Nice Coat

Bud brought over an interesting bottle the other night, the 2002 Turley White Coat (San Luis Obispo County). He said he thought it was overdue for consumption. In fact, it was a deep gold color, a sign that a white is showing its age. This wine is a Rhone varietal, and I thought it was musky and slightly woody -- almost chardonnaylike, but not as in your face. And this wine packs a wallop, at 15 percent alcohol -- more than most reds I drink. It's running about $80 to $100 online.
The White Coat might have been a bit over the hill, but it was a likable bottle (and it's hard to find a white I crave). Not sure I'd ever spend that much on a white, though.

Feeling Fizzy

I was feeling nostalgic a few months back when I bought a bottle of Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut Champagne (Epernay, France) with a gift certificate from wine.com. This was our wedding Champagne in 2002, and I don't recall having any since then.
We had an occasion to celebrate: My impending return to work after nearly a year off.
So we popped the cork the other night. The Perrier-Jouet ($50) had flavors of lemon and moss, and a tart finish. The color was a delicate, pale straw. This elegant, understated wine was little more than I usually spend on Champagne, but it was delicious to the last bubble.

Two Newbies

Yay, it's beaujolais nouveau time again! It's nice to sample a couple of these fresh wines, especially since we've already had a 10-inch snow storm here in Minneapolis.
On Saturday, I sampled the 2010 Labuouré-Roi Beaujolais Nouveau ($9); it was a luminous pale ruby in the glass, with an aroma of sour cherry. It had a flinty quality, and I found it very light on the palate, with some sweetness toward the finish.
And this evening, it was the 2010 Georges Duboef nouveau (about $8). This was a much deeper red than the Labouré, with notes of chalk and plum. It had a slight effervescence at first, and finished with more tannin than Saturday's wine. Some other reviewers found it tart this year, but I thought it was pretty well-balanced for a nouveau.
Very different styles, but both delicious.
Some critics say the whole nouveau celebration is a lot of hype for a wine that isn't that special, but I appreciate any event that helps make wine more fun and accessible. Even better, let's just think of it as an economical way to visit France!

Visiting Sonoma, Part 2

Into the tasting room ... it was a busy afternoon, with at least two tour groups visiting.

Later, we met the adorable donkeys.

Our second and final stop on Thursday was Cline Cellars in Sonoma. I picked it because I have been fond of Cline ever since the days of Jimmy Armstrong's Sal**n in New York, where their zinfandel was the house red.
The contrast with our earlier visit to Ridge Vineyards could not have been more pronounced. At Ridge, the vibe was sedate and intellectual, a place for true connoisseurs. Cline's tasting room was for people who like to drink. The place was buzzing like a 2-for-1 happy hour. In the world of wine, I can appreciate both atmospheres!
Perhaps it's because their wine is so accessible and reasonably priced. Or perhaps it's because the tasting room is free. (Ridge charged $5, which was waived for me because I mentioned my wine blog. Thanks, Ridge.)
I tasted six wines, one white and five red.
1. 2009 Marsanne/Roussane (Carneros), a blend of 74 percent marsanne and 26 percent roussane, two Rhone varietals. This citrusy white was pleasantly tart at the finish; it was a subtle wine from two grapes that are often blended, so this was an unusual pairing for the U.S. market ($20).
2. 2008 Cashmere (California, 44 percent mourvedre, 35 percent grenache and 21 percent syrah). It had a powdery aroma and a sweet finish. This was a silver medal winner at the 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition; I liked it but it didn't dazzle me ($21).
3. 2008 Ancient Vines Carignane (Contra Costa County). This grape (pronounced karen-YAWN) was new to me, and had an unusual mouthfeel for me -- on first sip, it almost seems to expand in the mouth, and it felt like what I would describe as cloudy or pillowy. It was cool. One of the bartenders described it as "masculine" -- anyway, it had a hint of pepper, with a subtle dryness at the finish ($16). I bought a bottle of this one.
4. 2009 Ancient Vines Mourvedre (Contra Costa County). Chocolate flavors but too dry at the end. In contrast to the Carignane, this one was described as "feminine." ($18)
5. 2009 Zinfandel (California). A big-fruit classic, with soft cherry on the palate. Very well-balanced and at $12 a bottle, a wine for the people. Jimmy Armstrong's house red holds up.
6. 2008 Ancient VInes Zinfandel (California). Spicy aromas, lots of black raspberry flavor, but kind of tannic and what I would call a "fruit bomblet" -- just a bit too overwrought. ($18).
Besides the Carignane, Cline had a few bottles on sale, so I picked up a couple of 2008 Zinfandels at 40 percent off ($7.20 each). I know I paid at least twice that for this wine in New York, so it was hard to pass up such a bargain.
Cline Cellars has beautiful grounds and, out back, a pair of very friendly donkeys. It made for a very memorable afternoon.

