Random Wine Trails

Cork Taint Strikes My Cellar

2010-04-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

I've had a couple of Oregon rosés in the cellar that I purchased far too many years ago and haven't drunk so I decided to pull one out for dinner tonight. I was afraid that the 2003 Adelaida Vin Gris de Pinot Noir was past its prime, but what I didn't expect was the massive whiff of cork taint the emerged as soon as I pulled the natural cork. Ugh.... TCA (trichloroanisole) has finally struck my cellar. Up to now, I honestly don't think I've had an episode of cork taint from one of my purchased wines. But the law of averages has finally snuck up on me.

Too bad, I remember this wine being a lively, crisp, fruity delight back when I sampled it at the winery. Today, it was a shallow husk of a wine. No fruit and wilting under the TCA onslaught.

Let this be a lesson to you all. Drink those rosés now! They're meant for early consumption so don't wait. Find your guy/gal, grab some picnic fare from the grocery store, and enjoy a sunny spring day with a glass of rosé!

Cheers,
Noel

Italian Wine Course, Class #2

2010-04-04T10:49:00.001-07:00

Continuing my wine education, I attended the 2nd of a 6 class series on Italian wines offered by Gordon's Liquors in Waltham, MA last Tuesday, March 30. Michael Murray, one of the wine buyers at Gordon's, taught this class focusing on Puglia, Abruzzo, Marche, & Lazio regions of Italy. That would be regions #1, 7, 10, & 13 on the map (area around Rome and then the back & heel of the boot along the Adriatic Sea). The wines were paired with a Piave & a Tallegio (my favorite) cheeses from Whole Foods. Instead of doing white wines & then red wines, the class was structured by region.

Lazio

The Lazio region has not been known as a region for producing premium wines because of the proximity of Rome. Production has been mostly focused on high volume, inexpensive wines to serve Rome's large population.

Tenuta di Pieta Prozia Frascati Secco "Regillo" 2008 Price: $12
Region: Lazio D.O.C.
Varietal(s): 70% Malbezio, 20% Tebiano, 10% Greco
Review: White wine. Pineapple & floral notes in the nose. Not that special on the tongue. Crisp finish. Not a memorable wine.

Compagnia di Ermes Cesanese di Olevano Romano 2007
Price: $12
Region: Lazio D.O.C. South of Rome
Varietal(s): Cesanese
Review: Red Wine. Chocolate/tobacco, cedar aromas in the nose. Cherry & diesel flavors with a tarry finish.

Marche Region

Coastal, plainer region

Borgo Paglianetto Verdicchio di Matelica 'Aja Lunga' 2007
Price: $19
Region: Marche D.O.C.
Varietal(s): Verdicchio
Review: White Wine. Honeysuckle, pears, & peaches in the nose. good mouthfeel, crisp finish. Tank fermented--no oak. A good white wine!

Pasetti Pecorino Terre di Chieti 2008
Price: $20
Region: Marche I.G.T.
Varietal(s): Pecorino
Review: Floral with hits of green apple & melon. Slightly buttery with a flat oaky finish. Big mouthfeel akin to a chardonnay. Nice, but not great.

Saladini Pilastri Rosso Piceno Superiore "Vigna Montepradone' 2003
Price: $25
Region: Marche D.O.C. (Piceno area)
Varietal(s): 70% Montepuliciano, 30% Sangiovese
Review: Red Wine. Bright cherry flavors with notes of cedar & tar. Big tannins & bright acid. Aged in new French oak barrels. I liked this wine!

Abruzzo Region

One of the most mountainous regions of Italy, Abruzzo grows mostly Montepulciano & trebbiano grapes.

Ducato di San Zeno Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2008
Price: $8
Region: Abruzzo D.O.C.
Varietal(s): Montepulciano
Review: Medium bodied wine with big cherry & vanilla flavors. Concord-like grapey finish. Simple wine that resembles the price.

Cataldi Madonna Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2007
Price: $23
Region: Abruzzo D.O.C.
Varietal(s): Montepulciano
Review: Dark raspberry, cherry, tar, & tobacco. Gripping tannins that need some aging. Very surprising to find that this wine has seen no oak. I like it!

Montepulciano Masciarelli 'Marina Cvetic' 2006
Price: $30
Region: Abruzzo D.O.C.
Varietal(s): Montepulciano
Review: Much darker flavors. Big Tannins. Cherries, vanilla, cassis. Michael pulled this off the shelf when the Cataldi Madonna 2007 didn't live up to the tasting of the 2006. By far, the best of the night!

Puglia Region

Taurino Notarpanaro Salento 2003
Price: $20
Region: Salento I.G.T.
Varietal(s): Negero nero
Review: Tobacco & tar in the nose, fruity palette. Tastes much younger than it smells. Yum!

Castello Monaci Primitivo Salento 2007
Price: $12
Region: Salento I.G.T.
Varietal(s): Primitivo/Zinfandel
Review: Tastes like a classic zinfandel. Big cherry & prune/stewed fruit flavors. High Alcohol. Spicy! No oak.

This class touch a nerve, so I ended up purchasing a case of wine (2 each of the 2007 Borgo Paglianetto, 2003 Saladnini Pilastri, 2007 Cataldi Madonna, 2003 Taurino, 2007 Castell Monaci, and 2006 Masciarelli. I'm looking forward to popping these wines open later.

Cheers,
a Wine Student

David Coffaro Bernier's Zin 2003

2010-04-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Was cleaning up my desk earlier this week and came across my tasting notes from this wine. I vaguely remember opening it in early February, probably to enjoy with a nice Saturday evening steak dinner in front of the fireplace. Friends will recognize that David Coffaro is one of my most favorite Sonoma County wineries. I buy their wine through a futures program. The name Bernier's Zin refers to the fact that the grapes were purchased from Paul Bernier & Scott Sibary's vineyard which is located in the Dry Creek Valley.

David Coffaro Bernier's Zin 2003

Country of origin: United States
State: California
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley

Varietal: 75% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, 10% Carignan, 5% Mourvedre

Stats: 14.5% ABV, 365 cases produced
Cost: $15 (purchased through futures program)

Appearance: Dark, foreboding black red
Aroma: Cocoa, dark cherries, blackberries, more chocolate

Taste: Bright Cherries & raspberries, chocolate, mildly tart with moderate tannins. A long, pleasant aftertaste.

Yummmmm..... One bottle left...

Italian Wine Course, Class #1

2010-03-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

My favorite wine shop, Gordon's Liquors in Waltham, MA, recently offered a new series of wine tasting classes with the focus on Italian wines. I readily admit that my knowledge of Italian wines is a little lacking, so I decided to sign up for the entire schedule of 6 classes. Italian wines are a daunting subject since there are >2000 indigenous grape varietals. Historically, the majority of Italian wines have been produced for local consumption, so production & quality standards have not been extremely rigorous. The formation of the Italian appellation system in 1963 served to simply codify existing winemaking practices that may or may not have been the best. Fortunately, globalization has begun to change this fault as winemaking practices are changed to compete on the global market.

The first class was held on Tuesday, March 23 at the Culinary Center in the back of the store. Bob Kaplan had selected the wine and held forth on regional information & wine details. This first class focused on wines from the southern regions of Sicily, Sardinia, Calabria, Basilicata, & Campania (regions #2, 3, 4, 14 & 19 in the map). These areas are less well developed than the northern regions of Italy and the wines are not as prestigious or well-regarded. Consequently, they are less expensive if you find a wine that you enjoy. The wines were paired with a Sottocenere with Truffles & a Pecorino Ginepro cheeses from Whole Foods.

White Wines

La Segreta Bianco ($15)
Region: Sicily IGT
Details: 50% Chardonnay, 10% Viognier, 40% Falanghina
Review: Peaches & citrus in the nose. Tastes of apricot with a honeyed finish. Light bodied (good summer sipper)

Cantina Gallura Vermentino 2007 ($20)
Region: Sardinia DOCG
Review: Golden color, aromas & flavors of apricots, honey, raisins, & caramel. Extremely flat sherry-like finish. Tastes like this wine has oxidized. Not good

Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina ($19)
Region: Campania, near Avelino
Review: Aromas of pineapple, peaches, apricots, & honeysuckle. Dried apricot finish.

Feudi di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo ($24)
Region: Campania, near Avelino
Review: Light citrus & honeysuckle. Short finish. Tastes similar to a viognier

Red Wines:

Planeta La Segreta Rosso ($15)
Region: Sicily IGT
Review: Dark cherries, rosemary, vanilla. Medium body with a Concord-like grapey finish.

Templum Cannonau ($20) same grape as Granache
Region: Sardinia DOC
Review: Fairly bricked in color. Black cherry, cinnamon, little chalky on the finish. Mild tannins

Planeta Cerasuolo di Vittoria ($23)
Region: Sicily IGT
Review: Cherries, cassis, vanilla in the nose. Big fruity flavors with dancing raspberries, mild tannins, good mouthfeel. Went REALLY good with the Pecorino cheese!

Feudi di San Gregorio Rubrato ($19)
Region: Campania
Review: Very dark lightly bricked color. Blackberries, blueberries, & chocolate with a little tobacco. Big, bold tannins & good mouthfeel.

Librandi Gravello ($35) blend of Cabernet Sauvignon & Delamonto
Region: Calabria, near the town of Churo
Review: Black cherry, raspberries, & currants. Balanced tannins. Chocolate, slightly tart finish.

Cantine dei Notario La Firma 2005 ($50)
Region: Basilicata
Review: Dark cherries, raspberries, light tobacco with soft tannins. Good, just not sure it's $50 good.

Cheers,
a Wine Student

NE Coastal Wine Trail Weekend Day Two

2010-03-27T11:05:00.001-07:00

Sunday, March 21, 2010...

The day dawned on the second day of my Coastal Wine Trail tasting adventure. After a leisurely breakfast at the Hampton Inn Fairhaven and a good work-out in the fitness facility, I checked out of the hotel , made a pit stop at the local Panera Bread for lunch, and then headed to more wineries.

Stop #1: Running Brook Vineyards
Address: 335 Old Fall River Road, North Dartmouth, MA

I didn't know what I would be getting into at this visit. I will admit that I was greatly confused when I pulled in. The OPEN flag was flying at the gate, but no one was in the parking lot in front of the barn-like structure and what appeared to be the front door was locked. I headed back to my truck and started input the address of the next winery into my GPS unit when a truck pulled up. Out hopped a man who turned out to be one of the winery's owners who quickly invited me inside for a tasting. Running Brook is a work in progress. Unlike the other wineries on the trail, this 4-yr old winery is still building it's site of operation and the tasting room is merely a counter top inside the main winemaking area. Not as polished as the other wineries, but very enjoyable since you can see every aspect of the winery--the fermentation tanks, the barrel racks, and the bottling line. The charge for tasting was $7. I think there was a suggested number of wines to taste, but after Pedro discovered that I make wine as well and had an interest in starting a winery, he started pulling out everything he had to taste, including barrel/tank samples!

2007 Chardonnay ($13): Simple dry white wine with light flavor, but a smooth sipping wine
2005 Reserve Chardonnay ($17): Unfiltered & aged for 2 years in old French oak. 100% MLF gave it a nice rich butteriness.
2005 Reserve Chardonnay Unoaked: Nice pineapple nose & crisp finish
2007 Pinot Gris ($14): Bold citrus (pineapple, grapefruit) with a nice crisp finish
2008 Pinot Gris: Unlike the 2007, this wine has not undergone malolactic fermentation, so the flavors are driven by big, green apple aromas.
2007 Cabernet Franc ($18): Finally, a good red wine on the Trial. Lighter color, but big strawberry & black pepper flavors.
2007 Merlot ($18): Very nice. Black cherry & pepper aromas with subtle tobacco. 1.5 years in French oak.
2007 Vidal blanc ($13): Apricot & honey explosion. Semi-sweet finish with a nice balance of sugar & acid (high Brix at harvest).
2008 Vidal blanc: Tank sample. Crisp, Pineapple & Grapefruit predominate.
2009 Vidal blanc: Tank Sample. Still a little cloudy, but gorgeous big honey flavors.
2007 Auslesen ($20): Late harvest vidal blanc made by the traditional German auslesen method of selecting individual high sugar grape bunches. Sweet dessert wine.
2005 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc ($20): Sherry-like with bold apricot aromas and peach & pineapple flavors. Very unique wine.

Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed my 2.5 hrs with Pedro! Learned an awful lot about his winery operations and I volunteered to come back down to help with any winemaking task that he might have. I'm looking forward to a long relationship with Running Brook Vineyard! I ended up purchasing 5 bottles to sample later. Will have to go check to see which ones I bought.

Stop #2: Travessia Winery
Address: 760 Purchase Street, New Bedford, MA

After stumbling out of Running Brook, I had just enough time to visit one more winery before heading for the wedding. I had the choice of Westport Rivers Vineyards or Travessia Winery that were close enough nearby. Since I have been to Westport before (and am a member of their wine club), I chose to visit Travessia, which is a rather unique urban winery in downtown New Bedford. I have to admit that I was very intrigued to visit Travessia since an urban winery is an option that I would consider if I were to open a winery myself. My visit was a little complicated by the fact that the New Bedford half marathon had taken place the same morning and downtown New Bedford was a still a busy place at 3:00 in the afternoon. The winery is located in a small storefront that houses both the sales room, tasting bar, and winemaking space. They have some more space downstairs for added room to make & store the wine. Without vineyards of their own (kind of hard to grow grapes in asphalt), Travessia purchases all of their grapes from Running Brook Vineyards. Marco, the owner & winemaker, was tending the tasting room that day and was pouring 5 wines for tastings ($6). The tasting bar was a little crowded, so I didn't take any notes due to lack of writing space so I'm relying on my general impressions & memory.

2008 Unoaked Chardonnay ($14): Decent, fruity chardonnay with crisp finish.
2007 Chardonnay ($16): Partial MLF & barrel aging gave this a nice mix of crisp & softness, butteriness & fruit flavors.
2007 Vidal Blanc ($13): Essentially the same semi-sweet Vidal that I tasted at Running Brook. Liked it there and I liked it here, too!
2007 Trapeze Zinfandel: Nice, fruit forward with soft tannins. A good everyday drinking zin.

