jeffdav on wine

2001 penfold's rwt

2010-12-13T08:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I've done it again. I've committed infanticide. Well, maybe not infanticide, perhaps just nineyearoldicide, whatever that's called. This wine, while excellent, should probably have been left sitting for at least another few years.

But I couldn't help myself. It was Thanksgiving. I wanted to open something special. And this was the oldest thing I had in the "drinkable" pile. Of course it paired horribly with just about every dish we had on the table.

The wine itself was a wonderful dark purple. It smelled like plums and had a velvety, jammy taste to it. It was quite smooth, with no defects discernable to my amateur palate. I decanted it for about 20 min prior to drinking, and that probably could have gone on longer.

Anyway, I don't have any more of it, so I won't know if it gets any better with age unless Ben has some stashed away. If so I propose we conviene in 2013 and give it a try.

Shingleback Black Bubbles Sparkling Shiraz

2010-06-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

The wife and I picked this up on a whim at Whole Foods for around US$20. We were having a vegetarian concoction of couscous, avocado, broccoli and a broccoli-pesto sauce for dinner and it just seemed like it might go well. And when it's hot, like it was that weekend, a well-made sparkling wine might just be what one needs.

The food, by the way, was amazing. The wine itself was pretty okay. It was a nice, dark, inky color which is to be expected with a name like "Black Bubbles". There was quite a bit of frothy-pinkness at the top and I think my decision to use the French wine glasses (as opposed to some Riedel goblet of opulence) was a good one. There was plenty of fresh, black fruit taste. It had good balance that made it seem like more than just carbonated Shiraz. There is a place for this wine, probably as the first wine in the afternoon of a night that will be full of a long line of wines, but all on its own it left me wanting more...

I like the label design too.

2004 Hay Shed Hill Pitchfork CSM

2010-03-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

Still the best wine under $10 made in Australia. I love the label and I love the wine. When I can, I buy a case of it and drink it all year and it never fails to impress.

If you can find it, stock up.

2006 mith

2009-12-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

Still one of my favorites. Has great, dark color and sweet candy-like dark fruit taste on the palate, but still very young. Needs more time in the bottle.

2006 Seven Deadly Zins

2009-01-20T18:44:00.000-08:00

Still a pretty decent wine, but the '06 just didn't live up to previous vintages. Great wine for the price, and if you know nothing about wine this is still a great pick to take to dinners, parties, etc.

I do have it on good authority that the most recent vintage of the Earthquake Zin is a better pick then the Seven Deadly.

Another Smörgåsbord of Wine Porn

2008-12-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

In no particular order:

I found a bunch of this 2000 Rosemount Hill of Gold Shiraz in a local wine store. I'm not sure what the current release is, but this one is a few years old. If you have this wine, drink now. It will not be getting any better. It is brown around the edges and incredibly pungent. It is a decent wine, if you're feeling adventurous. I picked this up a few months ago for $20.

Next we have the 2004 Matthews Claret. A great Washington wine, good for all occasions. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

I have nothing good to say about the 2004 BV Napa Valley Merlot, so I will say nothing.

The 2004 PlumpJack St. Helena Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon is a great wine. Very different from the more recent PlumpJack vintages, but the oak has mellowed quite a bit and the flavors are much more integrated than when it was young. A great wine, but a bit on the expensive side at $50.

The 2005 Scabi, in addition to having one of the most visually appealing wine labels in my collection, is also a great drop! I've only found it through Garagiste the one time I got it, but I would recommend it to anyone if you can find it.

Last but not least in anyway is the 2006 Justin Savant, their Cab/Syrah blend. It's a great wine, but not as spectacular as I had hoped. Only available through their wine club (or the right local Bay area store, as I found), this wine is about $50. And because Justin always has lots of useful information on the back label, the back of the bottle:

2006 Rombauer Zinfandel

2008-12-06T16:43:00.000-08:00

As good as it ever was.

If you liked previous vintages, you'll like this one too.

A great wine for the price ($25).

a whole lot of Justin

2008-11-27T17:52:00.000-08:00

I just got another shipment from Justin so I keep finding excuses to open them.

We start with the 2006 Justin Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a special one for me because I have never had it before. Indeed, this is the first time I have got a shipment of it. It was an inky purple wine (which I like), and full of oaky fruit (which I also like). This is a great wine, but at $45 it just is not as thrilling as some other California Cabs in that price range. The wine club price of $36, however, makes it a very reliable drinker, and a good deal.

Next we have the 2006 Justification, the 63% Cab, 37% Merlot blend. I used to say the Isosceles was my favorite wine, but now I just can not make up my mind between the Justification and the Isosceles. Really, these are where Justin earns all my respect. Their Cab, their Syrah, their whites--all good solid wines, and alone they would make a respectable line. But these blends! This is where Justin really shines. I opened this on election night to celebrate.

Third was the 2006 Justin Syrah. I could smell the pepper and taste the fruit, the cassis, and the oak. This is a great Syrah--not as good as the 2002 Reserve Syrah, but still a nice bottle. Certainly it impressed my guests who got to drink some.

Lastly we opened a bottle of the 2007 Viognier. Not a lot to say about it. If I have to drink white, I like to drink Viognier. I would drink this one again. It was light and crisp, not syrupy-sweet.

2005 Lewis Alec's Blend Napa Valley

2008-10-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

Lewis doesn't need me to tell you how good their wine is. This wine was great. Fantastic. Too expensive for me to add to my list, but it made a great gift for which I am very thankful.

Sara and I drank this at home with a good, home-cooked meal. It really made my night. I love cab-syrah blends, and this is one to rival some of my favorite Australians. If you want the details, here's the reverse of the bottle.

If you've not had it, this is a great California wine to try on a special occasion.

2005 Baer Ursa

2008-10-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

This was a gift, and I quite enjoyed it. You'll probably enjoy it to. A great little find from Washington state.

how to uncork a bottle of wine

2008-10-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

First you need the proper equipment. There are people who open bottles of wine everyday for a living. These people are called waiters. There is a tool called the waiter's key. This is not a coincidence. Proper ones look like this:

The thing on the left is a foil cutter. You can get by without one, but they're very cheap and make your life a bit easier. If you don't have one, you must use the little "knife" on the back of the waiter's key.

The important thing is to get a waiter's key that has the hinge. To do it properly you have to have the two stages. See the orange arrow.

Use the foil cutter to remove the foil. One twist while pressing inward and it should come right off cleanly.

Next open up the waiter's key and insert the corkscrew. You do not want to push the tip directly into the center. Instead, you want to do it slightly off-center so that the center of the corkscrew spiral is aligned with the center of the cork itself.

The next part is the part that so many wine-opening gadgets get wrong. You want to twist the corkscrew down far enough into the cork so that you can maximize the volume of cork you exert force on while pulling it out. However it is of utmost importance that you do not puncture the bottom of the cork. Things like The Rabbit and counter-mounted cork extracting machines almost universally puncture the bottom of the cork. Those weird cork extractors that have the two arms that go up while you screw the thing downward are also notorious for doing this--they can't function properly without breaking the bottom of the cork. If you break the bottom of the cork, depending on the age and composition of the cork, you most likely end up with bits of cork floating in the wine. Which nobody likes.

With the waiter's key you generally want to leave about a full twist above the top of the cork. Once you are at the proper depth, put the first stage of the metal arm on the rim of the bottle and make sure the hinge is bent inward.

Then you simply left the lever while holding the metal arm in place with your free hand.

When the cork cannot be pulled further, move the hinge so that it is bent outward and put the second stage of the metal arm on the rim.

Pull upward on the lever one more time and the cork should slide right out with no pulling or problems.

At this point you remove the cork from the cork screw, make sure the bottom of the cork is wet by touching it with your finger and smell the wine in the bottle. If the cork is dry and the wine smells like socks and nasty, find another bottle. Otherwise, drink and enjoy.

If at any point the cork doesn't move easily, jiggle the lever up and down or give the screw another bit of a twist and try again. Basically approach it as you would any stuck item by trying to loosen it by applying forces in different places until it comes unstuck.

2004 Gaja Ca'marcanda Promis

2008-10-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

I have quite a backlog of wines to blog about. There are several factors that have caused this. Things have been incredibly busy at work shipping new versions of the product; Sara got a new job and is working two jobs while she transitions to the new place; Sara's parents were in town for a week staying with us, so I did a lot of wine-drinking but zero wine-blogging. Also, I sometimes forget to post. But I always remember to get the photo. Here is a glimpse of things to come:

But those guys are at the end of the queue. Today's post is about a wine further back in my backlog, the 2004 Gaja Ca'marcanda Promis.

I reviewed this wine a year and a half ago, but that was before blogger made it easy to upload photos. My opinion of it has not changed much, but it has mellowed out quite a bit. We decanted it and had it with pasta, and it was just a great, easy-drinking wine that tasted the way medium-bodied Italians should.

The Promis is one of the wines that I just buy a half case of on release every year and keep on hand to open when we have people over for dinner. It's a great wine to which everyone should consider subscribing, though at ~$35-$40, it can be pricey. It is the price you pay for consistency and quality in Italian wines.

2004 Chateau Vieux Chevrol

2008-09-14T12:19:00.000-07:00

Not as good as I had hoped, but a very pretty bottle.

Dinner with The Family

2008-09-10T08:13:00.000-07:00

Sara's Aunt, Uncle and Cousin were in the area and they stopped in Palo Alto to visit us for a day. They were kind enough to take us to dinner. That, combined with Sara's Uncle's love of wine and extensive wine knowledge inspired me to pull out a bottle that I expected he (a) had never heard of and (b) would love.

The 2004 Mith is a stunning wine, one of the best Washington wines I have ever had. Sara described it as "like drinking candy." I'm sure that will evoke different images for different people, but it is not inaccurate. The wine has no hint of alcohol in the taste but has plenty of beautiful yet subtle fruit.

Of course, since we went to an Italian restaurant, Sara's Uncle also wanted to try one of the wines off their list. He chose a 2004 Amarone.

