Author Archives: caspernick

Wolf Blass Cabernet-Shiraz-Malbec 2012

29 Thursday May 2014

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I have never seen this label before and was intrigued.  From Langhorne Creek this was the ‘original Yellow Label’ wine from Wolf(gang) Blass.  A retro offering showcasing the winery’s heritage I guess.  Nowadays, the blends from them are bottled in the Red Label series, the yellow being used for single varietals.  Nonethless, it was an interesting amalgamation of three varietals.

When I poured the wine, it was nearly blackish purple, appropriate for the grapes used.  It had a nose of candied plums and strawberry twizzlers.  My first impression was ‘tinny’.  A metallic note hit me the wrong way and I was initially put off by it.  I got black currants and plum torte after that and as the wine mellowed out, the tinny component gave way to a minerality that was quite pleasing.  Good acidity and moderate tannins made this an easy to drink aperitif.  I would give it a maximum of 4 years in the cellar and pair it with pasta and red sauce, perhaps BBQ ribs or a big juicy burger.  I’m giving 87 points and 3 stars for this interesting $14 effort.  Salut….

wolf blass cabernet shiraz malbec

Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec 2012

28 Wednesday May 2014

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Consistency is a very desirable trait in winemaking.  It gives me confidence in a winery and assures that I will be back for more, year in, year out.  Trivento is one of the best at this.  I have tasted several vintages of the Golden Reserve Malbec and love it every year.  The 2012 is drinking well now.  It started off with a dark purple hue in the glass.  A blossoming nose of plums and a hint of nutmeg welcomed me to taste the wine.  Blueberry compote came across on the initial palate and was followed up with more plums and a slight oak hint.  The wine is very ‘juicy’ with a crisp acidity that I really enjoyed.  Tannins were medium for me and made the wine easy to drink.  This vintage is approachable young and will certainly last another 5 years.  We ordered some Lamb Kebab sandwiches to go along, the match was perfect.  This wine will pair well with just about any meat, grilled or roasted.  I’m going with 90 points and 4 stars for this $20 effort from Argentina.  Ps. I bought several bottles and may go back for more, it’s just that good.  Salut….

trivento golden reserve malbec

Montagnac Syrah 2012

18 Sunday May 2014

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I saw this bottle in the shop and noticed it’s low $8 price tag, but I was on a mission so I passed.  Lo and behold my buddy showed up with it later in the afternoon.  I believe it hails from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France where they  grow tons of Syrah grapes.  This one looks to be a co-operative wine.  It started off with a slightly oxidized nose of purple plums and a scent I had never encountered in wine- grape bubble gum.  I was intrigued and sniffed for a good 5 minutes before I could pinpoint it.  Since I have never smelled it in wine nor have I ever seen it used as a descriptor I was curious about the taste.  Candied plums and maraschino cherries are what hit me.  I kept getting a whiff of alcohol as well but the bottle only registered at 13%.  Very slight tannins were evident and the balance was slightly off with a tartness.  This is probably a decent picnic wine for an afternoon of cucumber sandwiches and fried chicken on a blanket in the park.  83 points and 2 stars.  Salut….

montagnac syrah

Wolf Blass Yellow Label Shiraz 2012

18 Sunday May 2014

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The third varietal in the Wolf Blass trilogy that was recently on sale is this Shiraz.  I enjoyed the Merlot and was impressed by the Cab Sav so I did not hesitate to buy this one for $10, list price being $17.  It opened up with plums and licorice on the nose, an interesting combo for this varietal. Blueberry and sour cherries came across on the palate with some nutmeg and leather rounding it out.  I was concerned about the balance and noticed some greenness in the tannins.  Whilst neither Rhone-like nor typical Aussie Shiraz, it had an interesting edge to it.  I think the tannin component has lowered the score and contributed to it’s imbalance.  Im going with 87 points and 3 stars.  Salut….

wolf glass yellow label shiraz

Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

17 Saturday May 2014

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Originally priced at $17, this was the other Wolf Blass I mentioned yesterday that was on sale for $10.  A steal, and tasty to boot.  This one came out of the gate with all cylinders firing.  It was inky purple in the glass and showed off a delightful nose of black currants and star anise.  My initial impression was very positive when I got Blackberry pie and some interesting vanilla on the first sip.  I enjoyed the ‘crispy’ tannins as they carried the wine to the mid palate where I tasted plums with a touch of acidity.  A very enjoyable wine that is a good buy at it’s regular price, making it a steal at the sale price.  It had a good amount of length and the mouthfeel was just right.  I would easily serve this up with beef stew on a cold night, or a juicy NY strip on the grill in the summer time.  I am going 90 points and 4 stars for this easy to find wine.  Salut….

wolf glass yellow label cabernet sauvignon

Wolf Blass Yellow Label Merlot 2012

16 Friday May 2014

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I got a good deal on two bottles of Yellow Label, this Merlot and a Cab Sav.  I have had this line before and recall it’s consistency and value for money.  I was not disappointed, and was happy to spend $10 each (RRP $17).

The wine was a deep purple in the glass which was a good start.  On the nose I got a very interesting mix of ripe plums and oak which carried through on the palate.  I also got a strange yet intriguing taste that I noted ‘woodsy component like green tree branches’.  Transitioning to the mid palate is where the Kirsch and sour cherries kicked in with some nutmeg and cola.  I feel this wine is slightly backward right now but expect it will sort itself out in the near future.  The tannins are gentle and the acidity is present in this South Australia wine.  I’m going with 89 points and 4 stars for the price.  Salut….

wolf glass yellow label merlot

Brisket on the Big Green Egg

12 Monday May 2014

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I have not written for a while as I was under the weather with a suspected stomach bug.  I managed to get back to 100% by Thursday and took on the daunting challenge of slow cooking a beef brisket.  I am still a newbie with the Big Green Egg and have only used it to cook a Chicken (disaster), Pizza (another disaster), Pork Butt (awesome), some Ribeyes that were amazing, a Leg of Lamb that was good and now the Brisket.  I have searched online and talked to numerous cooks who all warned me of the perils involved with this particularly tough piece of meat. It needs a long, slow, low heat smoking if it is to tenderize without drying out.