Many of you are probably scratching your heads that someone is growing zinfandel in MA. Well, they are not. Marco is starting a second line of wines made from grapes grown in CA and shipped to the winery for vinification. I didn't purchase any wines while I was there due to time constraints, but I did sign up for their wine club. First shipment should be in the coming week after they release a couple of new 2008 wines.

At this point, I bid a sad farewell to the Coastal Wine Trail and headed to Sandwich for the wedding. I would have to say that Day 2 was my favorite thanks to the wonderful hospitality & generosity of Pedro at Running Brook Vineyards. I will have to repay him with some physical labor when I go back to help bottle or pick grapes. I hope that my faithful readers take advantage of the proximity of several very nice wineries & make their own trip along the NE Coastal Wine Trail.

Cheers,
a Wine Student

A weekend along the New England Coastal Wine Trail

2010-03-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

I decided to get out of town last weekend and take advantage of the fact that I had a wedding to attend in Cape Cod on Sunday, so I decided to head down on Saturday and do some tasting along the Coastal Wine Trail. For those that don't know, the Coastal Wine Trail is made up of 8 wineries along the southeast New England coastline, stretching for east of Providence, RI to the very tip of Cape Cod.

This is still a little early in the season, so a couple of wineries were closed, but I wanted to get to as many as I could on Saturday afternoon and then hit a couple more on Sunday before heading for the wedding in Sandwich. This is the story of my tasting:

Saturday, March 20, 2010
Stop #1: Newport Vineyards
Address: 909 East Main Road, Middletown, RI

Saturday was such a gorgeous early spring day that I was not the only one to decide to go wine tasting. After pulling into the crowded parking lot off the very busy highway, I was a little dismayed to see so many people at the winery. I had to stand in line to buy a tasting glass ($9 for 5 tastes) and then stand in line again to find room at the tasting bar which was simply too small and too understaffed for the amount of foot traffic that day. Trying to savor aromas & flavors is a little hard when you've got people standing behind you waiting for their turn. Overall, the wines were pretty good. Whites were much better than the reds which were generally very vegetative & full of harsh green pepper flavors. I chose to try the following wines from their extensive tasting menu:

Sauvignon Blanc ($19): Good stuff, lot of pineapple & floral notes with a crisp acidic finish.
Newport Chardonnay ($15): Crisp, barrel-fermented Burgundy style with strong mango & pear flavors.
Pinot Noir ($19): Light color & body. Strong cherry with grass & green pepper.
Cabernet Franc ($19): Light color. Blackberries with grass & green pepper
Newport Merlot ($19): Medium garnet color, bigger black fruit flavors with good tannin structure but still pretty green tasting. Fruit came forward the more I swirled.
Port ($30): Rich mouthfeel with lot of alcohol, but that green flavor is still there.

Yeah, you counted right, I got to sneak in a 6th taste thanks to being friendly & wine knowledgeable! I did buy a bottle of the Sauvignon Blanc for more in-depth analysis later.

Stop #2: Greenvale Vineyards
Address: 582 Wapping Road, Portsmouth, RI

After the madhouse at Newport, Greenvale was a breath of fresh air! Located down some country roads and a winding narrow gravel lane, the winery is housed in a restored historic barn. Beautiful, rural setting with views of the bay and very friendly staff. The tasting bar is small, but the winery was not crowded when I arrived. Just me and a newly engaged couple with both sets of parents on their get-to-know-the-inlaws trip! Greenvale appreciates that the NE climate is not well suited for red vinifera varietals so they focus mostly on white wines with a token red blend from estate-grown grapes. I paid $9 to taste the full line-up of 6 wines.

2007 Pinot Gris: Very nice, light & fruity with a pleasingly crisp finish.
2007 Chardonnay: A 50/50 barrel/stainless steel fermentation blend with apricot & pineapple flavors. An OK wine, the blend of barrel/SS fermented wines just seemed like a jarring mismatch to me.
2007 Select Chardonnay: 100% Barrel fermented. A smoother and more balanced wine with the same apricot & pineapple flavors.
2007 Vidal: Lightly sweet tasting finish on a dry wine. A fruity sipper. Very nice version of a dry Vidal.
Stepping Stone White: 90% Cayuga/10% vidal. Good patio wine with a sweet finish, but not overpowering. Fruity & floral.
2007 Hermitage: Blend of merlot, cabernet franc, and malbec. Light red & green.

I ended up purchasing the pinot gris & Select Chardonnay for further evaluation.

Stop #3: Sakonnet Vineyards
Address: 162 West Main Road, Little Compton, RI

My final stop of the day was at Sakonnet Vineyards. Very far off the main highway, I loved the rural, secluded setting. The driveway was like going through the woods to grandmother's house for a wine tasting! The parking lot was full when I arrived and there was evidence that they see a lot of foot traffic in warmer months. They do have a good 4-sided tasting bar set-up for serving a lot of people, but they need a sign or something to tell people to pay for the tasting first before proceeding to the tasting bar. Standing in 2 lines is frustrating. Cost was $8 for 6 tastes.

2008 Vidal Blanc ($13): Initial strong fruity burst with an incredibly tart finish
2007 Gewurztraminer ($19): Dry, nice spicy midsection, but weak fruit & floral notes with a short bland finish. Left me wanting more.
2007 Fume Vidal Reserve ($16): Smooth, well integrated oak with honey, apricot, & lychee flavors. A very nice wine.
2007 Chardonnay ($14): Stainless steel fermented with good apple & melon flavors. Soft finish, but still crisp. Good wine.
2007 Reserve Chardonnay ($19): Crisp finish, only lightly buttery (no intential MLF) with very slight oak shading. Nice.
Rose ($10): A dry, crisp Cabernet franc rose. Notes of cedar, strawberries, & plums. Would be a good summer sipper.
2007 Winterwine ($25 for 375 ml): Rich & powerful. Intense apricot, honey, & peaches aromas with a nice spicy finish. A very nice late harvest vidal made in the ice-wine style.

Ended up buying the Rose, Fume Vidal, Chardonnay, & Winterwines for later further evaluation.

It was past closing time at this point, so I took the back roads to New Bedford & my hotel. After finding a local seafood take-out joint for some fried clams. I popped open the Greenvale Pinot Gris to enjoy during the evening. A wonderful way to end the day!

Cheers,
a Wine Student

An Evening of Wine & Chocolate at L'Espalier

2010-02-15T16:21:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I posted something here. My apologies to my faithful readers (who am I kidding)! I had the opportunity to attend one of the regular Monday night wine-food pairings at L'Espalier in downtown Boston with my singles social group. I went expecting a Winter Wines theme, but instead discovered that the menu was chocolate based.

First Pairing:
2008 Ransom "Selection" Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Cocoa nib consomme with shrimp & blood orange topped with a fennel salad

The wine was nice--fruity with nice citrus twist & a slightly sweet finish. The soup/salad was interesting. Together, this pairing was amazing! The cocoa gave the wine a nice earthy undertone & complemented the sweetness.

Second Pairing:
2006 Michelotti Barbera D'asti
Monkfish braised in red wine & Menavana chocolate over Puy lentils

The wine was a little acidic with cherries, vanilla, some spice/pepper notes, & moderate tannins. The fish was excellently cooked (my fish portion was a little small) & the lentils were to die for. Could have eaten them all night. I liked the wine & fish separately but wasn't real crazy about the pairing. Just didn't jive for me.

Third Pairing:
2007 Maurodos "Prima" Toro
Pork taco with Hacienda lara Plantation mole beside a radish & daikon slaw

The wine was a big, earthy Tempranillo with lots of oakey vanilla goodness. Bold & powerful.
The tacos were tasty. Kind of weird to be eating tacos while wearing a suit, but the mole was heavenly. A decent pairing.

Fourth Pairing:
2008 Banfi "Rosa Regale" Brachetto D'acqui
St. Lucia chocolate gateau with praline powder, grapefruit & jalapeno marmelade & Meyer lemon coulis

The wine was a soft & sweet dessert wine. Effervescent. Grapey with notes of strawberries
The chocolate was amazing, although I could have done without the praline powder. The marmalade gave it a nice kick.

This dinner was a lot of fun. There was only 8 of us, so conversation got pretty lively, especially as we got more lubricated. The food was excellent and the wine top notch. My favorite pairing was actually the first--the pinot gris with the chocolate soup. The others were OK, but I often liked the wine & food separately.

Cheers,
a Wine Student

Rolf Binder Halliwell 2005

2009-12-30T06:32:00.000-08:00

Last night I decided to make myself a nice birthday steak dinner. I wasn't all that impressed with the steak selection at my local Market Basket, but finally settled on a reasonable looking rib-eye cut. After I finished my afternoon work-out, I rummaged around in the cellar looking for a good bottle to pair with steak, potato planks, and a salad with ginger-lime dressing. Came across this bottle that had me stumped where I got it from. I don't recall purchasing it, so perhaps it was a gift? If you were the giver, the givee would appreciate a note of reminder!

Rolf Binder Halliwell 2005

Country of origin: Australia
Territory: South Australia
Appellation: Barossa Valley
Varietal: 60% Shiraz & 40% Grenache
Stats: 14.5% ABV
Cost: ~$25 (no idea where I got this)

Appearance: Dark brillant red, clear, good legs
Aroma: Chocolate, stewed plums, black cherries, strong oak flavors with coconut & vanilla predominating
Taste: Smooth & supple. Moderately light tannins with muted flavors of black fruits & chocolate. Nice lingering (and smooth) after taste.

I've tried to find some additional information about this wine, but interestingly the Rolf Binder website doesn't contain tasting notes for the 2005 Halliwell. The description on Wine.com states that the Grenache comes from the "Western Ridge" estate vineyard located along the edge of the Marananga bowl in the western rim of the Barossa Valley, while the Shiraz is purchased from Rolf's neighbors. I can't find independent verification, so for now, I'll go along with them. Wine.com also had Robert Parker's review, which I found humorous:

"A sexy, knock-out effort for drinking over the next 5-7 years is the 2005 Shiraz/Grenache Halliwell. This aromatic blend of 60% Shiraz and 40% Grenache offers up notes of blueberries, raspberries, cherries, earth, spice, and a hint of oak. It is full-bodied with juicy, concentrated flavors, supple tannins, and a velvety, opulent finish."
Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, 92 Points

I'm guessing that he rated this wine upon release in 2007 or so. I'd have to disagree with some of his review, as I found the oak to be very strong and almost masking the duller fruit flavors. That was rather surprising since the screw-cap closure would have led me to expect a much more fruit-forward style. Perhaps the wine has already reached its peak and is declining, or perhaps Robert's insured palatte is more discriminating than mine. :)

I did enjoy scoping around the Rolf Binder website. There's a lot of viticulture, harvest, and winemaking info and pictures posted. Interestingly, I learned that the winery was originally named Veritas in 1955, but changed to "Rolf Binder at Veritas" in 2005 to avoid marketing confusion with another Veritas wine brand in the US. That of course led me to search for the competition, but the only US Veritas winery that I turned up with a quick Google search was the Veritas Winery of Afton, Virginia. If this was the other brand, it's rather interesting that the VA winery that only started in 2002 could force a much longer established Australian winery to change the name of their brand, but that's up to the lawyers to settle.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Rio Seco Zinfandel Paso Robles 2000

2009-12-23T17:39:00.000-08:00

Country of origin: USA
State: California
Appellation: Paso Robles
Varietal: Zinfandel
Stats: 14.3% ABV
Cost: ~$20, purchased at the winery in 2003/4

Appearance: Dark brick red, clear, good legs
Aroma: Chocolate, leather, blackberries, cassis, slight vanilla & caramel notes
Taste: Smooth, light tannins, low acid, cherries & raspberries dancing behind a curtain of leather & chocolate. Hints of mint in the smooth, lingering after taste.

This is an old Zin that I might have caught slightly past its peak. I discovered Rio Seco on a wine tasting trip to Paso Robles in 2003 or 2004 (same year that my ex-brother-in-law got married). Found it through a personal recommendation from another winery. They were a young winery at the time. Housed in a newly purchased building that had been used for illicit drug production (had the bullet holes for proof), I was fascinated that the owner/winemaker also was a former MLB baseball catcher and currently a scout for the Detroit Tigers. Fortunately, his wine was better than the players he found for the hapless Tigers! His wife gave us a tour of their facilities, including the vats of actively fermenting must. The smell in the tasting room/winery was pure heaven and probably one of the reasons that I ended up purchasing a case of wine! Seriously, I enjoy finding small, family-owned wineries that produce good wine for a reasonable price, and Rio Seco fits that bill to a T. Interestingly, the website currently lists the 2000 Zinfandel for sale. I'd suggest buying and consuming quickly because I think this wine is at its peak. A lovely old zinfandel that went great with a pumpkin/italian sausage pasta & green salad, it didn't hold up very long after opening--was pretty flat after 24 hr under vacuum.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Bedell First Crush 2007

2009-12-20T15:58:00.001-08:00

I was cleaning off my desk a few days ago and came across some tasting notes that I could have sworn that I'd already written. However, a quick peruse through the archives says that I did not. I stumbled across Bedell on a 2008 spring trip to Long Island. At the time, this was about the only wine that I liked and was willing to pay their price (most everything else was really expensive). Enjoy!

Bedell 2007 First Crush
Country of origin: USA
State: New York
Appellation: North Fork of Long Island
Varietal: 82% Chardonnay, 18% Viognier
Stats: 12% ABV
Cost: $18 at the winery

Appearance: Light straw yellow
Aroma: Notes of pineapple and green apples with a melon finish. Very light & delicate nose.
Taste: Crisp & clean citrus and melon with a slightly acidic finish. There's a vegetative earthy undertone.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Elk Cove La Bohéme Pinot Noir 2001

2009-12-12T07:57:00.000-08:00

I couldn't get enough turkey over Thanksgiving so after spending the T-Day with friends (who brought out an amazingly complex 9 year old Napa cabernet), I cooked a turkey and trimmings for myself the next day. I was drinking a white wine while I was cooking all afternoon, but opened up one of my library wines to celebrate the dinner. The menu included turkey, the Powell special cranberry sauce, maple glazed roasted brussel sprouts with turkey bacon, and sourdough stuffing with italian sausage & mushrooms. And for the wine...

