Wine Tasting in Woodinville, Washington

We were so excited at the prospect of wine tasting in Washington… but the question was, where would we go? There are 11 different appellations in Washington, and 10 are located east of the Cascades mountain ranges, as far as 3-5 hours of driving from Seattle. Yakima is the closest appellation east of the mountains, but we weren’t familiar with the wines from there, and Walla Walla and Columbia Valley were too far given our schedule.

Thank goodness for Woodinville. The Woodinville wine clusters began with the establishment of Chateau Ste. Michelle in 1976, whose production now dwarves that of all other wineries in Washington. There are over 80 wineries in Woodinville. Some of them are cellar doors with vineyards in the eastern appellations (Puget Sound is the appellation west of the Cascades, and none of the winemakers we spoke with think much of it – for now). Many are small production wineries (~1000 cases) whose owners may hold other full time jobs. Consequently, most of the wineries are only open for tasting on Saturdays, or open by appointment on Sundays (thankfully, that fit neatly into our schedule).

Woodinville is a veritable oasis of excellent wines. There were too many wineries to choose from, so I used the reviews over at Cellar Tracker to help with my research. I came up with a list of 15 wineries to visit; we only managed to hit half on the list, but visited others on the enthusiastic urging of the winemakers we met.

Wineries/Cellar Doors we visited:
1. Tempest Sol
Winemaker Gus White poured for us. We tried all his currently available vintages: 2008 Eos, 2007 Helios, 2010 Viognier, and the 2008 Aglianico (intriguing choice of an Italian varietal), as well as a 2009 Cabernet Franc and 2009 Syrah that were still sitting in the tanks, waiting to be barreled. We enjoyed chatting with Gus, who works full time at Microsoft developing the Kinect, and part time on this “hobby”. He told us he’s been making wine for the past 8 years, and started Tempest Sol a few years ago. His wines are mostly sourced from the Yakima AVA.

Bought – 1x 2008 Eos, 1x 2010 Viognier

2. Cuillin Hills
Winemaker Derek DesVoigne poured for us. He focuses on making Rhone and Bordeaux varietals, and we tried all 6 of his current offerings. His wines are sourced primarily from Stillwater Creek (Columbia Valley), Sagemoor Weinbau (Columbia Valley), and Meek Family Vineyard (Yakima). Of all we tasted, we really liked the 2008 Shackled Syrah and the 2009 Instigator Syrah. The latter had lots of tannins on the mouth, dry but smooth, with a smoky and meaty mouth feel.

Bought – 1x 2008 Shackled, Columbia Valley

3. William Church
We went to William Church on the recommendation of Gus, and what a solid recommendation that was! They make about 3500 cases there, so it’s about 3 times the size of Cuillin Hills and Tempest Sol. Unlike the other two wineries, we were served by volunteers here. We tasted the 2010 Viognier (wonderful bouquet! LOVED IT!), 2008 Bishops Blend (delicious), 2007 Sur La Meh (Beautiful! Totally in love with this one!), 2007 Cabernet Savuignon from Columbia Valley, 2008 Malbec, 2008 Two Spires (nice sweetish finish), and the 2007 Syrah.

It’s a pity, but we didn’t end up buying any from the winery. We were headed to Canada the next day, so we were mindful of not going over our legal limit as to the number of bottles we could bring in or come back across the border with. We thought we would have enough time on the return trip to buy more. Guess there’s always online shipping!

4. Sparkman Cellars
To be honest, my recollection of this winery is somewhat hazy. We were served by a couple girls, one of whom had just started her first day on her job and was thus almost as clueless as we were about the wines. But they were friendly, and we enjoyed their 2008 Wilderness Red Blend, which is a blend of Cab, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. And we learnt that the Red Mountain AVA, whilst the smallest and newest appellation, makes some of the best wines in the state.

Bought – 1x 2008 Wilderness Red Blend

5. Patterson Cellars
There was a party helping to bottle the wines when we visited, which was fun to watch. We tried a bunch of wines, my favorite being the 2007 Woodslake Cabernet Franc. We’d tried a couple prior to Patterson’s and found theirs the most outstanding of the lot: Great representation of Cab Franc with its tobacco and raspberry notes and peppery finish.

One great thing about Patterson – theirs is the best shipping policy we’ve seen to date. $10 shipping charges for any number of bottles you buy!

