Great Summer Red Wine - Cotes du Rhone

Continuing to bring you value selections of interesting and wines with personality, it is overdue that I post a blog on one of my favorite every day style wines - Cotes du Rhone.

Being a versatile wine, Cotes du Rhone are perfect for a summer red as you can put a nice chill on the wine before you serve it or find it just as satisfying at room temperature. CdR are typically a blend of a few Rhone grapes, primarily Grenache, with Syrah playing a major supporting role. Cinsault, Carignane, Counoise and Mourvèdre are allowed to be used as well but are added in much smaller portions, usually single digit percentages if at all. One of my favorite CdR's is 100% Syrah which is very atypical that Syrah is the only grape. JL Chave produces this 100% Syrah from the Northern Rhone and it goes by the name "Mon Coeur". Chave is responsible for some of the best Syrah wines in the world from the legendary slope side vineyards of Hermitage in the Northern Rhone.

Many CdR are pretty easy on the wallet, making them very popular buys. There tends to be two primarily differing styles; funky and tasting of brett and garrigue. The other style is more modern with fruit playing a larger role but tamed by a linear composition and great acidity levels. Brett usually comes from a cellar not being the cleanest place to make the wine, but not in a bad way, just in an old school French way. Sometimes this is the intention of the winemaker, almost as id it’s as a "seasoning". CdR wines are usually large production in the thousands of cases. CdR do tend to be a victim of bottle variation, some less funky than others, some more fruity than others. Unfortunately that is one of the drawbacks of a CdR, they can be wildly inconsistent. One neat fact is that since the rules are so stringent in French AOC in general, their are wines made in the same fashion as a CdR that are outside the designated villages of the CdR and therefore can not legally call themselves a CdR but are basically the same thing. Below are a few recommendations of both styles of Cotes du Rhone. I also am going to recommend an Italian cousin to the Grenache grape that has been lauded for its similarities to the Grenache grape and is also a great value at $13 or so. As for the French I'll split my list in two, those that are old school and funky, and those that are a little less funky but solid modern examples.

Funky
Domaine de la Chesnay $8-10
Kermit Lynch Cypress $15
Domaine De La Garrigue Cotes Du Rhone Cuvee Romaine $9-12
Guigal $10-12 (ok for the $, but not too exciting, but more consistent)

Less funky, modern
Chapoutier Belleruche $8-10
St Cosme $12-14 (love this, has the best of both funky and modern)
Chave Mon Coeur $16-20 (love this, but have it less as its more $)

Italian, from the island of Sardegna:
Argiolas Costera $12-14

From the US check out:
Edmunds St. John "Rocks and Gravel" $15-18 (awesome, New World & funky!)

Special thanks to Mike for asking me about Cote du Rhone wines!

Cheers!

-Tom

2004 Hyde De Villaine Syrah HDV
(Carneros, Napa Valley)

I have been drinking a lot of Syrah lately and here is another one I have had on deck for a while. We drank the 2004 HDV Syrah last evening with some Berkshire pork chops that were quite delicious! The Hyde family owns one of the largest and most famous vineyards in all of Napa Valley, the Hyde Vineyard. The de Villaine in the name of this wine comes from the Aubert de Villaine who hails from Burgundy, France. De Villaine is co-director at this little place called Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, maybe you have heard of some of their Pinot Noir wines (and one Chardonnay)? Together the two families have come together to make wines in one of the best sites in all of Napa Valley under the label Hyde de Villaine.

Color: Dark red core, red edges, solid youthful color

Nose: Pepper, beef, lots of cassis, some funkiness at first but that settled down nicely

Palate: Cassis and raspberries, licorice, mineral driven and medium bodied, silky tannins. Great acidity.

Tonight? Pinot Noir!

Cheers!

Tom

Blind Tasting and Wine Dinner (of the Year?)

What makes a great wine dinner besides great wine and food? Great company, no need to drive, and lots of great wine and food! Maybe even awesome wines? Certainly! A few weeks back a friend and his wife generously decided it was time to raid the cellar and pop the corks of some of his best bottles he had collected over the years. Oh, and also make us a delicious dinner to boot! The theme for the tasting after dinner was generically “blind” for the four rock star red wines. We did not do a varietal or vintage specific tasting, so the wines varied greatly in hues of red, aroma and palate. Here is the list of wines:

Starter and Dinner Wines

NV Segura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva Heredad, Catalonia, Spain
NV Bollinger, Champagne, France
2000 Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc, Rhone, France
1997 Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido, Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy
2004 Dry Creek Vineyards Late Harvest Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County

Blind Wines

1999 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23, Stag’s Leap District, Napa Valley
1999 St. Clement Oroppas, St. Helena, Napa Valley
1994 Chateaux Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux
2004 Begali Amarone, Veneto, Italy
2005 Chateau De Reignac, Bordeaux Superieur, France

Dinner Menu

1st Course:
* Goat Cheese and Spicy Apricot remoulade w/ NV Bollinger Champagne

2nd Course:
* Zucchini Pancakes w/ 2000 Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc

3rd Course:
* Italian Sausage Cassoulet w/ 1997 Sassicaia

4th Course:
* Chocolate brownie and ice cream w/ DCV 2004 Late Harvest Zinfandel

The tasting showdown was between all guests and we had a taste-off bracket that faced off two people head to head similar to a March Madness bracket pool. I faced off against my wife Lisa in the final and I prevailed nailing the SLWC Cask 23 and the Amarone. While she had picked those as opposites, I guess I am rubbing off on her as she made it to the finals, pretty impressive!

Dinner was exceptional and the wine pairings fit each dish perfectly. The 1996 Bollinger Champagne was a great match with the goat cheese and pepper apricot jam crostini. The Chapoutier white was by far one of the most unique and exceptional whites I have ever had, I had never tasted anything like it at this level. The Zucchini pancake was a great idea to pair with the wine. The sausage cassoulet was phenomenal; I had seconds it was so good. In fact the only thing better that night was the wine paired with it: the legendary Sassicaia from the exceptional 1997 vintage. Sassicaia is a wine produced by Tenuta San Guido in the Bolgheri region of Tuscany and was the first of what are called “Super Tuscan” wines. Super Tuscan wines are a blend of the locally grown Sangiovese grape that makes up a high majority of Chianti and Brunello, and Bordeaux varieties typically but not limited to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The last wine with dinner was an outstanding late harvest Zinfandel desert wine made from grapes that are left on the vine longer so they accumulate more sugar and are attributable to the wine’s sweetness.

Here are the tasting notes on the night’s top wines:

1997 Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido, Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy
(85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc)

Color: Beautiful deep red and garnet edges, still retaining a youthful hue

Nose: Wonderful aromas of black and red fruits, just a touch of the oak comes through, outstanding purity.

