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.

Sud de France 2010 - the wines

I was invited to participate in a worldwide synchronized tasting today. It was put on by Sud de France, a trade group that promotes the diverse wines grown in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the south of France.

According to the information I received, there were 90 bloggers and journalists who were invited to participate. The cover photo you see is the package we received, which I have to say was very well put together. In addition to the five wines, we also received a tasting glass, a corkscrew and two very informative pamphlets on the wines from the region. I’ll admit, I’ve not put the energy into reading through them, as I had other plans over the Father’s Day weekend. Speaking of which, belated Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there. It is the most important job you’ll ever have. Trust me.

The tasting was supposed to occur at 11AM in your local country and you could talk about your experience in a variety of ways. Some folks had blog posts already up before I finished, some folks had streaming vids posted, while myself and others were also posting on Twitter using the hashtag #suddefrance to keep up with the comments. I didn’t see a lot of Twitter activity during my time, which I did from 11AM to 12:30PM.

Technical stuff:

• I tasted all the wines from the provided tasting glass (which I ended up breaking after I was done).
• I swirled, sipped and spit everything.
• I rinsed with the next wine before tasting it. I don’t believe in rinsing with water.
• I had no food with any of these wines, nor bread between.

Normally, I’m not a real big fan of tasting wines this way, as it removes them from actual context in how I enjoy my wines, which is almost always with food.

Now, onto the wines.
Grand Cuvee 1531 Cremant de Limoux: A blend of 70% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin blanc and 10% Mauzac. One bit of history regarding wines from this region is they were making sparkling wine here over 100 years before Dom Perignon did in France. I still don’t think that makes them first in the world, but it sure puts them ahead of the Champenois, at least in terms of history.

I got some floral aromas, almost something like magnolia, though I wouldn’t lay money on something that specific. The primary notes were lemon, green apple and grapefruit, somewhere between white and pink, leaning more towards the pink. It was light and crisp, with no real faults. A crisp finish makes this a great apéritif to have with egg dishes or some nice creamy brie. There wasn’t a lot of complexity or length, but I’d buy this above average offering for under $15. It is better than other examples from the region that I’ve had. This was my favorite wine of the tasting.

Fruité Catalan Rosé: First off, I didn’t get nearly enough of a chill on this wine. I typically like my rosés to be pretty cold, leaning towards the too-cold-I’ll-let-it-warm-up-in-the-glass camp. My buddy and fellow blogger Ed said it smelled like strawberry Bubblicious. I agree, in that it had somewhat of an artificial smell to me, like strawberry juice with 10% real juice and artificial flavors added. On the palate, it just didn’t do it for me. It wasn’t a fruity as I expected and it was just sort of blah. Benito commented on Twitter that he saw it for as low as $6 and I retorted that I’d still not buy it. There are plenty of $10 or so dry rosés from France I’d buy before this. I can see where newbie wine drinkers might enjoy this sitting poolside, drinking it at an ice cold temperature, but those who appreciate rosés already should pass on this. It goes in the not for me category.

2008 Gerard Bertrand Cigalus: was the next wine and by far the most expensive, coming in around the $30 – $35 mark. A blend (I couldn’t find the breakdown) of Chardonnay, Viognier and Sauvignon blanc, this opened up like a California Chardonnay drinker’s delight. I found a very strong presence of vanilla laced butter, but it didn’t dominate on the palate like I was fearing. I discovered some pineapple and apricot in addition to the buttered peaches I referred to in my first salvo on Twitter.

The Viognier contributed the stone fruit and maybe a touch of floral, but not much else. The Sauvignon blanc must have kept the Chardonnay from being too heavy, though this was a very creamy and smooth drinking wine. Though this is again, not a wine I’d drink, it was well crafted and above average in quality. I would say those who like the richer style of Chardonnay would be pleased with this, though I think the price is a bit steep and it would be a hard sell for California drinkers. Maybe a good alternative to White Burgundy for the price?

Domaine Dromadaire “30670″ Red: An unoaked blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache, this wine was decanted for an hour when I first tried it. My initial impression was black olives steeping in blackberry syrup over some hot stones. As the wine opened up, it took on additional notes of black pepper and smoky leather. There were some nice tannins and acidity as well, keeping the rich flavors from being overly heavy or in your face. I would pair this above average choice with any richer meat dishes and it makes a great red for summer time, since it still delivers good flavors without being super heavy or alcoholic. It weighed in at 13% ABV. This was my second favorite and a definite buy if the price is in the teens.

