It's the heart of Summer and there are less calls for the big red wine or very much else at all. Considering that most folk out there are away on vacation albeit not too far away due to price of gas, traffic is a little slow. (Thank you OPEC) Needless to say the month had started to get monotonous.
So much so that it was nice to have been summoned for a 40 minute drive to HQ for a Wine Consultant tasting.(Even with gas at $4.00 a gallon) The last few WC meetings had been very informative and the new big wigs were pulling more interesting wine. This one was no different.
We covered an interesting array of estate grown German Riesling, Grand Cru Alsace, Italians from Piedmont and marvelous Rhones to name some.
Listed below are my tasting notes for the Tasting at HQ (For details of my tasting method please see the bottom of the page)* :
Selbach Oster Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Riesling Kabinett 2007
Nose- 7.5
Taste- 8
Body - 6
Tanin/Acidity - 8
Finish- 8
Integration : Flowery and white peach appear elgantly on the nose leading to a palate of crystalized citrus fruits and touches of honey. Medium bodied with a bright acidity balance and it finishes with 30 seconds elegantly and shifts time. Best from 2008-2011. Price US$20-US$25
Total: 87.5 points
Selbach Oster Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Zeltinger Himmerreich Riesling Kabinett
Halbtrocken 2007
Nose- 8.5
Taste- 8
Body - 7
Tanin/Acidity - 9
Finish- 9
Intergration: A good whiff of bees wax and honeyed apricots nose leading to a clean crisp palate of honeycombs, ripe peach in a medium to full bodied frame. The fruit and acid balance is almost laserlike and the wine finishes with a clean display of citrus fruits going on for 35 seconds. The wine overall has a restrained elegance due to its youth and should merit some cellaring to fully blossom. Best from 2010- 2020. Price US$23-US$28.
Total points: 91.5
Domaine Albert Boxler Pinot Blanc Reserve Alsace 2005
Nose- 8
Taste- 8
Body - 7
Tanin/Acidity - 8
Finish- 7
Intergration: The nose throws you earthen flower notes sprinkled with exotic spices. The palate opens up with citrus fruits and honeyed peaches. Balances well, going easy on the acidity giving the impression of a fleshier frame for its body. The finish is 30 seconds long and clean with mineral notes. Very harmonious drink. (+1)
Best from 2008- 2012. Price US$30-US$34.
Total points: 87 points
Domaine Albert Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg Alsace 2004
Nose- 8
Taste- 9
Body - 9
Tanin/Acidity - 7
Finish- 8
Integration: Spring honeycombs and spicy nectarines greet the nose. The full-bodied, unctuous palate is layered with young pineapple, bees wax and hints of glycerin. The finish is clean and 35 seconds long. (+2)
Best from 2009- 2020. Price US$57-US$62.
Total points: 92
Domaine Boyer-Martenot Meursault Charmes 2006
Nose- 9
Taste- 8.5
Body - 8
Tanin/Acidity - 8.5
Finish- 9
Integration: Tropical fruit mingle with apricots and toasted nuts jump from the glass. The seamless lead to mineral laced ripe fruit and citrus oils work wonders with a laser-like balance in acidity. It is elegantly full bodied and drives down confidently to a 40 second finish that shifts time making the experience wanting for the next sip. A great effort.
Best from 2008-2018. Price US$82-US$88
Total points: 93
Luli Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands 2007
Nose- 7.5
Taste- 7
Body - 7
Tanin/Acidity - 8
Finish- 8
Integration: Ripe tropical fruit and red skin apples with a dash of nutmeg leads to a honeyed fruit laden mid with a tiny hint of stony minerals. Zesty acidity keep this wine lively as the medium to full bodied frame glides to a 35 second finish.
