A Moldly Screwtop?

Last night I went downstairs to my basement to put a couple of wines away for safe keeping. While moving some of my other wines over to make room, I came across a Chardonnay that my wife and I had bought from a California Central Coast winery. The wine had developed mold at the base of the screwcap foil as well as the seam where the screwcap breaks off. In addition, the wine had lost about an inch of liquid compared to the bottle fills of other wines from the same winery that we bought on the trip. No other wines were affected.

I have seen mold on a cork before but never on a screw cap. It looks more like a science project or lost vegetables found in the fridge after a couple months.

I'm curious as to if anyone has seen this happen before?

Evolving Over Time: 2003 Château Coufran

I have a few more bottles left of the 2003 Château Coufran, a Bordeaux from the Haut-Medoc which I found at Grand Wines in Astoria about a year and a half ago. My first tasting note for this wine was almost exactly a year-ago in November ’06 and it was a nice and surprising exercise to taste this wine now and compare it to then.

First, it seems much more “mature” now as its changed its color slightly and is now a slightly lighter shade of brick red. It has very earthy, wood and leather aromas just hovering above the fruit. The fruit that’s there is dark fruit but it does take a back seat initially. The tannins are in the forefront. Very dry texture with a long finish.

What was most interesting to me is that it has essentially just switched its profile. A year-ago, the fruit was up front with the wood and earthiness in the background.

My hope is that another year in bottle will really bring these elements into harmony. I’m hopeful because after letting this wine sit out for a couple hours, it because much smoother and softer in texture.

The changes seen in the 2003 Château Coufran from one year to the next were a fun lesson in how a wine evolves. It really evolves. Fascinating!

Tasting Note: 2005 Querciabella Chianti Classico

I’ve had several vintages of this wine going back to 1998 or 1999 and this might be the best of all of them. I also tasted this and commented in September of this year.

Brick red color with a somewhat earthy and dark fruit aroma. Although it’s a mix of dark fruit, I think it’s the blackberry that comes out on top. There is also a gentle hint of spice surrounded by a cedar frame or structure. Mineral texture but also soft. Medium bodied with a long smooth finish. This wine has excellent balance and is a fantastic value for the $22 I spent on it at Garnet Wine. B+

Tasting Note: 2005 Domaine Didier Pabiot – Pouilly Fume

Sometimes you just don’t recall when or how a bottle of wine ended up in your possession. That’s the case with the 2005 Domaine Didier Pabiot, a white Loire Valley wine made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape.

Straw colored with a very minerally aroma that also has hints of lemon and flora. It’s very light on the lemon though with just a hint of it there. The restraint is nice. Clean crisp texture with a fresh finish. Very nice and a solid B.

As I mentioned, I can’t completely recall how I ended up with this wine but I think it came from a Brooklyn wine shop and I can only imagine it was part of an in-store tasting. I’d keep my eyes out for this one again.

Tasting Note: 2004 Fiefs de Lagrange

Château Lagrange is one of my favorite Bordeaux red. I’m a big Bordeaux fan and think the Château offer’s very good quality for the money (the massive shift if 2005 and 2006 future prices notwithstanding.) To that end, I also love the value offered by their second wine, Fiefs de Lagrange.

I recently had the 2004 Fiefs de Lagrange. Its garnet colored with blackberry, chocolate, and cedar notes with light hints of spices. It’s medium bodied but very tannic at this point. Some aging, maybe a two to five years, should soften them up a bit. Medium long finish.

Overall, this is a good wine but verging on average. I think it’s a B wine but my personal enjoyment of it is somewhat dependant on how much I paid for it. By keeping my eye on bargains, I was able to get it from Zachys for $12. While Zachys is not necessarily known for the deals, they occasionally have sales that at least bring some wine prices down to normal in my opinion.

The regular price for this wine at Zachys is $20 and they currently have it on sale for $17. At these levels, the Fiefs de Lagrange becomes less of a bargain and for the money; you can probably find something a little more complex and interesting.