Elk Cove La Bohéme Pinot Noir 2001
Country of origin: USA
State: Oregon
Appellation: Willamette Valley
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Stats: 13% ABV
Cost: Unknown, purchased at winery in 2003

Appearance: Medium brick-red, good legs, clear, lightly translucent
Aroma: Dark cherries & vanilla, complex notes of leather, tobacco, & tar.
Taste: Silky smooth with muted dark fruit flavors of cherries & cassis. Finishes with complex layers of leather, tobacco, and cocoa.

Wow--that just about sums up this Oregon Pinot Noir. Amazingly complex & wonderful. Flavors that I'd normally associate with a cabernet sauvignon. The kind folks at Elk Cove Vineyards are nice enough to have historical tasting & viticulture notes on past vintages so we can glean a little more of how this wine was made. The 17 acre La Bohéme Vineyard was planted in 1985 on steep, south-facing slopes of well-drained Willakenzie soils with cuttings from the original estate Pommard vines. The vines are extensively pruned and cluster thinned to limit yields. Indeed, the 2001 harvest was a mere 1.9 tons/acre with Brix = 23.8 and total acids = 0.80%. After fermentation and aging in French oak, the wine was bottle with a total acids = 0.65% and pH = 3.62. Only 484 cases were produced. For those who keep track, this vintage received a score of 90 points from Wine Enthusiast magazine in 2003.

I visited Elk Cove in 2003 while I was on vacation. It was my first visit to the Oregon wine region and I fell in love with their pinot noirs. I visited a number of wineries on that trip, but I distinctly remember Elk Cove because it was the last winery of the visit. It's located in the hills of the northern Willamette Valley way off the beaten track. But it is well worth the trouble of getting there. The winery/tasting room was situated on the top of the hill overlooking the vineyards--an absolutely gorgeous spot as the sun was beginning to go down over the western hills. Elk Cove wines are pretty widely distributed, at least their larger base lines, and I've found them to be pretty consistent over the years since 2003. You may not be able to find the La Bohéme, but definitely try any of their wines that you can find.

Salute,
a Wine Student.

Spier 2008 Sauvignon Blanc

2009-11-29T17:29:00.000-08:00

While I'm reminiscing about my trip to Namibia, I'll add another note about some South African wines that I tried. Namibia was run by the South African government as a protectorate after World War I when Germany ceded control of its former colony. Lots of politics and bad history there, but even after Namibia gained independence in 1990, South Africa has remained as strong presence. Namibia gets most of its tourists, fresh produce, infrastructure, and wine from South Africa. Pretty much from the moment I stepped on the Air Namibia flight where they were serving a South African pinotage to the flight home, I was drinking South African wines. Fortunately, South Africa makes some pretty good wine, so it was all good! The first night in Namibia, my brother wanted to treat me to a traditional brai. Normally that word is simply translated as BBQ, but brai is not just a noun or verb, it's almost a way of life. It brings to mind visions of the early Afrikaaner settlers building a bed of charcoal in the middle of the veld and roasting hunks of fresh meat (beef or wild game). Real man stuff here--the hunt, meat, fire, beers, you get the idea... I missed my brother's big game hunt, so off we went to the grocery store to get some garlic wurst, toasties, and kebabs. To wash down our bounty, we bought some Windhoek and Tafel lagers (some of the best beer on Earth!) and a nice bottle of South African sauvignon blanc. The store did not have the greatest wine selection, but I rooted around until I found a bottle from the Stellenbosch region, one of South African's rising stars.

Spier Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Country of origin: South Africa
Appellation: Western Cape WO
Varietal: Sauvignon blanc
Stats: 12.5% ABV
Cost: Nam$49.40 or ~US$6.50

Appearance: Light straw yellow, crystal clear
Aroma: Tropical fruits, pineapple, melon, apricot, floral notes, and a light coconut finish
Taste: Crisp citrus and floral notes. Well balanced acid.

For you wine techies, here's a link to the Spier website with the winemaker's detailed notes. Overall a very nice welcome to Namibia and South African wines. Don't know how readily available this or other Spier wines are here in the States, but get out of the France & CA aisles and go explore the small South African section. You're likely to find a number of inexpensive, good wines.

Cheers,
a Wine Student.

Oysters & Champagne---In the Desert

2009-11-28T19:49:00.000-08:00

A couple of posts ago, I alluded to trying oysters for the first time--in the middle of the Kalahari Desert along the coast of Namibia. Sounds too fantastical to be true? Well, guess again, it happened.

In October, I took a wonderful extended vacation and went to visit my brother and his family in Namibia. After a photo safari to the Etosha Pan National Park and getting far closer to lions and elephants than I would like, we headed for the Skeleton Coast and Walvis Bay/Swakupmond. One day we headed out for a boat tour of Walvis Bay and then a dune buggy ride through the sand dunes south of Walvis Bay in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The boat tour is an interesting blend of the mechanical (Walvis Bay is the only deep-water port along the Skeleton Coast) and the natural (home to many sea lion colonies, bird sanctuaries, and Bengali dolphins that ride the bow waves of your boat). You also get an up close introduction to the burgeoning oyster fishery in the bay. It's still a small experiment, but one with great potential. They've found that the cold waters of the Bengali current that sweep north along the Skeleton Coast are so cold and nutrient rich that oysters grow to full size in 6-9 months compared to 3 years elsewhere. That's some fast growing!

The boat dropped us off on an abandoned pier along the tip of the bay where our dune buggy drivers were waiting for us. I swear these guys were transplanted stock car drivers! We went careening off up and down dunes that were 400-500 ft tall. After doing his best to get us to lose our lunches, Nick stopped for lunch. Here we are in the middle of the desert and this guy is breaking out the dining tables, chairs, champagne, and a bountiful buffet including none other than Namibian oysters. This was the first time that I had ever tried a raw oyster and I will admit to being rather trepidatious. The briny oyster juice was a little much, but the meat was one of the most tender & succulent things I have ever sucked down. And big! These oysters were almost handwidth in size.

They were paired with a very nice South African sparkling wine. I have no idea of the winery that produced it, but it was brut dry, crisp, toasty, and lightly citrusy. Delicious after a morning on the water and in the sand. We shared this feast with a few other folks from France, who didn't seem to enjoy the wine as much as I did. So I did my best to make up for them! Here's a picture of us enjoying the feast.

I'm the rosy cheeked guy with his glass at the ready! Who would have believed that I'd have a glass of sparking wine in the middle of the desert, let alone a feast of local oysters fit for a king!

Cheers,
a Wine Student

Sokol Blosser Evolution

2009-11-27T14:05:00.000-08:00

I was wondering through Gordon's Wines & Liquor shop a couple of weeks ago in search of some viognier-based wines for a wine tasting that I was hosting, and came across this bottle in their "Other Varietals" section. Earlier this year, I read "At Home in the Vineyard", which was written by Susan Sokol Blosser and tells the history of the Sokol Blosser Winery. I enjoyed the book quite a bit because it talks about the struggles & triumphs of building a winery from scratch (I fundamentally disagree with Susan's seemingly cavalier attitude towards divorce as it spoke a little too close to home for me, but that's a side story). The final chapters of the book discuss the development and legal issues of the wine that became Evolution, so when I saw a bottle, I had to buy and taste it. Quite frankly--I was pleased that I had the opportunity to try this wine!

Sokol Blosser Evolution, Lucky Edition
Country of origin: United States
Appellation: Oregon
Varietal: blend of 9 varietals (riesling is definitely involved)
Stats: 12% ABV
Cost: $18 at Gordon's Wines & Liquor, Waltham, MA

Appearance: Light straw yellow, crystal clear
Aroma: Flowers! Pineapple, guava, & maybe some lichee fruit, with a final touch of apricots
Taste: The nose definitely repeats in this wine. Clean & crisp. Medium bodied white that leaves a pleasantly clean fruity taste on your tongue. Slightly sweet finish, although that is probably just perceived sweetness.

Glenora Wine Cellars 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon

2009-11-26T06:13:00.000-08:00

I needed to make some room in my cellar this month, so I started rummaging amongst the bottles to find some wines that I wanted to taste soon. Came across this gem that I've been looking forward to for some time.

Glenora Wine Cellars 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of origin: United States
Appellation: New York Finger Lakes
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Stats: 12.5% ABV
Cost: not sure on original price, but somewhere around $20 at the winery

Appearance: Big legs! Dark garnet color with slight bricking around the edge
Aroma: Black cherries, cocoa, & vanilla, with hints of leather
Taste: Muted flavors of cherries and strawberries with chocolate, leather, and a slight green pepper in the finish. Full bodied wine that lingers on the tongue.

This is an impressive red wine for a Finger Lakes red. I came across this during a visit to the Finger Lakes region a few years ago. While I was most impressed with the region's white wines, I was surprised to find a few reds that could stand on their own two feet. Being in the east, the area is vintage-challenged, meaning that each year can be very different from the previous year due to the weather. Some years are poor years for grapes, in other years, the stars align, the grapes ripen, and a great wine is born. 2002 was obviously a good year, and a full bodied, complex wine that cellared very well was born!.

Glenora Wine Cellars is one of the regions larger & fancier wineries, but they do make some good wine. They also have an inn & spa with a beautiful view of Seneca Lake just north of Watkins Glenn. I would strongly encourage everyone to make a wine tasting trip to the Finger Lakes area and enjoy the beautiful scenery and some very nice wines.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Oyster & Wine--a "Shucking" Experience!

2009-11-08T17:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to an Oyster & Wine "Shuck Fest" at Gordon's Wine & Liquor in Waltham. They had Island Creek Oysters shucking local oysters from Duxbury, MA and paired them with 23 different wines. I do have to admit that oysters are a recent like. I tried them for the very first time in the middle of the Kalihari Desert during a trip to Namibia. Wow! So, when I saw the notice for the Oyster & Wine tasting, I jumped at the chance to go.

It was a walk-around tasting event so I had to balance a plate of oysters, a glass of wine, and my tasting notes all at the same time. The oysters were delicious, but the line for the shuckers was so long that I gave up after a couple and focused on trying the wines. We were supposed to vote for which wine paired best with the oysters, but I had to abstain from judgement! I tried to focus on specific varietals at a time so I could make good cross comparisons.

First up was the champagnes & sparkling wines. I tasted three excellent French champagnes side by side:

Moet et Chandon Brut Imperial (mostly Pinot mineur) $45
Ruinart Blanc de Blanc (100% Chardonnay) $65
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin (mostly Pinot noir) $40

My overall favorite was the Moet. Crisp, slightly sweet, nice creamy nose and mouthfeel. Tasting all three in a row allowed me to really pick out the differences in the nose and taste. The Ruinart had more toast notes from aging on the lees, while the Veuve had an interesting smokiness to the nose. But let's face it, I'm getting picky with three very good French Champagnes!

The second round was the sauvignon blancs:
Chateau de Sancerre (France--Bourdeaux), $26: restrained minerality, less fruitiness
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand), $31: Classic NZ sauvignon blanc, big citrus & lemongrass aromas. Two thumbs up!!!
Sauvion Muscadet Haute Culture (France--Loire Valley), $15: Nice & fruity
2007 Goisot St. Bris (France--Burgundy), $18: Limp & tasteless
Croney Estates Three Ton Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand), $15: Excellent, crisp, big citrus nose.

Overall favorite--Cloudy Bay was the hands down winner. But, the Croney Estates was excellent for the price. Greg Crone, the winemaker, was there pouring. The 3 ton thing refers to the grape yield restrictions that he places on the vines to concentrate the flavors. I was very impressed with his wines. I bought a bottle!

Third round was chardonnay:
Croney Estates Three Ton Chardonnay (New Zealand), $15: More like a sauvignon blanc than a chard. No oak. Big fruity flavors. Clean
2006 Billaud Simon Chablis (France--Burgundy), $30: Smooth, nice crisp, mineral finish.
2006 Billaud Simon Chablis Premier Cru (France--Burgundy), $50: Even better!

I liked the Premier Cru the best, but again, for the money, the Croney Estates was excellent. I bought another bottle.

I also tried a couple of random varietals. The 2007 Stafford Hill Riesling ($15) from Oregon was one tart wine! And the Bartenura Moscato ($16) was a nice sweet wine to finish the whites. Too sweet for me to want to drink a bottle, but would make an excellent date wine. And I finished the day on the Croney Estates Two Ton Pinot Noir ($20). A little austere & restrained, but still a very nice pinot noir.

As you can tell, even though I didn't get to have many oysters, the afternoon was a smashing success! It was a lot of fun to try the champagnes together and the two quality levels of Billaud Simon Chablis side by side.

I highly recommend the classes and events at Gordon's. A good time is always had by all!

Salute,
a Wine Student

A German Reisling Experience, Part I

2009-11-05T17:33:00.000-08:00

Last month I took a MUCH needed vacation and went to visit my brother in Namibia. Where in the world is that, you ask? Well, it's on the western coast of Africa just to the north of South Africa--or about as far away from Massachusetts as I could get! My brother and his family have been living in Namibia since January, 2009 while he teaches wildlife ecology & conservation at the Polytechnic University of Namibia. For more details on his adventures, I'll refer you to his blog.

But getting from Boston to Namibia is half the fun of the trip. There are no direct flights from the US, so I had to hop a plane to Frankfurt, Germany and then switch to Air Namibia for the flight down south. Namibia used to be a German colony and it still serves as a big vacation spot for Germans and other Europeans. I was facing a 7.5 hr flight to Germany followed by a 10 hour flight to Namibia, so I decided to break it up and spend a few days in and around Frankfurt in between flights. Since Frankfurt is on the edge of several German wine regions, I wanted to try as many German wines as I could during my stay. The first evening in Frankfurt, I went for the beer experience with dinner and had a very nice local Pilsner and Dunkelbier at one of the touristy restaurants in the Aldstadt (Old City). The second evening, I found a wonderful fish market/restaurant called the Fisch Franke and had a wonderful broiled plate of salmon, tuna, and pike perch along with a Rheingau Reisling Kabinett. Don't ask me the winery because I didn't have my notepad with me during dinner, but it was a very nice wine with an acidic bite in the finish. On the way back to the hotel, I stopped into a local wine shop and found a very helpful salesman (who fortunately spoke English) who gave me a good recommendation for a bottle of premium riesling to sample back at the hotel.

