"On Top of the World" by SashaW on Flickr

Wednesday night, July 21st, 2010, we attended the annual blind tasting challenge held at Chris Hinton’s Bin 75 tasting room in Johns Creek. It is the mid-week event during their anniversary sale, which nets you 20% off cases of wine. You can also score some wines at 25% off solid cases. Check the website or call for more information.

My wife went into the event as defending champion and was ready to take down all challengers, myself included.

The event was a slightly different format this year, with the addition of a seventh wine, the reception wine. Normally we know what that wine is, but this year it was also poured blind and would act as the first tier tie-breaker.

You are given choices in each flight, one of four whites, the other of three reds. You have five choices of grape variety and country, with no repeats of correct answers within flights.

Keith, the wine manager, plays host. He goes through the basics of blind tasting, explaining what color will tell you, what the aroma and taste markers are for each grape variety, along with the same tidbits for each country represented and whether or not they even grow that grape in that country. For example, you aren’t going to guess Germany if you think the wine is Chardonnay. He wants each selection to be a solid representative of both the grape and the country, though every once in a while he does throw in a curve ball. Last year, it was in the form of an Italian Cannonau, which most of us know as Grenache.

We arrived just in time, as my lovely bride was returning from a business trip and of course, we got stuck in Atlanta traffic. Go figure. Tired as she was, she got out her notepad and went to work, listening to everything Keith said and writing down notes as we went along. She swirled, sniffed and sipped. She contemplated and then, marked her answers. We don’t collaborate, so our results are completely our own.

The whites, were actually pretty straight forward, though I could see where the first one might trip up folks on the country of origin. When it came to the reds, the first was a bit shut down on the nose, but as it warmed the clues began to emerge. It was the second red which was not only my favorite, but my downfall as well. The third was fairly straight forward, though it could have easily been mistaken for another of the choices.

For whites, we had the following five grapes as our selections:

• Sauvignon Blanc
• Chardonnay
• Pinot Gris / Grigio
• Riesling
• Viognier

and the sources of origin we had to choose from were:

• California / Oregon
• New Zealand
• France
• Italy
• Germany

White Wine #1 (reception wine): The wine was a bit shut down for me, so my first thought was Pinot Grigio, but I wasn’t 100% sure since it was fairly cool at service. I was also a bit frustrated by the lack of hourly parking at the airport and then sitting in traffic, not to mention having not eaten much that day. Eventually, the fairly simple citrus pointed to Pinot Grigio from Italy. 2008 Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio $13.98

White Wine #2: Brighter than the first wine, with more white citrus than anything. It tasted sort of lemony to me at first, but eventually more like grapefruit, which of course marked Sauvignon blanc. There wasn’t any real grass or sweet hay notes, so I eliminated California / Oregon. It wasn’t super over the top either, so I got rid of New Zealand. That left France (Germany doesn’t make it and Italy wouldn’t be a good country for a typical SB), though for me it wasn’t obviously Loire Valley since I didn’t get as much minerality as I would expect. If I’d been doing this without choices, I’d have probably gone South African. Turns out, the 2008 Domaine Tariquet Sauvignon Blanc ($13.99) was from Cotes de Gascogne.

White Wine #3: The slam dunk of the night, as a couple inches from the glass and my brain went “OAK MONSTER!”. Yes, a California Chardonnay with plenty of sweet oak, but lacking any real fruit flavor. Nice for those who like this style. 2008 Wente Riva Ranch Chardonnay $13.98.

White Wine #4: Hello German Riesling. Again, this was a slam dunk for me, as I’d have to say that when it comes to still white wines, German Rieslings are my favorite. This was a mouthful of stone fruits, with a touch of slate and just the slightest bit of residual sugar. It was also the favorite of the crowd, with probably 80+% of folks saying it was their favorite. This continues the streak of every single blind tasting event I’ve attended where Riesling was the crowd favorite. Yet, they still languish on shelves. Pity that. This gem of a wine retails for $10.99 and as Keith suggested, you can drink this and mow the grass at the same time. Slammin’ good idea. 2006 GR8 Riesling $10.99.

Now came the more challenging reds. Our five grape choices were:

• Merlot
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Grenache
• Pinot Noir
• Sangiovese

and the sources of origin we had to choose from were:

• California / Oregon
• France
• New Zealand
• Italy
• Spain

Red wine #1: A bit reticent, but this eventually opened up and gave plenty of clues as to the grape and origin. It smelled of Sangiovese at first, but it seemed a bit more fruit driven than what I’d expect from a Chianti. Plus, I didn’t get a lot of that leather, bark note which is the classic marker for me. After about five minutes, those notes emerged and I went straight for the correct answer. 2006 Volpaia Chianti Classico $18.99.

