Foris 2006 Pinot Noir – Oregon - $13.98

The Foris Vineyards 2006 Oregon Pinot Noir is a nice and easy Pinot Noir that tastes and feels more like a $20-25 Pinot Noir than your garden variety mass produced versions from makers like BV Coastal, Mondavi Select, etc.

Very similar to a Bourgogne rouge, but with a New World Oregon twist, the wine has mineral and rich (not too rich) red berry aromas and flavors. Silky tannins and a nice supple finish round out a great, affordable and original Pinot Noir tasting experience from the US where most decent Pinot Noir starts at $30! It reminds me of a richer version of the Nicolas Potel Bourgogne Pinot Noir.

Foris’ Pinot Noir grapes do not come from the famed Willamette Valley, but the lesser known Rogue Valley in Southwestern Oregon. The label states that since 1974 Foris has been making wines in the Rogue Valley. I have had the “Fly Over Red” many times before ($13) from Foris which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc and had always been pleased, especially for the price.

Over the last few weeks I have dug into my collection and have drank some great wines. Some were ready to go and had to be drunk now in order to still enjoy them in a period when they are peaking. Others I have had in my sights, but was just waiting for the right timing or meal to have them with. Most of these wines I purchased directly from the winery and are the last of my supply. I would buy any of these again or in the case of some of the older wines, I would buy recent vintages. The only wine I would hesitate with would be the Shiraz. For the price I could buy some stellar Aussie Shiraz or even cult Syrah from California Rhone-ophile Pax Wine Cellars!

On to the wines....

Peay 2005 Marsanne / Roussanne – Sonoma Coast $38

Finally, I have been holding onto this baby for the right time to drink this wine. I have been waiting to consume the Peay Marsanne/Roussanne with a nice piece of fish! One of the best examples of a white Rhone made in the US. Definitely up there with Alban, maybe better because of its restraint and complexity.

Color: Golden Yellow

Nose: Almonds, white flowers and citrus

Palate: Orange peel, crushed white flowers, clove, lemon oil and fresh limes - an excellent dry and crisp finish.

Darioush 2001 Shiraz Signature - Napa Valley $65

Known for liberal oak treatment and over the top winery construction, this Darioush wine was high on my list to consume before it peaked. Most guides had this ready to consume by 2009. I’d consume by the end of 2010. Big tannins, fruit, and oak characterize an amped up, but balanced wine. This is a big wine definitely having the Darioush “Signature”.

Color: Dark purple and red at the edges

Nose: Black fruit, sweet oak, and some black pepper.

Palate: In the mouth this wine was rich and full with black cherry and oak standing out amongst the other cocoa and briary flavors. The finish was smooth and rich. This is a big wine!

St. Innocent 2002 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard – Willamette Valley, OR $40
Pinot Noir from Oregon, particularly from the Willamette Valley just outside Portland, is to me and many others the closest Pinot Noir gets to being Burgundian in the New World. It is on the same latitude as Burgundy, half way between the Equator and the North Pole. There are many styles in this region, but I like this wine a lot from the folks at St. Innocent Winery from the Shea Vineyard. The Shea Vineyard is owned by the folks at the Shea Wine Cellars. If I could only drink one winery's Pinot Noir from Oregon it would be form these guys at SWC. If I could only drink Pinot Noir from one vineyard in the Willamette Valley it would all have to come from the Shea Vineyard.

Color: Dark ruby red

Nose: Fresh red fruits with a Burgundian, Cote de Beaune-like aroma. The fruit gives it away as New World, yet most Oregon Pinot Noir retains a terroir aspect that Pinot Noir is so famous for, but lost on many new world makers that push ripeness to ever higher levels.

Palate: Excellent; the tannin, alcohol, fruit and acidity played well together to create a round, seamless wine - very well balanced wine. Cherry and some strawberry flavors mingle with lighter spicy and lots of earthy flavors. The finish is dry and clean, with great acidity.

Shafer 2002 Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch – Carneros, Napa Valley $40

I was surprised to see I still had a bottle of this lying around and was afraid it possibly would have gone bad, man was I wrong! This is my favorite Chardonnay from California. This Chardonnay from Shafer's Red Shoulder Ranch NEVER sees any malo-lactic fermentation, but is barrel fermented. This is in contrast to how Burgundy makes there Chardonnay, but a great way to make Chardonnay in California, IMO. Malo-lactic fermentation can add extra buttery and creamy flavors to the Chardonnay in New World wines, thus masking the Chardonnay’s real fruit and terroir. In the right hands, “malo” is just fine in California (see Paul Hobbs). But if the fruit is ripe, and from a warm climate with a cooling effect like the Carneros in the Napa Valley, acidity levels can naturally be maintained and malo-lactic fermentation is not necessary.

Color: Golden yellow with glints of green

Nose: Started out with ripe pineapple, toasty oak and some butterscotch notes. The nose later became more refined with a mineral component mingling with the oak and fruit.

Palate: It initially was rich, fruit and oak fanning out and leading to a fresh finish of Meyer lemons and crisp acidity. It later became more complex with a mineral character; the finish was also fresher and drier lasting about 30 seconds.

Stony Hill 2006 – Gewurztraminer – Spring Mountain, Napa Valley $21 (but HARD to find)

Coming from the longest running post-prohibition winery in the Napa Valley, this wine from Stony Hill is unique in many ways. 1) Gewurztraminer is a rare varietal in the new world and not very well known 2) Exotic aromas and flavors emanate from this wine when made in the right hands. 3) Pairs perfectly with Asian foods from India to the Orient! 4) Light and impeccably balanced for a white wine from the US – rare these days 5) Alcohol level is around 12%, very low for new world standards.

The McCrea family was brilliant to settle on this section of Spring Mountain in the Napa Valley and to maintain restraint in the making of their wines from day one and even to this very day.

Color: Very light straw color with a bright gold shimmer.

Nose: Exotic for any wine, but not Gewurztraminer. Lychee is always a hallmark and this wine has it. It took about 30 minutes to coax it out of the open bottle, but the Lychee aroma was very apparent along with some lime and lemon citrus notes.

Palate: Citrus fruits, primarily lemon, and mineral dominate with a crisp dry finish. Tasty wine with food, but has enough body to be drunk by itself.

Cheers - I hope you are enjoying refreshing wines in these hot summer days!

