Tasting Report: 7 Wines of the Loire Valley paired with Sushi

What wines go well with $360 worth of sushi? Well, for the 9 of us in attendance on Sunday at the Wine Club gathering (at Yamato Sushi- review to come), I think we’d agree that something from the Loire Valley (France)would work quite nicely.

Overall we had a great time working through the 7 wines (tough work but someone has to do it!). The only sparkling wine in the group came from Louis de Grenelle, a large estate in Saumur (home of some great red wines). We worked through 4 Vouvray’s and two other Loire whites, ending with my favorite wine from the Loire Valley, a red wine from Chinon (100% Cabernet Franc). There wasn’t a bad wine in the bunch, with two being great (89 pts!) and all being wines I’d gladly drink again. Read more

Tasting Report: Good Values From Sicily- The Wines of Sicilian Producer Tasca d’ Almerita

Sicily is well known for its sweet Marsala wines, which make up a majority of the wine produced in the DOC wine region. But in recent years, there has been a surge towards producing quality red and white table wines as the global demand for quality wines increases. Read more

Tasting Report: Good wines and great QPRs from Chilean producer Vina Ventisquero (Chile)

Chilean wines are quickly becoming some of the best QPR (quality-to-price) wines in the market today. From Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet, to the more rare Carmemere, the Chilean wine industry is setting the bar high when it comes to wines that bring big bang for their buck. (click here for more on Chilean wines)

I was recently invited to lunch with Felipe Tosso, head winemaker at up and coming producer Vina Ventisquero. In our two hour lunch I developed an understanding of his style and a respect for his experience and passion, as well as for his commitment to maintain eco-friendly wines. (image from www.intlwine.com/southamerica.htm) Read more

MD Cru June Offline: Rieslings, Malbecs, Chorizo, Shrimp, Scallops and Flank Steaks- “Life is good.”

“Life is good.” That statement, which was made about halfway through dinner Saturday night by history guru “GF”, would be sufficient to sum up the evening. This was, of course, the monthly meet-up of the MD Cru- a group of food and wine enthusiasts who organize through the Wine Spectator forums to share great food and stories. And of course we open a few bottles of wine as well.

This month we were in D.C., at the beautiful historic home of one of the groups long-time members (there is no official group, or membership, for that matter, but it’s an easy way to refer to what has become a gathering of friends). The wine theme was two fold: German Rieslings and Argentine Malbecs. Other wines made it into the rotation, of course; a couple whites to start, a Champange, dessert wines, and a “pair” of ringers from Chile. Read more

MD Cru May 31, 2008: A night of Northern Rhones

What is a Northern Rhone? France’s Rhone Valley is home to some of the best wines in the world including the renown wines of the Southern Rhone’s Chateauneuf-du-Pape region. But it is in the Northern Rhone region that the best Syrah’s in the world are produced. Though it is true that Syrah and Shiraz are one in the same (as far as grape is concerned), the Syrah’s of the Rhone are vastly different than their Australian (or elsewhere) Shiraz counterpart. Whereas the New World style creates wines with subtle spice notes, more concentrated fruit flavors and often more “oak” influence, the Old World Syrahs of the Northern Rhone tend to be more “terroir” driven wines with subtle earth and more moderate spice and pepper notes.

The MD CRU. This past weekend a group of friends (who happen to be fine food and wine enthusiasts) met up to share old stories and of course some Old World Syrah’s. These monthly outings, or off-lines, began years ago with a small group of laid back and generous friends meeting up through the Wine Spectator forums. Years later, many of the faces have changed (Kim and I are new to the group as of October 2007) but the main idea hasn’t: great food and wines shared at either a restaurant or someones home amongst a group of the most unpretentious and outgoing wine lovers this side of the Chesapeake. Read more

Rhone Tasting Report: Including some very good wines from Domaine de la Charbonniere

The Rhone Valley is one of my favorite wine regions in the world. The Northern Rhone is known for producing the best Syrah’s in the world which are spicy, terroir driven and complex. Red wines of the Southern Rhone, including the prized Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines, are comprised of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault. Wines labeled Cotes du Rhone cover both the Northern and Southern Rhone Valley, and are generally wines that didn’t meet criteria for being labeled as a specific designation (which means they cost less and can be much better values!). Wines from the Rhone vary quite a bit from North to South, and appellation to appelation. One thing that remains constant, is the trueness to the terroir that these wines possess. The whites tend to have great minerality and good expressions of the fruits, whereas the red wines generally have good earth/soil characteristic to them, as well as spice and both red and dark fruit notes. (Image of Castle/Vineyard in Chateauneuf was uploaded from Flickr Photo uploaded on Flickr April 28th, 2007 by Fretless88 Creative Commons license).

