The Week in Wine

I wanted to make this blog entry a recap of the last week starting Friday, February 1st and finishing tonight, Sunday the 10th In the past week, including last weekend, a few bottles of wine were consumed. Some wines were had with dinner and some just to drink with friends over conversation. This is the most in one week in a while for me. The last few weeks have been wine-light for me since the holidays passed, sans the Barbera blowout offline dinner I attended two weeks ago with some members of the Robert Parker Bulletin Board.

Friday, 2/1 2006 Three Thieves, Bandit ($8) 2006 Pinot Grigio, California (1 glass with scallops)
Friday, 2/1 2006 Mollydooker Cabernet Sauvignon Maitre'D ($20), Mc Claren-Vale, Australia (shared with Lisa and our good friend Elizabeth Haight)
Saturday, 2/2 2002 Château Pradeaux Bandol ($30), France (shared at dinner with friends for Dino's birthday)
Monday, 2/3 2006 Les Domaines Barons De Rothschild Reserve Speciale ($14)Bordeaux Blanc
Tuesday, 2/4 2006 Chateau Pesquie Viognier ($14) Vin d'Pays, Rhone - dinner at home
Thursday, 2/6 2002 D'Arenberg Laughing Magpie Shiraz/Viognier ($22) Mc Claren-Vale, Australia - dinner at home- Mexican
Friday, 2/7 Mongeard-Mugneret - Savigny-Les-Beaune Les Narbantons 1er Cru ($32 retail), red Burgundy (dinner at Amanda's in Hoboken)
Saturday, 2/8 Neyers Merlot Neyers Ranch Conn Valley ($46) - filet mignon at home
Sunday, 2/9 2001 Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga ($33) - Had with my favorite Piedmontese dinner: Osso Bucco)

The Bandol, the Burgundy and the Barolo were by far my favorites and are highlighted below!

2002 Chateau Pradeaux, Bandol $28 – Decanted at the table. Dark purple in color. Aromas of lavender and Provencal herbs, funky tobacco, some mocha and trace notes of black fruits emerged from the glass. In the mouth it was tighter and not as revealing as the nose telling me this baby has a little while to go. *** (could be ***1/2 with more time). Mostly Grenache and some Syrah.

2004 Mongeard-Mugneret, Savigny-Les-Beaune, Les Narbantons 1er Cru, Burgundy $32 – Classic Red Burgundy (Pinot Noir)! Light plum color in the center, ruby red on the edges. Smells of the land and soil, earth, mushroom, red fruits and herbs. Great burgundy smells like a beautiful woman’s perfume. Lithe, yet strong on the palate. Supple tannin and stylish flavors of earth mingle with elegant red cherry and strawberry fruits. Beautiful 30 second finish of all of the above! *** Drink now as 2004 will likely not age. Those not used to reading a Burgundy label, here is the dissection: Producer: Domaine Mongeard Mugneret; Region: Burgundy; Appellation: Cote de Beaune; Village: Savigny-Les-Beaune; Vineyard: Les Narbantons; Classification: 1er Cru or “Premier Cru”

2001 Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga $33 – Decanted 3 hours. Dark maroon in color, red brick on the edges. Notes of tar, red cherry and ripe raspberry fruits, leather and flowers complete the nose. Firm, yet refined tannins support a complex wine with great acid structure proving there are years to come. Cherry, soil, tobacco and oak fill the palate. Excellent finish highlighted with minerals, flowers and cedar-cherry framed acidity and tannin! ***


Wine Purchases

This time of year is a busy year in the mailbox as I receive the bulk of my mailing list wine offerings. Most I am passing on as I have directed funds in other directions for our wedding, condo purchase and honeymoon, as well as conserving room in my cellar for only the best or immediate consumption wines. Speaking of the best, some great offerings did arrive and are no brainers such as Kosta Brown, Quilceda Creek (first time), Carlisle, Paul Hobbs and Bond. I passed on my first allocation of Colgin after waiting 4 years to be added to the allocation list. As the lowest cost of a wine was $275 I passed. Sorry, I’d rather buy a half case of excellent 2004 Bordeaux or 2005 red Burgundy.

MIXER!

For the first time in a while I bought a value case, with the wines averaging $15 per bottle. The following were our purchases at the Wine Library yesterday. Only one from the US and it was Euro-centric in style. I was jonesing for some Bandol but the only ones they had required 2 years at a minimum of aging so I passed. Only one wine was new world in style, the Cocodrilo Cabernet from Argentina made by Paul Hobbs.

Noblaie Chinon Rouge 2004 (2) $13.99 – Cabernet Franc, Chinon, Loire Valley, France
Nativo Cocodrilo Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (2) $13.99 - Mendoza, Argentina
Mascarello Dolcetto D’Alba Santo Stefano Di Perno 2005 $14.98 - Alba, Piedmonte, Italy
Masciarelli Montepulciano D'Abruzzo $7.99 - Montepulciano, Italy
Chateaux Recougne $10.99 – Bordeaux Superior, Bordeaux, France
Leocadie Fernand Averoux 2004 $14.99 Minervois, France (Carignan, Grenache, Syrah)
Tour De La Roque 2004 $9.98 Coteaux du Languedoc, Fontanes, France
Hubert De Bouard 2003 $10.99 Bordeaux, France (80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet)
Les Hauts De Smith Rouge 2004 $19.99 Pessac Leognan, Bordeaux, France
Edmunds St. John "Rocks and Gravel" 2004 $11.98 El Dorado County and San Luis Obispo County Vineyards, California – California does “Cote du Rhone”