I'm not an expert on Amarone, in fact, this was only the second one I have ever had, but I enjoyed it. It was sort of a brownish color, compared to the vivid purple of the Mith. It has a very unique taste, not unlike a nutty-raisiny taste. It was a bit hot, but went nicely with the food. I couldn't finish my glass though, because I had too much to drink and too much rich food by that point.

Party Wine

2008-09-08T07:19:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we had a sort of house-warming party. Sara BBQ'd some ribs, made some other dishes, and invited my new coworkers over for dinner. I ducked into the closet and came out with the following.

The 2004 Chester-Kidder, a merlot. A good merlot, but not really my style of wine. It's smooth and drinkable, but does not have the nice fruity flavor I tend to go for.

The 2005 Portteus Zinfandel, of which I can not say enough good things. Have you joined their wine club yet? Why not?! This is a Washington Zin that puts a lot of California wines in their place. Think of it as Turley that you can actually get a hold of. Though I hear the 2006 is a very different sort of Zin. I am looking forward to trying it.

The 2002 Moulin-St. Georges, my stand-by Bordeaux. I got a lot of this vintage from Garagiste at a ridiculously low price. I love to pull it out for guests.

The 2006 Mark Ryan The Dissident. There are two things I believe to be true about Mark Ryan. One, he is a great wine maker. Two, his wines are over-priced. This particular bottle was a gift, so the second theorem is rendered moot. The wine is billed as a "red table wine," which is about right. It was a decent enough drinker, though honestly I think I only had a small taste of it. It was a bright and fruity wine. If you like Mark Ryan's other wines, this one will please you. Though I think for the price, you can do better.

I will end this post with a picture of the awesome coconut cakes that Sara made, and a promise of more posts to follow soon.

2006 Turley Old Vines Zinfandel

2008-06-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

I love California Zinfandel, and I love Turley. And, of course, Turley will always have a special place in my heart.

On my trip to Seattle I was lucky enough to come by four bottles of the 2006 Old Vines Zinfandel and so I figured we should open one up for the family to try before I bring them to California and cellar them.

As always, the Turley did not disappoint; indeed, this is the best wine that $35 can buy. The wine is full of peppery spice and complex structured berry fruit flavors. It smells great and is a bit young but eminently drinkable.

We had it with salami, fruit and cheese as we sat on the back porch over looking Puget Sound. It was quite nice.

2005 Cougar Crest Cabernet Franc

2008-06-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like sipping a well made, Washington grown, Cabernet Franc outside on the deck of a not-quite-completed house overlooking the Puget Sound. This 2005 Cougar Crest Cabernet Franc came courtesy of Sara's uncle Chris.

The 2005 did not have as much vanilla as the 2004, which is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on who you ask. I like the vanilla flavor that certain oak barrels will impart. Chris though it had a bit too much oak influence. Either way, we both agreed this was a nice wine to drink. If you like other Washington wines, you will like this one.

Wine Spectator gave this 93pts, and I think that is pretty fair. This pushed the price up a bit into the low to mid $30 range, but everything seems to be getting more expensive. The wine is very fruit-forward and smooth. My personal feeling is that Cougar Crest is one of the better Washington wineries and their entire line bears tasting, but I always seem to like the Cab Franc the best.

2006 Chateau Montelena Potter Valley Riesling

2008-06-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

Sara's father bought this from the winery on our last Napa trip. I think it was around $14.

The wine was very yellow with fruit and floral notes. It was dry for a riesling, but still very nice to drink. Today it is supposed to top 100 degrees again here in the Bay Area, so if you have some in the fridge, now would be the time to pull it out and drink it.

2004 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-06-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

This was my treat to myself. I had not tasted the 2004 Bin 707 yet, but I had fond memories of the 2002 and I wanted to see how this one was going to turn out.

The 2004 is not as luxuriant as the 2002 was. The 2004 has the dark, full bodied color and the wonderful pungent smell, but the flavor was a bit dull. I think the wine is very young and the various components will integrate better with a bit of time. The wine was short on the palate, with bits of dark fruit. It was smooth and supple, but not mind blowing.

While I was in Seattle I also managed to score a few bottles of the 2005, so I have something to look forward to in this department. I hear it is the best vintage ever.

birthday smorgasbord

2008-06-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

The day of the event we had a pretty good line-up, as you can see for yourself:

Some quick notes on each:

The 2001 Betz Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the star of this bunch. This is a great wine with fruit and veggie notes, acidity and tannins that are a bit rough but are well structured to create a great drinking wine.

The 2002 Red Diamond Shiraz is very similar to the 2001 which I already reviewed. This is still the best wine I have found for under $10.

Second place goes to the 2005 Portteus Zinfandel, which I can never get enough of.

I do not think we got around to opening the Vina Robles cab.

I am not a huge fan of 2006 the ghost of 413 syrah. The name is clever, and the wine is drinkable enough. But if you are looking for value syrah, you can do a lot better than this for $15. Look to Australia.

Still more wines from the Seattle trip to come. Stay tuned.

2005 Rombauer Zinfandel

2008-06-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a road trip to Seattle. Birthdays were involved, so lots of wine was consumed. I will be dealing with them in approximately the order in which they were drank.

The Rombauer Zin will always have a special place in my heart because it is one of the first wines I tried where I actually began to understand the differences between wines, and what makes a really great wine. The 2001 was our house wine when I lived with Raph. But I am not going into that story now.

Anyway, my father-in-law opened this for us the night we got into town to have before and with dinner. It is a great wine and I still think it represents a good value ($27) for your average daily-drinker. It is pleasantly fruity and smooth, and medium bodied. Always good to have a few bottles around for unexpected dinner parties and such. It is a drink-now wine, so no need to be stingy with it or worry about aging it.

2005 Marquis Phillips Shiraz 9

2008-06-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

I picked this up from Seattle Wine Co for about $35. Robert Parker gave it 96-98pts, and you just do not find those wines for that price these days. So I snatched some up. I am glad I did.

It was a real deep, rich, shiraz. Lots of blackberry and some toasty oakiness up front. Overall a great wine that I really enjoyed drinking over the course of three days. It held up well in the fridge even, with just the cork pushed back in.

2003 Stella's Garden Lost Highway Shiraz

2008-06-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

So, I was in Vegas at this restaurant. The first thing I noticed is their wine markup is about 4x the normal price of a bottle. Which is ridiculous. But I did not follow my own advice and bring my own bottle, so I was stuck. Luckily we were splitting the tab 8 ways.

The second thing I noticed was they had the 2000 Stella's Garden Lost Highway Shiraz on the menu. The 2004 was stupendous, so I figured lets have a go at one with some age on it. Of course, they brought me a 2003. Another thing I hate is restaurants who do not update their frickin' wine list. But, still, I will take a 2003. So they open it and decant it and add $136 to the bill. Bastards.

Anyway, the wine was very good. It was not that dark, midnight-satin, inky color the 2004 was. It was still a nice, full bodied Shiraz, but much less remarkable than the 2004. The '03 had nice color and was pretty smooth for a 15% wine. Everyone at the table, even non-drinkers and non-wine drinkers all liked the bottle. There was good dark fruit and just a hint of spice.

2002 Moulin-St. Georges

2008-05-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

No need for me to type a full review again, but I am just going to say that it has been very consistent from bottle to bottle.

And here is a picture.

2003 Fairview JakkalsFontein Shiraz

2008-05-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

As a Shiraz purist and having lived in close proximity to a fellow from down under, I get twitchy when people outside of Australia call their wine shiraz. Furthermore, my general preferences for wine regions have always been California and Washington, France and Italy, and Australia. However, like all oenophiles, I am always searching for a good deal on a spectacular wine. Or even a notable wine. Well, at least a drinkable wine.

I do not remember actually ordering this wine, but I did because I have the e-mail to prove it. It must have been an impulse buy. It was $20 from Garagiste.

This wine was hot, running at 15% by volume. Sara and I were quite sloppy after drinking it. We paired it with Mac and Cheese, which does not really soak up any alcohol. We both enjoyed the taste, and as you can see from the photo above, had a good time. And neither of us had head-aches the next day.

The wine itself was not like an Aussie shiraz. At least not the ones I typically buy. The wine was lighter, more medium bodied, and a sort of ruby color. There was no sediment to speak of. It was all bright fruit and supple tannins. Despite being 15%, it did not burn or have a bad finish. It seems like if I had to put it on a spectrum it would be right between your older, brighter Aussie shirazes and some of the California style zinfandels (the peppery ones, not the velvety ones).

If this is a good example of South African terroir, I think we are all going to have to take them very seriously. I highly recommend this one.

2005 Justin Justification

2008-05-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

Sara's parents came to visit us in Palo Alto. Sara made a cassoulet the first night they were here (which was excellent) and I wanted to open a nicer bottle to go along with it. You can see for yourself in the picture below that we enjoyed the wine.

The wine is a great blend of 64% Cabernet Franc and 36% Merlot. The wine was still young, with the some pretty recognizable vanilla flavors in it that will fade over time. The tannins were tame and it wasn't acidic at all; the wine was smooth and complex with a fairly short finish. It is a good drinking wine that goes great with home cooking. Now I can not decide if I like it or Isosceles better.

If that is the only difficult decision I have to make, I guess things are going pretty well.

1989 Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-05-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

My sister graduated from college on Saturday (congrats Jen!) so I flew back to St. Louis for the ceremony and the party. While I was there I had to stop by Meshuggah Coffee to get the best cup in town. Besides the incredible coffee, the most interesting people in town hang out there too. I ran into Blake Ashby. He was on his way to Riddles wine bar for dinner. I decided to tag along and inspect the wine list. I grew up in St. Louis, but I had never been to Riddles since I was not 21. And I would not have appreciated it anyway.

The great thing about wandering into a Wine Bar in the Midwest is you never know what you are going to find. The wine list here was impeccable. Not a bad wine on the list. No cheapies, but a really good spread in the price. The '89 Jordan Cab was $85. I am pretty sure on release these days it's around $50, so we are already doing pretty good on the price. Standard restaurant markup on a wine like this is 100% on the West Coast, $20 in Missouri. But this one was 18 years old. Old enough to vote and lovingly cared for. A quick search on-line and I could not find an '89 for less than $100. I would expect it to be about $200 in San Francisco. But it is, as my friend Clif said, all about what the market can bear.