Weingüter Wegeler Geiheimrat J Riesling 2006 QmP
Country of origin: Germany
Appellation: Rheigau
Varietal: 100% Riesling
Stats: 12.5% ABV, Spätlese Trocken
Cost: 16.80 Euros (~$24)

Appearance: Light straw yellow
Aroma: Light floral, pears, apricots, strawberries, and delicate citrus
Taste: The nose repeats on the pallate with a lightly crisp finish

Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of the bottle and the winery seems to be constructing their webpage, but here's a link to a German wine site with a LOT of information on the winery. I really enjoyed this wine. For those of you who don't know much about the German AOC system, QmP is the highest level of quality. There are additional quality designations that are based on the sugar content of the grapes at harvest. Kabinett is the lowest level of sugar allowed at harvest, while spätlese is a late harvest when the grapes are more fully ripe and have higher sugar levels. There are about 3 more levels beyond that, but they quickly soar into the dessert wine arena, while kabinett and spätlese wines are often finished dry (trocken). This wine still has a low level of residual sugars (1.5 g/L glucose and 5/4 g/L fructose) but well within the dry category.

The Rheingau region is probably considered Germany's highest quality wine region and lies exclusively along the banks of the Rhine River between Kelsterbach in the east and Bacharach in the west. The Rhine River cuts almost straight east-west between these towns and the vineyards are almost exclusively on the north bank of the river where the steep, steep hillsides catch the most sun. I took a train ride along the Rhine and these are steep hillsides! I blatantly stole this photo from the web, but it shows how steep these vineyards are. Amazing!

Salute,
a Wine Student

Kaz Vineyard & Winery Machismo 2006

2009-10-20T16:59:00.000-07:00

Kaz Vineyard & Winery Machismo 2006
Country of origin: USA
Region: California
Appellation: Sonoma Valley
Varietal: 100% Counoise
Stats: 13.8% ABV, dry
Cost: $40 at the winery

Appearance: Light medium garnet, good legs
Aroma: Initial burst of vanilla & cherry with some black pepper and vegetal notes around the edges. A little dark cassis in the end.
Taste: Upfront sharp cherry fruit with a fairly tart cedar finish. Medium body.

I was rather intrigued by this wine when I visited Kaz Vineyard & Winery earlier this year. I can't say that I've ever heard of the grape varietal Counoise before and had to try it. Kaz describes it as a "studly" Pinot Noir with sharper fruit plus leather and cedar. I agree with the sharpness and cedar, but I'm not getting much leather in this wine. Wikipedia claims that the dark-skinned, but low tannic grape is grown almost solely in the Rhone Valley region of France (1580 acres), where it is allowed as a blending varietal in Chataueneuf-du-Pape wines. The Rhone connection is not a surprise since a Google search indicates that another Rhone Ranger winery, Tablas Creek, is the only place that admits to growing (5 acres) and using Counoise.

I've tasted this over 3 evenings. Night one was in a classic Bourdeaux-style Riedel glass, which did not showcase the wine. The flavors seemed tight and very in my face. I tried a Burgundy-style Riedel glass on the second night due to the pinot reference and found that much more to my liking. Granted, the wine had had an additional 24 hrs under vacuum to breathe, but the larger glass bowl seemed to give the aromas room to move and not deliver a concentrated punch to the nose.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Loxton Cellars 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

2009-10-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

After getting off the plane from Germany, I felt like a nice glass of wine before heading to bed to sleep off the jet lag. I chose a bottle that I had picked up on a recent visit to Loxton Cellars earlier this spring. A relatively new winery, winemaker Christopher focuses on syrah and zinfandel (although he obviously makes a cabernet sauvignon, too!).

Loxton Cellars 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Buffalo Bluff Vineyard
Country of origin: USA
Region: California
Appellation: North Coast
Stats: 14.3% ABV, dry
Cost: $26 at the winery

Appearance: Inky garnet with just a hint of brick along the edge. Massive legs.
Aroma: Massive fruity blast of cherries and blackberries. Hint of chocolate and coconut.
Taste: The blast of fruit in the nose repeats in the mouth along with a tannin chaser. Big, massive cabernet that wakes up your senses. Relatively nicely balanced considering the alcohol levels.

Notes from the winemaker:
Buffalo Bluff is a steep hillside vineyard north of Calistoga. It gives me some of the smallest grape berries I’ve seen and the challenge of this dry-farmed hillside fruit is to tame how big the wine wants to be. Aged two years in barrel and one year in bottle, this is a full-throttle mountain Cab that screams for a good steak. Big wine, sweet fruit, grippy Cab tannins; it’s like chocolate covered cherries and should age well. 187 cases produced.

Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery Tour

2009-08-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

I just got back from spending a very rainy day visiting the Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery in Westport, MA with ~20 other friends from my social club. Thanks to Tropical Storm Danny, we did not get to wander through the vineyards or taste on the lawn, but we did get a very nice in-depth tour of the winemaking facilities. Our tour guide, Craig, also gave us a very detailed walk-through of the winemaking process.

Those of you in New England (and other sparkling wine fanatics) may have heard of Westport Rivers. They are probably the best quality winery in Massachusetts, and are well known and regarded for their sparkling wines made from 100% estate grown grapes. I can hear the outcry--"It's too cold to grow grapes in MA!" Well, yes, the growing season for MA is short and is not well suited for the ripening of red vinifera grapes, but is actually quite similar to the climate of northern European grape growing regions like Champagne, Alsace, Chablis, and the Mosel & Rhine valleys. So just as those regions specialize in wines from white grapes that ripen faster, Westport Rivers grows only colder climate vinifera grapes, such as chardonnay, pinot gris, pinot noir, & meunier. Ah ha, you're sharp eyes correctly identified that pinot noir is a red grape, but Westport Rivers uses it to make sparkling wine and róses, not red wine.

Their sparkling wines are made in the "Traditional Method", or "fermented in this bottle." Since they ain't in Champagne, they can't legally say that the wine is made in the "Méthode Champenoise", but it's the same thing. A still base wine is made and bottled, along with a shot of sugar and yeast. The wine bottles are then tiraged, or allowed to rest for 3-14 years while the wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Once the winemaker determines that the flavors are what he's looking for, then the bottles are riddled (slowly turned) to allow the yeast solids to fall into the neck of the bottle. That solid plug is then disgorged and the champagne is ready for consumption.

After our tour, we tasted 6 wines. Unfortunately, 4 of their sparkling wines were sold out, so we only got to taste the 2003 Westport Brut made from 73% pinot noir & meunier and 27% chardonnay. A delightful crisp, drier sparkling wine with a lot of apple & pear aromas. We then moved on to the still wines and tasted the 2006 Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, 2007 Rosé of Pinot Noir, 2007 Rkatsiteli, and the Pineau de Pinot. All were quite good, but the Pinot Gris was my favorite. It's a blend of the 2006 & 2007 vintages with a big full body, wonderful aromas of pear, honey, and citrus, and a long fruity finish.

This was the first time that I've ever tried a Rkatsiteli wine. It's a white vinifera grape that was originally native to the Georgian region of Asia. Similar to a reisling or gewurztraminer, but not quite as floral. Big aromas of lemon and kiwi that ends on the tongue with a crisp citrus note.

The Pineau de Pinot was also an interesting wine. It's fortified wine of about 18% ABV almost like a sherry that's made by distilling a pinot noir wine. The distillate is then mixed with fresh pinot noir juice and aged in old French oak. Definitely a sipper along side a créme brulée.

I've wanted to get down to Westport for awhile and I'm very glad that I had the chance today. Fortunately, we were indoors during the worst of Tropical Storm Danny while we enjoyed some very nice wine. I like the wines so much that 6 bottles followed me out to the truck! I'll report on each of them in turn.

Salute!
a Wine Student

VJB Vineyards & Cellars 2007 Gabriella Ranch Chardonnay

2009-08-23T13:16:00.001-07:00

I had an opportunity to stop at the VJB Vineyards & Cellars winery on a business trip this past February 2009. Hey--there's only so many hours in the day for work! I was glad I did because 6 bottles of their wine followed me home. I popped in on a fairly slow Saturday morning and had a chance to talk with the pourer. This is a fairly new winery, having been started in 1999. The Belmonte family had been running a restaurant in the Kenwood area, and the sons, Victor & Henry, decided to start making their own wine to serve in the restaurant. Victor passed away shortly after the winery was started, so it was renamed as VJB in his honor. Ten years later, it is still a smallish operation with only 4000 cases of annual production. When I was there, they had just gotten the permits to start construction of a new larger wine production & tasting facility next door.

VJB Vineyards & Cellars 2007 Chardonnay
Country of origin: USA
Region: California
Appellation: Sonoma County
Stats: 13.5% ABV, dry, stainless steel fermentation.
Cost: $18 at the winery

Appearance: Crystal clear, light straw yellow, good leg structure
Aroma: Initial aromas of pears and white peaches, with a light pineapple finish at the end.
Taste: Clean & crisp. Muted fruit flavors of pears, melons, white peaches, & apricots. Slight butteriness & minerality on the finish.

Since summer has finally hit the Boston area, I thought this would be a good summer wine for dinner last night--and I was correct. The grapes from this wine were sourced Sonoma County and fermented in 100% stainless steel to produce a European style wine with clean, crisp fruit flavors. I've been trying to decide if a malo-lactic fermentation was performed, and I think so (rounded mouthfeel & slight buttery notes), but this is not your massive over-oaked, buttery chardonnay that used to dominate the California chardonnay scene. Very delightful wine that paired well with grilled BBQ chicken & brocolli last night.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Lone Oak Vineyard Estates Vin du Roi

2009-04-12T12:26:00.001-07:00

For you faithful blog readers, you'll recall that I blogged about visiting Laurel Lake Vineyards on Long Island, NY last spring and a tasting report of their 2003 Cabernet Franc. I have the distinct pleasure of reporting on another of their wines, the 2004 Merlot.

Lone Oak Vineyard Estates Vin du roi
Country of origin: USA
Region: Michigan
Appellation: SE Michigan (not an official AVA!)
Stats: 13% ABV, dry, blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, & Petit Verdot
Cost: $25 at the winery

Appearance: Dark garnet
Aroma: Toasted oak, black pepper, green pepper, hint of dark stone fruit in the background
Taste: Overwhelming burst of vanilla, caramel, and oak. Green pepper in the quick to dissipate finish. Not a lot of fruit flavors to bind it all together.

Another entry from my back-log of tasting notes. I was a frequent taster of Lone Oak Vineyard Estates when I used to live in MI since the winery was only about 20 miles down the road outside Jackson, MI. Some wines I liked, some missed the spot. This is one that missed the spot. The oak simply overwhelmed the stone fruit flavors.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Laurel Lake Vineyards 2004 Merlot

2009-03-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

For you faithful blog readers, you'll recall that I blogged about visiting Laurel Lake Vineyards on Long Island, NY last spring and a tasting report of their 2003 Cabernet Franc. I have the distinct pleasure of reporting on another of their wines, the 2004 Merlot.

Laurel Lake Vineyards 2004 Merlot
Country of origin: USA
Region: New York
Appellation: North Fork Long Island
Stats: 12.5% ABV, dry, aged in French oak 12 months
Cost: $18 at the winery

Appearance: Clear dark ruby red. Excellent color for a cold-climate merlot
Aroma: Dried plums with a nice smooth vanilla-filled finish.
Taste: Full bodied with a silky finish. Well balanced. Mild fruit flavors of plum, black cherry and a subtle smokey undertone. Smooth tannins.

I'll refer you to my earlier posts for information about Laurel Lake Vineyards. I am very impressed with this wine. The intense color only hints at it's cold-climate origins. This is a wine that strengthens the growing reputation of Long Island merlot. For you nay-sayers that think CA is the only place in the US to grow and make quality wine, I challenge you to take a trip to Laurel Lake and learn what all an Eastern merlot can be.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Chateau Beauchene Les Sens de Syrah 2004

2009-03-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

Country of origin: France
Region: Rhone Valley
Appellation: Cotes de Rhone
Stats: 13 % ABV, dry, 100% syrah
Cost: $15 at Colonial Liquor Store in Acton, MA

Appearance: Deep, deep, deep red.
Aroma: Dark black cherries and currants with hints of cocoa.
Taste: Silky smooth and subtle from beginning to end. Dark fruit with currants dominating. An almost sweet finish. This wine gives meaning to the phrase "smooth as silk".

Chateau Beauchene is located just south of Orange in the Rhone Valley. There's some family history here with Bernard family buying their first vineyard in 1796 after the French Revolution made former noble's estates available. The Bernard's bought Chateau Beauchene in 1986. This wine is made from 2 different vineyards, one to north of Orange on slightly stony and clayey calcareous soils and the other in Bollène with rounded pebbles mixed with sandy red clay. The Bernard's cultivate the vineyards using the principles of "agriculture raisonnée" with eye towards sustainibility The wine is made by complete destemming and a long 20 day maceration to extract polyphenols and anthocyanins.

I like the family crest on the neck of the bottle!

Salute,
a Wine Student

Sanford 2001 Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills Sanford & Benedict Vineyards

2009-03-22T14:44:00.001-07:00

Country of origin: USA
Region: California
Appellation: Santa Barbara County/Santa Rita Hills AVA
Vineyard: Sanford & Benedect Vineyards
Stats: 14.5 % ABV, dry
Cost: no longer available

Appearance: Ruby red, clear, big legs.
Aroma: Cherries with a raspberry finish, vanilla, and light oak.
Taste: Medium body, muted cherry fruit flavors, bright finish, slightly lingering finish of raspberries & pomegranate. High alcohol overtakes a lot of the fruit notes.

Pretty good by itself (which was how I drank it), I think this wine would probably be best when served with some fatty food to help calm the high alcohol and acidity. Something not too flavorful as the food might overpower the fruit flavors, like a creamy cheese.

