My Half Full Glass - May 2nd, 2013

Finger Lakes Reds with Grilled Steak Tips

The producers of the Finger Lakes are sharing their wines through a series of virtual tastings again this year including several in the month of May which is Finger Lakes Wine Month. If you are curious about the wines from the region these tastings go a long way to help you understand what is possible.

In the past I have participated in the Riesling and White Wine tastings so for this most recent series I selected reds. The sample kit included the following wines:

• Fox RunVineyards 2010 Lemberger
• Goose Watch Winery 2011 Lemberger
• Rooster Hill Vineyards Cab Franc/Lemberger blend
• Wagner Vineyards 2010 Reserve Pinot Noir
• Heron Hill Winery Ingle Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009
• McGregor Vineyard 2008 Black Russian Red

Prior to the 8PM virtual tasting I opened each of the bottles and gave them a taste. As I considered the sensory feedback I fired up the grill and got the steak tips going. A summary of our initial impressions goes a little something like this:

• The first taste of the Fox Run 2010 Lemberger set high expectations for the flight. Earthy & spicy in the nose with tart currants, dark berries and a healthy dose of black pepper.  Upon returning to this wine for a second taste both my wife and I found the nose to be a bit funky and there was also a prickle on the tongue that was not there previously. Neither was profound enough for us to think the wine was flawed, just noticeable different between tastes. I came back to this wine today and the nose was the same but the prickle on the tongue was gone. I'm not going to knock this wine for a subtle funkiness that doesn't detract from the rest of its attributes.
• The Goose Watch 2010 Lemberger is a different style from the Fox Run, softer and more fruit forward. It is medium to full in body and smells like a dark berry jam with a restrained spicy component. Very quaffable.
• The Rooster Hill Cab 2011 Franc/Lemberger blend is a bit floral in the nose with a healthy dose spiciness. In the mouth it is very peppery and the combination of spice, acidity and presence of fine tannins creates quite an experience.  On its own this wine was my favorite of the six.
• The Wagner 2010 Reserve Pinot Noir leads off with crushed red fruits both in the nose and mouth. It has enough tartness to keep everything lively and has a subtle tannic profile. This is a very straightforward, smooth and eminently drinkable Pinot.
• The Heron Hill Ingle Vineyard 2009 Pinot Noir was off to us. Some volatile elements in the nose came off as a chemical in nature. The flavors were unblemished and the balance of acidity/tannins was good.  I also returned to this wine today and found the odd elements in the nose to be subdued, but the wine was very acidic and tart compared to the tasting the night before.
• The McGregor 2008 Black Russian Red was a new-to-us wine and producer from the region. The grapes are also nearly new to us as well. It pours very purple and has a nose that blends dark fruits, dried flowers (even sweet tobacco), spices and wet earth.  The wine is tart and dry with dark berry flavors, balanced acidity and fine tannins. I look forward to finishing this bottle!

Once dinner was ready we got down to round two. In addition to grilled steak tips we also had a pine nut couscous and Brussels sprouts on our plates.

We brought wines in to try two at a time. The two that paired best were the Rooster Hill and McGregor Vineyard wines.  The Fox Run Lemberger paired nicely as well, but we were giving it some air (see the notes above) and thought it might do even better overall on day two. The Goose Watch wine was too fruity for the pairing. Yes, the Pinots were overrun by the beef and marinade, but I didn't have any salmon on hand! The spice notes and acidity of both of these wines were the assets that made them work with the steak. The marinade on the steak was both sweet and spicy so a wine with some body and spice character of its own would be destined to work best.

After dinner I headed to the computer to watch the live stream from the tasting event, listen to Q&A from participants and interact with folks in Twitter who were tasting and sharing notes on the same wines. The most important message I heard producers relating to those participating is that their region is distinct from others and they need to continue to work to figure out which grapes work best and on which sites in order to continue to improve the wines. The specific questions about how Lemberger does in the region affirm this notion. Peter Bell from Fox Run indicated that while Pinot Noir is hard to grow anywhere in the world, including the Finger Lakes, Lemberger is proving to less fussy and produces quality wines when sited in a number of places around the region. Eschewing comparisons to other wine-making regions all of the winemakers assembled kept the focus on what their regional experiences are telling them and what work they are doing to continue to grow given the conditions they find in their vineyards.

This event was, as they always has been, a great way to learn more about what the producers are doing in the Finger Lakes region. Thank you to all the producers who participated and the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance for organizing the tasting series again in 2013. Being able to celebrate Spring and Finger Lakes Wine Month with delicious wines and seasonal grilling definitely made me smile!

Cheers!

Jason

Focus & Specificity in Winemaking

{ For readers that might be wondering how a Finger Lakes article snuck into my stream post-#WBC12, it is because I am catching up. More on the trip to Oregon will follow! }

I could write an article on the focus and specificity required in winemaking, but I suspect that wouldn’t be as useful as one about winemakers whose wine is readily available for purchase. If what you read here inspires you to find out more at least I know you will be able to do so free and clear of the restrictions levied on my non-commercial wines. If you want to hear more about my own projects firsthand come over for a drink sometime!

In June when I returned to the Finger Lakes I arranged to visit two winemakers and spend time with them at their wineries to learn more about what drives them. The first was Tom Higgins at Heart & Hands Wine Company, someone I knew a little about but had not yet met. I’m already a big fan of the wine from Heart & Hands so this was part investigatory and part pilgrimage. The second winemaker was Nancy Irelan at Red Tail Ridge Winery with whom I was not yet acquainted, but had heard very positive words about. (Thanks Lenn!)

On the Sunday morning immediately following the WineMaker Magazine conference Ed, Jim, Margot and I piled in the car and headed up the East side of Cayuga Lake from Ithaca to Heart & Hands in Union Springs, NY. Arriving a few minutes early we took a bit to observe the fledgling estate vineyard and the crushpad overflowing with pallets of bottles patiently waiting their contents. Great image right? Too bad I realized I didn’t actually take a picture of it.

  

Tom & Susan Higgins invited us to visit the winery before they opened on what would likely be a busy weekend, the season was just starting and the most recent club shipment was ready for pickup. With visitors soon to arrive we got right to it with a visit to the barrel room, samples and lots of specifics on the wines that we would ultimately taste.

( Tom Higgins explaining their wine-making practices and whole cluster experiments. )

Whole versus partial cluster pressing and fermentation was one of the topics. The basic idea is that grapes are harvested when ripe and the worthy bunches go into the press and then a fermentation vessel without the removal of the stems.  To non-wine geeks I know this sounds riveting, but I can state clearly that you will taste distinctions in the wines so even if you don’t care too much about how, you can appreciate the outcome.

