Cupcake Vineyards

Adam Richardson’s first love is flying, earning his pilot’s license before his driver’s license. Before he became a winemaker, he was a lieutenant aviator in the Royal Australian Navy. He flew helicopter search and rescue missions for 8 years before making a dramatic change in careers, entering the world of the vine.

“You can spend your whole life looking for the bottom of the glass and not get there”.

I had the pleasure of meeting this true flying winemaker for dinner at one of Atlanta’s finest new restaurants, Miller Union. Adam is the head winemaker for Cupcake Vineyards, which is a part of the larger Underdog Wine Merchants organization. We enjoyed 9 different wines, along with great food during all three courses of our meal. FULL DISCLOSURE: The meal and wines were all covered by the winery, so I had to pay for nothing.

First, let’s talk about some of the highlights from our conversation.

Least favorite varieties to work with: Merlot and Pinot Noir. My wife was a bit taken aback by his lack of appreciation for Pinot Noir. We got to talking about it and he did say he loved (to drink) a good Burgundy, but that it could quite frustrating to really find those that really moved you.

Favorite variety to work with: Shiraz. He commented that his answer might seem obvious, being it is a major grape in his homeland, but he said that wasn’t the real reason. He felt Shiraz was a grape you could generally always make a good wine with, but that to make a distinctive, unique wine was a much more challenging task. It was finding that distinct voice which made it his favorite grape to work with.

Favorite wine to drink: Outside of his own wines, it was Barbaresco. His answer took me aback, as it wasn’t something I really expected. He said he was a big fan of German Rieslings as well, but when it came down to it, Barbaresco was his absolute favorite and it yielded my favorite quote of the evening, “You can spend your whole life looking for the bottom of the glass and not get there”. I thought this was a great way to describe the passion for a particular wine and it is one I feel like many Burgundy fans could identify with.

Worst thing he’s ever eaten: Adam is an enthusiastic cook whose favorite cook book is [AMAZON affiliate link] The French Laundry Cookbook. Not exactly lightweight stuff there. The answer to the question was lamprey eels that had been boiled in their own blood. He said it was as disgusting as it sounded. As for an unusual thing he’d eaten that he did enjoy, it was drunken prawns.

Approach to winemaking for Cupcake: In our conversation, I think I’d say Adam is shooting for a broad audience, but without making wines geared only for newbies. He wants to make balanced wines which exhibit typicity for their region and grape. His personal affinity for European wines and understanding of the US market make him well equipped to pull off his aim of creating value wines that wine drinkers of all experiences can enjoy.

Overall, I got the impression that Adam was quite a fan of food and wine, especially when you consider he is responsible for making wines on four continents and continues to add new wines to the portfolio. At this point in time, the Cupcake brand alone has 12 different wines, with more coming this Fall. From a business point of view, the brand is easy to remember and hints towards a more fruit driven style.

Here are quick notes on all the wines we tasted:

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand) 12.5% alcohol: As before, this was a very nice balanced approach to the grape, which can often exhibit overwhelming grapefruit and herbaceous character. This wine weaves together grapefruit, pear and sweet lemon flavors that make it suitable for drinking alone or with seafood, be it raw, grilled or sautéed.

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Pinot Grigio (D.O.C. Trentino, Italy) 13% alcohol: So, the wine world used to be pretty crazy for this grape, which I often found to be more akin to lemon water as the mass market producers tend to make it. This was actually pretty good and while I’d not personally run out to buy it, I’d have no issue with recommending this as a solid example of the grape.

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Riesling (Mosel Valley, Germany) 10.5% alcohol: We had a nice chat about German Rieslings and how they are becoming an endangered species in the wine world, as the vineyards are hard to work and many of the younger generation have no desire to work the land. At this price point, you have a nice wine that exhibits stone fruit and citrus, but lacked the punch of slate and overall flavor that I so enjoy from this region’s wines. I think you can do better with other choices.

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington) 13.2% alcohol: Creamier and drier than the German wine, I found this more to my liking. It just required the right food, which we weren’t really having and honestly, we sort of rushed through the two Rieslings and the next wine, as our entrees had arrived and we were eager to get to the whites. I’ve got a sample bottle of this in the fridge and think I may try it with some veggie spring rolls.

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay (Central Coast, California) 14% alcohol: Well made, with a nice balance to the oak and fruit flavors. The oak shows some character in the buttery vanilla nose, but the palate exhibits some nice tropical fruit flavors and I felt this was well made, though I don’t know if the world needs another $10 Chardonnay. This strikes a nice balance between the classic butter bomb Cali-style and the surging popularity of un-oaked wines. California Chardonnay fans will enjoy.

