The Wine Spectator has a fascinating string on wine tasting and rating. http://www.winespectator.com/blogs/show/id/48125?icid=em_com They discuss blind wine tasting and other influences on tasting wine. One guy comments on how he believes that wineries are cheating and that they give wine publications rigged bottles to taste. He compares it to steroids in baseball. When there is so much money at stake people will do anything to get a 90 point review from some publication. The reactions from the WS writers is quite interesting.
I don't give point reviews so I shouldn't be surprised that my wine comments are not picked up by the wine industry. Apparently wineries supply bloggers with wine if they give good reviews. Points are more easily advertised than words. My son gets me a bottle of wine for my birthday every year and as long someone has given it a 90, he feels he has the perfect gift.
Lettie Teague has an interesting article on wine bloggers in this weekend's Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323419104578376630145206770.html I did not make her list. Oh well.
Drank Chateau Arnaud 2010 $20 a few nights ago. It is from St Estephe in Bordeaux. Wines from St Estephe usually have mostly cabernet sauvignon and this wine is 60% CS. The wine opened up after about 1/2 an hour. It had good mouth feel and good flavor. We enjoyed the bottle with a steak. Looks like the 2010 Bordeaux's are quite good.
Last night I had another bottle of Domaine Drouhin Edition Rose $20 2011 . I love the wine, great balance and complexity. It went well with fajitas and guacomole. The wine only available at the winery. If you need a good excuse to go to Oregon ...
Enjoy.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
March Madness, Cayman Islands, Palm Springs
March Madness
Wine and basketball are not usually paired together. Maybe we need to start a tradition. Watch the NCAA basketball tournament and drink some wine. The tournament is all about parity and upsets this year. Louisville is looking good, so far.
Cayman Islands
I had a chance to visit the Grand Cayman Island again. I had a good time and stayed at a friend's house. The water sports are great. We had good weather. I had a chance to walk on seven mile beach again. It is beautiful, white sand and blue green water.There is also things to do on the beach from water sports to eating, drinking and people watching.
We brought some great wines to the island. As I have previously stated, it is easy to bring some good wines on a trip and enjoy them at restaurants or where you are staying. We brought:
Bordeaux's
Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2006 OK Bordeaux; have not had many 06's. This may be good for 06 but it does not hold up to 2010 and 2009 in general. Decent fruit but nothing special.
Chateau Villars 2010 VG 2010 Bordeaux, very smooth and balanced, really enjoyed, good fruit and tannin.
Chateau Haut Gardere 2003 Drank this wine docked on a boat in a marina in the Caymans. VG bottle. The fruit showed up. A nice sipping wine. We drank with no food and the wine disappeared. Glad I have more bottles. An 03 Bordeaux comes into its own, wow.
Rhones
2010 Domaine de la Côte de l'Ange Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes Liked this wine. Balanced, fruit, tannin and acid are all together. Parker is right on. Could drink this wine all night. Great stuff.
2010 Patrick Lesec Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Bargeton Young CDP, good fruit, a bit hollow in the middle but good finish, enjoyed the bottle with friends
Other bottle
2006 Joseph Phelps Insignia Great wine; balanced, complex; a joy to drink.
Bought on the island
2008 Vigneti del Vulture Aglianico del Vulture Piano del Cerro Riserva Did not like this bottle.
Chakalaka 2009 We never drank this bottle but it is a favorite.
The wines were great. 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape's are getting great reviews and the 2 we drank were off the charts. My note on the Lesac wine is tough because we drank it after the l'Ange. The Insignia is too good for words. The Villars was a surprise as it was very smooth and balanced. I bought it at Costco for $18. It is a 2010 Bordeaux and I am getting more impressed with the 2010 Bordeaux's by the week.
Had some good food in the Caymans. Over the Edge http://over-theedge.com/was very good. Lots of seafood in an over the water setting.
The Lighthouse http://www.lighthouse.ky/home.html was also very good. We had Italian food and brought some of our wine to the restaurant. They charge $20 corkage per bottle which was reasonable. I had a lobster tail with homemade spinach raviolis with goat cheese. Very good.
We visited Camana Bay. There is a wine shop there with wine tasting machines. I tried the
2010 Château de Saint-Cosme Gigondas. It was very good with nice balance and fruit.The 2010 Rhone wines are looking better and better. Michaels Genuine Food and Drink http://michaelsgenuine.com/grand-cayman/ at Camana Bay still looks good. Did not get a chance to eat there this time.
Palm Springs
I also had a chance to visit Palm Springs California. Food was OK. The setting was beautiful. I had a glass of the 2011 Meiomi Pinot Noir again. It was very good.
Also had a Stolpman 2009 Syrah. Not sure which one but it was very good. I have been reading about Stolpman wines lately but had never seen one. Drank with pizza.
Also had chance to try the 2010 Chehalem Pinot Noir 3 Vineyard from Oregon's Willamette Valley. It was light but had some flavor. I would like more mouth feel and more intensity. I have had better 2010 from the Willamette Valley.
Recent wines
2009 Château de Pitray Côtes de Castillon $11 Good 09 Bordeaux with surprising texture, flavor and complexity. VG value.
NV Codorníu Cava "Anna de Cordoniu" $11 Good but different cava. The Chardonnay makes it a bit less fruity but it still an enjoyable wine. Drank with bake clams and tomatoes with bufalo mozzerella
2011 Domaine Lafage Chardonnay Novellum $11 Interesting wine. Clean, good fruit and acid, however after the first glass you don't want any more of this wine. just not my style. It is a chardonnay but ... Can't agree with the WA review, which raved about the wine.
2009 Di Majo Norante Biferno Ramitello $12
Drinkable but very astringent. Not going to make excuses for a wine. Fruit but it is overwhelmed by the acid. Not for me.
Wine and basketball are not usually paired together. Maybe we need to start a tradition. Watch the NCAA basketball tournament and drink some wine. The tournament is all about parity and upsets this year. Louisville is looking good, so far.
Cayman Islands
I had a chance to visit the Grand Cayman Island again. I had a good time and stayed at a friend's house. The water sports are great. We had good weather. I had a chance to walk on seven mile beach again. It is beautiful, white sand and blue green water.There is also things to do on the beach from water sports to eating, drinking and people watching.
