2007 Eyrie (far right) was my Wine of the Night

Sounds almost dirty.

The customer appreciation tasting at Hinton’s Wine Store is always held the last day of their 20% off wine case sale week. The store is usually filled with enthusiastic customers, eager to stock up on their daily drinkers or filling their cellars with premium collectibles. For 2010, the theme was Pinot from Oregon, with 20 Pinot Noirs, three Pinot Gris’ and one Pinot Blanc being poured.

As per usual with events of this sort, I generally just write a line or two about those I like or really didn’t like. I tried all of the reds, but only one white and it was after four reds, so I think that sort of sunk some of the flavors. Given we were there for about an hour and fifteen minutes, it was a bit exhausting getting through all of them. Fortunately, I fell right into “trade-tasting-mode” and did the swirl, sniff, swirl, sip and spit routine.

So, on with the show…

Argyle Brut Sparkling $24.99: On the lighter side, with some spicy pear and apple. I thought it was just okay.

2008 Adelsheim Pinot Gris $16.99: Did not taste.

2008 Adelsheim Pinot Blanc Chehalem Mountain $18.99: Did not taste.

2008 Adelsheim Pinot Noir $19.98: Didn’t wow me, but for $20, it was a solid drink.

2008 King Estate Pinot Noir $25.99: Straight shooting Pinot, but I think their Pinot Gris is the best thing they do.

2008 Forefront Pinot Noir Willamette Valley $20.99: I wrote down good value and later on at our wine & supper club event (to be written up later), I heard a few folks mentioned they liked it and had purchased it before.

2008 Ken Wright Canary Vineyard Pinot Noir $59.99: Sort of dull in the nose, with some silky red fruit on the palate. This seemed a bit shut down right now and with no experience in drinking these wines (which I know have fans), I can’t really say what I thought of this other than $60 is some serious jack.

2007 Archery Summit Premier Cuvée Pinot Noir $39.98: This got a relatively low score from Wine Spectator (85), but it was one of my favorites. It had vibrant acidity, along with rich black fruit flavors that intermixed with spice and earthy tones. For those who don’t mind some oak. I wouldn’t buy it for this price (which is already discounted), but I’d drink it on your dime.

2008 Ken Wright Carter Vineyard Pinot Noir $59.99: Big and rich fruit flavors, with a firm foundation of tannin. Keep this one for at least 3 to 4 years before opening, unless you really like a tannic Pinot. I thought this had the best potential for all the wines at the tasting, but again, at $59.99, you better really like it.

2009 Sineann Pinot Gris $19.99: One of my favorite white wines, I felt this was a bit fruitier and lighter than I remember past vintages being. It seemed to lack the minerality I’ve always found in it, but as I mentioned earlier, I consumed this after having already started in on the reds. It was right after the Ken Wright Carter, so I think that wine sort of disrupted my appreciation of this. Take that for what you will.

2008 Sineann Pinot Noir $29.99: Spicy and needs more time in bottle.

2008 Lange Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $24.99: No notes taken.

2007 Alexana Winery Revana Vineyard Pinot Noir $39.99: A joint venture between Dr. Revana (of some note in Napa) and Lynn Penner-Ash (of note from Oregon), this was my second favorite wine of the tasting. It was a mix of cherry, forest floor, spiced pine cone and minerals, all wrapped up in a tidy bow. For $40, I think it delivered a lot of flavor and complexity, along with the ability to continue developing over the next several years.

2007 Phelps Creek Becky’s Cuvée Pinot Noir $21.99: Nothing special for me.

2007 Penner Ash Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $41.99: Needs more time.

2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir $15.99: Made in the same style as Beaujolais, with whole clusters and carbonic maceration, this was very fruity, light and something for newbie red wine drinkers to try. It has been better in the past, as I got something in the nose that just didn’t sit right with me. It was almost artificial, but not in that banana-grape bubble gum way I associate with Beaujolais Nouveau. Decent, but not for me.

2007 Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Pinot Noir $36.99: Ripe fruits, with a spicy kick that I enjoyed. Beware the 14.5% alcohol and tame with chill and decant. I liked it, but wouldn’t buy it.

2008 LaChini Pinot Gris $16.99: Did not taste.

2007 Territorial Pinot Noir $16.99: Touch candied, but not bad for the price. Another good one for newbie red wine drinkers who want a real fruit forward wine. Chill and serve on hot summer nights, which we have plenty of right now.

2006 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir $59.99: One of the crowd favorites, but it didn’t really wow me. Perhaps I should have gone back for a second visit. I saw it as big, rich and spicy, but not overly complex and definitely not worth the asking price. WS, WE and WA all gave this 90 or above.