Tasting Note - Heron Hill Game Bird White - NV (Finger Lakes)

For $7 to $9 dollar at your local Upstate New York wine shot, this isn’t a bad deal at all but keep in mind that the Heron Hill Game Bird White is a good quaffer and best suited for food and less for contemplation.

Straw yellow in color. Citrus and floral or hay notes. The citrus is closer to orange peel than anything else. Just slightly sweet on the tongue. Soft texture and a medium length finish.

The wine is a blend of Vinifera and French Hybrid grapes and is cited on their website as being a Silver Medal Winner at the Florida State Fair and a Bronze Medal Winner at the Great Lakes Wine Competition. While not exactly the “Judgment of Paris”, I think the awards are at least a sign that this is a decent wine for a decent price. Something that I feel is becoming harder and harder to find. I give this overachiever a B.

This particular bottle was $9 from Northside Wine in Ithaca, New York.

2005 Poggio ai Ginepri - Bolgheri, Tuscany or my "baby Sassicaia" as I call it.

Before reading this wine note, keep in mind that the recommended date range to start drinking the 2005 Poggio ai Ginepri is 2010. I say this because when I first opened it with my friend Lisa to see what the wine was like, we both agreed it was good but somewhat “tight.” However, I put the cork back into the unfinished bottle and went back to it four days later and it was much more open and completely accessible and just plain good.

The wine itself, a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 25% Syrah was red brick in color with a very earthy (peat moss in particular) and herbal aroma. The earthiness lost some of its force after being open for a while but the herbal qualities remained. Also present were leather and light hints of smoke, both of which here enhanced with time. Medium bodies with a medium long finish. Shorter when first opened but much longer later. The texture was also very refined in a way. Somewhat “steely” but with fine tannins that suggest the quality down the road with some bottle age.

I call this wine a “baby Sassicaia” but only in my own home. It really has very little to do with the real Sassicaia other than coming from the Bolgheri region of Tuscany with the Poggio ai Ginepri being just south of Sassicaia. Also, I can afford the $18 for this bottle from Sherry Lehmann but not the $200 for the real thing.

Excellent solid B wine with room to improve.

Mollydooker - 2005 Two Left Feet

The 2005 Mollydooker Two Left Feet is a big big wine that has gotten a ton of hype from the wine press for a couple of reasons. The first is that the Mollydooker venture is headed by Sarah and Sparky Marquis, formerly of Marquis Phillips, an Australian wine group known for producing a fantastic line of wines. The 2nd is the scores received by both Wine Spectator and Robert Parker, the later giving the 2005 Two Left Feet a 94!

Well… I had to find out what all the hype was about!

Referencing Parker’s tasting note, the Marquis’ motto is “We make wines that make people go wow - through attention to detail and commitment to excellence.” This wine certainly made me go “wow” on the first whiff. It’s got a strong aroma of chocolate, anise, blackberry, fig, fennel, and spices. I’m not sure I nailed all the aromas correctly but the bottom line is that there’s a lot going on here. The other thing that stuck me about the wine is the color. That of a purple abyss. As for taste, you really get a sense of the dark fruit and licorice more than anything else. However, there’s also a note of alcohol at the end, not surprising since this clocks in at nearly 16%. The finish is long, soft, mouth coating, and last for about half a minute.

This blend of 65% Shiraz, 19% Merlot, and 16% Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely a good wine. However, you really have to be a fan of this big, in your face and bold style of wine. If you are, then go for it. You will certainly not be disappointed. However, if you are at all on the fence regarding blatent new world styles that express themselves along these lines, then beware. This probably isn’t for you.

That said, I fall into the later camp and as much as I appreciate the Mollydooker as a well put together wine, I can’t give this anymore than a B rating. I also feel that the scores lavished on this wine by others is a bit misplaced as I see the wine in an almost polarizing light. You’ll either love it or it won’t be for you. The wine is just too big to allow for any passive drinking. That said, to me a score of 94, an A, an 18+ out of 20, whatever the equivalent, is a score that should reflect a wine where the quality AND pleasure of drinking are hard to argue. This wine doesn’t fit that bill for me.