We brought some great wines to the island. As I have previously stated, it is easy to bring some good wines on a trip and enjoy them at restaurants or where you are staying. We brought:
Bordeaux's
Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2006 OK Bordeaux; have not had many 06's. This may be good for 06 but it does not hold up to 2010 and 2009 in general. Decent fruit but nothing special.
Chateau Villars 2010 VG 2010 Bordeaux, very smooth and balanced, really enjoyed, good fruit and tannin.
Chateau Haut Gardere 2003 Drank this wine docked on a boat in a marina in the Caymans. VG bottle. The fruit showed up. A nice sipping wine. We drank with no food and the wine disappeared. Glad I have more bottles. An 03 Bordeaux comes into its own, wow.
Rhones
2010 Domaine de la Côte de l'Ange Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes Liked this wine. Balanced, fruit, tannin and acid are all together. Parker is right on. Could drink this wine all night. Great stuff.
2010 Patrick Lesec Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Bargeton Young CDP, good fruit, a bit hollow in the middle but good finish, enjoyed the bottle with friends
Other bottle
2006 Joseph Phelps Insignia Great wine; balanced, complex; a joy to drink.
Bought on the island
2008 Vigneti del Vulture Aglianico del Vulture Piano del Cerro Riserva Did not like this bottle.
Chakalaka 2009 We never drank this bottle but it is a favorite.
The wines were great. 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape's are getting great reviews and the 2 we drank were off the charts. My note on the Lesac wine is tough because we drank it after the l'Ange. The Insignia is too good for words. The Villars was a surprise as it was very smooth and balanced. I bought it at Costco for $18. It is a 2010 Bordeaux and I am getting more impressed with the 2010 Bordeaux's by the week.
Had some good food in the Caymans. Over the Edge http://over-theedge.com/was very good. Lots of seafood in an over the water setting.
The Lighthouse http://www.lighthouse.ky/home.html was also very good. We had Italian food and brought some of our wine to the restaurant. They charge $20 corkage per bottle which was reasonable. I had a lobster tail with homemade spinach raviolis with goat cheese. Very good.
We visited Camana Bay. There is a wine shop there with wine tasting machines. I tried the
2010 Château de Saint-Cosme Gigondas. It was very good with nice balance and fruit.The 2010 Rhone wines are looking better and better. Michaels Genuine Food and Drink http://michaelsgenuine.com/grand-cayman/ at Camana Bay still looks good. Did not get a chance to eat there this time.
I also had a chance to visit Palm Springs California. Food was OK. The setting was beautiful. I had a glass of the 2011 Meiomi Pinot Noir again. It was very good.
Also had a Stolpman 2009 Syrah. Not sure which one but it was very good. I have been reading about Stolpman wines lately but had never seen one. Drank with pizza.
Also had chance to try the 2010 Chehalem Pinot Noir 3 Vineyard from Oregon's Willamette Valley. It was light but had some flavor. I would like more mouth feel and more intensity. I have had better 2010 from the Willamette Valley.
2009 Château de Pitray Côtes de Castillon $11 Good 09 Bordeaux with surprising texture, flavor and complexity. VG value.
NV Codorníu Cava "Anna de Cordoniu" $11 Good but different cava. The Chardonnay makes it a bit less fruity but it still an enjoyable wine. Drank with bake clams and tomatoes with bufalo mozzerella
2011 Domaine Lafage Chardonnay Novellum $11 Interesting wine. Clean, good fruit and acid, however after the first glass you don't want any more of this wine. just not my style. It is a chardonnay but ... Can't agree with the WA review, which raved about the wine.
2009 Di Majo Norante Biferno Ramitello $12
Drinkable but very astringent. Not going to make excuses for a wine. Fruit but it is overwhelmed by the acid. Not for me.
| 2006 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District $40 Wine started out disjointed but it came together after about 20 minutes. Lots of tannin but the fruit came thru and we enjoyed the bottle. The wine needed food, we had steak, and it faded towards the end of the bottle. Not much complexity. Not a great value although I got it as a gift. Not sure if continued cellaring will help this wine. I would drink it now. |
|
2009 L'Esprit de Chevalier $23 Not sure about this wine. It probably needs time. Good structure and flavor but
tannins prevail. Will see how fruit develops. Will try again 2005 Château Larrivaux $10 My hopes are being dashed after holding this wine for a number of years. Previously thought that this wine was coming around but not this bottle. Still think it needs time but maybe it is wishful thinking. May never develop. I have a few more bottles. A trip to Kauai is coming up in the near future. I will stop in on Aunt Lillikoi. Enjoy. |
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Seen a Crocus Yet
Seen a Crocus yet
It is beginning to look like spring. I had withdrawal symptoms for veggies last weekend. I found an H-Mart in Edison NJ. Apparently it is a chain of Korean grocery stores. This store was very modern and large. The produce department had all types of fruits and vegetables. I bought snow pea pods, sugar snap peas, Japanese eggplant, baby bok choy,persimmons, frozen dumplings and Vietnamese clear spring roll wraps. Everything was very reasonably priced and good quality.
H-Mart is down the road from one of the 2 NY Costcos that have wine. Of course I made my Costco wine stop. I found several interesting wines.
Pio Cesare 2007 Barolo $54 - I had this in Barolo and it was great.
Monsanto Chianti Classico Reserva 2008 $15.99 This is a very good wine that I have had in other vintages.
Chateau Vilars 2010 Bordeaux $18.99 - Have not tried yet.
Friends came over for dinner the other night. I made slices of Italian bread with bufala mozzeralla. Costco sell the buffalo mozz very cheaply. The cheese comes from Italy and is made with buffalo milk. It is creamy and is packed in water. A pound plus package is $12, a real bargain.
I put fresh tomato slices with salt, olive oil and vinegar over the cheese.
I then made the frozen Chinese pork and leek dumplings. I make the sauce of sherry, soy sauce and chopped ginger. I then made sauteed veggies of onions, snow peas, sugar snap peas and bok choy. I made fried rice with white rice, sauteed onions and mushrooms, soy sauce and an egg white. I seared some fresh tuna. I took a rice bowl and put in rice, then veggies and sliced tuna.
