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Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Thursday, October 27, 2011
The Grapes from A-Z
Cabernet Sauvignon
As a bona fide wine-guy you might be surprised to find the King of Grapes is not so high on my list of favorites. That being said the finest pure Cabs are silky, rich offerings from California. But wait my secret list has works from Washington State to Mendoza, Argentina. My two favorite wine makers for this grape are Ehren Jordan from Neyer’s Vineyards and Philippe Melka from all over the place, notably Lail, Parallel, West Face, and Metisse. Both makers are proponents of subtle oak and expressive use of the terroir so associated with their respective locales.
Yes, I love Shafer Hillside and the Special Selection from Caymus, but I am an indigent Wine Steward, so I will gladly drink The Show from Joel Gott, Bieler and Scomes ‘cause it’s 10 bucks a bottle and is an easy drinking, correct wine.
Okay, mes amies, I couldn’t leave without mentioning the likes of Chateau Latour, an immense and classic cab based wine… Perhaps all cabs have their roots in Bordeaux, and I cut my teeth on Chateau Gazin and other under the radar classics, so know that my demographic reaches the New World palates who expect fruit-packed wines with some degree of balance. You of the “Classic Palate’ will find these wines overbearing and immature, so stick with mature Bordeaux and some attuned American Vintners.
recommended Wines:
Cab 2003 Eagles Trace Napa Estate Very nice
Cab 2005 Faust Nice black fruits and licorice
Cab 2004 Falesco Umbria Marciliano Buy and hide this for a few
Cab 2004 Flora Springs Napa Holy Smoke Aptly named beast
Cab 2005 Lis Neris Friuli Exceptional itie cab
Cab 2002 Napa Redwoods Estate Mount Veeder Alden Perry Reserve Damn Good Flavors
Cab 2004 Neyers Vineyards Napa Neyers Ranch Ehren Jordan Super black fruits
Cab 2005 Parallel P Melka Thick and syrupy with perfect acidity
Cab 2002 Pine Ridge Stags Leap Gorgeous, drink this
Cab 2003 Rombauer Napa Damn, where have I been
Cab 2004 Sequum 4 soil melange Buy this 89pts
Cab 2004 Shafer Vineyards Napa 1.5 Great cab, spice & complexity
Cab 2006 Sineann Columbia Valley Cold Creek Very good, nice spice
Cab 2005 Sineann Columbia Valley Lazare Vineyard Wow
Cab 2003 Spring Mountain Napa Estate Thick an rich
Cab 2005 Vineyard 29 Cru Silky, elegant and stylish
Cab 2004 Waters Washington Paulliac-like, sweetly restrained
Cab 2005 Waters Washington Gorgeous aromatics, peppery extraction
Cab 2003 Whitehall Lane Napa Reserve Big black and spicy
As a bona fide wine-guy you might be surprised to find the King of Grapes is not so high on my list of favorites. That being said the finest pure Cabs are silky, rich offerings from California. But wait my secret list has works from Washington State to Mendoza, Argentina. My two favorite wine makers for this grape are Ehren Jordan from Neyer’s Vineyards and Philippe Melka from all over the place, notably Lail, Parallel, West Face, and Metisse. Both makers are proponents of subtle oak and expressive use of the terroir so associated with their respective locales.
Yes, I love Shafer Hillside and the Special Selection from Caymus, but I am an indigent Wine Steward, so I will gladly drink The Show from Joel Gott, Bieler and Scomes ‘cause it’s 10 bucks a bottle and is an easy drinking, correct wine.