( A wine press full of whole clusters of Pinot. This image was used from Wikimedia Commons. Refer to the attribution page and full details. )

Whole cluster pressing is not required in winemaking and the application of it for Pinot and several other grapes varies regionally and by winemaker. The goal is to enhance the aromatic and structural (via tannins) profile, especially in grapes that may come in low in these respects otherwise. A key consideration in the application of the method is that getting the grapes from the vineyard, through the sorting process and into the fermenter is quicker without crushing and de-stemming them with an additional step. Given the delicacy the Pinot grape is known for, a motivation to do this is not surprising.

( Hobbit Hollow Pinot aging in a barrel at Heart & Hands. )

Using both organoleptic and chemical measures it is clear that the differences in wines with varying levels of whole clusters in the ferment can be identified. Exploiting these differences with what the harvest provides is yet another tool in the tool chest of a winemaker.

And Tom Higgins is certainly wielding this tool to explore the potential of the grapes from throughout the Finger Lakes region. The motivation for these experiments is pretty simple. Each vineyard source offers different fruit and working with each individually diversifies and maximizes the potential results. By the end of our and tasting we had sampled seven different barrel samples or bottling. These tastes represented several vintages, several distinct sources and the amount of whole clusters in the ferment. This also included the first experimental batch (2011) that had been 100% de-stemmed before pressing.

I’ll start with the 2011 100% de-stemmed sample as a baseline. I found this wine to be smooth and gentle with just a little tannic bite. The fruit flavors (cherries) dominated but I felt that everything fell off early in the finish, which was clean and short.

Next up was the 2011 from the Hobbit Hollow vineyard which included 50% whole clusters in the fermentation. The color on this wine was very light, with beautiful pink edges. The nose on this wine was noticeably assertive and a bit spicy. In the mouth the wine was expressive of tart cherries, spicy and the tannins were like fine dust on the roof of my mouth.

The Hobbit Hollow 2011 whole cluster came next. The immediate difference between this and the previous wine is the amount of tannins. They are still really fine, but there are just more of them. The wine is also more tart (cherries again) and earthier.

From there we moved on to samples of both 2010 and 2011 wines made from the Patrician Verona source, both of which had been 100% whole cluster fermented. The only thing I wrote down about the 2011 was, round. I must have been listening to something that was drawing my attention away from my glass and notebook. Not a bad thing I guess, I was living in what the moment offered. The 2010 got more consideration however. I detected a full nose with lots of spice, influenced by both the whole clusters and the additional year in oak. The tannins were hard to pick up tactilely, I suspect that was the natural mellowing of the bulk aging. The finish on this wine is long and full flavored. This wine was tasting incredibly well, and so it would makes sense that it will be used in the 2010 barrel reserve bottling.

( You'll meet winery and vineyard dogs almost everywhere. They do keep an eye on you though! )

We moved from the barrel room to the tasting bar to finish our trip through the available wines.

The 2010 Pinot blend (3 sources, 50% HC) is the version from Heart & Hands to which I am most familiar, having tasted and/or enjoyed three consecutive vintages now. The 2010 doesn’t disappoint against the two prior years, expressing cherry, red currant and spice in both the aromatics and flavors. The nose is full, the mouth is moderately complex and the finish sticks around long enough to bring it all full circle.

The 2010 Hobbit Hollow single vineyard bottling came next. Fermented with 100% whole clusters I expected more spice and tannins, but the extra year of aging has worked wonders in mellowing all the components into a nicely balanced light and hugely drinkable Pinot. I detected hints of crushed sage in this tasting, something (the green or herbal character) I hadn’t readily picked up in the earlier samples.

We finished with the 2008 Barrel Reserve Pinot. This is still my favorite of all the finished & bottled wines from Heart & Hands. I purchased some in 2011 and haven’t been able to bring myself to open a second bottle just yet. The nose is big and the fruit in the mouth is more assertive than one might expect from cool-climate Pinot. With hints of black pepper and a long, warm finish, this wine most certainly makes you stop and pay attention.

( Tom and with wine lover's smiles. Thank you to Tom & Susan Higgins for hosting us and taking time out of their busy schedules to share their passion. )

A couple days later Margot and I, our friends have ventured home already, visited Red Tail Ridge Winery on the West side of Seneca Lake. As I mentioned earlier I was not previously familiar with the wines or people of Red Tail Ridge, so with that in mind I was very excited to spend time getting the story and experience the wines. Arriving right at opening time, Nancy Irelan, co-owner and the winemaker, ventured over from the winery to the tasting room to meet us. A quick conversation and the game plan to visit the winery first and return to the tasting room after that was formed. Margot opted to find a spot to read so our two groups parted company and headed off in different directions.

( Red Tail Ridge vineyards at the back of the property. )

Standing on the crush pad I gathered some background on the history and current configuration of Red Tail Ridge. Mike Schnelle and Nancy Irelan started Red Tail Ridge in 2004 after having been drawn to the area for its natural beauty and agricultural base. With a total of 34 acres and 20 under vine, there is plenty of vineyard work to be done here. The tasting room has only been open for five years, before that the wines were poured and sold from tasting rooms of partner wineries in the area. The winery building and operations are LEED Gold certified, the only one in New York State and on a short list nationwide, which makes a bold environmental and sustainability statement for the industry. And that is just part of the commitment to specifically fitting what they do with the land and being good stewards of the location that supports them. More about their environment commitments can be found at the winery web site.

I then asked Irelan to explain her path to where she currently was. Not a native of New York, I figured there was a journey and a story or two to be had. During and immediately after college her focus was on bio-chemistry, microbiology, physiology and then plant health, improving crop yields, but not specifically grapes or winemaking. The force drawing her towards grapes and winemaking came soon enough and she parlayed her skills into a job improving viticulture practices and working with experimental grape varieties for a large California winery (Gallo).  That tenure and those experiences clearly sharpened Irelan’s focus; she is clear that not all grapes are right for a given location, it takes upwards of ten years of experimentation to prove such fitness, and the whole system of the land and how it is managed must be taken in concert in order to be successful. This is another specific focus at Red Tail Ridge, finding and planting grapes that do well on their site. As they continue to get to know their site, the soils, biological diversity and weather, other areas of the world that offer similar profiles will be the inspiration for experimental plantings in search of vines that find Red Tail Ridge a worthy home.

