Neil's Wine, Food and Travel Journal

Saturday, February 3, 2018

Best of 2017

Wines of the year
You can see my likes and biases. Champagne, Daou wines, Domaine Drouhin Oregon, Municipal Winemakers, Assyrtiko grape wines from Santorini, Beaujolais' and Tablas Creek wines all stood out.
2012 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Premier Cru Cuvée Gastronome Blanc de Blancs Brut Chardonnay
12/31/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 93 points
Drank on New Year's Eve, golden color, nice bouquet, lots of flavor, apparently no oak which makes the flavor more remarkable, lots of fine bubbles, disgorged May 2017, enjoyed with Pekin Duck, will drink again as not a bad price for the quality.

2007 Orlando Abrigo Barbaresco Vigna Montersino Nebbiolo
Options12/30/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 93 points
Dark color, rich, vibrant, complex, great structure, WA. & V right on, medium bodied, fruit integrated with fine tannins, touch of grapiness added to the complexity , enjoyed with veal scallopine, have 1 more bottle, a good example of what some age can do for a Nebbiolo.

2015 Municipal Winemakers Bright Red Santa Ynez Valley Grenache Blend, Grenache
Options12/26/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 92 points
Same as previous bottle, bright, tangy, lots of flavors, each taste has a new flavor, never gets dull, fruity but not heaven, stays light, will drink again, drank with Lasagna, Muni wine rocks.

2011 Brancaia Chianti Classico Riserva Chianti Classico DOCG Sangiovese Blend, Sangiovese

12/23/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 92 points

Really liked this bottle, lots of fruit but not grapey, good tannin slightly rough, nicely balanced, a bit of complexity , drank with pizza, will drink again if the price is right as I got a vg price for the wine.

2016 Daou Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles

12/17/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 92 points

This is good stuff. Full bodied, not refined, maybe could be more focused, lots of fruit but lots of tannin to keep it real, never is grapey, a huge value, if it had Napa on the label triple the price, some complexity and great structure , drank with loin lamb chops, will drink again, interesting to see how it ages.

2008 Hewitt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford

12/9/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 93 points )

Smooth and balanced, fruit and fine tannins blend nicely, a big wine but it drank easily with no alcohol noticeable,crowd pleaser as my friends enjoyed, drank with hoisin grilled rack of lamb, won’t be able to find again, quite refined for a Napa cab. Too bad Diageo and Chalone sold the vineyard.

2013 Chalone Vineyard Chenin Blanc

11/30/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 92 points )

Delicate, fruity with some sweetness but good acid to balance, good structure and balance, drank with blackened salmon, good stuff, last bottle and probably will not find again, back to the Loire.

2004 Bodega Numanthia Toro Termes Tempranillo

11/17/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 92 points

Dark color, nice bouquet almost Bordeaux like, lots of flavor, balanced, good complexity but a bit heavy and the wine for all its technical excellence never sang for me, the wine has aged well, hard to believe it is 13 years old, my taste keeps evolving, drank with dry aged steaks, have 1 more bottle

2015 Domaine Lucien Lardy Moulin-à-Vent Les Thorins Gamay

10/27/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 93 points

Complex, earthy, tannic for a Beaujolais, good fruit that worked with tannins to deliver the whole package, drank easily, medium bodied, drank with pork chops, will drink again.

2013 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Laurène Dundee Hills 10/7/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 93 points
Great bouquet, light to medium bodied with lots of flavor and complexity, one of the better DDO's I have tasted recently, balanced, earthy, drank easily but not a quaffer, enjoyed with swordfish , will drink again, really enjoyed.

2016 Hatzidakis Winery Assyrtiko de Mylos Vieilles Vignes Santorini

9/5/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 92 points

Tasted at winery, Different taste of assyrtiko, dry, precise, medium bodied, see how it develops , $30 at winery .

NV Jose Dhondt Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Chardonnay

8/23/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 93 points

Good stuff , lots of oak but not overpowering, vanilla flavor with great acid and bubbles, good fruit and a clean, balanced taste, would drink again.

