My wife and I had dinner tonight at a cozy (and by cozy, I mean really small and extremely loud) Italian BYOB restaurant in town. In preparation for this meal, my wife picked out a bottle of wine to blind taste test me on. This is something we generally do at home but we are starting to do it when we eat out as well, as a way to further hone my wine skills. It might sound like a very un-cool thing to do but it really works. Then, after you identify the wine, right or wrong, you can put together in your mind what characteristics really stood out.
Anyway, tonight's wine was one that I picked up rather quickly, almost immediately. I don't drink a lot of chianti but this is certainly an excellent one. It was extremely well balanced all of the way through the palate, it had complexity with dark fruits throughout and it had a long, smooth finish. That said, the wine is probably a little young and had strong tannins which should give the Felsina at least ten years of aging. But, the important thing was the tannins still did not overwhelm the wine. It just made my cheeks a little drier than usual.
Now, getting back to my being able to pick up the wine rather quickly- I don't think this demonstrates my wine knack but I do think it gets into how varietally accurate a wine is. In this case, this chianti riserva was a beautiful, accurate representation of the sangiovese grape. I find that really good, non-blended, varietally accurate wines are easier to blind-taste. I think there is such a thing as a varietally inaccurate wine that can still be tasty. For example, last week I had an Australian cabernet sauvignon that had strong bell, almost hot, peppers on the nose that would have led me to guess cabernet franc but the wine was still good. It just seemed a closer representation of another grape. There is a subtle difference there.
This wine is not cheap- $45/bottle- but it is excellent. I would give it a 93. If you buy it, hold it another 5 years and mellow out the tannins a little to make it an even better drinking experience.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Viognier
Viognier sounds like a wine, doesn't it? It has all of the arrogance that non-wine drinkers are used to, at least in name alone. What is it? It's an extremely aromatic and expressive white wine varietal. In France it is grown in the Rhone valley and goes by the name of condrieu (possibly more wine-like and arrogant than viognier even is!).
Let's just say that I love this grape. I love how different it is. I love how complex it CAN be. I love how well it goes with certain foods, especially spicy ones.
What I don't love is that condrieu generally starts at $100/bottle for a good one.
Tonight, I tried Revolution, a viognier, from McLaren Vale (Australia). The best part about the wine was it cost all of $15. I reckon that statement is incorrect- the best part of the wine was how much it has to offer and, yet, only costs 15 bucks. It has a very delicate nose but it has amazing depth all the way through the palate. Apricots and dried peaches lingered for at least 45 seconds. The finish was extraordinary. But that's not to say that the wine was sweet, because the acidity really held its own throughout, and by doing so held the wine together. And it would hold your meal together as well. There were only 100 cases (100???????) of this wine made and it is due to "expire" within the year so I recommend you "GETS" (reference to a Japanese game show) if you can find and drink immediately!
Let's just say that I love this grape. I love how different it is. I love how complex it CAN be. I love how well it goes with certain foods, especially spicy ones.
What I don't love is that condrieu generally starts at $100/bottle for a good one.
Tonight, I tried Revolution, a viognier, from McLaren Vale (Australia). The best part about the wine was it cost all of $15. I reckon that statement is incorrect- the best part of the wine was how much it has to offer and, yet, only costs 15 bucks. It has a very delicate nose but it has amazing depth all the way through the palate. Apricots and dried peaches lingered for at least 45 seconds. The finish was extraordinary. But that's not to say that the wine was sweet, because the acidity really held its own throughout, and by doing so held the wine together. And it would hold your meal together as well. There were only 100 cases (100???????) of this wine made and it is due to "expire" within the year so I recommend you "GETS" (reference to a Japanese game show) if you can find and drink immediately!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
2007 Frei Brothers Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc
Suffice it to say that I really appreciate sauvignon blanc. Matt Kramer, writer for Wine Spectator, recently surmised that sauvignon blanc is the most "honest" grape. By that, he meant that it is what it is and is generally not manipulated to induce flavors that are not akin to its very nature. I tend to agree with him. My proof- while it is not the wine I drink the most, I would guess that I would guess correctly when drinking it during a blind tasting more than any other varietal on the planet (and most average, non-expert drinkers would probably as well). I can drink a cold weather or warm weather and I get the crisp, grassy aromas and flavors that I am used to. The degree of which may vary but they are there in all bottles. Further, the fruits may vary but the genetics stay the same and the grassy, herbal characteristics shine right through.
Now, I'm not going to argue something crazy like all sauvignon blancs are tasty treats because they're not. But they are true to themselves and you know what you're getting. As one point of comparison, take the chardonnay grape. It can vary dramatically from the over-oaked Californian or Chilean chardonnay to the ripe versions of Australia to the crisp chablis. The average wine drinker would have a hard time deciphering that each is the same grape. While sauvignon blanc can come oaked or un-oaked as well, the grape's backbone is able to make itself known.