( I could work here, how about you? )

( A large, open space with lots of stainless and very clean. I love wineries! )

The winery is impressive, especially considering it was designed with strict guidelines and no certainty that LEED certification would follow, with glass for the whole East-facing wall. The view from the second floor staircase through this window, over the vines and down to the lake is the stuff dreams are made of. It was cloudy during our visit, but I still found it captivating. I can’t possibly cover all the details of the winery design and it’s greenness nearly as well as others have already done. More information can be found at the winery web site link above and the Red Tail Ridge press & news page.

  

The first part of the tasting was direct from the tanks. At low temperatures, both the wines and the winery, saying anything meaningful about the wines would be premature. We sampled three styles of Riesling from 2011 and Blaufrankisch & Teroldago from 2010. All of the wines tasted clean and fit the style guidelines for them. I look forward to tasting all of them in finished form!

From there we moved to the office and talked Pinot. We tasted the Winemaker’s Select and classic Estate Grown Pinot Noir’s, both from 2010. I am finding as I experience more and more Pinot that the differences between multiple bottlings from the same producer and/or source can often be subtle and require quite a considerable focus to fix and consider. This is not without exception however. These two wines, both cuvees, are produced from the same grape sources and undergo the same process. The difference is that the select bottling was blended from a small group of barrels that whispered something different. The wines are both similar and different, and there are equal amounts of subtlety and coarseness in the differences. Both wines projected strawberry and raspberry notes to me. The winemaker’s select also brought in rose petals where I found cherry in the classic version. Both showed me brown spices, but the strength of those spices was more pronounced in the select bottling. Both wines shared their fine tannins, which stick with you through the finish, but here again the select bottling had more nuance in the finish from a bit more oak and spice. Both wines are earthy with the select trending to wet biomass earthiness where the classic goes off to more dry soil and leaves. The earthy component took the most focus for me to detect the difference, but once I did it was charming to say the least.

( Teroldago, a new variety to me and an experiment with promise at Red Tail Ridge. )

The conversation over Pinot samples had to do with how much experimentation is possible with a small staff and future expectations for interesting projects. I met Dan, a recent addition to the team, who was still getting his bearings at Red Tail Ridge. With additional production-focused staff, the time spent on the crushpad and amongst the tanks and barrels can be optimized. More eyes on the balls in the air, more monitoring and fresh ideas are expected. New projects, either smaller lots and/or more focus on the experimental varietals, can be green-lighted and have a person’s attention for their entire timeline. I suspect return visits will see examples of these projects in action!

I finished my experience in the tasting room. I was particularly interested in the wines made from Dornfelder and Teroldago, two of the experimental varieties currently available. The non-vintage Dornfelder (from ‘09 and ‘10 lots) put up black raspberries and black currants with a touch of mint. The tannins are moderate to low and fine enough in texture to play nice. The dose of acidity in the finish brings everything together. I have no other experience with this grape so I can only say that I enjoyed this tasting and look forward to the bottle I put away after the trip.

The 2009 Teroldago had a bigger nose than the tank version, as expected, but it was really big. Plums, dark berries and baking spices were found in both the nose and mouth. The finish has hints of licorice in it. This is definitely a wine I will want to get more experience with.

Thank you to Nancy Irelan and the team at Red Tail Ridge for taking the time to meet with me. I can't wait to get back to the Finger Lakes and see what is new from this dynamic group!

( A bottle of yet-to-be-released Dry Rose. I found the prior vintage of this wine to be a nice balance of strawberries and lemons with plenty of tartness and acidity typical to Rose wines. )

How’s that for focus and specificity? From both visits my head was buzzing trying to fit all the information and ideas together. Winemaking isn’t my day job so I can’t spend nearly the amount of time pondering all the angles that full-time winemakers can. The job is tough despite that, and I bet the full timers would say they never have enough time either, but it is truly incredible to see what comes of that time when you get a chance to peek inside a winemaker’s brain.

Cheers!

Jason

Oregon Wine On My Mind

With about one week to go before I head to Portland, OR for the Wine Bloggers Conference (#WBC12), I’m doing a little reading and research on Oregon wine. I expect I'll be slightly more prepared than without it. Some fluency with the wine-growing regions, climates, producer names, typical grape varieties and styles will go a long way to best contextualize the onslaught of information and experiences that the conference will bring.

We don’t see a lot of wine from Oregon in the New Hampshire State Liquor stores. As of this writing only thirteen selections pop-up in the online inventory listing when you search for “Oregon”. Searching for “Willamette” brings up about twice as many with some overlap, and searching for “Dundee” brings up two more. Familiar names like King Estate, Willamette Valley, Adelsheim, Domaine Serene, Lange and Sokol Blosser are all there. If memory serves I was first exposed to each of those producers from distribution in my home state. Local specialty stores might stock other labels and with more time I could have headed to Massachusetts and try my luck there too. What experience the NH state list does provide me will be enough to enhance my limited knowledge of Oregon wine; whetting my appetite for the much broader range I expect I will be able to sample from next week.

I’ve written about the Evenstad Reserve Pinot from Domaine Serene recently so I didn’t wander back over that ground. That wine was run up side by side with Pinots from a number of other regions and it definitely expressed its virtues and polish clearly. I think I might even have another bottle hiding in my cellar!

One of my local wine blogging friends, Adam Japko, took a look at the Evenstad Reserve Chardonnay from Domaine Serene earlier this year. I didn’t search for that bottling locally, but did easily find the Côte Sud 2007 which is actually the first Chardonnay from Oregon I’ve ever purchased. I know I have tasted Oregonian Chard at the annual Winter Wine Spectacular (Manchester, NH) in the past, but only one or two producers so my experience is truly limited.

Domaine Serene 2007 Côte Sud Chardonnay

This wine pours with a beautiful yellow/gold color with a noticeable minerality in the nose. The mouth is influenced by citrus, white fleshed fruits and nuts. The oak is present, offering a bit of spice, but is restrained and in balance. This is a very elegant wine. The acidity that comes in late and runs with you through the finish brings along hints of citrus.

Pinot Noir is the story most people immediately association with Oregon wine. This certainly makes sense based on the fact that in 2010 Pinot Noir by acre came in at nearly five times higher than the next grape, Pinot Gris. I’ve had a small range of Oregon Pinot both at home and while on a short Pacific Northwest trip in 2010.

I figured I should bone up a bit more using the recent 2009 vintage as a guide. From my local state shop I picked up the following bottles to taste:

R. Stuart Wine & Company Big Fire 2009 Pinot Noir

The nose on this wine is earthy but not overdone. The wet earth wraps strawberries and cranberries that also follow through on the palate. A spicy character in the mouth feels like it comes from both fruit and oak. The body of the wine of soft and round, presenting very fine tannins. The balance between the unique character and ease of drinking of this wine is what makes it shine. R. Stuart produces other bottlings that likely channel more finesse (I’ll confirm this ASAP), but as an opener this wine set a high enough bar that I definitely want to experience more.

