2007 Westport Rivers Rkatsiteli

This is an impromptu tasting of a glass of white wine that I poured nearly 12 hours ago and totally forgot about.

My earlier review noted a touch of acidity with great fruit flavors and a strong, lasting finish. Currently, stone fruits dominate the aroma and the wine's formerly glorious acidity is practically non-existent, although I detect a mild presence at the very height of the finish.

Moleworth on minerality.

James Moleworth ($) blogs, Andy Rooney style, in defense of the wine descriptor, minerality. Without further a due and for your reading pleasure:

Simply put, there are a few things in life that can’t ever be explained—they just are. People tend to look like their dogs. It always rains right as weekend getaway traffic starts. And there’s minerality in wines.

The wine lexicon is always taking some heat, and that’s a good thing....

There’s a lexicon for any field of endeavor or pleasure that draws people to it. Do we question the terms "can of corn" or "frozen rope" in baseball? I remember when hearing those for the first time, they certainly sounded odd. But they also piqued my interest in the game. When I heard the stories or explanations behind those expressions, it just kindled my interest even more. The lexicon helped to lure me in.

The wine lexicon has grown and developed as wine writing has spread far and wide. It’s certainly broader than ever. Today, delivering a concise tasting note that conveys to the reader a sense of the wine is a critical part of wine writing—always was, always will be. But I agree that there’s a balancing act when using the wine lexicon. Too concise a note, and it comes off as cold and uninteresting (both the writer and the wine). Too much baroque language, however, and the note comes off as lacking critical integrity, turning into a fan-styled rah-rah instead.

"Minerality" is one of those terms that convey a distinct aspect of wine, a bracing, distinctly non-fruit aspect. It also takes on personal connotations when people use it. I’ve kicked the jagged limestone chunks in Gigondas and tripped over the rolled stones of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. I’ve scrambled up crumbling granite slopes in Chile, gotten sandstone dust in my mouth while in South Africa and been caked with clay and loam in Argentina. They all were different and after experiencing them all firsthand, I feel I can often find these different aspects of minerality in the wines.

Or should I say, in the better wines? No one ever seems to find minerality in an $8 critter label wine. Instead, it always seems to be in those wines that offer more complexity and dimension, the wines that speak distinctly of where they’re from. And ultimately, that’s what we’re all looking for—complexity and diversity. The more diverse the offerings we have to describe, the more diverse our lexicon needs to become.

So, sometimes I use terms like "iron" or "loam" to help convey that diversity. I don’t want to just say "minerality" all the time and leave it to the reader to assume there’s a range. But I also don’t want to write a 400-word tasting note with endless descriptors that turn into run-on sentences, leaving the reader blurry-eyed (though I don’t begrudge a writer their personal style). It's a balancing act, just like the wine itself.

I remember the first time I asked someone what exactly "oaky" meant when she referred to her favorite Chardonnay: Jordan. Moleworth recalls:

I remember one day as a youth, when my father was waxing poetic about a wine he was having at the dinner table. "Oak" this and all these fruit flavors he was finding. It was made from grapes, I thought, so how could there be raspberry and cherry in the wine? And oak?

“Think about licking this table,” said my dad, deadly serious.

My sister and I burst out laughing. We just didn’t get it then. But looking back now, I realize that incident helped kindle my interest in wine and, I think, "get it" today.

So, I’m going to hold the line on using the term "minerality," in no small part because I hope that it turns more folks on to wine, than not.

Petit Syrah

The first winery I ever visited was Concannon Vineyards in the Livermore Valley, I was a senior in high school on a science trip to San Francisco and the surrounding areas. A beautiful, memorable trip. While checking out the website linked in my prior post (below), I came across an interesting blog post with the title P.S. I love you, keep in mind, this is all while trying to decide whether to consider linking to the site.

Obviously the movie came to mind and I clicked through with a bit of intrigue. Hence the topic of this post. Petit Syrah is a wonderful grape varietal, I've tasted several, but never recorded anything on them. I promise to share experiences with them at a later date, in the meantime, check out my review of Shafer's Syrah, Petit Syrah blend: Relentless. However, I will leave you with one particular Petite Syrah with an almost cult-like following: Stags' Leap Winery.