Red wine #2: I missed this one. It was bright, juicy and full of crunch red berry fruits, with a touch of earthiness and loads of bouncy acidity. I kept thinking, Grenache or Pinot Noir. I tossed it about and just went with Spanish Grenache, which turned out to be my undoing for the night, as this was the one wine I got wrong. It was my favorite wine of the night and once again, convinces me that if you want to drink Pinot Noir for under $20, you should be checking out the wines from New Zealand. I’m starting to see more of them available and I hope you’ll try this one. 2009 Over the Edge Pinot Noir (Martinborough, New Zealand) $16.99.

Red wine #3: Slam dunk again, as this had the dark black currant fruit and touch of tannic bite that I come to expect from Cabernet Sauvignon. I guess I could see where one might guess Merlot, but in the $20 and under price range (which we knew all the wines fell into), I’ve never tasted a Merlot that wasn’t creamy and velvety soft. 2008 Villa San Juliette (Paso Robles, CA) Cabernet Sauvignon was $14.99.

The answer sheets were turned in, the scores were tallied and the winner was announced. It was a gentleman whom I didn’t recognize and he got every possible answer right, except for the country of origin on the Pinot Noir. I think I neglected to mention, but the grape variety was worth 1 point, the country of origin 2 points, but it only counted if you got the grape right as well. Keith then went through all the wines one by one. The audience cheered and groaned with each reveal, until we were finally done and wait a minute, we had a RECOUNT!

My defending Champion wife had written down her answers and she had 100% of them right. Somehow, a mistake had been made. As it turns out, our sheets (I’m not sure if anyone else got missed) hadn’t been tallied. We had handed in ours first and I think they got put down where they got overlooked. A simple error that was then corrected.

So, not only is my wife now the FIRST EVER two time Blind Tasting Champion at Hinton’s, she is also the first person to get all the answers correct. I think two others have gotten everything right except one country. As for me, in case you weren’t paying attention above, I got everything right except for the Pinot Noir, which like I said, I mistook for a Spanish Grenache.

A grand time and congratulations to my @AtlantaWineGal.

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!

Lucien Albrecht

When you work wine retail, there are several  comments you’ll hear repeatedly from your customers. These are your opportunities to educate and expand palates. One of the most typical was the comment regarding my recommendations for Riesling, which was often right around Thanksgiving, or if someone wants something to pair with spicy pan-Asian cuisine.

Can you guess what the comment was?

“Rieslings are too sweet.”

To quote one of my favorite sages of childhood, Col. Potter, “horse pucky!”

Okay, so I didn’t actually say that, but I did think it. I would explain to people that while yes, most Rieslings from Germany and many we produce right here in the good ol’ USA are a touch sweet, there were bone dry examples readily available from Australia and Alsace. Al-who?

Alsace, the region of France which borders Germany and has often been under German control. That would explain why so many of the wine makers there have German sounding names (the same goes for Champagne, which isn’t too far away).

So, when I was invited to attend a lunch featuring wines from Lucien Albrecht, a top producer of the region, I was more than happy to say yes. Of course, I will have to say that our venue of choice was a bit surprising (Chops), because I wouldn’t associate wines from this region as being those that pair well with steak. As it turns out, we had no red meat served to us. C’est la vie.

First up was a wine I’d already had (and enjoyed) at the Toast of the Town event back in April. It was the 2008 Lucien Albrecht Riesling Reserve. I found the same zippy tang of lime juice with generous mineral components that I did back then. A solid value and a perfect introduction to dry style Riesling without breaking the bank.

Up next, to accompany our corn meal encrusted diver scallop with arugula and creole remoulade was the NV Lucien Albrecht Brut Rosé Cremant, a sparkling wine made from 100% Pinot Noir. A delicate, but flavorful melange of red fruits that was soft on the palate and complimented the spice in the dish. It would have been better if my scallop had been done all the way through, but since I was the only one not served on time, I didn’t send it back. Hey, I eat sushi and raw oysters, so a 3/4 done scallop is not going to scare me. Overall, a very nice wine for the $19.99 retail I’ve seen it for.

