2005 Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Farella Vineyard (USA, California, Napa Valley)

SUPER complex. SOLID structure.

Napa should have more wines of this fold. I would wait at least 1 or 2 more years, though its definitely drinking just fine with 2 hours of decanting.

Color: Dark red, ruby edges

Nose: Cherry, licorice, spicy currants, some terroir driven earthy notes.

Palate: Still tight, but showing a solid core of black cherry and licorice, a savory wine, with a cedar and mint notes.

Finish: A solid tannic structure frames the wine nicely: fine, but well defined, very precise. The acidity on the finish refreshes the palate.

I had all of the Realm 2005 wines and this was my favorite.

What this wine is NOT: Black as night, super sweet oaky nose, syrupy droopy fruit flavors with a chunky flat finish.

CHEERS!

1999 Almaviva - Concha Y Toro/Baron Philippe de Rothschild

Excellent, and of course very Bordeaux in style as the Mouton Rothschild style is expressed here.

Color: Medium Purple-Red to ruby, just starting to brick at the edges. Age is starting to set in.

Nose: The aromas are starting to integrate the old and the new. Cherry, cedar, liquorice, plum, later pencil shavings and mocha.

Palate: Plum, cedar, cherry and a touch of mocha. Good acidity and slightly chewy tannins. It definitely tastes like a mature wine, not robust and supremely tannic, but rather sublime, complex.

This wine is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, some Cabernet Franc, and Carmenere. Carmenere is a varietal native to Bordeaux but grown sparsely in its home region these days. Chile has taken a liking to it and it grows best here in Chile based on the comparative results with Bordeaux. However, I think it is not going to have the impact like Shiraz did in Australia or Malbec in Argentina. The high end Cabernet Sauvignon they make is way too good to focus primarily on Carmenere. Or maybe the winemakers in Chile have not found the right combination of rootstock and soil? Whatever it is, don't expect Carmenere to be the next big thing, yet.

Drink by the end of 2010.

Cheers!

Dinner Party

Saturday night was dinner party night. We all enjoyed the friendly company, great food and excellent wines. To start, we opened a few favorites and moved on to a nice selection of Cabernet Sauvignon from California and South Africa.

It was great getting together with everyone as most of us had not seen each other in a few weeks or months because of the busy summer schedules, baby's arriving and mayhem at work.

Here are the wines and my scores:

NV Perrier Jouet Champagne, France $25-35 Score: 91
NV Raventos i Blanc - Brut Cava Reserva, Spain $12-16 Score:88
2007 Argiolas Costamolino, Vermentino di Sardegna, Italy $9-14 Score:91
2006 Los Vascos Chardonnay, Chile $10-14 Score:85
2005 Rocket Science Red Blend, Napa Valley $35 Score: 90
2005 Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon, Franschoek Valley, South Africa $40 Score:94-96 (too young to tell, but tasted twice with different notes)
2003 Vincent Arroyo Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA $50 Score: 93
2005 Tom's Caldwell Cuvee - Score: Blech! Hand made gimmick wine from the Caldwell Vineyards

Both bubblies were great in different ways. They contrasted each other in color, texture and flavors. The Perrier Jouet was a gold in color with green flecks, a toasty bread and baked apple nose. Rich in flavor, the PJ was generous on the palate with brioche, baked pears, and granny smith apples - quite delicious and lots of bubbles, classic champagne! The Raventos Cava was lighter straw yellow in color, with crisp pear and citrus on the nose, and a slight hint of fresh bread. On the palate was more of the same pear, lemons and limes - the acidity was precise and cleansed the palate, excellent with the hors d’vors!

The 2007 Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino from Sardegna is our house white wine. I have to say for the money there is no other white wine in the world that I would rather have for around $9-12 a bottle. Costamolino is 100% Vermentino. Vinfied only in stainless steel, it sees no oak. For those not familiar with this grape it has many great qualities of some of the best white grapes. If I were to take those best traits and try to create a “theoretical blend”, it would be something like this: 35% Pinot Grigio, 40% un-oaked Chardonnay and 25% Viognier/Roussanne. It has the richness and minerality of un-oaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay, but without the oak or over-ripe sweetness. The Costamolino has the mouth feel and floral aromas flavors of Viognier and Roussanne, and the apparent lightness and essential acidity reminiscent of a Pinot Grigio.

The Cabernet lineup was eclectic and varied, with 3 different styles to compare against. We will start with the more austere and work our way up the concentration and ripeness scale.