Best from 2008-2011. Price US$18-US$22
Total points: 87.5
Penna Luigi Barbera D'Alba N'Giolina 2005
Nose- 6
Taste- 8
Body - 7
Tanin/Acidity - 6
Finish- 8
Integration: The wine tastes a lot better than the nose leads. Headier, almost hot notes of acetone gives a powerful but muddled fruit nose is compensated by a generous, ripe black fruit laden palate. Intermingled with subtle earth notes are present along with softer tannins. Medium to full-bodied frame and it still finishes at 40 seconds. Makes the wines almost riskily interesting. (+2)
Best from: 2008-2014 . Price US$32-US$36
Total points: 87
Penna Luigi Dolcetto D'Alba Galante Superiore 2005
Nose-7.5
Taste-8
Body -8.5
Tanin/Acidity -7
Finish-9
Integration: Woody vanilla beans mingle with dark cherries on the nose, flow seamlessly onto the mid-palate with generous amounts of red cherries and berries. A full bodied frame but softer tannin balance works very well together as the 40 second length of the wine almost makes you loose track of time. A wonderfully delicious number. (+1)
Best from: 2008 -2014. Price US$29- US$
Total points: 91
Penna Luigi Nebbiolo D'Alba Vigito 2005
Nose-8
Taste-8
Body -9
Tanin/Acidity - 9
Finish- 9
Integration: Dried almost raisin berries laced with complex dried woody, herbs make this wine a treat just sniffing it. Hints of fresh earth, red cherry and all spice greet your palate along with a full body loaded with grippingly young tannins. The earth minerals and tannic notes prevail on the finish that takes 50 seconds to fade. A powerhouse of a wine.
Best from 2010-2022. Price US$38-US$42
Total points: 93
Arista Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2006
Nose-8.5
Taste-8
Body -7
Tanin/Acidity - 7.5
Finish- 7
Integration: Strong aromas of strawberries and ripe cherries with wet earth notes. The fruit notes get stronger on the palate as aromas of red fruit and black cherry reductions with cinnamon dominate the palate. All the while maintaining a bright refreshing balance of tannin and acidity. A medium to full bodied wine that finishes well with focused fruit and a little tea leaf note, which clocked in at 35 seconds.
Best from: 2008-2011 . Price US$32-US$38
Total points: 88
Arista Pinot Noir "Longbow" Russian River Valley 2006
Nose-9
Taste-8
Body -8.5
Tanin/Acidity - 9
Finish- 9
Integration: Powerful aromas of spicy cherry & ripe strawberries greet the nose leading to a muscular framed mid palate. Ripe and racy flavors of sweet blackcherry, plum, cinnamon and hints of nutmeg make this to taste and to savor with a champion like finish of 45 seconds.
Best from: 2008-2014 . Price US$44-US$50
Total points: 93.5
Feraud-Brunel Cotes Du Rhone 2005
Nose-7
Taste-8
Body -8
Tanin/Acidity -7
Finish-6.5
Integration: Heady spice rack notes laced with ripe black fruits. The mid palate transition is a little rough with young tannins mingling with the brooding ripe blackberries and peppery notes.
The tannins releases more fruit near the finish which is between 25-30 seconds. I would be eager to try this wine in a year or two as I believe it holds great potential (+3.5)
Best from: 2010-2018 . Price US$20-US$24
Total points: 90
Feraud-Brunel Chateauneuf Du Pape 2005
Nose- 9
Taste-9.5
Body -9
Tanin/Acidity -9
Finish-9
Integration: A complex mix of ripe fruit and dark savory, aged soy sauce greet your nose as it takes you on a trip of deep layered flavors of dark fruit, leather notes and black pepper served in earthenware. It is as full bodied as it is brilliantly balanced on tannin and acidity. Finishes as powerfully as it started at 45 seconds. Tastes good now but patience will be rewarded.
Best from: 2009-2030. Price US$32-US$38
Total points: 95.5
Pierre Gaillard Cote Rotie 2006
Nose- 10
Taste-9
Body -9
Tanin/Acidity -9.5
Finish-9
Integration: An exotic nose comprising of ripe strawberry, violets, green pandan leaf and roses. A magnificently bodied wine, balanced on a tight rope of elegance and generous mid palate of ripe black fruits now but promises to reveal more in the future as the finish indicates. The finish itself reveals dark earth notes, minerals and ripe fruit as it "shifts time" and clocks in at 40 seconds. A marvelous wine.