2006 Mas de Madame Muscat de Frontignan: Those who know me best will tell you that I’m a dessert wine freak. As a matter of fact, I think dessert wines may actually be more under appreciated than any other category. While I still put sparkling wine at the top of my list, dessert wines of a certain style come in a close second. I qualified that statement because I’m usually a fan of late-harvest stickies and often find fortified wines much too strong for my liking. This was my first experience with a fortified muscat and it was surprisingly good.

First, the alcohol was 15.5% and it was served really cold, which made even that high of an alcohol content undetectable. The muscat grape has a certain aroma and it was definitely present in this wine, along with some nice floral and orange marmalade components. On the palate, it was unctuous and quite smooth. Too smooth actually, as I like a nice dollop of acidity in my stickies to keep the palate refreshed and not feeling like I just drank some honey. A bit of warming brought forth some clover honey aroma and flavor. Overall, this was another good offering and for the $8 I was told it could be found for, a pretty good bargain. I’m not sure what I’d do with a full bottle, but if you’ve got friends who like sweet wines, I think this wouldn’t be a disappointment. Just make sure to grab some blue cheese to serve it with, as the fat, salty tang of the cheese will help reduce some of the fat in this wine.

At the end of the day, you have to give it to the Languedoc-Roussillon region for having a very diverse set of wines to offer the wine consumer. Most of them are going to run under $20, with several closer to $10 and they usually deliver a pretty good bang for the buck. I expect to see a continued rise in quality, which will probably mean rising prices at some point. Outside of today’s rose offering, I thought all the wines were well made and have their audience. It is up to retailers and sommeliers to get the word out and ultimately, up to consumers to do some exploring and discover some really top notch value wines.

A big THANK YOU to the fine folks at Sud de France for including me.

Here is my video:

Here are some links to what others experienced:

• Sour Grapes
• Quentin Sadler’s wine page
• Benito’s Wine Reviews

Happy Monday!

2008 Croteaux Rosé

Though not our first gathering as a group, it was the first official meeting of our newly formed wine and supper club. It started with an event where we were all gathered to help friends pick a sparkling wine for an event. After that, we got together at the same house and ripped through California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizzas, of which I’ve now become a fan. Everyone was asked to bring a wine (or two since our group isn’t very restrained) to go with pizza and we did.

This time, it was an “official” gathering. The theme was set, BBQ. Due to the fact we live rather far from everyone, we co-hosted the first event with good friends of ours that we’ve shared many a great meal and even more great wines with. They tended to the proteins, which included slow-cooker pulled pork, grilled chicken and kick-butt ribs.

In addition, we had some scrumptious side dishes created by my wife, including a four cheese alfredo sauce mac-n-cheese / pasta bake, the best damn cole slaw I’ve ever had and two kinds of cornbread, traditional and the other (my favorite which I just had for lunch as I write this) with green chiles and cheddar cheese. A meal unto itself.

Of course, I brought sparklers. Rose sparklers. I still believe they go really well with pork, though I didn’t get to re-certify the authenticity of my theory at this festivity. We had them before the food was ready, but both were really tasty and for me personally, the highlights of the evening. Granted, I’m bias that way. I didn’t taste all the wines (too many and a few I was already familiar with) and actually missed a photo of everyone’s apparent favorite (I only got to sip it when I put the wines in order…I always get drafted for that duty), but since it was gone by the time I went to taste it, no matter.

[FULL DISCLOSURE: I received both the Croteaux and Graham Beck Rosés as samples]

2008 Croteaux Sparkling Rosé: Croteaux specializes in rosé and after drinking this, I can say they seem to know what they are doing. At least, from a wine making point of view. This wine isn’t available here in GA and retails for $24 on the winery website. Honestly, I’d pay $15 for it, so it is a bit pricey for what it is. Made in the tank method, this soft and juicy wine reminded me of a cocktail made with fresh red berries, a dab of ripe watermelon, with a spritz and twist of sweet orange (I forget the specific variety we’ve gotten from Whole Foods that are so sweet).