The most austere of the 3 was the 2005 Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon from the Franschoek Valley in South Africa - this was my contribution and a wine Lisa and I first had on our honeymoon this past May - it as the BEST wine we had on the whole trip. However this one was not ready and I should have opened something a little bit older. At least I have a few more of these to lie down and not touch for a few years. I went back to my notes from the trip and then realized the wine had been open 24 hours when we last had it at the winery. It was much more generous and more reminiscent of an Oakville Cabernet from Napa to me at that time. However for now it was closed up and more reminiscent of an old world Bordeaux - classic in style with a touch more oomph, or fruit and extraction. I still decanted the wine for about 3 hours before we started to drink it and it was still super tight, but generous enough to show what this wine will become with a few more years of age. Check back in maybe 5 years, this baby can easily go the distance of 12-15 years from the vintage date!
The next wine, a 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the Vincent Arroyo Winery located in Calistoga, CA, was a notch up in ripeness and size. More a classic example of what Cabernet was before riper wines became all the rage, this wine is more reminiscent of an older Napa style, the wine is a classic example of what wines in the early to mid-nineties were like. Though I am lost at the alcohol level of 14.7%, then again this was a really hot year too. Some wineries still adhere to this style or a style with less alcohol, but the rage now is for riper fruit, riper tannins and higher alcohol levels - big wines! The Vincent Arroyo displays pure fruit flavors, supple tannins and an acidity not common in many Napa wines, some herbs, cedar, dusty cherry and mineral notes also highlight this wine's flavor and aroma profile.

The last wine was the 2005 Rocket Science Red Blend from Caldwell Vineyards located in Coombsville, CA in the far south east region of the Napa Valley. This wine is not 100% Cabernet, but a blend that also consists of Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Tannat. The Rocket science was dark and brooding, a big wine that was probably in the high 14 or low 15%'s. The palate consisted of brambly black cherry and rich currant flavors, almost like a baked black cherry pie. The Fine grained tannins completed the wine's smooth finish.

All in all we drank a lot of great wines, nothing too expensive, but most you would never find on your local grocer's shelf.

Cheers!

Pax Castelli-Knight Ranch Syrah 2005

Tasted over 4 hours and decanted.

Color - Dark red with garnet edges, not inky black - but it did gain weight and seem to darken with airtime in the decanter.

Nose - Tight at first and needed air to coax out after an hour or so the pepper aromas, blackberry fruit, crushed flowers: maybe lilac/purple flowers. Subtle leather and some meat notes emerged later after a few hours.

Palate - That wonderful pepper again, refreshing blackberry and some blueberry, crushed rocks and minerality. Firm tannins and refreshing acidity clean the palate and leave behind a long minute plus finish of blackberry and spicy pepper notes. Very well made and a true tribute to the Rhone - just as the folks at Pax Wine Cellars try to do it.

The most Rhone like wine I have had from outside the Rhone Valley. It can easily age another 8-12 years. I can't wait to get my 2006 Griffin's Lair, Kobler, Castelli-Knight, and Cuvee Keltie. I will try to not touch this wine again for a while or the 2005 Griffin's Lair Syrah.

CHEERS!

2002 Ehlers Estate Merlot, Napa Valley - $25

Most Merlot I would not usually keep longer than 5 years from the date of the vintage but this wine is an exception. I bought half a case a few years ago of this exceptionally made Merlot, a rarity in California and a bastardized wine varietal of sorts because of the Sideways movie.

I opened this wine specifically to test my palate. Yesterday Lisa and I attended a California wine tasting that highlighted wines from all of the big regions: Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Mendocino, Carneros (half Napa and half Sonoma), Lodi, Monterrey and Santa Barbara. It was great and for only $40 we had some really good wine. The variety of wines available to taste was quite varied and in most cases friendly wine makers poured their creations for us (Gary from the Hitching Post come to mind as a favorite of ours - funny and personable). Though we both left the tasting satisfied, we felt too many of the wines were sweet, in many cases overly sweet. For a while in my past I liked the fruit forward style and still do when it's in balance, but most of these wines were not that. Many were just way too sweet. The Ehlers was a test to see if my palate 4 years ago was just picking the wine because of the abundant ripeness or that it was well made and in fact a non-fruit bomb. The test is a draw. Had I known the wine would have evolved this way I would have drunk more of it earlier, though it still retained a lot of the character from when I bought it.

Color: Garnet center with ruby edges, a tad hazy at first from the sediment
Nose: Not fruity, cedar and tobacco leaf with an appealing chocolaty mocha nose, currants.
Palate: Fine tannins frame the mocha, coffee and plum flavors abundant in this wine. Subtle notes or tobacco and spice accent the wines solid finish.

Cheers!