Visiting Sonoma, Part 1

Back yard at the Ridge Vineyards tasting room.

Happy, even though my glass is empty!

Behind the bar, Eliot was a fount of information. That band on his arm is for his repetitive stress injury from pouring so much wine.

With three-hundred wineries in Sonoma County, how do you pick which ones to visit? (When "all of the above" is not an option.) At the top of my list was Ridge Vineyards, mainly because I've always had good wines from them (thank you, Bud Armstrong...). So we made a visit to Healdsburg, Calif.
The chic tasting room -- high ceilings, stone floor, soothing earth tones -- has been open since 2002. I tasted nine wines there today.
1. 2007 Santa Cruz Mountain Estate Chardonnay ($40); decent but forgettable. I suppose Ridge is not the place I'd pick for Chardonnay, but I was curious.
2. 2008 Buchignani Carignane (100 percent old vine carignane, $28). A bit tart with a faint scent of cotton, this red was described by our bartender, Eliot, as a perfect "summer wine," and he was spot-on.
3. 2007 Lytton Springs (71 percent zinfandel, 22 percent petite sirah, 7 percent carignane) was thick-tasting and inky. A little too overwrought for me. ($36)
4. 2007 Zinfandel Carmichael (96 percent zinfandel, 4 percent petite sirah). Available only at the Ridge winery, this one was lush and a bit jammy without being a fruit bomb. The petit sirah seemed to take the diva-like zin grape down a notch. ($28)
5. 2006 Lytton Zinfandel Estate (84 percent zinfandel, 16 percent petite sirah). You'd think since I liked the zin/petit sirah combination of the wine before this, more would be better. But this one just didn't hold up. It had some nice mineral aroma, but was ultimately kind of a wallflower. ($30)
6. 2007 Zinfandel Paso Robles (100 percent zinfandel); a spicy charmer, with notes of cinnamon and classic zinfandel structure. ($30)
7. 2008 Zinfandel East Bench (100 percent zinfandel). Both drier and brighter than the previous zin, Eliot called this one a classic "Dry Creek" zinfandel. Nice peppery notes.
8. 2007 Monte Bello (79 percent cabernet sauvignon, 10 percent merlot, 9 percent petit verdoh, 2 percent cabernet franc). This is one for the connoisseurs (and the wealthy, at $145). It has a delicate perfumey aroma, very herbal, with layers of flavor. A very special wine.
9. 2007 Pagani Ranch (85 percent zinfandel, 10 percent alicante bouschet, 3 percent petite sirah, 2 percent carignane). This one was tangy, with an almost sticky quality to it. Interesting but not my favorite. ($36).
Which bottles came with me? The 2007 Zinfandel Carmichael and the 2007 Zinfandel Paso Robles. I'd love to double back for the Monte Bello, but I'd have to rob a couple of banks first.

Robert Goodman Wines

Our main mission during our stay in Arcata, Calif., was to see the magnificent redwoods nearby. And we did, and they were awesome. I found time to squeeze in a tasting at Robert Goodman Wines, and I'm so glad I did. The tasting room has been open just since April. They produce all their wines in Arcata from grapes bought elsewhere.
I picked a flight of three wines; first up was the 2005 Carneros, Sangiacomo Vineyards Chardonnay. It had a rich lemon color and an aroma of slate but not much complexity. It was well-balanced but not outstanding ($26 a bottle).
Next was a 2007 Humboldt County, Alder Point, Rainbo Vineyards Pinot Noir. I found it floral and grassy, and overly tannic at first -- this one could use a year or two to soften up ($26 a bottle). The charming bartender, Jen, said another wine lover reported that "it bites," meaning it has a snap to it that makes for an abrupt drinking experience.
Last was my favorite, the 2006 Humboldt County, Orleans, Henry Rose Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, which had notes of moss and smoke and was a smooth ride from beginning to end. I had to take a souvenir of this one, also at $26.

