2006 Kosta Browne Russian River Valley Pinot Noir - California

This is a wonderful wine.

A ligher ruby red color with berry notes upfront but this turns into something much more complex with a little bit of air or, one would assume, with a little more age.

Emerging are Indian spices and notes of “fresh “ leather. Also coming through are blueberry and raspberry to go along with an overall earthiness.

But there is also a hard to describe “lightness” which dances to the top.

There is an overall creamy texture where the raspberry shows itself again. The long finish feels very soft.

Like I said, this is a wonderful wine and an A wine all the way.

Brooklyn Tasting Group: Oregon

This past Wednesday I had the pleasure of hosting the Brooklyn Tasting Group at my house where I choose the theme of Oregon wines with Pinot Noir for the reds and any white or rose that might come along. The company was fantastic and I think the food came out fine if I do say so myself. I can’t wait for the next one.

eRobertParker thread with tasting notes here.

Wines included:
Ponzi 2007 Pinot Gris
F. Cotat 2006 Chavignol Rose
St. Innocent 1998 Pinot Noir "Seven Springs"
St. Innocent 2005 Pinot Noir "Anden Vineyard"
Siduri 2006 Pinot Noir
J. Albin 2004 Pinot Noir "Laurel Vineyard" (although this was corked)
Patricia Green 2004 Pinot Noir
Sineann 2003 Pinot Noir "Covey Ridge"
Belle Soeurs 2003 Pinot Noir

2006 Sauvion - Quincy ''Les Glaneuses'' – Loire Valley

This 2006 Quincy from Sauvion is pale yellow color with nice aromas of honeydew and a touch of floral.

Crisp, clean and fresh with a touch of acidity to liven it up. Tart lemon note on the tongue - but just tart enough to enhance and not detract.

Sauvigon Blanc is the grape.

This is a perfect summer quaffer and a good food wine.

Also a good value at $12 from Sherry Lehman.

2005 Clos de Roches – Auxerrois - Luxembourg

Before talking about this wine, I have to say I thought the “shelf-talker” at Northside Wine in Ithaca was kinda funny, boasting that Clos des Rochers is “Listed as one of Luxembourg's Top 10 "Greatest Wine Producers".

Knowing that Luxembourg is basically the size of a postage stamp in comparison to pther European countries, I could halp but wonder exactly how many wineries were there in Luxembourg. Where their even 10?

A little research on the internet reveals no exact answer but I did find that there are 5 cooperative 'caves', which overall produce 70 % of Luxembourg’s wine with the rest being made up by another 20 independent wine growers. In all, there are just over 3,300 acres of vines in the country with the vast majority producing wine wine.
This is from the Auxerrois grape which can be found mainly in Alsace, the French Moselle, and Luxembourg. Admittedly, it was a grape I hadn’t had before.

The 2005 Clos de Roches – Auxerrois is pale yellow in color with a very floral nose accompanied by strong minerality and a hint of lemon zest. It has a soft overall texture with the lemons and flowers also coming through on the taste. I tried to narrow down the “flower taste”, which was actually really lovely, to something that made more sense but couldn’t come up with another apt description. It possessed nicce balance with a medium long finish. A really excellent summer white.

I thought this was a really solid value at $14 on sale from Northside Wines and still nice at its regular $16. Overall, I’d give this wine a B and would happily drink it throughout the rest of the summer.

2000 Poggio Antico Altero – Brunello di Montalcino – Tuscany

This is reddish brown in color. The nose is cedar infused with blueberry and tabac with hints of leather. All lend the wine a “smoky” character.

Soft, elegant with sweet tannins and a long finish.

Excellent wine which was picked up for $40 a bottle off of Wines Til Sold Out.

Not a bad price for a Brunello nowadays.

Finnish Wines and European Union Farm Subsidies

Here is an interesting article on Finnish wine of all things and European Farm subsidies.

It appreared in the New York Times International section so it comes from a more "worldly" POV rather than being wine specific. There are also some interesting points being made regarding Global Warming.

Enjoy.

2005 Cap de Faugeres – Cotes de Castillion – Bordeaux

Deep red colored and an interesting red fruit aroma of strawberry laced with vanilla bean which I haven’t experienced in the Bordeaux wines I’ve had lately.