Best from: 2012-2028 . Price US$-US$
Total points: 96.5
Frazier Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2003
Nose-8
Taste-8
Body -9
Tanin/Acidity -8
Finish-9
Integration: Spicey Dark cherries and black berries leads into a full bodied, dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate and coffee grounds laden mid palate. The tannins are softer but still assertive and the finish is strong and confidently clocks in at 40 seconds with all the mid palate's flavors carrying on. Very seamless and in its prime.
Best from: 2008-2018 . Price US$58-US$64
Total points: 92
Domaine de Taille Aux Loups " Clos De Venise" Vouvray 2006
Nose-8
Taste-8.5
Body -7
Tanin/Acidity -8
Finish-8
Integration: Toasted nut bread nose with green apple make fro an interesting nose. Riper apples appear on the mid palate along with minerally tones as if one were drinking this wine by a waterfall. Medium bodied with a softer acidic balance that gives it good roundness. A charmingly good wine for Summer
Best from: 2008-2012 . Price US$32-US$36
Total points: 89.5
Now granted there were more wines at this tasting but I found them to be quite forgettable unlike this bunch right here.
*Wine Zen Method of Evaluation:
Assuming the wines tasted are not flawed due to cork taint, heat damage or other obvious defects, 50 points is awarded automatically. The wine is then judged based on its:
a) nose
b) taste
c) body
d) balance of tannin & acidity
e) finish or length (time measured 20 -25 seconds being a standard good finish)
Each tasting dimension is scored from a scale of 1-10. For example, if a wine was more full bodied, it would tend to have a higher score of 8-10. If it were a lighter bodied wine it would receive a lower score of 1-4. Adding up the scores together should give you a total of points out of 100 for a maximum (which very, very rarely happens).
The Twist
Please note that sometimes wines are meant to be leaner or lighter or more elegant or less tannic or acidic. Does that mean they are poorly made, absolutely not. So I have incorporated an extra tasting aspect called Integration. After breaking down the wine to into its tasting components and evaluating them individually, I use this last category to see how all the components work together. Harmony is what I will be looking for. Extra points can be given from this category to make up for shortage of points from the other categories to give a more accurate representation of the wines.
Odds & Ends of Evaluation
Please note that although the wine appearance can be an important aspect. I have found that with modern wine making, the old adage of "you can't judge a book by its cover" rings very like a church bell. A wine can have a gorgeous color but not deliver the quality and vice versa. So when judging the wine, appearance is used to assess if the wine is obviously flawed and if it is worthy of consumption.
In this writers humble opinion, finishes are generally the tell tale signs of a well-made wine. Nose and taste can be muted due to youthfulness of the wine or can be manipulated but you can't hide the flaws of a wine in the finish yet. An abrupt or short finish reveals a shortcoming in fruit quality and like an abrupt conversation can be quite rude. A good finish tends to be a gradual process allowing the wine flavors to fade gently from your palate. The best finishes are not only long and gradual but have what I call "shift time" ability, where the wine makes you forget how long you have been tasting it.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Bringing Peace to A Party
It has been a while since I have posted a blog and I must say that it has been quite a hectic year so far for 2008. After being plucked from a true dream job and brought back down to earth with a crashing thud, writing about wine was the last thing on my mind. There are no hard feelings between both parties (former employer and employee), in fact a return option has been left open. So I am kind of on-the-fence about things.
That's when I started thinking about wine consumers I have encountered who have "trouble committing"... to wine varietals that is. Yes, fans. In these days of endless rows of Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots from just about every wine growing region that takes a seedling to produce flavors that fit almost anywhere in the grapes' (Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots,) profiles . . . whew!. . . . . . people still can't make up their minds which ones they like.
To all of you on-the-fencers out there, let me say this to you:
God Bless You! Yes, thank you for your hesitance. Thank you for encouraging even more diversity and choice on the wine shelves. Thank you for keeping the wine industry on their toes and away from the evil that is complacency.
This being said, this ambiguity can also take extreme forms. Everyone has heard of the wine drinkers who drink nothing but Cabernet Sauvignon whilst turning up their noses to Merlot claiming that Merlot is an unworthy wine. There are also those who say Cabernet Sauvignon is too strong, too bitter and thus prefer the suppleness and approachability of a Merlot, as if they were greeted on the palate like an old friend. (Interesting note: the CS extremists fall in love with Chateau Petrus, when they have had it, not knowing, that the dang thing is 100% Merlot!)