Bought – 2x 2010 Chardonnay, 1x 2008/2009 Due Ann, 2x 2007 Woodslake Cabernet Franc, 1x 2008 Syrah Sirah

6. Baer Winery
Lisa, one of the owners, poured their tastings of the 2008 Arctos and the 2010 Shard for us. I’d heard of Baer from the Wine Discount Center when they sent out a newsletter featuring Baer’s 2008 Ursa. Funnily enough, she had just returned from Chicago, where she sold the last of her 2008 Ursa to the Wine Discount Center.

Leroy Redford of Flying Dreams makes their wines for them.

7. Flying Dreams
We were pointed to Flying Dreams by Gus of Tempest Sol, who told us that Leroy Redford, the winemaker, used to be a professional ballet dancer before he turned to wine. Leroy poured for us, even though we came knocking minutes before he closed. He sources his wines from a bunch of different vineyards, including Stillwater Creek (Columbia Valley) and Sagemoor Weinbau (Columbia Valley), like Cuillin Hills.

We especially loved his 2009 Syrah, which was especially smooth with explosions of berries and spice in the mouth. We got two bottles which Leroy autographed with a thick golden-tipped felt pen.

Bought – 2x 2009 Syrah

8. Pomum
Because Jeff was so excited about Leroy’s Tempranillo, Leroy pointed us to Pomum, the other winery in the area that focuses on Spanish-styled wines. The owner of Pomum is a Spanish architect. They’re not usually open for tastings on Sundays, but Jeff sent them an email and the sister of the winemaker, Ana, opened the doors for us and treated us to generous pours. It was fun chatting with her, about wine and everything else under the sun. We were there for close to an hour before we realized we had to hurry if we wanted to taste anything else.

Jeff liked their take on Tempranillo with the 2008 Tinto, though I found it to be a little harsh on the tannins. I preferred the 2007 Shya Red Bordeaux blend, which was smooth and lush on the tongue, with a long and sweet finish.

9. Janiuk
The Januik compound is sprawling, compared to the prior wineries we’d visited. The tasting room was elegantly designed, with high ceilings and glass doors that framed the one side while the other side opened to a gallery where visitors could look down into the expansive wine making facility that joined the building. It was packed with people too – not quite as bad as in Napa, but we had to wait for a bit to get a tasting.

While we prefer going to the smaller wineries so we would have a chance to chat with the winemakers themselves and understand more about their unique wine making process, we couldn’t fault the wines at Janiuk’s. The Januik branded wines are sold alongside the Novelty Hill brands, since winemaker Mike Januik makes those wines as well. For $7, we could choose 4 of the Novelty Hill/Januik wines to taste, or for $10, we could taste 4 of their reserve wines. We chose the latter, and were blown away by the 2008 Champoux Cabernet Sauvginon, as well as the 2008 Reserve Red. But the price tags seemed a little too steep, particularly when we factored in the shipping taxes. In the end, I bought 3 bottles on behalf of my boss, but passed for ourselves.

10. Dusted Valley
What a find! We lucked out in the tasting – they’d just had a Stained Tooth Society (the wine club) Syrah tasting the evening before, and had some leftover reserve and library wines to taste. We had such a blast going down the range of Syrah, from the different appellations. It was most interesting to see how the wines from the same year differed from the various appellations. Perhaps it was because we’d just sampled 5 different Syrahs in a row, but the 2008 Wahluke BFM Merlot jumped right out at us. It was such a luscious mouthful of goodness!

Gotta love Dusted Valley’s wine club. Winemaker and co-owner Corey explained that when he’d been looking for wine clubs to join back in the day, he’d been frustrated by the lack of choices offered. Most wine clubs choose your selections for their members, giving them not much of a choice in what wines they want. When Corey and his brother-in-law Chad formed their own wine club, they decided to let members choose what they wanted (which makes it more difficult for the winery to manage inventory). Thus, twice a year, members get a full say in what they want to drink. Which worked out perfectly for us in this case. We picked out a mixed case of primarily Syrah, and 3 bottles of that tasty BFM Merlot, to split with my boss. And, as an initiation gift to the Stained Tooth Society, we were presented with toothbrushes. Hah!

Bought – 1x – 2009 CV STS, 2x 2008 CV Rachis Syr, 3x 2008 Wahluke BFM, 2x 2005 Smasne Syrah, 2x 2006 WW Birch Cre, 2x 2006 CV Reserve Syrah

11. Chateau Ste Michelle
Jeff dubbed it “The Mothership”. It’s a sprawling estate.

12. Goose Ridge
Medium-sized winery… make wines using a small amount of their grapes; the bulk of them they sell to other wineries. Really delicious wines for the price – something must be said for economies of scale!