Firesteed 2009 Pinot Noir

I’m not very enthusiastic about this bottle of wine. I can’t say there were any noticeable flaws, but the wine just didn’t seem right. A green nose, very tart and dry in the mouth and noticeable, rough tannins. It just doesn’t seem like Oregon Pinot to me.

Penner Ash 2009 Pinot Noir

I ended my tastings and reviews with this wine. What a strong finish! The nose is vibrant with fruit and whiffs of wet earth. Dark red fruits abound in the mouth. The wine finishes dry with moderate acidity and very fine tannins. This bottle isn't going to last long! This wine is also an easy drinker like the R. Stuart Big Fire, but with nuance and polish all its own.

What else do I have on my radar?

I have some familiarity with Pinot Gris from Oregon. I enjoy the King Estate Signature Pinot Gris quite a bit and know that I have tasted other bottlings at trade shows and tasting events in the past. I hope to get a much better picture of the range of styles exercised with this grape while on the ground in Oregon.

Warm climate grapes. From my reading of “Essential Wines and Wineries of the Pacific Northwest” I was introduced to the Southern wine-growing regions in Oregon and how the warmer climate there is more conducive to different grape varieties. Tempranillo and Viognier were the first two to jump out at me. I’ve never had either from Oregon before. Cabernet Franc and Syrah are two more that I hope to find well-made versions of.

And of course I hope there are some surprises that I have yet to read about and will add that ever-necessary character to the larger story. Something in this category might be my favorite from the trip and something I find I have to have in my cellar!

Cheers!

Jason

The Reds of the Finger Lakes

If you’ve been reading along over the last week or so you’d be sure I enjoyed my first trip to the Finger Lakes region earlier this month. The beauty of the lakes and the surrounding countryside is like few places I have ever been. All of the local folks we met were as casual and nice as those we often meet in Vermont and at home in New Hampshire. My wife and I didn’t specifically quest for food, but we did find excellent fare at the Red New Bistro, tasty & well prepared dishes at the Blue Pointe Grille and the House of Hong in Watkins Glen, as well as the Village Tavern in Hammondsport. But of course, we came for the wine!

I gave the Finger Lakes Rieslings specific treatment based on finding them to standout all their own. I followed that with a post containing a roundup of the Other White Wines from the Finger Lakes I found interesting, recommending whites from several producers and in several styles that tell more of the Finger Lakes story.

That leaves me to share my thoughts on the reds. I tried not to color my views of the Finger Lakes wines too much with research ahead of time, but there was only so much I could do. The Rieslings were not new to me, and the debate over which reds, if any, are really worthy of the effort in the region was also hard to miss. That said, I confidently expected that I would find red wines of interest to me and would have a firsthand opportunity to explore what was being made; drawing any conclusions that I could.

Best of the Best

Rooster Hill 2009 Estate Cabernet Franc – This wine is another solid youthful drinker. The nose came off as average in intensity with a nice mix of earth and greens. I picked up tart cherries, baking spices and a bit of vanilla on the palate. The tannins were coarse but not too aggressive. I bought a bought of this to specifically let it age to see how it mellows and improves.

Ravines 2008 Cabernet Franc – This wine is drinking good young, but should improve with age. I base this on the healthy acidity and softening tannins that wrap the cherries, greens and earthy notes of this wine. The oak is restrained and I picked up some cured meats or bacon essence as I continued to sip this wine.

Ravines 2007 Meritage – This wine is a delicate blend with red berries, spices and just enough oak to create the structure needed for it to please. The aromatics are mellow, but a good combination of fruit, earth and oak. The tannins are present and softening, hinting at solid aging potential. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Red New 2008 Glacier Ridge Merlot – The first thing that grabbed me about this wine was the intensity of the color, it is deep and concentrated. The aromas followed on with lots of raspberry, cherry and whiffs of oak. The intensity of the color was matched by an incredible body. The mouth is rich with berries, a little meaty and finishes with velvety tannins. This wine is full bodied and bold in the friendliest of ways.

Heart & Hands 2009 Pinot Noir – We didn’t actually get to Heart & Hands on this trip, but I spotted the Pinot on the menu at the Red Newt Bistro and knew I had to try it. This is one of the smoothest Pinot Noirs I have ever tasted. The nose is pretty big, full of cherries, rose petal (maybe some other flowers too) and hints of a smoky camp fire. The mouth presents cherries, dried fruits and a little earth. The tannins are mild and very soft. I ordered several bottles of the available Pinots as soon as I got home.

Other Notable Juice

Six Mile Creek Quintessence 2009 – This wine presents warm oak in the nose, a deep, concentrated color and healthy aromas of red fruits. The flavors of black cherry, plum and blackberry are very pleasing, following with smooth tannins and a dry finish. This wine is drinking well young, but will likely benefit from cellar time. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Keuka Lake Vineyards 2009 Leon Millot – I’ve had Millot more than a couple of times at tastings of wines from Vermont and New Hampshire. The cold-weather hardiness of the grape makes it a great option in those locations. The thing that grabbed me about this wine was the color. Dark, dark, dark is what I wrote in my notes. The second thing that grabbed me was the strength of the aromas. There was plum, dark cherry and blackberry bursting out of the glass. These flavors followed through in the mouth and were accented with currants and a dry, moderate length finish. This wine is immensely drinkable and coming from a less-than-standard grape helps with the diversity of the Finger Lakes wine story.

Heron Hill 2008 Reserve Blaufrankish – Blaufrankish, Lemberger, you pick the name. It really only matters if you identify with Austria or Germany more when it comes to this type of wine, but since I wasn’t in either place the style it is made in is subjective and in the hands of the producer for naming. The nose offered baking spices, violets and what I would say was unripe plum. In the mouth it was smooth and tasted of red fruits and a bit of earth.  It is well put together and interesting for the left hand turn it makes off the usual red wine road.

Dr. Frank Salmon Run 2002 Meritage – I picked this off the menu at the Village Tavern looking to see what a nearly ten year old red from the region had going on. This comes from the value label of Dr Frank and something that folks might scoff at, but it performed admirably and was worth the taste. It is still reasonably concentrated with aromas and flavors of cherry, and a touch of dry soil. There were perceptible flavors of grape leaves or greens and manageable oak. It wasn’t stunning and I don’t think it is as delicate at this point as similar blends that are made with age mind. I don’t have a lot of experience with wines that are 10 years or older (sad, but true) so I can’t really say how much longer this wine could go, but it does feel like is on the other side of peak.

