A Special Bottle

Louise has had Thanksgiving on the brain for a while now, and so yesterday, for no good reason, she roasted a whole turkey, and made mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.  It was yummy.  She asked for a bottle of red wine, and in my continuing efforts to clear out bottles that are over-aged, I opened a special bottle for which no special occasion had justified its opening.  So, Thanksgiving in October?  What the hell...

Back in 2003, we were lucky enough to be included in our friends' small wedding at the Michel-Schlumberger winery in the Dry Creek area of Sonoma County.  It was a beautiful and intimate event, and, in addition to the wine we drank that night, we were gifted a bottle of 1999 Syrah.  With these fond memories (and I'm not even going to mention the wedding reception later that year in Las Vegas.  What happens in Vegas...), I opened it up.  It was very tasty with bright ripe fruit flavors (cherries and strawberries in particular), that went very nicely with dinner.  While it was a bit fruitier than I normally prefer, the memories made it spectacular!  Thanks, Mark and Pinata!

Wolf Blass Yellow Label

I've been trying recently to clean out my collection of bottles that were becoming aged (read: old).  Many of these were never meant to sit for quite so long, so their time has come. 

Long ago, when we lived in Michigan, my wife and I chanced upon a bottle of Wolf Blass Yellow Label Shiraz/Cabernet.  We enjoyed it so much that we bought a few bottles.  I've had the last two sitting around for several years now, and the other night, when she told me steak (my favorite wine food) was on the menu, I decided to pull out one of those bottles (a 2002).  It was slightly peppery, but, more than anything, the feeling I got was "mellow."  All the flavors blended beautifully and I enjoyed it all night. 

The most recent vintage that I found reviewed, the 2005, scores an 85 from wine enthusiast with these notes: "This 60-40 blend features gentle aromas of vanilla and cassis in a medium-bodied, creamy-smooth format. It’s not powerful or complex, but offers pure cassis and vanilla flavors tinged with chocolate on the finish. Good value. "  I agree!

A long time coming...

Its been a long time coming, this blog post.  I've really neglected my duties.  Nonetheless...

I enjoyed two nice wines this weekend, and came home from Binghamton with a case! 

First things first...last night Louise roasted a nice Turkey breast - simple, simple, simple, but great.  In a non-traditional matching, I chose a carbernet-based blend that is my oldest bottle of wine.  It was a 1998 Estancia Meritage.  I first had this wine way back in about 2002 at Louise's boss's Christmas Party.  It was one of the first really good red wines I had ever had, and I fell in love.  At $35 it was out of my price range (that's still about the most I'll spend on a bottle).  Anyway, Louise bought me one bottle as a gift and we've hung onto it ever since.  Now, I knew it was beginning to get "old" and had not always been properly stored (an understatement) so I wasn't expecting much.  On top of that, the cork broke and I had to push it into the bottle.  So, I had to pour the wine through a sieve into a 4 cup measuring cup to "decant" it (anyone looking for gift ideas for me should start and end with a Decanter!).  I have to say that, despite all of this it was excellent.  It was a deep dark red with a luscious feel.  Strong dark berry flavors, but very rich.  A lovely bottle that lived up to my memories. 

Tonight, with Maple-Glazed Salmon, I opened up a budget Pinot Noir from Bogle.  Cheaper Pinot Noirs can often be just plain bad, but this was nice.  Light in color, it had strong fruit flavors - most cherries.  It was light and yummy and just what I needed.  Wine Enthusiast says "not bad for the price," and I agree. 

Now, back to grading....sigh.....

Wine on the Road

Since Saturday I've been travelling - from Potsdam to Schnecksville, PA and then on to Atlantic City.  Along the way I've had a few wines, most of which were excellent!

Upon my arrival at my parents' house, my dad opened up a 2001 Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese.  We have a thing for Riesling in my family, and, as I've discussed before, 2001 was a special year in the Mosel.  This Auslese was a very good example of the type.  It was fruity but fairly dry (very dry as Ausleses go) with flavors of peaches and apricots.  A nice wine to drink with some cheese as an appetizer. 

We then went out to dinner to the Bake Oven Inn in Germansville, PA.  I had some chilled Potato Leek Soup (I, apparently, don't like chilled soups - it seemed like I would've liked it warm!) and then some crab cakes.  We shared a bottle of a spanish white wine the name of which we can't remember!  I also had some hard Pear Cider with dessert.  Now, Pear Cider is a treat that I've had in Sweden several times (this is one example), but this American Version, Fox Barrel, didn't live up to my memories.  

