2007 Feraud-Brunel Cotes du Rhone Villages

The 2007 Feraud-Brunel Cotes du Rhone Villages is another one of those traditional, old school French wines that you don't want to drink on its own, but really kicks ass with the right meal. The brainchild of Laurence Feraud (Domaine du Pegau) and André Brunel (Les Cailloux), this blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah has an impeccable pedigree. On the nose and palate, I find it heavy on the earth, poopy diaper and graphite but nearly devoid of fruit. (I don't get any of the fruit that Parker and Wine Spectator gush about in the reviews I read when doing a little background research on this property.) Stout tannins and a long, bitter, matchstick finish may preserve the wine for a few years, but I would recommend drinking this now with the appropriate food.

And by "appropriate food" I'm referring to tonight's meal of horseradish-encrusted venison tenderloin with a sweet potato/Brussels sprout hash. Oh, my, what an inspired pairing! The gaminess of the venison really balanced the earthiness of the wine and the heat of the horseradish helped coax out a bit of pepper from the wine.

Not sure if this wine is distributed in Kansas or not as I purchased it from a clearance bin in a St. Louis grocery store last month for about $9. I had a bottle (from someone else's stash) at the time and tonight's notes are consistent with the initial tasting.

2005 Laurel Glen Counterpoint

I was assaulted by a corked bottle of 2005 Laurel Glen Counterpoint Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Mountain a few nights ago. Thankfully, tonight's bottle was taint-free and firing on all cylinders. Deep maroon color is just the first indication of this wine's old school roots. Layers of cedar, dried currant, licorice and a pleasant hint of bell pepper tantalize the nose while the palate displays ferocious tannin, licorice, dried fruit and a fine minerality. I know winemaker Patrick Campbell assembled the Counterpoint wines from lots that he felt were more fruit-forward and not quite up to the tannic structure of the Laurel Glen designation. If this wine is the softer, more fruit-forward of his 2005 selections, the 2005 Laurel Glen Cabernet must be a truly frightening experience! I have no doubt this wine could gracefully age for another decade or so. A great pick up at $21 and a nice accompaniment to leftover tri-tip with chimichurri sauce.

I'm no expert on Laurel Glen, but I have had a couple of Laurel Glen and Counterpoint Cabernets over the years; most from the early-mid 90s. I have to say that I was kind of saddened to read that Campbell has recently sold his winery and it is undergoing a transition to an organic/biodynamic project under the direction of Phil Coturri. I've had a couple of his Zinfandels and I've found each of them to be muddy, unbalanced and reeking of stewed fruit. I really really hope that isn't the fate of this once-great label. I think I'll hedge my bet by picking up a few more of these '05 Counterpoints.

Corked wine and Uncork Kansas

I was very excited to try the 2005 Laurel Glen Counterpoint Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Mountain with last night's tri-tip. Unfortunately, it was corked. Truly a shame as I could tell there was a lot of gorgeous cedar, licorice and currant in there. But the moldy "wet cardboard" just couldn't be ignored. I guess I'll pick up another and hope for better results.

What are your experiences with corked wines? Do you come across them with any great frequency? I'm pretty sensitive to TCA and I've turned down a lot of wines that I've seen others enjoying. But I still encounter way too many bottles like this. Last time I read anyting on this, industry estimates put the number of TCA-affected bottles at 3-5%. I think that's completely unacceptable. Can you imagine breweries releasing 3-5% of their beer without any carbonation? Would the beer-drinking public just take it in stride? How about 3-5% of all beef coming from the butcher spoiled? 3-5% moldy cheese? Seriously, what kind of industry can accept a 3-5% failure rate of its product?

Say what you want about artificial closures potentially affecting agability, but I'm 100% behind any closure that guarantees a TCA-free drinking experience. Screw cap, glass plug, zork, plastic cork - you name it. I never have to worry about wet cardboard showing up with a wine under one of these closures.

Switching gears to something much more exciting than the aroma of wet cardboard, I'd like to encourage all of my readers in Kansas to sign the Uncork Kansas petition. For the first time in forever, there's a realistic chance that the Kansas legislature could vote to get rid of some of the Puritanical laws handcuffing Kansas wine retailers. For example:

• It is currently illegal for Kansas grocery stores and convenience stores to sell beer or wine coolers (are those things still around?) with more than 3.2% alcohol. For comparison, most beer sold in liquor stores contains 5-6% alcohol. If a brewery doesn't want to brew a special, low-alcohol batch, then it can't sell in Kansas grocery and convenience stores. This law applies to stores like Costco and World Market, too, who cannot sell anything other than 3.2 beer in their stores in Kansas.