I ordered the wine and a second waiter came to verify that I was actually serious. He brought the bottle out. He looked a bit nervous opening it, and for good reason--he broke the cork. But he decanted and filtered it and the wine came out tasting great. I have not had any other Jordan cabs so I do not have anything to compare it to, but this was a very well integrated wine. The tannins were soft--perfect for a medium bodied, understated wine like this. Flavors of light berry, a hint of some various spices. Baking spices, not pepper. This was a well made wine.

I enjoyed it completely, then had to wander around the loop for a few hours until I could be sure I was okay to drive home.

2005 Union des Vignerons de Saint-Pourcain Domaine de la Croix d'Or

2008-05-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

Sheesh, with a name like that, you just know it is going to be good, right?

This wine was tasty. For $12 is was just as good as many $30 frenchy wines I have had. It is a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. It is a lighter bodied wine, with interesting mineral and earthy tastes. It would be good with poultry or fish.

A little secret: the French know how to make wines out of Pinot Noir. Americans, with the exception of a few places in Oregon, don't seem to quite get it yet.

penfold's releases luxury wines

2008-05-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

Good news everyone! The new round of current releases from Penfold's high-end are available as of May 1st.

I do not think I can afford to continue to build my vertical of Grange. Instead, I'm going to sink all that cash into Bin 707, which I rather enjoy drinking. Probably more so than the Grange vintages I have tasted.

2003 Fox Creek JSM

2008-05-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

They blended Shiraz and Cabernet Franc. BRILLIANT!

This wine cost $10. I should have bought a whole case. I should have bought two cases. This wine was great. Australia wins. The wine is big, jammy, fruity, Aussie Shiraz. Great wine to go with whatever you're having for dinner.

It did need 24 hours in the fridge after I opened it to come into its fullness, so if you are going to drink it, leave time to let it breathe. Generally you do not need to decant value wines, but this one really needed some time.

2005 SlipStream Fastback Shiraz

2008-05-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

Another previously-reviewed wine that I broke into again because I just couldn't resist.

Good stuff.

2004 Domaine de Piaugier

2008-04-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

I got some of this from Garagiste. This was my last bottle. It was good. I would drink it again. Here is a picture.

Sorry, that's all I have in me today.

2005 Ridge Geyserville 40th Vintage

2008-04-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Ridge on reaching this milestone. After all the hard work they have put in over the years, the least I could do was celebrate it by drinking it.

Sara and I drank this on a whim one night a few weeks ago. I bought a few bottles from Nabil and I was planning on holding them for awhile, but after we drank the first bottle, we ended up drinking all of them over the next few weeks. It was just so good.

Like all of the Ridge wines I can afford, this is mostly Zinfandel (77%) with other varietals mixed in for structure and taste. It is a full-bodied, rich wine but it's not think and syrupy or overdone. I've found two types of Zinfandel--the mineral, peppery type and the velvitier, more dark-fruit driven type. This is of the later type, with hints of blueberry.

I love Ridge, and I'm going to go visit their winery as soon as I get a free moment. After all, they're just down the road now.

2005 Cor Cellars Momentum

2008-04-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

A cozy blend of cab, syrah and cab franc from my favorite wine producing region: Washington.

The 2005 Cor Cellars Momentum is pretty good. It is one of the best $15 drinkers I have found to date. The wine maker was trained in Tuscany but seems to be doing his best work in Washington. It is a very dark wine, but without the heavy, full bodied taste you expect from the color. It is an agile wine, light on its feet but brooding. It tasted like dark fruit with the classic sort of spice and mineral that seems to be the hallmark of the region.

AT&T: overpromising, underdelivering

2008-04-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

It took two days longer than I was told it would, but I finally have the Internets at the new apartment. Posting will resume in short order.

moving... again...

2008-04-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

Just to keep you apraised, AT&T assures me they will have teh internets turned on in my new apartment on Tuesday. Until then...

2005 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-03-27T21:35:00.000-07:00

Following fast on the 2004 Justin Cab is the 2005 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon.

This is just their basic, entry-level cab. You can find it in many grocery stores as well as fine-wine shops. If you like new world wines (which I do) and you like deep purple California cabs with big fruit and smooth oak (which I do), then one cannot go wrong with this wine. This is the third or fourth vintage I have had and I love it every time. Sara liked it quite a bit as well.

2001 Penfold's St. Henri Shiraz

2008-03-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

Yep, I could not stand it anymore. I drank the last of the vintage.

I do not know if Ben has any left, but I do not. It was a mighty fine wine though. It was dark purple, 14.5% but smooth and fruity. It had calmed down a bit since last I tasted it and had a more mineral taste to it than before, just enough to balance the fruit and odd spices. We drank it chilled since I did not feel like waiting for it to get to room temperature, so it started out intensely smooth and as the temperature warmed, so did the taste.

back again

2008-03-23T13:24:00.000-07:00

My old cell phone, which I used to take pictures of wines I drank, died. But now I have one of them new-fangled iPhones, and I'm back in a big way. I've been too short on cash to buy new wines, which means I've been dipping into the good stuff in the collection, so stay tuned.

2005 Chateau Boswell Chardonnay

2008-02-21T10:40:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know. Another white wine. New job, new zip code... new taste in wine? Not really. I still like the reds. I got this for my wife for St. Valentine's day. Every time we go to napa, we drive by Boswell, since we really like the building. We've never made an appointment to go visit it, however, so we had never actually tasted the wines.

As I was shopping for gifts on the 13th, I wandered into the Oakville Grocery and discovered their wine sale. The 2005 Chateau Boswell Chardonnay was $72 but was on sale for 40% off. And it had a picture of the winery on the label.

This is my new favorite Chardonnay. Aside from the price, this wine was perfect. It was everything I want in a white wine. It had definite notes of pear and buttery-oak, but nothing was over powering. It did not taste like Welche's white grape juice--if it had I probably would have returned it. This wine was a very pleasant and bright wine, but subtle. It was not a sweet wine, but it was drinkable by both Sara and I. It is rare that we finish a bottle of anything these days, but we killed this one.

I should mention we had this with a Cassoulet that Sara made out of lentils, beans from Rancho Gordo and mild Italian sausage. You may not think it would be a white-wine dish, but it worked out surprisingly well.

napa trip report, part two

2008-02-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

After St. Clement, we drove all the way to the north end of the valley and had lunch in Calistoga. Calistoga, at night at least, is a bit of a party town. We stopped at The Calistoga Inn and Brewery for lunch. We sat in the bar and watched the Washington-Stanford basketball game while we ate.

The food exceeded my expectations. I had the brunch special which was scrambled eggs with artichoke hearts, peppers, a crab cake and some toast. Crab cakes are sort of like Meatloaf in that they can be used as a gauge by which to judge a restaurant. This was a good crab cake. The rest of the family ordered various things that all looked pretty good as well, mostly in the sandwhich department. Because we had already hit to wineries (and it was just about Noon now), I had coffee instead of beer. Sara had a beer (a wheat of some sort) and she liked it quite a bit.

After lunch, on the advice of the nice woman at St. Clement, we went to Dutch Henry. Neither Sara's dad nor I had heard of this place, so it was with a bit of hesitation we approached the winery. It certainly was not the most grandiose structure in Napa but this is the sort of winery one hopes to find on such expidetions. The tasting was held in the cold amongst the barrels of wine. The guys doing the tasting were also the guys involved in the actual wine making. For $10 we got to taste a range of seven or eight wines (some on the list, a zinfandel they opened even though it wasn't on the list). It was completely unpretentious and every wine was a strong example of it's varietal. One stand out was the Pinot Noir, since neither of us generally like Pinot's but this one was quite enjoyable and drinkable. Sara's dad is always trying to find something to drink with Salmon he catches. The other varietals, the cab, the zin and the blends were all very strong. You can only get them from the winery, but joining their club just might be worth it.

Dutch Henry was the last place we stopped in Napa. We drove back down to the bottom of the valley, cut over to Sonoma, drove through downtown Sonoma but it was raining too hard to really get out and do anything. After a quick jaunt around Sonoma, we headed back south, across the Golden Gate bridge, through the traffic in San Francisco and through the high-winds on 280 to finally arrive back home in Palo Alto.

deal alert: oakville grocery in palo alto

2008-02-13T13:11:00.000-08:00

The Oakville Grocery in Palo Alto is closing. Currently their entire selection of wines is 30% or 40% off. They have many heavy hitters including the Chester-Kidder and other Napa Valley wines. There are some great deals, so stop in and get them while you can.

napa trip report, part one

2008-02-09T19:46:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday Sara, her parents and I visited Napa Valley. It was a grey, overcast day. The hills around the bay area were covered in fog and we encountered rain off and on all day. Everyone we met kept apologizing for the weather, but then we explained we were Seattle natives and this was actually better weather than what was happening up there. Which seemed to satisfy them.

From Palo Alto it took us less than two hours to get to the City of Napa. We didn't actually stop in the city, but instead drove straight on up the valley to PlumpJack. PlumpJack was our favorite winery last time we visited, so we figured we would introduce Sara's parents to the area by starting there. It was about 10:30 in the morning and the place was fairly crowded. We were able to park in the parking lot without issue. They were tasting two wines, their two newly released wines: the 2005 PlumpJack Reserve Chardonnay and 2005 PlumpJack Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. The cost was $15. Last time we visited it was $10 and we tasted three wines, but this time we got to keep the glass.

The Chardonnay was decent. I'm not a fan of Chardonnay in general, but this one was nice letting the flavor of the grapes come through. A little oak, a little butter, but nothing gross and white-grape-juice tasting. The Cabernet was great, but literally this was the first day it was released, so it was young and tannic. I suspect it will settle down and be just as good as the 2004--if not better. I am not well trained enough to tell.

