Best of 2018

Best of 2018

Restaurants

Suerte in Austin ( go for the chef's menu)
BORDEAUX'S EPICURIALES -A food festival in Bordeaux
Sunday night 1/2 price Champagne at Monkeypod's in Maui
Paia Fish Market , multiple locations on Maui
Arturo's Pizza in Maplewood, NJ
Amada - Atlantic City
Spice Finch - Philadelphia
167 Raw- Charleston

Food

Duck from Vacciano farm, NJ
Fish from NJ waters especially tuna
Pintxos in San Sebastian
Trader Joe's citrus fruit
Crabs at the Jersey shore
Rainbow cookies from Ferraras
Maison Kayser bakeries in NYC and Paris
POG -Passion, Orange Guava juice drink found in Hawaii

Travel Destinations

City of Bordeaux in France.
San Sebastian, Spain
Wailea, Maui
Atlantic City, NJ - Ocean Resort
Wildwood Crest, NJ

Islands

Maui
Grand Cayman

Chocolate

DeBrands Ft Wayne, check out their caramel apples in October
Jacques Torres NYC
Teuschers, Zurich/ NYC
Maison du Chocolat,Paris

Culture

Delacroix exhibit at the Louvre and Metropolitan Museums
Orangerie- Paris
The Public Theater, NYC

Sporting Event

French Open Tennis

Wines

First my latest pet peeve.Wine ads that  list the highest score from any review that they can  find to entice us to buy a wine.I think that one needs to know a reviewers' tastes before blindly following their recommendation. This is true for almost anything like films, theater, restaurants etc.I have found that James Suckling is the current "name " wine reviewer with the highest scores. I disregard any review he gives. The only critics I follow somewhat these days are the Wine Spectator, Vinous and Jeb Dunnock. Jeb Dunnock previously worked for the WA but he wants to work on his own and wants people to know that he is personally reviewing all the wines he reviews. Letter Teague writes great articles in the WSJ and Eric Asimov in the NY Times also writes some very good articles.

The Wine Advocate has completely changed hands as Lisa Perrotti-Brown has taken over and many of their reviewers have left and joined Vinous. Nothing against WA reviews but I am just not familiar with their reviewers and I don't need more wine  reviews as reference points. I just dropped my WA subscription after a very long time because I no longer knew the critics.

Second peeve- How can you review a non vintage Champagne without the disgorgement date. This tells you when the bottling process of the wine was finished.Think about it - the WS reviews Moet Chandon Brut NV in 2015. do you think that the wine you drink in 2018 is the same bottling. A review of a NV Champagne without a way of identifying which bottling it comes from, is useless.

Reviewing the wines I have enjoyed this year, an eclectic bunch -Champagnes, Bordeaux, Tablas Creek, Willamette Valley wines, a very good cabernet franc from the Loire, a NJ Cabernet Sauvignon, Finger Lakes , NY wines. I found a 2008 Melville Chardonnay at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant in in Atlantic City for a reasonable price. Had a nice chat with Wolfgang during dinner. Municipal Winemakers in Santa Barbara, Assyrtikos from Santorini, Greece. I had some great Madeiras as well.

Here is a list of the best wines I have tasted in 2018.

White - Sparkling
2006 Saint-Chamant Champagne Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay
Red
2014 Tomasello Winery Palmaris Outer Coastal Plain  Red Bordeaux Blend

Red
2004 Pio Cesare Barolo Nebbiolo

Red
2011 Casa Ferreirinha Douro Quinta da Leda Red Blend

Red
2016 Patrick Lesec Gigondas Cuvée Romaine Les Espalines Red Rhone Blend

Red
2010 Christine Nadalie Clos La Bohème Haut-Médoc  Red Bordeaux Blend
 
White - Sparkling
NV L. Aubry Fils Champagne Premier Cru Brut Champagne Blend
 Disgorged 5/2018,
Red
2007 Bodega Numanthia Toro Termes Tinta de Toro, Tempranillo

Red
2006 Nervi Gattinara Nebbiolo

Red
2011 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Laurène Dundee Hills