Lamoreaux Landing 2008 76 West Meritage – This blend is one where I think time is needed for it to reach more of its inherent potential. It is a bit tight with subtle fruit and oak aromas, and clear understatement of the berries and cherries in the mouth. It is balanced with softening tannins and good acidity, thus my conclusion regarding the need for aging. Had I had the time I might have let this breath a bit to see how that helped.

Damiani 2009 Pinot Noir – I had this twice in the span of about an hour on the last day of my trip. I found it in a flight of Pinot Noirs at the Red Newt Bistro and it intrigued me. Unfiltered and unfined it had some wild and earthy aromas that made this wine geek giddy. Daminani was my very next visit and I figured if this wine was my first impression there would be other interesting wines to try. This is definitely a funky and unrefined Pinot with lots of aromas and flavors that take some time to process. The tannins are present and equally off the typical expectations.

Damiani Cabernet Blend – This wine is notable because when opposed on both the varietal Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Francs, the blend of both makes a lot of sense.  The blend is rounder, fruitier and more nuanced than either wine on its own. Red fruits and some leafiness are finished dry.  A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc. I don’t know what the vintage is or whether it is a cuvee blend, but I would suggest some cellar time to see what happens nonetheless.

Hermann Wiemer 2008 Reserve Cabernet Franc – I tasted both the 2008 and 2008 Reserve, finding the Reserve to be better balanced and softer on the palate. The color was also a bit more concentrated as well. A combination of blackberry, greens and earth composed the palate on this wine, finished with some warmth and spice from the oak. The tannins are noticeable, but softening. The finish is moderate and cleans up with a nice touch of acidity.

( Ravines Wine Cellars )

Casual Drinkers / Sweet Reds

These reds are a different breed, either because they are sweet and highly drinkable and/or because they are promoted with casual drinking in mind. At between $9 and $11 these wines have a good price/performance ratio for a range of everyday consumption scenarios.

Six Mile Creek Dolce Vita – Leon Millot makes a second appearance in the post, this time barrel aged and a bit sweet. This wine has dehydrated fruit on the nose and in the mouth, a bit like raisins and dried raspberries. The oak is present and helps bring it all together.

Dr. Frank Salmon Run Coho Red – This is a sweet Gamay blend, something to get the conversation going and then not distract from it. The wine isn’t refined or snooty, but pleasant and fruity with a clean finish.

Ravines Keuka Village Red – A blend of Cabernet Franc and Noiret. This wine has a light nose, cherry and pepper in the mouth with a light body and a clean finish. I wrote in my notes I wrote that this wine has range and would be excellent with a variety of foods and friendly conversation.

Lamoreaux Landing Estate Red – Like the Ravines wine above, this wine is dry but smooth and fruity with just enough acidity and tannins to be pleasant to drink without requiring a lot of time for consideration.

What Else?

I didn’t find a plethora of varietal Cabernets that rocked my world, and I hadn’t expected to. And in my opinion, neither should you. Not as the rule anyway. Note that I didn’t highlight any in this post, but of course I haven’t tried them all. There are exceptions, check for the reviews on Shaw Vineyard, and when I ultimately have one that grabs me I’ll be sure to review it. In the US we’ve grown so used to a particular style of Cabernet from California and because of that we are woefully biased. Based on what I know that type of Cabernet isn’t going to get made by wineries throughout the Finger Lakes. If you have to have it you’ll have to look a bit, and that might just mean you’ll appreciate it more when you do find it.

Experimentation with different varietals is ongoing in the region. The Glenora Sangiovese was a surprise, and while the 2010 is young it was drinking reasonably well. I wouldn’t compare it to a Chianti (which for the record I DID NOT hear them say) but that is likely to be the comparison made to the average tasting room visitor. I’m not sure where this experiment is going to go, and I wonder if the grape and the wines made from it will survive as the fish-out-of-water I perceive them to be in the Finger Lakes.

Glenora also gets a mention for their alternative packaging in the form of the Astrapouch. Containing the equivalent of two standard bottles of wine in a plastic pouch, this wine is mobile and doesn’t require an opener. Once opened the wine will stay fresh for a short period of time (days to a week is a safe bet), and is a great solution for taking your wine out by the pool without worrying about broken glass! Current varieties include Chardonnay, a sweet Riesling and a sweet red.

The Final Analysis

There is enough going on in the Finger Lakes to satisfy all but the most finicky of wine lovers, but a sense of adventure and a desire to try new things is a requirement. Coming to the region with visions of comparing the wines to those you might enjoy from France, Spain, Italy, Germany or California is a bad idea, but many people will do it anyway. Some of the wines will match up well, but it just isn’t the right approach. I sincerely hope folks with that attitude don’t miss the exciting wines that you can find in many of the places available to visit while in the region.

For me the whites were the star of the show, but the reds and wines made from the hybrid grapes (both red and white) complete a picture of a place that only needs time to become widely known for world-class wines all on its own.

Cheers!

Jason

Six from Six – Investigating Finger Lakes Wine

At the 2011 WineMaker Magazine Conference the location for the 2012 edition of the conference was announced. Much to my delight it would be in the Finger Lakes region, and specifically Ithaca, New York! The choice of an East Coast location provides a great opportunity for Margot and I to play “host” to our West Coast friends. Unfortunately we only have passing familiarity with wines from the Finger Lakes and have yet to make a visit. With time on our side this will be resolved and we will be able to safely recommend what to try and where to go while in the area next June.

Our initial reconnaissance was done with an order of 6 different styles of Finger Lakes wine from Six Mile Creek Vineyard, thus the post title “Six from Six”. Over the coming months we will increase our knowledge of the area with more wines and a trip in September that will include stops at wineries on both Seneca and Cayuga lakes.

When I searched for wineries in the Ithaca area the first one that came up was Six Mile Creek Vineyard. I looked around at some of the other links and didn’t find anything that resonated as well. A web page might not be the best first impression for wine, but this time it did a pretty good job. I ordered 2 bottles each of the 2006 Pinot Noir, 2008 Cabernet Franc, 2007 Reserve Riesling, 2006 Chardonnay Reserve, 2007 Semi-Sweet Riesling and finally a sweet white blend named Pasa Tiempo. The wine arrived within a few days of ordering it and I promptly got to work tasting and getting to know the region a little more.

Six Mile Creek 2006 Pinot Noir

Very light in color with aromas of cherry and strawberry. Low tannins with healthy but not overbearing acidity. Subtle hints of earth. This wine is lighter than I expected but is made well. This is an example of a red that would do well in the summer heat, however I didn’t find enough character in it for a strong appeal for me. I need to get more experience with this grape as it is grown and vinified in the Finger Lakes.