While in Atlantic City, at the Northeastern Ag. and Resource Economics Conference, there was a wine tasting.  I got to taste 4 $25 bottles of Bordeaux and 1 $100 bottle of Bordeaux, blind.  The idea was to see if we could match the wines we tasted to their descriptions from leading wine publications.  I have to say that I couldn't distinguish the $25 bottles from each other.  However, I am proud that I did pick out the $100 bottle from the rest.  It was 2000 Calon Segur.  It was bursting with different flavors, and stood out for its complexity and depth of flavors.  A wonderful wine. 

Finally, tonight, back at my parents' house, we had a perfectly cooked Flank Steak with a garlic/lemon spice rub.  To pair with it, my dad opened a prized bottle (bought at nearly a 66% discount at the local PA State Store compared to the winery price, my dad is proud to say!).  It was a 1999 Hanna Bismark Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley Proprietor Grown, and it was spectacular.  Heard around the table were blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and tobacco.  It was rich in flavor and complemented the steak perfectly.  We fought over the last drops. 

Now, I have to finish this post so my dad and I can open up a bottle of port.  You'll hear about that later...

More Wine with Friends

Last night we had some more wine lovers over for dinner (Tandoori Chicken Kabobs, broiled in the oven thanks to some very unfortunate thunderstorm timing) and drank a lot of wine.  Since I knew they would appreciate it, I opened up one of my prize bottles - a 2001 Dr. F. Weins-Prum Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese from the Mosel.  2001 was a great year in the Mosel with many fine, fine wines made that year.  This Auslese was excellent, and not overly sweet (which I ofter worry about with Auslese).  It tasted of pears and vanilla and was a great, light way to start the evening (and went pretty well with Croghan Bologna, a North Country treat!). 

Afterwards, as we got ready for dinner, we opened up a 2006 Fetish Wines - Playmates from Australia (you may remember the label I posted after buying this bottle back in January).  This was a great case study for giving red wine time to open up.  When I first tasted it I thought it might even have been spoiled, but after 10 minutes it turned into a deep dark wine typical of its type (GSM).  Then we finished off the evening with a 2008 Mollydooker - The Boxer (Shiraz) also from Australia.  This was a wonderful bottle tasting of chocolate and dark berries brought by our guests, the Sauers.  In the past, they have shared another wine from this maker, Two Left Feet, which is similarly yummy.  Thanks, Steve!

A Gift

One of the great things about hosting a dinner party is the fact that people often bring gifts of wine!  Last night, with a sirloin steak, I opened up a great recent gift, a bottle of 2008 Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel.  I never know what to expect with a Zinfandel - the grape can take on so many different flavors/styles in wine.  This one was a deep purple color with cherry and chocolate notes, and just a tiny bit of spice.  Again, Louise's reaction was "Yum."  So, thanks Frascatores!

Party At Our House!

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UPDATE: A clarification from my father about the Cloudberry liqueur in our house...

"I’ve never had the cloudberry liqueur in the freezer; it’s always been in the refrigerator. You may not remember the reason I had done this, but you are now learning the reason: It just tastes so good! Fortunately for me, I was the only one in the family who appreciated it and drank it all myself. By the way, you and no one else was aware that during the time you were growing up, although there was only one bottle in the refrigerator at any time, there was more than one bottle!"
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Tonight we had a great party at our house!  Thanks, guests (you know who you are)!  We went through five bottles of wine, half a bottle of Campari, and half a bottle of Cloudberry Liquer (Lakka in Finnish).  Louise, as usual, was on the top of her game with Ziti, Chicken Parm, Chocolate Pie, and Lemon Sorbet, and the guests contributed fruit salad, chocolate-covered strawberries, and fun-fetti cookies!  I know that I, at least, ate, and drank, way too much. 

Anyway, more on the wines (and liqueur).  I didn't get to try the white wines, so I can't really comment on them (its not fair to say how the pinot grigio, a 2008 Zenato della Venezie, contributed to my Campari cocktail).  The Chardonnay was a Guenoc from Lake County I've been wanting to try, but, oh well. 

The reds were all Italian, to go with the Ziti/Chicken Parm.  We started with a 2007 Banfi Centine Rosso which is a blend of Cabernet, Sangiovese, and Merlot.  It was a simple, but tasty wine, and a great value.  Then we moved on to my house Tuscan, the 2006 Monte Antico Rosso that I've mentioned before.  Really a wonderful little wine to pair with Italian food.  (Notice that I'm not going into great detail.  Like I said, I had a fair amount to drink....)  Finally, we finished up with a 2005 Santa Martina Toscana which was a dryer, but wonderful way to finish the evening of red wine (it went great with the Chocolate Pie). 