This version in Sonoma, California is a little less vibrant than most of the New Zealand sauvis that I am used to but it really works well. It's grassy, with a hint of grapefruit or melon. It is definitely balanced but I think the complexity is slightly lacking. I don't get much beyond the grass and grapefruit, whereas with NZ versions, you can get multiple layers of fruit and grass and herbs. Maybe it's my overall preference for more in-your-face sauvis, but I'd give this an 88 and again side with Wine Spectator over Robert Parker (90), although ironically for a Robert Parkeresque reason!
Now, I'm not going to argue something crazy like all sauvignon blancs are tasty treats because they're not. But they are true to themselves and you know what you're getting. As one point of comparison, take the chardonnay grape. It can vary dramatically from the over-oaked Californian or Chilean chardonnay to the ripe versions of Australia to the crisp chablis. The average wine drinker would have a hard time deciphering that each is the same grape. While sauvignon blanc can come oaked or un-oaked as well, the grape's backbone is able to make itself known.
This version in Sonoma, California is a little less vibrant than most of the New Zealand sauvis that I am used to but it really works well. It's grassy, with a hint of grapefruit or melon. It is definitely balanced but I think the complexity is slightly lacking. I don't get much beyond the grass and grapefruit, whereas with NZ versions, you can get multiple layers of fruit and grass and herbs. Maybe it's my overall preference for more in-your-face sauvis, but I'd give this an 88 and again side with Wine Spectator over Robert Parker (90), although ironically for a Robert Parkeresque reason!
2006 Norton Reserve Malbec
Since I was serving up a delicious NY strip steak with a cognac and port-mustard sauce, I immediately thought to serve it with a Malbec. It is well known that malbec and steak mesh (as do cabernet and steak); kinda like champagne and caviar or blue cheese and port. The rule held to form and the meal was a success. The wine's plum, stern flavors held their own against both the steak and the sauce.
Why do I continue to talk about the meals I make when I review wines? Wine and food go together and not because one is a food and one a beverage. The two undoubtedly CAN add to each other and make each other better. I like wine and I like steak but a chardonnay would not go well with a steak because the steak would over-power it. It takes a particular varietal to work with a particular food cooked a particular way (let us not forget that a type of food; ie chicken can work well with almost any type of wine, depending on how the dish is prepared!) In this case, the malbec was able to cut through the steak and added to the flavor profiles of both.
Now, here comes the interesting thing. My second glass of this wine was after I finished the steak and I found the wine, frankly, bordering on the undrinkable. The plum flavor was over the top and the wine was neither complex nor balanced.
Beyond that point, it brings me to another question- when reviewers rate wines, they do so without food. Should there be a review for wines alongside food as well? I would argue, emphatically, yes. YES. Beyond the fact that certain wines taste better with food and others on their own (think overpowering New World wines that tend to overpower any food put in front of them), I would argue that certain varietals are more food friendly than others. If a wine is meant to be drunk with a certain type of food, shouldn't the wine be rated while that scenario is put forth?!!! Don't people want to know whether a wine is being reviewed as a stand-alone cocktail or a dinner accompaniment? While there are definitely cases where a wine tastes beautifully or awfull in both instances, many wines only taste well under one of these instances. Hence, there is also the strong possibility/probability that the reviewers are misguiding the very people that they seek to inform?
I say let us open our hearts to the grapes and see the positives! Don't give up on a wine just because it doesn't make for a good cocktail! More on this to come...
Why do I continue to talk about the meals I make when I review wines? Wine and food go together and not because one is a food and one a beverage. The two undoubtedly CAN add to each other and make each other better. I like wine and I like steak but a chardonnay would not go well with a steak because the steak would over-power it. It takes a particular varietal to work with a particular food cooked a particular way (let us not forget that a type of food; ie chicken can work well with almost any type of wine, depending on how the dish is prepared!) In this case, the malbec was able to cut through the steak and added to the flavor profiles of both.
Now, here comes the interesting thing. My second glass of this wine was after I finished the steak and I found the wine, frankly, bordering on the undrinkable. The plum flavor was over the top and the wine was neither complex nor balanced.
Beyond that point, it brings me to another question- when reviewers rate wines, they do so without food. Should there be a review for wines alongside food as well? I would argue, emphatically, yes. YES. Beyond the fact that certain wines taste better with food and others on their own (think overpowering New World wines that tend to overpower any food put in front of them), I would argue that certain varietals are more food friendly than others. If a wine is meant to be drunk with a certain type of food, shouldn't the wine be rated while that scenario is put forth?!!! Don't people want to know whether a wine is being reviewed as a stand-alone cocktail or a dinner accompaniment? While there are definitely cases where a wine tastes beautifully or awfull in both instances, many wines only taste well under one of these instances. Hence, there is also the strong possibility/probability that the reviewers are misguiding the very people that they seek to inform?
I say let us open our hearts to the grapes and see the positives! Don't give up on a wine just because it doesn't make for a good cocktail! More on this to come...
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Ceretto Bricco Rocche Brunate Barolo 2003
Home Alone (Me, not the movie). Whole Wheat Pasta. Homemade spicy tomato sauce. Hot Turkey Snausage. With home grown basil. Garlic bread with fresh garlic cloves.