Okay, mes amies, I couldn’t leave without mentioning the likes of Chateau Latour, an immense and classic cab based wine… Perhaps all cabs have their roots in Bordeaux, and I cut my teeth on Chateau Gazin and other under the radar classics, so know that my demographic reaches the New World palates who expect fruit-packed wines with some degree of balance. You of the “Classic Palate’ will find these wines overbearing and immature, so stick with mature Bordeaux and some attuned American Vintners.
recommended Wines:
Cab 2003 Eagles Trace Napa Estate Very nice
Cab 2005 Faust Nice black fruits and licorice
Cab 2004 Falesco Umbria Marciliano Buy and hide this for a few
Cab 2004 Flora Springs Napa Holy Smoke Aptly named beast
Cab 2005 Lis Neris Friuli Exceptional itie cab
Cab 2002 Napa Redwoods Estate Mount Veeder Alden Perry Reserve Damn Good Flavors
Cab 2004 Neyers Vineyards Napa Neyers Ranch Ehren Jordan Super black fruits
Cab 2005 Parallel P Melka Thick and syrupy with perfect acidity
Cab 2002 Pine Ridge Stags Leap Gorgeous, drink this
Cab 2003 Rombauer Napa Damn, where have I been
Cab 2004 Sequum 4 soil melange Buy this 89pts
Cab 2004 Shafer Vineyards Napa 1.5 Great cab, spice & complexity
Cab 2006 Sineann Columbia Valley Cold Creek Very good, nice spice
Cab 2005 Sineann Columbia Valley Lazare Vineyard Wow
Cab 2003 Spring Mountain Napa Estate Thick an rich
Cab 2005 Vineyard 29 Cru Silky, elegant and stylish
Cab 2004 Waters Washington Paulliac-like, sweetly restrained
Cab 2005 Waters Washington Gorgeous aromatics, peppery extraction
Cab 2003 Whitehall Lane Napa Reserve Big black and spicy
Friday, October 14, 2011
The Wines from A-Z
Côtes-du-Rhône
The hearty, robust and honest flavors of a good Côtes du Rhône are one of life’s simple, yet profound experiences. Matched with a fresh baguette, or a loaf of semolina bread, one partakes of a simple meal that reaches back in time, thousands of years, and brings us eye to eye with the worshipers of Dionysius, Bacchus, and gods long forgotten. This unpretentious example from the Southern Rhône is a blend of ancient varieties. Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault are the most frequent elements. The 14 other allowed varietals are fillers that are not usually found in the finest CDR. Ideally, this wine retails for between 5-10 dollars, (20th century dollars). It is supposed to be an EVERYDAY kind of wine that goes well with burgers, chili, and the foods of autumn and winter. It’s a spicy and peppery brew with leather and earth aspects that add length and interest to the fruit components. Of course, there are $20+ examples of a CDR, Fonsalette and the Coudelet de Beaucastel to name two, but this is getting ahead of ourselves.
Recommended wines:
CDR NV? Cuvée Centenaire Cacher Bakobsa This is real fine stuff 88
Côtes-de-Rhone '97 Caves des Papes Rich flavors, complete wine 89*
Côtes-de-Rhone '99 Domaine Andezon Fresh, juicy, young flavors 88
CDR ‘05 Les Becs Fin Tardieu Laurent Exceptional wine 90
The hearty, robust and honest flavors of a good Côtes du Rhône are one of life’s simple, yet profound experiences. Matched with a fresh baguette, or a loaf of semolina bread, one partakes of a simple meal that reaches back in time, thousands of years, and brings us eye to eye with the worshipers of Dionysius, Bacchus, and gods long forgotten. This unpretentious example from the Southern Rhône is a blend of ancient varieties. Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault are the most frequent elements. The 14 other allowed varietals are fillers that are not usually found in the finest CDR. Ideally, this wine retails for between 5-10 dollars, (20th century dollars). It is supposed to be an EVERYDAY kind of wine that goes well with burgers, chili, and the foods of autumn and winter. It’s a spicy and peppery brew with leather and earth aspects that add length and interest to the fruit components. Of course, there are $20+ examples of a CDR, Fonsalette and the Coudelet de Beaucastel to name two, but this is getting ahead of ourselves.