Courtney Cochran tells us a bit about the varietal and makes some recommendations:

Grown in France under a synonym, Durif, Petite Sirah really comes into its own in California, where plantings are on the rise. Stylistically, Petite Sirah is the vinous equivalent of comfort food: warm, hearty and perfectly suited to cold weather. Watch for the grape's signature notes of jammy black fruits, espresso, charcoal and black pepper in these selections; prices are approximate.
Bogle Petite Sirah, California, $9
Lava Cap Granite Hill Petite Sirah, Sierra Foothills, $25
Michael-David Winery Earthquake Petite Sirah, Lodi, $25

I agree with the Bogle suggestion, have yet to try those other two but certainly the place to grow them would be the Sierra Foothills and Lodi. I'm thinking Clos Saron's Black Pearl. Speaking of Clos Saron, anyone ever have one of their Pinot Noirs?

P.S. Yes I know there's different spellings and I've chosen one not in sync with what Courtney writes, you may disagree, but I'm sticking to it.

P.S. I love you =)

Can you say "productivity booster"?

What a great addition this would be to my office, the plumbed version is worth it. Coffee...an aroma that is often found in red wines...any of them come to your mind? Here's a helpful link.

Bacon jam

Some of my colleagues go wild over pork. I saw bacon jam on Uncrate.com and about lost myself in complete bliss over the idea of spreading this over some wheat toast in the morning along with my eggs, more bacon on the side, and black coffee. Seriously, this sounds delicious!

…..what the heck is bacon jam?...

It is something we’ve been cooking up for a couple of years now on our trailers and for our burgers

…….we take a big bunch of really really good bacon, and render it down...add a bunch of spices..onions, etc..and let it simmer for about 6 hours…give it a quick puree, and blast chill it…and you have bacon jam..

P.S. Eggs are fun and according to some, notoriously difficult, to pair wine with. Frankly, I think Erik Johnson said it best, "Want to drink burgundy with pizza? Go ahead! In fact, give me a call--I'll join you".

ADDENDUM: Bacon jam sells T-shirts! Steep, $35 + taxes/S&H, but how could you resist?

Le Bernardin

A guest review on Wine me, Dine me and a personal shout out to Patrick of L'Espalier fame, one of Le Bernardin's newest talent acquisitions.

The dining room is beautiful and understated – clean lines, lit candles, light wood. The floral arrangements set all around are seasonal and stunning. We did not have to wait a single moment for our table even though we were early. The service is cordial. No one fawns over you – they do not have to. It is a privilege to be there. The food is the star of the show, not them, and certainly not you. As long as you go into the place knowing that, you will not get offended (some people need their proverbial asses kissed at all times. We’re totally not like that.). The service was unbelievably precise. A chair was pulled away from the table the moment you wanted to use the restroom. Your plate was cleared the moment you finished your last bite. The tablecloth was crumbed, wine was poured, glasses refilled. If you needed to walk back to your table, the staff would part like the Red Sea so you could make your way through.
[...]
The only disappointing portion of the meal (and by “disappointing” I mean “I didn’t have an orgasm when I ate it”) was dessert. Mike got a dark chocolate, caramel and peanut butter tart with praline ice cream and I got a hazelnut cream with homemade brown butter ice cream. Both were tasty but not extraordinary, but that was okay by me. By this point we were so thrilled with the food they could have given me an ice cream sandwich and I’d have been happy. We did order an after dinner drink. I had an armangnac and Mike got a cognac. That was probably a bad idea because they were expensive, but whatever, they were amazing and a perfect finish to our night of extravagance. We also got an amazing little set of petit fours at the very end of the meal which we ate with gusto despite being full. One of the main complaints about the restaurant is that the portions are too small. I say that people eat too much. The portions were perfect.

The bill was…well…it was big. Very big. Bigger than one ought to ever spend on dinner. But this wasn’t just dinner – it was an experience and one that neither of us will ever forget. We returned home broke, a little drunk, and unbelievably happy. If I were a millionaire, I’d eat there every week. As it stands, once a year will have to do. If you are ever in NYC and have some cash handy, please, go to Le Bernardin. Lunch is a bit cheaper (four courses for $68 – a steal!), so that’s a good option too. But if you love fish and you love food, you must experience Eric Ripert’s genius at least once. You won’t regret it.

2001 Capanna Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

Brunello--the Sangiovese clone know as Sangiovese Gross--is responsible for many awesome wines coming from Montalcino, gets its name from the brownish hue of the grape when it's ripe. There are three distinct areas in Montalcino, each of which produces a particular style. Generally speaking, from one of my reading sources, brunellos are big, rich, powerful and firm, exhibiting a peppery, almost spicy characteristic, along with tea, cinnamon, and fig.