Since it is so close to PlumpJack, Silver Oak was our next planned stop. However it was incredibly crowded with people parking on the road up to half a mile (or more) away. There was a big white tent in the lot and winery workers directing traffic. We decided their wine couldn't possibly be that good and instead returned to highway 29 and continued north up the Valley.

Eventually we got to St. Clement and I suggested we stop there, as they make great wines. Sara's father and I opted for their "all reds" tasting. For $15 we tasted five or six wines. I wish I had kept notes so I could discuss each of them, but the general gist of it was the 2005 St. Clement Oroppas was a star and the 2002 St. Clement Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon was a frickin' rock-god. The entire line of reds was enjoyable with each one displaying distinct character and excellent wine making. It was certainly worth the $15. The staff was also very friendly and personable, and the winery is in a great old house on a hill with a nice view of the surrounding area.

Stay tuned for Part Two.

2004 Mith

2008-02-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

For Sara's birthday, we went to Rosso and Bianco for dinner and I brought along a bottle of the 2004 Mith. The Mith was an extremely limited (less than 100 cases made) and incredibly difficult to get Longshadows wine. I tried very hard to get more, but I was only able to scrape up three when it was released.

The Mith is made by Tom Glase (previously a wine maker at L'Ecole). Now I've never been all that impressed by L'Ecole's cheaper offerings, and I've always thought their higher-end offerings were over priced (meaning I'm just not enough into their style of wines to pay that much for them--YMMV).

However, the Mith is easily the best Longshadows wine I have tasted to date.

The Mith is made using only the highest quality Eastern Washington grapes and it is made in old French Oak, meaning the oak can't cover any defects in the wine. This is a well made wine, pure and simple. It was a smooth, velvety, lucious wine that evoked all the best flavors of California and Washington. I'd pay more for this than the Silver Oak I discussed yesterday. It was just an amazing wine.

Searching the internet shows there is a 2005 Mith about. I've probably missed out, but if you can find some, get it. Even if you don't want it, I'll buy it from you. :)

2003 Silver Oak Alexander Valley

2008-02-04T18:59:00.000-08:00

We didn't actually visit Silver Oak on the recent Napa Trip (which I will post about soon), but we did decide to pick up a bottle at the store and have it with dinner. Sara's Dad had never had Silver Oak and we all agreed he should try it at least once.

I was disappointed. The '01 and '02 Alexander Valley were both really wonderful wines. I think this is a case of the vintage just not being as good for the region as previous vintages. It was obviously a quality wine; it just did not blow me away the same way previous vintages did. It was still classic Silver Oak--oaky, smooth, supple. Good fruit, good finish. It is everything one has come to expect from California Cabernet. If you are going to drink it, at $50 the Alexander Valley is still a way better deal than the $100 Napa Valley. If you are laying them down in a collection and building a vertical as an investment, I think the Napa Valley bottles are still a decent investment.

the wine collection has been unpacked

2008-01-29T10:57:00.000-08:00

I have completed my move from Washington to California. I have been super busy at work and at the apartment unpacking, but I finally have all the wine out of boxes and back in the fridge or on shelves. Which means I can start tasting and posting again. We had the 2003 Worthy Sophie's Cuvee the other night, and it was awesome. However, three weeks of no drinking have left me quite the light-weight.

Despite this, I'm scheduled to go to Napa this weekend, so stay tuned.

1997 laurent-perrier champagne

2008-01-02T19:27:00.000-08:00

I do not know much about Champagne. Usually I ask for Veuve Clicquot and everyone nods approvingly. I am also aware, thanks to popular culture, of Dom Perignon and Cristal. But I have never had either one.

So on New Years Day Sara's father popped the 1997 Laurent-Perrier Champagne and I drank it. It was good. I do not have the adjectives to describe it. Here is a picture though:

It was crisp. Not too sweet, not too dry. Not buttery, not white-grape juice tasting either. It was just a nice, well made, drinkable wine. Tiny bubbles.

2003 DeLoach Zinfandel

2008-01-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

The 2003 DeLoach Zinfandel is an $18 wine that you feel just fine paying $36 for at a restaurant (as we did last night). Here is another wonderful, low-light, cell phone photo:

The wine was good value California Zinfandel. It was spicy with hints of the sort of fruit you get with red Zin, berries and grapes, and a little nutty but not blatantly so. After having the main course, which was a butternut squash lasagna with nut paste and assorted vegan ingredients, the wine became much more subdued, almost falling flat in the finish. Wine pairing is an art that still eludes me.

I have not done a lot of exploring of the Russian River Valley, but I keep finding great tasting wines coming from that region, and I think it is deserving of further investigation. My previous try was a white wine.

another milestone

2008-01-01T13:01:00.000-08:00

Today my wine blog turns one year old. Fittingly, Dec 31st was the most-viewed day of the entire last year, breaking 100 page views for the first time in a single day (with 102 total page views). Thanks for reading.

a tale of two chianti's

2007-12-31T14:01:00.000-08:00

We had an Italian dinner the other night. Sara's father cooked an excellent pasta dish and we each brought a Chianti Classico to go along with it. We ended up with two wines from the same region that were incredibly different. I brought a 2001 Castello di Fonterutoli and he brought a 2003 Frimaio Riserva.

Here is a really terrible picture taken with my cell phone:

The first thing you will notice is the difference in coloration on the corks. This foreshadowed the differences in the wines themselves very well.

The Fonterutoli was a deep wine with great texture. It had a bit of a floral smell and dark fruit taste. The first taste wasn't shocking and the finish was especially protracted, but it tasted great on the tongue and was my favorite of the night. It is aged perfectly for drinking now, and I found it for $25 at Nabil's.

The Frimaio was a much brighter wine. It was more inline with what you would expect from Chianti Classico. Very approachable and great nose. The wine tasted a bit tart after trying the Fonterutoli (I should have tasted them in the other order, but I went chronological instead of by weight). However, after letting the ol' palette air out, it stood on its own. This was in the $20 range too, I believe.

One Chianti per night is almost always good, but two makes for a great night. The food was awesome too.

2004 and 2005 chimney rock cabernet sauvignon

2007-12-29T14:18:00.000-08:00

I stopped by Nabil's today to try to get some empty boxes off him, pick up a Chianti Classico and see what he was tasting. I will tell you how the Chianti was tomorrow--in the mean time I wanted to jot down a quick note about the Chimney Rock.

Nabil is officially tasting the 2004 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon. As I got there before the official tasting began, it was just me, Nabil and the distributor unloading the wines. Well, turns out Nabil accidentally pulled the 2005 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon that the distributor had got as an advance taster. But, since it was already open, what can you do? So I got to taste both the 2005 and the 2004. Talk about being at the right place at the right time. Since I tasted them in that order, I will tell you my thoughts in that order.

The 2005 Chimney Rock Cabernet was tight. Super tight. It is going to be a great wine once it has some time in the bottle. As it stands now you have to aerate it before drinking it. The wine was smooth and classy, full bodied and wonderful fruity Napa-cab taste.

The 2004 Chimney Rock Cabernet was much more approachable and even more obviously well made. It was very similar to the 2005, just more integrated and ready to drink--though I would still decant it first. Nabil was selling this for just under $50 today. He only had two cases, so if you want some, better get over there quick!

2005 Cor Cellars Momentum

2007-12-28T15:48:00.000-08:00

Another entry from Washington, this time Horse Heaven Hills. And another Cab/Syrah blend. Only this time, it is a value wine which I picked up for $17. The 2005 Cor Cellars Momentum hits the sweet spot. It is a great, earthy, full bodied drinkin' wine at a reasonable price. It is a screw-cap, which means you can close it up and put it in the fridge easily to drink over a few days. I give it 3.5 out of 5.0.

Short digression: I am in favor of screw caps for the vary reason I mention above. Sometimes I like to have a glass by myself and don't want to have to finish the whole bottle. I like being able to throw it back in the fridge and not worry about pumping or where did I put the damn cork. It will also free up more cork for higher end wines. When I open an expensive wine, I like the way pulling a cork makes it feel like something special. I realize wine is to be drunk, not worshipped, but I enjoy some ritualization.

napa... it calls to me...

2007-12-26T18:59:00.000-08:00

In order to further destroy my liver and life's savings, I'm moving to California. The proximity to Napa, I assure you, is purely coincidentel. Actually I'm changing jobs. The next few weeks will be pretty crazy, so please bear with me as postings may come slower. Thank you.

2004 Chester-Kidder Columbia Valley Red Wine

2007-12-25T12:40:00.000-08:00

The Longshadows wines really are some of the best you can get from Washington. They are also, in my opinion, generally over priced. However, they are less overpriced then their Napa brethren. So if you can afford them, buy them; they do not disappoint. Many are also collectables, so get them while you can.

For my father-in-law's birthday, we opened the 2004 Chester-Kidder. It's a $50 wine. It is a well-made and reasonably complex Bordeaux blend with the addition of syrah into the mix as well. It is not some ridiculous tannin-bomb--it is well balanced with good acidity and supple tannins. It is not a fruit-bomb either--in fact, I give it a few marks off for not having much of a flavor at all. This wine seems much more European in its make than most Washington and California wines. It was a deep purple, but the kind that you can see right through. Medium-bodied they call it. It had a fairly good finish and was pleasant enough to drink. However, I would not consider it a showcase wine. This is a food wine. Drink it by itself and you will not remember it much. Drink it with the right food, and I think it will be spectacular. Furthermore, I am going to let it sit in the bottle for another year before opening one again. There is so much going on with the blend, I hope another year will give it a chance to find itself.

2003 Cayuse Bionic Frog

2007-12-19T10:17:00.000-08:00

Let me just say this now: jumpin' Jehoshaphat, what a wine!

In celebration of Sara's Father's birthday, Sara's Uncle was kind enough to open this bottle for us. Someday, maybe I will get an allocation of this wine from Cayuse (I did make their list for 2008 futures, but all I got was En Chamberlin). Until then, I'll take it where I can get it. This wine was really insane. Here is what Wine Spectator said:

Has amazing density, a wine of immense depth, wrapping silky tannins around plum, mineral, blackberry, prune and meat flavors, hinting at dark chocolate and walnut as the finish rolls on and on. Drink now through 2015. 208 cases made.