-Tom

Chianti Tasting – “The Tuscan Nose” Trade and Consumer Chianti Classico Wine Consortium

A few months back in the midst of wedding mania I attended a trade show that had a consumer tasting of Chianti Classico from participating Chianti Classico producers. It was a great opportunity to taste MANY different producers of wines from the Chianti Classico region. I met up with Kyle and Cyn, my old roommate and his girlfriend. Chianti is Kyle’s favorite wine and he saw this as an opportunity to taste a lot of his wines and for me to have a better idea of what else is out there besides my favorites as traditionally do not spend to much or cellar focus on Chianti. I can say this. My favorites are still my favorites, all but one of the 4 star wineries below I liked the most before the event and still do. Though the best winery overall was the new winery: Felsina. They had 4 wines to taste and weird enough the rep for the winery left after the trade part of the show but left about 12 or so bottles open, and full of their wines they had to offer. I poured each one for us and a few other bystanders as we progressed down the list impressed us and thought this was by far the best all around winery for the night. The wines will be listed below. All where very classically made with fresh aromas, flavors and that classic acidity to clean up the palate on the finish. The surprise of the night was from a producer that is not yet available in the US as their production is so small – Il Borghetto. They make Pinot Noir and Pinot Noir blended wines in the Chianti Classico region. I have to say they were by far the most unique wines at the whole show. Out of character from the typical Sangiovese based wines, they were still remarkable in flavor, structure and aroma. Like an Italian cousin of the Cote de Beaune! The best wine overall to me was still the Cestello di Ama. Not flashy, not over the top, but perfectly balanced and a classic wine.

Italian Wine Speak

(Applies to ALL of Italy except Piedmont for IGT wine)
DOCG - Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita - Strict Italian regulation guaranteeing the grape and region where the wine is from =i.e. Brunello, Barolo, Barbaresco
IGT - Indicazione Geografica Tipica - An Italian federal designation to allow for foreign grape varieties to be added to the wine. It is used most famously in Tuscany with the addition of French varietals like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to Sangiovese, creating the Super Tuscans. It is recognized in every Italian region except Piedmont.

Popular Regional Distinctions

Background: Chianti is a region, but a very broad general region where the cheapest wines are meant for immediate consumption (Think those squat shaped bottles with straw wrapping). Chianti Classico is a defined smaller region within Chianti focused on high quality Chianti - look for the Black Rooster on the pink DOCG tax label on the neck. Chianti Classico Reserva is the best wine from the producers located in the Chianti Classico region...though I would use "best" loosely as it’s not always the case! Man other producers also make single vineyard wines that are supposed to be a single expression of one exceptional vineyard that outshines the master blend of all of the vineyards that make up a Chianti Classico bottling.

Chianti DOCG - $5-15 in price, Drink immediately or within a year or two from vintage.
Chianti Classico DOCG - $10-30 - can age from 5-12 years, but would consume most within 10 years
Chianti Classico Reserva DOCG - $25-75 - some may age 15-20 years given the right vintage and extra oak treatment.
IGT - Any wine made in the Chianti region made from a large percentage combination of foreign grapes and Sangiovese (i.e. by foreign I mean Merlot, Cab, Syrah, etc.)

Tom’s Chianti Classico Recommended

Producers

Classic ($20-50)
Castello di Ama ****
Felsina ****
Castello di Fonterutoli ***
Fontadi ***

Slightly more modern classics ($15-40)
Terrabianca ***

Fattoria La Ripa ***
Panzanello ***
Dievole **1/2

Economical and ready now (Under $15)
Rocca Delle Macie ****
Casa Emma ***
Il Poggiolino ***

CHEERS!!!!

Recent Wines and Wine Experiences

Man do I have a lot to report on!

I) Chianti Tasting, 4/21/2008 NYC

II) Honeymoon in South Africa Wine Country 5/18/2008 - 5/21/2008: Remarkable Wines from Franschhoek and Stellenbosch (See picture below of Stellenbosch - yes, that is a picture!)

III) Wines over time...Mendoza Cabernet, Napa Syrah, Sardegna (Sardinia) Rose, Napa “Mountain” Chardonnay, Bourgeois and 2nd label Bordeaux, Paul Hobbs Russian River Pinot, Napa Meritage, Napa non-OAK Chardonnay.

2004 Les Haut De Smith

2^nd wine of Smith-Haut Lafite - $20 (Wine Library)

Right from the get go this was Bordeaux tried and true.

Color: Garnet dark ruby red. Though a tad cloudy, as sediment had not settled in the wine and it threw no sediment at the end of the bottle

Nose: Smokey, toasty oak, cherry, crème de cassis, and black berry and floral nuances.

Palate: Superb flavors of cherry, milk chocolate and crème de cassis integrate well with the sweet tannins. A touch of minerality on the finish. Great acidity too!

Background: Smith-Haut Lafite is a house reborn in the last 10 years by an American family that purchased the Chateaux with aims to revitalize and bolster quality. They have done so and their investment has paid dividends. Besides La Mission and Haut Brion, this is probably the 3^rd best propeprty making wine in the past 5 vintages. The scores are there, the quality is there to back up the scores. Price? One of the best QPR (quality-to-price ratios) in Bordeaux. The 1^st house red in 2005 scored a 95WA and 93WS. The Pessac-Leognan region received high marks from both critics for 2005. This has to be one of the best 2^nd label wines from a main Chateaux out there for the price. Alas the store I purchased this from is long sold out. I will have to check wit the importer to see when the 2005 will hit our shores.

Cheers!!!

2004 Poggio Antico Rosso di Montalcino

Tonight for dinner we went out again to eat as we have no furniture in our apartment as it has been sold or packed for our move this weekend. We decided to go just around the corner to Anthony David’s Dining Room in Hoboken. This has to be the best combination of BYOB, food and stemware in the area, maybe the state. The stems are classic Bordeaux tulip shaped with a long stem so we can really enjoy our good wines that go well with that kind of stemware. A basic pinot noir is fine but a classic or high end Pinot Noir from the US or Burgundy is better suited for the balloon shaped stems. The food is a blend of Italian and French with an American sensibility and modern presentation. Best of all Tuesday through Thursday they have a 5 course pre-fixe dinner for only $35.

The 2004 Poggio Antico Rosso di Montalcino was excellent tonight, it is drinking really well right now! The wine was dark red and ruby at the edges. The nose enticed you with dry dusty fruit aromas intertwined with the classic notes of spice, supple fruit, and a light touch of the wood from the aging in large barrel, maybe sandalwood or cedar. In the mouth the dusty fruit, fine tannins, and refreshing acidity keep you coming back for more! Viva la Rosso di Montalcino!

Cheers!

2002 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Russian River Valley - $40

I have been sitting on this baby for a while and have read recently in CellarTracker that this wine is peaking.

Color: Golden Yellow, in a strong firm way. Surprisingly, it’s not as dark as I’d expect from a Chardonnay of this age.

Nose: Aromas of lemon oil and pear, with a touch of mineral and spice.