2013 Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas Paso Robles Red Rhone Blend

8/11/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 95 points

Drank at the Borgata for anniversary , balanced, seamless, fruit, complexity , flavor, not heavy, wine has it all , alcohol under 14%, will drink again,TC becoming a fav winery,

NV Ulysse Collin Champagne Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons Pinot Noir

Great stuff, deep golden color unlike any that we have seen, great fruit with a bone dry finish. Great complexity and maintains its structure to the end, drank with pizza, disgorged Feb 2016, expensive but worth it, will drink again.

2008 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Laurène Dundee Hills

8/5/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 93 points

Beautiful bouquet, light color, good balance, complex, earthy, smoothed out as we drank it, a classy bottle, did not seem 9 years old, drank with mahi- mahi, last bottle, renewed my faith in DDO wines ageworthiness.

2014 Daou Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Paso Robles Adelaida District

6/7/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 94 points

refined with lots of complexity and very balanced despite how young it is , tasted with Continuum, a very different style , this wine does not jump out at you it creeps up to you, a request to others -there is much confusion regarding Daou wines, it seems that the regular bottling is confused with this estate bottling in several data bases, a really good wine.

2015 Joseph Drouhin Bourgogne Blanc Chorey Les Beaune Chardonnay

5/20/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 93 points

Good stuff; medium bodied, fragrant bouquet, golden color, good fruit with good acid balanced with a touch of wood that gives a bit of vanilla; unusual appellation for a white but drank easily with complexity, wanted more after last glass, would drink again if I can get more.

2015 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur Dundee Hills

5/6/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 93 points

Good stuff, light color, medium bodied, initial taste is fruit then lots of flavor comes up, oak comes out a bit and wine drinks easily but you can appreciate the total package, good structure with complex flavors, drank with pasta and shrimp and baked oysters, will drink again

2016 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Édition Rosé Dundee Hills

4/29/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 93 points

Amazing, delicate, great bouquet that portends the taste, fruit, acid, no alcohol taste, good finish with some complexity, much lighter than previous DDO roses, drink too easy but this is a substantial wine, drank with baked oysters and seared scallops with saffron rice and Chinese greens, will drink again and may buy more, only 480 case made.

NV Laherte Frères Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature Chardonnay

4/23/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 94 points

This wine has it all, great bubbles, nice golden color, lots of flavor, a touch of vanilla from the oak, great complexity, disgorged 4/16, love a blanc de blanc, drank too easily with coquille st Jacques, will drink again.

2003 Château La Fleur de Boüard Lalande de Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend

4/21/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 92 points

Great bouquet, lots of acid keeps this lively with a long finish,good balance with some complexity, medium bodied, amazing for a wine 14 years old, this is what makes Bordeaux wines great, an excellent value, I understand the 2016 vintage is very good, would drink again, drank with rack of lamb.

2013 Tomasello Winery Palmaris Outer Coastal Plain Red Bordeaux Blend

4/8/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 93 points

A NJ wine that rocks, good fruit, lots of wood but sweet tannins not bitter, restrained compared to California but balanced and the food really brought out the flavor, expensive fore a NJ wine but cheap for a good cabernet blend, 20% petite Verdot which adds some fullness to the wine, it comes in the heaviest bottle you can imagine , a huge surprise, try it, drank with magret of duck, would drink again, thanks to my son for giving me this wine as present as I would never have bought it.

2015 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Granges Cabernet Franc

3/19/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 92 points

Drank at Bobby Flay restaurant in AC, $45 on wine list, lots of flavor, medium bodied, some complexity, nice color, good fruit and acid to balance, drank easily, drank with chopped salad with lobster and hangar steak, incredible bargain on the wine list, would drink again if I can find it at retail.

2012 Daou Vineyards Estate Mayote Paso Robles Red Blend

3/25/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 92 points

Big wine, slowly opened and became balanced, lots of fruit, the cab gives good structure and additional complexity, an expensive bottle, drank with magret of duck, would drink again but pricey. Daou is a hot winery.