Palate: Full bodied and stunningly smooth, the greatest “Super Tuscan” wine I have ever had. Up front you immediately notice the rich, yet supple palate entry of the red and black fruits. Mid-palate it kept expanding and ended with a nice and long clean, smooth flavorful finish. Supple tannins and acidity also linger on the finish.

1994 Chateaux Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

Color: On its way to maturity, the once deep hued red colors are just starting to lighten. Lighter red edges and a garnet center, classic claret.

Nose: Off the bat you can tell it’s a red Bordeaux. Hallmark smoky oak and crushed fall leaves; spicy cassis and currants mingle with the earthy aromas.

Palate: Lighter red and dark fruits mingle with the earth and some cigar/cedar flavors. Medium to full bodied. Good oak integration, fine tannins and juicy acidity finish off this classy First Growth Bordeaux.

1999 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23, Stag’s Leap District, Napa Valley

Color: Deep ruby red edges, dark red core.

Nose: Herbal sage aromas blend nicely with black cherry and roasted coffee, some anise and cedar.

Palate: Full bodied, ripe flavors of black cherry, currants, and plums. Some herbal notes and espresso bean in the background - the flavors were coming in spades. This was wine #2 in popularity and I have been a big fan of this wine for years. Unfortunately, this is the last year I believe this wine was at its usually exceptional high quality. The last few vintages have been deemed inferior by critics as being older in style and commonly faulted with “bret” or “cork taint”, two common taints to a wine from man’s interaction in the wine making process. I have noticed a difference in quality, but I think this is mostly due to the fact that over the last 7 years or so the estate vineyards have gone through replanting. Some also say that they resisted the ultra-ripe levels of grape picking to stay with a traditional Bordeaux claret style, and not chase high wine critic scores. Though this 1999 wine is drinking astoundingly well right now so if you have any pop one open, you won’t be disappointed! A long finish and supple tannins rounded out this seamless wine.

2004 Begali Amarone, Veneto, Italy

Color: Almost black, practically brooding.

Nose: Unlike anything I had ever had the privilege to smell: earthy, leathery, spicy and maybe some tar

Palate: Monster tannins and concentration, massive body and structure. Big, black and concentrated fruits. Low acidity, but big tannins, high alcohol, almost menthol in a good way. I found it stunningly different, albeit a little tough to finish next to these other wines.

1999 St. Clement Oroppas, St. Helena, Napa Valley
(Napa Bordeaux Blend)

Color: Pretty dark as well for a 1999 Napa Valley Cabernet, red edges and dark red core

Nose: Pretty cedar and bing cherry aromas, a touch of vanilla from the oak, very classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Palate: Delicious, albeit not as complex as the other wines. Rich cherry and plum mix with cedar, sweet tobacco and some vanilla from the toasty oak. Full bodied and easy going this wine was a nice accompaniment to the other wines in the blind format.

Some Notes on the Blind Tasting

The rules were simple. We all knew what wines were in the decanters ahead of time, but when they were served we had no clue as to which wine was which as they had no names or labels on the decanters. The two California Cabernet Sauvignon wines were similar in some stages, but the sage and herbal notes are hallmark SLWC Cabernet Sauvignon traits and a great hint for the blind tasting. Another Cask 23 hint was the silky smooth tannins which are a trait of Cabernet based wines from the Stag’s Leap District’s volcanic, well draining soils. The California Cabernet similarities tripped up a few people in the tasting scenarios, but can be expected since they were the two closest in style. The coffee bean and oak in the Cask 23 almost made me think Bordeaux and the Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, but it seemed too young knowing the Mouton was 5 years older and would probably have those aromas and flavors in a more subdued manner. I changed my answer last minute to Cask 23 from Mouton. The Amarone was obvious and I knew that one immediately knowing I have not ever had much Amarone. Black as ink and animal in style, the Amarone was a beast. The Cask 23 was outstanding, rich, layered and complex. I think that the oak was within reason but maybe compared to the Sassicaia not as well integrated, but this is a minor thing for this group of tasters, more attuned to American wines with more oak. The Mouton seemed to be a little shy and a little under-gunned. I think paired up against some of its other brethren from Bordeaux the Mouton would have showed better. Not that is was inferior in any way, just different as it was much more subtle. Though, it could also be in a closed stage as the notes in Cellar Tracker from other tasters also seem to say the wine seems a bit shy of late.

This past week I attended a small Bordeaux tasting from the 2004 vintage. Stay tuned for notes on this great event

Blind tasting is difficult, but a very fun way to learn more about wine without having too many preconceived notions as to what a wine is or was. It’s also a great way for one to build confidence in their palate. Embarrassment is common as it is not an easy task, but with some humility can be great fun!

Thank you the Antles for a this great wine tasting event!

Cheers!

-Tom

Barrel 27
2006
Central Coast
"Right Hand Man"
Syrah

“Power to the (Wine) People”

Something we can all agree with these days, I’ll start this blog out with this Barrel 27's “Mission Statement”:

“We work. We work hard to make good wine. You work. You work hard and need good wine. You might have money, but maybe you’re like us. We make Barrel 27 wines for people like us. If you work, and we mean work hard, and you need to drink good wine, and still make your mortgage payments, car payments, kid payments and pet payments, we’re here for you. Our goal is to make wine that works hard at helping hard working America relax for a minute, take a load off, and remove the nose from the grindstone for a while. We hope you enjoy them.”

I could not agree more for about $15. It’s a few shillings more than what your true bargain hunter may splurge on, but for $15 it would be hard to find something finer in the form of Syrah from California. I think it drinks more like a $20-30 bottle – don’t tell the winemakers please! It’s all there: vibrant in color, a nose that jumps from the glass and a taste and finish that keeps you coming back for more. The characteristics are telling me that this wine was made from some dudes who know what they are doing with the grapes. In fact it is.

“Right Hand Man” Syrah is what we would call a “second” wine from a primary winemaker or winery. Russell From and McPrice “Mac” Myers, who both make their own central Californiacoast wines under their own labels (Herman Story and McPrice Myers respectively), got together to create this generous offering of well priced Syrah from Central Coast grapes.

Also commonly found with the RHM Syrah, Barrel 27 also crafts at this time “Rock and a Hard Place” Grenache and “High on the Hog” white – a Rhone styled white blend of three primary grapes: Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne.

Color: Dark red and purple center, solid red edges

Nose: Violets, tar, cherry, some pepper and smoky oak

Palate: Powerful. Black cherry, black raspberry fruit and vanilla dominate, some tar and spice accent the powerful structure and explosion of fruit. Big fruit and a spicy oak finish, some meat, and firm but supple tannins trail on to the end. Drink now 2011.

