Evan's Wine Blog

Cellar Reduction Party!

2010-12-19T17:10:00.004-05:00

Well another successful year had to end with another great effort by friends and family to reduce the abundance of wine that I have. So, now it is your time to vote for the wines that you loved, hated or were indifferent about. Thankfully I only have three bottles with wine remaining in them. I guess it's time to re-taste!

1. Turley Earthqwake Moore Vineyard Zinfandel 2001
2. Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme Haute Medoc 2005
3. EmH Black Cat Napa Cabernet 2005
4. Trapiche Malbec 2006
5. Cellars Baronia Montsant engolora 2004
6. Ravenswood Belloni Zinfandel 20002
7. Blue Rock Alexander Valley Syrah 2006
8. Three Vineyards Matero 2008
9. Von Strasser Sori Brico Cabernet Diamond Mountain 2005
10. Von Strasser Diamond Mountain Zinfandel 2008
11. Gibson BarossaVale Shiraz 2002
12. Baker Lane Sonoma Coast Estate Vineyard Syrah 2007
13. Bedrock Pinot Russian River Valley Rebecca's Vineyard 2009
14. Twomey Napa Valley Merlot 2005

Sockpuppet Take on Ilegals

2010-07-25T15:36:00.003-04:00

Sockpuppets vs. Illegals

Open That Bottle Night

2010-02-28T16:05:00.005-05:00

I Never heard so much laughing in one evening! As you can see, not an unhappy person in the bunch! So it goes, another year and another exciting line-up for this year's edition of OTBN on Saturday evening. The group, unable to identify the particular bottle, used the person to identify the wine. I must say that the group as a whole was showed that they knew a thing or two about wine even if they didn't know what they were buying when they purchased their wine a "long, long time ago" as one song put it. The levy certainly wasn't dry on this evening! So, to make things simple, I list the wines with the presenter.

Don - Barton & Guestier Beaujolais 2007

Garnet red, medium intensity. Pleasant nose with intense strawberry and raspberry aromas and slight spicy notes. Supple and well-balanced wine, with pleasant fruity mouth flavors and a crisp finish.

David - Demarest Hill Winery Black Pearl NY State

Marechal Foch is used to make a variety of styles of wine, ranging from a light red wine similar to Beaujolais, to more extracted wines with intense dark "inky" purple colour and unique varietal character, to sweet, fortified, port-style wines. Wines made from Marechal Foch tend to have strong acidity, aromas of black fruits and, in some cases, toasted wheat, mocha, fresh coffee, bitter chocolate, vanilla bean, and musk. In the darker variants of the wine a strong gamey nose is also often described.

Tara - 1989 Château Chasse-Spleen (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Moulis en Médoc)

High fill, cork in excellent condition; decanted for 1 hr. second bottle from a case purchased en primeur and left untouched, since delivery, in the cellar. fine mature colour. beautiful classic Haut-Medoc expression, lead pencil, gravel, red fruit. medium body, low in acidity, continued to improve as we enjoyed it with "coq au vin" , seasons vegetables and fried potatoes. very good and much better than expected; at peak but there doesn't seem to be a need for finishing your bottle's if well stored

Evan - Dominus Napa Valley 1996

Complex, with mature herb, currant, anise and sage notes that are reminiscent of an aged Bordeaux. Ends with a supple texture, fine-grained tannins and good length.--1996 California Cabernet retrospective. Drink now.

Roger - 1991 Philip Togni

rated 95 points: Spectacular. Needed 30 minutes to open up, then it exploded with fruit, chocolate, decent acidity, and an unbelievably long finish. Great value to this day. Maybe their best vintage, at least that I have had.

John - Bahans Haut-Brion 2000, Graves, Bordeaux

Berry, tobacco and coffee aromas. Medium- to full-bodied, with lots of flavor and a silky and luscious finish. A tasty second wine from Château Haut-Brion. Best after 2007."

Eric - Argiano Rosso Toscano 2007

Offers an interesting combination of currant, raspberry and meat on the nose. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a spicy dried fruit aftertaste. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah.

Lori - Turchard Syrah 2001

"The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2001 Syrah offers up big, smoky, bacon-infused, blackberry aromas, deep, rich, concentrated fruit, medium to full body, supple tannin, and heady finish."

Sabrina - Tezza Vigneto La Ca 1998 Amarone

Italian dry red wine made from the partially dried grapes of the Corvina (40.0% – 70.0%), Rondinella (20.0% – 40.0%) and Molinara (5.0% – 25.0%) varieties. The final result is a very ripe, raisiny, big-bodied wine with very little acid. Alcohol content easily surpasses 15% (the legal minimum is 14%) and the resulting wine is rarely released until five years after the vintage.

Winner of the night as follows! As one drinker noted after a few glasses - "All in my top 10!"

1. 1989 Château Chasse-Spleen

2. 1991 Philip Togni

3. 2001 Turchard Syrah

Voting was becoming skewed as we went with vote trading.

Now to my assessments. Since I do the blog, my opinion probably is most important. The awards are as follows.

Best story - Sabrina - The Fizz Factor

Best Dramatic Presentation - John - He Brought a Box

Best History Lesson - Don for making the connection between Switzerland and Beaujolais

Most Unusual - David for a NY State wine made from Marechal Foch

Best cooking - Me, of course, every time!

Much to the disappointment of Sabrina, no prizes were awarded. They got dinner and didn't have to clean-up. That should be a prize for anyone!

Wines -

"The Spleen" was simply stunning for a wine of that age. I know 89 was one of the vintages of the century but that wine didn't look or smell a day over five. A beautiful wine in every way.

The Togni was much the same but not quite the depth.

The Bahans Haut-Brion was reminiscent of its bigger sibling. I can see the family resemblance. A wine that clearly had not met its time and will only gain complexity over time.

The Turchard Syrah was the surprise for me. Is was smooth and smoky. More than a match for the more expensive Cabernet blends.

The Dominus was disappointing consider the cost to some of the others. I have learned that it is a wine that really doesn't need significant aging. Seven years out seems to be about right.

The Demarest Hill and its grape Marechal Foch was a new one. Some remarked it reminded them of grappa. Could be. The sweetness is what got me.

For Dessert:

Alvear Soera 1927 - Just too sweet for me.

The 1989 Tokaji Aszu 6 puttehyos was magnificent. Thank you Government of Hungary!

Now the food!

David and Sabrina brought some excellent anti-pasto snacks.

First Course - Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup with Basil and Orange

Main - Braised Pork Loin with Yukon Gold Potatoes and Apples in a beef broth with honey, balsamic vinegar and sage.