Sanford Winery was the very first winery I stopped at when I first went winetasting in Santa Barbara. When the Sanford family owned and operated the winery, it definitely a laid back, hippy feel. The tasting room accommodated only about 10-12 people at a time with open windows overlooking the valley and vineyards, breezes blowing through, and lots of flies! For you "Sideways" fans, the tasting room and iconic pourer was featured in a gorgeous sunset shot and was one of the few wineries to use their real names in the film.

Richard Sanford was the first to plant pinot noir in Santa Barbara county in the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, and made some of my favorite pinots. In the early 2000s, they tried to reach more of a mass market and teamed with Terlato Wine International. In 2005 after the partnership had a falling out, the Terlato family purchased the majority interest in the winery and assumed control of the Sanford & Benedict and Rancho La Rinconada vineyards.

Richard Sanford has since started a new winery, Alma Rosa, using organic certified grapes from the new La Encantada vineyard that they had planted in 2000 and their home ranch vineyard El Jabalí. I haven't had a chance to try any of his new wines, but history should repeat itself.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Candia Vineyards Noiret Vault Reserve

2008-12-29T12:30:00.000-08:00

Continuing to dig through my pile of tasting notes that I've written over the past 6 months, I came across this gem that I had completely forgotten about. Enjoy!

Candia Vineyards Noiret Vault Reserve
Country of origin: USA
Region: New England
Appellation: New Hampshire (not an official AVA!)
Stats: 13 % ABV, dry
Cost: don't remember--$10-15 retail

Appearance: Deep, dark purple. Strong legs with maybe some gas bubbles
Aroma: Deep, dark cherries, toasted oak, and aromas of black pepper and spice.
Taste: Strong green & black pepper with an abundance of dark fruit--blackberry & currants. A tannic finish with a lingering pepper taste. Much like an Australian Shiraz

This wine comes to us from a boutique winery in Candia, New Hampshire. I stumbled across it during a visit to Abbey Cellars wine shop in Lincoln, NH and was intrigue because I had made wine from Noiret grapes in 2006. Noiret is a new hybrid grape varietal developed by the genuises at Cornell University and has only recently begun to be planted commercially for winemaking. This grape was designed to produce a robust, bold red wine in cold climate regions like New York, Pennsylvania, and other Eastern States. One would think that New Hampshire winters might be a challenge, but Candia pulls this off. They were the first to plant the grape in New Hampshire (a dubious accolade considering the paucity of wineries/vineyards in New Hampshire), and have been producing the wine from their grapes since at least 2006. The 2006 and 2007 vintanges have each won several bronze medals at various wine competitions.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Nashoba Valley Winery Chrysleton

2008-12-23T18:19:00.000-08:00

Digging back through my stack of wine tasting notes, I came across the wine I selected for Thanksgiving Day dinner--Nashoba Valley Winery's Chrysleton. I had gotten an email update from Nashoba earlier in the week that recommended pairing the Chrysleton with turkey, so I decided to give it a try...

Nashoba Valley Winery Chrysleton
Country of origin: USA
Region: New England
Appellation: Massachusetts (OK, that's not an official AVA)
Stats: 11 % ABV, 1% residual sugar, 20% European elderberry/80% estate apple
Cost: $11 at the winery

Appearance: Light brownish-garnet (lightly brown edge).
Aroma: Vegetable berries. Hints of chocolate and tobacco with a broad apple background. A rather unique aroma.
Taste: Some vegetative berry/apple taste with some tobacco in the finish. Fruity, but also complex. Paired pretty good with dark turkey meat.

I had tasted this wine earlier in January 2008 during a tasting visit to Nashoba (read details here), so I was looking forward to a repeat/reminder. Was very pleased with how it paired with Thanksgiving dinner. The fat of the dark turkey meat added some depth to the fruity taste and it even smoothed out the acidic punch of the cranberry sauce. The fermentation notes on the Nashoba Valley website indicate that the elderberries are added to the fermenting cider until the desired color is obtained and then scooped out. If I was the winemaker, I might push the color a little to get a darker wine, but that might lead to a bigger tannic punch than he was wanting. The 6-12 months in oak barrels add a nice subtle touch. Not overly oaky, but just a little firmness in taste.

Salute,
a Wine Student

p.s. I'm stumped on the name. Is there a secret meaning to Chrysleton? Google searching turns up mainly links to the Nashoba Valley website, or other wine review websites (that review the NV Chrysleton). Is this an old English name for elderberry wine? Is this a secret code to the Masonic Order of Eastern Winemakers? Inquiring minds must know!

Laurel Lake Vineyards 2003 Cabernet Franc

2008-12-21T18:39:00.000-08:00

I'm slowly getting around to writing up my back-log of wine tasting notes. This one comes from a couple of weeks ago when I decided to open a nice bottle of wine to accompany a steak dinner that I made for myself.

Laurel Lake Vineyards 2003 Cabernet Franc
Country of origin: USA
Region: New York
Appellation: North Fork Long Island
Stats: 12.5% ABV, dry
Cost: $20 at the winery

Appearance: Clear dark ruby red.
Aroma: Dark cherry initially, followed by black pepper, tobacco, vanilla, caramel, with a nice smooth oak finish.
Taste: Medium body with a strong fruit flavor. Cherries abound with strawberries peeking through. Hints of green and black pepper. There is an underlying greenness or herbiness. The lingering finish is a little flat without a big tannin punch.

For those of you who keep count, this wine won a Gold Medal at the NY International Wine and Grape Juice Competition (don't know the year). I had picked this bottle up during my tasting trip to Long Island this spring. I had a very nice conversation with the winemaker's wife (both were from Chile). Laurel Lake is a relatively young winery (1999), but the vineyard is one of the oldest on Long Island. I believe that it bears watching in the next few years as they grow and develop. Reasonable prices and good wine! The 2003 Cab Franc is still available at the winery, so take a trip!

Salute,
a Wine Student

Sandhill Crane Vintner's Select Riesling 2006

2008-11-27T10:40:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since my last post due to navigating through some personal upheavals in my life that abruptly happened in June. But don't fear--I've been saving my tasting notes for when I finally had the energy to blog again. That time has come so I thought I'd start off with a return to my Michigan roots.

Sandhill Crane Vintner's Select Riesling 2006
Country of origin: USA
Region: Michigan
Appellation: Southeast Michigan
Stats: 12% ABV, 1dry
Cost: no longer in stock

Appearance: Clear with almost no color but the very slightest yellow.
Aroma: Sharp bite to the nose, light fruit--pineapple/citrus, strawberry and some floral notes
Taste: Bold pineapple flavors that were much more aggressive than the nose would suggest. Lightly sweet tasting finish, but nicely balanced with the acidic tartness.

Sandhill Crane Vineyards is a winery that was founded just 5 years ago outside of Jackson, Michigan. I've been a fan of Holly's wines for some time and have really enjoyed seeing her skills and wines grow over the years. This 2006 Riesling has won several awards, including a Silver Medal at the 2008 Great Lakes Wine Judging. Memory is beginning to fail, but I believe that these grapes came from the western MI lakeshore area. Too bad that the wine is no longer available, as I would highly recommend this for a light summer sipper or possibly paired with a chicken stir fry.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Long Island Tasting Trip

2008-06-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I got to take a tasting trip through the wineries on Long Island's North Fork. OK, the real reason I was there was because my wife was riding her bike in the 100-mile Montauk Century Ride, but what else was I going to do while she rode her bike for 7-8 hours?

I started the day on Saturday at Laurel Lake Vineyards mainly because I got up to the North Fork at around 10:30 AM, which was about 30 minutes before most wineries opened. Laurel Lake was the first winery that I came to that was open! However, the early bird does get the worm, because Laurel Lake was a gem. An interesting contrast because it is one of the oldest vineyards, but the winery had been started in 1999. A nice sized smaller winery that is an up and coming establishment. $4 to taste 4 wines. The winemaker's wife was manning the tasting bar--very nice and friendly and told me lots about the winery. Turned out she and her husband were from Chile (which was cool since I had just purchased some Chilean grapes this spring!). I tried the 2006 unoaked chardonnay (very nice and light) and then turned to the reds--2004 merlot (smooth), 2003 cab franc (spicy and peppery), and 2005 syrah (bold). All the reds were very good and I ended up purchasing the 2003 Cab Franc ($20) and 2004 Merlot ($18). This was the first time that I tried the sip and spit method of wine tasting since I was by myself and driving--a fairly good success with only 1 minor spill.

After Laurel Lake, I headed east to Pellegrini Vineyards. Again, another gem with a very nice tasting room staff. Larger place with 23,000 gal production. Although they had plenty of space for weddings and events, the tasting room had a nice and cozy feel. The girl I spoke with was young, but was very friendly and really knew the winery and the wines. She took the time to talk with me before I started tasting to get a feel for my wine tastes to make some recommendations on what to taste (nice touch). A little pricier with $4 for 3 tastes, but I managed to taste several of the reserve wines as well. Tasted a very nice rose made from cab fsauv grapes, along with a flight of very good merlots and a bourdeaux blend. Liked them so much I bought 3 wines--2007 East End Select Rose ($15), the 2001 Merlot ($20), and the 2004 Cabernet Franc ($20).

I finished my Saturday tasting at Macari Vineyards. Large family farm with 120 acres of grapes that sold grapes for years before opening the winery. Large tasting room, but I managed to score being served by the tasting room manager who was extremely friendly and told me a lot about the winery and the wines. Expensive to taste, though--$8 for 4 wines in a pre-selected wine flight. They had two main flights to choose from, but after I said that I really was looking to explore merlot, a special reserve red flight was brought out because they just happened to have a bottle of the expensive anchor wine open from the previous day. Overall--very good reds. I purchased a 2003 Merlot ($13) and their Sette--a blend of merlot, cab franc, malbec, and petite verdot ($15).

At that point I had to break away and go meet my wife at the bike ride end in Montauk. So glad I got to experience the wonderful summer traffic stall through the Hamptons. Nice place, but I sure wouldn't want to sit in that traffic again (coming and going)!

On Sunday, we had to drive through the North Fork again to get to the ferry, so I forced my wife to join me in tasting a few more wineries. We started at Bedell Cellars. Much fancier than any of the other places and expensive $8-12 for different flights of 4 wines. We tasted the $8 flight and sampled a chardonnay, a chardonnay/viogner blend, a rose, and a merlot. The tasting room staff was pleasant, but didn't talk with us a whole lot. Were more concerned about some smell coming from the wine fridge that I couldn't sense. My wife did like the 2007 First Crush White (chardonnay/viogner blend), so I bought a bottle for her ($18).

On the way east, we stopped in at Osprey's Dominion, which was a mistake. Cheaper tasting ($5/5 wines), but frankly not very good. Plus, the server refused to smile or engage us in conversation at all. So we drained the wine and left without purchasing anything.

Our last stop was at Corey Creek Vineyards, a sister winery of Bedell Cellars. In fact, we tasted a couple of the Bedell Wines that we did not taste at Bedell. A very good gewurztraminer and a wonderful unoaked chardonnay. They had a folk music guitar duo playing on their patio that overlooked the vineyard, so we purchased a couple glasses of wine and enjoyed the music and the view. Stayed so long, we missed our reserved ferry time and had to go on stand-by for the next one!

Overall I was impressed with the quality of the Long Island Wineries. I really enjoyed the merlots and cabernet francs that I tasted. I'm looking forward to writing reviews of the wines that I purchased!

Salute,
a Wine Student

Russell Orchards Winery Visit

2008-06-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

My wife and I spent Memorial Day on Crane Beach. Gorgeous weather for a day at the beach--sunshine and hot! After getting our fill of surf and sand, we headed for home but made a quick stop at Russell Orchards to check out their fruit wines. From the size of the sign advertising their wine, I suspected that wine was not the primary focus of the place, and I was correct. If ice cream, baked goods, cold cider, or local produce is your object, Russell Orchards is the place. The tasting room, produce stand, ice cream counter, cider fridge, and bakery are all housed in their big old barn. It took a little bit of snooping around to locate the winetasting counter in the back corner of the barn. I was immediately turned off by tasting from small plastic cups instead of a normal glass (it's a pet peeve of mine). The tasting counter is also very small (less than 6 feet long). The poor gal behind it was trying to serve as many people as possible, but not physically possible to get more than 4-5 folks squeezed in.

Russell Orchards produces only fruit wines and cider and most everything that was open that day was sweet to some degree. Their Baldwin apple was pleasant--crisp, fruity, and the only dry wine available to taste. I was eager to try their blueberry (off dry), but couldn't get past the funky taste (like old leather soaked in medicine). Ditto for the black currant. I ended the tasting with their rhubarb wine--very interesting. Their rhubarb is completely colorless (looked like a bottle of vodka) and tastes only slightly of rhubarb. I'm guessing that they don't use much rhubarb in their recipe, but was surprised by the good body and mouthfeel of such a light version.

My recommendation--not a destination in and of itself, but a fun stop after a warm day at the beach. Go when it's less crowded for a more pleasant experience. Judging from the size of the parking lot, that may not be very common.

Salute,
a Wine Student.

Keuka Overlook Cellars Mulberry

2008-05-17T04:14:00.000-07:00

I' was in the mood for having a little nightcap before bedtime this past week, so I opened a bottle of a dessert wine that I picked up during my last winetasting trip to the Finger Lakes region in New York.

Keuka Overlook Cellars Mulberry
Country of origin: USA
Region: New York
Appellation: Finger Lakes Region, Keuka Lake
Stats: 13% ABV, 11% residual sugar, 375 mL
Cost: $12 at the winery

Appearance: Ruby red with hints of orange
Aroma: Mulberries, I guess (it's been a while since I tasted or smelled a mulberry). Dark fruity nose with notes of citrus and cocoa.
Taste: Fruit forward. Not overly sweet considering the 11% residual sugar. It has an interesting smokey, funky aftertaste that got to me after awhile (didn't finish the bottle).

Keuka Overlook is a winery/bed & breakfast with a gorgeous overlook of Keuka Lake (now if I can only figure out where they got the name). The winery is located in the old red barn across the street from the B&B with the very cramped tasting room in the basement. I was intrigued with the mulberry wine because I used to pick mulberries as a kid. Mulberry pie is one of my favorite pies, so I had to try it. I'm not a huge fan of sweet dessert wines, but this was pretty nicely balanced. It's the aftertaste that is a little odd...

