I'd review this one anyway in case Jill gets the 2006 in stock and to show you again how great Jill's selection of wine is.

On the nose I found lemon, melon, and white pepper. The nose was reserved a bit, but the melon definitely came out as the glass warmed up a touch. In the mouth I got tropical fruit, pineapple, peach, lime, and lemon.

The wine was acidic, crisp, and tart. I expected the Semillon to weigh it down a bit, but that was not the case at all. I'd describe the flavors in this wine as tongue-tingling...your taste buds felt a little prickly as you drank it. This was certainly a different blend for me and very tasty. Another great choice from Jill.

And it's only available now through Domaine547! Many moons ago, Jill of Domaine547 approached me with the idea that I would create a bloggerpack of wines that she would sell with my stamp of approval through her wine shop. (Please note, I am not in any way financially involved in Domaine547 and the benefits I received for doing this are not monetary, but instead it was for the experience. In other words, I have no financial stake in you buying this bloggerpack.)

I alluded to this project in an earlier post on Breggo Rose, mentioning how it would be part of an upcoming project. I've been working with Jill for several months now to come up with wines that I really like and that Jill could get. We tossed back and forth a bunch of ideas and I finally settled on a selection of summer sippers from California. All of the wines come from wineries that Matt and I have visited in our travels, and I am very happy to be able to present them all in one place through Domaine547.

In my humble opinion, these wines are perfect for the summer weather we've been experiencing here in the DC area, and I would easily recommend them to sweep away the summer heat. Without further ado, the wines are:

2006 Mauritson Sauvignon Blanc

2007 Michel Schlumberger Pinot Blanc

2007 Breggo Rose of Syrah

The total cost of the pack is $55 plus shipping and handling, which represents a really great deal for these 3 wines. So if you are so inclined, head on over to Domaine547 and buy one! Make sure to let me know what you think of the wines!

Many thanks to Jill for the opportunity and for letting me borrow Budo Kun for the announcement!

I recently got around to finishing up all but one of the last 6 wines I purchased from Domaine547 in my quest to search out some new and interesting grapes from countries I tend not to turn to frequently. This wine fell squarely in both categories, I rarely drink wine from Portugal (mainly because not much is carried in my local stores) and I had never even heard of the grape!

The wine was a 2006 Quinta do Alqueve Fernao Pires, from the Ribatejo DOC in Portugal. It's a white wine that clocks in at 13% alcohol by volume, has a real cork closure, and cost me $9.99 from Domaine547 (apparently I'm also on a bargain wine kick!).

The best way that I can think of to describe this grape, the Fernao Pires grape, is that it seems like a cross between Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. It's crisp and refreshing like the Sauvignon Blanc, but has the aromatics and slightly heavier oily characteristic of a Viognier.

On the nose I found citrus, lemon, pineapple, and peach. In the mouth, the wine was heaver than I expected from the nose, and slightly oily, like the mouthfeel I expect from Viognier. Crisp citrus showed up front with heavier ripe peaches dominating the finish. I mostly found lemon and lime.

Overall the wine was dry with good structure. I served it with crab legs, the first we've had in a while, and it was a great match. I do love a good Sauvignon Blanc with my crab legs, and since this wine reminded me a bit of Sauvignon Blanc, it makes sense as a pairing for me. This is definitely not one to be missed at this price point, especially if you are into trying out new types of wine!

I purchased this wine a few months ago in a 6 pack of interesting wines I ordered from Domaine547 in my search for different things to review. The wine was a 2006 Dehesa Gago Tempranillo from Toro, Spain. The wine cost me $12.99 (a steal), had a real cork closure and clocked in at 14.5% alcohol by volume. I also want to try the Tinto de Toro that Domaine547 has available from the same producer!

The nose of the wine showed currants, dark cherries, and pepper. The nose was slightly sweet smelling and very fruity. In the mouth I found blueberry, currants, dark fruit, and spices.

Overall the wine was smooth and dark and very yum. We drank this by itself, but it seemed to lend itself well to being food friendly and could easily match with lots of different things. Especially at the price, this is a great every day wine for dinner!

The bottle for the night was the 2006 Hocus Pocus Syrah. I picked this bottle up from Domaine547 for $17.99. I know it had a real cork closure, and I didn't write down the alcohol content, but I believe it was somewhere in the low-14% range. The wine hails from the Central Coast of California.

On the nose I found cobbler, both blueberry and blackberry,
with cedar spice (and by that I do mean spiced Cedar wood, neither one nor the other), vanilla and pepper. In the mouth there were dark berries, especially blackberries, and it was a woody wine, in the sense of a dark forest. The wine was dark, silky, and well balanced.

I thought this wine was an excellent value for the price tag, and I loved the cobbler on the nose!

The wine for the evening was a 2006 Gazur Tempranillo Ribera del Duero from the Compania de vinos Telmo Rodriguez. I purchased this bottle from Domaine547 for $14.99, it had a real cork closure, comes from Spain, and clocked in at 13.5% alcohol by volume. I got the recommendation for this wine from Jill, the owner of Domaine547. She has yet to steer me wrong with a bottle, and I was again pleased with this wine.

On the nose I found blackberry, raspberry, other red fruits that I couldn't place, spice, and leather. I almost swear I can smell the tannins on the nose of the wine! I also thought the nose had a very juicy aroma. In the mouth, the blackberries were the dominate fruit, big and juicy blackberries, as if I had picked them fresh from the farm. I almost thought I tasted a bit of blueberry after the wine had been in my glass for a while.