White - Sparkling
NV Domaine de la Bergerie Crémant de Loire Les Pierres Girards Chenin Blanc

 Red
2015 Jean-Maurice Raffault Chinon Les Picasses Cabernet Franc

White
2016 Ravines Wine Cellars Dry Riesling Finger Lakes

Red
2009 Orlando Abrigo Barbaresco Vigna Montersino Nebbiolo

Red
2009 Château Vieille Tour La Rose St. Émilion Grand Cru  Red Bordeaux Blend

Red
2015 Joseph Drouhin Savigny-lès-Beaune Pinot Noir

White
2017 Santo Wines Assyrtiko Santorini

Red
2016 Domaine du Pavillon de Chavannes Côte de Brouilly Cuvée des Ambassades Gamay

Rosé
2017 Tablas Creek Dianthus Paso Robles  Mourvedre Blend, Mourvedre

Red
2015 Jean-Maurice Raffault Chinon Les Picasses Cabernet Franc

Red
2012 Bodegas Muga Rioja Selección Especial Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo

Red
2014 Château Carbonnieux Pessac-Léognan  Red Bordeaux Blend

Red
2016 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

White
2016 Ravines Wine Cellars Dry Riesling Finger Lakes

White
2015 Joseph Drouhin Saint Véran Chardonnay

Red
2015 Municipal Winemakers Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County

Red
2014 Château Haut-Bergey Pessac-Léognan  Red Bordeaux Blend

White
2017 Tablas Creek Vermentino Paso Robles Adelaida District

Red
2010 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

Red
2015 Municipal Winemakers Bright Red Santa Ynez Valley  Grenache Blend, Grenache

Rosé
2017 Bodegas Muga Rioja Rosado Grenache Blend, Grenache

White
2015 Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay Reserve

Red
2015 Château Siran Margaux  Red Bordeaux Blend

White
2016 Vía Arxéntea Monterrei Treixadura y Godello White Blend

White
2008 Melville Chardonnay Estate Sta. Rita Hills

White
2017 Albet i Noya Xarello Penedès

White
2009 Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay Mt. Veeder

White
2015 Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay Mt. Veeder

Red
2013 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder

White
2016 Gaia Assyrtiko Thalassitis Santorini

Red
2012 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Louise Dundee Hills

Red
2015 Domaine du Grand Montmirail Vacqueyras Red Rhone Blend

Red
2009 Château La Cardonne Médoc  Red Bordeaux Blend

Red
2015 Château Tour Haut-Caussan Médoc  Red Bordeaux Blend

2016 Domaine Gaget Morgon Côte du Py Gamay

2016 Tablas Creek Picpoul Blanc Paso Robles

Red
2015 Manoir de Gay Pomerol  Red Bordeaux Blend

2016 Anthony Road Dry Rosè of Cabernet Franc Seneca Lake

White - Off-dry
2017 Anthony Road Riesling Semi-Dry Finger Lakes

Red
2013 Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas Paso Robles  Red Rhone Blend

Red
2014 Château Tour Saint-Christophe St. Émilion Grand Cru  Red Bordeaux Blend

Red
2013 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Laurène Dundee Hills

Red
2006 Artadi Viñas de Gain Rioja  Tempranillo

White
2016 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur Dundee Hills

2010 Château de Jurque Jurançon Sec Emotion Petit Manseng
-
Red
2015 Château Prieuré-Lichine Margaux  Red Bordeaux Blend

Red
2009 Château Prieuré-Lichine Margaux  Red Bordeaux Blend

Red
2014 Château Siran Margaux  Red Bordeaux Blend
Red
2014 Château Fonbadet Pauillac  Red Bordeaux Blend

White - Sparkling
2014 Bonnard fils Vin du Bugey-Montagnieu Pétillant Brut White Blend

Red
2009 La Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri Rioja Reserva Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo

Red
2015 Château d'Arsac Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend

Red
2015 Halter Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles Adelaida District

Red
2013 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley  Red Bordeaux Blend