Still, $20 for a wine that “makes people go wow”, even if its not for you, is something to take notice of.

Wines in the Cellar

One of the things I’m guilty of is holding on to wines that I really should be drinking. The reasons for this are many. For one, some wines like the handful of classified growth Bordeaux I have, I feel like I have to wait for a special occasion. Another reason is not wanting to open wines that we bought on vacation. That $10 euro wine we brought back from Italy that’s probably already started its down-hill slide… still in the cellar. With some, I loved the first bottle so much that I don’t want to open the second because I wouldn’t be able to find a replacement.

Anyway, I’m trying to get over this and I think I took a baby step forward with the 2003 Perrin & Fills Les Sinards Châteauneuf-du-Pape. We had some friends over for dinner, went through the first two bottles and I was looking for a third to open. This was it.

The wine was deep purple in color with really earthy notes of smoke and leather mixed in with dark fruit including blackberry and black cherry. The wine was smooth with a nice long and lush finish. It’s a blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and 15% Mourvedre.

I loved this wine and gave it a B+. It also made me want to explore the Rhone Valley more, an region I know relatively little about.

I didn’t sit on it forever. I might not have know what I was missing.

P.S. - One thing I like about Perrin & Fils is that they have a blog!

2003 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva

Sometimes I get swayed by the pretty pictures on the bottles. Such was the case with the 2003 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva. Not so much that it’s a pretty label but the picture of the castle reminded me of my trip to Tuscany and the Chianti region.

A good Chianti will also take me back to the place in my memory as well. This wine worked just fine for that. It’s ruby colored and medium bodied with strong cedar and price notes mixed in with red fruit. (I need to brush up on my red fruits to figure out exactly what was there.) Nice medium long finish and good balance between the tannins and acidity.

I liked it and thought it was a solid B. With the rising prices of European wines because of the weak dollar, I also thought the price was relatively speaking, ok. It was $17 from Garnet Wines on the Upper East Side.

Another Bordeaux Bargain? - 2003 Chateau Gigault ~ Cuvee Viva

The 2003 Chateau Gigault Cuvee Viva from the Cotes de Blaye region of Bordeaux was a wine I purchased for $14 from Zachys, a store not necessarily known for their good deals. However, I can’t argue with this one.

The wine is dark garnet with strong notes of smoke and cassis but also with an herbal quality. It’s a full bodied and big wine with a plush, long finish. This is definitely in the more “modern” style of Bordeaux so don’t go looking for elegance here. However, if that’s ok with you, it’s a fantastic wine that I would give a B+ to. It’s a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

A note on the price. I purchased this as a future from Zachys for a price that’s lower than the current $16 to over $30 range found on WineZap.com. At that price, I think this wine is a steal. However, its not so transporting that I would still feel that way about it had I spent $25. Also note that the 2005 Future is selling for $20 at Zachys, again a price that I don’t think qualifies as a bargain anymore.

2004 Abbaye de Tholomies

The 2004 Abbaye de Tholomies is from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France and honestly, was another wine that swayed me to try it because of it’s marketing on the back of the bottle. In this case, it was the fact that the winery used to be run my Monks “back in the day” which was somewhere in the realm of 1000 years ago. While, marketing is marketing and suckers like me fall for it.

In this case, it worked. The wine is garnet in color with dark fruit aromas dominated by cassis, plum and spices. Soft texture and a long finish. The wine is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre.

Another solid B wine that was picked up at Garnet on the Upper East Side for $16.

Cap de Faugères 2004 - There are bargins in Bordeaux!