Week in Wines – Labor Day – August 25-September 2

This week included a nice variety of wines this week from Napa, Oz, France and Sonoma.

Whites

Le Paradou Viognier 2007 VDP, Provence $11

This is a young, crisp, leaner styled Viognier. Nice citrus fruits mingle with stony, mineral laced stone fruit flavors to complete this acid driven fresh tasting wine. I would pair this with leaner white fish and light shellfish dishes, even lighter poultry dishes.

Color – Bright yellow

Nose – Stony minerals, lemons and limes

Palate/Finish – The entry is light and laser like with lemons and limes. By mid-palate this Viognier gains some weight from the peachy stone fruit and sweeter lemon flavors that peak through. The finish is clean and crisp, typical “rocks and fruit” from this Provencal wine.

This wine paired well with sushi one night and cheese the next night!

Stony Hill Napa Valley Chardonnay 2005 - $36

Another light white wine – must be the theme of the week, though this is probably to balance out the really big reds we’ve had so far this week. Elegant and well made, this is an ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) drinker’s Chardonnay – very reminiscent of a Chablis from the northern reaches of Burgundy or a very complex Poilly Fuisse from the southern reaches of Burgundy. Stony Hill happens to be the longest running commercial winery in the Napa Valley since they are the first new winery after prohibition. The McCrea family were true visionaries - way ahead of their time in planting Burgundy varietals in the Napa Valley. Even today the McCrea’s vision remains ahead of its time as their style of wine is fast becoming the preference for wine drinkers the world round that are tired of the flabby, over-oaked, sweet butter bomb Chardonnays. But if you drink White Burgundy now and always have, you know exactly what style I am talking about.

Color - Light gold, green flecks on the edges

Nose - Slate, minerals, crispy granny smith apples and warm pear.

Palate/Finish - I almost feel like we opened it too soon and should have let it age and mellow some more. This wine was UBER complex, yet super light on its feet. Like a riverbed of slate and pebbly rocks, the palate was mineral driven, with very crisp lemon and fresh, yet gripping granny smith apples. The finish was crisp, dry and razor like in its bracing acidity!
We had this wine with the wrong food, grilled thick pork chops with grilled peaches, blue cheese, balsamic vinegar, pine nuts and red onion. The wine was too elegant and was screaming for a Sole Meunière. It was still enjoyable, but I saved more of the wine for after dinner.

Reds

Mollydooker “The Boxer” Shiraz 2006, McClaren Vale, South Australia $20

This is the third time I have had this wine and it was showing its best this time around. Big and powerful, yet so well balanced it was not heavy nor cloying in the way that very ripe wines with lots of oak can unfortunately seem when they are not well balanced or as well made as this Mollydooker. One simple word describes the Mollydooker line of wines: “Yummy”

Color - Dark purple with dark ruby red edges

Nose - Lilacs, Ripe and jammy Blackberry and blueberry fruits, sweet oak and chocolate aromas
Palate - The texture was light for a wine with such rich and strong flavors. This wine was not too complex - it was all there and easy to pick out for the palate to savor and enjoy: ripe fruits of black raspberry and black cherry, milk chocolate and savory spice notes highlighted the long tasty finish! Some acidity on the back end helped clean up the palate for the next bite of lamb chops!

Worthy “Sophia’s Cuvee” 2003 Napa Valley, California $32

This is my last bottle of the 2003 vintage, and probably the last from this and all future vintages without further tasting. The 2001 was a stunning wine of which I still have about 3 bottles from a case I bought of few years back. The 2002 was great, but not even close to the 2001 in overall quality. The 2003 was great up front on the attack but fell flat on its face on the mid-palate and the balsamic and pencil like finish. The gritty tannins did not help matters here either. My last bottle of the 2003 was similar, but with more fruit up front and a more subtle finish, not as flat and disjointed as this wine. If you have ANY 2003 drink them up now or sell them at auction if you can! I rarely rate wines with a number but this is barely an 83! Worthy is officially coming off of the $50 and under Napa Valley Cabernet recommendations.

Color - Dark red, almost black purple, ruby red edges

Nose - Graphite, Black Cherry and spicy Cedar notes

Palate - Big cassis and cherry fruit up front on the attack, with a mid-palate of mocha that loses grip and turn balsamic and pencil like on the finish. Gritty tannins. Great start, but a weak finish. This wine is past its peak. The Wagyu skirt steaks we had with it were however excellent!

Williams Selyem Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2005 $42

If only more California Pinot Noir could be so Burgundian with a slight Californian twist. I thought this wine was elegantly styled, complex, and Burgundian even with its Northern California roots. William Selyem have been making great California Pinot way before the Sideways Pinot effect gave way to Merlot’s demise. William Selyem are inspired by Burgundy and it shows in the depth and restraint in their wines.