I started off with a 5 1/2 pound Flat Cut Brisket from Costco, it was not expensive.  I slathered it in spicy mustard and then rubbed some Original Rub all over.  The charcoal was lit and the firebox filled with moist wood chunks.  I settled the temperature at about 250F and placed the meat onto the grill with the fat cap side down.  After 5 hours I flipped the meat and inserted a thermometer into the thickest part.  Within two more hours it was ready with a 190F internal reading.  I covered it in heavy foil, wrapped it in towels and put it in a cooler for the afternoon.  When it came time for dinner I sliced it 3 mm (3/16 in) thick and it was deelish with some homemade BBQ sauce.  The cut of meat was large enough for the 5 of us plus breakfast for me in the morning.  My only mistake was to let the heat get up to 300F a few times, controlling it to 250F is paramount to avoid any dryness.  I feel empowered now to cook anything on this grill and look forward to the Turkey I have postponed.  FWIW I sipped on Single Wide IPA from Boulevard Brewing Co.  It had the right balance of hoppiness to go with the spicy/sweet tang of rub and sauce.  Heaven….

beef brisket on big green egg

The Brisket, 5 1/2 pounds

Tented in foil for 4 hours

Tented in foil for 4 hours

smoked brisket on big green egg

Sliced 3/16 in thick

boulevard brewing single wide IPA

The IPA that tied it all together!

 

Clarendon Hills Syrah ‘Liandra’ 2007

02 Friday May 2014

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When I decided to fire up the grill and roast a leg of lamb I needed a Syrah/Shiraz to go with it.  What better than a nicely aged bottle from Australia?  I have become a huge fan of the Clarendon winery, they produce amazing wines in a style that I adore.  This one was exceptionally good and the pairing was amazing.

It started out with Plum jam, blackcurrants, nutmeg and a touch of heat on the nose.  Initially there was a  dark core of black currants and plum compote with a hint of licorice.  The mid palate gave way to red raspberries after some time which was fascinating.  I noted ‘Extremely smooth with beautiful fine-grained tannins and an edge of acidity’.  This wine rocked.  It’s 14.5% alcohol was evident when the bottle was first opened but seemed to blow off with time and became a non-event.  Complexity and finesse are what this winery is good at.  They tend to be more Rhone-like versus typical Aussie Shiraz.  I prefer the subtlety and refined approach on occasions and this wine allowed the meat to showcase it’s herbs and spices without overpowering it.  The pro’s went from 89-95 on this one, but I agree with WS- it’s a solid 93-94 point wine in my opinion but at $75 is rather pricy.  4 stars however and a cellaring potential up to 2027 if you ask me.  Salut….

Clarendon Hills liandra

reverse sear big green egg

‘Reverse Searing’ the leg of lamb

Grilled Lamb on the Big Green Egg

02 Friday May 2014

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I was incorrect last week when I said that my next venture with the Big Green Egg was going to be a Turkey.  I had forgotten that I had purchased a whole leg of Lamb and it needed to be cooked soon, so I looked up some recipes, got some ideas and cracked open a killer wine to go with it.

I juiced a few lemons, added some Olive oil, salt, pepper and a concoction of herbs into a bowl.  The Oregano, Basil and Rosemary were the key players but I was adding whatever I could find in the spice rack that I figured would go with Lamb.  I then scored the meat with a deep crisscross pattern so I could slit some garlic slivers deep into the meat.  I basted the whole thing up and let it sit for a few hours, ideally this should be done in a bag and left overnight in the fridge.

The meat was cooked for nearly 2 hours on an indirect fire with smoking chips added for flavor.  I turned the Leg once and kept the dome temperature at 300F.  When the meat was registering 140F I removed the indirect heating tray, opened the vents and cranked the heat to 500F.  This allowed me to ‘reverse sear’ the meat and get some delicious blackened edges and really get the fat crispy.  I think I let it go a little too long as the meat was medium well after I tented it for 10 minutes.  It was however delicious and I would repeat the recipe without hesitation, knocking about 20 minutes from the slow cook to try for a moister, more rare finish.

Syrah/Shiraz is probably the most perfect combo to pair with Lamb, so I took the opportunity to open the Clarendon Hills Syrah ‘Liandra’ 2007 for the dinner.  It was ideal.  Salut….

Updated:  I just added another post about grilling a leg of lamb on the big green egg.  Enjoy!

big green egg lamb

The Lamb dressed up in its baste

lamb leg on big green egg

On the grill, 300F for 1:40

reverse sear big green egg

‘Reverse Searing’ the leg of lamb

Montes Classic Series Merlot 2012

28 Monday Apr 2014

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A bargain for $9, but only if you like the style in which it is made.  Me, not so much.  It started out with sweet plums and cherry cola on the nose supported by a generous dose of oak.  Merlot makes up the majority of the blend in this Chilean wine and gives it a youthful plum profile on the palate with a high degree of acidity.  Very slight tannins give an easy to drink mouthfeel, yet the wine is over oaked with lashings of wood and vanilla.  It is a casual drinking bottle that may appeal to many as an aperitif with some nuts, olives and bruschetta.  I am going with 84 points and 2 stars.  Salut….

montes classic series merlot 2012