Also made 5 -flavor shrimp. Cooked shrimp in the shell but minus legs and vein and fried in oil quickly. Then drained and re cooked with salt, pepper and 5 flavor spice sprinkled on to lightly coat the shells. Chinese 5 flavor spice is a favorite and it is a combination of cinnamon, star anise, fennel, ginger, cloves, white pepper and licorice root. Gee, that is more than 5. This is the spice that gives Chinese ribs their distinct flavor.
I made citrus sorbet with orange juice, lemon and grapefruit juice. All fresh and I used meyer lemons, which I found in Costco. Meyer lemons are very juicy and have great flavor.
We drank Justin Justification 2003 -- a blend of cabernet franc and merlot and a 2007 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Reserve Lyons Vineyard, Rust Ridge Vineyard Napa Valley. The Justin was balanced and complex and good. The Zin was great. It was 15.9% alcohol, OMG, but it was smooth with lots of fruit but not grapey. I am not a Zin lover but this wine rocked.
We also tried to drink a Sauterne, Chateau Filhot 2001. I opened 1 bottle and it was moldy and not good so I opened a second bottle and it too was moldy and corked. Oh well. Sauternes are nice dessert wines but I rarely drink them.
Recent Wines
2006 Nicolas Potel Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Hauts-Doix OK Burgundy but I make excuses for them. A Pinot Noir needing more fruit. Subtle.
2010 Viña Leyda Pinot Noir Las Brisas Really good Chile Pinot Noir. Earthy. I paid $13 but the price has gone up to $17.
It is beginning to look like spring. I had withdrawal symptoms for veggies last weekend. I found an H-Mart in Edison NJ. Apparently it is a chain of Korean grocery stores. This store was very modern and large. The produce department had all types of fruits and vegetables. I bought snow pea pods, sugar snap peas, Japanese eggplant, baby bok choy,persimmons, frozen dumplings and Vietnamese clear spring roll wraps. Everything was very reasonably priced and good quality.
H-Mart is down the road from one of the 2 NY Costcos that have wine. Of course I made my Costco wine stop. I found several interesting wines.
| 2010 Château Petit-Freylon Cuvée Sarah $7.99 - This is a good wine with nice fruit and structure. A really good bargain. Costco is great for cheap Bordeaux wines from good vintages. They sell out very fast. |
Monsanto Chianti Classico Reserva 2008 $15.99 This is a very good wine that I have had in other vintages.
Chateau Vilars 2010 Bordeaux $18.99 - Have not tried yet.
Friends came over for dinner the other night. I made slices of Italian bread with bufala mozzeralla. Costco sell the buffalo mozz very cheaply. The cheese comes from Italy and is made with buffalo milk. It is creamy and is packed in water. A pound plus package is $12, a real bargain.
I put fresh tomato slices with salt, olive oil and vinegar over the cheese.
I then made the frozen Chinese pork and leek dumplings. I make the sauce of sherry, soy sauce and chopped ginger. I then made sauteed veggies of onions, snow peas, sugar snap peas and bok choy. I made fried rice with white rice, sauteed onions and mushrooms, soy sauce and an egg white. I seared some fresh tuna. I took a rice bowl and put in rice, then veggies and sliced tuna.
Also made 5 -flavor shrimp. Cooked shrimp in the shell but minus legs and vein and fried in oil quickly. Then drained and re cooked with salt, pepper and 5 flavor spice sprinkled on to lightly coat the shells. Chinese 5 flavor spice is a favorite and it is a combination of cinnamon, star anise, fennel, ginger, cloves, white pepper and licorice root. Gee, that is more than 5. This is the spice that gives Chinese ribs their distinct flavor.
I made citrus sorbet with orange juice, lemon and grapefruit juice. All fresh and I used meyer lemons, which I found in Costco. Meyer lemons are very juicy and have great flavor.
We drank Justin Justification 2003 -- a blend of cabernet franc and merlot and a 2007 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Reserve Lyons Vineyard, Rust Ridge Vineyard Napa Valley. The Justin was balanced and complex and good. The Zin was great. It was 15.9% alcohol, OMG, but it was smooth with lots of fruit but not grapey. I am not a Zin lover but this wine rocked.
We also tried to drink a Sauterne, Chateau Filhot 2001. I opened 1 bottle and it was moldy and not good so I opened a second bottle and it too was moldy and corked. Oh well. Sauternes are nice dessert wines but I rarely drink them.
Recent Wines
2006 Nicolas Potel Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Hauts-Doix OK Burgundy but I make excuses for them. A Pinot Noir needing more fruit. Subtle.
2010 Viña Leyda Pinot Noir Las Brisas Really good Chile Pinot Noir. Earthy. I paid $13 but the price has gone up to $17.
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Sunday, February 3, 2013
Super Bowl Day
Super Bowl Day
What do we call this day? Super Bowl Day or Game Day. What do you call it and what do you drink on this day? Beer, wine, tequila?
I am opting for wine today. Just a me and my wife party and we will be grazing on interesting food. Wings, must have wings.
Yesterday, I was feeling down and my wife reminded me that the NJ fishguy from the Summit Farmers market is in Montclair on Saturdays. I have been having fish withdrawal symptoms lately as the farmers market ended around Thanksgiving. So I went off to Montclair, about 8 miles away and lo and behold they actually have a small outdoor farmers market on Saturday mornings. The fishguy was there, and the pickleguy and a couple of meatguys. They had ostrich eggs and all kinds of meat. It was around 25 degrees so all the meat was out and still frozen. To sell meat a farmers market, it must be frozen.
There was also a farmer with fruit and some vegetables and apple cider.
I ended up buying tuna, scallops, flounder, apples, pears, pickles, garlic, apple cider and kale. It is very hard to find good pickles and this pickleguy has good stuff. I bought new pickles, crisp and delicious. $5 for a pint. When I was a kid we found a local pickleguy who sold them from his house. Great stuff. I guess the secret is in the pickling spices.