Bought – 1x Chardonnay, 1x Pinot Gris

A New Home (To Be)

Well, the sellers called last night while we were out at dinner. Yes, they’d accept our final offer. *Beams*

Dinner was at Bonsoiree for their “underground dining event” with the Rs. A six course, BYOB dinner with:

1. Poke Ahi Tuna, Spring Herb Salad, Lotus Root, Ume Boshi Vinaigrette.
2. Premium Wagyu Beef Basted with Fat of Foie Gras served with
Shin’s Special Sauce.
3. Parmesan & Roasted Garlic Soup, Candied Japanese Eggplant,
Caramelized Sweet Onions, Truffled Breadstick.
4. Grilled Lamb Chop from Mint Creek Farms, Spring Peas, Morels,
Sparkling Tomato.
5. Rhubarb Sorbet, Burton’s Farm Maple, Artichoke Bacon Crisp.
6. Matcha Rice Pudding, Kinako Strawberries, Apricot Fritter

We wolfed down every bite, savored the myriad play of flavors as they danced across our tongues, while trying to pace ourselves with the three bottles of wine that we brought: a Yalumba Chardonnay, a Dobbes Viognier (that the Rs brought back from Oregon), and a bottle of Greysands Pinot Noir 2007 that J brought back from Tasmania. There was plenty to celebrate and toast about: the house purchase, A’s new start up gig and his getting funding.

All too soon, we polished off our dinner, and the wine. But no matter, we adjourned back to our place, where D joined us, and where we popped open two more bottles: a Capaiux Pinot Noir, and a Rioja. A little too much wine perhaps, but eh, it was a Saturday night.

Here are some pics of the potential new place (still gotta send in the final contract, have the house inspection, obtain mortgages and all that good stuff):

The building

Living and dining room

Kitchen (comes with a mini built-in wine fridge)

Master bedroom with a walk-in closet

Master bathroom with steam shower and jacuzzi tub

Second bedroom (try to imagine it as a study, sans crib)

Guest bathroom

Deck off the bedroom

On wine, reading, and diving

Looking forward to diving in Tioman this weekend. The itinerary looks packed though, with dives from early morning through the early evening. At least I don’t have any night dives scheduled; still need to take my advanced diving for that. I wouldn’t mind a couple less dives in lieu of lounging on a beach chair by the waves with a good book in hand.

Been a while since I’ve picked up a book to read; re-reading Harry Potter and my wine books don’t count. So I stopped by the bookstore yesterday, and picked up 4 books: one on business, and three wine-related books. Hehe. I nearly bought The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It but then saw Bunny Crumpacker’s The Sex Life of Food: When Body and Soul Meet to Eat. Leafed through it – hilarious! So I got that too, along with Hugh Johnson’s Wine, a Life Uncorked and Vivienne Sosnowski’s When the Rivers Ran Red: An Amazing Story of Courage and Triumph in America’s Wine Country*.

Hehe so, even though I may have no wine to drink this weekend, at least I’ll still be able to read about it.

Did have some good wines this past week though:
1. Saint Clair Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Marlborough New Zealand
2. Kauri Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2007, Marlborough New Zealand
3. Battle of Bosworth Shiraz Viognier 2005, McLaren Vale Australia
4. Atteca Garancha Old Vine 2006 Spain

My uncle (dad’s cousin really), a really youthful-looking dude (such that it’s hard for me to treat him as an uncle, and not a drinking buddy), went out to dinner with our family on Sunday night, and brought along the first two bottles. He’s a wine lover, and drinks quite voraciously, though only whites. He did bring a French red for us that dinner, and though we didn’t have it at dinner, he insisted that I bring it home to enjoy. Really liked the Saint Clair; beautifully light, with a wonderful fragrance.

I had the two reds at that said uncle’s place on Thursday evening; apparently it’s a family tradition to keep trading dinner treats back and forth – not that I mind in the least; he’s an excellent cook. The reds were both delightful on their own, but paired with his smoked salmon salad, oyster mushroom soup, and generous slabs of beef, sausages, and sea bass, the wines took on an almost cherry-like sweetness in the mouth. It was incredible, how well both wines paired with the food. Mmm.

*The LA Times on “When the Rivers Ran Red”:

‘When the Rivers Ran Red’ recalls Prohibition’s effect on wine country
Author Vivienne Sosnowski now has different images of the 1920s.
By Nick Owchar
August 5, 2009

Rivers and creeks overflowing with wine — was it a biblical sign of the end of the world or time for a free drink?