Earth, leather, and spice all come together after some air but the brighter fruit still remains upfront.

This wine is obviously young, being a 2005 and all and has the tannins to prove it.

It will age and soften for in a couple years. Now, its dry and soft with a long finish that really coats the mouth.

Very very good.

Purchased for $24 at Garnet Wines on the Upper East Side.

NYC Wine Notes - Podcast - Wine Storage

Welcome to the third NYC Wine Notes Podcast where Dave and Lisa talk about storage issues in NYC. Jancis Robinson talks about the optimal conditions for storing wine on Page 87 of How to Taste.

Listen to Podcast: Podcast 5 (Wine Storage) – 20 Minutes

2003 Sea Smoke – Botella Pinot Noir – Santa Rita Hills – California

Ruby red color and “light for a Cali Pinot”

Earthy and spicy with blackberry notes and maybe even some pepper. It has a rich aroma overall.

The spices also come though in the creamy texture and end with a long “peppery” finish.

Very well balanced and an A+ overall.

Really nice and an excellent way to celebrate my first Father’s Day!

TN: 2006 Can Blue - Priorat - Spain

I had never had Can Blau, a red wine made from 40% Carinena, 40% Syrah, and 20% Grenache from the Priorat region of Spain.

It is deep purple colored wine with earthy blueberry and cedar along with subtle floral notes. Very nice aromatics. Medium bodied and smooth with a clean finish at first but a drawback is that you also get a sense of the 14.5% alcohol content if you hold it on the toungue.

The wine needs decanting if you’re not planning on holding on to it for 2 or 3 years. If you decant, the aforementioned alcohol burns off. I had this opened throughout the day and it had definitely softened up nicely 6 to 8 hours later.

This is available for $14.99 at Garnet Wines or $16.99 at Astor Wines. It’s a nice value at both prices (and especially Garnet’s). Enjoy!

NYC Wine Notes - Podcast 2 - Alcohol and Weight

Welcome to our second NYC Wine Notes Podcasts where Brian, Lisa and I talk about the differences between alcohol and weight (Pg. 32 of How to Taste) while we drink the following wines:

2005 Selbach-Oster Riesling Kabinett - Bernkasteler Badstube - Mosel-Saar–Ruwer - Germany
2006 Four Vines “Naked” Chardonnay – Santa Barbara County – Calif.

2004 d'Arenberg "The Footbolt" Shiraz - McLaren Vale - Australia

The biggest takeaway from this podcast is that it most cases, it is possible to detect a “hot” wine when the alcohol is evident such on the “Footbolt” Shiraz but high alcohol is often less noticeable when everything is in balance.

Listen to Podcast:
Podcast (Alcohol and Weight)

2006 Cuvée Natalie - Brander Vineyards - Santa Ynez Valley - California

The 2006 Cuvée Natalie from Brander Vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley is a pale yellow color with mineral and light lemon notes. Smooth with a roundness that some “zippier” wines might not have but… this also does have that acidic zip at the end.

This wine is a blend of 58% Sauvignon Blanc, 22% Riesling, 15% Pinot Blanc and 5% Pinot Gris. The Brander website describes the Cuvée Natalie as “An eclectic and aromatic Sauvignon-based off-dry wine, blended with Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. All stainless steel fermented and bottled early to preserve its floral perfume” and from that you might think this is a “kitchen sink” type wine where they throw in their leftover white grapes.

I doubt the Brander winemakers really feel that way and you can tell immediately that this is a quality wine for what it is, a simply summertime white that would be excellent paired with food pairing. It has the zip to stand up to some spicier dishes and a roundness that would also go well with fuller fair like salmon or possible even a cheese based pasta sauce.

We bought this at the Brander Vineyard last summer on a trip to California but were just able to drink it now. It had lost its floral essence in that time.

They have since released their 2007 for $18 or $14.40 if you are a club member. At $18 I think it’s a nice wine to try a couple times. At $14.40, I’d probably be buying a lot more of this if they sold it in New York. I’ve yet to see it here though.

