Ugawino - Exploring the world of wine and hobbyfarming

2007 Dunning Syrah

2012-02-08T22:40:00.000-06:00

Having been a member of their wine club for the last four years or so, I've had more than my fair share of Dunning wines. And I can honestly say that all of them have fallen somewhere between Really, Really Good and Stupendous on the patented Ugawino Awesomeness Meter. So imagine my surprise and disappointment at tonight's bottle of less-than-stunning 2007 Dunning Vineyards Private Reserve Syrah, Paso Robles. Great color, as always, and a slight cloudiness that is to be expected from an unfiltered wine. Light, tart blackberry and odd, sour oak notes on the nose. The palate is nearly devoid of fruit (something I never thought I'd say about a Dunning wine) but shows lots of chalky, dry cocoa notes. The finish goes on and on with the dry cocoa and sour oak notes. 15.2% alcohol is barely noticeable. Not a total disaster, but very atypical of this wine and hopefully just an isolated off bottle.

I've had 3-4 bottles of this wine and I think I have 3 more in the cellar. I'll have to try another one in the near future and hope that tonight's experience was an anomaly.

Shame, too, because dinner was a delicious smoked pork shoulder (8 hours over charcoal with apple and cherry chips) with cilantro coleslaw and baked beans. A great, traditional BBQ meal that was longing for a slightly better wine accompaniment.

2006 Allegrini "La Grola"

2012-02-04T22:29:00.000-06:00

Had a great time with a bottle of 2006 Allegrini La Grola IGT Veronese and a plate of vegetarian lasagna this evening. This single vineyard blend of 70% Corvina, 15% Rondinella, 10% Syrah and 5% Sangiovese shows a beautiful, clear ruby color in the glass. Amazing cherry compote, licorice and soy/beef broth notes on the nose and palate. Full-bodied palate coats the mouth in cherries and bittersweet baker's chocolate. Seamless balance of fruit, tannin and acidity. Some nice green tobacco notes and more bitter chocolate on the long, tannic finish. Other than a few older Amarones, I don't have any experience with drinking wine from the Veneto with any age. But I can't imagine this drinking any better than it is tonight. Really firing on all cylinders and a great value in the $25 range.

Sh*t Wine Geeks Say

2012-02-03T11:12:00.000-06:00

Have you seen this? I thought it was hilarious.

Reminds me of a good day at work or the time I spend updating the blog! Ha!

2007 Feraud-Brunel Cotes du Rhone Villages

2012-01-28T19:25:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-27T22:12:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-27T11:27:00.000-06:00

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"

2012-01-21T19:28:00.001-06:00

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...

2012-01-19T14:51:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-16T22:15:00.002-06:00

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

2012-01-15T20:10:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-11T21:26:00.001-06:00

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

2012-01-08T19:50:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-02T10:22:00.000-06:00

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.

Top 10 Wines of 2011

2011-12-23T23:55:00.001-06:00

Just for fun I thought I'd put together a list of my favorite wines from the past 12 months of gustatory indulgence. I didn't take vintage into account as this isn't a list of my favorite wines released in 2011. It's just anything that I really enjoyed over the past calendar year. I decided to immediately disqualify wines that I had inconsistent results with and prices are all over the map; ranging from $10 to about $50. It was tough cutting the list from 125 or so down to 10, but here's my best attempt, in alphabetical order, with a link to my original note:

2008 Argiolas Korem, IGT Isola dei Nuraghi - Bovale Sardo? What is that? A kind of beef? A famous opera singer? Nope It's a grape that pretty much only grows on the island of Sardinia. And if this one doesn't make you a believer in Bovale Sardo then maybe you should just stick to Sangiovese and Barbera.

2008 Bennett Lane Turn 4 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley - I tried a lot of California Cabernets last year (no surprise there, huh?) and this was my favorite. Decadent fruit, licorice, judicious oak and good tannins for a very easy-to-swallow $25. What's not to like?

2006 Casar de Burbia, D.O. Bierzo - Like Bovale Sardo, this is a grape that I only discovered recently. Just a beautiful combination of rustic fruit, licorice and oak. If they grew Zinfandel in Spain, this is what it would taste like. And a great pairing with paella!

2010 Charles & Charles rose, Columbia Valley - Summertime to me is rose time. And of all the ones I enjoyed last year, this 100% Syrah version really stood out. Bold and dry - this isn't your aunt's White Zinfandel. A bit too chilly outside now to be drinking this wine, but as soon as it warms up again, I'll be buying again. Highly recommended with tuna tartare.

2005/7 Cuvelier los Andes Grand Vin, Mendoza - The best wine(s) I've ever had from Argentina. I was fortunate to have two vintages of this last year and since I couldn't decide which one I liked better, I just both on the list. Mostly Malbec with smaller amounts of Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot. Grill a slab of beef and allow this wine's Bordeaux roots to shine.

2008/9 Dunning Ridge Top Zinfandel, Paso Robles - Another one where I had multiple vintages and just couldn't pick one. I've written a lot about Dunning's wines and their picturesque B&B in Paso Robles and I'll continue to write about them. Not sure what kind of distribution this small, family-owned winery has outside of California, but I encourage everyone to sign up for their wine club. Their Cabernets and Syrahs are also outstanding.

2009 Sean Minor Red Wine, Napa Valley - This highly-anticipated Petit Verdot-heavy blend finally hit Kansas City last fall and I couldn't wait to get my hands on a bottle. If I had to pick one California label synonymous with "value" these days it would be Sean Minor. Even this, his most expensive wine, retails for under $20. And his $15 Pinot Noirs, Cabernets and Chardonnays are a steal, too. Buy this wine and anything else that says "Sean Minor" on the label.

2007 Kent Rasmussen Esoterica Chavez-Leeds Vineyard Petit Sirah, Rutherford - No jammy, tooty-fruity nonsense in this one. What we have here is a benchmark for structured, serious, rustic Petit Sirah that, sadly, seems to be harder and harder to find these days. Wonderful acidity and that trademark "Rutherford dust," too.

2010 Tablas Creek Patelin Blanc, Paso Robles - Another one that took a while to reach Kansas City, but it was worth the wait. I cant imagine a better white wine to pair with Mediterranean cuisine than this floral, honeyed white Rhone-style blend. Can't wait for the Patelin red that is supposed to reach Kansas early in 2012.

2007 Terlan Pinot Bianco, Alto Adige - One of the first wines I drank in 2011 and still one of the best. Oh, the tropical fruit and wet stone profile that this one offers! Artichokes are notoriously difficult to pair with wine, but this one pulled it off without a hitch.

Venison and two wines that don't suck.....

2011-12-22T20:25:00.000-06:00

2005 Cuvaison ATS Selection Two Estates, Napa Valley - I'm not sure of the exact blend of this wine, but the winery website says the current vintage (2008) is 64% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Malbec sourced from vineyards on Mt. Veeder and in Carneros. If this is the approximate blend/source of the 2005, then I can say this is very full-bodied for a Merlot blend. Decadent nose of Dark cherries, milk chocolate, cedar, vanilla and just a hint of game. Delicious cherry/vanilla flavors on the palate with still considerable tannins and a long, chocolaty finish.My father-in-law has been a member of Cuvaison's wine club for the better part of two decades now and I've been lucky to have tasted most of the the top-of-the-line ATS Selection Cabs and Chards and they continue to impress. About $50

2004 Fattoria La Lecciaia Brunello di Montalcino - Beautiful reddish-brown color that one expects from a top notch Brunello. The nose here is classic Tuscan with the bright raspberry fruit, fennel bulb, rust and hints of cedar and dark earth - just a pleasure to smell from a big ol' Riedel glass! Rich and rustic on the palate with sweet cherries, licorice and monstrous, dusty tannins. Nice balance here of fruit, tannins and acid suggest this wine could easily go another decade (or longer) in the cellar. $40

For dinner, I cut one of our venison backstraps (a country term for loin) into 2" steaks and pan-seared them in olive oil and butter for about 2 minutes on each side. I removed the steaks from the pan and set them aside to rest. In the pan, I built a sauce with chopped shallots, Maker's Mark Bourbon, veal stock and blackberry jam. After reducing and straining the sauce I added some fresh, lightly crushed blackberries. Sides were wild rice with cranberries and pecans and haricot vert. I'm not normally one to toot my own horn, but the meal was superb. I think the fruitiness of the Cuvaison ended up making it the better wine pairing as the sauce seemed to accentuate the Brunello's acidity.

Austin Hope Troublemaker

2011-12-18T19:20:00.000-06:00

Had the non-vintage Austin Hope Troublemaker (Blend 2), Paso Robles tonight with a devilishly good grilled flank steak with charmoula sauce. A blend of 73% Syrah, 12% Grenache, 8% Petite Sirah and 7% Mourvedre, the Troublemaker shows a vibrant cranberry color in the glass. Primal, tart cherry and raspberry aromas gradually give way to licorice notes. Quite acidic on the palate with well-defined raspberry, black pepper and leathery flavors. Moderately tannic with no trace of oak. Clipped finish. A bit tart and acidic to enjoy as a sipper, but the mouth-watering acidity leaves you begging for another sip after each bite of food. Nice, atypical, food-friendly Paso blend for under $20

2007 Alain Jaume "Les Valats" Cotes-du-Rhone

2011-12-17T20:36:00.001-06:00

Opened the 2007 Alain Jaume Les Valats Rasteau, Cotes-du-Rhone Villages with tonight's bacon-wrapped/smoked pheasant breast. This negociant wine from Domaine Grand Veneur is a dense and chewy blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah that nicely evolves in the glass over the course of a meal. Initially shows a lot of funky earth, campfire and meaty aromas and flavors. As it opens up in the glass, it reveals layers of dry cocoa, sweet/tart raspberry and hickory wood. Tannins are moderate at best, but the orange peel-flavored acidity is off the charts. Long, dry woody finish. Could develop into something nice with a couple of years in the cellar.

The pheasant was, in a word, superb. Might be the best pheasant I've ever grilled. I sprinkled each breast with kosher salt, black pepper and herbs de Provence before wrapping in a slice of apple wood smoked bacon. I then grilled the breasts (indirect heat) over charcoal augmented with apple wood chips. Sides were roasted sweet potatoes with butter and rosemary and a mixed green salad with an orange-Sherry vinaigrette.

2007 Hess Allomi Vyd. Cabernet

2011-12-14T19:30:00.001-06:00

My small clutch of 2007 Hess Allomi Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley has been hit or miss; mostly miss. I drank my last bottle tonight and thankfully the relationship ended on something of a happy note. Consider it a break-up when both parties agree to part ways. Nothing to complain about with the color. Nose seems somewhat woody and stemmy, but there's plenty of sweet cherry fruit in there, too. The palate starts off nice and smooth, but turns tart and alcoholic on the finish. tannins are fierce, but I fear there isn't enough fruit for this wine to age very well. Finishes with lots of wood and dry bay leaf characteristics. Nice enough with dinner, but just a bit too dry and tart for my preferences. About $25.

Dinner was a delicious venison stroganoff made with meat from a doe I shot last week on my property during deer season. I've heard horror stories about how dry and tough venison meat is, but this was buttery tender. I'm not sure exactly which cut I used as the processor just labelled it "venison roast" but it resembled a smaller version of a beef rump roast.

Some really belated Thanksgiving notes...

2011-12-14T14:09:00.000-06:00

Yikes! I just saw these languishing in a note on my iPhone. Perhaps they will be of use to those of you who enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, dressing, cranberries, etc., etc.) at Christmas, too:

2010 Esperto Pinot Grigio, IGT Venezie - Pretty nose of wet stone and red apples. Rich and full-bodied with a rocky, mineral-driven palate. Might be a bit one dimensional with the rocky stuff, but I kind of dig it. Really dry with good acidity.

2009 Garnet Pinot Noir, Monterrey - Distinctive for its unusual complexity for a Pinot Noir in this price range. Sweet cranberry and raspberry nose seamlessly moves into meaty/salami notes with a touch of sweet herb. Almost Rhone-like with the fruit profile, meat and spice notes. The fruit on the palate is a bit tart, but there's good acidity in there. A nice, food friendly style. $15

2009 Sean Minor Pinot Noir, Carneros - What more can I say about this wine? Still my favorite Pinot value with its effusive black cherry, vanilla and thyme notes. Medium bodied with nice tannins. Quite dry. A steal at $15

2009 Block Nine Caidens Vineyards Pinot Noir, California - Lightest color of the three Pinot Noirs. Dried bay leaf notes on the nose. Doesn't seem nearly as fruity as previous bottles. Dry cocoa and woody flavors on the palate. I need to try this again and see if this was just a bad bottle. A normally reliable $12

2010 Schug Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma Coast - This is another wine that seemed really atypical from previous enjoyable bottles. Very herbaceous compared to previous bottles with vegetal/tomato leaf and tart grapefruit aromas and flavors. Bright acidity, but a bit too New Zealand for my tastes. Where's the sweet California fruit and the floral Sauvignon Musque nose?

2008 Andrew Will Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley - This was a popular wine after dinner, but it isn't my cup of tea at all. Heavy American oak/coconut nose. Toasty, tart blackberry fruit on the palate eventually gives way to resurgent American oak. Dry cocoa finish. Monolithic. Seems quite formulaic to me. $15

2010 Tinto Negro Reserve Malbec

2011-12-08T20:57:00.000-06:00

Had an interesting evening with the 2010 Tinto Negro Uco Valley Reserve Malbec, Mendoza tonight. Until tonight, I don't think I'd ever had an Uco Valley Malbec or any other Malbec described (according to the back label) as "cool climate." The color is as dark, if not darker than any other Malbec I've ever had. One of those wines so dark that it literally sucks the light out of the room. The nose is a melange of herbal cherry notes reminiscent of cherry cough syrup or Jagermeister. More cough syrup flavor on the palate accompanied by some odd carob and maple notes. No alcohol to note. Serious tannins. The wine is aged in French oak (10% new) for 9 months, but I don't detect any oak notes. About $20

Are those medicinal notes typical for cool climate Malbec? Not sure I really ejoyed this wine tonight with my BBQ turkey, baked beans and cole slaw, but it certainly was a unique learning experience.

Two from Spain

2011-12-04T17:41:00.000-06:00

Tried a couple of Spanish wines on Saturday. The first was recommended to me by a customer who had special ordered a case and kindly let me buy a bottle. The Rioja is one of the wines we are featuring in our Wine of the Month club:

2010 Penelope Sanchez Garnacha/Syrah, D.O. Borja - Pretty magenta color. Heady, alcoholic, raspberry/mocha nose. Suffers a bit from that dry, herbal, "bay leaf" sensation on the palate. Nice $10 daily drinker, but nothing more. I'm a little confused by some of the critical praise for this one as I've had better Spanish Garnacha in this price range (Las Rocas, Menguante, Tres Picos)

2005 Marques de Caceras Reserva, Rioja - The anti-Rioja. Impenetrable color. Aged in 100% French oak that drifts towards smoke and vanilla rather than the normal aromas of pickle and Bourbon associated with Riojas aged in American hogsheads. Massive tannins. Leathery, blackberry palate with a subtle floral note. Should age quite well. A Rioja for those who prefer Cabernet Sauvignon to Pinot Noir. About $25.

2008 Dunning Private Reserve Syrah

2011-11-26T19:51:00.000-06:00

We had the trip from hell on the way home from St. Louis today (90 minute standstill on I-70 do to a wreck, rained the entire time, restless kids, etc.) and didn't have a whole lot in the fridge/pantry to make for dinner once we got home. Quickly thawed out a couple of tuna steaks and added a beaten egg, some mayo, bread crumb, red onion and seasoning. Fried them in a little olive oil and turned them into some darn tasty tuna burgers. Topped them with a little mayo/chili-garlic sauce/lime juice. Needing something bold an assertive to accompany the tuna (and take the edge off the afternoon), I grabbed the first of my stash of 2008 Dunning Vineyards Private Reserve Syrah, Paso Robles.

I've had the 2005 and 2007 (numerous occasions) of this wine, but this is the first time I've had the 2008 since I tasted it from barrel in Paso about two years ago. So primal. So much potential. So delicious. The inkiest of black colors. The nose is still reminiscent of a barrel sample with grapey, yeasty, fermentation aromas with just a bit of coffee and French oak starting to peek through. Monstrous tannins on the palate are consistent with the previous vintage of this wine. Lots of dry cocoa, blackberry and black pepper on the palate, too. Wonderful acidity. Five years or so in the cellar and this should bloom into something beautiful. About $30

I'm currently sitting on four bottle of the '07 and one more '08, but I'm hoping to receive additional bottles of the '08 with the next shipment or two from Dunning.

2009 Morse Code Shiraz

2011-11-21T19:33:00.000-06:00

The 2009 Henry's Drive Morse Code Shiraz, Padthway is, I suppose, all you can expect from a daily drinker from Down Under. Nothing to complain about with regards to the deep, lush color. A cup of the ubiquitous dark fruit (I used blackberry, feel free to substitute blueberry or black cherry if that's all you have), a tablespoon of spice, a scant teaspoon of cured meat and a pinch of citric acid and you've got the recipe for this one. To its credit, the wine sees no new oak and the tannins are negligible. Although the wine does not fall into the category of the syrupy, low acid/high alcohol Shiraz that Australia was so (in)famous for a decade ago, the fruit/acid balance here seems a bit, um, manipulated - kind of like sucking on a piece of sour candy. About $10

Perfectly decent with a jerk seasoned pork tenderloin grilled over my new favorite culinary discovery - coconut shell charcoal.