Domaine Drouhin Oregon

The vineyards at Domaine Drouhin Oregon.


The view from the porch just off the tasting room.


At long last I finally got to visit my first West Coast winery, Domaine Drouhin Oregon, on Saturday. The state has more than 400 wineries, so it was tough to choose which one to visit -- if I had been traveling on my own, I could have spent a few weeks wandering from tasting room to tasting room. But we only had time for one. Drouhin was a name I recognized from wine class last year, and their French wines have been reliably good, so I figured I couldn't go wrong.
The winery sits on a 200-acre farm (about 120 are vineyards) in Dayton, Ore., and it was a crisp, sunny day for a drive through the rolling hills. The tasting room was pouring three wines for $10, so I bellied up to the bar. The 2008 Chardonnay Arthur was buttery, not too woody, and refreshing, with pleasant acidity. Half the wine is aged in oak, half in steel before it's blended, so it has classic Chardonnay notes without belting you in the face. A bottle is $30.
Next was the 2008 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley ($20), which had a slightly skunky aroma. It was tannic and loamy -- it could use a little age to take the edge off.
Last was the 2006 Pinot Noir Laurene Cuvee, the definite champion of the day, and why not, at $65 a bottle? (Bought one; wanted a case.) It spent 14 months mellowing in the barrel, and the result is a balanced, silky wine with notes of rainwater and a distinct earthiness. Drouhin made 2,500 cases of the Laurene, and the bartender told me they expect to sell out within a month. That's one aspect of wine that I love: here today, gone tomorrow. Enjoy it, because you might never experience that wine again.

A Spanish Treat

After Day 2 of trying to get a Minnesota driver's license -- oh, the bureaucracy! -- I needed to treat myself, and what I selected was the 2005 Joan d'Anguera La Planella (Monsant, Spain.) It was $17 at South Lyndale Liquors. The wine is 40 percent mazuelo and 20 percent each of syrah, grenache and cabernet sauvignon.
I never really pay too much attention to "official" wine ratings: to me, a good wine is any wine you like. But I was browsing around online and saw this one gets an 89 from erobertparker.com, so that's nice to know, if that's your thing.
This ruby red had aromas of cinnamon and straw, and on first taste you definitely get a big blast of the tannic/acidic mazuelo grape. It was a bit of a chameleon, though, and softened up after half an hour of airing. The Planella is full-bodied, too, at 14.5 percent alcohol. Just the thing to take the edge off after a day at the license bureau.

Please, Let Me Pay Some Taxes

I might have to rename this blog Whinemouth temporarily.
We have had a lot to celebrate lately -- our return to Minnesota, the sale of our New York apartment -- and, naturally, have had our fair share of Champagne. A couple of weeks ago, I wanted to pick up a bottle of bubbly to share with a dinner guest. Unfortunately, it was a Sunday and I was out of luck.
Minnesota is one of 14 states that still enforces a ban on Sunday liquor sales. As the economy is still struggling back from a painful recession, you would think states would be doing everything possible to add to their tax revenues, by repealing these silly blue laws. But it hasn't happened yet.
Clinging to such laws is not just quaint. It's antiquated. It's bad for business. It's bad for consumers like me. Why shouldn't I be able to buy wine whenever I want?

One Thumb Up, One Thumb Down

Bud has been burrowing into his wine collection lately, and on Saturday he came up with a 2000 Domaine René Leclerc Gevrey Chambertin. It was literally a dark and stormy night (you would have thought we were bound to be swept away like Dorothy the way the weatherpeople spoke of it), and to me, a fine night for a Burgundy with a few years on it.
The aroma was very rubbery at first, and tasted somewhat closed in. Bud, who said he paid $32 for the Gevrey about two years ago, passed swift judgment: "One or two years too old. Tart." I thought was only slightly overripe, with a long, dry finish and medium body (13 percent alcohol). It opened up an hour or so later, and I discovered notes of smoke and dried cherries. Bud seemed disappointed, but I found much to like: I guess I'm just a glass-half-full kind of girl.