This singular image kept coming up as Vivienne Sosnowski talked to the elder members of Northern California wine-making families — many in their late 90s — about life after Prohibition took effect in 1920. And it’s the image that inspired the title of her book “When the Rivers Ran Red: An Amazing Story of Courage and Triumph in America’s Wine Country” (Macmillan: 256 pp., $26.95).

“When I read how the dumped wine killed plants and orchards, and how fish died, it just boggled my mind,” she said in a recent telephone interview.

“When the Rivers Ran Red” casts light on a less-understood aspect of that infamous period in American history — an era whose familiar images of Prohibition usually don’t include its effect on American wineries.

A Tasting at the Wine Gallery

Andrew sent out an email to the DGS listhost, informing us of a free wine tasting of Australian and New Zealand Wines at the Wine Gallery Saturday. I was intrigued by the vast quantity of wines available for tasting – 76!!! – and curious to visit an unexplored wine shop. A little odd though, that nobody else on the 60 strong listhost wanted to join me. No matter, Wellian and I had been trying to meet up for the longest time now, so I invited him over for the afternoon. Hehe, he isn’t that big a drinker (tried prolly a third of what I tasted), but it was fun to catch up and chat nonetheless.

Elderton Command Shiraz 2005, Australia – Hehe, when I first arrived, I was a little overwhelmed by the packed tables of closely stacked bottles of wines available for tasting (76 different wines in all), and thus tried to get a handle on my confusion by going for the label that I knew. The Elderton. Could I have this please? I asked the guy, pointing at the unopened bottle of the Elderton Command. Would you want to try the Elderton Friends bottle instead, he asked, lifting the opened bottle of Friends. I demurred, since I had tasted it before (at Seven Ate Nine with Tanya and Paul). Smiling slightly as he opened the Command, he said, woah, you’ve gunned straight for the most expensive bottle in the room. Oops. Hehe.

Oh but it was good. We really shouldn’t have started on that bottle. Almost everything after couldn’t compare. It had a beautiful inky color, with a nose that smelled almost as dense as it looked, of concentrated raisins. Super smooth in the mouthfeel with a finish that lingered on and on. Totally loved it!

The Wine Advocate writes of the wine (97 points):

Elderton’s flagship is the single vineyard Command Shiraz, a wine with serious aging potential, and one with which all other South Australia Shiraz must be compared. The opaque purple/black 2005 Command Shiraz was aged in French and American oak puncheons (500-liter barrels). It offers up a sexy/kinky bouquet of wood smoke, lavender, leather, game, mineral, black raspberry, and blueberry pie. Voluptuous on the palate, complex, and dense, it demands a decade of cellaring after which it should offer hedonists much pleasure through 2035.”

Stephen Tanzer writes of the wine (94 points):
Inky ruby color. Vibrant raspberry, cherry-vanilla and coconut aromas are complemented by candied licorice and smoky minerals. Pliant, palate-coating red and dark berry preserve flavors are perked up by Asian spices and smoky minerals. Pretty exotic but not over the top, with gentle tannins adding shape and focus to the long, sweet finish. This is downright sexy today.

D’arenberg the Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier 2007, Australia – Unfortunately for this wine, we tasted it right on the heels of the Command. It tasted hot, with a tinge of metal in the mouth, and wasn’t as satisfyingly smooth or full bodied. A decent wine on its on to be sure nonetheless.

Elderton Ode to Lorraine CSM 2005, Australia – I think I’m a fan of Elderton wines; would be awesome if I could visit their vineyard if I do manage to go to Barossa in September. This one was delicious, with a nose so strongly reminiscent of Ribena that even Wellian agreed. Hehe. It also reminded me somewhat of a Maderia, with a sun burnt quality. Heh it was rated the top 16 wine of 2008. The American Singaporean (AS, we’ll call him. That’s the correct terminology for a migrated American?? Heh) standing next to us couldn’t help remarking over and over when he was tasting this wine, oh my god, this wine would do me in, it’s so damn strong. Indeed, it was, a heavy, powerful wine. He thought it would be too heavy to go with steak, I reckoned it would be a perfect after-dinner/dessert wine.

Stella Bella Tempranillo 2005, Australia – The AS wasn’t a fan of the powerful wines, it turned out. Singapore’s too hot, he said, and recommended his favorite tasting of the day, the Tempranillo (more often a Spanish wine). It was much lighter, smoother. Actually, kind of a milder version of the CSM, which I found way more fun.