2005 Eaglepoint Ranch Petite Sirah

2011-11-14T19:34:00.000-06:00

Do you ever have one of those dinners where everything comes together just right? The food is perfect, the wine is firing on all cylinders and the marriage of the food and wine is greater than the sum of its parts? Well, I got one of those tonight. Simply divine in every sense of the word. Dinner was some pheasant breast my wife's boss just shot in Iowa that I wrapped in bacon and smoked over cherry and apple wood. While the pheasant was smoking, I made a simple risotto that, when finished, I stirred in some diced beets (from our garden) that I had roasted last night. The flavors were as delicious as the risotto's color was shocking!

With dinner we enjoyed the last of our six bottles of 2005 Eaglepoint Ranch Winery Petite Sirah, Mendocino County. We've always enjoyed this wine, but tonight's bottle was by far its best showing. It had all the earthiness, chalkiness and dry cocoa flavors of the previous bottles, but the roasted meat and sweet blackberry seemed even more generous than I remember. The color is still amazingly youthful and the tannins are still fierce. But I love it at this stage and wouldn't dream of keeping it beyond the fruit's life. Once again, the 14.7% alcohol is well hidden and there is no trace of oak. Finishes with a really pretty note of dry cinnamon.

2008 Razor's Edge Shiraz/Grenache

2011-11-10T21:22:00.000-06:00

Tried the 2008 Razor's Edge Shiraz/Grenache, McLaren Vale tonight with some awful take-out pizza. (But I won't hold that against the wine.) The color is a deep and dark as you would expect from a full throttle Aussie red. Lots of juicy raspberry and cranberry fruit in the nose as well as some distressing rubber/tar aromas. Although the wine is aged in 50% new American and 50% 2nd and 3rd fill French oak barrels, I don't get any oak on the nose or palate. Kudos to the winemaker for keeping the oak in check. Palate is a bit tart with the unripe raspberry and cranberry fruit. Starts off rather thick and syrupy, but after an hour or so the acidity starts to assert itself and lighten the wine. Moderate tannins. Finish is long and slightly bitter with tart fruit and hickory smoke. Overall, just seems to be lacking in richness. A slightly disappointing $14.

2006 Cartlidge & Browne Reserve Cabernet

2011-11-09T19:29:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while you call upon a wine to lay down a sacrifice bunt but it overachieves with a 2-run homer. And tonight's 2006 Cartlidge & Browne Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley does just that. I bought this intending to drink it as one of those 5th or 6th bottles of the evening at a large family gathering. But for whatever reason, the wine was never opened and it found its way down into the cellar. Bummed that I didn't have any Malbec on hand for tonight's devastatingly delicious grilled flank steak with chimichurri I dejectedly grabbed the C&B just to have something red to go with dinner.

But I have to say, for $17 this baby really over-delivers! Beautiful color. Nose is warm and inviting with scents of dark cherry, vanilla, sweet pipe tobacco and cedar. medium-bodied with good acidity and only moderate tannins, this probably isn't built for the long haul. But it's very enjoyable in the here and now with its sweet cherry, vanilla and bitter chocolate flavors. Bitter chocolate flavors continue on throughout the nice, long finish.

For the last twenty years, I've always thought of Cartlidge & Browne as merely a player in the California "fighting varietal" arena as I've had countless innocuous bottles of their inexpensive California appellation Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, etc. But I have to give them kudos for bringing something serious to the table with this wine.

2008 Seventy Five Wine Company "The Sum" Red Wine

2011-11-07T00:02:00.000-06:00

Just a quick note on tonight's bottle of 2008 Seventy Five Wine Company The Sum Red Wine, California. This blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Sirah and 10% Syrah continues to impress with its dark fruits, menthol, cocoa powder and peppery spice. Pleasantly oaky with a long, cocoa, bay leaf finish. Really nice value for about $20 and just dandy with BBQ chicken from the smoker.

2009 Sean Minor Red Wine

2011-11-05T19:12:00.001-05:00

When I'm stuck in a rut of mediocre (and worse) wines, I tend to return to an old friend to get me out of the slump. So tonight I grabbed a bottle of 2009 Sean Minor Red Wine, Napa Valley to help me erase the memories of the wines I suffered through last week. Dinner this evening was homemade beef and pork meatballs with a yellow tomato sauce (from the garden, of course) over soft, cheesy polenta. And the wine pairing was fantastic. Obligatory deep color. nose of ripe blackberry, red licorice and sweet floral perfume. Medium-full body with notes of black fruits, cocoa, a hint of bay leaf, mineral and a long vanilla-chocolate finish. Overall, a seamless package with great length and balance. The iron/graphite component from the last time I had this seems to be missing, but trust me, there's still plenty in here to justify the purchase. This blend of Merlot, Petit Verdot, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah and Malbec is a ridiculous buy at under $20.

On a completely unrelated note, just how bad does my digital camera suck? My 8 megapixel Olympus simply doesn't do justice to my beautiful dinner. Guess I need to stick to just grabbing label shots off the internet....

2009 Paul Mas Picpoul de Pinet

2011-11-02T20:23:00.000-05:00

What happened here? I've had the 2009 Paul Mas Estate Picpoul de Pinet, Coteaux de Languedoc a couple of times over the past few weeks, but it's always been in the midst of a large crowd or family dinner when taking notes just wasn't practical. Now that I get a chance to spend some quality time with a bottle it takes a decided turn for the worse. Whereas previous bottles have been light and lively with lovely floral/peach/apricot/mineral aromatics and flavors, this bottle seems dull and lifeless with odd earthy/truffle notes and no acidity to speak of. Comes across as much heavier than previous tastings as well. It's like someone took my spry New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and replaced it with a tired, old California Chardonnay. A perplexing $15.

I almost hesitate to make this post as I know this note isn't indicative of this wine's potential, but I'm recording it for posterity anyway. Based on how good this wine has been to me in the past, I'm recommending it despite tonight's unflattering review.

I was inspired to open this tonight (I thought it would have lots of pretty citrus notes) based on the rub I applied to a whole chicken before roasting. I took some fennel seeds, kosher salt and black pepper and put it in a spice grinder with some fresh orange zest. Then I stuffed it under the loosened skin and roasted at 400 degrees until done. The chicken was delicious. I wish the wine had been as good.

2009 Paul Mas Carignan

2011-11-01T21:52:00.000-05:00

Had the 2009 Paul Mas Estate Carignan Vieilles Vignes, Pays d'Herault tonight. Usually reduced to the role of bit player in Rhone blends, this varietal Carignan shows quite a bit of character even if it isn't done in a style that I'm really on top of. The nose is very Old World with iodine, blood, cured meat and herbal overtones. Earthy, herbal palate with some coarse, hickory-like notes. Not much fruit to speak of on the nose or palate. No tannins to speak of. Decent acidity. Finishes with earthy, dry chocolate and ashen notes. If you like your Rhone wines with lots of funky, earthy flavors, this wine might be for you. About $15.

This was another one of those wines that was pretty difficult to enjoy on its own. But it really sang with tonight's rustic home made pizza with blue cheese crumbles and sliced green olives.

2009 Textbook "Fin de Journee" Cabernet

2011-10-29T21:28:00.001-05:00

What is it with me picking tart, lean wines these days? On the heels of last night's Shug Pinot, I crack open the 2009 Textbook Fin de Journee Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. What we have here is a Cabernet whose finest attribute is, unfortunately, the deep, rich color. The tart raspberry, herb and tobacco leaf nose give way to tart fruit and shrill acidity on the palate. The tannins are moderate and the oak is certainly not obtrusive. In fact, it takes a good long while before the smoky French oak reveals itself. Seems a bit more alcoholic than the stated 14.5%. I'm not one of these guys who demands melted asphalt and kirsch liqueur in his Cabs, but I do prefer mine with a little more body and concentration than this one offers. Might appeal to fans of more European-styled Cabs and Bordeaux blends, but for me it's an easy "pass" at $23.

2009 Schug Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

2011-10-29T21:03:00.000-05:00

The 2009 Schug Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast is a tight, lean style of Pinot Noir featuring scents of cherry and cranberry fruit and an exotic hint of Asian five spice powder. Tart and angular on the palate with bitter wood (think: campfire) and cranberry flavors. Only moderate tannins, but the acidity is off the charts. Stylistically, I prefer Schug's softer, sweeter Carneros Pinot Noir. About $17

Pretty rough as a sipping wine, but a teriyaki-marinated pork tenderloin really helped smooth out the sharp edges. Recommended, but with the caveat that this is a "food wine."

2009 Dunning Ridge Top Zinfandel

2011-10-25T19:44:00.000-05:00

Some sage wine blogger once said "Happiness is receiving your semi-annual wine shipment from Dunning Vineyards." Okay, that guy was me. And I think I said it last year. But I meant every word of it. And I was thrilled to see that brown cardboard box show up late last week. Now I'm not a huge believer in concepts like "dumb phases" and "bottle shock" but I did want to give the wine a few days to settle down just in case there was any sediment that had been shaken up on the trip from Paso Robles to rural Kansas.

I managed to keep my hands off of the 2009 Dunning Vineyards Ridge Top Zinfandel, Paso Robles until tonight. Of the three vintages of this wine I have had so far, this one is probably my favorite. This is a massive wine that just smacks you in the face with waves of blackberry, sweet cherry, black pepper and ungodly licorice notes. The palate is full-bodied with huge fruit and tannins and a long, powdery, dry cocoa finish. The whole package is encapsulated in slick French oak. Although the fruit shows phenomenal extraction, there's enough tannin and acidity in here to keep the wine from being sweet or flabby. Yes, the stated alcohol is 15.2% and it tastes like it. You got a problem with that? I don't. Seems like the sheet included with the order said this wine is about $28. Worth every penny...and then some.

If there's one little hidden gem of a winery that you've never heard of but should be buying from, this is it.

Consumed with a bowl of home made Italian-style meatballs with home made tomato sauce (tomatoes and peppers from our garden) and spaghetti. The fruit and licorice notes from the wine were amazing with the fennel seed in the meatballs and the acidity of the wine was a perfect partner to the acidity of the tomato sauce.

2009 Chateau de Segries

2011-10-24T22:48:00.000-05:00

I've had the 2009 Chateau de Segries Cotes-du-Rhone four or five times now over the past year and it has never failed to deliver the goods. Tonight's bottle shows all the warm, spicy raspberry fruit, black pepper and sweet herb of previous bottles and ups the ante with an earthy, carob-like finish. Simply charming with grilled chicken skewers and tabbouleh. $12

2007 Manos Negras Malbec

2011-10-22T20:29:00.000-05:00

Tonight my wife and I quietly celebrated our 17th anniversary with college football on the television (Tennessee/Bama, USC/Notre Dame and a bit of Wisconsin/Michigan State) and carnitas. I made the carnitas by rubbing down a pork shoulder with kosher salt, ground cumin and ground chilies, searing it in Dutch oven and then simmering it in chicken stock and home made green tomato salsa for 5-6 hours. Delicious with a little cheese, chopped cilantro and hot sauce in a warm flour tortilla.

The wine I chose for the occasion was the 2007 Vino del Sol Manos Negras Malbec, Mendoza. Deep blood-red color. Warm, inviting nose of blackberry, spice and mocha. Aromas flow seamlessly onto the rich, spicy, chocolaty palate. The tannins are light and the acidity is rather low (borderline flabby?) so drink this now with something with spicy, south-of-the-border flavors. Consistent with my note from last month. About $15

2009 Velvet Devil Merlot

2011-10-21T21:19:00.000-05:00

Took a flyer on the 2009 Charles Smith Wines The Velvet Devil Merlot, Columbia Valley tonight. Had it with assorted leftovers of paella and stuffed peppers. Pretty cranberry color. Nose is loaded with sweet, vanilla-cherry fruit and a hint of cured meat/salami. Palate reveals some tart cherry fruit and more than a touch of that vegetal/green/bay leaf flavor so common to inexpensive Merlot. Nice acidity prickles the tongue. No tannins to speak of. Enjoy now if this is your cup of tea. $12

2009 Olivares "Altos de la Hoya"

2011-10-21T01:30:00.000-05:00

While this wine has been on my "best buy" list for the past couple of years, the 2009 Bodegas Olivares Altos de la Hoya Monastrell, Jumilla brings even more structure than previous vintages. Uncommonly complex for a wine in this price range, the nose throws floral/violet notes, a touch of cured meat, barnyard, the blackest of fruits and restrained French oak at you while the palate offers chalky, earthy, black cherry flavors. The texture is a bit coarse/chalky with balanced acidity and tannins and a pleasantly bitter finish. Not something I recommend for sipping, but lovely (in that rustic, earthy kind of way) with a steaming bowl of paella laden with chorizo and chicken. About $12

2010 Wairau River Sauv. Blanc and...shellfish!

2011-10-17T22:45:00.001-05:00

Long before I began blogging about wine and food I had a scare that I attributed to a shellfish reaction. I'd been eating shrimp, crab, scallops, lobster all my life until I broke out in a nasty, nasty full-body rash after a week of heavy shellfish consumption on vacation at the Outer Banks of N.C. A doctor told me it was probably a late-onset food allergy and narrowed it down to either strawberries (couldn't be) or shellfish. So for the past 5-6 years I've been laboring under the assumption that I'm allergic to shellfish. But last week's trip to an allergist and subsequent skin test last week seemed to suggest that I don't have any allergy to shellfish. No idea what caused the breakout way back when, but according to this doctor it wasn't shellfish. So after a week or so of allowing the last vestiges of my paranoia to subside, I asked the guy at the meat counter for 8 of the biggest scallops he had.

Dinner was my take on this recipe for Coriander-Fennel Rubbed Sea Scallops with Watermelon-Green Tomato Salsa. One of the few foods on this planet I steadfastly refuse to eat is watermelon. Can't stand it. Never have liked it. So I used diced pineapple instead. The tomatoes were unripe green zebras that we picked yesterday. (We picked a 30-gallon bucket full of green tomatoes yesterday as it's supposed to freeze here this week.) The coriander seeds were from the cilantro that went to seed in our garden a few weeks ago. It's a pain to pick all the seeds off, but it's worth it. And the fennel seed is from my rapidly-dwindling stash from my late mother-in-law's garden. Even at 5-6 years old these fennel seeds are so much more intense than anything you can get at even a good spice purveyor like Penzey's.

Tonight's wine of choice was the 2010 Wairau River Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough. Regular readers of my blog know that I don't particularly care for this style of wine. I'm not a fan of the tart grapefruit and green bell pepper flavors so commonly associated with this type of wine. And while this wine certainly has a good amount of lemon and grapefruit on the nose and palate, the edges seem nice and polished and there is no trace of green pepper. I also pick up some nice notes of sweet thyme and wet stone in there, too. Not surprisingly, the acidity of this wine was dynamite with the tart green tomatoes that made up the bulk of the salsa. I don't see myself ever going long on New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but I can appreciate the idea of keeping a few on hand for meals such as this. About $20

2008 Arizona Stronghold "Tazi"

2011-10-15T20:18:00.002-05:00

I've been drinking wine for a good 20 years now but this is quite possibly the first time I've ever had a wine from the Great State of Arizona. The 2008 Arizona Stronghold Tazi, Cochise County is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and Malvasia Bianca. The light golden color is hardly indicative of the wine's full body. The wine is rather dull and lifeless straight from the refrigerator but after half an hour or so it reveals layers of musty earth, stone fruit (think: ripe apricot), melon and smoke. The palate is rich and oily, but never turns heavy or ponderous. Seems a touch sulfuric. I'm struggling to find something to compare this to. Maybe a dry Alsatian Riesling? About $20

It isn't all that pleasant to consume on its own, but it really hit a home run with tonight's improvised dinner of pork tenderloin/red potato/yellow pear tomatoes and a salad of garden fresh arugula, tomatoes and goat cheese tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. The earthiness of the wine works particularly well with the potato hash while the acidity nicely balances the salad. Quite the interesting, complex wine. If this is any indication of Arizona's potential, then it's a state whose wine industry warrants attention.

I can also highly recommend the Merkin Chupacabra Cabernet/Syrah blend (sourced from California fruit) from the same ownership/winemaking team.

Loring Wine Company and charity auction

2011-10-14T11:59:00.000-05:00

I had a wonderful time last night pouring some great wines for a really good cause. Just as I did last October, I spent yesterday evening pouring a selection of wines generously donated by Brian Loring for a dinner and auction benefitting the Crittendon Children's Center. Last year Brian donated a case of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to pour for the guests to enjoy as well as a case of Pinot Noir to the auction. This year Brian enticed us by sending 6 bottles each of two different Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs as well as an additional case (Clos Pepe Vineyard Pinot Noir) for the Auction.

The first white I dove into was the 2010 Loring Wine Company Sierra Mar Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands. I found this wine to be very consistent with the note from the 2009 vintage of the same wine I poured last year. Once again, unapologetically rich and luxurious with notes of lemon curd, butter and nutmeg on the nose and a spicy, toasty palate. The unctuous palate is lifted by cleansing acidity that kicks in on the finish.

Is it possible that the 2010 Loring Wine Company Durell Vineyard Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast is even richer and more powerful than the Sierra Mar? You bet it is! In addition to the heavy toast and roasted nut aromas, this wine shows decadent tropical pineapple/mango fruit on the nose and palate. The pleasantly bitter finish is a nice counterpoint to the sweet fruit. Simply amazing. Some might recoil in horror at Loring's philosophy of going back to that "bigger is better" style of Chardonnay that ruled the 90s, but I applaud it. There are plenty of Rieslings, Sauvignon Blancs, unoaked Chards, etc. out there if I want something light and crisp. I'm glad Loring's wines are available when I want a big, buttery white to go with something like scallops or crabackes.