Below are my tasting notes from a recent Rhone Wine Tasting at the Wine Source. This is part II in the Overview of the Rhone Valley feature I wrote yesterday. Overall, there were some very good wines poured and although not too many great “values” (under $20), there are a lot of good wines for the price if you can afford to pay a bit more. I’ve arranged the wines into categories to show which wines I feel are best for their price.

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Tasting Notes: A Few Wines From Kim’s Birthday!

1978 Chateau Latour: The cork came out in two pieces, but was in good shape. Decanted for sediment, immediately poured. Medium garnet color with slight bricking. Lovely aromas of a mature Bordeaux- sweet notes, minerals, subtle notes of cassis . On the palate, the wine was soft and elegant, but the fruits have faded almost completely leaving a bit of awkwardness. This bottle has been dead for some time, but still an enjoyable experience.  No Rating

1978 Gaja Barbaresco: The cork came out in one piece, decanted for sediment and immediately poured. The nose on this wine was beautiful and complex. Herbs and spice notes with mushroom, minerals, raspberry and cherry, and other red fruits. Each sniff gave the impression of something new and exciting. On the palate the wine a real delight. Flavors of tobacco, leather, cherry, bay leaf, spice, earth came in waves giving way to a touch of acidity and elegant and refined tannins. The finish was unique with new flavors showing up long after the decanter was dry! A great wine experience.  My rating: 96 pts

2001 Il Paradiso di Frassina Brunello di Montalcino: Purchased at vineyard. Decanted 30 minutes, drank over 2 hours. Another very enjoyable bottle of this ‘01 Brunello. Loads of dark fruit, elegant tannins, great spice and earth notes with a complex finish.  My rating: 92 pts

Friday Roundup May 16, 2008: 5 Best QPR Wines of the Week

QPR is a measure of a wines Quality to Price Ratio. It’s a basic question of: how good the wine is for its price? Below are my top picks for this week. Keep in mind, a good wine that is $10 may be an outstanding QPR, while a good wine that is $34, may be poor. The wines listed here are wines that I feel offer you, the consumer, a great wine that is both well priced, and succeeds at providing a great wine experience.

Champagne/Sparkling Wines
N.V. Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs -$34: Light mineral notes, yeast, grapefruit, light nuttiness that is enjoyable. Great QPR Champange. My rating: 89 pts, Good Value (GV)

White Wines
2006 Santa Julia Torrontés - $10: Light, crisp, lots of tropical fruits, grapefruit, apple, with floral notes. Great value, perfect for the spring barbecue or a warm summer night.  My rating: 88 pts, Outstanding Value (OV)

Red Wines
2006 Viña Santa Rita Carménère Reserva Santa Rita - $10: Rich ripe, dark fruits with mild spice notes, vanilla and toasted oak. Elegant tannins with a bit of heat but overall an outstanding QPR and very fine wine. Went great with Pizza! My rating: 88 pts, OV

2005 Ferraton Pere & Fils Crozes-Hermitage La Matinière - $17: Mineral notes, mouthful of spice, green pepper, cherry, dark raspberry. Pretty nice balance and structure, red fruits showing up near the finish (which is quite nice, albeit reserved). Overall great value, perfect introductory wine for people looking to try a Syrah-based Rhone wine. My rating: 89 pts, Very Good Value (VGV)

2005 Domaine Grand Veneur Côtes du Rhône Reserve - $12: Nose: Sweet notes, cherry, laffy-taffy, herb and earth notes. Sour cherry, raspberry, spice, medium tannins, lots of razor sharp acidity. Purchased for $10- very good value. My rating: 89 pts, OV

Wente Vineyards: 125 years of good wine; now with great concerts and world-class golf.

I had the chance to have lunch a few weeks back with winemaker Karl Wente of Wente Vineyards. The fifth generation winemaker was visiting Baltimore area wine shops and restaurants that carry the Wente label. Through the help of his local contact Paula Lucas, he had time to sit with me for an hour over pizza and a few bottles of his wine. So we met up at Brick Oven Pizza (Fells Point) and with Paula, and his distributor), we had great pizza, talked about Wente Vineyards, and tasted some of the Wente wines.

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6 Reasons to Sneak Away From Lab For Lunch: Tasting Notes on Wines from Shafer Vineyards

Some lunches are good, others just OK. Today’s lunch was, well..outstanding.

I was invited by a friend (thanks Dae!) to join in on a tasting at Kali’s Court in Fells Point. The wines being poured were all from the California producer, Shafer, which are represented locally by Bacchus. This was quite the treat as Shafer is one of California’s premier producers. Located in Napa Valley’s Stag Leap District, Shafer produces some of the most highly sought-after California wines (especially their “Hillside Select” Cabernet). Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the wines. Although they aren’t priced to be daily drinkers, these wines (with the exception of the Merlot) are worth their price and are a provide value for a special occasion.

Without further ado, the tasting notes: Read more

Wines for Spring Part II: A Shopping List - 20 wines to kick off any springtime BBQ!

