tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-243742632024-03-13T00:08:38.231-04:00The CrushAn honest, no-nonsense appraisal about the wines I have recently drunk - based on a modified Cyr rating scheme (see right panel).
The bottom line will be, IS IT WORTH IT? From experience (some of it bad - read COSTLY) I have found that paying a lot for wine does not always mean great wine.
I am based out of Canada, so prices and availability are for Quebec and Ontario.
PS: CLICK ON THE IMAGES if you want to enlarge them!Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.comBlogger267125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-9846353052205587092012-12-29T22:19:00.000-05:002012-12-29T22:19:05.323-05:00Turkey Shoot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't resist trying Mexican wines. One of my great regrets is not stopping at the Cetto Bodega in</div>
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Baja - we flew by on the Baja highway as the cold fog rolled in from the Pacific, all intent in putting in as many miles as possible so we could make down to Bahia de Los Angeles. These guys make real California wine (Baja California - get it?) at a pretty good price point. So - it's turkey time and I wanted to try the <b>L.A. Cetto Nebbiolo Private Reserve 2005 </b>with the turkey<b>, </b>but also to see what the Mexicans can do with this varietal compared with the Italians. You don't see nebbiolo outside of Italy very often. I chose a low end barolo to compare it to in order to be fair - the <b>Patrizi Barolo 2008. </b>Both wines clock in at 14%. The Cetto had a very delicate nose of violets with hints of vanilla. Medium bodied with a nice sharp attack - almost tart. Pomegranate and cranberry fruit with a medium-long finish. Great turkey wine. Overall, a good wine, a fair effort for $20.</div>
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The Patrizi is much lighter and brickier looking than the Cetto, despite being younger. Very shy nose. Medium bodied but less dense than the Cetto. Red currants. This wine definitely needs food and was good with the turkey, although not a very pleasant sipper. OK wine, not worth the $30.</div>
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After a couple of hours the wines opened up a little and diverged in character. The Italian turned to tobacco notes, the Mexican to linzer torte with mint/camphor.</div>
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Score this one for the Mexicans. </div>
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Right, it's Christmas, so had to throw in another contender - the <b>Ramon Bilbao, Rioja Gran Reserva, 2004. </b>Tempranillo, 13.5%, 3 years in the barrel. First sip is a wow - soft, luscious, smooth with black fruit mixed with vanilla, coconut, coffee. However, unfortunately, the mouthfeel is a little thin. Also good with the toikey, but would make a good sipper. Too bad, with a little more body and complexity, this would be worth multiple purchases. $26. <br />
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Cheers and Merry Christmas!!Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-70845965729736506202012-11-29T22:00:00.001-05:002012-11-29T22:21:25.275-05:00Tasty New Argentine Offerings<br />
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<span style="color: black;">SAQ had a sale on, a whole 10%!! So off we went to try out some new offerings.</span></div>
<span style="color: black;"> A bunch of Argentine wines got my attention, scoring between 90-92 points WS.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">First up was the <b>25/5, Desierto, Cab. Franc, La Pampa, 2009</b>.
14.9%. Smells like no other CF I've had, with a nose of cranberry
sauce and apples. It's racy, acidic, medium bodied, with a sharp
finish, but perhaps a bit simple. The fruit is light fleshed plums. No
CF herbal/green pepper notes here.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">This wine sang with the wood-grilled pork chops. Good wine, good value at $17. </span><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jrO1bMmuz48/ULgfdrKi2_I/AAAAAAAABRA/2Jwrdmsv4uw/s1600/DSC_3546+corks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jrO1bMmuz48/ULgfdrKi2_I/AAAAAAAABRA/2Jwrdmsv4uw/s320/DSC_3546+corks.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Next up is the <b>Colome, Estate Malbec</b>, 2010 from <b>Salta. </b>Now this is a high altitude vineyard, up to 9500 feet! This winery is championed by the WS columnist Matt Kramer. Intense malbec nose with watermelon.
Intense fruit on the palate as well - fresh black figs. Dark, dense
and full bodied but not chewy at all. Hides it's tannins well. The oak
(15 months 1st and 2nd use barrels) is so well integrated you wouldn't
guess it was there. Very easy drinking, sails right along. Better with
food though - mutes the bright notes and makes it more enjoyable.
14.5%, $25. Good wine.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NaLjDX2mQ4I/ULgfc8DzvOI/AAAAAAAABQ4/JdtMeJF381o/s1600/DSC_3543+porko.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NaLjDX2mQ4I/ULgfc8DzvOI/AAAAAAAABQ4/JdtMeJF381o/s320/DSC_3543+porko.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Last was the <b>Achaval Ferrer, Malbec, 2011, Mendoza. </b>The
generic bottling from this malbec specialist. A more floral nose than
the prior two wines. Smells like walking into a florist shop - violets
and freesias. Racy and zippy, the flowers stay on the palate like
nectar. The most intense wine of the three. Full bodied but carries
less weight than the Colome. Went well with the salad dressed with aged balsamic, moreso than with the pork.<b> </b>14.5%, $24. Good wine also.<br />
So none of the wines hit the "wow" factor, although all were enjoyable.<br />
Cheers!! <br />
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<br />Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com67tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-3661668501908051892012-07-03T23:39:00.001-04:002012-07-03T23:41:16.699-04:00Summer Refreshments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have been going through some whites and rose as the temperature climbs. But have also started to drink the Niagara wines we bought 2 years ago in case they don't last...would hate to keep them in the cellar for 5 years or more to find them turning into crap. So started with a relative cheapo, assuming these would not last as long as the pricier wines. The <b>Konzelman Estate, Cab Sauvignon Reserve, Niagara-on-the-Lake 2008 </b>rings in at about fifteen bucks. On the nose it is movie theater popcorn butter (translation: fake butter) and green peppers. To taste, it's full bodied and ALL about green peppers - definitely on the veggie side - closer to Cab Franc than CS?? Crunchy. Not bad, actually a good food wine. Worth checking out given it's cheapo price (for Ontario reds).<br />
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Back to the whites. Bargain of the week is the <b>La Puerta, Torrontes, 2011 </b>from the <b>Famantina Valley</b> in<b> Argentina. </b>Torrontes is an up an coming varietal championed in Argentina, is generally very floral and perfumed, and usually light and quaffable. This stuff has a floral and lychee nose with bright tropical fruit on the palate. Very refreshing, so easy to drink. All for nine bucks - there are not many wines this price that taste so good...this is light years better than it's stable mate on the shelves, the similarily priced <b>Fuzion,</b> a blend of Chenin Blanc and Torrontes, which is pure garbage. Another good cheapo is the Chilean <b>Cono Sur, Chardonnay, "bicycle label", NV</b> at about $11. A little less enjoyable but very drinkable bargain is the South African <b>Robertson Winery, Chenin Blanc, 2011 </b>at $10. Even better is the <b>Megalomaniac, 2011 Homegrown Riesling, Cellar 4379 - </b>a good example of Niagara riesling and well worth the $13.<br />
Cheers!!Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-67286233531118594902012-06-04T22:25:00.002-04:002012-07-03T23:40:41.298-04:00Odds 'n Ends<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cJzUEiQEV5k/T81lbmobKoI/AAAAAAAABPE/EmV0DnjOzgA/s1600/citra+chard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cJzUEiQEV5k/T81lbmobKoI/AAAAAAAABPE/EmV0DnjOzgA/s320/citra+chard.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_BM_Ozo4ok/T81lfRu4mgI/AAAAAAAABPU/srkehpei52g/s1600/sula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_BM_Ozo4ok/T81lfRu4mgI/AAAAAAAABPU/srkehpei52g/s320/sula.jpg" width="232" /></a>Summer's here (I think!), so time to start sampling some cheapo whites that will be quaffed quickly on those lazy, hot afternoons. K picked up an<i> </i><b><i>Indian </i></b>wine that she saw - not as cheap as I like my white quaffers but she thought it might be interesting to try. Hmmmm... interesting is not the word I would choose to describe this beverage. I call it a beverage because I am not sure what manner of drink it resembles. The <b>Sula Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 </b>comes from Nashik, 180km from Mumbai. It has the MOST green pepper vegetal nose I have ever smelled, although a friend (Ben, you know who you are!) thought it smelled like asparagus piss (that smell that your pee gets after eating asparagus). Drinking it is like drinking a green pepper smoothie, without the bits. K said that it reminded her of an algae clogged water filter from one of her guppy evolution experiments. Very overpriced at $14. Drink this VERY cold if you have to drink it. Or, better still, buy the <b>Citra, Terre di Chieti, Chardonnay. </b>Can't remember the vintage, probably 2010 but could have been 2011...doesn't really matter as this producer makes pretty consistent, very drinkable plonk. Worlds apart from the Sula, this has a pleasant lemon pineapple nose and a snappy grapefruit palate. Nice acid, very refreshing. Drink at about 8 degrees, doesn't need to be mind-numbingly cold to enjoy. If you take it for what it is, it's an absolute bargain at $9 a litre.<b> </b> <br />