2007 Le Cadeau Diversité Pinot Noir $47.99: There are only 237 cases of this wine, which was another that needed more time to me. It was gentle upon entry, then expanded in the mouth as it unwound from its jacket of fine grained tannin. This is one that would require more exploration with to do it due justice, as I just had my small 1 ounce pour and moved on. Another one with excellent potential and while not cheap, not a bad price for what I think will be a patience rewarding wine.

2007 Eyrie Pinot Noir $32.99: The lightest in color, I’ve seen roses that were darker than this. The aromas were very bright, with loads of tart red fruits like pomegranate and cranberry. The explosion of flavor in the mouth is a great example of how dark color doesn’t always mean more flavor. This wine is loaded to bear with acid, but the sweet red fruit flavors make keep it from being bitter or unpleasant in any form or fashion. The slight baking spice finish made this an easy to drink wine. It was really quite refreshing. The price is still more than I’d pay, but only because of current financial circumstances. Otherwise, I’d buy this. My WOTN.

After that, my palate was spoiled and I didn’t write any notes for the last three wines, which were 2008 Elk Cove Mt. Richmond Pinot Noir $39.99, 2007 Angela Pinot Noir $52.99 and 2007 Daedelus Labryinth Pinot Noir. Sorry, I was still really won over by the Eyrie, which I went and got a second pour of. It was the only wine I drank both pours of. When you combine those tart red fruit flavors with tart acidity and some brown spices to finish, that is my kind of Pinot Noir. I think the heat and its refreshing profile also contributed to my enjoyment.

Overall, it was a fun tasting. While I’m not a Pinot-phile like my legendary blind tasting Champion wife, I have come to enjoy them, especially during the summer. While I tend to prefer New Zealand and California, tasting through all these products from Oregon was a lot of fun. It was interesting to see the variety of styles from a relatively small growing region, from light and a touch candied to dense with plenty of mouth gripping tannin. Cheers to Chris, his staff and all the distributors who put on the event.

Until next time, live well, love much and drink great wine…with friends.

2006 Villa Medoro Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

We buried a friend this week.

Mr. B was 70 years old and it was he and his wife who befriended my wife and I early in our days of attending wine tastings at Chris Hinton’s store in Alpharetta / Johns Creek. They were also frequent guests at my tastings when I was in the trade. I was smart enough to set my tasting to start an hour before those at Hinton’s, allowing those who chose to attend both since the drive time between the two locations was only about 15 minutes.

I remember Mr. B for his smile; constant adoration and attentiveness towards his wife / soul mate and the fact he didn’t like when I conducted the tastings in a blind format.

One of the most striking things I remember was that he (along with his beloved bride) really enjoyed wine. No pretense about brands, price or even types of wine. If he liked it, it was good. Those are the types of people I enjoy sharing wine with most and amongst wine lovers, it is actually a rare quality.

We didn’t have many times together, but I enjoyed the times we did have, including hosting them for Thanksgiving dinner one year and the Henriot Champagnes we shared earlier this year. While cancer may have taken his life, his spirit remains alive in all those who remember and miss him.

After the service was over, the priest informed us that there would be refreshments served in the Parish Hall. Of course, wine was part of the refreshments, as Mr. B would have had it no other way. We took time to give our condolences and hugs once again to Mrs. B, something we all have an unlimited supply of for her. We ate some light snacks, drank some wine and took a look at the photos from his life. When I go, I want people to pop Champagne and remember something nice about me.

Afterwards, a few of us from our supper club gathered at Luciano’s. We just wanted to toast Mr. B somewhere a little quieter. It was here that we had an absolutely fabulous wine, one which you really should seek out for yourself. The 2006 Villa Medoro Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is a wine that retails for around $19.99 (I’ve seen it at Bottoms Up Beverages and Whole Foods) retail. We paid $40, which was a pretty good deal for restaurant pricing.

For those who know the region, I’m sure you are wondering what in the world we were doing paying $40 for a bottle of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. This is a region better known for producing quaffable, light-weight wines that go for much less, with many of them between $5 and $10. When he brought out the bottle to show us the wine (it wasn’t on the list), I immediately recognized the simple but striking mirrored stripe. I’d read about the Tre Bicchieri review it received from Gambero Rosso, the source for Italian wine recommendations. 3 glasses is their highest accolade and I doubt you see it given very often to wines in this price point.

