A Wine A Day

Monday, June 28, 2010

Domaine de la Quilla Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie 2008

Served With: Leek and Potato Soup

Five Things: lemon, tarragon, mineral, thin, one note

COO: Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine, France

Notes: It was a hot summer day in desperate need of a cooling wine. This Muscadet wine from the Loire Valley was full of refreshment on the nose, but didn't deliver on that promise in the glass. It fared better with the soup course (leek & potato), but still felt out of balance with a relentless one note citrus profile.

Rating: Meh.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

The Gatekeeper Shiraz 2001

Served With: BBQ

Five Things: dark cherry, sandlewood, leather, dusty, long finish

COO: McLaren Vale, Australia

Notes: A wine I would like to swim in on a hot summer day. A juicy, earthy shiraz with a long finish that might still be going on... glad I waited to pull this one from the cellar. Paired with BBQ, a very, very good match indeed.

Rating: Delicious

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Shannon Ridge Petite Sirah 2008

Served With: Shish Kabobs

Five Things: inky, dusty, dark berries, spice, mossy evergreens and cedar

COO: North Coast, Lake County, California

Notes: A journey through a dark old temperate deciduous forest pays off with a juicy and spicy petite sirah that played off the smoked paprika on all of the kabobs elements quite nicely. This would be great for your next late night grilling session.

Website: Shannon Ridge

Rating: Very Good

Monday, April 26, 2010

Hess Select Chardonnay Monterey 2008

Served With: Fava Bean Fettuccine

Five Things: pale gold, grapefruit, granny smith apple, low acidity, rounded

COO: Monterey, California

Notes: This started with a classic chard nose, moved onto a nice rounded mouthfeel, but the low acidity left the fruit a little short on the landing. Paired well with the fava beans and pasta however, so it wasn't a total loss.

Website: Hess Collection

Rating: Good

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Jean-Luc Thunevin Mauvais Garcon 2006

Served With: Beef and Lentil Stew

Five Things: sandlewood, dark berries, tobacco, hot (on open), garagiste

COO: Bordeaux, France

Notes: Probably should have waited another five years as this... took... a... long... time... to... open. But, as with all good things, worth the wait. A nice pairing with the deep, rich stew.

Website: Jean-Luc Thunevin

Rating: Very Good

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Torii Mor Pinot Noir 2007

Served With: Grilled Wild Mushroom Risotto

Five Things: light ruby, earthy evergreen, youthful tannins, cedar, strawberry

COO: Willamette Valley, Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon

Notes: This soft, young Pinot Noir from Dundee, Oregon was a great match for the smokey grilled mushrooms. It was opened about an hour ahead of time, which allowed it to cozy up to the creamy risotto without getting lost.

Website: Torii Mor Winery

Rating: Very Good

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Weingut Setzer Gruner Veltliner 2007

Served With: Ricotta and Parsley Ravioli with a Butter Sauce.

Five Things: topaz, mineral, granny smith apples, rounded floral tone, vegetal

COO: Niederösterreich, Weinviertel, Austria

Notes: Usually we'll go with a Chard when it comes to ravioli, but this Gruner Veltliner was a very well balanced wine. It had a a juiciness that complimented the creamy ricotta filling and nicely picked up the vegetal parsley notes. It also had enough roundness to play well with the butter sauce. That's about all you can ask from a wine...

Website: Weingut Setzer

Rating: Very Good

Friday, April 2, 2010

Stama Syrah Ma-Sa-Ga 2007

Served With: White Beans & Rosemary

Five Things: vegetal, green pepper, blackberry, bramble, tight

COO: Sierra Foothills, Calaveras County, California

Notes: With supposedly only 200 cases produced, this one is a bit of a mystery. Picked it up at my local Heinen's grocery store, but there doesn't seem to be ~~much~~ any info on the interwebs about it, or on Stama's website. It needed time to open up, as it was a little tight at first, became more rounded with the pairing of the smokey white beans and rosemary.

Rating: Good

Monday, March 29, 2010

King Estate Pinot Noir Signature Collection 2007

Served With: Stroganoff

Five Things: ruby, buttery, silky, baked cherry pound cake, juicy

COO: Willamette Valley, Oregon

Notes: On the nose it was like walking into a bakery and a hot cherry pound cake had just come out of the oven. A silky, juicy Pinot Noir that cut through the creamy stroganoff and really picked up the earthy mushrooms in the dish as well. One of my favorite pairings and favorite Oregon Pinot Noir's.