Now, the cap on the evening was the Cloudberry Liqueur.  Cloudberries are a high altitude berry native (at least to my knowledge) to Scandinavia.  Once, when in Trondheim, Norway, I had a wonderful Cloudberry parfait at the house of a host family (the parents of one of my former students) - they had picked the berries themselves near their Stugga in the mountains of Norway.  My dad also, for some reason I can't remember, always had an old bottle of Cloudberry Liqueur stashed away in his freezer.  Anyway, the last time I was in Sweden I came back with a couple of bottles of Lakka made by Lapponia in Finland (as well as some Linie Aquavit, which is another story).  Tonight I chilled it and then pulled it out as a "digestif."  It was WONDERFUL.  Around the table I heard talk of walnuts, vanilla, brown sugar, and most everyone seemed to enjoy it.  It was a great way to end the meal, and I snuck myself a second small glass.  Some "dessert" liqueurs can be overly sweet and unenjoyable, but this had just the right balance of sugar and alcohol.  I will drink this again, and buy more the next time I am in Sweden....hmmm...I am, nominally, Clarkson's liason to the business school at Jonkoping University....I'll have to make some arrangements! 
 

Wines of this Week

I haven't been nearly as consistent at this as I had hoped, but this week we had three wonderful wines.  It was also a good week for eating - steak, not once, but twice; Louise's wonderful Lasagna; and some great oven baked chicken with a "gravy" with Thyme, garlic, and onions.

With the steak and Lasagna we had a deep purple 2008 D'Arenberg Stump Jump Shiraz.  It tasted of dark berries and, as Louise said, "yumminess."  At $9.99 it was also a true value!

With the oven-baked chicken I struggled over what to drink.  In searching I noticed just how one-dimensional my red wine collection had become.  Almost all of my reds are now Rhone varietals (Syrah/Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah) or Bordeaux/Cabernet.  I have NO Pinot Noirs!  I'll have to rectify that this week.  So, I went to my wine collection and picked out what I thought would be a "throwaway" Chardonnay from Bogle.  Boy, was I wrong.  It was a wonderful value wine with vanilla, pear, and oak notes.  Louise and I both really enjoyed it, and, thankfully, I know I can get it in town!

Finally, tonight with our second steak night of the week, I served a wine that I've been holding on to for years - a 2000 Gary Farrell Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley.  Back in 2004, Louise and I traveled to Sonoma for our friends' wedding (Thanks, Mark and Pinata!).  While there, ALL the tour books were saying that we just HAD to try Gary Farrell, but tours and tastings were by appointment only.  So, we forewent a trip to Gary Farrell, but I made a mental note.   A couple of years later I picked up this bottle of Zinfandel and decided tonight to open it.  It was excellent, with (I know this sounds strange, but maybe its just my lack of a palate) apple, chocolate and caramel flavors.  It was truly wonderful, if a little on the strong side (alcohol-wise).  Worth the wait - just wish I could get more (and that it was cheaper).  Hopefully not another month until my next post!

2004 D'Arenberg "Laughing Magpie"

Sorry for the long delay in writing another post - the whole family has been sick and, well, we haven't been drinking much wine since I, at least, wouldn't have been able to taste it anyway.  Finally, my wife and I were both feeling better, just in time for Valentine's Day, so we put the kids to bed and she cooked up a couple of Delmonico's and some baked potatoes - about my favorite meal in the world.  I picked out a special bottle I've had around for a while, and boy, was it worth the wait.

It was the title wine a 2004 D'Arenberg "Laughing Magpie" from McLaren Vale in Australia, a blend of Shiraz (~95% in 2004) and Viognier.  I tasted cherries and maybe plums, with a slight touch of pepper, and a rich, luscious, slightly chocolatey finish.  It was a dark, deep, and wonderful wine. 

Louise Strikes Again

So, Louise (my wife) has really earned her cooking stripes.  Nearly every night she makes a great dinner for us.  Last night it was Tilapia braised with tomatoes and basil (the boys didn't care for it, but we sure enjoyed it, with the rest of our Centine Bianco).  Tonight it was homemade Chicken Tikka Masala.  With no Indian restaurants near Potsdam, what a treat!  I've had bad luck matching wine with Indian food.  The books usually say to go with something spicy, like Gewurztraminer, to stand up to the flavors - most red wines just get washed out by the Indian spices.  Tonight I thought I'd try a Grenache, thinking the peppery flavors typical of the variety might go nicely - I was surprised in two ways.  First, the Tikka Masala was toned down a little (still plenty of wonderful flavors, just not so much spice) for the sake of our young boys.  Second, the Grenache I chose (Las Rocas 2007) was totally missing those typical peppery notes.  Instead it was a strong and somewhat fruity wine - relatively rich, with nice cherry flavors.  All in all, it went very nicely with the Tikka Masala, and is another great value.  Time to get some more! 