Red
2013 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown Napa Valley

Red
2013 Tikal Malbec Amorio Mendoza

Red
2006 Chalone Vineyard Pinot Noir

Red
2014 Joseph Drouhin Maranges 1er Cru Pinot Noir

Red
2015 Château Mongravey Margaux  Red Bordeaux Blend

Red
2016 Daou Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles

White
2015 Pio Cesare Gavi Cortese

Red
1989 Château Meyney St. Estèphe  Red Bordeaux Blend

Red
2006 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Red Bordeaux Blend

Red
2005 Bodegas Muga Rioja Gran Reserva Prado Enea Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo

Red
2014 Daou Vineyards Unbound Paso Robles  Red Blend

White - Sweet/Dessert
2008 Disznókő Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos Furmint Blend, Furmint

Red
2015 Municipal Winemakers Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills

Red
2007 Ciabot Berton Barolo Nebbiolo

Red
2009 Betz Family Syrah La Côte Rousse Red Mountain

Red
2015 Joseph Drouhin Gevrey-Chambertin Pinot Noir

White
2016 Valdespino Ojo de Gallo Macharnudo Spain  Palomino Fino

Red
2010 Château de Chantegrive Graves Red Bordeaux Blend

Red
2010 Bodegas Balbas Ribera del Duero Ardal Reserva Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo

White
2013 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur Dundee Hills
.
Red
2013 Tua Rita Perlato del Bosco Toscana IGT Sangiovese Blend, Sangiovese

White - Sparkling
2008 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Premier Cru Cuvée Gastronome Blanc de Blancs Brut Chardonnay

White
2016 Castello della Sala (Antinori) Chardonnay Bramìto del Cervo Umbria IGT

Red
2014 CrossBarn (Paul Hobbs) Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
 
White
2014 Tablas Creek Esprit Blanc de Tablas Paso Robles Adelaida District  White Rhone Blend

Red
2015 Municipal Winemakers Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County


Our traditional New Year's Eve meal - Peking Duck, Champagne and pastries from Ferraras.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year

Holiday Gifts

Holiday Wines

I have found that many wineries have holiday specials which include free shipping. Shipping is my big complaint about buying wines from wineries. The shipping laws are antiquated and the discounts you get from the wineries are eroded by the shipping costs.

My 3 current favorites in the US, Domaine Drouhin http://www.domainedrouhin.com/en/, Municipal Winemakers https://www.municipalwinemakers.com/index.cfm?method=pages.showPage&pageID=E1FC2091-CADA-0EEF-0E16-2709C2CA1679 and Tablas Creek usually have holiday deals. So far this year Tablas Creek has posted their  specials which include free shipping on holiday packages. https://tablascreek.com/shop . I would recommend any of the packages. They do not ship to NJ among other states. TC wines are Rhone type wine. DDO wines are Burgundy style wines and Municipal Winemakers have a variety of wines.

Another favorite winery Daou https://www.daouvineyards.com/, is finally having some shipping promotions like $10 shipping for 6  bottles. Daou has great wines but they are pricey. They also do not ship to NJ. Daou makes excellent Cabernet Sauvignons and various blends.

Recent wines

2015 Bordeaux wines continue to impress. Chateau Siran, Margaux around $35 is very good.

Almost forgot about Nouveau Beaujolais wines for 2018. Usually come out the Thursday before Thanksgiving. The 2018 Deboeuf Beajolais $9 was like grape juice and I  would not recommend it.

Desserts

Thanksgiving was great. Baked a sour cream apple walnut pie and a pecan pie.

Also made a birthday dinner of magret of duck and a Marjolaine cake from recipe from Cocolat. The cake is layers of hazelnut/almond meringue with chocolate mousse and dark chocolate frosting.

It tastes much better than it looks with 4 layers of cake.

One of my best dessert cookbooks is Cocolat, Extraordinary Chocolate Desserts by  Alice Medrich, 1990. It is available on Amazon. The desserts are gorgeous and she gives detailed instruction on how to do all of the basics to make an amazing cake or other desserts. Only Maida Heatter's dessert books come close.

Enjoy.