Six Mile Creek 2008 Cabernet Franc

Oak in the nose with both aromas and flavors of raspberry and cherry. Wet soil notes with a little cheese rind funk mixed in. The tannins were initially mild but became more pronounced on the finish. The acidity also rose up mid-taste and carried through the finish. I enjoyed this wine very much and am looking forward to a well designed pairing with the other bottle yet to be opened.

Six Mile Creek 2007 Reserve Riesling

Minerality and petrol aromas right from the first swirl and sniff. I also picked up white flowers, peach and hints of tropical fruit. The balance of tart and sweet was incredibly refreshing. The finish has a drying effect with citrus notes as it exits. This is a solid example of Riesling done right and why the Finger Lakes is known for Riesling.

Six Mile Creek 2006 Chardonnay Reserve

This wine surprised me with its elegance. The nose is nutty with baking spices and wood. The fruit is there, but is not hugely expressed. I did get some creamy peach flavors. This wine is very well balanced and incredibly smooth. I want to get to know more about Finger Lakes Chardonnay for sure!

Six Mile Creek 2007 Semi-Sweet Riesling

Minerailty and tropical aromas in the nose. The tropical notes with some peach came back on the palate. Medium sweet with acidity to match. This is a solid drinking Riesling, one that will appeal to a range of wine drinkers, except those that don’t like Riesling!

Six Mile Creek Pasa Tiempo

This is a sweet wine blended from several white grapes, although unspecified on the label or the web site. Citrus, honey and white flowers fill the nose. When served cold this wine is sweet enough to masquerade as a dessert wine, but not too sweet as to prevent casual sipping. More of the honey and white grape comes through on the palate. At $8.50 per bottle the price/performance factor of this wine is very high!

I am looking forward to our trip in September to gain more depth in the predominant styles. I can’t make any useful judgment on the Pinot Noir from my one experience so I hope to find others I can spend time with. I did find a 2009 post from the New York Cork Report blog about Finger Lakes Pinot Noir that helped me better understand what I have experienced so far.

When in the region I also plan to seek out wines made from Sevyal, Vidal, Vignoles and any of the hybrid red grapes I can find. I (and more so my wife) are also looking forward to trying the sweeter dessert wine and ice-wine style wines made by some of the wineries in the region. After a tour with those kind of highlights I will feel much more confident to say that I “know” the Finger Lakes wine region well enough to make recommendation for others.

Cheers!

Jason

Tasting in Los Olivos

In my last post I shared our guerilla mission to enjoy food & drink in downtown Santa Barbara in the one day we(Margot and I ) had set aside for it. We had a second day and planned another round of wine tastings in a similar fashion. It is sort of what we do.

We rented a car (from Hertz in the lobby of the hotel, super convenient!) first thing in the morning and after breakfast headed up to Los Olivos, about 45 minutes to the north. Los Olivos is home to a wide array of tasting rooms for area wineries, making it a great place for us to drive to, park and explore. We certainly could have planned some winery visits, but with the extra travel we would inevitably have needed to spend more time or cut our plans short.

Out first stop was Alexander & Wayne the product of two wine loving gentlemen, hence the name. The sign outside the tasting room suggested Bordeaux and Burgundy styles, which if you think about it long enough doesn’t make a lot of sense since you are in California. I guess advertising to a common denominator and trying to evoke a sensibility from another place is a smart play, I just don’t get it. We saw a lot of that and suspect that the average taste isn’t very educated and needs to be led in this way.

Setting the rant above aside I did enjoy the wines. The blends were my favorite, offering considerable complexity with combinations of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. I liked the Cuvee HM the best although the Cuvee Five was very good, just a little more muscular and rougher. In both cases the tannins were pretty big, but softening; something I would imagine some time would help with. Their varietal Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc didn’t disappoint either. The Cab Franc in particular did exude some stinky cheese rind, which I was very happy to experience. The final wine I tasted here was the RSF, a port style blend of Zinfandel and Petite Syrah. It presented itself with a ruby/tawny color and aromas of dried fruits and raisins. Spices showed up in the middle and through the finish. We took a bottle of this home so we could have some sweet memories on another day.

Our second stop, and the reason why we really chose Los Olivos, was Andrew Murray Vineyards. Sometime in 2010 I noticed a Twitter follow notification for Andrew Murray (@gotrhones) and was curious enough to look up who the person was. If a the proprietor of a small winery in hills north of Santa Barbara thought I was interesting enough to follow I knew we should visit and try the wines. As luck would have it Andrew was out of town during our visit, but was sure to alert the tasting room staff that we would coming around so they could share the story and the wines with us. Stephanie cheerfully greeted us when we arrived, and for the next hour we had her and the tasting room all to ourselves. To be fair Los Olivos wasn’t busy so our exclusive attention was probably a bit of luck as well. I’ll say it right up front, I am so glad we chose to stop by. The Syrahs, all single vineyard designates, were fantastic and worth a leisurely taste.

The story of the wines and the person behind them is actually quite simple. Andrew lived in France with his family for a time when he was a teenager. His family was in the restaurant business and exposed him to wine in the Southern Rhone. He fell in love with the placed and the wines, something I surely know is easy to do. At some point they decided to bring what they loved to California and started a winery using his name.

My favorite was the 2007 McGinley Syrah. I found it to be really well balanced with bold but respectable tannins. The Tous Les Jours Syrah was much spicier with a considerable fruit forward character. The Watch Hill Syrah had some underlying funkiness to it that I couldn’t pin down. It added some allure and made raspberry fruit taste more savory than I would have ever expected. The last Syrah was from the Thompson vineyard and was a pleasurable combination of cherries, berries, spice and wood. We tasted several other styles including some from the “Days Off” label that offer wines designed for casual drinking and no fuss. The most recent Viognier was not yet available so my anticipation for it still stands. I will keep my eye on their online store in hopes I catch it before it sells out! Before we left we put together a mixed case to have shipped home. Sharing the Syrahs with friends is going to be a real treat.

This post would not be complete without a mention of the serendipitous lunch option we took advantage of. It turns out that we had arrived on “Tri-Tip” day, which is a local fascination. The R Country Market sells wood smoked tri-tip sandwiches a few days per week and when it is gone, it is gone and you have to wait until the next week. Margot and I love smoke meat and BBQ so this really was a lucky break for us. The sandwich was one of the best I have ever had and I will say nothing more. Look it up online, and believe me I have given you enough information to find it. New York Times, anyone? You’ll be jealous, and this picture isn’t going to help!