Part II of my Spring Wine Guide (Read Part I here): The chill of winter is ready to be packed away with your snow pants and wool sweaters in exchange for bathing suits and tank tops. If you’re like me, this time of year you’ll also transition from drinking big red wines every night to more Champagne, crisp whites, and Rose. Sure you’ll still have a big Cabernet or Barolo with a nice dinner indoors, but on a warm spring or summer night its best to kick things off with one (or two, or three!) bottles of a light, slightly chilled wine.

Here are my recommended wines for this Spring organized by Country and Price, with truncated tasting notes (Pink text = Rose wine, Green text = white or sparkling wine, Red text = red wine):

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Tasting Report: Wines from the Vin Divino Portfolio: Austrian Wines

These are my tasting notes from a recent tasting of the wines of Vin Divino. The tasting reaffirmed my belief that within a few years, Austrian wines will be considered the up and coming wine region offering incredible values and unique styles and flavors. Most of the wines in this tasting were good to very good, with a few being outstanding. The majority of the wines are even better with food as they are structured to stand side by side with a variety of cuisine. (Image taken at Austrian Cultural Forum in New York City)
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Two California producers to look for: Chameleon Cellars and Bravante

I recently had the great opportunity of joining in a small group of winemakers, collectors and friends to taste through the portfolio’s of two exciting California wineries. Included in the group were representatives from both wineries: Jeffery Poppick of Chameleon, and Michelle Hunt of Bravante.

The evening started with a Chameleon Sauvignon Blanc. Jeff noted that to really appreciate the wine, one must overlook the frigid outdoor temperatures and imagine sitting outside on a warm, June evening in Maryland, enjoying the chilled, crisp, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. I didn’t record formal notes on the wine, but a lot of tropical fruit jumped out and the wine had very good acidity and a nice finish. This wine is an easy choice at around $15 and being an 89 point wine.

From the lone white wine, we moved through the progression of reds getting details on the winemaking involved in each wine, as well as where the grapes were sourced. The passion that Jeff has for his wines was evident in his voice as he talked with excitement about his unique varietals such as Carignan and Charbono.

Overall the Chameleon wines were quite good and some were great. As a producer, Chameleon Cellars sources its fruits from vineyards across the Central and North Coasts of California. Whereas other wineries that produce their own fruit are stuck with low quality grapes in low quality vintages, Chameleon can choose to produce or not produce certain types of wines in any given year depending on the quality of the fruit.

It was a treat to taste all the wines side-by-side as I developed a great understanding of the style of wines Jeff likes to make as well as what he’s trying to express with his creations. For the most part, each wine had great structure and balance, and benefited from the right amount of time in barrel. Jeff’s philosophy of “let the fruit express itself” was evident from the start. In a blind tasting, I would not have guessed some of the wines to be from California as there was no tendency to let oak overshadow the finesse of many of this varietals. The best wines of the Chameleon bunch were a Grenache that was very bright and displayed good balance, a 2005 Syrah that gets a lot of points for being very unique and how it evolved nicely in the glass, and a Petit Sirah that had outstanding structure and tannins. Each are highly recommended (tasting notes to come).

After tasting through the Chameleon wines, we moved on to the wines of Bravante. Bravante may sound familiar as I have reviewed one of their wines in the past (see the review here). Represented by Michelle Hunt, of Bravante Vineyards, the four wines we had were quite different in every aspect as compared to the Chameleon wines. For starters, Bravante produces its own fruits at its two vineyards in the outstanding Howell Mountain appellation. This results in wines with very similar flavor profiles coming from incredible fruits. The amount of oak in the Bravante wines was right on and overall the wines were perfectly balanced and structured to stand up to a nice meal. Of the four wines we tasted, three were at least 90 points, with one being an outstanding 94 points (Bravante Simpatico, 2003). Michelle Hunt was very knowledgeable and passionate about her wines as well, and it was a pleasure to have the chance to get her input on their wines while we tasted.

I’d highly recommend looking into wines form both of these wineries. I’d characterize the wines of Chameleon as unique, everyday, food-friendly wines that are for the most part approachable at release and are moderately priced ($15-$30). Bravante’s wines are rich, luscious wines that can be approached now but for the most part are structured to last 5 years or more in the cellar. The Bravante wines are great for their price point, considering the price of other California wines of their caliber and would be great for a special dinner at home or a nice night dining out. In any event, both are worth taking the time to seek them out (Grand Cru and Diwine both carry these wines) as well as the money you’ll spend on them. Great thanks to both Michelle and Jeff for letting me taste their wines, as well as the host of the tasting and distributor of these wines, Rich at The Cult Wine Group. If you’re ever out in Napa and looking for something to do, check out the tasting room at Chameleon, as well as the tasting-room in progress at Bravante (picture here is of Bravante)!