• Right now it is illegal to sell mixers, corkscrews, gift bags or any other non-alcoholic item alongside beer, wine or liquor in a package store. You can sell it, but it has to be rung up on a separate cash register in a separate room with a lockable door on the premises. If you come into my store to buy a bottle of wine as a gift, I have to ring up the wine on one register and then walk next door to our "party shop" and ring up the gift bag separately. Same goes for a bottle of gin and a bottle of tonic water at a Kansas liquor store. Do any other states have such a requirement?

• Right now it is illegal for any retailer to sell or give away samples of an alcoholic beverage to any customer on the premises. So no sampling of the goods in Kansas retail stores. It's even technically illegal for distributor reps, winemakers or importers to pour samples for employees of the retail store! This happens, of course, but it always takes place in hushed tones behind a locked office door.

The way I see it, the only parties truly benefitting from these Draconian laws are the alcohol retailers that line the street on the Missouri side of the Kansas/Missouri state line. Missouri retailers can pour whatever samples they want and their grocery stores can sell beer, liquor and wine as they see fit.

So if you live in Kansas and have any interest in bringing our laws up to 21st century standards, I encourage you to sign the petition. Hell, even if you don't live in Kansas go ahead and sign it just to help your friendly wine blogger out. (When I signed the petition it didn't ask me where I live.)

2009 Turnbull "Old Bull"

Tonight's wine of choice with home made pizza was the 2009 Turnbull Wine Cellars Old Bull, Napa Valley. This blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Syrah, 22% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc has an amazingly dark purple color that one would expect from a top notch Cabernet/Syrah blend. The nose is a beautiful melange of blackberry, licorice, vanilla, smoky French oak and roasted coffee bean. Just scrumptious. Juicy blackberry and coffee dominate the hugely tannic palate that could probably benefit from a few years in the cellar or a few hours in a decanter. Long, tannic, bitter chocolate finish. The stated 14.1% alcohol is hardly noticeable. I'm really really digging this! A great value at $22.




The pizza offerings tonight were as follows:

Duck confit (from our farm-raised duck), caramelized shallots and truffle oil

Creamed spinach

Italian sausage with roasted yellow and orange bell peppers.

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention a special connection I have to Turnbull Cellars. Back in the early 90s when I was just dating my future wife, I was invited to dinner at her father's house. That evening he made osso bucco and served this wine novice the 1986 Johnson Turnbull (as it was known then) Cabernet Sauvignon and 1986 Chateau Lynch Bages. An unbelievable cellar pull for a dinner guest who knew practically nothing about wine at the time. Although my memory of that wine has long faded, I'll never forget the bottle. And I'll always be indebted to my father-in-law for opening bottles like that for a kid who had previously thought Sutter Home White Zinfandel was "fine wine."

2007 Kiralyudvar Furmint Sec...re-Ducks...

So I'm channel surfing last week and I come across this old, horrible Food Network show called "Melting Pot" featuring pre-Iron Chef Michael Symon and Wayne Harley Somethingorother and Symon is cooking duck. My ears perk up further when he mentions it's a duck breast in a Hungarian-style paprika/orange sauce. Hmmm....Hungary...citrus...duck...my mind immediately drifts to the 2007 Kiralyudvar Furmint Sec, Tokaji I was eerily fascinated by about 6 months ago and I figure this is the perfect dish to pair with another bottle. (Yeah, I know I said I probably didn't need another bottle, but what the hell?) Besides, I still had two whole ducks in the freezer from last fall's, um, harvesting of excess farm animals.

The wine hasn't really changed much at all since the last time I had it. It still shows a pretty advanced, deep golden color and the nose is loaded with oxidative aromas. If you work through the oxidation, layers of butterscotch, mushroom and overripe apricot and citrus fruits emerge. I'm not generally a fan of wines with oxidized qualities but for some reason it kind of works with this one. The palate is, once again, thick and oily with overripe fruit, refreshing acidity and just a hint of sweetness.Still a real oddball of a wine that tastes like a dessert wine that went horribly wrong and fermented itself (almost) dry.

