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…

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.

The same evening the Vazart Coquart was consumed, my wife and I went out to eat with friends at a local Italian restaurant. While the sweltering temperatures outside were almost duplicated inside, we still had a nice time with some good food and this Chianti from a favorite producer of mine.

First up, I’ll be more than willing to declare I’m not a big Italian wine drinker. Yes, I do enjoy their sparkling wines, one of which I’ll be reviewing in an upcoming post. When it comes to the reds, it isn’t a section we do a lot of shopping in. We will grab the occasional Chianti and I do enjoy a good Primitivo, though I’ve not bought one in quite some time.

When I worked retail, I carried the entire lineup from Querceto, so I will say I’m a bit partial to this producer. It was also one of the few (maybe the only) wines I recognized on the restaurant wine list and it went for $38, which wasn’t bad since this is about a $20 wine at retail. The base Chianti will usually run around $9 and the Classico around $16.

Before committing, I did ask to see the vintage. They presented the 2005 and I said that would be fine, knowing the wine should still be in great drinking shape, assuming it was stored properly.

Quick lesson: Chianti Classico is one of 7 sub-regions within Chianti. It is the most commonly seen in the US and is the heart of the original region before expansion. Most would consider it to be the best place to make these types of wine. Riserva indicates a minimum aging of 24 months, with at least 3 in bottle. It doesn’t indicate (by law) anything more than that, though some producers may reserve all or most of their best parcels for Riserva.

The wine itself could be served at a cooler temperature, but then again, I find that with most red wines, especially in the majority of restaurants. As the wine sat in the glass, it did open up, so I recommend a good 30 – 45 minute decant and again, 65 degrees is where you want this to be at. I’d drink this now and over the next year or so for maximum pleasure.

A bit closed up at first, with the usual bright acidity and slightly astringent tannins showing more than anything, this really went much better with the food. Granted, I’d say that for just about all wine, but especially Italian reds. Once opened up, the flavors of dark cherry covered with bittersweet cocoa powder and baking spices made for an especially good pairing with my eggplant parmigiana. The acidity in both the wine and the sauce made for a sweeter taste in the marinara, but it also helped reduce the heavy nature of fried eggplant covered in cheese.

Next time I have this, I’ll order something with some spicier meats in it, like pepperoni or spicy ham. Now that I think of it, California Pizza Kitchen’s Sicilian Recipe frozen pizza (don’t judge) would work really well with this.

Overall, it was an above average effort and a solid value in comparison to sibling wines. I’d buy this again, though I’m usually pretty happy with the regular Classico for the $16 price point.

Haiku
Italian treat
From the core of Chianti
Pair with spicy meat

P.S. My apologies for the lack of a real photo. I did take one with my phone while we were out, but I seem to have deleted it before transferring it over to my computer. Oops. Oh well, you get the picture.

What others thought:

• Wineheimer (another local Atlanta wine blogger)
• Amant de Vin

Cheers,
Kevin

Well hello there...

If you want to know what seduction tastes like, drink Amarone. Yes, I still think sparkling wines are all that and a can of corn, but a recent wine reminded me how wicked an Amarone (or Ripasso in this case) can be.

Don’t know what an Amarone is? That would be surprising considering most wine blog readers are oenophiles themselves, but I’ll provide the quick lesson. In the northeast of Italy lies a region called the Veneto. There within is Valpolicella, the home of four styles of wine:

• Valpolicella – soft, easy to drink reds made from a blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara.
• Ripasso – a Valpolicella which has had the pomace (leftover skins) of Amarone and or Recioto wines used in the process.
• Amarone – a Valpolicella where the grapes are harvested later (early October) and then dried (traditionally on straw mats) to remove water and concentrate the sugars. One rumor has it this dry style was an accident discovered in making the last style of wine.
• Recioto – made like an Amarone, but left sweet.

Okay, so that is really basic, but hey, there are plenty of resources online for those who want to learn more. If you REALLY want to learn about Italian wines, I recommend Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy as your main resource.

As for the wine that moved me in ways beyond that of mere words, it wasn’t even an Amarone, but rather a “lowly” Ripasso. I’ve had several in the past and none of them, I repeat NONE OF THEM were all that great. Oh sure, they are nice wines, but they tease you just enough to leave you still yearning aching obsessing for more. This wine delivered the knockout blow and then some, but I’ll warn you now, you may not be able to find it without doing some digging.