Cheers!

-Tom

$12 -Barrandica Vineyards
Estate Wine Selections 2005
Mendoza, Argentina

Color: Dark red center and red edges

Nose: Lots of blueberry and chocolate, some flowers and earth

Palate: Oodles of ripe blueberry fruit and chocolate cake, a touch of minerality add a sense of place. Supple tannins add backbone and enhance the full on finish.

Back up the TRUCK and load up! This is a great wine and a great value.

50% Merlot
40% Cabernet Sauvignon
10% Malbec

A possible year end project of mine is to create or publish a year end value picks"Toms 20 Under 20" pamphlet, this is a contender!

Cheers!

-Tom

2004 Chateau D'As, Graves Bordeaux, France $14.99

Most of the time when I have a Bordeaux that costs under $15 I don't expect much and am rarely surprised in a good way. As the saying goes you get what you pay for (with Bordeaux). But that is not always the case with some other wines out there. I used to try, and try, and try with red Bordeaux wines in the $8-$15 range and rarely found anything to blog about. Many wines out there, Shiraz, Malbec, Cote du Rhone, Tempranillo, and Garnacha to name a few, have been able to make high quality, tasty and complex wines that are great hints in an average vintage or excellent examples in a good vintage of what the big boy wines deliver consistently. Heck, even some new world Cabernet in the $15 range outshines most Bordeaux in the some price range, though less often then the aforementioned wines above. Finally, after giving up for a few months, at long last I found a great example of what a real Bordeaux in the $20-40 range should taste like for under $15.

Introducing: 2004 Chateaux D'As, Graves, Bordeaux

For over four hours it changed; its different layers of complexity unfurling in the glass. In fact it was still coming on strong while on our last glass. I had never heard of Chateau D'As and was skeptical, but the wine salesperson I took the recommendation from usually comes up with some great wines. In the past I have liked many of the wines from the Graves that I have tried. D'As was wonderfully charming and easy to drink at 12.5% alcohol.


Tasting Notes

Color: Classic claret red core and edges

Nose 1: Roasted coffee beans, chocolate and toasty oak, delicious!

Palate 1: Black currant, some plum, gravelly rocks (classic Grave trademark and thus the name for the region Grave), fine grained tannins and higher than expected acidity round out the finish

Nose 2: Some green pepper, smoky and a bit meaty, less berry

Palate 2: Spicy and savory plum, less currants and more undertones of the minerality. The tannin and acidity were still noticeable but in check as the flavors on the finish superseded them.
Many of these flavors and aromas overlapped in-between the phases noted above, adding to the complexity and enjoyment of the experience.

Cheers!

-Koby

Herman Story Winemaker Russell From has Dinner at Our Home

Last week on a whim Russell From of Herman Story stopped by for dinner at our home with a few friends of ours and a lot of wine. Before I get into the wine details, tasting notes and commentary from the dinner, a few background details of Russell and Herman Story are necessary.

Russell From is the winemaker and director of all operations at Herman Story, a Southern California winery now based just a little further north in Paso Robles, California. Before Paso Robles, Herman Story shared space with other up and coming winemakers in an industrial space north of Santa Barbara.

Russell crafts delicious and complex Rhone varietal wines. In fact some say his Larner Vineyard Grenache is one of the best American versions of this mildly fickle grape mostly unknown outside the wine geek scene. A fact I tend to agree with. Later I will get into more detail on the grapes and their old world origins. Many of you have probably had Grenache; you probably just did not know it.

In addition to excellent Grenache, Herman Story crafts world class Syrah, the most popular of the Rhone grapes; Rhone white grape varietals Viognier and Roussanne, as well as the dark and mysterious Mourvedre to blend into the reds on rare occasion. The grapes that Russell uses come from some of the premier vineyards in all of California for Rhone Varietals, White Hawk Vineyard being one of the best for Syrah and Larner Vineyard for Grenache and Viognier.

Hotels Suck, My Blackberry Pays Off

This dinner came together on a whim as I was on vacation in the Cayman Islands with Lisa but had to watch work email on my Blackberry a few times a day. If not for my Blackberry I would not have seen Russell’s email about his East Coast trip. Luckily I did and saw Russell’s latest mailing list update that he was doing an east coast trip (finally dude!). After doing quite of few of these trips in other parts of the country, Russell had found he had developed a distaste for hotels. Something I can imagine gets old when you are living out of a suitcase, meeting tens of people a day to sell and taste your wines and train them on Herman Story wines and how the wines are made and should be served to customers. So in exchange for a couch, or spare bedroom in our case, and some dinner, Russell would provide Herman Story wines for a small group of friends. I think the email arrived in my phone as I was checking on a work issue. I dropped everything and wrote back to Russell that we would like to participate. A little while later we put a date in the books and Lisa and I went back to the beach and scuba diving.

The day of the dinner Russell picked me up in downtown Manhattan after work so I could navigate him through the Holland Tunnel and to our home on the other side of the Hudson River in Hoboken, NJ. The wines had already arrived earlier that day. We stuck the Viognier in the fridge and opened the reds around 1pm or so to start to breathe. Lisa had prepared in short time her excellent rack of lamb and smashed potatoes with truffle oil, while I whipped up some braised broccolini. Excellent cheeses, finger foods and salad were generously provided by our guests.

The Herman Story Wine Lineup:

White Hawk Vineyard Viognier, 2007

“On the Road” Grenache, 2007

“Nuts and Bolts” Syrah, 2007

White Hawk Vineyard Syrah, 2007

Larner Vineyard Grenache, 2005

White Hawk Vineyard Syrah, 2005

Russell spoke to our guests about life on the road and at home as a winemaker. There were plenty of funny and interesting stories of travels and winemaking abroad with friends he has made through Herman Story and other wine projects that he is involved with (Barrel 27 being one of them). Of course I talked his ear off about the wine geek matters, but not too much…I hope.

The first wine was the White Hawk Vineyard Viognier, 2007. Aromas of white flowers, spice, peaches and creamy oak jumped from the glass. Big and viscous, the wine coated and filled the palate with stone fruits such as peaches, some spiciness and crème brulee – some textbook Viognier notes. The wine was crisp and dry on the finish as it was fermented 100% and picked at a high brix. This was finished quite soon but I was able to grab a second sip before it was all gone.

Next up was the 2007 “On the Road” Grenache. This was a big favorite of the group and also a wine finished very quickly. My notes are a little light on this one as I was not able to get too much more after the first pour. Medium to dark red in color, the aromas were juicy red and black fruits, a touch of licorice and baking spices. The palate was rich and concentrated, yet elegant and light on its feet. The palate had more of the aromas, but specifically, and this may sound weird, but late summer (ripe) grilled strawberries. “On the Road” walked a fine line balancing the berry fruits, spice, oak and acidity.