2007 Cupcake Vineyards Merlot (Central Coast, California) 13.9% alcohol: Juicy, but lacking any real character and was just sort of there. My least favorite wine of the night.

2009 Cupcake Vineyards Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina) 13.5% alcohol: Starts off with a great smoky leather aroma that lays over the black fruits, which make their presence known once you get this lovely drop in your mouth. I liked the sort of restraint this wine shows, as I’ve been finding so many Malbecs of late to be over ripened fruit bombs that are one trick ponies. This went really well with my NY strip, which was cooked to a perfect rare. (Thank you Miller Union!). This was my favorite wine of the night and something I’d buy.

Overall, the Cupcake brand is off to a fairly good start. They have an easy to remember name, no critters or low-brow marketing, an appealing price point and cover most of the major grapes. I had my favorites, as any wine drinker will, but it wasn’t like I found any of the wines undrinkable. Those I didn’t care for (Merlot and German Riesling) weren’t bad, I’ve just had better for the money.

A big thanks to Adam for taking the time to meet with me and my wife, we really enjoyed it.

Cheers!

Icons of the Andes

There are many ways to shop for wine.

One, is to read reviews as posted in the store.

Two, ask your local wine buyer for advice. (I highly recommend this)

Three, by the label. (Insert Charlie Brown Ugh)

Four, by the importer. What, you never heard of that one? Trust me, it is a good technique. If you see a name like Kermit Lynch, Terry Thiese, Robert Kacher, Grapes of Spain or TGIC Importers on the back label, odds are in your favor you’ve got a fine bottle of wine in your hand. Each have their own specialty and I could go on, but this post is focused on one, the only one with a link, TGIC Importers.

Tuesday night, Hinton’s Wine Store played host to two seated tastings of South American wines. Tickets were $10 per person if you are a member of their connoisseur club, $25 if not. There were 25 wines offered, with a heavy emphasis on the bigger reds. It was a bit disappointing to not see some of the other varietals represented, especially Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, both of which are doing well in Chile. The tasting was put on by TGIC and was called, Icon of the Andes. A fitting name since the mountain range forms a natural border between the two countries.

I didn’t try to sample every wine, as the tasting was scheduled for 1 1/2 hours, which means about 4 minutes per wine. Several of them I’d already had, some were not of interest (e.g. Chardonnays) and others I just didn’t get to. After all, we were there with friends and wine is more about the social than the drunk, though I did run into one example where the reverse was true.

Here were the highlights for me:

2008 Pascual Toso Malbec $12.99

Two vintages back, this wine was picked as the #1 value wine by Wine Enthusiast. Then the prices went up and well, it became less interesting and less of a deal. Now that the price has come down a couple bucks, this is once again a good deal. This is made in a very crowd pleasing, easy to drink style that typifies why Malbec is the wunderkid for Argentine wine. Packed with smooth black fruits and hints of smoke, this could be your burger’s best bud. I thought this was the best Malbec for the money.

2008 Achaval Ferrer Mendoza Malbec $21.99

This was my favorite Malbec of the evening and I think with a bit more air time, it would have show even better. A harmonious blend of red raspberry, boysenberry and mineral, this wine has very concentrated without being heavy. The acidity gave it long lasting buoyancy, driving the finish well into the 30+ second mark. If I wanted to brand purple with a flavor, I’d consider this wine.

2007 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon $17.98

I’m not sure why the wine was so heavily discounted, but for $18, I’d put this up against any other Cabernet Sauvignon in the $30 and under range. A great mix of old and new world, with an aromatic profile that leaned old, with more of that new world lush fruit on the palate. The flavors finished more old world, with a great combination of whiskey barrel, tobacco and a single grind of black pepper to complement the black currant fruit. I immediately craved steak au poivre.

2007 Montes Alpha Syrah Apalta Vineyard $17.98

Imagine this: a dimly lit coffee bar, a steady rain and bolts of lightning crashing outside. Picture a gentleman sitting by himself in the corner, a bolero and black trench coat cloaking him from sight, cigar in one hand, black coffee in the other. That is this wine. Dark, brooding, with a heavy emphasis on roasted flavors derived from the oak. If you don’t like oak, skip it.

2006 Montes Purple Angel $49.99

I’m so glad I have a sample of this. This was poured from a decanter, though I did neglect to find out how long it had been opened. A blend of 92% Carménère and 8% Petite Verdot, this was a stellar wine, but at a commanding price. Perhaps one of the top two or three examples of Chile’s claim to wine fame grape, this wine definitely will benefit from big food or more nap time, say another two years. There was a big nose of blueberry preserves, peppercorns (yes, I got this in all the Montes wines…sue me) and tobacco leaf, with a mouth gripping flavor of more dark berries, coffee and minerality, all wrapped up in silky tannins. An outstanding wine, but for $50, it better be.