Dessert - Sticky Toffee Pudding,

CdP Tasting Dec. 29

2009-12-30T19:26:00.003-05:00

2009 ended with a bang so to speak with a cellar tasting put on by John at Tony's for our final Thursday night "class." Thinking that I arrived early, I found that I was behind with the pre-tasting. Before I knew it, I had three glasses in front of me with three different wines. Remarkable as it may seem, Lori still had one glass and we were upstairs. After the last Thursday tasting which no one enjoyed for reasons that shall go unspoken in this venue, everyone was bit on edge. Invoking a tradition that had waned of late, I took the class notes and read them for the class, none of which had anything to do with the wines. Of note, the 1999 Beucastel was my favorite of the evening by a wide margin. It was still bright with flavor and a juicy acidity that played well with Tony's excellent pork! As usual, I stayed away from the stinky cheese.

Thanks to John for making the donation a real donation. Mine went to the Cancer Society.

1996 - Chateau de Beaucastel
1999 - Chateau de Beaucastel
2000 - Chateau de Beaucastel
2001 - Chateau de Beaucastel
1999 - Domaine du Pegau
1999 - E. Guigal
2001 - E. Guigal

The class notes are as follows:

We had a maximum of 20 in there
We had 18 people
A virtual booty call
We'll be in at 0900
Stick to your guns
You need the juice
It's all mine
Would you loke more?
Stingy - I was going to Scrooge you
Easy
I Fuckin' drove thing
OMG
He is such a tease
It just beeped in my
Happy Holidays my friend
No Fisto
You do that with your Kids
Is that the first time?
They you so much
Are we outside?
Not that we couldn't...
Where's the 4th one
Try some
Do they need to start breathing
Not much I don't like
Sometimes twice to make sure
Flashback
I'll taste anything!
I didn't waste my time
You're on
That's why I'm home all the time
Don't let them breath
We're not married
This is not inferred
It's on the down side
Go in peace
How many drinks have you had
I'll pop this open
I'm straight!
Awesome
Sid to side
I'm short
That's what I say
Now you caught up
I don't want to rush
The guy kissed the ground
I got the happy mouth
Yes, you did!
Easy
I'm trying to rush you.
You missed the third
Wow, where did you learn to eat
The Stench-
It's a chemical reaction
TMI!
It's never gone down
Now see if you can find it
Not sucky
Lubricant
That's even better
From where you pulled that out
Even my phone has a camera
Clarity
They come together and its not good
She will kill him
I could feel her
You know she can hear you
She really didn't say no
Zoowie
Red Tights
Period!
I'm more into
Hang-up
When did you buy that?
that's what blind girls do
Heaven on a stick
Pleasure, Pain, Pleasure, Pain
What about?
I'm chugging babe
I'll do what I can
Can I come early.....
It doesn't sound good
It works for me
There is five of them
I've eaten twice
Who's the guy that comes
He showed up at our booth
I know exactly where that is
She's only twelve.
She's actually a trainer
I thought your senses were heightened
Exactly
I was concerned
Tell me what it is
Your a sensitive guy
It's Amsterdam
And available on the weekend
I have no illusions
I am magic
We are almost done
On a regular basis
Which one?
It doesn't matter.

Judgement at Paris - Arlington VA

2009-08-02T22:03:00.023-04:00

After lengthy negotiations on the time of our own mini running of the Judgment of Paris (Arlington) pitting Bordeaux vs. California we finally got it together. So, what did we learn. Well, 2004 Haut Brion doesn't stand up so well to Ridge Monte Bello at such a young age. While the Haut Brion was better the second day, it still hadn't developed the depth in the wine I was looking for. The one thing that the tasting did produce was lots of purple teeth!

The line-up was as follows:
1. Freemark Abbey 2004
2. Haut Brion 2004
3. Ridge Monte Bello 2003
4. Chateau Montrose 2004
5. Stag's Leap SLV 2003
6. Grand Vin de Leoville 2004

The dinner started with champagne with an appetizer of fig, marscapone, and prosciutto just to get everyone warmed up. We first went through all the wines before dinner. Robin was asked to be wine guy and promptly was dismissed for pouring too much in the glasses. He was noted for his technique-obviously lots of practice at church.

Dinner consisted of beef tenderloin with a shallot, bacon and port wine sauce. This was accompanied by sauteed peppers, roasted potatoes, and harlot verts. Dessert was a deconstructed blueberry cheesecake with homemade orange shortbread.

Well, lets get to the meat of the evening. The goal of the evening is see if anyone could tell the difference between a French vs. California wine. Barbara, a noted Bordeaux lover, admitted that she got every wine wrong. Good for her! It is apparent from the collected notes that no one was playing along. Although one taster noted an aroma of cabbage in the Haut Brion. Most were not had no information of value. I couldn't tell if they loved or hated it. One thing was clear that the Monte Bello was good. Go out and buy a case!

Von Strasser and Restaurant Eve

2009-03-23T21:21:00.002-04:00

I had the good fortune to be invited to a wine dinner sponsored by Von Strasser Vineyards at Restaurant Eve. I did not know what to expect considering the cryptic communications with Mark Skinner, the Director Operations at Von Strasser. We were treated to a complete tasting of Von Strasser's complete line-up for 2007. Having the wine accompany the an almost infinite level of courses that built on each other "completed me!" While I couldn't remember what single vineyard went with what course, but then again, neither could the sommelier or Rudy. Some how Mark stayed awake despite is 24-hour trip from the west coast.

Course are as follows:
1. Canapes - I passed the goat cheese.
2. Fried Frog's leg - Yes, it really did taste like chicken.
3. Tuna Loin with black garlic
4. Homemade sausage with lentils
5. Squab au jus
6. Spice crusted Lamb - Yes, it ate around the crust so I couldn't taste the lamb
7. Beef - At this point I was seriously fading. Too many flavors and too much food. I knew this was almost as hard as a marathon.
8. Cheese course - Blue with homemade cracker and little jelly that reminded everyone of gummy bears.

What was most memorable was the Diamond Mountain District 2005 and 2007 because it reminded me of the 2005 I had last month. Very aromatic, like the Dunn and Paul Hobbs from the Barrel Tasting.

