Christmas Dinner, 2009

Since this forum's template is still "under construction," I will just take a moment to reveal the wines we paired with our two massive Christmas dinners - mustard-crusted prime rib on Christmas Eve, and proper beef Wellington on Christmas Day.

2006 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
2004 Beaulieu Vineyard "Georges de Latour" Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Domaine de la Côte de l'Ange Châteauneuf-du-Pape
2005 Chateau Greysac Cru Bourgeois

Under construction..

I am modifying my blog template; should be all set in a few days.

Astor Wine Bazaar, 2009

Astor Center hosted a truly phenomenal tasting yesterday, seemingly tailored to my forum: every single wine at the tasting was under $30! Almost all of them were delicious; or, at the very least, presented solid value at their respective price points. Having occupied myself for four solid hours at this event, assiduously trying (and sometimes retrying) the wines from every table, I will now list what I felt were the winning showings, the wines to buy right away:

Sparkling Wine:

Mia Prosecco, NV, Veneto - Very pretty and tight, showing delicate citrus fruit and refreshing acidity that makes for a clean finish; perfect for casual parties. $7.

Scu Dò Prosecco, NV, Veneto - This one has a bit more weight than the Mia, with dry citrus aromas on the nose and delightful fizz; bright and rich, with balance and poise. Incredibly, $9.

Esprit du Sud Blanquette de Limoux Brut, NV, Languedoc-Roussillon - Tremendous, primarily made from the Mauzac grape, a pale straw color in the glass, Champagne's obscure antecedent shows smoky, yeasty and floral aromas on the nose, with rich white fruits and perfect perlage, leading to a dry finish. $18.

White Wine:

l'Étoile de Rachelle, Sauvignon Blanc, VdP, 2008 - An easy Sauvignon Blanc that is comfortable in a variety of situations. Sun-bleached green-flecked straw in the glass. Features citrus fruit with hints of grassy aromas on the nose, with good acidity and slight minerality in the mouth. Enjoy either alone as an aperitif, or with mussels or light fish dishes. $7.

Cline Viognier, Sonoma, 2008 - A wine I've never written about before, showing strong. The nose is crisp and aromatic with citrus and tropical fruit, along with hints of spice, while the mouthfeel is at once fresh and zingy but also softly opulent due to the fruit. Long dry finish, a delightful aperitif. $9.

Silver Thread Riesling, Finger Lakes, 2007 - This was, disappointingly, the only New York State winery present at the tasting, but the quality of their wines made up for that and then some. Not a German Riesling, not an Alsatian Riesling, although it is reminiscent of some Mosel wines. A pale white gold in the glass. Stone fruit aromas on the nose, with vibrant acidity in the mouth, some great minerality and floral notes, and a long finish. Off-dry, with the residual sugar providing just enough complexity. Thai, anyone? $15.

Silver Thread Gewürztraminer, Finger Lakes, 2007 - By far one of the top wines at this tasting. Light straw in the glass, good clarity. Brilliant floral and fruit aromas on the nose, focused on roses and peaches, with great lychee and peach fruit in the mouth, this wine seems sweet or off-dry from the bouquet, but is dry as a bone. Lean, trembling with acidity, hinting at spices. Absolutely delicious right through the lingering finish. $15.

Red Wine

Silver Thread Pinot Noir, Finger Lakes, 2007 - What I loved most about this wine was its intense aromatics, which were both deep and complex, nearly Burgundian. Rich aromas of dark cherries, truffles, and earth on the nose, with a soft mouthfeel blending more red fruits to earth and herbal notes, balanced by good acidity. Medium-bodied, with some tannins, as this wine is meant for aging a few years, probably five at the most. $22.

Tinto de Anfora, Herdade das Anforas, Alentejo, 2007 - A classic Portugeuese still red wine, dark purple edged with red in the glass, with a nose full of black fruits like plum, along with cocoa beans, brambles and dried leaves. This wine is by no means elegant in the mouth, but rather has fine tannins, making it almost rustic, but not overly so. More juicy cassis and herbal notes in the mouth, with a long tannic finish. Big wine for the money at $10.

Amala Merlot, Sonoma, 2007 - Wow. Simply wow. This is what California Merlot is supposed to be all about - the nose on this wine is textbook Merlot; just a hint of that confectioner's fruitcake adding a fun springiness to the other aromas. In the mouth it is soft, smooth as velvet, with supple tannins cloaking gloriously rich and juicy plum and blackberry fruit. Balanced acidity, round; medium finish. Surprising, especially considering it has one of the most boring labels I have ever seen. $10.

Bourgogne Rouge "Le Chapitre," René Bouvier, 2006 - Among the light-bodied wines of the evening, this had the best aromas. A lovely pale garnet in the glass, great clarity, with brilliant and focused cherry and raspberry notes supported by an earthy sense not unlike a forest floor, and hung cured meats. Something floral happening here too, maybe violets. Bright acidity dancing in the mouth, long finish. I just wanted to smell this wine all day. $22.

