2004 de Trafford Cabernet Sauvignon
Stellenbosch, South Africa


Hello everyone!  Sorry its been a while, half slacking, half busy.  Here we have my second video blog to date.  Work has been winding down, but still quite busy and very tiring, perfect time for a vacation!  Part of the busy part has been prepping for our trip to FRANCE!  Lisa and I will be there for 2 weeks traveling for about 5 days each to Provence, Bordeaux and then Paris.  Keep an eye out to FB for some updates and pictures from the road!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MqMo042xpw


I will be taking lots of video and pictures so I should have some good stuff to post once I get back and settle into the summer here in the states. 


BTW if the video needs anything, like better audio (working on that), PLEASE do not feel bad to leave some critique!  Heck even better let me know if there is anything you want me to highlight in video or more of a spotlight on a region in writing!


Cheers!


-Tom

FIRST VIDEO BLOG!

I will let the video do the talking!

Cheers and thanks to all of you for helping me get to this point!

Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir Cuvee Agustina 2002 Hyde Vineyard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cast5cIzrIM

Of course I would have wanted to have a video frame to link to but please understand BlogSpot STINKS and further reinforces why I need to get my own site with video feed!

UNFORTUNATELY BlogSpot will not allow me to post the video frame and host the actual video so I had to include it via a YOU TUBE link!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know what you think.  I was nervous and hope you were able to gather a few tidbits of good information and a few minutes of entertainment!

Cheers and thanks for watching!
-Tom

2009 Bordeaux Barrel Sample, ala En Primeur

This week I was lucky enough to receive a generous donation of a barrel sample from the much heralded 2009 vintage in Bordeaux. If you do not follow wine as closely as me, and there is a good chance that is true, you may not have heard but 2009 is being touted as one of the best vintages in Bordeaux history. I believe 2009 to be, from what I have read, a vintage that will be known as the first great modern Bordeaux vintage, possibly bringing together some of the best aspects of the greatest known vintages of the past like '61, '82, and '00 (arguably the best 3 to date, well maybe ’00 is arguable) in a more forward, modern style. 2009 has bridged the palates of the Americans and the British who typically disagree on anything Claret related, and have coaxed the newly rich Chinese to buy in volume from the futures campaign (or so merchants are predicting). Is this all propaganda to keep the Bordeaux hype machine going as it has suffered from three recent average to weak vintages since the last great vintage of 2005? 2008 did end up being a decent vintage, but it will suffer because it will precede the now expected great 2009 vintage. This is however great news for buyers that are also drinkers and not just investors in these liquid assets. I will describe below what goes on and what happens in a futures campaign in Bordeaux and here in the US as a consumer. But for now, let’s get into the wine and learn a little about what a barrel sample is like and what to expect.

First, I have to say thank you to Chris over at the great wine video blog "Pardon that Vine". If you have not found your way to "the World's Most Unbiased Wine Forum" you should do so and become a fan here via Facebook. Chris is also a fellow Hoboken-ite and I am very happy to have a fellow wine aficionado in town to share experiences like this.

I have had many barrel samples in the past, but they have all been from Napa Valley or Sonoma wineries. In most cases the samples tasted mostly like grapey, fruity, dark concentrated juice with a twist of bitterness from the acidity and alcohol. For me they offered no clue into what one could expect 3 years later (though the Paul Hobbs and Carlisle barrel samples were awesome). Barrel tasting, I feel, is an art and few are really good at it. Recently I have been reading a lot of tasting notes on the '09 Bordeaux barrel tastings and have gathered that most of the wines from 2009 were ripe and showing generous character, especially fruit. Speaking to Chris who did this extensively during the recent 2009 En Primeur week, he said don't pay too much attention to the nose, as the wine is not mature enough to kick real aromas that will tell you much about the wine. He also said to not sweat so much of the flavor precisions but look for texture. I also feel from what I read that composition and fruit will be things to look for on the palates of these young wines. I thought about tasting young wines in barrel in this manner: think about how something like a house or apartment building may look as it is being built. The components and parts may not be completely put together, but from what you see in construction, but with some vision and foresight you can see that it may have all of the makings of a great finished product. Try to imagine a house partially built. The property lines are drawn, the blue prints have been scripted, the frames and floors are up with most of the walls in place. If you have the right vision and experience, you can tell what will be the difference between a great house and an exceptional one 2-3 years later after the house has been moved into, landscaped, painted, and furnished (with a wine cellar ideally).