Palate: Pear and spice greet the palate up front and carry through the mid-palate where it mingles with vanilla. A slight, but very strong note of honeysuckle explodes on the finish. The wine ends with a refreshing dose of acidity.

The is the second oldest California Chardonnay I have had, I had a 2001 Cakebread reserve a few months back that had peaked and was a shadow of its younger self. This wine however is less intense than at release but more complex and noble in its older stage of life. I pulled it from the cellar yesterday as it’s been in the back of my mind to drink up. We picked up some scallops to eat for dinner and some triple cream cheese. I am typing this up in the kitchen as Lisa is cooking away on the scallops. The triple cream cheese, which most pair especially with Champagne or Chardonnay wines, was a great pairing. The triple cream cow’s milk we chose was called L’Explorateur, named after our first satellite. From France, this has a soft edible rind, and is VERY rich. Similar to Brie, but better fans of Brie should pick some up ASAP! The texture is more like soft butter or cream cheese. Brie tends to be softer and gooier, especially after being out of the fridge for a while. One of the creamiest I have come across, this cheese is excellent. The cheese is from Petit Morin in France and received its name from the first United States satellite in space, Explorer I, which launched in the 1950s shortly before the cheese was developed. Great with the wine, the bubbles from champagne and the texture they’d add I feel would be a better pairing.

Cheers!

La Font de L'Olivier Carignan Vielilles Vignes VDP des Cotes de Thongue 2004 $15

It may seem like a mouthful; well I guess it is a mouthful. This excellent Carignan from the Languedoc region of France comes from some of the oldest Carignan (the grape) vines in the region - 75 years old in fact. Made by wine maker Bruno Granier, the wine is fashioned for simple, easy drinking, without giving away the cow for free. Some complexity comes from the herbs, fruit and minimal tannin and fresh acidity on the finish. Without any barrel aging, I would guess the wine is fermented in either concrete or stainless steel tanks. La Font de L'Olivier translates to ''The Fountain of Olive Tree''. I love olives and I love this wine.

Day 1 - The color is very dark, almost opaque. In the nose herbs and violets mingle with lots of crushed ripe black raspberry and some mocha notes. On the palate, black cherry, ripe raspberry, and chocolate finish off crisp and clean from the supple tannin and refreshing acidity.

Day 2 - Much better - more of the same but more complex and aromatic. This means I could have decanted it for a little while the first night to help it unfold. Or maybe all it needed was to be gassed (inert layer of gas to seal), re-corked and stored over night in my fridge.

I purchased this wine at "The Green Grape" who specializes in small batch, handcrafted wines mostly from Europe; many at under $20. They have a store near my office in downtown Manhattan (Financial District) and in Brooklyn. They have a great discount on case purchases (15%) and a membership that tracks your purchases and sends you a $20 voucher once you spend $350 to use on future purchases. http://www.greenegrape.com/

I will definitely buy this again!

Cheers!

2006 “The Show” Cabernet Sauvignon, California $15

Now, here is the blog that many of you may have been waiting for. Back on January 6th of this year I posted a blog on the 2005 bottling of “The Show” and gave it a pretty critical review, my first ever critical review. I felt the wine was a bad example of Cabernet Sauvignon and posted my thoughts. The folks at the Rebel Wine Co. that are the creators of this oaky beast of a wine read my post and sent me a bottle of the wine, albeit a different vintage, and a few other goodies to smooth over the experience as they thought I had a poor representation of their product. After finally waiting for the right moment (and meal, braised short ribs), Lisa and I opened up the 2006 Show and were much more pleased with this version.

The 2005 Show had to be flawed as I did some research on flawed wines and deduced it had to be oxidized. Most of my experience with flawed wines have been at restaurants were the wines were “corked” or “cooked”. A severely corked wine smells and sometimes tastes like a rotten wet newspaper or sweaty chunk of cardboard was put in the bottle at the time the wine was bottled. Usually the wine's aroma is reticent of wet paper or cardboard funk, even sometimes like a dank basement. The wine tastes muted, almost dead. Less severely corked wines show the same characteristics, but are much less evident and usually go unnoticed by the average wine drinker. The easiest way to tell if your wine is corked and you are not an experienced taster is to have a bad bottle of a wine you drink a lot of and usually enjoy its consistency. Corked wines are from TCA, an abbreviation for 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole, a really long word that is really not that important to most of you out there except for the fact it may have ruined a wine or two in your past you thought was too funky. TCA is part fungi, part chemical agent and mostly found in contaminated corks or strips of cork before they are processed into wine bottle corks, ergo the term “corked”. A "corked" wine is harmless to consume, but if you detect it send the wine back to the sommelier or the store you bought it from. If they are worth their salt, both will take it back no questions asked.

It is estimated that 1%-15% of all wines are corked. The wide range is part industry folk who say the rate of contamination is less than 2% and screw cap advocates that estimate it is as high as 15%. A good estimate is likely something in the neighborhood of 7%. There is an ever growing argument to use screw caps to seal immediate consumption wines. I agree with that idea but feel cork is necessary for wines of pedigree and aging potential as the cork allows the wine to slowly breathe allowing for a slow evolution, producing a classically aged wine. Screw caps can do too much of a good thing and retard evolution of fine wines meant to age, as well as encapsulate sulfur aromas from the sulfur used in many wines as a preservative in wine making to prevent oxidation or spoilage when racking and bottling wines at the winery. Google the term “Mollydooker Shake” to see how to rid a wine of any sulfur aromas.

A cooked wine tastes ok if its young enough, but the texture is all off because sometimes an effervescence is created, or it’s so cooked it tastes burnt or caramel like, absent of fruit and brown in color. “Cooked” wines are the result of poor storage in wine racks in a kitchen, in direct sunlight in a living room, or any other storage space where the temperature changes are volatile.

An oxidized wine is from a bad cork that dried up or was too small. Air is allowed into the wine and the fruit in the wine turns and it loses it life and fruit vibrancy, leaving behind the tannin, oak and acid – not a great tasting experience mind you. That is what the 2005 Show tasted like and therefore I do feel it was compromised after tasting the 2006 Show. This is why it is important to store wines for aging in a humidified environment so the cork does not dry out. The 2005 Show lacked any fruit. The 2006 contained copious amounts of fruit and oak. One flavor was familiar to the 2005: lots of oak and vanillin from toasty barrels (a bit too much for my taste), in addition to some wonderful ripe fruit that took about an hour to wake up from its slumber.