There is value in Bordeaux! It’s not just a myth! That’s what I discovered with the 2004 Cap de Faugères, a red blend from the Côtes de Castillon region of Bordeaux. The wine was part of the list of wines bought for my sister Cindy’s wedding at the beginning of October as the “cigar wine” for her husband (and my now brother in-law) Israel. The wine didn’t disappoint.

Very full bodied with a dark, inky purple or almost black color. Very much a smoky aroma mixed in with dark fruits. Blackberries most notably. There is also an earthy or possibly spicy element too that adds a nice sense of complexity I like. Very much a full bodied wine but not in an over the top way as some might characterize a new world wine. Really long finish that just coats your tongue with spices. Not only is the finish long but it really caresses as well. Not in a silky way but more like velvet.

Excellent wine especially when I tell you the price. $12 from Zachys, on sale from $20. I have theories as to why they are selling this wine at that price. One is that I don’t think people are lining up to buy the 2004 Bordeaux vintage right now. Not a great one according to the critics and everyone is focused on the 2005s. I also think they just need to move wine right now to make room.

Whatever the case, I like this wine a lot for the price and give it a solid B.

2001 Falasco Amarone on a Tuesday Night

Sometimes you just want to open a good wine on a Tuesday night. Such was the case yesterday with the 2001 Falasco Cantina Valpantena, an Amarone from the Vento region of Italy.

In short is was a fantastic wine and exactly what I was looking for. Deep garnet color with strong nose of wood which I thought was more cedar and vanilla but also dark cherry and licorice. Full bodied with a long meaty finish.

A great way to end an otherwise bland day…

Writing notes at wine tastings. Can it be done?

I love wine tasting events. I think they are flat out fun and a great way to taste wines that I would normally never have thought to try before. For people just learning about their wine preferences, it’s a good way to taste your way through all different kinds of grapes and come away with something like “I think I like Riesling.” For someone on a wine budget, some tasting pour super premium bottles which, for a taste, might be worth the price of admission alone.

What’s not to like!

However…. Every time I go to one of these, which is twice a year at best, I struggle with how I’m going to write about it during and after. While at an event, I always take a small notepad and a pen, thinking I’m going to write some kind of detailed tasting note for most everything I taste. I’m lucky if I write even one down. Even after the event is over, I think I’m going to blog about the wines I’ve tasted, which ones I like, etc. But there are literally hundreds of wines to taste and with my memory, I’m lucky to remember anything beyond the top handful that really truly stood out. Because of that, I usually end up keeping my thoughts to myself.

Now, I think I’ve come up with a way to do it. Just write or mark down the wines I taste and very simply put a + sign(s) next to the ones I liked. In theory I could even do this after the event if I had a half-decent memory.

I got to try this out last week when I went to Wine Library’s Super Tasting as a guest of my friend Julanne, a regular at their shop in Springfield, NJ. The event is HUGE as they offer over 700 different wines to sample, all spread out over three huge rooms at The Manor in West Orange, NJ. The tasting can seem somewhat overwhelming with so many wines, no real way to find out what’s being poured until you get there, and the fact that they’re organized by distributor rather than region or type.

On the upside there are over 700 wines to taste. That’s a pretty big upside if you ask me and I found a lot I liked. My two favorites were dessert wines, the 2001 Filhot from Sauternes which at $14 a half bottle is an amazing bargain. My second favorite wine was slightly more expensive at $140 a bottle. That was the 2002 Gunderlock Nackenheim Rothenberg Berrenauslese from Germany. Taking the prize for “taste of wine that was worth price of admission” based purely on cost per bottle was the 2004 Haut Brion ($400 a bottle). Prize for “wines I was really excited to taste because I had never had them before” were both from Australia, Shiraz’s from Two Hands and Fetish.

Below is the list of the wines I tasted, keeping in mind that this list is literally less than 10% of what I could have tasted!