I then went a few blocks away and found 2 very good bakeries. Montclair Bread and Ginas. I bought apricot oat bread and ancient grains bread at Montclair Bread. Both were good. I also bought a chocolate cupcake with Mexican spices including some hot spiced. The cupcake was so-so. It did not do much for me. I think I need to go to Montclair on Saturday mornings more often.
BTW the Wall Street Journal this weekend had a recipe for what they claimed to be an amazing chocolate cake. The cake called for 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter, the butter cream called for 3 sticks of butter and the chocolate on top of the buttercream called for another 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter. OMG. Why not eat chocolate flavored butter.
I made the flounder and the kale last night. The kale was remarkable. Apparently frost makes kale sweet and this kale had the most remarkable flavor. It was great raw although I sauteed it with olive oil, salt and some chicken stock. The flounder was excellent and I simply breaded and fried it. I like flounder this way. I also made cous cous with raisins and pomegranate seeds.
We had a bottle of Anne Amie Pinot Blanc 2010. This was the last bottle that I had brought home from Oregon this summer. I had more shipped from Domaine Drouhin. The wine was a surprise. It had great flavor and mouth feel. It was not a light wine. 14% alcohol. There was good oak that did not overpower the wine. The color was beautiful. Oregon produces lots of Pinot Gris which is lighter and not much to it. The Pinot Blancs are harder to find but I like them more. I bought this one at the winery and it was around $15. Anne Amie is a good sized winery but I have never seen their wines in wine shop.
We have been drinking lots of white wine lately.
2011 Badenhorst Family Wines Chenin Blanc Swartland A good wine, at first taste needed to adjust to a chenin blanc. As we drank it the wine opened and our palettes adjusted. Not my favorite wine but a good white wine. A touch unbalanced
2010 Guilhem et Jean-Hughes Goisot Bourgogne-Aligoté Light white wine with a clean taste and nice balance. Enjoyed. Aligote is an interesting grape used in Burgundy.
2011 Bodegas La Cana Albariño Rías Baixas Good balance. Drank with pasta with white clam sauce. I have had this wine in other vintages and 2011 is OK. Would try again.
The Anne Amie Pinot Blanc 2010 see above .
Other wines I have tasted lately include
2007 Tenuta Serradenari Barolo La Morra Nebbiolo Drank at a restaurant. Decent value at $75. We had 3 bottles with good consistency. The wine is approachable now with good fruit showing and nice balance. Our group really enjoyed the wine. Not the most complex Barolo but a good wine
2006 Terlato Vineyards Cardinals' Peak --Decent Bordeaux blend from California. Mouth feel was watery, wine had a sour fruit taste but all in all the wine drank well and we enjoyed. Not a fav but OK.
Hall 09 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Drank at a restaurant. It was $78. Good balance. Nice Napa cab. Decent structure. We drank after a Cote du Rhone Bila Haut and the Hall made the Rhone dull and boring. I am not a Napa cab fan but this wine was good.
Bila Haut 2010 -Drank in a restaurant for $48. The wine was dull and had no flavor. The table agreed that the wine was not very good, not bad but not good. I have enjoyed this wine on other occasions. Is this another case of bottle inconsistency. I find that this is an issue not often discussed. Or is my palette inconsistent.
06 Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre Good reliable red. Fruity with some tannin. The 06 held up well. Enjoyed the bottle but not a complex wine. Still a very good value.
2011 Jean Ernest Descombes Morgon $13 OK Beaujolais, good mouth feel as it is not a light wine,tannic with some fruit, enjoyed the bottle.
Chalone 2006 Pinot Noir again. Love this wine.
Back to the menu today. The wings grilled, scallops lightly seared, interesting cheeses, chips, guacamole, kiwi, fingerling potatoes and other miscellaneous food. Will see how it all comes together. Planning to drink Andrew Rich Pinot Noir Prelude Oregon Willamette Valley $20. Just bought it and I had a glass in Oregon. The WS just gave it a 91, wow.
BTW I just read an article in the WS about the wines they reviewed in 2012. 88% of the wines they reviewed in 2012 received a score of 85 or higher and 37% of wines reviewed received a score of 90 or above. I find this remarkable. They reviewed over 17,000 wines. I think that the scores may be biased because they may not print reviews of bad wines but still talk about grade inflation. What do you think?
Anyway go Ravens and Ray Rice.
Enjoy.
What do we call this day? Super Bowl Day or Game Day. What do you call it and what do you drink on this day? Beer, wine, tequila?
I am opting for wine today. Just a me and my wife party and we will be grazing on interesting food. Wings, must have wings.
Yesterday, I was feeling down and my wife reminded me that the NJ fishguy from the Summit Farmers market is in Montclair on Saturdays. I have been having fish withdrawal symptoms lately as the farmers market ended around Thanksgiving. So I went off to Montclair, about 8 miles away and lo and behold they actually have a small outdoor farmers market on Saturday mornings. The fishguy was there, and the pickleguy and a couple of meatguys. They had ostrich eggs and all kinds of meat. It was around 25 degrees so all the meat was out and still frozen. To sell meat a farmers market, it must be frozen.
There was also a farmer with fruit and some vegetables and apple cider.
I ended up buying tuna, scallops, flounder, apples, pears, pickles, garlic, apple cider and kale. It is very hard to find good pickles and this pickleguy has good stuff. I bought new pickles, crisp and delicious. $5 for a pint. When I was a kid we found a local pickleguy who sold them from his house. Great stuff. I guess the secret is in the pickling spices.
I then went a few blocks away and found 2 very good bakeries. Montclair Bread and Ginas. I bought apricot oat bread and ancient grains bread at Montclair Bread. Both were good. I also bought a chocolate cupcake with Mexican spices including some hot spiced. The cupcake was so-so. It did not do much for me. I think I need to go to Montclair on Saturday mornings more often.
BTW the Wall Street Journal this weekend had a recipe for what they claimed to be an amazing chocolate cake. The cake called for 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter, the butter cream called for 3 sticks of butter and the chocolate on top of the buttercream called for another 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter. OMG. Why not eat chocolate flavored butter.