Tasting Notes: The color was a pleasing dark purple, a promising typicity for a California Cabernet. After an hour the wine took on some weight and the following notes are from that time as the wine at first seemed a bit disjointed, possibly because of its youth. Many wines need time in bottle after barrel aging to come together after the initial “bottle shock”. Oak, vanilla, some green pepper and cherry fruit emerged from the wine’s aromas. On the palate copious amounts of sweet vanilla and toasty oak meet some pepper, and generous cherry and grape flavors. The tannins are reserved and almost too subtle. A touch of heat on the finish completes the package. This is a nice wine to have with a nice steak or beef dish that can stand up to the ripe fruit and oak flavors. I will probably try this again in a few months after the wine settles down in bottle.

However if I were the winemaker I would be more judicious with the oak treatment and maybe use a screw cap instead of a cork as this wine is meant to be drunk now and a cork is a waste on a wine meant for immediate consumption.

The Show comes in these 3 eye-catching lables:

Cheers!

2004 Domaine Sainte Leocadie Minervois Fernand Averoux

Price: $14.99

Region: Minervois, Languedoc Roussillon, France

Grapes: Grenache, maybe some Syrah

The other night we had on OTB (Open That Bottle Night – Wall Street Journal Event) the 2004 Leocadie Minervois. We wanted to have something new we have not had before. I have had a Minervois or two in my time at tasting events and many were not so great. Then again a wine like this at a tasting may not impress as it’s not built to do that as it’s not a big, over the top wine - it’s not showy. I never had enough time to see if they were interesting enough to get me to look to them further. This wine has done that. Also, my palate at those times was a lot less up to speed on Southern France.

Minervois is a small village in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. The grape content was not easy to find, but from what I can taste it seemed like it had a lot of Grenache, if not 100% maybe a dash or two of Syrah. By law in Minervois to call a wine Minervois it has to be composed with at least 60% Grenache, Mourvedre or Syrah.

The color was dark red and lighter at the edges. The nose aroma had lots of floral aromatics - roses and lilacs, some Provencal herbs and wild berry fruits and a wee bit of smokiness and that funky southern France aroma. The funk on the nose is pretty standard for many Southern French reds and is not an “off” aroma. In fact in some cases I like it and expect it in certain wines if it is in the right context and not too funky. In the mouth blackberry attacked the palate with mellow tannin and was met half way by lots of roses and tobacco. The finish was perfectly refreshing because of the good acidity level.

This wine was great because it did not try too hard. It was prefect just the way it was. Even if it reminded me of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape (CdP), it did so without trying too hard to do so. When something or someone tries to hard to be something it is not they tend to overcompensate for what it can not achieve and thus falls out of balance. This wine does not do that and is primarily what makes it great, its balance.



STAY TUNED - I just had the bottle of "The Show" Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa that was sent to me by The Rebel Wine Company...stay tuned!

Cheers!

2004 Edmunds St. John "Rocks and Gravel"

Price: $14-18

Grapes: Grenache 38%, Mourvèdre 34%, and Syrah 28%

Region: Sonoma, Paso Robles and the Sierra Foothills – a true Cotes du Rhone, via California

Color: Deep red with a ruby tinge at the edges.

Aroma: Spicy with earthy cassis and wild red berry notes.

Palate: Medium bodied. I only say so because that is the average description of the texture. It’s light on its feet feeling without a loss in texture or flavor. Cherry and especially black raspberry fruit work the palate with finesse. Its funny, this wine sees oak aging but you can only tell in texture, not in flavor - there is not trace of oak flavors. Just the texture the together with eth acidity nicely frame the flavors. The acidity this wine achieves is very refreshing, especially in California where really ripe fruit tends to have little acidity.

Conclusion: Fun, but not a wow wine, this goes exceptionally well with food and is a very interesting wine. I want to get another one to have this summer with some good grilling! I think this wine is great in the fact that it models a Cotes du Rhone better than anything I have ever had from California. Not as original as a true French Cotes du Rhone, it is great in that it combines the best of both regions. One trait that they share, however, is the sun ripened fruit clearly evident, but not overpowering in this wine.

We had this wine with Lisa's chicken Marsala and the pairing was delicious!

Cotes du Rhone: According to Wikipedia, a Côtes du Rhône is a wine-growing AOC for the Rhône wine region of France, covering vineyards outside the other named appellations both in the north and south. The appellation can also be used by growers producing wines within a specific geographical location which do not meet that location's AOC requirements for grape variety or method of production. It is also sometimes used by growers when they feel that a specific vintage does not meet the acceptable standard to be labeled with their appellation name. So in theory a producer in the Hermitage AOC (or any other Rhône Valley AOC) could label his or her wines Côtes du Rhône as long as it met the AOC requirements and he or she wished to. Red and rosé wines are made from Grenache Noir, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignane, Counoise and Mourvèdre grapes. A white Cotes du Rhone wine can be made from Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, and Bourboulenc.

Cheers!

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”

A Tale of Two Cabernet Francs

I had a Chinon this past Saturday night and it blew me away so I wanted to have a Cabernet Franc from my stash with dinner tonight. Chinon is located in the Loire Valley of France and is famous for its Cabernet Franc based red wines. I was so impressed last night that tonight I wanted to have another Cabernet Franc. The peppery and earthy Chinon was fresh on my brain and taste buds, what better time to double dip and see how a new world version compares. Also, Lisa did not want any wine and dislikes most Cabernet Franc so I figured this was my chance. I personally only have Cabernet Franc from the US so since I have had the Pride a few times I passed on that and went straight for my only bottle of the 2002 Soter "Little Creek" Cabernet Franc. I have to say historically Chinon and I got off to a bad start. I bought a bottle of Chinon a few years back with huge hopes and it ended up being one of the few bottles I have ever poured down the drain, not even good enough to use as cooking wine as it tasted like iron, overwrought green and black tea and under-ripe green bell peppers. That wine was obviously not a great example because it was out of balance and literally under-ripe. Too someone new to Chinon they may liken it to overly stinky cheese - one may have to be in an adventurous mood as most are so distinct and not what one reaches for on a regular basis. I have had many since that have had those flavors and aromas in better harmony with the acidity, tannin and fruit in an exceptional Chinon (or Bourgeuil its neighbor to the north in the Loire Valley). Saturday's wine was one of those exceptional examples: 2004 Domaine de la Noblaie, Chinon Les Chiens-Chiens.


The Chinon from la Noblaie had a medium to dark red color. The bouquet jumped out at us with notes of green pepper, spice, cherry/cassis, and slight notes of meat and iron. Medium bodied, the palate was still peppery but focused as it meshed well with the cherry and cedary spice box flavors. I thought this wine is not for everyone but Lisa did say it was the best CF she has ever had. I have a good friend who I think could really like this wine. Brad, check this one out!