Note: Tasting notes to follow.

Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the Year - What I thought!

This month The Wine Spectator released it’s top 100 wines of the year. Without getting into what I thought of their selections, and with 2008 a few days away, I thought I’d recap my tasting notes on the wines that made Wine Spectator’s top 100 that I was lucky enough to try. Unfortunately, the high prices of those wines in the top 50 were too much for me to taste more than a few! Maybe next year we’ll see more value wines making the top 50! NOTE - I’ve listed Wine Spectator’s ratings (WS Rating) and rank. For information on my Value Rating System, check out my ratings page.

Without further ado:

8. Mollydooker Shiraz McLaren Vale Carnival of Love 2006 ($80): Opened and tasted immediately: Mushroom, plum, cherry, big fruits, big yet soft tannins. Decanted. 2 hour decant: Great color. Still tight on the nose. The initial mushroom note is gone with the appearance of a musty-forest floor with a touch of pepper and bacon. On the palette it’s toasted cedar, vanilla, plum, pretty solid through the middle with a long, complex finish that goes on and on. At this point I’m definitely seeing 96 pts or more. 3 hour decant: Again showing better, more buttery now with a bit more spice. The fruits in this wine just don’t stop. Quite pleasing and still 96+ points. 4 hour decant: Just as elegant as before. I’m quite impressed with the structure of this wine and overall quality. Very good. A very solid 96 points. My rating: 96 pts, GV. WS Rating: 95 pts

12. Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Madonna del Piano Riserva 2001 ($175): I have yet to try this wine, but it’s in the cellar and will be opened in 10 years or so!

16. Schild Shiraz Barossa 2005 ($25): Decanted - big dark fruits, spice, tobacco on the nose. On the palate the wine is explosive with big, dark fruit, leather, plum, tar. Smooth tannins, long finish - pretty straight forward big Aussie Shiraz if that’s your style, you’ll like this wine (the 2004 was a better wine overall). We had this twice and it was consistently good. My rating: 90 pts, GV. WS Rating: 93 pts

37. Navarro Zinfandel Mendocino 2004 ($19): Blueberry, blackberry, cherry and some spice notes on the nose, as well as a small petrol component. Very good balance given the amount of alcohol, smooth tannins and a medium-long finish. A good Zin and great value. Tasted 3 times with consistent notes and evaluation. My rating: : 93 pts, VGV. WS Rating: 92 pts

62. Louis Jadot Moulin-à-Vent Château des Jacques 2005 ($22): Decanted 1 hour. Earthy tones, cherry, raspberry and other bright fruits. On the palate the wine was very well balanced, with dusty tannins and a earthy, medium-length finish. Should get better with a couple years, drinking nice now with a long decant. My rating: 93 pts, VGV. WS Rating: 91 pts

71. Columbia Crest Merlot Columbia Valley Grand Estates ($11): Deep reddish plum in color with notes of plum, raspberry, vanilla and blueberry on the nose. The body is surprisingly creamy with soft tannins layered with good fruit and tar flavors. Long finish accented by a subtle chocolate note - well made bargain Merlot. Buy a case and enjoy one of the best values out there. My rating: 89 pts, OV. WS Rating: 90 pts

72. Yellow Tail Shiraz South Eastern Australia The Reserve 2005 ($11): With all the hype about the Yellowtail reserve Shiraz, I felt it would be fun to grab a bottle and see for myself whether it was warranted. I did not taste this blind, but I wish I had, it was very good. The wine was filled with dark fruits and spice with surprising balance and really smooth tannins. The finish fell apart a bit, but overall the wine is a great value and highly recommended as a daily drinker. My rating: 88 pts, OV. WS Rating: 90pts

77. Heidsieck Monopole Brut Champagne Blu Top NV ($35). Tasted from 375 mL bottle. Pale yellow color with plenty of tiny bubbles. Apple, pear, buttered toast with good balance. Light, crisp, and very refreshing. My rating: 90 pts, VGV. WS Rating: 91 pts.

92. Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch 2006($14): Pale yellow color. On the nose is wet stone, pear, honey and a touch of lemon rind with citrus, pear and some more honey on the palate. This wine has some wild acidity but it’s not overwhelming and makes it a great spring/summer wine served with spicy cuisine. The finish is crisp and very refreshing. A great value wine from an outstanding producer. My rating: 91 pts, OV. WS Rating: 90pts

100. Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2004 ($70): Tasted twice. August 2007 - Filled with dark fruits, berry, currant, chocolate, touch of oak. Firm tannins, long finish. Another great wine from a great producer with good aging potential. My rating: 93 pts, CV. WS Rating: 92 pts

Caymus tasted again 12/26/07: Decanted 30 minutes at a wine bar. Real tight nose, blackberry, black currant, leather. On the palate the wine was a bit off from the other time I’ve had this and rated it 93 pts…the tannins were rough with a medium-long finish. Not corked, but maybe an off bottle. My rating: 87 pts (PV, poor value as it showed this time around).

