Wine Talk & Review: 3/1/09

YARD DOG WHITE - 2006

>> 3/31/09

From McClaren Vale, Australia. White blend of 55% Chardonnay, 15% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Riesling, 10% Semillon, 5% Viognier. 13.7% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Pale yellow color. Fair amount of acidity. Light, smooth, dry and bright with citrus on the nose. Pear and melon dominate the mid-palate with honey on the finish.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

85 PTS

Reminds me of an average Pinot Grigio. Drinkable and a solid value at $9 a bottle but not at all exciting. I wouldn't exactly recommend this wine, but I think it is pleasant enough to be enjoyed by many

CHATEAU MALMAISON BARONNE NADINE DE ROTHSCHILD - 2000

75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. 12.5% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Dark garnet color with leather, pencil and barnyard on the nose. Lots of sediment in the wine with earth, floral and dark berries being the predominant flavors. Somewhat monolithic and mellow.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

86 PTS

Average effort. Not very exciting. Chewy tannins that lean a toward the bitter side. Drinkable wine but questionable QPR at $30

PINE RIDGE RUTHERFORD CABERNET SAUVIGNON - 2003

From Napa Valley. Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec blended in. 14.4% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Rich red color and vibrant nose of raspberries and creamy oak. Loads of cherry and pomegranate are underscored by nice vanilla oak notes and a cranberry finish. Some tobacco, black fruits and minerality on the mid-palate. Somewhat chewy with great complexity as this wine evolves in the glass. Very smooth.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

92 PTS

Retails for around $45 a bottle. Very impressive wine that took me by surprise. I was not expecting as much depth and character based on some previous Pine Ridge Cabs I had recently tasted. Very pleased with this effort and worth the price tag.

2004 Bell Sonnette

I had a crazy idea the other day of a vaguely Japanese steak dinner, something to break up the meat-and-potatoes routine. Or the organ meat and odd critters routine. I started things off with some miso soup. I cheated here, using a concentrated miso import, but my fellow diners and I were very happy with the results. To the savory broth I added chopped green onions, cubed firm tofu, and plenty of enoki mushrooms. Enokitake have a great buttery flavor, as well as a texture that's like a bean sprout when raw and like a noodle in soup. Don't overcook these, but they add a lot of flavor to dishes. (Plus I love the fact that they look like some crazy wild thing you'd find growing on a dead log in the forest. Forbidden fungus... Mmmmmmm...)
I promise that I'll get my konbu and katsuobushi together to make a real bowl of miso shiru. Watch this blog for a future update!
For the main course I had organic grass-fed ribeyes marinating in soy sauce, slow roasted to rare in the oven and then seared off in a hot skillet. I also made another batch of the Napa cabbage and watermelon radish slaw from a few posts ago. Might as well enjoy it while those beautiful radishes are still around.
The wine was the true star of the evening. The 2004 Bell Sonnette is from Napa and was a real treat. $50, 14.6% abv. 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 11% Petite Verdot. This was a gift from my friend Paul, and I'm going to be hard pressed to top this one in 2009. I've always been a fan of Bell, and this little treasure is worth getting if you can find it--this was bottle 212 of 2398. (He got it from Wolfchase Wine & Spirits, I don't know if anyone else has it.) It's curious to think that, assuming two people per bottle, only 5000 people will get to try this wonderful wine. Makes me wonder what small run wines will never even cross my path.
There's a nose of chicory coffee, plum, and nutmeg. Medium tannins with dark berry flavors and a long, long finish. It's distinctly California without being a fruit bomb. Excellent balance, and I commend the nearly quarter volume given to Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot, two wonderful grapes that so often are only present as a splash.
I don't do a lot of Asian cooking (and this meal barely qualifies), but I think I've been neglecting it in my culinary self-education. Plus it gives me the excuse to try a whole lot of new weird and wonderful ingredients.

2005 Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon

Over at Wolfchase Wine & Spirits beside Costco I came across the 2005 Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. $20, 14.1% abv. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 2% Petite Verdot, 1% Malbec.
There's only one way to sum up the first impression of this wine: cherry and cream cheese Danish. There's a jammy cherry element, then a buttery/toasty pastry aroma, followed by a creamy undertone that makes you crave a cup of coffee. Once it hits all parts of the tongue and goes down the gullet, you've got some tart acidity, firm tannins, and a little bitter finish. After breathing, there are notes of fresh cut grass and green pepper. Nicely complex, and I'd be curious to see how this develops with even more time in the cellar.
I keep saying "don't buy wines based on the label", yet I keep doing it. What can I say... a blackboard full of chemistry diagrams (specifically regarding oxidation and reduction)? The memory scent of chalk dust tickling my brain? I'm a sucker for certain fonts, artists, and references. It's kind of like the old advice that fancy fishing lures aren't made to catch fish, they're made to catch fishermen.
Keep this in mind as a gift for that quiet 20-something in your family that spends far too much time reading science fiction novels and playing video games, but give it with the condition that he has to drink it with a girl... that's not his mom or sister.
I'm not trying to be cruel here, I'm saying this as someone that once spent more time around elderly librarians than available women my own age. Some of the best advice I ever got was from a beloved great uncle who, upon giving me a graduation gift, said, "I want you to spend this on wine, women, and song. If you try to spend this on books or anything practical I'll kick your ass." Based on his background in military intelligence I really didn't have a choice.