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Shooo - go away!! The <b>Shoo fly, Shiraz, 2009 </b>is from "somewhere" in southern Australia. They don't exactly say where from, but they tell you their 2007 juice made a Wine Spectator "top 100" list a while back. Almost opaque, bricky purple. Big minty eucalyptus nose - dead giveaway for Aussie shiraz. Jammy, sweet, big black fruit but too minty on the palate. No chewy tannins here - this is alcoholic fruit juice. A struggle to enjoy. Waste of money - this is VERY generic Australian shiraz that could have been made at any of a hundred south Australian wineries. <b></b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6UDBqxPJoyU/T81lYNt0JwI/AAAAAAAABO0/Jpizv5HSaBE/s1600/besllum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6UDBqxPJoyU/T81lYNt0JwI/AAAAAAAABO0/Jpizv5HSaBE/s320/besllum.jpg" width="177" /></a>Instead, go out and get the <b>Malondro, Besllum, 2008, </b>from <b>Montsant </b>in Spain. 50-50 old vine carignan and grenache (garnacha). <b></b> Moderate colour depth, ruby. Very floral nose with hints of vanilla. Medium-full bodied, some creamy oak but balanced by tart cherries. Stood up very well to rib roast. Quite pleasant and very drinkable - won't knock your socks off but good wine and worth the $20. If you see it on a restaurant wine list for $40 would make a smart buy. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vvnr_dp7uho/T81lg6nOvbI/AAAAAAAABPc/4xBSals2jjA/s1600/tannat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vvnr_dp7uho/T81lg6nOvbI/AAAAAAAABPc/4xBSals2jjA/s400/tannat.jpg" width="207" /></a> OK, now for the bargain of the day. And this winery up in the lesser known province of San Juan in Argentina (as opposed to Mendoza) bangs out the bargains! And to think that the owner of Southern Cross Lands (a large fly-by-night Wine real estate company in Mendoza) once told me when asked - "San Juan? A wine region? They can't make good wine up there..." Pffft. Either he didn't know what he was talking about or he was trying to foist some crappy Mendoza land off on unsuspecting foreigners (or maybe both!).<br />
Anyway, this is some serious juice. The <b>Las Moras, Tannat, 2010 </b>is dense, chewy, bold, rich and damn good. But if you are not a fan of American oak, maybe stay away. However, I like the fact there is some tannat rusticity to the wine as well. And I really like the price. $15. Wow.<br />
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Cheers!!<br />
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<br />Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-66434341425139682502012-05-07T22:26:00.003-04:002012-05-07T22:29:14.684-04:00Cuban Plonk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Cuban wine?? WTF. Not what I expected to find there. Talk about "hot climate" wine. But you know me, I had to try it. The one I found was called <b>Soroa </b>from<b> Bodega San Cristobal, NV</b>. They only get 12% abv, bit of a surprise as I'm sure they have no problem ripening the grapes....mmm, no idea what kind of grapes they use. The red wine was a shocker - and not a good one. A mixture of diesel, vinegar and stewed plums. Almost undrinkable (LOL)!! Yuk. Price is right, though, only $2.50 cdn. The white is, well, I won't go there. Nuff said. Best to stick to what they do better:</div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Litceg0K-0U/T6iBB0v5WCI/AAAAAAAABOg/_dC2bkxnxpA/s1600/cuban+beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Litceg0K-0U/T6iBB0v5WCI/AAAAAAAABOg/_dC2bkxnxpA/s320/cuban+beer.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Or the rum, of course (although there is some real gut rot rum down there as well).<br />
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Right, back to reality. Found a stray bottle of <b>Condesa de Leganza, Tempranillo Reserva 1995,</b> <b>Finca Los Trenzones </b>in the cellar.<b> </b>I had picked up a dozen bottles years ago as the price was right - $12.95. Why so cheap you ask - because it's from a not too highly regarded appelation, La Mancha. Well what a surprise - this stuff is still good! Opaque brick with lotsa vanilla and coconut (this spent 24 months in "barrels"). Full bodied, chewy, toasty, still some dark plum fruit. LONG finish. Wow. This blew a Penfolds Bin 28 shiraz (2004) that I had recently away...at a fraction of the price. Spanish wine can really age well. <br />
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Cheers!!! Looking forward to a good wine weekend coming up, the first of the spring...<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3xTNGc0Kq6U/T6iBAOKgAYI/AAAAAAAABOY/owZD9XI9x94/s1600/cuba+trinidad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3xTNGc0Kq6U/T6iBAOKgAYI/AAAAAAAABOY/owZD9XI9x94/s320/cuba+trinidad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(Plaza Mayor, Trinidad, Cuba)</div>
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<br />Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-54067106856053877162012-02-02T23:51:00.004-05:002012-02-03T00:07:03.546-05:00Fed Up<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ii1d2KDaGrA/TytoGcIsh5I/AAAAAAAABOA/xkfG7k0pTlM/s1600/wolftrapp.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ii1d2KDaGrA/TytoGcIsh5I/AAAAAAAABOA/xkfG7k0pTlM/s320/wolftrapp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704767812836034450" border="0" /></a>I am sick and tired of some of the garbage that is being packaged as mid priced wine. Yeah, the $15-20 range, that "sweet spot" - cheap enough you can drink it mid week, but may still be a very good (sometimes even great) wine. By garbage I mean don't mean a bad, undrinkable bottle, but rather one that really is way overpriced - one that should be in the "bargain" range of $5-10. The latest culprit is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Boekentroutskloof, The Wolftrap, Syrah-Mourvedre-Viognier, 2010 from South Africa. </span>No nose. Light to medium bodied. A terrible sipper with really nothing going for it - was like grape flavoured hard candy. It was more drinkable with a nice beef stew, but really didn't add anything to the meal and certainly did not really stand up to the stew. Don't drink this one without food. $15. Rating: Crap wine by itself, OK if drunk with appropriate food. But please, save yourself some money and buy this if you want a cheap drinker: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ajz_kX3I2cg/Tytn98yC_RI/AAAAAAAABN0/bf6WQRTPPdI/s1600/Box.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ajz_kX3I2cg/Tytn98yC_RI/AAAAAAAABN0/bf6WQRTPPdI/s320/Box.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704767666980584722" border="0" /></a>The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Santa Isabella, Cabernet Sauvignon, Valle Centrale, Chile </span>comes in 3 litre box for about $30. So it knows where it stands, and does admirably for the price. 12.5% alcohol. Has a "real" wine nose - that is, smells of fruits, not bubble gum or candy. Slightly sweet, mellow, soft - tastes more like a merlot than a cab. Red berries but with a little white pepper on the back end that keeps it interesting. Gulpable. OK wine, bang on for the money.<br />Cheers!!Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-66609496106017148752011-12-27T21:12:00.007-05:002011-12-27T22:23:20.256-05:00Ridge and a Surprise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RH8ODRwxgZ8/TvqA5a_KDuI/AAAAAAAABNE/beV7667oIdI/s1600/pagani%2Bsteaks.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 361px; height: 157px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RH8ODRwxgZ8/TvqA5a_KDuI/AAAAAAAABNE/beV7667oIdI/s320/pagani%2Bsteaks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691002803121164002" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ridge </span>is one of my favourite California wineries. One of the best Cabs I have had came from their Monte Bello vineyard in the Santa Cruz mountains. But they are perhaps better known for a whole slew of single vineyard Zinfandels. To go with these wood-grilled T-bones we opened a <span style="font-weight: bold;">2003 Pagani Ranch Zinfandel</span>.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_xPHGITDDuw/TvqBM_TGRVI/AAAAAAAABNc/e02oggSmlyk/s1600/pagani%2Bblur.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 294px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_xPHGITDDuw/TvqBM_TGRVI/AAAAAAAABNc/e02oggSmlyk/s320/pagani%2Bblur.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691003139285992786" border="0" /></a>It is actually 90% zin with the rest petite sirah and alicante bouschet. This is a mature heavy hitter, coming in at a not shy 15.3% alcohol whose heat can be felt on tasting. Shy nose. On the palate there are prunes and dried figs, earthy but still refreshing enough when paired with the big fat smokey T-bones. Nice to see a zin that can age a little. Good wine. $30-40 in the US for a more current vintage.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T5r476koa2I/TvqBCVQBuFI/AAAAAAAABNQ/w598frf-RPU/s1600/Ben%2BPort.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 259px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T5r476koa2I/TvqBCVQBuFI/AAAAAAAABNQ/w598frf-RPU/s320/Ben%2BPort.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691002956200130642" border="0" /></a>What on earth is this concoction you may ask? It makes a good story - my youngest brother used to dabble at winemaking in his previous life. He made plum wine from the plum tree in his backyard and pear wine from the pear tree in our parents backyard. The plum wine actually won a medal at a country fair, but I preferred the pear one - it actually tasted of pears, with a clean palate that belayed it's rather amateur upbringing. At one point he decided to try making "port" - from fresh grape concentrate meant for winemaking. To boost sugar content he chaptalized with either maple syrup or mashed bananas (the local depanneur was throwing out a whole bunch of overripe bananas). The must was fortified with cheap Mexican brandy that we had brought home after a trip through the Mayan ruins of the Yucatan. How did it turn out? pretty darn good considering the wines humble beginnings. And the damn stuff got better with time!<br />On Christmas day I was making gravy for the turkey and stumbled across a bottle in my vinegar and condiment area - it was an old bottle of the "port" with about a glassful of brown liquid in it that I had forgotten about...hmmm....probably vinegar by now I thought. Smells OK though. Should I try it? Why not. A little sip revealed no horrid surprises. A mouthful revealed a treat - this stuff had turned into a fine tawny. Lusciously sweet still, with raisins, figs, treacle pudding...wow! Too bad it was all gone in a matter of minutes. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lnUVWYHd8-A/TvqBVrJAAXI/AAAAAAAABNo/y6G8Cb1Q9d8/s1600/quinta%2Bsan%2Burbain.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lnUVWYHd8-A/TvqBVrJAAXI/AAAAAAAABNo/y6G8Cb1Q9d8/s320/quinta%2Bsan%2Burbain.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691003288493752690" border="0" /></a>Just got back from a Boxing day dinner at Joe and Lianne's. Always a wine treat - we sampled St Supery Elu, Torres Mas La Plana cab, Luca Nico Malbec, Kacaba Niagara merlot, Caymus special select cab and my favourite, the Paul Hobbs 2006 Napa cab. And then he opened a 1980 Dow and a 1985 Smith Woodhouse. WOW!! Best wine night of the year.<br />Cheers!!Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-62764216888074817252011-12-16T23:50:00.006-05:002011-12-21T20:46:19.541-05:00Rubber Chicken<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1xgFUoXXpyg/Tuwfp96RpsI/AAAAAAAABM4/3OsThjXZIh8/s1600/borghese.