The last tasting room we visited was Byron Estate. I picked this one while had lunch after remembering how much I enjoyed a Chardonnay of theirs that we had had at the Blue Ginger (Ming Tsai’s restaurant) in Wellesley, MA about 10 years ago.

I tasted four Chardonnays and three Pinots. The Chards spanned 2005 to 2009 while the Pinots were all from 2009. The 2008 Santa Maria Chardonnay felt the most familiar and had me connecting the richness I enjoyed with my lobster dish at the Blue Ginger. The 2007 stainless Chard presented an interesting spiciness which grew through the finish. The 2005 selection was one of their library wines (no longer available) from the Nielson vineyard. It was impressive to see how well this wine has held up in the nearly 6 years since it was made. Keeping with the spicy theme I was caught off guard by the spicy (pepper) character of the 2009 Santa Barbara Pinot Noir. With cherry and smoke added in this wine was one of the more interesting ones I tried on this trip. The 2009 Nielson Pinot was the most complex of the three I tried. The baking spices and considerable structure of the wine was a great pleasure to taste.

By this point the afternoon was fully upon us and we headed back to Santa Barbara. It is always going to be true that you will need more time to really get to know a place, but the time we did had helped make it much less of a stranger to us.

Cheers!

Jason

Tasting De Loach Pinot Noirs

On Thursday night I participated in the #earthdaywine Live Tasting Event with De Loach Vineyards, Bottle Notes and the KloutPerks team.

I hadn’t gotten my wine sampler kit (shown in the picture above) yet, but I watched live as Jean-Charles Boisset described the approach De Loach has taken, their success with organic and sustainable practices and his vision of where Pinot from vineyards in Sonoma county can become.

Alyssa Rapp from Bottle Notes hosted the tasting and had questions for Jean-Charles. They both otherwise helped folks taste through the 6 bottle sampler kit available for the event. During the live tasting folks were tweeting away about their wines and impressions of the tasting. I noted several things that if you watch the taped #earthdaywine video from the session you might also pickup. Here are some of my tweets and related story:

I saw confidence and passion on the part of Jean-Charles.

"he (Jean-Charles) is clearly passionate in his pursuits. never a bad thing. #earthdaywine (live at http://ustre.am/x7jc)"

Jean-Charles was talking about bring wine to market in small barrel like dispensing systems for the home and restaurants. I immediately thought of our recent trip to France.

"we saw 10L boxes in France. idea++! RT @mwangbickler: Love the idea of selling wines in barrel. #earthdaywine (live at http://ustre.am/x7jc)"

During the chat Jean-Charles mentioned “Little Burgundy”. He was referring to the sampler and how it allowed a taster to survey what Pinot from Sonoma can be. The term “Little Burgundy” is one he uses to describe it. I think this notion is a powerful one to consider. The wine can take you to a place, and not the one it is from, but one it evokes. Pretty heavy stuff!

Bottles Notes used their Daily Sip e-mail newsletter yesterday to recap the event. Check that out at http://www.bottlenotes.com/the-daily-sip/wine-tips/earth-day-live-tasting

With my wines coming in after the event, they arrived the next day, I was able to live taste several of them for myself. I have been playing with video blogs a bit. What I came up with is linked below. I am still working out the video production bit. I had a couple of stutters in there with pronunciation or at one point the tannins of one of the wines had my tongue twisting. I need better lighting, but I need a lot of other things too! Otherwise it was a fun way to recap the event and try some of the wines.



Here are my detailed tasting notes from all six of the wines. It really is a great example of breadth from one wine portfolio!

Le Roi

This wine definitely had the most tweets about it amongst all the wines. I found it dry and sleek with wonderful grilled fruit flavors. I picked up cherries easily and a hint of gameyness, something like the aromas of goat cheese perhaps. I could easily recommend this wine to folks of all stripes, including those who don’t drink a lot of red wine. The balance and middling tannins make it a great occasion wine and a food pairing wine with braises and meats cooked in wine!

Masut Valley

There is diversity in this flight and this wine is the proof. Much more spice and earth is found in this one from some of the others. I picked up some root essence within those spices, much like the skin of fresh peeled ginger. The mouth on this wine is full of dark cherries with a dried fruit twist. The tannins are also a little wilder in this wine. I also felt this was the darkest of the six wines.

Van Der Kamp

This is the one I found the wildest aromas and flavors in. It is balanced, a tad high in alcohol, but has fruit, earth, herbs, and some natural funk that is the foundation of many great wines. The tannins in this wine are a little bolder, but don’t overwhelm. Margot tasted this one and remarked at how smooth it was. It reminded both of us of some of the Pinots in Washington/Oregon last year.

Maraboshi
The wood aromas come through on this one. I got more tannins, and both wood and grape types during my first sip. It is dry and much more austere than the Van Der Kamp, but not as focused as the Le Roi. I picked up cherries again and something floral, although this time it smells more like wild flowers or greens. There is some pepper and just a hint of pine on the finish.

Sonoma Stage

This wine is one of the lighter ones with light red berries, some cherry and some earthiness expressed in leather. The tannins are again restrained, but present. The fruits also seem slightly cooked, rather than ripe and fresh. Excellent dinner wine and another one for those notorious non-red drinkers!

Green Valley

This is another selection I saw a lot folks talking about. I smelled raspberries and what came across like flowers, maybe rose. This wine has restrained tannins and would be a pairing partner with a wide range of dishes from lightly season steaks, to salmon and some game meats. The acidity in this wine does a good job of cleaning up. With the alcohol at the high end (14-15.5) all of these Pinots leave a little heat on the finish. I actually enjoyed it, much like a fine cognac or bourbon leaves the smolder behind as it exits.

The price point on these wines range from $40-60 per bottle. The performance (taste/price ratio) on these wines is only OK when you factor in the price. Getting the tasting kit gave me many ideas that I would specifically pick up a single bottle to pair with a meal made for it. It isn’t an everyday for me, with the winery in my basement!

I really enjoyed this opportunity and would recommend others check out the sample packs from TastingRoom.com and the events sponsored by BottleNotes.com. Travel the world, one bottle at a time!

Cheers!

Jason

{ I was given a free product or sample because I'm a Klout influencer. I was under no obligation to receive the sample or talk about this company. I get no additional benefits for talking about the product or company. http://klout.com/perks/disclosure. }

Kicking it with the #RWTastingCrew

I finally made it to my first Red White Tasting Crew wine tasting last night. With the good weather starting to filter in I hope to get to them on a regular basis.

Last night’s event was at Whole Foods on River Street in Cambridge. We don’t have Whole Foods in NH (yet) and I can’t recall if I have ever been in one before. I bet I have, but just don’t remember it. This particular location has a community room that is open to book events in. David from Whole Food explained that the room was open for booking by the public and for legitimate events there was no booking fee. Pretty cool!

