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

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):

Read more

Recipe: Cinghale (Wild-Boar) Sausage and Shrimp on Greens

A very easy and quick appetizer I came up with one night while figuring out a new way to make shrimp. Any mild sausage could be used as a substitute if cinghale is not available.

Ingredients

• 8-10 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 Tablespoons Shallots, chopped fine
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 3 oz wild boar sausage, chopped roughly
• salt/pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups arugula, spinach or other preferred green

1. Saute garlic and shallot in olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage after 2-3 minutes and cook for 3 additional minutes.
2. Deglaze pan with sherry - allow to reduce for 3 minutes. Add butter.
3. Once melted, add shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side. Coat well with sauce while cooking.
4. Plate on bed of greens and serve with sauce as a dressing.

Wine Pairing: 2004 Dutton Estate Chardonnay Dutton Ranch

A glimpse of summer…Fresh Maine Lobster, Scallops and a Chilled California Chardonnay

What better way to welcome warm summer nights than to chill some Corona’s and Sparkling wines? Kim and I recently decided that we have had enough of the cold and picked up some Live Maine Lobsters and sea scallops.

The pairing of the night was the 2004 Dutton Estate Chardonnay, which was very buttery and a great match for both the lobster and the scallops.

2004 Dutton Estate Chardonnay - $35: Pale gold color. Good weight in the glass, with aromas of apple, peach, buttered popcorn, oak, vanilla bean. Bubblegum, dried apricot, apple, cotton candy, with a hint of grass on the medium body. Good acidity, good balance, nice crispness on the finish. Bordering on “too much oak” but it pulls it off nicely. I’d recommend an hour decant (yes I know it’s a white wine). My rating: 90 pts, GV (good value)
A great place to get live Maine Lobsters any time of year:

Tasting Notes: 3 wines from Tuscan producer Il Borro

2006 Il Borro “Lamelle” - $N/A:
Composition: Chardonnay
Tasting notes: Pale yellow color with aroma’s of wet stone, apple, and an interesting sweaty t-shirt component. On the palate flavors of pear and a touch of honey, with mineral notes combined with a medium body and nice acidity on finish. A lot of nice individual components that never really come together completely. My rating: 87 pts, No value rating - price not available.
Side notes: Overall a nice Chardonnay. Not overly complex but had good weight and a nice touch of acidity that went well with Lobster Tempura. Not sure the domestic pricing on this one, but if it’s under $20 it will be a decent buy.

2005 Il Borro “Pian di Nova” - $20:
Composition: 75% Syrah, 25% Sangiovese - 12 months Allier oak barriques - malo-lactic fermentation. 6 months bottle age. 13.5% Alcohol.
Tasting notes: Deep ruby color. Blackberry, red bell pepper, spicy V-8, dark and dark raspberry on the nose. Lot’s of spice up front, creamy texture, black fruits, and vanilla flavors with medium tannins. Nice hints of red pepper and fruit on the finish. My rating: 89 pts, GV
Side notes: Wine Spectator gave this wine a measly 83 pts, but I found it to be quite good. It’s a different style of wine - if you like spicy red pepper and vegetable notes, this one’s for you. Would be great with a Cajun spiced strip steak.

2004 Il Borro “Polissena” -27$:
Composition: 100% Sangiovese - 12 months Allier oak barriques - malo-lactic fermentation. 6 months bottle age. 13.0% Alcohol.
Tasting notes: Aroma’s of minerals, earth, some heat, nutmeg, cinnamon, red fruits, plum. Light body with good fruits near mid-palate that fall off near the finish. My rating: 87 pts, OKV
Side notes: A decent wine - lighter in style than the Pian di Nova and a little less interesting. There is a nice earth and wood component to it, but the flavors fall off for a bit close to the finish and for almost $30, this one is a pass for me.

Tasting Notes: 5 California wines you’ve definitely heard of - Part I

As my tasting notes are piling up, I decided to post this first installment of “California Wines You’ve Definitely Heard Of”. All of the wines I’ll put in this series are quite popular and can be found on the shelves of almost any wine shop or on the wine list at many restaurants. These were all tasted in the last two months (10/07 - 12/07) with many more to come!

2004 Cakebread Suavignon Blanc ($35): Nose and palate of grapefruit, honey, melon and a bit of vanilla. Good acidity but the alcohol was too much. My rating: 84 pts - PV

2004 Cakebread Chardonnay ($40): Great golden color with a lot of citrus flavors, apples, and a touch of jasmine. Well balanced with good acidity and a great finish. My rating: 92 pts - GV

2004 Bernardus Chardonnay ($20): Buttered popcorn, lemon, and a lot of oak. Good acidity, overall was pretty good, but maybe a little too oaky. My rating: 86 pts - GV

2004 Whitehall Lane Merlot ($30): This Merlot has all the right things going on. The nose is filled with blackberry, plum and dark cherry and a touch of spice. On the palate are flavors of fig, cherry, spice and smoke with good balance and a pleasant finish. Even if you don’t like Merlot, it’s worth giving this one a try. My rating: 92 pts - VGV

2004 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon ($70): Filled with dark fruits, berry, currant, chocolate, touch of oak. Firm tannins, long finish. Another great wine from a great producer. Approachable now, better in a year or two. My rating: 93 pts. - GV

Louis Jadot Pouilly Fuisse (2002) - $20

The wines of Louis-Jadot are relatively inexpensive, good quality and value wines from the Burgundy region of France. The 2002 Pouilly-Fuisse is a medium bodied, dry chardonnay.

Unlike nearby Montrachet, wines from Pouilly Fuisse tend to be very green and fresh tasting. This 2002 Louis-Jadot displays an apple and cinnamon nose, a medium body, and a fruity, lightly acidic finish. The perfect amount of oak helps bring out the character of the fruits, especially melon while showcasing subtle mineral notes. A nice pairing with roast chicken, white fish in a buttery sauce, or even just cocktail shrimp!