2006 Martino Biscardo Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore: 2007 is the current vintage on retail shelves, but you may be able to find some 2006 laying about somewhere. Try contacting the distributor if you have difficulty finding it. Retail should be around $20. For those who’ve never had Amarone, you really should try this wine. I’ve only had the good stuff (Amarone isn’t cheap and starts around $50 for good producers, running into the hundreds for some) a couple of times and the 2000 Sergio Zenato Reserve still stands out. It was a wine I poured at a reserve tasting a few years back. Like a greased pig running the high school halls, this wine was elusive, slippery and kept building momentum as it moved along. Think Stanley Jordan and his rendition of Stairway to Heaven.

This Ripasso wasn’t as complex in terms of the number of components, but like a great David Gilmour solo, the empty spaces between notes are just as important. Perhaps even more so. I’ve never smelled or tasted a Ripasso of this quality and in a blind tasting, I think it could fool some folks into guessing Amarone. Figs, chocolate, black licorice, nutmeg and vanilla all show up to the party, all of which are as welcome as Elves to Helm’s Deep (yes, I know that was just in the movie).

Folks, my red wine palate is definitely more new world in orientation, but this is one old world wine that is always welcome to our house. Seduction in a bottle.Outstanding.

Haiku
Recycle grape skins
They still have much love to give
Sexy Ripasso

You can also read what another Atlanta blogger has to say about this wine. It isn’t specifically reviewed, but rather is part of a lengthy post about a trip to Belgium. Granted, wine on vacation always tastes better, but she does call it the best Valpolicella’s she has ever tasted. Random Oeonphile returns!

The Whole Foods in Duluth does a tasting every Saturday when they are having a 20% off case sale. While it isn’t close, we have found it to always be worth the $15 (per couple, $10 for individuals). Last night, they really opened up, adding a reserve table (though I think many folks were getting the wines without having paid the extra $5 per person) and several premium priced Champagnes. Bonus was, the Champagnes weren’t even part of the reserve tasting.

Below is a complete list of everything on their list, plus a couple that weren’t on the list (hence, they have no price nor vintage). I didn’t taste that many wines, but got to everything I wanted except one. I’m listing all of them so you can see what was poured, plus you’ll get a sense of the value. The only downside was the chaos. The crowd at this tasting was about two, maybe three times the usual size. There were also some rude folks who thought their elbows and a simple “excuse me” were acceptable substitutes for manners. Next time, I’m wearing spikes and rude folks, beware your feet!

DNT = Did Not Try

Prices are only valid (I noticed different pricing today at Whole Foods / Harry’s in Alpharetta today) at the Duluth location.

Table 1

• 2008 Batasiolo Bosc Moscato di Asti $16.99 – DNT
• NV Duval-Leroy Brut $29.99 – Nice and easy to drink, with a clean finish to the fruit and light citrus flavors. For those who don’t care for the yeasty style, this is a solid choice in Champagne.
• 2000 Dom Perignon $139.97 – Youthful and structured, save this for another 10 years.
• 2000 Perrier Jouët Fleur de Champagne $135.99 – Strong grapefruit note, something I really enjoyed. Drinking quite well, with enough structure to continue the aging process.
• 2002 Roederer Cristal $169.99 – Strong finish, with acid by the truckload. Plenty of tart citrus and mineral notes, with no signs of toast showing…yet. Like the Dom, this needs a lot more time than most folks give it. I was impressed and at this price, it makes a much better buy than the recent over $200 pricing that has prevailed. Wish I had the dough to buy and lay down for another 12 years.
• Perrier Jouët Rosé Fleur de Champagne (vintage & price unknown – not on list) – I got the last half pour from the bottle, but what I got was really tasty. It had nice strawberry, sour red cherry and toast.

Table 2

• 2008 Cade Sauvignon Blanc $21.99 – DNT, but I’ve had this at a previous tasting when the price was $29.99 (I think). If memory serves me, it has a good dose of Semillon in it, providing for a rounder and softer mouthfeel.
• 2006 Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay $22.99 - DNT
• 2006 Pine Ridge Chardonnay Dijon Clones $29.99 – DNT
• 2008 Cakebread Napa Valley Chardonnay $44.99 – DNT I think I heard they sold out of this…shocking…insert tongue into cheek.
• 2006 Newton Chardonnay Unfiltered $69.99 – DNT I’ve had this in previous vintages and think it is one of the better Cali Chards in the over $50 range, but at this price, they are really pushing it. Sort of regret missing this one.
• 2008 Chateau St. Michelle Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling $21.97 – An awesome bottle of domestic riesling, but still very young. I think I liked the 2007 better.