2007 Santa Ema Amplus One $21.99 – WINE OF THE NIGHT

This marks the third vintage of this wine that I’ve had and it always delivers a great wine for the money. Once again, Carménère is the star, making up 75% of the blend. The balance is 20% Syrah and 5% Carignan, a grape you don’t see very often. I love the mix of dark red fruits, smoked meat, black pepper and tobacco. I have found every vintage of this wine to be consistently agreeable to my palate, so be aware of that bias. Later on, as the evening was winding down, my friend asked if what he was smelling in the wine was maple syrup. I said not quite, but I could definitely detect a note of caramelization. I didn’t get that, so I’m not sure if it was bottle variation or just the fact the wine had opened up a bit more. Either way, it was a pleasing aroma.

There were some other really good wines and varying opinions on what was good and what wasn’t, but I think everyone found at least a few wines they enjoyed. I know a few people even tried Carménère for the first time and enjoyed it.

Overall, I think Chile is a “better” wine region, primarily because you find more variety. Argentina is still fairly reliant on Malbec and while they have put a lot of effort into Torrontes, I personally think it will always be a niche grape. With Chile, you just have more variety from which to choose. While I was shot down on Twitter over this remark, I still think Malbec could end up “shirazing” itself.

I highly recommend you explore your local store’s offerings from these two great wine producing regions. If you like California, you’ll find more pleasure in Argentina. European wine aficionados should explore Chilean wines, which is really probably the most old world of the new world producing nations. Next time this event comes around, I really hope they bring out some Sauv Blancs and Pinot Noirs, as I think people would really be surprised.

Thanks again to all those who put on the event.

Cheers!

Toso Brut / 2004 Toso Extra Brut Reserve Sparkling Pinot Nor

For those who appreciate Argentine (is it Argentine or Argentinian…I’m going with the former) wines, Pascual Toso may very well be a familiar name. The bright orange labels, low to mid-teen price points and the use of Paul Hobbs as a wine consultant give them a solid bit of visibility in the marketplace.

In 2007, their 2006 Maipu Vineyards Malbec was rated the #1 value wine of the year by Wine Enthusiast. I bought as many cases as I could get and boy, did they fly off the shelf. Malbec was hot, especially for my store since there is a great (so I’ve been told…I never actually ate there) Argentine steak house not too far away. I was (still am) a big fan of Malbec and was slowly building a solid selection of South American (okay, Argentina and Chile) wines, since I felt they offered the widest array of styles and quality wines for the money. To this day, the Pascual Toso reds are still consistently good and I’d not hesitate to buy any of them.

Brut on left / Sparkling Pinot on right

Now comes the bad part. FULL DISCLOSURE: Both of these wines were received as samples. The bubbles aren’t very good. I popped and poured both the NV Toso Brut and the 2004 Toso Pinot Noir Extra Brut. I chilled them per my usual routine and then sampled them side by side, taking sips every 30 minutes or so. As you can see in the side by side photo, the 2004 sparkling Pinot Noir has just the slightest salmon hue to it. This is pretty common when it comes to a Blanc de Noirs, which though not labeled as such, this wine does qualify as. I wanted yall to see the color difference between the two, especially since the NV Brut is 100% Chardonnay. Too bad they don’t make a blend, I could have show you all three, though I suspect the blend wouldn’t be a lot different from the 100% Chardonnay version.

NV Toso Brut (estimated retail $10 – 13): So, the Brut is actually the better of the two. It is a fairly lean style, with some white citrus and a touch of mineral about all I can extract from it. It actually got a bit better as it warmed up, surprising since colder temperatures can often mask flaws. I guess that proves this wine isn’t really flawed, it is just kind of boring. If someone handed me a glass, I’d sip on it and quickly raid the fridge / bar for some fruit juice to mix it with. Personally, I’d stick to Cava or Prosecco. Not for me.

2004 Pascual Toso Extra Brut Reserve Sparkling Pinot Noir (estimated retail $30) I cared for this even less. I didn’t get any of the red fruit aromas one would associate with a wine made from Pinot Noir. There was also a distinct lack of autolytic (aka bread / yeasty) character, surprising for a wine that is almost six years old and spent two years resting on the lees. My notes are pretty lean, like the wine. I got a touch of under ripened blood orange that has been spritzed with sour red cherry mist. Doesn’t sound real intriguing to me either now that I’m reading it. Perhaps the wine is past its prime already? Or maybe it is in some weird phase. No matter, it just wasn’t something I cared for. Your mileage may will vary. Not for me.