A Trip to the Wine Store...for some everyday (cheap) wines

Went to T&R again today, and bought a case of everyday wines.  Louise and I have been drinking more wine recently, and I found that I was getting reluctant to pull out bottles, so I picked up some wines we can drink everyday without feeling guilty.  So:

Monte Antico Rosso 2006 (WS 90) - This is a wine I've been buying for years.  It is a nice solid Tuscan wine with the right price tag (about $11).  Very dry with just a hint of smoke and herbs.  Tonight we tried it after finishing a bottle of Goats do Roam that we had opened the other night. What a difference!  Both are wonderful, but it is always satisfying to taste the difference between different styles of reds.  The Goats do Roam is based on Shiraz and, as the name implies is styled as a Cotes du Rhone.  The Monte Antico is primarily Sangiovese, and has the characteristic lighter color, and herbal notes. 

Bogle Petite Sirah 2007 - I've talked about this one before - our house red!

Bogle Phantom 2006 - I happened on to this wonderful blend a few years ago and was afraid I'd never find it again.  Thankfully, I've found it!  I'm saving this for a rainy day!  Not as much as a bargain as the others, but a great bottle (or 2) of wine!

Banfi Centine Bianco 2008 - Bought this on a whim and based on the review above the bottle.  Looks like a nice white wine to have around, and, again, at a great price!

Tasting reports to follow as we drink these!

Regrets about one of 1001 wines

Paging through the book on New Year's Day, I discovered another one of the 1001 wines that I have had.  In my first year in graduate school at the University of Michigan a colleague came back from California with a bottle of Au Bon Climat Pinor Noir.  This was when I was first getting into wine, and, unfortunately, I did not yet appreciate what he had given me.  While I enjoyed it, and remember the bottle, I can't say that I can speak beyond that to the wine itself.  So another one I've had, but also one I need to have again.

Bogle

I've always been a big fan of Bogle Wines.  In particular, they introduced me to Petite Sirah, which is a grape variety that produces very dark, juicy red wines.  Bogle's version, the 2007 Petite Sirah, is a great value, often on Wine Spectators Best Values list.  I always keep several bottles of this wine in my cellar to drink at any time as my house red wine.  It may also be worth noting that it was the favorite wine at my school's recent blind tasting party (the big loser, not to be mean, was Chocolate Lab from the Pleasant Valley Wine Company). 

Bogle makes a lot of wines, including another terrific one, Phantom, a blend of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, and Mourvedre.  I try and keep this on hand as well, although I've had trouble finding it recently.  I also enjoy their old vines Zinfandel.

Recent Acquisitions

I live in the far north of New York.  We have a good wine store here (T&R Wines and Liquors) but I still like to stock up when I am down in "Civilization."  This week I was in New Jersey.  So I stopped at Gary's Wine & Marketplace on Rte. 23.  I was looking to diversify my collection a little, and possibly pick up a couple of the 1001 wines.  On both counts, I succeeded. 

First, I picked up a half bottle of Chateau La Tour Blanche 2005, a Sauternes.  I'm looking forward to trying this sweet wine, as I've never before had a Sauternes.  I'll have to find the right occassion!

Second, I picked up a bottle of Domaine Huet Sparkling wine from the Vouvray region (2002 Huet Vouvray Petillant Brut).  I enjoy sparkling wine, and have had at least one other sparkling Vouvray.  So, to see a (much) older vintage (1959) of this in the 1001 wines piqued my interest. 

I also picked up some old favorites to round out my collection:  Fairview's Goats do Roam, some value french rhone wines from Perrin et Fils, some New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Staete Landt, some South African whites from Mulderbosch, and a bottle each of Las Rocas Grenache and Churchills 2002 LBV Port. 

Finally, on our way back up to Potsdam, we stopped at Saratoga Wine Exchange in Saratoga Springs, NY (a beautiful little town, by the way).  Over a late Christmas smorgasbord at my in-laws, I tried a Fetish Wines, The Watcher, 2006.  I REALLY enjoyed it.  It had a hint of sweetness, but it wasn't at all syrupy.  It was deep and dark, and just absolutely delicious.  So, in Saratoga, I picked up 2 bottles of that, plus another bottle by Fetish Wines - Playmates, which is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Mataro.  I just found out that Mataro is another name for Mourvedre, which is commonly blended in rhone wines (primarily Syrah) which I love.  I've had another GSM (Grenache Syrah Mourvedre) by Kaesler Wines, and loved it, so this one should be really fun.