Website: King Estate Winery

Rating: Very Good

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Coturri Albarello 2001

Served With: Pasta with Red Sauce

Five Things: intense, dusty, chocolate, deep, terroir

COO: Sonoma County, California

Notes: San Marzano tomatoes from Italy have an almost mythical wine-like terroir status in the culinary world due to the volcanic soil in the region. Tony Coturri's wines have that same ability to transport you to a specific place and time, in this instance, Sonoma Valley, California, 2001.

Website: Coturri Winery

Rating: Very Good

Friday, March 26, 2010

Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2008

Served With: Szechuan Green Beans and Eggplant over Rice

Five Things: pale straw, gooseberry, melon, crisp, mineral

COO: Columbia Valley, Washington

Notes: I have to admit, as much as I like Charles Smith's wines, the names are a hoot too. I don't know if it was intentional, but my first reaction upon seeing this in the store was to start humming the 1976 Blondie song "Kung Fu Girls"... As far as the wine, it didn't quite overcome the spicy Asian food, so we'll try to find something a little less intense for the next round.

Website: Charles Smith Wines

Rating: Good

Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Velvet Devil Merlot 2007

Served With: Gumbo

Five Things: magenta, strawberry, herbaceous, cocoa, heat

COO: Columbia Valley, Washington

Notes: Tasted for the #WAMerlot twitter event. I wasn't sure going into the meal if this Merlot from Charles Smith would pair with the spices (smoked paprika, file powder) and heat (cayenne) from the gumbo (okra thickened), but the wine amplified the smokiness and tomatoes and brought a little heat of its own in the process. Well played, sir.

Website: Charles Smith Wines

Rating: Very Good

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Cooper Mountain Vineyards "20th Anniversary Reserve" Pinot Noir 2007

Served With: Morel Mushrooms

Five Things: garnet, cherry, cigar, pine, biodynamic

COO: Willamette Valley, Oregon

Notes: I'm glad we saved this silky balanced wine for mushroom season -- when the morels are popping up in springtime, I want an earthy Oregon pinot noir. The Cooper Mountain fit the bill perfectly and delivered the goods.

Website: Cooper Mountain Vineyards

Rating: Very Good

Reginato Blanc de Blancs 2007

Served With: Cheese, Crackers, Olives

Five Things: straw color, mineral, dry finish, pear, crisp

COO: Mendoza, Argentina

Notes: The phrase "Scrubbing Bubbles" would not be out of place to describe this Blanc de Blancs from Argentina. It was a very nice starter to the evening, as the sparkling wine (a Chardonnay/Chenin Blanc blend) almost evaporated off of our tongues while we nibbled on cheese, crackers and olives while making dinner.

Website: Vine Connections

Rating: Very Good

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Vinum Cellars PETS Petite Sirah 2007

Served With: Stir-fry

Five Things: inky, earthy, juicy, berry, tannins on finish

COO: Clarksburg, California

Notes: This inky juicy wine picked up the Hoisin-based sauce in the stir-fry quite nicely and complimented the dish with a good texture and broad tannins on the finish.

Website: Vinum Cellars

Rating: Very Good

Friday, March 12, 2010

Spellbound Petite Sirah 2007

Served With: Torta

Five Things: loamy soil, plum, inky, cocoa, thin

COO: California

Notes: A disappointing wine, with great promise on the nose, but a very thin finish, like it fell off a cliff. Better in the glass than out of it.

Website: Spellbound

Rating: meh.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Dopff & Irion Gewurztraminer 2007

Served With: Stir-Fry

Five Things: topaz color, apricot, gardenia, minerality, zippy acidity

COO: Alsace, France

Notes: The heat from the spicy stir-fry brought out a flinty character only hinted at on the nose. Nice balance of residual sugar and acidity with a smooth finish

Website: Dopff & Irion

Rating: Very Good

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Calma Rioja 2007

Served With: Pollo con Higos (recipe here)

Five Things: cherry, oak, earthy, finesse, French terroir

COO: La Rioja, Spain

Notes: This wine surprised me -- I poured it, gave it a swirl and let it sit out for a bit while finishing the cooking. When I came back to it -- to take notes -- and finally took a sip, I had to look at the bottle again to make sure I hadn't opened a French wine in error. Nope, it was a Tempranillo from Rioja. In an ironically synergistic moment, we matched it with a slow-braised recipe that was almost French (with an Espagnole sauce) by-the-way of Spain (figs and annatto rice).