Anyways, the head bartender recommended decanting and we recommended it be chilled for a few minutes. Once the wine had cooled down a few degrees, it was poured into a decanter and then our glasses. It definitely needed some air, so I’d recommend 30 minutes in the decanter before service.

A moderately modern style wine, but with that certain earthy rusticity you always seem to find in Italian wines made from native grapes. It was fruity, but not jammy. The blackberry and plum flavors were well spiced, with a solid bite of acidity that paired really well with all the appetizers we consumed. I hope Mr. B was watching as we toasted him before our first sip. The wine was indeed a refreshment for tired souls.

Until next time, live well, love much and as always, drink good wine…with friends…

Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut

For those who know me, you are familiar with my affinity for this particular bubbly. I’ve posted about it before and have never been disappointed by this wine. For the under $20 price point, it may be the best value in domestic sparkling wine. Mumm Napa is the only other contender for my personal palate. I’ve paid $17.99 for it, but I did receive this particular bottle as a free sample, so take everything I say about it with a grain of salt. Actually, you should do that anyways.

One of the reasons I really like the Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut has to do with the terroir, which is fancy French for a “sense of place” for lack of a lengthy explanation. If you want to know more, just do like the rest of the planet and Google it. The other reason is the actual process of making the wine. Once again, it reinforces my belief in the wine being the greatest of all man-Nature collaborations.

Most California sparklers are produced with riper grapes, which makes sense since that is what California produces more of than anything else. I find the Roederer Estate Brut to be less fruity than your typical Cali bubbly, part of which is due to the region where the grapes are grown. Based on my looking up the location of the tasting room and guesstimating how far inland the tasting room is (I don’t know where the vineyards are), I’d guess they benefit from cooling effects of the Pacific. While the temperatures may get warm, the evenings bring cooler temperatures and allow for plenty of acidity to be retained. Combine this with the fact they use little to no malolactic fermentation and you’ve got a wine in my sparkling wheelhouse. Laser like in focus and on the austere side, this is a Champagne drinker’s style of bubbly.

If you want more fruit flavors or something “softer” and “friendlier”, check out many of the other California sparklers or get some Prosecco.

Technical stuff

• Alcohol – 12%
• pH – 2.95 (that is low and low = higher acidity = tart = good for food)
• Residual sugar – 1.2%
• Only cuvee (first pressing) juice is used.
• Aged for a minimum of two years (15 months is the minimum in Champagne for NV wine) on the lees.
• Some oak aged reserve wines are added, but I don’t know what percentage.

This is the sort of wine you want to pair with oysters, fried food or something a little sweet like sushi. The high acidity will cut right through the fattiness of anything fried and I imagine a fried oyster po-boy and this sandwich would sing like the Captain and Tennille. (Insert your favorite duo if you don’t like the selection which popped into my head. My parents watched that show a lot.) The flavors are primarily tart white and green fruit, with hints of spice and toast.

I still find this to be my preferred domestic bubbly, but can see where some palates would find this much too austere for their enjoyment. Your mileage will vary.

Until next time, live well, love much, drink great wine.

UPDATE: (3 hours post publication)

So, Ed McCarthy, author of Champagne for Dummies and co-author of other books with his wife, made the following Tweet regarding this particular post. While it isn’t a comment, I found it cool.

Click photo for link to actual page on Twitter

A small sampling of our culinary treats

Lasting as long as the closing volume to Peter Jackson’s vision of The Lord of the Rings, our wine group battled through fourteen different wines, four different cheeses, some amazing appetizers (including smoked salmon) and a dinner of beef tenderloin, Varenyky, grilled veggies and broccoli salad. It was epic.

For only our second formal gathering, I have to say the bar was set quite high with this particular cast. As usual, it was heavy on the new world wines, though all three of the whites did come from Europe which I found to be interesting.

To begin the festivities, we started with some Louis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne, which was actually purchased 2 to 3 years ago. I commented to the provider (and our gracious host for this installment) I thought that was actually the best way to consume NV (non-vintage) Champagne, as the extra time in bottle typically adds some richness and nutty character to the wine. It was a solid example of the region, with nice citrus and hints of yeast and toasted nuts coming through as well. We had four cheeses to snack on (along with smoked salmon, fresh chopped liver and assorted other munchies) and I thought the Champagne went best with the Robusto. A solid above average wine, but I still prefer their domestic stuff for the money.

