A Beauty from Piedmont ...

Italian wines are the ones I have the least experience with -- which makes them an exciting frontier for me.  Nebbiolo, in particular, has always been a bit of a mystery.  Often quite tannic when young,  it's best to seek out Nebbiolo-based wines with at least 10 years of age. 

Barolo is considered to be the epitome of Nebbiolo, and last year I had the good fortune to participate in a Barolo tasting that shed some light on what all the fuss is about with these wines.

Just recently, we paired the 2001 A.G.N. Fantino Vigna dei Dardi Riserva with grilled veal chops and it was a revelation.  Gorgeous brick color, nose of faded roses, and tart cherry fruit --- this is a wine that begs for good food with its lovely balance of acidity and fruit.

With Barolo, think Sophia Loren .... sure, she was alluring in "Too Bad She's Bad", but she was stunning a few years later in "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow"...

Why St. Emilion Rocks...

St. Emilion is known for being more approachable when young, yet many have outstanding potential for aging.  Case in point is the 1998 La Couspaude... its 70% Merlot + 30% Cab Franc blend provides a solid framework that could keep it going for another 10 years.
Black currant & kirsch with fine tannins, and a very tasty eucalyptus note ... gotta love what the Cab Franc brings to this dance....

An Aptly Named Seductress ....

This is a wine that is indeed hard to stay away from... the 2005 vintage is showing especially well right now and very successfully demonstrates why the Russian River Valley produces some of the best pinot noir in the world. 
Tannins are beautifully integrated with rich cherry fruit, a hint of sweetness balanced with savory forest floor ... all supported by lithe minerality... this wine always disappears quickly from the glass. 
The Lolita Ranch is a consistent favorite of the Martinelli pinot noirs...

The Greatness of Ribera del Duero



... a very rare treat indeed is the Bodegas Emilio Moro Malleolus de Sanchomartin.   A wonderful expression of Tempranillo ... smooth, lush blackberry fruit with very appealing notes of cedar and smoke.

Sourced from an "old-vines" vineyard originally planted in 1944, with limestone and clay soils.
Moro also makes an entry-level Ribera that is worth seeking out.  

Las Flors de La Peira

Languedoc-Roussillon is a source for outstanding new wines.  One of our favorites is Las Flors de La Peira from the Terrasses du Larzac appellation.

Las Flors is best enjoyed after a few years in the bottle.  The 2005, 2006 and 2007 vintages are drinking well, however they are getting harder to find in the market.  The wine is a blend consisting typically of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. 

The 2006 seems to have a bit of an edge over the other vintages. Upon opening, aromas of lavender and sandalwood provide an intoxicating allure. It exhibits a wonderfully balanced palate with an acidity that expresses the influence of limestone marl substrate in the region. The velvet black raspberry fruit has layers of complexity that are continuing to resolve, suggesting that this wine has solid potential for aging for another 10 years or so. 

The 2005 vintage is softer with more lush fruit and a bit less acidity, while the 2007 is made is a more "modern" style (more oak). 

Las Flors de La Peira has everything one could want from a Rhone-style wine.

Happy Halloween!



Halloween!  Fall is in the air ... what better time to enjoy Pinot Noir.

Wonderful treat to compare the 2004 and 2005 Kanzler side by side... inimitable expression of terroir... 2004 was the first vintage produced (note the one-off first vintage label ! , true collector's item).  Lovely earthy fruit with forest floor, even a bit of anise... gotta love what Steve & Lynda Kanzler do with their vineyard ;-D



 

Martinelli pinots are always among my favorites... the 2001 Moonshine Ranch is drinking nicely... very smooth, luscious fruit with signature style ... there's a subtle thread that runs through all the Martinelli pinots ... perhaps Helen Turley's influence...

 

Compare with the gorgeous classicism of Girardin's 1999 Pommard Les Rugiens... I have never met a Pommard that I didn't like.  Fascinating Burgundian complexity that trumps pinots from anywhere else in the world... limestone underpinnings provide refreshing acidity with mushroom earthiness on the front end and finishing with mouth-watering sour cherry fruit ... the 1999 vintage from the Cote de Beaune will be a long-lived one!  Perfect paired with Dijon chicken or a nice Havarti ..

 

 

The outlier for the evening was a 2005 Rioja made in the modern style .. quite quaffable, but a bit too oaked for me...

cheers!

 



Pinot Noir Wine Dinner, 28 July 2012

Great to get everyone together and thank you so much for making this a wonderful dinner! 