Table 3

• 2007 Four Graces Pinot Noir $25.99 – DNT
• 2006 Hedges Red Mountain $24.99 – DNT
• 2006 Darious Caravan $34.99 – DNT – Another one I’ve enjoyed in previous vintages and typically offers a nice, plush wine for drinking in its youth.
• 2005 Robert Craig Affinity $29.99 – WOTN (QPR factored in) for me, this was a beautiful example of refinement, blending the fruit of California with the refinement of a Bordeaux. It has black currant, espresso, graphite and cedar, all in perfect balance. Fruit wasn’t over ripe, tannins were soft and this was just drinking really nice. The aromas were enough to almost prevent you from drinking it…almost.
• 2005 Chateau Cantemerle Medoc $44.99 – Dark fruit, toasted herbs and some tobacco. This was a very nice wine and once again proved to me, the 2005 Bordeaux are really quite special. I still prefer the Affinity over this, but this was a top five still wine and was better than many of the more expensive reserve wines.
• 2006 Fisher Unity Cabernet Sauvignon $39.99 – A bit soft for me, this had obvious appeal and I had several people tell me they really enjoyed it. Spectator trashed this with a 74, but this isn’t the first time I’ve had a Fisher wine that Laube didn’t care for that I thought was good. Generally speaking, I like Fisher and think they are an under appreciated producer in Napa.
• 2005 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $72.99 – DNT

Table 4

• 2003 Duckhorn Estate Merlot $79.99 – Cherry, dark berries and cocoa, all wrapped up in a smooth and easy to drink style. Yes, the fruit has survived the harsh 2003 signature tannins. $80 is too steep for this in my opinion.
• 2007 Cade Cabernet Sauvignon $69.99 – Very forward with the fruit flavors, a core of currant and black plum, with surrounding layers of cocoa tinted with anise. Some of the vineyard sources include Beckstoffer’s George the 3rd, Beckstoffer’s Orchard Avenue, Kenefick Ranch and Dr. Crane. This was another winner, let’s say Top 3 in terms of pure enjoyment. I’m not sure I’d pay that price, based on other wines that are / will be just as good from this stellar vintage, but this sure was tasty.
• 2005 Mt. Veeder Caberent Sauvignon $29.99 – DNT
• 2006 Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon $79.99 – Nothing memorable.
• Taylor Fladgate 20 Year Tawny Port $52.99 – DNT

Reserve table

• 2005 Chateau de la Maltroye Chassagne-Montrachet Vigne Blance $94.99 – DNT
• 2006 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon $89.99 – They ran out before I could try this.
• 2006 Pride Cabernet Sauvignon $64.99 – Oak lovers will dig this. It was nice, but not overly memorable.
• 2003 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova Brunello di Montalcino $79.99 – An excellent wine that was much more structured than I was expecting considering the 2003 vintage. Other 2003s I’ve had were much fruitier in their youth and on a fast track versus the typcial Brunello. This has licorice, spice and vanilla intermixed with black tea and dark cherries. The tannins gave this a nice chewy texture and will keep it going on for quite a while longer. Decant or give it 3 or 4 more years.
• 2000 Batasiolo Barolo Vigneto Bofanit $83.99 – DNT
• 2005 Quintessa $109.99 – Smooth, with good mix of black fruits and some spice in the finish. Well made, but for this price, I expect more.
• 2006 Cakebread Benchland Select Cabernet Sauvignon $124.99 – They ran out early.
• 200? Opus One (price unknown, as this wasn’t on list…probably opened b/c of Cakebread running out) – I’ve had a few vintages of Opus and enjoyed it, but still find it to be a poor value. This one had people storming the reserve area like the beaches of Normandy, only with less trepidation since you know, there weren’t any bullets. Wines like this always draw a crowd. I’d like to taste Opus with some age on it, since I have only tasted it near release, which I’m sure is much too young.

Overall, this was a great tasting and worth the time and money. I especially dug the Champagnes (of course) and think next time I’ll just hang out over there, drinking bubbles and downing oysters (yes, they had a guy shucking oysters for the two hours and they were disappearing as fast as he could get them open).

Well, that does it for the last post of 2009. Looking forward to 2010 and Bubbles or Bust!

Cheers,
Kevin