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I’m ba’ack…with Burgundy +

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

The Passover season now behind me, I’ve run out of excuses for my prolonged absence from the blogging sphere.

In recent weeks I’ve attended two meetings of my Burgundy wine club, and though in the midst of the Passover selling season, I broke away for an hour to visit a favorite portfolio tasting – the annual Polaner tasting on March 16th.

The Polaner tasting is one I’ve written about several times before. The folks at Polaner have amassed a very impressive portfolio of producers, and the annual tasting is an amazing showcase for those in the industry to speak with the producers and taste the new releases.

An hour is not nearly enough time to make anything more than a cursory dent in the wines offered. In between talking kosher-wine with several industry contacts, I managed to try at least 1 wine from 14 different producers. Being partial to the crispness of Burgundian whites I stopped by the tables of Chablis producer Domaine Gilbert Picq whose wines were fresh, bright, clean, crisp & really quite delicious – incredibly versatile wines that are perfect for the approaching warm weather. I tried some other Burgundian Chardonnay’s and once again re-discovered why so much of the world is trying (and IMO failing) to mimic the Chardonnay of Burgundy. These wines on the most basic level manage to integrate fruit, wood & acid better than the Chard’s from the rest of the world that are either over-oaky, over creamy (malolactic) or flabby and seriously lacking natural acidity. But I digress…

I tried some Loire wines & some Champagne and then ventured over to the Italian wines where I had a couple more whites before moving on to the few reds I tried. Di Barro made a “Mayolet” (not a varietal I was previously familiar with) that was nice, light & fruity. And I tried a Carricante Bianco from Calabretta that was subtle, spicy & interesting.

Francesco Rinaldi & Figli had 2 Barolo’s whose tannins, fruit, cola flavor & bright acidity I thoroughly enjoyed. But a producer whose wines have stood out in the past were once again being poured by the proprietor & winemaker – Luca Roagna of Roagna Winery. I’ve been WOWed by the wines of Roagna at previous Polaner tastings and I was not disappointed on this occasion. The white – the 2005 Langhe Bianco Solea made from 95% chardonnay & 5% nebbiolo was incredibly unique, showing bubblegum, nutmeg & floral characteristics. The 2000 Barbaresco Paje had black cherry, tar & earthy traits, showed a bit of (pleasant) oxidation, had huge gripping tannins and a LONG finish. The 2005 Barolo Vigna Rionda also showed red & black fruit, tar & earth, but this wine was fresh with a wild (and again PLEASANT) manure aroma. LOVED IT! Finally, Luca as is his custom, rinsed my glass with the next wine to be tasted and poured a Barolo Chinato (dessert wine) that had amazing dark spice characteristics ranging from nutmeg & cinnamon to basil & rosemary with appealing floral & perfume aromas. Nice!

As indicated above, I recently participated in two Burgundy club tastings. The first a few weeks ago and the second this past week. A few weeks ago we did Corton…

and this past week we did Volnay…

Without getting into too many details, I continue to find most of these wines to be rather remarkable. Lively & complex is how I would put it most succinctly. But overall, these wines are funky, long lived, and loaded with character.

My favorite of the Corton is tough to call as these Grand Cru Burgundy’s were all uniquely special. But if pushed into a corner I’d say the ’95 Corton Renardes (Gaunoux) Grand Cru was my favorite as this brick orange wine started with aromas of wet leaves & earthiness. It evolved to show mocha, red berries & some cola. On the palate it had great acidity, nice fruit & a minerally earthiness that was fresh & lively. The only disappointment was its finish which was long but maybe not as long as some others.

The Volnay tasting was a real treat – six 1er Cru wines, all but one from the 90’s. But here my favorite was indisputable – the Comte Armand Volnay Fremiet 1er Cru 1999. This deep clear ruby wine had cherry pie, earth, pine needle & mushrooms aromas. On the palate it showed cherry cola & tart berries. It was soft, plush, lite, fresh & lively with silky tannins and a finish that seemed to go on & on & on & on…. WOW! But there is more. After we tasted through the 6 wines once we re-visited. I thought all the wines showed better the second time around (maybe ’cause I was a bit buzzed at this point) and the ’99 Comte Armand opened up to show violets, roses & an overall perfume nose that was not there the first taste. A premier Cru Burgundy that can be had for about $75 and was IMO the star of the night.