Here is an updated list that shows all wines and which was the favorite of each flight. 

We enjoyed wines from France, South Africa, California, Oregon and New Zealand, encompassing four continents in both Northern and Southern hemispheres! 

Interestingly, California wines were the favorites in all three pinot noir flights.  Two were from Sonoma County (Rochioli and Martinelli) and one was from the Santa Barbara area (Paul Lato). 

Wine & Food pairings: 

First Flight paired with sautéed sea scallops
2004 Mt. Eden Estate Chardonnay

2006 Sine Qua Non The Hoodoo Man

2007 Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet Champs-Gain (favorite) 

Intermezzo

2009 Southern Right Pinotage 

Second Flight paired with grilled pork tenderloin

2004 Dominique Laurent Vosne-Romanee Les Beaux Monts

2004 Rochioli West Block (favorite)

2008 Felton Road Block 3

Third Flight paired with grilled yellow fin tuna

1996 Domaine des Forges Clos de La Roche

2002 Beaux Freres The Beaux Freres Vineyard

2005 Martinelli Biondi Home Ranch Water Trough Vineyard (favorite) 

Fourth Flight paired with selection of cheeses

1999 Maison Champy Les Suchots

2005 Shea Wine Cellars Homer

2010 Paul Lato “The Prospect” Sierra Madre Vineyard (favorite)

Echoes of Pomerol …

Michel Rolland … the name is synonymous with great Bordeaux. Having collaborated with Allen Shoup (former CEO of Chateau Ste. Michelle) to produce the 2005 Long Shadows “Pedestal”, his deft wine-making touch is ably demonstrated once again.
The ’05 Pedestal is 80% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc sourced from the Columbia Valley in Washington.
Jay Miller (WA94 rating) advises holding onto this wine till 2012 before drinking. Based on my experience with the ’05 Pedestal, I have to agree. I had this wine about a year and a half ago and it was quite closed. Upon recent tasting, it took about an hour and a half for this wine to really open up and hit its stride. And when it does, the '05 Pedestal is impressive - characterized by striking earthy blueberry flavor complemented by pleasing tobacco notes on a long finish. The tannins are well integrated, and there is a nice backbone of acidity to make it food friendly.
While it will pair with beef, this wine makes an excellent partner for rack of lamb. Market price averages around $50 per bottle, but I have seen this wine on sale for as low as $28 per bottle.

The Great Pinot Noir Debate

What makes a good Pinot Noir? Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, or rather the tastebuds with Pinot Noir.
Case in point: the 2008 Loring Keefer Ranch …
I have a difficult time recognizing this wine as a pinot noir. While it is young, it exhibits a clearly over-extracted style - almost syrah-like in its body and color, characterized by ponderous black cherry notes and muddy tannins.  There is an earthiness, but it’s not typical of pinot.
Here's an interesting thread on the Wine Library TV website that echoes this perspective:
http://forums.winelibrary.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&p=589009&sid=b143bae4278a1b154b6149033132baf9
Of the three major U.S. pinot producing regions (Oregon, northern California and central coast California), northern California presents more of a challenge in terms of producing great pinot noir.
While the '08 Loring Keefer may improve over time in the bottle, it may not possess the basic raw material to become much more than it is now.
The bottom line is that it presents a stark contrast to the '08 Loring Shea.  I’m looking forward to tasting the '08 Loring Aubaine from the central coast California region.
One thing you can say about Brian Loring: the gentleman has true Negociant blood running in his veins.

A Pinot Noir Renaissance?

The 2008 Pinot Noir vintage in Oregon is much heralded ... Does it portend a return to more traditional expressions of this varietal?  If Loring's 2008 Shea Vineyard bottling from the Willamette Valley is any indication, then we may expect so.
LWC's 2008 Shea is a delight ... it is very approachable now but will improve with another year or so in the bottle.  The subtle violet nose will continue to develop ... lithe tannins provide the framework for sweet cherry and spice ... and, yes, there is that wonderful Oregon earthiness that makes Burgundy fans take notice!  The Willamette Valley terroir is to Pinot Noir what Rutherford dust is to Cabernet Sauvignon.
This is a very food-friendly wine...something that is often found wanting in the "fruit-bomb" style of Pinots from northern California (Loring also makes Pinots from northern California and central California .. more on those later).   It complemented a dinner of veal Milanese perfectly.
The Pinot Report recognized the excellence of Loring's '08 Shea, rating it at a whopping 96 points.  Harvey Steiman at Wine Spectator really missed the mark on this excellent wine, drastically under-rating it at 87 points.  I would rate this wine in the 92-94 point range.  I actually prefer it to many 93-94 point California pinots I have had from the acclaimed 2007 vintage...
Here is an excerpt from the Loring Wine Company website about the 2008 effort:
“We’d been at the forefront of the ‘bigger is better’ wave, trying to see just how freakin’ massive and ripe we could get Pinot Noir. It was an exciting ride, but we lost some of you along the way. We’ve learned a lot since then and refined what we do, it’s almost as if we’re new again."
The 2008 LWC Shea is just what I look for in pinot noir ... Congratulations to the Loring team!