The Bordeaux Table
Chateau Beau Sejour Becot - 1988 (++)
Chateau Beychevelle - 2005
Chateau Beychevelle - 2006
Chateau Clarendelle Blanc
Chateau Clarendelle Rouge
Chateau d'Issan - 2001
Chateau Filhot - 2001 (+++ - the best wine I tasted that evening - $14 a half-bottle)
Chateau Grand Mayne - 1999 (+)
Chateau Haut Brion - 2004 (++)
Chateau La Mission Haut Brion (++)
Chateau Lanessan – 1996 (+)
Chateau Lascombes - 2001
Chateau Le Gay - 2004 (+)
Chateau Monbousquet Rouge - 2002

The Rest
Abadia Retuerta Selection Especial - 2003
Adelsheim Pinot Noir - 2006
Angel's Cuvee Ripasso de Tannat Amarone - 2005
Au Bon Climat Chardonnay - 2006
Banfi Brunello di Montalcino - 2001 (+)
Bethel Heights Pinot Noir "Eola-Amity Cuvee" - 2005 (I like this a lot)
Bravante Merlot - 2004
Carpineto Chianti Classico Riserva - 2003
Caymus Conundrum - 2005 (+)
Caymus Napa Cabernet Sauvignon - 2005 (+)
Cesari "Il Bosco" Amarone - 2001
Cesari Amarone - 2004
Chapelle St-Arnoux Vacqyeras Reserve Vielles Vignes -2003 (+)
Chateau Franc Maillet "Cuvee Jean Baptiste" Pomerol - 2001 (+)
Chateau Fuisse - Pouilly Fuisse Vielles Vignes - 2004
Chateau Rontets Pouilly Fuisse "Les Birbettes" - 2005 (++)
Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon - 2004
Duckhorn Napa Merlot - 2005
Falesco Marciliano - 2003 (+)
Fattoria La Lecciaia Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - 2001 (+)
Fetish - Playmates Shiraz/Grenache/Mataro - 2005
Fetish - The Watcher Shiraz - 2004 (++ - really good and I thought better than the 2005)
Fetish - The Watcher Shiraz - 2005 (+)
Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Kabinett Riesling - 2006 (+)
Gaja Magari - 2005 (++)
Groth Cabernet Sauvignon - 2004 (+)
Gunderlock Dry Estate Riesling - 2005 (+)
Gunderlock Nackenheim Rothenberg Berrenauslese - 2002 (+++ - 2nd best wine of the evening and it should be at $140 a bottle!)
Hitching Post Pinot Noir Highliner - 2005
L'Aventure Optimus Cabernet/Syrah - 2004 (++)
Le Chiuse Brunello di Montalcino - 2001 (++ - best Brunello of the evening)
Le Volte Tuscany - 2005
Moulin du Duhart Pauillac - 2002
Nickel & Nickel Sullenger Cabernet Sauvignon - 2004 (++)
Parusso Barolo - 2003 (+)
Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon - 2003 (++)
Prunotto Barolo - 2003 (+)
Sanford Pinot Noir - 2005 (+)
Santi Amarone della Valpollicella - 2003
Schafer Frohlich Bockenauer Felseneck Spatlese Riesling - 2006
Sebastiani Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon - 2005
Stag's Leap Artemis - 2004 (+)
Two Hands Angel's Share Shiraz - 2006 (++)
Two Hands Bella's Garden Shiraz - 2005 (+)
Two Hands Lily's Garden Shiraz - 2005 (+)
Von Buhl Armand Kabinett Riesling - 2005
Von Hovel Qba Riesling - 2004
Wegeler Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese Riesling - 1994 (++)

Hypothesis: A wine tasted at a winery is often better than the same wine tasted at home. True or False?

The 2006 Pellegrini Unoaked Chardonnay makes a case for this to be a true statement. This Sonoma County winery was the first stop on our trip out to the area this July, a day that took us from here to Freeman, Moshin, and finally Inman Family, these last three all being among the best winery visits I’ve had to date.

Pellegrini, not so much as myself, my wife, and Jesse (the best man at our wedding and our designated driver that day) had made arrangements with the winery manager for a tour which we were very much looking forward to as the vineyard setting and the winery looked beautiful and the wines themselves had been highly recommended by the locals we were relying on for help in setting up the day of winery hopping.