The first of the two reds I tried was the 2009 Loring Wine Company Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir, Green Valley/Russian River Valley.The more elegant of the two Pinots, the nose on this deeply colored wine was full of smokey cherry fruit and a hint of sweet herb (think: rosemary, lavender). Typical of the Loring style, this is a medium-full bodied Pinot with great structure and a long, acidic finish. Of the Loring wines poured at the event, this is the only one available in Kansas and it retails for $49.99

The final offering was the 2009 Loring Wine Company Rancho La Vina Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills. This spicy, Zin-like Pinot was quite reminiscent of the 08 Loring Russell Family Vineyard Pinot (from Paso Robles) that I poured last year. This wine holds nothing back with its saturated blueberry and sweet cherry fruit and black pepper notes on the nose and palate. It's very tannic for a Pinot Noir with additional notes of oak and dust on the palate and a long, dry cocoa finish. As delicious as it is atypical.

Since I was pouring the entire time I didn't really get to see what other wineries (many from Kansas and Missouri) and distributors were pouring, but I can't possibly convey the number of people I had come up asking for second, third and even fourth pours of Loring's wines. Overall, the comments were very favorable and I had dozens of people tell me that these were the best wines featured at the event. Funny, I heard a lot of the same thing last year! Thanks to Brian Loring for making such delicious wines and being so charitible with his product. I hope the case of Clos Pepe fetched an appropriate amount at auction.

2010 Clos du Bois Sauv. Blanc, 2009 Treasure Hunter Cab. Sauv.

2011-10-12T19:54:00.003-05:00

2010 Clos du Bois Sauvignon Blanc, North Coast - Very pale color. Light lemon, tart grapefruit nose. Seems pretty watered-down on the tart, herbaceous palate. May appeal to fans of New Zealand style Sauvignon Blanc, but I'm not a buyer at this, or any price. I really just don't understand the whole concept of these overly generic, mass produced wines. How much more effort does it take to seek out a bottle of Mason (California) or Walnut Block Collector's (New Zealand) for the same $10?

2009 Treasure Hunter Silk Sling Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena - Deep, vibrant purple hue. Although the AVA listed on the label is "St. Helena," a little bit of digging on the Kit Fox Vineyards website reveals that the true origin of this wine is the base of Spring Mountain. And let me tell you, folks, this is classic Spring Mountain Cabernet. (Someone cue the evil, spooky organ music.) Huge nose of cherry Jolly Rancher candy, Bourbon (I have no doubt this is aged in American oak) and a considerable green leafy/tobacco note. The tannins on the palate are as big as the fruit is tart. Super dry with a long, long dusty finish. Although I don't care at all for this style of wine, I can tell it's well made and very representative of its origin or terroir. About $25.

I was much more impressed with the 2008 Treasure Hunter Radio Caroline Cabernet Sauvignon that I had last December. How I have such an affinity for Diamond Mountain wines and such an aversion to the wines from neighboring Spring Mountain is anybody's guess.

2006 Buehler Estate Cabernet and 2008 Dunning Zinfandel

2011-10-09T19:40:00.003-05:00

Fans of old school Napa Cabs will certainly enjoy the 2006 Buehler Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. Pretty, deep crimson color. The pleasantly vegetal/barnyard nose features dried currant, Bourbon, cedar and shoe polish while the palate is rather monolithic with its dry, cedary notes and huge tannins. No over-the-top kirsch liqueur or melted asphalt here. While the wine is aged in a combination of new American (50%) and new French (35%) oak, the Bourbon notes from the American oak are far more prominent at this time. Not really my cup of tea, but my wife loved it. If you don't want to pay $100 for a bottle of Silver Oak, you can get pretty much the same flavors out of this wine for about a third of the price.

And a quick note on Saturday night's pizza wine. The 2008 Dunning Vineyards Ridge Top Zinfandel, Paso Robles continues to impress with its deep color and appealing aromas of sweet cherry, black pepper and slick French oak. Extremely peppery palate makes it a great pairing with a trio of home made pizzas. The 15.2% alcohol is apparent, but I don't mind that in a full-throttle Paso Robles Zin like this one. Assertive tannins and acidity suggest this could lay down for a few years, but I won't be doing that. Consistent notes on day two. $28 or so from the winery.

2007 40 Nights Red Wine

2011-10-07T23:07:00.002-05:00

No, no, "40 nights" doesn't refer to how long it's been since I've posted a decent note on this blog. While it may seem like it's been that long, in this case it refers to the 2007 Fortnight Wine Company 40 Nights Red Wine, Washington State. A Side project of Dusted Valley Vintners, this Syrah-based blend (also contains small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec) represents an exceptional value for a mere $10-12. The color is nothing to get too excited about. It's somewhere between that which you would expect from a Pinot Noir and a Merlot; a bit lighter than I would expect from a Syrah. But most folks will (correctly) tell you that color is overrated anyway. Moving right along, the nose reveals layers of smoke, cherry Jolly Rancher, menthol and a good bit of wet stone. That wet stone manifests itself on the palate as a tremendous sense of iron/mineral; reminiscent of the delicious Yard Dog Red I enjoyed last month. Cool climate Syrah through-and-through with more emphasis on the menthol/wintergreen/green peppercorn side of Syrah rather than the over-the-top fruit that I'm accustomed to from Syrahs from California's Central Coast. The wonderful acidity made this wine a great pairing with a bowl of baked rigatoni with sausage and tomato sauce. Really over delivers.

Having tried a couple of the wines from Dusted Valley's Boomtown range (the Merlot and Pinot Gris are particularly enjoyable) and now this, I am interested in trying some of the more high-end offerings from this winery. Looking at their website I see they are producing a Petit Verdot as well as an enticing array of Rhone-style varietals including Cinsault and Grenache. Note to self: contact LDF next week and find out which, if any, of these wines are distributed in Kansas.

Dereliction of Duty.....

2011-10-05T09:08:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know, I know. It's been almost 3 weeks since I've posted anything here. As the picture above suggests, it isn't for lack of drinking. But we've had a lot of friends and family over during the past couple of weeks. And while we've had copious amounts of wine, some of it exceptional, I just haven't had the heart to geek out with tasting notes or blog updates. Plus, most of the wines we had were wines that I've already blogged on over the past couple of months. Had I been taking notes, standouts would have included wines such as Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc, Four Vines Old Vine Cuvee Zinfandel, Sean Minor Red Wine, Marquis Phillips Holly's Blend White Wine, Zaca Mesa Z Cuvee and Conn Creek Herrick Red.

Things are pretty much back to normal around here (It's certainly a lot quieter with out the roosters, turkeys and ducks!) and we've got some exciting new wines in stock at work. Hopefully I'll get back to posting tasting notes this weekend. Stay tuned...!

Farm Update!

2011-09-15T10:27:00.002-05:00

We're planning on processing our turkeys, ducks and all but one of our roosters this weekend. The three turkeys are the right size for butchering and our excess of roosters is fostering a lot of disharmony in the flock. So we're taking them across the street to our neighbors who are also processing a lot of their birds this weekend. Probably a good thing that we're getting rid of the turkeys this weekend because I'm afraid of getting any more attached to them. Just look at this guy! How cool is he?

That's our male caramel/white runner duck in the foreground and the female mottled duck in the background. They're going away this weekend, too. They're cute, but pretty useless as farm animals. Mottled ducks aren't particularly prolific egg layers. All they're really doing is eating food and turning the turkey/duck pen into a muddy mess. Ideally, we're going to make a home made turducken for Christmas!

And I'm putting up a few pictures of the chickens. When we bought the house there were two dog kennels attached to the back of one of the garages. A few weeks ago I tore down the wall separating the kennels and made the area into one large chicken coop.

Here's what it looked like when I turned one of the kennels into a coop for our initial flock:

And here it is now:

Here are some of the older hens and roosters hanging out in the yard on this chilly, gray morning. You can see the coop in the background:

As of Sunday, we'll end up with 1 Buff Orpington hen, 4 Barred Plymouth Rock hens, 3 Black Australorp hens, 2 Production Red hens, 6 Buff Orpington/Black Australorp cross hens and 1 Buff Orpington rooster. We're currently getting 9-10 eggs per day with a couple of those being the smaller pullet eggs from the Production Reds. Any day now the Buff/Australorp crosses should start laying pullet eggs. And a month from now we'll probably be getting 15-16 eggs per day!

The beautiful Buff Orpington/Black Australorp crosses:

These are all chickens that we hatched here at the farm and slowly integrated into the larger flock. I'm not sure how the genetics work, but half of them have dark heads and the other half have buff-colored heads. All have the same Buff Orpington dad but they come from 3 different Black Australorp hens. They're really pretty with variegated black/buff feathers and quite gentle; if still a bit skittish. I think they'll be a little more friendly once they are no longer being terrorized by 6-7 randy young roosters all day long!

The goats are still doing well. No new pictures of them as they really haven't changed much other than the fact that they've grown some. They're still hanging out eating hay and nibbling on weeds all day.

And the garden is doing well, too. Last week's cold snap seems to have stymied the tomatoes' ripening, but we've got hundreds of green ones just waiting around for the warm weather to return next week. Still getting cucumbers. The bell peppers are getting larger and starting to ripen into gorgeous orange and purple hues. Picked a bunch of jalapenos last week and pickled them. And, of course, we're still getting all the fresh basil, rosemary, thyme, chives and oregano we can consume.

Last week my wife planted second crops of carrots, green beans, beets and arugula. Some of those are already starting to sprout.

2006 Lindaflor "Petit Fleur"

2011-09-14T19:25:00.000-05:00

This is the third (and final) time I've had the 2006 Lindaflor Petit Fleur, Mendoza in the last 14 months or so and unfortunately it seems to be getting worse and worse. The wine is a blend of unspecified amounts of Malbec, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

My note from July of 2010 says "Fantastic color, blueberry, blackberry, coffee grounds and black pepper. Hint of cured meat/salami. Loads of dark fruits and spice on the palate. Big tannins and acidity."

Fast forward to February of this year and I get "Cotes du Rhone, black pepper, raspberry, spice, herb and coffee. Sweet and fat with chocolate, coffee and raspberry. Slightly medicinal, meaty aromas and alcohol have subsided, atypical."

Tonight the wine is just a goopy, syrupy mess of stewed fruit and cough syrup that doesn't speak of Argentina or Malbec. The color is still a dark, vibrant ruby but I'm not longer noting any of the dark fruits, spice or coffee from previous bottles. There's a decided element of herbal cough syrup/Jagermeister going on in the glass and the palate has lost all definition. The finish is still decently long, but long here doesn't equal profound - or even pleasurable. Good enough pairing with tonight's delicious Cajun-spiced rotisserie chicken, but really falls apart one the food is gone. I guess I have to admit my initial "drink now or hold for 5 years" advice was pretty far off base. If you have any of this, I'd recommend drinking it now. About $20.

Platinum Italian Wine Tasting

2011-09-12T11:07:00.002-05:00

I was treated to a tour de force (apologies to a certain Monktown lawyer) of high end Italian wines last Thursday, Sept 8. The wines were graciously donated by Chris Tridle, Import Regional Manager of Winebow and Jeff Miller, Jr., Sales Division Manager at Glazer's Wholesale.

The first wine of the evening was an "unofficial" pour that Chris and Jeff had left over from the day's sales calls. The 2010 Botromagno Poggio al Bosco, Gravina was a beautiful blend of Malvasia and Greco that showed powerful yeasty/smoky and dry pear aromas on the nose and rich, melon flavors on the palate. Reminds me of a really nice domestic Pinot Gris. Price unknown.

After the so-called "bonus pour" was finished off we moved on to the 2009 Zenato Lugana, San Benedetto DOC. Crisp and clean, this straw-colored wine was packed full of peachy orchard fruit on the nose and palate with zippy acidity. 100% Trebbiano and very tasty for a mere $15. Should be quite nice as an aperitif or with lighter food.

The 2007 Prunotto Mompertone, Piedmont was the first red of the evening. This blend of 60% Barbera and 40% Syrah starts off rather grapey and primal but opens up to reveal layers of plum, violets and spice. Barrique aging comes across in the coffee aroma and flavor. Quite smooth and ready to drink now for $25.

Next up was the 2007 Poggio al Tesoro Mediterra, IGT Toscana. hailing from the Bolgheri sub-region of Tuscany, the Mediterra is warm and slightly alcoholic with sweet/tart red berries and a long, dry, tannic finish. I have to say this was probably my least favorite wine of the evening. Just seemed a little bit thin and restrained. $25.

Switching gears, we next moved to the northeast corner of Italy with the 2006 Allegrini La Grola, Veneto. A single vineyard blend of Corvina, Rondinella, Syrah and Sangiovese, this wine was among my favorites. Deep redfruit compote, hickory/campfire notes, tobacco and coffee are all present in this one. Aged 16 months in French oak. Note: Replace the Syrah and Sangiovese with Molinara and this wine would qualify under italian law to be labeled as Ripasso as it is re-fermented over the dried and pressed skins from Allegrini's Amarone. Another winner at $25.

The 2006 Castello di Bossi Berardo, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG is one of the best Chiantis I have had in recent memory. This rich, voluptuous Sangiovese offers notes of sweet blackberry, violets and smoke. Beautifully crafted in the international style with lower acidity and moderate tannins. Very reasonably priced at $35.

Sangiovese's larger cousin is the Sangiovese Grosso clone used to make the 2004 Poggio San Polo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. Displays the traditional brow hue (from which the term Brunello is derived) and aromas of violets and anise that one expects from Brunello di Montalcino. Also shows a lot of barnyard, hickory, mushroom and coffee. Firm acidity and big tannins suggest this one could last a long, long time in the cellar but the lack of fruit is a slight concern. About $80.

I think perhaps the most interesting, exotic wine of the evening was the 2008 Argiolas Korem, IGT Isola dei Nuraghi. Primarily made from the Bovale Sardo grape (something I have no experience with) I tasted this one with no preconceived notions. What I got was wave upon wave of raspberry, vanilla, menthol (later turns to peppermint) and herbaceous wild berries. Lean and smoky with mouthwatering acidity, I really want to try this with some braised shanks. Kudos to Argiolas for sticking with native Sardinian grape varieties. A fascinating $48.

Another grape that I am not terribly familiar with, Aglianico, served as the base for the next two wines I enjoyed. The 2006 Mastroberardino Radici, Taurasi DOCG is done unapologetically in the international style with blueberries, blackberries, maraschino cherry, flowers and tar on the nose and palate. Quite tannic, yet remarkably accessible. Aged two years in barrique. Drink now or hold. A bit pricey at $58.

The 2008 Fattori Galardi Terra di Lavoro, IGT Roccamonfina is a stunning wine with Port-like concentration. Deep purple in color with black olive, smoke, tobacco and graphite notes this was the perfect counterpoint to the fruit bomb Radici. I suspect this wine will last practically forever when cellared under the proper conditions. If I were in the market for $85 wines, I would certainly take a chance on laying down a few of these Aglianico/Piedirosso blends.

The final wine of the evening was the full-bodied 2008 Azienda Agricola Montrevetrano, IGT Colli Salerno. A blend of 60% Cabernet, 30% Merlot and 10% Aglianico, the wine is pretty typical (at least in my experience) of a Bordeaux blend from Italy. Black currant, tobacco, vanilla and licorice are all present, but there seems to be a sense of green/unripeness pervading the wine. Finish turns quite leathery and tannic. $78.

My goodness! What an amazing array of wines representing nearly every major winemaking region of Italy. I definitely want to pick up some Lugana and Allegrini La Grola and might even spring for a couple of the the Argiolas Korem. Big thanks to Chris and Jeff for their generosity with both their time and their wines!

2009 Sean Minor Red Wine

2011-09-09T22:55:00.001-05:00

Being the unapologetic Sean Minor fan that I am, you can imagine my excitement at seeing the LDF driver drop off two cases of the 2009 Sean Minor Red Wine, Napa Valley at the store this afternoon. I've been waiting for this to hit Kansas for a few months now and I just had to buy a bottle to taste this evening. This is a fascinating blend of 30% Merlot, 23% Petit Verdot, 17% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah, 10% Syrah and 4% Malbec. The color is fabulous. The nose reveals layers of blue and black fruits, spice, hickory smoke and, to a lesser degree, licorice and green tobacco. Wonderfully balanced on the palate with the aforementioned blue and black fruits getting a boost from a graphite/iron-like quality that I assume stems from the disproportionately large amount of Petit Verdot in the blend. Medium-full bodied with nice tannins that don't really clamp down until the finish. My only knock on this wine is a strange metallic flavor that creeps in on the finish. But overall, a very impressive package that retails in the $20 range.

2007 Manos Negras Malbec

2011-09-06T09:59:00.000-05:00

I don't have a whole lot to say about the 2007 Vino del Sol Manos Negras Malbec, Mendoza other than the fact that it is another in a long line of well-made, tasty, affordable Argentinian Malbecs. Nice color. Quite smoky for a Malbec (more on that later) with deep red and black fruits on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with fruit, acid and tannin all nicely balanced. Turns a bit chocolaty on the finish. Like I said, nothing really jumps out here and screams "spectacular," but it's a perfectly satisfying wine that checks in around $15.

Last night's dinner was smoked/braised beef short ribs which I purchased from a local butcher shop (I'm being generous with the term "local" as Bichelmeyer's is damn near an hour from my house). I've been braising short ribs in the osso bucco style for 20 years now, but it wasn't until last year that I was introduced to the idea of lightly smoking them (this time over apple and hickory wood and pecan shells) before simmering them until fall-off-the-bone tender. Tip of the cap to Chef Renee Kelly for the inspiration. I braised them in onions, celery, carrots, garlic, red wine and home made chicken stock for 5-6 hours. The fork-tender beef was served over a mound of Yukon gold potatoes which were smashed with butter, buttermilk, fresh chives and a drizzle of porcini-infused olive oil. The smokiness of the wine really worked well with the meat. As I was standing in the cellar last night I was waffling between the Manos Negras a 2007 Dunning Syrah and I'm really glad I went with the Malbec.