I welcome you all back following my prolonged absence. Going forward I will probably continue to WRITE less, but I do intend to introduce a new dynamic to the blog…more details to follow…

Happy wine tasting!

WTG

Tags: Burgundy, Comte Armand, Corton, Michel Gaunoux, Polaner, Volnay
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Trump event wine refresher

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

So the one (and a half I guess) handed WINE TASTING GUY made it out of Trump International Golf Course in one piece. Actually, the event went great as a whole, and pretty well for me. I think there were about 120-150 golfers, and then a total of about 350 people who made it out for the dinner reception & auction to benefit the St Jude’s Childrens hospital hosted by Eric Trump with special guest Jimmy Fallon (wow, there’s a mouthful).

But back to the wine, I got to taste and talk wine with lots of great people. Some of whom I met last year, and others I met today for the first time. What can I say, people enjoyed the wines, many placed orders and in general they were just real cool. I intend to stay in touch with some and talk more wine.

As for the wine we opened 2 reds & 2 whites. The wines are all C & D wine Selection wines (the wine sponsor) and all were very well received. C & D specializes in wines that taste like $100 & cost under $20. It was fun asking a bunch of guys what they thought the Bordeaux I was pouring cost. I heard $150, $120 & $90. When I told them they could get a bottle for $15 they nearly tackled me and took all that I had. For the record the Bordeaux was the 2005 “Chateau Tour de Gilet” Bordeaux Superior. The wine, a very unique blend of 60% Petit Verdot with 40% Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot is a young Bordeaux showing nice fruit with great tannic structure and good acidity. Truly a steal at under $20.

Salitis BACK

Working my way backwards through the wines, next up was the 2005 Chateau Salitis Cabardes, another unusual blend, this time consisting of Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah & Grenache. This fruit forward Languedoc gem had the folks raving about its fresh fruit flavors and long sensuous finish.

Faugeres-Mas-Olivier-blc (2)

Though I did not have a Chardonnay (I know, ABC – “anything but chardonnay”), I did have a very cool, full(er) bodied white. Another Languedoc gem – a Faugeres Blanc – the 2008 Mas Olivier Faugeres. Only about 5% of Faugeres is made white (mostly red wines are made there), and this one tastes like a top Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc. A lovely blend of 80% Marsanne & Rousanne with the remainder Grenache Blanc and Rolle. Medium bodied & creamy with tropical fruit flavors this wine was also a big hit.

Domaine Adele Rouze Quincy

Finally, my suggestion for most refreshing wine of the day was the 2007 Domaine Adele Rouze Quincy, a sauvignon blanc from the Quincy region of the Loire Valley. Crisp, tart & refreshing with lime & green apple aromas & flavors, this wine was gulped by many a parched golfer.

In all once again it was a terrific day and I was thrilled to play a small role at such an incredible event for a great organization & cause.

Happy charitable golfing & wine tasting!

WTG

Tags: Trump
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wrist update, Trump Invitational & Dalton wine tasting update

Monday, September 14th, 2009

Chugging along here. Wrist is still in a cast & it seems I have a long way to go. I’m told it could take a full 3 months. It has only been 3 weeks. AHHHHHHHHHHH…….

Cast & all, I will be wearing my Wine Tasting Guy hat tomorrow. For the second straight year I have been invited to talk about wine to those in attendance at the Trump Invitational Golf Tournament put together by the Eric Trump Foundation to raise money for St. Jude’s children’s charity.

I had lots of fun at last years event. Met some Trump family members who were all pretty cool. And the golfers were all quite receptive to the wines I was pouring, many of which were Israeli wines. Hope I will have a story to share with you following tomorrow’s event.

Finally, I had the pleasure to attend a tasting of Dalton wines last week. Dalton is an Israeli based winery, located (and with vineyards) in the Galilee region of Israel.

The tasting was led by proprietor Alex Haruni. And it was A TREAT!