Green Point Pinot Noir 2007, Australia – My best value tasting of the day, hands down. The AS was similarly enthusiastic about it as well. This light colored – almost pink – Pinot Noir was more old world style, with a huge earthy nose of truffles. Beautiful nose, and deliciously meaty body and finish. I need to stock up on this; only I’m not sure if the usual fare we eat at home would pair well with this.

Cape Mentelle Zinfandel 2006, Australia – Wellian liked this one, nice and smooth.

St Hallet Old Block Shiraz 2005, Australia – Another recommendation of the AS. Nice big nose, very full bodied wine, but not nearly as sweet as the command or the CSM.

Jacob Creek Johann Shiraz Cabernet 2001, Australia – It was smooth, not bad, but for its price (~S$126) somewhat unexciting.

Fox Creek Shiraz Grenache 2007, Australia – Not bad, quite smooth.

Mitchelton Crescent Shiraz Mourvedre Grenache 2004, Australia – Rhone style, not too bad, but otherwise unmemorable – don’t have notes on it.

Green Point Sparkling Rose NV, Australia – After the exciting Pinot Noir from the same vineyard, I was thoroughly disappointed by this. It was insipid, without a nose, and without a body and finish. Basically your kind of wafer thin model wihout any curves whatsoever. The bubbles were huge and clumsy too. Hmm, actually, I just glanced through my journal, and I have tasted another Green Point before, a Viognier from our Yarra Valley DGS Tasting. I wasn’t impressed by the Viognier then too. But I really like their Pinot.

Sileni Estate Circle Semillon 2004, New Zealand – Lemony, limestone, nice refreshing weight in the mouthfeel

Montana Pinot Noir 2007, New Zealand – Not too bad, but I much prefer the Green Point Pinot Noir in terms of aromas, smoothness, and finish. This one seemed a shadow of the Green Point.

D’arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz 2006, Australia – It had a meaty nose, which stood it apart from the other Shiraz I had that day, but apart from that, I can’t remember too much about it

American Winolympics

I’ve really missed American wines, as well as my all-time favorite Sam’s Wines. Consequently, I was like a kid in a candy shop when Jeff and I went back to Sam’s last Friday to shop for a case of wines for our American Winolympics Tasting.

And it’s super gratifying too, when the wine store clerk is even more enthusiastic than you in recommending wines for your tasting. I love this guy – I always go look for him whenever I go into the store because I know he’ll have some fun stuff lined up. It’s not to say that every one of the wines he recommends is a winner – because we’ve had some where we were like, hmmmm – but his excitement is quite contagious.

From Chicago Spring 2009

Me with Rob H., who was super helpful in picking out wines for our tasting

Early bird special: Chloe Jeremy Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2006 - found this to be super concentrated and dark, with seemingly many layers that has yet to be revealed; would probably be good for a few more years yet. Velvety and spicy on the tongue.

From Chicago Spring 2009

Whites

#1 Gruet Blanc de Noirs Brut, New Mexico, NV

This was Aaron’s favorite white; who knew New Mexico makes such excellent sparkling wines???

#2 Pacific Rim Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley, 2007

Bonny Doon of Santa Cruz makes some decent cheap Chenin Blanc!

#3 Hickory Creek Chardonnay Unoaked, Michigan, 2007 

This was an excellent example of an unoaked Chardonnay. Most people correctly guessed that it was an unoaked Chardonnay, but everyone was surprised that it was from Michigan!

#4 Barboursville Vineyards Viognier, Virginia, 2007

I couldn’t for the life of me guess that this was a Viognier; I thought it was either a chardonnay (at first, for the heaviness) or a sauvignon blanc (for the grassy notes). Another wonderful surprise, from Virginia!

#5 River’s Edge Pinot Gris, Umpqua Valley, 2007

Reds

#1 Donata Family Sorelle Per Sempre, Central Coast, 2005

#2 Chateau Montalena Zinfandel, Napa Valley, 2005

Montalena is famous for its Cabernets (thanks to 1976), but this Zin showed quite well too

#3 Benessere “Costa del Sol”, Napa Valley, 2005

Napa gone wrong; this was acidic, tannic, and closed. Everyone guessed that it was either a Michigan or Illinois wine

#4 Lieb Family Cabernet Franc Bridge Lane, Long Island, NV

#5 Owl Creek Owl’s Leap, Illinois, NV 

This was from Southern Illinois, and honestly quite tasty!