Tasting Notes: From our forums!

I’m working on a new forum that will prevent the ridiculous amount of spammers we get. I predict that I will lose all the content in this forum, so I’m transferring tasting notes over from the forum to this post! Without further ado, the notes by contributor name. Thanks to all who contributed!

Michael Mohammadi:

• Alandra 2005 - Portugal Vino de Table Rogue: A blend of “traditional Portuguese grapes”, this wine was only $8 but was pretty good. Allspice notes with red cherry, currant, cinnamin. Took time to open up but it developed nicely in the glass.
• Avinyo Brut Cava Rosada Reserva $20: Very bright red, quite dark for a Rose. Plenty of crisp, small bubbles. On the nose I got cherry, melon, citrus with cherry on the palette as well as some salt-water taffy. Crisp with a dry finish. It was OK - my rating : 87 ptsAnother Cava - this time a Rose (100% Pinot Noir) from Avinyo
• Chateau du Barail Bordeaux Blanc - 2006: A young, crisp Bordeaux Blanc (about 60% semilion blanc, 40% sauvignon blanc). Quite a floral nose with hints of lavender and wet stone. Fruits are pleasant but fall off quickly into a mineral and citrus finish. Good wine for the price (Around $8.00) but not great. My rating: 82 pts

Ahleah:

• Bouchaine Pinot Noir Carneros 2004: I had an amazing dinner at Equinox in DC over the weekend, including this wine. I never really got into Pinots for some reason, but I took the recommendation for pairing with my meal (grilled quail followed by duck). The wine definitely went very well with the food. The main flavors that stood out to me were cherry and chocolate, with a little bit of coffee in the finish. Overall very good wine.

Aubrey:

• 2005 Banfi Brachetto D’Acqui Sparkling: Light, bubbly and delicious. Perfectly sweet with lots of berries. A good after dinner drink. Would definitely get it again!
• Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2007: Crazy little Chilean wine. Very different from most of the pinot noirs that I’ve had. Lots of fruit on the nose. Surprisingly big, aggressive fruit flavors from the moment it hits your tongue. The fruity explosion makes it fun. Had an abrupt finish, but at only $12 its hard to hold a grudge.
• 2006 Mollydooker Goosebumps: Offered the strange combination of chocolate, blackberries and cream soda on my palate. Long finish. Interesting, odd and a bit disappointing (especially for the price - ~$70). At least the bubbles were fun.

Brian from Montreal:

• 2002 Terre Dei Volsci VELLETRI: A very nice Italian red wine that a friend of mine from Italy suggested to
  accompany a pasta dish that she supplied a recipe for! Very nice easy drinking wine!
• 2006 Santa Cristina TOSCANA Sangiovese: Another wine that my friend in Italy suggested. This one is becoming one of my top 5 favorites. Goes good with everything, even just by itself! P.S.. for Mike….no recipe was supplied with this one!! This wine goes good with air!!!
• 2006 Chateau Des Tuileries - Bordeaux: Selection De Luze - This wine came to me as a “suggestion” from the person who worked at the Wine store. Something that went good with cheeses. Well, I was disappointed. Wine tasted “young” to me and I think it may need to sit for another year. P.S…But I still drank it!!
• 2005 FETZER - Valley Oaks : Cabernet Sauvignon: OK..Ok..I must admit I am slightly biased here as I visited Napa Valley back in 2002 and my favorite vineyard I visited was Fetzer, but this Canernet Sauvignon, year after year, has constantly been at the top of my list. One of my top 3. Full bodied, nice taste!
• 2004 Saint Chinian - Chateau Cazal-Viel (FRA): Most Saint Chinian reds I’ve had over the years are trustworthy, very good wines….this one is no exception and is a strong member of the under $20.00 club!
• 2003 Duque de Medina: Duque de Medina is a Spanish red that caught my eye. A 2003 bottle for under $10.00 (CDN)?! I decided for that price, what do I have to lose. Well, that was about 3 months ago, I have been buying it on a regular basis since. It’s a Tempranillo & Garnacha grape from the Carinena region of Spain. I’ve had it just alone, or with a salad or with a steak and it always held it’s own. Very nice wine!