Montalcino is divided into three major regions: the sunbaked southwest that produces big and rich wines, the northeast-facing scarp slope yields the elegant wines, and the firmest come from the sheltered southeast slope which is home to the pioneering Biondi-Santi.

Compared to my last review of this wine, I've come a long way and so has this 95-pointer from the classic 2001 vintage, which according to Wine Spectator, I opened too early. I rationalize it as research on how it's developed 18 months later.

Beautifully aromatic with aromas of dried citrus, culminating with red fruits, particularly with dark cherries dominating, followed by earth, leather and a touch of creamy vanilla and wood. On the palate, it exhibits a nice profile of red fruits intermixed with just the slightest touch of acidity and firm, yet subtle tannins that lead to a persistently dry finish.

Enjoyed alongside a nice medium rare New York Strip. As for cheese, I'm thinking Piave Vechio, Parmesan Reggiano, tallegio, perla gresia, cacio di bosco.

Second day: garnet-brick colors with more pronounced leather aromas, soft red fruit flavors on the palette, low acidity, dry finish.

Where to find it? One possibility D&L Liquors in Waltham and also in Woburn (~$70). I know Deluca's on Newbury St and Fairfield St carries Capanna wines, but not the 2001 Riserva.

Stay tuned for a recap of today's tastings

You can expect an upcoming summary of a day full of tastings in the outskirts outside of Boston in couple of days:

Grand Tasting at Gordon's Fine Wine & Liquors in Waltham

Fall Tasting at Spirited Gourmet in Winchester

Followed by an evening at the restaurant where I learned about a neighbor of Peter Michael who makes less than 100 cases of lovely sauvignon blanc, Knight's Bridge, which also has an awesome website, with recipes, maps, and excellent food pairings with their wine--I'm feeling a trend of only 100 cases of each. Here's one of the pairings:

2006 Knights Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon: Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard:

Herb-crusted lamb loin with terrine of potatoes and local radish/haricot vert salad. For dessert, couple with chocolate soufflé cake with crème anglaise and fresh blackberries.

P.S. The Spirited Gourmet in Belmont has a series of magnums like Grgich Hills 02 Cabernet Sauvignon on clearance, ones that I bet are close to peaking and in some rare cases, getting ready for the long haul of 10 years, maybe more. I've been tempted, but have yet to succumb.

Also, Gordon's hosts awesomes events, like the Sommelier Smackdown, 4 courses, 2 sommeliers, 8 different glasses of wine, you choose the winner, hosted by Sel De La Terre duo: Ian Grossman and Louis DiBicarri.

$1 Million dollar wine book

Kraken Opus CEO Karl Fowler makes a bold claim in saying "this is not a book", but it's backed up by the inclusion of a six-bottle case from 100 wineries to be selected in March at a gathering of top sommeliers in London. I wonder who'll be in attendance at this exclusive tasting to be known as "The United Nations of Wine".

Rachel Solar reports for Stuff@Night that only 100 books will be published. This makes 60,000 bottles, 600 bottles from each winery. CBC News has a more accurate price tag: £640,000 or $1.12 million with a weight over 30 kg and a size of 1.5 square meters. So what wines do you think will be selected?

I certainly hope Joly's Clos de la Coulée de Serrant makes the list because it's an exceptional chenin blanc--think seductive--so exceptional, in fact, to have its very own AOC (think Romanée-Conti and Château-Grillet).

1997 Freemark Abbbey Bosche Cabernet Sauvignon

From one of the guys, more specifically, The Wine Commonsewer.

A review of a stellar vintage in Napa and one of its major players from back in the day...e.g. Judgment of Paris, think Bottle Shock, the movie, but the part that should've been about the reds.

I've tasted the 2002, a legendary cabernet from a great year, yielding an aromatic Cabernet Sauvignon with juicy fruit that you could smell from a mile away while properly decanting with one of these into one of these). Awesome finish.

On dessert wines

Via Erik Johnson (Facebook). Online WSJ profiles California dessert wines.

My first memorable dessert wine was King's Estate Vin de Glaciere Pinot Gris with creme brulee at Hamiltons (Facebook).

Want your own cask of scotch?

