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.

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.