The next course was chicken vesuvio with whipped potatoes, green beans and natural jus. Okay, before I get into the three wines we were served with this course, I have to say this was the second best (next to my wife’s roasted chicken) chicken dish I’ve ever had.* It was perfectly cooked and so juicy, you didn’t even need the jus, though I’m never one to let that simple delight go to waste. If I’d been at home, I’d have sopped it up with bread, but manners won and I just dipped my chicken in it like I was supposed to. Stupid food rules.

The three wines were all from the 2007 vintage. One thing I need to point out is that I drank them in the order they were presented in the booklet, not the usual left to right order in which they were poured (yes, one glass for each wine). That probably means I drank them in the “wrong” order, which I realized when I started, but I wanted to see what would happen. Based on what I heard from other attendees (20+ of us), I think the order I tried them gave me a different opinion. It was a test of context, something I really believe is overlooked in most blogging review sites, be they food or wine.

the menu

First up, I tasted the 2007 Lucien Albrecht Gewurztraminer Cuvée Marie. Like Julius Erving (or Michael Jordan for those less sports inclined), the aromatics were highly elevated and delivered strong in the finish. The classic lychee was coupled with a spice infused honey. It was creamy, almost as if honey had been stirred into the wine. Part of this is just the grape, with the addition of aging this wine “sur lie”. Sur lie = leaving the wine to age with the dead yeast cells, which add body and with time, bread or yeasty notes. While it totally overwhelmed the food (and the next two wines for me), this would be an awesome wine with Indian cuisine. While the rule guideline suggestion of pairing wines with their local cuisine does usually work, this is one of those pairings that just simply works even if the cuisine comes from a place with no real wine culture to speak of (though it is burgeoning at the moment). This was my favorite wine…by far.

Next up was the 2007 Lucien Albrecht Pinot Gris Cuvée Cécile, which seemed to be a favorite with the chicken amongst those seated around me. For me, it was reticent and just blown over by the previous wine. See, there goes that whole context thing again. Later on, as I let the wines sit, drank some water and let my palate rest, I did try this in the “correct” order and got more out of it. While I didn’t get any of the spice or rosewater (winery tasting note), it was a nice wine with pear and apple notes that just didn’t grab me. Honestly, there is only one Pinot Gris that does, so I guess I need to explore these wines more to find some new ones to love. My least favorite wine and one I (though I was probably the only non-fan) wouldn’t buy.

Last, I had the 2007 Lucien Albrecht Riesling Cuvée Henri. More subdued than the first Riesling, this was cut more from the fabric of stone fruit and touches of green herbs. A wine that showed better the warmer it got, I liked this, but still found the first Riesling to be my preference for drinking. I like bold flavors, I will not deny.

The Pinot Noir was up next. You read that right, Pinot Noir from Alsace. I’d never heard of such a thing, associating the region with pretty much only the white grapes we’d had (and Pinot Blanc, which wasn’t invited to the party). The 2005 Lucien Albrecht Amplus Pinot Noir had a darker than expected color, but still fell in line with what one might expect from Pinot Noir grown in a relatively cool climate. Smoked sour cherries laced with vanilla and wrapped up in a tobacco leaf. Take that and store it inside a leather lined pouch, let it sit for a few hours and that is what this wine tasted like. Subtle, refined and definitely for fans of Burgundy, a place where I’ve yet to make camp. I don’t know the price, but it may have some appeal to those who prefer this style. If for no other reason, to say you have tried Pinot Noir from Alsace. Well crafted, just not my personal preference. I’d say it was above average in quality. The cheese and wine jelly it was served with completely hollowed how the wine, so everyone agreed it needed different food and to be evaluated after a palate cleansing slug of water.

To finish, we were treated to the 2007 Lucien Albrecht Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives (VT = late harvest in French), paired with apricot and chantilly creme crèpes. When it comes to late harvest wines (my personal favorite category and overall second only to Champagne), I usually go with blue cheese of some sorts. The wine itself was still very fat and young, requiring many years in the cellar to reveal the true character that lies within. Loaded with lychee, honey and vanilla toasted spices, the acidity takes a few moments to dig out from the sugar and refresh the palate. An above average wine, but you’ll need to cellar this for a while before it can be called outstanding.

To conclude (finally), I’d put the wines in this order:

1. Gewurztraminer Cuvée Marie
2. Brut Rosé Cremant
3. Riesling Reserve
4. Vendanges Tardive
5. Amplus Pinot Noir
6. Riesling Cuvée Henri
7. Pinot Gris Cuvée Cécile (I think I may have been the only one with this opinion…c’est la vie)

Overall, this was a really nice tasting, though I think a few different choices in food pairings would have made the wines shine a bit more. Lucien Albrecht is a quality producer and a label name you can trust to deliver quality wine, you just have to find the one that suits your palate best.