I made the flounder and the kale last night. The kale was remarkable. Apparently frost makes kale sweet and this kale had the most remarkable flavor. It was great raw although I sauteed it with olive oil, salt and some chicken stock. The flounder was excellent and I simply breaded and fried it. I like flounder this way. I also made cous cous with raisins and pomegranate seeds.
We had a bottle of Anne Amie Pinot Blanc 2010. This was the last bottle that I had brought home from Oregon this summer. I had more shipped from Domaine Drouhin. The wine was a surprise. It had great flavor and mouth feel. It was not a light wine. 14% alcohol. There was good oak that did not overpower the wine. The color was beautiful. Oregon produces lots of Pinot Gris which is lighter and not much to it. The Pinot Blancs are harder to find but I like them more. I bought this one at the winery and it was around $15. Anne Amie is a good sized winery but I have never seen their wines in wine shop.
We have been drinking lots of white wine lately.
2011 Badenhorst Family Wines Chenin Blanc Swartland A good wine, at first taste needed to adjust to a chenin blanc. As we drank it the wine opened and our palettes adjusted. Not my favorite wine but a good white wine. A touch unbalanced
2010 Guilhem et Jean-Hughes Goisot Bourgogne-Aligoté Light white wine with a clean taste and nice balance. Enjoyed. Aligote is an interesting grape used in Burgundy.
2011 Bodegas La Cana Albariño Rías Baixas Good balance. Drank with pasta with white clam sauce. I have had this wine in other vintages and 2011 is OK. Would try again.
The Anne Amie Pinot Blanc 2010 see above .
| NV Scharffenberger Brut Mendocino County $17 Drank this with lobster.It was very good. This wine got a great review from the WS |
Other wines I have tasted lately include
2007 Tenuta Serradenari Barolo La Morra Nebbiolo Drank at a restaurant. Decent value at $75. We had 3 bottles with good consistency. The wine is approachable now with good fruit showing and nice balance. Our group really enjoyed the wine. Not the most complex Barolo but a good wine
2006 Terlato Vineyards Cardinals' Peak --Decent Bordeaux blend from California. Mouth feel was watery, wine had a sour fruit taste but all in all the wine drank well and we enjoyed. Not a fav but OK.
Hall 09 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Drank at a restaurant. It was $78. Good balance. Nice Napa cab. Decent structure. We drank after a Cote du Rhone Bila Haut and the Hall made the Rhone dull and boring. I am not a Napa cab fan but this wine was good.
Bila Haut 2010 -Drank in a restaurant for $48. The wine was dull and had no flavor. The table agreed that the wine was not very good, not bad but not good. I have enjoyed this wine on other occasions. Is this another case of bottle inconsistency. I find that this is an issue not often discussed. Or is my palette inconsistent.
06 Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre Good reliable red. Fruity with some tannin. The 06 held up well. Enjoyed the bottle but not a complex wine. Still a very good value.
2011 Jean Ernest Descombes Morgon $13 OK Beaujolais, good mouth feel as it is not a light wine,tannic with some fruit, enjoyed the bottle.
Chalone 2006 Pinot Noir again. Love this wine.
Back to the menu today. The wings grilled, scallops lightly seared, interesting cheeses, chips, guacamole, kiwi, fingerling potatoes and other miscellaneous food. Will see how it all comes together. Planning to drink Andrew Rich Pinot Noir Prelude Oregon Willamette Valley $20. Just bought it and I had a glass in Oregon. The WS just gave it a 91, wow.
BTW I just read an article in the WS about the wines they reviewed in 2012. 88% of the wines they reviewed in 2012 received a score of 85 or higher and 37% of wines reviewed received a score of 90 or above. I find this remarkable. They reviewed over 17,000 wines. I think that the scores may be biased because they may not print reviews of bad wines but still talk about grade inflation. What do you think?
Anyway go Ravens and Ray Rice.
Enjoy.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Happy New Year
New Year's Eve
I was still feeling sub -par so we had Pekin Duck from a local restaurant. I was able to get the whole duck so I could carve it. We also had dumplings, ribs and sauteed bok choy. We had the NV Champagne Lallier Champagne Brut Grand Cru $27 which I bought from WTSO Champagne and chocolate for dessert. I scratched the souffle. The Champagne was big and dry. It is mostly Pinot Noir which I find gives Champagne an earthier flavor.
I was so tired that I did not see the ball come down, a first.
New wine discoveries
My new find for 2012 is a Spanish wine 2010 Espelt Garnacha Empordà Old Vines $10. The WA gave it a 92. The wine is Granache and is imported by Eric Solomon who had something to do with making the wine. It a big wine but it has tannin to give the wine good balance. It is an excellent bargain and I intend to buy some more.
We went to the Borgata in AC again. The food and wine choices there are really good. We ate at the tavern of the the Wolfgang Puck Restaurant. We shared pork Wiener Schnitzel and a margerita pizza. Apparently Wiener Schnitzel is made with veal. If you use pork, you must explain that you have used pork. The food was very good and there was lots of it.
We drank a bottle of Evening Land Vineyards Seven Springs Vineyard 2009 Oregon Pinot Noir. This is a very well regarded wine that was $84 at the restaurant. The wine retails for about $35 and it is hard to find. The wine was very good. It had terroir, a nice bouquet and was great with food. It is not fruit forward. I really enjoy this style of wine. It was a little more austere than other 09 Oregon Pinot Noirs that I have tasted.
The Borgata restaurants have excellent wine lists that make eating there a treat. While they have 50 wines under $50 I have found that the best values are in the $50 to $100 range. While this is usually bit much for me when eating out, sometimes you want a treat.
Recent wine shopping included more bottles of the Espelt Garnacha (above), La Maialina Chianti $8.99 ( I have had there Chianti Classico Reserva, which I like alot), 2008 Tenuta Monteti Caburnio Toscana IGT $15,(I tasted this at the Wine Library and it is a good Cabernet Sauvignon blend) 2011 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Meiomi, 2011 $16( the WS went ga-ga over this wine so I thought I would try it. I did not like the 2010.), Badenhorst Family Wines Chenin Blanc, South Africa $13 (Seemed interesting, Chenin Blanc can be good from South Africa.)
