2008 Dunning Vineyards Vin de Casa

We got our bi-annual shipment of Dunning Vineyards about two weeks ago. Amazing enough, I was able to keep my hands off it until last night when I opened the 2008 Dunning Vineyards Vin de Casa, Paso Robles. This is their entry-level blend of 45% Cabernet Franc, 35% Zinfandel and 20% Syrah. You may recall that I posted a note on this wine back in May. Last night's experience was pretty similar with the nose of dusty cherries, licorice, vanilla and alcohol. Six months ago, the herbaceous element to the wine was pretty much limited to the finish. But last night, there was a distinct note of bay leaf on the palate. I can only assume this is the Cabernet Franc's way of asserting itself now that the wine has been in bottle for a little over a year now. The wine seems to have picked up a bit of weight, too, as it is considerably more tannic and acidic than I remember. A big, serious wine for about $25.

Foodwise, it probably needs something more substantial than last night's homemade pizza. It could easily stand up to a big steak.

2009 Corvidae "Crowe" White Blend

Really enjoyed the 2009 Corvidae Crowe White Wine Blend, Columbia Valley this evening with leftover pork tenderloin that I turned into ersatz fajitas. This bone dry blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Muscat is light and charming with notes of white flowers, grass and tropical fruit on the nose and palate and a nice bit of bitter orange (undoubtedly from the Muscat) on the finish. Nothing at all to complain about here for $10. Bravo!

2007 Ave Gran Riserva Malbec

I drink a lot of Argentinian Malbec because I really like the flavor profile as well as the fact that you can get outstanding examples all day long for $15-25. But I don't think I've yet had one like the 2007 Ave Gran Riserva Malbec, Mendoza. The first thing you notice is the color which is much darker than most Malbecs. The nose is freakishly extracted with espresso, mocha, citrus oil and cherry cough syrup. The palate follows through with more of the cherry cough syrup and citrus flavors. The tannins are fierce and the acid is off the charts. Finish is a bit clipped. Hides the 14.2% alcohol pretty well.

To be honest, the acidity makes it pretty hard to enjoy without food. And it even managed to completely overpower tonight's pork tenderloin (grilled over apple and hickory) with chimichurri sauce. Not for the faint of heart. You'll definitely want to open this one with a well-marbled ribeye or KC strip. About $24.

2009 Joel Gott Riesling, 2007 Linne Calodo Problem Child

We had a great day at the farm today. We broke in the new pressure washer cleaning out the chicken coop and then took all the decomposing, er, stuff out of out plastic rotary compost bin and transferred it to a larger wooden bin that we can add to freely. By next spring we should have plenty of nitrogen-enriched mulch to add to the organic garden.

After a long day's work I threw a rack of ribs on the smoker and waited for the smoke and low heat to work their magic. While we were waiting (and discussing future plans for sheep) we downed a bottle of 2009 Joel Gott Riesling, Columbia Valley. Better than I expected, this pale wine with green highlights shows a lot of green apple and yeasty aromas and flavors. Reminds me of a very nice Champagne; albeit without the bubbles. Nice acidity and just a hint of sweetness. Quite a good wine for about $10.

The ribs were just amazing. I rubbed them down with a pretty aggressive home made seasoning mix and then smoked them over a combination of apple and hickory wood. I go about 3 hours on my ribs as I like them to maintain a bit of texture. To me, if a rib "falls off the bone" its a bit overcooked.



The wine we opened was the 2007 Linne Calodo Problem Child, Paso Robles. Before I talk about the wine a bit of background about our experience at the winery. We visited there about 18 months ago as a part of our trip to Carmel and Paso Robles. The wines at Linne Calodo were by far the most expensive we encountered while we were there and the woman at the tasting room bar was far from friendly. And I think this was the only winery we visited that didn't waive the tasting fee even after we purchased 2 bottles of wine. In other words, this wasn't exactly a model of customer service. But damn the wines were good. I guess if your wines are that good and that in demand you can afford to cut corners?

