Following the Holy Grapes

1988 Chateau Raymond-Lafon Sauternes

2010-08-09T16:19:00.000-07:00

At the end of our bbq last night, my friend Robert offered us quite a treat. At first I noted the sauternes chilling in the fridge, but not the particulars. It was only when he handed me the bottle to open (with my favorite corkscrew given to me by my wife) that I realized it was from one of the better vintages of the 1980s, 1988. I was a bit concerned upon first opening it, as the nose was very tight (perhaps it was a bit too cold) but it really came around. Flavors of honey and sweet pineapple were wrapped up with the classic botrytis finish. A pleasant reminder that there is something unique and wonderful about drinking aged wines.

2006 Punto Final Malbec Reserva

2010-08-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

As we wrapped up our bbq at the house last night, we opened a bottle of 2006 Punto Final Malbec Reserva. At this point in the evening, we were drinking it by itself and was quite enjoyable. Then tonight, the rest of the bottle accompanied our pan-roasted breaded chicken and caesar salad, which confirmed that this full-bodied wine definitely pairs well with full-bodied meals. It is a blend of 99% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc, with ten months in French oak barriques and another six in the bottle. Very deep purple color with notes of berry and toast on the nose. More complex flavors than other entry-level Argentinian malbecs make it a great wine in the $15-20 range. Its drinking lovely now, but it might be interesting to see how it develops over the next year or two.

Honeymoon in the Napa Valley (the wineries - pt 1)

2010-07-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

Finally, we come to the end of our honeymoon in the Napa Valley. In previous posts, I have discussed the restaurants and the wine tours & private tastings. Thus, this brings us to the remaining wineries that we visited during the week.

Grgich Hills Estate

In their tasting room, which is open daily to the public from 930am-430pm, Grgich Hills offers two options, five of their current releases for $15 or three of their special selections for $30. Another bonus is that you get to keep your glasses (at least for the second option). I have to admit, I was totally blown away by their 2006 Chardonnay Carneros Selection ($75), which uses wild yeast and no malolactic fermentation. It is substantially better than their 2007 Chardonnay Napa Valley, ($42) and definitely ranks up there with my all-time favorite chardonnays. Comparing their cabs reminded me once again that cost isn't everything. Both Joy and I, along with the folks tasting beside us, favored their 2006 Cab Napa Valley ($60) over their much pricier 2005 Cab Yountville Selection ($135). Their late harvest 2008 Violetta ($85/375ml) was also delicious with its botrytis. All in all, nice people and very nice wines. I would recommend stopping by if you're in the neighborhood (which isn't hard since they are right on HWY29).

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars (*also one of the best winery websites that I've come across)

If you are going to visit SLWC (open daily, 10am-430pm), which you should, I would recommend their estate collection tasting flight ($30pp) over the Napa Valley collection ($15pp). Its a lot of fun to taste their three estate cabs side by side and see how vineyards right next to each other produce such different wines because of the difference in soil. The 2006 Fay was spicy and delicious, while the 2006 SLV was so ridiculously smooth and fruity. But the best of all, made from the best barrels of both, is their Cask 23 ($195, but found it for $115 on wine.com). My tasting notes say it all: "HOLY CRAP!!! Best cab of my life!" Absolutely magnificent! This wine, however, reaffirms my belief that the wine critics scoring system is broken. I just cannot fathom how Wine Enthusiast gave this wine a meager 91. That's right, a 91. Their Cask 23 was the only wine I tasted all week that I honestly thought was worth the sky high price (if you could afford it). So Joy and I agree, if you are coming through the Stag's Leap District, you really should drop by.

X Winery (Napa Valley)

2010-07-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

On our last full day in Napa, Joy and I began with a trek up to Rombauer Winery (which I will share more on later) before returning to downtown Napa for a lovely lunch at Grace's Table. After this our paths diverged. Joy set her sights on the antique shops and I sought out more wine to taste. First, I made the short walk across Second Street to X Winery.

1. The Wines

After a week of tasting wines that often cost $50+ a bottle, it was nice to find some more affordable ones. Not only were they reasonable, the five I tasted that day were very drinkable too. Especially good was the 2008 Napa Valley Truchard Vineyard Pinot Noir ($24.99), which was very smooth with lots of red fruit; the 2008 Red X North Coast ($14.99), a delicious blend of Syrah (55%), Tempranillo (23%), Grenache (14%), and Zinfandel (8%); and the 2007 X3 Tri-County California Cab ($17.99) that had lots of tasty fruit that especially carried through the mid-palate along with nicely balanced acidity & tannin.

Since they were so affordable, I brought the Red X and X3 Cab back to NYC. Since then, we opened the Red X to pair with assorted cheeses from Dobb's and Bishop, our Bronxville cheese shop. Everyone loved it and I cannot wait to get some more of this incredibly versatile and affordable wine. Tonight, the X3 really complimented the turkey shepherd's pie that Joy made. Not too weak nor overbearing. The balance of the wine really makes this wine enjoyable.

2. The Experience (or lack thereof)

Even though I really like their wines and plan on buying more, my experience in their tasting room was less than impressive. It wasn't particularly bad, just frustrating. They have a three-tiered tasting option, which enables you to pick 3 of 5 basic wines, then 2 of 3 more wines for a little more $, and 1 of 2 reserve wines for more $ (but no option to taste everything). If its incredibly busy, I understand getting the standard treatment. But when you're the only one in there, clearly very interested in tasting their wines (as evidenced by taking notes in your moleskin journal and pouring after each taste), and they are closing in about an hour, getting the standard treatment is disappointing. After visiting dozens and dozens of tasting rooms over the last several years, I have often experienced that extra touch, whether it be pouring wines not listed, pouring two glasses after we decide to share one, or kindly offering to revisit any of their wines. And more often than not, such generosity results in additional purchases. So it was a bit surreal for them to go through the trouble to explain how completely different their two cabs are and then leave me to decide which of them I would taste (since I only had 1 left of my second group). Who knows, perhaps I might have loved the other one and bought it too. In short, if you are running a tasting room, please don't be stingy to customers, especially if they are interested and the bottles are already open. On top of all this, I emailed their NY distributor over a week ago to find out where I can get their wines in NYC and haven't heard back yet.