Tonight the 2002 Soter Cabernet Franc "Little Creek" is dark ruby red in color. Earth, spice, and black cherry dominate the nose with some coffee notes. Green bell pepper is there but more in the background. The green pepper is more noticeable after an hour. Definitely medium bodied (13.6% alc.). In the mouth spicy cedar frames beautiful cherry, pepper and sage flavors. Oak (sparingly) iron and ripe berry fruits fan out on a smooth lengthy finish. Some meat notes enter the fray after about an hour being open. Not as much of the green pepper and black tea thing going on as I would have hoped, but likely not the goal of Mr. Soter. This is still a very delicious wine and a notch up from the Pride made on Spring Mountain in the Napa Valley. This wine is composed of 75% Cabernet Franc, 20% Malbec, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Soter is based in Oregon in the Willamette Valley but the fruit for this wine is from the Napa Valley in a little known area east of the city of Napa called Tulocay. Tony Soter ships the grapes north to Oregon. Tony Soter has been in Napa for over 20 years as a consultant and is most famous for making the Etude wines from inception. Etude is a favorite stop of mine when I visit Napa as they roll out the red carpet for visitors and allow you to taste their whole portfolio of premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir wines they are selling at that time.

Maybe I am so excited because I had been so under-whelmed by Cab Franc in the past or maybe it was the fact I was furniture shopping right before I had this wine. Either way I will be looking out for more well priced Chinon and Bourgeuil to drink in the coming months. Even in the summer a nicely chilled Cab Franc goes great with any cookouts or grilled meats, even tuna and swordfish.

I will likely experiment with fewer new world examples as they seem to be generic and not very varietal specific. The Domaine de la Noblaie Chinon Les Chiens-Chiens 2004 goes for about $15-20. I can by 3-4 of for the cost of the Soter which retails at $75+. If I want to splurge, the Soter is a great wine and very delicious. But for my money the complexity and character of CF from the Loire Valley regions of Chinon and Bourgeuil will be where I will be focusing.

Cheers!

2004 Mascarello Dolcetto D'Alba Bricco - Giuseppe E. Figlio $19.99

Color: Scarlet red on the edges with darker hues at the center
Nose: Earthy, mineral, herbal notes with hints of berry fruit
Palate: Earthy and mineral, plum, herbal with firm tannins and acidity
Finish: Clean and refreshing from the acidity, earthy and plumy fruits echo the aromas and flavors

Tonight Lisa made some Porcini Mushroom ravioli in a Pomodoro sauce. Lisa made the Pomodoro from scratch, with tomatoes, olive oil, grated Romano (an adequate and much cheaper substitute for Parmesan Reggiano) and garlic. The ravioli were from Vito’s in Hoboken who makes their own fresh and frozen. To pair with the ravioli we needed a wine that would match well with the earthy mushroom, subtle Ricotta/Romano cheese filling, and the acid in the Pomodoro tomato sauce. We would need a wine with fresh acidity and an earthiness a Sangiovese based wine like Chianti Classico or a lighter Italian red like Dolcetto can deliver. I decided on a Dolcetto (fresh out of drinking priced Chianti or Sangiovese). If I had my druthers or the inventory for it I may have tried a Pinot Nero, aka Pinot Noir, because of the earthiness of the mushroom ravs but I have none on hand. I chose a 2004 Mascarello Dolcetto D'Alba Bricco by Giuseppe E. Figlio. Bricco is the name of the vineyard. Bricco is a famous vineyard that produces world class Barolos for the few wine makers that have access to its fruit. Giuseppe also makes 3 different Barbera, as well as 5 classic Piedmontese Barolos made from the Nebbiolo grape from other single vineyards in Barolo.

The Mascarello Dolcetto Bricco thoroughly impressed Lisa a few months back and when I saw the bottle in a shop a few weeks ago I had to snap one up. The first time we had this wine it was at the bar at Cru, a great restaurant in New York City that has a deep and high quality wines by the glass menu. Not to mention two enormous wine lists; one each for red and white and each the size of the Bible! Cru is a special place to grab a glass of wine and a cheese plate if in the area or planned out. Dinner is fabulous and one can have dinner about 20 different ways in 3-9 course creations; made to order with as many or little courses as you wish or can eat based on your tastes and preferences (off menu), a seasonal 7 course tasting menu, or create your own prix fixe dinner based on the usual 11 First Courses and 8 Main Courses and 5 deserts. You can also pair with your meal with the premium wines by the glass poured at the bar or maybe talk the sommelier into some 1990 DRC and 82 Mouton! For my 30th birthday Lisa and I dined here and had the 4 course prix fixe (I had 5).

At first I was surprised how dark the wine was. The first time around I guess I did not notice it as the bar area at Cru is pretty dim. The nose had old northern Italian smells of earthiness, minerality and herbal notes with some red berry fruit. The herbal notes were not easy to pick out but I would say sage bay leaf, and maybe some tobacco. On the palate we had plum fruit, with tastes of the herbal notes, leather and lots of minerality and earthiness. It tasted like the wine was made in the large Italian casks and after some research I found out they were raised in large Slovenian oak casks (see picture at right). Highly structured with firm tannin and acid structure, this wine had a lot of stuffing and was excellent. This is not a wine for beginners; those without proper palate appreciation would think this is bitter and tannic. I thought it was a great Dolcetto, even at an uncharacteristically freakish 14.5% alcohol because of the super high tannin and acid content that balanced the high alcohol content. I can still taste the finish, delicious!

Cheers!

Marlborough Man Wine?

"The Show", 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, California

I bought this wine after seeing it was under $15 and a California wine from a Napa Valley incorporation (Rebel Wine Co.). How much of it is Napa? Not very much, supposedly just a pinch as the label designates a California Appellation, not any specific region such as Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, etc. This wine is likely left over or bulk juice not good enough for a better bottling and sold off to the “Three Thieves” that created Rebel Wine and slapped a clever label on the wine. I will give them that, the label is pretty cool. It would have to be as it from a very popular concert poster publisher (Hatch Show Print). 80% Cabernet, 8% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 35 Petit Sirah, and 3% Petit Verdot.

The color was ruby and medium purple. At first you can tell from the nose the wine was overly oaked with dominating scents of smoke and wood. I was certain it was once I tasted it. It smelled like vanilla and later tasted like chocolate. It smelled and especially tasted out of balance with cedar and milk chocolate from the wood, green pepper and tobacco with additional smoky meat notes. Lisa said it tasted like mesquite beef jerky dipped in caramel. I felt it was more like a wood flavored ice cream pop dipped in milk chocolate.

I only write this blog entry to deter you from making the same mistake I did. This wine was totally out of balance and overly oaked.

Good talk.