The Barrel Sample

Chateau Vieux Taillefer

$20-40 (based on 2006 prices)


Day 1

At first by habit I of course swirl and sniff the wine and get bitter, tight tannic and acidic smells. It was not pleasing at all but remember the nose is not that important. The color was dark and rich, very clean for a young, recently vinified wine. The palate was tight, exhibiting solid tannins and acidity. The nicest thing I took from it were the flavors and palate aromas of purple flowers and violets. Besides that some black fruits were peeking through on the palate. The oak was apparent as well, kind of the big sticking point and the most apparent part not in balance.


Day 3 (gas sealed)

The nose has gained complexity, but still is not telling me much besides the oak the wine has been in since October. The palate seemed to have gained a lot of weight. More texture was also coming across on the mid-palate. Maybe the air and time has hyper-matured this from a palate perspective by being open a few days? Either way it did well by the wine to be open a few days. More structure with deeper complexity came through on the palate. Deeper flavors of purple flowers, blackberries, and some minerality were apparent. The oak still seemed like it needed more time to integrate.

A few things about Bordeaux wine futures

Bordeaux wine futures are offered in waves or tiers, usually within 2 years or as few as a few months in advance of the wine finally being sold in bottle. The first wave is typically priced by the end of the first June after a vintage year; June 2010 in the case of the 2009 Bordeaux vintage. Then as successive waves of wines are released, the price ticks up until the wine is released in bottle, typically 3 years after the vintage date. So if you buy 2009 Bordeaux in June 2010, you will not likely get your wine until the fall of 2012, more than two years later. With currencies in flux, and the Euro seeming to have issues daily with possible bankrupt currencies (Greece, Portugal, Spain), this could play better into the hands of the Americans and Chinese when the time comes to buy, but really the merchants are the ones that really need concern themselves so much with the currency fluctuations. A Chateau typically sells to a negociant, who then sells to an importer who then sells to a distributor, and then a retailer in the US. So as a consumer, you have to deal with at least 3-4 layers of pricing: Chateau, negociant, importer, retailer. There are instances where the importer is also the retailer, or the Chateau does not use a negociant, reducing the layers to 3. No wonder Bordeaux prices can get so inflated, everyone takes their piece along the way to the consumer! The wines however are great though, so don't let pricing get too much in the way if you really want to try and discover this exceptional wine region. Bordeaux wine can be found in good quality for as low as $10 and many for under $30.

Cheers!
-Tom

2004 Top Flight Bordeaux Blind 

(sort of)

     Some time ago I attended a tasting of 2004 vintage Bordeaux wines.  At first it happened to be full according to the web posting. I called anyway to see what level of wines would be poured, check if there was another date or even try to slip in if I was lucky enough to find someone who maybe cancelled. I was told there may be a cancel and later that day I received the call that there was in fact a cancel - I was in!  

     The tasting was small with only 11 attendees plus the organizer.  I would say that it was split down the middle between those there that worked in the wine business and those that were there for the pure enjoyment of drinking great wines.  Personally I feel I fall somewhere in the middle.  


     The tasting was originally touted to be completely blind in that we knew that the wines were Bordeaux but not which ones they were.  As we started, we were told that we would know all but one of the wines as we drank it.  I have to say I was kind of disappointed as I wanted to test my skills - blind tasting is the "equalizer" in the wine world, humbling the most educated and respected palates and wines on any given day.  At this point I figured the last wine served blind had to be a First Growth, more on that later.


We were to taste one wine from each of the better known communes of Bordeaux:


Saint-Emilion, Right Bank 
Pomerol,  Right Bank
Margaux,  Left Bank, Medoc
Saint-Julien,  Left Bank, Medoc
Pauillac,  Left Bank, Medoc
Saint-Estephe,  Left Bank, Medoc
Pessacc-Leognan, South of the city of Bordeaux
Last bottle served completely blind


     The lineup was great, ranging from right bank Grand Crus to mostly second growth left bankers.  The lineup was as follows, all from 2004 and decanted for 6 hours:


Chateau Magdelaine, Saint-Emilion
Chateau Certan de May, Pomerol
Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Margaux
Chateau Leoville-Las Cases, Saint-Julien
Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac
Chateau Montrose, Saint-Estephe
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Leognan
Chateau "X" Served Blind


     Each wine was undoubtedly very Bordeaux.  The smoky, toasty oak is hallmark and very reminiscent of Bordeaux to me.  After that the terroir, fruit, tannin and other subtleties will define which wine is from which region and which Chateau.  The French whole-heartedly believe in terroir and that the consistency of a  vineyard's terroir should evident every year, but of course varies in complexity and depth depending on vintage conditions.    The 2004 vintage was a good, not great vintage according to the critics.  2004 is considered to be more classic of a vintage and reminiscent of the days before global warming talk and modern wine techniques which now allow a Chateau to extract (and unfortunately manipulate) more from the fruit they are given in a vintage.