Well… the short story made short is that they had no record of us making these arrangements despite me confirming just two days earlier and so we were unceremoniously shuffled off to the somewhat crowded tasting room. Well, at least we got to taste through their line-up of wines, including their Pinot Noirs which they were supposedly well know for, according to the locals, but which we found slightly disappointing. However, one of the bright spots were their whites, including the 2006 Unoaked Chardonnay. Not only did I like it but at $17 a bottle, I thought it was good price per quality and picked up a bottle. That was in July and just two days ago, we opened it up to go along with baked cod and corn on the cob which is in season now in New York and is sweet as can be. Get some!

The wine… Well… It was straw yellow in color with notes of green apples and some tropical fruits, including banana. (This is where the wine started to lose me.) There was a slight zip of acidity, likely evident from seeing no wood. However, it threw the wine off balance rather than pairing with the fruit. The finish was long, lingering on the tongue. However, the banana flavors came back on the end. (This is where the wine definitely lost me and I’d have to give it a D.)

Was this the same wine I tasted at the winery? I thought it was but I certainly don’t remember it like this. This is where hypothesis gets tested. In this case, the winery DID make the wine taste better than it did. I’m not sure how. That’s for future tests.

Overall, disappointing but not the end of the world. And, Pellegrini is still a nice place to stop by and visit if you’re in Sonoma. Just don’t expect the tour.

2005 Mon Coeur - Cotes du Rhone

The 2005 Mon Coeur is a Cotes du Rhone from J.L. Chave which I picked up for $15 from Garnet Wines on the Upper East Side.

It was ruby red in color with spicy aromas lingering above the dark fruit. The spice was white pepper. Fruits were blackberry and a hint of blueberry. There might have been some dark cherry buried underneath there too. The aromatics were really lovely. Medium bodied with a soft, long, spicy finish.

Very good. B+.

So… I felt I had to write that note in past tense as it comes to me from a scrap piece of paper found in my jean pants after they had gone through the washer and dryer. Now you know how my note taking often works. Drink a wine, reflect, and write something down on the closest piece of paper. They more than likely make it in some form on the blog. Sometimes they don’t make it. Sometime the path is a bit circular as it was here. At least it made it. Whew!

P.S. On the same sheet of paper, it says to drink your bottles of 1996 Brico Manzoni. The essence of the dark fruit is there but its lost some of its complexity. Tar notes are more predominant now. Drink up!

Oregon Pinot Gris! Try it!

Oregon Pinot Gris! Try it!

The 2006 Ponzi Pinot Gris is straw yellow in color with wonderful floral aromatics mixed in with some orange peel and a hint of lemon. The floral notes really come out when the wine has a chill on and some mineral elements come out when the wine opens up some. It has fantastic balance and a soft mouthfeel with citrus coming through on the tongue with a little bit of spice. Medium long finish.

Really one of the best Pinot Gris I’ve had and it makes me want to explore the varietal a little bit more. Especially from Oregon. I’m two for two with the ones I’ve tried.

A New Vintage From an Old Friend - 2004 Castell del Remei Gotim Bru

Spain’s Castell del Remei - Gotim Bru from the Costers del Segre region might be one of the most reliable and affordable wines on the market today. It retails for $10 to $15 a bottle and its quality is consistent year in and year out for as long as I’ve been drinking this, going back to the 1997 vintage. (Read past posts here and here.)

It’s been a solid relationship.

The 2004 Gotim Bru has a ruby red color to it and a smoky aroma with underlying red fruit. There’s spice on the nose as well. Actually, if you swirl it around some, the aroma transforms into dark berry. The dark berry really comes though on the taste as well. Blackberry? Just slightly acidic but not enough to make me think this is too far out of balance. Medium long finish. Very good solid B wine.

Wine From My Scrapbook...