Glenglassaugh gives scotch drinkers something to enjoy on a more personable touch. Made by men who distinguished themselves at places like Highland Park, Scapa, Glenmorangie, and Balvenie (I attended a tasting of Balvenie a few months back). From UrbanDaddy.com's email newsletter:

Introducing Glenglassaugh's Cask Ordering Service, a radical new concept that lets you order up a full cask of scotch now and drink it down in the future, available now.

Essentially, it's something you've always wanted: an epic amount of scotch, all for you. The brand sets you up with an octave—basically, a 50-liter cask—of hooch, and then lets it age for at least seven years. (You can let it go as long as you want—and you can even fill it up with the raw stuff yourself, if you happen to be in the Scottish neighborhood.) The price tag is a little more than 800 big ones, though it averages out to about 16 bucks a bottle—think of it as a blue-chip investment.

After that, just sit back and wait. Every year, they'll send you some samples just so you know how things are coming along. Then, when time is up, they'll bottle it for you and ship it your way—so in seven, maybe 12 years, you'll get a knock on the door from whatever hybrid of FedEx-DHL-UPS is still around, ready to drop off nearly 50 bottles of your very own, ready-to-drink scotch.

UrbanDaddy Boston also gave me the inside scoop for The Macallan's recent tasting at Cyclo-Rama.

2007 Westport Rivers Rkatsiteli

Westport Rivers Winery in Westport, MA is a quaint, lively place and if one is so inclined, include a brewery next door. They specialize in one of the most versatile styles of wine when it comes to drinking on any occasion: Champagne. In the case of most every maker who uses the traditional method outside of the Champagne region in France, they call it sparkling wine. But that's not the point of this post. The point isn't over the fact The point here is to share what else they've got in their hands with you.

Rkatsiteli originates from Georgia (Russia) and Wikipedia seeks a source verifying whether it was enjoyed extensively throughout the USSR, accounting for 18% of all wine production. The 2007 Westport Rivers Rkatsiteli is hailed to be the best vintage yet by a member of the Russell family. It's a delicious, medium-bodied white with great fruit flavors balanced with a nice touch of acidity and followed by a strong, lasting finish. The finish could be attributed to the meal I just ate, seared pork alfredo with a touch of chili garlic sauce.

Shameless self-promotion: Try this with charcuterie, things like SDLT's duck liver mousse with a glass of both the Westport RJR and the 2007 Rkatsiteli. Tues. & Weds. after 9 pm are charcuterie bar nights, $10 all you can eat, downstairs bar.

Stay tuned for reviews on some of the following, including their rare Pineau de Pinot, a distilled Pinot Noir blended with fermented Pinot Noir juice.

I've experienced many of their wines:

Rose of Pinot Noir (drank on the beach with rabbit and duck filled charcuterie items from Formaggio Kitchen, Cambridge).

2007 Chardonnay sporting low acidity, slightly creamy texture, and flavors of gala apple.

2001 Westport Imperial Sec, offering a slight sweetness mingling with stone fruit, then subdued by a rush of its lovely effervescence into a long, vibrant finish.

1993 Maximillian, their Tête de Cuvée, is aged on the lees for 15 years before disgorgement, creating a deliciously complex sparkling wine with beautiful gold colors and a firework show of bubbles.

1999 Blanc de Blancs

2001 Blanc de Noirs

2003/04 Westport Rivers RJR

non-vintage Pinot Gris

2006 Rkatsiteli

"Foxy" gene identified

Wine Spectator reports on advances in successfully isolating the gene that leads to "foxy" aromas in wine. While it'll probably be possible to breed a grape that has "European flavors" and "American resistance" in the near future, getting around numerous regulations over labeling, licensing, and everything else will be interesting to say the least.

A single gene change, whether through breeding or direct genetic manipulation, robs a grape of the right to carry a famous varietal name like Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay. The hurdle of marketing new varieties might be the biggest challenge of all.

Additionally, pesticides are the main expense for vineyards and one of their greatest worries is mildew, for which they spray every 2 weeks to prevent.

2005 Denuño Jumilla, Spain

I worked an event for the New England Culinary Guild at the Commander's Mansion in Watertown. There I met a member of the family behind BLM Wine and Spirits. We poured several wines, unfortunately I only really tasted two of the wines, both red, enough to develop the opinion; the others were a Pinot Gris, a Prosecco, and a Kerner.