Recommended wines:
CDR NV? Cuvée Centenaire Cacher Bakobsa This is real fine stuff 88
Côtes-de-Rhone '97 Caves des Papes Rich flavors, complete wine 89*
Côtes-de-Rhone '99 Domaine Andezon Fresh, juicy, young flavors 88
CDR ‘05 Les Becs Fin Tardieu Laurent Exceptional wine 90
The Grapes from A-Z
Chardonnay
There is a town in France named Chardonnay…perhaps this was an indigenous grape to the area, and town and grape grew together. Perhaps not, but it is a quaint and picturesque story, non? As of this writing, late 2008, there is not the clamor or excitement surrounding this noble grape that there once was. It’s a shame really, as the fickle focus their search for the next big thing. The quality of this golden nectar is better than ever. Rich or lean, full and leasy, or restrained and clean the Chardonnay of today are glorious expressions of the different continents, regions, and vineyards. An easy grape to grow under a myriad of conditions, it is a bit of a chameleon as far as the taste profile goes. Long cool fermentations reveal notes that the small barrel oak infused wines might hide. Chardonnay does the heavy lifting in Champagne and can make a late harvest wine as sweet as any Riesling…well, that may be overstating the case but it is a most versatile and most Noble grape. Here’s a list of my favorites, today;
Chard 2005 Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara Jim Clendenen nice extraction, oak
Chard Casa Lapostolle Rapel Valley Citrus fruits headline the full flavors in this great value
Chard Catena Alta Mendoza unique expression
Chard 2005 Cloudy Bay Marlborough Very good wine
Chard 2005 Paul Cluver Wines Elgin Excellent, lime and minerals
Chard 2006 Coppo Italy Costebianche Racy, tart and fine
Chard 2003 Coppo Italy Monteriolo Goddamn! Nice dry and deep…
Chard 2005 Cousino-Macul Maipo Valley Antiguas Reservas Very nice reserve, wood tones
Chard 2001 Cynthus Russian River Gorgeous fruit framed by tasteful oak with beautiful secondary flavors
Chard 2005 Flowers Sonoma Coast Very nice
Chard 2004 Londer Kent Richie Wow, deep aromatics
Chard 2005 Luca Catena Mendoza Very good
Chard 2006 Lis Neris Friuli Jurosa unique, elegant
Chard 2005 Lynmar Russian River Hugh Chappelle Quite good, new fave?
Chard 2005 Lynmar Quail Hill Estate Hugh Chappelle Very nice, fine, amazing
Chard 2004 Mon Lis Santa Lucia Highlands Sleepy Hollow vyd Leesy and rich
Chard 2004 Mueller Winery Russian River LB My fave
Chard 2006 Neyers Vineyards Carneros Ehren Jordan Big and complex
Chard 2006 Neyers Vineyards Napa Ehren Jordan Exceptional wine
Chard 2005 Seresin NZ Estate Spicy, leesy chard
Chard 2005 Taft Street Winery Russian River Good expression
Chard 2005 Taft Street Winery Sonoma Star winner
Chard 2005 Talley Vineyards Arroyo Grande Estate Leslie Mead Good leesy chard
Chard 2004 Wolffer Estate Vineyard The Hamptons, L.I. Very complex, Wow!
Chard 2004 Wolffer Estate Vineyard The Hamptons, L.I. Estate Selection Wow, how nice is this?