Summary

If you come across the wines of X Winery, I would give them a try, especially if you see their incredibly versatile Red X.

Honeymoon in the Napa Valley (the wine tours)

2010-07-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

In this installment, I am focusing on the four scheduled tours of our honeymoon trip to the Napa Valley. If you are new to the wine country scene, it is helpful to know that there are two basic types of winery visits. Many wineries have tasting rooms that are open to the public and do not require an appointment, but usually have some form of tasting fee (hopefully reimbursed if you purchase at least a bottle). Their hours are typically posted on their website or in wine country maps/guides (like the Preiser Key to Napa Valley). Simply drop by and enjoy!

Other wineries only offer tours and/or tastings by appointment only. I tend to enjoy taking advantage of this type because you get more than just the wine, you get to see and experience more of the wine making process. So I selected four to provide a means of structuring our days, without sacrificing our freedom to fill out the rest of the day as we saw fit.

Swanson Vineyards

Recommended to us by family and friends, our first stop was Swanson Winery for the hour-long Bon Vivant tasting ($55/pp). Be prepared for the fact that they tend not to open the gate until five minutes before. Thankfully, winemaker Chris Phelps came out from the lab to say hello while we waited. The salon, inspired by 18th century Parisian salons, is absolutely beautiful. It is a fairly intimate setting with no more than eight guests. This is nice, unless one of them is extremely obnoxious (which happened to us).

The tasting includes six of their wines with delicious pairings. Joy especially loved the wild American caviar with creme fresh on a potato chip, paired with their 2008 Chardonnay. Their 2005 Sangiovese was ridiculously smooth and luscious, but at $75/750ml, we did not leave with any. The gem, for me, was their 2006 Crepuscule, a heavenly late harvest Semillon. They have only made it nine times in the twenty-five year history of the winery due to the uncommon occurrence of botrytis or noble rot, the stuff that makes Sauternes so amazing. The tasting ended with my first double blind tasting using Riedel black wine glasses. Not only is it the truest test of your discerning abilities, it was a ton of fun!

Swanson also recently began producing what they call 'occasion' wines (so far called Merci and Just Married, with Expensive Christmas Wine up next). Even though we did not taste them, they are reasonably priced (low $20s), so we had some shipped to NYC. I'll post my notes when we eventually open them.

Summary: Although it was the most expensive tasting, we were glad we did it. The beauty of the salon and the pairings were definitely memorable. But once is probably enough.

Nicholson Ranch Winery

For our wedding present, our friends Richard and Jacky arranged a private tour and tasting for us at Nicholson Ranch in Carneros, just south of downtown Napa. Lance, our guide (and Fordham grad!) provided an absolutely great experience for us. We started off in the tasting room with their delicious 2005 Chardonnay Cuvée Natalie Reserve Estate ($40/750ml), then grabbed a bottle of 2009 Ramona Rose of Pinot Noir Estate ($22/750ml) and wandered out into their Chardonnay vineyard. It was a beautiful day to walk the grounds and we enjoyed having the opportunity to ask anything about the winemaking process. Next, Lance took us into their fermentation facility (little aside: love the fireman's pool) and down into their caves. We ended up in their great room, which was the perfect setting to finish tasting their wines. Instead of providing lengthy tasting notes for each of their wines, I'll simply say this: they are all top-notch. The hardest part was trying to decide what to leave with! I would be remiss, however, if I did not highlight their spectacular 2006 'Cactus Hill' Reserve Pinot Noir ($50/750ml). Of all the wineries we visited, I would join the wine club at Nicholson Ranch were I not a poor grad student (well, them and Stag's Leap, but that's a different pipe dream altogether).

Summary: If you are visiting the Napa Valley, I strongly recommend you add Nicholson Ranch to your list, at least for a visit their tasting room. We will certainly be going back!

Schramsberg Vineyards

Admittedly, neither Joy nor I love champagne, but we had heard great things about the cave tour at Schramsberg at the north end of the valley ($40pp). First of all, it would be nice for them (and several other wineries) to have better signage. So give yourself some extra time to get there and don't be surprised if you miss the turn. The winery has a long, fascinating history that includes becoming the official sparkling wine of the White House (since Nixon took Schramsberg to Beijing). But the best part is without a doubt the caves. Just breathtaking. (in the pic, I'm drinking their 2006 J. Davies Cab, their lone red wine, which was tasty, but pricey at $75/750ml).

Summary: Even if you are not a big fan of champagne, I would still strongly recommend the cave tour. Its a fun experience. But we probably wont be going back as once is enough.

Pine Ridge Winery

Our last scheduled tour was at Pine Ridge. It was a rather standard, moderately priced ($25pp), small group tour of their facilities that ended with tasting at a nice table in their caves and then a separate room for wine club members (which we aren't). They have a nice demonstration vineyard, but it was a shame that it wasn't incorporated more in the tour. Also, they only provided one small cheese platter for our group. The cheeses paired wonderfully with the wine, but it was not nearly enough as it ran out halfway through the tasting and they didn't bring out any more. The highlight of the tour, which was the sole reason I booked it, was the barrel sampling of one of their Cabs. I was also appreciative of how many wines they poured for us. I have notes for eleven, including their pricey Fortis and Andrus Reserve. Overall, they make nice wines, but nothing wowed me. Probably my favorite was their 2006 Stags Leap District Cab ($80/750ml), which was very smooth with balanced tannins and lots of red fruit.

Summary: If you are like me and wanted to try a barrel sampling, Pine Ridge is a nice way to go. And if you visit them, do not miss Stag's Leap Wine Cellars just down the road.