We tasted 9 wines in all, including 2 as of yet not on the market. One, the 2006 “Super Premium” (shown above with white label and Hebrew writing), will be released Spring 2010. And the second unreleased wine is a fortified Muscat was a single vintage example of a wine which is to be made using the “Solar System” (as is done with Spanish Sherry). The final blend is expected to be a blend of 5 vintages so we got an EARLY preview as the 2006 we tried is the first vintage. I hope Alex & family don’t drink it all and have the willpower to save some for the loyal customers. 😉

Of the wines presently on the market, there were as usual a few standouts.

The 2007 Dalton Viognier (wild yeast fermented) is both fermented & aged in oak barrels, of which 1/3 has NO YEAST ADDED, left alone for spontaneous fermentation. The wine had a golden lemon color, with aromas of honey & melon. Flavors of honey, flowers, vanilla, cream & toasty oak led to a long toasty finish.

We did a mini vertical of Dalton reserve Merlot – 2005 & 2006. Though it seemed Alex preferred the 2006 which had fewer herbaceous notes, I enjoy this bit of what I believe is Israeli terroir and preferred the 2005. But that might also have had to do somewhat with the extra year of bottle age that I thought led to a softer wine.

The 2005 Dalton reserve Merlot had a lite garnet color that faded to burnt orange at the rim. Subtle red fruit and herb aromas led to an elegantly soft & fruity palate that finished long and smooth.

The 2006 Dalton reserve Merlot was garnet with ripe red fruit flavors. Full bodied and extracted, the pure fruit on the nose and palate were supplemented by chewy tannins and an acidity that I believe will soften with a year or so of bottle aging. The wine had a long finish.

The 2006 pre-released “Mattatiah” (AKA Super Premium) is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Cabernet Franc. This wine was made with 200% new French oak (new oak for one year taken out of barrels and then put back into brand new oak for another year), very low yield vineyards, and when released about 1 year of bottle age. The wine is clear ruby, dark to the edge. Black fruit and sweet oak aromas lead to a ripe, concentrated, soft & plush wine with a pleasant & rich long finish.

Happy one-handed, charitable golfing & Israeli wine tasting!

WTG

Tags: Dalton, Eric Trump Foundation, Trump invitational
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Computerized sommelier

Monday, July 27th, 2009

Wikipedia tells us that “a Sommelier or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, commonly working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service.”

It proceeds to explain that “the principal work of a sommelier is in the area of wine procurement, storage, wine cellar rotation, and to provide expert advice to customers.”

Huh. Procurement – sure & advice – OK, we knew that. But storage & interestingly enough “cellar rotation”…cool.

I bring up the job of a sommelier as I recently read a piece by Uncorked columnist Nathaniel Bauer about mobile wine apps. Bauer is critical of many of these apps, citing long loading times, difficulty sorting through information provided, and information provided being outdated (he mentioned a recommendation to pair his food of choice with a 1980 Cali Zin).

Today I read a related article noting two web sites with which I am familiar, Epicurious (which I frequently use) and snooth, have teamed up to provide a “computer generated wine pairing service”.

Now I must admit, maybe there is some jealousy involved here. A few years ago I was pondering a similar service but never went through with it. Common problem…how to monetize. BUT, assuming my feelings are not based on envy, I must admit that I am a bit cynical here. There are tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of wines out there. And food, with all its variations (spices, prep method, etc)…how can a computer process all the ingredients in a dish, consider side dishes, know which wines are available, and spit out the “proper” wine??? As if there even IS a “proper wine”. Aren’t all wine people preaching these days that drinkers should drink WHAT THEY LIKE?!?

Who knows, maybe this or some other copy cat software will revolutionize the way wine consumers purchase & pair their wines. But I have a sneaky suspicion (and a killer business idea) that thinks the revolutionary idea is still out there…

Happy computer generated wine choice wine tasting!

WTG

Tags: computerized sommelier
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box wine part IV

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

It has now been about 3 weeks since I first opened up the Andes Peak Chardonnay.

These wine in box work REALLY WELL!

Taking a look at the picture you can see that these airtight bags inside the box really do keep air out. When pouring wine from a bottle, air replaces the space in the bottle vacated by the wine. But just like vacuum packed foods, here, when the wine leaves, there is no air entering and the wine maintains its freshness.

