A Wine A Day: January 2010

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

Friday, January 29, 2010

Boutari Agiorgitiko Nemea 2003

Served With: Stifado (Greek Stew)

Five Things: ruby, raisin, cedar, medium tannins, thin finish

COO: Peloponnisos, Greece

Notes: Another wine excavated from the wine cellar, this one was pretty much a non-starter. While it looked fine in the glass, there wasn't anything happening with the nose or on the palate. I've had this wine in the past and it was a perfectly acceptable wine, but this one was past it's prime, and it's my fault for leaving it in the cellar too long.

Website: Boutari

Rating: meh.

Top 5 Northern Ohio Wines

There's a surprising amount of wine produced in Northern Ohio. Here's a few of the ones I've liked the best over the last couple of years.

1. Markko Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2. Laurel Vineyards Cabernet Franc
3. Markko Select Reserve Late Harvest Chardonnay 1999
4. Debonne Pinot Gris
5. Viking Vineyards Pillaged Port (not currently available)

Friday, January 22, 2010

Comte Lafond Sancerre 2002

Served With: Leek & Shiitake Mushroom Croquettes

Five Things: honey, lemon curd, cypress, soft tannins, white stones

COO: Loire Valley, France

Notes: To be honest, I wasn't sure this 2002 Sancerre that was hiding in the back of the cellar was still going to be "all there." In a nutshell -- it was, and so much more... A well-balanced wine that had the right amount of acidity and finesse to cut through the fried croquettes with the lemon flavor profile complimenting the leeks & mushrooms. I really wish I had another bottle...

Rating: Delicious

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Sokol Blosser Evolution 13th Edition

Served With: Pad Thai

Five Things: flowers, meadow, jasmine, citrine, hand of buddha

COO: Oregon

Notes: This easy-drinking, intensely floral and tongue-coating wine strikes me as triangulating the zone between the racy acidity of a Viognier and a lighter Pinot Gris with mineral hints of a semi-dry Alsace wine. It was definitely up to the task of pairing with the spicy Pad Thai -- I'll have to keep one on hand at all times for just such an occasion!

Website: Sokol Blosser

Rating: Very Good

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

1995 Fattoria di Rodáno Chianti Classico Riserva Viacosta

Served With: Eggplant Parmesan

Five Things: saddle leather, berry, bramble, earthy, sweat

COO: Tuscany, Italy

Notes: Another cellar find, the Chianti Classico had slight bricking on the edges and took a few hours to open up, but again was so worth the wait. This Sangiovese blend was well-matched with a hearty tomato sauce and the unctuous melty eggplant.

Rating: Delicious

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Vinos Sin-Ley Monastrell Yecla M5 2007

Served With: Chiles Rellenos filled with Chorizo & Black Beans

Five Things: dark, black cocoa, black cherry, olive wood, bouquet garni

COO: Yecla, Spain

Notes: The key to pairing a dish like rellenos with wine is the heat level of the poblanos. Get a hot one and you're better off with a beer. Get a mild one, and you can get away with this pairing of Monastrell with spicy chorizo, creamy black beans and cheese. Thankfully, these were mild kind -- it could have easily gone in the other direction. The herbal nose and cocoa-ish bitterness on the palate actually works in its favor here, bringing the nuance of the food into sharper focus.

Website: Vinos Sin-Ley

Rating: Very Good

Saturday, January 16, 2010

2006 King Estate Pinot Gris Vin Glacé

Served With: Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake

Five Things: apricot color, citrus, stone fruit, honey, balanced finish

COO: Willamette Valley, Oregon

Notes: Paired with a decadent (for January) Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake, the elegant dessert wine hit all the right notes, finding that perfect supporting niche that dessert wines often fail to deliver.

Website: King Estate

Rating: Very Good

Friday, January 15, 2010

2006 Dr. Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli

Served With: Ramen with Grilled Maitake Mushroom

Five Things: pale yellow, honeydew melon, green apple, honey, clove

COO: Finger Lakes, New York

Notes: A blossoming flower of a wine as it warmed, releasing a bouquet of floral and fruit notes. It reminded me a bit of a Riesling crossed with a Gewürztraminer. Paired with a silky bowl of ramen topped with grilled Maitake mushrooms, the balanced acidity came through clearly in harmony with the broth and veggies.

Website: Dr. Konstantin Frank

Rating: Very Good

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Roagna Barbaresco 1995

Served With: Osso Bucco

Five Things: slight bricking, black cocoa, wood, dark berries, slow to open

COO: Piedmont, Italy

Notes: This was decanted for 2 hours in advance, and it still didn't want to open after 30 more minutes in the glass. I thought it was dead, so finally, I decided to run it through the aerator and... Wow! It awoke a slumbering beast of a wine. Mature, yet retaining some juicy acidity, dark cocoa and berries with integrated tannins. Paired with the Osso Bucco it was heavenly.

Website: Roagna

Rating: Delicious

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Vinos Sin-Ley Vinos de Madrid Puerta Bonita G5 2008

Served With: Tapas (Chorizo, Chickpeas, Garlic & Greens)

Five Things: ruby, morello cherry, earthy, cherry cola, soft juicy tannins

COO: Madrid, Spain

Notes: This garnacha kind of snuck up on us. By the end of the bottle we were ready to declare this our new "everyday" wine -- the kind of wine that goes well with whatever you throw at it food-wise.