Also, it's a Syrah. I didn't quite catch all those flavors, nor could I really describe what I was tasting with the standard wine-taster's arsenal of words. I do agree, however, that this is a wine of "amazing density" and "immense depth." The initial taste smacks you in the face, but it mellows out very quickly into a barrage of different flavors and the finish just goes on and on and on. Not a wine for the casual drinker--this is a wine to be appreciated and marveled at.

on hiatus

2007-12-11T19:03:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to let you know I'll not be posting until next week. Thanks!

2003 Chateau Beaulieu

2007-12-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

You want to drink Bordeaux but you don't want to pay $80 a bottle to do it? This one got 89pts from Robert Parker and you should be able to pick it up for about $16. However, you'll need to buy two. About 60% of the bottles I've had have been great and the rest have been stinkers (one went right down the kitchen sink after a taste).

australian tasting notes

2007-12-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

The tasting at Nabil's was a lot of fun. Before I get to the notes, I wanted to mention the Distributor. The distributor doing the pouring was a good guy to talk with. He was not pretentious or stuffy in any way, and you could tell he had genuine love for the wines he was pouring. Ben and I were among the first people there at 1pm (sorry for the time change--it was snowing and all my plans were thrown off), and at one point I suggested he change the order of which he was tasting the wines. Some people doing tastings would have scoffed or been snooty about this. Having a friendly and approachable person doing the tastings is a big plus in my book. I wish I remembered his name so I could give a proper shout-out.

Anyway, on to what I thought:

2006 Black Chook VMR "White blend" - I didn't look too closely at the blend, but this is a decent white if you have to drink one. The price point was just right at about $12. Chook is Australian for Chicken, in case you were wondering.

2006 Catalina Sounds Pinot Noir - Ben refused to taste this one on principle. I tasted it solely on principle ("never turn down free wine"); it was fine. It was a pinot. If you like pinot, you'll probably like this. Not my thing. Also note, this one is from NZ, not AU.

2005 Kaesler Stonehorse Shriaz - A smooth and well-made wine. At about $20, this is a great wine to have and to drink. This isn't you classic ginormous, jammy, earthy, Aussie Shiraz. This is, as Ben said, "more like a French wine." It's incredibly approachable and anyone could enjoy this wine. I'd give it 3.5 / 5.

2004 Glen Eldon Dry Bore Shriaz - This is you classic Aussie Shiraz. This wine is dry as hell and gritty. I loved the dark, full-bodied taste. Again, at $20 you can't go wrong. For fun, get one of these and one of the Kaesler's and treat your guests. This is the wine that I suggested the order change for--he was originally tasting this before the Kaesler.

2005 Delisio Krystina - A classy wine. This is more like the Kaesler than the Glen Eldon: smooth and approachable. It's the best $30 Aussie I can think of right now. It's at least as good as some wines that are much more expensive (such as certain wines made by Sarah and Sparky). It actually reminded me of some Delille wines. I'm not sure I could pick this as an Aussie wine in a blind tasting.

2005 Amon Ra Godolphin - This is what brings the kids out to the tasting. This is, perhaps, a canonical example of a Shiraz. A great wine, but still young. If I was going to drink now, I'd pick any of the above three over this one.

Overall, a great tasting.

wine tasting: australia

2007-11-29T15:45:00.000-08:00

Nabil is tasting some Australians on Saturday, from 1pm -> 5pm. Should be a good tasting.
I'll be there sometime between 3:15 and 3:45pm.

2005 Amon Ra Godolphin
- Ben and I have both liked past vintages.

2005 Kaesler Stonehorse Shriaz
- Kaesler sounds like something I've had, but I can't place it.

2004 Glen Eldon Dry Bore Shriaz
- I think I saw this on Garagiste. I don't remember if I ordered any or not.

2005 Delisio Krystina
- I have previous vintages of Delisio in the fridge, but I haven't actually tasted any. Definitely looking forward to trying this, because I hear nothing but good things.

2006 Catalina Sounds Pinot Noir
- Never heard of it. Maybe I'll like it.

2006 Black Chook VMR "White blend"
- I have no idea, but it sounds cool.

2005 Des Voigne Solea

2007-11-27T15:56:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving I pulled out the 2005 Des Voigne Solea because I just couldn't wait any longer. Having drank The Duke recently, it was on my mind. I tasted it back in June and this was my favorite of the line.

In related news I bought the last of the Oregano Salami that Salumi had when I was there last Wednesday. Literally the last one they had. They're not making it anymore (though DeLaurenti may have some still).

I mention the Salami because it was a great pairing for this wine. The hints of Green Pepper were still there, but more mellow than I remember at the tasting. The wine was very enjoyable. The flavors have all really come together and I have new found respect for Des Voigne. I liked this one better than The Duke. It's a Cab / Merlot / Cab Franc blend for $28 that I can really get behind. I would buy more of this. They say it got 90pts from some magazine or other. I'd give it four out of five stars on the Jeffamascale.

By the way, this is my 100th post. If you're wondering what to get me for this milestone, all I ask for is that you share my blog with a friend or two.

2005 Chateau Toulouze

2007-11-24T09:43:00.000-08:00

2005 is the vintage for Bordeaux. When Garagiste started getting lots of the lesser-known Bordeaux, I figured when I'd order some here and there to have on hand. The theory was that since prices had gotten so insane on the high end and that you had to be an idiot to make a bad wine in 2005 in Bordeaux, that lots of underrated wines were to be had in the mid-range and value-range.

Well, that sort of panned out. This wine, the 2005 Chateau Toulouze Grand Vin de Bordeaux--at $13--technically fits the above theory. It's not a bad wine, but it is mediocre. Originally I was planning to leave the following as the only comment on the wine "unremarkable but drinkable" but I thought I'd give a bit more of an explanation.

thanksgiving

2007-11-23T10:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and I have quite a lot to talk about. However, I'm taking the day off. See you Monday?

2002 L'aventure Optimus

2007-11-19T18:11:00.000-08:00

The more perspicacious readers will no doubt correlate the above title with the "My Favorite Wines" sidebar. It is true--Optimus is one of my favorites. The NYT Wine Blog, in a posting titled Greatness Within Reach, discussed Ridge's Monte Bello. I guess if you're a writer for the NY Times, $123 per bottle is "within reach." Those of us with Seattle area mortgages can't reach quite that far. However, the point is well taken.

Indeed, "greatness within reach" is really what I strive for in wine. I spent a few years trying all different sorts of things, ordering randomly from Garagiste, taking advice (good and bad) from wine shop owners, managers, peons and going to tastings. I've pretty much nailed down what I like, and I am at a point in my life when I really don't want to spend money on stuff that I don't like. I'll take recommendations from people I trust. I'll still go to tastings; I'll still accept the offered glass at a dinner party. But when I'm at my house, doing my thing, I only want to drink what I like. Life is to short to drink crap while the good stuff is sitting in the fridge.

So when Mr. Pasceri suggested we go for a "Gentlemen's Evening" (yes; he watches entirely too much television) at Morton's I pulled out my last bottle of 2002 L'aventure Optimus. The wine still has a good 10 years left in it, but it's tasting wonderful right now. It is really a beautiful thing. It's a $50 wine, but can be found as low as $40. Every vintage I've had is a different blend, with varying amounts of syrah and zin. The winemaker doesn't like to be restrained by rules about what varietals you can and can't use and how much. And this is why this wine will always be better than your average bordeaux, rhone or brunello. Coming from Paso Robles instead of Napa, I guess, helps keep the price below ridiculous.

This wine in particular has the following blend: 50% syrah, 46% cab and 4% zinfandel. Now when you name your wine "Optimus" which, as far as my amateur Latin can say, means "the biggest" you have to make a wine that lives up to that. This one certainly did. It has all the rich earthiness and velvety suppleness of a well made cab-shiraz, with the added kick of a mineral spiciness from the zin. I could taste no defects... the wine just made me really happy. And of course, we drank it with some of the best steak in town.

If you're ever at Morton's in Seattle, try to sit in Lisa's section. She is the best waitress by far. Tomorrow I'll tell you about the other bottle of wine we had.

2004 Pitchfork Margaret River CSM

2007-11-17T20:38:00.000-08:00

This is, quite simply, the best CSM I have had in its price range (sub-$15). It's a great wine, frequently beating out much pricier wines in head-to-head tastings. I was lucky enough to pick up half a case at the low, low price of $5/each. But even at normal prices, it's a good wine. And it has an awesome drawing on the label.

2005 Madcap Pastor Fritz Shiraz

2007-11-15T18:23:00.000-08:00

Ben brought this over for a night of grilling and drinking. It was a sub-$20 wine, which means I file this with the value keyword. The wine is a standard big, jammy, Australian affair. It comes with a screw cap, which is the trend in Australia; and normally I wouldn't mention it except I'm about to explain something and mentioning the screw cap plays into that. Most people would have just mentioned the screw cap and then said what they need to say and trust the reader to remember that they had mentioned the screw cap. Not me; this is just how I roll. And I've got lots of white space to fill.

Ben likes the screw cap because he can put it in the fridge after drinking half a bottle and it is still good the next day. So when he got to my house with it, half of it was gone and it had been open half a day. We set it on the counter to allow it to trend upward toward room temperature. In the mean time, we set about preparing dinner.

Seven Flavor Pork Tenderloin was the dish for the night. Step one: remove all the white, fatty bits with a sharp, non-serrated, 3" knife. Step two: coat evenly with just enough olive oil to cover everything. Step the third: go through the spice drawer and find seven different little bottles. Actually, we only found six because the cilantro was fresh. Step the fourth: chop cilantro into little, bitty, bits. E) apply bits of cilantro to pork. F) apply six remaining spices in descending order of size (1) oregano, (2) thyme, (3) dried red pepper flakes, (4) smoked salt spice mix, (5) spicy salt spice mix, (6) cayenne pepper, (7) chili powder. Hmm... I guess it was Eight Flavor Pork Tenderloin. Well, under promise, over deliver. Penultimate step: cook at ridiculous temperature for 10 minutes. Last step: eat with 2005 Madcap Pastor Fritz Shiraz.