From Chicago Spring 2009

Wendy came over and helped with the food preparation (sweet potato chips! Mmmm)

From Chicago Spring 2009

Two of my fav RJ folks

From Chicago Spring 2009

Talk about a small world! My primary school classmate who’s working in Wisconsin

From Chicago Spring 2009

From Chicago Spring 2009

Napa Valley Tasting Day 2

We visited five wineries today, which does not feel as many compared with Aaron and company’s trip out to Sonoma last fall. Still, it was plenty enough and by the time we rolled into our last stop at Mumm, I was feeling bloated. I guess the awesome lunch we had stuffed me up too much. But it was an excellent recommendation by the guy at Quixote: we shared marinated ahi tuna, beef carpacchio, duck terrain, and the juiciest Kobe burger I have ever had. So good!!!

Anyway, it has been a really good trip out to Napa – I barely knew of the wineries the last couple of times I came out, so I think I definitely appreciated the experience this time around. We hit most of the wineries that I had planned on going to, wineries recommended by various friends, so I am definitely very satisfied. Still have a long list of wineries to hit up for when I next return!

Signorello
2006 vielles vignes estate Chardonnay -some apple in the mouth and pear in the nose. Some buttery toast, walter thinks. Thick luscious finish, maybe a little oily. Peiyun likes the heft of the wine.

2005 estate syrah (96% Shiraz and 4% viognier) – northern Rhine style, not quite the us style. I like how the viognier rounds off the finish of the Shiraz. I like the nose; some berries, coffee, and spice.

2004 estate Cabernet Sauvignon – Bordeaux style blend. Currants in the nose. Well structured, like the smooth tannins in the finish. Not very sweet but I like.

2006 las amigas vineyard Pinot noir – grown in carneros. Aged in French oak for ten months. Four uses per barrel. Smoky and nice body, some raspberries.

2006 luvisi vineyard zinfandel – 26 miles north of napa, a lot hotter. Hotter, a ton more fruit in the nose and body. Big body, smaller ass.

2003 estate Cabernet sauvignon – cool and moist growing season, completely opposite of 2004. Smells a little greener, the tannins still on the tongue, a little bigger. Interesting how the noses are so different.

Quixote (petite syrah focus. Carl big food guy, likes how this grape pairs with wine. This owner used to own stag’s leap before he sold it to beringer).

2005 panza Grenache mourvedre blend – only seventy cases. Nice hot smell. I really like this wine, not too heavy, but not in the least watery, delightful finish really.

2003 Cabernet sauvignon – tons of black currants in the nose and in the mouth. Maria really likes it too. Me too. Very juicy! Should not try to age the 2003 cabs, but this one is definitely ready to drink right now.

2003 panza Cabernet Sauvignon (5% petite verdot) – I think the Quixote was more exciting. But this is still very nice and smooth. I think that they have very nicely structured wines here, very nice and smooth tannins.

2004 Quixote petite syrah – jon thinks very nice, I do too, but my palate is a little numb right now. Very ripe black fruit, some mocha or chocolate. Should age as it can hold the fruit.

Opus one
2004 Bordeaux style blend – very very hot, a lot of currants in the nose and mouth. Very concentrated, very smooth. But I’m not sure about the $30 tasting nor the $180 price tag. Long finish very peppery.

Zd Winery
2007 rosa lee gewurtztraminer Russian river valley – very dry, citrus notes: pineapple lemon, orange. Very refreshing for today’s hot weather. Peiyun can easily distinguish the pear notes.

2006 Chardonnay California – selection of vineyards including Santa barbara. Cold barrel no maloactic fermentation. Long yeast contact. I like this a lot. Interesting body. Coconut? Little bit of vanilla in the finish. Reminds me of a breezy summer on the beach.

2006 Pinot noir, carneros – ten months French oak. Quite a light color, and with that characteristic pungent Pinot nose. Did not blow my socks off but still good, just paled after comparing with the previous two.

2005 Cabernet sauvignon – blackberries, tobacco in the nose. Some tannins buy not overwhelming. A pleasant wine.

Judd’s Hill
2007 rose – strawberries very light and refreshing, a nice change from the heavy reds. Peiyun thinks it is too sweet. Got to drink cold though.

2005 Chardonnay – quite nondescript after zd. Lemony bright fruit.

2006 Pinot noir – light colored. Nice strawberry in the nose. Some spice in the body; peiyun liked that. Nice rounded finish. Better done than the pinot we had at zd. Jon liked it so much, he bought a bottle.

2005 Zinfandel old vine (75 years) – raising nose, sweet body and raising in the finish too. Just a hint of spice. Quite enjoyable. I really like the nose.

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (6% Cabernet franc) – nice nose, love the wood. We had this for dinner last night and loved it, which is why we decided to stop by here today. Tannins in the finish, a wine that could stand to be aged a little longer too I think. A little of that sherry nose.