And that brings me back to the food. How was it? Well, it was okay. I loved the duck/paprika/orange aspect to it but the endive really threw me for a loop. It was quite bitter, texturally odd and the wilted endive on top of the sliced duck breast just looked horrible. If I did this again (which I probably won't) I would omit the endive all together. But I thought it was another wonderful pairing with the wine; both flavor-wise and texturally. The wine had plenty of body to stand up to farm-raised duck and, of course, the citrus aromas and flavors in the wine were perfect with all the orange in the sauce. Overall, I'd say this was an even better pairing than the salmon I drank it with last time. I was really happy with the duck itself considering neither duck was a breed known for its meat. But it was plump, moist and full of clean flavors.

2010 Garnet Chardonnay

Had a wonderful dinner tonight featuring the 2010 Garnet Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast. The wine is a beautiful rendition of a nicely balanced California Chardonnay. There's some lemon peel, pear and smoke on the nose. Bit of butter in there, too, but it's relegated to a supporting role. Love the palate with its creamy flavors, exotic nutmeg and Asian spice notes and zippy acidity. But the real star here is the unctuous, oily texture that really coats the mouth and lingers. Really over-delivers for a wine of such modest pedigree and price. About $15.

Beautifully-grilled salmon filet rubbed with a homemade lemon pepper seasoning and topped with a lemon-basil compound butter. It was accompanied by pecan wild rice made with a decadent fresh duck stock. Oh, yum!

2008 Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

I've enjoyed previous vintages of this wine which, sadly, isn't available in Kansas. So I jumped on a few bottles I saw in a grocery store in St. Louis last month. While not quite the "fruit bomb" I remembered, it's still uncommonly rich and fleshy for a $15 Italian wine. The 2008 Cantina Zaccagnini il vino "dal tralcetto", Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC is about as dark as anything you'll see coming out Italy; save wines from the Veneto. On the nose I get a tremendous amount of primal, grapey, alcoholic, yeasty notes as well as baker's chocolate and a light floral essence. The palate, on the other hand, is a completely different animal. Intensely dry, oaky flavors and hefty tannins that suck the moisture right out of your cheeks. Acidity rewards an appropriate food pairing. If you're one of those people like me who are consistently underwhelmed by thin, acidic Chiantis, give this a try next time you're having spaghetti or stuffed shells.

2010 Pinot Project Pinot Noir

2010 Pinot Project Pinot Noir, California - Deep color leads me to believe this will be a wine of richness and concentration. Nose of strawberry, rhubarb, sweet herb and hints of licorice and charred oak. While strawberry and rhubarb are found on the lighter end of my redfruit spectrum, this wine is quite full-bodied on the palate with a long finish and drying tannins. Seems to pick up weight and sweetness the longer it is open. The charred notes and acidity make it a very nice pairing with a ginger/rosemary spice rubbed roasted chicken. It won't unseat Sean Minor as my favorite Pinot Noir in this price range, but its still a very nice value at $12.

2010 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas

What a stunner. Shocking, I know, but Tablas Creek Vineyard has released yet another drop-dead gorgeous wine. The Patelin line (I gave my impression of their Patelin Blanc back in August) is new to their considerable catalog of Rhone varietals and blends and is primarily composed of purchased fruit. The 2010 Tablas Creek Vineyard Patelin de Tablas, Paso Robles is a blend of 39% Syrah, 36% Grenache, 22% Mourvedre and 3% Counoise. The color is a stunning magenta hue with blue highlights. On the nose I detect cranberry, blueberry, licorice and a good deal of gamey meat. The palate is very dry and tannic with new saddle leather, charcoal and licorice. At this point, I have to surmise that the Syrah and Mourvedre are in the forefront as I don't get a lot of Paso Robles Grenache character just yet. The finish just goes on and on and on. Priced in the low $20 range, the tariff just can't be beat. I foresee numerous bottles of this wine finding their way into the cellar for short- and medium-term consumption.