With the third wine we cracked in the Syrah wines. The 2007 “Nuts and Bolts” Syrah was a concept that originated in the 2006 vintage. Instead of making a few single vineyard Syrah, Russell combined the best Syrah barrels to make one larger effort that achieved better results than when unblended and on their own in barrel. Ergo the name “Nuts and Bolts”! A dark purple core with red edges, this wine was progressively showing better through the night beating its chest. Meaty and peppery notes mingled with blackberry and some oak. The palate was brooding with meaty, peppery and blackberry flavors with some secondary notes of chocolate and oak integrating finely with the primary flavors.

The second Syrah and our fourth wine was one of my favorites and one I look forward to purchasing; this was the 2007 White Hawk Syrah. The 2007 White Hawk Syrah is ready for the long haul. The color was a deep and inviting dark purple and red. The complex aromas kept changing from ripe crushed black berry jam, rib roast meat, white pepper, cassis spice, a dash of cocoa and a dollop of oak. Wow that was a lot! The palate was tight and complex. Young and massively complex, the black berry fruit flavors mixed with some chocolate, licorice, spice, and oak. This much complexity is a hint of more to come as this beauty ages gracefully.

So for the two Syrah wines I kind of developed an analogy to the Godfather films while writing this blog, probably stemming from our Coppola conversations. The exuberant Nuts and Bolts reminded me of Sonny Corleone, while the White Hawk was the Michael Corleone of the family; younger, smarter, more complex and harder to figure out.

The last two wines were a testament to Russell’s skills and the quality of fruit that he and nature craft into delicious wines. The 2005 Larner Vineyard Grenache and the 2005 White Hawk Syrah were stellar, complex wines starting to enter into the mature stage of their lives with secondary aromas and flavors that you only get from a wine that has been laid down a few years to mellow and age gracefully. Both wines displayed elegantly perfumed aromas, with the Grenache leaning towards red fruits and baking spices; while the Syrah leaned more towards earthy, elegant black and red fruits and the hallmark white pepper. On the palate they were even more complex than the 2007 versions. There were some similar flavors that were more subtle due to some age. The new secondary aromas due to some age gave the 2005 wines further dimension and depth. The 2005 wines are not available for sale from the winery and thus were a real treat to be able to experience them side by side with their younger siblings to see how the infant 2007s will mature. I kept going back to the aromas that were hauntingly elegant and beautiful to take in as they wafted up from my twirling wine glass.

Dinner was excellent and the wines paired perfectly with the lamb and chicken. We talked more about what its like to be a righteous wine dude and everyone shared stories of themselves and their goings. Being hard working New Yorkers going through the toughest time this city has seen in quite some time we all had a few war stories in addition to talk of our families and friends.

What is this Grenache you speak of?

Now, some of you at this point might be saying “What is Grenache? I know what Syrah is…that’s the same grape as Shiraz!” Well if you have ever had a Chateauneuf du Pape (CdP), Vaqueras, or even a Cote du Rhone, you have had a good amount of Grenache. It is the main grape in most of these wines and 100% in a Vaqueras. France is of course complicated and the rules are never exactly the same within the confines of the rules. In CdP winemakers are allowed to blend 13 different grapes in any amount to create and label a wine CdP. Though these days most wineries make Grenache the primary grape in excess of 50% and the rest is usually just Syrah and some Mourvedre. These French names are also the names of regions in Southern France near the Southern section of the Rhone River that streams down from high up in the Alps. In Spain the grape is known as Garnacha and has had great success in recent years in the Priorat region, just off the Mediterranean coast in the eastern part of the country. Grenache is not that widely grown in the USA, but that is changing and more plantings have been made or are underway. Grenache until recently probably had been planted on the wrong rootstock, the wrong soil, the wrong climate or all of the above. It gets very hot in the Southern Rhone region, with cool nights from the Mediterranean maritime climate, similar to how the Pacific cools the very hot Southern California regions in and near Santa Barbara.

One last interesting fact is that CdP means “Castle of the New Popes” as the papacy was moved here in the town of Avignon for about 70 years in the 14^th century. The Popes were known to be avid wine drinkers and did much to promote the “Vin du Pape” from Avignon which later became known as Chateauneuf du Pape.

Thank you Russell and thank you to our guests for being able to come together and generously contribute to a wonderful event!

Cheers,

Tom

Updates and Bullet Points

My how a year goes by! Last May 10th 2008 my wife Lisa and I were married. Time flies while the economy goes down the drain! Just a few brief notes of what I have been up to wine wise, A LOT! I really wish I had more time to get into detail more and I may not. Also, I am looking to you readers to know what you are looking to hear about? Maybe a wine topic such as...how do I track my wine collection best? Is there software out there to manage and value my collection real time? Maybe cheap white wines for the summer under $15? The list can go on forever, but you will be noted if I pick your topic so get to it and write in! I can also plan a MEAN trip to Napa soup to nuts so if you are headed out there or thinking about it drop me a line!

- We had a winemaker over for dinner at my house this past week. Russell From makes the wines at Herman Story (and a lot of other jobs at the winery in Paso Robles, CA) and was in town to meet and greet with the wine peoples and a few of his customers. We enjoyed his wines and will have a full feature blog for sure on this dinner, don miss it! Russell is a hard working dude that is passionate about his wines but also loves a great beer. My kind of dude so stay tuned!

- Spent a week in Grand Cayman drinking some fine wines and enjoying the top notch cuisine. Lisa and I spent our anniversary here and besides eating our way through the culinary scene were able to scuba 3 days, play some golf, snorkel and spend a lot of time at the beach and pool (bar).

- Visited one of my favorite wine bars again in NYC - Terroir - with my best friend and best wine friend...man they have an awesome selection and great people behind the bar!

- Have consumed various amounts of good cheap wines I need to get on the blog. Chesnay is by far one of my best finds, but have had a stunning $14 Bordeaux and a Traminer from Hungary that was so out of the box most that had it did not know what to think of it.

- Had an old throwback 1999 Napa Cabernet that I was wowed by after having a bottle a few weeks ago that was average at best. 2007 wines from California have started to arrive, Pinot, Chard Zin and Syrah - DON"T MISS this great vintage. The 2007 Napa Cabernet will be out next year - most are just about done with barrel time to be bottled this summer!