"Tai Rosso," Rezzadore, 2007 - One of the more unusual wines at the tasting, this was both lively and exceedingly complex for its price. It was the color of raw tuna steak in the glass, that delicious looking red-orange flesh color, succulent. Aromas of cherries and cranberries fairly leap from the glass, but are backed by just a touch of barnyard weirdness. Some spicy notes too. Good structure in the mouth; this wine has the kind of acidity that begs for food. Delicately balanced, with some slight tannins at the end. $15.

Le Formiche Nebbiolo d'Alba, Piedmont, 2008 - Nebbiolo, the grape of Barolo and Barbaresco, here shows as a delicious young-drinking wine full of power and grace. A pale ruby in the glass; this wine is much bigger than it looks. The nose is blackberry and plums with definite tarry notes, while the mouthfeel is ripe and unctuous in fruit while also steel-trap tight with tannins. Huge and delicious, with a spicy tannic finish tending to coffee notes. A powerhouse. $20.

Chatom Cabernet Sauvignon, CA, 2004 - What needs to be said about this? A classic California Cabernet Sauvignon with five years' aging in bottle. Big and beautiful. Ripe, juicy dark fruits on the nose, with more black fruit enrobed by supple tannins in the mouth, slightly over-extracted and heavy, but not ponderous. Good balance for domestic Cabernet, really; very tasty and not a fruit bomb. $25.

Chateau Moulin de Tricot, Haut Médoc, 2005 - A classic expression of Left Bank Bordeaux, made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Highly concentrated, dark ruby in the glass, with aromas of cassis, blackberries, cinnamon and cloves. Majestic. The mouthfeel is well-structured, the tannins keeping a tight leash on the fruit but also letting it run around a bit in the glass; more plums and blackberries in the mouth, with a good long finish. $29.

Thanksgiving, 2009

Cheers, everyone! May your holiday be as bountiful and filled with friends and family as mine will be; I wish you well. Expect postings of the standout wines from this year's festivities sometime in December...

Petit Amour, Vin de Pays de Vaucluse, 2008

The 2008 "Petit Amour" VdP de Vaucluse offers everything one could possibly hope for in a "house wine": a friendly label, a blend of familiar varietals (Grenache, Merlot, and Syrah), and a cheapness bordering on the obscene. It is an excellent party wine, and pairs with a variety of foods. It is not deserving of undue attention, certainly, but merits mention here as another example of great value at a rock-bottom price.

A nice garnet red in the glass, with aromas of black cherries and currants, with hints of earthiness and dried leaves. This leads to more red fruits cloaked by a hint of oak in the mouth, slightly coarse tannins, and a quick finish. The final impression is of an uninspiring but definitely approachable rustic table wine, good as a go-to; great considering its price at $5 a bottle.

Didier Montechovet "Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire," 2008

When I first tasted this, the wine intrigued me. Later on, however, getting the details proved an embarrassing moment in my career as a wine drinker. This wine rested in a bin full of standard Burgundy when I bought it, and so of course I assumed that "Bourgogne" meant "Pinot," as usual. But the bright aromas on the nose and tart palate told me otherwise. I assumed it was just an eccentricity of the wine, however, and treated it as Pinot. A Pinot even lighter than normal, dancing with crisp acidity in the mouth, almost biting, meaner than most. But I knew my stuff! This was normal Burgundy. Definitely.

And then! lo and behold, truth erupted onto the scene when I mentioned the wine to a knowledgeable staff member at Astor Wine & Spirits (where I happened to buy this bottle). She informed me that this was no standard Burgundy (aka, Pinot Noir), but rather was Gamay, the red grape of Beaujolais, in its current incarnation from Didier Montechovet, an oddball producer - working very close to Pommard - whose wines are always brilliantly expressive, if somewhat challenging. The appellation on the label, "Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire," is a general appellation that is no longer used, with normally very low requirements for wines produced under its category - as the name implies, the wines with "BGO" status are considered very plain compared to AOC wines; however, there is nothing plain about this one.

The 2008 Didier Montechovet Bourgogne "Grand Ordinaire" shows pale brick red in the glass, with a nose packed with cranberry and strawberry aromas tinged with distinct orange peel elements, and a bit of spice and minerality. This in turn rushes into a mouthfeel defined by sharp acidity, especially in the midpalate, balanced to more juicy red berries and mineral; the wine is light-bodied at 10.5% alcohol, with a clean finish. Absolutely the strangest expression of Gamay I have ever encountered, and apparently extraordinarily lean this year; this might be a wine to watch for in the future. $15.

Ramey Russian River Valley Chardonnay, 2006

Today's post concerns the single best American Chardonnay I have ever tasted. Better than Morgan, better than Heitz, easily the match for Kistler. This Chardonnay is the 2006 Ramey Wine Cellars Chardonnay, produced from grapes grown in the Russian River Valley, California. Beautiful. Just beautiful wine, comparable to almost any white Burgundy in its price point.

A gorgeous yellow gold in the glass, with flinty citrus and green apple aromas combining with hints of spice, flowers and honey on the nose. The mouthfeel is supple, silky, with tangerine and grapefruit bursting into ripe peach and mineral flavors, the body definitely showing some extended lees contact in barrel. It is moderately oaked, has vibrant acidity for a Chardonnay so rich, and ends with an unctuously long finish. This wine can be purchased by the half-bottle (375 mL) for the middling price of $22.