Beer vs. Wine

A news article the other day presented some data from the Gallup organization that stated wine is falling out of favor with adults aged 30-49, who apparently are enjoying more beer when it comes to choosing their favorite fermented beverage.  Although, it also says adults over the age of 50 are still choosing wine on a more regular basis.  I assume this is just like other Gallup polls so no volume/price purchase data has been included in the results they provided, as the last information I read was that wine is still holding the title for favorite alcohol of choice in the US.

 

I guess if you asked me if I bought more wine than beer on a per bottle basis I might say beer because there are 6 bottles of my favorite microbrew in a pack versus the 1-4 bottles I purchase at a time from my local wine shops. Or if you asked me how many bottles of wine I drank a week, I might say 4, but bottles of beer might be 7. This sort of questioning would lead someone to believe that I purchase and drink more beer than wine unless you factor in price and volume.  So it would be interesting to know what the data collection tool they used for the survey.

 

I am sure as we approach the end of the year and into the New Year we will see the annual reports of how wine is doing, which according to my friends in the wine business is doing just fine.  I love ‘em both!!

 

Cheers!

Going Through Old Tasting Notes

I was going through some old tasting notes and found this one (2005 Domaine Jean Luc Dubois, Chorey-Les Beaune, “clos margot”) and couldn’t believe I hadn’t posted about it. I was unable to find the picture for it on my camera or in my files and since I drank this in April, I do not have original image of the bottle. In addition, I was unfortunately not able to locate much information on Domaine Jean Luc Dubois via the World Wide Web except for this snippet from their importer, Michael Skurnik Wines.

 

From his website

Jean-Luc Dubois inherited his vineyards in Beaune and the domaine from his father, Paul Dubois, in 1988. Though Jean-Luc’s father never bottled more than 1 barrel per appellation, Jean Luc has  estate bottled his wine for the last 15 years recognizing that domaine bottling was the wave of the future for  Burgundian farmers.  In total the domaine has 7.5 ha of land.

 

The designation Chorey-Les Beaune is given to identify the village that this wine came from and I pretty sure that Clos Margot is the vineyard. Chorey-Les Beaune is quite small, around 400 acres and is the closest village to Beaune. Having a generally flat topography it is not the ideal location in Burgundy to grow grapes as are the famous Cotes that abound in the region. This makes it all the more interesting that they are able to produce good quality wines from this area and is probably part of the reason that they are relatively inexpensive.

 

My Tasting Notes –

Nose – Cherry, raspberry, oregano, espresso, tomato paste, barny (not the purple childrens character)

Taste – cinnamon, green peper, cherry, stone/mineral

Mouthfeel – Medium body, soft tannins, fairly bright acidity

Finish – long and clean

 

My final note on this wine in my tasting book was “yummy”, and that really sums up this Red Burgundy quite well. At $22 it, in my opinion is a great value considering the region and how truly good Burgundies are hard to find under $30.  It was very well balanced, lots of layers and very drinkable for a 2005 although you could definitely hold on to it for a while longer.  I am pretty sure it is fairly well distributed since so you should be able to find it wherever you are.

 

Enjoy. Cheers!!

 

Nothing Small About this Petite Sirah

*disclaimer: I received the bottle for review from the California Wine Club

Also sorry for the cheesy title, it was all I could come up with, haha!

Having had the Sauvignon Blanc from Pedroncelli a couple of times, and liking it quite a bit, I was excited to see that the California Wine Club sent me some Pedroncelli wines to review, both of which I have never had.  The one I decided to try first was the 2004 Dry Creek Valley, “Family Vineyards”, Petite Sirah.

Currently operated by 3^rd generation Pedroncelli’s, the winery is located at the Northern border of the Dry Creek Valley appellation in Sonoma County.  Growing grapes and making wine since 1927, Pedroncelli now has an annual production of around 60,000 cases.  Trying to stay regionally as well as terroir focused with their wines, whatever isn’t sourced from their 101 acres of estate grapes comes from vineyards within a ten to twelve mile radius, a lot of which are owned by relatives.

Harvested in early September, the grapes were aged in both French and American oak for 13 months after fermentation in stainless steel tanks.  The wine garners the “Family Vineyard” designation because the vineyard, which has been provided grapes to the winery since 1940, is owned and managed by the Pedroncelli’s niece, Carol Bushnell.

 

Color – Deep purple

Nose – Blackberry, black currant, roasted marshmallow

Taste – Black cherry (a lot), Hershey’s chocolate syrup, dry herbs

Mouthfeel – Medium to full body, very round and lush in the mouth with surprisingly dusty tannins at the finish, hint of spiciness

Finish – long and rich

 

Megan and I drank this with our ultra good, super gigantic Stromboli from Candelas and I have to say this is a great pizza wine. Very rich, with lots of fruit and the right amount of tannins at the back end that snap your palate back into reality from the fruity, chocolaty goodness. Decent acidity keeps the wine from being to overbearing with it’s richness but this wine is definitely for fans of New World style wines. That being said, it is made in the style, that I feel, is what Petite Sirah should taste like and I was very pleased with it.