Chard/Viognier 2007 Nieto Senetiner Mendoza Don Nicanor Nice $12 pour
Chassagne-Montrachet 2004 Maltroye Bourgogne Clos St. Jean Starred chard
Corton-Charlemagne 2005 Vincent Girardin Bourgogne Excellent
There is a town in France named Chardonnay…perhaps this was an indigenous grape to the area, and town and grape grew together. Perhaps not, but it is a quaint and picturesque story, non? As of this writing, late 2008, there is not the clamor or excitement surrounding this noble grape that there once was. It’s a shame really, as the fickle focus their search for the next big thing. The quality of this golden nectar is better than ever. Rich or lean, full and leasy, or restrained and clean the Chardonnay of today are glorious expressions of the different continents, regions, and vineyards. An easy grape to grow under a myriad of conditions, it is a bit of a chameleon as far as the taste profile goes. Long cool fermentations reveal notes that the small barrel oak infused wines might hide. Chardonnay does the heavy lifting in Champagne and can make a late harvest wine as sweet as any Riesling…well, that may be overstating the case but it is a most versatile and most Noble grape. Here’s a list of my favorites, today;
Chard 2005 Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara Jim Clendenen nice extraction, oak
Chard Casa Lapostolle Rapel Valley Citrus fruits headline the full flavors in this great value
Chard Catena Alta Mendoza unique expression
Chard 2005 Cloudy Bay Marlborough Very good wine
Chard 2005 Paul Cluver Wines Elgin Excellent, lime and minerals
Chard 2006 Coppo Italy Costebianche Racy, tart and fine
Chard 2003 Coppo Italy Monteriolo Goddamn! Nice dry and deep…
Chard 2005 Cousino-Macul Maipo Valley Antiguas Reservas Very nice reserve, wood tones
Chard 2001 Cynthus Russian River Gorgeous fruit framed by tasteful oak with beautiful secondary flavors
Chard 2005 Flowers Sonoma Coast Very nice
Chard 2004 Londer Kent Richie Wow, deep aromatics
Chard 2005 Luca Catena Mendoza Very good
Chard 2006 Lis Neris Friuli Jurosa unique, elegant
Chard 2005 Lynmar Russian River Hugh Chappelle Quite good, new fave?
Chard 2005 Lynmar Quail Hill Estate Hugh Chappelle Very nice, fine, amazing
Chard 2004 Mon Lis Santa Lucia Highlands Sleepy Hollow vyd Leesy and rich
Chard 2004 Mueller Winery Russian River LB My fave
Chard 2006 Neyers Vineyards Carneros Ehren Jordan Big and complex
Chard 2006 Neyers Vineyards Napa Ehren Jordan Exceptional wine
Chard 2005 Seresin NZ Estate Spicy, leesy chard
Chard 2005 Taft Street Winery Russian River Good expression
Chard 2005 Taft Street Winery Sonoma Star winner
Chard 2005 Talley Vineyards Arroyo Grande Estate Leslie Mead Good leesy chard
Chard 2004 Wolffer Estate Vineyard The Hamptons, L.I. Very complex, Wow!
Chard 2004 Wolffer Estate Vineyard The Hamptons, L.I. Estate Selection Wow, how nice is this?
Chard/Viognier 2007 Nieto Senetiner Mendoza Don Nicanor Nice $12 pour
Chassagne-Montrachet 2004 Maltroye Bourgogne Clos St. Jean Starred chard
Corton-Charlemagne 2005 Vincent Girardin Bourgogne Excellent
The Grapes from A-Z
Carménère
Once a major blending grape in Bordeaux it was believed to be wiped out in the phylloxera outbreak of 1850’s. Good news; the grape survived years in South America misidentified as Merlot. The French had the foresight to send many vines to the newest world and have imbued the continent with a wonderful array of original rootstock. And y’all thought Malbec was the luckiest grape out there…
So Carménère is inky and powerful like a good Merlot and has a silkiness and voluptuous aspect that allows me to fully embrace this grape even without a profound bottle to recommend. Keep tasting and perhaps we will find just for what we search. I do have a couple worth drinking however, try them and let me know what you think. Cheers! CS.