Monte Antico 2006 Toscana IGT

2010-07-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

It seemed fitting tonight to open this Super Tuscan to complement our spaghetti dinner. A Super Tuscan is a Tuscan red wine that doesn't follow the traditional appellation laws. Monte Antico is 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cab, and 5% Merlot.

A few months back I received an email offer from Wine Express for this wine. Between the price of this wine ($12/750ml) and shipping for their wine of the day offer (99¢/bottle), I decided to give it a try.

Despite being ranked #61 in Wine Spectator's 2009 top 100 and garnering a 90 pt rating from them, I am less than impressed. The nose is full of plum and overpowering anise/licorice. Then palate is marked by nice red fruit and smooth tannins, but the acidity is simply too biting. Low 12.5% alcohol.

The search for affordable and tasty Super Tuscans continues...

Honeymoon in Napa Valley (the food)

2010-06-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

Not only is the wine fantastic in the Napa Valley, the food is off the charts too! In fact, several of the restaurants we dined at, we could have gone there for the entire week and not repeated anything nor run out of enticing dishes. Certainly its unnecessary to discuss every appetizer, entree and dessert from each restaurant, thus I'll just highlight the must-have dishes when appropriate. Enjoy! (pics: Joy and I dining at Celadon)

For the first night, we dined at Ristorante Allegria in downtown Napa (suggested by our hotel). My pasta special (fettuccine with fresh tomato, roasted sweet corn and prawns in a cream sauce) ranked as one of my top meals of the week. Joy also loved her potato gnocchi with pesto cream sauce. Reasonably priced, and there's live accordion music on mon & wed.

For our second night, we ate at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen. We loved the setting outside under the giant fig tree, and where else can you order Spice Cured Pork Belly?

Next was Tra Vigne. We enjoyed our food and loved the service, but not sure it delivered at the same level as the others.

The following evening we found ourselves at Mustard's Grill, which was just fantastic. Joy probably wouldn't order the calf liver again but it was interesting, and my rabbit was delicious! We're definitely going to try their famous Mongolian Pork Chop (they sell 1500/month!).

Next on our list was Bistro Jeanty. A word on reservations. Make sure you call to confirm two days before. They lost my parents' reservation last year (made by phone) and ours (made by opentable), but thankfully were able to accommodate us in both situations. And the food was entirely worth it. No matter how hot it is, you must absolutely order the tomato soup in puff pastry. Its simply spectacular!

We returned to downtown Napa again to dine at Celadon. You cannot afford to miss this restaurant. While salmon and steak almost seem boring to order nowadays, Celadon nailed them. Of course it doesn't hurt to use wild caught Columbia River king salmon. After eating my last bites of my grilled C.A.B. filet mignon with yukon gold potato gratin, I experienced a sort of sadness that comes when you just aren't ready for a perfect meal to end.

Our final dinner was damn near heavenly. Instead of spending a large fortune at the famed French Laundry, we decided to spend a smaller fortune at Auberge du Soleil. Since they knew we were celebrating our honeymoon (the hostess asked when I made the reservation), they graciously seated us on the terrace, which has one of the best views overlooking the Napa Valley. After wine tasting all day, I was not in the mood for a lot of wine, thus I appreciated their offer of either a regular 6oz glass of wine or a 3oz taste. Also, do not be afraid to ask for the sommelier's help (esp when you aren't familiar with their wine list). I picked out my three plates and she made wonderful pairing suggestions. Again, while its hard to go wrong with any of their plates, if you have the chance, you must try their sauteed foie gras. Neither of us had had it before, but it is truly otherworldly. It just melts in your mouth. I cant wait to pair it with a sauternes! Not only was the dinner spectacular, but the service was superb. Furthermore, when we were about to leave, the older couple next to us overhead that we were celebrating our honeymoon and kindly offered us a glass of our choosing. So with glasses of Dolce in our hands, we enjoyed a nice conversation with them for another hour before finally leaving.

For lunch, you definitely want to swing by Gott's Roadside. Joy claimed her western burger was the best burger she'd ever had. And maybe not the best for wine tasting, their garlic fries are delicious.

Summary
The only frustrating thing about dining in Napa is that there are too many restaurants and too few meals in a week! But if you were to come to Napa, it would definitely be a shame for you to miss out on the fantastic food at Ristorante Allegria, Mustard's Grill, Bistro Jeanty, Celadon, and Auberge du Soleil.

Sheldrake Point Vineyard and the Finger Lakes

2009-09-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

Recently Joy and I made our first trip up to the Finger Lakes Wine Country in upstate New York. Our trip also wonderfully enabled us to visit our friends, Rachel and Owen, who had just moved to Ithaca the previous week. Friends and wine... doesn't get much better! One of the main reasons I have wanted to visit the Finger Lakes is their use of native vine species, hybrids, and crosses. As I understand it, you're unlikely to see much Cayuga, Niagara, Baco Noir, Concord, Svenska, and many more outside of New York. Interestingly, according to Karen MacNeil's Wine Bible, New York has approximately 31,000 acres of vineyards, but only 12,000 are used for wine. What do they do with the rest? Ask Welch's! New York is the largest producer of grape juice. The Finger Lakes have three main wine trails around three of the lakes, which makes for beautiful scenery. Since we were staying with Rachel and Owen in Ithaca, we decided to limit our trip to the Cayuga Trail.

After the five hour drive up from NYC on Friday, we stopped at our first winery,
Six Mile Creek Vineyard, located just south of Ithaca. I will be include further reviews in separate posts. Then on Saturday, we visited Lucas Vineyards, Swedish Hill Winery, and an ever-so-brief wineless stop at Thirsty Owl Wine Company. One problem is the wine tours. When we pulled up at Thirsty Owl, there were four stretch limos, a small bus, and two huge vans, not to mention the regular cars. It was SO crowded and the layout was poorly designed, so after attempting to squeeze up to the counter and not getting any staff to notice us, we left. The scene which said it all was the college-age guy holding the door for his group to go in before us had to finish chugging his can of Miller Lite first.