After that, I made un-inspired sips at two of the whites. I didn’t care for the 2007 Chateau de la Greffiere Macon-la-Roche-Vineuse, but that is just more for personal taste reasons. It was a solid example of the region and for under $20, it is a nice introduction to white Burgundy. The 2008 Vina Godeval was a 100% Godello from Spain that was one of the more interesting whites I’ve had in quite a while. It had a nice complexity to it, with stone fruit, floral notes, spice and beeswax. If you want something off the beaten path for summer, this is a solid choice. I didn’t try the 2004 Carl Ehrhard Spatlese Riesling, but I’ve had wines from this producer and they have always been solid. I really meant to get back to it after all the reds, but I totally forgot about it.

Now, onto the reds, which from beginning to end were all above average to outstanding.

2005 Tolo Cellars Asini Paso Robles Red Wine (16.2% alcohol): A $28 from the winery blend of 60% Sangiovese and 40% Zinfandel, this had been opened in bottle for 5 hours, then decanted for 2 hours the day before. It was still as peppy as your local Starbucks barista who has enjoyed too much of their own product for anyone’s good. A bright melange of red fruits and licorice on the nose (the Sangiovese) gave way to more blackberry and bramble on the palate. I’d call this a  danger Will Robinson wine because of the high alcohol and too easy to slug palate. I wouldn’t pay $28 for it, but I was more than happy to drink it.

2007 Santa Ema Amplus One: I didn’t sample because I’ve had and raved about it before.

2004 Frog’s Leap Rutherford: A very easy to drink style of Cabernet that was lacking in any real tannin, but had enough acidity to keep it from falling flat on its face. A glass of subtle, yet flavorful black currant and black cherry. If you’ve got Napa Cabs from this hot and juicy vintage, I’d start drinking them now.

2003 Stella Maris Columbia Valley Red Wine by Northstar (14.5% alcohol): A blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon; 45% Merlot; 4% Malbec; 4% Syrah, this was the early contender for WOTN (wine of the night) for me. Earthy smoked herbs danced with dark red cherries in a graceful manner those folks on reality TV dancing shows can only dream of. It had a long, smooth finish and was a great pairing with the beef tenderloin. A fine second label effort that is drinking in its prime right now. As the evening wore on, the wine did begin to give way a bit and wasn’t as good the second time around, but I still enjoyed it. #2 for me, as I really liked the mix of both old and new world style.

2000 The Ojai Vineyard Santa Barbara County Bien Nacido Vineyard Syrah: A bowlful of blueberries and spice, this was smooth and easy to drink. I’m not a big California Syrah person typically and while this didn’t convert me, it was a fine effort for a wine I really thought would be past prime.

2005 Kilikanoon Barossa Valley Testament Shiraz (15% alcohol): I remember when my wine sensei first touted Kilikanoon wines to me. Like many red wine newbies, it was easy to love the fruit-laden style of Barossa Valley Shiraz, like a teenage boy falls for Sports Illustrated swimsuit models. I still find Kilikanoon wines to show more restraint and deft hand in obtaining balanced and refinement from their wines, as opposed to Mollydooker where the volume knob starts at 10 and goes up from there. Unfortunately, these big Aussie bombs have fallen on hard times and for those who like them, you can often score tremendous bargains. This wine has loads of tooth-staining black fruits, with nice baking spice and vanilla notes to round out the flavors. A big wine with soft tannins, a core of acidity and big rich flavors that will overwhelm all but the biggest of food.

2001 Stags’ Leap Winery Petite Syrah (14.2% alcohol): One of our two offerings, this was one of my earliest wines-to-lay-down acquisitions. Another wine I read about in Karen McNeil’s The Wine Bible. One of the most fascinating things about this wine is how it got trashed by one publication, but then lauded by two others. If I had been paying attention, I probably would have drank this earlier. It failed to exhibit my expectation of wrestling alligators with their teeth bared that makes Petite Sirah (I have no idea why they spell it with a Y instead of an I) such a great wine. It still had nice spice, black plum and blackberry fruit with hints of toast, but it just lacked the power I expected. Yes, I know the wine is 9 years old, but I wasn’t expecting it to have totally lost its grip. From what I am now reading, it may have never really had that strong of one to begin with. A good wine, but I really was hoping for more.

1999 Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille (14% alcohol): A wine from famed Italian winemaker Angelo Gaja, whom I associate more with Barolo than Brunello. I believe this wine had been opened for over 24 hours by the time we drank it and in talking with the host (and provider of this wine), we both concluded that may have been too much. While nowhere near dead or shut down, it seemed to have lost a bit of luster that you’d expect from such an expensive (retail is estimated around $130 – 140) and highly rated (91, 92, 93+) wine. Now don’t get me wrong, it didn’t suck, but it didn’t blow anybody out of the water either. It exhibited classic Brunello dark cherry, leather and floral character, but also a good bit of oak character in the smoke and chocolate notes. Tannins were relatively mild, but I should hope so after breathing as much air as this did. I think this would have been better the day before and a more fair comparison to the next wine. All in all, my third favorite.