 

From what I read on the Pedroncelli website and what the flyer from California Wine Club said, this is no longer available from the winery and is very hard to find so I feel lucky that the CWC sent it to me. If you’re in the mood for a fruity, rich, hard to find Petite Sirah check this one out. I think even if you are not in the California Wine Club you can still buy wines from their website, and it looks like this one is on sale for $10.99 (just checked), not bad.

 

Cheers!

Kickin’ It Italian Style

Back in May I attended the Marchesi Di Gresy wine tasting at the Barrel Thief and got to meet the winemaker, Alberto di Gresy himself.  A couple of nights ago we had one of the wines that we purchased there for dinner to accompany our Tofu Parmesan. The wine was the 2006 Marchesi di Gresy Nebbiolo Martinenga priced at $30.

 

 

 The 2006 Nebbiolo Martinenga comes from the same single vineyard that Alberto’s famous Barberesco Martinenga comes from and is some of the same grapes, but does not go through the obvious DOCG requirement for Barberesco labeling.  Martinenga’s 29 acre vineyard combines ideal Southern exposure with blue marl soil to provide excellent growing conditions, evening in difficult vintages, for the Nebbiolo grape.

  

 

 

My Tasting Notes –

 

Color – Ruby red

Nose – Fresh raspberry, tea leaves, leather, sweet basil, clove

Taste – black currant, green pepper, walnut, dry soil

Mouthfeel – medium body bordering on light weight in the mouth, with very firm tannins and bright acidity

Finish – long, fresh blueberry flavors linger on the palate

 

It went nicely with the tofu parmesan, although not a meat dish, the slight crisp mozzarella cheese and fresh shaved parmigiano reggiano faired nicely with gripping tannins of the wine. Very nice balance of fruit and earth, none of which were overpowering, just present enough to notice. I should have decanted this for a couple of hours, which would have hopefully smoothed out those tannins a bit, or should’ve held on to it for another year but I just couldn’t wait.  Great chance to save a few bucks off the Barberesco price and get a really awesome quality Nebbiolo, I highly recommend it.

 

Cheers!

Stopping to Smell The Rosés

For some reason at this time of year, of all the wines in my cellar, Rosés tend to catch my eye the most.  It goes great with the lighter summertime veggie fare that we cook from grilled veggies to pasta salads or by itself. It is a great accompaniment to a lot of food types and as I have stated before a great treat enjoyed by itself on the deck.

 

So in this post I will give the details on 3 really nice, inexpensive Rosés from 3 different locations. I kept it local with Virginia and then traveling to Spain, both Rioja and Alicante.

 

Virginia – Pollak Vineyards

 

2007 Pollak Vineyard Rosé (free run blend of 45% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot, 17% Petit Verdot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon) – $14

 

Nose – Potpurri, fresh sliced tomato, flint

Taste – cranapple, strawberry, mineral

Mouthfeel – hint of spiciness, medium body, fairly sharp acidity

Finish – lots of lingering strawberry and minerality, quite long, very refreshing

 

 

Spain – Rioja

 

2007 Marques de Caceres Rioja Rosé (Tempranillo and Grenache) – $9

 

Nose – banana now and later candy, watermelon, passion fruit

Taste – watermelon, strawberry, fuji apple

Mouthfeel – medium body, smooth and dry

Finish – sharp acidity comes through at the finish, pretty long with watermelon flavors dominating the aftertaste

 

Spain – Alicante

 

2007 Don Salvador Rosado – (Monastrell) – $9

 

Nose – watermelon jolly rancher, citrus, slight floral note

Taste – cranberry, mint, strawberry

Mouthfeel – smooth, round, medium body, crisp

Finish – medium in length, clean

 

There ya go, 3 great Rosés all inexpensive, 2 of which are very widely distributed. Make sure to think pink this summer when you are making your choices for your evening elixir, it most likely will go with whatever you are having,  unless you are cooking a juicy prime rib! haha

 

What is your favorite pink drink this summer?

 

Cheers!

It’s the weekend and there is tasting to be done!

 It is Friday and I am a little late getting out the info on some of the weekly tastings around town. Don’t forget, these tastings I post aren’t the only ones in town. Most likely your usual shop has a Friday or Saturday tasting, so it doesn’t hurt to ask, you might be missing out.

Tonight Friday the 11^th

The Wine Cellar in Midlothian from 5:00 – 8:00

Tonight it will be four new wines and one new vintage. Jim from Cobblestone Cellars will taste his wines.

1. Avery Quinn Chardonnay Monterey $11.75

2. Pampano Vino Blanco Rueda Spain $10.95

3. Simon Hackett Old Vine Grenache $15.45

4. Avery Quinn Merlot Lake County $11.75

5. Matzin Old Vine Zinfandel Lodi $20.95

River City Cellars in Carytown from 5:00 – 7:00

“For this Friday’s wine tasting, I’ll be focusing on southwestern France, a region rich in winemaking tradition, but often overshadowed by other areas.   In addition to well-known grape varietals such as Chardonnay, Merlot and Syrah, the southwest corner of France also has  many indigenous varietals including Negrette, Gros Manseng, and Fer Servadou.  It’s interesting to note that some of these varietals have lately been planted in vineyards right here in Virginia. At any rate, here’s what I will be pouring this Friday:”Domaine de Martinolles 2007 Chardonnay:  Highly regarded for its sparkling Cremant de Limoux, Domaine de Martinolles also makes this crisp, delicately floral Chardonnay in an area south of the city of Carcassone.