Anyways, we finished our day at Sheldrake Point Vineyard, and it saved the day for us. First of all, we had lunch at their bistro, and it was quite excellent. Sheldrake Point is a bit different from the other Finger Lake wineries in that they only produce Vitis vinifera (the classic European varietals). And they have been doing a good job as well, gaining some nice awards of late, including one of Wine&Spirits top12 value brands in the US. I also appreciate how they offer free shipping on 6 or more bottles.

On to the wines!

WHITES
2007 Waterfall Chardonnay ($12; on sale $8): nice, strong aroma of apples
Simply White ($13; on sale $9): their table white, incredibly drinkable, nice citrus aromas
2007 Summer White ($10): very good, sweet and tart
2007 Dry Riesling ($16): classic dry Riesling
2007 Pinot Gris ($15; on sale $10): okay, rather flat finish
2008 Gewurztraminer ($18): just great, strong aromas of tropic fruits, and I think it tastes like roses
2007 Riesling ($15): 2% RS, citrus with honey aromas

BLUSH
Summer Blush ($10): emminently drinkable, great picnic wine
2008 Dry Rose ($12): very nice nose, nicely tart

REDS
2007 Luckystone Red ($12; on sale $8): their table red, and its yummy, great red fruit
2007 Gamay ($18): smooth with oak and vanilla finish, great
2007 Pinot Noir ($18): clear smoke aromas, very nice
2007 Cab Franc ($19; on sale $14): dull nose, but nice structure
2007 Merlot ($19): tasty and well-balanced

DESSERTS
2008 Cab Franc Ice Wine ($45; on sale $30): GREAT!, wonderful strawberry jam flavor, but not excessively sweet
2007 Riesling Ice Wine ($65): fantastic bouquet, and deliciously layered

SUMMARY: If you are on the Cayuga Wine Trail, you would be missing out if you did not stop at Sheldrake Point. Without a doubt, they were my favorite winery of the trip. Great bistro, very nice staff, and delicious wines. Their table wines are wonderful for everyday drinking, and if your pocket book allows, their ice wines are heavenly.

UPDATE
Revisiting these wines over the last year has inspired me to post some follow-up. First, the cab franc ice wine that we took with us delivered everything we loved about it in the tasting room. That said, I was a bit disappointed with the Luckystone Red. It just seemed a bit hollow. About the same time that I opened it, I also drank the last of my David Hill Farmhouse Red from Forest Grove (just outside of Portland, OR), and the DH just blew it out of the water.

Simply one of the best valued wines

2009-09-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

Last year, based upon its great reviews, I tried the 2006 Pascual Toso Malbec from Maipu Valley in Mendoza, Argentina. And it was quite enjoyable indeed! (my previous review)

Well, when I recently came across the latest 2008 vintage, there was no way I could pass it up. It is not a complex masterpiece (like a well-aged bordeaux), but it is one of the most eminently drinkable medium-bodied wines out there. The nose is full of blackberries and cherries, along with some coffee. The fruit continues to burst forth on the palate. Then there's a nice smooth finish with vanilla coming through. In all, a very tasty and well-balanced malbec. I would also be remiss to add that it went very well with my spaghetti dinner (as I imagine it would go well with most pastas and red meats as is typical for Argentinian malbecs).

One further note. While in 2006, the front label actually indicated that it was from 'Maipu Valley,' the 2008 vintage has dropped it and gone for the more well-known larger region of 'Mendoza Valley' (for marketing reasons I was told).

That said, it is near-impossible to find a better wine for everyday drinking under $10!

Where to store wines

2009-07-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

Once you move beyond buying and drinking a bottle at a time, it is important to think about where you will store your wine. Yet, the impulse to display your wines might have negative effects on the wines themselves. So for those interested, I thought I would share some of the wisdom I have gleaned along the way.

PRINCIPLES (CDCS)
1. Cool
Cool is the key. Ideal temperature for wine storage is 55-60 degrees F. Temperature affects chemical changes in wine. In fact, these reactions can double with each 18 degree increase, but these are not beneficial changes, rather more along the lines of deterioration. I have read that average wines can survive 120 degrees for a few hours (like in the trunk of your car during a summer wine tasting trip) without cooking the wine, but I would still be wary.

2. Dark
You want to keep your wines away from direct sunlight if possible.

3. Constant
Not only do you want to keep bottles cool, but keeping the temperature constant is also important. Dramatic temperature fluctuations can really damage wine. Many also warn against vibration, but there does not seem to be any conclusive evidence to support this.

4. Side
All wine should be stored on their side. This is important as you must keep the cork moist.

OPTIONS
1. Wine cellar: if you have a house, you might want to consider actually building a dedicated wine cellar. Certainly the most expensive of the options, you can go for either a beautiful display-oriented cellar or a more pragmatic one (see my review on Cellaring Wine)

2. Basement: these tend to adhere to all four principles of wine storage. Also, being damp is a good thing as it can help keep corks from drying out. I've also heard of crawlspaces being suggested as an alternative.

3. Closet: Not necessarily the most ideal location, but its dark and usually cooler than most rooms.

4. Wine refrigerator: these can hold as few as 16 bottles for about $150 and also hold hundreds of bottles for thousands of dollars. I did quite a bit of research on all of the models and found a great 35 bottle entry level model (I also ordered the outlet model and got free shipping!). It should serve me well for the next couple of years while I live in apartments here in NYC.

AVOID: kitchens (too bright and warm) and possibly living rooms as well (esp with fireplaces)

What about refrigerators?
From what I have learned, you probably want to stay away from refrigerators as a long term storage solution. They are too cold (typically 35 degrees), lack humidity (back for corks), and have too much vibration (though this is debatable). But less than a week shouldn't be bad.

