2009 Bordeaux
As much as I tell myself to slow down on wine buying, I can't resist certain wines. I went to Costco last week and bought several wines. There are only 2 Costcos in NJ that sell wine and the are not the closest Costcos to me. Thus my trips are infrequent.
I bought a 2008 Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $37. The WA 95 rating intrigued me. I also purchased the 2011 Crios Torrontes $9.50, a favorite wine at a good price and 2 bottles of Chateau La Verriere 2009 Bordeaux $9.50.
Robert Parker came out recently with his bottle review of the 2009 vintage in Bordeaux. He rates the vintage as the best ever and has given very high ratings to many wines. Is this reality or hype? In a video Parker strongly defended his reviews.
I have tasted several 09 Bordeaux wines and I have a feeling that Parker is correct. The La Verriere from Costco was very good and I don't believe that this wine has shown up on anyone's radar screen. Try some 09 Bordeaux. Prices for the tops wines are crazy high but I have started to see a number of recommended wines for under $25. The wines are for everyday drinking as well as for special occasions. They are good to drink now or can be cellared. They have a nice balance between fruit and tannin.
As a reminder, wines from Bordeaux are blends of grapes. Some have more Merlot and some have more Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc is also used to blend and some wines are all Cabernet Franc. The wine blends tend to follow Bordeaux regions. St Emillion wines are usually Merlot based. Cabernet Sauvignon based wines come from other areas.
Washington DC
I had the opportunity to be in Washington DC last week. Had lunch at a meatball place. Clever operation. Pick a meatball and pick how you want to eat it. I had Italian meatballs on a roll with sauce. Classic and it hit the spot.
7th street near the Verizon Center is the new in spot. Lots of restaurants and other interesting shops. Also had the opportunity to eat at Zaytinya. Zaytinya.com The is a Middle Eastern restaurant serving small plates. It is trendy, reasonably priced and the food is good. We had stuffed eggplant, fried mussels, spinach pie, veal breast souvlaki and lamb kabobs. Everything was good but the fried mussels were excellent if you like that type of food. Crisp outside and moist and flavorable inside.
I also went to Zola Wine and Kitchen zoladc.com They had a wine tasting in the wine shop part of the store. I tasted several Duval Leroy champagnes. There was their regular cuvee, the 2004 vintage champagne and a demi-sec. All were very good but the vintage champagne stood out. It sells for about $60. I did not eat there but they have some interesting and reasonable food for lunch. Zola is a more formal restaurant a block away.
I also had the opportunity to go to Hanks Oyster Bar hanksoysterbar.com. This is another trendy restaurant with a little funk to it. Food is very reasonable and you can eat outside or inside. We were seated inside. The food came quickly and we had a lobster roll and fried oysters. Also had some onion rings and some local beer. As for dessert, well? I asked the waiter what they had for dessert and he said chocolate. I asked chocolate what and he said chocolate. He then explained that they do not have dessert. I said what is the point of eating without dessert. As he brought the check he gave us a small dish of chocolate chunks. Not sure if he was being nice or if this is given to everyone.
Wines
Chablis Domaine De Maligny 06 $15 An older white wine. It was very good. Try an older white wine and let me know.
Fireblock Dry Riesling $12 My wife loves this wine. I enjoyed it.
Jade Mountain Syrah 2003 Paras Vineyard Love this wine.
La Carraia Sangiovese 2009 $11. A well priced good chianti- like wine. Enjoyed.
Mirafiore Barolo $27 07 A good Barolo. Needs time but enjoyed immensely.
Anum Cara Estate Reserve Pinot Noir 2006 $30 Really loved this wine. Lots of fruit but well balanced.
Michele Chiarlo Barber D Asti Superiore Le Orme $10 Enjoyed. Wine highly recommended by Wine Spectator as a top Piemonte value. I agree. Not a fruit bomb; good wine.
Edna Valley Vindeyard 2006 Syrah Paragon $6 Love this wine. Try a syrah. I got a bargain on this wine.
Alba Estate Chambourcin 2008 $16 New Jersey We enjoyed this wine. Somewhat tart but it has clean flavor and went nicely with chicken. Alcohol content was around 12%. Way to go New Jersey.
Virginia viognier. My friend brought over 2 Virginia wines. The viognier was light fruity and nice to drink. The Cabernet Franc was forgettable. Not sure of the vineyards.
Luigi Pira Margheria 2006 Barolo $32. Big wine and very tannin. I really love Barolos. This wine can evolve for years.
Ferrari Carano Prevail West Face; California 2005 half bottle $9 I got a very good price on this.The wine has not aged well. Grapey with lots of sediment. I have a few more bottles. We will see.
Recipe of the week
2 thin pork chops bone in center cut.
1/2 cup bread crumbs mixed with 1 tblspn olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon organo
Press chops into the breadcrumb mixture
Saute chops in some olive oil turn several times in a non stick frying pan until done about 8-10 minutes
Serve with warm potato salad
Microwave some Yukon Gold potatos until done; slice
Add potatoes to non stick pan, add olive oil and sushi vinegar (vinegar with sugar in it)
Add some sliced scallions.
If you need more details let me know. Be creative.
Enjoy.