2009 Red Heads Studio "Yard Dog Red"

2011-09-03T23:48:00.001-05:00

For some reason I've always had a thing for Petit Verdot. The first Petit Verdot-heavy blend I ever tasted (a mid-90s vintage of von Strasser Reserve) intrigued me and I've been seeking out wines featuring this grape ever since. While any red wine fan on the planet is familiar with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, Petit Verdot is treated like an outcast. Anything more than 5% or so in a Bordeaux blend is pretty rare. And varietal bottlings (Heller and Jekel make pretty darn good ones) are as elusive as a fashionable mullet.

So when I saw the blend on the back label of the 2009 Red Heads Studio Yard Dog Red, South Eastern Australia, I just had to try a bottle. And I was not disappointed. This blend of 60% Petit Verdot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot has a rich garnet color, but none of that freakish opacity that sucks the color out of the room. The nose is a beautiful combination of cherry compote and spiced cranberries reminiscent of a Thanksgiving table. Is there a bit of tar in there, too? No hint of oak on this one. The other thing missing from this wine is the floral/violet that so many people associate with this grape. Oh, well. What's in there is pretty enough for me to overlook the AWOL flowers. The palate shows lots of sweet/tart cranberry and cherry flavors backed by moderate tannins and a solid core of graphite/mineral that I look for from Petit Verdot. Long, sweet/tart finish adds a final note of bitter cocoa. All in all, a very pleasant wine and way more complex than a $10 wine should be.

And a side note: I'd like to think I'm above being influenced by wine labels, but this one is really fun. It's got a mangy-looking dog with muddy paws baring his fangs looking like he's up to no-good. Apparently, this was an intentional jab at the Australian winemakers consumed with cutesy labels featuring cartoonish kangaroos and koala bears. Well done!

Just in case you missed it the first time around, here's a link to my review of the excellent Yard Dog White blend from a few months back.

#2008 Dunning Cabernet Sauvignon

2011-09-01T19:30:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd open a Cabernet tonight to celebrate the second annual #CabernetDay To be honest, I'm not sure how that whole "hash tag" thing works but the info said to include that in your post so it could be found easier by people doing internet searches. Is this some kind of Twitter thing? Anyway.......

2008 Dunning Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles - Frankly, a bit disappointing. Nice, deep color that I've come to expect from this winery. Seems to lack a bit of richness in the nose. Rather than the blackberry and dark cherry of previous vintages, this one smells more of unripened raspberries. The licorice and new French oak are there on the nose and palate, but so are the green tobacco and tart fruit. The 14.2% alcohol isn't out of line for this winery's offerings. The finish is long and dusty.

From most reports, 2008 was a below average year for Bordeaux varietals in Paso Robles. The Tablas Creek website claims a heat spike forced grape growers to pick before they wanted to. This, of course, could account for the tart fruit and generally unripe characteristics of this wine. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my other three bottles somehow show a little better than this one did.

2002 Hoage Vineyards "The Hedge" Syrah.

2011-08-30T01:01:00.000-05:00

With the wife sidelined with an infection, I thought it the perfect opportunity to open something I knew she wouldn't care for anyway. (She's never been a huge fan of the high alcohol/high extract Paso Robles wines.) The 2002 Hoage Vineyards The Hedge Syrah, Paso Robles leads off with a dark, blood red color with a brownish tint extending out to the rim. French oak, licorice, stewed fruit, soy sauce and alcohol (16.5% stated) on the nose and palate as well as a hefty dose of cherry cough syrup. Fiercely acidic, the tannins are mostly resolved now. I think this wine is either at or perhaps slightly past its peak. If you have any of this in your cellar, I would recommend trying it now. I believe this was about $35 on release.

This was the first commercial release of this wine. Previous vintages were sold to the now-defunct Garretson Wine Company and bottled as Bulladoir Syrah from the Terry Hoage Vineyard. While Jennifer Hoage is now the winemaker, the first two vintages of this wine were made by Justin Smith of Saxum fame. Hoage Vineyards is now known as Terry Hoage Vineyards after reaching a legal agreement with Washington's Hogue Cellars. Paso Robles was flying completely under my radar until I heard of Mat Garretson (a fellow University of Georgia graduate) making a wine from a vineyard owned by former Georgia Bulldog All-American Safety Terry Hoage. And although Mat is now selling wine and spirits for a wholesaler in Minnesota and Terry's wines have gotten a bit too pricey for my limited wine budget, I'll always owe these two Dawgs a debt of gratitude for introducing me to Paso Robles; my current favorite California wine region.

Lightning Sucks!

2011-08-26T14:19:00.003-05:00

Our house got hit by a bolt of lightning last Thursday night, Aug. 18. It was part of a storm that knocked power out to all of the neighbors' houses that we could see. When power was restored a few hours later we noticed a couple of things weren't coming back on like they should have. A week later, some of the items have been fixed or replaced while other things remain out of action. Off the top of my head, here's what I can think of:

Garage door openers - We lost two of these. Right now we're just parking the cars in the driveway and raising the garage doors manually when we need to. Gonna set us back about $350 to replace both. Update: I finally got around to installing one new garage door opener last week that my brother-in-law gave us.

iPod - Fried. It was plugged into a charger and took a hit. Wondering now if I should buy a new one or upgrade my crappy Razr phone to something that can hold all of our music. Update: Yes, I used this as inspiration to buy an iPhone 4 in November and I couldn't be happier with my decision.

Phone system - Our land line phone system is wasted. Took out the base as well as the two satellite phones. Going to cost about $75 to buy a comparable system. Probably replace this soon. Update: Ended up buying an inexpensive cordless phone set from Best Buy.

Air conditioner - Took out the programmable thermostat and the blower (?) in the condenser unit. An A/C company came out the next day and loaned us some temporary replacement parts to keep everything running. They are supposed to come out next week and put in the permanent replacements to the tune of about $600. Update: This turned out to be a rather expensive proposition. The condenser was okay, but he had to put a new electronic panel in the system as well as replace something (a heat pump?) in the heating system. Took a couple of trips out here, too, as stuff was installed as it came in from the special orders. Ugh.

Televisions - Thankfully, the TVs were spared. But we did have some damage to the satellite itself (fixed for free by DirecTV) and it fried the HDMI input on one TV. DirecTV repairman suggested trying the red/blue/green component cables and everything works fine now. Phew!

Computers - My laptop was thankfully spared. The kids laptop is out of service. Won't even turn on. They've only had it since Christmas. I wonder if it's under some kind of warranty? Update: Turns out the kids' computer was okay except for the input where the power plugs in. A local computer repair shop fixed it for about $25. Hooray!

Internet - I wasn't getting any power to the modem so my internet provider, Hughes Net, sent us a new one. 5-6 days later, the new one arrived, but it wasn't receiving a signal from the dish. After an hour with the customer no-service representative, he told me he'd have to send out a repairman (flat $125 fee) to manually investigate. They're supposed to call me back in 4-5 business days to set up the appointment. I'm thinking I'll be down 3 weeks. Epic suck and I'm already relishing the thought of dumping a pile of electronics on the counter at the Hughes Net office the day my 2-year commitment is up. Update: I was angry when I typed that. Even though the guy on the phone told me there would be charges involved in the repair, I was never billed for anything. So I guess it turned out okay after all. That being said, I'm still really disappointed with the satellite internet we get out here in the country.

Wii - This is just flat-out bizarre. The Wii hasn't worked in a couple of months. No power. Nothing. But since the strike the damn thing magically works again! I was looking at the tv in the basement and out of the corner of my eye I see the light back on on the Wii. Someone cue the Twilight Zone music......

The electrician came out the next morning to assess the situation and tell us about all the water we found pouring into our breaker box during the storm. Thankfully, the water didn't cause any real damage. He dried everything out and told us where we should put silicone around some conduit outside. This was a really freak storm that blew in from the north. Storms here never come in from that direction. That's probably why we experienced the leaky conduit.

I think the kids lost their iPod dock/alarm clock, too. I figure we're looking at around $1500 to get everything repaired/fixed. Not the end of the world, but nothing to sneeze at, either. If anything, it'll just drastically cut into our discretionary spending for the next couple of months. So if you don't see many wine notes up here for a while, you'll know why!

I suppose we could file a claim with our insurance agent, but we've got a $1000 deductible so we'd still be picking up the majority of the tab. And I hate the idea of filing a claim over $500 in a day and age when insurance companies are just looking for reasons to drop customers. Nope, I think I'll hold off on the claim and wait until (hopefully never!) we need for State Farm to cover a catastrophic loss.

We're kind of bummed, but we're keeping it all in perspective as we've had friends and family members recently experience a lot more tragedy than a fried iPod or $200 bill from an electrician. In the grand scheme of things, this is nothing compared to a classmate losing a limb to cancer or losing a dear friend serving his country in the Middle East.

Seven wines from Paul Hobbs Imports

2011-08-18T22:28:00.004-05:00

I attended a great tasting earlier this week featuring Argentinian wines that Paul Hobbs had a hand in making and/or bringing into the United States. Hobbs is the importer for the Pulenta wines and is the co-owner/winemaker for the Vina Cobos line-up. The wines were presented by Aaron Meeker of LDF; the local distributor for these wines.

2008 Pulenta Estate XIV Pinot Gris, Mendoza - Light in color with white flowers, pear and green apple aromas. Lean and tangy on the palate with mineral notes and considerable acid. Doesn't seem to have the tropical fruit concentration it had this time last year. About $17

2009 Vina Cobos Felino Chardonnay, Mendoza - Pale color with a buttery, yeasty, pear nose. The oak is subtle (about 1/4 of this is fermented in oak) but apparent; as is the acid and alcohol. Crisp, with a pleasantly bitter/flinty finish. Typical of the restrained style of Chardonnay that Hobbs is known for. $20

2009 Vina Cobos Felino Malbec, Mendoza - Deep color with buttered toast, raspberry and dark cocoa aromas and flavors. Firmly acidic with raspberry and cranberry flavors on the palate. Once again, typical of the restrained Paul Hobbs style. That being said, this bottle was considerably richer than the (hugely disappointing) bottle I had back in April. $20

2007 Pulenta Estate III Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza - Opaque color. New oak apparent on the nose. Aromas and flavors include wintergreen, black fruits and olives. Quite rich and tannic with an impossibly long, minerally finish. As this wine sits in the glass it develops a strong note of green tobacco. $26

2009 Vina Cobos Felino Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza - A thick wine with black currant and sweet raspberry notes balanced by earthier tones of black olive and green tobacco. I thought this was a little disappointing following the beautiful Pulenta Cabernet. $20

2006 Vina Cobos Bramare Marchiori Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza - The most full-bodied and oak-driven wine of the evening. A very rich, smoky Cabernet with mocha and black fruit flavors and monster tannins just begging for a well-marbled steak. Tannins and acidic structure suggests further aging may be in order. About $45

2004 Pulenta Estate XII Cabernet Franc "Tardio," Mendoza - A late harvest Cabernet Franc from Argentina? You bet it is! Tawny red color with a complex array of flowers, vanilla, dill, caramel and apricot aromas and flavors. Very tawny port-like with medium sweetness, a medium body and a slightly greenish finish. Aaron claims this is a great partner with a salad with a vinaigrette. I would very much like to try it with some nuts, fruit and cheese (particularly a nice blue cheese). Pricey at $35/375ml

Patelin de Tablas Blanc

2011-08-17T18:44:00.006-05:00

I spent a couple of quality hours with a bottle of 2010 Tablas Creek Vineyard Patelin de Tablas Blanc, Paso Robles last night. This blend of Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne represents a new niche in Tablas Creek's line-up as it is made from a combination of estate fruit and purchased fruit. The Patelin line (Rouge to be released this fall) will allow them some flexibility in years when grape yields are unusually high or low. Somewhat darker than expected, the nose reveals layers of floral, honeyed notes and a hint of brown spice reminiscent of nutmeg. The palate is dense with tropical, pineapple flavors and crisp minerality. Thick, but never heavy, it has a wonderfully rich texture with crisp acidity and a slightly bitter finish which adds balance and complexity. Quite a nice wine for about $20.

For dinner I cut up a whole chicken and pan-roasted the quarters. As the chicken was resting, I made a quick pan sauce with grape tomatoes (from the garden, of course!), fresh herbs, garlic and a splash of sherry vinegar. Absolutely delicious with the wine.

Mixed bag of wines....

2011-08-15T07:43:00.003-05:00

Tasted a couple at work the other night. These are wines we're either featuring in our wine of the month club or running on special this month. Disclosure, I was a bit under the weather that night so my sniffer may have been a little off its game...

2010 Cline Ancient Vines Mourvedre, Contra Costa County - Inviting nose of blueberry and cinnamon spice. Quite tannic on the palate with tart fruit and road tar flavors. Medium-bodied. Seems a bit "hot," but that may be due to the temperature the wine was served at. Cool it off a bit and try it again.

2008 Peregrine Pinot Noir, Central Otago - Herbal, cherry, cranberry nose. Light-bodied with meager fruit, smoke and a hint of dill. Dusty tannins. Does nothing to convince me to drink more New Zealand Pinot Noir; especially for $30.

NV Bliss Schoolhouse Red, Mendocino County - Pretty color. Fantastic nose features Zinfandel-like fruit, licorice and a bit of chocolate. But the palate is distressingly light with modest leather flavors. Second label of Brutocao. Decent enough wine, but there are better $15 proprietary blends out there.

2010 Schug Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma Coast

2011-08-13T17:01:00.002-05:00

The 2010 Schug Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma Coast is a truly outstanding effort. Pale in color, the nose is a cornucopia of lemon, honeysuckle (certainly from the Sauvignon Musque in the blend), ripe grapefruit and melon aromas and flavors. There's a fantastic richness on the palate that comes from sur lie aging in neutral oak, but there's plenty of acidity in there to keep the wine from becoming too ponderous. The pleasantly herbaceous finish just doesn't quit. This is my new benchmark for what domestic Sauvignon Blanc should taste like.

2007 Joseph Carr Merlot

2011-08-12T23:25:00.002-05:00

The 2007 Joseph Carr Merlot, Napa Valley really over-delivers in the mid-teen price range. Pretty notes of plum, cherry and cedar on the nose and palate with additional flavors of black olive and a hint of bay leaf. The wine is aged in a combination of French and American oak, but the oak never steals the spotlight. Medium-bodied with a wonderful texture lacking that hollow mid-palate that plagues so many Merlots. Maybe the result of the addition of 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc?

Grab Bag of Wines fom Last Week.....

2011-08-01T18:03:00.040-05:00

It's always a good time when my father-in-law comes for a visit. He's one of the people responsible for sparking my interest in wine nearly 20 years ago and we still enjoy tasting wines together. Here are a couple of wines we had last week:

2010 Willow Crest Estate Grown Pinot Gris, Yakima Valley - Complex yeasty, smoky, melon aromas and flavors with bright acidity. Unfortunately, this bottle was marred by a slight spritz. Still, a great bargain at $12.

Two Pinot Noirs with pork tenderloin. The tenderloin was scored and marinated in somethiung resembling a thick Teriyaki sauce and then grilled just past medium.

2009 Block Nine Caiden's Vineyard Pinot Noir, California - Dark cherry flavors and aromatics with sweet herbs lurking in the background. Seems a touch alcoholic, but not enough to be a distraction. Another outstanding value that clocks in around $12.

2006 Yering Station Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley - More fruit forward than most of the Pinots that I've had from Down Under, but still quite herbaceous for my palate. Quite a bit of cherry/menthol cough syrup. Very acidic. Not my cup of tea.

2008 Quinta do Alqueve Fernao Pires, DOC Ribatejo - Having never even heard of the Fernao Pires grape, I had no idea what to expect from this one. Color of a typical Sauvignon Blanc. Quite peachy, floral and buttery on the nose with rich, buttery, minerally flavors following through on the palate. Hint of melon. Considerably richer than I thought it would be. Slight, pleasant bitterness on the long, oily finish. This was a really fun wine that mt father-in-law picked up for $6 or $7 at Binny's in Chicago.

2007 Coopers Creek Chardonnay/Viognier, Gisborne - A blend of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Viognier. Beautiful color. Nose of ripe apple, peach and flowers. No noticeable oak. Slight buttery note on the palate. Sweet, rich fruit. Oily texture, hint of match stick on the finish. Holding on nicely for a wine of such modest upbringing. Refreshing summer quaff. How can New Zealand get Sauvignon Blanc so wrong (simply too herbaceous for my palate) but continue to make such nice wines from Chardonnay, Viognier and Gewurztraminer?

2008 Koehler Viognier, Santa Ynez Valley - Something of a one-trick pony. Beautiful nose of ultra-ripe apricot, but that's about all there is. The Palate is quite rich and oily with the aforementioned apricot flavors. Quite bitter on the finish. You can definitely feel the 14.7% alcohol on the finish.

Wednesday night's dinner was spatchcocked chicken stuffed with a fresh rosemary and sundried tomato butter smoked over cherry and apple wood. In a word - stunning. Accompanied by a home made sundried tomato risotto and grilled asparagus. We opened a couple of Pinots to accompany:

2008 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley - High-toned notes of sweet/tart cheery and herb with a touch of skunk/road tar. Rather light on the palate with sour cherry flavors and assertive acidity. Not a very good showing for this bottling.

2009 Pietra Santa Pinot Noir, Cienega Valley - Beautiful, Grenache-like aromas of sweet raspberry and underbrush. Medium-bodied with more raspberry, herb and spice flavors on the palate. Bit bitter on the finish. Not exactly a typical Pinot Noir flavor profile, but tasty nonetheless.