From my scapebook...

2006 Inman Family – Rose of Pinot Noir
Rose pink in color. Bright with a berry bouquet. Strawberry or raspberry in the berry. Because of the Pinot Noir grape, I think it has more body than most roses. Balance between sugar and acidity is nice. Healthy bosy for a rose. Very nice. (Solid B)

2005 Querciabella Chianti Classico
Dark rudy red color with aromas of red cherry, cedar, and tabac. All very well integrated. Bright and smooth in texture. Light, resfreshing zip of acidity. Medioum long finish. Very nice. (B)

Tasting Wine in Kansas with Friends

“Fruit present and accounted for.” as noted by Zack upon first sniffing this wine, the first of five bottles we shares together with his wife Darci when visiting them in Lawrence, Kansas earlier this month. The bottle was a 2004 Argiolas – Costera – Isola Dei Nuraghi from the Sardina region of Italy. The wine is a blend of 90% Cannonau, 5% Carignano and 5% Bovale Sardo with the Cannonau grape thought to be a descendent of Grenache and that might be the reason it was reminiscent of a Chateauneuf du Pape. The wine has nice balance between the fruits, acids, and tannins with the fruit dark cherry driven, possible blackberry. There are also notes of spice and anise. It’s dark red in color, full bodied with a nice long finish. Very tasty but it could also last another few years. (B+)

It was followed by an actual Chateauneuf du Pape. The 2000 Le Vieux Donjon. A dark, inky black wine that might have been just slightly less complex than the Costera above but what it might have lacked there, it made up in finesse. The wine started out with an earthy mulch like nose but opened up to reveal notes of leather, dark fruit, notably blackberry. Texture was slightly tannic but they were soft tannins, leading to a nice long lush finish. (B but possible a b+ if the flavors meld more together after a few more years in the bottle.)

The next night we shared a 1999 Rosemont Estate Belmoral Syrah from the McLaren Vale in Australia. It was dark inky black in color with aromas reminiscent of grilled meats and prunes with the later coming through on the taste as well. The alcohol shows itself at 14% but softens after some time in the decanter. The acids and tannins had also melded well. (B)

That was the wine of the second evening but we stated out earlier in the afternoon with a couple of white wines.

The 2006 L’ete Viognier is from Mendocino County in California. It was straw yellow in color with a somewhat yeasty nose. The fruit was not as immediately identifiable. Possibly citrus peel underneath but hard to distinguish. Pleasant summer quaffer but not too remarkable. (C)

Also sampled that afternoon on the back patio was the 2005 J. Albin Pinot Gris from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. The wine was mainly fermented in stainless steel with a small portion aged sur lie in small oak barrels. It was straw yellow in color. Very floral on the nose. Honeysuckle. Citrus zest. Grapefruit. Actually more like pink grapefruit. Nice balance of acidity and fruit. Medium long finish. Very good and another strong case for Pinot Gris from the Pacific Northwest. (B+).

As for prices, the only two I bought were the L’ete for $11 and the J. Albin for $17 and those were purchased in Kansas. Other than that, the other wines were generously provided by Zack and Darci.

Those were the wines of the first night. Shared with friends I hadn’t seen in a really long time. The wines were shared over cheeses, olives, caperberries, homemade pizza and long discourses of child rearing and friends. You know how people say that the context of tasting a wine, where you are, who your with, etc. adds to your perception. Well, I would have probably given a Yellow Tail an A+ in this context.

All in all, a great wine weekend and a great weekend with friends. Zack was probably the first friend of mine who developed an interest in wine back when I thought red table wines from the Finger Lakes were the pinnacle of class. It’s be nice to have him here to drink away with at times.

Cheers!

San Fransicso Wine Bars and Writer's Block

The attached link is from a New York Times Travel article this past weekend called “Snobless Sipping: Where a Glassfull is Just a Glassful”. It’s an article about San Francisco wine bars.