- 2008 Bordeaux futures have hit the market at the lowest prices for a quality vintage. The greatest part is that most of the great scores from the critics are wines priced in the $40-80 price zone. Not everyday wine but if you were thinking of picking up a case this is the vintage to do it with. I'm kicking myself for buying so much 2006! Great names so far:

Branon
Clos St. Martin
Duhart Milon
Gazin
Haut Bergey
Larcis Ducasse
Leoville Barton
Pavie Macquin
Pichon Baron
Pichon Lalande
Pontet Canet
Smith Haut Lafite

Sorry for the delay, work and the fact that I have not had internet access at home has kept me off the internet for a while.

Cheers,
Tom

2007 Domaine de la Chesnay Côtes du Rhône

(France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)

One of the best Cotes du Rhone wines I have had in while. Best since the 2005 St. Cosme or the 2003 Chave Mon Coeur.

At a great QPR of $7 I bought an additional half case as our house red wine of the moment! Chesnay will go well with pasta, steak, even denser fish that may be seasoned or have a sauce.

Color: Dark core with red edges

Nose: Some funk up front blew off after about 30 minutes of air. You could still pick out the delicious red and black fruits that were ever present with earth and white pepper. The fruit and earth were in clear control after the 30 minutes of the bottle being open (no decant).

Palate: Savory herb, white pepper, and blackberry fruit were the dominant players as Syrah is the dominant grape in this blend from the Southern Rhone.

Back up the truck! In times like these it is especially nice to find a wine of this quality at such a great price!

Cheers!

-Tom

1977 Chateau Lafite Rothschild

Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

What a special wine for a very special occasion! 1977 was the birth year of many a friend of mine being that I was also born in that year. But in this year 2009 it was extra special and important for someone in particular. 1977 was the birth year of one of my new sister’s, Chris. Her father John, and my father in-law, saved a bottle of 1977 Chateau Lafite for his daughter's wedding day, almost 30 years later on April 18, 2009. (Bordeaux wines are released about 2-3 years after the vintage date to allow for barrel and bottle aging).

I did not score this wine, because honestly I really don't think it matters (but it would for sure be well north of 90 points). Many people never get the chance to drink an older wine of this pedigree, and to have had two in less than one year I feel truly blessed.

1977 Lafite was one of the oldest wines I have ever tasted and one of the best, after of course the 1980 that I shared with my wife on our wedding day last year. Compliments to the father of the brides John - this is such a wonderful tradition that some of my friends and I for certain will continue. Funny enough at this rate if our children are born in a stellar vintage they may be drinking Smith Haut-Lafite (SHL) instead of Lafite.

The bride and groom were gracious enough to allow us a few sips. It was complete from start to finish, especially the deeply fragrant nose! This wine is truly bullet-proof – 32 years later and this wine was still magically fragrant in the bouquet and amazing on the palate.

Color: Brick red edges with a surprisingly more youthful than expected vibrant red outer center, slightly dark maroon core. Clean, even through a little bit of cork debris.

Nose: Absolutely the best nose on an older wine that I have ever had. Very complex and layered. Very fragrant, it reminded me of how pretty a Burgundy is, but unmistakably Bordeaux. Sandalwood, some crushed dry rose petals, some of that classic smoky oak, cassis & coffee bean but more subtle.

Palate: Classic older style flavors of cassis, dried cherry, some oak and old leather all haunted by the ever present taste of fall leaves that haunt many old wines aged well. You have to understand older wines, they have a few very distinct flavors and aromas, one being the smell of fall, the leaves, the cooler air, etc...this is a beautiful trait and very prone to older wines made from Bordeaux varieties.

Congratulations and thank you Chris & Jeff!

Cheers!

Tom

2005 Del Dotto Cabernet Franc, Napa Valley

I received this bottle as a gift from a former co-worker at Merrill Lynch (Thank you Lisa!!!) for helping her "tweak", er, plan her trip to the Napa Valley with her husband and friends. Anyone looking to go there on vacation drop me a line with your contact details...I got the goods for Napa, Sonoma and San Francisco!

The 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc was drinking really nice right now. I think Parker scored this pretty well and I can tell why. Before we get to the tasting notes, a little about the winery. Proprietor Dave Del Dotto and his winemaker Gerard Zanzonico make wine in one of the newest and boldest wineries in Napa Valley. See them here! Not many people can just prop up a new winery on Highway 29 amongst the already crowded sets of wineries. But I guess if you plunk down $10 million just to create and build the winery (and let’s not forget annual massive property, grape, employee, tens of $1200 French oak barrels, and a host of other high expenses). NOTE: anyone looking for a good tax write off and enjoy wine, go into the winemaking business!

How did Dave Del Dotto get that money? It’s a funny story and you decide for yourself how you feel about it. Just Google his name to find out! I don't buy too much of his wine, and the labels are really freaking gaudy! I think he and the folks at Delectus hang out a lot! Roman chic or tacky Jersey/Long Island front yard Italian-esque?

Either way, the TOUR is one of the BEST in all of Napa Valley. I have sent about 6 or so groups there already and they all have walked out with at least a half a case of more of the wine, and probably half in the bag as you have the opportunity to taste or drink a whole lot of wine – it’s up to you if you want to spit. There were two tours when I last sent someone there. I have only been to the old caves down in the southern Napa sector of the valley. It is out if the way from the new winery which is smack in the middle of the action on Highway 29, steps from the likes of Mondavi, BV, Staglin, Coppola and Cakebread. Del Dotto is a barrel freak and uses numerous varieties of oak (French, American, or Hungarian) and toast levels (light, medium, and heavy toast for example). When you take the tour you get to taste the same wine from the same vineyard from a different style of barrel. Or vice versa, the same barrel but a different vineyard to see the terroir impact on the wine. It’s a great tour where you will drink lots of wine and talk with the great folks at Del Dotto on how the oak interacts with the juice to produce the wine you are tasting.

The proof is the juice in the bottle. I toured it once and myself bought a 6 pack, the same goes for my wife Lisa and sister-in-law (hey Chris!!!)

On to the notes!
Color: Immediately purple red, with a medium garnet center

Nose: Squeaky clean! The oak jumps up immediately but thankfully after an hour or so integrates better with the other aromas of red fruits, lots and lots of licorice, The oak gets more subdued but toasty, and violets are there, but you have to look for them. Lisa picked up on them and it was a great call! Thanks baby!

Palate: Currants, licorice, some cherry and black tea at first. Later on secondary Asian spice and oak mingle with some lavender and flowers. Finish: Silky, smooth tannins and luscious fruit sail on for 30 seconds or so. Great wine! Thanks again Lisa!!!!

Cheers!