2009 Montepeloso A Quo, IGT Toscana - Starts off with some really weird briny/green peppercorn/wintergreen aromas. With some air, most of that blows off and you're left with some interesting raspberry/wintergreen aromas that follow through to the thin, tart palate. Rather alcoholic. This blend of (mostly) Sangiovese and Cabernet is getting some really nice reviews in the press, but it didn't click with me at all. Certainly doesn't speak of Tuscany. A very disappointing $25

2008 Cupcake Vineyards Petite Sirah, Central Coast - Call me crazy, but I really like this wine. Warm blackberry and blueberry aromas punctuated with fresh-cracked black pepper. Medium-bodied and spicy on the palate with more of the aforementioned dark fruits and some light chocolate flavors. Everything you could want from a sub-$10 "burger wine."

2008 Alexander Valley Vineyards Sin Zin Zinfandel, Alexander Valley - Makes no attempt to disguise the 14.4% alcohol. Deep color. Alcoholic, briery, raspberry nose. Copious raspberry and pepper on the thin, acidic palate. About $12

2009 Dona Paula Los Cardos Malbec, Mendoza - Pretty, plummy, spicy entry level Malbec with plenty of pepper and fruit on the palate. Nice acid and tannin provides balance.

2009 Four Vines Old Vine Cuvee Zinfandel, California - Continues to impress with its blueberry and raspberry flavors and bright, peppery texture. Despite the decadent fruit, the wine in nicely balanced by the tannin and acid. Just a hint of oak. Really over-delivers in the $10-12 price range. Perfect with spare ribs off the smoker.

2008 Bennett Lane "Turn Four" Cabernet

2011-07-31T20:28:00.006-05:00

I hadn't had the 2008 Bennett Lane Turn Four Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa County since New Year's Eve. With some thick KC strips on the grill I thought it was a good time for a revisit. Still shows great color. Super sweet cherries and licorice on the nose and palate with hints of dry cocoa on the palate. Slick French oak; think vanilla and black shoe polish. Medium-bodied with nice tannins and balancing acidity. Not terribly complex, but what's there is there in spades and quite delicious. 14.5% alcohol is very apparent. A blend of sustainable vineyards from the Calistoga, Oakville and St. Helena districts of Napa. Proof that you can still get a nice California Cabernet for $20 or so.

friends.red.redux

2011-07-30T19:48:00.003-05:00

Revisited the 2009 Pedroncelli friends.red Red Wine, Sonoma County with a trio of home made pizzas tonight. This proprietary blend of (undisclosed percentages of) Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah and Sangiovese continues to over-deliver in the $10 price range. I don't want to promise too much here, but the wine is a delicious package of spicy raspberry fruit with solid tannins and really nice acidity. According to the winery's website, it is aged in a combination of French and American oak, but I don't get any toasty, oaky notes on this wine. Finishes with a 14.4% kick of alcohol.

Two of the pizzas tonight were pretty standard: Italian sausage/mushroom and eggplant Parmesan. The third one tonight was a real masterpiece of locavore dining; if I must say so myself. The crust was brushed with just a bit of olive oil and sprinkled with shredded mozzarella cheese before being topped with paper-thin slices of garden fresh zucchini and dotted with bits of fresh goat cheese from the nearby Terabithia Farms. Their goat cheese (from Oberhasli goats) is amazing and unlike anything you'll ever get at a grocery store or cheese specialty shop. More like a mozzarella than chevre, the cheese has a dense, milky texture and peels apart just like a fresh ball of mozzarella. Even has that "squeaky," toothy texture to it. Melts brilliantly. Just fantastic!

Test your knowledge of France's wine regions

2011-07-28T23:03:00.004-05:00

Here's a link to an insanely difficult (at least it's insanely difficult to my Cali-centric palate) interactive game in which you have to place a pushpin on various wine regions of France. To be honest, I've never heard of most of these little towns and regions. I've played a couple times and I've got to make a number of lucky guesses to break 30,000 points. Just for comparison's sake, to get your name on the list of top scores you need to score in the 85,000-100,000 range. Kind of fun. Give it a whirl and test your knowledge of little-known villages of the Loire, the Languedoc, Alsace, etc. Bonne chance!

2008 Cameron Hughes "Lot 171" Meritage

2011-07-28T22:10:00.002-05:00

Cameron Hughes is a very interesting story. An international negociant, he buys completed wines from around the world, bottles them as is and sells them for a fraction of what the original producer would have sold them for. The wines that they have offered throughout the years is astonishing. Everything from California Cabernets and Chardonnays to Moscato d'Astis to South African Sauvignon Blancs to Grenache blends from Spain's Priorat. Apparently, if you have too much of it, Cameron will repackage it and sell it.

But while I recently enjoyed the rich, tropical Lot 159 Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County), I wasn't terribly impressed with tonight's red offering. The 2008 Cameron Hughes Lot 171 Meritage, Sonoma County is a blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Petite Verdot and 5% Malbec. The color is most unimpressive; more reminiscent of an entry level Pinot Noir than a Bordeaux blend. Strong menthol controls the nose with faint notes of tart cherry, watermelon Jolly Rancher and hickory smoke lurking in the background. Thin and frail on the palate with meager tart cherry flavors and out of balance acidity. Modest tannins suggest this is best consumed young. If you want to take a chance on this wine, I would recommend treating it like a Sangiovese and look for a tomato sauce to provide some balance. Not worth $15.

2007 Kent Rasmussen "Esoterica" Petite Sirah

2011-07-22T22:38:00.003-05:00

Oh, my lord what a beast the 2007 Kent Rasmussen Esoterica Chavez-Leeds Vineyard Petite Sirah, Rutherford is! Impenetrable color is solid right out to the rim. The nose is a brooding stew of blackberry, brier, black pepper and unsweetened baker's chocolate. More of those rustic, dry cocoa powder flavors turn up on the palate with searing acidity and huge, drying, dusty (this is from Rutherford, after all) tannins. There's certainly plenty of tannin and acid in here to last a decade or longer in the cellar, but I don't think there will be much, if any fruit left at such time. So I suggest drinking this now with some assertive food like tonight's grilled burgers with home made pesto and a side of garden-fresh tomatoes (Eldorado and Beefsteak) dressed with balsamic vinegar and fresh basil. Definitely worth $35

Austin Hope "Troublemaker" (Blend 2)

2011-07-16T22:56:00.005-05:00

It's no secret that I have a special place in my heart for the Rhone-style blends of California's Central Coast/Paso Robles region. In fact, it's probably my favorite region anywhere in the world as the wines there tend to pair very nicely with the foods that I most like to eat; namely spicy foods, grilled foods, smoked foods and BBQ. The non-vintage Austin Hope Troublemaker (Blend 2), Paso Robles is just such a wine. A blend of 73% Syrah, 12% Grenache, 8% Petite Sirah and 7% Mourvedre from no less than three different vintages (2007, 2008 and 2009), the Troublemaker has a great, deep purple color that is consistent all the way out to the rim. The nose is initially quite primary with sweet cherry and raspberry aromas and licorice. With a bit of air, it is possible to coax some smoked bacon aromas from the glass. Full and juicy on the palate with decadent fruit, espresso, worn leather, solid tannins and a very pleasant herbaceousness on the finish. I won't argue with the stated claim of 14.5% alcohol. A very nice effort that rings up for just under $20.

Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc, Trumpeter Malbec

2011-07-16T00:50:00.004-05:00

2008 Rutherford Vintners Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley - This is the fruit-forward California style Sauvignon Blanc that really hits the spot when it's 100 degrees outside and you just finished unpacking countless suitcases of dirty laundry after a 10-day family "vacation." Beautiful melon and peach aromas and flavors with crisp acidity and just a touch of richness. Am I crazy or is there a hint of Riesling-like petrol in the nose, too? I think I paid about $14 at a retailer in Florida.

I've enjoyed the past 3-4 vintages of Trumpeter Malbec, but for some reason the 2010 Rutini Trumpeter Malbec, Mendoza left me flat. The current vintage offers really tart strawberry and raspberry aromas and follows up with more thin, underripe, acidic fruit on the palate. Light body. No tannins (or finish) to speak of. Nor does it feature any of the smoke, coffee, spice or lush fruit that I enjoy from Argentinian Malbec. I paired this with grilled KC strips with chimichurri tonight and the vinegary chimichurri sauces helped smooth out the wine a bit (much like an acidic tomato sauce balances out an acidic Chianti) but it was still far from pleasurable. A disappointing $11.

Fourth of July weekend wines

2011-07-03T16:30:00.011-05:00

Had out dear friend Alex over on Sunday for a day of shooting (12 gauge, .357 magnum, .30-06) and some food and wine. Dinner was St. Louis style spare ribs that I overcooked; an unpardonable offense in my book. I let them spend an hour or so too long on the smoker and they ended up being a good bit drier and tougher than I was shooting for. Shame on me.

We started with a bottle of the NV Riondo Spago Nero Prosecco; a wine I've reported on many times. Nothing new here. Just that lovely, bubbly, pear/apple profile that quenches the thirst on a brutally hot Kansas afternoon.

2010 Charles & Charles Rose, Columbia Valley - This 100% Syrah rose sports a pale magenta color with a bluish tint. Blackberry, raspberry aromas and flavors abound in this very full-bodied pink wine. Charles & Charles proves that you can indeed drink rose and be bad ass! $11

2008 Seghesio Home Ranch Zinfandel, Alexander Valley - Impressive, dark color. Classic old vine Zinfandel nose of blackberry, brier and black peppercorn. Quite full-bodied with big, powdery tannins. Finish turns a bit green after a couple of hours. A bit of American oak on this wine, but it only reveals itself after an undue amount of air. A wee bit overpriced at $39

2008 Ambullneo "Zito Family Vineyards" Tres Ninos Zinfandel, San Luis Obispo County - Sweet cherry and a rich, nutty Graham cracker crust element in the nose. Light in color for a Zinfandel. Sweet/tart cherry flavors and a good bit of spice on this whimsical Zinfandel. This is a side project of Ambullneo's Greg Linn. I cannot find any additional information about this particular Zinfandel on the Nonno Zito website.

2006 Ambullneo Vineyards Howling Syrah, Santa Maria Valley - Medium-dark color more reminiscent of a Cabernet Sauvignon than a Syrah. Super meaty with hickory smoke, beef jerky, wintergreen and white pepper all pitching in on the supremely complex nose. Huge mouth-filling tannins with fleshy, meaty, salami-like flavors on the palate. A ponderous, contemplative wine and a textbook example of a cool climate California Syrah. Bravo!

We finished the evening with a couple of drams of Bushmill's 1608 Irish Whiskey and some Cuban cigars I've been hoarding (under impeccable conditions, of course) for the last 10-12 years. Combine that with no less than three separate fireworks shows on the horizon and you've got a recipe for a fine evening.

Our friend stuck around long enough on Monday to get in a few hours of fishing on the pond(s). We mostly caught smaller fish, but there were a couple a of nice size bluegills (Alex) and a 1.5-2 pound Largemouth (me) in there, too. After Alex left we spent some time tidying up the garden and doing farm stuff. Around 2 p.m. or so I threw 30 pounds of pork shoulder on the smoker for a family reunion dinner later in the week. Dinner was one of my all-time favorites: charcoal-grilled flat iron steak with fresh chimichurri sauce.

2010 Willow Crest Estate Grown Pinot Gris, Yakima Valley - Pale color, as expected. Tremendous nose of banana, pineapple, tangerine and spice. Slight spritz on the attack. Tropical, pineapple flavors and a good dollop of minerality on the palate. Refreshing acidity. This wine consistently runs neck-and-neck with Cline as my favorite value domestic Pinot Gris. $11

2009 Tilia Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza - This sustainably-farmed Argentinian Cabernet has a deep, saturated color with blackberry, currant and spice on the nose. Good bit of oak, as well; but it's the cedary type rather than the cheap, dilly American variety. Jammy cranberry and spice on the palate. A pretty simple wine, but packed with yummy goodness. Turns a bit "green" after a while. Low acid and light tannins make it perfect for drinking now. $12

2007 Kiralyudvar Furmint Sec

2011-07-02T20:01:00.003-05:00

The garden continues to bless us with a bounty of fresh herbs and vegetables. Tonight's dinner was grilled salmon filets with a ginger/rosemary rub, steamed broccoli from the garden (sadly, likely the only head of broccoli we're going to get) and spaghetti noodles tossed with pesto (basil and garlic from our garden).

The wine I chose to accompany the meal was the 2007 Kiralyudvar Furmint Sec, Tokaj. Never having had a dry Hungarian wine, I went into this bottle free of preconceived notions; good or bad. Rather dark in color. Pretty close to what I would expect from an oak-aged Chardonnay. The nose is a complex stew of overripe apricot, peach, mushroom and more than a hint of oxidation. On the palate, the wine has a lot of the aforementioned ripe apricot and peach flavors with lots of mineral and acid. Quite full-bodied; almost oily in texture. And I dare say this is approaching off-dry status as I think there's a bit of residual sugar in here. It smells and tastes like a dessert wine that someone allowed to ferment for a bit too long. Simply outstanding with the food. But once the food is gone, the wine quickly loses its charm. About $20

I'm really glad I tried this wine. And it was a great partner to the food. That being said, it's a bit tedious on its own and I really don't think I like it enough to warrant purchasing additional bottles. Recommended; with reservations.

2008 Marquis Philips "Holly's White", 2010 Lapierre "Raisins Gaulois"

2011-06-26T18:38:00.008-05:00

Spent a lot of time doing farm stuff this afternoon. In addition to the normal chores of feeding and watering all the animals I disassembled a couple of wooden shelters that had been housing the ducks and turkeys. The birds had outgrown the small boxes and the weather had taken its toll on them as well. Stifling heat and humidity made it pretty tedious. So a crisp, refreshing white wine was in order. The 2008 Marquis Philips Holly's Blend, South Eastern Australia sports a medium gold color. About half Verdeho, the rest of this inexpensive blend is Chardonnay, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The initial burst of honey-lemon on the nose suggests a sweet, fruit-forward wine. But the palate is actually quite rich and earthy with a beautiful waxy texture. Great acidity. 15% alcohol. About $12

Dinner tonight was a pork tenderloin that was rubbed with a honey/Dijon/garlic/rosemary marinade and grilled over hickory and apple wood. It was accompanied by some amazing multi-colored carrots we pulled from the garden and roasted whole with just a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. When the carrots were done, they were drizzled with just a bit of honey and then sprinkled with fresh chopped rosemary. Sublime! The 2010 Lapierre Raisins Gaulois, Vin de France was the perfect partner for this meal. Tantalizing electric magenta color followed by amazing raspberry, cherry and strawberry in the nose. The purity of fruit is immediately comparable to the oft-mentioned Alpha Box & Dice Tarot Grenache. Light-bodied with juicy strawberry flavors complimented by earth and mineral notes. No oak is used in the vinification of this wine. Mouth-watering acidity. About $15

This is the first vintage of this wine (made by the son) after the untimely death of the legendary Marcel Lapierre; an early proponent of organic winemaking and one of the men credited with helping change the way wine drinkers think of the Beaujolais region. When the world was fixated on insipid Beaujolais Nouveau in the 70s and 80s, Lapierre was putting away the chemical fertilizers and drastically cutting back on sulfite additions.

A view of the farm back in late winter/early spring. This is before we had any fencing put up and we had just laid out the raised beds that would become the garden:

The same view today with a goat pen, a duck/turkey pen and a bustling garden (that is in desperate need of a good weeding). So far we've been enamored by the beets, carrots, arugula and herbs. Beans and a huge crop of tomatoes are coming soon. Next year we'll probably skip the broccoli (very leafy, no crowns), strawberries (only 2-3 of 10 came in and the fruit has been very tiny) and edamame (none of the 10 or so seeds we planted ever sprouted).

The neighbor spent a few days last week harvesting the Brohm hay growing along the sides of the property and in the back yard. He has a large cattle operation out in western Kansas and we've got a gentleman's agreement that he can have the hay. I think I counted 32 bales that they cut, dried and rolled!

Stickybeak, Dunning, more beets and 2 Rieslings

2011-06-17T20:17:00.011-05:00

The 2009 Stickybeak Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County is a blend of 72% Semillon and 28% Sauvignon Blanc and one of the featured wines of Off the Vine Design's Wine of the Month Club. Quite a bit more than I expected here with an earthy, almost truffle-like nose, with yeast and smoke playing a supporting role. Rich palate with fine acidity and light melon notes on the finish. No fruit bomb. Enjoy this one as it approaches room temperature. And consider pairing it with a quiche. About $20

No surprise that the 2008 Dunning Vineyards Vin de Casa, Paso Robles - remains a consistent winner in my book. The blend of 45% Cabernet Franc, 35% Zinfandel, 20% Syrah shows dark cherry with hints of herb and licorice in the nose. Great concentration of fruit and licorice on palate. Nice acidity, fiercely tannic. Sweet, herbaceous finish. Consumed with a couple of meaty take-out pizzas. About $24

Last weekend we harvested the last of our spring/summer beets and cut another huge bunch of peppery arugula. I turned it into an arugula salad tossed with a quasi-Asian vinaigrette, roasted beets, candied cashews and smoked salmon (also treated with an Asian-inspired rub). A couple of Rieslings were opened for the sake of comparison and contrast.

First up was the 2008 Michelle Loosen Eroica Riesling, Columbia Valley. Yeasty, green apple nose with just a bit of the petrol that I dig in Riesling. Laser-sharp focus with more tart green apple and mineral flavors on the palate. Just barely off-dry. Overall, this is a very well-made wine, but alas it was too dry to successfully accompany the food. $20

Slightly sweeter was the 2009 Leitz Dragonstone Riesling, Rheingau. Peach and apricot dominate with supporting tropical notes of kiwi and pineapple and petrol. Moderately sweet (though considerably sweeter than the Eroica), this was a better pairing with the food, but still not as sweet as I needed it to be. Nicely balanced minerals and acidity on the finish. Softer than the Eroica. $16

The recipe I used is from an older cookbook and sadly I can't find any link to it on the internet. I really liked the concept of this salad, but it needs some modifications. Next time I want to try it with seared, thinly-sliced ahi instead of smoked salmon. And I'll ditch the olive oil called for in the dressing and use a more neutral vegetable oil instead. And I'll seek out a Riesling or Gewurztraminer (or both) with a bit more residual sugar to counteract the heat and saltiness of the recipe. When I get around to making it again (with modifications) I'll type out the recipe here.