At Last

Had a little celebrating to do after our apartment finally sold, so we headed out to the highly recommended Trattoria Tosca in southwest Minneapolis. I liked the wine list for its mix of low, moderate and higher priced wines, and its length of three or four pages. I hate it when the list is too long -- too many choices is as bad as too few.
Our waitperson asked if we were looking for a red, which we were, so she recommended the 2006 Itre Vescovi Barbera d'Asti ($46). We love barbera anyway, so she had an easy sell. Unfortunately, she returned moments later to inform us they were out of that wine. Rats!
Next, I picked the 2007 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley), which was on their specials list for $52 (normally $80). It had subtle but not unpleasant notes of rubber, and what Bobby described as a "false start" -- sort of bland at the beginning but developing some spice toward the end. I thought it had a long finish, but Bobby passed judgment: "not a lot of body; thin."
Our third pick was the 2007 Ben Marco Malbec (Mendoza) at $45. Well, the 2007 was listed on the menu but the bottle delivered to the table was a 2008. When I pointed out the difference, our server offered to take $5 off the price, so we decided to try it. This wine had a lot going on: a strong scent of berries, slightly yeasty/syrupy/gamey, a bit tannic at first ... it had a lot of personality. We both liked this one better than the pinot noir.
Tosca's food was uneven; I loved the kumquat salad, and my tagliatelle with crab, cherry tomato and fennel was good but a bit plain. Bobby was impressed with the zucchini "pasta" (no noodles, but zucchini sliced into a spaghetti shape) but his swordfish arrived lukewarm. For dessert, the chocolate custard had a funky texture (the waitress ended up removing it from the bill), but the gelato -- one scoop each of roasted banana, orange olive oil and chocolate/hazelnut -- was perfect.
Photo from Urbanspoon

Back to the 'Burbs

So, Winemouth has relocated from West 34th Street in Manhattan to suburban Minneapolis. I haven't lived in a suburb since 1995, but it was time for a change ... and instead of hearing trucks honking outside my window, I saw a bunny in the backyard at breakfast yesterday. Aaah.
A hot night calls for chilled wine, and that's just what Bud brought over on Tuesday. I've only had Basque wine once before, so I was eager to try the 2008 Itsas Mendi Bizkaiko Txakolina. (I love the fact that their Web site doesn't even have an English version yet.) It had the tiniest hint of effervescence and deep floral notes (12.5 percent alcohol, about $21). This luscious white hit the spot with a casual dinner from the incorrectly named Homemade Pizza Co.; their pizza is delicious, but when all you do is cook it in your own oven, I don't think you can honestly call it "homemade." But I guess We Make It, You Bake It just doesn't have the same ring.

We're Not in Argentina Anymore

At our house, malbec has become a favorite recently for its likability and low price. Those Argentine winemakers have got a really good thing going.
So I was surprised to see a malbec from California at the shop across the street, 34th Street Winery. Paul, the owner, said it was the first he had seen, too.
The 2008 Red Rock Winery Reserve Malbec (about $10) had insistent notes of vanilla, and had a plushness to it that was very satisfying.
I found it slightly less spicy than the malbecs from Argentina, but it's definitely worth a second look.

Teutonic Tonic

It was my first dance with Grüner Veltliner, that über-trendy white from Austria. You can hardly swing a cat around a restaurant wine list these days without running into a Grüner.
This one was a 2008 Grooner (I guess they didn't want Americans getting confused by an umlaut).
The things I loved? The cheeky label, the lightness of the wine (12 percent alcohol), the screw-top bottle, the reasonable price ($10), the lemony/leafy aroma, how much fun it is to say "Grüner." The things I did not love? The taste. It was just a little bland.
The label says, "If you like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio, you'll love Grooner." Which I found strange since those two wines, in my mind, share only whiteness in common. Where sauvignon actually has something to say, pinot grigio is like a wallflower at the party.
I'd be happy to try another Grüner; maybe I'll have better luck next time.