Carménère 2005 DeMartino Legado Chile 10.00 30 33% ALLIED
Carménère 2006 Santa Carolina Rapel Valley Reserva 7 25 28% FEDWAY
Once a major blending grape in Bordeaux it was believed to be wiped out in the phylloxera outbreak of 1850’s. Good news; the grape survived years in South America misidentified as Merlot. The French had the foresight to send many vines to the newest world and have imbued the continent with a wonderful array of original rootstock. And y’all thought Malbec was the luckiest grape out there…
So Carménère is inky and powerful like a good Merlot and has a silkiness and voluptuous aspect that allows me to fully embrace this grape even without a profound bottle to recommend. Keep tasting and perhaps we will find just for what we search. I do have a couple worth drinking however, try them and let me know what you think. Cheers! CS.
Carménère 2005 DeMartino Legado Chile 10.00 30 33% ALLIED
Carménère 2006 Santa Carolina Rapel Valley Reserva 7 25 28% FEDWAY
Friday, September 9, 2011
The Grapes from A-Z
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is a bit lighter and rounder than Cabernet Sauvignon and has a different note of wood to it that I find easy to identify and is best expressed in the wines of the Loire. Chinon comes to mind, the Clos D’Isoré most specifically is my favorite vineyard, Olga Raffault the maker of choice. Yes, I agree it came from the Bordeaux region, but it loves the cool moist climate of the Loire valley, and the bordelaise blend it into anonymity, the exception proving the rule.
The fifth element indeed… As one of the cinq cépages*, it reaches its apogee in Cheval Blanc, itself one of the greatest of Bordeaux. Bourriquot, French slang for a donkey, a vin d’ homage from Havens of California is a must buy whenever it is found. Not nearly as polished or elegant as the name so aptly implies, the makers had the courage and foresight to attempt such a blend, and the sense of humor to reflect the outcome en Française.
I have found a most pleasant wine from Long Island, N.Y. Wolfer Estate has made a long-term commitment to Cabernet Franc and have done a noteworthy job of it. Pair the wine with a Long Island duck and a sampling of great produce available on the island for a great statement on local/green dining. I have done the very thing; perhaps I will share the menu with you one day.
Recommendations;
Cab/Cab Franc/Merlot 2003 Havens+ California Black and Blue Buy this 89pts
Cab Franc/Merlot 2002 Havens+ California Bourriquot Blue and black fruits
Gristina Vineyards on Long Island and most wineries beginning with ‘P’ for great Cab Franc…
*i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.
+ Sadly, Havens is no more…great guys making great wines is not enough I guess.
Cabernet Franc is a bit lighter and rounder than Cabernet Sauvignon and has a different note of wood to it that I find easy to identify and is best expressed in the wines of the Loire. Chinon comes to mind, the Clos D’Isoré most specifically is my favorite vineyard, Olga Raffault the maker of choice. Yes, I agree it came from the Bordeaux region, but it loves the cool moist climate of the Loire valley, and the bordelaise blend it into anonymity, the exception proving the rule.
The fifth element indeed… As one of the cinq cépages*, it reaches its apogee in Cheval Blanc, itself one of the greatest of Bordeaux. Bourriquot, French slang for a donkey, a vin d’ homage from Havens of California is a must buy whenever it is found. Not nearly as polished or elegant as the name so aptly implies, the makers had the courage and foresight to attempt such a blend, and the sense of humor to reflect the outcome en Française.
I have found a most pleasant wine from Long Island, N.Y. Wolfer Estate has made a long-term commitment to Cabernet Franc and have done a noteworthy job of it. Pair the wine with a Long Island duck and a sampling of great produce available on the island for a great statement on local/green dining. I have done the very thing; perhaps I will share the menu with you one day.
Recommendations;
Cab/Cab Franc/Merlot 2003 Havens+ California Black and Blue Buy this 89pts
Cab Franc/Merlot 2002 Havens+ California Bourriquot Blue and black fruits
Gristina Vineyards on Long Island and most wineries beginning with ‘P’ for great Cab Franc…
*i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.
+ Sadly, Havens is no more…great guys making great wines is not enough I guess.
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