Donna:

• Avalon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004: i really loved this napa valley cab! i recently went into mt washington wine co. looking for another napa cab produced by honig that i hoped would go nicely with an eggplant dish we were making for dinner (i had previously tried the honig cab with mike and kim and really enjoyed it!). blake (i think) at mwwco knew they didnt have the honig in stock and so he recommended the Avalon, which he said he actually preferred over the honig. the Avalon opened up right out of the bottle, making it great for enjoying while preparing our meal and munching on bread w/oil/basalmic for dipping. i tasted a variety of rich berries, with a strong raspberry start and hints of blackberry/cherry flavors. this wine left a smooth and warm, almost nutty finish that had me coming back for sip after sip. i would most definitely pick this one up again! and affordable too! (please note, im not 100% sure on the year, but for some reason 04 pops into my head) cheers, fellow vino lovers!
• Orleans Hills Viognier 2006: i tasted honey and pear. this 06 with organically grown cali grapes has a rich, buttery finish that didn’t last quite as long as i’d hoped. wonderful with bbq’d chicken/veggies & mashed potatoes. i definitely recommend this bargain white (@ 14 buckaroos at mwwco, im sure you’d find it even cheaper at the wine source!)
• Louis Jadot Beaujolais 2005: this 05 was super tasty once it loosened up for about 20 mins. on my first sniff, i smelled floral and lemon scents that i later felt opened up into a mainly jasmine aroma with a hint of lavender just before tasting. i tasted rich earthy minerals with a hint of chocolate in the warm and sultry finish. very tasty paired with steak kabobs and baked potato. mmm mmm mmm.

“DrinkSomeWine”

• 2004 Switchback Ridge Petite Sirah Peterson Family Vineyard: Rich fruits, mild acidity, mouth drying tannins. Quite a treat! 88 pts

StarkeyJ“:

• Juno Pinotage Rose: juno is a company from south africa. the labels are designed by a local, to the vineyard s a, and are painted of beautiful women. the name juno is the goddess of women. a very well balanced rose. lite fruits, a small tanic structure. rose is one of those wines that can be made very poorly and can be made very well. pinotage is a strange choice, but made a very elegant wine.

“SWine009″:

• 2005 Bernardus Chardonnay: Only $20 and was incredible. Tropical fruits, citrus aroma with opulent palette of citrus, minerals, vanilla bean. Lovely wine. Very highly recommended.

“TheWinO”

• 2001 Robert Mueller Pinot Noir Emily’s Cuvée: Great cherry fruits layered with hints of butterscotch. The balance of this wine was quite remarkable with a nice meal. Overall it was quite good and everyone was happy with it.

The most common fitness equipment undoubtedly is the famous treadmill. These days there are treadmills with a heart rate monitor as well. Nowadays, the kettler is becoming quite popular too.

Brunello Tasting Report Part II - 2000-2002 Vintages

 

Welcome to Part II of the two part series on Brunello di Montalcino! Part I was pre-2000 vintage Brunello’s that were tasted on a recent trip to Montalcino (see image to left!). Here, I offer notes on Brunello’s from vintages 2000-2002. Some of these are not exported, but I felt like including all the notes (well, not all the notes, I have notes on about 3-5 more wines that I need to locate in our receipts and scrap paper!). Overall, the wines were incredible with the 2001 vintage being outstanding (as reported previously by Wine Spectator and others). I had heard a lot of bad press about the 2002 vintage, but overall I didn’t think it was as bad as other critics made it out to be. Sure they won’t hold for as long as the 2001’s, but some of them were drinking quite nicely now. Rest assured though, many of the winemakers informed me that the upcoming vintages should provide some very incredible wines.

Banfi 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Nose of dark fruits and toasted oak. On the palate, there is berry and plum, touch of vanilla. The wine is big but lacks real elegance or finesses with a bit of spice and earth component carrying it through a medium finish. Others have rated this wine much higher. My rating: 89 pts, GV

Banfi 2002 Brunello di Montalcino: Very rich, dark fruits, big cigar box component on the nose. Blackberry and cherry through the palate with chocolate standing out. Chewy tannins with some finesse. Good considering the overall quality of the vintage and definitely better than the 2001, which surprised me. My rating: 90 pts, GV

Banfi 2000 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio Alle Mura: Nose of herbs, rosemary and blackberry with a fresh forest component. The style of this wine was very Brunello-esque with a good range of concentrated flavors on the palate, big, velvety tannins and a medium-length finish. Drinking well know, give it another 5 years. My rating: 92 pts, GV

Casanova di Neri 2000 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto: From a very well known and respected producer, this 2000 Riserva was drinking very nicely. A lot of what I expect from a good Brunello: autumn forest with blackberry, raspberry, licorice. The tannins are very elegant and the finish goes on and on. The 2000 is drinking quite nicely right now and should continue to drink well for 10 years or more. My rating: 94 pts, GV

Image: Vines of di Neri

Casanova di Neri 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto: I had very high expectations for this “100 point wine” (rated by James Suckling of Wine Spectator - see my article on 100 point wines) and was a bit skeptical of what I had read. I was not at all disappointed. There is so much going on in this wine it took me a while to put it into words. I went back and forth between smelling the wine and swirling for an hour, with only a few sips mixed in between. In no particular order I noted blackberry and raspberry, chocolate, currant, smoked wood. The tannins are complex and refined on so many levels and the finish, oh the finish…it’s sad it does eventually finish. This may be one of the first wines I ever give 100 points…but it’s still a few years away from that. Still, a stunning wine. Pricey at release, this wine is unaffordable following the stellar score. My rating: 97 pts, CV