.... coming attractions: Brian Loring is Back !!

... with the 2008 Shea Vineyard bottling ...

What other Central California Coast Vinter makes pinot noir from all three major climats of the west coast ? (Oregon, N. Calif. and Central Calif)

... his 2008 Shea pinot is inspired ... true Burgundian character and a return to what pinot noir should be ... Bravo to Brian and Kimberly Loring ..

Stay tuned for more details on the 2008 Loring Pinots!

Languedoc Roussillon in a glass ....

A recent find is the 2007 "Orchis" from Jean-Louis Tribouley... a gorgeous, young wine from the south of France. Mssr. Tribouley sources the fruit for Orchis from the Coume du Roi appellation near Maury ... the wine is 75% Grenache with the the balance being Carignan. Left open to breathe, we found a nice expression of Grenache: jammy black raspberry balanced with enough stony acidity to make it quite food friendly. A bottle of Orchis perfectly completed grilled hamburgers, and would also go well with spicier meat dishes.

David Schildknecht thought well of the 2007 Orchis, giving it a rating of 93-94 points in his review on Parker's website.

The release price for the 2007 vintage is listed at $30 per bottle. The current market price is around $22 to $25 per bottle and can be found on sale for below $20, which indeed makes it a bargain for southern Rhone-style wine aficionados... the 2007 Orchis can be enjoyed for at least the next 5 to 8 years...

Cheers!

Doyenne Syrah (DeLille Cellars)

We've recently enjoyed the Doyenne Syrah from both the 2003 (WA92) and 2004 (WA93)vintages. This outstanding wine is sourced from the Yakima Valley in Washington State. The 2003 is drinking at its peak now ... aromas of ripe blackberry fruit fill the air as soon as the cork is pulled... the tar, cedar and blackberry palate is seductive and outshines many a wine from the Northern Rhone valley. In the glass, the wine's color is becoming amber-brown at the rim while maintaining deep purple at the core.

One of the best syrahs tasted in a while... pair with duck, lamb or enjoy on its own... Highly recommended.

The varietal blend for the 2003 vintage is 98% Syrah and 2% Viognier, with the vineyard breakdown as follows: Boushey Syrah 41%; Kiona Syrah 22%; Ciel du Cheval Syrah 34.5%; Ciel du Cheval Viognier 2.5%.

2006 Passopisciaro Rosso (WA93)

While the '06 Passopisciaro Rosso is now in the early stages of approachability, it will benefit from at least 2 to 3 more years of bottle age. A Sicilian wine, it pairs well with traditional fare and can stand up well to heavy tomato sauces... It is very Nebbiolo-like in character ...

The Rosso is 100% Nerello Mascalese.  Its big brother, the '06 Passopisciaro Franchetti (WA97), is composed of Petit Verdot + Cesanese d'Affile...

Both wines are sourced from vineyards on the slopes of Mount Etna. Andrea Franchetti is the vinter and is renowned for his Tuscan reds.

Valdez Family Winery

Valdez makes a Pinot Noir from the Lancel Creek Vineyard that is a joint venture with superstar Mark Aubert.
Production is less than 25 cases and is priced at only $38 / btl ...

http://www.valdezfamilywinery.com/content/lancel_creek.html

Bedrock Wine Company

Here's an interesting new wine : http://www.bedrockwineco.com/wines/ ... Thanks to Leonard for finding this one ...

Les Tastevins du Lac

LTDL is dedicated to camaraderie in pursuit of joie de vino!
This blog serves as an informal forum for discussions among friends related to wine, food and travel...
You are invited to share useful info about new "finds" in the wine world, and related areas that are of interest to you...
Cheers!
Steve Adams