David Hill Winery (Willamette Valley, OR)

2009-07-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

While in Longview, WA this past weekend with Joy, my parents came down from Seattle to see her newly remodeled home and to join us for a day of wine tasting. We visited three wineries and ate at two fantastic restaruants, all of which I will discuss, but this posting is primarily concerned with David Hill Winery, located in Forest Grove, OR, just outside of Portland. I had yet to discover this winery, but upon the recommendation of our family friends who own a vineyard in Forest Grove, we made it a point to check it out. And it was certainly worth it!

First of all, the scenery doesn't get much better than the beautiful vineyards tucked amongst the hills outside of Portland. That said, it was no surprise to find them preparing for a wedding later that day at the winery. If you get a chance to visit them, make sure to follow NW David Hill Rd above the winery because there is a great pull-off where you can overlook the vineyards.

Now on to the wines! David Hill is no miser when it comes to wine. Rarely have I found a winery with 18 wines to taste that are all so delicious. And the cover the spectrum, so no matter what your personal preferences are, you're likely to find something to enjoy. Where do their grapes come from? Well, with the exception of their table white wine, all of their whites are estate grown, along with their Pinot Noir (since Pinot Noir, to my knowledge, is the only major red varietal that can tolerate the cold weather west of the Cascades). Currently their Tempranillo and reserve Merlot are sourced from southern OR, the table red from eastern WA, and the table white from the pacific NW.

WHITES
*2007 Estate Pinot Blanc ($15): beautiful floral and citrus nose, med/full body with a crisp finish. enjoyed the nose more than the taste.
*2007 Estate Gewürztraminer ($16): strong honeysuckle, very nice smooth finish
*2007 Estate Pinot Gris ($15): peach and citrus nose, nice acidity
*2007 Estate Semillon ($15): nutty and nice
*2006 Estate Reserve Chardonnay ($18): vanilla and butterscotch aromas come through, creamy, but not too heavy, quite tasty indeed!
*2008 Estate Riesling ($16): describing its nose, I wrote "oh my gosh!" just delicious smelling, the palate is complex and rather tart, personally I would prefer to smell this wine instead of drinking it
*2007 Estate Muscat ($15): an off-day muscat with a very floral nose, sweet and finish just falls off (in a way that I enjoyed), great wine ***Troy, make sure to try this and their muscat port***
*Farm House White ($10): a blend of Semillon, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Viognier, very tropical, hard to pass up a great wine at a great value

REDS
*2007 Estate Pinot Noir ($20): coffee and toast on nose, lots of tannin and acidity, little fruit, meh
*2006 Estate Barrel Select Pinot Noir ($28): better fruit, okay, but $28 okay, not so sure
*2006 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir ($38): great nose! wonderful fruit, complex, incredibly drinkable
*2006 Estate BlackJack Pinot Noir ($45): vines where planted in '65, nose has very nice cherry, vanilla, and earth, absolutely delicious!
*2006 Tempranillo ($24): plum and pepper on the nose with a smooth vanilla finish, nicely balanced tannin, sourced from southern OR
*2006 Reserve Merlot ($30): cherry and chocolate aromas, also from southern OR, love it!
*Farm House Red ($10): a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Barbera, Merlot and a little Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah sourced from eastern WA, very tasty and a great value, brought some back to NY

DESSERTS
*2006 Sweet Simplicity ($10/375ml): 68% Semillon & 32% Sylvaner, not too sweet with a light finish for a dessert wine, great wine for its price
*Estate Solera Tawny Port ($35/500ml): 100% Pinot Noir, palate is dominated by berries, vanilla, and wood, an absolutely great wine (Joy got a bottle and hopefully there will be some left when I come back!)
*2005 Estate Muscat Port ($21/375ml): a rare white port, apricots and cloves, very sugary, and delicious

SUMMARY: First off, David Hill makes great table wines that should not be passed over. While I enjoyed all of their whites, the Gewurt and Chardonnay really stood out. And when it comes to Pinot Noirs, I would strongly suggest either spending the money on the 2006 Reserve and/or the BlackJack, or looking elsewhere. At this point, I'm not convinced the other two are worth the price. It's also hard to beat $10 for a tasty desert wine. And don't forget to try both the ports!

Walla Walla Winery Series #2 (Patit Creek)

2009-07-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

In my second installment of Walla Walla wineries, I will be discussing another wonderful winery located out at the old airport, Patit Creek Cellars. Typical of many wineries in the Walla Walla valley, they have a very nice tasting room, and their staff was great.

While they had been traditionally exclusively focused on Cab and Merlot, the winery is beginning to venture out under their new owners. The first step is a dry riesling. I found their 2007 release ($16) to be fairly typical of a dry riesling, and pleasant to enjoy (though I've had better ones elsewhere, East Fork Cellars in Ridgefield, WA makes a delicious one).

Moving on...

*2005 Merlot - sourced from Pepperbridge and Seven Hills vineyards, very balanced wine and quite tasty. $29
*2004 Merlot - from Columbia Valley (as most of the grapes in Walla Walla were lost due to bad weather that year), rich, earthy, bold fruit, and I felt it was better than the 05. $35
*2005 Cab - walla walla, currant and black cherry on palate, delicious! expect to get even better in 3-4 years. $29
*2004 Cab - Columbia Valley, smooth, a bit lighter, but very fruity and very good
*2002 Cab - its been my experience that on rare occasions a winery will open one of their library (or older) vintages. and when they do, its a treat! this cab was sourced from the Walla Walla valley, and it was spectacular! a perfectly balanced cab.