Mumm Napa
The winery’s the biggest we’ve been to the entire trip. Very commercial feel, none of that small intimate winery feel that we have enjoyed at some of the other places. Still it feels quite luxurious to end the day off with a couple glasses of bubbly.

Blanc de blanc – dry, and a little tart in the finish, but the body is off sweet.

Reserve brut – tighter bubbles, off sweet and I think my favorite of the series.

Grand annee 2001 – big bubbles too tart. Way too fizzy. Granted I am not much of a champagne person; Natalie would have been able to offer a much more informed opinion, but this will not be my drink of choice.

Blanc de noir - peiyun and I think its too dry. But she decided after a couple sips that she still likes it.

At Mustard’s Grill
2006 Merryvale Pinot Noir – light nose but nice weight to the body; of strawberries.

Back to the roots: Wines from New York

New York is actually the oldest wine region in the U.S., but is obviously shadowed by Napa. Nonetheless, New York native Jeff bravely decided to tackle wines from that state last night, going where most wine distributors in Chicago haven’t dared to tread – I know, because we have been asking around. He’d gotten most of the wines shipped back from a previous visit, and carried the rest back in his suitcase on other trips.

So it was that we held our DGS New York wines tasting at Jeff and Zhen’s Saturday night. For the most part, we tried established grape varietals, and didn’t taste native grapes such as the Concord and Seyval Blanc. There were around twenty people in attendance, including three new folks whom I think enjoyed themselves, and would hopefully be around in the future. And even though we tried to end earlier by starting at the much earlier time of 6pm, the tasting only concluded at midnight. Hehe.

We started the ball rolling with a couple of fun wines, a pear wine, Goose Watch Bartlett Pear $12. It was fun, with clear pear notes but not too cloyingly sweet on the palate.

Next up was a strawberry wine, Baldwin Strawberry $16. Sadly, that was the only bottle that lay unfinished at the end, no mean feat considering we went through 12 bottles in total. It had a bold nose, big, ripe strawberry jam. Alas, it was sweet, waaaaaaaay too sweet, and most people had to cut it with a couple of ice cubes or water it down.

The Viognier, Casa Larga Viognier $20, we were served next was almost a relief from the lingering sweetness. I say almost because it tasted a little too green and tight, maybe a result of an unfortunate contrast with the syrupy strawberry wine. It’s definitely not my favorite examples of viognier; I could name a dozen more that had showed a much better structure of the woodiness. Bruce and a couple others said it smelled musty. No matter, Aaron and Yeming found that they quite enjoyed the almost refreshing crispness of the wine.

We got a bottle of Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling $24 next. Aaron and I both agreed that the wine showed a lot of potential in the nose and body… alas only to suddenly disappoint with a finish that plunged into nothingness.

Happily, the next dry Riesling, Hermman Wiemer Dry Riesling $30, showed really beautifully. It was my favorite bottles of the night, with an elegantly light nose and dancing aromas of pineapple and floral notes, and a soft finish.

Wine Number 6 was a late harvest Riesling from the same vineyard, the Hermann Wiemer Late Harvest Riesling $30, and again, this one thrilled, though I’d much rather the drier version.

We tried a third bottle from the same vineyard, this one the Hermann Wiemer gewurztraminer $25 that had the clearest example of lychee notes so far. Beautiful nose, and the slight spiciness of the body was a delight.

Wine Number 8 was a Chardonnay, the Palmer Reserve Chardonnay $17, and Natalie, upon lifting the glass to her nose, immediately pointed out the buttery popcorn notes, and not just buttery, mind you, but with a little bit of burnt edge to it, as if the popcorn had been in the microwave for a couple seconds too long. How true! I loved it, and especially savored the slight salty edge in the wine.

We had a Pinot Grigio next, the Hunt Country Pinot Gris $16, and I stand by my statement that I’ve not had many Pinot Grigios that have wowed me, one excellent exception being the Pinot Grigio from Rocca, Italy. This was not it, but tasted pleasant enough, even if it didn’t give a lasting memory.

After all the whites, we finally moved on to the reds. My second favorite of the night, a Merlot blend, the Rivendell Merlot $17. This one had a funky-ish nose, not quite merlot tasting with its smell of wet earth/wood, but I loved the soft tannins in the mouthfeel and found myself reaching out for refills a couple times afterwards.

The next red was a Pinot Noir, the Six Mile Pinot Noir $22, and this was a surprising version, the color so light that it could almost pass for a rose. Not quite what I’d expect from a Pinot Noir – a little too tart and almost sweet for my liking?