Haiku
Argentine bubbly
Stumbles from start to finish
I will stay with red

Here are links to some other opinions:

What would Alpana drink? Alpana Singh is a Master Sommelier and she liked this wine.

The Wine Mule this is a LONG list of South American wine reviews organized by winery. Good read.

So, those were the only entries I could find that were made within the past 12 months. Everything else was older than that, so not as relative. So, it appears I’d be in the minority from what I can find. Oh well, just another proof positive on the fact tastes vary widely and you should trust your own, even when it comes to the “scary” world of wine.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great Thursday and oh yeah, for those in Atlanta, have you bought your bread and milk yet?

For those not from here, we are expected to get some snow here tomorrow and well, we Southerners are funny about our bread and milk supplies when the white stuff comes a down. I’ve never been able to figure it out myself, but hey, whatever floats your dingy.

Cheers,
Kevin

I walked in to Bullock’s on Saturday to pick up a couple of things for the weekend and before I knew it, I had this bottle in hand based on Tom’s recommendation. I’d not heard a lot about this wine before, but recognized the name Michel Rolland. He is one of, if not the most, famous flying / consulting winemakers in the world.

Without going into a lot of the background, since the point of this entry is to review a wine, he is a bit controversial in the wine world. He is often cast as the world’s largest proponent of micro-oxygenation, though from what I can gather, that is not the truth. This is a process where oxygen is introduced to the wine during either fermentation or the aging process. It essentially causes tannins to polymerize (aka get bigger), which makes them softer. It is like a time-machine for wine, propelling the wine forward along the upward slope of the drinkability curve. He didn’t invent the process, but does understand and uses it where appropriate.

I think a lot of people think he is one of those, in conspiracy with Robert Parker, Jr., who are major players in the homogenization of wine. Who. The. Freak. Cares? Wine is meant to be enjoyed first and yes, contemplated second, if at all. I understand some people are in the minimalist camp, preferring wines that are more pure expressions of the grape varietal and or terroir, a funny French word that essentially means a sense of place. I like those wines. I also like more manipulated wines, where there is heavy oak, micro-oxygenation, the use of spinning cones and all the other “tricks” wine makers have up their proverbial sleeves.

Yes, drinking wines that all start to taste the same can get boring, but with so many selections available to today’s consumer, only those with a closed (i.e. un-adventurous) palate will be doomed to such a fate. The market will always “correct” itself in the long run. Look at Australia. Once the darling of the wine world, with rave reviews from Mr. Parker, Wine Spectator and others, they did sort of start to taste the same. Now, you can barely give them away save for a few exceptions. The market corrected and will do so over and over again, just as it does with food, books, movies and celebrities.

At the end of the day, I just like good wine and can appreciate all styles, with the exception of heavily oaked Chardonnay. They just suck.

So, where were we? Oh yes, the wine. This is a large collection of wineries that got together and all contribute to this blend. They make their own wines as well. This is always a blend and as typical with these (and most) wines, the blend changes every year.

Price: $19.99 – bought at Bullock’s in Woodstock.

Origin: Mendoza, Argentina.

Blend: 48% Malbec, 28% Merlot, 12% Syrah, and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. I love blends and really need to be on the look out for more of them.

Service: Decanted for 1 hour before serving. Consumed from Riedel Syrah and Bordeaux (they fly solo these days due to my breaking their mates) glassware.

Aromas: Obvious French oak with a lot of spice on top of all the extracted black fruits. It definitely smells sweet and portends to the fruit bath awaiting your tongue.

Flavors: As I said, it is very fruit forward, but there is plenty of structure (i.e. acid and tannin) to keep the fruit from becoming fodder for Sunday morning pancakes. It had good grip, with delicious plum, currant and blueberry fruit flavors. There is a nice smokiness to the spicy finish that really improves with air. You can drink this now or lay down a couple of bottles and enjoy over the next 2 to 3 years with ease.

Pairing suggestion: Meat…red…served Hannibal rare.

Final word: I waffled on this one, bordering between above average and outstanding. Honestly, it doesn’t really matter. You should check out your local wine shop’s Argentine section and pick up a bottle. Unless you are one of those who live with both feet in the Old World wine camp. Your lot should tuck tail and run, screaming “Terroir or Death!” all along the way.

Haiku:
Blue fruited compote
Throw down some spicy smoke tang
Prepare for battle!