Koby

Random Tasting Notes of Recent Wines

2007 Clos de los Siete (Michel Rolland) (Argentina, Mendoza) $15

Clos de los Siete really is a great wine for the money. This is a bargain blend wine of Malbec, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon: 48/28/12/12% for this vintage. If you can get for under $15 it’s a great buy, however I have seen it for $20 and over. That is not exactly priced at fair market value. Loads of earthy black currant and blackberry mingle with some leather and just enough oak to notice it in the wine and give it some additional structure and complexity.

Color: Dark purple black center, red edges

Nose: Leather, smoky black fruit some iron and loamy notes

Palate: Loads of earthy black currant and blackberry mingle with some leather and just enough oak to notice it in the wine and give it some additional structure and complexity.

2005 Carlisle Syrah Sonoma County (USA, California, Sonoma County) $20

Drinking fabulously right now! Stinky and beefy at first, fleshy texture. Spicy nose and palate, even a bit of garigue, or funk if you will initially. After about a half hour the layers of dark berries, ripe strawberry and then a slightly vanilla and berry finish...yes, sounds kind of odd and maybe sweet but its really not - the acidity was very intact and quite surprising to be at such a level, fine grained and sweet tannins. Well balanced!

Color: Dark purple red core, edges were the same but lighter.

Nose: Initially a little funky with some garigue, pepper and loamy black currants.

Palate: More of the same, with a bright finish of red fruit acidity. Fine and ripe tannins. Mildly complex, changing nicely with time...sometimes black fruits and some loam, then spicy and beefy.

2002 Tor Syrah Hudson Vineyard (USA, California, Napa Valley) $35

Not old world Syrah like: no meaty or bacon notes, medium bodied. I purchased this wine in auction and remember it being a Syrah made like a Cabernet in style from Napa. I think it may have lost its identity with age, but not a bad wine all together. Opened for 2 hours, no decant. Drink NOW.

Color: Dark red center, lighter maroon edges

Nose: A whiff of oak, red fruits, white pepper and some herbal sage aromas. Sage gives way to more pepper and new aromas of currants and some licorice.

Palate: Great acidity and chewy tannins. Austere red fruits and some spice mix to complete a nice wine.

2000 Nicolas Potel Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes (France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru) $28

This is my last bottle of the 2000 Potel wines I bought last summer for a steal at about $25 each, all Nuit St. George. Nicolas Potel was recently fired from his post at the negociant house he created and sold to a new owner. He stayed on board to manage and supervise but seems like he was ultimately squeezed out. 2000 was not a great vintage, so these wines are lighter and less nuanced compared to a good vintage.

Color: Light ruby red and pink rose petal edges

Nose: Dried red fruits, citrus and potpourri spritz combined with earth

Palate: Noticeable tannin and acidity, tart cherry, some spicy plum, not much nuance left though, probably past its peak.

CHEERS!

Koby

1999 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical


For months I had been plotting a big Cabernet dinner at home. A few weeks ago I we finally put a date in the books and had a few friends over to open some of the first wines I started to collect which were from the 1999 vintage. We also had a few others with a 1997 Napa Cabernet and two top flight California Pinot Noirs. We had a great 4 course meal in a sit down format.


Food

A great meal, but for simplicity's sake I will be brief. The real star of the meal (and focus of this blog) was the wine. The four courses in serving order were as follows:


Pear and gorgonzola mixed leaf salad
Sear Sea Scallops over Garlic and Butter Linguine
Beef Wellington & Herbed Fingerling Potatoes
Caramel & Apple Spice Cake

Wines

1999 Napa Cabernet Vertical
1999 Duckhorn Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena, Napa Valley, CA
1999 Cinq Cepages Chateau St. Jean, Sonoma, CA
1999 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA
1999 St. Clement Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA

Non-1999 and Non-Cabernet
1997 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyards
2004 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, CA
2006 William Selyem Russian River Pinot Noir, Sonoma, CA
1997 Niepoort Porto Vintage Port Wine, Portugal


So, why the 1999's? I had no clue what I was doing when collecting wines until about the 1999 vintage. I had sporadically collected some 1997s and a few 1998s, both polar opposite vintages in quality. I was a little too late for 1997 and had to treasure hunt to find the 1997 wines I wanted (and could afford at the time as I was only about 25 years old - this is how I found "wine-searcher.com"). 1998 was a very wet and rainy vintage and the wines had showed to be thin and not all that great. Now, I do not want to be a vintage snob so I will say I have had some really good 1998 Napa Cabernet wines, but not many and most are now peaking or just past their peak.

Then I moved back to NY and that was when the 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon vintage from Napa Valley hit the market. It was a great vintage with wines characterized as well balanced, great fruit and concentration, with intact acid levels and ripe but firm tannins to provide a great backbone of structure. The only bad thing was it was a small crop and prices thus went up and they have not stopped going up. It was also probably the last full year before the majority of winemakers, especially new ones, started or in some cases tried to make big and ripe wines. By 2001 that style was en vogue: alcohol levels sky rocketed and acidity dropped from the wines. But 1999 is not that and a great classic Napa vintage. We all enjoyed these wines as they were nicely mellowed from age and showing the maturity of a nice Napa Cabernet.


Tasting Notes:

1999 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley)

Wow, still holding its own all these years. This was a great example of a '99 that retained a lot of its youth and structure. The flavor profile on this was darker fruits and bigger tannins than the other 1999 cabernet we consumed on 2/15.

Color: Dark opaque core, dark red edges.

Nose: Blackberry, dark plum, kirsch and rich oak aromas.

Palate: More blackberry, black cherry, black currants intertwined with some tobacco and leather. Big ripe tannins are receding. Nice and rich classic Napa finish...brought me back to tasting wine in Napa.

1999 Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown (USA, California, Napa Valley)

OK, so this wine has some bad notes...(on cellartracker.com - THE greatest place to catalog, find out maybe when to drink, and track your wine collection and tasting notes). Therefore I was not expecting much but was pleasantly surprised after an hour once the wine started to show signs of life and blossom. It was dead when I opened it, not aroma, little flavor. This first time I had this back in 2003 and it took about 4 hours for this wine to pop and reveal its aromas and flavors. This was my last bottle and was hoping for the best, what did I have to lose?!

The comments were pretty dire as being a dead wine. Upon opening and tasting this wine I got NOTHING. No aromas, minimal favors, and no finish. I had readied myself and was not too disappointed but I gave it another chance in a decanter before I used it to make the bordelaise sauce. I immediately decanted it and within 45 minutes it blossomed nicely and carried its weight through to the end 5 hours later. I was afraid it would not last based on how rapidly it opened up. This ended up being a crowd favorite: delicious, mellow and holding its own.

Color: Dark red core, lighter red/garnet edges

Nose: Sweet oak, cherries, sweet chocolate, whiffs of aged cabernet, but less than I expected.