2006 Nervi Gattinara Nebbiolo

3/18/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 93 points

This is a bit heavier than previous bottles; bouquet is ok but you smell the alcohol; the flavor is great, the wine is probably at its peak, wouldn't wait much longer to drink, complex with great balance and a nice finish, drank with veal scallopine; drank easily, will drink again as I have another bottle. Good stuff

2015 Casa Ferreirinha Douro Reserva PLANALTO White Blend

2/17/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 91 points

Discovered this wine in Portugal and then the WS found it, the wine sells for 4-5 Euros in Portugal, about $10-12 in US, the wine is balanced, enough fruit but not fruity, good acid, a blend of a bunch of grapes, Portuguese wines tend to be better when they are blends of grapes you have never heard of, just great white for any occasion, drank with ravioli with shrimp and veggies, will drink again, not the easiest wine to find but it is available.

2012 Melville Pinot Noir Estate Sta. Rita Hills

2/12/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 93 points

Good stuff, great bouquet, medium light color, good fruit with acid that keeps it bright and interesting to drink, a bit empty in the middle but nice finish, we drank DDO Laurene 2012 a few days earlier and the 2 wines are pretty similar but this wine has more acid and is much more lively and we enjoyed it more, a light touch for Melville, drank with loin lamb chops, will drink again.

2014 Municipal Winemakers Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County

2/3/2017 - I LIKE THIS WINE: 93 points

Great bouquet. Nice color, glycerin on the glass,13.1 alcohol, ;lots of flavor, fruity but balanced, that rare wine that has lots of flavor that is not a fruit bomb, wood can be tasted but good finish that is balanced, wine drank great until the last drop, drank with veal chops, will drink again if I can get more, only 100 cases made.

Chocolate

Teuchers (Champagne truffles), Maison Du Chocolat (passion fruit) stood out with Jacques Torres and DeBrand right behind.

Theater

The Band's Visit

School of Rock

Sweet Charity with Sutton Foster

Gently Down the Stream with Harvey Fierstein

Travel

Maui triumphs again although Anguilla gave it a run for the money. Unfortunately the hurricane season put a real hurt on Anguilla. Santorini was beautiful but crowded. Athens was historic.

Food

Borgata Savor weekend.
Jeffrey Zakarian, good chef.

Del Posto,NYC

Talulas Garden, Philly

Summit and Montclair, NJ farmers's markets. Shore Catch fish and veggies

Eric Kaiser Patisseries, NY

Montclair Bread ancient grains bread and donuts

Trader Joes -spinach pie, pork gyozas.

Enjoy 2018.

Friday, December 15, 2017

New wines; Holiday Wine Deals, Del Posto

New wines

Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2017 - Good wine, fruity with that Gamay grape twang, light and enjoyable, no need to apologize for drinking it, $7.99 at Costco. Drink a bottle or 2 and forget about it after 1/1. Keep an eye on 2017 regular Beaujolais based upon the Nouveau.

2014 and 2015 Bordeaux's, which are good vintages, are everywhere. Excellent values for under $25. If a wine has a decent rating from Vinous, Wine Advocate, or the Wine Spectator, try it. I would not use ratings from other publications. All Bordeaux's are blends and the main grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot. Many of the wines now tell you the grape content on the back label. The Merlot predominate wines are fragrant and velvety. The Cabernet Sauvignon predominate wines are more tannic and focused.

I am just beginning to try these vintages.Costco has a few. The Wine Library, Total Wine and Gary's in NJ also have some to try. Here are a few currently available and all have good ratings. I have not tried these wines.

Château Lilian Ladouys - St.-Estèphe 2014 (750ml) $22
Château Le Thil Comte Clary - Pessac-Léognan 2014 (750ml) $24

2014 Chateau Noaillac $13
2015 Chateau Les Grands Chenes $20

2015 Chateau L'argenteyre $13

Holiday wine gift ideas

A number of wineries run holiday specials that include free shipping. This makes a huge difference to me as shipping can be as much as $8 per bottle. Shipping to your home can be problematic as each state has different laws and each winery interprets them differently. However here are 3 winery deals that include free shipping and that ship to many states. These wineries are also some of my favs./

Domaine Drouhin Oregon http://store.domainedrouhin.com/Events_and_Special_Offers

Tablas Creek https://tablascreek.com/shop
Municipal Winemakers http://www.municipalwinemakers.com/

Del Posto

I had the opportunity to try Del Posto http://delposto.com/ in NYC. It is an Italian restaurant created by Mario Batali and Lidia and Joe Bastianich The food and service were excellent.