     Overall I was not blown away but came away with a much better understanding of Bordeaux.    Some of what I already knew was reinforced, though I believe I took away a better understanding of the subtleties each commune has as I was able to compare them first hand and side by side.   I thought 6 hours was too much decanting for some of these wines, especially the right bankers.  Additionally the tasting glasses were correct, but they are small.  I think the wines had sat in those small glasses for too long, not smelling and tasting as fresh as I feel they could have been.  2004 is a vintage with a higher level of acidity in the wines, something not exactly I crave in a good Bordeaux. 


     As we tasted through each wine, the lead taster spoke about the commune the wine was from and what to expect, what was typical of that region.  She also mentioned how much of each grape varietal the wine was composed of.   True to form the left bankers were mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and the left bankers were anchored with Merlot.    


     As we tasted each wine in order I was going back and fourth comparing the subtleties of Margaux and Pomerol to the power of Saint-Estephe, and the coupled finesse and power of Pauillac.  I was guessing that the blind wine initially was Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillo or maybe Chateau Palmer, possibly even Chateau Margaux.  I was hesitant on a first growth initially as the wine did not really taste any more great than the mainly second growth wines we were comparing it to.  Ultimately I had forgone DB as I was definitely thinking this wine was from Margaux.  I was right as the instructor revealed at first what the region was.  Palmer is an interesting wine as it is one of the very few Chateau on the left bank that primarily puts Merlot in its wines.  I felt the wine had more power, more structure than what a Margaux would have, this had to be First Growth Chateau Margaux and I was right as that was the wine in the brown bag!  I was hesitant in guessing Chateau Margaux, but I was right.  Lesson learned that you should always trust your instincts.


Some notes and highlights from the tasting:


Chateau Magdelaine, Saint-Emilion
Soft red fruit aromas, light ruby claret in color.  Tart cherry, earth, some leather and bright acidity.
50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Franc

Chateau Certan de May, Pomerol

Aromas of smoky oak, dark Cherry and currants, plush.  Same plush fruits on the palate, with earth and good acidity cleaning up the finish   

70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc; 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Margaux  Dark cassis and smoky oak aromas.  More palate depth than the previous two, richer deep core of fruit and silky but bigger tannins.

67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc

Chateau Leoville-Las Cases, Saint-Julien

Aromas of purple violets, cassis, barely any main oak influence.  Lots of deep red fruits and currants, fine grained and silky tannins.

76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac  Not giving as much in the nose, more minerality, fruits.  Bigger fruit on the palate, big yet supple tannins, good acidity. 

53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc

Chateau Montrose, Saint-Estephe

More earth, barn-yard, meaty and fruit aromas.  Burly big black fruits, big tannins, huge wine, typical and what I expected from a wine from St. Estephe.

64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Leognan

More animal, forest floor and some barn yard notes, red fruits and some subtle oak.  

55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot

Chateau Margaux, Margaux, Served Blind

Wonderful aromas of toasty oak and coffee, some chocolate.  Powerful, yet graceful, typical of Margaux wines.  Silky smooth and graceful on the palate with black fruits and chocolate, roasted coffee.  

Cabernet Sauvignon 55%, Merlot 40%, Cabernet Franc 5%

     I will be in Bordeaux at the beginning of June with Lisa on vacation to visit some of these and other Chateau all over the Bordeaux region.  This will be our first visit to Bordeaux and we are very excited for this opportunity to eat and drink our way through France.


Cheers!


-Tom

New Zealand Pinot Noir

What's the Scoop?

The Next Big "Pinot Hype"?

Recently I have read in a few wine publications of the great strides in quality that New Zealand Pinot Noir has made.  I wanted to see for myself because many of these New Zealand Pinot's are priced rather smart at $12-30.  Price points that are much less than Oregon, California and especially the home of Pinot Noir, Burgundy.  Burgundy is to Pinot Noir, as Lambeau Field is to the football:  hallowed ground rich in history and tradition where little has changed in the last 50 years.