Website: Vinos Sin-Ley

Rating: Very Good

Dibon Brut Reserve Cava NV

Served With: Tapas (Marcona Almonds, Pimento & Garlic Olives, Cheese)

Five Things: citrine (quartz) color, mineral, crisp, Asian pear, medium finish

COO: Catalunya, Spain

Notes: This crisp inexpensive cava cut right through the fatty stuffed olives, nuts & cheese with a clean mineral finish. A very nice match.

Rating: Very Good

Friday, January 8, 2010

Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel 2003

Served With: Pasta with Broccoli Rabe & Sausage

Five Things: bramble, black fruit, pepper, medium tannins, long finish

COO: Sonoma County, California

Notes: Sometimes a wine makes you work a little bit for a payoff, and this one did just that. It had the faintest bit of must upon opening (which disappeared), and took a good half hour to open up, and but we were ultimately rewarded once it did. This blend of zinfandel, petite sirah, carignane had well structured tannins and a long finish with a good balance of fruit which played off the mild heat from the sausage and slight bitterness of the broccoli rabe quite well. The moral of the story? Good things come to those who wait ;)

Website: Ridge Vineyards

Rating: Very Good

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay 2006

Served With: Manhattan Chowder

Five Things: straw, summer, lemon verbena, thyme, honey

COO: Napa Valley, California

Notes: There are few wines that really "transport" me to a place, but the Grgich Hills always manages to make me feel like it's summer again (despite the mountain of snow outside the window to the contrary). This elegant chardonnay paired quite well with the tomato based chowder, playing up to the wines notes of herbs and citrus.

Website: Grgich Hills

Rating: Delicious

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Mas de Gourgonnier Les Baux de Provence 2007

Served With: Hearty French Lentil Stew with Herbes de Provence

Five Things: cedar, lavender, strawberry nose, mild tannins, medium weight & finish

COO: Provence, France

Notes: This Rhone blend (Cabernet, Carignane, Grenache, Syrah) hit all the right notes with a hearty winter stew and particularly the harmony between the lavender nose and the Herbes de Provence. Sometimes, the right spices are all it takes to make a wine better.

Website: Mas de Gourgonnier

Rating: Very Good

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Coturri Founder's Series Zinfandel 2005

Served With: BBQ with a Calimyrna Fig & Balsamic Reduction Sauce

Five Things: deep purple (the color and the band), earth, white pepper, long finish, intense berry

COO: Sonoma, California

Notes: Pulled this one from the cellar for this match-up, and was not disappointed the result. Coturri wines are in a completely different universe, so the unusual fig barbecue-style sauce on the grill made perfect sense with this powerful unfiltered, unfined Zin.

Website: Coturri Winery

Rating: Very Good

Friday, January 1, 2010

Seven Artisians Meritage 2006

Served With: Barbecue

Five Things: magenta, smoke, damask rose, black cherry, solid tannins

COO: Suisun Valley, California

Notes: A blend of 89.5% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 0.25% Malbec, and 0.25% Petite Verdot, this wine has some solid structure behind it and enough acidity to cut through the smokey slabs of barbecue.

Website: Seven Artisians

Rating: Very Good

Favorite Wines of 2009

To give you a better idea of what kind of wines I drink, here's a short list (in no particular order) of my favorite wines that were opened in 2009.

Reverie Estate Cabernet Franc 2001
(Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain district, California)

Fort Ross Pinot Noir 2004
(Sonoma, California)

Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir 2004
(Willamette Valley, Oregon)

Montoya Petite Sirah 2006
(Paso Robles, California)

Peirano Estate Petite Sirah 2006
(Lodi, California)

Cave de Ribeauville Gewurztraminer 2007
(Alsace, France)

Hofer Gruner Veltliner 2007
(Austria)

Holy Cow Merlot 2006
(Columbia Valley, Washington)

Sergio Mottura Orvieto Tragugnano 2007
(Italy)

Owen Roe Sinister Hand 2007
(Columbia Valley, Washington)

Terrazas Malbec 2007
(Mendoza, Argentina)

Hitching Post Fiddlestix Pinot Noir 2003
(Santa Rita Hills, California)

Chateau Fortia Cuvee du Baron 2004
(Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France)

Miguel Torres Manso de Velasco 2004
(Valle de Curicó, Chile)

Primaterra Primitivo 2007
(Puglia, Italy)

Monterey Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2007
(Santa Lucia Highlands, California)

Max Ferd. Richter Riesling 2007
(Mosel, Germany)

Laurello Cabernet Franc 2007
(Grand River Valley, Ohio)

Familia Zuccardi Vida Organica Torrontes 2008
(Mendoza, Argentina)

Mas de Gourgonnier 2006
(les Baux de Provence, France)

Tiziano Gold Chianti Classico 2005
(Tuscany, Italy)

Cooper Mountain Cooper Hill Pinot Noir 2007
(Willamette Valley, Oregon)

Tablas Creek Vineyard Cotes de Tablas Blanc 2003
(Paso Robles, California)

20 Bees Ice Bees Cabernet Franc 2005
(Niagra Penisula, Canada)

Villa Teresa Prosecco Veneto
(Italy)

Coturri Chauvet East Block Zinfandel 2005
(Sonoma, California)

Alvear Solera 1927 Pedro Ximenez
(Spain)

Peltier Station USB Zinfandel
(Lodi, California)

Grahams Six Grapes Reserve Porto
(Portugal)