2006 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir – California

The 2006 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a young wine and by all rights I should have probably let it sit in my cellar for another year or so.

However, the cork was popped…..

Light red and translucent color which is almost “burgundian”, much lighter than one might expect from a California Pinot Noir given their general reputation for being big, dark, and jammy.

Immediately out of the bottle, the most notable aromas are red berry, herbal notes and spices with a hint of cola. After a fair amount of swirling in the glass, the alcohol (14.8% as labeled on the bottle) shows itself and doesn’t fade away immediately. This was a major give-away that the wine was a bit young as the alcohol hadn’t had time to “burn off.”

The spice was also evident on the taste. The best feature of this wine and one that really makes it stand out is its smooth and refined medium bodied texture. Fruit seems to be a mix of strawberry and raspberry. Soft and medium long finish but one marked by a certain sense of heat from the alcohol.

I have little experience with aging California Pinot Noirs but this is one that I think could use some bottle age for a couple of reasons. First is to burn off some of the alchohol that’s evident up front. The second is that this wine has the earmarks of being a soft and elegant wine and a couple years will just enhance these qualities even more.

Luckily, I have a couple more bottles in the cellar to follow.

NYC Wine Notes - Our First Podcast!

We’d like to introduce NYC Wine Notes first Podcast!

Back in January I decided that one of this year’s resolutions would involve the “education of my palate.” I’ve been more involved in wine over the past 5 years having had my “wine epiphany” in 2003. Since then, I’ve sought to educate myself as much as possible in regards to wine regions, grape differences, production, tasting, and just about anything else that goes along with this wonderful grape juice.

One aspect that I feel has been lacking is a more organized or insightful approach to the actual tasting of wine itself. I feel I know the basics of pour, sniff, swirl, look for color, texture, finish, etc but I’ve always felt that I would use more direction. Namely along the lines of developing a better sense of balance, acidity, nuances of tannins, and other aspects I often read about but find myself guessing at in actual tastings.

With this wish came the rediscovery of a book that’s been on my shelf for a while, Jancis Robinson’s How to Taste.

The book itself is really almost a guide and textbook that takes you through all aspects of wine tasting. Starting at the vary beginning with how to sniff and swirl to detecting different types of acidity, noticing sweetness, saltiness, tannins, affects of alcohol content, and through to the analysis of grape varieties.

All this is done though a series of lessons or “practices” as she calls them which puts different wines side by side as a way of detecting each individual nuance she discusses in her “theory” sections. What better way to learn!

In the name of education, I got together with some co-conspirators, Brian and Lisa, and started to systematically tackle the “practice sessions” from the beginning.

I actually started the learning process back in February – click here – but I think we’re ready to start with the podcasts.

Our first two podcasts examine a variety of the basic elements of wine tasting such as sweetness (pg 17-18), acidity (pg 21/24), saltiness (pg 25), bitterness (pg 26), tannins (pg 29), and balance (pg 23).

In our first podcasts, we tackle these though non-wine related experiments such as tasting vinegar, cola, over seeped tea and a variety of other “condiments.” In our second podcast we then apply these experiences to actual wine!

Overall impressions… By breaking down the elements of tasting (acidity, sweetness, etc) first and then applying it to the wine, I felt we were really more able to isolate the components that make up a wine. It’s definitely a skill that I think I needed to refine for myself and I saw this as a big step in that direction.
Wines tasted included: Chateau Piada 2003 – Sauternes, 2006 Domaine de Pouy – Gascogne, 2005 Duck Walk Late Harvest Gewurtztraminer, and 2006 Domaine Girard et Fils - Sancerre.

Technical notes: To play, click on the link and the podcast with open automatically in your default media player OR right click on the link and save the mp3 file to your computer for later listening or transferring to your portable listening device.

Disclaimer: We are amateurs so the production value here, while ok, is not professional quality. (If you want professional quality, check out Grape Radio or 3 Wine Guys. We’re hoping to get to that level down the road.) Also, these first two podcasts are approximately 45 to 50 minutes in length each. Going forward, we’re hoping to become more succinct, much like on of my favorite food related podcast, Eat Feed.

To listen, click on the links below.