Paul Hobbs Kick Ranch Syrah, Sonoma County 2005 and the Worldly Syrah Grape

Kick Ranch Syrah is Paul Hobb’s first attempt at Syrah from his Sebastopol winery located in Sonoma County. The color of this Syrah is black in the center with dark red framing the edges. The bouquet reveals scents of blueberries and graphite, with subtle notes of meat and as always with good Syrah some pepper. Black fruits and white pepper, in the background are notes of pencil shavings and meaty (think roast) flavors all framed by judicious levels of oak. The tannins are ripe and the finish is something between a Cote Rotie and a well made Shiraz. Not as heavy as a Shiraz, not as lean and powerful as a Cote-Rotie. Delicious! Decant if you can or use a Vinturi as this shut down shortly after opening and needed air to coax it back open. Wait 6 months+ to enjoy. Cheers to Paul (right)!

Now I know why many who like Syrah from Australia and the traditional northern Rhone in France do not find California Syrah as attractive as Shiraz or Hermitage (Syrah from the Northern Rhone). The best examples of Syrah in California are nothing like the ripe, almost burnt fruit of Australia. Nor is California Syrah like the leaner, more aromatic, more velvet glove with the iron fist of the Northern Rhone. California Syrah can tend to share characteristics of both Shiraz and the Rhone by varying degrees.

California Syrah flavors and aromas are more French, but the body and color is more Oz. However that may be, I like this wine style. It seems almost like a hybrid of the Rhone and Shiraz. But to understand what I mean, first you have to understand what Shiraz is and what the Northern Rhone is (Hermitage, Cote Rotie, and Cornas).

Syrah from California is typically different than Shiraz in flavor profile except for the ripe fruits, yet just as concentrated with comparable alcohol levels and lower acidity levels. In France the flavor profile is similar sans the high fruit levels. In most cases Rhone Syrah fruit shares the stage equally with mineral flavors like hot rocks, graphite and pencil shavings, as well as bacon fat, game and meat flavors with some herbs like sage, herbs de Provence and in rare cases mint sprinkled in. Hermitage, Cote Rotie and Cornas show bacon fat, roasted or stewed meats, white and black pepper, coffee, espresso, minerality, liquorice, blueberry and blackberry fruits. Shiraz gets you those fruits and some mild pepper notes, but lacks in many cases the bacon, meaty, minerality the terroir of the steep slopes of the Northern Rhone exude. Rhone wines tend to age longer and in an average year are less concentrated in body and alcohol. In fact last month Lisa and I had 3 Cote Rotie from the 1996 vintage from the great negociant Guigal: La Mouline (see left and my favorite), La Londonne and La Turque. All were incredible, showing their maturity except the La Turque which seemed more youthful and more new world in style. Each were on sale for $250 that night at the wine shop that was generous enough to be pouring samples of all 3 (We passed on purchasing). Rhone Syrah also tends to not wear out the palate as they retain their acidity better than new world Syrah. To fans of Northern Rhone wines, California Syrah can be too low in acidity and too high in alcohol, glycerin and concentration. Shiraz lovers like the alcohol, concentration and massive fruit flavors in California Syrah but likely dislike those extra mineral, gamey and herbal notes from the Rhone that they probably think is a funk of some sort. I think it just makes the wine more interesting.

It seems like Syrah, tagged by many in the past few years to be the next Merlot, is not catching on like many would have liked in California. The reason Syrah probably never caught on as the next Merlot is that it is not like Merlot at all. In most cases Merlot is like a lighter, less complex version of the oh-so-popular and expensive Cabernet Sauvignon that established itself as the dominant red grape of the world a very long time ago and still to this day dominates red wines sales. There are great versions of Merlot, believe you me some of the best wines in the world contain or are made solely out of Merlot. Syrah is NOTHING like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. Apples and oranges here folks.

In California (and Washington State) there are the die hard Syrah enthusiasts and traditionalists that create excellent examples. A few of my favorites include Cayuse (WA), Alban, Pax, Shafer, and Clos Mimi. They are well established small production wineries but consistently make excellent Syrah.

Syrah is a different beast and in many cases the best bottles are rare or hard to find. Most of my friends I have recommended these wines to have not loved them. I have yet to meet a friend of mine that is a Syrah Freak. There are plenty of Shiraz nuts, just no Syrah nuts. They mostly say the wines were nice or ok, but rarely do I get an emphatic response like, "Thanks, I bought a case". Most people love Shiraz (very frequent) or love Northern Rhone (few but more than California) - rarely do the same people like Shiraz and Rhone Syrah, let alone California Syrah.

To me, Shiraz is its own wine: super ripe, super dark, low in acidity, full of ripe fruit. Northern Rhone, like Hermitage, is leaner and lighter in color and alcohol, contains good levels of acidity, yet is concentrated and balanced in terroir, flavors and super aromatic. Almost like chewing a mouthful of blackberries, super ripe Shiraz is popular the world over. As it should be – it is simply delicious. Not overly complex but more fun. From the time we knew how to eat fruit the rule of thumb has been the riper the better. I think that's great when I want that Oz style. Some finer Shiraz examples show some refinement and great balance. Penfolds Grange is one such example of Shiraz that is one of the great wines of the world up there with Latour, Guigal, Domaine Romanee Conti, and Harlan.

Syrah is an incredible grape and has many identities; all regions have their fine examples of this ancient varietal and are justly different because of the unique terroir. There is no other grape in the wine world with so many identities and variations. For the Rhone fan, next time reach for a California Syrah from Pax or Clos Mimi or a Shiraz from Two Hands (right), Torbeck or Mollydooker. For the Shiraz fan, maybe try a Cote Rotie or a Washington State Syrah from Cayuse.

Cheers!

Please enjoy these photos of the Northern Rhone to help you understand why the terroir is so unique in Hermitage and Cote Rotie. Syrah is not grown in these conditions anywhere else in the world!

The Hermitage hillside from the Rhone River

Hermitage in all its glorybelted by the Rhone River

The steep hillsides of Cote Rotie (notice the label for la Mouline above is these man made terraced hillsides)

The famous Cote Rotie brick terraces created ages ago

Petrus - The Most Expensive Wine?