So what does one do to appease the likes of such camps and bring peace to the dining room? I give you the on-the-fence varietals: Malbec and Carmenere. I have discovered that these two varietals have been perfect olive branch holders when it comes to wine tasting events before the two camps start throwing wine charms at each other and start quoting Miles from "Sideways."
Malbec can have some of the suppleness and fruit-forward aspects of Merlot while still able to coat one's palate with ample tannin. Being a varietal that has spent a considerable part of its existence in Bordeaux where it played second fiddle to CS and Merlot. (I say second fiddle because in some sub-appelations, Merlot or Cab is king) It was used primarily as a blending grape and its much longer ripening time made it the ideal candidate to contribute acidity to the blend. Its time came when South America, namely Argentina, began cultivating the grape and gave it all the time it needed, letting Malbec shed its shy and plodding youth to reveal a brooding, sexy, almost hedonistic quality. Aromas of ripe fruit like dark cherries, plums and even blueberries could be found in a Malbec laced with bittersweet chocolate and hints of coffee and other earthier flavors.
Carménère is an edgier number that has quite a bit more zip on the palate. The Bordelais vintners gave up on Carménère almost 130 years ago, when they were willing to sacrifice the option of using the grape and uprooting the plants, if it meant keeping phyloxera away from their vineyards. Apparently, Carménère had an uncanny ability to attract the dreaded louse from miles away and thus destroying the vineyards of its owners. This varietal would have been extinct if it did not find its way to the isolated lands of Chile. Here the sandy soils makes life very difficult for the phyloxera louse and thus Carménère was freed from its curse and allowed to flourish. Earth tones dominate this lost Bordeaux varietal. It seldom makes a full-bodied wine but the the flavors of liqorice, coffee, dark chocolate and mushrooms make this wine an interesting drink. This helps those who are sensitive to tannin break out of the safe Merlot confines and enjoy some more tannic wines without being overwhelmed by them.
The next time, you have a get-together bring ample on-the-fence varietals to supplement your CS or Merlot preferences. So nobody has to say: "I'm not f***ing drinking any ......" (you-fill-in-the blank)
Peace be with you and Joyful drinking!
That's when I started thinking about wine consumers I have encountered who have "trouble committing"... to wine varietals that is. Yes, fans. In these days of endless rows of Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots from just about every wine growing region that takes a seedling to produce flavors that fit almost anywhere in the grapes' (Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots,) profiles . . . whew!. . . . . . people still can't make up their minds which ones they like.
To all of you on-the-fencers out there, let me say this to you:
God Bless You! Yes, thank you for your hesitance. Thank you for encouraging even more diversity and choice on the wine shelves. Thank you for keeping the wine industry on their toes and away from the evil that is complacency.
This being said, this ambiguity can also take extreme forms. Everyone has heard of the wine drinkers who drink nothing but Cabernet Sauvignon whilst turning up their noses to Merlot claiming that Merlot is an unworthy wine. There are also those who say Cabernet Sauvignon is too strong, too bitter and thus prefer the suppleness and approachability of a Merlot, as if they were greeted on the palate like an old friend. (Interesting note: the CS extremists fall in love with Chateau Petrus, when they have had it, not knowing, that the dang thing is 100% Merlot!)
So what does one do to appease the likes of such camps and bring peace to the dining room? I give you the on-the-fence varietals: Malbec and Carmenere. I have discovered that these two varietals have been perfect olive branch holders when it comes to wine tasting events before the two camps start throwing wine charms at each other and start quoting Miles from "Sideways."
Malbec can have some of the suppleness and fruit-forward aspects of Merlot while still able to coat one's palate with ample tannin. Being a varietal that has spent a considerable part of its existence in Bordeaux where it played second fiddle to CS and Merlot. (I say second fiddle because in some sub-appelations, Merlot or Cab is king) It was used primarily as a blending grape and its much longer ripening time made it the ideal candidate to contribute acidity to the blend. Its time came when South America, namely Argentina, began cultivating the grape and gave it all the time it needed, letting Malbec shed its shy and plodding youth to reveal a brooding, sexy, almost hedonistic quality. Aromas of ripe fruit like dark cherries, plums and even blueberries could be found in a Malbec laced with bittersweet chocolate and hints of coffee and other earthier flavors.