Domaine Castera 2006 Jurancon Sec: Made from 100% Gros Manseng, this crisp, dry white wine has a complex mesh of citrus, mineral and herbal elements.  A superb alternative to Bordeaux Blanc!

Chateau Bellevue La Foret 2007 Cotes du Frontonnais Rose:  Made from 70% Negrette, 15% Syrah and 15% Gamay, this dry rose is both fruity and herbal,  and is one of my favorite warm weather wines, period.

Domaine du Cros 2006 Marcillac:  The local grape Fer Servadou imbues this  medium-bodied red wine with rich flavors that recall black currants and raspberries.

Chateau de Jouclary 2005 Cabardes:  Located north of Caracassone, this fuller-bodied red is made from 45% Merlot, 45% Syrah and 10% Grenache.

 

Saturday July 12^th

Bella Vino Stony Point from 2:00 – 9:00

Our free tasting this Saturday will have another line-up of stupendous Italian wines at great prices.  We have over 100 different Italian wines in stock right now, which means that we probably have the most comprehensive Italian wine selection in town.  And, it’s still growing!  Down the road we should have as many as 140 labels.  This tasting will focus on wines from Piedmont, a region in NW Italy.  As usual, the tasting will last from about 2 until 9 and will be free.  Also, buy any of the three wines tasted and get $5 off!  That makes the following wines even better values:

Cantine Sant’Agata Cortese                        Monferrato, Italy                             $11.99/bottle

Although Piedmont is better known for its reds, this little white is a fantastic Summer sipper.  Made from the Cortese grape, it is clean and focused with honey and peach on the palate, and a tangy minerally finish.  An excellent palate-cleanser to go with shrimp or squid, although I think it might also be great with fresh guacamole.

Bricco Dei Tati Barbera                                  Piedmont, Italy                                $8.99/bottle

Few wines make as good a daily red as this inexpensive Barbera.  Barbera makes fruity wines with a certain degree of lively acidity.  This acidity is what makes the wine taunt and vibrant, rather than jammy and thick like many other inexpensive fruity wines.  This acidity also makes Barbera a fantastic food red.  It might be a better pair for red sauce than Chianti.  This wine tastes of dark cherries and has a certain pleasant grapiness.  A great red wine to drink chilled.

Cantine Sant’Agata Altea Barbera            Asti, Italy                                             $13.99/bottle
This is a more expensive example of Barbera, and it shows it.  Not that this wine is exponentially more delightful than the Tati, but it has more complexity and character.  Here, the black cherry fruit is backed up by certain amount of mushroomy funk, and the wine has a bright, raspberry edge to it.  Nonetheless, the wine is still excellent with food.  Whereas the last wine was a Tuesday night pasta wine, this is a Sunday night risotto wine.

Lodali Nebbiolo 2005                                     Alba, Italy                                           $17.99/bottle

Holy crap, is this wine good!  Those of you who know Barolo will know that Nebbiolo is the grape that goes into that wine.  Here’s the same grape from the same region from a great vintage at, oh, ¼ the price!  On the nose, classic aromas of menthol, truffles and earth, on the palate expansive dark fruit and dry tannins on the finish.  This wine may lack the complexity of a great Barolo (now, although if you aged it 2-3 more years…) but it has the great structure and power of that wine.  I’m stocking up on this wine, I hope you will too.

Lodali Moscato D’Asti                                    Asti, Italy                                             $13.99/bottle

I smile when I think of how this tasting will go:  after the big, serious Nebiollo we have…Moscato D’Asti!  This wine is as delightfully simple to enjoy as a lollipop.  Bright peach and tangerine fruit and significant sweetness.  Just the thing to clean the tannins of a big red out of your mouth.  And at only 5.5% alcohol, this wine will leave you feeling refreshed and revived.  Buy some of our fresh biscotti to have with this wine after dinner

Next Tuesday July 15^th

The Barrel Thief in Short Pump from 5:00 – 8:00

Join us Tuesday, July 15th, from 5-8pm for a tasting with Jim Ungerleider, owner of Exclusive Wine Imports. For $5, you will be able to taste 8-10 wines from Burgundy. This is a great time to try-before-you-buy all the wonderful 2005 reds (best vintage of a generation) and 2006 whites before they sell out.

 

Cheers! Have a great weekend!

Wine Blogging Wednesday #47: Today’s Wine Brought To You By The Letter “S”

Wine Blogging Wednesday #47 is hosted by Erin and Michelle from Grape Juice and is the loosest of restrictions I have seen since I have been participating in the WBW phenomenon.  WBW #47 – Today’s Wine Brought to you by the Letter S gives us the only stipulation that some part of the wine must revolve around the letter S.  Lucky for me, since I completely forgot about this WBW, I am in the wine club for Seghesio which of course starts with the letter S.