Half and Half

The other day, a lady called from 67wine.com to make sure I knew I was ordering a half-bottle as part of a recent restocking o' the wine rack here on West 34th. I assured her that it was correct. Frankly, I don't know why stores don't sell more half-bottles. For one thing, they are cute. Also, maybe you're married to or living with someone who just doesn't like the wine you like. For example, I've seen Bobby drink exactly one glass of white wine, ever, and we'll be celebrating our eighth anniversary this summer. He's just a red wine kind of guy. So it would make sense for us to have more half-bottles in case our tastes diverge on a given night.
The half-bottle from 67wine was a 2007 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages. (After what I learned in wine class last year, it's usually worth it step up from a plain old Beaujolais to the better-quality Beaujolais-Villages.) I enjoyed this one for its plummy, smoky aroma. It's a light red (12.5 percent alcohol), and light on the wallet, too: $3.99. Let's hear it for the halves.

A Winning White

Who doesn't love guests who bring wine? A couple of weeks ago, we got a bottle of 2009 Domain Lafage Côté Est Catalan from our friends Ron and Wendy. We didn't get around to opening it that day, but I have been sipping it the past couple of nights. I got strong pear and floral notes from this one, and it had the slightest hint of effervescence. It's a medium-bodied and refreshing blend of grenache, chardonnay and marsanne grapes (13 percent alcohol, about $12). It made me think of pinot grigio, if pinot grigio had a better personality. (If pinot grigio is Dwight Schrute, the Côté Est is Jim Halpert.) Absolutely nothing to hate about this one.

Right at Home

My friend Phyllis has been raving about Stonehome Wine Bar in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, for a while now, and on Thursday night I finally had a chance to go. What a lively joint! The interior seemed slightly Scandinavian, and the light was perfect -- soft and glowing, but not so low you can't read the menu. I loved the cantilevered end of the bar, where people can sit facing each other. The staff could not have been friendlier, and it's good people-watching, too: an artsy crowd, and men in fedoras, not ballcaps. How refreshing.
If you're in the mood to dabble, you're in luck at Stonehome, which serves flights of wine, in case you don't want to commit to a whole glass or bottle. I chose a set of Italian reds (three 3 oz. pours, $18). The first was a 2008 Corte Rugolin Valpolicello Classico (Veneto), which had notes of dried fruit and chalk, and had an absolutely silky mouthfeel. The second was a 2007 Poderi dal Nespoli Sangiovese (Romangna), which was all fruit and brightness. There was something a little gawky about this one, kind of like your embarrassing teenage years. Lastly was a 2007 Argiolas "Perdera" (Monica) Isola Del Nurahgi (Sardinia), which had notes of moss and was appealingly dry.
So what did we eat? I had a couple of appetizers: seared scallops and a crisp salad with apple slices and toasted pumpkin seeds. Phyllis ordered a selection of six cheeses (of course I sampled a few... all delicious.). The food is carefully chosen and prepared here, not an afterthought as it is at some other wine bars.
It was just the perfect setting to catch up with a friend I hadn't seen in a while.
(Photo from Citysearch)

Moonlighting

People who know me know that I love a) movies and b) wine. A certain someone named Francis Ford Coppola seems to have hit the jackpot, what with his legendary films like, oh, The Godfather, and also his own winery in Geyersville, Calif.
Bobby picked up a bottle made by Mr. Coppola, the 2007 Rosso, a zinfandel/syrah/cabernet sauvignon blend (about $9, 13.5 percent alcohol). It had notes of plum and honey, but the tannic blast gave me a case of cottonmouth. The label notes that his family has always made wine, "everyday wines," so I can't imagine he means for you to store this one in the cellar to wait for the tannins to smooth themselves out. At least he's got that movie career to fall back on.

Not Quite

Sometimes I get a craving for a particular wine, and last night it was pinot noir. I suppose I was daydreaming of warmer weather (it barely got out of the 30s yesterday), and a lighter red to go with it. Bobby brought home a 2008 Cavit Pinot Noir (Trento, Italy), and while it was a pleasant wine, it did not exactly hit the bull's-eye. Of course it had the brightness and berry flavors you'd expect in a pinot noir, but this one had a slight bitterness that was off-putting. I liked the light texture, though, and the medium body (12 percent alcohol), but I think I'll keep looking for the pinot of my daydreams.