Travel
I am planning a trip in the next few months. Anguilla, Hawaii, California, Bangkok, Hong Kong and New Zealand are on the short list. Stay tuned. Any ideas are appreciated.
Enjoy 2013.
I was still feeling sub -par so we had Pekin Duck from a local restaurant. I was able to get the whole duck so I could carve it. We also had dumplings, ribs and sauteed bok choy. We had the NV Champagne Lallier Champagne Brut Grand Cru $27 which I bought from WTSO Champagne and chocolate for dessert. I scratched the souffle. The Champagne was big and dry. It is mostly Pinot Noir which I find gives Champagne an earthier flavor.
I was so tired that I did not see the ball come down, a first.
New wine discoveries
My new find for 2012 is a Spanish wine 2010 Espelt Garnacha Empordà Old Vines $10. The WA gave it a 92. The wine is Granache and is imported by Eric Solomon who had something to do with making the wine. It a big wine but it has tannin to give the wine good balance. It is an excellent bargain and I intend to buy some more.
We went to the Borgata in AC again. The food and wine choices there are really good. We ate at the tavern of the the Wolfgang Puck Restaurant. We shared pork Wiener Schnitzel and a margerita pizza. Apparently Wiener Schnitzel is made with veal. If you use pork, you must explain that you have used pork. The food was very good and there was lots of it.
We drank a bottle of Evening Land Vineyards Seven Springs Vineyard 2009 Oregon Pinot Noir. This is a very well regarded wine that was $84 at the restaurant. The wine retails for about $35 and it is hard to find. The wine was very good. It had terroir, a nice bouquet and was great with food. It is not fruit forward. I really enjoy this style of wine. It was a little more austere than other 09 Oregon Pinot Noirs that I have tasted.
The Borgata restaurants have excellent wine lists that make eating there a treat. While they have 50 wines under $50 I have found that the best values are in the $50 to $100 range. While this is usually bit much for me when eating out, sometimes you want a treat.
Recent wine shopping included more bottles of the Espelt Garnacha (above), La Maialina Chianti $8.99 ( I have had there Chianti Classico Reserva, which I like alot), 2008 Tenuta Monteti Caburnio Toscana IGT $15,(I tasted this at the Wine Library and it is a good Cabernet Sauvignon blend) 2011 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Meiomi, 2011 $16( the WS went ga-ga over this wine so I thought I would try it. I did not like the 2010.), Badenhorst Family Wines Chenin Blanc, South Africa $13 (Seemed interesting, Chenin Blanc can be good from South Africa.)
Travel
I am planning a trip in the next few months. Anguilla, Hawaii, California, Bangkok, Hong Kong and New Zealand are on the short list. Stay tuned. Any ideas are appreciated.
Enjoy 2013.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Looking forward to 2013
Random Thoughts
I just have to mention. We called the Salvation Army to donate some furniture from my mom's apartment. We made an appointment several weeks in advance. When the day came they showed up and told us that the couch and dresser were not good enough for the Salvation Army and that we should try Goodwill! The couch was in very good shape but they said it had a slight discoloration on the arms. No no one told us nor does the website warn that the donated furniture needs to be museum quality. NYC is a tough market. Oh well.
Robert Parker has sold part of the Wine Advocate to Singapore investors. Stay tuned to what this means. Originally he said that the print version would go away and that there would be ads. He very quickly backtracked. Mr. Parker is 65 and a true iconoclast but there are many people vying to replace his notoriety. He has made a large impact on the wine industry and from what I understand, his impact has been very positive.
Santa was good to me this year. One son gave me chocolate red wine from Holland and my other son gave me some interesting bottles of beer from Germany. Other family members gave me
Frogs Leap Cabernet Sauvignon 2009,
Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon Monument Ridge 2007,
Sterling Platinum Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 ,
Paoletti Cabernet Sauvignon Bella Novello Calistoga, CA 2008, and an
Oregon Willamette ValleyPinot Noir Pali Wine Company Alphabets 2010.
2006 Terlato Vineyards Cardinals' Peak Napa
I gave out to family
Chateau Meyney 2009 France
Chateau Gloria 2009 France
Spcie Route Chakalaka 2009 South Africa
Chateau La Thil Comte Clary 2009 France
Chateau Dallau 2009 France
What will be the new food discovery for 2013? My top ten food and wine notables for 2012 are
Willamette Valley, Oregon - Really enjoyed our trip their. Domaine Drouhin made an impact on me. I love their wines especially the Pinot Noirs. The winery visit there is exceptional. Say hi to Ashley.
British Columbia wines and Victoria, BC - Who would have thunk that BC would have so many wineries making interesting wines. Victoria is a great place to visit and I would not mind living there.
2009 Bordeaux - I am a broken record (if that saying has any meaning today). These wines, not including he first growths, are comparatively cheap and great to drink.
NJ law allowing shipping of wine to NJ -It was about time.
Anguilla - Our new fav in the Caribbean.
BYOB - Try it at restaurants that have liquor licenses. Call ahead first. You will be amazed how many places have reasonble corkage charges.
Cellartracker- Love this site. Great way to keep track of your wines and to see what other people think about particular wines. Can't praise this site enough. Check out their reports. I can print out a wine list of all of my wines by geography.
Fresh NJ fish- I get withdrawal symptoms in the winter. Hope things return after Sandy.The tuna went south.
Chocolates - Debrands and Donna's. Indiana and NJ - perfect together.
Food genes - Be patient. It has taken some time but both of my sons are now cooking all types of interesting food with very good results.
Recent new wines (purchases and/or consumed)
Champagne Lallier Brut Grand Reserve $28
Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Champagne NV- gift
2008 Orlando Abrigo Barbaresco Rocche Meruzzano $30
2008 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabajà $30
2006 Terlato Vineyards Cardinals' Peak - gift
2010 Bodegas Volver Monastrell Tarima Hill $8.99 Highly recommended but I did not enjoy. Alot of alcohol.
2010 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County $16 Like this wine so I bought another bottle. Not a fruit bomb.