Carménère is an edgier number that has quite a bit more zip on the palate. The Bordelais vintners gave up on Carménère almost 130 years ago, when they were willing to sacrifice the option of using the grape and uprooting the plants, if it meant keeping phyloxera away from their vineyards. Apparently, Carménère had an uncanny ability to attract the dreaded louse from miles away and thus destroying the vineyards of its owners. This varietal would have been extinct if it did not find its way to the isolated lands of Chile. Here the sandy soils makes life very difficult for the phyloxera louse and thus Carménère was freed from its curse and allowed to flourish. Earth tones dominate this lost Bordeaux varietal. It seldom makes a full-bodied wine but the the flavors of liqorice, coffee, dark chocolate and mushrooms make this wine an interesting drink. This helps those who are sensitive to tannin break out of the safe Merlot confines and enjoy some more tannic wines without being overwhelmed by them.
The next time, you have a get-together bring ample on-the-fence varietals to supplement your CS or Merlot preferences. So nobody has to say: "I'm not f***ing drinking any ......" (you-fill-in-the blank)
Peace be with you and Joyful drinking!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Taking a Chance on Bubbles
Today, a little known shipment of 21 cases of wine showed up at my door step at work. It was a shipment I have been waiting for anxiously for a year and one that I hope would change the views of a very popular wine category in most wine galleries, Champagne.
Yes, folks. The "bubbly", the "sparklers" and to a certain segment of the population who only seems to be overtly concern with how much it costs rather than the taste of it, "Rapper Juice." (God, If they ever show one more bottle Cristal Champagne being horrendously misused for a multitude of ways except consuming responsibly, in an apparently over used motif signifying one's wealthy position in life, in a music video so help me I will buy a gun and proceed to Jackson Pollack my brain and skull all over my ceiling so I do not have to watch it)
(Proceeding to count to 20 and humming a zen tone)
Contrary to popular belief or should I say populist belief, good wine does cost money. But it doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. Established Champagne houses would have you believe that the best Champagnes come from the cellar not the vineyard. Supposedly, here in the dark recess of the ground, the wizards know as blending masters (BM) call upon ancient arts of alchemy to convert crushed grape juice from the noble Pinot Noirs, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay vines from a wide range of years to produce a true Champagne product. Okay, I admit that some of these BMs can produce good wine but there is only so much you can do with mediocre grapes. In short, the BM's job is to homogenize the wine, using the stronger years to hide the flaws of the weaker years thus maintaining a continuity of quality in the product that will perform reliably.
Contradicting what these massive champagne houses amazing PR machines have put out that blending non-vintages is the true nature of Champagne sparklers, why the heck are we paying $180-$250 a bottle for the vintage stuff like Dom Perignon and Veuve Clicquot Le Grande Dame etc.
I say thee nay! As a little green, dyslexic jedi grandmaster once said, "there is another."
The secret then is to track down the source of these better vineyards which provide the quality crop. The vineyards owned by generations of winemakers whose knowledge of how the terroir affects their crop in ways only time and patience can teach. Where flavor and longevity are as distinctive as the very years they are grown. Imagine paying a third what you would pay for a Tete Cuvee from the major negociant Champagne houses and getting the same quality sparkler and many times even surpassing those. My friends I give you the best values in Champagne, the "grower" Champagnes.
The names like Vilmart, Aubry, Pierre Peters, Gaston- Chiquet and Lallement to name a few were growers, whose champagnes I had been tracking since I learned of their existence over 5 years ago.
I actually had a friend take a Henri Billiot Cuvee Julie (named after HB's first grand child and was all 1999 fruit although it doesn't say on the bottle and was the first of his champagnes to actually see any oak aging.) to a party for Thanksgiving and opened it up next to 2 other big dogs the Cristal and the Dom Perignon P. The crowd favorite was the Billiot.