I only had one thought in mind when I was cooking this meal and I had my trusty Riedel decanter ready for the task: Barolo. Barolo, generally considered the highest permutation of the nebbiolo grape grown in the Piedmont region of Italy, is a big wine. To be clear, this is a wine I've only had a few times before primarily because of the sticker shock. It is usually hard to find one under $80 that garners any favorable attention. I was lucky enough to find this bottle on sale for 40 bones each so I dug in and bought two.
Now this wine might be a little young as it tasted a little green still but it was fantastic. From the color (a lighter red with a distinct orange hue) to the aromas (tobacco and cedar) to the taste (more tobacco, dark fruits), this was a great bottle of wine. Maybe most important of all, it was a wine that made me feel like I was in Italy and, for someone who's never been, I don't even know what that means but it says a lot about this wine.
I only had one thought in mind when I was cooking this meal and I had my trusty Riedel decanter ready for the task: Barolo. Barolo, generally considered the highest permutation of the nebbiolo grape grown in the Piedmont region of Italy, is a big wine. To be clear, this is a wine I've only had a few times before primarily because of the sticker shock. It is usually hard to find one under $80 that garners any favorable attention. I was lucky enough to find this bottle on sale for 40 bones each so I dug in and bought two.
Now this wine might be a little young as it tasted a little green still but it was fantastic. From the color (a lighter red with a distinct orange hue) to the aromas (tobacco and cedar) to the taste (more tobacco, dark fruits), this was a great bottle of wine. Maybe most important of all, it was a wine that made me feel like I was in Italy and, for someone who's never been, I don't even know what that means but it says a lot about this wine.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
2007 Zind Humbrecht Calcaire Pinot Gris
Pinot gris is a grape varietal that gets a bad rap due to the volume of bottles that are sold under the pinot grigio label; bottles that are a watered down version of the original. Let me point out that you can find nice pinot grigio from Italy but it is a chore. Pinot gris (different name, same grape) usually originates in Alsace, France, Germany or, lately, Willamette Valley, Oregon. This bottling came from Alsace which is on the North-East corner of France, on the border of France and Germany (and in many ways the region is very German in nature both in terms of grape production and food, culture, city lay-outs). Think brautwurst and not beef bourgogne.
Getting back to the wine, pinot gris is a full bodied white wine that has a very similar mouth-feel to a German or Alsatian riesling. Personally, I love the full bodied texture of the wine and thinks it actually makes it FEEL right when paired with food.The main difference is that pinot gris is less sweet and acidic than riesling.
Pinot gris is generally considered a very good accompaniment to seafood and we tested that theory tonight with a homemade szichuan shrimp and mung bean noodle entree. It held its own against the meal even though the meal was a 9 on the spicy scale. Usually, I would pair a riesling, or a gruner veltliner with a spicy dish but my wife picked this one out and I thought it worked excellently.
This wine had a golden hue bordering on basketball-orange. If I didn't know any better, I would have that the wine had past its prime and was undrinkable. Even if I didn't know any better, by tasting this wine I would know that it was in its prime (maybe even before its prime) and very drinkable. In fact, experts say this wine can last another 15 years (don't try that with an Oregon version though because their wines lack some of the complexity of one from Alsace). I give this wine a 92. I found it for $30 in my local wine shop but I think the usual retail is $45 so it's not necessarily a value wine but a great one nevertheless.
Getting back to the wine, pinot gris is a full bodied white wine that has a very similar mouth-feel to a German or Alsatian riesling. Personally, I love the full bodied texture of the wine and thinks it actually makes it FEEL right when paired with food.The main difference is that pinot gris is less sweet and acidic than riesling.
Pinot gris is generally considered a very good accompaniment to seafood and we tested that theory tonight with a homemade szichuan shrimp and mung bean noodle entree. It held its own against the meal even though the meal was a 9 on the spicy scale. Usually, I would pair a riesling, or a gruner veltliner with a spicy dish but my wife picked this one out and I thought it worked excellently.
This wine had a golden hue bordering on basketball-orange. If I didn't know any better, I would have that the wine had past its prime and was undrinkable. Even if I didn't know any better, by tasting this wine I would know that it was in its prime (maybe even before its prime) and very drinkable. In fact, experts say this wine can last another 15 years (don't try that with an Oregon version though because their wines lack some of the complexity of one from Alsace). I give this wine a 92. I found it for $30 in my local wine shop but I think the usual retail is $45 so it's not necessarily a value wine but a great one nevertheless.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Emotions in wine reviews
Do you ever wonder how professional wine reviewers can put emotion aside to impartially review wines? I certainly do. I wonder whether, when Robert Parker has a really good day, he isn't more likely to give a 1997 Brunello a 98 rating. And a 96 on a horrendous day. Isn't that human nature really?
Further, are there some days where our senses are different, or more refined than others? I certainly think so.
If I sound like Andy Rooney, I don't mean to.
It's amazing to think how much wine economics can be based on what side of the bed somebody wakes up on.
Further, are there some days where our senses are different, or more refined than others? I certainly think so.
If I sound like Andy Rooney, I don't mean to.
It's amazing to think how much wine economics can be based on what side of the bed somebody wakes up on.
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