Bassin's California Barrel Tasting and Purple Teeth

2009-03-23T19:53:00.003-04:00

March 21st marked the 24th California Futures Tasting at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel to benefit The Addy and Bruce Bassin Memorial Cancer Research Fund. I've been going so many years, I have lost count. What is remarkable is the wineries and their owners and winemakers I see every year. Something akin to a family reunion every year. It is great to see everyone, even if it is only once a year. Others, like Rudy Von Strasser and Kristin Dunn, a little more often which it makes all the more special. They have all led me down a path of discovery and made me more knowledgeable in the process. The added benefit is that I'm drinking a lot better wine. The down side is I drink less, probably because I'm getting older but my teeth don't get any less purple! As a matter of fact, two days later my index finger still has a tinge of purple!

OK, this is what you really want. My top wine for this year. I'll have two lists. One for Cabernet and the all other for the rest. I will limit myself to my top picks of each, mostly because, like promotions time in the government, you only have so much money alloted. Those listed are in the buy category!

Cabernets
1. Dunn Napa Valley
2. EMH - Black Cat (Quite by accident they were next to each other but not in order of tasting)
3. Paul Hobbs Napa
4. Sonador
5. Temple Family

*Of note - Von Strasser was tasted at a separate event and will be address in another entry.

The All Other
1. Miner Family La Diligence Syrah
2. Three Click Petite Sirah
3. Stelzner Reserve Malbec

HVD and Von Strasser!

2009-02-16T17:10:00.002-05:00

What could better than roasted butternut squash risotto and flour less chocolate cake on VD? Well, a search of the cellar lead me to a 2005 Von Strasser Diamond Mountain District Cabernet. Afterall, the last video did mention it! Well, we were rewarded with a medium bodied wine that complemented the meal without being over bearing as some California wines tend to do. It had a nose of plum, sweet spice and a touch of violet which flowed to the palate. That along with an encore of showing of "The Sure Thing" made it a memorable evening.

Wine of the Year

2009-02-10T20:32:00.003-05:00

Yes, those sock puppets are at it again with their take on the year in wine.

Rusden Tasting

2008-12-30T23:36:00.002-05:00

Yes, boys and girls we do have a Santa Claus who looks like John. We were lucky enough to enjoy a Rusden tasting sponsored by this season's Santa. Also, thanks goes to Barbara and Tony for their peppers and pasta, respectively. As always, the dessert was great. This lead to Tony giving me the finger for producing a bread pudding better than mine. Anyway, this is a wine blog so let's get to the point of this evening.

Overall, a very "pretty" tasting. The 2002 Zinfandel was a group favorite. Tony was in a heated discussion against this until he realized that he had his wines mixed up. The Matero by exclamation was second with a strong undertone of support for the $120 Shiraz. We did love the wines but the price point did give us pause. The cab blend was reminisent to the Mollydooker which at $25 was a better bargain vice $50. The Grenaches were all interesting. The 2002 was acidic with baked ruit flavors of blackberry and blueberry. The 2003 was all about sweet spice and candied fruit. The 2006 was the most food friendly match wonderfully with the peppers and pasta. The Matero was inky and forward but focused and rich. The 2002 Zin showed some age with a brick character. Zin the way we like it. The shiraz was the only wine that was decanted. It showed through was classic Aussie character. What was missing was the length and layers that would accompany a $120 wine.

Hmmm, time for more bread pudding.

Other class notes were truncated because of the discussion on the wines themselves. What have I done to the group?

I can manage with two
They've always been smooth
I thought it is was a good way to do this
I know the area intimately
WOW
Steaming like it is
Softer but different
You have no room
I didn't have time
I have some too
A little extra cheese?
Scratch and sniff?
None of these wines were lower than third.

Von Strasser Zinfandel - DITTO

2008-11-16T14:46:00.004-05:00

The theme of the evening's tasting was a vertical of Von Strasser Zinfandel from 2001-2005. This didn't happen because I pulled a Ranin Cabernet. Those labels are so similar that I didn't notice what I'd done until I poured, started to drink and then BING in my head with the realization the wine wasn't Zinfandel but Cabernet. Duh! Well, the crowd had not complaints. What was interesting was you could easily pick out that they were all related by there various components. Was it the vineyard or the winemaker - most definitely yes to both. When you added the Chardonnay, Cabernet and Petite Verdot Port you could recognize that the winemaker has a style that focuses on finesse rather than the usual hit you over the head style of California.

We did manage to taste wines from the 2000 to 2005 starting outside the zinfandel family with an Aurora Vineyard Chardonnay from 2000. This was accompanied by a baked brie with sherry soaked figs and toasted almonds.

The 2001 and 2002 Zinfandel started us off a butternut squash soup with apples and coarse grain mustard.

The 2003 and 2004 was matched with a braised beef short ribs and a lemon and chive bow tie pasta. The 2005 Ranin Cabernet which we didn't do justice to just pouring and drinking. Something that clearly should have been decanted for several hours.

Finished the evening with a 2004 Petite Verdot port and pumpkin cheesecake with marshmallow and sour cream topping.

I will summarize the participants views below. I was surprised to hear the term ditto. This is a description that one does not hear often. I guess I should have served more controversial wines but 2000 was generally thought to be over the hill with the 2004 the clear winner.

Tara - 2004 was the best described as fruit forward with hints of chocolate.
Robin - 04 the best. Port was also a favorite.
Roger - 04 at the top. 03 was too soft needs to be drunk now. 02 was OK with the the 05 getting a quite nice.
Susan was the dissident in the group with her perference of the 2002. Her reaction to the port - "It just tasted good."
Lori - 04 was everything she loved in a Zin. Loved the spiceness and clove. Loved the port with it's raisny aspects and said DITTO to Tom's suggestion of Amarone.
Tom - 01 was astringent and fading; 02 good; 03 a little mustiness; 04 liked a lot; 05 liked a lot. Port was Amarone in style even if he didn't know how it was made.
Kathleen- 01 like because it was nicely balanced; 02 didn't like because of weird barnyard; 04 lovely jammy and vibrant. Port - yummy and DITTO.

Passed!

2008-09-22T20:17:00.002-04:00

Yes, it's true that I did indeed get my Advance Certificate from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust! I passed with merit in theory - damn sherry question - and passed with distinction on the tasting evaluation. Well, as someone put it, we always knew you had taste!

California = The Land of Festivals and Historic Downtowns

2008-09-08T17:40:00.006-04:00

Well, just back from the Von Strasser Wine 2006 Futures Release Dinner. During the trip which included a stop in San Diego. What was striking was everywhere we drove had a festival on or in the works. The hotel was hosting a Tomato festival while a chili, and chocolate festival were upon us. I never knew that every town in northern California had a historic downtown which generally included the train station.

The weather was hot, hot, hot! It was one of the earliest harvest's ever. Saturday was so baking that even tasting and spitting was too much for me. After three wineries which included Hook and Ladder, Harvest Moon and Lynamar lead to the hotel pool.

