Today’s Choice - A Doubleheader!!! - 2010 M.Chapoutier Domaine de Bila-Haut Occultum Lapidem, Cotes du Roussillon Villages and the 2011 Bodegas Zerran Tinto, Montsant

A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan; a big wine with black plums and black olives, nice juicy red fruits, brown spice, drenched in mocha on the finish. Michel Chapoutier makes great terroir wines and his wines are really good; especially from the Rhone. But this one is from Côtes du Roussillon!  It is rich and smooth and the tannins are really fine and integrated. An Unami inducing wine for me. It’s diverse and it will age. It can be paired with a good heavy stew, BBQ ribs, Souvlaki or Surf and Turf.  I’ve tasted the 2011 it is also just as phenomenal, if just a tad more sweet peppery than the 2010. I bought a few of the 2010 already and 2011 is on deck. I had another wine

From the region of Montsant with that is so like a Piorat. The Zerran Tinto is made from Syrah and very old Garnacha and Carignan that is aged 16 months in French oak. The red has very intense black fruit flavors. It is dusty (like a Rioja is), herbal with a touch of smoke. It has that clear your throat black pepper feeling. This Zerran wine comes from wines 1,500-1,800 feet in altitude. Try this one with some smoked or spiced meats; grilled or roasted meats… Braised Oxtail! Think about herbs and Manchego cheese too.

Both these wines can be delicate and ethereal at the same time …seek them out!

 

 

Special Report, This Year’s Lucky Seven are definitely to seek out! Great Stuff ! Wine Correspondent Ralph Del Rio's 2013 Toppermost!

By Ralph Del Rio, Wine Correspondent

Every year I make an effort to bring up some memorable wines for the year; which are some of the overall best; standouts! In previous years the list was a little more comprehensive. This year we are a bit more concise in pairing the list down to a great seven wines. So let's get on with 2013's top wines.

2011 M.Chapoutier Domaine de Bila-Haut Occultum Lapidem, Cotes du Roussillon Villages

Just a flat out knock out wine! It can be put up against the greats. Super complexity on parade here… there’s toasty vanilla, licorice and an all-encompassing richness. Smooth like velvet, supple and tannins are very fine it is extremely meaty and briny tang with hints of lobster!?! Has to be tasted to be understood!

2012 The Prisoner, Napa Valley

Not subtle at all. This wine has been the bees knees for some time now; It’s the 2012 is menacing; Its deep black and ruby/purple color is trailed by a big, peppery, substantial, Rhone-like bouquet with hints of Spanish cooking bay leaf, cigar tobacco, black currants and honeyed cherries. It’s yet medium to full-bodied; mouthwatery plummy…Very decadent.

2012 Fess Parker Ashley's Vineyard Chardonnay

The wine is dry and cutting, It is completely polished in you can recognize lemons, limes and pears and tart apples, a little smoky It is a firm wine. It makes you think of salmon and baked chicken. Take your time drinking it. It saddles the old world /new world. It has tons depth.

2010 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa (750ml)

A killer from a ‘Judgment of Paris’ wine; this Cabernet is full-bodied with colossal ripeness and fruitfulness. A lush wine that has nice long finish and mid to high tannins. It is herbaceous and has sage and sweet oak savory-ness.  Blackberry is integrated with the toasty sweetness of oak. There are hints cinnamon, clove. Very fulfilling!

2005 Bodega Classica Hacienda Lopez de Haro Reserva, Rioja

The major value of the bunch. It is crisp acidity and firm tannins on the dry, dusty dusky finish It is very intensive. A Gorgeous nose of five spices, tobacco, balsamic and black fruits. The mouthfeel is deep with sheets of spicy ripe black fruit. Finishes in waves…

2010 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva, Chianti (750ml)

This Chianti is expressive and very pretty. There is a delicacy to the wine that keeps you going to the nose over and over. It is juicy and mouthwatering. Very dark berries, cut flowers, leathery and tarry notes and spices combined with some anise that adds complexity. A delicious wine that is great with food; a lot of diversity.

2012 Poet's Leap Riesling 2012

It is a very openhearted wine. It’s rich, and vivacious and youthful. It’s very racy. But…What is thought-provoking is that this Riesling's bouquets drier than it is, with its limeade and papaya aromas. It's actually feels balanced, rich and fleshy. It screams for a spicy food dish. Perhaps Asian, Indian or even spicy meats. It has a stony minerality;  carroty, citrusy and exotic flavors whisk through this attractive wine

Some suggestions about my Cellar

I have a cellar of my own. How I got to that point is a little bit of a mystery but I think it has a lot to do with being simply mad about the grape!

Nevertheless, I am often asked about how I stock it or if I stock it or how do I know what I have etc…

I think that every individual stocks his or her own cellar according to his or her own tastes. The early drink wines really do not gain anything from being in a cellar. The less age worthy bottles that you have the more care you need to have to replenish the cellar. So there needs to be a balance.