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1xgFUoXXpyg/Tuwfp96RpsI/AAAAAAAABM4/3OsThjXZIh8/s320/borghese.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686955235316180674" border="0" /></a>Ever try any Long Island wines? Long where you say? North Fork, Long Island, New York state to be exact. This peninsula is surrounded by water (Atlantic on one side, a bay on the other) which moderates the winter chill. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Castello di Borghese </span>has the oldest vines in the region, so this winery should show us what the area is capable of. Their <span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 Chardonnay</span> has a Meyer lemon, butter nose. It is vivacious, bright and citrusy with floral accents, driven by really nice acidity. Very clean, medium bodied, so easy to drink. Let it come it come up to 8 - 10 deg. Celsius or so to show off it's flavours. This is pretty good wine. Can't wait to tour the region and see what they can do with their reds as well. $17 at the winery, and worth it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Aqb14D85lGo/Tuwfk2iprwI/AAAAAAAABMs/sLImwgat4DI/s1600/modus.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Aqb14D85lGo/Tuwfk2iprwI/AAAAAAAABMs/sLImwgat4DI/s320/modus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686955147438698242" border="0" /></a>Dang. Missed it by a year. Happens all the time, I read about a highly rated wine, then when in the wine shop needing a bottle I spot the label but don't remember the vintage that earned the accolade. So I buy it anyway and hope it's the "right" year. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ruffino, Modus, Toscana </span>is a blend of Sangiovese (50%) and equal parts Cab S. and Merlot (25% each). The 2007 scored a soaring 96 points in the WS, enough for me to keep my eye out for it. Too bad I had picked up a bottle of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2006. </span>Meaty nose. Very Italian tasting - dirty, smokey, burnt fruit. Wood is well integrated. Complex and harmonius, but you'd better like old world wines if you try this on. Classy wine, good, but at $30, would not buy this vintage again. Gotta keep looking for the 2007!<br />ps the rubber chicken (the orange thingy in the bread) is a meat thermometer for turkeys...thanks Nancy!<br />Cheers!Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-8058558834853024742011-12-07T20:24:00.007-05:002011-12-07T20:50:10.068-05:00Unfair<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f2iRf-99ESU/TuASPWT95eI/AAAAAAAABMg/tlP1M0In9oI/s1600/catena%2Bvs%2Bprobus.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f2iRf-99ESU/TuASPWT95eI/AAAAAAAABMg/tlP1M0In9oI/s320/catena%2Bvs%2Bprobus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683562784638232034" border="0" /></a>The latest Wine Spectator top 100 list is out...and coming in at #58 is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bodega Catena Zapata, Malbec, 2009</span>. It is readily available where I live, so naturally I went out to buy some to try. And on reading the WS tasting note, I recommended it to a friend before actually trying it...?mistake or savoir faire?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RWp4EH31amg/TuASA7_BbmI/AAAAAAAABMI/HI_A2zmtyp4/s1600/catena%2Btasting%2Bnotes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 117px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RWp4EH31amg/TuASA7_BbmI/AAAAAAAABMI/HI_A2zmtyp4/s320/catena%2Btasting%2Bnotes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683562537052892770" border="0" /></a>Well, yes, it is a flashy, new world wine but really, there's not much too it. It did improve with time - it was a lot better the next day, but where in the world was the richness, the plum pudding, the fig paste, the layers of flavour that the experts are talking about? A "good" wine at a stretch, but a top 100 wine should be a "wow". And my buddy, to whom I recommended the wine to sight unseen, was pretty cheesed off. His bottle was "crap" - he and his wife left most of it on the table in the restaurant they were at, he found it so uninspiring. Worse still he berated me in the changing room at hockey as soon as I walked in. Very embarrassing Mr. Molesworth. The only defense you can have is that, with at least 75,000 cases imported into the USA (meaning there were at least a million bottles made), there is a <span style="font-style: italic;">lot </span>of bottle variation. Very disappointing, this could have been a "must buy" at $21 if it came as advertised. Beware.<br /><br />At least Malbec was vindicated the same weekend - but courtesy of France. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Clos Triguedina, Prince Probus, 2000 </span>from Cahors is also 100% malbec. But what a difference! A beautiful, full bodied, structured, classy wine. Dark but not inky black, this is what Bordeaux <span style="font-style: italic;">should </span>be but often isn't at this price point. Nicely tannic, this would cut right through steak. Muted black fruits, chewy with some licks of vanilla. $30. Wow.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SakE4CquDHo/TuAR5z8QiaI/AAAAAAAABL8/B6HnuxMMJOY/s1600/pizza.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SakE4CquDHo/TuAR5z8QiaI/AAAAAAAABL8/B6HnuxMMJOY/s320/pizza.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683562414634731938" border="0" /></a>Camembert veggie pizza from the brick oven...mmmm good. Cheers!!Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-72970623036051168472011-11-27T21:10:00.005-05:002011-11-27T21:30:59.103-05:00Smokin' Partners<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JlIT5HOzajA/TtLug3ANJ5I/AAAAAAAABLw/APJ_6NbhokY/s1600/vino.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 172px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JlIT5HOzajA/TtLug3ANJ5I/AAAAAAAABLw/APJ_6NbhokY/s320/vino.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679864328355653522" border="0" /></a>Mencia is an uncommon grape from the little known (in North America) appellation of Bierzo in Spain. When I saw a review for the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pittacum, Mencia, 2006</span> in the WS recommending it as a smart buy (coz I like smart buys) scoring 92 pts, I had to give it a whirl. "Toasty, smokey aromas" they said. And since I was smoking a turkey for american thanksgiving (any excuse for a turkey, eh?) I thought it might be a match. Well I didn't get any smokey aromas - more like meaty cherry. On the palate, without decanting, it was rather weak and uneventful. After 2 hours of breathing it opened up to a thicker, medium bodied wine. "Deep, focused black cherry, mineral, licorice and mountain herb" they said. Mmmm. More like cola with slightly stewed black fruit and prunes. I don't disagree with the herb comment but they are definitely in the background. Good wine in the end, chuggable and food friendly, but too forgettable to score 92 points. It is worth the $19 though.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--rX5MJvq3kk/TtLubtBV3-I/AAAAAAAABLk/DvpfKVrjdNs/s1600/pittacum.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--rX5MJvq3kk/TtLubtBV3-I/AAAAAAAABLk/DvpfKVrjdNs/s320/pittacum.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679864239776718818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HZ7Y2Whmdu4/TtLuWWAbvRI/AAAAAAAABLY/sjb3VM0cCYM/s1600/the%2Bsack.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HZ7Y2Whmdu4/TtLuWWAbvRI/AAAAAAAABLY/sjb3VM0cCYM/s320/the%2Bsack.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679864147699547410" border="0" /></a>For only $3 more a much more satisfying wine (although not as food friendly) is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Magpie Estate, The Sack, 2005 Barossa Shiraz. </span>This is the real deal - full bodied, opaque, dense, chewy, black fruit compote, hint of menthol. Drink up though, it's on the downside of it's life - you get the feeling the fruit is stewing slowly and losing it's freshness. Close to a "wow" wine, probably was 2 years ago.<br />Cheers!!<br />ps here is the smoked beast:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u0MCAW4KD0o/TtLuHJwm7yI/AAAAAAAABLA/ET6Su_Db9zw/s1600/turkey.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 160px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u0MCAW4KD0o/TtLuHJwm7yI/AAAAAAAABLA/ET6Su_Db9zw/s320/turkey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679863886713909026" border="0" /></a>Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-83744354230950088892010-05-02T15:35:00.007-04:002010-05-02T16:01:08.155-04:00Brash Marketing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S93UbvwQnrI/AAAAAAAABKk/MfFrbBa_Xeg/s1600/pinot-noir.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 262px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S93UbvwQnrI/AAAAAAAABKk/MfFrbBa_Xeg/s320/pinot-noir.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466759095838088882" border="0" /></a>Woaaah...this label is so brash you almost need sunglasses to tone it down. <span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Washington state's<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>The Magnificent Wine Company's </span>labels are all similar to this one, and certainly catch the eye, but is it a marketing hoax or is the wine any good? Well, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pinot Noir, Columbia Valley</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">2006 </span>is actually pretty darn good. Stinky old barnyard nose. Light to medium bodied, very smooth, burnt cherry fruit with a herbaceous edge and nice loooong finish. Great sipper. Wow. Not cheap up here at about $30, but if you like pinot, it's worth a whirl.<br />A different marketing ploy is adding a tag to the wine touting it's media merits - such as with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Delas, St.Esprit, Cotes du Rhone, 2007. </span>The 2005-2007 Rhone vintages have been quite good, even the lower level generic wines are very drinkable. <span style="font-style: italic;">Robert Parker</span> seems to have liked this wine back in 2008 giving it his magical "90" score, and the producer is not shy to show this mark off. The wine is somewhat light in the glass (7/10), and has a quite strong white chalk board nose. Medium bodied, strawberries, pepper and a little spice. It's a pleasant wine, but with no real structure, no appreciable tannins and a poor finish. "OK" wine, not worth seeking out. $18.<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span> Lose the tag, guys.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S93UU-qIE1I/AAAAAAAABKc/FYvN2Xlt7PE/s1600/st-esprit-tag.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 250px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S93UU-qIE1I/AAAAAAAABKc/FYvN2Xlt7PE/s320/st-esprit-tag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466758979579810642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S93UN8eFz6I/AAAAAAAABKU/xwsOyvFhC-Q/s1600/st-esprit.