Salute,
a Wine Student

p.s. Sorry folks, no label picture. I apparently washed out the bottle and removed the label before I could remember to take a picture.

Fenn Valley Vineyard Capriccio NV

2008-05-12T18:06:00.000-07:00

My darling wife made a big batch of spaghetti and meatballs for supper last night, so I descended into the cellar to select a wine to pair with the meal. After some head scratching, I spied my bottle of Fenn Valley Vineyard's Capriccio from Michigan. Yes, you read correctly, this wine was grown and produced in western Michigan along the shores of Lake Michigan.

Fenn Valley Vineyard Capriccio NV
Country of origin: USA
Region: Michigan
Appellation: Lake Michigan Shore (Southwest corner of the state)
Stats: 12.5% ABV
Cost: $12 at the winery (Michigan wineries can ship!)

Appearance: Deep purple red with nice legs, baby!
Aroma: Black cherries and hints of vanilla with a slightly tart finish.
Taste: Initial cherry with a tart raspberry finish. Good body and lingering finish. Soft and smooth tannins. This wine behaves like a good everyday Chianti. Good by itself, but even better with a tomato-based dish (such as sphagetti and meatballs).

Didn't think a good red table wine could be made from grapes grown in the cold climate of Michigan? Well, you obviously haven't read my blog in its entirety! You also need to go sample some Michigan wines. While white wines such as reisling and Gewurztraminer are definitely the stars, Michigan red wines are beginning to get notice beyond the wineries and the state as growing and vinification techniques are improving. I think we can all appreciate that Michigan's climate isn't well suited to grape varietals that require long hang times and hot temperatures to mature. Old Man Winter takes care of that! But a focus on cold-hardy varietals and hybrids is improving the outlook of red wine in Michigan. And Doug Welsh, the winemaker at Fenn Valley, is a pioneer in the Michigan winemaking world. Fenn Valley was actually the first Michigan winery I ever visited in 2001 after a few years of turning up my nose at them--yes, I was a CA wine snob when I first moved to Michigan! I credit Doug with opening my eyes to Michigan's possibilities thanks to his wines (I finally had the pleasure of meeting Doug at the 2007 Wineries Unlimited convention). If your driving north on I-196 along the shore of Lake Michigan, pull off to visit Sagatuck and then drive over the Fennville for a tasting tour of Fenn Valley Vineyards! You won't be disappointed.

Salute,
a Wine Student

2005 Can Blau Montsant

2008-05-10T04:27:00.000-07:00

Grab your suitcases and find the nearest Concord jet, we're heading east--way, way, all the way across "the pond" to Spain! I did mention this was a blog on Random Wine Trails, didn't I? I was in the mood for a dark, hearty red a couple of days ago and chose the Can Blau 2005 from my cellar to while away the evening.

Cellars Can Blau, 2005 Can Blau Montsant
Country of origin: Spain
Region: Priorato
Appellation: D.O. Montsant
Stats: A blend of syrah, garnacha (grenache), and carinena (carignan).
Cost: $19.99 (label still on bottle).

Appearance: Lovely deep, dark purple-red.
Aroma: Initial burst of bright cherries, blackberries, and plum followed by a vanilla and coconut finish.
Taste: Smooth and fruity initial burst. Good mid-palette with a lingering finish. Some minerality in the end. Soft tannins that made this wine a pleasure to drink.

The D. O. Montsant appellation (Denominations of Origin) has only been recognized since 2002, but has experienced tremendous growth with the original 28 wineries blossoming to more than 40. It is located in northeastern Spain, in the Catalonia province to the east of the city of Tarragona. An inland area, the climate is Mediterranean, but Montsant is surrounded by mountain ranges which also give it a bit of continental flavor that results in large day-night temperature variations. During the dry season, the humidity from the ocean brings much needed rain. The area is very hilly with three main soil types. The syrah in this wine was planted in chalky soils, the carinena in sandy clay, and the garnacha on llicorella slate.

For those that really pay attention to these kind of things, Robert Parker gave this wine 90 points.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Wine Country Farms 2001 Late Harvest Műller-Thurgau

2008-05-06T18:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been bouncing around the wine country lately. South America, Virginia, France, California, and Michigan... Well, let's head back to the West Coast but aim a little higher to the north and land in Yamhill Country, Oregon. Back in 2003, my wife and I took a little trip to Portland, the Oregon coast, Crater Lake, and of course the Willamette Valley wine country to celebrate our second wedding anniversary. What a fun trip--one highlight was taking an early morning hot air balloon ride across the Willamette Valley and then enjoying a champagne brunch!

But I digress, so back to the wine. This week, I've been enjoying a desert wine that we picked up on our Oregon trip as an after dinner aperitif, Wine Country Farms 2001 Late Harvest Műller-Thurgau. I really don't remember why we stopped at Wine Country Farms. I vaguely remember reading a review in Wine Spectator magazine, but I could be wrong. Perhaps we just read about it in the Yamhill County wine map brochure and were intrigued by the boast of "Voted Best Inn in Oregon's Wine Country", or it may have just been on the way to another winery and we pulled in. At the time, it was more of a B&B overlooking a vineyard that just happened to have a winery tasting room. The views across the vineyard and the valley were tremendous. This particular wine was produced and bottled for WCF by Eola Hills Wine Cellars in Rickreall, OR (near Salem), but WCF seems to have hired their own winemaker in 2006, so look for interesting things to come.

Wine Country Farms 2001 Late Harvest Műller-Thurgau
Country of origin: USA
Appellation: Williamette Valley, Oregon
Sub-appellation: Yamhill County
Cost: unsure, but the 2002 presently sells for $14 at the winery
Stats: 8% ABV, very sweet
Appearance: Dark golden yellow
Aroma: Apricots, strawberries, honey, and leechee fruit (I think). Smells almost like a mead
Taste: Apricots and raisins with a honey-sweet finish. Possibly a bit oxidized with the raisin taste, but still a good pre-bedtime finish.

Műller-Thurgau was a grape we first encountered on this trip to Oregon and have not run across since. This is a varietal created less than 125 years ago as a cross between reisling and Madeleine Royale and has been widely planted in Germany and makes up a large part of inexpensive sweet German wines like Piesporter. It was also heavily planted in the Oregon area, probably because it is an early-ripening grape suited for a slightly colder climate. M-T is known for producing fruity, but low acid wines, and most that we tasted on this trip were nice easy-drinking dry or off-dry sippers that would work well on the patio during the summer. Unfortunately, this grape has fallen out of favor because althought the vines are extremely productive, they produce mostly less interesting, flabby wines. That all being said, I wonder how the varietal would do being grown in the East or other more cold-climate states?

Salute,
a Wine Student

Leelanau Cellars Blueberry

2008-04-06T13:58:00.001-07:00

On Saturday night, I was rummaging through the cellar in search of a bottle for the evening and came across this bottle of Blueberry wine from Leelanau Cellars. I had picked this up on a spur of the moment last January at one of the Meijer stores in Ann Arbor, MI while it was on sale. My original attraction was to use it as part of my reverse engineering of commercial blueberry wines to help improve the design of my own blueberry wine recipes. That had obviously gotten side tracked by the move to Massachusetts, so I decided to pop it open and see what I thought. I had a sneaking suspicion that it was a sweet wine, so I chilled it before opening. A quick test with an Accuvin residual sugar test confirmed that it was sweet--at least 2% residual sugar.

Leelanau Cellars Blueberry
Country of origin: USA
Appellation: Michigan
Cost: $4 at Miejer in Ann Arbor, MI
Stats: 100% blueberry, 12% ABV, 2% residual sugar
Appearance: Light red, clear and transparent
Aroma: Blueberries and citrus
Taste: Weak and insipid. Light blueberry taste is overwhelmed by the cloyingly sweetness.

My wife and I each took one sip and dumped the rest down the drain. Leelanau Cellars' motto is "A Taste of Northern Michigan". One of Michigan's oldest wineries and perched about half-way up the Leelanau Penninsula north of Traverse City, they should have first hand knowledge. However, from personal experience, I can honestly say that Northern Michigan can taste a LOT better than this. Please don't judge Michigan wines in general or blueberry wines in particular by this product. Blueberry wines can be made in a wide variety of styles, but this is just too overwhelmingly sweet to appreciate any of the blueberry character.

Sadly Saluted,
a Wine Student

Justin 2004 Savant

2008-03-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

After polishing off a bottle of Rockpile Zinfandel during the aforementioned friendly gathering, I plucked my bottle of Justin 2004 Savant from the cellar as the finishing touch to the evening.

Justin 2004 Savant
Country of Origin: USA-Calfornia
Appellation: Paso Robles
Cost: Around $40 (I bought it as part of the Justin Wine Club)
Stats: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Syrah from 2 west side vineyards. The syrah was fermented in new American Oak barrels. The wine was aged in 38% new oak, 23% new American, and 15% new French barrels.
Appearance: Deep, deep purple with some lovely "legs"
Aroma: Black fruits, vanilla, toasted oak.
Taste: A complex and well-integrated wine. A balance of fruit and tannin on the tongue with good body and hints of black pepper. A long and lingering aftertaste of fruit and oak.

An excellent end to the evening. For those counting, this wine received a rating of 90 pts from Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Rockpile Winery 2004 Zinfandel Rockpile Ridge Vineyards

2008-03-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, we had some friends over for a casual evening of pizza and cards. They brought along a bottle of wine to share from their cellar. Rockpile Winery is a relatively new venture in Sonoma County, with the tasting room opening in 2004. The winery was started by the long-time grape growing Mauritson family, who initially started making wine under the Mauritson Wines label from their 260 acres scattered around the Dry Creek and Alexander Valley areas. Recently they turned their attention back to their original vineyards in the Rockpile AVA (which was declared the latest California AVA in 2002). This remote, high country growing area is noted for its proximity to Lake Sonoma and higher altitude (800-2000 ft) that keeps it above the coastal fogs that penetrate into the lower regions of the Napa and Sonoma Counties, resulting in greater sun exposure for the grapes. The Mauritsons have been farming and raising grapes in the Rockpile since 1868.

Rockpile Winery 2004 Zinfandel Rockpile Ridge Vineyards
Country of origin: USA-California, Sonoma County
Appellation: Rockpile AVA
Cost: ~$30 (based on 2005 price, but likely no longer readily available)
Appearance: Deep garnet
Aroma: Bright cherry nose with some hints of green tobacco.
Taste: Very fruit forward with hints of vanilla and oak. Smooth tannins and medium body. There was an underlying streak of green grass and other herbacious tastes, probably from too prolonged contact with the skins and seeds of slightly under-ripe grapes. Not a wine intended for long-term aging.

The overall consensus was a decent wine for casual drinking, but later vintages from this young winery have been more successful.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Chateau de Lascaux 2001 Coteaux du Languedoc

2008-03-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

Was feeling a little down this weekend due to a combination of winter blues, struggling to get over a head cold earlier this week, and facing too much work to do next week, so I asked myself, "Who are the experts on all things morose?" The French, of course! When you're wallowing, why not wallow with the experts? So I headed to the basement and picked out a bottle of French wine from my collection. I only have 4-5 red French wines, so it wasn't too much of a difficult choice. I picked this bottle because I've had it for awhile and I vaguely recalled that it was moderately priced, and I must say that it fit my mood perfectly. Homey and comforting, not overly aggressive, it was a good wine to sip while watching the Food Network and pondering the universe.

Chateau de Lascaux, 2001 Coteaux du Languedoc
Country of origin: France
Region: Coteaux du Languedoc (centered around the city Montpellier in Southern France and extending from Narbonne in the west to the edge of Camargue in the east and up to the Cévennes mountains)

Stats: A blend of syrah, grenache, and mourvedre. Ratios unknown for this vintage.
Cost: Probably around $20. I bought it at Morgan & York (formerly the Big Ten Market) in Ann Arbor, MI sometime in 2003-2005.

Appearance: Lovely deep garnet. Not overly dark.
Aroma: Complex nose of black cherries, black currant, and strawberries with a finishing note of vanilla & toasted coconut. There was a hint of chalk when I first opened the bottle, but that had disappeared by the next day.
Taste: Smooth and mild. Mellow fruit forward in the beginning and finishing with just a hint of tannins. Very nice sipper by itself, but would get overpowered by strong tasting food.

Wish I had bought more than one bottle, as this is just the wine to break the winter doldrums and get you day-dreaming about walking through the hills of Southern France.

Salute,
a Wine Student

King Family Vineyards "Michael Shaps" 2005 Monticello Viognier

2008-03-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

For Valentines Day, I ended up working from home while I oversaw some home remodeling projects. That also gave me some time to run up the street to our local seafood store and buy some local Cape Cod bay scallops for dinner. I'd like to say I had dinner on the table by the time my wife got home from work, but the truth is it took longer to make than I anticipated. But we eventually sat down to a wonderful meal of Bourbon Bacon-wrapped Scallops, asparagus spears, and sun-dried tomato risotto. To go with the meal, I chose a bottle of "Michael Shaps" 2005 Monticello Viognier from King Family Vineyards. What a delightful choice!

As you might guess from the name, this wine is from Virginia. King Family Vineyards is located just outside of Crozet, VA which is about 20 miles down the road from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Charlottesville. We stopped by the winery on the way home for the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I was trying to get to Monticello to take a tour of the estate, but we didn't arrive until 30 minutes before closing. Fortunately, there are a number of Virginia wineries in the area, so we availed ourselves of their hospitality. King Family Vineyards had been written up in a recent Wine Spectator article, so we made that our final destination. Believe me, this is a place to go to admire people with money. The winery is set on the edge of a huge horse farm and no expense was spared in its construction. Very beautiful setting. A shame it was a chilly day and we couldn't sit on the patio to admire the view while sipping a glass of wine.

"Michael Shaps" 2005 Monticello Viognier
Appealation: Monticello, Virginia
Cost: roughly $25
Appearance: Very delicate clear yellow. Almost colorless
Aroma: Apricots, pineapple, and kiwi (my wife thinks I'm dreaming about the last one, but I swear I smell kiwi)
Taste: Full bodied. Burst of apricots, pineapple, and other citrus. Very pleasing tang and minerality in the lingering finish.