The packaging was whimsical and absolutely screamed W-E-D-D-I-N-G. I didn’t hear anyone complain, except that I only had the one bottle and between 16 people, that doesn’t provide for a very generous pour. C’est la vie. If you live in NY, I’d recommend visiting them and trying all their wines. Summer begs for rosé.

Graham Beck Brut Rosé

NV Graham Beck Brut Rosé: So, this isn’t that well known, nor well regarded by the big reviewers. Good. More for us who know and enjoy it, especially at the mid teens price point I was told it should make here in Georgia. I know the wine is available, as I sampled the lineup back in January at the local distributor’s tasting. I’m pretty sure the rep told me it would make a $15.99 retail. I had two different guests ask me about this, as they wanted to buy some for themselves. [UPDATE: After I wrote this, I saw local wine guru Gil Kulers gave this two thumbs way up.]

A firmer, fuller bodied wine than the Croteaux, this presented a profile of tarter red fruits with fine minerality giving it a more solid finish. I found this to the better wine with food, whereas the Croteaux was a great way to begin with its more pillow-like nature. I’m telling you, based on other professional retail buyer opinions and those of friends I’ve shared this with, I really think Graham Beck is one of the top values in sparkling wine.

I have to say, the rest of the wines that were brought was a more interesting mix than I was expecting. We only had 3 Zinfandels, where as I’d told my wife I thought everyone would bring at least one Zin. I went against my usual preferred tastes and gravitated towards the two old world offerings. First up, Spain.

2008 La Cartuja Priorat: I don’t know what the retail was, but based on my searches, this is usually around $15! Okay, read that again. $15 for Priorat. I wonder if this is somebody’s declassified juice sold on the auction market for a fraction of “normal” price. No matter, it was a good wine. A bit tight at first, it did open up in the glass. I highly recommend decanting this and remember folks, serve your reds at around 65 degrees. That is room temperature in Europe…or at least, it was when that rule was first circulated. Ripe red and black fruits, with plenty of warm spice and the signature “hot rocks” note I always seem to find in wines from this region. I would definitely recommend this as a great introduction to the region and the style of wine. Usually you have to look at the surrounding horse shoe shaped region of Monstant for wines of this taste profile, quality and price point.

Two favorite still red wines of the evening...yes, I'm shocked too...

2005 Les Bois du Menestrel Vacqueyras: Another nice value, but again, I don’t know the retail. I think it is probably in the same range as the La Cartuja, mid-teens. A good choice, but this would have gone much better with beef. The smoked tobacco leaf and roasted red cherry character, wrapped around a core of iron, beg for big food. I’d even say wild game or mushroom laden dishes would work well with this. It was another solid choice and give it bonus points for probably being the most esoteric. Nice job Mark.

2005 Wilson Diane’s Reserve Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel: This sucker weighed in at a whopping 16.2% alcohol. Safety tip: no open flames near this one. It should have been decanted and served much cooler, something the generous bringer of this wine lamented not doing. A limited production wine of 200 cases, with an approximate price of $48, this screamed Zinfandel. Black as tar dark fruits, but of the ripest variety, with a healthy dose of fresh cracked black peppercorns. You could definitely taste the alcohol, but it was more in the sweetness than in the heat. A big wine for big food. Throw down with some ribs, plenty of water and a cooler service temperature.

So, those were my three favorites. One other wine, which was the most interesting because it was the most non-typical example of a grape variety wine I’ve ever had, was the 2006 Montoya Petite Sirah from Paso Robles. It was light, almost to the point of if you wondered if the grapes were all under enormous shade trees. This wasn’t PS. It was PS masquerading as I don’t even know what. Maybe a Grenache or warm vintage Oregon Pinot Noir, with a pinch of Syrah thrown in. It was actually not bad, it was just not what a Petite Sirah drinker would want in their glass.

To finish the evening, there was an assortment of Pepperidge Farm chocolate cookies (Genevas are my favorite) and some two bite (really…why do I always eat them in one then?!) brownies. To accompany them, Mark brought a bottle of Casa Sant’Orsola Brachetto d’Acqui. Liquified raspberry juice is how I always find these sweet Italian red sparkling wines. Perfect with the chocolate and a nice way to wrap things up after a very rich, savory and superb meal. My compliments to the chefs! (All I did was some prep work, pour our two bubblies and put the wines in order…that was an easy gig.)

So, there you have it, the birth of Wineaux 75, our social supper and wine club.

View the video below or on YouTube.

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!

