Ordering wine in a restaurant: “By-the-glass” offers a fun learning experience (4 wines with steak)

After a few hours of working on the kitchen Saturday, Kim and I were getting hungry and it was getting late. 8:00 PM rolled around and we decided we wanted good steaks. Our favorite steakhouse in town is Fleming’s Primes Steakhouse and Wine Bar which offers 100 wines by the glass, an extensive reserve wine list and a variety of meats and seafood to satisfy any appetite. Beware that the wine prices are a bit high, but their by-the-glass list offers many good values, the food is always good, and the service is outstanding. So we called, squeezed in a 9:30 reservation and excitedly hurried over anticipating a great meal.  (Image from dreamstime.com)

Now, normally at a nice dinner I order a bottle of Champagne and a bottle of red wine at the beginning of the meal. This gives the wine time to sit in a decanter if necessary and helps us decide on what we are going to eat. At a steakhouse, it’s almost always a Cabernet or Bordeaux-blend, with the occasional Malbec or other miscellaneous varietal wine. On this night, though, we decided to try something different. SO we started our meal with a round of white wines by the glass, a Riesling and a Gewurztraminer to be precise. Both were quite good and perfect with our fried calamari appetizer. Read more

MD Cru March 2008 Wine Tasting: Spanish Wines!

Good company is the best pairing with any wine. This past Saturday, I enjoyed what is becoming a classic pairing: wine and the MD Cru. MD Cru refers to a small group of wine enthusiasts who organize through the Wine Spectator forums to meet up once a month in the MD/Washington DC area to share wine, food and good stories. Venue ranges from the homes of some of the members to local restaurants. Each month we have a theme with the March 2008 tasting focusing on the wines of Spain. Overall the wines were very good and went great with the food menu (below). Here is the list of wines we tasted with my picks for “Wines of the Night”. A big thank you to PH, CS, and HWT for dealing with the organization and logistics of the event. A few wines received a score with a “+” symbol after it. This represents wines that I may have scored higher had there been sufficient pour volume and time to taste it over a few hours. Without further ado:

Wines of the night:

1. 2004 Alto Moncayo (Great wine, outstanding value even at $35- a must try for those new to Spanish Wines)
2. 2003 Clos Mogador (Still a bit young, but very good- hold 2-3 years or decant 2+ hours)
3. 2001 Cims de Porrera Priorat Classic (a load of ripe fruits, good structure and balance)

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Tasting Report: 8 Spanish Wines!

Hooray for me: I gave blood today (thanks for the support, Miranda!). I actually gave two units of blood, which is great since it helps twice as much. That said, when giving this much blood, they have to pump saline and plasma back into your system so you don’t pass out or get sick from blood loss. The sensation of room temperature saline/plasma going abck into your arm and system was quite interesting and resulted in tingling lips and a plastic taste in my mouth. When it was all said and done, I drank a 32 oz Gatorade, 64 ounces of water, ate a big lunch, then waited 6 hours and figured “why not go drink a bunch of wine?”. So, Kim, Donna (who it was great to finally drink wine with again!) and I attended a tasting tonight at the Chesapeake Wine Company in Canton. The following wines were served with a Spanish Chorizo, Bread and the following cheeses: San Simon (smoked cow’s milk), Roncal (aged Sheeps’s Milk, Pyrennes), Murcia (Drunken goat, with olives).
The tasting notes are below:
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Tasting Notes: 7 Chateauneuf’s from 1989 - 2001

Tasting notes from a recent gathering of friends (read more about it here) which featured perfect food pairings for the event!

1989 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau (750 mL) Bottle 1: Decanted 1 hour. Medium-ruby color, a bit dusty. Dark fruits, barnyard, eucalyptus notes on the nose. Less fruit on the palate but some currant and cherry left, good spice notes rolled into the soft tannins. Opened side by site with another 1989 which showed a bit better. My rating: 88 pts

1989 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau (750 mL) Bottle 2: Decanted 1 hour. Second bottle of two. More vibrant ruby color than the other bottle, which translated to a bit more fruit on the nose. Currant, cherry, pepper, and mineral notes. More complex mid-palate and again, spice notes into medium tannins on the finish. A sip of this wine at the end of the night (roughly 5 hour decant) showed it was still evolving and drinking well. My rating: 90 pts

1995 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau (1500 mL): Beautiful deep ruby color with aroma’s of barnyard, cherry, raspberry, leather, earth. Opened up into an incredible wine that might still be considered in it’s youth (from a magnum with great provenance anyways). Lots of dark cherry, herbs, mineral notes and spice all packaged with formidable tannins and a complex finish. The 1995 is the new 2001, this wine thinks it’s in its youth…if you’ve got any left, keep it another 4-5 years or enjoy now with a long decant. My rating: 94 pts