 

I made my way down to the “cellar” and picked out the 2006 Home Ranch Zin to go with our homemade veggie pizza and provide me a topic for the letter S.  The 2006 H.R.Z. comes from vineyards originally planted in 1895 that surround the site of the first home of Edoardo and Angela Seghesio.  Harvested at a 26.2 brix, the wines are aged for 11 mos. In 50% French and 50% American Oak, 33% of which is new after going through a 10 day maceration.

 

Here is what I thought of it:

 

Color – purple to light magenta

Nose – Fig, leather, black berry, sweet cedar, spiced meat

Tasting – Black cherry, raspberry, mint, basil, chocolate

Mouthfeel – medium body, very dry with leathery tannins and vibrant juicy acidity, smooth and round across the mid palate

Finish – long and leathery with raspberry topped pound cake flavors

 

I am always a huge fan of Seghesio Zin and the ’06 Home Ranch didn’t disappoint. The 15.7% alcohol wasn’t evident as it was well integrated with the fruit, acidity and firm tannins that were present in each sip. The luscious ripe fruit was not super jammy and over the top and that combined with the woody, meaty flavors really compounded for a complex layered Zin.  At $36 (before club discount) it is in the range of the other Dry Creek heavy hitters and definitely brings the thunder for the price, with lots of layers, delicious fruit and herby goodness.

 

Check it out, and give your salute to the letter S.

Riesling Revelation

I have had quite a few Rieslings since I have gotten into wine, I would say in the realm of 25 different ones, give or take. Tasting that many would give you a pretty good understanding of what Riesling taste like, that is until you taste a 1979 Auslese from the Mosel. Enter the Riesling Revelation, a recent tasting at Bella Vino Stony Point here in Richmond, that put the spotlight on the big “R” to show 40 lucky people what Riesling is all about. Now all of these Rieslings displayed some or all of the typical Riesling characteristics, but some of these wines went above and beyond what I have come to expect.

 

My Tasting Notes:

 

2004 The Furst Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg – ($20.99) – Nice honeydew, pear and apple with honey, slate and a dry mineral finish. Slightly tight, but good body and acidity

 

2005 Von Buhl Riesling Spatlese Trocken – (19.99) – lite petroleum on the nose with grass and Asian pear, hint of spice with slight rubber and slate aftertaste

 

2005 Schafer-Frohlich Riesling Halbrocken – (19.99) – match, burnt rubber and chalk on the nose interlaced with pear and honey included tastes of baked apple with a hint of sweetness at the finish

 

2006 Schloss LIeser Riesling Estate – (17.99) – campfire and apricot and flint on the nose with hay and peach flavors with fuller body, and a slight effervescence on the tongue that mingles well with the slightly higher viscosity

 

2000 Zilliken Riesling Kabinett Saarburger Rausch – (27.99) – petroleum and pineapple on the nose, nice round body with honey and smoked gouda taste and a slightly sweet finish

 

2004 J.J. Prum Riesling Spatlese Wehlener Sonnenuhr – (44.99) – rubber, fuji apple, nice viscosity, medium to full body and fresh cut pineapple flavors, clean mineral finish

 

1989 Zilliken Riesling Spatlese Saarburger Rausch – (46.99) – smokey campfire on the nose again with slight peach, very nice baby swiss cheese flavors intermingled with honey and pear. Tight and clean finish. Very well integrated!

 

1979 Kartheuserhof Riesling Auslese – (62.99) – beautiful golden color, with tangerine on the nose, blue cheese and apricot flavors, surprising acidity for a 29 year old wine, slate finish with hint of sweetness

 

This was a great tasting that really gave me a greater understanding of the true spectrum of flavors and mouthfeel that Riesling has to offer. In addition it was a first time tasting any wine 29 years old, which alone was a great experience.

 

In addition to the great wines we had some great commentary from store manager Brad and local distributor Robin Spicer who provided all but one of the wines. As we were poured each wine we got a 5 or so minute background on where each wine came from, how it was produced and the history of the land in which the grapes were grown. For the geek in me the information was almost as good as the wine, almost!!

 

Brad has all these wines in stock regularly, except for the 79 Kartheuserhof (I think), so stop by the store and pick a few great Rieslings for your collection.

 

Cheers.

Great Summertime Wine, or Anytime for That Matter

If you are looking for a great food worthy white or a white wine for sipping on the back porch during the hot and humid Richmond afternoons, look no further than 2006 Burgans Albarino. Grown in the Rias Baixas D.O. of the Galicia region in Northern Spain, the Albarino grape thrives in the regions mild, maritime climate.  The Albarino grape is characterized by smaller than usual clusters (less than 125g), high sugar content and high degree of acidity that lead to a wine provides loads of freshness and personality.  The Burgans Albarino is made by Bodega Martin Codax in Cambados the capital of the Salnes Valley within the Rias Baixas.

 

We had our Burgans with some sautéed tofu, butternut squash risotto and sautéed green beans on a recent hot summer evening.  The meal was fairly light and the crisp acidity went well with the creamy texture of the risotto, as did the flavor profile of the wine.

