Monthly Archives: October 2013

Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 1996

30 Wednesday Oct 2013

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I took a bottle of 2001 Calon Segur to my friend’s house for dinner last night.  After we had finished the Piper Heidsieck with the appetizers, we drank the decanted Bordeaux.  When that was done, he showed me his tiny refrigerated ‘cave’ where he stored some real gems going back to the ’50s.  He pulled the pristine ’96 Napa cab out and proceeded to open it.  I had no presumptions about this wine, but it shocked me.  For a 17 year old bottle of Cabernet, it was fresh and lively yet mature and brooding.  It had cassis, black fruit, leather, earth, plums and eucalyptus on the palate with ample tannins and vibrant acidity.  It rolled in at 13.5 % and was a delight.  Still dark purple in the glass, this wine has some years to go and can be found for roughly $75.  I have always been a lover of French Claret, eschewing Napa Valley as overpriced and under-delivering.  It’s wines like this that make me realize how narrow my focus used to be and I am grateful for the opportunity to expand my palate.  If you need a very special treat, this is sure-fire.  92 points and 5 stars, albeit quite pricey it’s worth the coin.  Salut….

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Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne NV

30 Wednesday Oct 2013

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I was invited to a friend’s house in the Bay area last night and swiftly put my diet on hold.  Our aperitif was the stunning non vintage brut style Champagne from Piper Heidsieck.   It opened up in the flute with apple and brioche notes that translated onto the palate seamlessly.  A fine mousse and refreshing acidity mingled in with some lemon and biscuit.  The mousse was perfect for me, I don’t like large bubbles and the sweetness (or lack thereof) was ideal.  Smooth and balanced with a decent finish.  We drank this wine with appetizers of cheese, olives and dips.  It paired well with all the flavors and was an excellent choice.  Very adaptable, this is a brand I will cellar for intimate parties or special occasions.  I found it online for $40 and would give it 90 points and 4 stars.  Good Champagne is never cheap, this one happens to be a great value.  Salut….

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Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz 2011

28 Monday Oct 2013

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I couldn’t help myself.  The extra packaging sold me on this wine, I just had to try it.  I did not care for the 2008 Reserve Shiraz that much and figured I would give this vintage a chance to shine.

A beautiful nose of blueberry and vanilla with some ripe plums got me very excited.  The initial attack was very tasty indeed, showing off the plums and berries with some pretty forceful tannins.  I was bothered by the balance of the wine though and wondered why.  I am no expert but there was a certain component that was out of line and it took about 3 hours for it to sort itself out.  The wine then became much nicer to drink and I could enjoy the dryness of the tannins and the medium acidity.  The fruit remained prevalent, never swaying.  This Barossa Shiraz cost me about $12 and should be widely available. I think it could use another 2 years in a cellar to help with the balance and should evolve into a nice weekday dinner wine.  3 stars and 87 points from me.  Salut….

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Marrenon Classique Mediterannee 2011

26 Saturday Oct 2013

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In my quest to sample as many wines as possible I will even pay $8 for a co-op made wine served in a plastic cup onboard a United airlines flight. They used to serve a decent NV wine called Fox Grove.
This French version is not quite as decent but was certainly serviceable. I tried to research this one a little more and only came up with the fact that it’s a co-operative wine from the Luberon and Ventoux regions of France (south east from Chateauneuf du-Pape ). I’m guessing a Syrah blend with perhaps some Carignan. A basic wine that offered immediate pleasure without complexity or airs. It does what it’s supposed to do, drink easily and fade away quickly. Mainly blue fruits on the nose and palate, very little tannins but some good acidic juiciness. It’s really hard to pick out nuances in a plastic cup in a pressurized airplane, so I will leave at that. This is perhaps an $8 bottle that won’t embarrass you at a party. 84 points and 3 stars. Salut….