WINE TIDBIT: Aging Walla Walla Wines
As soon as I became interested in wine several years ago, I wanted to better understand the concept of aging wine and how best to go about it. Some of the most incredible wines I've tasted were stored carefully for decades before they were enjoyed. However, I have also been reading that perhaps the era of laying up wines for decades is coming to an end. In fact, I've heard an owner of a winery in Walla Walla comment that since he's in his seventies, he wants to be able to enjoin his wines now. Can't blame him there! That said, here's what I've discovered. By and large, the standard expectation of any wine coming out of Walla Walla is that it can be enjoyed right now. That is especially true of the $15-20 red table wines that make for great daily consumption. However, a number of the single red varietals (esp cab) can really become something else if given the chance to age just 12-18months. Maybe even 2-3 years. Allowing them to have that small time frame really enables these wines to fully come together, especially if they come from one of the better vintages. If you want to learn more about cellaring wine, check out my review of Jeff Cox's Cellaring Wine.

FORTHCOMING...
* Continued installments of Walla Walla Wineries
* Summary of my visit next week to several wineries located in Clark County, WA, just north of Portland.

Walla Walla Winery Series #1 (Tamarack)

2009-07-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

I am beginning a new series based on my tasting notes from my last trip (July 5-7, 2008) to the Walla Walla valley. In each installment, I will limit my discussion to a single winery in order to highlight as many individual wines as possible and to provide you with an idea of what types of wines are being produced where. The tasting notes themselves are not always extremely detailed as the trip included 15 wines and 125 wines in three days. With that in mind, a lack of notes should not be interpreted as a negative review, simply that it was not able to distinctively stand out during a weekend of tasting spectacular wines.

In this first installment, I will be discussing Tamarack Cellars. This is my first time both visiting Tamarack as well as tasting their wines. And in case you were wondering, they are one of a number of wineries conveniently located out at the old airport just outside of town. Their tasting room is great and their staff provided a nice tasting experience.

* 2006 Chardonnay - good, but not distinctive
* 2006 Sangiovese - alright
* 2006 Firehouse Red - a blend of seven varietals, very tasty, best value!
* 2006 Merlot - really good
* 2006 Cab Franc - also good
* 2005 Cab - delicious
* 2004 Syrah - deep fruit and earthy on nose, nice, but not the best WaWa syrah
* 2005 Dubrul Vineyard Reserve (61 Cab/32 Merlot/7 Cab Franc) - especially great

Summary: All of their wines are quite good, so in the future, I will not hesitate to try anything coming out of Tamarack. If the wallet allows, the Dubrul Vineyard Reserve is lovely. But certainly, the best all-around (taste & value) goes to their Firehouse Red. Whether in a wine shop or at a restaurant, this table red wine is immensely versatile.

Villa Antinori - Toscana 2003

2008-10-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

This past week, while Joy was visiting me in NYC, we went out to dinner with Zach (another Fordham collegue) and his wife, Katy. With so many options in Little Italy, we decided to try Trattoria Zero Otto Nove (which is the sister restaurant of the famous Roberto's). It is a fantastic restaurant that I highly recommend if you get a chance.

On to the wine. I am still finding my way with Italian wines, but this one was a hit. I wanted to try a 'super tuscan', so I picked out the 2003 Villa Antinori Toscana, a red blend with Sangiovese (60), Cabernet (20), Merlot (15) & Syrah (5). I found it to be complex but balanced, with bold red fruit and nice tannins. 13.0% Alcohol. Overall, it was very versatile and went well with all of our dishes.

UPDATE: Having been to Zero Otto Novo several more times, I would absolutely recommend them to anyone who is looking for a place to dine on Arthur Ave in Little Italy.

2005 Cadence Tapteil Vineyard Red Wine

2008-05-17T19:46:00.001-07:00

I tried the 05 Cadence Tapteil Vineyard from Red Mountain (50% Cab, 30% Merlot, 20% Cab Franc), and it really didn't do much for me. I was expecting great things from it (especially when one considers the price ~$50), but was ultimately disappointed. If I had it to do over again, I would have tried opening (and most likely decanting) it several hours before drinking. On the nose, there was predominately berry jam and leather. There was bright fruit on the palate, but I was too distracted by the feeling that the wine wasn't balanced well and too tannic. My hunch is that it will be significantly better after several years of laying down, but honestly, I wont be spending the money to try. Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar gave it a 92, but I would still recommend passing on this one.

UPDATE: After discussing my experience with others, it appears that I just got a bad bottle, and would like to give Cadence another try down the road.

2006 Pascual Toso Malbec Maipu Valley

2008-05-16T07:24:00.000-07:00

Since I've been on my washington wine kick of late, I haven't had any argentine malbecs in a while. So when I came across this malbec, of which I have heard many good things, in a wineshop in boston, I had to try it. It quickly reminded me why this varietal is one of my favorites! With a nose of blackberries and some tobacco, it was deliciously smooth and full-bodied, with nice tannins, and lots of fruit going on. Wine Enthusiast gave it a 91 and made it their #1 wine on the "Top 100 Best Buys of 2007," and I would have to agree. For just under $10, this wine rocked!

Walla Walla Wine Country

2008-03-22T00:34:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Troy, Betty, Dustin, Marie, and myself made our first pilgrimage to Walla Walla wine country. And what a weekend it was! Three days, twelve wineries, and seventy-four wines later (at least that was my personal tally), I think its fair to say we all have much more developed palates. Which is a good thing because that was our sole objective: increase our knowledge of wine so we better know whats out there and what we each like. (right, the crew at Kiona)

I was a little anxious as we headed east because I was in charge of planning our itinerary, but I had some great input from my parents and our friend, Jacky. Though, with a better grasp now of whats in Walla Walla, its pretty hard not to find great wineries. So a brief summary of our adventure... On friday morning, Marie, Dustin, and I all piled into my car for the long drive ahead (troy and betty would join us late that evening). Our first stop was actually in Richland at Barnard Griffin. Then we proceeded east, stopping at Woodward Canyon and L’Ecole No 41 just outside of town. After that we checked into the Holiday Inn Express, grabbed some dinner at the MillCreek Beerpub, and then hit the pool and hot tub when Troy and Betty caught up to us.