Friday we wandered up to the Hilton where a wine tasting was winding down with Lou from Dogwood, a zin producer I discovered during the Zap Festival. My lucky day. So we ended finishing up with Lou and a couple from Baltimore. Lou was a quite the character. What's a former Army guy who appeared to have more than one house, a private plane, and 50 year old Lafite doing running wine tastings for Dogwood?

The Von Strasser menu is as follows:

Reception

Hors d'Ouvres

Truffle Pizzetta with Wild Mushrooms, Asparagus and Robiola Cheese
Mini Lamb Burger Seasoned with Cilantro and Mint, Topped with Feta Cheese
Mini Dungeness Crab Cakes with a Spanish Romesco Sauce
Freshly Shucked Miyagi and Kumonoto Oysters

2007 Gruner Veltliner
2007 Eye of the Diamond Rose
2006 Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon

Dinner

First Course
Wild Mushroom Bisque with White Truffle
2004 Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon

Second Second Course

Smoked Salmon Napoleon with Horseradish Cream and Fresh Dill
Search with a Mache Salad Dressed in Citrus Vinaigrette

2005 Monhoff Zinfandel

Main Course

Mixed Frill of Roasted Antelope File, Grilled Duck Breast and
Pan seared filet of Beef wit ha Caramelized Shallot of Red Wine Sauces,
served with a Fig Risotto and Baby Vegetables

1999 Sori Bricco Red Wine
2006 Sori Bricco Cabernet

Dessert

Selection of Mini Dark Chocolate Splendors

2004 Petit Verdot Port

A very nice evening in which we got to meet real people in Napa that weren't associated with wine. More wine than anyone could drink especially with the California Highway Patrol and a Chevy HHR that had really bad breaks - at least I didn't hit that deer in the middle of the road! Review of wines:

Eye of the Diamond Rose - A wine that lacked character of any kind. It had no taste. Moe dumped her's.

2006 Diamond District Cabernet - Didn't try but was Moe's favorite of the evening.

2004 Diamond District Cabernet - What was remarkable is the way the earthiness complimented the bisque. At no point did you think that you were drinking a big California cabernet that was competing like a jealous lover for your attention.

2005 Monhoff Zinfandel - Quite a conversation topic at the table. Some thought it complemented the smoked salmon napoleon perfectly, I did not. A nice brambly zin with spice that lingered. Great wine, wrong dish.

1999 and 2006 Sori Bricco Red Wine - Yes, you could tell they were similar. I was surprised at the depth of flavor and color (OK it could have been the cave). The earthy dark plum notes on the palate and nose complemented the antelope. I don't know if the 2006 will show this well nine years out but one can only hope!

Despite being the middle of the crush, the winery was pristine. We got to meet several of the staff to include the cellar master who sat at our table. Because of that, we got to taste the 2007 Malbec which pleased me to no end. This is an old style Malbec that will take some time to hit its stride. It very much reminded me of the Paso de Peidra Reserva from Argentina.

Sockpuppets Don't Blush

2008-07-27T16:28:00.004-04:00

For the Sock puppet rose` tasting, the puppets enjoyed the 2007 Maipe Malbec ("smells/tastes like 'wine'" was the brilliant observation offered by Bill); enjoyed far less was the 2007 Clear Bottle Bay White Zinfandel (believe Opie said it was "soda pop-like.")

Bill (being the girl that she is) liked the "pretty pink colors"; that said, everybody knows color doesnt mean a whole lot re wine!

[Note: no sock puppets were mistreated during the filming of yesterday's cinematic extravaganza...]

Lydia's Birthday - REDUX

2008-07-13T20:20:00.002-04:00

Yes, drinking fans, we re-did Lydia's 50th with the crew while trying to recreate the menu for that was offered at Wildfire. True to her core, the guest of honor managed to be sick again but like a Marine she gutted it out. Much to my surprise the crew did NOT drink me out of house and home. Actually they were quite tame and picked some reasonable selections which I will review further.

They did pretty well on the test and I might have some hope considering their love for Charles Shaw or anything that is cheap at Trader Joe's.

What we drank:

1. Kirkland Brand Champagne - Surprisingly good. Nice bubblies with a toasty notes that were quite pleasant.
2. Chandon Napa Brut - As one great reviewer of bubbly commented on most bubbly, it was kind of doughy but did was slightly reminiscent of of Fuji apples on the nose and palate.

At this point, I began to worry because KB and Julie were in charge of picking the dinner wine. I told them that they could have run of the place as far as what wines we would have with dinner. Not only were they reasonable but, I dare say, thoughtful.

3. Chateau Corbin St. Emilion 2005 $43. It was definitely dark garnet in color and had aromas of blackberry and tabacco. While I disagree with the WS on being full bodied it did have sliky extracted tannins. It was big and juicy for a St. Emillion but question whether it could go to 2015.

4. Domiane Font de Michelle Chateauneuf do Pape 2004. A marked change after the Bordeaux. Actually almost unfair. The grenache showed through with the candied Life Saver like cheeriness to the palate. A nice wine which would have show much better had it not come second.

5. Mill Creek Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 2001. A counterpoint to the Corbin. A spicy plum and vanilla note drove this wine. It reminded me of how good a Sonoma Cab could be and is.

Lastly the menu -

Snacks:
- Roasted tomato bruschetta
- Prosciutto wrapped peaches with basil and balsamic
- shrimp
- triple cream cheese and French bread

Main
- wild salmon with terriyaki glaze
- petite beef tenderloin wrapped in back with port/balsamic gravy
- mashed Yukon golds with coarse grain mustard
- green beans with lemon, pine nuts and parsley.

Dessert
- Toffee cheesecake
- Amaretto cheesecake

Ch. de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape

2008-04-25T17:51:00.004-04:00

Well, wasn't that interesting. Needless to say, a tasting at Tony's is not without highlights. Only if John had given a proper lecture and announcements things maybe wouldn't have gotten out of hand. Thanks to Lori for making the pork, Tony for the potatoes, and Lisa for salad. Who did the veggies I don't know. While whipped cream was involved, I don't think Buzz even noticed the buzz of activity.

Anyway, we saw, we tasted and we conquered the monumental effort of sampling a vertical of Chateau de Beaucastel, one of the landmarks in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. My review is as follows:

1993 - Moving from the developed to the tired stage.

1994 - Ditto for this vintage and was a little flatter on the palate. Five years ago they would have been stunning. A blonde playing to her roots?