Bubbles and History

On Sunday we settled in for Oscar Night, which is something of a holiday at our house. The broadcast had its moments but was one of the most tedious I can remember: I would have slashed the homage to horror movies, the dance number before the best score award and the memorial for John Hughes, not to mention the cringe-inducing testimonials before the actor/actress awards. That would have saved 40 minutes at least! But I was excited to see Kathryn Bigelow with her big win as the first female director, for "The Hurt Locker." She deserved it for her intense, gut-wrenching masterpiece.
We feasted on shrimp cocktail, sushi and crème caramel, and the Champagne was one of my old favorites, Piper-Heidsieck ($38). Too bad the bubbly ran out long before the show was over.

A Charming Chard

Made French onion soup on Sunday night. No sherry in the house as the recipe requested, so I improvised with white wine, a 2007 Walnut Crest Chardonnay (Valle Central, Chile), and the soup turned out absolutely irresistible. Might have also been the thick layer of Gruyère, but who's counting?
So how was the wine in the glass? Drinking chardonnay reminds me of my relationship with coffee, which I started dabbling with in high school. I didn't love it at first but kept coming around to it in its different variations and eventually grew to love it. I can't say I love chardonnay yet, but it's trying to work its charms on me. This one had a clean, crisp scent of minerals and was light on the palate (no oak, 13 percent alcohol, about $10), with a neutral finish.
I could drink this again, and from me, that's high praise for a chard.

Spanish Simplicity

Scott dropped by for tea late Friday afternoon, and later we turned to something a bit stronger: the 2008 Abrazo del Toro Tinto (80 percent garnacha and 20 percent tempranillo). It was overly bright at first, with a strong aroma of cherries; it definitely tasted young but not in an unpleasant way.
This was a bottle left behind by Laura, who said she stocked up at Trader Joe's, during last week's marathon of assembling wedding invitations. I think she said she paid $5.99 for it -- a great price for a nice, versatile wine. I haven't worked up the nerve to venture into the TJ's in Union Square because I've heard the crowds are epic. Also, everywhere else the store sells its famous Two Buck Chuck, which here is naturally Three Buck Chuck. As Cindy Adams says, "Only in New York."

A Pair of Reds

Monday was Taco Night at the Armstrongs' and naturally I wanted something with a little spice. (I know "Mexican wine" exists although I have not had it -- yet; the phrase always makes me think of the great Fountains of Wayne song. Anyway, it seems to me that most of Mexico would be too hot to produce good wine.) The 2007 Faustino VII Rioja was a delicious match for our vegetarian tacos, and it is such a great deal at $10 from Union Square Wines & Spirits. A cozy winter night at home with our visitors, Jude and Betsy, and the Olympics and the Westminster Dog Show to flip between...

And on Wednesday, I met up with friends for dinner at one of my favorite Ninth Avenue spots, the Market Cafe. (The photo above is from their Web site.) The sea scallop appetizer is still a must-have for me, and I decided to keep it relatively light with a Caesar salad and a shared side of their addictive spiced fries. The wine list was a little funky -- they did not have several of their selections, and after I ordered a pinot noir (bottles are all $29), it was not the one on the menu. The 2008 Casa del Sole from Puglia had a mossy aroma, and was smooth and light on the palate (13 percent alcohol). I've always had good luck at the Market, but I wish they'd sort out the confusion in the wine department.

Inheritance

The dead of winter and my thoughts turn toward a warming measure of port. We inherited a case of it after Bobby's Uncle Jimmy died almost eight years ago, and we still have a few bottles left. It's the 1985 Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port, and I have loved every drop over the years. It's definitely the most expensive wine I drink on a regular basis (it retails for about $90 a bottle).
This wine wasn't exactly stored properly before we received it -- the corks must basically be shredded to get inside -- and then there is the straining and decanting. Every bottle has had a few tablespoons of sediment. But it's been delicious anyway, despite the abuse.
Here's one review of the wine from around the time I first tasted it:
Wine International, October 2003
Gold Medal – International Wine Challenge 2003
“At nearly 20 years old, this Smith Woodhouse’85 still has plenty of life in it. It still has masses of ripe berries and ‘fruits confits,’ as a French judge put it, as well as maturing caramel and burnt sugar flavors. It is stunningly complex and has huge length.”
I think it's only improved since then.