2001 Talenti Brunello di Montalcino Pian di Conte: This was one of my first Brunellos, having tasted (and bought it for the store) it as a wine retail buyer. It was later in the day and we were the rep’s last stop, so after drinking and loving this so much, he offered me the remainder of the bottle. I corked it and proceeded to consume it later that evening, taking the same time to breathe in its perfume as I did in drinking it. When I departed my store, the owner gave me a bottle of this as a gift, as he remembered how much I loved this wine. I think the retail was $59.99. A very modern style, this drinks beautifully right now. Yes, it was a bit on the chewy side when we opened it, as it came right out of storage and was popped and poured, no decant time permitted. As the wine opened up, the spiced cherry with smoky cedar flavors sailed on in a finish that was easily in the 45+ second range. Fans of more old world, “traditional” Brunello might find this too much, but it wasn’t like we were drinking Napa Cab. You knew this was Italian, you knew this was Brunello and most important of all, you knew this was just down right tasty. While it wasn’t the overall crowd favorite (I don’t know what was), I know myself and two others were in agreement that it was ours.

Many thanks to our hosts for their generous spread of delicious food and wine, along with great hospitality. I know that myself and my wife are looking forward to the next gathering of Wineaux 75. Until then, be well, drink well and love well.

2002 Rotari Flavio

Summer time means that we’ll be doing fruit, bread and cheese platters for dinner more often than not. A simple meal, created by the selection of good ingredients and augmented by, you guessed it, sparkling wines from around the world.

While shopping Whole Foods, I found myself drawn to the display of aged gouda and no, I don’t remember or have the name written down. Like Al Davis is drawn to bad football decisions, I found myself returning not once, but twice after my initial sampling. That was when dinner was decided. Throw in some green grapes (nice and tart), fresh organic strawberries, triple crème brie, Boursin (with herbs and garlic), smoked salmon salad and a freshly sliced loaf of bread and there is dinner.

I wanted a sparkling with a bit more age on it, since I thought it would work better with the nutty caramel flavor of the aged gouda, which was the inspiration for the plate. There weren’t any Champagnes in my possession that I really wanted and I’ve been trying to hold off on my domestic vintage bubblies for a harder-than-heckfire-to-get-organized tasting with other local bloggers in the Atlanta area.

So, I spotted the 2002 Rotari Flavio and put it on ice. I loaded up the plastic pitcher with ice and water (50/50), threw in the bottle, stuck it in the freezer and umm…forgot to set a reminder to take it out and put it in the fridge. Oh well, I got a cool looking ice mold out of it. I may do that again in the future, just because I liked the way it looked.

This 100% Chardonnay comes from the Trento region in Italy, a place not nearly as well known for sparkling wine production as say Prosecco or even Franciacorta. Being the tête de cuvée (I don’t know the Italian equivalent) for Rotari, the grapes are all hand picked and de-stemmed. The gently pressed and cold macerated juice is split 60% to stainless steel and 40% to 1-2 year old oak barrels for aging for about 5 months. At that point, the assemblage or blend is made and the wine is put into bottle for the secondary fermentation. It will not be disgorged for 5 years, a long period of time to age on the lees.

One might expect a really toasty and yeasty styled wine with that sort of long term sur lie aging, but the autolytic character came across more in a toasted nuts fashion than heavy duty bread or honey. There was also a very strong citrus component, very much like someone had roasted some meyer lemons and sprayed their juice over the roasted nuts. I like the freshness in this wine, something you might not expect (nor find) in most sparkling wines of this age. A real tribute to the quality of the Chardonnay that goes into the bottle.

For those considering it, it does compare well to other $30 offerings and I don’t see anyone being real disappointed, but I have to be honest and say while this is an outstanding wine, I still have to profess the Riserva is the better value. Oh yeah, FULL DISCLOSURE: This was a press sample.

I couldn’t find any other blogger reviews, but this wine did garner 91 points in Wine Enthusiast.

Please comment, pass on to friends and join me on Facebook or LinkedIn. I’m here to help and love to answer questions and read comments.

Cheers,
Kevin

On an unrelated note, Atlanta hits the big time next year with their first Food & Wine Festival. You know, the magazine which does two annual festivals, one in Aspen, CO and the other in Miami, FL. Yep, now Atlanta has one of those too. Very cool.