Louis Jadot Macon Lugny 2010 $10.99 A great bargain but I can't find anymore. It restored my faith in Macon white wines.
NV Codorniu Cava "Anna de Codorniu" $11.00 A cava made from Chardonnay. Have enjoyed in the past so I bought another bottle.
Spcie Route Chakalaka 2009 $15.99 The new fav. A very good wine. A Rhone blend from South Africa.
2011 Marchesi diBarolo Barbera del Monferrato Maràia $11 Piemonte, Italy, A WS top 100. A real bargain. Barbera can be a very nice fruity grape. Enjoyed this wine and have another in the basement.
I am under the weather again but for New Year's Eve we will try for the Pekin Duck meal with the Lallier Champagne but we won't be going in to NYC.I think I might make hot passion fruit souffle.
Does anyone remember Ben Grauer. He announced the ball coming down in Times Square for New Year's Eve for NBC. Ben died in 1977 the same year as Guy Lombardo who was Mr. New Year's Eve for 48 years. It was Guy Lombardo's death that paved the way for Dick Clark's popularity on New Year's Eve.
Start a new tradition for 2013. Any ideas, let me know.
Have a great 2013.
I just have to mention. We called the Salvation Army to donate some furniture from my mom's apartment. We made an appointment several weeks in advance. When the day came they showed up and told us that the couch and dresser were not good enough for the Salvation Army and that we should try Goodwill! The couch was in very good shape but they said it had a slight discoloration on the arms. No no one told us nor does the website warn that the donated furniture needs to be museum quality. NYC is a tough market. Oh well.
Robert Parker has sold part of the Wine Advocate to Singapore investors. Stay tuned to what this means. Originally he said that the print version would go away and that there would be ads. He very quickly backtracked. Mr. Parker is 65 and a true iconoclast but there are many people vying to replace his notoriety. He has made a large impact on the wine industry and from what I understand, his impact has been very positive.
Santa was good to me this year. One son gave me chocolate red wine from Holland and my other son gave me some interesting bottles of beer from Germany. Other family members gave me
Frogs Leap Cabernet Sauvignon 2009,
Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon Monument Ridge 2007,
Sterling Platinum Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 ,
Paoletti Cabernet Sauvignon Bella Novello Calistoga, CA 2008, and an
Oregon Willamette ValleyPinot Noir Pali Wine Company Alphabets 2010.
2006 Terlato Vineyards Cardinals' Peak Napa
I gave out to family
Chateau Meyney 2009 France
Chateau Gloria 2009 France
Spcie Route Chakalaka 2009 South Africa
Chateau La Thil Comte Clary 2009 France
Chateau Dallau 2009 France
What will be the new food discovery for 2013? My top ten food and wine notables for 2012 are
Willamette Valley, Oregon - Really enjoyed our trip their. Domaine Drouhin made an impact on me. I love their wines especially the Pinot Noirs. The winery visit there is exceptional. Say hi to Ashley.
British Columbia wines and Victoria, BC - Who would have thunk that BC would have so many wineries making interesting wines. Victoria is a great place to visit and I would not mind living there.
2009 Bordeaux - I am a broken record (if that saying has any meaning today). These wines, not including he first growths, are comparatively cheap and great to drink.
NJ law allowing shipping of wine to NJ -It was about time.
Anguilla - Our new fav in the Caribbean.
BYOB - Try it at restaurants that have liquor licenses. Call ahead first. You will be amazed how many places have reasonble corkage charges.
Cellartracker- Love this site. Great way to keep track of your wines and to see what other people think about particular wines. Can't praise this site enough. Check out their reports. I can print out a wine list of all of my wines by geography.
Fresh NJ fish- I get withdrawal symptoms in the winter. Hope things return after Sandy.The tuna went south.
Chocolates - Debrands and Donna's. Indiana and NJ - perfect together.
Food genes - Be patient. It has taken some time but both of my sons are now cooking all types of interesting food with very good results.
Recent new wines (purchases and/or consumed)
Champagne Lallier Brut Grand Reserve $28
Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Champagne NV- gift
2008 Orlando Abrigo Barbaresco Rocche Meruzzano $30
| 2011 Carpineta Fontalpino Chianti Colli Senesi $11 A WS Top 100 |
2006 Terlato Vineyards Cardinals' Peak - gift
2010 Bodegas Volver Monastrell Tarima Hill $8.99 Highly recommended but I did not enjoy. Alot of alcohol.
2010 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County $16 Like this wine so I bought another bottle. Not a fruit bomb.
Louis Jadot Macon Lugny 2010 $10.99 A great bargain but I can't find anymore. It restored my faith in Macon white wines.
NV Codorniu Cava "Anna de Codorniu" $11.00 A cava made from Chardonnay. Have enjoyed in the past so I bought another bottle.
Spcie Route Chakalaka 2009 $15.99 The new fav. A very good wine. A Rhone blend from South Africa.
2011 Marchesi diBarolo Barbera del Monferrato Maràia $11 Piemonte, Italy, A WS top 100. A real bargain. Barbera can be a very nice fruity grape. Enjoyed this wine and have another in the basement.
I am under the weather again but for New Year's Eve we will try for the Pekin Duck meal with the Lallier Champagne but we won't be going in to NYC.I think I might make hot passion fruit souffle.
Does anyone remember Ben Grauer. He announced the ball coming down in Times Square for New Year's Eve for NBC. Ben died in 1977 the same year as Guy Lombardo who was Mr. New Year's Eve for 48 years. It was Guy Lombardo's death that paved the way for Dick Clark's popularity on New Year's Eve.
Start a new tradition for 2013. Any ideas, let me know.
Have a great 2013.
Friday, December 21, 2012
It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas
Wine Shopping and Champagne
This is a good time of year for wine shopping. Stores are having great sales. I find that the internet is making shopping easier and harder. Easier because you can take your time and pick out the wine that you want and take advantage of the online sales. Harder because when you go into a store, you are never sure if you have the best price or are missing a special wine advertised online.
This week I have seen billboards that proclaim free shipping at the Wine Library using code Library. I have not seen this offer on their website or in an e-mail. Interesting marketing strategy.