Palate: More ripe cherries, aged herbal flavors like sage and sweet tobacco, a touch of leather, but rich oak and the cherries make this wine sing. Very mellow, smooth and polished.

I may have gotten lucky so drink up!

1999 St. Clement Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley)

Excellent. I was very surprised by how much it was still intact. It was drinking like it had 4-5 years of great drinking left. Youthful mocha and cherry, some more aged aromas and flavors of herbs and tobacco. Still kicking! I have one more bottle of this left and will be opening by the end of the year. Why not, it’s drinking great now. It’s probably too old to get any better and why risk it getting worse?

Color: Medium red center, ruby edges

Nose: Aged notes of cedar, leather and dried red fruits

Palate: Youthful mocha and cherry, some more aged aromas and flavors of herbs and tobacco.

1999 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cepages (USA, California, Sonoma County)

Initially when released this wine was very complex and structured - it has paid well its dividends. In fact, it still is a very structured wine and I think it can easily go at least another 5-7 years and still retain some of its youth. My initial impression was that it could have used a decant - I would be prepared to do so if you are to open one soon. I was all out with my other 3 decanters in use. It was however open for 2 hours before it was even dented.

Color: Dark core, purple black, dark red edges - by eye I would swear this was a 2004 or later!

Nose: Tight, hinting at first of currants and cherries, some earth, cigar wrapper - an almost rawness to the nose - very complex. Needs a decant, had 3 already in use for our dinner party!

Palate: Immediately you taste the complexity and depth this wine has maintained. Cassis and black cherry, cigar wrapper, a nice herbal component I could not put my finger on. Great, long finish. Give this wine some time to either age more or open up fully...please be patient with this one!

1997 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyards (USA, California, Napa Valley)

My last bottle of this too! Delicious and showing very well still. Opened for 2 hours, no decant as it showed well from the bottle.

Color: Dark red, ruby edges

Nose: Rich cherries and red currants, some spice and a touch of age.

Palate: Youthful fruit still remains, tannins are supple and soft. Full of cherries, currants, cedar and some sage in the background. Supple fine tannins finish this off quite nicely!

2004 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills)

I absolutely love this wine. I think that Sea Smoke makes my favorite Pinot from the new world, it’s unlike anything from Burgundy (which I also love but you can't compare them as they are different in every way soup-to-nuts). Rich but not weighty, complex and structured, generously reveals layers of flavors. I would open at least 1 hour before consuming, 2 if you can stand it! This wine is really starting to hit its stride, can easily go another 3-5 years or so.

Color: Dark black/red core, dark ruby edges.

Nose: Rich crushed black cherries, black raspberry, spice and oak.

Palate: Ripe cherries, black raspberry, some ripe blueberry notes, a touch of mocha from the oak. Long 45+ second finish!

2006 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Russian River Valley (USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley)

Man this went fast! Very easy to drink and very tasty! Lots of cherry and acidity keep you coming back.

Color: Ruby red, light red edges.

Nose: Cherries, lots of cherries and sweet oak, maybe a touch of dried cranberry. Surprising strength considering its lighter color.

Palate: Rich ripe cherries, sweet oak, some earthy loaminess. Not overly complex, but very enjoyable and tasty.

1997 Niepoort Porto Vintage (Portugal, Douro, Porto)

Based on my research on this wine I had to open it at least 12 hours, I figured 24 hours would do!

2/14 4PM:
Initial Observation: Opened at for consumption on 2/15 for post dinner. Resealed with an airtight artificial sealer gizmo that pumps out the air. Dark center with ruby red edges with the slightest tinge of brown. Very vibrant but a tad cloudy after 24 hours upright. This Port indeed has a lot of life left from the initial observation. Red fruits and spicy cedar on the nose. A bit of bite on the first taste. Not overly sweet at all. The sweetness is in harmony with the fruit, alcohol and tannins. I will try to buy vintage port going forward! Superb red berry finish.

2/15 2pm:
Alcohol still bites but the cedar and red fruits have enhanced and more of the classic port aromas come through.

2/15 9pm:
Started to consume after dinner with Lisa’s amazing dessert. The group loved it as most it was their first vintage port. You can tell the pedigree by the composition. Rich, complex, still very youthful.

Overall assessment: DO NOT touch this for at least 10 years! It was delicious but still very tight as its still too young.

Cheers!

Etude "Heirloom" Pinot Noir, 2003 Carneros, Napa Valley

This bottle was really singing tonight! A very solid wine example of the Etude single vineyard Pinot regime. Well made start to finish. Stood up and brought to room temperature for about 30 minutes before opening. Immediately it was impressive and after an hour grew more complex. Mellowed with time, this could easily go another 5 years as it was still chock full of complexity and concentration, yet smooth as silk. I remember initially having this wine and remembering it was a big wine that would need time to mellow out.

I picked this up with a few other bottles of the 2003 and this was my last bottle. It was an extraordinary wine and as I type this can smell strawberry wafting up from the glass about 14 inches from my face. This is an exceptional wine that is a big step up from the standard Carneros Etude that retails for about $30-40. For tat amount of money you can do better for Pinot. However in some cases this wine, since it’s so rare, can be picked up auction for a really good price. In retail forget it, this is probably $80 plus! GHAST...I just went to the winery webpage and it was $90! I think I paid about $70 at the time in 2005 for it at the winery. The Temblor and Deer Camp are a much more palatable $60. I have a few lying down but they are probably getting ready to go soon.

Color: Dark red center turning light ruby at the edges, very vibrant color.

Nose: Classic Pinot aromas of cherry, silky strawberry dusted with a touch of mocha and a hint of sublet cinnamon spice and earthiness....like I said, very complex.

Palate: Silky smooth start to finish with a nice touch of acidity. Strawberry and cherry flavors fan out into ever so slightly spicy cedar and earthy notes of mushroom and earth.

Cheers!

P.S.: I am planning on getting the notes up for the 1999 vintage Napa Cabernet tasting up soon! As well as a big night out at the wine bar Terroir in NYC...best wine bar experience I have to say I have ever had!

Castano Monastrell 2007, Yecla, Spain VALUE RED $6.99-8.99

Monastrell or Mourvèdre? It is in fact the same grape varietal. Mourvèdre is the French name and Monastrell the Spanish derivation. It is an interesting grape because it has a natural compound that is resistant to oxidation and the best examples can age for 50 years easy. Rose from Domaine Tempier in Bandol has been known to age and taste quite youthful after 25 years! It is in fact my favorite Rose and to me the standard by which all Rose should be judged, but enough of France as this is a Spanish version! In fact speaking of Spain the grape was/is sometimes also called Mataro and many think that was its origin. It spread east to Provence and reaches its apex in Bandol, near Provence in the south of France on the Mediterranean coast.