Rating: Very Good

Friday, March 5, 2010

Bodegas y Viñedos del Jalón Calatayud Viña Alarba Old Vines Grenache 2007

Served With: Pizza

Five Things: dark cherry color, dusky, strawberry, tobacco, soft tannins

COO: Calatayud, Spain

Notes: I would imagine if you looked up "under $10 pizza wine" on teh internets, you would find a picture of this wine. Which was convenient, as that's what we were eating and drinking tonight -- simple grenache goodness from Spain.

Website: Bodegas y Viñedos del Jalón

Rating: Very Good

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Served With: Frittata with Arugula, Fennel & Avocado Salad

Five Things: pale yellow, field in summer, green grass, lemon verbena, mild acidity

COO: Marlborough, New Zealand

Notes: Tasted as part of #SauvBlanc twitter event. Kim Crawford has always been a benchmark Sauvignon Blanc for me. I've had this a number of times and use it (fairly or unfairly) to reference other wines from Marlborough. But for me, this hits all the Marlborough notes -- citrus, white stones, herbaceous and ever-so-slightly sweet. Paired with a frittata and salad with fennel & avocado it was like a walk through a field on a gloriously sunny day in deep summer. Wishful thinking for March? Perhaps...

Website: Kim Crawford Wines

Rating: Very Good

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Twisted River Gewurztraminer 2007

Served With: Eggplant Ravioli (recipe here)

Five Things: meyer lemon color, lychee, green apple, apricot, mineral

COO: Rheinhessen, Germany

Notes: This inexpensive wine had a broad mid-palate brushstroke that was elevated by the food (Jean-Georges Vongerichten's eggplant ravioli with gewurztraminer sauce) taking what might have been a "good" wine to a "very good" wine.

Rating: Very Good

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Mas de la Dame Les Baux-de-Provence Cuvée Gourmande 2006

Served With: Sunchoke-Kale Hash with Farro (recipe here)

Five Things: leather, pepper, plum, integrated tannins, medium finish

COO: Provence, France

Notes: This smooth and balanced grenache blend from Provence was a great match for the nutty farro and earthy sunchokes and really brought out the pepper in the dish. Lovely.

Website: Mas de la Dame

Rating: Very Good

Friday, February 19, 2010

Pelta 2008

Served With: Fettuccine with Walnut and Ricotta Sauce.

Five Things: dark ruby, earthy pine forest, blackberry, good structure, low acidity

COO: Valencia, Spain

Notes: A tempranillo blend from Spain -- like foraging for blackberries in a old-growth pine forest after a late summer rain-storm.

Rating: Very Good

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Syncline Syrah 2005

Served With: Bourguignon

Five Things: inky, leather, morello cherry, cigar, cedar

COO: Columbia Valley, Washington

Notes: A Valentine's Day dinner, a French stew and a Rhone-style wine from Columbia Valley, Washington: A match made in heaven. The smokey syrah had a long finish that paired beautifully with the stew (channeling my inner Julia Child). My only sadness was that it was the last bottle of the four that I picked up a while back.

Website: Syncline Wine

Rating: Very Good

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Served With: Pot Pie

Five Things: inky, milk chocolate, rose petals, smooth, long finish

COO: Napa Valley, California

Notes: Two amazing Napa Valley cabs in one night -- and on a Thursday, no less -- is some kind of personal record. This is an all-star wine: balanced acidity/tannins with a finish you could time using a sun-dial. As with the Sinskey, it was paired with the homemade pot pie and really offered a contrasting perspective -- sort of like dark chocolate vs. milk chocolate. (tasted for #calicabs)

Website: Chateau Montelena

Rating: Delicious

Robert Sinskey Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon RSV Vineyard SLD Estate 2000