I read somewhere that keeping a wine cellar is like doing a ‘Chinese Puzzle’. I feel that is fairly accurate. So one needs to have some detailed requirements to give your wine cellar some principles or reason. For instance…

Try to acquire wines of the same usage and style but which do not develop at the same rate. It is not good if they all reach their peaks or mature at the same time. It also helps you work on developing your palate and enjoying varietals.

Also, try to find wines that can stay at their peak for as long as possible; so you do not have to consume them all within a short period of time.

Furthermore, try to then vary the wine as much as possible in order to not have to drink the same wines over and over. It does not matter how great the wine is you need to have variety in your cellar so you can have it on hand for different occasions and for pairing with food.

The most important think about the size that you have to store and the budget that you have to spend.  In my case it allows ne to buy two to three bottles at a time so I can drink one sooner and save some for later.

Eventually you end up with the ability to choose a different wine every now and then; which for me is the best part of having a cellar; to be able to pick a wine out of a few choices when I need to.


By the way; other than reading the wine magazines; if you do travel to wine country buying wine from the producer, vineyard(via club) affords the pleasure  of getting great wine at a good price. It is also a great way to begin to understand the art of wine-making.

 

A little about the Vine through the year and the Soil...

Winter through Spring

The winter is the resting period for the vine and it then proceeds to budding and the flowering of the fruit and the appearance of fruit begins.

The pruning and the tying up of the vines transpires during the winter to spring and towards the summer the training

The soil is uncovered in the winter and then gets reworked through the spring into summer.

Summer through Fall

In the summer we see the ripening of the fruit and the fall brings the fruit fully ripened and ready for harvesting.

We will have the trimming of the vines in the summer and in the fall it will be cut back to get ready for the next winter. It is the winter when they bank up the soil.

The soil, both topsoil and subsoil play a crucial role. Vines grow on very poor soils and the restriction helps the flavor and the richness of the grapes. The key is the soil must be able to supply enough water for the vines to grow, yet be able to drain excess rainwater, especially during the ripening period. Drainage is a precarious factor; conditions may be too wet or too dry and may require artificial drainage.

The soil also contributes to the color, aroma, and flavor of the wine. The same grape variety, under the same climatic conditions, may produce wines of markedly different character according to the type of soil on which it is grown such as clay , gravel beds, limestone or granite to name a few; but that’s for another day.

CIGAR 101 - The cigar-smoking experience is very personal; It’s comparable to finding your favorite beer.

The cigar-smoking experience is very personal. Everyone has different tastes, so make sure to try a few different varieties in order to discover your cigar of choice. It’s comparable to finding your favorite beer. You possibly didn’t know it was your favorite until you tried some with different variations: more hops, less wheat, maybe some orange zest. But when you finally found your favorite beer, you knew it was the one. Cigars are going to be exactly same way.

Let’s quickly talk about the key parts of the cigar…

The head of the cigar: This is the end that you put in your mouth. It’s sealed off and will require cutting; a guillotine or punch cut is preferred to reduce the chance of smooshing the cigar up; however, a sharp knife might do. Please do not use your teeth!

The foot of the cigar: This is the side that you light; try to slightly toast the edges before you light up.

 The filler: A good, consistent blend of dried and fermented tobacco.

The wrapper: The outside of the cigar. A lot of the cigar’s flavor comes from this outer layer… 60% -70% of it. It differs in color from light to dark and there are many good ones( but that’s another article).

How do you know if your cigar is good ?

There are two general elements involved in the making of a fine, handmade cigar: QUALITY TOBACCO AND QUALITY CONSTRUCTION and the CONSISTENCY in both of those.

Look at the aesthetics and smell the aroma. It should feel good to the touch too. The construction of the cigar aids the taste and draw of the cigar. If a cigar has been made with less leaves in the filler; then it will feel to be smoked easy; which may not always be a good thing. If a cigar is under filled then when you draw on the cigar it will burn faster and maybe unevenly.

If you overfill the cigar and it will be much harder to draw a smooth smoke. It will be tight. So the correct amount of filler in the construction is essential to a good cigar.

While smoking…the ash should be relatively firm and get to an inch long without difficulty (except in small ring gauges). A falling ash is not necessarily a sign of a poorly constructed cigar, but, if your cigars develop a firm, even ash while you're smoking, it is an indication that they are well made.

A poorly made cigar if inferior quality is used, the cigars will produce a harsh, rough, musty taste with an unpleasant, penetrating aroma that usually brings negative vibes.

So it goes without saying that reputation is important. Ask your tobacconist if you get the chance; usually they are aware of what the folks are saying and how they are selling. GO EXPLORE!

Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough is booming! others too...

This week I picked up a couple of bottles of Kim Crawford’s Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough; I've always liked this wine. Even today being run by large conglomerate; It is still very tasty. Sauvignon Blanc is coming from many places in great quality. Here are some examples...

Some nice ones are,  New Zealand's own Cloudy Bay, Oyster Bay and Loveblock(to name three), South Africa's Mulderbosch, Chile's Erraruiz Max Reserva, Napa's Frog's Leap and the Loire's Domaine de la Perriere Sancerre...You get the message. Sauvignon Blanc rocks all over the place.