I am sure many of you are familiar with the uber-value Sauvignon Blanc made from New Zealand.  With its zesty tropical flavors of guava, mango, and pineapple mixing with the hallmark gooseberry and lemon/lime flavors they are easy pleasing and hard to miss.  One could say they were one of the best wine success stories in the last 10 years.  The NZ SB's exploded onto the scene in the late 90's and never looked back.  Its hard to find a bad bottle, though tougher to find one that is unique and dare I say it exceedingly great.  I am hoping I do not run across the same problem here with Pinot Noir from New Zealand.


The main regions for Pinot Noir in New Zealand are Marlborough, Central Otago, and Canterbury on the South Island; then Hawkes Bay and Martinsborough on the north island.   The wines I chose were mostly from Marlborough as those were the better priced wines and more widely available.  Central Otago was the second most widely available followed by wines from Hawkes Bay.

I decided to run the gamut and try to get a wine from each popular region, price scale and style.  I purchased a few in the $8-$15, $20, $25 and $30 bottle to try over the past week.  A good amount of $35-70 bottles exist, but at that price point I would use that kind of money on red Burgundy or even a high end American Pinot Noir from Oregon or California.  

Since I was only familiar with a few producers, I spoke to the salesperson at a shop I purchase a lot of wine from that had a nice variety of NZ PN.  He seemed pretty down on the wines in general, stating that the best are too expensive when compared to Burgundy.  He also said that that the sub-$20 wines tend to taste like cranberry juice, OUCH!  Not to worry, I did my due diligence ahead of time and knew what I wanted.  I only took one of his recommendations and the wines I already chose he did not lambaste.  I chose one that scored well with the Wine Spectator, one that scored well with Decanter (and I was familiar with), one that was really cheap, one middle of the road, and the last the most "Burgundian" of the lot.  If any of these pan out and have any solid Pinot Noir character to them at all, they could be a good value depending on what was in the bottle and at what price.  At worst I'd get something that tasted like red wine, as opposed to Pinot Noir which is very common with Pinot Noir costing less than $15.  It was difficult to find a sample from Hawkes Bay in Martinborough as the wines from this region are much more expensive, and few good examples exist in my local shops for under $20. Many of NZ's best Pinot Noir are from Hawkes Bay (Craggy Range), but are in the $50+ range.

Here was my short list:

2007 Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir (South Island, Otago, Central Otago)
2006 Delta Vineyard Pinot Noir Hatter's Hill (South Island, Marlborough)
2008 Yealands Estate Pinot Noir (South Island, Marlborough)
2006 Tohu Pinot Noir Marlborough Cuvée (South Island, Marlborough)
2008 Sileni Pinot Noir Cellar Selection (North Island, Hawkes Bay)

New Zealand's wine regions are split in half like the islands themselves with regions on both the North and South Islands.  Just look at the logo that starts this post!  Pinot Noir was first planted in NZ in the 1970's with little to no success.  Later in the late 90's after more attention, know-how, and most importantly investment funds from the success of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir became the next grape to focus on the 2000's.  Many clones and plantings were experimented with varied success.  By the mid-2000's NZ was able to produce Pinot Noir wines with large enough production that could make it to the USA in enough quantities to sell (I am sure you have heard of Kim Crawford?). I wonder if similar to South Africa, many of the smaller and better wines never leave the shores to foreign buyers, but I am only speculating by saying that. 

Overall I'd say that these were very nice wines, nothing inferior or defective and showing plenty of Pinot Noir character.  New Zealand is definitely not the next Burgundy, but rather another wine region in the world that has found a way to work with the contentious grape we love and hate called Pinot Noir.  For the price, New Zealand delivers good Pinot character.  If I had to say what region they are most similar to I'd have a tough time with just one region, however if I were to describe it I'd say they are a hybrid of Oregon and California, with less oak and higher acidity.

Best of the Tasting

2006 Delta Vineyard Pinot Noir Hatter's Hill $26 

(Marlborough)

Color: Ruby to lighter red, some brick hues.

Nose: Beautiful red fruits and perfumes, earth, almost Burgundian.

Palate: Expansive palate. Cherry and a minty strawberry, earthy, silky smooth tannins, good acidity. After a while the mint turned more like eucalyptus. Well balanced. Great wine.

Best Values


2006 Tohu Pinot Noir Marlborough Cuvée $9

(Marlborough)

What a nice little wine, good Pinot Character. Acidity and fruit are its strong points, as well as some good pinot character. Nothing mind blowing but for $9, solid value.  Blows away the oak laden, under $20 crowd of generic Cali Pinot Noir.