This evening I was able to taste one of the rarest and highly sought after wines in the world. Petrus. From the right bank of Bordeaux, Chateaux Petrus (pronounced PAY-troos) comprises of 30 acres of vineyard which are planted to 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc in the Pomerol AOC north of Saint-Emilion. Yes, you read right, it is mostly Merlot. Production averages roughly 4,000 cases per year. Not a tiny production, but not large by any means in comparison to Lafite or Latour which average 20,000+ cases. Merlot grows best in clay soil and that is what most of Pomerol is composed of. This is Bordeaux at one of its finest. Pauillac being the other "finest" place on the left bank of the Gironde River in Bordeaux. Petrus’s history dates back to the late 19th century and was purchased by the modern day owners, the Moueix (pronounced moh-EX) family, from the Arnaud family in 1961. Now, the 1992 vintage was a difficult one in Bordeaux, but Petrus managed to still create a wine worthy of the ages. Robert Parker gave it a 90, the Wine Spectator gave it a 98, and the lowest price for it I saw online was $899. This is the most expensive wine I have ever tasted. How was it? Well, it was unlike anything I have ever had before. Was it the best? It was better than the 1994 Cheval Blanc I had last year which is a top flight wine from the right bank of Bordeaux whose vineyards lie on the border of Pomerol and the Medoc in Saint Emilion. Was it better than the 2003 and 2004 Chateau Angelus? I'll say that it is the best wine from Bordeaux that I have had with this kind of age to it. Still concentrated and complex, yet in a stately, mature way. I get classic aged aromas of tobacco, smoke, leather, and dried currants. I also noted hints of petrol and mint, unusually for a wine of this age. I could imagine this wine in its youth, dense, complex with deep red and black fruit aromas and flavors mixed with smoky oak and silky smooth tannins (mainly from the Merlot).

Our second wine was the California cousin of Petrus, the 2004 Dominus Proprietary Red Wine ($115). Young, rich, and perfectly ripe, the 2004 was from magnum and served decanted. This wine is a great example of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (with small doses of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot). Not overly oaked, not overly ripe, it has the right amount of acidity and tannin to balance the ripe fruit. The nose and palate combine to reveal notes of black cherry, currants, sweet oak, and herbs.

I can’t resist telling the Dominus story as it is a subsection of one of the least known family winery stories from the Napa Valley. No, not the Mondavi’s but they had a hand in its creation. Christian Moueix, son of Jean-Pierre Moueix who turned Petrus into the world famous wine that it is when he led the purchase in 1961 of Petrus, traveled to the Napa Valley in the early 1980’s in search of a vineyard to bring the Petrus name and style to the new world wine and latch on to the rapidly growing wine region. Moueix found the 140 acre Napanook vineyard via an introduction from the man who started the modern day Napa Valley craze - Robert Mondavi.

Robert Mondavi introduced Moueix to Robin Lail, daughter of the late (and great) John Daniel Jr. Daniel, who used to own and reside on the Inglenook estate in the mid 1960’s and in many circles is considered the best winemaker in Napa Valley history. His Inglenook wines from the 40’s and 50’s are still opened and enjoyed by wine connoisseurs on the rare occasion a bottle surfaces or Francis Coppola decides to share (he bought most of the Inglenook Estate from Heublin, Inc. in the 1975 and its wine cellars with stocks of old Inglenook vintages). Robin and her sister Marcia kept the Napanook Vineyard in the Daniel family after her father sold Inglenook to a large alcohol conglomerate in 1964 (Heublin, Inc, now Constellation Inc. after about 4 sales and mergers). John Daniel as passionate as he was about winemaking was not a good businessman and had to eventually sell the winery to retain the family’s wealth. The Daniel daughters Lail and Smith decided that Moueix was the right fit for the vineyard and partnered until 1995 when the daughters sold their shares to Moueix. Robin thought up the name “Dominus”, meaning “God” in Latin, and Christian agreed it was a great name and very marketable. Not to mention the stuff inside the bottle being great, the Napanook vineyard lives on in the Dominus ($115) and second label wine Napanook Napa Valley ($39).

Dominus has excelled from its initial 1983 vintage. It still does well as Parker scored the 2001-2004 95, 96, 95 and 94 points respectively. The Dominus Proprietary red wine (not Napanook) we tasted tonight was from the 2004 vintage. Lisa and I both liked it and would definitely recommend picking some up for a special occasion as its not $899 per bottle. Its a mere penance at an average cost of about $100 compared to the Petrus. The Dominus winery is closed to the public and is located in the Napa Valley in the northernmost part of the Yountville district, bordering the famed Oakville district, just west of highway 29.

At the tasting we took home with us a great bottle for dinner that I have to mention (pictured right). Tonight with dinner we had a great table wine from the Rhone. Priced at $5.99, the Paul Jaboulet Aine “Table du Roy” paired well with salmon marinated in a pomegranate sauce. Paul Jaboulet is famous for one of the best Hermitage (Syrah) bottlings from the Rhone (avg. price $150). This non vintage (NV) Grenache (the grape) blend was great. Much more interesting than your average $10 school night wine, I would buy it again. Red berry fruit meshed well with the spicy and meaty notes you find so often in a Provencal wine from the South of France.

Cheers!

Jonesy Tawny Port and a California Cabernet

Not to supersede the Thanksgiving wines I recommended a few days ago, I have to talk about two wines I had tonight that would be great tomorrow or anytime. First off was a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Santa Cruz Mountains in California. We then followed that up with a glass of Australian Tawny Port. With dinner tonight Lisa and I had a bottle of 2001 Mount Eden Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc). The wine just meets the legal minimum to call it a Cabernet Sauvignon. According to the ATF a wine in the USA must contain 75% of one grape in order to call it by that varietal on the bottle. It was an exceptionally pure and complex wine. Wonderful flavors and aromas of currants, mixed berries and herbs jump from the glass and liven the palate. A surprisingly refreshing finish was defined by its acidity by which California wines get knocked for having a lack of. I blogged a few months ago about this winery and recommended all of their wines - check out my May 2007 archives!

The spotlight of this Blog I want to be the Jonesy NV Tawny Port ($8-12!). NV equals non vintage which means the wine is not of one vintage but composed of may different vintages blended together to make one singular expression of that winemaker. 46 years in fact for this particular NV wine! How do they do it? Well first of you may ask what the heck are they doing with all that old wine and where does it come from. Well, no one really knows how much 40-something year old wine is in the blend except the people making the wine. It is also not in any way ever detailed on the bottle of wine from my experience. In a bottle with 46 years of different wines it could be as small as a drop or more if the winemaker feels it is appropriate for the type of expression he'd like his wine to have. It all sits in different barrels by vintage, aging for years and blended in as the winemaker sees fit. It sounds almost like a mad chemistry experience. A little of this year, a little of that until they get what they feels is a complete wine worthy of consumption. If I were to guess (and I am as I did not do much research on port before I wrote this) I would say the winemaker uses the least amount if wine from the old and the new vintages and the core of the wine is made up of the middle to later middle ages of the wines available to blend.

Tawny port is usually brown in color bordered by copper to dark ruby hues. Aromas and flavors commonly include: maple syrup and molasses, candied fruits (think really ripe, sugary ripe, raisin-like or raisins), caramel, hazelnut, and my favorite - roasted nuts (like those in NYC sold by street vendors).