Getting to the point, finally: the crazy spicy pork, combined with the fact the wine had been open for 24hrs or so prevent me from really adequately reviewing. So take with a grain of salt the following: I didn't like it, but I would drink it again.

2004 Plumpjack Merlot

2007-11-13T19:08:00.000-08:00

My friend Ben is always going on and on about how terrible Merlot is, how nobody knows how to grow it or make wine from it, and how, in general, he thinks it is all a bunch of worthless, tannic piss. He might have a point, in the general case. However, I felt duty-bound to show him that at least one California wine maker knows what they are doing.

One of the best wines I have ever had is the Plumpjack Merlot. When it was young and just bottled it had intense notes of vanilla and was just a great, big, rich, earthy wine. Now that it has had a year in the bottle the vanilla has mellowed out quite a bit. It has become quite drinkable and classy. It's a damn good wine with a great taste and smell. Smooth, earthy, dark fruit. Mellow, supple tannins. There are few wines I would rather have than this one at this price point ($50).

2001 Sagramoso Amarone Della Valpolicella Pasqua

2007-11-12T17:48:00.000-08:00

Most of my readers have probably never heard of, much less tasted an Amarone. So, quickly, Amarone della Valpolicella is a unique style of Italian wine. It's really rich, lots of flavors, but very dry at the same time.

This particular Amarone, the Pasqua, was $36 from Nabil. I've never had one before, so I can't really rate it relative to it's peers, but I can say I really enjoyed the wine. Not enough to buy it again for $36, but certainly enough to consider drinking some if I happen across it. There are those, Sara among them, who could probably love this wine enough to pay big prices for it. It's that kind of wine. I don't love it, but I respect it. It was really earth, dry and rich. If you weren't from Earth, you might not realize it was made out of grapes.

We drank it with home-made Gnocchi that Sara made, with a red sauce. The wine went perfectly. What can I say; it was meant to go with Italian foods.

in blindness veritas? and other goings-on...

2007-11-10T13:31:00.000-08:00

Slate has an article today on Blind Tastings, the merits thereof and the author's personal experience with one event. Interesting reading for those of you who care about such things.

The tasting I spoke of last week was great fun. I was a bit disappointed by the Sineann Pinot. The Zanzibar was pretty good, but still too young for me to tell if I'll like it better than the previous vintage or not. Parker gave it 93pts, which is pretty good for only the third vintage. The Creator from K was awesome and the clear winner of the bunch. Snap some up now, because it'll disappear fast.

I've got three wines to post about this week: an Amarone, an Aussie and a Merlot. Two out of three fairly uncommon on this blog. Stay tuned.

Wine Tasting, Saturday Nov 3rd

2007-11-01T17:54:00.000-07:00

Nabil at Seattle Wine Co. is doing a tasting of Northwest Wines on Saturday. The lineup looks pretty good:

2005 K Vintners The Creator
2006 Syncline Subduction Red
2005 Zanzibar Sandra
2006 Sineann Oregon Pinot Noir
2006 Daedalus Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
2005 Ransom Gewurztraminer

I'm looking forward to tasting the new vintages of The Creator, Sandra and the Sineann Pinot. All three have been amazing in past vintages.

It's a free tasting and I think its from 2pm to 5pm, but I might be off a little. Show up around 3pm. I'll see you there.

2005 Des Voigne Cellars The Duke

2007-10-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

Des Voigne Cellars is a relatively unknown boutique winery new on the scene here in Washington. The Duke is sold out, but the others of the 2005 vintage are still available. I'd recommend them if you're looking for interesting new wines that you can afford. I mean, California wineries have just lost their mind with pricing (the average price for a California Cab is now $80 bottle).

I bought this bottle from the tasting at Nabil's shop. I liked the Duke very much at the tasting in June, so I thought I'd open it up and see how it's doing. I'm going to say it needs a bit more time. It was a hot wine. It's only 14.5%, but it is big and spicy and it burns. It's an odd blend of Zin, Cab, Cab Franc and Merlot which gives it a very berrilicious flavor, but it's still a titan. I drank it with some spicy pork ribs that Sara made and it stood up just fine. In fact, it looked me in the eye and said, "You think that's spicy? That ain't spicy."

This is a wine that can't make up its mind. Is it a Bordeaux Blend? Is it a Zinfandel? It's both... ?! It is not got that mineral taste that makes Turley so interesting. And it is not a smooth, sexy, opulent wine. It is really its own experience. And surely a food wine.

If you got some of this, sit on it. I think it'll mellow a bit more.

2005 San Valentino Scabi

2007-10-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

This wine is awesome. I love everything about it. The price is $18 (but I got it for $12 from Garagiste). I really dig the label as well. It's modern and simple, but conveys the thought that you're getting a classy and well-made wine. The wine itself was great too--more on that in the following paragraphs.

The only thing I don't like about the wine is its unfortunate choice of names. Scabi. Too easily confused with scabies.

Anyway, this is a great Italian wine. It's centrally located Sangiovese, with even less in the way of obnoxious tannins than most Sangiovese. Yes, smoother than your average Chianti and a nice dark purple color. It restored my faith in wine after the previous night's experience. I could even detect a little bit of the "notes of tobacco" that the Garagiste reviewer promised.

Lake Chelan Winery Stormy Mountain Red NV

2007-10-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

I've been to Lake Chelan once. A group of guys I went to college with and their current wives and girlfriends and I rented a cabin on Lake Chelan for a long Fourth of July weekend. It was very beautiful. The lake, however, was freezing cold as melted snow is its principle source of water. It was fun, but I got bored after the first two or three days. I can only beat everyone at chess so many times before it gets old for everyone involved.

There are lots of apple orchards. It is a good climate for that. I question how good the climate is for growing grapes. So it was with a very skeptical mindset that I opened this bottle. There's something I find a bit off-putting about non-vintage wines in general--like they're cheating.

Anyway, this wine of unknown composition was a clear, purply color. This added to my trepidation, since I generally distrust wines I can see through. Maybe it was a Pinot? Maybe a badly made Syrah? I may never know or care enough to find out.

The wine itself was surprisingly not bad. It was thin, no body to speak of, but it was smooth and had a decent enough flavor and smell. One could drink it. I'd cook with it. If I had to rate it, I'd give it two stars. It's better than the average Pinot Noir I've had.

2004 CR Sandidge Syrah

2007-10-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

I don't know how much it costs because I didn't buy it (I just got to drink some). But I suspect that CR Sandidge is one of the more underrated Washington wines for it's price. The 2004 Syrah was a great wine, good to drink on its own before dinner and drink now without decanting. It's a dark, cool purple color and has great flavor and body. It's a bit earthy, very smooth, more like a Coonawarra Shiraz than a Washington Syrah. In fact, it reminded me a bit of the Bin 128. Anyway, it was good, I'd recommend it, and maybe have some cheese with it.

Yalumba Museum Reserve 50 Year Old Tawny Port

2007-10-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

Regular readers will remember to celebrate my wedding, I opened a bottle of The Grandfather. Well, I had another bottle of really old port I was saving for a special occasion -- the Yalumba Museum Reserve 50 Year Old Tawny. Turns out the special occasion was my bachelor party at Morton's.

Robert Parker gave it 96 pts. It was about $50. The port was a great way to finish the meal. We all had steak, of course, and then chocolate souffle, then the port. It had great color and flavor. It smelled quite strongly of alcohol and had quite a bit of burn going down. It was a quality product and I'm glad I tried it, but it just wasn't the amazing experience I had hoped for. The Grandfather was much more pleasant. The Museum Reserve I could almost have mistaken for Brandy.

happy hour: McCormick and Schmick

2007-10-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

Last night I went looking for happy hour food. Sara was having dinner with a friend, so I figured I'd go get me some $6 burger and wine special. But, oh the horror! Upon arrival I discovered Ruth's Chris no longer does their "late" happy hour. They're under "corporate management" now (whatever that means) and so they only have the 4pm happy hour.

Other than a certain multi-billion-dollar CEO of a certain company I used to work for in the lobby talking business with someone, the place was dead. In the past, even on a Monday night, the bar was always packed. The bartender seemed quite depressed. He said he'd understand if I wanted to leave. And I did.

So I ambled across the sky bridge to McCormick and Schmick. Their late night happy hour starts at 9:30pm and is still going strong.

I had their S&M, er, M&S Cheeseburger ($2) their Hummus Plate ($2) and a glass of Penfold's Kanooga Hill Shiraz/Cab ($8). Obviously it's not a $6 meal, but it's pretty close. If I had really wanted to stick to the $6 limit I could have got a glass of beer and a cheeseburger and come pretty close. However, I wanted a glass of wine as I watched the Rockies finish their sweep and they don't have the $3 wine special at M&S.

The burger was pretty good. Nice and hot, but juicy-pink in the center. No mayo by default and it comes with Fries, which Ruth's Chris did not. The Hummus plate was good, but I wouldn't pay more than $2 for it: the red chips were a bit stale in places. The hummus itself was well-made with garlic and some time of oil on top, but without that overpowering flavor some hummusses (hummi?) have.

The Kanooga Hill Shiraz/Cab was what you would expect from the lower end Penfold's wines. It's as good a bet as any other by-the-glass wine, typically cheaper than the others and more reliable. This one hit the spot and went well with the burger.

I now pronounce M&S the new King of Happy Hour.

Penfold's The Grandfather Port

2007-10-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

So, back when Raph and I were roommates, we had this crazy Australian neighbor. He was the kind of guy who would just walk right through your back yard while you were grilling dinner without asking. He was also of the opinion that most things Australian, when it came to wine, were generally superior. As we got to know Ben better, he made some good points and our livers all, collectively, suffered.

So, one day I was checking out a wine shop I'd not been to before. It was called Arista and they had a few bottles of Penfold's The Grandfather port. It wasn't cheap; I think I paid about $80 for it (though I now know better prices are to be had). I mainly bought it so I could set it up in my living room and every time Ben came over he'd see it and wish he had some. I told him I was saving it for a special event.