2000 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée (750 mL): Decanted 1+ hour. Deep purple color - aromas of dark cherry, dark berries, herbs. This wine is just waking up, it’s completely alive with lots of red fruits and pepper on the palate - very balanced with velvety tannins. The finish is rich, long and expressive. This has a some years until it peaks. My rating: 93 pts

1998 Domaine St. Benoit Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Truffière (1500 mL): Medium ruby color, clear edges. Dark raspberry and cherry really stand out on the nose with some evergreen. Candied cherry, licorice and spice with a medium finish. My rating: 90 pts

1998 Domaine de la Charbonnière Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Spéciale Les Hautes Brusquières (750 mL): Aromas of white pepper, cherry, and a whiff of herbs and perhaps a floral component. Fruits really showing well with thyme standing out somewhere in the mix of it all. Big tannins with good acidity and a long finish. My rating: 92 pts

2001 E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape (750 mL): Red fruits, complex flavors with herbs, plum, toffee and spice notes. Lighter in style with a medium body and medium length finish. My rating: 90 pts

2001 Bois de Boursan Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée des Felix (2 x 750 mL): Dark cherry, cellar/barnyard nose that gave way to berries, spice and minerals. Rich mouth feel, good structure and balance with solid tannins and a long finish. Really well put-together wine, lovely that will show well for years to come. My rating: 94 pts

Tasting Notes: Chameleon Cellars and Bravante

Notes from a recent tasting. Overall, there wasn’t a “bad” wine in the bunch. Some were good, some were great. A few outstanding! The Chameleon Cellars wines are styled to let the fruit express itself and would be best consumed any night of the week with a good, simple food pairing. In contrast, the Bravante wines are complex, elegant examples of the potential of the fruits with good blends and the right amount of oak. These wines are built to stand up to big steaks, rich dishes, and for the most part are structured to last a few years in the cellar. Both producers are highly recommended - at least a few wines from each! In fact, I recommend that you go out and find a wine from either (or both) producer(s), drink it, write what you think, and e-mail them to me or post a comment! (These wines can be found online or at shops throughout Baltimore)

Without further ado, in the order we drank them:

2006 Chameleon Cellars Sauvignon Blanc North Coast: Tropical fruits and some mineral on the nose - honeydew, peach, apple, and jasmine on the palate - good acidity, nice crisp finish. My rating: 89 pts, GV (Good value)

2005 Chameleon Cellars Grenache - Mendocino: Nose filled with cherry and raspberry, a touch of smoke and a mild wet dirt component. Lot’s of black cherry on the palate, light then becoming fuller with medium tannins. Would be great with rabbit. My rating: 87 pts, OKV

2003 Chameleon Cellars Charbono: Nose of spruce, herbs, eucalyptus, with cherry and white pepper on the palate. Overall good balance but could benefit from a touch more acidity. The finish is medium length and brings back a hint of herbs. My rating: 87 pts, GV

2005 Chameleon Cellars Carignane: The most widely planted grape in southeastern France, this Salono County Carignane was made from hillside vines and fruit from a warm growing season. The result is an earthy nose with a touch of chocolate. Good acidity with cherry notes, light in style with a smooth finish - very interesting wine that would pair nicely with a variety of wild game. My rating: 87 pts, GV

2005 Chameleon Cellars Syrah: Brilliant color and weight to this wine. Just approaching the glass with your nose you are bombarded with red pepper and spice. A lot of fruits stand out in the wine and the medium tannins are well integrated. More Old-World in style which is a good thing! My rating: 90 pts, VGV (Very Good Value)

2005 Chameleon Cellars Petit Sirah: Coming from 112 year old vines, this Petit Sirah is very good (tasted from 3 bottles). Dark purple color, aromas of dark cherry, spice and cigar box. Big, dark fruits and black pepper on the palate - great structure, big, chewy tannins and a 30 second finish. Drink one now and lay a few down for the next 5 years when it should peak. My rating: 91 pts, OV (Outstanding Value)

2005 Chameleon Cellars Barbera Mendocino: Beautiful bright color, vibrant red fruits, tightly wound but explosive - the wine is balanced and finishes crisp - a great pizza wine. My rating: 86 pts, GV

2004 Chameleon Cellars Zinfandel, Gordon Valley (Napa): Concentrated flavors, blackberry, blueberry, earth, spice, medium tannins. My rating: 87 pts, GV

2004 Chameleon Cellars Merlot: Plum, cherry, raspberry notes. As with many of the other Chameleon wines, the fruits really stand out, but this one lacks balance of the other wines. My rating: 86 pts, OKV (OK Value)

2005 Chameleon Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon: In this first effort at a Cabernet, Chameleon did a fine job. Don’t expect the creamy, oakiness of many other Cabs as this was designed to let the fruit shine. Earth notes, blackberry, black cherry, bell pepper, medium tannins with a bite. No formal rating was recorded during my tasting but from memory it was good. At the price, it’s worth trying to see if it’s your style. NR (No rating)