1996 - I was behind so I didn't get the wine disappearing in the glass that Tony noted. At best dried fruit and herbal notes that turned into "yucky" as Erik would say.

1997 - This was much better and had a tartness to it that the others did not have.

1999 - Now we are getting good. Liquorice on the nose and palate accompanied by violet, smoke and leather that didn't overpower the wine.

2000 - Better! Woohoo! Deep garnet with a pronounced nose and intensity. Bringing me to a place I want to be. The mindset to go for the whipped cream!

2001 - Wow! As nice as Sarah's ass.

2001 - Giugal - not as nice as you know what.

Chocolate port - something about someone loosing their shirt?

As usual, here are the class notes as taken by the court appointed recorder.

- Do you need mouth to mouth?
- I can do in now or later.
- Would you like one of those"
- Let's start the actualy tasting
- It's not me its Buzz
- No, she's jealous
- I thought better after it
- It will be romantic
- It's all I got
- I can't get past that
- BITCH!
- It's really good
- Rain or shine
- I love the cucumbers
- Is it working?
- Glad you are not
- How did you hook-up?
- I love all three
- Is Alice home?
- Some of the younger ones will be OK!
- Hand it here!
- We are getting started!
- SPOON!?
- I'll make you go all night.
- Tony told me when to take it out
- I'm not always good at that
- Excuse me?
- I think you are ahead.
- Print them, fold them, stick them!
- It's supposed to be that color.
- I feel Happy
- I'm even taking notes
- Didn't say whether I could read them
- We could even hook up a hose
- It's just so close to pulling out
- AHHHH!
- Too much information
- Avocado would have been a great addition
- a little heavy HANDED!
- I'm gasping for breath
- I didn't say that
- I could eat that car
- I know
- Longer than your's!
- Short Pour
- Stop rubbing you nipples
- Save but not rewarding
- Well
- It maybe less
- Which part are you responsible for
- Peel and Stick
- Better to bite you!

The last comment for the evening -

EARTHY BUT SWEET!

MacArthur's California Barrel Tasting

2008-04-15T17:56:00.002-04:00

That's right boys and girls it is that time of the year when it was not about being quiet as a mouse but rushing in when the doors opened for the 2008 California Barrel Tasting. A yearly event not too be missed. Much to my dismay, I noticed that I only tasted samples from about half the 48 wineries that were there. I guess I lost focus was gabbing too much with owners and winemakers. My fun facts for the evening:

1. Kristina Dunn is not engaged or married but has a friendship ring.
2. Rudy Von Strasser was confused when I asked him why he didn't have any 2006 Zin futures. He finally realized that rot set in with a late rain and had to sell the fruit off in bulk.
3. Miner will be making Zinfandel again.
4. Oracle tastes pretty good the day after even with Pizza Hut pizza that Erik ordered.
5. Because I talk to much I didn't get a taste of the Blue Rock Syrah that everyone was talking about.
6. Winemakers don't like Eric Asimov's comments about California Cabs under $50.
7. If you go enough years in a row everybody remembers you.
8. After a couple of hours you pretty much have the flavor profile down of Napa Valley cabernet. I hope its on my blind tasting exam. I will nail it.

Wines I liked in order:
1. Ridge Monte Bello $80
2. Rudd 2006 Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon $110
3. Judd's Hill 2006 Cab $42
4. EMH Black Cat 2006 $60
5. Clark-Caudron $60
6. Karl Laurence 2005 Herb Lamb Reserve $100
7. Kobalt $115
8. Regusi 2006 Stag's leap Estate $40
9. Sonador 2006 - They claimed it was their best ever.

Wines I didn't like:
1. Andrew Hill
2. WH Hill
3. Cornerstone Howell Mountain Cab - just too closed for me to tell.
4. Steltzer Reserve Cabernet $75 - also too closed
5. Steltzer Reserve Malbec 2006 $35 - no backbone or depth
6. Ravenswood Pickberry and Merlot - not much of anything on both
7. Madrigal 2006
8. Blue Rock Cabernet 2006

Can't say too much about the Dunn or Von Strasser because I was talking more than thinking about the wine I was trying.

Other interesting wine was the Spencer Roloson La Hederradua Syrah.

At least I got two desserts and an almost full bottle of Oracle out of the deal.

Evan's Wine Blog: London Calling

2008-04-07T19:29:00.000-04:00

Evan's Wine Blog: London Calling

London Calling

2008-04-06T10:09:00.002-04:00

I an attempt to get folks together that I knew in London I thought it only appropriate to do a tasting of 2000 Bordeaux. Since the UK drinks more of it than anyone and, at least, some us had taken the Chunnel train over to France for the day just to shop for wine it seemed like the perfect excuse to see what was going on with one of those vintages of the century. While all exhibited similar flavor profiles of a Charlton Heston film, firm and ready to shoot the gameness out it, we definitely had favorites in the bunch. While the group in general, had trouble identifying the pencil lead character in some of the wines it did not detract from the overall enjoyment. So, any thoughts from the group?

1. Chateau Haut-Brisson St. Emilion Grand Cru - the first and the favorite of the bunch.
2. Chateau La Mouth du Barry - the most purple of the bunch and possibly the most concentrated.
3. Château Terrey-Gros-Cailloux Saint-Julien Cru Bourgeios
4. Château Beau-Site St.-Estèphe
5. Château de Fonbel St. Emilion Grand Cru - Certainly had the most earthy and barn yard character
6. Kirkland Signature St. Emilion Grand Cru - The surprise of the evening. Well integrated between the earthiness and plum fruit.
7. Château Angelique de Monbousquet - the lightest and should be drunk now which the others could go on for years.

Dinner consisted of a pureed cumin infused white bean soup, duck with while mushrooms and fig sauce for the meat eaters while others had a butternut squash ratatouille, and finished with a chocolate moose cake.

Slip Sliding Away - WWCS for 2/12/2008

2008-02-18T21:14:00.002-05:00

If you enjoyed last week's tasting, you won't want to miss this!
Especially if you like Full Bodied Red Wines, drinking well, with
some aging potential, and around $20.

Last week set the stage, and this week promises to continue the great
show!

We'll taste a really nice Syrah and Pinot Noir, both from California,
an atypical Chianti Classico (after tasting, we both said "Why can't you
ever find a Chianti this good in an Italian restaurant?, another Italian blend, and a surprisingly big, full bodied 04 California Cab.We'll have some nice cheese and crusty bread to complement.

Can't wait. See you Tuesday.