Nose: Redolent of Spices, bright red fruits, Sandalwood and Minerality

Palate/Finish: Fresh tasting, very bright, slight mineral streak on the finish. Great acidity. Red berry flavors of raspberry and dried cranberry. A touch of earthy truffle and some orange zest. Great wine! Atypical of California Pinot of late! Glad I bought two of these!

Wines of the Week August 11th-17th

1) Clos De Rochegres, Moulin-A-Vent, Chateau Des Jacques, Louis Jadot 2003 $12 (Auction Price – Retails is about $40)

What a surprise, the best Beaujolais I have ever had, hands down. If it were tasted blind I would have thought it to be a Pinot Noir. I got this at auction for a steal, as I looked it up and saw that it was retailing for $40+! Then I researched it more and it is a “Cru” Beaujolais of great pedigree!

Color: Deep ruby red, light ruby on the edges
Nose: Gushing aromas of cherry, raspberries and vanilla. As soon as I uncorked the bottle, red heady fruit smells jumped from the bottle!
Palate: Bursts of red fruit! Cherry, raspberry, sweet oak and an edge of minerality make up this wine’s palate of flavors.
Finish: Super long and tasty! Clean and refreshing tannin and acid structure.

2) Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 $12 ($30 at Ox)
We had a cheapo bottle with dinner last night before going to see the new Batman movie and were quite happy with this value wine. Made from Cabernet grapes from the Central Coast region of Paso Robles, Liberty School is the value line of wines from the Treana Winery. Dark in color, the wine had a nice blackberry and oak vanillin nose, with a slight herbal whiff. In the mouth the wine was full of tasty dark fruits, a slight tinge of green pepper making it clear it was a cabernet sauvignon, and a nice fruit driven herbal finish with supple tannins framing out the finish.

3) Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Fay Vineyard Block 5C Merlot Estate Napa Valley 2000 $60

I dug this one out from the “back of the cellar” yesterday as I was preparing a few wines for auctions ending this evening that I was selling. I had not had this wine in a few years and had a few left so I figured I would give it a try. This is the best of these Single Vineyard Fay Merlots that I remember having. Of late the SLWC wines have been getting bashed by the wine press for being old and tired in style. Well, for me, I like to try many different wines and tasting new styles. The SLWC style is one that I like and now will do better to go back to.

Color: Dark Red, very Claret-like, light purple/red edges
Nose: Ripe Plum, Leather, Cedar and Anise – like eating a ripe plum in an old country club oak lounge.
Palate: Primary Plum and cherry fruit give way to more subtle stewed fruits with fine herbal notes. Some iron and mineral notes linger slightly on the finish. Very subtle oak notes frame in all those herbs and fruit.
Finish: A hint of acidity and plush, classic, Stag’s Leap velvety tannins finish the wine.

That’s all for this past week!
Cheers!

Vina Cobos 2005 Bramare "Lujan de Cuyo" Malbec, Argentina - $30-40
Vina Cobos is a winery in the heart of the famed Mendoza in western Argentina near the Chilean border and nestled in the foothills of the Andes mountain range. Vina Cobos is lead by 3 different enologists; Andrea Marchiori, Luis Barraud, and the most famous and a personal favorite of mine, Californian Paul Hobbs.

The Vina Cobos winery makes quite a few wines, though they are mostly known for their Malbec, the king grape of Argentina, and to a lesser degree Cabernet Sauvignon. This Malbec wine is from the Vina Cobos lower middle tier, the Bramare Lujan du Cuyo set of wines. It cost me about $32 and this is the second time I have had this wine. The first time we had this Malbec it was good but not nearly as great as this time around. Lisa also agreed this time around was by far superior to the last time we had the wine – maybe it was bottle shock?

Either way, here we go on the 2005:

Color: Dark Purple with dark edges. Nose: Spice, some toasty mocha oak, rich black fruits

Palate: Rich and meaty flavors mingle together. Classic oak, black earthy soil, blackberry and blueberry mesh well with supple tannins and great acidity. Lots of deep flavors going on here.

Finish: Well measured acid and tannins give structure and freshen the palate without getting in the way!

The wine had a great balance of aromatics, flavors, tannin and acidity at this time.

This is the best Malbec I have ever had for the money (including special Achaval and Catena wines)! Yes, I am sure there are better but at least I do not taste massive amounts of iron and iodine, way too prevalent in many under $20 wines from Argentina. This gives me reason to explore further.

Cheers!

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”