Well, the bastard just had to show me up. He flew to Australia and bought a bottle of Penfold's The Great Grandfather port, which is even better and more expensive, and set it up in his kitchen so I'd see it every time I came over. Lucky for me that was about the time I bought a house and moved away from his smirkiness.

So, I decided the special event I was saving The Grandfather for was my wedding. Only problem with that little plan was I was so busy the day of and at the wedding that I forgot all about it. So a few days later when Ben's parents were in town we had dinner then went back to my place and opened The Grandfather.

It is not like opening a normal bottle. The thing comes in a wooden box with a clear plexiglass sliding cover. The top is not wrapped in foil, but coated in red wax. It comes with a second cork and instructions on how to use it (soak in water for one hour before re-corking). We cut the wax, drowned the re-corking cork and all had a sip.

It's the best port I've ever had. Well, the best of this sort. There are some old Vintage Kopke's that really make me happy, but that's a different sort of port all together. As far as the brown stuff goes, this was truly great. Completely smooth, sweet but not overly.

So all I have to look forward to are my Vintage Kopke's when they come of age, and Ben's bottle of The Great Grandfather, which I eagerly await.

on corn

2007-10-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

Sara is reading The Omnivore's Dilemma. I haven't read it, but she's been telling me some of the things it says about corn. Which is what lead to this little exercise:

Last night we went to Safeway to get some sort of dessert and went about reading all the ingredients lists to find something that didn't have corn products in it. Almost everything in the candy aisle, the cookie aisle and the baked-goods area contain corn syrup. The only exceptions were some imported chocolates and cookies from Europe, and a single type of Mocha-Hot Chocolate powder.

But even if you manage to find something without corn syrup, it's next to impossible to find something that doesn't have any corn related product: corn starch, corn flour... even xanthan gum is derived from corn.

Preview: I'll be posting about two amazing ports this week. Stay tuned.

on storing wine

2007-10-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

While I was on Maui, I happened to walk past the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse at the Grand Wailea. They were closed (it was early in the AM), so I'm not sure what it is like inside. From the outside, however, it looked like they had gone and stacked a bunch of very expensive wine in the big plate glass window, with the labels facing out so we could all see how spectacular their wine list was. If you've ever driven down highway 29 in Napa, pretty much everything you see was represented. At least three or four bottles deep.

There is a reason Maui is a vacation destination: the sun. Everyday the sun comes up and cooks those bottles of wine. It's very sad. I wouldn't order any wine from that branch unless they showed me where they had been storing it first.

Most wine is fine at room temperature for seven or eight years. Most of us won't be storing wine for 40 years; most American and Australian wines are meant to be drank much sooner.

For serious storage, you can buy a fridge to meet your needs. The fridge keeps things cool, which slows or stops various chemical reactions that can make the wine go bad. Most modern wine making techniques, however, will remove agents that would lead to such reactions (depending on the wine). It's only over very long periods of time that these things tend to become an issue. Or if you have older bottles of wine; though I suspect if you have any '62 Bordeauxs, you already know this.

The key to casual wine storage is keeping the temperature consistent and keeping it out of sunlight. Changes in temperature cause the cork to expand and contract. You don't want that. Sunlight has UV rays that can cause the wine to break down in unpleasant ways. These are your two biggest enemies.

To that end, you want to keep your non-refrigerated bottles in the coolest, darkest place in your house. Someplace you don't go into very often. Closets under stairs, basements, etc. I have a spare bedroom in which I put heavy, velvet curtains over the windows and plugged up the heat vents with a bathroom towel. I keep the door to the room closed and the lights off, except when we go in to pick out a bottle. In the summer, I unplug the vent and let the A\C keep the room cool.

Considering Ruth's Chris is a consistent Wine Spectator award winner, you'd think they would know better.

another explanation

2007-10-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

Again I apologize for the long period of time with no posts. We just got back from our honeymoon. Regular posting will resume shortly.

In the meantime, I will plug the 2005 Portteus Zinfandel one last time. The 2006 is coming soon, so this may be your last chance to get some. Ben and I had a bottle the other night and it is still tasting quite nicely. Best Zin in Washington.

2004 Gaja Ca'Marcanda Magari

2007-09-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

For Ben's birthday, we went to Tonsoni's and I brought the 2004 Gaja Ca'Marcanda Magari. A blend of Cabernet Sauvingon and Sangiovese, this Super Tuscan didn't thrill me as much as it's younger brother Promis did. And it was nearly twice the price at $57.

The wine had a really nice inky purple color and when the waiter was decanting it across the table, I could smell the wine from about 5 feet away. It was shaping up to be an amazing wine and I was really excited. Then I tasted it and I was disappointed. It's not a very approachable wine. It's very subtle. Nabil recommended one hour in the decanter, but that didn't seem to do much for it. There wasn't a lot of fruit, or anything else for that matter.

You could tell it was a classy, well-made wine... I dunno. Maybe it needed more time in the bottle. Maybe, like the Wilson Gunn, it needs two days to open up. I'm still in love with Gaja, but I'll be putting my money into the 2005 Promis that was just released.

Charles Krug Winery (current releases)

2007-09-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

Charles Krug is a Napa Valley winery located in St. Helena and owned by Peter Mondavi (Robert Mondavi's brother). Their website, which is built using Cold Fusion, is down right now, so I can't do much investigation other than what I remember.

So here is what I remember (all wines refer to the current release):

The Sauvignon Blanc was excellent. It had a really low price point; on the order of $10. It wasn't extremely dry, nor was it sweet or sticky. It was a nice, refreshing white with good crisp fruit. Their Chardonnay was also enjoyable. It had hints of butter and oak, but nothing overpowering.

Their Pinot Noir was surprisingly good. I almost never like them, but this one was quite nice. The color was exactly the light purple you expect from a Pinot, but it was more opaque than most. It was a bit sweet and tasted like grapes. A pleasant experience.

Their Merlot I did not like at all. It wasn't the over-tannic crap most wineries seem to churn out, nor was it too watery. It was muted and thin... not much body. It might go well with the right food. It was only 91% Merlot, with cab, cab franc and others mixed in. This would seem to indicate a sketchy year for Merlot.

The Zinfandel I didn't like either. It wasn't a big zin... it was a muted and thin zin. None of the pepper and mineral taste you get in the big zins. Again, this wine might be stellar with the right food.

Their Cabernet Sauvignon was very good, and had a price point of about $20. It was a bit hot, good body, good taste. But not enough that I wanted to buy it. This could be a good drinker or a safe restaurant order though.

The last wine I tasted was their Bordeaux-style blend. It was okay. It was mostly cab with some Merlot and then about five other varietals blended in, resulting in something that really didn't thrill me. The guy said it was elegant, but to me it just seemed flat.

2004 turley juvenile zinfandel

2007-09-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

The week of my wedding started off with dinner at Wild Ginger for my father's birthday. It was quite a night. The ten of us polished off two bottles of the 2004 Turley Juvenile Zinfandel with dinner. There are not a lot of reds that stand up to Thai / Chinese food... usually I would have a white wine (last time we went we had a Sauv Blanc). Turley never disappoints, and it was the best value on the wine list (and they have an extensive wine list). I think we might have cleaned out their supply, but if they have any left and you find yourself there, get it.

Also get the Seven Flavor Beef.

an explanation

2007-09-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in an inexcusably long time. You know it isn't because I wasn't drinking any wine. Far from it. I got married. And that takes lots of planning and all of one's free time. However, it's all done with and my life is getting back to normal. Do not fret though; I have a quite a backlog of wines from the past few weeks that I will be posting about.

2004 Wilson Gunn Shiraz (redux)

2007-08-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

I reviewed this once before, so I'll just say it's still as good as the second time around. I opened this, had a glass, then put it in the fridge for two days. Then I pulled it out again and drank the rest. Two days of fresh oxygen really made a huge difference in this wine. It opened up nicely and had an amazing earthy flavor. Decant, decant, decant!

new release: Penfold's Grange and Penfold's Bin 707

2007-08-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

I just picked up my allotment of the 2002 Penfold's Grange and the 2004 Penfold's Bin 707. It ain't cheap, but word on the street is this is going to be a 100pt vintage for Grange, and I just can't get over how much I love Bin 707 every time I taste it. Check back in a few years to see what I think of the 707 and in a few decades to see how I feel about the Grange. :)

2006 Justin Chardonnay

2007-08-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

It's rare that I drink or review a white wine, but I'm in Justin's wine club, and they keep sending them. The other day we drank the Chardonnay.

It was good. Crisp, no alcohol burn, decent flavor. There was no oak, no butter... just fruit.

And that's about all I really have to say about it. Justin does everything well (except that Rose that I had--that was utter crap, but... it was a Rose).

2004 Chateau Ste Michelle Cold Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

2007-08-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

The 2004 was not much different than the 2003. See my review of the 2003. It was slightly more oaky, but just because it was slightly younger.

2003 Chateau Ste Michelle Cold Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

2007-08-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

Cheateau Ste Michelle is a staple of Washington restaurants and grocery stores. They're probably the first winery most people think of when they think of Washington State. Like most big wineries, they have a range of wines. Their cheapest wines are in the $10 range, and they're drinkable. But if you just take a step up to their Single Vineyard wines, such as the Cold Creek Cabernet, the quality jumps quite a bit.

Generally you can pick up the Cold Creek in grocery stores for about $22. I've always had a soft spot for this wine. I generally keep a few bottles from every vintage on hand. It's a great drinking wine, and I'd put it head-to-head with a lot of $30 and $40 California wines.

So the other night, on a whim, I opened the 2003 Chateau Ste Michelle Cold Creek Cabernet Sauvignon to see how it was doing. It's done. Drink it now. It's probably at its peak. It was smooth, a little velvety, a little earthy and a little oaky. Mellow tannins, nothing bad going on. Nothing spectacular, but eminently drinkable. All you readers out there spending less than $9 on cheap Australian Shiraz should give this a whirl. Go on... splurge.