Color: Dark red center, lighter edges

Nose: Spicy raspberry and plum, some gamy notes, smelled like a nicely aromatic Cote du Rhone

Palate: This is ready to go. Very generous similar flavors to the nose. More jammy mixed berries though. Clean finish, though simple without much acidity or tannin. Great quaffer for a mid-week splash of vino!

Cheers!

A Bottle of White, A Bottle of Red...

This week we had two wines worth blogging about that stuck out for being the opposites. One was white while the other was red. One was a value wine, the other not a value per se, but under $40. One was from the New World, the other about as Old World as you get. The two wines?

N.V. Sokol Blosser Evolution No. 9 (USA, Oregon) $13.99 (up to 16.99)

Bridge Wine

Our first encounter with Evolution No. 9 was at dinner with a group of friends and we wanted a cheap white with some oomph to get us through the first course where most had scallops, shrimp, or 3 cheese polenta. A Chardonnay was not going to cut it and I did not want a Sauvignon Blanc, steel or barrel fermented. To me this was a great “bridge wine”; it had to carry a bit more weight. We were drinking wine at a wine bar before hand: Cabernet, Zinfandel, Syrah, and our palates were broken in pretty well from those heavy wines. A lighter wine was not going to cut it to bridge our palates from the initial big red wines to the big reds we’d be having at dinner. We wanted wine, not water. The Evo 9 fit the bill perfectly! That was a few weeks ago and I finally went out and bought a few bottles to stock the wine fridge.

And then some...Notes

OK, this is somewhat of a guilty pleasure wine but it reminds me of Conundrum, at a lower cost (I only paid 13.99) and a bit more versatile as the touch of sweetness mid-palate can go nicely with spicier Asian foods.

Color: Pale straw
Nose: White peach, lychee, lemon zest and slightly floral
Palate: Juicy, mouthwatering blend of tropical and citrus fruits. Sweet lemon and peach flavors are pinged with floral and pineapple notes. The finish is dry and crisp drawing you into another sip or bite of scallop or shrimp!

2004 Poggio Antico Rosso di Montalcino (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino) $24.00 (typically $35-40)

I swear this is my favorite Rosso no matter how many others I try. Classic aromas, flavors and finish! Lisa and I visited this winery on our trip to Italy back in the fall of 2005. We had dinner there and fell in love with their wines. They were so cheap, even with the Euro conversion. This is our last bottle, and unfortunately they are NOT cheap in the US. I found some a few years back and got a good bulk discount at $19/bottle. Because of weight concerns I only bought Brunello back from the trip as I figured the Rosso would be a steal back home. Unfortunately it’s double that price in stores, but it will definitely satisfy even the stingiest Italian wine critic.

A “Rosso” di Montalcino is made from the Sangiovese Grosso grape just like its big brother “Brunello” di Montalcino. But, for a “Rosso” di Montalcino the grapes and the juice are declassified and not bound for bottling as Brunello or in to a Super Tuscan.

Color: Dark red center changing to maroon and vibrant ruby edges
Nose: Cherry, crushed flowers, some leather, and aromatic spice and cedar.
Palate: Cherry, a sweet-tartness to the cherry, some cedar, great texture and mouth feel, perfect acidity!

Cheers and drink responsibly!

Pinot Noir is for Lovers!

Valentines Day Wine


Hello fellow Valentines! Yes, its Valentine's Day already and time to get into the romantic modus operandus. I will make this short, but if you are cooking for your sweetheart or maybe cooking together at home this year, PLEASE pick a Pinot Noir to have with dinner. Buy what you can afford or open a bottle of Pinot you have bee saving. But if you buy try not to skimp and be very selective in the under $20 range. Cheap Pinot is in many cases not necessarily Pinot, but rather bad red wine! Pinot is not easy to grow or make and one reason why it can be expensive and in some cases disappointingly expensive. Its a fickle grape and every year can taste drastically different. If you are out to dinner of course buy what's best with the food on the menu or what best suits your budget in this time of budget crunching!

Pinot (Noir) goes surprisingly well with a broad range of foods from Roasted Chicken to Steak. French and New Zealand Pinot tend to go well with more subtle foods like poultry, pork, and rich fish dishes. New world Pinot will go perfectly well with those dishes but also have enough to stand up to mildly seasoned beef, such as beef tenderloin or filet Megon.

Whether from Burgundy (France), Oregon, California, New Zealand or Western Australia, Pinot Noir is a chameleon wine, crafting itself after its surroundings. That is why with so many regions do you get so many different results with the wine. It wows you without trying as hard as Cabernet or Merlot wines that are brawny and full of big tannins that thump their chests. When Pinot Noir is at its apex it is akin to a slinky, sexy woman in a red velvet dress sauntering through your visuals! Its perfume entices you and its flavors seduce you! But I don't want to overdo it, Pinot is not a supermodel - it is not perfect and in the best cases not made to be perfect. No Pinot Noir is not "made up" or perfect without design or intent. They are perfect because of what it is and where it came from: its "terroir". In fact many Pinot are actually lauded because of their imperfections. We all have imperfections just like any wine and make us, just like a wine, individual and distinct. If we were all the same and all perfect, just think how boring that would be! If we were talking movie stars, Pinot Noir is Gwyneth Paltrow or Audrey Hepburn. Timeless and ethereal!

Enjoy some Pinot Noir this Valentine's Day! If you need a recommendation email or send me a text if you are at stuck at the Pinot section and don't know what to do!

Cheers!
Tom

2006 Cocodrilo Cabernet Sauvignon

Vina Cobos

Mendoza, Argentina - $16-$18

Hello fellow winos! Another value wine for you guys! The Cocodrilo has been consumed the last 3 vintages in a row multiple times in this household. Did I mention that Vina Cobos is partially run by Paul Hobbs? Heck, he has a heavy hand in the winemaking! Of course price has gone up as word has gotten around about how these wines are exceptional values. At this price the Cabernet and the other Felino wines are a great deal. A member of my "all time value case" (the best 12 wines for your bucks at under $20)! This year the 2007 Cabernet is called Felino instead of Cocodrilo. Same goes for the Malbec, Merlot and the Chardonnay. The Chardonnay is new to the lineup. Calling each of the wines Felino is also a change in direction for the marketing of these wines. I liked each different name, but I guess it makes sense from a marketing standpoint to associate more wines with one label, especially as good as these wines are! So, on to the tasting notes!

Color: Purple-red edges, dark core!

Nose: Currants, spicy & earthy, some tobacco and iron in the background

Palate: Spicy currants, some cassis and tobacco, chocolate comes around later after an hour or so....delicious!

Cheers!

TK