Couple of recent tastes

2011-06-10T22:09:00.013-05:00

2007 Marquis Philips Roogle Shiraz, South Eastern Australia - Dark, grapey purple color with a (surprising) bit of sediment. Grapey, raspberry, acidic nose. Yes, you can smell the acidity in this one. Fruit is sweet and simple with an "artificial" acidity and no tannins to speak of. Nothing great here, but a perfectly decent, inexpensive quaff with burgers.

2009 Four Vines Naked Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County - As the name suggests, just pure Chardonnay fruit here. Massive banana, pineapple and peach on the nose and palate. Electric golden color. Refreshing acidity. Touch of sweetness makes it refreshing on a hot Saturday afternoon on the back porch.

2007 Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz-Viognier, Victoria - Absolutely stellar wine! Inky dark color. Beautiful Northern Rhone nose of meat/salami/fennel with prune/cherry fruit notes. A tad alcoholic. 14% Great concentration on the palate with cherry, oaky, smokey, apricot notes. Moderate tannins and good acidity. Great pairing with pork sirloin with pan sauce.

2009 Four Vines Old Vine Cuvee Zinfandel, California - raspberry leaps from the glass. You can smell it from 5 feet away. Jammy raspberry, blueberry and a bit of spice. Thick and sweet on the palate with jammy zinberry fruit. Peppery finish. Nothing complex here, but delicious. 14.4% alcohol and nice acidity on the finish keeps the fruit from being too cloying.

NV Riondo Spago Nero Prosecco, Veneto - This venerable favorite is consistent with its apple, pear and ginger aromas and flavors. Seemed a touch flat. Natural cork suggests this may have been an older bottle.

2010 Adelsheim Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley - One of my favorite domestic Pinot Gris. Beautiful melon, lemon nose with wet stone/mineral notes. Wonderful acidity.

NV J. Bookwalter Subplot No. 25 Red Wine, Columbia Valley - 48% Merlot, 33% C.S., 5% Syrah, 4% C.F., 4% Malbec, 4% P.V. and 2% Barbera. Slightly syrupy blackberry fruit and American cooperage on the nose and palate. Good acidity. Moderate tannins. Touch alcoholic.

A Tale of Two Pinots.....

2011-06-04T18:47:00.004-05:00

Tried a couple of inexpensive California Pinot Noirs with smoked rotisserie chicken tonight.

First up was the 2009 Chime Cellars Pinot Noir, California. Transparent in color, the Chime Pinot Noir is light-bodied with a decidedly herbal edge. Notes of strawberry, tart raspberry, light spice and Provencal herbs in the nose. Tart raspberry, vanilla and citrusy/grapefruit acidity are present on the palate. Short finish with a slightly tarry note. Looking back, this wine probably would have fared better with food with an herbal/citrus component. Worth trying again. About $11

Next up was the 2009 Block Nine Caiden's Vineyards Pinot Noir, California. Much darker color than the Chime, I was immediately expecting this wine to be somewhat richer and I was not disappointed. Ripe raspberry and cherry fruit with sweet vanilla scents on the nose. Medium-bodied on the palate with richer, rounder fruit and a similar note of rosemary/lavender herb. Nice acidity with moderate tannins. Long, dry, herbal finish. This was the superior pairing with tonight's dinner and certainly bears future purchases. About $12

I can sense this leading up to a Chime/Block Nine/Sean Minor showdown in the near future!

The chicken was rubbed down with kosher salt, ginger and rosemary before being rotisseried over charcoal spiked with cherry and apple wood. The chicken going on the rotisserie:

The finished product:

2010 Sean Minor Vin Gris

2011-06-03T21:22:00.004-05:00

I've been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to try the latest release from Sean Minor and tonight was the perfect occasion. The menu for this evening was leftover paella (going on a week now, about time to pitch the leftovers) and a wondermous salad of garden-fresh greens tossed with a sherry-orange vinaigrette, diced roasted beets and croquettes of goat cheese. Turns out the 2010 Sean Minor Pinot Noir Vin Gris, Carneros was the perfect pairing for just such a salad. The wine has a middle-of-the-road copper color as far as roses are concerned. The nose is a fruit salad of strawberry, cherry, watermelon and a hint of fresh-snipped mint. Rich, full-bodied and bone dry on the palate with earthy cherry flavors and a long acidic finish. Beautifully balanced. As nice as this was on its own merits it really stood out with the beet salad where the acidity of the wine perfectly balanced the citrus vinaigrette and the earthiness of the wine really worked with the earthiness of the roasted beets. I can see myself going through many bottles of this wine over the summer. Great value at $15.

Seghesio tasting + others

2011-06-02T21:59:00.003-05:00

I was pleased to attend a tasting last week featuring the wines of Seghesio Winery and enjoyed a couple of bonus pours afterwards.

2010 Seghesio Pinot Grigio, Sonoma County - Consistently one of the best domestic Pinot Grigios. Orchard fruit (pear, apple) and wet stone nose followed by dry tropical flavors on the palate. Quite dry with refreshing acidity and a long finish. $19

2007 Seghesio Barbera, Alexander Valley - Captivating nose of black cherry and vanilla/smoky French oak. Very acidic with a decidedly mushroomy edge. Needs food. Didn't show the uncanny cranberry liqueur of the last bottle I had, but still a very nice wine. $27

2008 Seghesio Sangiovese, Alexander Valley - Black olive, candied fruit and licorice on the nose and in the mouth. Didn't show as well as previous bottles. $27

2009 Seghesio Zinfandel, Sonoma County - Another remarkably consistent wine. Coconut/American oak, bright raspberry and menthol nose. Nice tannins. Dry with a sweet/tart raspberry finish. The quintessential summertime Zinfandel. I've been drinking this wine for nearly 20 years and I hope to still be drinking it 20 years from now! $20

2008 Seghesio Home Ranch Zinfandel, Alexander Valley - Switches gears with Rhone-like notes of rosemary, green peppercorn and menthol. Massive black pepper and luscious dark fruits. Tannic. Very interesting Zinfandel and worth the $37 entry fee.

2003 Seghesio Venom Sangiovese, Rattlesnake Hills, Alexander Valley - Color shows some bricking as one would expect from a Sangiovese with a few years on it. Initial nose of American oak and mushroom gently yields to a beautiful bottle sweetness with sanguine notes. Long finish and considerable tannic grip.

And a few bonus pours:

2007 Bodega Pulenta Estate Merlot, Mendoza - Great color. Sweet/tart cherry nose with a hint of black olive. Olive is even more prevalent on the palate. Medium-bodied with a bit of that "hollow" mid-palate common to Merlot.

2007 Bodega Pulenta Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza - Nose is initially all about sweet black fruit and licorice, but it picks up some green notes with air. Palate is quite green and peppery. Black fruits kicks in again on the finish. Moderate tannins.

2007 Cuvelier los Andes Grand Vin, Mendoza - A blend of 73% Malbec, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot from the winemaking team at the famed Chateau Leoville Poyferre. Jet black in color with crazy notes of licorice, pencil/graphite, black fruits and latex. Monster tannins beg for time in the cellar. Picks up a bit of truffle with air. Really shows its Bordeaux heritage and hands-down my favorite wine of the evening.

2008 Barrel Monkey Shiraz, McLaren Vale - Dill and blackberry syrup on the nose and palate. Thick, with low acid and moderate tannins. Short finish. Not my cup of tea.

Beets, Petite Sirah and more Memorial Day wines

2011-05-30T18:24:00.010-05:00

We pulled our first beet harvest out of the garden a few days ago. Being rather new to beets, I put my own spin on what looked like a good recipe from an old "Molto Mario" show and ended up with roasted beets, sauteed beet greens and goat cheese on grilled bruscetta.

We were already sipping on a bottle of 2009 Susana Balbo Crios Torrontes, Argentina. For many vintages now I've considered this my favorite Torrontes and my first bottle of 2009 did not disappoint! Effusively peachy and floral, I like to compare this to a nice Vioignier at 1/3 of the price. An outstanding wine that really shines with guacamole and ceviche, it was merely servicable with the beets.

If the Torrontes pairing left us a bit flat, the 2005 Eaglepoint Petite Sirah, Mendocino proved to be a truly sublime pairing. Still blacker than night and still throwing copious amounts of sediment, the aromas and flavors of Bourbon (I'm assuming this is from the American oak) soy sauce, briery blackberry and dried meat brought out all the deep earthiness of the beets. Finishes with fierce, chalky tannins, dried baker's chocolate and crazy acidity. I'll say it again, it's a damn shame that Casey Hartlip has given up winemaking to become a full-time grape grower!

Roasted Beet Bruscetta

6 medium beets, greens intact
1/2 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar, plus more for drizzling
2 oz. goat cheese, at room temperature
12 slices crusty bread (French baguette or rustic Italian loaf)

1) Prepare the beats by cutting off the root and removing the beet from the stems. Leave the skin on. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, wrap in aluminum foil and roast in a 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until soft enough to easily pierce with a knife.

2) While beets are cooling, prepare the beet greens. Remove the tough stems and cut the leafy greens into 1/2" wide strips. Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and the beet greens. Season with salt and pepper. After 1-2 minutes add balsamic vinegar. Cook, covered, for additional 4-5 minutes until greens begn to wilt. Remove from heat.

3) When beets have cooled slightly, slip skins off and discard. Cut beets into 1/4" dice and add to pan with greens.

4) Brush remaining olive oil onto slices of bread and toast. While toast is still warm, spread with goat cheese and top with warm beet/beet green mixture. Drizzle with additional balsamic vingear.

On Monday night we grilled up some beef and apple bratwurst that we get from our Homespun Hills CSA. With the brats and my soon-to-be world famous cilantro and blue cheese cole slaw, we enjoyed the 2009 Eclipse Zinfandel, Alexander Valley. I reported on this wine last summer and I'm happy to say the wine is still showing quite well. Deep magenta in color, the nose shows crazy deep raspberry and spice aromas. Medium bodied with sweet raspberry and blackberry fruit. Great tannins and acidity. Really worked well with the brats and spicy mustard. A very reasonable $18. A side project of wine broker Rick Raiffini. Let's hope he goes full-time with this venture.

Fleshier than most Barberas, the 2006 Castello del Poggio Barbera d'Asti, Piedmont was the wine of choice with Tuesday night's braised lamb shoulder (also from Homespun Hills) over soft polenta. Garnet color with a really pretty nose of dark fruit compote vanilla and a hint of tar. Medium-bodied with good fruit, tar and, of course, nice acidity. $16

Brief notes on a weekend of wines

2011-05-25T17:39:00.014-05:00

It's been quite a week and it only promises to get more exciting. My father-in-law (the man who got me into wine nearly 20 years ago) came into town to visit last week just as the kids were getting out of school for the summer. He always shows up with a small arsenal of firearms, a couple cases of wine and a box of cigars. I highly recommend partying with the man if you get the chance. Some of the wines we have sampled so far include:

The 2009 O'Reilly's Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley features a pale color with a slight copper hue that I look for in Pinot Gris. Muted aromatics of lemon/lime soda on the nose. Seems a bit flat on the palate. Suffers from a lack of acidity and finishes with an odd note of residual sugar. Lacks the acidity and minerality of better domestic Pinot Gris. This is the value label of Owen Roe Winery. Consumed as an aperitif. About $10

With Thursday night meatloaf we tried the 2009 Altos del Cuco, Jumilla. I was quite impressed with this Spanish blend of 40% Monastrell, 30% Syrah and 30% Tempranillo. Deep color. Beautiful notes of black fruit compote, earth, jammy fruit, licorice and a sweet herbaceousness. A touch alcoholic, but it has enough jammy fruit, dusty earth and smoke to carry the palate. Nice, long, herbaceous finish. I like the balance of tannins and acidity here. Should make a nice pairing with a meaty paella.

Back in the early part of the 2000s, Mark West used to make a really nice value-based Pinot Noir. And then things went really wrong one year when he sourced his fruit from Corsica of all places. And I haven't tried once since. But my father-in-law happened to have a 2009 Mark West Pinot Noir, California with him and it appears as if the winery, now once again sourcing California fruit, has returned to form. The current vintage features a light, ruby-garnet color with delicate notes of strawberry, sweet-tart cherry and light herbal nuances. The palate mimics the aromatics. Good balance of fruit, citrus acidity and tannins. Not especially complex, but a solid effort.

On Friday night, our friend the professional food stylist came to visit and she was kind enough to bring four huge NY strips and 2 ribeyes that she had left over from a recent photo shoot. With rub applied and coals a'blazing we sunk our forks and knives into some decadent meat with a couple of excellent Cabernet blends:

There's an interesting story behind the 2007 Once Wines The Table Cabernet Sauvignon, California. As the story goes, a distinguished panel of American Sommeliers and French winemakers chose the blend of this wine in an attempt to create a food-friendly style of Cabernet Sauvignon. The resulting blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petite Verdot has a nose reminiscent of sweet herbs, cherry and light vanilla oak. Very acidic from the get-go. Quite herbaceous, but in a really nice way with lavender, rosemary and thyme coming to the forefront. Quite acidic throughout with moderate tannins. Difficult to consume on its own (kind of like trying to suck down a Chianti without food), but really hits the mark as a food wine. This is a very interesting, successful attempt at creating a restrained, elegant, food-friendly Cabernet. About $25

I've had the 2008 Seventy Five Wine Company The Sum Red Wine, California on numerous occasions and it has never failed to deliver the goods. This blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah and 10% Petite Sirah has a nose of sweet/tart cherry/raspberry and a dash of cedar. Develops a piny/resinous note after sitting in the glass for a while. Palate is much more full-bodied than the nose would suggest with sweet/tart cherry fruit with big powdery tannins. $20

We have a big cook-out planned for Memorial Day with a number of my wife's work friends and their families coming out to the farm for paella. No doubt there will be many more wines consumed in the very near future. Stay tuned.....

2006 Castello di Farnetella Chianti

2011-05-24T19:13:00.004-05:00

Sipped on the 2006 Castello di Farnetella, Chianti Colli Senesi while munching on a plate of pasta and checking out all of the tornado activity throughout Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Rather deep color for this blend of 92% Sangiovese and 8% Merlot. Nose revels tart cherry fruit, hickory smoke, moderate fennel seed and a dusty herbaceous quality. The palate is lean and acidic with more tart cherry fruit and substantial tannins. Really needs food to balance the tart flavors and astringent texture. About $15

2009 Charles & Charles Red Wine

2011-05-21T21:21:00.006-05:00

The 2009 Charles & Charles Red Wine, Columbia Valley is an imminently gulpable red wine that should be enjoyed by everyone this summer over a BBQ grill, 4th of July fireworks show or campfire. A blend of 51% Cabernet and 49% Syrah, the wine shows a seriously dark color and features aromas of white pepper and tart blackberry on the nose. The tart blackberry flavors are reinforced on the palate where hickory smoke, cured meat Provencal herbs and light clove play a supporting role. Long, dusty, tannic finish. Although the blend is roughly equal parts Cabernet and Syrah, the Syrah seems to be dominating at this point. About $12

This wine is a collaboration between iconic Washington winemaker Charles Smith (of Charles Smith Wines and K Vintners fame) and value advocate Charles Bieler (Chateau Routas, Bieler Pere et Fils, Three Thieves). Enjoyed tonight with burgers from the grill and bacon-studded baked beans.

Enkidu Tasting

2011-05-18T21:20:00.004-05:00

I had the pleasure of tasting through six offerings from Enkidu Wine with winemaker Phil Staehle last week. These are small lot wines coming from grapes sourced from Napa, Sonoma and Lake Counties. I love everything about this winery - from Staehle's commitment to French oak to the quirky literary names to the dedication to making the best wines from individual lots from small growers.

The first wine we tasted was the only white of the evening. The 2009 Enkidu Tin Cross Chardonnay, Alexander Valley was a beautiful, hypothetical blend of Chablis and Mersault that Staehle is striving for. Mineral, dry pineapple and even a hint of truffle on the nose. In the mouth it features creamy/earthy flavors with high acid and a long, toasty finish with a hint of matchstick. Overall, this is a beautifully restrained, perfectly balanced Chardonnay. No malolactic fermentation. 215 cases made. $28

The 2009 Enkidu Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast is a blend of grapes from four vineyards that sees just 10% new oak. Raspberry, spice and tart cherry aromas and flavors tantalize the nose and palate on this medium-colored, light-bodied Pinot Noir. Strawberry flavors emerge after the wine has had some time to open up in the glass. The acid here is the key to keeping this a very food-friendly rendition of the grape. $28

How many times have I had the 2008 Enkidu Rosso Fazekas, Napa Valley over the past 6 months? I have no idea. But I do know that I've enjoyed it immensely every...single ...time. Dried cherry, spice, licorice, coffee and French oak on the nose and palate. Thick, yet a perfectly balance of high acid, coarse tannin, sweet fruit and alcohol. 86% Sangiovese, 7% Petite Sirah and 7% Syrah. A ridiculous $20

The 2008 Enkidu Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley is aged in 100% French oak (20% new) and gets an infusion of 15% Petite Sirah. Super sweet cherry, vanilla and licorice flavors with huge dusty/coffee ground tannins that promise to reward a few years in the cellar. I always look for licorice and coffee flavors in Sonoma Cabernets and this one has both in spades. $24

Next up was the super peppery 2008 Enkidu Diener Ranch Zinfandel, Lake County. Mocha, French roast coffee, black pepper and French oak run amok with chalky tannins, nice acidity and a long, peppery finish. Co-fermented with 10% Petite Sirah. $23

The final wine of the evening was the 2007 Enkidu Humbaba Rhone Blend, Sonoma County, Lake County and Napa Valley. Whereas the previous wines were mostly driven by fruit and oak flavors, this blend of 65% Syrah and 35% Petite Sirah evokes flavors of France's Rhone Valley with its meaty, oil-cured olive aromas and dried blackberry flavors. Insanely dark with monstrous tannins, aeration brings out the much-coveted garrigue bouquet of sage, rosemary and pine resin found in the great wines from France's Mediterranean coast. $25

These wines are fantastic across the board and represent outstanding value in the very competitive $20-30 range. I look forward to following this winery over the next few years.