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S93UN8eFz6I/AAAAAAAABKU/xwsOyvFhC-Q/s320/st-esprit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466758858733375394" border="0" /></a>The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Elderton, Ode to Lorraine, Barossa, 2006 </span>is surprisingly light in colour (8/10) for a Barossa wine. Medium-full bodied, it is on the elegant side - no big joosy fruit bomb here. Could almost be mistaken for a new style Bordeaux. Balanced with very easy to handle tannins, as it airs out there are hints of caramilk smoothness. Good dinner wine. Not quite a "wow", but close. $40 is a bit steep for this wine.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S93UGhy0DWI/AAAAAAAABKM/7ugtTRlml70/s1600/elderton.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S93UGhy0DWI/AAAAAAAABKM/7ugtTRlml70/s320/elderton.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466758731313450338" border="0" /></a>Cheers!!Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-20279846180078981932010-04-10T21:06:00.009-04:002010-04-10T22:38:50.062-04:00More Mendoza<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S8Eo29qhN8I/AAAAAAAABKE/0tyvknoGgcU/s1600/altus-2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S8Eo29qhN8I/AAAAAAAABKE/0tyvknoGgcU/s320/altus-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458689148080699330" border="0" /></a>Continuing my visits to Uco Valley vineyards brings me to Altus, just outside the town of Tupungato (which itself is shadowed by the 22,000 foot Tupungato volcano). Tempranillo? the Argentines do well with French malbec and cabernet, Italian bonarda, so I thought why not Spanish tempranillo?. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Altus, Tempranillo, 2006 </span>comes from a 1200 meter vineyard of 25 year old plants. Unfortunately the bottle I got had a strong sulfur nose (more fart than match-strike). Thankfully it tastes better, but I still left it for the next day as that nose was really off-putting. The next day the sulfur had largely blown off, leaving a meaty, plummy dark full bodied wine that still had a little funkiness going on. It scores as an "OK" wine, but maybe I got a bad bottle. 38 pesos.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S8Eou8vfZYI/AAAAAAAABJ8/1EVq7rxF5TU/s1600/altus.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S8Eou8vfZYI/AAAAAAAABJ8/1EVq7rxF5TU/s320/altus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458689010394162562" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S8Eopuj8YWI/AAAAAAAABJ0/azk7FLWTfWA/s1600/valledeuco_2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 269px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S8Eopuj8YWI/AAAAAAAABJ0/azk7FLWTfWA/s320/valledeuco_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458688920688288098" border="0" /></a>Closer to the Uco town of Tunuyan is a beautiful little lodge called <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Postales del Plata</span>. </span>They even have a little 6 year old 5 acre malbec vineyard on the property, so when you have dinner there, it seems only right to drink their wine. You probably won't see it anywhere else anyway! Their <span style="font-weight: bold;">2007 Malbec </span>has a spiced, floral, blueberry nose. Medium bodied, bright boysenberry and pomegranate, good bite and a fair finish - this is a good boutique wine (5,000 bottles/year) and you can see how a small, well run property can pump out good wine at a fair price in this region. 40 pesos.<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><br /><br />Further up north in the Province of Mendoza comes the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Altavista, Premium Malbec, 2007. </span>A dark wine with blackberries and blueberries on the nose. Full bodied yet very approachable - slick, smooth, red and blue fruits, no hard edges, well made. Excellent with Bife Chorizo (a monster 3 inch thick grass fed beef steak from the pampas). 44 pesos/half bottle. <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S8EhjRCY_LI/AAAAAAAABJk/VH6xHIavI9I/s1600/sunset-over-lot-8.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S8EhjRCY_LI/AAAAAAAABJk/VH6xHIavI9I/s320/sunset-over-lot-8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458681113102318770" border="0" /></a>I finished this little trip sitting on the sidewalk terrasse in the downtown Mendoza restaurant <span style="font-style: italic;">La Florencia </span>eating the best ribs I have ever had - charcoal grilled, meaty and tasty, and the Argentines put no gloopy syrupy sauce on these babies - they don't need anything else! The wine I was matched with was the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Finca La Linda, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008. </span>Only 6/10 for colour (this was the lightest wine of the week) it was a more elegant style of new world wine. Raw beef and crushed blueberry nose, it was medium bodied, spice driven with subtle blackberries. Very smooth and polished, but lacked tannic strength and that robustness I was looking for to chew through the pork ribs. A good lunch wine, though. 38 pesos/half bottle.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S8Eg1IGiAyI/AAAAAAAABJc/jfQx-yyMe9Q/s1600/grape-eating.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S8Eg1IGiAyI/AAAAAAAABJc/jfQx-yyMe9Q/s320/grape-eating.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458680320429785890" border="0" /></a>Cheers!!Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-20160298203859229382010-04-01T22:29:00.005-04:002010-04-01T23:03:38.954-04:00Mendoza<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S7VXtrF6I5I/AAAAAAAABJM/CS8NZ--WLrM/s1600/primo+grapes.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S7VXtrF6I5I/AAAAAAAABJM/CS8NZ--WLrM/s320/primo+grapes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455362965802460050" border="0" /></a>Ahhh, harvest time. Ripe, sweet, fat malbec grapes. Nothing is better than tasting the grapes in the hot sun gazing at the Andes, and then eating a succulent bife chorizo at an outdoor table either at the winery or at a local restaurant.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S7VYuRm-sRI/AAAAAAAABJU/AqTgJBMF-WM/s1600/trapiche.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 257px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S7VYuRm-sRI/AAAAAAAABJU/AqTgJBMF-WM/s320/trapiche.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455364075653345554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Trapiche, seleccion roble, Syrah, 2007 </span>has a warm, slightly oaky nose with some caramel. Medium-full bodied, very accessible, definitely oaked, the fruit is hiding but it sings paired with a juicy steak. Good wine, but not for the "oak monster" haters. 41 pesos/500ml (that's about $12) in the restaurant <span style="font-style: italic;">Winery. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Total cost for a great meal, a glass of white Torrontes and the bottle of red wine was $30. That's a wow.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S7VXbEm9pZI/AAAAAAAABJE/nhcF8Il4i6s/s1600/giaquinta.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S7VXbEm9pZI/AAAAAAAABJE/nhcF8Il4i6s/s320/giaquinta.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455362646234473874" border="0" /></a>Bodega <span style="font-weight: bold;">Giaquinta</span> is just outside Tupungato in the Uco Valley. In local restaurants a few kilometers from the winery I tried their higher end and lower end malbecs. The lower end generic <span style="font-weight: bold;">Malbec, 2007 </span>costs 28 pesos, clocks in at 14% alcohol and is dark, opaque purple. Very ripe, almost sweet plums, very fruity, so dense it was close to being a dessert wine. Not the best dinner wine, more of a sipper, but would make a killer house wine for the price. This is way better than most cheap wines available up in Canada. No fakeness here, just an authentic, honest wine.<br />The most expensive wine in the restaurant was the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Giaquinta, FG Malbec Roble 2004 </span>at 58 pesos<span style="font-weight: bold;">. </span>Only 3000 bottles of this wine were made, so I don't expect to see this outside Mendoza. Vanilla and cedar nose. Medium bodied, gorgeous wine, smooth and very slick, fantastic blend of oak and blackberry fruit. This could be from Bordeaux (except for the price!). Wow. <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S7VXTeuI4QI/AAAAAAAABI8/-_LvfGgUQ0Q/s1600/giaquinta-FG.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 313px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S7VXTeuI4QI/AAAAAAAABI8/-_LvfGgUQ0Q/s320/giaquinta-FG.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455362515804938498" border="0" /></a>Below is the view when you're stuck behind a truck full of grapes heading for the bodega in Lujan....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S7VW6rj4NZI/AAAAAAAABI0/mTd5-Yp5cYc/s1600/truckload-of-grapes.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S7VW6rj4NZI/AAAAAAAABI0/mTd5-Yp5cYc/s320/truckload-of-grapes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455362089754834322" border="0" /></a>Cheers!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S7VWz_KyqVI/AAAAAAAABIs/t5lREr76d2A/s1600/truckload-of-grapes.jpg"><br /></a>Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-68156810076115419652010-03-23T12:48:00.003-04:002010-03-23T12:52:47.880-04:00Southern Prelude<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S6jxB02H-NI/AAAAAAAABIk/_xu9EqMdhGI/s1600-h/montes-twins.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S6jxB02H-NI/AAAAAAAABIk/_xu9EqMdhGI/s320/montes-twins.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451872362599807186" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Montes</b> is one of the largest Chilean wineries. One of its flagship wines was a recent <i style="">Wine Spectator </i>wine of the year, so when I saw its new releases available I snapped a few up.<span style=""> </span>The <b style="">Limited Selection, Cabernet-Carmenere, 2008 </b>is medium red in colour.<span style=""> </span>The nose is plums, spice and grape flavoured gum.<span style=""> </span>Medium bodied, relaxed laid back style, low frequency flavours of very ripe plums layered with English custard.<span style=""> </span>The flavours hang in there for a full 30 seconds.<span style=""> </span>The drawback:<span style=""> </span>it’s not very complex.<span style=""> </span>Still, it’s a good wine, and would be good to serve at a dinner party before eating – and at this price ($15) you can splurge on several bottles without breaking the bank. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">A clear step up is the <b style="">Alpha, Carmenere, 2007.<span style=""> </span></b>Carmenere is becoming the signature grape of <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Chile</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>Heavens knows, nobody else grows as much as they do.<span style=""> </span>This one has 8/10 in colour depth.<span style=""> </span>Subtle nose of spice, oak, plum.<span style=""> </span>Medium bodied palate, on the elegant side with a wonderful balance of fruit and oak.<span style=""> </span>Very pretty wine, this does not taste new world at all – if I was tasting this blind I would say its from Rioja or a good Chianti.<span style=""> </span>So much more complex than the Limited Selection.<span style=""> </span>The first sip screamed “wow”, so this is a bargain at $20.<span style=""> </span>Buy it by the case.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">Right, lets hop over the Andes a couple of hundred kilometers and check out the signature grape of <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Argentina</st1:country-region></st1:place>, Malbec.<span style=""> </span><b style="">La Posta, Angel Palucci Vineyard, 2007 </b>sports nectar, made from 35 year old malbec vines, that scored 90 points in <i style="">Wine Spectator.<span style=""> </span></i>It has a funky nose reminiscent of Chinese food – you know, the takeout chicken fried rice etc.<span style=""> </span>Medium bodied, spicy, juicy with boysenberries and pomegranates, with a hoisin sauce bubbling in the background.<span style=""> </span>Smooth wine, silky texture, glides down nice and easy.<span style=""> </span>Good wine, worth the $16.</p> Cheers!<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CCHRIS%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-weight: bold;">
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<br />Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-80312405869674501512010-03-11T20:48:00.006-05:002010-03-11T22:27:54.302-05:00Fooled<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S5md9XeoPRI/AAAAAAAABIU/Il0tjoUxv1g/s1600-h/casale-vecchio.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S5md9XeoPRI/AAAAAAAABIU/Il0tjoUxv1g/s320/casale-vecchio.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447558901881388306" border="0" /></a>Ya gotta love blind tastings - takes all the bias out of opinions. Case in point - two Italian wines, one costs 10 bucks, the other $25. Quite the difference, cheapo vs. respectable, no contest? Think again. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pelissero, Piani, Barbera d'Alba, 2006 </span>is from the northern Piedmont region near the French border and aspires to be respectable. Medium depth maroon colour with a slight already bricky edge. Nose of mixed cassis and truffles. Medium bodied, elegant style, the flavours intensify as you swirl it around your mouth. The fruit is ripe cherry and redcurrants. Sharp and focused, made for food such as veal and pork. It's OK, good even, but grossly overpriced at $25.<br />Now for the surprise - the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Farnese, Casale Vecchio, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, 2008 </span>is from the quite proletariat appelation of Abruzzi to the right of Rome. I have extolled the virtues of these wines for a while now - they are simply unbeatable for value if you like old world wines. The colour of this wine is worth the price of admission alone. Opaque purple - it blackens your tongue and teeth. On the nose there is spice and beef bouillon. Full bodied, take no prisoners palate, this is dense, super-dry and puckering with dusty tannins. Austere and mineral-like (think about licking a slab of granite). Black cherry fruit lingers but in the background. It really needs food - a honking ribsteak would fit the bill. Unbelievable for the money, $10, but stay away if you're a new world wine guy.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S5md5g-aaKI/AAAAAAAABIM/WmviLqTIQvA/s1600-h/la-rosa.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S5md5g-aaKI/AAAAAAAABIM/WmviLqTIQvA/s320/la-rosa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447558835711142050" border="0" /></a>To support the poor Chileans, rocked by a honker of an earthquake recently, I had to open one of their wines. Did you see the pictures of the damage to the cellars in affected regions? Sstacks, nay, mountains of previously full but now broken bottles that were stored in warehouses. Ugh. At least the vines themselves weren't harmed. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Vina La Rosa, La Capitana, Cachapoal, Shiraz 2008 </span>is truly a shiraz. Dark purple with a rich cassis nose that leaps out of the glass. Fruit bomb deluxe with lush, ripe black plums. Problem is there's no underlying structure or complexity...but then again, it's so easy drinking you just want to keep filling your glass. This is made for quaffing. $17, good wine if you like the style.<br />Cheers!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S5mdyioa0-I/AAAAAAAABIE/YcyAWEqPsEA/s1600-h/icicle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S5mdyioa0-I/AAAAAAAABIE/YcyAWEqPsEA/s320/icicle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447558715896681442" border="0" /></a>Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-10418225853667692312010-03-03T20:34:00.007-05:002010-03-03T21:02:23.534-05:00Angels and Visions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S48Oc4e33HI/AAAAAAAABH8/JEgRL-fZP78/s1600-h/two-hands.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 293px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S48Oc4e33HI/AAAAAAAABH8/JEgRL-fZP78/s320/two-hands.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444586363875220594" border="0" /></a>What's better than steaming, freshly roasted coffee beans that are immediately ground and drunk? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Two Hands, Angel's Share, Shiraz 2008</span>, that's what<span style="font-weight: bold;">. </span>Nice deep dark purple colour with a nose of strawberries, vanilla and toasted coconut. Medium bodied, seductive, luscious style - not a typical Oz sledgehammer. Smooth as silk, delicious and irresistible with almost sweet redcurrant fruit and milk chocolate supported by beautiful soft oak. Wow. For $28 buy a case, if it was $20 I'd buy it all.<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />A bit cheaper is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cono Sur, Vision, Syrah 2007 </span>from Chile. Dark purple also, this is a full bodied, dense, chewy concentrated wine, the kind that leaves you with an ugly purple tongue. Almost the opposite of the the Two Hands shiraz, this more austere style very much reminded me of a Rhone syrah rather than a new world shiraz. Black cherry fruit, crunchy green peppers with a little dirt mixed in. Not bad at all, but it's kinda tough to sip and a much better food wine. Overall impression: "Good" wine, good price too - $16.<br />Another bargain from Chile (boy I hope their recent whopper of an earthquake doesn't affect their wine...and I hope the country and it's people recover well in general) is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Concha y Toro, Trio, Merlot-Carmenere-Cabernet, Rapel Valley, 2008. </span>The Trio series is usually good value but not what you would call "wow" wine, however Mr. Parker gave this one 90 points. Moderately deep colour with a nose of cassis and spice, it is full bodied, silky with good fruit and lovely smooth tannins. Hints of vanilla. Good wine, and bargain of the month at $15, but not quite a "wow".<br />Cheers!<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S48OSGaIDXI/AAAAAAAABH0/iFBugrIX9g4/s1600-h/trio.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 298px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S48OSGaIDXI/AAAAAAAABH0/iFBugrIX9g4/s320/trio.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444586178634845554" border="0" /></a>Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-69492242071343844422010-02-21T21:59:00.005-05:002010-02-21T22:32:27.997-05:00Altavista, Bosca and the Ghost<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S4Hz4Z07urI/AAAAAAAABHs/0MPAZUCwoZs/s1600-h/ghost-pines.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S4Hz4Z07urI/AAAAAAAABHs/0MPAZUCwoZs/s320/ghost-pines.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440897975171398322" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Altavista, Atemporal, Mendoza, 2007 </span>is an assemblage of malbec, cabernet sauvignon, syrah and petit verdot. Opaque purple, this is a ripper. Full bodied and dense, lots going on here, with raisins, plum pudding and dark chocolate. Problem is when the fruit fades there's a background of menthol - but it's a Halls coughdrop kind of menthol, and it's off-putting. The long finish is marred by this same coughdrop. It's still a good, big wine. Decant for one hour to let it settle before drinking. Next day wasn't as impressive, so don't keep it open too long. $20.<br />A next door neighbour is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Luigi Bosca, Single Vineyard Malbec, Lujan de Cuyo, 2006. </span>The labelling on this bottle is interesting, it is one of the few Argentine wines that pushes "DOC" status on it label. This stands for Denominacion de Origen Controlada, meaning it is guaranteed to come from a specific area and conform to whatever rules the local authorities deem necessary to control the quality of wine from that region. This wine comes from a 70 year old vineyard, and it shows. Deep purple but not opaque. Clean nose of boysenberries and pomegranate. Medium-full bodied, lively and bright with intense, rich red fruits with some licorice and chocolate in the background. Not overbearing at all, very slick and new world in style with a nice, easy smooth mouthfeel. Good wine, well priced at $18, very impressive they can give you wine from a low yielding 70 year vineyard for this little. Left out for 24 hours it loses some brashness and becomes a little more elegant.<br />Last up this week is an interesting wine. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ghost Pines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Winemakers Blend, 2006 </span>is sourced from fruit from both NAPA and Sonoma, and is packaged like a marketing exercise. It's not a bad wine though - nice deep burgundy colour with a straightforward nose of blackberry and cherry. Firm, medium-full bodied, mix of raspberries and blackberries. Well made, clean, easy drinking although there are some slightly chewy tannins. Good wine, price point about what it should be for generic California cab - $20. This is what that funky Costco Julia wine should have tasted like....<br />Cheers<span style="font-weight: bold;">!