Ravioli

Veal

Swordfish

The wines were very good although the wine list too long and it is very hard to take it all in. The wine list is around 180 pages so I had to make my own mini-wine list. I have never done that before but I highly recommend doing this when a wine list is ridiculously long.

Dessert wine

They have an entire room for wine glasses and use new glasses for every bottle. The Somm actually washes each glass with a small amount of the wine to be tasted.This reminds me of a recent wine issue I had at home.

We opened a bottle of wine and I did not like it. So we used new glasses and opened another very good wine. I could not get my nose near the glass as the smell was so bad. My wife thought I was nuts. I then opened a third bottle and with new glasses and this was OK. My wife then tried my glass from the second wine and because of the smell she could not get near it either. It turned out that some of our glasses had a terrible smell from the dishwasher.

As you can tell by my story, the idea a glass could ruin a wine, never entered my mind. We use very good wine glasses and usually wash them by hand but occasionally use the dishwasher. Maybe washing the glasses with the wine as Del Posto does is not that wacky or pretentious.

Enjoy

Friday, December 1, 2017

Greece Part 2;Athens

Athens

We arrived at the Athens airport from Santorini when Macron the President of France was arriving. We sat in our taxi for over 45 minutes before we could move. The next day they closed the Metro for him and had thousands of police and troops all over the city.

Athens is a large city but the tourist sites are located in the central section of the city. We stayed at an Airbnb apartment in a very nice neighborhood near the Acropolis museum. We had a 1 bedroom apartment with a small garden for $83 per night. Our host was in contact with us to make sure all was well. A small grocery store and a very good bakery were across the street. It was a great place to stay.

Food

We discovered a few myths about Greece in our stay there. Bread - Pita bread is used for Souvlaki and gyro sandwiches but the normal bread is Italian style loaves. Baklava and some other honey based desserts are everywhere but they are very sweet, too sweet. Bakeries have many varied cookies, cakes and breads.

Lamb is not that prevalent in Greek food. We found mostly pork and chicken used for gyro and souvlaki and it was unusual for find lamb kebobs.

Greek salads do not contain lettuce. Tomatoes, onions, green peppers, feta cheese and cucmbers predominate. The feta cheese comes in larges slices and not is not as salty as the feta cheese found in the US even the Greek feta cheese.

We found the main food markets in Athens but Athens did not appear to be a foodie city. Lots of restaurants everywhere but I did not find lots of interesting food stores. Fruits were mostly fruits that we see in NJ except really nice figs were extremely cheap. The food halls had lots of fish but restaurants served mainly Sea Bream, which was in season. Sea bass was supposedly out of season when we were there.
View from the Acropolis. The Acropolis dominates the old city. It is only a relic of what it once was. You need to us your imagination.

We had dinner at he Acropolis Museum . The museum is open late on Friday evening for dinner. The food was good and reasonable but it was Italian. They had a jazz band that was quite good and the view was incomparable. See for yourself.

One of the unique things about the museum is where else can you see the original site for the artifacts in a museum from the museum itself. Fascinating.

The Acropolis from the museum.

A restaurant in the city. It was highly recommended by a British newspaper but the place was OK.

Fruit and veggies at the market. Nothing special.

Dinner in the Plaka area. Restaurant recommended by Rick Steves. Food was meh. Ambiance was great. His books are good for sightseeing Note it is really expecting too much to expect recommendations from travel and food publications to be good. Chefs change jobs all of the time. Look for chef owned restaurants.

Not sure what we drank. It was all Greek to me.

We visited the Benaki Museum. https://www.benaki.gr/index.php?lang=enIt was really good. Small and manageable and has the history of Greece. They have a rooftop restaurant with good food and reasonable prices.