2004 Bravante Merlot - $38: Plum, cherry, touch of thyme. Good mid-palate filled with fruits and some acidity that becomes balanced into soft tannins. A touch of sweet fruit returns on the finish and is highlighted with black pepper. My rating: 88 pts, GV

2004 Bravante Trio, $40: This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cab Franc is quite good. Lot’s of black fruits and buttered toast, dried herbs on the nose. The wine is complex with chocolate, blackberry, and some sweet cedar, has great structure and balance and finishes with layers of flavors and big tannins - I’d lay a few bottles down (if you can find them!) for 3 or more years. My rating: 93 pts, VGV

2004 Bravante Cabernet Sauvignon - $50: Consistent with my previous notes: dark fruits, deep color, herb, vanilla. Not decanted this time around, but it drank nicely. My rating: 92 pts, GV

2003 Bravante Simpatico - $75: This was my wine of the night - layers and layers of dark fruits, earth, cherry, cigar box, anise, spice. Huge body, big tannins, a Cadillac among Fiats. Big, long finish, did I mention this wine is big? Pricey but worth it if you like big California Cabs (wine is roughly 80% Cab Sauvignon and 20% Cab Franc) can find a few bottles of this very limited release. For best enjoyment, lay it down for at least 5 years maybe 10 or more! My rating: 94 pts, CV (this wine has “cellar” or “collectible” value - meaning if you can afford it, definitely go for it!).

Tasting Notes: Miscellaneous French Wines

Domaine Ehrhart Pinot Auxerrois 2004 - $16: Nice floral nose, notes of minerals and pear with good acidity. My rating: 85 pts

Domaine Marc-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 2005 - $80: Flower notes on the nose with peach, citrus and mineral notes. Complex and elegant, good fruits and spice with a touch of jasmine and honey. Good structure with crisp acidity and refreshing mineral notes. Lingering finish, very good. My rating: 90 pts

Alberto Furque Malbec 2004 - $14: Dark cherry, plum, leather, solid early with rough tannins in the finish that fall off. My rating: 84 pts

Domaine Foret de Michielle, Confidentia Cotes du Rhone Villages - $20: Cane syrup, caramel, light tar, blackberry, plum, medium tannins not perfectly balanced but overall good. My rating: 85 pts

Mas des Bressades, Grenache/Syrah 2006 - $12: Great nose nice fruits, reminiscent of a Touriga Franca based wine. Rolling flavors of plum, red fruits and spice with good tannins and a subtle, but long finish. Great value wine. My rating: 88 pts

Domaine Chauvenet Chopin, Nuits St. Georges, 2004 - $54: Earthy tones, leather, medium tannins, interesting fruits, black cherry, lovely. Bought a few bottles and look forward to trying them in a couple years…should improve with age. My rating: 91 pts

Andre Brunel Chateauneuf du Pape, Les Cailloux, 2004 $45 - 90 pts: Great nose, black cherry, pepper, spice with overall well defined fruits. Balanced with medium tannins that should even out with aging. Lean but lasting finish. My rating: 90 pts

Domaine de Cristia - Chateauneuf du Pape (2005) - $24

Chateauneuf du Pape wines are the most famous and sought after wines in Southern Rhone. Primarily consisting of Grenache, the wines are earthy and expressive with red fruits and spice. The 2005 vintage overall was very good for the region and this Cristia was no exception. It displayed a dark purple color and vibrant, big nose consisting of dark berries, chocolate, pepper and toasted nuts. The wine was balanced on the palette with good acidity and integration of tannins and offered pleasant fruits and spice. My Rating: 90 pts

A great, great value for only $24.

Rotllan Torra Reserva 2001 - $18

I was recently asked by a friend to recommend a Spanish red wine from Catalonia that was to be a gift for a wedding. Without hesitation, I suggested the Priorat region - specifically 2001 or 2003 vintage. I myself really love wines from Priorat. Grown in black slate soil of volcanic origin and containing primarily grenache, often along with carignan and/or cabernet, Priorat wines are earthy and balanced, and usually very unique.

Recently I opened a bottle of the 2001 Rotllan Torra Reserva (vintage on image is wrong). Being of “reserva” classification, this wine was oaked for at least 12 months, then aged for 24 months in the bottle. The color was ruby and the nose was explosive with chocolate and cherry. The complex layers of wine offered raspberry, sour cherry, white chocolate, eggnog, vanilla, and dried cranberry…all wrapped up in minerals and earth. A long, velvety finish was what I expected with the soft tannins and balanced acidity. This was ready to be consumed - I doubt further aging is required.

On a traditional point scale I’d give this a 90. It was very, very good. The 2001 Rotllan Torra Reserva serves as a reminder that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a very high quality, enjoyable wine. The best way to find great wines at good prices is to do some research. Find out what vintages of a specific region excelled, then go to the store and pick a wine from that vintage that is less than $20. It’s quite likely that you’ll be more than satisfied with your purchase!