2005 Denuño: Jumilla, ESP
This exciting blend of 90% Petit Verdot, 5% Monastrell, and 5% Syrah with 13.5% alcohol, 6 months of barrel aging juice is delicious. I was speaking with John, host of a radio talk show on food and wine, about the varietal characters of Petit Verdot and how this was the most petit verdot I had ever had in a wine and hence the closest thing I've gotten to experiencing its pure varietal characteral s demonstrated in Heitz's 100% Petit Verdot, which also, surprisingly enough, has 13.5% alcohol.

The Winemaker calls wild berries, spice, and toasted oak. I wrote, garnet to ruby colors on the fringe, with creamy sort of dark fruit (black & red), spice, and a slight touch of an earthy element. A bit restrained when first opened. Soft tannins, low acidity, and a nice finish round out this easy-drinker. Decant.

Many people asked about how much I thought this wine would cost in the store. I reasoned it'll be no more than $15, but I'm curious to find out. Also, one particularly lovely lady ;) asked about the wine's with the most reservatrol in the same line as pinot noir. For the record, Tannat comes from the Madiran and has been suggested to me to have the most reservatrol.

Stay tuned for more on Pinot Noir, and for the lovely lady who requested a list of affordable Pinot Noirs, one will follow shortly.

The other red was a Mendocino Barbera that was deliciously plush with red fruit with some zippy acidity and mild tannins (IMO, tannins + meatless pizzas = bad), I instantly thought back to sharing many Regina's margarita pizzas with medium basil and crispy crust with many bottles of Barbera d'Asti and Barbera d'Alba.

Shameless plug to somewhere else related to wine: A perfectly affordable case of wine.

2006 Gaja Sito Moresco & Ca'Marcanda Blanc?

Garnet red with shades of light pink at its furthest edge. Wonderful aromas of black and red fruits, roses, subtle spiciness, leather, and dark chocolate; a very aromatic, well balanced wine with fine, integrated tannins with just a touch of acidity and a long finish.

This wine is being enjoyed alongside Chinese watercress sauteed with garlic and a pork stir fry with mushrooms and peppers heaped atop a mound of white rice. I'd also pair this wine with hearty fare: steak, duck, pork, short ribs, pizza with mozzarella and basil, and most anything with white or black truffles. As for cheese, Perla Gresia, Cacio di Bosco (sheep), robiola, La Tur, Tallegio, Piave Vecchio.

My review of the 2005 Sito Moresco is here. Two bottles left of the 2006, to be drank sooner than later, probably over the next year.

Side note: Gaia Gaja writes about Ca'Marcanda's 2009 harvest and their experimentation with white varietals in Wine Spectator.

I like the strong experimental nature of Ca'Marcanda. Since the winery is quite young, with the first vines planted in 1996, we give total freedom to all sorts of experiments, such as planting white grapes, green harvest and trimming, and different methods of vine training (such as Guyot and Cordone Speronato). Each parcel that has been treated differently is kept separate for micro-fermentation and aging. Our experimental wines currently are sold in bulk.
[...]
At Ca' Marcanda, there are two distinct soil types, terre bianche (white soils), composed mainly of clay and limestone, and terre brune (dark soils), which contain less limestone. The grapes from the darker soil taste fruitier, sweeter and more delicate, with softer tannins. Grapes grown in the lighter soil have intense flavor, bigger tannins and a notable structure that differentiates those for the Camarcanda (terre bianche) from those for the Promis (terre brune) bottling.

Foie gras

Salon cuts through the hype over foie gras.

I love Hudson Valley foie gras turned into a torchon, I love it on top of a SDLT burger, my suggestion for a SDLT burger with foie gras torchon was featured in Boston Magazine's Best of Boston award write-up for SDLT's bar menu, the behemoth was noted by Boston Magazine editors to be

positively gut-busting.

More importantly, here's a much more enlightening quote, specifically from Izzy Yanay, owner of Hudson Valley foie gras,

The foie gras could be delicious, but if it's being produced with the torture of animals, it should not be produced. It should be banned, and I'll be the first one to close the farm if the duck would not be comfortable.

Try pairing foie gras in its many forms with a Sauternes, Alsace Riesling or Guwerztraminer (especially SGNs & VTs), Samos Muscat, or better yet, Shadow Canyon's late harvested, botrytized Pinot Blanc known as Paeonia. Paeonia is stellar, viscous, well-balanced, complex, and utterly delicious; the current vintage is 2004 and it comes from the Bien Nacido Vineyard, home to some fabulous Syrahs and also white Rhone varietals like Roussanne.