( Dan & Cathy talking wine. )

Cathy from Red White Boston was particularly excited about this month’s event for a couple of reasons. First, Panther Distributing is a new wine distributor to the state of MA was on hand to showcase wines from Oregon and Australia that are just becoming available in the state. Secondly, she was hoping to continue to the conversation and research into using a badging system for identifying wines of note shared by Red White Boston through their smartphone app and other communications. I was definitely interested in seeing what came of this as well. I had been pretty vocal about not really seeing where badges fit during a vibrant Twitter conversation on the topic.

The first person I met was Melanie who tweets with the handle @kissmyglasswine. We have interacted a bit on Twitter before and of course recognized each other by our handles. We tasted the first couple of wines seated next to each other and I definitely enjoyed swapping tasting notes as we went. Her freewheeling, fun filled approach to wine tasting is a refreshing. I am definitely going to be looking for another chance to talk with Melanie.

We started off with the Brookman Wines Chenin Blanc 2008. This wine comes from the McLaren Vale Region in South Australia. The Mediterranean climate, thin soils and limited water during the growing season typically translates in considerable ripeness in the wines. Chenin Blanc is a minor grape, in acreage planted, for Australia and is typically used in blending. The nose isn’t huge on this wine, but it did present some pear and floral notes. I picked up flavors of melon, citrus and experienced the classic oily texture found in Chenin Blanc based wines.

Next up was the Vista Hills Oregon Pinot Gris 2009. I first had Pinot Gris from Oregon last May and my benchmark is the bottle of King Estate Signature Pinot Gris 2008 we enjoyed in a simple wine & cheese tasting in our hotel room in Seattle. I haven’t found anything yet that lives up to it. I found the Vista Hills to have subtle aromas and very light flavors. It was enjoyable, but not a stunner. It would work well with food, but only because it wouldn’t offer much to conflict for the food. This isn’t the type of pairings I am typically after.

From there we moved on to the Conte Estate Primrose Lane Chardonnay from Australia. This was the least exciting of the wines for me. When Cathy asked the crew for thoughts, I responded that I thought “it was hiding in the corner.” There was almost no aroma and while there were flavors of toast, smoke and a little peach the wine exited so fast you could easily miss them. I was surprised at this because Chardonnay from Australia has generally been much more lively in my experience.

I ran into Maureen the Boston Marketing Manager for Second Glass who sponsor the Wine Riots. I thanked her group for reprinting our two posts on their web site from the Boston Wine Riot last Fall. I understand things are going gangbusters for Second Glass as they expand the Wine Riots into more cities. This year’s in Boston is in April and I was sad to realize I would likely be missing it. Oh, always next time!

The next wine was the Linda Domas Shotbull Shiraz Rosé 2008 also from Australia. I have only had a few Shiraz Rosés in my life and each time has been a pleasure just because Rosé made from this grape is distinct. Bold with spicy notes true to the grape were right there for you to experience. I ended up finding that when paired with blue cheese the sweetness in the wine bumped up just a little, and I felt I enjoyed it more. Dan from Panther offered up some lore about this wine with the rumor that Linda (the winemaker) has been known to skinny dip in vats of the wine during its early life. Interesting, weird and a great way to sell wine!

While I filtered around and networked with other tasters I met Meesh from the Just Add Cheese blog. Another first meeting via Twitter handle recognition! We caught up a bit later as Cathy and I were talking about the Rosé. I mentioned my interest in thinking about where the berry flavors in the wine came from and what it might have tasted like prior to and during fermentation. As a winemaker I think of these things. Meesh was obviously curious about such a specific consideration and mentioned she was working to get better at recognizing flavors in wine. No small challenge and noble pursuit for sure. I recommended using foods that express those flavors to help create an imprint. My specific example was to get fresh berries, cut them up and simply sit with them for while. Take in the aromas, let them sit on your tongue for a time. Mush some up in your fingers and really get into it!

Our first red was the La Bete Selection du Cave Pinot Noir from Oregon. This wine is definitely in the Burgundian style which is not typical for American Pinots outside the Willamette Valley. I have enjoyed a few from this area before but have big plans on taking quite a few more down on our upcoming trip out there in September. This had a lighter aroma that I expected, but the earthiness and restraint in the flavors and body were there. I picked up red berries, mushrooms and a little bitter chocolate. I would drink this again, but I suspect in its very best years it would be better still.

The second red was the Brookman Wines “Cool Sands” Cab/Merlot 2009 from Australia. The aromas coming from this glass of wine stopped me dead. So potent and complex. Berries, plums, leafy greens, tobacco. All harmoniously jumping in and out of the glass. When you’ve got it, you’ve got it! The wine was balanced superbly with acid, alcohol and tannins all finely tuned to enjoy. I went back to this one later to enjoy it for just a little longer. This was my absolute favorite of the night and will be something I will be sourcing to have at home.

( The business of wine tasting looks hard! )

I didn’t catch the results from the badge voting, but Cathy promised to have it up in a blog post soon. I did share my additional considerations on badges with her and I can see where some of her target audience should embrace it in their wine pursuits. For me, and I suspect others as well, I may already be too specific in what I looking after for a badge to matter. Not really a problem, clearly an opportunity.

In the middle of tasting the reds I was introduced to Ray & Rachel from French Oak TV. We have been Twitter buddies for a while, but hadn’t had a chance to meet yet. Rachel is new to the team (she was impressed that I had read the blog from 2 days prior announcing her a new team member) and excitedly talked about the whiskey tasting she went to on Sunday at Julio’s Liquors in Westborough, MA. I am pretty jealous of that. I would have loved to take a shot at 200 whiskeys. There might have been consequences though! Her story prompted me to share my experience with the Vieux Marc from Barville the week before when in Provence. I capped that off, as I did in the post, with a reflection on sitting outside in Provence smoking a Cuban cigar drinking a tall glass of it. Man that was good!

The last wine of the evening was the Conte Estate The Gondola Grenache/Shiraz 2006. This wine was definitely richer than the “Cool Sands” but with just a little less aroma. I picked up blackberry in the nose and again in the flavors. Additional flavors of black pepper and licorice were finished with smooth, soft tannins. I definitely enjoyed this, and so did the group based on the voting, but I still gave me nod to the “Cool Sands”. Something about first impressions.

I made a quick exit from the event primarily because I had a train trip and a ride to get home and I was getting tired. Hopefully next time I can stick around for some more networking or an after party! I can’t wait to hang with this crew again!


Cheers!

Jason