 

My Tasting Notes –

Nose – Honey, pear, apple, brie and grass

Taste – Hay, citrus, pineapple and apple

Mouthfeel – medium weight in the mouth with moderate to high acidity

Finish – medium length, clean and refreshing with a lot of vanilla bean flavor

 

At about $12 – $14 this is a great option for people looking to try new wines this summer. Not at all one dimensional, good Albarinos deliver lots of layered goodness, and the great combination of a round, smooth mouthfeel and crisp clean finish.  Give it a try for your next evening on the patio!

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tastings in Richmond This Weekend

All the below are FREE!

Tonight Friday June 27^th

The Wine Cellar in Midlothian from 5:00 – 8:00

New wines from California and Washington that will feature a bright crisp white and 4 big full-bodied reds, all at great prices.

1. VALLEY OF THE MOON PINOT GRIGIO

2. HORSE PLAY ROLLICKING RED

3. HORSE HEAVEN HILLS CABERNET

4. HORSE HEAVEN HILLS MERLOT

5. LAKE SONOMA CABERNET

River City Cellars in Carytown from 5:00 – 7:00

Josef Bauer 2007 Gruner Veltliner:

Made with Austria’s national grape, Gruner Veltliner, this tangy, dry white wine has zippy flavors that remind one of citrus zest and white pepper.  Fabulous as an apertif especially during the torpid days of summer.

Bodegas Muga 2007 Rioja Blanco: 
Floral and hay like scents intertwine with peach and apple like notes in this barrel-fermented white wine from the highly esteemed Bodegas Muga in northern Spain. 

Renzo Masi 2007 Rosato di Toscana IGT: 
Fresh and fruity, this dry yet fruity rose is made from pure Sangiovese grapes in the Chianti area of Tuscany.

Coto de Hayas 2006 Campo de Borja Tinto: 
Vinified from an assemblage of Grenache, Tempranillo, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, this full-bodied red from northcentral Spain offers lots of spicy red fruits flavors.  Bargain!

D&N 2007 Primitivo del Salento: 
Related to the Zinfandel grape of California, this deep-toned red has lots of blackberry and tarry notes.  A superb wine for cookouts!

Tomorrow Saturday June 28^th

Bella Vino at the Stony Point Fashion Park from 3:00 – 9:00

Unfortunately I accidentally deleted my email from Brad (the store manager) so I don’t have the up to date list of the 5 wines they will be pouring tomorrow. As always the tasting will be free, and if you buy any 3 of the wines on the tasting you will receive $5 off. So make sure to stop by and get your Saturday evening started right.

Just a side note: I attended the Riesling Revelation Tasting last night at the shop and both Megan and I had a great time. The wines were fabulous! I have had some great Rieslings in the past but all of these were new to me and showed so much depth and character it was truly delightful.  And to have the ability to taste a 29 year old wine, which was a first for me, was amazing. Check back soon for a review of the event and all the wines.

New Richmond wine website

 Richmond Food and Wine blogger Genevelyn Steele has a new column on Richmond.com (Richmond Wine Stock) and is focused on wine, more specifically local and regional wine news, events and regular banter about the magical juice.  Make sure to check out this weeks edition for a complete list of all the tastings that go on around Richmond during the week.

Vegetarian Decadence at Michael Mina

While Megan and I were in Vegas relaxing at the end of our Southwest tour of hiking and mountain biking, we had made plans to celebrate both our 3 yr anniversary and Megan’s birthday at Michael Mina.  We chose his Vegas restaurant that is located in the Bellagio hotel because they offer a 5 course vegetarian tasting menu.  The atmosphere was very relaxed but the service was exquisite and prompt. It was one of those fine dining experiences where the wait staff just seems to sense that you need something without you having to ask.  In addition to the tasting menu we purchased the wine pairings to go along with each course. With the pairings you had a choice of the regular (R) or the premium (P) selections, so Megan and I got one of each to share, so we had the opportunity to taste more wines.

 

So unfortunately I forgot my camera when we went to the restaurant so I don’t have pictures of the fabulous food presentation but below is the menu and the wines that we received with each course. It was pretty cool, with each pairing the sommelier came out and told us about each wine and why it was paired.

 

1^st Course – White Crane Ranch Lettuces with Ellie’s Reserve Blue Cheese, red wine poached apples and hazelnuts. The blue cheese was done in a foam along side the greens while slivers of the poached apples lay hidden beneath the salad waiting to be discovered. I like salads but am not usually a huge fan, but this was a damn good salad and it went beautifully with the wines. The wines that were paired with this course were the 2007 Huia Sauvignon Blanc (R) and the 2005 Leeuwin “Artist Series” Riesling (P). Both had nice levels of acidity that complimented the salad with the Riesling being more complex and layered with a longer finish than the Sauv. Blanc.

 

2^nd Course – Fava Bean Cavatelli with porcini mushroom, brown butter and shaved summer truffles. The dish was served piping hot and was rich without being too rich.  All the ingredients blended perfectly together, no single one was overpowering, but all were present in each individual bite.  The wines for this course were the 2006 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis “Vieilles Vignes” Burgundy (R) and the 2004 Arnaud Ente Meursault. Again both wines went perfectly with the dish. The Arnaud was a little bit more rich and fuller bodied with slightly less acidity, but both had great pear, apple and almond flavors and were capped with loads of minerality. Of the two the Meursault was my favorite with the dish and was an excellent Chardonnay.