2007 Continuum

Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to share lunch with a descendant of the most important man in the history of US wine. Her name is Carissa Mondavi and of course, you know who her grandfather is. Myself and fellow wine blogger extraordinaire Ed Thralls were there with Carissa and Stu Harrison to share great food and of course, great wine.

The setting was Chops, the renowned steak house located in Buckhead. Oh yeah, full disclosure time: The wine and food were all paid for by Continuum Estate and didn’t cost me a dime…except for the gas and time I spent in transit and in writing this piece. A small price indeed.

The wine we were there to sample was Continuum, the latest project from Tim Mondavi, family and friends. The 2007 we tasted is only the third release of a wine destined to rank with previous family wines like Opus One and Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, not to mention other heavy hitters in the Napa Valley Cab and red blend categories.

Dom Ruinart Brut Rosé

The initial treat for me was when Stu said that in honor of me and my quest, we would be starting with some bubbly.

Hello understatement.

We started with a bottle of Dom Ruinart Brut Rosé. A gorgeous light ruby color, the wine was Grace Kelly floating across the dance floor in a flowing evening gown, commanding of your attention without being overt or trying too hard. A full-flavored wine, the lack of mushrooming (aka expansion) on the cork indicated a release with some age. Lovely red fruits framed on a medium body with a lovely hint of rose in the finish. Excellent way to start things off.

Up next was the reason we were there, to taste the 2007 Continuum. This wine is a blend, with a composition of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc and 18% Petit Verdot.

One of the first things you will notice is the label. It is actually a shadow painting entitled “Light of the Vine” produced by Chiara Mondavi. The original is a 12′ x 6′ depiction of a 25 year old Cabernet Franc vine that her father Tim planted. It represents the energy and expression of life as seen in the vine. I liken it to the fact you can view grape vines as a metaphor for life and the Mondavi’s life is in the vines.

The nose screamed fruit. There was an intensity that I always associate with Napa Valley wines, especially those with a high degree of valley floor fruit. You see, this wine’s current primary source of fruit is the famous To-Kalon vineyard, which sits on the valley floor. If vineyards were rated as they are in Burgundy, this would surely be one of the leading contenders for “the title”. In time, this will change as the estate vineyard on Pritchard Hill comes online, with 2008 being the first vintage that will be a majority of fruit from this esteemed site. Case production is about 1,500 cases right now, with plans to achieve a maximum of somewhere around 5,000. Compare this to 10,000 for Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and 20,000 for Opus One. This makes it obtainable, but without any plan to compromise quality for the sake of producing more.

At an approximate retail of $140, this is not a cheap wine. Then again, there is that one guy who forked over $140,000,000 for a Jackson Pollock. Personally, I’d rather have 1 million bottles of $140 wine than a painting…any painting. Maybe I’m weird that way.

So, is there value? Value is a relative term and while $140 is well beyond my normal spending range, I’d say this wine holds up to others in the same price range and at this stage, actually outperforms some of the others I’ve tasted. There is a huge core of black currant fruit, which is is enveloped by spice, coffee and what I can only describe as tar, but in a good way. Stu suggested the term graphite, but I associate that more with certain Bordeaux than what I was smelling in this wine. I think Parker calls it creosote. Maybe smoke that were the consistency of molasses would serve, but then I’m describing a texture more than an aroma. This is why I’m a blogger and not Parker or Laube or Tanzer.

2007s from Napa that I’ve had certainly live up to the hype, though I’d be cautious with aging many of them for too long. This wine is had very supple tannins, but a strong backbone of acid that kept the wine from laying waste to your palate through brute force.

Tasked with standing up to a perfectly cooked (and seasoned) rare N.Y. Strip, the wine came out on top with a knockout. Overall, an outstanding wine and a brand you should keep your eye on as they switch fruit sources. I’ve only had a Pritchard Hill wine once and it was spectacular. I have no doubt the Mondavi clan will establish Continuum as one of the must have premier wines of Napa Valley over the next several years.

Haiku
passion handed down
the torch burns without dimming
Continuum rocks

UPDATE: On Wednesday April 28th, two days after tasting this wine, the 2007 Continuum was given a score of 97 points by Wine Spectator. Congratulations to everyone at Continuum on their highest score so far. See, I told you this was an awesome wine.

I also wanted to link to Ed’s article, which provides additional information and another perspective.