Listen to Podcast:
Podcast 1 (The non-wine taste test)
Podcast 2 (Lessons applied with actual wine)

We hope you enjoy them and look forward to your feedback.

Brooklyn Tasting Group: Northern Rhone

This past Thursday I had the pleasure of taking part in a tasting with the Brooklyn Tasting Group where the theme was Northern Rhone wines, both red and white.

The wines and the company where all wonderful. Kudos to our host and thanks for the invite.

eRobertParker thread with tasting notes here.

Wines included:
Cuilleron 2006 St. Joseph Blanc "Lysereas"
Chapoutier 2005 St. Joseph Blanc "Les Granits"
Vincent Paris 2006 Cornas "Granite 30"
Levet 2001 Cote Rotie
Porter Creek 2001 Syrah "Timbervine Ranch"
Jamet 1998 Cote Rotie

1995 Clos du Marquis – St. Julien – Bordeaux

A really wonderful and lovely wine which expresses everything I like about Bordeaux.

Brick red in color with the fruit bursting out of the bottle when first opened. Black current and essential dark fruit at first. This receded some to a more classic leather and cedar aroma with hints of spices. Medium bodied and elegant with soft tannins, smooth texture, medium long finish, and exquisite balance.

A+

Bought in Bordeaux on our trip in 2005 but it can be sourced for about $75 or so.

1997 Chateau Musar – Bekaa Valley – Lebanon

Disclaimer: Being of partial Lebanese heritage, I sometimes feel pre-disposed to like Chateau Musar. The sour cherry notes evident here are a case in point. Although such a taste is not for everyone, I feel it’s a nice component here.

Purple tinged with a not altogether slightly sour taste at first but reveals still bright cherry fruit. Second layer of cedar notes also emerge. Velvety texture with a medium long finish.

Note overly complex but a lovely wine nonetheless.

This was purchased for $40 from D. Sokolin on Long Island. They no longer have any in stock but it can be found elsewhere for about the same price.

2006 Standing Stone Riesling (Finger Lakes)

Standing Stone is another of my “go-to” Finger Lake Rieslings. Their 2006 Riesling is pale yellow with very evident minerality backed up by light citrus and some slightly more pronounced leeche or quince. Crisp and clean in taste and finish. All in harmony and overall a very nice wine.

This can be had for $13 at Northside Wine & Spirits in Ithaca, New York or $16 at Vintage-New York in Manhattan.

At $13 is a great QPR wine. At $16 is still am ok value but at that price, I start looking to entry level Old-World Riesling.

Even so, this is a solid B wine.

My one pet-peeve... Many Finger Lake wines use synthetic stoppers which I’m not a fan of and would much prefer that those wineries move to screw-cap. Standing Stone uses synthetic.

2005 C. von Schubert Maximin Grunhaus Herrenberg - Riesling Kabinett - Mosel-Saar-Rawer - Germany

The 2005 C. von Schubert Maximin Grunhaus Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett is a prime example of why I love German Riesling. This sample is a Kabinett from the Mosel-Saar-Rawer region.

Light gold color with an almost Sauternes like aroma. Just a little touch of honey and a very fresh smell. Wonderful floral notes along with honeydew. Melon. Just a wonderful aroma. Light kiss of acidity. Soft. Medium bodied with a medium long finish. The aroma really stands out here.

Excellent wine which sells for $24 at Union Square Wines.

1995 Reserve de la Comtesse - Pauillac - Bordeaux - France

The 1995 Reserve de la Comtesse reminded me of everything I truly love about Bordeaux!

This lovely wine is the 2nd label of Pauillac’s Chateau Pichon Lalande, a revered 2nd growth where the main wine sells for about $100+.

This bottle was bought in Bordeaux on vacation as another way of sampling the solid ’95 vintage at a reasonable price. I believe this was about 20euro at the time where this now sells for approximately $40 in the US for the recent vintages.

As for the wine itself… Elegant and refined. Ruby red with clean notes of smoke and cedar to accompany the dark fruit. Blackberry and currant. Medium bodied. Very nice balance and a caressing medium long finish.

Certainly one of the better wines I’ve had in a while. A-…. Lovely…..