Tony and Jeff

Wines

Truchard Pinot Noir Carneros 2003 $20

Turchard Syrah Carneros 2001 $20

Castello Di Uzzano Chianti Classico 2005 $20

Arceno Primpa Voce Toscana 2003 $23

Earthquake Cabernet Sauvignon Lodo 2004 $22

Cheeses
Gorgonzola Mountain $12.98

Old Amsterdam $15.98

Wines from Pearson's
Bread and Cheeses from Calvert Woodley

A Chinese Valentine

2008-02-18T14:38:00.003-05:00

Sock Puppets Take On Professional Wine Reviewers!

2008-02-18T10:46:00.006-05:00

Patriots Going to the Super Bowl

2008-01-20T22:32:00.000-05:00

That's right, without the Patriots defense, I don't know what would have happened. Wines for dinner are as follows.

Bodegas Escorihuela Gascon Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2006 $11.99
While I picked up the blackberry and blueberry notes some thought it had a herbal edge to it. While not detracting from the wine, it was unexpected like a Patriots loss would be.

Finca Sophienia Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2006 $13.49
This wine was much more fruit forward. Almost aggressive like a used car salesman or the X-bike teacher who is yelling at you to do more when you've already put as much as you can. Like this wine, it has put as much forward as it can. I've stayed at the winery, talked the to wine-maker, and its hard to say anything bad about it at this price point.

Mas Donis Montsant Red Wine 2004 Spain $12.99
As the finisher, it does come in last despite being the last wine of the evening. The best that I can say it is old world in style and reminds me of the 4H competition at the State Fair. Yes, it was that barnyard like and really did smell like cow dung but tasted fine.

Wines for a Patriots Win

2008-01-16T20:49:00.000-05:00

Well, last Sundays win was not without some drama. Two dropped passes prevented Tom Brady from having a perfect game. No doubt this weeks game will be tougher. We sampled a fine selection of wines with the most excellent chicken pot pie prepared by BAM.
1. Triniatas 2006 Pinot Noir - It was like candy for adults in the UK. Almost plumb pudding like. Not like any Pinot I had before.
2. Sanctuary Bein Nacido Vinyards Santa Maria Valley 2004 Pinot - Like going out with an old flame - familiar but somehow exciting because it could be explosive. Lovely cola edge that I love about wines from this region.
3. Shotfire 2006 Shiraz - Its a throw down the middle of the plate. Something you hope you can catch up to before its gone.
4. Angoves Coonwarra 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon - whoever gave this 90 points should have electric shock therapy. While not objectionable to the court, it couldn't be sustained.

Review and News Flash

2008-01-06T15:58:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-01-01T17:40:00.000-05:00

Today marks the first in a series of video's attached to the blog. The first one isn't too creative but just you wait. Wine's under $6. I think I have a headache already.

Tis the Season

2007-12-30T21:17:00.000-05:00

Today did not start out with high expectations of the wine front. Dinner theater and good wine don't generally mix. What was outstanding was Sarah's performance! Bravo! Loud, stormy, applause! Lori and I ordered a mimosa considering it was brunch. Well, we almost didn't get it. The bartender couldn't get the bottle of bubbly open because of the darn plastic cork. At one point I spied him having wedged between his thighs. Sarah, of course, came to the rescue.

Somehow we managed to deny Lori her nap and ended up staying for a couple of bottles of wine and pizza - along with a Redskins win!

1. Shotfire Shiraz 2006 - at first whiff it reminded me of a St. Joseph because of the pepper in the nose. Lori rightly found it metallic in the mouth and it also seem alcoholic even the the bottle said 14.2%. It was a big wine but I don't know if it had enough fruit to carry it over the long term.

2. Armila Rosso Di Montalchino 2004 - An excellent wine that matched with pizza like a moped to an Italian family of four riding down the piazza. Earthy without barnyard. Dark fruit that didn't overwhelm. A wine perfect for any hearty Italian dish.

Pop Goes Christmas

2007-12-26T17:01:00.000-05:00

Christmas 2007 was the first time we celebrated the season outside of New England in almost 40 years. Christmas Eve was at South Randolph and Christmas dinner was on South Hayes. What follows is a short wrap-up on the wines we had.

Christmas Eve:
Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs Sonoma County - The Wine Spectator gave this wine an 89. It clearly was not the favorite. It was almost sweet with the flavor of strawberry and appeared to be aimed at the Gen Y set. I don't know what they meant by fun and festive - a girls night out as Adelya put it so nicely.

Schramsberg Brut Blanc de Noirs North Coast 2004 - This definitely was more of food wine and won the evening hands down. A wine of finese, something not really found in the Carlson household.

Christmas Day:
Domiane Chandon Brut Napa-Sonoma Counties Etoile NV - This was the favorite of the two days. WS said Fuji and I say hints of Gala. I think I'm right. Aaron's two cents was pear and spice of the vanilla.

Christmas Dinner:
Trapiche Vina Carlos Gei Berr Malbec - WOW! Don't taste many malbecs like this. A layered fruit driven wine that may have overwhelmed the beef tenderloin if you can believe it. Clearly a wine that just needed to be sipped. Hints of cranberry that made me think of Christmas.

Paso De Piedra Malbec 2005 Reserva Malbec - This clearly suffered middle child syndrome. Coming after the Trapiche wasn't fair to this wine. A fine example of malbec and all agreed that it complemented the beef rather than the former. Still some left. I'll let you know what the second sip tastes like.

Illaparra 10 Year Old Tawny Barossa - This was a perfect match with the chocolate tart with gingersnap crust and crystallized ginger. Toffee and fruitcake flavors abound in a nicely framed portrait of an Aussie sticky.

Let it Snow Party

2007-12-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all for attending and assisting me in drinking down some of the stock. While you didn't have to sing this year, it will happen next year. You have been warned! Below are the wines that were sampled. I'll offer comments on the wines I managed to taste but I'll need your assistance with the others.

1. Finca La Linda Extra Brut NV Argentina
2. Rodney Strong 2006 California Chardonnay
3. Kirkland Signature Bordeaux 2003 Pauillac
4. Teatown Cellars 2003 Napa Merlot
5. Angrove's Coonwarra 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
6. Nieto Senetiner 2004 Argentine Malbec Reserva (3 liters)
7. Von Strasser 2005 Diamond Mountain Cabernet
8. Von Strasser 2005 Marcellni Vineyard Cabernet Franc
9. Turley 2005 Lodi Dogtown Zinfandel
10. A. Rafanelli 2002 Dry Creek Zinfandel

The Malbec very much reminded me of Argentina and the many dinners of steak and Malbec. It was decanted and put back into the bottle about an hour before the party started per the sales rep.