 

3^rd Course – Artichoke Souffle with Parmesan Cream, Pickled Baby Artichoke.  The soufflé came with a little table side service, always a nice treat. Two waiters brought out our plates that the soufflé, pickled artichokes and the parmesan cream were all on and set them down in unison. Next the waiters, again in unison, cut a small tunnel into the soufflé and proceeded to pour the hot parmesan cream into the soufflé until it bubbled out of the top. I think this was probably my favorite dish. The soufflé had a nice crispy top and was exotically rich with the cream that infused each bite. Paired with this dish were the 2006 Dopff & Irion Pinot Blanc (R) from Alsace and the 2005 Albarino Lusco (P).  Both wines had a nice acidity that cut through the richness of the creamy dish and had clean crisp minerality that went well with the often difficult artichoke. The Albarino was different than most I have had with this one being more full bodied and layered, but still had a great acidic backbone.

 

4^th Course – Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie with Braised Fennel, Baby Carrots and Gold Beets. The pot pie also had table side service that was done in unison. After it was set down on the table, the waiters simultaneously cut a perfect circle out of the top of the pie and set it just off to the side of the top giving you the opportunity break off a perfect piece of crust with each bite.  The pie was bottomless as the crust was just over the top of the ramekin and was chock full of rich veggie goodness.  To go with the pie which was technically our entrée, we had two Pinot Noirs to work with.  First was the 2006 Bethel Heights Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley (R) and the 2002 Domaine Bertagna Vougeot “Clos du Perriere” (P).  These two wines were both excellent but you could really tell the dramatic difference between an old world and a new world Pinot Noir.  The Bethel Heights was more fruit forward with hints of fresh herbs at the finish while the Clos du Perriere was more earthy and good funky up front with darker fruit across the mid palate and great green bean notes at the finish. Both went great with the dish and both were great Pinots in their own resepect.

 

5^th Course – Trio of Michael Mina Signature Desserts – This was fun because instead of getting one dessert we got to taste three.  They were all really delicious and there was just enough of each to make you decision on your favorite but still wanting just one bite more.  Our three selections were the warm chocolate cake, coconut panna cotta and a mini root beer float.  Our favorite was the panna cotta!  To pair with this we both got the same wine, it was the Fonseca 20 Year Tawny Port. Surprisingly to me it went well with all the deserts, even the root beer float.  It was a great Port, very rich with caramel, cola nut and almond extract flavors. A great way to end the meal.

 

Although that wasn’t technically the end, we each had a cup of coffee while we sat and tried to decide which was our favorite dish and I think for both of us it was the soufflé. The entire meal was a perfect progression both in the food choices and in the wine pairings.  The meal was definitely expensive, the most expensive meal that Megan and I have ever had, but it was definitely the most exquisite dining experience that we have had to date.  It sucks you have to pay an arm and a leg to get ridiculously good service and food, but I am sure it pricey for restaurant owners to have multiple people waiting on 1 single table.  If you want to have a special dinner and a great dining experience I would highly recommend this restaurant the next time you are in Vegas, especially if you are a vegetarian.

 

Cheers!

 

Upcoming Tastings Around Richmond

Tastings Around Richmond

TONIGHT

The Wine Cellar in Midlothian from 5:00 – 8:00

Bryon from the Country Vintner will be pouring the below selection at the Wine Cellar this evening

1. Pazo San Mauro Albarino (White)

2. Marques de Caceres Rose Rioja

3. Via Terre Garnache (Great light Red)

4. Primicia Crianza Rioja (Great Value)

5. Soliterra Priorat (Full-Bodied)

River City Cellars in Carytown from 5:00 – 7:00

La Cappuccina 2007 Soave DOC:

 The “calling card” of the winery, the estate Soave from La Cappuccina is made from 100% Garganega and is characterized by floral notes, delicate fruity elements and a classic bitterness on the finish.
La Cappuccina 2006 Soave DOC “Fontego”:  The single vineyard “Fontego” Soave is made from 90% Garganega and 10% Trebbiano di Soave. Rounder and more persistent than the estate bottling, this dry white wine is elegant and has a long finish.
La Cappuccina 2006 Sauvignon Veneto IGT:  Dry yet aromatic, this white wine is made from the Sauvignon Blanc varietal and is characterized by citrus skin flavors and sweet herbal notes.
La Cappuccina 2006 Rosso Veneto IGT “Madego”:   This single-vineyard dry red is made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.  Fresh berries mesh with cedary notes in this vibrant, smoothly textured red.
La Cappuccina 2004 Rosso Veneto IGT “Campo Buri”:  Carmenere, an old varietal from Bordeaux, was once planted extensively in the north and north east reaches of Italy, but is now quite rare.  Combined with a small amount of the ancient Veronese varietal, Oseleta,  Carmenere from the single-vineyard “Campo Buri” produces this richer, structured red with impressions of black currants, cigarbox and  spice.ps: Don’t forget to bring your own glass (unless you like plastic)!