Saturday morning began fairly early with our heading out to Pepperbridge, followed by a stop at the joint tasting room of Trust and Chateau Rollat. Then we headed down to Milton-Freewater to visit Otis Kenyon, which was the unanimous highlight of the trip. I had emailed Muriel, the head of sales, at OK beforehand to schedule a visit since they do not yet have a tasting room. After driving up the gravel driveway, past the sketchy-looking house neighboring OK, Muriel greeted us with a big smile and took us into the converted appleshed which now houses their barrels. It was such a great atmosphere (above right, the crew while tasting amongst the barrels). We also met Dreux the assistant winemaker (whos been working with winemaker Dave Stephenson, and is taking a much more active role in the newer vintages). The two of then were absolutely fantastic and super friendly! And if there was such a proverb about the quality of people translating into the quality of their wine, it would certainly be true at OK. Their 05 Merlot and 05 Syrah were voted by our little party to be the favorites of the entire weekend. Dreux was also gracious enough to let us sample his unfinished Reisling, which was quite an experience for us and very enjoyable as well.

After Otis Kenyon, we took Muriel's advice at stopped at the Ice Burg drive-in for lunch. Then we continued on to Forgeron, and finally arrived at Seven Hills. It was a long day of wine tasting and by the time we made it to the last wines at Seven Hills (left, enjoying their tasting room), our palates were all struggling. We spent the rest of the afternoon back at the hotel taking it easy, and I was able to get into my most recent book, Reading the Old Testament with the Ancient Church by Heine. For dinner we hit up the bar at 26 Brix, which we had heard such great things about. Honestly, we weren't super impressed, but there were a couple tasty things there.

While we had entertained the idea of catching the 8am service at St Paul's Episcopal on Sunday morning, daylight savings stole our sleep and any chance to getting up that early. After our final breakfast at the hotel, we made our way out to the old Airport which has a number of wineries. We stopped at Cougar Crest after finding Tamarack mysteriously closed (must have missed the time change), and then after finding two other closed wineries, we headed back through town to Reininger, where they offered twelve wines to taste... not bad at all! We also made a quick stop at L'Ecole again so Troy and Betty could taste a couple of their wines. This brought our time in Walla Walla to a close, but our wine adventure wasn't done yet. We made another stop at Barnard Griffin, and our final destination (which took quite a few wrongs turns before we made it) was Kiona in Benton City.

As I look back on this weekend, I believe our trip was quite a success, both in terms of fun and great wines! Oh, and how could I not also share my absolute favorites of the weekend. In no particular order, my top picks were L'Ecole 41's 2005 Perigee, Otis Kenyon's 2005 Syrah and Merlot, Trust's 2005 Cab, Chateaux Rollat's 2005 Cab, Seven Hills 2005 Pentad (right, Dustin and I partaking), and Reiniger's 2002 Cima. Since many of these were simply out of my price range, my other favorites that I was able to bring home included Barnard Griffin's 2007 Rose of Sangiovese (great summer wine!), the two from Otis Kenyon, Cougar Crest's Dedication One, and Kiona's Vivacious Vicky Rose and their Late Harvest Riesling. I hope that before I head off to school in the fall, I will be able to make one more trek out there, so until then...

2004 Mission La Caminade Cahors

2008-02-01T16:27:00.001-08:00

While Argentina is arguably the most well-known region for Malbec, one must remember where this varietal came from, and thats France. However, I find most French malbecs to be incredibly different in their own right. This is one of those wines where I simply wanted to sit and enjoy its nose. Such strong fruit... very enjoyable. Unfortunately, my love of this wine faded as I partook of it. Its incredibly too acidic and astringent. Very little sweetness or fruit on the palate. It had 13% alcohol and I believe was around $10. Only for the sake of its pleasant nose that it gets into the low 80s, and I would still pass if I had a possible second encounter.

2005 Seven Hills Petit Verdot, McClellan Estate Vineyard

2008-01-30T20:10:00.000-08:00

As I have been venturing into the world of wine, this particular one represents a unique moment for me. Certainly, it is my first Petit Verdot, a varietal that is typically blended in a Bordeaux. What struck me is that this wine is not at all representative of my absolute favorite reds, and yet I am able to deeply appreciate it for what it is. Further, one of my primary goals has been to develop my palate, as the truth is you'll never detect black currants if you have no idea what they taste like. That said, the moment I first tasted this Petit Verdot, a number of the great old french bordeauxs I've had recently came rushing to mind because now I understand the distinctive flavor which this varietal contributes. As for the wine itself, the nose is very enjoyable with predominantly dried fruit like raisins. On the palate, there is a subtle fruit balanced with an earthiness and very aggressive tannins. It almost felt like the tannins were pulling the wine across my tongue and down my throat. Very little sweetness or acidity. Definitely should be paired with bold flavored food. I'm very curious how this wine will age, but with its extremely limited release (only 75 cases!), I may never find out. Ultimately, I would recommend it with a 90 rating and for the simple factor that its so rare to find a single vineyard bottling of this varietal.

2005 Barnard Griffin Reserve Malbec

2008-01-27T18:41:00.000-08:00

Now having tasted my second WA Malbec, I have come to discover and appreciate the distinctiveness of this grape from the Pacific Northwest. It certainly stands apart from the big robust Argentine Malbecs. With a deep robust red color, this wine has a dominant blueberry on the nose, along with some espresso and spice. Its very smooth on the palate, mostly characterized by cherry and chocolate. Balanced acidity with little noticeable tannins. It was very enjoyable on its own and with the cornish game hen. Wine Press Northwest magazine rated it 'Outstanding'. 13.4% alcohol and approx. $35. I would recommend it with a rating of high 80s-low 90s.