The wine had lots of fruit flavors, but also showed enough tannin that I think you could keep it around if you didn't want to drink it right away, thought it is drinking very well now. The flavor profile seemed like a classic Tempranillo. I was impressed with the value of this wine, a very good buy for $14.99.

I've been meaning to do this review for quite a while, and have been really remiss in not getting it up sooner. Several months ago, Jill of Domaine547 contacted me and asked if I would like to receive a blogger sample pack for review. I accepted her kind offer and shortly thereafter a box with 3 bottles of wine, cute Domaine547 coasters, a newsletter, and descriptions of the wines arrived at my doorstep. I've reviewed two of those wines, the 2003 Vinas del Cenit Tempranillo and the 2005 Braida di Giacomo Montebruna Barbera. I have one more bottle left to review, which I will hopefully have up for you soon.

I took the first two bottles of wine as an indication of Jill's taste in wine and was thrilled with both bottles. Matt and I loved both of them, and wouldn't hesitate to buy either again (actually, I tried to buy more of the Cenit, but Jill has sadly sold out of that one recently, well, I guess sadly for me and happily for her!). In fact, I enjoyed it so much, that when it came time to send one of my best friends a ChristmaHanukairthday gift I didn't hesitate to return to Domaine547 and ask Jill to ship out a bottle of it (plus a couple others) out to my friend. My friend was thrilled with the wine and Jill was very prompt in packaging it up and shipping it out. I was also very happy with her recommendations. I gave her a price range and asked her to suggest some fun bottles in that span and she came back very quickly with many suggestions, all of which would have been excellent choices.

I've been incredibly pleased with the customer service from Domaine547, I recently had Jill ship me a case of Grande Cassagne Rose at a most excellent price (cheaper even with the shipping than I could find it around me!) and am currently working with her to buy some more interesting and different wines for my cellar (or stomach, we all know how long wine lasts around my house....)!

I look forward to a continued relationship with Jill and Domaine547, as I am always thrilled to find someone who is able to quickly and easily recommend wines that are to my liking. With her fun website, easy-going personality, and quick response time, I highly recommend Jill and Domaine547 as an online wine merchant.

2007 was a great year wine-wise for me. I've now got three places that are my go-tos for wine that I love and is well priced. One is local, The Winery in Alexandria, and the others are online, WineQ, and Domaine547.

*Disclaimer: I received this bottle in a sample pack from Domaine547.

I have very recently fallen in love with Barbera. We've had several bottles in the last month and they have all been gorgeous. It's not a varietal I have a lot of experience with, but you can bet that I will be continuing to seek it out in the coming months. A nice, earthy red, with plenty of tasty fruit, it seems perfect of the pastas and stews we tend to eat in the winter. Jill of Domaine547 sent this bottle to me, not knowing (as I have yet to post those reviews) that this is quickly becoming a prized grape in our house!

The wine was a 2--5 Braida di Giacomo Bologna "Montebruna Barbera" d'Asti. It's made of 100% Barbera grapes and is actually fermented in stainless steel for 2 weeks before being aged in oak for a year. The wine clocked in at 14% alcohol by volume, had a real cork closure, and can be purchased from Domaine547 for $24.99.

On the nose, there was a little bit of sour funk that quickly blew off to reveal an excellent wine. Showing through were aromas of leather, black cherries, and a slightly earthy note. At this point, I finally tasted the wine and my first note was "omg yum." I found black cherry, which reminded me a bit of cherry Juicy Juice(which is still one of my favorite things, I am a kid at heart), but for adults. Plummy, with both red and black berries, the wine was smoky and had a lot of depth of flavor. This is one I would definitely buy at this price.

Thanks Domaine547, we really enjoyed this bottle!

*Disclaimer: I received this wine in a sample pack from Domaine547 for my review.

Domine 547 that is.

The wine was a 2003 Vinas del Cenit Tempranillo, Castilla y Leon, Spain. Specifically from Vino de la Tierra de Zamora. The bottle had a real cork closure and is available from Domaine 547 for $19.99. Matt tossed the bottle before I could record the alcohol content, sorry folks. It's actually made from 100% Tempranillo grapes, which might be a first for me, many have something else blended in!

On the nose the wine was smoky with blackberries and black currants being the predominant fruits that showed through. The blackberry was big and jumped out of the glass. I also found spices, espresso, and bitter chocolate. The nose was very complex and once again Matt tried to steal the wine away from me! In the mouth the wine was silky. Blackberries, black cherries, anise, dark chocolate, and coffee came through in the flavor of the wine.

The smokiness of the wine was very unique. It was apparent in both the mouth and nose and added a very intriguing element to the the wine. Although the wine is drinking beautifully now, I think it could still have some time in the cellar and be even better. At such a low price from Domaine 547, this is an excellent bargain, especially since I see it selling elsewhere around the internet for anywhere from $30-$50!!

For the second time in recent memory I felt like I should be wearing a smoking jacket while drinking this wine, making deals in a back room. It was dark with lots of depth. And it just so happened that I was actually wearing the sweater that I refer to as my smoking jacket the night we drank this bottle! So I made Matt take a picture of me for you, the only thing missing is my computer which he made me put down for the picture.