Paired very well with the scallops and risotto!

Salute,
a Wine Student

Catena 2005 Malbec

2008-02-10T16:06:00.001-08:00

Third in my series of South American Malbec tastings...

This was the most expensive malbec that I could find at the store, so I bought it to round out my price range of $10-$20. Turned out this is the best one of the bunch!

Catena 2005 Malbec
Winery: Bodega Catena Zapata
Country: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
Made from grapes sourced from 4 different vineyards ranging from 2850-5000 feet altitude (now that's some high altitude!). Aged 12 months in 70% French Oak (20% new) and 30% new American Oak.
Stats: 13.5% abv, pH = 3.78, TA = 5.13 g/L

Appearance: Deep, deep purple. Essentially opaque to the eye.
Aroma: Dark cherries, blackberries, and black currants. Underlying oak and leather with some spice notes.
Taste: A very complex, but mild wine. A weave of cherry, toasted oak, leather, and chocolate with mild tannins and even some floral notes in the finish. Long lingering finish.

I think this wine actually has the acid balance to drink as a stand alone wine, not just with food.

Salute,
a Wine Student

La Posta 2006 Malbec Angel Paulucci Vineyard

2008-02-09T15:59:00.000-08:00

Continuing on my South American malbec tasting and reverse engineering experiments, the next wine on the docket is La Posta 2006 Malbec. Interestingly, this is a single vineyard wine made from grapes from the Angel Paulucci Vineyard.

La Posta 2006 Malbec Angel Paulucci Vineyard
Stats: 13.9% ABV, pH = 3.68, Total acidity = 3.96 g/L
Cost: $16.99 at Acton Wine & Spirits, Acton, MA
Region: Argentina, Mendoza Region, Ugarteche

Appearance: Deep purple, huge legs
Aroma: Big fruity nose with loads of cherries, blackberries, blueberries.
Taste: Big initial fruit burst with cherries and blackberries predominating. Very mild tannins and a smooth finish. Not much lingering after taste.

For those who like to keep score, this wine received a 90 pts rating from Wine Advocate.

I tasted the wine before and during a dinner of spaghetti & meatballs prepared by my lovely wife. The wine improved tremendously when drunk with the meal. The low acid was a good compliment to the acidic tomato sauce. This wine needs to be drunk with food. Otherwise, it's fairly forgettable. I get a kick out of the reviews that I've found online that describe this wine as "well-structured wine that is incredibly full of life". Sorry, I just don't see it. Good Italian food wine, but otherwise, pretty bland.

Salute,
a Wine Student.

I Made Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine!

2008-02-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, I received my latest copy of Vineyard & Winery Management magazine. I got a free subscription to the magazine when I attended the Wineries Unlimited 2007 convention in Valley Forge, PA last March as part of the registration fee. Part of this issue was devoted to advertising the upcoming Wineries Unlimited 2008 convention, but it was full of pictures from last year's convention. Imagine my delight when I discovered that I was included in a picture! On page 47, in the bottom right hand corner is a picture of one of the seminars, and way in the back, silhouetted against the wall, you can see me completely engrossed in the speaker while seated in a classic Thinker pose. I think this was one of the presentations on making ice wine given by a microbiology professor from University of Ontario. I did find that presentation fascinating--different glucose metabolic pathways in yeast in a high sugar environment that produce acetic acid and glycol to balance the osmotic pressures.

See, I told you it was fascinating!

Salute,
a Wine Student

Terrazaz 2006 Malbec

2008-02-07T17:58:00.001-08:00

Since I'm planning on make wine from Chilean Malbec this spring (see post), I decided to do some competitive intelligence and reverse engineering on some commercial malbecs. I went to a couple of local wine stores and purchased 3 bottles of Malbec in the $10-$25 price range. I was a little disappointed that all I could find was Argentinian Malbec (even when the shelf at the Acton Wine & Spirits was proudly labeled "Chilean Wine"). Yes, I know that's two different countries, let alone wine growing regions, but I reasoned that both regions are located in high altitude arid valleys, so the resulting wine should be similar enough for my purposes. I started opening the wines this week, and will report on each in turn.

Terrazas Malbec 2006 (Wine Spectator ranking: 88 pts)
Cost: $10.99 at Westford Liquor
Country: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
Altitude: 1067 meters (3500 ft) above sea level

Stats: 13.5% ABV, pH = 3.70, total acidity = 4.05 g/L

Appearance: Deep, dark purple--very hard to see through with nice long legs.
Aroma: Big fruity nose with loads of blackberries, cassis, and plums. There's a background smell that I'm still trying to figure out if it was toasty oak or mold.
Taste: Fruit forward with initial broad blackberry. Mellow tannins with a hint of vanilla. Ended rather abruptly with a flat finish and not much lingering after taste.

I tried the wine again the next day after it had sat for ~18 hours under a vacuvin seal and found a good improvement. The aeration brought out a little more tannin pucker, but I still missed the finish. Overall, a nice inexpensive wine, but rather forgettable. I think the addition of a little tartaric acid to give the finish a bit of a bite would go a long way in improving this wine.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Grape Pomace Good for your Smile!

2008-02-04T18:38:00.000-08:00

As if we needed another reason to like wine, it turns out that the left-over dregs after fermentation (the pomace) can yield polyphenol extracts that inhibit bacteria that cause tooth decay (see story)! Apparently, these extracts inhibited glucosyltransferases from two different bacterial strains by a whopping 85%. Bacteria in the mouth use glucosyltransferases to anchor themselves to the teeth and become resistant to toothbrushing. Even better, the research was done at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Cornell University using red grape pomace donated from wineries in the New York Finger Lakes. Cabernet Franc pomace was the best of the three varietals tried (over pinot noir and noiret). Could this be the start of a interstate anti-bacterial rivalry--"Our grape gunk is better than your grape gunk!"? Will this cause the lowly Cab Franc to be the new pinot?

Of course, we're years away from actual drug treatments derived from grape pomace, but at the moment, I can't get the picture of a dentist smearing fermented grape skins over my teeth out of my head! That would be a picture worth a thousand words!!

Salute!
a Wine Student.

Nashoba Valley Winery Visit

2008-01-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

After church today, my wife and I decided to run down to Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton, MA before we came home to watch the Patriots game this afternoon. Something I've been wanting to do ever since we moved here, but just haven't found the time yet. We left church at 11:00 and decided to see what restaurants we could find on the way to grab some lunch rather than go back home and fix lunch. Well, Bolton, MA is not exactly known for the quantity of restaurants within the city limit. We saw a grand total of two. One was a pizza joint inside of a tacky looking tourist trap just west of the I-495 interchange, and the other was J's Restaurant located on the winery grounds inside the old farm house. We opted to try J's Restaurant. The hostess informed us that they were normally booked solid, but had a little lighter traffic today because of the football game and had a free table available. Wow, what a find! The brunch spread was simply amazing: Cinnamon raisin French toast, gourmet egg strata, sausage, home fries with truffle butter, smoked trout and bluefish with capers, pork taquitos, Japanese seaweed salad, pumpkin bisque, farfalle pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and cream sauce, toasted banana bread, and three different salads including a nut salad with pecans, walnuts, macadamia, pistachios, and dried cranberries in a cinnamon caramel sauce. And then there was the cheese and dessert table! All that for $18.50 per adult.

After we were satiated, we ambled down to the winery and found a space at the tasting bar. Nashoba Valley specializes in fruit wines, especially apple. We started with the dry whites. First, a Baldwin apple wine that tasted nothing like apples--big burst of pineapple and citrus. Then a Chardonnay made from Massachusetts grown grapes--a big, full bodied, slightly buttery chard. Third, a Gravenstein apple wine with a little stronger apple taste, but still tasted almost like a sauvignon blanc. The last white wine we tasted was a dry vidal blanc. Another nicely made wine with big fruity nose that finished with a distinctly foxy taste.

Moving on to the reds, we sampled a blueberry/merlot that was quite good. A 50/50 blend of blueberry and New York merlot that was fermented separately and aged in oak before blending and bottling. Dark garnet color with very nice light berry aromas and smooth finish. Next was Chrysleton, a dry elderberry-apple wine that was an easy sipping light red. The elderberry added color and complexity to the apple wine. Almost like a róse.

We finished our tasting by sampling the dry blueberry and semi-dry blueberry wines. Good, but not my favorites. The dry blueberry was complex with strong tobacco and leather aromas and tastes. Perhaps a little too heavily oaked. The semi-dry blueberry was just lightly sweet, but had some oily notes in the finish.

All in all, a very enjoyable visit with some surprising fruit wines. All of the single varietal apple wines were almost indistinguishable from a white grape wine. I'd be interested in serving them along side a sauvignon blanc or perhaps a viognier to see difficult it would be to tell them apart. We ended up buying 5 wines to sample later, and those reviews will be posted here, so stay tuned.

The winery itself is in a wonderful location. The views across the orchards and vineyards are wonderful in mid-Winter, and I can only imagine how beautiful the views are when the trees and grass are green. They have plenty of picnic tables and space for summer picnics, as well as an outdoor space for weddings and gatherings. The tasting room is quite large, but the tasting bar is very small. The wine for sale is spread across a large area, but I can only imagine how crowded the tasting bar area gets in the middle of summer!

Salute,
a Wine Student

David Coffaro 2005 Barbera

2008-01-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

On Saturday afternoon, I finished my chores and wanted to open a bottle of wine while I watched the Patriots advance to 17-0. After a little hemming and hawing in front of the wine racks, I chose a bottle of David Coffaro 2005 Barbera. Now, a lot of people don't care for barbera as a single varietal. It is used a lot for blending, but I've really enjoyed David's Barberas. I buy these as futures, but they might still be available in stores around San Francisco and Sonoma mostly.

David Coffaro 2005 Barbera
Cost:I paid ~$13 as a future. Retail now would be around $20-25.
Stats: 75% Barbera/15% Sangiovese/10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.2% alcohol
Appelation: Sonoma County
Sub-appelation: Dry Creek Valley
Appearance: Clear, dark maroon, almost inky. Nice legs!
Aroma: Big fruit nose filled with black cherries, currants, and raisins with hints of vanilla and toasted coconut.
Taste: Smooth, fruity foretaste. Almost floral. Big pepper and spice finish with a slight tannic pucker.

I've been drinking this solo, but it would undoubtedly pair very nicely with a steak, hamburger, or tomato pasta.

Salute!
a Wine Student

Plymouth Winery & Plymouth Bay Winery Visit

2008-01-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

Earlier this fall, my wife and I took a day trip to Plymouth, MA. We spent the morning and early afternoon on the Duxbury Beach, enjoying the fall ocean breezes on a sunny, but somewhat chilly day. After lunch, the tide soon began to attempt to sweep our blankets away, so we packed up and decided to stop in Plymouth to walk around the waterfront. I must confess that I knew there were a couple of wine tasting rooms, so I gently pushed that option!

It was after Labor Day, so the crowds weren't bad. The streets were busy, but not overrun, and we easily found a parking space on Water Street. We first stopped for an ice cream cone, and then headed for the good stuff! Our first stop was the Plymouth Bay Winery, which was located at the back of a parking lot behind Isaac's Restaurant. There were 3 other couples at the tasting bar who graciously made room for us. They had only tasted two of the wines on the tasting list, so they agreed to wait for us to catch up. I don't remember the name of the server, but he was a hoot. He was semi-retired, very enthusiastic about the wines, and desperate to tell stories about the wines, the winery, and his life. So enthusiastic that he frequently forgot what he had just got done pouring, so we got a double shot of several wines! That always makes for a happy wine tasting!

Plymouth Bay Winery focuses on fruit wines like cranberry, cherry, and raspberry, as well as a white grape wine and a red wine made from Concord grapes. Most wines were off-dry to sweet, with Drydock White the only dry wine. Although I am not a sweet wine fan, I thought they were well made and balanced. The Drydock White was my overall favorite. I don't remember what grape varietals made up this blend. Vidal and Chardonnel? You'll have to visit to get the real answer. They were pouring two cranberry wines--Cranberry Bay and Cranberry Blush. The Cranberry Bay was straight cranberry finished too sweet for my taste. The Cranberry Blush was a blend of cranberry and white grape wine (vidal I think), which I thought was too light on the cranberry. The Concord grape based Colonial Red missed the spot for me, but I'm not a fan of Concord grape wine. Jam and juice, yes, but I don't like my wine tasting like grapes. My biggest complaint was the use of plastic water drinking cups instead of a wine glass.

After completing our tasting, we walked by Plymouth Rock and then wandered back up Water Street to find Plymouth Winery. Although one of the largest winery in Massachusetts (10,000 gallon production), this tasting room requires a sharp eye because it's located in in Village Landing Marketplace, an artist colony-type strip mall, with only a small sign to announce its presence. Given the warm welcome we received at Plymouth Bay, we were rather taken aback by the frosty reception upon our entrance into Plymouth Winery. Yes, it was busy with tourists, and yes, it was late afternoon, but smile for pete's sake!

Another long list of sweet fruit wines, but there were four dry offerings. The Mayflower Red is made from California Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and aged in American oak barrels. Decent, but not enough body with some off acrid tastes in the finish. I can't give you full tasting report because we quickly tired of the pushy tourists at the bar, the very small plastic pee cups, and the surly server. After a couple of tastes, we left to explore the rest of the town.

I look forward to going back to Plymouth Bay Winery to see how the new vintages taste. I will think twice about going to Plymouth Winery again. The names are confusing, especially with Plymouth Colony Winery west of town!

Salute!
a Wine Student

Lone Oak Estate Vineyards 2004 Merlot

2008-01-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

Note: This is a previous post from a different blog in order to consolidate.

9/19/2006 Last weekend, I popped open a bottle of Lone Oak Estate Vineyards 2004 Merlot. I purchased the bottle when I visited the winery in early April this year for $18.95. All estate grown grapes from the wineries' vineyards just east of Jackson, MI. Deep red color, with some nice legs. Hints of tobacco and spice in the nose. Notes of pepper, bright cherry and cranberry flavors on the tongue. A little tart and tannic, this wine should age nicely for a few years (thank goodness I bought another bottle a few weeks ago!). Interestingly, the bottle I opened was not completely degassed as my Vacuvin pulled quite a bubble head.