Col d’ Orcia 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Decanted from 375 mL. Black cherry, and blackberry with a big earth and forest floor component. Very traditional BdM with mouth-drying tannins, good acidity and a strong finish. The wine was good on it’s own, but really stood out with the roast beef in Brunello sauce. My rating: 90 pts, VGV

Cerbaia 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva: Aged in large, Slovenia oak barrels with grapes from the higher elevations of Montalcino, this Riserva is quite exuberant. The wine really was beautiful in the glass with bright ruby color. The fruits in this wine are elegant with a lot of cherry and blackberry with hints of vanilla throughout. The tannins have great presence and are very refined. A very good Riserva at a very good price (if you can find it). My rating: 94 pts, VGV

Croce di Mezzo 2002 Brunello di Montalcino: Red fruits as well as some dark cherry with a good pepper component on the nose. Big tannins but not very good integration. Spice returns on medium-length finish. My rating: 85 pts, OKV

Fattoi 2001 Brunello di Montalcino : Decanted from 375 mL. Brilliant dark ruby color. Nose and mouthful of ripe dark fruits, leather, spice. Great on the mid-palate with a lot of ripe fruit flavors carrying the wine through medium tannins and good length on the finish. My rating: 89 pts, GV

Ferrero 2002 Brunello di Montalcino: The bottle wasn’t flawed, but it was a bit off. I noted flavors of cherry, mushroom, and cough-syrup with mild tannins and a medium finish. My rating: 83 pts, PV

Image to the left are the vines at Fuligni

Fuligni 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Dark ruby color. On the nose a lot of dark fruits and a touch of vanilla, mushrooms, llicorice. The wine starts and finishes strong – dark cherry, blackberry and anise with big, velvety tannins and a 20-30 second finish. Quite good. My rating: 93 pts, GV

Il Paradiso di Frassina 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Maybe it’s the music that is played throughout the vineyard for the vines, or the love and care of the composer and winemaker, whatever it is, the wines of Il Paradiso di Frassina were very good. This 2001 Brunello showed great fruits and spice notes. The tannins were complex yet soft and the finish offered cherry notes and was long. My rating: 93 pts, VGV

Image to the right is from Il Paradiso di Frassina - Story on this lovely vineyard to come!

Il Paradiso di Frassina 2002 Brunello di Montalcino: This was definitely my favorite of the 2002 Brunello’s that we tasted. It’s location north of Montalcino and at a lower elevation allowed for earlier picking of the best grapes prior to a lot of the bad weather in the 2002 vintage. The nose offered floral notes, cedar and miscellaneous dark fruits with plum and cherry on the palate. Great structure, big tannins and a long, story-telling finish. My rating: 91 pts, VGV

Le Potazzine 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: A lot of fruit on the nose with plum, currant standing out. Big forest floor component. The fruits really stand out early but really come together nicely through the mid-palate with spice notes. Big yet delicate tannins with a long finish highlighted by cherry notes. This opened up very nicely over 30 minutes and I imagine another few years in the bottle would do it wonders. My rating: 92 pts, GV.

La Serena 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Opened for 30 minutes before tasting. Pretty standard Brunello here: dark garnet color, cherry, leather, earth on the nose. Spice notes, earth and dark fruits show up immediately on the palate with the spice returning on the finish. Overall good balance with silky tannins and medium acidity. My rating: 91 pts, GV

Lisini 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Ugolaia: Great dark ruby color with a nose of cherry, blackberry, vanilla, cedar. Huge body with very big, mouth-drying tannins and very good balance. Long finish with spice showing up near the end. Pricey, but very good. My rating: 95 pts, GV

Mastrojanni 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: An interesting character of a wine from the start. A lot of dried herbs, allspice, currant cherry and a fresh green countryside on the nose. Blueberry and dark cherry on the palate, with a good amount of acidity and moderate tannins, medium finish. A little closed up but approachable. My rating: 90 pts, VGV

Montecarbello 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva: Purchased at Les Barrique in Montalcino. First bottle was corked and returned to the store. The wine began with a good amount of earth, red and black fruits, earth, spice and dried herbs. Good overall balance with medium tannins and a medium length finish. My rating: 91 pts, VGV

Pietroso 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Plum and berry flavors with thyme and vanilla. Medium bodied, refined tannins, medium finish. My rating: 88 pts, GV

Santa Lucia 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Big nose of dark berries and black cherry. Fresh earth component with a touch of spice. Well structured but a bit tight right now with medium tannins. Give it a year or a long decant. My rating: 89 pts, GV

Image to right is of Kim at our tasting at Santa Lucia!