1997 Kalin Cellars Sauvignon Blanc

Found this beauty at Eastern Standard (ESK) for around $50 after attending Sommelier Smackdown where Kate Moore of L'Espalier took the crown from Todd Lipman of Bin 26 Enoteca as they dueled it out to pair 4 wines to the theme of Breakfast for Dinner.

Deep golden color, subtle fruit, traces of sweetness, low acidity, nice creamy'ish mouthfeel, long finish.

1995 Guenoc Reserve Beckstoffer IV Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

At age 13, you could smell and taste the loamy currant, hints of cedar, well-integrated tannins coat the mouth, all of this leaves me wanting a bit more. This pales in comparison to the other wine of the night (see below).

ADDDENDUM: You can't see below because this blog has been imported and this post was retrieved from my archives: 10/3/08). The other wine of the night: 2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia. We had both these wines with porterhouses and I think sauteed spinach, peppers, and other vegetables along with baguettes. Good night. Thanks P.

On Steaks (Jean Luc Colombo)

Just thinking back to my earlier post, steaks are so easy to pair with red wines that you've tasted before. Think back to what the wine tasted like and then season your steaks accordingly.

Example, I'm thinking of Syrah. One by made by the man who said this:

Cornas is part of the Northern Rhône hillsides, which is where Syrah comes from, and where Syrah gives its greatest expression. At the same time, the hills of Cornas benefit from Mediterranean influences, which bring a lot of character to the wine.

Cornas' hero, and non-traditionalist (supscription required?) Jean Luc Colombo's Les Farot Syrah, 2006 Côtes du Rhône. It's 100 % Syrah, yummy with spice, juicy, with a nice earthiness accompanying a grip of fruit and nicely balanced tannins. His "non-traditional" ways: French oak, destemming, and green harvests.

Here's what I do with the steak: rosemary, some garlic (completely optional), olive oil, and cook to R- (rare minus) by special cooking method not permitted in restaurants per health regulations. Then sear the steaks under some fire after seasoning with sea salt, fresh cracked black peppercorn, fresh rosemary, thyme. Think garrigue when seasoning.

Sidenote:

Speaking of steak wines, Wine Spectator's Sam Gugino talks about Wagyu Skirt (skirt steaks are one of the butcher's cut (like hangar steak) and red wines like a California meritage, Super Tuscan, Aussie Shiraz (Mollydooker's $90 Carnival of Love), and an Argentinian Malbec. Mollydooker, with 95 pts, was the only one to receive a plug because it was deemed WS worthy. Don't get me wrong, it's a great wine, in the same level as this.

Beckstoffer grapes are on James Laube's newest hot list of California Cabernets and understandably so. My last Beckstoffer encounters were through several wines by Anthony Bell's Bell Wine Cellars, and a 1995 Guenoc Beckstoffer IV from over a year ago.

Facebook plug to Bell Wine Cellars and a bravo to Anthony Bell for the 2004 Sonnette! I'm looking forward to reviewing his Clone 6 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Spirited Gourmet, Winchester, MA

Erskine poured, I drank, spit some, and took notes each of which is followed by my at the moment wine pairing with each:

2008 South African Sauvignon Blanc from Stellenbosch made by Mulderbosch
Acclaimed to be the standard for South African Sauvignon Blanc is a pretty big assertion, an agreeable standard, Right now, I'm thinking pan sear scallops (dusted in sugar, honey, butter), speck, citrus, and a plate studded with balsamic reduction for some toasted sourdough baguettes.

Newton's other Chardonnay, 2007 Red Label
A Wall Street Journal Top Pick, nicely balanced, buttery and oaky chardonnay with a nice creaminess, and small notes of acidity. Think butter poached lobster (I'd also go with a white Burgundy), polenta, coddled egg, and tempura bok choy (from the man at the heart of the house at SDLT Back Bay).

2007 White Riesling by Fenestra
Displays varietal character aromas like good Australian or Alsace rieslings, but not much on the palette. It'd be decent with a variety of foods, but not something to scream to the hills about, it's more about lubricating the company that you keep with these wines ;) Decent value for an evening sipper with a few indulgent snacks, close friends, and a show.