Anyway, the Problem Child is a blend of 72% Zinfandel, 16% Syrah and 12% Mourvedre. Far from complex, the wine shows an uncanny aroma and flavor of pomegranate syrup. Unbelievably thick on the palate with outstanding acid and tannin. Quite the one-trick pony, but it's the equivalent of your pony reciting the Declaration of Independence. At $50, I'm not sure I'd buy another bottle, but I'm glad I bought the one I did. A great wine to enjoy with smoked ribs or any other form of BBQ.

2008 Enkidu Rosso Fazekas

If the last two wines have been disappointing, tonight's wine more than made up for it. I was very impressed with the 2008 Enkidu Rosso Fazekas E, Napa Valley. The wine is a complex blend of 86% Sangiovese and 7% each of Syrah and Petit Sirah. All of the beautiful, bitter cherry, licorice, dust and almond extract I look for in a good Sangiovese with a spice component which, no doubt, comes from the Syrah and Petit Sirah. Considerably more tannic than I thought it would be. It should go without saying that the acidity is off the charts. Whiff of vanilla from the French oak, but the oak is definitely relegated to a supporting role. Think of it as a Super Tuscan with an injection of Napa Valley fruit.

Sublime paired with grilled Italian sausage tossed with penne pasta and a quick tomato cream sauce.

2008 Permutations Pinot Noir

I've never been a fan of Pinot Noir from Down Under; Australia or New Zealand. I've always found them to be too lean, tart and under-ripe for my California-centric palate. And the 2008 R Wines Permutations Pinot Noir, Victoria does little to change my impression. The color is rather transparent as I would expect a Pinot Noir at this price point to be. But I won't hold that against it. The nose is redolent of herbs and tart cranberry fruit. Rather lean and taut on the palate with herbal, tart fruit influence. Firmly acidic - I suppose this might show better paired with something like an herb-crusted pork tenderloin. Bit of buttery oak on the finish.

I'm not in the habit of saving wines for day two, but I had a bit of this left over from last night. After 24 hours or so, it seems to have picked up a bit of weight and sweetness, but not enough to make me want to recommend it to anyone I like. About $11.

2004 Finca Museum Crianza

My sister-in-law makes the most terrific coconut cake you'd ever want to put in your mouth. It's moist and delicious and oh-so-coconutty. Unfortunately, that's the exact same impression I get from the 2004 Finca Museum Crianza, Cigales. The American oak is so powerful on this wine that it all but obliterates anything else that might be lurking in the bottle. Just tons of coconut and dill on the nose and palate. There's a little bit of dark cherry and leather, two things I look for in Tempranillo-based wines, on the palate but it's just beat to death with the oak. Nice color and all. Quite dry. But the oak is something I just can't get past in this one. Long, long coconut finish - I'll bet you can guess where that comes from. Might appeal to fans of Silver Joke, er Silver Oak.

Loring Wine Company/Charity auction

I volunteered a few hours of my time this evening to pour wine at a charity event benefiting the Crittenton Children's Center. It was great to see so many people out enjoying food and wine for such a good cause. I had the distinct pleasure of pouring two wines generously donated by Brian Loring.

For the last 15 years or so, Loring's attention has been focused on one grape: Pinot Noir. But for the 2009 vintage, Brian Loring has released his first Chardonnay. And as far as I know, I was pouring tonight's wine from the first case of his Chardonnay to make it into the state of Kansas. And, oh my, what a Chardonnay it is! The 2009 Loring Wine Company Sierra Mar Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands shows a deep golden color and an unctuous viscosity in the glass. Loring's Chardonnay is unapologetically fat and rich with notes of butter, fresh-baked brioche, vanilla, toast and baked apple. Yet there is plenty of acid and minerality to keep the wine fresh and lively. I don't typically drink a lot of Chardonnay, but I highly recommend this for fans of the style or those of us who occasionally want a "guilty pleasure" to enjoy with a rich seafood dish. I cannot begin to tell you how many people were asking me about the availability of this in the Kansas market or what the approximate retail price would be. I certainly hope to see locally, but only time will tell.