Santa Lucia 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva: Dark berries, licorice, cedar with a full body, smooth tannins, long finish. Good balance, still a bit tight – a great find. My rating: 92 pts, VGV

Santa Lucia 2002 Brunello di Montalcino: A good value from the 2002 vintage with a nose of black fruits, cedar and a touch of spice with licorice and dark cherry. Good earth component, medium tannins, medium finish. My rating: 87 pts, GV

Valdi Sug 2002 Brunello di Montalcino: My notes on this blend from 3 vineyards in Montalcino were not very detailed. We stopped into the wine tasting room only for a few moments and left having only tried this 2002 BdM. I did note solid dark fruits with good structure and a medium finish. My rating: 86 pts, GV

Verbena 2001 Brunello di Montalcino: Nose has a lot of ripe, dark fruits, vanilla, chocolate and a petrol component. The wine took a while to open but when it did it showed earth, woody blackberry, dark raspberry, and plum notes. Good structure and smooth tannins, medium finish. My rating: 89 pts, GV

Downtown Montalcino: Picture taken from the top of the Fortress:

1st Round of Brunello di Montalcino Tasting Reports: 1990’s

Here are the tasting notes of the few Brunello’s we had from the 1990’s. All wines tasted between 11/10/2007 and 11/18/2007 in Montalcino. I will post the 2000-2002’s in the next week, as there are significantly more of these to type in! For a look at a “Vintage Quality Overview”, click here.

Tenuta di Collosorbo 1993 Brunello di Montalcino Bottle#0177: Bottle opened, no decant but drank over 2 hours. Deep garnet color. Good red fruits on the nose with tons of cherry and raspberry, highlighted by a nice spiciness. On the palate the wine is quite complex with layers of bright fruits, spices and cedar with mouth-drying tannins and a lot of cherry on a very long finish. As the wine evolved, more spice notes emerged and the wine became quite interesting in a good way. Overall the 1993’s are drinking great now. Drink now. My rating: 92 pts

Case Basse (Soldera) Brunello di Montalcino 1997 Riserva: Dark ruby color. A lot of different aromas on the nose. Big cherry, raspberry, sweet spice, maybe vanilla bean, some floral notes as well as earth. On the palate the fruits really strike me as something special. There are layers of cherry and blackberry, and every so often a touch of licorice and a few spices I can’t really decide on what they are. The balance and structure of this wine is near perfect. The tannins delicate…the only flaw? The bottle was only 750 mLs! If you own a bottle, wait 5-10 years. If you own a few, open one now, then every few years until they are gone and enjoy the evolution of a near perfect wine. My rating: 99 pts.

Capanna 1998 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva: Another example of how well the 1998’s are drinking as a whole right now. Very lovely spice and cherry notes on the nose, as well as a lot of darker fruits. The wine started off with a hint of spice then moved into an earth component, then concentrated fruits and well balanced acidity with medium/big tannins. Worth the money if you can find it. My rating: 93 pts.

Col d’Orcia (Cinzano) Brunello di Montalcino 1999 Riserva Poggio al Vento: (I have this in my notebook, but put details somewhere else, therefore I have to look for my notes on this one!) My rating:

Fuligni 1998 Brunello di Montalcino: Opened and poured, let breathe for 15 minutes in the glass while observing the evolution of the nose. The wine was a nice ruby color, with minor discoloration on the edges. The nose showed cherry, tobacco, blackberry, mushroom, as well as a floral component. The wine had good structure and weight, with soft tannins and a very pleasing, earthy finish. Drink now. My rating: 91 pts. (Picture to left is at Fuligni)

Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio Alle Mura 1999 Brunello di Montalcino (Riserva): Brilliant dark red color. What started as a brief sniff of the wine ended up as multiple long whiffs of layers of flavors ranging from plum, cherry, dark fruits, vanilla, licorice, and cedar. The fruits in the wine danced with each other across the palate with both sweet and spice notes playing a song. Overall very well integrated with smooth tannins and a long, complex finish. Drinking very nicely right now. My rating: 94 pts.

Col d’Orcia (Cinzano) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 1999 Poggio al Vento: (I have this in my notebook, but put details somewhere else, therefore I have to look for my notes on this one!) My rating:

Santa Lucia 1999 Brunello di Montalcino: Leather, earth, spice, and a touch of floral notes on the nose. On the palate good earth component with subtle fruits and spice, light tannins and a medium finish. Drink now or within the next year. My rating: 89 pts.

Tenuta Caparzo 1999 Brunello di Montalcino: Decanted 1 hour. Good example of the traditional style of Brunello. A lot of black cherries, raspberries, a touch of spice, earth, and a touch of cedar. Well balanced, with elegant tannins that, along with cherry and some interesting spice notes, make for a very good finish. My rating: 91 pts

Did I mention this was an amazing trip? More to come!