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Bodegas Amalaya Malbec Gran Corte 2011

25 Friday Oct 2013

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I love Malbec, Argentinian or French. They have their nuances but both regions offer up really juicy , meaty wines that offer power and finesse at the same time. This one is particularly good at both characteristics.
Dark purple in the glass with strong blackberries and vanillin on the nose. Very smooth on the initial attack of dark fruits and integrated oak. Flavors of chocolate and some cassis come through on the back end. The tannins sneak up and leave a refreshing dryness on the gums. We’ll integrated and balanced. This is a tasty wine for $39 a bottle. I just had a glass at the airport before traveling to Cali. 91 points and 4 stars. This wine is superb on its own but I bet it would kill a Filet Mignon. Treat yourself! Salut….

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Flora Springs Cabernet Franc 2009 revisited

25 Friday Oct 2013

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I am hitting it on all cylinders this week, home run after touchdown.  Moxie has been absolutely crushing the new recipes and I have rediscovered some forgotten wines.

Tonight she banged up some Brazilian Shrimp Stew.  Spicy, tasty and surprisingly filling.  The basic ingredients are shrimp, spinach, garlic, coconut milk, red peppers and Ro-Tel (a fine combination of tomatoes and chiles), all topped with fresh cilantro.  It reminds me of Tom Yung Goong, that fiery Thai soup but more focused on the shrimp and coconut.  I needed a fruity wine yet again and was at a loss.  A search of the cellar brought the ’09 Flora Springs, which I hated a year ago.  I figured that it could meet the drain if it didn’t work out for the pairing since I had no predispositions about it.

The wine has really come alive.  A lighter shade of purple in the glass, it offered blueberry fruit on the grill.  The initial taste was impressive with blueberry, toasty oak and some anise.  The wine has a certain sweetness, but not cloying or bothersome.  The heat of the dish needed that fruit aspect combined with a sweetness that Cabernet Franc occasionally possesses along with a certain perfume element.  The structure is fine with some tight grained tannins lurking and a balanced acidity, once again trademark characteristics of the varietal.  I think this wine has finally hit it’s stride and will last another 3 years.  It runs $30 and 89 points but really a 3 star effort considering the price.  I am glad I gave it the year I promised.  Evolution is a wonderful thing as long as it is timed just right!  Salut….

Brazilian Shrimp Stew

Brazilian Shrimp Stew

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Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

24 Thursday Oct 2013

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I picked up some Swiss Chard as part of the Paleo ingredients for tonights dinner.  Moxie warned me that it would be bitter which gave me pause to think of a good pairing.  Turns out she was incorrect- the Chard was superb, crunchy, full flavored as well as balanced.  I de-stemmed the leafs, washed the bright red stalks and rinsed the rich green leaves.  Sauteing the thicker stalks and garlic in some European butter, I added the leafy parts right before serving.  It was a great new revelation in our quest for new foods to eat following the caveman diet.

Back to the wine….  I absolutely love the ’96 Burgess and think it is a well developed Cabernet that shows great evolution and firm structure.  I have built up a few bottles of various vintages, hoping for replicas.  Having tasted this particular vintage about two years ago, I was somewhat disappointed with its development and banished the remaining bottles  to the cellar.

With tonight’s menu, I felt I needed a fruity yet somewhat mature Cabernet to do battle with the potential bitterness awaiting us in the sauté pan.  I picked the Burgess as I felt it would fit the profile.  It worked, but it need not have bothered- as I mentioned the Chard was great and did not reflect the anticipated dryness.  The wine however showed great length and purity.  A young purple color in the glass followed by a gorgeous plum and black fruit nose gave way to a smooth tasting Cali Cab.  Dark fruits and cedar mixed with some leather and funk.  Seriously smooth tannins caress and the whole thing is on tip-toe, balanced impeccably.  I truly wonder how great this wine could be if given another 5 years, i’m guessing it will evolve like it’s big brother the 1996.  I am super stoked that I opened this wine and uncorked a monster in the bottle.   It is refined, yet powerful, fruity but svelte, satisfying and alluring.  I dig this wine.  I used to be so anti-Napa, but Burgess really opened my eyes (palate).  I have come to appreciate the longevity, finesse, fruitiness as well as the evolution of the better wineries.  For $55, you can still find this wine out there.  Not a bargain, it will reward you for many years to come as it is just starting its way towards the secondary life of tertiary flavors.  5 stars because I reckon this is a 91 point effort. Salut….