</span>Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-69688019018849043392010-02-14T23:28:00.009-05:002010-03-03T21:05:46.871-05:00Frozen Taster<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S3jOSAfXYbI/AAAAAAAABHk/lWddAHmYkLU/s1600-h/julia-22.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S3jOSAfXYbI/AAAAAAAABHk/lWddAHmYkLU/s320/julia-22.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438323358814396850" border="0" /></a>OK, I couldn't resist - I just had to try the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Julia, Cellier 22, NV, </span>"product of <span style="font-weight: bold;">USA</span>" wine. I tried not to be biased based on the first two Julia wines I tried, but... anyway, here we go. On the nose - oh, oh - there's a faint, but definite, whiff of bubblegum. Smells fake. The palate is better than the nose. Light to medium bodied, candyish, on the sweet side. Almost cloying (for a supposedly dry red wine). Plum and boysenberry fruit, but a little on the stewed side (again!). No finish. Look, it's an "OK", drinkable $5 party wine, but oh so predictable (and forgettable). And a ripoff at $14. If you have some, put it in the fridge for half an hour, it makes it easier to chug.<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S3jNye00DXI/AAAAAAAABHM/Vc2bvfAiwB0/s1600-h/citra-palio.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S3jNye00DXI/AAAAAAAABHM/Vc2bvfAiwB0/s320/citra-palio.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438322817201606002" border="0" /></a>On to better things. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Citra </span>is one of those bargain producers that actually make good entry level wine, year in year out. It's low end stuff is sold in liter bottles and was a screwcap before it became fashionable. But, if you only had $9 to spend, this was a go to wine. They've just released a higher end version of their <span style="font-weight: bold;">Montepulciano d'Abruzzo </span>here, so of course I hunted it down and tried it. It's a <span style="font-weight: bold;">2007 </span>and goes under the moniker <span style="font-weight: bold;">Palio. </span>Nice artwork on the label. Good deep colour, floral notes and plums on the nose. Medium bodied, firm, very dry, puckering tannins. Needs food. Sour cherries, a little dirty earthiness. This is so Italian tasting. You want authenticity, a wine that shows some terroir? Look no further. Good wine, well made, a good price at $14. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S3jN5ErMHGI/AAAAAAAABHU/u_bVDEn2eOE/s1600-h/benziger.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S3jN5ErMHGI/AAAAAAAABHU/u_bVDEn2eOE/s320/benziger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438322930441002082" border="0" /></a><br />The next wine I expected very little from - it looked like a generic California cheapo, but the guy in the shop recommended giving it a whirl...<br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Benziger Family Winery, Syrah, North Coast, 2004 </span>has a nice dark, almost opaque colour. They got good extraction on this one. Nice cedar and spice nose. Full bodied, supple, rich and bursting with ripe black fruit. Well integrated tannins. Judicious use of toasty oak. Straightforward delicious. Wow, a winner! and totally unexpected. Bargain at $19.<br /><br />Cheers from the frozen north!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S3jNlKTlnrI/AAAAAAAABHE/9sMXEoksDAQ/s1600-h/iceberg-river.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S3jNlKTlnrI/AAAAAAAABHE/9sMXEoksDAQ/s320/iceberg-river.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438322588355239602" border="0" /></a>Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-38862522046288476232010-02-05T22:19:00.006-05:002010-02-05T23:10:48.654-05:00American Week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S2zhQupjPuI/AAAAAAAABG8/CGKibrA3AfY/s1600-h/J-Lohr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S2zhQupjPuI/AAAAAAAABG8/CGKibrA3AfY/s320/J-Lohr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434966527845809890" border="0" /></a>Nothing like a good book and a good glass of wine, especially when its -20 outside and the fire is roaring inside. Everybody knows this first wine - I've seen it in most Canadian provinces and it's widely available in the US. That means they make tons of it, so how good can such a big production wine be? The <span style="font-weight: bold;">J. Lohr, Seven Oaks, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007, Paso Robles </span>has loads of vanilla on the nose. Medium-full bodied, soft, ripe, toasty coconut (?american oak barrels anyone), almost creamy in texture. Much softer than the typical Australian (example: Penfold's) ripper. Blueberry-blackberry mix of fruit. An obvious style but delicious nonetheless, a good analogy would be "comfort food" - no haute cuisine but yummy. 13.5% alcohol - bravo for keeping the EtOH level down! Rating: Good wine, I can't give it a "wow" as it's a little too simple. $20, worth the price.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S2zhMf080xI/AAAAAAAABG0/wVHcQtGJANw/s1600-h/gott.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S2zhMf080xI/AAAAAAAABG0/wVHcQtGJANw/s320/gott.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434966455147614994" border="0" /></a>Now to a much smaller California producer - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Joel Gott. </span>His <span style="font-weight: bold;">815 Cabernet Sauvignon, California </span>is a nice dark colour. Nose of fruit compote with something gamey hiding, maybe even sweaty socks. It's not corked, though. Medium bodied but in a lean style, with rhubarb, green pepper and initially a touch of sour candy. Needs food. The next day it seems to thicken up a little, dark plums and black tea make an appearance. An "OK" wine, not a go-to effort. $18 USD. <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S2zgC8opl-I/AAAAAAAABGs/bTKQpoMnhIY/s1600-h/Julia.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S2zgC8opl-I/AAAAAAAABGs/bTKQpoMnhIY/s320/Julia.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434965191570331618" border="0" /></a>While shopping for the usual suspects at Costco (1kg bags of chocolate chips and 4kg filet mignons...) I went to pick up 24 cans of mango juice, bringing me by the wine section. Normally I scoot right by this section as the stuff they sell in supermarkets here is what we call "dep" wine - the worst plonk tankered in and bottled (or boxed) in Quebec, then sold for way too much (it's $5 wine but sold for 2-3 times as much). However, there was a big table with about 8 kinds of wine on it, all with similar labels, <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Julia" </span>and people were snapping them up. And it was priced from $10-$50. I've never seen a "dep" wine for $50, so this must be something different...turns out these guys zip around the world and buy "small lots" of bulk wine that they think is of high quality, they ship it up here and bottle it locally, giving them the right to sell it outside of our booze monoply, the SAQ. They say they cut out the middlemen and therefore a "$50 bottle can be sold for $25". Right, this story is getting too long.... <br />I picked up the $24, $20 and $14 bottles <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cellier 26, </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">24</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">22</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>they are all labelled as "<span style="font-weight: bold;">new world wine</span>" and <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"</span>product of the USA</span>"<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>and, suspiciously, ALL are labelled as having 13.9% alcohol (are they all blended from different bulk lots??). No indication of varietal or vintage on the labels. <br />Lets taste. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Julia, Cellier 26 </span>has a stewed plum nose. Medium red colour, already bricky. Medium bodied with an overwhelming taste of fermenting plums. Almost rotting fruit. It's best asset is a compote-like finish. This is awkward - it tastes like something went seriously wrong with their bulk transport or local bottling; or it was sitting in limbo in some warehouse for too long. They say on the label you can keep this wine for 10 years. Yikes. It's already worn out. What a waste of $24. Booooo.<br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cellier 24 </span>is darker and has a better nose - more complex with some exotic spices...but in the background, there's that stewed plum thing again. Much cleaner palate than the Cellier 26, good acidity, crisp attack. Also medium bodied. Flavours are grape and blackcurrant hard candy. I'll rate this as an "OK" wine, way overpriced at $20. I'm terrified to try the Cellier 22. Thank the Gods I didn't buy their $50 bottle.<br />OK, good idea guys, but get the funky transport, bottling or blending problem solved.<br />On that note, Cheers!!<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S2zf9DpSIyI/AAAAAAAABGk/a-4XCXGU_E8/s1600-h/icedrops-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S2zf9DpSIyI/AAAAAAAABGk/a-4XCXGU_E8/s320/icedrops-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434965090372821794" border="0" /></a>Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-62179580789921352412010-01-30T20:03:00.006-05:002010-01-30T20:44:23.471-05:00All Italian<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S2Tao5ZwYGI/AAAAAAAABGc/mq2MhIXXW0U/s1600-h/villa-caffagio.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S2Tao5ZwYGI/AAAAAAAABGc/mq2MhIXXW0U/s320/villa-caffagio.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432707446654132322" border="0" /></a>Italian week. The above three went head to head. Two are from a Sicilian winery, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Calatrasi. </span>Their <span style="font-weight: bold;">Terre di Ginestra, Nero d'Avola, 2006 </span>had a cranberry shortbread nose with an easy drinking, medium bodied profile. Sharp and focused but followed up by some warmth and spice, it offers red berries. Good food wine. "OK" overall, not good value for $20. A step up was their <span style="font-weight: bold;">"651", Nero d'Avola and Syrah, 2006. </span>Dark wine. Raspberry nose. Medium-full bodied with moderate and well integrated tannins, blackcurrants, spicy, very old world style. Good wine. Still, not good value for $29. Third up was the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Villa Cafaggio, Chianti Classico Riserva, 2005. </span>Truffles on the nose. Medium bodied, raw meat, iodine, earth, dried cherries. Crisp and clean though, don't think this is a "dirty" wine. Classic Chianti, good wine and great with food. It was a gift, so can't tell you how much it goes for in Canada; it retails for $20-25 in the US, which is about right.