Color: Burgundy core with rose edges, starting to fade

Nose: Some flowers, strawberry and cherry, nice Pinot fruit nose.

Palate: Some earthy cherry, sweet cranberry and strawberry-rhubarb. I love the juicy acidity....superb value!

2008 Yealands Estate Pinot Noir $12

(Marlborough)

More California than Burgundy, in fact not much Burgundy at all. However though very smart for the money.  You do get nice Cali Pinot aromas with simple cherry and strawberry flavors.  Easy to drink a lot of this quickly.

Color: Very light red, little gradation or color variation

Nose & Palate: Cherry & strawberry rhubarb flavors and aromas. Pretty wine, smooth, easy drinking with identifiable Pinot character. The palate is rather simple, not much acidity and structure, which is fine for being a simple wine but I think it could use more to lengthen and delineate more of a finish.  Good for the price.


The Rest

2007 Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir $30

(Central Otago)              

Mt. Difficulty has shot to fame in the last few years and is a well regarded Pinot Noir producer in New Zealand.

Color: Deep purple-red to lighter red edges.

Nose: Subtle, faded in and out all night. Red fruits, a touch of earth. Pretty faint.

Palate: Stronger, more powerful palate. Cherry, black raspberry, some strawberry, & earth. Very noticeable chewy and drying tannins. The tannins, alc., and acidity over power the delicate flavors. High abv for the lack of generous fruit. 

Maybe not a great vintage or too young, this was not showing well. The tannins alone at this level are too much, then add in the high abv and it seems like too much.  I would like to try this in 2 years to see if the tannins melt away and reveal more of the fruit.

2008 Sileni Pinot Noir Cellar Selection $20(Hawkes Bay)
A nice medium styled Pinot Noir, the most like the Hatter’s Hill yet slightly less complex and concentrated. Less fruit and more earth and acidity, a little bit of funk.

Color: Medium red core with rose edges
Nose: Strawberry, cherry, sandalwood, a secondary faint touch of green herbal tea and earth
Palate: Spicy red fruits, sour cherry, citrus peel, bright acidity. Finishes a tab short.

Now readers, go get some as there are many at prices for all to afford and enjoy themselves!

Cheers,
Tom

Super Value Duo from California
2006 Zaca Mesa Syrah
2007 75 Wine Co. "The Sum"

Hello fellow wine readers and drinkers!  I have for you today two wines from California that I stumbled upon with the help of two of the leading wine publications in the industry today.  I had to try them for myself to see if the hype matched the stuff in the bottle before I was to publish them here on The Wine Forum.  The first wine is made by The 75 Wine Co. and called "The Sum".  This wine is made in an "affordable" style I am seeing more and more these days by blending Zinfandel with Syrah and Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon (think "The Prisoner").  The second wine was an exceptional expression of the Syrah grape from the Santa Ynez Valley, on the Central Coast of California.  

I was excited to try "The Sum" as it had received a nice review from the Wine Advocate of 90 points.  I also have found from the same producer the 75 Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake County a decent value so I had decent expectations for this wine.  I gave it an 89, but was thinking 86-87 the whole way, but thought more to the general wine drinking public that would find this more exciting than I and for the price merits a little better score than my initial assessment.  It was clearly a California made wine as you could taste the sunshine on the ripe and rich fruit, as well as the Petite Sirah (10%) that gave it more California flair.  The core is Cabernet Sauvignon at 75% of the blend and the remaining 15% Syrah.  All of the fruit is from Red Hills in Lake County, north of the Napa Valley and an up an coming wine region offering nicely priced wines with good quality.

The second wine, and more exciting to me, was from the Central Coast of California in the Santa Ynez Valley from the pioneer winery in that region: Zaca Mesa.  Zaca Mesa was founded in 1972 and first planted in 1973, eventually deciding on Rhone varietals as the optimal grapes to plan in their vineyard properties way back in the 1970's.   Many great wine-makers have worked the vines and wine making facility at Zaca Mesa including those of Ojai and Au Bon Climat.    The Zaca Mesa 2006 Syrah is made from 100% estate grown fruit from their original vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley.  You would think it has to be good, and cheap, as they have tended the vines and held the property for so long in American wine years.  Very fresh and natural flavors and aromas were apparent in this wine, and at this price made it even more exciting.  This has to be the value of the year and the best QPR I have had to date this year.

