2006 St. Innocent Pinot Gris – Vitae Vineyard – Willamette Valley – Oregon

Tasted on our recent visit to Portland, Oregon. Purchaced for $19 from a great wine shop/wine bar down the street from our hotel called Oregon Wines on Broadway.

This was straw yellow in color. Very floral with that possibly being honeysuckle or hawthorn but what the heck do I know about plant smells. (little…) Green apples are noticeable on the tongue along with apricots.

This also has a creamy texture which seems to be a hallmark of the Pinot Gris wines that I’ve liked. Medium bodied with a long finish.

Definitely worth picking up if you find it although I have never seen this one the west coast. I’ve only seen St. Innocents well made Pinot Noirs here on the east coast.

2006 Louis Michel & Fils “Montmain” – Chablis Premiere Cru – Burgundy

Straw colored wine with flinty mineral notes. There is also a nice aromatic floral essence along with some nice citrus but the “slate” really comes across the most.

There is a slightly “grassy” taste along with stone fruit but I don’t think this wine comes across as “green.”

Smooth texture with a perfect acidic touch at the end making this a great food pairing white. B. $40 at Chelsea Wine Vault.

2004 Chateau Gloria – St. Julien – Bordeaux

Inky black concentrated color with predominate aromas of black fruit and smoke. Cassis and fresh leather maybe… Hints of berry and tar… Lots going on with the smell. Dry texture with loads of tough tannins that will certainly soften over time. Somewhat “steely” right now as well. Long finish.

This wine was intentionally opened “young” and I’m in the learning stage of figuring out what age worthy wines taste like at their first/infant stages.

I’m guessing that this is a more “classic” style of Bordeaux that will be ready to drink in a few more years or a few hours in a decanter.

PS – The second half of the bottles was sealed and saved for the next day where the tannins and softened and smoothed out considerable, leaving all the aforementioned aromas in place. Much more approachable but I assume all with come together more harmoniously with actual bottle age.

2006 Clos de Rochers – Pinot Blanc – Luxembourg

I’m starting to get turned on by these wines from Luxembourg as evidenced from my past experience with Clos de Rochers.

Their Pinot Blanc is hay colored with a noticeable and pleasant minerality along with light citrus notes. The texture is round and creamy with apricot as the predominant stone fruit. It’s also noticeable in the taste. Medium finish.

A solid and overall excellent wine. It’s also an excellent value at $14 from Northside Wines in Ithaca, New York.

2006 Knapp – Dry Riesling – Finger Lakes

Pale yellow in color with a night light lime note mixed with flowers, green apples and nectarines.

This also has nice minerality, more prevalent on the taste than the nose. One thing about this wine though is that it lacks some crispness and the zip that I usually associate with Finger Lakes Riesling.

Still, this is a good wine. A perfect end if the summer quaffer.

This was $13 at Northside Wines in Ithaca, New York which makes it one of the more affordable Finger Lake Rieslings now-a-days. It’s a good wine and worth the price but like a said, best to think of this as a summer quaffer.

Enjoy!

2001 Viticcio Chianti Classico Riserva

This is a revisit of one of my favorite Chianti Classicos and it did not disappoint at all!

Rich red color with oak and earthy notes up front with the very well integrated dark berry and lighter cherry notes lurking just behind. Minerally and smooth with fine tannins and a long finish.

Lovely….. A!

2004 Loring Pinot Noir – Gary’s Vineyard – Santa Lucia Highlands – California

Overall, this wine actually comes across as more cocktail than wine. It’s a candied colored red with a nice black cherry and spice aroma along with hints of oak and a general all over earthiness.

Cherry cola also comes across on the taste.

The texture is surprisingly smooth at first for a 15% alcohol wine but then the heats hits you at the end.

I fell that you really have to like this “high-octane” style to enjoy this wine and generally I do but the alcohol is too exposed here.

This is an ok wine overall. B-.

1976 Leoville Las Cases - Bordeaux - France

This wine was tasted in 2004 around my birthday in February but I just found the note now so here it is. Word for word. Disclaimer – I knew much less about wine when I wrote this. Not that I know much more now!

Just a whiff of alcohol on the nose. Little acidity. Surprisingly light cherry at the front. Medium long finish.

Has lost some of its assumed complexity over time but it does become a little more interesting towards the end with some air. The finer cherry flavor comes back and the textures softened. Very Good.