The Jonesy tawny port is ruby-brown with coppery hues on the edges. The nose is fresh and chock full of wonderful maple syrup and overly ripe dark fruit aromas. On the palate the wine is fresh and lively for its concentration and flavors of roasted nuts and maple syrup. I have to say this is a profound finding and I am going to buy a few bottle to stock up and have on hand, especially at about $10 a bottle!

Winemaker: Trevor Jones (aka the Port-meister) and Dan Phillips (importer of rock star Aussie wines)
Cost: $10
Availability: Wide! Wine-searcher.com had many places in NY and NJ that had this bottle for $8-12.
Not to supersede the Thanksgiving wines I recommended a few days ago, I have to talk about two wines I had tonight that would be great tomorrow or anytime. Lisa and I had with dinner a bottle of 2001 Mount Eden Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc)

Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving!

Wines for a Thanksgiving Celebration

No doubt you have read countless ideas of what wines go best with Thanksgiving Turkey this year. American Zinfandel because it’s the only indigenous American grape; Napa Valley Cabernet because it’s American, Riesling because it’s versatile, etc. Those are great ideas and feel free to serve that with the Turkey. I am going to take a slightly broader approach and focus on the entire celebration on not just dinner. Here is how I feel an ideal Thanksgiving dinner should unfold.

To start things off I would serve a champagne or sparkling wine, country of your choice of course. I would serve a “Grower Champagne”, preferably a Blanc de Blanc which is always 100% Chardonnay from Larmandier or Diebolt-Vallois ($35-50). BdB’s are lighter and leaner than your average Champagne because the Chardonnay is typically blended with Pinot Noir and a small percentage of Pinot Meunier. BdB’s maybe leaner, but are intense in a different way. They scream minerality and purity in aroma and flavor with a beautiful pearl like texture thanks to the bubbles and vibrant acidity.

A Grower Champagne is from one of the small guys in Champagne. Not a Cliquot or Moet, the small growers only account for 22% of Champagne sales, 3% outside of Europe! The big guys only own 12% of the vineyards in Champagne yet account for 78% of sales. Most growers don’t make their own wine; they just sell it to the big houses. The big guys are great, not doubt I love my Feuillatte and Cliquot, but growers create individual wines full of character and personality because of their small size and unique vineyard sources.

Now if I were to single out a white grape to serve I would choose Viognier. The best from France and California will display notes of citrus and/or stone fruits, honey, floral aromas, an oily texture and refreshing minerality to complement the flavors. The floral aromas and the oily texture are hallmark notes for Viognier, flavors and aromas vary otherwise.

I consider Viognier a red wine drinker’s white wine. My favorites from California are the Alban Vineyards Central Coast Viognier ($20-25) and the Peay Vineyards Estate Viognier, Sonoma Coast ($30, hard to find but worth searching out).

In France Viognier’s home is in the northern Rhone village of Condrieu, but is also grown plentifully in the rest of the Rhone. Condrieu is located on the Rhone river and thus where the village and the vineyards take its name. The name Condrieu is derived from coin de ruisseau, which literally means 'bend in the stream.' Steep hillsides and scattered terraces define the vineyard appearance. Viognier that is not from Condrieu will be labeled Cote du Rhone or Vin de Pays and may contain 100% Viognier or be blended with Marsanne and/or Roussanne. A favorite of ours from France is the Domaine Miquel vin de pays d’oc which is 100% Viognier and priced nicely at about $15. The production in Condrieu is so small that only a few hundred cases each year make their way to the US so prices are a little higher in the $30-60 range. If you want to spend around $40-50 to taste the heights of what this grape can be, try a Guigal, M. Chapoutier, Jean-Luc Colombo or Rostaing Condrieu. If you can’t find my recommendations and come across Viognier in the $15-30 range try one. I would recommend you ask the salesperson first to check that the Viognier is a classically styled wine. Sometimes winemakers get to generous with the oak and that can mask the natural flavors and aromas.

Now onto a few red wine recommendations for Thanksgiving. For the meal, various wines will work just fine. However I think medium to lighter body reds pair best. If you want a more full bodied wine with dinner, maybe serve the lighter reds before dinner, alongside the Viognier and after the Champagne. This time of year is when the Gamay grape is in the spotlight because of the marketing campaign that pushes Beaujolais Nouveau to consumers. Beaujolais Nouveau is the first wine of the harvest to be put on the market from the 2007 vintage. The wines are simple, fruity quaffers made for immediate consumption. However, Cru Beaujolais is not a simple fruity quaffer. Cru Beaujolais, also made from Gamay but from 10 special Cru villages in the Beaujolais region, can age 10-30 years depending on the vintage! These are subtly complex wines deserving your attention. Most Cru bottles cost between $10-15, with the very best and rare only costing about $30. These are affordable to just about anyone! Gamay has very similar characteristics to Pinot Noir so if you like Pinot, you may like Gamay. In fact, the Beaujolais region is just south of Burgundy and has similar weather patterns and soils. In 1935 it was declared illegal to plant Gamay in Burgundy where it was planted along side Pinot Noir grapes.

Any Beaujolais from the ten Cru villages are considered the best that Beaujolais has to offer. The ten Cru villages are Brouilly, Chénas, Chiroubles, Côte de brouilly, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin à Vent, Régnié, and Saint-Amour. My favorites usually are from Brouilly, Morgon and Moulin à Vent. Popular producers are George Deboeuf, Brun, Desvignes and Louis Jadot. My favorites this year so far were the 2005 Desvignes Morgon Javernieres and the 2005 Broilly Chateau Thivin.

If you desire a full bodied red wine with dinner your options are quite numerous. Red Zinfandel (not the pink stuff) has been quite popular for Thanksgiving because of its American roots. Most are relatively affordable and give you a lot for your dollar. The Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel portfolio offers up a few different Zinfandels and are some of my favorites. The entry level bottle is about $15-18 and is called the “Sonoma County” bottling. The Sonoma County is one of my “go to” bottles and one of Lisa’s favorites. The Old Vine, Cortina, and Home Ranch are single vineyard Red Zinfandels that cost around $25-30 and are a step up in complexity and flavors. Another reason I recommend them as they are not the ultra-ripe, high octane alcohol fruit bombs that can sometimes be made when ripeness levels are pushed to the extreme which tends to happen a lot with Zinfandel.

Other than that, I leave it up to you the reader to decide what you want to drink with dinner. Maybe open up that special bottle or two you picked up at a winery you visited. Maybe you have a special magnum you have been saving for a special affair. Wine should not be about what you should have but what you want to have!

Cheers!