Here’s where my writer’s block starts. My wife and I spent our vacation this year in California, a couple days in Los Angeles. A couple of wonderful days in Santa Barbara wine country where we visited several wineries, including Santa Barbara Winery, Brander, Beckmen, Alma Rosa, Sanford, Foley, and Melville. From there we traveled up the California, stopping in Monterrey where we kayaked up the Elkhorn Slough. From there we went up to San Francisco where we spent a full six days, spending plenty of time some of the aforementioned Wine Bars but also a fantastic day in Somona where we had personal tours of Inman Family, Moshin, and Freeman.

My block… I’m not sure where to start. In the meantime, read the article. It’s gives a little taste of the fantastic time we had.

But, I have to say the highlight might have been just seeing and photographing the Sea Smoke Vineyard even if only from a distance... (Below: Not my photo of the Sea Smoke Vineyard but beautiful just the same.)

NYC Wine Notes: Wine Blogging Wednesday - 2002 Cardeal Reserva from Portugal

NYC Wine Notes: Wine Blogging Wednesday - 2002 Cardeal Reserva from Portugal - Indigenous grapes for Wine Blogging Wednesday as hosted by Dr. Vino's Wine Blog (check it out - great site and fantastic wine educator if you can get into any of his NYC classes!)Lots of choices. I settled on the 2002 Cardeal Reserva from the Dão region of Portugal. It’s made from 100% Touriga Nacional.

2003 Viticcio Chianti Classico Riserva Lucius (Italy-Tuscany)

The 2003 Lucius is a Chianti Classico from Viticcio, makers of what is one of my favorite Chianti’s, their Riserva.

The difference between the two… This one is sees more in oak. That is the basic difference. Does that make it a better wine for me? Well, it’s different and a nice departure from what I’m used to.

The wine is dark red in color. The oak really comes through on the palate with an oak/cedar aromatic blend but there is also noticeable “big” fruit underneath. Blueberry is predominant but lighter notes of cherry, plum, & prune lay underneath. Maybe the prune notes are possible result of the unusually hot 2003 growing season? Lots of grip on the long finish with a a strong berry taste. But… its just slightly tart. Really the only flaw in an otherwise solid wine that rates a B in my book.

This was part of a Viticcio sale at Zachy’s a few months ago for $25. I have one more bottle that I’ll let sit for another couple years to see what happens.

Wine Blogging Wednesday - 2002 Cardeal Reserva from Portugal

Indigenous grapes for Wine Blogging Wednesday as hosted by Dr. Vino's Wine Blog (check it out - great site and fantastic wine educator if you can get into any of his NYC classes!)

Lots of choices. I settled on the 2002 Cardeal Reserva from the Dão region of Portugal. It’s made from 100% Touriga Nacional. A grape, if you believe everything you read on Wikipedia, is “considered by name to be Portugal’s finest.” I’d never heard of before today but that’s part of the point of this edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday!

Now, I understand that this is a grape more closely associated with Port, Portugal’s finest wine export, and is seen less in table wine. But as it shows in the 2002 Cardeal Reserva, I’m not sure if it exactly “Potugal’s finest.”

The wine is brick red in color with a nose of sour cherry and spices with an overall earthiness, a slightly weird mix of aromas that don’t entirely work in harmony. Medium bodied with a soft texture, the wine’s best characteristic. Dark fruits do come out on the palate. Possibly plum but it’s hard to tell. The earthiness also comes out in the medium long finish. However, all the elements on the taste seem as disjointed as the nose.

Overall, this is not a wine I can really recommend and I’d give it a C-. Although not undrinkable, it’s too disjointed to offer up real pleasurable drinking for me. In its best scenario, I can see consuming this at a party where conversation is the focus rather than what’s in your glass.


That said, I might be expecting too much from a $10 wine, actually $9.20 when factoring in the 15% discount I got from Astor Wines as Portugal was their featured region this past Tuesday. As for the experience of having an indigenous grape from Portugal… I’ll look for a good Port next time.