I know it is not as romantic as popping the cork and pouring a glass bottle. But hey, if it is the juice inside you are after & you have yet to try a boxed wine, I strongly encourage you to check one out.

THREE weeks after opening the Andes Peak Chardonnay it is alive and well. Just like last week’s tasting it is missing a bit of the freshness it initially had, but I detect NO oxidation and found the wine to be quite pleasant. Not bad huh?!

Happy 3 week old boxed wine tasting!

WTG

Tags: boxed wine
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Burgundy continued; Chablis – William Fevre

Sunday, July 12th, 2009

My wine club’s Burgundy theme continued this past week, summer style, with the white wines of Chablis. “Chablis is the northernmost wine district of the Burgundy region in France”. The wines of Chablis are (generally) made from 100% Chardonnay. We had a sort of vertical tasting, though not really. Vertical implies tasting the same wine from various vintages. Here the group ended up getting 7 wines from the highly regarded William Fevre winery of Chablis. We tasted 5 grand cru wines and 2 premier cru wines, from the 2003, 2004 & 2006 vintages.

Before getting into the wines themselves, I must confess that I am at a point in my wine appreciation where I immensely ENJOY white wines, but have not come across too many I believe to be outstanding and that merit high price tags. $20, OK. $30 – sure, why not (if you can afford it). But much more than that…well, I’ll pass. That said, SOME of the wines of Chablis that I have been fortunate enough to taste are so UNIQUE, given their characteristic steely & flinty profiles, that this tasting was one I was prepared to splurge for and quite excited about. Bottom line, while some of the wines showed that uniquely special flinty/steely quality, others were heavy on the oak, and though they had a nice crisp acidity, did not strike me as special.

The first wine we tasted was the 2004 “Mountmains” 1er cru. This wine did NOT say “Domaine” on the label (though the Mountmains above DOES say domaine) and presumably was made from purchased fruit. This wine had obvious oak and while it was a nice Chardonnay it was not (to my very amateur palate) a special Chablis wine.

The second wine was the 2004 “Fourchaume” 1er cru. This clear lite gold wine had a green tint and a very evident steeliness. Almost metallic and (to me) quite pleasant, this wine also showed a hint of nuttiness. Bright, crisp & steely, it had great minerality and was a fine example of Chablis.

Next was our first Grand Cru and also the first produced “domaine”, (as were the remaining 4) what we presumed was an estate wine (grown, vinified & bottled on estate property). The 2006 Bougros Grand Cru was a clear straw wine with green reflections (or so it appeared on the dimly lit patio in midtown Manhattan where we were tasting). Aromas of stone fruit such as peach and apricot led to flavors of tart fruit, tangy (unripe) tropical fruit & a bracing acidity. It finished toasty & long, and while it is not what I think of when I think of Chablis, it was quite nice.

Moving right along into the 2006 “Les Preuses” Grand Cru which had a clear straw color. Typical oaked chardonnay aromas of melon, citrus & toast, this wine was quite elegant on the palate and had flavors of toast & flint. It finished tart, crisp & long.

The 2004 “Les Preuses” Grand Cru had a wide range of aromas; from lechee and apricot to grilled peaches. Fruity & creamy flavors were reminiscent of peach cobbler. It finished long with sweet bready/yeasty flavors.

The 2004 “Vaudesir” Grand Cru had a bit of funk to it. Limestone, sea shells & bready yeast aromas led to tart citrus flavors & a long bitter (nearly unpleasant) finish.

Our last wine was the 2003 “Valmur” Grand Cru. Sadly this wine was oxidized. I tried to smell/taste it but its funky oxidization was too much to overlook and this wine was not tastable.

Overall another fun & interesting tasting. Not my favorite, but a pleasure nonetheless – one I feel privilledged to have been a part of.

Happy Chablis wine tasting!
WTG

Tags: Burgundy, Chablis, William Fevre
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Drunken Badger & boxed wine part III

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

In what has to be one of the funniest/most bizarre alcohol related news stories I have read in a WHILE, a drunken badger was passed out DRUNK in the middle of a road in Germany.