But the wines of New Zealand have really picked up over the past ten years and the Marlborough region has been the center of terrific attention.

Ok here are some New Zealand facts and storytelling to chew on.

The modern era of Marlborough’s winemaking history really starts in 1970s but the folks of Marlborough truly have been pioneering grape growing and winemaking as early as the 1870s, one hundred years earlier. Honestly, I don’t think those folks would have ever predicted the progress and fame though.

The main reason for the growth in the region is because of the Sauvignon Blanc. This has all happened so fast it seems...in wine years.  The region is now considered a benchmark region for the varietal which in itself is pretty remarkable. But, it's deserved.  The key to future lies for this region to stay true to itself; evolve and not become a victim of standardization over time.

Sauvignon Blanc….with its’ individual spiciness and invigorating fruit flavors have really caught the imagination of international wine community and general consumers.

So this has spawned vineyard development that is reaching its highest peak now. It has also inspired other countries such as Argentina and South Africa to put more stock into Sauvignon Blanc... with success as well.  The wines are very tasty.

According to the New Zealand’s Winegrowers  Association  the  first exportation of wine in 1963 came ten years before grapes were even planted in Marlborough. Nevertheless, Marlborough is now the largest wine producing region in the country, 79% of New Zealand’s total active wine production.

As Sauvignon Blanc has continued to fuel that the Marlborough, New Zealand wine boom;  The region itself has advanced to  23,600 hectares of land planted with planted grapes. These plantings are primarily located within the Wairau Valley...(but has also spread southeast into the smaller slightly cooler Awatere Valley.  Furthermore, recently the southern side valleys of the Wairau – Fairhall, Hawkesbury and Waihopai – have grouped an assemblage of vines).  

Located on the east coast with mountains to the west, Marlborough is one of New Zealand’s sunniest and driest areas.  In these sunny, but moderately ‘cool’ climate conditions, the grapes have the advantage of a lengthy slow, flavor intensifying ripening period.  The average daily temperature during summer is nearly 80 degrees F… but clear cool nights keep acidity levels high in the grapes.

The obvious day and night temperature shifts are a major factor behind the ability of the Marlborough grapes to retain both fresh, vivacious fruit and crisp, herbaceous characters(The contrast between day and night also helps to enhance the color in the skins of Pinot Noir).

In the same way, within the wine region, grape growing has been developed primarily on sites with moderate low fertility and a strikingly stony, sandy loam top soil covering deep layers of free-draining grit, as found in the wine areas of the Wairau and the Awatere Valleys. 

These shallow, fast draining, low fertility soils help to produce a lush, aromatic ripe wine and this is because this type of soil lessens the vines potency; when a more herbaceous style of wine is looked-for, sites with more water retentive soils and restrained fertility are selected. - If you can picture that?!?

If you have the opportunity… pick a bottle up today and try it with some Salmon or maybe a Caesars Salad. It's grapefruit, melon and herbal qualities go well along side shrimp with dill or other herbs; even goat cheese! I like Sauvignon Blanc it with Buffalo Wings myself.

Summer BBQ and Wine. Think about Whites, Roses and Reds - it’s the perfect accompaniment!

It’s time to think of wine when you fire up the grill. These days there’s something about the outdoors and all the exciting foods being grilled it’s the perfect accompaniment to a barbecue—besides it’s not as filling as beer or various cosmos and daiquiris!

There's one snag with red wines, when you BBQ in the summer is that it can get really hot! In hot weather, red wines lose their aromas, seem flabby and less refreshing and spicy foods cry out for a nice-cool beverage, which is why beer and frozen drinks are popular.

Not to fear!

Crisp, intensely aromatic high-acid white wines, like Sauvignon Blanc, is great with grilled with grilled vegetables and shrimp, and is the best wine with tomatoes. Off-dry and slightly sweet Rieslings and Gewurztraminers pair really well with nicely with spicier and sweeter barbecue flavors. A cool Chenin Blanc is tasty as well with its flair for pears and apples.

Also dry rosé, the comeback wine of late is a summertime delight. Good rosés combine the juiciness and pick-me-up of chilled white wine but with uncommon and exciting flavors—that come from some of the red fruits typical of red wine, but also notes, orange rind, strawberries and fittingly watermelon

Please…don't let anyone stop you!  Some say dry rosé is the definitive wine for hot dogs!

And for the red wine drinkers…  

Anything coated in barbecue sauce, with its smoky, spicy, and typically sweet flavors, is a challenge for  wine pairings unless of course you pick the right wines.

A young, bold, spicy red such as Zinfandel, Shiraz, or French Côtes du Rhone will stand up to the barbecue flavors without a problem. Also a Chianti and a Barbera, with their higher acidity, are great too and guess what??? They will also handle tomato-based sauces.

Grilled meats, like steak, can work with a wider range of reds, including young Cabernets… Just don’t pick any older Cabernets. It’s better with the young ones. Veggies one the grill are outstanding too!