JUST TALK: WINE & PHILOSOPHY

I recently had the opportunity to review a copy of Dr. Fritz Allhoff's book "Wine & Philosophy". A compilation of a series of essays, it is a very good read that has lots of interesting ways of looking at wine. A historical look that spans various time periods and civilizations, this book lets the reader see how wine has been viewed over the many years it has been enjoyed by mankind. With chapters including "The Art & Culture of Wine", "Tasting & Talking about Wine" and "The Politics & Economics of Wine" to name a few, you can see that this isn't just any old book on wine. My favorite essay is entitled "Talk about Wine?" by Kent Bach. He points out that being able to talk about wine requires experience at drinking wine as well as learning a special vocabulary. This sums up my experience with wine and probably everyone who learns to appreciate the different varietals of wine available. That is also my excuse, I guess, for my continued quest to find different, affordable wines which I think with time, and trial and error, you start to develop a knack for. Check out Dr. Allhoff's book if you get a chance. It's an interesting read and would also make a nice gift for that someone special who enjoys wine. I noticed that it is also on sale at Amazon.com right now. Sit Long, Talk Much, Laugh Often, Drink Wine!

2004 MADDALENA CABERNET SAUVIGNON

There's only been one other time that I've rated two different varietals from the same winery as high as my last two ratings. As you may recall from my last post, if you didn't read it please look below, #1 and I absolutely loved the Sauvignon Blanc from Maddalena Vineyards. Not expecting near as much out of the 2004 Maddalena Cabernet Sauvignon, we opened this and let it breathe for thirty minutes or so. I poured a small tasting amount into my glass and swirled for a few seconds. Not the dark, ruby red you see in some Cabernets but more of a medium red color. As I took a nice, full amount of aroma into my nostrils, I was greeted with vanilla, plum and spices. On the palate I picked up raspberry, spiced cherries, a little bit of caramel and maybe just a little oak. Tannins were almost non-existent and this wine had a silky finish that made me want more. Lots more! Having enjoyed this bottle as much as their Sauvignon, I had to find out more. These grapes are sourced from the Cass, Erickson and Steinbeck vineyards and aged in new and used oak barrels from French and American coopers. This wine was rated 88 points by Wine Spectator and was a Gold Medal winner at the Los Angeles County Fair. Retail price on this one is $13.95 but a recent check of the San Antonio Winery site showed it on sale at $12.95. Believe me. That's a steal at either price! Another very easy 5 Corkscrew rating. I thought I might be getting a little too easy in my ratings but #1 agrees wholeheartedly and she's a much tougher rater than I am. Sit Long, Talk Much, Laugh Often, Drink Maddalena Cabernet Sauvignon for a real Treat!

2006 MADDALENA SAUVIGNON BLANC from SAN ANTONIO WINERY

"That wine you got is great!", were the exact words #1 greeted me with tonight as I walked into the house from a hard days work. Or at least a days work! With that kind of endorsement behind it I couldn't wait to try it myself. From the San Antonio Winery located where? You guessed it, Los Angeles, California. Don't let the name of the winery, or its location in Los Angeles, California, dissuade you from trying their wines. If the rest of their offerings are as good as this one, I can't wait to get my hands on more. This 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, from their Maddalena Vineyards, is made of grapes sourced from the Steinbeck Vineyard in Paso Robles. On the nose we got loads of clean, fresh citrus and a touch of "grassiness" as the vineyard puts it. I think that's a good way to sum up the clean, refreshing nose on this wine. On the palate more of the "non-sour" citrus as I like to refer to it. No grapefruit here, just lots of melon, green apple, maybe some kiwi? A nice, semi-dry finish, made me long for much, much more of this wine. In fact, every since we tried this #1 has been after me to get some more. Probably one of the easiest 5 Corkscrews I've ever awarded! And since it was so good, I decided to do a little more research to find out how the winemakers were able to do it. Stainless steel fermentation at 55 degrees for several weeks followed with 10% of the batch transferred to neutral oak barrels in which the lees are stirred for several months to add to the flavor and body. Maybe that's the key but whatever it is, this is a really, really good Sauvignon Blanc. And at a retail price of $11.95, how can you go wrong? Hurry out and buy a case or two of this before San Antonio Winery figures out they've priced it too low. Sit Long, Talk Much, Laugh Often, Drink Maddalena Sauvignon Blanc!