Schug Chardonnay, Merlot with dinner

2011-05-15T17:07:00.006-05:00

We enjoyed a really nice dinner tonight featuring a couple of ingredients from our garden which is now in full bloom. The salad was garden-fresh arugula tossed with a lemon vinaigrette and Parmesan cheese. For the entree, we had medallions of pork tenderloin smoke-grilled over charcoal spiked with apple wood and pecan shells. The pork was served on a bed of risotto with wilted spinach; also from the garden.

Enjoyed before dinner (with a bit going into the risotto) was the 2007 Schug Chardonnay, Carneros - Light golden in color, the nose is initially dominated by diacetyl/buttery aromas. But as it warms, the buttery aromas give way to lush tropical pineapple and lemon aromas. Quite thick and sweet on the palate, the acidity doesn't kick in until the (slightly sulfuric) finish. Overall, I found this to be a bit monolithic and sadly, the buttery characteristics tend to overshadow the tropical Carneros fruit. About $25

With dinner, we had the 2006 Schug Merlot, Sonoma Valley. This wine has a pretty, medium ruby color and features a complex nose of pencilly French oak, wintergreen, tart cherry fruit, a bit of licorice, and a hint of burnt rubber. Medium-bodied with nice tannins, the palate is slightly green with sweet/tart cherry fruit and the somewhat hollow mid-palate I've come to expect from most Merlots. Long, toasty finish. Quite nice with dinner. About $25

Those of you asking for a farm update will be interested to note we've now more than doubled the size of the chicken flock. Our initial investment in 12 (actually 13) chicks eventually dwindled to 9 through natural death, killing a few roosters for food and predation. But the rooster and his harem of 8 hens have now spawned 15 chicks that we are in the process of integrating into the flock. With the size of the current chicken coop being inadequate for 24 chickens, we're exploring our options for expanding the coop. We'll probably end up turning the dog kennel (adjacent to the coop) into another coop and build the dogs another house.

2006 Il Nero Casanova Sangiovese

2011-05-08T19:34:00.004-05:00

We had something of a double celebration today as we were excited about Mother's Day as well as our first mini-harvest from our organic garden. We've got everything from soybeans and garlic to blueberries and asparagus to heirloom tomatoes and planted, but our first clipping of the season was the intensely peppery arugula that we had so much success with last year. If you enjoy arugula from the grocery store, you have no idea just how good this stuff is! Anyway, our favorite treatment for arugula is to toss it with a lemon vinaigrette and shaved Parmesan cheese and use it as a bed for thick-sliced, grilled ribeye steak.

The wine of choice for the meal was the 2006 La Spinetta Il Nero Casanova Sangiovese, Toscana. Unfortunately, while nice, it didn't live up to the lofty expectations set by the last time I had this wine. The color is still nice and dark; especially considering the varietal. And there's still a bit of licorice on the nose. But it has lost a considerable amount of concentration and "baby fat" and turned into a much more restrained example of the grape. In addition to the light licorice, the nose also features carob, light blackberry and some primal/yeasty aromas. On the palate, the notes are limited to to meager black fruits and a distressing yeasty/musty taste. This bottle clearly lacked the bold fruit and definition of previous bottles. Still has good acidity, moderate tannins and lots of dust on the finish.

I would buy this again for $25 based on the strength of previous bottles. But this one didn't deliver for the money.

An amazing comparitive tasting of barrel samples...

2011-05-06T11:08:00.021-05:00

I had an opportunity to taste some really unique wines last week that were used as a part of an education series designed to show some of the different ways winemakers can manipulate grapes via hang time, fermentation and aging. A virtual high-five goes out to Aaron Meeker of LDF Wine and Spirits for calling the winemakers and procuring these bottle samples. Big thanks also go out to Hirsch Vineyards and Robert Keenan for donating these most interesting wines.

2008 Nikolaihof and Alzinger Grüner Veltliners

The first two wines were examples of how a winemaker and/or vineyard manager can affect the grapes by allowing them to hang on the vine for an extended time before picking. These two wines are from the same vineyard, but the grapes that eventually made it into the Nikolaihof were picked one week earlier than the Alzinger grapes.

The 2008 Nikolaihof Grüner Veltliner Hefeabzug, Wachau shows a very floral/tropical nose with notes of coconut, peach and lime. The palate is lively and acidic with leesy/waxy, mineral-driven flavors and a long, clean finish. This is old school, biodynamic Grüner Veltliner at its best.

In contrast, the 2008 Weingut Alzinger Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Mühlpoint, Wachau reveals an obviously sweeter nose with orchard fruit notes of peach and pear. The palate comes across as being significantly richer with much lower acidity and an overall roundness which I thought was, frankly, easier to appreciate without food.

2008 Hirsch Vineyards Chardonnay

Next up were three examples of how a fermentation vessel can affect the sensory profile of a wine and a fourth bottle containing the blended finished product. The wine was the 2008 Hirsch Vineyards Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast. The sample that was fermented in glass was very primary and yeasty still exuding fermentation aromas and banana notes usually associated with carbonic maceration. It was rich and smoky yet still raw and untamed. Apparently, fermentation in small glass demijohns makes for a long, slow fermentation that leads to complex textural and aromatic nuances.

I figured the glass-fermented Chardonnay would be distressingly similar to the wine fermented in stainless steel but was I ever wrong! "Neutral" media can certainly impart wildly different aromas and flavors. The stainless steel fermented wine was visibly thicker and sweeter than the previous wine. On the palate it was all about lush tropical-pineapple fruit. Classic, pure, fruit-driven Chardonnay.

The final component of wine was fermented in oak and showed all of the buttery and smoky aromas and flavors that one expects from a full-throttle California Chardonnay. Considerable dill (American oak?). Fat and decadent, the finish goes on forever in this wine.

The finished wine is a tremendously complex, full-bodied California Chardonnay. Although harmonious and seamless, I love the fact that you can pick out nuances contributed by each of the components in the final blend. There's a bit of banana still in there from the glass fermentation. There's tropical fruit reminiscent of the portion fermented in stainless steel. And there's the buttery dill noted from the oak fermentation. A beautiful, balanced Chardonnay with great acidity that may very well reward 5-7 years in the cellar. Long, silky finish. If you're interested in the percentages in the finished product, this is from the winery:

Fermentation was done 11% in fourteen-gallon glass demijohns; 53% in stainless steel tanks; and 36% in oak. Total new oak was 16%. When the ferment went dry, half of the stainless wine was racked to neutral oak for aging.

2009 Robert Keenan Cabernet Sauvignon

Then I got to try barrel samples of 2009 Robert Keenan Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District from three types of oak: new American, new French and 5 year old French.

The wine aged in new American oak (I don't know how long any of these samples had been in oak) showed the expected dill and Bourbon aromas with a touch of varnish and some rich black cherry notes on the palate. Overall quite tannic and oaky. Dare I say a bit harsh?

The barrel sample from the new French oak was creamy and rich with aromas and flavors of vanilla, licorice. A touch of green on palate but I suspect this was more a character trait of the Spring Mountain terroir than the French oak. Overall just a richer, more balanced wine.

The wine from the 5 year old French oak was by far the most perplexing wine of the bunch as it smelled and tasted more like the new American oak than the new French. Had I not known what kind of oak this was aged in, I would've sworn it was of American origin. A touch dilly with latex and high alcohol, this was quite tannic with with modest tart cherry flavors and screaming acidity. How the older French oak started to impart flavors and aromas typically associated with American oak is beyond me and really left me scratching my head looking for answers.

My goodness, what an educational experience! Once again, thanks to Aaron Meeker, Winemaker Ross Cobb of Hirsch Vineyards and Nils Venge, Winemaker at Robert Keenan Winery for putting this together and supplying us with these most fascinating components.

2007 Seghesio Barbera and.....ducks???

2011-05-01T19:43:00.004-05:00

Thoroughly enjoyed a bottle of 2007 Seghesio Barbera, Alexander Valley tonight with a bowl of baked ziti. Fans of Italian Barbera will recoil in horror at the near-black color and massive concentration of this wine. But to me, this is how Italian varietals should taste. There's a small distillery in Oregon that goes by the name of Clear Creek. I've never had their cranberry liqueur, but if I had to guess, I'd say it probably smells a lot like the Seghesio Barbera. The nose is so thick and sweet with cranberry and licorice aromas; aromas that follow right through to the palate. Wonderful trademark acidity that one would expect from Barbera with moderate tannins and a long, dusty finish. Just a beautiful wine - California fruit meets old work acidity. (Yes, this is the wine that every Piedmontese winemaker would make if he could.) Worth every penny of $28.

No, duck wasn't on the menu tonight, but we did get a pair of runner ducks from our neighbors. They reluctantly took them from some relatives who didn't want them any more and immediately gave us a call. We'd actually been eying a couple of runner ducks from the beginning since they are prolific layers and they don't fly away. A male (brown) and a female (white), right now we are calling them foie and gras. But they won't wind up on the dinner table as their meat isn't particularly prized. We'll keep them around as pets and (hopefully) incorporate them into the chicken flock.

2008 Domaine de Fontsainte

2011-04-30T19:14:00.005-05:00

Had a great meal featuring the 2008 Domaine de Fontsainte, Corbieres tonight. A blend of 60% Carignane, 30% Grenache and 10% Syrah, this wine hailing from the western end of the French Mediterranean is like a more restrained, fruit-forward Cotes-du-Rhone. Dark garnet in color, the nose features copious amounts of vanilla, sweet cherry and rosemary. On the palate, the alcohol seems a bit higher than the 12.5% claimed on the label. But there's plenty of juicy fruit and sweet herb there to keep everything balanced. No tannins of note so enjoy it now. An outstanding value at $12 or so and a flat-out great partner with tonight's charcoal-grilled flat iron steak and smashed potatoes.

Farm Update!

2011-04-29T08:48:00.010-05:00

Lots of exciting news from the farm! Here is a picture of our new turkey poults. We started with 6 bronze poults. Unfortunately, we lost one yesterday and another one this morning so there are actually just 4 left. Not sure if it was the food (we were feeding them medicated chicken starter but we switched over to turkey starter today) or just the luck of the draw. Our neighbors had 12 from the same order and they have also already lost a couple. The 4 we have left seem to be very energetic so hopefully they'll be strong enough to make it! For now, they are hanging out in the basement under a heat lamp. We've told the kids not to get too attached as these little guys and gals are destined for the dinner table in a few months.

These are the three chicks who hatched in our coop a month or so ago. Kind of hard to see them through the screen of their temporary coop, but there are two black/white Buff Orpington/Barred Rock mixes and one Buff Orpington/Black Australorp mix. Not sure yet if we have roosters or hens or a mix, but the way the two Orp/Rock mixes fight, we suspect they are males....and destined for the dinner table. We also have (not pictured) 3 "production red" crosses in a temporary holding pen in the garage. When they get a little bit larger we will shuffle them into the temporary outdoor coop and then introduce them into the larger flock.

Speaking of "the flock," here is the established flock we started last summer. A couple of Barred Rocks are missing from the photo as they are in the nesting boxes. One is sitting on a clutch of eggs which should start hatching any day now. The rooster thinks very highly of himself and he's very protective of the flock. The kids don't dare enter the coop for fear of being spurred and pecked and he's even taken to attacking my wife and I as of late. But we're willing to put up with him so long as he keeps his harem satisfied and laying. We're consistently getting 7-8 eggs per day

We got 2 goats yesterday. Our neighbors bought 4 before deciding that 2 was enough. So we bought the 2 extras. The white goat is a female Boer goat named "Willow." The salt/pepper is a female pygmy named "Olive." Willow is supposed to eventually reach a weight of about 150 pounds while Olive will top out at about 50-60 pounds. Right now they are so darn cute with their soft fur and high-pitched bleating. They are still being bottle fed with the goat equivalent of infant formula. Both have little buds that will eventually turn into horns. Behind them are our dogs Ginger and Cole. Ginger is a Soft Wheaten Terrier who just got shaved this wek. Cole is our 6-year old Collie.

Cole is quite protective of his new friends (herding instinct, anyone?) and likes to spend his time right up against the fence so he can keep an eye on his pals.

The goats are temporarily living in the lean-to I built for the pigs. When we get the pigs, we'll have to find other accomodations for the goats. The plan is to have them shuffle between the turkey/chicken pens and pig pen keeping the grass nice and trim.

That's all for now. I'll update again when we get the pigs, any new chickens hatch or if I can manage to shoot a wild turkey back in the woods before the season ends.....

Paul Hobbs/Crossbarn

2011-04-28T17:35:00.002-05:00

Members of Off The Vine's Collector's Club got a special treat on Wednesday, April 27 when Stephanie Harris of Paul Hobbs Winery guided us through a selection of their wines as well as a couple from Hobbs' CrossBarn label. After a brief history of the winery and Paul's amazing pedigree (winemaking duties at Opus One, Simi, Catena, Peter Michael and Lewis - to name a few) we dove right into the wines.

The first wine we tasted was the 2009 CrossBarn Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast. The nose on this wine is rich and full with notes of butter, ripe pear and toasted hazlenut. Clean and bright on the palate with apple and citrus flavors. The palate is quite rich, yet it also shows remarkable balance with nice minerality and refreshing acidity. A bit of SO2 lingers on the finish. 15% of this wine is barrel-fermented, mostly in seasoned oak, and 100% goes through malolactic fermentation. $28.99

Next up was the 2008 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay, Russian River Valley. This beautiful, 100% barrel-fermented (45% new French oak) Chardonnay is a blend of fruit from six vineyards within the fabled Russian River Valley with the majority of the grapes coming from the Hyde, Valdez and Ritchie Vineyards. Decadent butter, brioche and orange-citrus notes tantalize the nose and palate. Full-bodied and rich with a good dose of alcohol, the finish is once again lifted by mineral notes.

My favorite wine of the evening had to be the 2008 CrossBarn Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. Beautiful ruby red color with intense cherry and raspberry fruit on the nose and palate. Although quite fruit-driven, complexity is added by a touch of earthy/mushroomy flavor. Aged in just 20% new French oak, the wood never detracts from the glorious fruit. Finishes a touch stemmy with more raspberry. $40

The two Cabernet Sauvignons were a study in contrasting winemaking styles. Although you could age the 2008 CrossBarn Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley for a few years, it is vinted with the intention of enjoying in the near-term. Blackberry, black cherry, bell pepper and wintergreen notes are to be found in this classic, cool climate Napa Cabernet. Dense texture with solid tannins. Aged in 22% new French oak and an unspecified amount of American oak, this wine is primarily composed of fruit from the State Lane Vineyard.

The 2006 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley practically demands to be cellared for a decade or longer. This super rich wine is a blend of vineyards that any California Cabernet fan will recognize. Names such as: Hyde, Stagecoach, Beckstoffer To Kalon and Beckstoffer Dr. Crane. Crazy raspberry and blueberry fruit initially jump out of the glass. But with time, more subtle notes of cocoa, pencil lead and pepper just begin to evolve. The acid and tannins are harmoniously balanced and everything is in place for a wine which is sure to reward patient cellaring. $81

A bottle of 2008 Vina Cobos Felino Malbec, Mendoza was then opened to give the tasters a bit of an insight as to what Paul Hobbs does with his Argentinian property. I was initially excited by the notes of black pepper, wintergreen and tar on te nose, but the palate seemed quite unripe and acidic; offering only meager tart cherry flavors. After having tasted the lush Paul Hobbs wines and many examples of his Pulenta wines (also from Argentina), I have to think this one was an aberration. $20

The last bottle I sampled was the 2006 Vineyard 7 & 8 Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District. Disclaimer: I have never been a fan of this particular sub-appellation of Napa Valley. I've consistently found the wines from this part of Napa to be overly green and vegetal with many winemakers favoring brutal tannins to polished, balanced wines. This particular wine fared little better with its near-black color, herbal, green tobacco and stewed fruit flavors and monster tannins. This, and other wines from Spring Mountain indeed show terroir or a true sense of place. But unfortunately, it is not a flavor profile that I care for.

Sean Minor Tasting

2011-04-28T16:54:00.003-05:00

I know, I know. If I keep tasting and writing about the fantastic values from Sean Minor, some of you will start to think I'm on the take. Well, I'm no Tim Donaghy, but I do know a good value when I taste it. And for $10-15, these are as good as it gets from California.

The retail store I work for, Off The Vine recently re-opened its doors in a new location. And to kick off the new chapter in our history, we invited members of our wine of the month club to Sunlight Day Spa to taste through the Sean Minor line-up. In order from lightest to heaviest, we poured:

2009 Sean Minor Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County - Amazing notes of pineapple and tropical fruits on the nose. The palate is clean and crisp with no hint of the neutral oak barrels it was partially fermented in. Nice acidity. Finishes with a note of sweet herb. A style that I prefer to the aggressively herbaceous/bell pepper Sauvignon Blancs that I closely associate with New Zealand. $11

2009 Sean Minor Chardonnay, Central Coast - A complete 180° from the Sauvignon Blanc, the Chardonnay features aromas and flavors of red apple, pear, brioche, vanilla and toast. Impossibly thick and luscious for an $11 Chardonnay. Fans of in-your-face California Chardonnay should try this with lobster, crab or brie.