Served With: Pot Pie

Five Things: dark, chocolate, cherry, integrated tannins, brawny

COO: Stag's Leap District, Napa Valley, California

Notes: Wow. This one needed some decanting and some time for the funk to blow off, but once it did, it revealed a wine with a wonderful combination of brawn and balance (tannins). Paired with a homemade pot pie loaded with root veggies and a hearty gravy, this wine came alive. (tasted for #calicabs)

Website: Robert Sinskey

Rating: Delicious

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Coturri Chardonnay 2007

Served With: Picatta

Five Things: deep golden color, meyer lemon, balanced acidity, sandalwood incense, unfiltered

COO: Sonoma Mountain, California

Notes: This unfiltered wine is not your typical California Chard, and I mean that in the best possible way. So pairing it with a dish full of lemons and capers -- which can be treacherous to lesser wines -- could have been a problem. But, it was one of the most synergistic pairings I've ever had, each bite and sip in harmony. That doesn't happen very often...

Website: Coturri Winery

Rating: Delicious

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Alexander Valley Vineyards "Sin Zin" Zinfandel 1997

Served With: BBQ

Five Things (before): bricked, TCA, blocked, oaky, musty

Five Things (after): balanced, juicy, integrated tannins, tobacco, long finish

COO: Alexander Valley, CA

Notes: Another "lost" wine that I found when re-organizing the cellar last month, I figured the Super Bowl (and BBQ) would be an ideal time to see if the wine had any mojo left. I had a feeling that this one was going to have some problems, and indeed, it did. A crumbling cork, musty, TCA, bricking -- all very bad signs. I had anticipated this by opening it 24 hours in advance to see where the wine was at -- it's better to find out ahead of time and get a substitute bottle ready just in case. After straining for loose cork bits and decanting, I decided to stuff three big wads of plastic wrap into the decanter in hopes that the TCA would be neutralized/absorbed -- I've done it in the past to bottles that I thought were hopeless and had salvaged most of them in this manner. However, this time it far exceeded my hopes, and brought the wine back to life completely. I was stunned at just how good the wine tasted afterward -- the balanced structure, tannins, the long supple finish -- and paired with the BBQ, it was a touchdown with a two-point conversion. ;)

Website: Alexander Vally Vineyards

Rating: Delecious

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling 2007

Served With: Ramen

Five Things: pale yellow, stone fruit (peaches), floral, juicy, flinty mineral

COO: Finger Lakes, New York

Notes: Another bowl of steaming hot ramen, another wine pairing from Dr. Konstantin Frank. This time around, it was a dry riesling admirably taking care of the wine duties. There was just the right amount of acidity to compliment the broth, noodles, mushrooms and spice level without getting in the way of the flavors or aromas. A very good pairing.

Website: Dr. Konstantin Frank

Rating: Very Good

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Quinta de Ventozelo Douro Cister da Ribeira 2000

Served With: Pizza

Five Things: oak, tobacco, cherry, earth, juicy

COO: Duoro, Portugal

Notes: The pizza was loaded with broccoli rabe, spicy sausages and tangy cheese and this well-balanced red from the Duoro region (one of my all-time favorites) came through with flying colors -- and was a steal at $10. It doesn't get much better than that!

Website: Quinta de Ventozelo

Rating: Very Good

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Pircas Negras Malbec 2008

Served With: Stir-Fry

Five Things: bramble, black cherry, dusky purple, strawberry, medium finish

COO: La Rioja, Argentina

Notes: I decided to take another flyer with this paring; taking a mellow organic malbec from Argentina and putting it against a moderately spicy stir-fry. The earthiness of the malbec muted some of the spiciness from the stir-fry, but didn't really sparkle overall. Still, on the whole, this fared better than the viognier/stroganoff pairing from last night.

Website: La Riojana Co-op

Rating: Good

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Les Acanthes Vin de Pays d'Oc Viognier 2008

Served With: Stroganoff

Five Things: straw, faint grapefruit, mineral, green buds, white pepper

COO: Languedoc Roussillon, France

Notes: I took a flyer on this pairing, hoping the acidity of the viognier would be up to the task of cutting through the mustard and cream sauce of the stroganoff. Alas, it was not to be. In tasting before the meal, the wine seemed a little flat and it didn't perk up against the sauce.

Rating: Good