Tasting Notes

2006 Zaca Mesa Syrah

California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley

100% Syrah

Color:  Purple red core with red edges

Nose & Palate: Spicy, peppery and fleshy. Currants and raspberry, some plum and meaty flavors. More medium bodied to full bodied. Not a fruit and oak bomb (like I was expecting). Very fresh, and racy style. Well done, I'd say blind this was new world, but from a cool climate and price in the mid- $30's. A definite re-buy of multiple bottles.

2007 75 Wine Co. "The Sum"
California, North Coast, Red Hills Lake County

75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah

I have seen a lot of this style of wine ala the Prisoner, Griffin, etc lately.  Not a bad thing per se, good concentration and stuffing for the money, good QPR.

Color: Red with some intense purple tinges
Nose & Palate:  Mixed bag of blueberry, blackberry and huckleberry. Savory and herbal spices combine with the lush fruit for a nice experience. Very in your face, yet restrained to not go too far as the wine retains acidity and supple tannins.
Good, easy, impressive drink...not a thinkers wine per se, but delicious and sure to please the masses.  Great price too at around $20!

Cheers and Enjoy,

Tom

P.S.  I have finished my tasting of Pinot Noir from New Zealand and will have an extensive blog with recommendations in all price categories and excelling Pinot Noir growing regions, especially those under $20, with a few over $20 and one insane steal at under $10.

Tuesday Night's Wine Selection?

Champagne of course!
Perfectly paired with: Chile Pepper Striped Bass

(healthy to boot)

To think, on a Tuesday night we opened some Champagne for no reason and lightning did not strike us! Champagne in our society is a celebratory beverage. Many of us only have it 2, maybe 3 times a year and its always because of a special occasion. Why does it have to be that way? Well, it doesn't and I am here to tell you that! If I have to wait for another New Year's Eve, birthday, or anniversary to drink some bubbly I'd go nuts so we try to have a bottle on a random night once or twice a year. We also have quite a bit of it at Thanksgiving and Christmas, Walter Evick is the family Champagne bandit at Christmas time!

We typically buy our year's stock of bottles between Thanksgiving and the later December holidays when tastings are frequent and the savings quite nice. We tend to go for grower Champagnes, not the big name Champagnes that are all the buzz with rappers and others with too much money to know or care what to spend their money wisely on. (Though Cristal is some good stuff). Big Champagne houses are fine, especially for vintage cuvees, but do not offer the complexity and individuality a grower Champagne consistently offers for the same price. I consider the grower styles something more "home made".

Guy Larmandier and Benoit Lahaye are my favorites and we get a few of those each year and a few others that may impress our palates at tastings. The Larmandier is 100% Chardonnay, a Blanc de Blanc in nature but not in name as it does not state so on the label. The Benoit-Lahaye is mostly Pinot Noir (yes, that Sideways grape) and the rest Chardonnay, about an 80/20 blend. They make a great 1-2 punch and cover two different styles to match any occasion.

Tonight however we are having a bottle of wine from some good friends of ours, one of whom I am seeing tomorrow and immediately thought to open this wine. This is an extremely unique and special wine being that is made from the three permitted grape varieties allowed in Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, & the less often used Pinot Meunier. It even has a larger than normal proportion of Pinot Meunier at 45%, 35% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir.

Tasting Note:

N.V. Gaston Chiquet Champagne Tradition Brut Premier Cru 

(France, Champagne)

Color: Shimmering gold with green flecks, very nice
Nose: Mixed notes of biscuit, citrus, and slately minerals
Palate: Crisp and clean finish, the acid is razor sharp and clean. Crisp green apples, limes, lemon zest and some fresh brad notes fan nicely over the palate but finish a bit short.
Chile Pepper Striped Bass

A little salt sprinkled onto the fillets balances and enhances fiery flavors from the marinade. Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) has about one-fourth the sodium of dry breadcrumbs but offers the same satisfying crunch to sautéed fish.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 1 lemon wedge)

Ingredients
- 1/4 cup finely chopped seeded Anaheim chile
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 5 teaspoons canola oil, divided
- 4 (6-ounce) striped bass fillets (about 1/2 inch thick)
- 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 lemon wedges

Preparation

1. Combine the first 3 ingredients and 2 teaspoons oil in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add fish to bag; seal and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Remove fish from bag, discarding marinade. Brush chile off fish. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Combine panko and rind in another shallow dish. Dip fish in egg white; dredge in panko mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 fillets, egg white, and panko mixture. Sprinkle fillets evenly with salt.