2004 Chateau Fougas – Maldoror – Cotes de Bourg – Bordeaux

Crimson colored with a rich aroma of dark fruit. Possibly “bilberry” according to my wife although neither one of us has ever had said “bilberry.” There are some tabac notes as well.

Dry with a lush texture but just a little bit of “heat” throws it off.

This wine can best be categorized as a fruit forward everyday drinking wine and as that, its absolutely fine. Especially at the $10 price tag from a Zachys sale. Comparatively, other vintages of Chateau Fougas sell for about $20 a bottle.

Overall B wine which I will enjoy on weeknight rather than weekends.

2005 Arums de Lagrange – St. Julien – Bordeaux

This white Bordeaux is a lemon curd color with a wonderful floral aroma of Hawthorn (or at least that’s what I think it is – but full discloser that I’m not really all that great with plant and flower smells). It might also be Honeysuckle but again, see the aforementioned disclosure. Oak notes also make their appearance in a completely elegant and non-overbearing way. Very light citrus notes come in third. Round and slightly creamy texture but a light surprising “zip” at the end. Medium finish.

This is a fantastic wine and a solid B+. I might possible an A if it ages well. I have several bottles of this in my basement so I’ll wait and see. I also have one bottle each of the 2000 and 2004 vintages and all are different shades of yellow and gold.

I’ve had a few bottles of this since the ’05 was released last year but opened this one for my Mom as she had never had a white Bordeaux and was inspired to try one based on the recent Eric Asimov article in the New York Times.

2005 Chateau de Coulaine - Chinon ''Bonnaventure'' - Loire Valley -France

This purple tinged wine is soft and plush with black fruit and an earthy texture reminiscent of picking blackberries in the words of upstate New York during the heat of summer.

Not surprisingly, the wine’s flavor is one of crushed blackberries accented by a light kiss of earthy “woodsy-ness.” Cedar? Maybe…

The soft texture really makes this very food friendly wine memorable. B+.

It can be found at Sherry-Lehmann for $17.

2006 Inman Family Rosé of Pinot Noir

I’ll say upfront that plans originally stated that this wine was to be consumed last summer after our trip in San Francisco and Northern California. However, things happen and wine consumption for one member of our household had to be put on hold for nine months. Strict instructions were given not to touch certain wines and the 2006 Rose of Pinot Noir from Inman Family in Sonoma County, CA was one of them.

We were fortunately to meet Kathy Inman at a wine tasting in New York during Pinot Days in the Spring of ’07 where she graciously offered to offer pointers of where to visit should we ever make it out to Northern California. We took her up on the offer which also included a tasting of her own wines.

It was then that we had our first taste of her rosé…

A deep rich pink hued rosé with wonderful strawberry and a light spiced apple aroma. Round texture with the same spiced apple and strawberry taste. Smooth and still refreshing even a year later. Interestingly, you can also tell that this would have had a “zippier” acidity to it had it been opened last year. I suspect that today’s ’07 would have that crispness.

This is a wonderful wine and a perfect “buy” at the beginning of the summer so its easily on hand when its needed most.

2005 Alma Rosa – Pinot Gris – Santa Barbara County – California

Straw colored with honey suckle floral notes and evident minerality. Soft texture with peach as the dominate flavor. Accented by a touch of acidity.

Very nice and a very food friendly white for the remainder of the summer months.

Bought at the winery on vacation last year so look for the 2006 version if buying now. It can be had for $16.

2006 Querciabella Mongrana - Maremma, Tuscany

Back in April I wrote about the 2005 Mongrana from Querciabella, a new wine made in Tuscanny’s Maremma region by these venerable Chianti producers. The 2005 was their first vintage and they have since released their 2006.

This edition is garnet colored with dark berry and oak aromas with an earthy underbrush character as well. Fruits come across as dark cherry, blackberry and possibly blueberry.

There’s actually quite a bit going on aromatically with this wine.

It’s a bit astringent and very dry on the taste and texture but it has a lush feel and a long finish.

This is a good wine and is still at an affordable price.

This particular bottle was $15 at Garnet on the Upper East Side although they may be out of stock at the moment.

Personally I think this is a good wine and I’m pleased that Querciabella has produced another solid QPR wine in its second vintage.

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)