(who knew badgers were substance abusers?)

Apparently the badger got his paws on a batch of overripe cherries that had begun to ferment, turning its natural sugars into alcohol. I wonder what Mr. badger thought of the Cherry wine. I’ll have to get his tasting note 😉

On an unrelated note, as promised, I revisited the boxed Chardonnay tonight for the 3rd time, 15 days after opening it for the first time.

Folks, it is real simple, oxygen can be a wine’s best friend and worst enemy. A just opened bottle of wine can benefit from some (controlled) exposure to oxygen. Decant it, swirl it in your glass…whatever – it helps!

But, PROLONGED exposure to oxygen and your wine will oxidize and become unpleasant & medicinal.

The Andes Peak Chardonnay, 15 days after being opened, and stored in its oxygen free packaging in the refrigerator, is still ALIVE & WELL!

It seems to have lost some of its youthful freshness. And this was not the most complex/exciting wine to begin with. But it is STILL drinking very nicely, showing toasty, citrus & melon aromas and flavors.

Part IV to follow next week.

Coming soon, my review of the William Fevre Chablis tasting I enjoyed with my wine tasting group last night.

Beware of drunken badgers & Happy 2 week old boxed wine tasting!

WTG

Tags: box wine, drunk badger
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Tishbi Wine/Food event

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

I mentioned last week that I attended an Israeli wine tasting of Tishbi Wines. In addition to the wines there was some gourmet accompaniments such as artisan olive oils & fruit preserves which are “produced from the actual Tishbi wines according to a range of varietals“.

I’m not sure what to say other than I was BLOWN AWAY!

Led primarily by Oshra Tishbi of the Tishbi family, people were having so much fun that the tasting went on for ours…in a hot room with no air conditioning (it broke). The questions were great, the discussions lively and the food and wine terrific.

I must make a confession here. I have not been a huge supporter of Tishbi wines. When in Israel on a recent trip I stopped by a Tishbi Cafe in the Zichron Yakov area. The food there was great and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the wines. Why had I previously not been a huge supporter and why was I so surprised? Well, lets just say that growing wine vines in an area more suitable to bananas or oranges doesn’t make for the highest quality wine grapes. Wine grapes need cool nights (which do not exist where most of the Tishbi owned vineyards are) and do better in nutrient poor soils.

So how was it that I was so pleasantly surprised and the wines were so well received by all? For one thing – good wine making. But more importantly, the Tishbi folks have contracts with growers in the prime grape growing regions and are making their higher series wines from said HIGH QUALITY FRUIT.

A crowd favorite white was the 2008 Chenin Blanc. It is a semi-dry wine but I did not pick up much sugar at all in the wine. It had a nice acidity that kept it lively. And if I am not mistaken this wine DID come from the aforementioned Tishbi vineyards. Goes to show you.

Also of interest were the locations of the vineyards of the 3 reds I enjoyed most.

The 2006 Estate Shiraz is made from fruit grown in the Judean Hills. For several years now I have been saying that I believe the Judean Hills is a region where the Merlot & Shiraz do really well. Not producing wimpy wines, these varietals really pack a punch when grown here. I picked up on the characteristic Israeli herbs in addition to a ripe plum & kirsch liquor thing. The wine had a touch of heat, but also had a long finish and was well liked.

The 2005 Estate Cabernet is made of fruit grown where I think Cabernet does best in Israel – the Galilee (AKA Galil region). Typical and quite pleasant black fruit with a touch of Israeli herbaceousness this wine also had a nice long finish.

And interestingly enough, the last DRY red wine was a desert (not dessert) wine. Made from grapes grown in the negev desert, the 2004 Sde Boker (the region within the negev) Special reserve was indeed special. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot & 10% Cabernet Franc, this wine had aromas and flavors of blueberry, plum and mocha chocolate with silky tannins and an almost sweet long finish.

But the surprises did not end with the wines. Those fruit preserves were DELICIOUS. Not yet commercially available in the US, I STRONGLY suggest you keep an eye out. We tried about 5 flavors, but my favorite was the “Sangria” flavor. Aromas and flavors of berries, jasmine & cinnamon; spread on a cracker, a piece of bread, or (don’t tell) straight off the spoon – WHAT A TREAT!