JUST PHOTOGRAPHY: ARIZONA

Late March and I had the good fortune to travel to Arizona with the family for Spring Break and a three-day conference. I'll be posting a couple of wine reviews from that trip but wanted to go ahead and share some of the photos I had the opportunity to take. Today's photos are from Sedona, Arizona and the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Sit Long, Talk Much, Laugh Often, Drink Wine!

Camera Nikon D80, f/4.8. 1/400s, VR 18-55 lens at 30mm
ISO 140

NORTH AMERICAN WINE BLOGGERS CONFERENCE

Just a quick note to all my fellow wine bloggers/writers that there is going to be a Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma County October 24-26. Further information can be found at http://www.winebloggersconference.org/ . Should be a good time and I'm sure a lot of good wine will be tasted by all. Wish I could attend but I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass unless some deep pocketed wine consortium wants to send me? Yeah, right! Drop me a line if you plan on attending. Sit Long, Talk Much, Laugh Often, Drink Wine!

2006 LEESE - FITCH CHARDONNAY & KYBECCA ON THE TABLE

My second visit to a local wine store ended up with my car stopping in front of Kybecca on the Table , also in historic Fredericksburg, Virginia. This is the kind of wine store I'd like to open some day! Lots of affordable wines, a good sized artisan cheese selection and a lot of other items that you might want to pick up. They've also got a great web site and two locations in the Fredericksburg area. Very friendly and helpful staff made this shopping trip very enjoyable. I picked up a bottle of the 2006 Leese-Fitch Chardonnay based strictly on the unique corking system. You unfurl the plastic which leaves you with a nice plastic cork that easily fits back in the bottle. Since it was only $10/bottle I took a chance and purchased this one. Somewhat dry this Chardonnay, although from California, is made more in the "french style" which is, how does she say it, a good thing! Nice balanced fruit on the palate with an excellent soft finish. Did I mention it's a little dry? This one comes from the Don Sebastiani & Sons megaconglomerate, but I highly recommend it if you like the french styling of chardonnay. I gave it 4 Corkscrews and will purchase more in the future. Sit Long, Talk Much, Laugh Often, Drink Wine & Check out Kybecca

2005 FOREST VILLE CABERNET SAUVIGNON AND MARRIOTT COURTYARD

Well 365Corks is relocating to the Northern Virginia area after 2 1/2 years in a wine wasteland known as Little Rock, Arkansas. Love the area, people are great, but the wine availability is some of the worst of anywhere I've lived and the state legislature is hard at work trying to raise the tax rate on wine even more! I guess being ranked #5 of states with the highest tax on wine isn't good enough and they're striving to be #1. Still can't have wine shipped to you in the state. According to the good Governor, teenagers might order wine and have it shipped to them. You can't make this stuff up! On my relocation trip I stayed at the Alcoa (Knoxville, Tenn area) Courtyard by Marriott hotel. Great rate, nicely updated room, and a few munchies, cheese, crackers, chips and cookies at happy hour. Wine and Beer aren't free, $1 for Beer, $2 for Wine and Liquor, (probably a state law or something that they can't give it to you), but they are still affordable. That being said I ordered a glass of the 2005 Forest Ville Cabernet Sauvignon and $2.19 later I had my first taste. Not tons of fruit but drinkable and very little tanin. It was worth every penny of the $2.19! Not a great wine but worked out fine after a good eight hours on the road. I probably wouldn't pay a whole lot for this wine, I see it listed for $5.99/bottle on the Internet, which is probably the most I would pay. Not a lot of deep flavors but nothing off-putting either. I gave this one 3 Corkscrews based on its very affordable price and drink ability. Sit Long, Talk Much, Laugh Often, Drink Wine and Look out Northern Virginia!

2005 SAWBUCK CHARDONNAY

Today's reviewed wine is the product of a trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas for a gymnastics meet my favorite 10 year old was competing in. We made it a family trip and overall had a good time. We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Fayetteville which I can't highly recommend. Really small rooms and evidently no insulation or soundproofing was used in our room as we easily heard our neighbors every conversation late into the night. We picked up the 2005 Sawbuck Chardonnay for $6.99 at Liquor World a few miles from the University of Arkansas. I've been on their email newsletter list for some time and I guess I was expecting a little more. They've got a huge selection of wine but it is located in a strip mall and the store felt somewhat cavernous. I guess I like my wine stores a little more upscale and their pricing wasn't a whole lot better than what I've been able to find in Little Rock. On to the review. My first experience with this wine was less than memorable. Nothing on the nose and my first glass of this reminded me more of a Sauvignon Blanc. Very light, no oak or body to speak of and just uneventful. I admit this is a little old for a Chardonnay and may have been better in it's day. That being said my initial reaction was to give this a low 2 Corkscrews but after drinking this for a couple of days my mind has been changed. The second day this one was much better and earned another Corkscrew much to my surprise. Final tally, 3 Corkscrews based on price and taste. Don't kill yourself trying to find this but if you can find it for $5 or less, by all means give it a try. Sit Long, Talk Much, Laugh Often, Drink Wine!

>> 3/31/09

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