Thank you very much to Pasternak Wine Imports for including me as a guest.

* That didn’t involve frying, which is like being a veteran when applying for government jobs, it just comes with well deserved and earned bonus points.

Pacific Rim White Flowers Sparkling Riesling

From the folks at Pacific Rim, who rock out some pretty tasty domestic Rieslings out of Washington state, comes this second release of bubbly goodness.

According to the website, this wine is aged on the lees. Since it doesn’t indicate where the secondary fermentation occurs, I’m guessing this is a tank method wine. This is a cost effective method, but generally produces wines of less complexity. The sur lie aging must be done in tank to generate a bit of extra interest, which it does in the texture. There is almost a lanolin-esque quality to the mouthfeel, making it much more full in body than you would expect from Riesling. Rieslings are generally very light and delicate, more akin to skim milk in mouth feel than this wine. With an ABV of 11.5%, it was even more surprising how creamy it felt.

Taste wise, there was a very strong orange citrus note which I deemed to be tangerine oil. I don’t know why I threw in the oil part, other than the thicker than expected texture of the wine. Imagine a pear that has been soaked in tangerine juice, spritz a touch of sweet meyer lemon and there you go. It was actually a bit better as it warmed up, so be careful of serving too cold. If you are expecting typical Riesling flavors, this isn’t the wine for you.

Overall, I thought it was a good wine. We paired it with teriyaki glazed and grilled chicken thighs, along with some teriyaki rice and steamed broccoli. I think it would work better with fish and with something a little less sweet in terms of marinade. I liked the wine and would buy it [FULL DISCLOSURE: I received this as a sample] for the asking price of around $14, but would look towards pairing it with seafood that was devoid of any sweet flavors.

Haiku
A bubbly Riesling
Thick pears with tangerine juice
Match seafood next time

Toast of the Town 2010 - Atlanta, GA - Georgia Aquarium

Last night was our third year of pouring wine at Toast of the Town, an annual event put on by Wine Enthusiast and held in the private ballroom of the Georgia Aquarium. For my wife and I, it is a great event. We spend the first couple of hours trying wine and sampling the food, then spend the rest of the evening pouring some great Italian wines at the Prestige Wine Imports table.

As with big events like this, there were loads of things to try, but we generally stuck to the bubbles and a few other select items. I don’t take formal notes, just some general impressions of things that really stood out for one reason or another.

2008 Lucien Albrecht Riesling Reserve: I don’t remember the retail, but I think everything at this Riesling table was under $20. It was really nice to see a table devoted to one of (if not THE) greatest white wine grapes in the world. Pity it still plays the understudy to Chardonnay. The first offering was this bone dry bowl of lime juice squeezed over white rocks from Alsace, France. For anyone who ever says Rieslings are too sweet, this is the wine to show them the exact opposite. Well done.

2008 The Crusher Wilson Vineyard Pinot Noir: You should be able to find this wine for around $12 or so and I recommend you do so. It has a Homer Simpson drool inducing nose of applewood smoked bacon that has been wrapped around black cherries and toasted over an open fire. The medium bodied wine has a light grade of sandpapery grip and more of that smoked black cherry taste profile which begs for smoked salmon or grilled portabella mushroom dishes. Above average wine with more character than most Pinot Noirs in this price point. Distinctive and worthy of your hard earned dollars.

Barefoot Bubbly Brut: I’ve seen these around town for $7.99 and honestly, I wasn’t expecting a whole heck of a lot from these wines. The Brut wasn’t my cup of tea, as it was a little rough and coarse with minimal fruit flavor. Not recommended.

Barefoot Bubbly Pinot Grigio: This was quite nice and I could see this as being a great party wine or for mixing with fruit juices for Sunday morning brunch. Good.

Barefoot Bubbly Extra Dry: The extra sugar really improves this wine and makes the tropical fruit really pop. I’d have this with cheese and fresh fruit on those warm summer evenings where the road tar is hotter than La Brea. Good.

Barefoot Bubbly Rosé: Umm, no.

Barefoot Bubbly Moscato: If you like Moscato d’Asti, this will be a nice change of pace for you as I think the sugar is slightly lower and won’t quite put you in diabetic shock like the Italian versions. Wines like this really belong in half-bottles. It isn’t my cup of tea, but for what it was and the people it is targeting, it delivers the goods. Good.