Many thanks to all who participated. I am especially happy to have had the opportunity to try these wines as I will be recommending them, especially the Estate series which I think are of great value.

I continue my wine group Burgundy tasting tomorrow night – SUMMER STYLE. We are doing Chablis! Yes, I’m excited. I also have to revisit the boxed Chardonnay. It will be two weeks tomorrow night. I’m a bit scared, but looking forward to that as well. Until then…

…Happy Tishbi wine & fruit preserve wine tasting!

Tags: Tishbi fruit preserves, Tishbi wines
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Andes Peak boxed wine – part II

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

It is one week since I opened up this boxed wine and I went in for wine tasting #2. My mini-Manhattan style refrigerator is space-challenged, so while it was kept in the fridge, it was not kept in the vertical position as instructed on the side of the box. But hey, to heck with instructions.

So, what did I think of the wine???…

(t-shirt available for purchase here – I have no affiliation with this site)

It was pretty darned good. As a matter of fact, looking at my old tasting notes I think I found it to be an EVEN BETTER wine tonight.

The nose opened up a bit showing toasty & citrus notes. While on the palate I found that the tart-bitterness mellowed a bit and it had nice vanilla and melon flavors. Same crisp, pleasant finish. And NO SIGNS OF OXIDATION.

Nice job!

Part III, coming soon…

Happy week old boxed wine tasting!

WTG

Tags: box wine
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Andes Peak Select – Box wine (part I)

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

Two weeks ago, prior to heading out to the Bay area (of California) for the family gathering celebrating the birth (and bris) of my nephew Jonah, I received, on consecutive days, those pesky notes from a delivery company that they was attempting to deliver a package when I was not home to accept it. I hadn’t ordered anything but speculated that it might have been a wine sample. Sure enough I was eventually home to accept said package and it contained the familiar “contains alcoholic beverage – must be signed by adult…” label on the outside. I am generally made aware of pending wine sample deliveries, but this one had no advance warning. I try to open these packages quickly (even if I am unable to get to tasting them right away) so I can put them in proper storage – especially this time of year & even more so when a wine has been on the back of a truck for consecutive days. So I opened the package and low and behold I had just been sent two 3-liter packages of boxed wine.

andes-peak-box-wine1

I’ve recently spoken about alternative packaging, in particular as it relates to its smaller carbon footprint. Also of special note in particular for boxed wine is its ability to remain fresh longer, given its container. It is actually a “bag-in-a-box”, and as wine is dispensed (from its cool spout) it releases wine but does not allow that wine to be replaced with air. The bag simply contracts, keeping oxygen out and preventing any possible oxidizing of the wine. Instructions on the side of the box tell the consumer that after opened the wine should be stored in a vertical position in a cool and dry place. They say it should be consumed within 2 weeks, but I’d bet it will be “alive” for even longer – though it will likely lose some of its freshness.

This box is easily transported and great for taking to BYO parties, bar-b-Q’s or picnics. It is recyclable, presents great value and while some might think me crazy for saying, damn fun to pour. It reminded me of an old beer ball or other fun mini-keg gadget I used back in college.

But the bottom line is, how was the wine???

I must say, not bad. not bad at all.

I have been hearing/reading positive things about Chardonnay from Central Valley Chile. Hearing of their acidity, something I find imperative for chardonnay to be decent, especially in the summertime when I am looking for crisp refreshing wines rather than the heartier wines of winter.

Well, the 2008 Andes Peaks select Chardonnay (from box) has a clear straw color with a slight green tint. It has bready and steely aromas, with light citrus notes. Flavors of tart green apple, lemon zest and hints of spice and melon were complimented by a refreshing bracing acidity and medium + finish.

Now I titled this post “part I” as I plan on re-tasting this wine several times over the next few weeks and look forward to reporting my findings. I will also report on the 2008 Andes Peak Cabernet Sauvignon box wine. But until then…

Happy bag-in-box Wine Tasting!

WTG

Tags: Andes Peak, chardonnay, wine in a box
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