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S2TaexrVtnI/AAAAAAAABGU/dlyKoiZ2SDU/s1600-h/nespoli.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 249px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S2TaexrVtnI/AAAAAAAABGU/dlyKoiZ2SDU/s320/nespoli.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432707272781706866" border="0" /></a>Later in the week tried a "Gambero Rosso" two glass wine (their scoring scale is one to three glasses), the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Poderi del Nespoli, Prugneto, Sangiovese di Romagna, 2007. </span>What the hell does all that mean, you may ask. Well, a poderi is basically a "farm", Prugneto is the vineyard name, and sangiovese di Romagna is the grape type. It refers to the clones of sangiovese grown in the region of Romagna; these clones are generally considered poorer cousins of the noble Tuscan sangiovese used in Chianti and super-Tuscan reds. So, I had mixed expectations - and ended up with mixed feelings about this one. Medium red in colour, sweet whiff of plums, light to medium bodied, nice fruit (cherries and plums). Initial sweet attack but this dries out as it goes down. Juicy finish. Not bad, quaffable. I guess you can say "simple label, simple wine". BTW, you gotta love the simplicity of the label! $14 is too much for this weekday wine.<br />Cheers!!<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S2TaVs6LZLI/AAAAAAAABGM/WY17gq_wZWI/s1600-h/icedrops.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 203px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S2TaVs6LZLI/AAAAAAAABGM/WY17gq_wZWI/s320/icedrops.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432707116882945202" border="0" /></a>Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-66463099862133898902010-01-22T23:29:00.005-05:002010-01-23T00:07:04.615-05:00Partners In Crime<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S1p7S0m9zvI/AAAAAAAABGE/8kYQqzhQ2Kg/s1600-h/casona-and-friends.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 156px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S1p7S0m9zvI/AAAAAAAABGE/8kYQqzhQ2Kg/s320/casona-and-friends.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429787864038493938" border="0" /></a>Ah, this weeks sampling of vino. Good or bad? Lets start with the good. Head to head went the Spanish giant <span style="font-weight: bold;">Torres, Grand Coronas, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2005 </span>with the Italian minnow <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lamborghini, Trescone, Umbria, 2004. </span>Yup, <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> Lamborghini - except it's the daughter of the maestro carmaker who runs this winery, not the (now dead) carmaker himself. This was an interesting comparison because it was like six of one, half a dozen of another. The Lambo yielded a nose of pretty floral notes over (not unpleasant) unripened cheese. Medium bodied, elegant, balanced, smooth with cranberries and plums and hints of tobacco. An excellent white meat wine, it went well with a post Christmas turkey scoff (I love turkey dinners!!). Good wine, $19. The Torres was slightly darker and deeper than the Lambo. Plummy nose, medium-full bodied, also well balanced. Mild black fruit supported by smooth, already mature tannins. 30 second finish. Good wine, $19 also.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S1p7OiMyVMI/AAAAAAAABF8/n6yNm1vDPtQ/s1600-h/lambo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 195px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S1p7OiMyVMI/AAAAAAAABF8/n6yNm1vDPtQ/s320/lambo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429787790377374914" border="0" /></a>Right, lets get the Port out of the way, because that's where it belongs. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Messias </span>is a minor Port House with a spotty track record, so I shouldn't have been too surprised. Their <span style="font-weight: bold;">2004 LBV </span>is supposedly the "Late Bottled Vintage" style - wine from a poor or relatively poor year is casked in wood for about 4 years instead of the 2 years that wine from a good (a so called "Vintage") year to smooth it out more. The wine is then bottled and sold for immediate consumption. This one is a very sweet style, initially rough and non-descript - it actually tasted like what it is, a cheap fortified wine. The next day it softened, became a little richer with some figgy raisin notes, but still too sweet and rough around the edges. "OK" wine. $16 - I said it was cheap!! Would not buy again.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Alkoomi's 2007 Shiraz </span>from<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Frankland River </span>in<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Western Australia </span>is, well I might as well say it right away, not a very good wine. I was very disappointed, as the local Ontario wine critic gave it 4.5 stars out of 5. What the f$@#%!! is wrong with this guy? His palate is driving me nuts. This is light coloured, dusty nose (NO fruit), light to medium bodied, sour cherries, cranberries with a little green veggie action going on. Short finish. This stuff is a struggle to drink. Waste of money at $15. This is a $5.95 wine.<br />Speaking of cheap wines, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Toronto Life </span>Magazine released their top 10 wine value list recently. I'll report on them as I pick them up and force myself to drink them. First up is the respectable Spanish winery from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yecla, Bodegas Castano. </span>I like these guys and I like visiting this region. Very hot and unpretentious. Their <span style="font-weight: bold;">La Casona 2007 Monastrell Old Vines </span>comes conveniently screwcapped. Medium depth on the colour chart. Cherry pie nose. Spicy, soft, good acidity, very quaffable but candied fruit is a drawback. Reasonable finish. "OK" wine (hey, it made the cheapo top 10 list, not the best of the year) and at $8.95 it's reasonably priced. But I won't be buying any more.<br />Cheers!!Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-52997662985548429192010-01-15T23:23:00.006-05:002010-01-15T23:50:10.695-05:00Syrah - Old or New?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S1E_844wjVI/AAAAAAAABF0/eedHUUhM6BM/s1600-h/coppola-and-cortona.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 277px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S1E_844wjVI/AAAAAAAABF0/eedHUUhM6BM/s320/coppola-and-cortona.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427189341253307730" border="0" /></a>This tasting pair up was a disaster. I had a couple of Syrah's that cost about the same, so I thought we'd blind them and see if we preferred Italian style or Californian. It took all of half a second of smelling each to know this was a mismatch. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Coppola, Diamond Collection, Green Label, "Syrah-Shiraz", 2007 </span>smelt of sweet cranberries with a whiff of bubblegum. Medium colour. On the palate it was sugary with an overwhelming Dr. Pepper flavour. Not that there's anything wrong with Dr. Pepper, but I don't want it in a $24 wine. Robbery. This smells and tastes cheap - one notch above home made. Crap wine. If you have any, take it to a college party and leave it in the corner - someone will drink it!<br />On the other hand, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tennimenti Luigi D'Alessandro, Cortone, Syrah 2004 </span>had the same medium colour as the Green Label, but a much more interesting nose of Christmas cake. On the palate it was medium bodied and had this total Christmas cake with marzipan thing going on, but with a nice leathery finish. Crisp and bright. Good old style syrah. $23, not exactly good value but not a rip off either.<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />OK, Mr. movie director Coppola. Shame on you for foisting the Green Label plonk on us for $24. But I know you can do better (your 7 year old Black Label Claret we had last year was yummy). So how does his <span style="font-weight: bold;">Diamond Collection, Blue Label, Merlot, 2007 </span>stack up? Nice dark colour with a nose of creamy milk chocolate and cherries. It's looking better already. Medium bodied, a smooth operator, more milky chocolate - perhaps covering dried montmorency cherries. Almost plush with a silky texture. Nothing complex here, just a good, easy sipper. Pricey at $25.<br />Keeping in California, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gnarly Head, Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, 2007 </span>comes in flashy packaging, including graphic artwork<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>on the screwcap. Surprisingly light coloured for a head pruned old vine vineyard (head pruned old vines are usually low yielding, meaning they should yield a concentrated wine). The nose and flavour profile is all strawberry Sun-Rype dried fruit bar. Plush, intense, very concentrated, almost sweet tasting fruit. It hovers just above that chasm of fake candy, but the "real fruit" flavours hang tough. "OK" wine, the $15 price is probably also OK if you like the almost sweet style.<br />Cheers!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S1E_i4bLAuI/AAAAAAAABFk/9XUn1H2HD7M/s1600-h/gnarly-head-cap.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 294px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S1E_i4bLAuI/AAAAAAAABFk/9XUn1H2HD7M/s320/gnarly-head-cap.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427188894452613858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S1E_n-_jSmI/AAAAAAAABFs/8s4AqZrubvs/s1600-h/gnarly-head.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 329px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S1E_n-_jSmI/AAAAAAAABFs/8s4AqZrubvs/s320/gnarly-head.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427188982115158626" border="0" /></a>Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com394tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-78727077827470555922010-01-08T23:04:00.007-05:002010-01-08T23:58:58.286-05:00Last Wines of 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S0gHqsYTp6I/AAAAAAAABFc/f62YX5MXGPc/s1600-h/clos-de-los-siete.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 232px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S0gHqsYTp6I/AAAAAAAABFc/f62YX5MXGPc/s320/clos-de-los-siete.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424594181216774050" border="0" /></a>The new vintage of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Clos de los Siete </span>available at the moment is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2007</span>. This Argentine wine is made from a sort of co-op (with seven [siete] rich partners!) supervised by Michel Rolland, so one expects a ripe, dense, heavily extracted wine. Opaque in the glass, it has a ripe crushed blackcurrant nose. Full bodied, moderately tannic, it has a savoury profile, a little dirty, with figs and some cassis hiding in the background. More subtle than previous vintages, it's not as big as I expected. Yummy though. Good wine. $24.