The Von Strasser Cab Franc was surprising elegant and waltzed through my mouth. Probably the best Cab Franc I ever had which always found harsh and to veg ital. The Diamond Cab needs more time in the bottle and was tannic. While it wasn't harsh. I'm just glad that I'll be able to taste it again in the few years.

The Turley, well, it's a Turley. Everything I like and come to expect. Almost never disappointing. I did feel that the 2005 Duarte was a bit better.

And finally A. Rafanelli, was an excellent way to end the evening. Doing the dishes didn't seem so bad after that. It was a wine that was fruity without being a fruit bomb. Perfectly balanced like a high-wire artist.

Pinot-tickular (Ken Wright) - Summer Wine Series

2007-12-14T17:20:00.000-05:00

Well, another successful event at Tony's Summer Wine Series. Here's my take on the evenings wines:

1. Belle Valley Grand Cuvee - very workmanlike - reminded me of the garage. Nothing spectacular but a good solid effort.
2. Ken Wright Carter - Almost Presidential bordering on regal. Too bad Jimmy Carter couldn't appreciate something like this. Candied fruit with cola notes.
3. Ken Wright Freedom Hill - Remember Bunker Hill! This wine charges up the hill. Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead.
4. Ken Wright Canary Hill - Rainforest like because it was so dense.
5. Ken Wright Guadalupe - It's no illegal immigrant. Smokie and meaty.
6. Ken Wright Nysa - As Neal Diamond sings "Sweet Caroline."
7. Ken Wright Shea - Kind of like the 62 Mets. Casey Stengal would be a little restless tonight.
8. Tyrus Evan Syrah - A teaser that doesn't follow through.

Now for the class notes. Who has been naughty or nice?

I did this side
It's easy to fix
Never do this
I'm going to spin this
I didn't by the stinky
You are in the right seat
A spoon?
Please bite into it!
You can smell our pits from miles away
Anyone Else?
I guess it will live here
I never saw it
I have trouble opening....
I was a little shocked but plenty of room
Ridged for comfort
Depends where the hitch is in your giddy up
I just put in all in my mouth
How much wood?
Where's the exercise?
It's not esthetically pleasing
Is it smooth on the bottom
It's really deep
I shame them into giving me
She won't eat it but has
to push it out
It's a goat
I'm already hot
I like goat
Do you have room for the goose and duck fat?
Don't spit it out.
I pour it
It's all muscle
It changes all the time
No on is in the mood
It's not fun struggling with one hand
Di the same thing Tony did
Don't flour the meat
She's just staring at it
Someone has to pour me into the car
I can't promise but I'll see what I can do
I'm going to get up and kick your ass
As least their's that
Its' a a girl scouts thing
All YOURS!
It could get ugly.
All closed up!
That's in wrong place!
I've given ti to her like three times
I've found the perfect note
I know nothing
I'll pull
Go sit in your seat
Then spread it...amazing!
I'm a lesbian trapped in a man's body
This is why pant's fall off
It worked for the blindfolded thing
We are coming in behind the big ass
I'm not touching him.
It's DUH for YOU
You weren't ready
I'm ready now
Almost Empty?
That's the deepest point I've made in a long time.
Wana a bite?
I'll be a couple of minutes
I get a little more
I'm a novice

Paradise by the Dashboard Light! "SLV"

2007-12-09T20:44:00.000-05:00

Thankfully the Patriots won and I won't be doing shots tomorrow after bike class! This evening the Black Family provided the Stag's Leap Wine Cellars sister wine "S.L.V." While the FAY was immediately approachable this was a slow developing hurricane that became a Category IV a couple of hours after it was open and was devastatingly brilliant in it's finish. You could tell that the SLV and FAY were definitely related but SLV was in for the long haul even over dry land. With it we had two different lasagnas - a Neopolian and Bolognese. Ultimately, I had to cut Tom Black off and save him from himself. Finished with flambéed apples done by BAM. As a comparison wine we had a Kirkland Signature Shiraz from 2004. A great wine with a definite creamy milk chocolate edge and everyone declared as one of the truly great under $10 wines they had.

Grand Puy Lacoste Dinner

2007-11-27T19:51:00.000-05:00

Wines were all excellent, would be happy having any of them again.
2001 GrandPuyLacoste: Tasted thin at first though opened as night progressed. Showed some real structure on the mid-palate and finish. Worth the $35

2003 Grand Puy Lacoste--From a different planet than the 2001--huge core of fruit as expected.
Began as a real drink-me-now wine but developed some differentiaion on the palate as night wore on..developed a finish with refreshing acidity after 2+ hours. Would love to try again in 2012

1982 Grand Puy Lacoste--all secondary flavors, to taste and the nose. VERY DIFFERENT from the other two, but a bit monolithic, even after being open for hours & hours. Tasty but i wondered if it needed a few more hours of decanting to show its stuff.

1989 Canon La Gaffeliere, St Estephe (or Emilion??) The winner in a close race while we were eating and drinking. Fresher fruit than the 1982 GPL...but it is 7 years younger. Had a better finish ,in balance ,with nice acidity.

Recommendation: If you can find it i just drank the 1995 Tenuta San Leonardo from the north of Italy. A dead ringer for a top notch Bordeaux --smooth with layers of flavor combining with clearly defined structure...

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste Dinner

2007-11-18T12:53:00.000-05:00

Well, we had quite a line-up for the Puy-Lacoste dinner that started with Robin egging me on to bid for the wines during the Montgomery County SPCA Wine Tasting Fund raiser. Unfortunately for us we got in a bidding war with on woman and had to guard our position. Lucky for us she was bidding on another wine. All for a good cause in the end.

Attendees: Robin, Susan, Tara, Roger, Lori, John and myself.

Line-up included:
Chateau Les Vergines White Bordeaux 2001
Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier California 2002
Trinitas Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2005
Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac 1982
Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac 2001
Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac 2003
Chateau Canon La Gaffelierre St. Emillion 1989
Rene Renow Bonnezeaux Tir de Vendanges 1998

Appetizers provided by Susan:
Savory Shortbread
Olive Spread with Roasted Red Pepper
Dried Sausage with herbs and pepper
Dinner:
Beef Tenderloin with Port and Shallot Gravy
Harlot Verts with Shallots and Fennel
Roasted Fingerline Potatoes

Dessert: Napoleons with Orange Creme and Cranberry Sauce

As far as the wine drinking, it didn't get off to a good start with the older whites that John brought - never entrust a red wine guy with bringing the white to start. Then again, he forgot about the three loafs of bread he brought but I digress. Tara was disappointed that she missed two wines while parking the car - no you didn't miss much. Good thing I had the Trinitas chilled as opposed to a dinner many years ago where Tara said that the dinner would go well with a nice white and I didn't have any white in the house! I thought the Trinitas was a fine example of chardonnay from the Russian River.