Dinner was a spice-rubbed tri-tip that I grilled to a perfect medium rare over coconut charcoal briquettes and dried basil stems and then topped with a lemon/basil compound butter. Great pairing as the wine's fruit and charcoal notes played off of the charred flavors of the beef. I've never had true Santa Maria-style BBQ, but I suppose this is pretty close. And the wine match was spot-on.

Holiday Wines

We spent the holidays in St. Louis with my wife's family. While there, we hit up one of the local Schnuck's grocery stores that was having a clearance sale on a number of wine selections. My father-in-law, brother-in-law and I really cleaned up purchasing 6 or 7 cases. Some of the wines in this report came from that purchase. Others I'll try later and report on. The prices there were approximately 50% off retail and they took another 10% off if you bought 6 bottles (snicker). My favorite purchases were 4 bottles of 2008 Seghesio Barbera for $9 each and a lonely bottle of Domaine de Baumard Cremant de Loire Carte Turquoise for $10.

Anyway, here are some of the highlights and lowlights of the last week:

2007 Alto Moncayo Garnacha, Campo de Borja - fabulous nose of black and red fruits, spice and hints of meat and menthol. Alcoholic. Some Bourbon/American oak comes out, but only after extended time in the glass. Sadly, the palate isn't quite as dynamic with its tart raspberry fruit and spice. Ferocious tannins and acidity. Could this one age? Regularly $45 (yikes!) on closeout for $20.



2010 667 Pinot Noir, Monterey - Super sweet, almost candied cherry nose. Borderline overripe and negligible tannins and low acid. A simple, refreshing, quaffing style Pinot Noir. $10

2008 Ramspeck Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley - Nice balance of sweet/tart cherry fruit and oak notes with nice bit of smoky bacon and graham cracker in there, too. Good tannins, acidity. Long finish accentuates the mouth-watering acidity. Solid effort. Price unknown.

2008 Bogle Vineyards Phantom, California - Old Vine Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Old Vine Mourvedre. Charred blackberry with considerable mineral/wet stone character. Mouth-filling with nice acidic structure, but not quite as tannic as I had expected. Turns a bit bitter on the finish. I used to love this wine, but now I'm not so sure. About $17

2009 Avante Mencia, Castilla y Leon - Wow. Just way too much poopy diaper for me. Sorry, not my cup o' feces. Not even worth the $6 closeout tariff.

2010 Apotheic Red Blend, California - This winery's advertising keeps showing up on my Facebook page, but the wine isn't available in Kansas. Saw it marked down from $15 to $10 at a St. Louis area grocery store and decided to take a chance on it based on the blend. Might be a bit on the tooty-fruity side, but this blend of Zin, Syrah, Cab and Merlot shows a lot of depth with its blueberry and coffee flavors. My idea of a good wine for burgers or pizza. I ended up buying 8 bottles.


2008 Dunning Vineyards Chardonnay, Paso Robles - From my father-in-law's stash. Quite frankly, a bit lighter than I had expected. Light color. Thin palate, lemony, waxy flavor and texture with a bit of earthy mushroom. Great acidity and a not-so-great sulfuric finish. The acidity is the wine's saving grace and it makes for a nice pairing with seafood risotto. Unique, but I think I'll stay in the "all red" club for my Dunning shipments.

2001 Casisano-Colombaio Brunello di Montalcino - Just an amazing nose of dusty cherry and freakish fennel bulb. Hint of smoked tea in there, too. Medium-bodied with more dust and crazy licorice on the palate. Nicely balanced acidity and tannins. Ready to drink right now, but could probably hold for another 5-10 years. Thoroughly enjoyed this one with braised chuck roast with porcini sauce over soft polenta.

2003 Tenuta Luia Luia, Rosso di Toscana - Wow, what a difference a night made with this one. Didn't hold my interest at all during dinner as it was simple and dusty with hardly any discernible features. On day 2 with heavy appetizers, it shows decadent blue and black fruits, hickory-scented wood and anise. Rally thick and unctuous texture. Guess we should've decanted this one before dinner, huh?. Still, a bit pricey at $60




2006 le Clos du Caillou Cuvee Unique, Cotes du Rhone - Beautiful old vine declassified Chateauneuf-du-Pape here. All the deep red fruits and herbs de Provence One expects from a wine like this, but with some really intense, dry chocolate flavors, too. Raspberry finish goes on forever. Throwing considerable sediment. Good value at $25.