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Head to head, it is surpassed easily by the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pascual Toso, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007. </span>Absolutely gorgeous, heady nose. Toffee, raspberry, oak, cassis, but with a nice herbacious edge. Full bodied. Rich and expressive. Wow. $20. Word of caution, though - a second bottle was good, but not as impressive, so there may be some bottle variation.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S0gCt8BQJfI/AAAAAAAABFE/U6kjADd30VQ/s1600-h/arboleda.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S0gCt8BQJfI/AAAAAAAABFE/U6kjADd30VQ/s320/arboleda.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424588739396511218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Arboleda </span>translates as "grove", so I guess this Chilean winery has lots of trees. Their <span style="font-weight: bold;">2007 Cabernet Sauvignon </span>is classic - one sniff and you know you're dealing with a good Chilean cab. The nose is strong cassis mixed with gamey notes. Full bodied, fruit driven, the very essence of cassis, a little chewy, chocolate and spice notes keep it interesting. A sipping cab, good wine, worth the $19.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(Wine Spectator 88 pts).</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S0gFq27qA5I/AAAAAAAABFM/kXvRftdaqV0/s1600-h/chakana.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 228px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S0gFq27qA5I/AAAAAAAABFM/kXvRftdaqV0/s320/chakana.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424591985026139026" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Argentine <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chakana, Wiphala, Malbec-Syrah, 2008 </span>is a dark purple, intense, bright fruit driven (plums) wine. Cherries on the nose. Medium bodied, a very drinkable but simple fruit bomb. Good value at $16.<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S0gAcfuhYZI/AAAAAAAABE8/rnkwbJfKwBE/s1600-h/innocent-bystander.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 289px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/S0gAcfuhYZI/AAAAAAAABE8/rnkwbJfKwBE/s320/innocent-bystander.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424586240720724370" border="0" /></a>It wasn't all South American wines - this one is from Australia. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Innocent Bystander, Shiraz-Viognier, Victoria, 2006 </span>is dark in the glass, but not inky black. Nose of stewed plum compote. Soft, lush, jammy black black fruit. Hedonistic, it slides down like luxurious grape juice, but falls flat fast. Pleasant enough and a good sipper, but very generic. Koko factor: "nice wine, but nothing distinctive about it."<br />24 hours later a little beef stock showed up, but still too much like fancy grape-ade to be interesting. Definitively not worth the $24. Nice label though.<br /><br />Cheers, and I hope everyone had a Happy New Year!!Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-60859696789707861352009-12-22T19:41:00.008-05:002009-12-22T20:04:33.935-05:00Cahors - Back on Track?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/SzFny-eUrhI/AAAAAAAABE0/b0UiUlKFN9I/s1600-h/cuvee-X.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 178px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/SzFny-eUrhI/AAAAAAAABE0/b0UiUlKFN9I/s320/cuvee-X.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418225952164720146" border="0" /></a>Cahors is an appellation in the south of France that fell onto hard times this century. It made strong, tannic, unforgiving "black" (deeply coloured) wines made from malbec, which had largely been given up by Bordeaux. Perhaps things are changing for the better, as I sampled two good wines recently, one cheap and the other relativley expensive.<br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chateau Famaey, Cuvee X, 2003 </span>comes from a low yield (2000kg or so/acre) vineyard that uses no chemicals and is made of malbec (95%) and tannat (5%). This could be the best Cahors I have ever tasted. Dark but not opaque. Nose shows dark chocolate, violets and fresh spring mossy notes. On the palate, it's full bodied, rich warm and soft. Fruit is a mix of pomegranates and raisins. Hits all the right notes without being in your face overblown. Tannins are smoothly integrated. Wow. Take that, Bordeaux! $36. BTW, don't waste this wine on pizza!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/SzFnus_YixI/AAAAAAAABEs/4IOYIX-PoB8/s1600-h/gaudou.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 155px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/SzFnus_YixI/AAAAAAAABEs/4IOYIX-PoB8/s320/gaudou.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418225878752070418" border="0" /></a><br /><br />On the lower end of the scale is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chateau de Gaudou, Tradition, 2005. </span>This is 80% malbec with a splash of merlot and tannat. This is black. Very interesting nose of exotic spices and dark plums. Full bodied, firm, tannic, dense, wet stone, sharp black fruit. A little rustic. Needs time. Good wine, well worth the $15.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jacob's Creek </span>is one of those mega wineries from Australia that makes millions of cases per year. They don't get much respect from the snobs, but their <span style="font-weight: bold;">South Australia </span>sourced <span style="font-weight: bold;">Reserve Shiraz </span>has been surprisingly good for a number of years. The latest version available here is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2006. </span>It's primary flavour is eucalyptus - lots of it. Peppery with firm, ripe, black fruit and a rather intense blackcurrant finish. The tannins are well hidden in the background. Tastes exactly the same 24 hours later. It's a good wine, but definitely not as good as past vintages. A little too minty for me. $19.<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/SzFndt-r5hI/AAAAAAAABEc/WUk2nycYeb0/s1600-h/JC-reserve.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/SzFndt-r5hI/AAAAAAAABEc/WUk2nycYeb0/s320/JC-reserve.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418225586959803922" border="0" /></a>Cheers, and Merry Christmas everyone!!Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24374263.post-28591637722185834552009-12-16T21:02:00.005-05:002009-12-16T23:34:57.978-05:00Strange, Bad and Terrible<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/SymTN_yWPMI/AAAAAAAABEU/_TdElRS8cpI/s1600-h/goat-roti.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 243px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/SymTN_yWPMI/AAAAAAAABEU/_TdElRS8cpI/s320/goat-roti.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416021895559920834" border="0" /></a>Strange - this South African "joke" - the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Goats do Roam Wine Company </span>makes tongue-in-cheek fun of the "Cotes du Rhone" appellation in France. This is supposedly one of their best wines, so it is called <span style="font-weight: bold;">Goat-Roti </span>(if you don't get it, it stands for Cote-Rotie, one of the premier northern Rhone syrah-based wine appellations. The best Cote-Rotie's go for hundreds of dollars. What I find strange about this wine is that for twenty bucks they think they can compete. This <span style="font-weight: bold;">2004 vintage </span>clocks in at 15% alcohol - and is possibly the lightest 15% wine I have ever tasted. Light berry nose. Medium density, medium bodied, juicy black fruit with dried currants, a little pepper and little else. Fades fast. Tastes unoaked. If you do buy it, decant and wait - the next day some richer dark plum flavours come out. Still, disappointing. Koko factor: "the most uninteresting wine of the week" (as you can see from the photo above, that week was in the summer!)<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>. Final rating: OK wine.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/SymTH-YP_UI/AAAAAAAABEM/G5a5PgfDYiE/s1600-h/pilliteri.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ui-V7cBF-2g/SymTH-YP_UI/AAAAAAAABEM/G5a5PgfDYiE/s320/pilliteri.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416021792102808898" border="0" /></a>One of the prominent Ontario wine critics gave the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pilliteri Estates, 2008 Cabernet-Merlot, Niagara </span>wine a four star rating (out of five). Well, if it cost $2 like two buck chuck, I can see where they are coming from. But it doesn't, it costs $13. Not much, true, but you can buy a nice steak for that money. And I don't believe in rating wines like that...I don't care how much it costs, crap is crap and good is good. OK, so this one has a pretty perfumed, floral nose but it is tainted by candy notes. Light to medium bodied, somewhat sweet but in a cough drop hard candy style, rhubarb and a few strawberries. No green cab franc notes (it's 48% cab franc). No oak (I mention this because they state on the label "the oak balances the body and length of the wine beautifully". Choke....). I wanted to like this Canadian wine, but in the end it is too fake and candyish. Not really enjoyable.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>But it is better than the <span style="font-weight: bold;">RH Philips, Syrah, 2007 </span>from California. These guys used to make good wine, but appear to have gone down the tubes (I've noticed their "Toasted Head" brand has also gotten worse). They probably buy inferior grapes to ferment (or horror, cheap bulk wine to bottle) and slap their recognized label on it, then laugh all the way to the bank. Horrible fake bubble gum nose on this one - you know, the one that lots of home-made kit wines have. If you hold your nose and don't smell it as you drink it, it is palatable. If you like Welch's grape juice. Soft attack, fake fruit, finishes with candy. Crap wine, waste of $14. Will NEVER buy this brand again. Oh, and very strange - I often freeze wines I don't finish, as it actually preserves them well (just put them in a lukewarm water bath when you want to revive them). This one wouldn't freeze, it stayed liquid. Oh oh...what the hell do they put in it??? Antifreeze?? (and yes, I know ethanol is an "anti-freeze" due to its lower than water freezing point, but in my freezer, most wines less than 15% EtOH will soldify).<br />Cheers.Crush59http://www.blogger.com/profile/18376978723778010112noreply@blogger.com0