2009 Sean Minor Pinot Noir - Ah, yes, the mack-daddy of them all. The best value I've ever had in domestic Pinot Noir. Not sure what else needs to be said about this wine, but it's packed with strawberry jam and vanilla bean with subtle earth and spice notes. A stunning wine for $15.

2008 Sean Minor Merlot, Napa Valley - Plummy with hints of cocoa and spice, the American oak really stands out on the nose. Palate follows the nose with plum and cocoa flavors. Finishes a touch green and acidic. $15

2008 Sean Minor Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley - 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance being made up of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Although aged in American and French oak (like the Merlot), I don't get any of the dill/Bourbon aromas from the American oak this time. Thick and rich with black cherry, licorice, black olive and vanilla. A slight alcoholic kick and moderate tannins suggest near-term consumption or holding for 2-3 years. Another outstanding wine for $15.

2009 Bodegas Olivares Altos de la Hoya Monastrell, Jumilla - Inky-purple color and full-blown nose of spice, charcoal and hickory wood is lightened up a bit with a hint of floral/violets. Quite peppery in the mouth with powerful tannins and acidity. Much more full-bodied and peppery than I remember the 2008 being. A ridiculous $13.

Easter wines

2011-04-24T17:07:00.005-05:00

Enjoyed a couple of wines with a "traditional" Easter dinner of glazed ham, scalloped corn, braised brussel sprouts and candied sweet potatoes. The white choice of the evening was the 2008 Bastianich Friulano, Colli Orientali del Friuli. Light gold in color, the nose reveals pretty jasmine and mineral notes. And although those aromas may suggest a lighter style white wine, the palate on this one is quite rich and oily with flavors of petrol and anise. Bone dry and refreshing with crisp acidity. This one is all about the texture.

The red was the decadent 2008 Lincourt Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills. A powerful rendition of this grape, the nose is packed with smoked tea, licorice and sweet black cherry. The black cherry and licorice are echoed on the palate which also features strong notes of spicy oak flavors. Good acidity and firm tannins suggest this one might age for a couple of years. Long, toasty finish. Very nice Pinot for under $25.

2009 St. Hallett "Poacher's" white

2011-04-23T19:26:00.002-05:00

The 2009 St. Hallett Poacher's, Barossa is alive with a cornucopia of fresh green fruits ranging from green apple to lime to sliced cucumber. This blend of Semillon (61%), Sauvignon Blanc (25%) and Riesling (14%) is thoroughly refreshing with mouth-watering acidity and a long finish reminiscent of cut grass, wet stones and minerals. Those averse to sweet wines shouldn't let the 14% Riesling scare them off as this wine is bone dry. Don't make the mistake of serving this ice cold out of the refrigerator. It takes on considerable body as it approaches room temperature. Quite impressive for just over $10.

2009 Pedroncelli "friends.red"

2011-04-22T21:00:00.002-05:00

The 2009 Peroncelli friends.red, Sonoma County went down way too easily with home made pizza tonight. Cranberry red in color, this inexpensive blend of Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah and Sangiovese has a nose featuring spicy Zin fruit, black pepper and a good whiff of alcohol. Red fruit on the palate. Good acidity probably comes from the Sangiovese. No hint of oak. Quite nice with the pizza. Would probably make a nice partner with grilled foods or BBQ. I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a complex wine, but it's a fun ride for $12.

2008 Dunning Ridge Top Zinfandel

2011-04-16T20:20:00.003-05:00

"Bottle shock" be damned, I'm not afraid of pulling the cork on a bottle of wine that UPS delivered yesterday morning; especially when it's a Dunning Zinfandel and baby back ribs are on the smoker! The 2008 Dunning Vineyards Ridge Top Zinfandel, Paso Robles is a dry farmed "Westside" Zinfandel from a plot at the highest peak of their estate Zinfandel vineyard. The data sheet included with the shipment says this wine was aged in a combination of American and French oak, but the label only mentions French oak. Either way, there's no hint of dill/Bourbon - and that's always a good thing. fruit on the nose and palate is a compote of blackberry, blueberry and raspberry with considerable spice and black pepper playing a supporting role. 15.2% alcohol is not intrusive. Tannins are firm, but it's not really built to age. Drink this one now while the fruit is lively. $28 before wine club discounts and shipping.

2005 Dunning Syrah

2011-04-14T19:03:00.002-05:00

Happiness is knowing that the spring shipment of Dunning Vineyards is coming tomorrow! In case you missed it that last couple of times I mentioned it, I'll go ahead and state again that Dunning was one of our 2-3 favorite wineries we visited on our trip to Paso Robles in 2009 and a darn fine B&B to boot. I highly recommend this as a base camp on your next excursion to California's Central Coast.

In anticipation of our shipment arriving tomorrow (and the lamb skewers on the grill) I pulled the cork on a 2005 Dunning Vineyards Private Reserve Syrah, Paso Robles tonight. I've had their 2007 Syrah on numerous occasions, but as far as I can recall this is my first/only experience with the '05 vintage. This particular wine is inky black in color with a complex nose of kirsch, pencil lead, vanilla, toasted French oak and a distinct meatiness not necessarily common to Paso Robles Syrahs. The palate is all about the interplay of massive tannins, 15.2% alcohol, sweet cherry fruit and the acidity that keeps everything perfectly in balance. Not for the faint of heart or oakophobes, but a very nice choice to accompany grilled lamb skewers with a spicy teriyaki glaze. Very reasonably priced around $30.

2009 Sean Minor Sauvignon Blanc and 2008 Gain Bay "Cabernet Family"

2011-04-09T20:12:00.002-05:00

We're looking to expand the concept of a "farm" around here. My wife has been diligently working in the garden planting all sorts of vegetables, herbs, flowers and berry bushes. We ended up hatching 3 chicks out of a clutch of 15-16 eggs. The three newbies are doing well under a heat lamp in the basement for now. We'll probably add to the new flock by purchasing a couple of hatchlings from one of the local farm stores. Pigs are on the way. We have a couple of sources and should have two by the end of the month. (We've warned the kids to not become too attached as these hogs are destined for the dinner table.) So today's project was building a shelter for the pigs. I'll install the heavy duty "hog wire" fencing around their pen tomorrow.

So after a long, hot, windy day's work, a nice dinner and a couple of wines were in order. First up was the ever-delicious 2009 Sean Minor Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County. I enjoyed the sweet grapefruit, lemon and slight herbaceous aromas and flavors while I was waiting for the our lamb shanks to finish their long braise. A great summer sipper for those of us who enjoy tropical flavors without the over-the-top, green pepper characteristics of most New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs.

The shanks were enjoyed with the 2008 Gain Bay Cabernet Family Red Wine, Napa Valley. Splendid color with initial aromas of black olive and coffee. After a while in the glass, it picks up a distinct herbal note; probably from the Cabernet Franc. Quite tannic on the palate with plenty of black fruit and a certain meatiness. Thick, but there is plenty of acidity to keep everything nicely balanced. At $23, this is an excellent Bordeaux-style blend of 55% Cab. Sauv., 27% Cab. Franc, 15% Petite Verdot and 3% Malbec

2008 Dona Paula Malbec

2011-04-08T18:12:00.002-05:00

I had a tart, citrusy experience with this wine back in January so I thought it was time to re-visit (and kill off my last bottle). While the 2008 Dona Paula Estate Malbec, Mendoza wasn't overly tart or acidic this time, it was still a far cry from a pleasant drinking experience. This time around, the nose seems jammy-sweet with a raspberry-like aroma more reminiscent of a new world Grenache than a Malbec. There's a bit of black pepper and alcohol in the background, but you can really sense the sweet fruit is going to dominate. And dominate it does on the palate. Sweet, thick, syrupy red fruit flavors with frightening alcohol (seems much higher than the stated 14%) and a really "artificial" acidity. Kind of reminds me of an inexpensive, highly acidic Zinfandel that you might have gotten from the 1997 vintage.

I've had a number of estate wines from Dona Paula, both Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, and I haven't been impressed with any of them. But I do indeed enjoy their lower-end Los Cardos "second" label; particularly the Malbec rose.

Casar de Burbia and paella tutorial...in the snow

2011-03-27T19:01:00.005-05:00

The 2006 Casar de Burbia, Bierzo was quite a treat tonight with a eaty paella cooked over an open flame. The nose is dense with rustic notes of brier, bramble and wild berry with hints of roasted coffee and licorice. The wine is made from 100% Mencia grapes and according to the website it is aged in American (Missouri) oak barrels for 8 months. Oddly, the bottle says the wine is aged in a combination of American, Hungarian and French oak. Regardless, the American oak becomes more prominent with food, but it never ventures into that nasty dilly arena. The Bourbon aromas and flavors are definitely there, but the wine has more than enough weight to carry them well. The palate is thick and tannic with chunky, chewy cocoa and dark berry flavors and nice, balancing acidity. Just a wonderful texture. Finishes with chalky tannins and a slightly saline flavor reminiscent of a good Albarino from the neighboring Rias Baxias region. A grape and a region worth paying attention to. About $30.

Dinner tonight was paella that I cooked outside over charcoal. I knew we were in for another dose of old man winter, but sometimes you just have to man up do what needs to be done. So I braved the flurries and managed to make one hell of a good paella before the white stuff started to accumulate in earnest. For those of you who are interested, I present this brief tutorial on how to make a paella without any fresh tomatoes or *gasp!* saffron!

The raw ingredients:

What you see here, clockwise from left, is a whole chicken cut into bite size pieces (made fresh chicken stock from the carcass), a few links of Spanish chorizo (Andouille will suffice in a pinch), strips of bell pepper, a few diced sun-dried tomatoes, half an onion, a few cloves of garlic, and some fresh chopped parsley. I would normally have fresh, chopped tomatoes, but I was woefully unprepared for dinner tonight and it's a 20 minute drive each way to the nearest grocery store. I'm also, sadly, fresh out of saffron so I had to make do without. The chicken has been marinated in olive oil, salt, pepper and smoked Spanish paprika.

The technique:

The first step is to brown the chicken well in olive oil over a hot flame. Just get a nice sear on it for some color and so the chicken fat lends some flavor to the pan. When it is cooked about halfway, remove the chicken to a bowl and add the onion, garlic, tomatoes and sausage to the pan. Cook this until the tomatoes start to break down and you have a thick paste. This is what the Spanish refer to as a sofrito:

With your sofrito still in the pan, you'll want to add your rice. Bomba rice from Valencia is the real stuff, but if you can't find it, arborio (risotto rice) is a pretty decent substitute. For this recipe, I added 12 ounces of arborio. You may or may not want to add a bit more olive oil to your pan:

When the rice is coated in olive oil and slightly toasted, return your chicken to the pan and add 2-3 cups of chicken stock; preferably home made. Stirring frequently, let the rice absorb the majority of the stock. Then add another 2-3 cups and your strips of pepper:

Cover the grill (If you're cooking indoors, you could cover your paella pan with foil now and shove it in a 400 degree oven) and let it cook for about half an hour or until the rice is tender, yet still has a nice texture. It should look something like this:

Now take the top off of your grill for maximum air flow and get the heat up as high as you can for a few minutes. This will add some color to your dish and help form a crispy crust of rice (the socarrat) across the bottom of the pan. And here's the finished product garnished with a bit of fresh chopped parsley:

You'll notice there's no shrimp or seafood in my basic paella. There are a number of reasons for this:

1) Meat and shrimp is not a traditional Spanish paella. According to noted Spanish cookbook author Penelope Cassas, chicken, sausage and shrimp is a very Americanized version of the classic dish.

2) I think most attempts at pairing red wine and shrimp are disastrous. The iodine in shrimp and most other shellfish will make a full-bodied red wine taste metallic. If you insist on adding shrimp to your mixed paella, you might want to stick with white wine or bump up to a rose.

3) I'm allergic to shellfish so even if 1 and 2 weren't true, I still wouldn't have any shrimp (or squid or snails) in my paella!

2006 Boroli Quattro Fratelli Barbera

2011-03-26T19:06:00.002-05:00

Opened a 2006 Boroli Quattro Fratelli Barbera d'Alba tonight with dinner. I've had this wine many times (usually at a work function) yet for some reason this is the first time I've bothered to mention it on this site. It's been pretty hit-or-miss and unfortunately tonight's bottle was a miss. Medium ruby color. The nose is a terrific compote of cooked raspberry and blackberry with a good whiff of vanilla. Although the wine is aged in oak casks for 6 months, there's no hint of it on the nose or palate. Unfortunately, the palate doesn't live up to the promise of the nose as it is marked with shrill acidity just a modicum of tart fruit. Shocking lack of ripeness.

Even more shocking was how poorly it fared with tonight's dinner of ricotta-stuffed shells in tomato sauce. One would think the acidity would pair nicely with the tomato sauce. But it was quite the train wreck as the wine somehow came across as being even more acidic with the food. Poor showing. But at least now that dinner is over, it's starting to perk up again.....

2007 Conn Creek Herrick Red

2011-03-19T19:09:00.002-05:00

Thoroughly enjoyed the 2007 Conn Creek Herrick Red, Napa Valley tonight with seared tuna steaks with an Asian spice rub. Although drastically different than the last time we tried this wine, it was a stunning pairing with the food. In fact, I decided on doing an Asian rub on the tuna after smelling the wine after pulling the cork. The nose is rather dilly (something I don't really care for) upfront, but it quickly blows away and reveals all these wonderful aromas reminiscent of Chinese five spice powder: star anise, clove, fennel. After a half hour or so, warm mulberry and brier notes start to emerge. The palate is loaded with thick, luscious red and black fruit with a hint of cinnamon and other brown spices. Moderate tannins and nice acidity round out the package. Drink now or hold for a few years.

I'm not sure where the mocha/carob/coffee flavors went from 4 months ago, but this was still a hell of a delicious wine tonight and, as I mentioned, a perfect pairing with the rare tuna.

2007 Hess "Allomi" Cabernet + others

2011-03-11T17:07:00.010-06:00

Wanted to catch up on a few wines from last weekend plus tonight's offerings:

Opened the 2009 Valminor Albarino, Rias Baixas as an aperitif over the weekend. Shows a medium golden color and lots of mineral in the nose. Mineral shows up again on the palate supported by bitter orange/tangerine pith. Bitter, acidic, pithy finish. No fruit. We tried this with a variety of cheeses (including a delicious Manchego) and this wasn't a good pairing with any of them.

The 1998 Seventy-Five Wine Company "The Sum" red blend, California was opened to accompany a selection of home made pizzas. Beautiful deep purple color. Smoke, espresso, oak, black fruit, hint of licorice on the nose. Quite complex for a $20 bottle of wine. Considerable tannins on the full-bodied palate. Chalky, dusty, dry cocoa finish. A touch stemmy, but that isn't too much of a distraction. Packs a punch. An undisclosed, Cabernet-dominated blend.

After "The Sum" was drained, we reached for the 2009 Montebuena Cosecha, Rioja - The nose and palate of this Tempranillo were marked by tart raspberry fruit. Over the past year or so, this has been an odd, hit-or-miss wine that fluctuates between delicious and not very good. Unfortunately, this (my last bottle) was not very good. Not worth $15.

Tonight, we enjoyed the 2007 Hess Allomi Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley - with grilled, grass-fed K.C. strip steaks from our local C.S.A. Saturated color. Caramel, dill and charred oak dominate the nose. Quite tarry and tannic on the palate with mouth-watering acidity that just compels you take another sip. Somewhat astringent on the finish. This wine doesn't really offer any of the aromas or flavors that I enjoy in Napa Cabernet, but the acidity really rescues it and makes it a nice pairing with dinner. About $25.

2008 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir

2011-03-09T18:59:00.002-06:00

2008 Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley - Dark garnet color. Darker than most entry level Pinot Noirs. Nose starts off with loads of black cherry, black pepper, licorice and a bit of hickory/oak. Smells more like a light-bodied Syrah than a Pinot Noir. The palate is medium-bodied with earthy, Pinot-like flavors of truffle and sage with the aforementioned black cherry always lurking in the background. Nice acidity and just enough tannin to provide balance. This is a powerful Pinot Noir for $20 and will probably reward a couple of years in the cellar.

Dinner was a play on the traditional Thanksgiving meal with roasted chicken (rubbed down with Penzey's Bavarian seasoning and kosher salt), cornbread dressing (spiked with corn and sausage) and a green salad. A lovely meal to accompany a lovely Oregon Pinot Noir.

2006 Le Clos du Caillou Cotes du Rhone

2011-03-03T19:26:00.003-06:00

Thoroughly enjoyed the 2006 le Clos du Caillou Cuvee Unique Cotes du Rhone tonight with skewers of marinated cubes of lamb leg and pieces of red pepper and purple onion. Might be the very best lamb I've ever gotten from Homespun Hill Farm; our local CSA. Well done, Farmer Debbie! The wine is basically declassified Chateauneuf-du-Pape. In layman's terms this means the wine meets the local governing body's qualifications to carry a higher designation (and a price tag in the $50-60 range). But since they don't want to release too much Chateauneuf, they sell this at a lower price. And for $26 you get a monster nose of sweet cherry/raspberry fruit, black pepper the lovely lavender and rosemary-scented underbrush that the French affectionately refer to as garrigue. Initially rather medium-bodied, it takes on a lot of weight as it opens up in the glass. By the hour mark it's it quite full-bodied. Spectacular with the Mediterranean-inspired kebabs, but the last glass sans food is dominated by really smoky, hickory flavors and acidity that's a touch out of whack. Enjoy this exceptional value with food now or any time over the next 5-10 years.