The red wine I was pouring was the 2008 Loring Wine Company Russell Family Vineyard Pinot Noir, Paso Robles. I as reminded throughout the evening that this was a crowd favorite. Paso Robles is more known for its Zinfandels and Rhone-style grapes and this wine is true to that spicy heritage. The inky black wine fills the glass with aromas and flavors of blackberry, dark cherry, mocha and black pepper. I can't recall ever picking up this much pepper in a glass of Pinot Noir. I f tasted blind, I would've probably guessed this was a medium-bodied Zinfandel. Wonderfully structured with fine tannins and acidity complementing the in your face fruit and a finish that just doesn't quit. Once again, I do not know how much of this limited production wine (only 300 cases produced) will ultimately reach the Kansas City market. But I will keep my eyes open for it and pounce on a couple of bottles if I see any.

I was partnered at my table with some old friends from A Wine Flights Bar and Bistro. They were serving bite-sized portions of their wonderful Bistecca Porcini appetizer - seared filet mignon on a nugget of porcini mushroom with blue cheese and a reduction of port wine and dried cherries. A delicious appetizer that I fondly remember helping create back when I was a bartender there. It was particularly nice with the cherry and spice notes of the Pinot Noir.

Thanks to everyone who donated their time, resources and/or organizational skills to make this such a wonderful evening!

2005 Stoller Chardonnay

With the better part of a pound of crimini mushrooms languishing the refrigerator, I knew a mushroom cream sauce was destined to bless our roasted chicken tonight. And while this is usually a Pinot Noir meal for me, tonight I decided to go with a full-bodied white. The 2005 Stoller Chardonnay, Dundee Hills is starting to show its age. But despite the advanced golden color, it still has plenty of life in it. The nose is quite complex with heady aromas of butterscotch, overripe apple, caramel and a hint of burnt matchstick. I'm really loving the palate with its earthy-mushroom, borderline truffle flavors and toasty French oak. No surprise that the flavors marry perfectly with the mushroom cream sauce. Like most good whites, it gets better and better as it approaches room temperature. About $25.

2005 Eaglepoint Ranch Petite Sirah

This is my third or fourth bottle of this particular wine. I figured it would be nice with grilled Italian sausage and ratatouille. As expected, the 2005 Eaglepoint Ranch Petite Sirah, Mendocino County has a saturated color and tons of sediment. The nose and palate are quite similar; both showing copious amounts of rustic, briery blackberry fruit and dusty tannins. I suppose the tannins and acidity will preserve this wine for a good decade or so, but I prefer to drink it now while it still has all of that deep black fruit.

I usually drink this wine from the Riedel Shiraz glass; the glass Riedel recommends for new world renditions of Rhone grapes. But tonight I grabbed a Riedel Pinot Noir glass instead. This is the glass they recommend for old world Rhone wines. For some reason, the Pinot glass seems to bring out the Bourbon character of the American oak the wine was aged in. I don't get any of that from the Shiraz glass. That being said, I think the Bourbon aromas (something I generally despise) adds a little something extra to this oh-so-rustic wine.

Sadly, there is no more of this to be had as winemaker Casey Hartlip has ceased wine production and now sells off all of his grapes to other wineries. Perhaps the delicious fruit from this wine will someday end up in a Petite Sirah from the likes of JC Cellars, Sean Thackery or Girard.

2008 Cline Mourvedre

The teachers were gracious enough to leave us just enough pork for dinner. So I wanted to open something pretty bold and fruity to go with the smoky meat. I had completely forgotten that I had bought this a few weeks ago, so I was pleasantly surprised to find the 2008 Cline Ancient Vines Mourvedre, Contra Costa County hiding in the cellar. I've seen darker Mourvedres, but at this price point, I'm not a complainer. All of the beautiful, classic Mourvedre aromas of plum, chocolate and leather with a solid whiff of alcohol (14.5%). Sweet-tart plum on the palate with surprisingly assertive acidity and tannins. Finishes with a distinct note of hickory smoke. To its credit, the wine shows no trace of dill or Bourbon from the heavy toast 100% American oak (25% new). I would definitely buy this again. Fairly priced at just under $15.