So I say we celebrate this coming holidays and New Year even though the dollar is tanking and gas will hit $100 a barrell. We never ever have to sacrifice hedonistic flavor and quality if you have Grower Champagnes in your hand. Cheers!
Yes, folks. The "bubbly", the "sparklers" and to a certain segment of the population who only seems to be overtly concern with how much it costs rather than the taste of it, "Rapper Juice." (God, If they ever show one more bottle Cristal Champagne being horrendously misused for a multitude of ways except consuming responsibly, in an apparently over used motif signifying one's wealthy position in life, in a music video so help me I will buy a gun and proceed to Jackson Pollack my brain and skull all over my ceiling so I do not have to watch it)
(Proceeding to count to 20 and humming a zen tone)
Contrary to popular belief or should I say populist belief, good wine does cost money. But it doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. Established Champagne houses would have you believe that the best Champagnes come from the cellar not the vineyard. Supposedly, here in the dark recess of the ground, the wizards know as blending masters (BM) call upon ancient arts of alchemy to convert crushed grape juice from the noble Pinot Noirs, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay vines from a wide range of years to produce a true Champagne product. Okay, I admit that some of these BMs can produce good wine but there is only so much you can do with mediocre grapes. In short, the BM's job is to homogenize the wine, using the stronger years to hide the flaws of the weaker years thus maintaining a continuity of quality in the product that will perform reliably.
Contradicting what these massive champagne houses amazing PR machines have put out that blending non-vintages is the true nature of Champagne sparklers, why the heck are we paying $180-$250 a bottle for the vintage stuff like Dom Perignon and Veuve Clicquot Le Grande Dame etc.
I say thee nay! As a little green, dyslexic jedi grandmaster once said, "there is another."
The secret then is to track down the source of these better vineyards which provide the quality crop. The vineyards owned by generations of winemakers whose knowledge of how the terroir affects their crop in ways only time and patience can teach. Where flavor and longevity are as distinctive as the very years they are grown. Imagine paying a third what you would pay for a Tete Cuvee from the major negociant Champagne houses and getting the same quality sparkler and many times even surpassing those. My friends I give you the best values in Champagne, the "grower" Champagnes.
The names like Vilmart, Aubry, Pierre Peters, Gaston- Chiquet and Lallement to name a few were growers, whose champagnes I had been tracking since I learned of their existence over 5 years ago.
I actually had a friend take a Henri Billiot Cuvee Julie (named after HB's first grand child and was all 1999 fruit although it doesn't say on the bottle and was the first of his champagnes to actually see any oak aging.) to a party for Thanksgiving and opened it up next to 2 other big dogs the Cristal and the Dom Perignon P. The crowd favorite was the Billiot.
So I say we celebrate this coming holidays and New Year even though the dollar is tanking and gas will hit $100 a barrell. We never ever have to sacrifice hedonistic flavor and quality if you have Grower Champagnes in your hand. Cheers!
Monday, November 12, 2007
What's in a name
It's been several months since I've launched The Wine Zen Fine wine courses. I've tried to make the classes as informative as well as entertaining in order to shed the skin of "snootiness" that surrounds the subject of wine.
First up, let me be clear that I do not claim to be a "Zen Master" nor do I wish to put out the notion that I know all there is to know about wine. I am merely pointing out that I am actively seeking out new information and wish to pass it on to others. Only when we realize that we are wanting in knowledge can we hope to grow in it.
I am glad to say that as an idea it has done its part in promoting the appreciation and consumption of this often misunderstood and feared beverage. However, there is only so much one individual can do.
Hopefully this blog will give me a more efficient channel to all who seek to learn about wine and I hope we can all have fun learning about wine.
First up, let me be clear that I do not claim to be a "Zen Master" nor do I wish to put out the notion that I know all there is to know about wine. I am merely pointing out that I am actively seeking out new information and wish to pass it on to others. Only when we realize that we are wanting in knowledge can we hope to grow in it.
I am glad to say that as an idea it has done its part in promoting the appreciation and consumption of this often misunderstood and feared beverage. However, there is only so much one individual can do.
Hopefully this blog will give me a more efficient channel to all who seek to learn about wine and I hope we can all have fun learning about wine.
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