TOMORROW

 

Bella Vino Stony Point from 3:00 until the shop closes

Clos Roche Blanche Sauvignon #2 2006                  Touraine, France              $15.99/bottle

Those of you who drink Sancerre or almost any other French Sauvignon Blanc will no doubt have noticed that prices have been creeping up over the past year.  That’s what makes this wine such a great deal:  it’s addictive Sauvignon Blanc that tastes distinctly of its region for a relative song.  On the nose it has a citrus aromas and on the palate it has nice weight, grapefruit, and this lovable tangerine note that makes the wine a real pleasure to drink.  Give it a try with a cold goat’s cheese tart.

Schloss Lieser Riesling Estate 2006                          Mosel, Germany              $17.99/bottle

From an excellent producer in the central Mosel Valley, the Schloss Lieser is everything a basic Riesling should be.  It is crisp, clean and focused with apple-pear fruit, a core of minerality and just a hint of sweetness. This is a nervy, racy wine that makes an impression without being heavy or loaded with fruit.  This wine has quite a bit of acidity, and it would be good to let it sit for a few years to calm down a bit.  But, if you’re drinking now, try it with something uber-rich.  Go by Belmont Butcher (http://www.belmontbutchery.com) and get their morel pate and have it with this wine.  Thank me later.

Casa Solar Tempranillo 2005                       Vina de la Tierra de Castilla, Spain           $8.99/bottle

Here’s another great little house red from Spain.  It’s a fruit-forward wine that spends a few months on oak to give it hints of vanillin and mocha.  It has plum fruit and a soft texture and it’s not overly heavy.  You could even put a bit of a chill on it if you wanted to.  Try it at your next casual cook out.

Chateau d’Oupia Minervois 2006             Minervois, France                           $14.99/bottle

Until recently, Chateau d’Oupia was run by the late Andre Iche.  He made a lot of money during the bulk wine boom of the 70s.  He could have retired, or focused on making luxury wines no one could afford.  Instead he decided to make great wines from his old vines (40, 50, 60+ years!) Carignan and sell them at reasonable price.  This is one of the best values of southern France:  it has aromas of violets, medium body with plum cherry fruit and hints of wild herbs.  Great with cured sausage or any sort of spicy, hearty food.

 

Next Thursday June 26^th from 8:00 – 9:00 at Bella Vino Stony Point

Big Riesling tasting that will feature Riesling dry and sweet from some of the best producers in Germany.  We’ll have Riesling 10, 20, and 30 yrs old open and food matched to go with them.  It will be a blast and will really open your eyes to the complexity and, may I say, the glory of Riesling.

 

The Furst Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg 2004

Von Buhl Riesling Spatlese Trocken 2005

Schafer-Frohlich Riesling Halbtrocken 2005

Schloss Lieser Riesling 2006

Bert Simon Riesling Kabinett Serriger Wurtzberg 1998

J. J. Prum Riesling Spatlese Wehlehner Sonnenuhr 2004

Zilliken Riesling Spatlese Saarburger Rausch 1989

Kartheuserhof Riesling Auslese Eitelsbacher Kartheuserhofberg 1979

 

Tickets:  $15 for one; $25 for a pair

($5 discount with Bella Vino Amanti tag)

(Further $5 discount if you attended the previous tasting)

PLEASE RSVP

Pre-payment will be required

For reservations, call:

Bella Vino Stony Point                                                                  Bella Vino Hull St.

(804) 272-3202                                                                                    (804) 639-2870

June 3rd Barrel Thief Tasting Review

Back on the 3^rd of June, Barrel Thief had a large “trade” style tasting with 30 wines up for sampling. Megan and I attended and had a great time as usual, tasted some new wines, found a few favorites and one or two that we would probably avoid in the future. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my camera for the event but it was a good turn out, quite a few people but with 6 tasting stations it didn’t seem too crowded.

 

Here is what we tasted – (not in order)

 

2006 Lioco Chardonnay $24 – apple, pear, round, spicy

2006 Brooks Amycas $19 – fruity and tart, hint of sweetness and canned pears

2006 Lioco Indica $20 – raisin, slightly too oaky, “fat” tasting tannins

2006 Qupe Syrah $20 – earth, peppermint nose, dirty raspberry and ripe cranberry flavors, soft tannins

2006 Capiaux Pinot Noir Widdoes Vineyard $45 – new world, cranberry, slightly jammy and spicy finish – uncharacteristic for a Pinot

 

2007 Virginia Wineworks Rose $12 – watermelon, apple cider vinegar, strawberry, medium body, good acid

2006 Shaps & Roucher Bougogne Blanc $19 – cooked apples, lot of mineral and stone at the finish

2007 Michael Shaps Viognier $35 – key lime nose, apricot, peach, mineral and apple, round with a clean crisp finish

2005 Michael Shaps Petit Verdot $35 – blackberry, current, cherry and blueberry finish, full round body

2005 Shaps & Roucher Volnay Santenots $59 – black cherry, wood, cured meat, strong tannins and an aspirin flavor at the finish (new flavor for me)

 

NV Broadbent Vihno Verde $10 – grassy, tart and fuji apple flavors, a little bubbly