2002 Penfolds Bin 707

2007-07-31T17:55:00.000-07:00

When I decided to stop buying random wine and just stock my celler with the things I really enjoy, Bin 707 had a prominate place on that list. In fact, as soon as I finish posting this I have to add it to my "favorite wines" sidebar.

This past Saturday, we had our housewarming party, finally. This is exactly the sort of special occasion I had been saving this wine for.

One could argue it's too soon to open the 2002, but that's silly. The wine is ready to drink with only a few minutes of decanting. It is quite amazing.

As wine lovers, we often read reviews that throw around flavors off the Davis tasting wheel and then we try the wine and taste none of it. Seems everything from France has pepper and everything from Australia has minerals and soil and such. I love it when I find a wine that really expresses the flavors in an obvious way. It's the ugly American in me. Plumpjack Merlot had the Vanilla; Portteus Zinfandel has the spice and limestone; and this 2002 Penfold's Bin 707 had licorice and anise in a major way. The wine was silky and earthy and made me feel like I'd won. I can't sing the praises of Bin 707 enough.

For those who don't know, its Penfold's upper-eschelon (read: expensive) Cabernet Sauvignon. They don't make it every year and, to quote Ben, "it's rare as rockinghorse poop." So, buy it where and when you can, ~$80.

making wine in clay jugs

2007-07-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

Luxist, whom I have never heard of previously, has a blurb on a winemaker who is using 300 year old clay jars to make wine. Kind of interesting...

http://www.luxist.com/2007/07/19/ancient-winemaking-technique-revived-in-napa

three wines

2007-07-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

2005 Patrice Colin Coteaux du Vendomois - The grape is Pineau, and it is nothing like Pinot Noir. It's a light-bodied wine that was quite smooth and just slightly peppery. I wouldn't go so far as to call it velvety, but it had a nice texture. It was a very dramatic wine, starting out smelling and tasting of nothing but minerals and sort of metallic. However, it evolved quite a lot over the evening and settled down in to a nice, drinkable food wine. ~$15.

2005 Estezargues Domaine Gres St. Vincent Cote-de-Rhone Villages - A silky Syrah that had some intense floral and fruit flavors. It was almost too much for me. Almost. Sara and I did manage to finish the bottle. It's a great wine with a really long name. ~$15

2004 Bellevue la Foret Cotes du Frontonnais Ce Vin - This one is made from another odd Frenchy grape: Negrette. This is 100% varietal, and it was a smooth, tannin-free experience. It reminded me of Bordeaux's that I've had for much larger sums of money. This one is medium bodied and it had the pepper and berry/fruit mixture taste I like so much in French wines. A cheap wine from France, without the heartbreak and disappointment. ~$10.

1998 Beausejour

2007-07-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

I picked up a half case of the 1998 Beausejour from Garagiste. This was a good move on my part. I began seriously collecting wine in 2002, so my oldest bottles are from 1999 and 2000. Well, I have a '97 Grange but I recently got that to fill out my vertical. Anyway, back the Bordeaux.

The Beausejour is a Pomerol, which means it's going to be a Merlot-based blend. The more time I spend drinking Shiraz, the more I am wary of Merlot, but this wine did not disappoint. It is a medium bodied wine and had nice, structured fruit in front and a very long finish. Parker said it had "remarkable symmetry." Which I agree with.

For me this is a food wine. On it's own it is drinkable, but seems a bit thing. With the right meats and cheeses this wine could be an exceptional experience.

2004 Stella’s Garden Lost Highway Shiraz

2007-07-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

So, Ben beat me to it. But I agree mainly with everything he said. The 2004 Stella's Garden Lost Highway Shiraz was The Awesome. Not a lot of wines will stand up to habenaro covered beef tenderloin. It's a big, fruity wine. The color was the darkest, inky-est wine I have ever really had. There was enough sediment in the bottom to build a condo on. It was a wine to make a Frenchman cry.

The Fourth of July

2007-07-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

We spent the Fourth in Edmonds with Sara's family. We had two great red wines.

The first is one I brought, the 2003 Worthy Sophie's Cuvee. This is a Bordeaux-style blend from Napa. This is a well-made blend in the California tradition. The wine had plenty of body and good tasting fruit. It wasn't a huge wine, but it wasn't without it's complexities either. You could smell the wine from a good six feet away after opening the bottle and it was quite nice in the glass. This was a $40 wine that got marked down to $20 which is when I bought it from Garagiste. Apparently it got a few bad reviews... but I don't see why. From the texture to the smell, this is everything you could want in a new-world style wine.

The second wine was the 2003 Cayuse Camaspelo, which is another Cabernet Sauvignon blend. It's just a great wine. Good bits of Oak and the distinct taste of Washington soil. It was a medium bodied wine with nice dark color. This is the lowest scoring of the Cayuse wines, but if I could find enough bottles I would drink it every night.

2004 Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages

2007-06-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

I know nothing about this wine. In fact, I don't even know where it came from. Ben suggested it may be the mysterious "Garagiste Bonus Bottle." Wherever it came from, we enjoyed drinking it.

This wine is not like many of the wines I review. It was a light-to-medium bodied wine. Very french; 12.5% alcohol. It had a nice earthy smell when we first opened it, but the taste was very hard to pin down. At times we could taste notes of cherry, at other times much more earthy, legumey, flavors came through. There weren't any noticeable defects; it was smooth and pleasant. Overall, depending on how much it cost, I'd recommend it as a good summer/food wine. Anyone know anything about it?

Yalumba Muscat Museum Reserve

2007-06-24T23:16:00.000-07:00

The Australians have become famous for their work with Shiraz, but I have found they make an excellent desert wine as well. I'm not an expert on desert wines (or really any wines) but let me say this: sweet, smooth, good tasting, $14. Well, $14 for a half bottle (375ml) at Whole Foods, the Yalumba Muscat Museum Reserve is well worth the price. Of course the Penfold's Club Port is about $12 for 750ml, but sometimes you have to splurge. :)

2002 Chateau Moulin-St. Georges

2007-06-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

Ah, Bordeaux. More specifically St. Emilion. My favorite french appellation (Pomerol comes in second). Moulin-St. Georges is one of my favorite bottles, and the 2002 Cheateau Moulin-St. Georges is drinking quite nicely. On release Parker rated it 89-91, but I believe it has improved in the bottle.

The wine had lost the intense St. Emilion sent that comes from the bottle when it is young, to be replaced by a lighter, but still earthy smell. The first few minutes were disappointing, but after a good swirl or four it opened up nicely. It had a nice subtle mineral taste. The fruit had a hint of cherry or raspberry. The tannins were completely mellow. It was noticebly thinner feeling, but still rather full bodied. It still has it's dark, inky color.

wine lingo

2007-06-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

Slate has an article today titled "why wine writers talk that way," which pretty much describes the content of said article. It's a quick read, and interesting if you don't already know the answer. Even if you do know, there's a bit of history about the terms people used before the food based terms we use now you may find interesting.

I don't have much to add besides my recommendation for a book on the topic: Plain Talk About Fine Wine, by the creator of Silver Oak.

1999 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003 K Vintners Ovide

2007-06-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was graduation weekend in Seattle. Both the UW and SPU had their commencement on Saturday. Sara's cousin, Ashley, and I both received Masters degrees (hers in Education, mine in Computer Science). To celebrate, the whole family went to Seastar for dinner. Sara's uncle brought the 1999 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sara's father brought a bottle of 2003 K Vintners Ovide. The Quilceda was opened, decanted and left to breathe while the Ovide was drank first.

However, before they even got there (they got stuck in UW graduation traffic) Sara and I each had a glass of the 2004 Turley Zinfandel Juvenile. This wine wasn't as good as the Atlas Peak, but it was still a good red zinfandel and had some of the same qualities. I hate ordering serious wines by the glass, since you never know how long it has been open or how it has been stored. I've been some places where they store their by-the-glass wines in the kitchen and they come very warm. I'd be surprised if Seastar didn't take every step to keep theirs fresh, but you never know.

The '03 Ovide was a great wine. It is a Cab/Syrah blend and shipped with a wax coating over the cork, as many of the K wines do. I didn't write down what adjectives I though went with this wine, but it was a very enjoyable wine. I've had two K wines previously (Syrah, The Creator) and both were excellent. Washington wines at their best.

If Cayuse is the ultimate Washington cult wine, then Quilceda Creek is the flagship Washington wine. Their Cabernet Sauvignons are internationally recognized, highly sought after and, generally, expensive. Drinking one, for me at least, is an exciting experience.

I liked the 1999 a lot more than the 1997. Might first impression was that it had a better fruitiness and was a smoother and more refined wine. The '99 is 97% Cab, 3% Merlot, compared with the '97 which was 89% Cab, 9% Merlot and 2% Cab Franc. The smaller amount of blending in the '99 indicates a better year for the cab and much more faith on the part of the wine maker in that particular varietal. It was a good dinner and a good way to celebrate graduations.

2005 Turley Atlas Peak Zinfandel Mead Ranch (and a Champagne)

2007-06-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

Friday was a quite a night. We went to Palace Kitchen, a Tom Douglas restaurant and also the site of our first date, for dinner. I've never had a Turley wine before, but I've heard the legends. Raph had an empty Turley bottle that occupied a special place on the mantle. So I finally broke down and ordered the 2005 Turley Atlas Peak Zinfandel Mead Ranch. My god, what a wine. It was powerful when first opened for tasting. Huge in the mouth with all kinds of spice, cassis, and strange chemical and mineral tastes. But 15 minutes in the decanter an it settled down quite a bit. It was very big and bright. It stayed spicy and the pepper became more apparent on the back end. The finish is long; it goes, as Tim put it, "on and on and on." This is Zinfandel as it should be and I enjoyed it completely.

I had earlier surreptitiously instructed the waiter to bring a half bottle of the Veuve Clicquot since I would be giving Sara her ring. Well, they were out of Veuve Clicquot so instead he brought a half bottle of the Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne. I don't know a lot about Champagnes, but I do know most of them I don't like because they're too sweet or too something. This one was very nice and not offensive in anyway. I would order it again if the occasion called for bubbly.

(And Sara said "yes, of course.")