3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn fish over; cook 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with lemon wedges.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 230
Fat: 9.8g (sat 1.3g,mono 4.5g,poly 3g)
Protein: 29.8g
Carbohydrate: 3.8g
Fiber: 0.3g
Cholesterol: 131mg
Iron: 1.4mg
Sodium: 274mg
Calcium: 26mg

(Recipe thanks to Cooking Light)
Cheers,
Tom

Wines of Note - March 2010


Hello everyone, March is in full swing and after a nice week of weather we are again stuck with bad weather - perfect weather to write in!  This Wine Forum entry has no specific topic, but will focus on a few wines I have had the past few weeks that would be ideal for you to seek out.  A few of the pricier bottles would be ideal for a special occasion and the value priced wines are of course full of character for any occasion!


Lets start with the values coming from all parts of the world.  We'll start in Chile, where the recent devastating earthquake has caused havoc and left many producers in dire straights with broken equipment and lost inventories of older vintages.  Chile has a diverse set if micro-climates, allowing it to excel with a few different grape varietals.  Carmenere is the grape that Chile has decided to focus on, similar to Argentina and its famous Malbec.  Carmenere has yet to gain real traction globally so the verdict is still out, however success has been had with blending it into more popular Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon.  Today I have included a great Chardonnay from  Chile that is a pure expression of the grape.  This is the best Chardonnay I recall having for under $15 in a long time.  Also from South America, I have included a Cabernet and Malbec from the great Argentine winery Vina Cobos.  As many of you know by now I am a big fan of Paul Hobbs and he plays a great deal into making the wines of Vina Cobos.  




$14 - 2007 Errazuriz Chardonnay "Wild Ferment"

Chile, Aconcagua, Casablanca Valley

No butter bomb here!  Just pure Chardonnay with a hint of the oak aging.  The best Chardonnay under $15 today that I have encountered, ever.

Color:     A crisp gold with some green hues

Nose:     Apples, pears, limes, some honey, a touch of fresh vanilla.

Palate:   Well balanced, racy. The fruit, acid, and minimal barrel treatment are all seamlessly working together here to deliver a great value Chardonnay. Fresh apples and citrus glide over the palate with minerals and acidity cleaning up the finish.

$17 - 2007 Viña Cobos Cabernet Sauvignon Felino

Argentina, Mendoza

Solid QPR (Quality-Price-Ratio). This is not the first time Felino Cabernet has made it into The Wine Forum and not likely to be the last!  One of my top go-to value wines that drinks like its twice the price, Felino is one of our house wines when we can find it.  Felino is a big step up in quality from your standard $10-12 "cab", with a minimal price upgrade.  Try some out and you will be running back to the store for more!  Last year the 2007 was my #2 wine value of the year.  The 2008 from what I hear is just as good.

Color:   Claret like red core with ruby edges

Nose:    Lush currants and cherry, some mocha and spice

Palate:  Ripe black cherry and blackberry mix with chocolate, cigar wrapper spice, some licorice and cassis - great complexity at this price. Medium to full bodied, clean and full finish of fruit, spice and oak.

$16 - 2007 J.L. Chave,  Côtes du Rhône “Mon Coeur”

France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

Exceptional CdR (Cotes du Rhone).  Classic garrigue and Provencial typicity - this is tasty stuff!  Last year this wine was my #1 value of the year in 2009.  2007 was an exceptional year in the Southern Rhone and it really shows in this wine.  If you wanted to lay these down to age, these would be ideal to do so for 5 years or so.  

Color:   Darker to purple/red hues.

Nose:    Garrigue, peppercorns and spice, crushed berries, some lavender peeks out after a while.

Palate:  Meaty, pepper, spice and crushed black fruits, delicious!

Next up we have the special occasion, deluxe, pricey, over $20 wines.  Call them what you will, these wines deliver profound character, terroir and most of all palate gratification!  Great for any occasion, though in this economy maybe best reserved for a special occasion!

$35 - 2006 Viña Cobos Malbec "Bramare" - 94 Points

Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo

I actually scored this one with points its so good!  We has this with a skirt steak marinated in Chimichurri sauce and the pairing was perfect.  The Lujan de Cuyo was reviewed last year and this wine is developing nicely, I 'd score this a point or two above the last bottle we had and you can read the review here.

Color: Red rim, dark red core.  I like my Bordeaux varietals wines red and not purple!