Leo Hillinger Rosé Secco: You can find this Prosecco (hence the name) patterned sparkling Pinot Noir from Austria at Whole Foods for about $19.99. Pleasantly filled with fresh strawberry and ripe red cherry flavors, this is very easy to drink. The new packaging includes a pink ribbon and they are donating $1 to breast cancer research for each bottle sold. I didn’t catch for how long they are doing this, but it is always a great thing to see any company giving back and in a specific way. Good.

2006 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs: From the original sparkling wine house in California comes this delicious apéritif made from 100% Chardonnay. Quick lesson: Blanc de Blancs means white from whites, so in Champagne and most other producers, it means 100% Chardonnay, which would make an excellent and different selection for the upcoming Twitter community Chardonnay wine tasting. Check it out! Oh yeah, the wine was quite good and one of the more refined Blanc de Blancs you can get. Above average.

2001 Schramsberg J Schram: This tête de cuvée is elegant, refined and one of the most Champagne like wines you’ll ever drink, though I don’t think you’ll mistake it for the “real deal”. It still has a certain California foundation and that is a good thing. A well balanced mix of toast, apple and citrus, this is still very youthful and will sleep well without any diminishment over the next 5 to 7 years. For $100 or so that you’ll pay, you get a premier domestic bottling. It would be awesome to have a full bottle of this to put up against the other heavyweights of the domestic sparkling market and see who comes out on top in a blind tasting.

So, that gives me another 8 wines in the quest, putting me at a total of 87 sparkling wines tasted this year. Not bad.

2006 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve: This will set you back $130 or so and while Mondavi is no longer a family affair, the quality is still in the bottle. An outstanding wine that doesn’t rely on power, but does deliver a great deal of concentration. I know, that doesn’t seem to jive, but it does. When I think of power, I think Australian Shiraz or yes, California Cabernet. The Mondaiv Reserve is full of flavor and still quite young, with loads of currant, grilled herb and cocoa powder. I will say that this should be drunk over the next 5 years, as it doesn’t have the stuffing to go much longer before it will fall off the mark.

2006 Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon: I’ve grown to love Chilean Cabernet over the past couple of years and there is no finer example than this bottling. While it is no longer the value it once was, it still delivers a powerful mouthful of whiskey soaked blackberries that have been stewing over a fire of graphite and coal. A long finish, this is still a baby and needs another 3 to 4 years before I’d actually open it up for consumption. I think you can do better for $80, but you can also do a lot worse.

2006 Cardinale – or the Steve Heimoff of Wine Enthusiast 100 point rated wine: While I missed out on the same opportunity that Ed got (great write up on the wine you should go read), I was able to squeeze in at the last minute and get a shot at tasting my first 100 point rated wine. You can read Steve’s review here. This wine carried the 15% alcohol really well, with only the slightest sign of heat on the back palate. It was rich, concentrated and you could smell the intensity of the ripe mountain fruit long before you got your nose near the rim of the enormous Riedel glasses they were pouring it into. Black currant, smoked vanilla, toasted herbs and black cherry reduction in a glass. I’m not one to spend $200 on a bottle of wine, but I will say that it was a damn fine drink and was begging for a blue rib-eye fresh off the grill. I’m envious Ed got to actually sit and taste, because this is the sort of wine you want to kick back, relax and have a conversation with. If you have the funds, I’d go for it. Classic, though I’m not really sure about the whole 100 point thing.

iPad: No, Apple hasn’t created a wine called iPad, but there was one guest who stopped at our table who had one with him. I asked, what was the killer app? He didn’t really have an answer and we talked about the unit as he displayed it like a proud father does his All-American football playing son. I said that when they put a camera in it and you could video-conference call with it, along with document sharing / review, then you’d have something. Throw in some real time voice translation and the international business market will fall all over themselves to buy them faster than the fans have accepted Tiger back into their hearts. Amazing.

The perfect bite: I’m really disappointed in myself for not remember which restaurant was serving these delectable delights, but I have to say that bacon wrapped and grilled shrimp really may be the most foodgasmic single bite I’ve had in quite a while.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Cheers and happy weekend to you! Thank you so much for stopping by and taking time out of your busy day to read what I have to say. It is very humbling. I will have to toot my own horn for once and say I was named Tweep of the Week by the fantastic folks over at Atlanta Dish, which is run by the super fabulous Melissa Libby and Associates.

Haiku
One hundred point wine
Great food, better company
Oh my what a night