As for the reds, Tony, would have been most disappointed because we voted on decanting and decanting won - the thought of using a thumb and shaking in was strongly discouraged by all around the table. Why decant, well, Roger had printed a bunch of reviews of the wines and learned that many of the reviews including those for the 1982 strongly urged decanting which we all thought was odd for a wine that old. We later realized that over the course of the evening that wines really did change. The 2003 started out as a fruit bomb and went tannic as the 82 before coming back around again. I do think the 89 Gaffelierre was my overall favorite of the evening and the 82 as a close second. Out of the reds there wasn't a dud in the bunch. Pretty much this was what Bordeaux was all about. Nothing better than a piece of beef and a sip of Bordeaux.

New York Wine Experience

2007-11-10T15:01:00.001-05:00

Well, its been a couple of weeks since the big show and I'd like to give you a feel for atmosphere and wine along with a couple of discoveries I made. Having to navigate two floors at the Marriott in Times Square was daunting enough but all those great wines in one place made it appear to be impossible to enjoy in one night! Luckly, Tara was there to provide the openning move - Champagnes of course because there was an immediate scrum around the the first growth Bordeux - all of whom were pouring the less than successful 2002 vintage.

The important lessons were as follows:
1. It was really easy to determine which our favorites were Grand Dame and Annee. The others in my opinion weren't up to the task. The Dom Perignon was the most disappointing of the lot.
2. If you want to eat you needed to go upstairs and try not to dump over you 97 Monte Bello.
3. The 2002 Margaux was very similar to the 1999. Thanks to John to making it possible for me know that.
4. What were they thinking when they brought 2003 Barolos? They were awful tannic monsters that had no business being opened and poured.
5. Craggy Range - who recommended that?
6. Kristina Dunn of Dunn Vineyards is a saint for patiently putting up with Tom in 8th floor bar after the event and what the heck was she doing having a martini?
7. I would have never believed the 8th floor bar in Times Square could have held so many Red Sox fans all look of doom on their faces. Should have never doubted them.

Now to the reviews which were done in the bar while watching the Red Sox.

Achaval-Ferrer: Tough to determine after the ports.
Bacio Divino: Don't remember anything about the wine but the guy pouring looked uncomfortable in the jacket and tie he bought for the event. I told him he was easy to spot as someone out of their element.
BV Georges de Latour - interesting but tannic. had elements of pervious vintages I've tasted.
Bollinger: FANTASTIC!
Pia Cesare: Too tough!
Concha y Toro Don Melchor: Yuk - I don't know what that problem was. Maybe I just don't like cab from Chile.
Craggy Range: Not good - funky, not in a good way.
Domaine Alfred: Lovely pinot. I need some of this.
Dominus: Didn't strike me down.
Dow's 1994: Fabulous.
Graham's 1997: Fabulous .
Guigal Chateau d'Ampius 2003: Another baby killer but nothing like the wines at Tony's.
Harlan Estate: Smooth as silk and probably my #1 of the evening.
Chateau Haut-Brion: Did not like at all!
Heitz: You call that cabernet? Yuk.
Paul Hobbs Pinot: Very nice to outstanding. They apologized for not having some of their wines from Argentina.
Krug: Tara was spot on with the tangerine. Not my style.

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars FAY a Star in the Patriots Win!

2007-11-04T20:24:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the Black family for providing a key element in the Patriots win today with the Stag's Leap FAY Cabernet 2003. A multi layered that just begged you to come back again and again. While everyone thought the Canopia 2007 Malbec was a fine drinking wine at 5.99 it was nearly undrinkable once the FAY was opened. No decanting needed here. This along with a Patriots win against the Colts made all right with the world. Thanks to BAM for the excellent shells and Kathleen for being the sous chef. My only other comment is "How many desserts did Liam have?"

Plan Pegau

2007-11-02T22:47:00.000-04:00

Pretty much what I expected. Hmmmm, something like a World Series WIN by the BOSTON RED SOX! HAH! I consumed with a Domino's Brooklyn style pizza. For around $10 you can get much better juice. Really just about everything you like in a Rhone style wine like a RED SOX WIN.

Guigal Dream Tasting at Tony's

2007-11-01T21:15:00.000-04:00

2003 Guigal la Landonne

Dense purple to the rim with a nose of graphite, creosote, earth, olives, and black, black, black fruits, the primordial, full-bodied, monumental 2003 Cote Rotie La Landonne is amazing stuff. I suspect this is more akin to a dry vintage port than most Cote Roties ever tend to be, but the purity, the richness, the texture, the length are all out of this world. This wine does need some patience on the part of its purchasers, probably five years, more likely 8-10, but then one of the world’s most compelling elixirs will be at its peak for another 20-30+ years.

$759.99/bottle

2003 Guigal la Mouline

The 2003 Cote Rotie La Mouline is by far the most delicate and elegant wine (11% Viognier is co-fermented with 89% Syrah). but the enormous aromatics of spring flowers intermixed with creme de cassis, black raspberry, mocha, caramel, and cola, and enormous full-bodied opulence and striking velvety, seamless texture make for one of the most memorable wines anyone could every drink. This wine should age effortlessly for 25-30 or more years.

$759.99/bottle

2003 Guigal la Turque

A pure aromatic smorgasbord is offered by the 2003 Cote Rotie La Turque, which has an amazing aromatic profile of espresso coffee interwoven with scorched earth, tar, truffle, incense, blackberry, bacon fat, and flowers. Powerful, thick flavors ooze across the palate with a viscous texture, amazing purity, and just enough acidity and tannin to give uplift and precision to this remarkable tour de force in winemaking. Of the 2003s, this is also approachable, but ideally 2-5 years of cellaring would be suggested, and the wine will evolve for at least 30 more years.

$759.99/bottle

2003 Guigal Ex Voto Rouge

The good news continues as the 2003 Hermitage Ex-Voto may even be the richest of all these wines. Only 4,000 bottles were produced from Guigal’s favorite parcels of Hermitage, Les Bessards, l’Hermite, Les Greffieux, and Les Murets. It is the most alcoholic of all the wines at 15%, but its off-the-chart richness, full-bodied, powerful, and amazing creme de cassis flavors along with truffle, crushed rocks, and acacia flowers, are utterly profound. This is one of the great Hermitages and it should last for 50-100 years. Just amazing.

$549.99/bottle