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Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet 2011

22 Tuesday Oct 2013

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I have had this wine before, but never posted about it.  The nice lady hocking the wares at my local grocery store was not sure of the blend (damned temp agency people) but as she was looking it up I smelled the Zin in the sample she had poured.  Turns out Zin, Merlot, Cabernet and Petit Sirah make up this steal of a $9 bottle.

Very dark in the glass thanks to the heavies, it has a very fruit forward style, albeit not very complex.  Very straightforward aromas and flavors of candied strawberry and Maraschino cherries.  It finishes with some mocha and very little dryness.  This is a pop-n-pour wine as it has little tannic backbone and the acidity is mild at best.  It will serve you well at a large party and the lack of tannins make it an easy wine to quaff.  85 points and 3 stars for me.  I classify this as a cheap and cheerful wine that is widespread.  Salut….

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Bodegas Penafiel Miros de Ribera Reserva Coleccion Privada 2001

22 Tuesday Oct 2013

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I have drunk numerous bottles of the lovely ’01 Penafiel wine and love its evolution.  Speaking of evolution, our caveman diet continues and Moxie has really gotten creative. Tonight, she used my Moroccan Tagine for the first time.  Designed by the Bedoins, it needs very little liquid and was used to slow cook meat, spices and fruits.  The conical top retaining the moisture while the ceramics evenly distributed the heat.  For our dinner, beef with butternut squash seasoned with paprika, cinnamon, ginger, red and black pepper, garlic, cilantro, onion and salt.  She added some whole tomatoes not realizing how much liquid they would add to the pot.  A truly sumptuous dietery meal that was complex, filling and a revelation.

The Tagine

The Tagine

The Beef

The Beef

The Wine

The Wine

To the wine. I needed something that would handle the beef, the spices and offer a complexity to match the ingredients.  I found it in my old favorite.  The wine has matured since I last tasted it and the secondary life is now alive and kicking.  Still dark purple on the nose, I saw no bricking (indicating age).  The nose was vibrant, with cherry, red currants, oak and spice.  I was getting excited about the first sip.  It offered up a mature compote of berries, blue and red.  Black stone fruits and some spice with a hint of vanilla came through.  The extra depth was made up of earth and cedar, with some plum notes mixing it up with incredible tannins.  The structure of this wine is amazing.  Precise acidity and hand crafted tannins are holding this wine upright.  I honestly think it is just starting its evolution, with at least another 4 years ahead.  It paired beautifully with the dinner as the wine was able to stand up to the myriad of spices Moxie had thrown in there.  Made from 100% Tempranillo, it rates a 92 from me and 5 stars.  I can’t remember what I paid for it, but if you can find it you need to get summmm.  Salut….

Chateau Bordenave Sauternes 2010, part deux

21 Monday Oct 2013

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I hardly chirped up about the 2010 Bordenave when I first tried it.  Last night, I had a hankering for something sweet and this one just happened to be lying around.  Considering it is about $15 per bottle, I did not fear pulling the cork and being underwhelmed.  I was in for a surprise.  Seems like I have had a string of crappy wine lately and it is nice to re-visit a bad one and get some satisfaction out of it.

More unctuous in the mouth, it was somewhat sweeter with more depth of fruit.  Pineapple was evident but the botrytis gave off a lovely honeyed apricot.  Juicy acidity balanced the wine and kept the sweetness in check.  I enjoyed half the bottle while watching a movie and found myself licking my lips several times.  Sauternes is never cheap, this bottle is very ‘reasonable’ and I am glad I still have a few hiding out downstairs.  4 stars and 90 points from me this time.  Amazing what a little cellar time will do for a young wine.  Salut….

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