Nose & Palate: Complexity reigns: Lush and concentrated aromas of blackberry, violets, earth, iron, mocha and toasty creme brulee move on to the palate and coating all corners of the mouth. Excellent texture, viscosity and concentration, truly the best Malbec under $50 I have ever had. Velvety smooth tannins and the right amount of acidity. Super-long finish from the bonanza of flavors and concentration.

I feel Paul's style of winemaking suits these wines really well.  His hand is a great match with the outstanding fruit they get out of their vineyards, weather from the Lujan de Coyo or the Vina Cobos Esate.

This is an immediate re-buy, even by the case at this price. The Bramare Lujan Malbec is a treasure that will last a good 8-10 years if you can hold out that long!

$50 - 2006 Justin Vineyard Isosceles

USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

We had this over two days and I could not have been happier with this wine.  Rich, plush and oh so California in style, the Justin Isosceles is an extremely enjoyable, well made wine.  Justin Vineyards & Winery is a premiere, and large, producer from the Paso Robles region in Central California.  Across they board they make quality wines with their access to some of the best vineyards on the Central Coast of California.  The Isosceles is a blend of red grapes and is the flagship wine in the Justin portfolio. Here is the technical composition: 

86% Cabernet Sauvignon

9% Cabernet France

5% Merlot 

Color:    Deep red with velvety red edges, almost vibrant

Nose:    Creme de cassis, cherries, caramel

Palate:  Currants, cherry, ripe raspberry, and mocha mix with generous oak.  Smooth and supple tannins finish and loads of fruit complete the finish!

$30 - 2006 Jean-Michel Guillon Gevrey-Chambertin White Burgundy

France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin  

Unlike any Chardonnay I have every had.  Chardonnay rarely, if ever, is sourced from Gevrey-Chambertin (GC).  However, being from GC this is sort of what I expected for a White Burgundy from Gevrey-Chambertin.  Classy and crazy complex.  This baby white burg was way too young and should settle down in 2 years or so, shedding some baby fat and revealing more complexity.

Color:    Classy gold with green flecks.

Nose:     Aromas of cut flowers, slate like minerality, fresh lemon and orange peel zest.

Palate:   Laser like acidity, great delineation of flavor, structure and complexity.  Medium bodied.  This was very tough to unfold the flavors of this superbly complex white Burg.  Up front this is giving lots of minerality and fresh sweet cut grass, not in a green way.  Citrus and some apple take the mid palate by storm, then ever so slightly turn more exotic on the finish with star fruit, with more zesty apple and pear.  Given a few more years, the fruits will set a little better and mellow.  Right now I am not loving it integration, but in 2 years or so this should be doing just fine.  Powerful, complex, rich and very age-worthy red wine (Pinot Noir)  is what the GC is known for so it is of no surprise this wine needs to decant, or better yet wait 2-3 years to drink optimally.

$100 - 2000 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto

Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

The Cerretalto was exceptional, powerful, showing great structure and concentration. This took about 1 to almost 2 hours to open optimally.  This is another wine I feel was opened a little too early and would show better with another 5 years or so of age. 

 

Brunello di Montalcino is one of the great wines of Italy.  After the Super Tuscan and Chianti Classico wines this is the most sought after wine from Tuscany.  To me I think it is the greatest wine from Tuscany for its originality and tradition (which has been questioned a lot lately by the authorities).  Always made from 100% Sangiovese Grosso grapes, and fermented in large oak staves and foudres, or in barriques like we see in modern wineries, the wines made from Sangiovese Grosso are long lived and expensive.  Most Brunello average $50-75 in price, but can be found if you search deep enough at $35-50.   The “Reserva” bottling can cost even more, from $65-300 depending on who the producer is.  The Cerretalto  is considered to be the “Reserva” from Casanova di Neri as the wine is only produced in the greatest of years where some production is so good it is reserved for separate bottling.  The Cerretalto spends 2 years in French oak barriques and 18 months in the bottle before it is released. 

Color:   Youthful dark core, ruby red edges

Nose:    Tarry flowers, tobacco, and dark fruits, cherries

Palate:  Great mouth feel, tannins prevalent but not overbearing. Chocolate appears on the palate with the cherry, tar and tobacco. A long finish of earth, cherry and leather. Nice acidity.

This could easily go another 10-15 years no problem, though I’d probably enjoy it more with only 10.

Well, that is all for now everyone.  Enjoy and keep an eye out for a special report on New Zealand Pinot Noir coming as soon as I can rip into those wines!

Cheers,

Tom