2007 Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc $20 – gooseberry, grass, grapefruit nice and crisp – always a good Sauv Blanc

2005 Bodega Weinert Carrascal SB/CB Blend $15  - cooked fruit, odd off note I couldn’t identify

2006 Qunita do Crasto Douro $19 – leather, cranberry, good acid , firm tannins, medium body

1999 Chateau Musar Red $50 – dark fruit, floral notes, smooth with soft tannins

 

2006 Gini Soave Calssico $24 – green apple, pear, almond, round mouthfeel, asparagus at the finish

2006 Chehelem Pinot Gris $25 – kiwi, lime, actually a bit bitter with a quinine aftertaste, very odd because I rarely, if at all, find wine bitter, especially whites

2006 Lucignano Chianti $19 – blackberry and tar and black pepper on the nose, cherry and green pepper flavors dominate, medium body, dusty tannins, acidic backbone

2006 Chehelem Pinot Noir $39 – cranberry, strawberry, thyme, almond, smooth medium body, very nice Pinot

2003 Laurona Monsant $45 – earth and cinnamon nose, licorice and raspberry flavors, nice structure, medium and round body

 

2006 Chateau Ragotiere Muscadet $16 – citrus, slate, lemon and green apple, very tart

Cono Sur Organic Chardonnay $12 – intense mango on the nose, very mellow and refreshing, lots of citrus towards the finish

2006 Girardin Savigny Les Beaune Vermot $39 – a bit of toasty notes on the nose, nuts, pear and round with floral notes at the finish

2006 Perrin Cotes du Rhone “Nature” $15 – pepperoni, blackberry and green olive, very smooth but firm at the finish

2005 Dona Paula Cabernet $14 – lots of fig and currant on the nose, prune flavors leathery tannins

 

2006 Hess Estate “Suskol ineyard” Chardonnay $23 – asian pear, vanilla with a “dusty” taste

2005 Glenn Carlou Charddonnay $20 – cooked apple nose, nutty, oak apple

2005 Peter Lehmann Shiraz $15 – bright red fruit, soft/lush mouthfeel, wheat toast and green olive

2006 Artezin Zinfandel $18 – jammy, chocolate, cherry with green flavor at the finish

2006 Bodega Colome Malbec $32 – cola and raspberry nose, spice and cranberry flavors, med/full body

 

It was a lot of new wines but we did come out with a few favorites. The Chehelem Pinot was a very nice Pinot from the Willamette Valley with lots of good red fruit, herbs and great mouthfeel. It was good to see Michael Shaps who was there showing off his new projects. He is out on his own now, no longer making wine for King Family Vineyards, he has his own line of Michael Shaps wines, his wine line with French winemaker Michel Roucher-Sarrazin, and the value wines produced under the Virginia Wineworks label – his custom crush facility. I hope to do a more thorough interview with him in the near future on of his new ventures.

 

Two other favorites were the Cono Sur Organic Chardonnay and the Perrin Cotes du Rhone “Nature” (also organic). Both were great wines in their own respects and had great price points.

 

I hope you enjoy the tasting notes, some were scattered and hard to read but I think I transposed them all correctly, and usually I have a fairly good memory for what I tasted even if the notes are a bit jumbled. It was another nice event at the Barrel Thief, looking forward to the next one.

 

Cheers!

Upcoming Posts

Wow, have I been a slacking blog writer since I got back from vacation. Not really, we have been doing a lot of stuff to get back in the groove of the real world, so I haven’t had a chance to sit down and write up the ever growing stack of posts.

Here is a little teaser of whats to come:

• Write-up of the June 3rd Barrel Thief Wine Tasting
• A visit to the only winery in Utah producing estate wines
• Riesling and Thai at the famous Lotus Siam in Vegas
• Our review of our dinner at Michael Mina
• Upcoming Tastings in Richmond
• …and more!!

Again sorry I have been slow on the posts lately, I should pick back up to normal pace soon.

Cheers!!

Wine Blogging Wednesday #46 – White Rhones

Wine Blogging Wednesday #46 is brought to us by Dr. Debs of Good Wine Under $20 and is the theme of White Rhone varietals.  My wine was the 2006 Ferration Pere & Fils Cotes du Rhone Blanc Samorens and it is the 3^rd and final wine of my WBW Blogger 3 pack I purchased from domaine547. (Thanks again Jill)

 

The 2006 Samorens is a blend of Grenache Blanc and Clairette, as is produced from the village of Laudun in the Rhone valley of France.

 

My Tasting Notes (sorry no pic, I have it on my other computer at home, not on my laptop with me on vacation)

 

Color – golden

Nose – Pineapple, sautéed ginger, tropical, cooked apple

Taste – Asian pear, cardamom, lime, lemon, apple

Mouthfeel – Medium body, dry across the mid palate, medium acidity and dry at the finish

Finish – long, key lime pie flavor

 

This wine really impressed me, especially for the $12 price tag. I am becoming more and more a fan of the Rhone wines both white and red. I have been a fan of Viognier for quite some time and have just recently gotten turned onto Grenache Blanc, and this one continued to peak my interest for the region.

 

Cheers!