A 2007 Bonarda (aka Charbono) made by La Posta, from Mendoza
Charbono is a great steak wine, specifically if you're having a BBQ involving charcoal and beef or smoked baby back ribs rubbed in a sweet marinade involving lots of black peppercorn. It's the most widely planted grape in Argentina, but it follows in the shadow of Argentinian Malbecs, a major sales beacon not short in supply. Perfect for a night by the fire with dark chocolate, e.g. after aforementioned dinner above. Keep your eyes peeled for my review of and pairing with Robert Foley's Charbono.

2005 Gundlach Bundschu's (GunBun) Mountain Cuvee from Sonoma
Yummy. Bordeaux like with great fruit with a nice peppery punch of Syrah. Erskine suggests roast leg of lamb. Agreed with some carrots; bacon wrapped fingerlings and a sides of rosemary pomme frites and broccoli sauteed in garlic, soy sauce, and oyster sauce.

2007 Pillar Box Red Hendry's Drive from Padthaway in Australia
Juicy, value with 90 points from Robert Parker. Erskine suggests a bowl of chili or cheese enchiladas. I say make the chili semi-sweet and with some nice spice. or a nice juicy steak, like a filet au poivre or a plate of beef carpaccio, sopressata, and olives with toasted baguettes, and balsamic reduction.

Sidenote:
Staff Tasting tonight included a blind tasting of the easy-drinking Italian Pinot Grigio Volpe Pasini's Grivo from the Colli Orientalli del Fruili, meaning the eastern hills of Fruili, considered to be one of the best regions, Karen MacNeil might even call it the best area.

Disclaimer: I guessed wrong..lol..oh well, I'm not even close to be ready to jump on level 2 certification, expanding my French repertoire.

Followed by Ben Marco Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina and the Mauritson Dry Creek Zinfandel served with Steak Frites. Both are great reds for juicy, red steak frites in a red wine shallot reduction. That Malbec reminds of the Sabato, the latter was better but more expensive and the best glass on the wine by the glass (WBG) list at the time and more expensive than the current price of the Ben Marco (<$60). This would also go great with deconstructed PBJ sandwiches or loads of jam and a plateful of cheeses like a robiola (luxurious with La Tur), clothbound Cheddar, Roaring 40's, and Perla Gresia (aka Gray Pearl; Antonio Carpaneda, master “affinatore” of the Casearia creates this yummy Italian cheese from the Veneto, cow's milk, 90 days aging, studded with black truffles and with a cinnamon and ash rind).

Distinguished Napa Valley Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel man, Mike Grgich, traced Zinfandel's roots to his native Croatia (you'll see a Croatian flag on all his labels), his researchhas been confirmed. The Mauritson Zinfandel was filled with jammy, borderline raisiny/pruny fruit and packed a punch without seeming hot. It's from the Dry Creek Valley so I'd judge it to be moderate in alcohol content compared to some other Zinfandels like the 2006 Four Vines Maverick. Delicious. I wonder about Croatian cheeses, I'd pair it with a creamy Brie di Nangis, "sticks" of Piave Vecchio, Istara's Ossau Iraty, Cacio di Bosco (Pecorino Tartufo), Humbolt Fog or Bijou melted underneath the salamander on a toasted baguette then slathered with jam.

2002 Shafer Relentless

I've always been a fan of Shafer wines. Back in the day at Hamiltons, I credit Shafer wines with my epiphany and what has become a well-paying job for me as a sommelier. I'd have to say it was a toss up between Shafer's Relentless and Firebreak, but what sealed the deal in 2005 was their Hillside Select. Now, on to the note for the 2002 Relentless.

Deep purple colors with minor fading on the edge. Dark fruits, meat, pepper, herbs (rosemary on 2nd day), subtle cedar aroma. Full-bodied and well-balanced with flavors of dark fruits (my mom tasted plums; sounds like her palette is developing nicely), pepper, and a creamy mid-palate texture followed by integrated tannins and a mild acidity.

When I opened the first bottle of this half-case awhile back (about 1 year ago) I thought it was at or near its peak. Now, I feel it can go a bit longer; I've got two bottles left.

Current vintage: 2006.

I recently tasted the 2005 Hillside Select and was thoroughly impressed. It's almost shameful to drink it so young, but it's seductive and extremely delicious. Too bad the Hillside Select mailing list is closed :(