2003 Chateau do Mourre du Tendre - Côtes du Rhône - France

2003 Chateau do Mourre du Tendre is from France’s Côtes du Rhône region.
Brick red color. Earthy. Red fruit and floral notes. Maybe even cigar box or smoky notes… Regardless, somewhat complex in nature. It’s a little hard to describe but overall it has a really lovely aroma. Medium bodied. Very dry with a medium finish.

This is a good wine, especially for the money. A solid B which sells for $13 at Astor Wines.

I should also note that I just finished reading Kermit Lynch’s Adventures on the Wine Route and just felt the need to have a solid unassuming French red. I’m glad I did!

2006 Domaine de Montvac - Vacqueryras - Rhone - France

The 2006 Domaine de Montvac from Vacqueryras in France’s Rhone region is medium bodied with a light purple hue. Red fruit and spice on the nose. Possibly some light floral and licorice notes as well. Earthy too. Soft texture and a nice medium long finish.

Fresh.

Just a really good, solid drinking wine that paired well with the homemade mac & cheese we had for dinner.

What more could you really want! $17 from Astor Wines.

2005 Oreana Central Coast Pinot Noir - California

The Oreana Central Coast Pinot Noir was a vacation by from our trip this past summer to California and was tasted in their funky shared warehouse/wine producing/tasting room facility in Santa Barbara called Cellar 205.

There have two Pinot Noir bottlings, a Santa Barbara County one for $30 and a Central Coast for a more affordable $18.

Keep in mind that I think just about everything I’ve tasted at a winery’s tasting room is better than anywhere else and their Central Coast I would say falls into this category.

At the time, we thought it was actually better (or at least more approachable and food friendly) than their Santa Barbara. Tasting a few months later, I’d still say that probably holds up but there were a couple flaws here not noticed in the tasting room.

Overall, the Central Coast is cherry red in color and definitely has a lighter and less concentrated texture and weight than “bigger” California Pinots. Cherry nose with oak notes. Earthy with darker fruits contributing here. Medium weight which is nice but also just a little “sharp” or “hot” in the mouth.

That is the one aspect that takes away from what is otherwise a more “elegantly” styled California Pinot.

Still, a very nice wine and a B in my book. One that over delivers at its modest $18 price point.

2005 Querciabella Mongrana - Maremma, Tuscany

The 2005 Mongrana from Querciabella was a real find for me. I’ve been a big fan of their Chianti Classico since 2004 when I had my first bottle and it hasn’t disappointment in any vintage I’ve had.

Last week I was in a relatively non-descript wine-shop in Brooklyn and spotted the 2005 Mongrana for the first time for about $13 a bottle. I hadn’t seen it before but recognized the label as coming from Querciabella. I picked up a bottle and went home to do some research, discovering that this was the first vintage from Querciabella’s venture into the Maremma region of Tuscany which is know for being the home of some of the more famous Super-Tuscans such as Sassicia. True to the region, this is a blend of 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. Also true to these “Super-Tuscan” blends, it is labeled as a Toscana-IGT which is essentially table wine.

The wine itself is medium cherry in color with oak, dark fruit, blueberry, earthy but also with some subtle floral notes. Balanced with a nice soft texture, medium bodied, with a nice medium long finish. The dark fruit also lingers on the tongue.

This is nice work from a producer I traditionally like. As far as everyday drinking wines in this price range, this is excellent and has a fantastic price-per-quality ratio.

2006 Chateau du Cleray - Muscadet - Sevre st Maine - Loire Valley

This 2006 Muscadet is from the Sevre et Maine region of the Loire Valley. Pale yellow color with a very minerally/slate aroma along with light lemon. Melon shows up on the taste. It’s bone dry, crisp and clean with nice balance and a medium short finish.

This was $12 from our local liquor shop near Newkirk Avenue. It also sells for $10 at Sherry Lehman. At the time I was looking for something cheap and simple and this fit the bill. The added bonus is that also reminded me of my first experience with Muscadet in Paris where we had it at the local bistros with fresh seafood. A great memory and a nice wine to bring it all back.

Serve this chilled with shellfish, preferably in Paris.