1999 Francis Coppola Black Label Claret

2007-11-23T22:26:00.001-08:00

A very nice bordeaux-styled California wine. This one is heavily dominated by cab, and did not list the others, but I suspect merlot, malbec, and cab franc. It has a nice nose of berry and oak (though its not overpowering at all). On the palate, there is clearly berries. The smoothness led me to think of blueberries. I found the wine full-bodied and pleasantly balanced. All in all, a delicious CA red that I would rate in the high 80s. 13.5% Alcohol. Tasted by itself - 11/23/07.

2005 Domenico Clerico Dolcetto Langhe Visadi

2007-11-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

Dolcetto is a grape grown in Italy (Piedmont) that makes young, bright reds. It also happens to mean 'little sweet one'. This particular one, which was my first dolcetto, was very light-bodied with pretty high acidity. I've read that some taste slightly sweet, but I would not describe this one as such. But still very fruity. If you're a fan of pinot noirs, I'd give this varietal a try sometime. This one is approx. $15 with 13.5% alcohol. I would rate in the mid-to-high eighties as it was very drinkable, but not spectacular. As a side note, I've also heard that dolcettos are meant to be consumed young, so if its more than two years old, pass.

2005 Seven Hills Malbec

2007-11-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

So this was my first malbec from Washington and it was quite fascinating. Unlike the big robust malbecs of Argentina (one of my absolute favorites), this one was much milder. It has a strong nose of blueberry, which is something I've never detected from South American malbecs. The wine itself is medium bodied, with mild tannins, and an unbelievably long, lingering finish of sweet fruits. It went quite well with the roasted chicken we had. Seven Hills anticipates three to four years of cellaring for this wine. Approx. $30. WA gave it a 92, and I would tend to agree.

2006 Seven Hills Reisling

2007-11-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

Has a nice palate of apple and floral notes, with a crisp mineral finish. With a light sweetness (not a lot of RS), it is very enjoyable and would be perfect for sipping on a hot summer afternoon. Moderate alcohol (12%). Drink now, but will also benefit from a year or two of age. Approx. $12. Tasted: by itself on 11/01/2007.

2005 Giant Wine Company Ghost of 413 Red Wine

2007-11-04T22:41:00.000-08:00

Ghost of 413 is a red table wine that is a blend of cab (65), merlot (25), and cab franc (15). Its palate consists of a strong oak with berries, and vanilla on the finish. Full-bodied with both high tannins and firm acidity. High alcohol (14.2%). This wine did not sweep me off my feet, but for its value, its a nice everyday wine. I think it might go well with roasted chicken and meatloaf. Tasted: by itself 11/05/2007. Rating: 85. Approx. $13.

100 pt wine scale

2006-07-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

How to score wine on the 100 point scale
(from www.corkd.com)

* 99-100 Points
A jaw-dropping, heart-stopping effort—not just everything you’d expect, but MORE than you could reasonably expect from a wine.

* 96-98 Points
Overwhelming. A rare level of greatness for wines that knock your socks off with their massiveness or make your hair stand on end with their elegance.

* 92-95 Points
Rocking wines that achieve something special within what they try to be. Occasionally wines in this range are a bit one-dimensional, but that one dimension will blow you away.

* 90-91 Points
High quality wines that make you go back to the glass looking for (and usually finding) something more. Wines that are not just enjoyable but pique one’s curiosity.

* 85-89 Points
Above average wines that perhaps lack that little something extra that makes them worthy of a 90-point score. Satisfactory. Drinkable and unobjectionable.

* 80-84 Points
Something about the wine just rubs you the wrong way, but it has some redeeming features.

* 70-79 Points
Very average wines capable of quenching thirst but little else. Straightforward and unremarkable.

* 60-69 Points
Flawed wines to avoid at all costs. Practically undrinkable.

* 50-59 Points
So poor that the 60-69 range is insufficient to describe their inadequacy. Undrinkable.

Book Review: Cellaring Wine

2005-07-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

Cellaring Wine: A Complete Guide to Selecting, Building, and Managing Your Wine Collection
By Jeff Cox. Storey Publishing, 2003.

This book turned out to be even better than I had hoped. It is divided up into two parts. In the first part, Cox offers chapters on why collect wine, selecting and acquiring Wine, how wine ages, and cellar size and function. In the second part, he goes about offering advice on constructing and using a wine cellar. Cox is a good writer, so the book is enjoyable to read, and I feel like I have a much better idea of not only how wine ages, but also an approach to constructing a cellar that I had not thought of before. I particularly loved his suggestion of creating mystery cases, ie. filling a case of random wines (which you think might benefit from cellaring) and then only marking when you want to open it. Joy and I want to try this and turn them into mystery wine tasting parties. I've included two of the figures that depict his approach, which he fully details how to construct it. Very pragmatic, nothing fancy to see, just a great way to store the maximum amount of wine in the least amount of space. If you have any thoughts of cellaring wine, I highly recommend this book!

Buy on Amazon: here

See also my post on storing wines: here

Movie Review: Bottle Shock

2005-07-10T19:41:00.000-07:00

Bottle Shock tells the story of the Napa Valley in the 1970s and the events leading up to the "Judgment of Paris," a blind tasting where American wines unexpectedly beat their French counterparts. Its a very enjoyable movie that draws you into the world of wine. The scenery is gorgeous and it has a nice soundtrack as well. As a personal aside, within the last two years, I had the privilege of enjoying two bottles of the 1966 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve, which were bottled a full decade before the events depicted in this movie. PG-13.

Book Review: Wine & War

2005-07-10T19:22:00.000-07:00

Wine and War: The French, The Nazis, and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure
By Don and Petie Kladstrup. Broadway Books: New York, 2001.
This is an enjoyable account of France's wine producers and their place in the larger narrative of World War II. The things that they did to fool the Nazis into thinking horrible wine was their premier stock are ingenious and hilarious. Overall, it is highly anecdotal and, at times, hardly objective. But, in the end, it is a fun read, especially while traveling.