I drank about 1/3 of the bottle on Friday night, about another 1/3 on Saturday, and finished the bottle of Sunday. The wine definitely improved with a little oxygenation after opening. The tannic taste had mellowed a bit by the second tasting.

Regards,
a Wine Student

Cherry Creek Wine Cellars Visit

2008-01-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

Note: This is a copied post from a previous blog in a consolidation attempt.

10/10/2006 This weekend, my wife participated in the Reeds Lake Triatholon in Grand Rapids. My reward for going along and being her sherpa during the event (and the rain) was to be able to stop at some wineries on the way home. In the end, the only winery we visited was Cherry Creek Cellars at exit 127 on I-94 west of Parma. A word of advice: do not get confused and turn into the first paved driveway after exiting the freeway, you'll end up pulling into the parking lot for a new adult entertainment establishment. Since this isn't that kind of blog, we beat a quick retreat and found the correct gravel driveway. The winery/tasting room is housed in a smallish metal shed nestled in the midst of several vineyards. A two-year old vineyard of chardonnay beckons as you walk around the side of the building towards the tasting room door, which is framed by a trellis covered with some red grape vines bearing bunches of ripening grape clusters. Inside, the nicely furnished tasting room is on the small side. The tasting bar curves along the side of the room and will comfortably allow 6 people to belly up for some tastin'. I say 6 because while two other couples came in while we were tasting. While everyone still had some elbow room, I was glad that we were in the middle of a purchase when a 3rd couple walked in--eight would have begun to be crowded. The young guy behind the bar looked way too young to serve wine, but he was very knowledgable about the wines and how the winery operated. Did not catch his name, but he was a very pleasant server. A second bonus was that a lot of winery equipment was scattered around the back of the building, since harvest and crush season is rapidly approaching, so I got to salivate over a big rotary bladder press.

We enjoyed the visit, especially their dry red wines. The 2002 Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, and Enigma (100% cabernet sauvignon) were quite good. The Cabernet Franc and Enigma were surprisingly dark, lucious flavor bombs made from 100% MI grapes. Very reminiscent of CA cabs instead of the weaker MI cabs that I've experienced before. Made in the French style with all three spending time in 100% French oak.

I was not quite as impressed with the whites--more vegetable and barnyard flavors. There were also a number of semi-sweet grape and fruit wines. The apple was rather good, but the cherry and cranberry were far too sweet for our tastes.

I'd recommend visiting Cherry Creek Cellars. For those not traveling along I-94, they have a second tasting room in Cement City near the Irish Hills area and the Michigan International Speedway. The Parma site is the mothership, started 4 years ago when the winery was founded. Due to the increased tourism traffic near Cement City, that site brings in more income, but the wine is made at the Parma site. While they wait for their grapevine plantings to mature, they source their grapes and juice from other Michigan vineyards. I've got to make another trip when the winemaker is around to be able to pick his brain. He definitely knows how to make good reds from MI grapes (the recent accolades at the MI Wine Festival bear this out). This is a winery that has bears keeping an eye on in the future.

Regards,
a Wine Student

Lone Oaks Estate Vineyards Michigan Chardonnay

2008-01-13T14:13:00.001-08:00

Note: This is a copied post from a different blog in an attempt to consolidate.

8/28/2006 Last night, I opened a bottle of Lone Oak Estate Vineyards Michigan Chardonnay to have with dinner (Lone Oak website). A very pleasant, dry chardonnay that paired nicely with BBQ turkey burgers, coleslaw, and corn-on-the-cob. A very light yellow color, the wine exhibits delicate floral, melon, and apricot aromas with just a hint of sugar in the nose. Unoaked, it has a slight tang on the tip of the tongue and a slight buttery feel as it moves towards the back of the throat. Not a strong taste, just some herbaceous green notes. Thankfully, none of the overwhelming butter and oak that I’ve come to dread in a chardonnay. The wine tasted much better when drunk cold. As it warmed up in my glass, I began to get a bit of a barnyard aroma in the nose. Attractively priced at $12.95, this is a decent wine for a hot summer day.

I believe the wine was made from estate grown grapes, although I would have expected a vintage label on the bottle. Since it was a non-vintage label, that may mean this is a blend of more than one vintages or blended with a vintage from another winery.

The bottle was purchased in early May 2006 at the winery and was stored in my basement wine cellar since then. Best place to find the wine is at the winery, but the Cork 'n Cap in Jackson carries Lone Oak wines. If others know of off-winery places to purchase Lone Oak wines, please let me know.

Note added 1/14/07: Lone Oak has made excellent progress in self distributing their wines around Michigan. See their website for the extensive list.

Justin 2003 Obtuse

2008-01-07T17:10:00.000-08:00

What is the essence of college football except watching the BCS National Championship game and sipping a glass of port?

Jeez, how pretentious am I? Usually, I'm swilling a beer while I'm watching football (serious, I'm being truthful), but I opened my bottle of Justin 2003 Obtuse last night to mourn the end of the weekend and didn't feel like breaking into anything else tonight.

Anyway...

Justin Vineyards & Winery is a growing commercial enterprise in the Paso Robles region of California (www.justinwine.com). My wife and I visited there about 3 years ago. Given it's location (15 miles west of Highway 101 at the end of some winding country roads) outside of Paso Robles, you'd expect a rather sleepy little country winery. But these folks have some serious marketing strength and have build a fairly large company. I'm a big fan of their cabernet sauvignons and was a member of their Wine Society for a few years until moving to Massachusetts. I've built up a small library of wines that aren't readily available in wine stores, so I certainly relish them when I open a bottle.

Justin 2003 Obtuse
Stats: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% alcohol
Price: $75
Appellation: Paso Robles, CA
Appearance: Dark ruby purple
Aroma: Dark cherries and dried currants.
Taste: Surprisingly subtle. Dark cherries & currants on the foretaste without the high alcohol taste of a typical port wine. Gentle on the palate with smooth tannins. Silky, lingering aftertaste. A port that lets the fruit shine without overpowering alcohol.

Salute,
a Wine Student

Atteca Old Vines 2005

2008-01-05T13:40:00.000-08:00

Since moving to the East Coast, I've decided to purposefully explore more of the European wines that are more common in wine stores around Boston. Having gotten my wine tasting start in California and the Midwest, I'm more versed in California and other West Coast wines, plus the usual Australian, Chilean, and New Zealand wines. I will admit that the language barrier is a definite bias--if I can't read the label, I really don't know what I'm buying. Add in my natural dislike of gambling, and it's difficult for me to take a $20-30 bet on an unknown wine. However, with a little help of my local wine guys, I'm going to explore more European wines!

That being said, this wine is from my cellar. It was given to me as a going away present this fall prior to our move, so I don't know the cost. A little Googling indicates you can find this wine for $14-18 around the country.

Atteca Old Vines 2005
Stats: 100% Garnacha from vineyards 3000 feet above sea level, 14.5% alcohol
Winery: Bodegas Ateca
Country: Spain
Region: Aragón
Appealation: Calatayud (~230 km northeast of Madrid) The satellite photos look fairly mountainous with a lot of farms in the valleys (what would we do without Google Earth?).

Appearance: Deep purple, clear
Nose: Alcohol burst with big blackberry jam aromas, almost like a fruit brandy. There's some underlying smokiness and oak.
Taste: Very fruity with lots of blackberries, dark cherries, and currants. Hint of leather and chocolate in the background. Mellow tannins. Initially smooth with a long finish, the high alcohol leaves a definite dry, pucker taste in the roof of your mouth.

My recommendation: don't stop drinking it! Just keep slurping away and you'll only hit that dry, pucker mouth once! Jokes aside, the high alcohol does make me think twice about taking another sip while I'm drinking this wine. I'm not a big fan of the current high alcohol, big fruit taste fad that's common in California wineries. At almost 15% alcohol, we just about in fortified wine land. This would seem to be an example of an Old World winery trying to produce a wine that appeals to New World wine tastes. Do they really think we're that simple?

I am intrigued by the picture on the label. Is that supposed to be bamboo leaves or wheat stalks? No bamboo that I know of in northeastern Spain, so that's probably not it. Wheat stalks may be the ticket, although perhaps it's firework trails captured in an open exposure format. My picture doesn't do it justice, so make sure you pick up a bottle at your local wine store and decide for yourself.

Salute!
a Wine Student

Blacksmiths Sparkling Maine Cranberry

2008-01-01T09:34:00.000-08:00

I seem to be on a fruit wine kick at the moment. Of course, that may helped by the fact that it was New Year's Eve and I didn't have any other champagne in the cellar! My wife and I enjoyed this wine over a meal of Shrimp & Vegetables Stir-fry and home-made egg rolls while awaiting the beginning of 2008.

Blacksmiths Sparkling Maine Cranberry
www.blacksmithswinery.com
MSRP: $15
A blend of 75% cranberry & 25% Vidal Blanc
9.5% Alcohol by volume
Color: Light orange-pink
Aroma: Initial burst of cranberries and citrus with a floral finish
Taste: Sweet cranberry with a nice medium body and lingering finish. Nice balance of acid and sugar for a nice sippin' bubbly. Not overly effervescent.

Due to current Maine law, Blacksmiths is unable to sell or ship outside of Maine. However, their wines can be purchased at the winery and a number of retail shops and restaurants around the state. I purchased this wine at Big Jack's in Boothbay Harbor, ME for $16.99.

In the fall of 2006, my wife and I visited Blacksmiths Winery in South Casco during an anniversary trip to Maine & New Hampshire. I'm not going to try to remember all the details, but they make a variety of wines from local Maine fruit and grapes from New York and Washington state. I particularly liked their Columbia Valley Lemberger, but I drank that bottle a long time ago! Now that we're living in New England, we'll have to make a trip back to Blacksmiths for another visit.

Salute!

A Wine Student

Bartlett Wild Blueberry Wine Oak Dry

2007-12-30T15:01:00.000-08:00

It's been a lazy Sunday afternoon, and I opened this bottle to pass the time while I was working on the computer. I first encountered this interesting dry blueberry wine while my wife and I were on our first anniversary trip in Boothbay Harbor, ME. We drank this wine while sitting on the balcony of the Anchor Watch B&B overlooking the harbor (Ah, the memories!). I picked up another bottle this fall ($19.99 at Big Jack's Cigars & Wines in Boothbay Harbor).

I was fascinated the first time by the wine because Bartlett Maine Estate Winery (www.bartlettwinery.com) only makes fruit wines since the Maine winters are not exactly kind to tender grapevines. Usually when one hears fruit wine, one expects a sweet wine that tastes and smells just like the fruit on the label. However, this is not your typical overly sweet commercial fruit wine. Bob & Kathe Bartlett have produced a very different wine from wild Maine low-bush blueberries that is reminescient of a fruity merlot.

Stats: 11.5% alcohol, dry
Color: Dark Ruby Garnet
Nose: Hints of vanilla & oak, greeted by the aroma of cherries & blackberries with a bright citric background. Maybe a touch of an overdose of sulfur dioxide in the finish.
Taste: Fruit forward bursts of blueberry, blackberry, and currant. Medium body with a nice finish. Hints of chocolate and leather in the after taste. Nice balance of fresh acidity and body.

This wine proves how versatile blueberries are in winemaking. Very interesting how the lowly blueberry brings forth hints of other fruits during the fermentation. This nice dry medium bodied wine should pair well with a variety of robust foods. The winemakers suggest pairing with lamb, venison, and turkey. I will concur with the turkey. We had some left over turkey from Christmas dinner that I tried with the wine. Very nice! The fresh acidity bit through the greasy and provided a nice counterpoint with the both dark and white meat. Move over Pinot Noir, I may start drinking Blueberry wine at Thanksgiving!

Unfortunately, this and other Bartlett wines are only available within the state of Maine. I've not been to the winery located east of Ellsworth in Gouldsboro, ME just off Route 1, but certainly plan on visiting this spring when we make the trek to Arcadia National Park. Bartlett's produces a variety of other fruit wines from apples, pears, blackberries, and raspberries ranging from dry to sweet. This should be a visit to look forward to!

Salute!
a Wine Student

Anne Amie 2001 Doe Ridge Vineyards Pinot Noir

2007-12-26T14:55:00.000-08:00

To accompany my wife's wonderful Christmas dinner, I chose a bottle of Anne Amie 2001 Doe Ridge Vineyards Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir from Oregon's Willamette Valley is a personal favorite, and Anne Amie (formerly Chateau Benoit) was a delightful find during a tasting trip to Oregon in 2002. The winery is located in the Yamhill-Carlton District and specializes in Pinot Noir from sustainably farmed vineyards (www.anneamie.com).

I was a little concerned when I opened the bottle because the cork was stained to about the half-way point, indicating possible air infiltration and oxidation. In deed, I believe that was partially the case, because this was not the bright, fruit forward Pinot that I've come to expect from Anne Amie. Instead, this wine was one big complex sucka. Outright oxidation was minimal since the color was still an intense dark burgundy. Initially the nose and palate were filled with lots of leather and tobacco notes. After a little aeration, those notes submerged beneath complex fruit and oak flavors--cherry, mulberry, vanilla, blackberry to name just a few. In fact, the wine is at its prime the next day (vacuum sealed overnight) while I'm writing this post! The wine's complexity helped it stand up to the varied tastes of the meal. It didn't shine through on its own, but was a very good background partner to the turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and sweet potatoes.

Unfortunately, this wine is presumably not widely available any more. I purchased it several years ago as part of my Anne Amie Wine Club membership (retail price at the time was in the $40-50 range). If you have it in your collection, enjoy it with a good meal.

Salute!
A Wine Student

Random Wine Trails

2007-12-26T14:33:00.000-08:00

I'm starting this blog to provide a place to jot my thoughts on wines from around the world that I've tasted, as well as notes on my random wine travels. My wine cellar contains wine from around the United States--California, Oregon, Michigan, New York, and Virginia, as well as around the world--France, Chile, Argentina, Australia, Italy, and Spain. All reviews are based on my personal senses, and will not be swayed by any other source of information or opinion. Bribes will be politely declined, although I fully support the giving of educational stipends and travel funds!

Come along for the ride and enjoy my gastronomic journey!

Salute!