It is time to think about Champagne. We love Champagne and always have a bottle or 2 on New Year's Eve. For many years my tennis friends and I had a Champagne and paella dinner for the holidays. Due to unusual circumstances, we are not playing tennis this year and hence no Champagne party. Boo hoo. Nothing is better than to drink 4 or 5 champagnes side by side to compare their styles. It is amazing the amount of styles. Some are big and bold - Bollinger. Some are lighter and elegant - Perrier Jouet and some are just good stuff.
There is much debate about what is the best Champagne to drink vintage, extra premium or non vintage. The non-vintage is what the winery wants their Champagne to taste like since they have the most control in making it. Non vintage Champagnes are blends of several vintages. Lettie Teague had a good article on Champagne in this past weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/on_wine.html
I like the non vintage Champagnes and find them to be the best values. Vintage Champagnes can get expensive. Look on the back of the bottle for a disgorged date. This is the date the Champagne was finalized to be sold. Since you do not know how old a non vintage Champagne has been sitting in a store, the disgorged date helps alot. Many Champagnes have this date but some do not. Be wary of bottles without the date.
Champagne is also about marketing. The big names sell most of the Champagne - Moet, Veuve Cliquot, Piper Heidsieck etc. However do not be afraid to experiment with any Champagne that you see. Remember if it says Champagne it must be from the Champagne region of France. The only exceptions are some cheap American wines that have been allowed to use the Champagne name since they have been doing so for a long time.
Also remember that besides style, there can be different grapes in different Champagnes Many are blend of pinot meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A Blanc de Blanc is 100% Chardonnay and a Blanc de Noir is usually 100% Pinot Noir. Try to keep track of what grapes and styles you like.
Eric Asimov in NY Times also has a good Champagne article. Asimov always has interesting thoughts on wine every Wednesday in the Times.http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/19/dining/pinot-meunier-unacknowledged-grape-of-champagne.html?_r=0
Recent Wines
2010 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot NoirWillamette Valley VG 2010 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. $30 I bought this at the winery. Medium body, nice bouquet, terroir with good fruit, not a fruit bomb but we love this style. Not a sipping wine as it needs food. Had with rack of lamb. Not sure how it will develop as I have not had many aged Oregon wines. Like the style of DDO.
2010 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur $40 Bought this at the winery. Love this wine. Fruit, balance, bouquet, complexity. I tasted it at the winery at an earlier date and it out shined a Drouhin 2009 Chablis that we drank side by side and I love Chablis. This wine has more fruit and less acid than a Chablis but it is a wonderful wine. The oak is used carefully as only half of the wine has been aged in oak.
This is a good time of year for wine shopping. Stores are having great sales. I find that the internet is making shopping easier and harder. Easier because you can take your time and pick out the wine that you want and take advantage of the online sales. Harder because when you go into a store, you are never sure if you have the best price or are missing a special wine advertised online.
This week I have seen billboards that proclaim free shipping at the Wine Library using code Library. I have not seen this offer on their website or in an e-mail. Interesting marketing strategy.
It is time to think about Champagne. We love Champagne and always have a bottle or 2 on New Year's Eve. For many years my tennis friends and I had a Champagne and paella dinner for the holidays. Due to unusual circumstances, we are not playing tennis this year and hence no Champagne party. Boo hoo. Nothing is better than to drink 4 or 5 champagnes side by side to compare their styles. It is amazing the amount of styles. Some are big and bold - Bollinger. Some are lighter and elegant - Perrier Jouet and some are just good stuff.
There is much debate about what is the best Champagne to drink vintage, extra premium or non vintage. The non-vintage is what the winery wants their Champagne to taste like since they have the most control in making it. Non vintage Champagnes are blends of several vintages. Lettie Teague had a good article on Champagne in this past weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/on_wine.html
I like the non vintage Champagnes and find them to be the best values. Vintage Champagnes can get expensive. Look on the back of the bottle for a disgorged date. This is the date the Champagne was finalized to be sold. Since you do not know how old a non vintage Champagne has been sitting in a store, the disgorged date helps alot. Many Champagnes have this date but some do not. Be wary of bottles without the date.
Champagne is also about marketing. The big names sell most of the Champagne - Moet, Veuve Cliquot, Piper Heidsieck etc. However do not be afraid to experiment with any Champagne that you see. Remember if it says Champagne it must be from the Champagne region of France. The only exceptions are some cheap American wines that have been allowed to use the Champagne name since they have been doing so for a long time.
Also remember that besides style, there can be different grapes in different Champagnes Many are blend of pinot meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A Blanc de Blanc is 100% Chardonnay and a Blanc de Noir is usually 100% Pinot Noir. Try to keep track of what grapes and styles you like.
Eric Asimov in NY Times also has a good Champagne article. Asimov always has interesting thoughts on wine every Wednesday in the Times.http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/19/dining/pinot-meunier-unacknowledged-grape-of-champagne.html?_r=0
Recent Wines
2010 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot NoirWillamette Valley VG 2010 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. $30 I bought this at the winery. Medium body, nice bouquet, terroir with good fruit, not a fruit bomb but we love this style. Not a sipping wine as it needs food. Had with rack of lamb. Not sure how it will develop as I have not had many aged Oregon wines. Like the style of DDO.
2010 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur $40 Bought this at the winery. Love this wine. Fruit, balance, bouquet, complexity. I tasted it at the winery at an earlier date and it out shined a Drouhin 2009 Chablis that we drank side by side and I love Chablis. This wine has more fruit and less acid than a Chablis but it is a wonderful wine. The oak is used carefully as only half of the wine has been aged in oak.
| NV Angove's Zibibbo South Australia Decent sparkler but too sweet for me. Clean flavor and my friends liked it alot |
2010 Bodegas Borsao Garnacha Campo de Borja Tres Picos $12 This is the expensive Borsao! I should like this wine but it didn't do anything for me. Spicy, some
complexity, ok nose but no mouth feel and tasted thin. It is high in alcohol
which may account for some of the above. I will definitely try this vintage
again as I have had this wine in other vintages many times in the past.
|
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