The last wine of the night, a Salmon Run Petit Noir from Dr. Konstantin Frank, was interesting. The color wasn’t quite as light as that Pinot Noir, but still a lighter shade than the Merlot. Light and fruity. Apparently a blend of Gamay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvginon (how the hell did they come up with the name Petit Noir???).

St. Patty’s Day, the Wine Way

In a very miscalculated move, we didn’t buy tickets to the Metropolitan Opera’s live streaming of Britten’s Peter Grimes, mistakenly betting that the seats wouldn’t sell out. Who knew. So, after a hurried cab ride downtown later, I found myself forlornly standing outside the theatre, clutching my brown paper bag of toasted sandwiches I’d picked up for the 4 hour marathon.

Since we were downtown already anyway, we decided to go wine tasting. Just Grapes, right by my workplace, has free wine tasting from 1-4pm every Saturday, so we headed on there. In between sampling the 5 different tastings offered, we enjoyed a good chat with the store manager and the wine distributor. Ah, for a different career change. Anyway, here are my reviews of the wines:

2006 Riff, Pinot Grigio, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy $11
The store’s tasting notes: “The vineyard sources for most of this Pinot Grigio contain a substantial amount of dolomite limestone which has an obvious impact on the wine’s character and style. It is because of the contrinbution that these fossils (limestone) make to the wine’s character that they have been chosen to be incorporated into the label design as a reminder of its geological origin. Simple, with apple, lemon and light mineral character. Light body. Delicate finish. Drink now.” While I wasn’t too impressed with the body and finish (boring, with no obvious flavors or textures), I really liked its nose. I did get the scent of apple and some lemon, and could see it as a delightful cool drink on a sweltering summer day.

2005 Franz Karl Schmitt, “Niersteiner Hipping,” Riesling Spatlesse, Rheinhessin, Germany $22
The store’s tasting notes: “The estate was founded by Jost-Schmitt in 1546, and has been in family possession since those days. Riesling is cultivated in some of the prime vineyards in Nierstein, including the classic Hipping. The grandfather of the present owner, also named Franz-Karl Schmitt, was renowned for his striving to produce great wines. He was the first to produce Trockenbeerenhauslesse in the Rheinhessen around 1900!” It’s difficult right off the first sip to pronounce that you don’t like sweet wines (which can be really tiring on the palate after a couple glasses), so it was with my experience with this. I prefered the bouquet proffered by the Pinot Grigio, but the gentle sweetness of this riesline was hard to dislike. It wasn’t cloyingly sweet, but the taste lingered pleasantly on in my mouth long seconds after the liquid had been tipped down my throat.

2006 Rex Hill, Chardonnay, Oregon $22
The store’s tastings notes: “A crisp, yet complex wine, the 2006 Rex Hill Chardonnay represents the sixth vintage of Oregon’s original ultra-premium unoaked Chardonnay. To highlight the wonderful fruit and underlying minerality in some of the Wilamette Valley’s best vineyard sites, we ferment in small stainless steel to retain the fruit’s bright transparency and then age the wines on the lees to achieve a creamy mouthfeel. Aromas of candied citrus, plums, green apple. Good richness on the attack, with broad palate-coating flavors that echo the nose. The brisk acidity adds structure and freshness, focusing the mineral notes, and lengthening flavors.” It was quite exciting to identify the candid citrus (sort of like those sugar covered jelly beans one finds during the Chinese New Year festivities) and the green apple in the nose, but I couldn’t taste the same flavors in the body. I actually found the body and finish to be quite boring, but not achingly so – within seconds, no trace of its ever being there was left. I’m still not sure whether I prefer the oaked, buttery types of Chardonnay… should do a tasting sometime to tease out my taste.

2006 Paraiso, Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, Central Coast, California $24
The store’s tasting notes: “Paraiso’s flagship varietal. Wonderful Burgundian character: rich cherry and plum flavors with hints of spice, smoke, and toasty oak. All wrapped by structuring tannins and acidity. Amazingly food-versatile: salmon, roast chicken, beef tenderloin, you name it.” I profess to be quite partial to Pinot Noir, my interest in the grape stemming from a road trip Peirui and I made, oh, two years ago now (!!!). The nose exhibited the characteristics of the grape, but I was quite disappointed by the finish, which I found weak, almost watery. Chatting later with Janel from WineStyles, she confirmed my tasting notes, saying that the area saw too much rain in 2006. Ah.

2005 Chateau Saint Andrew Corbin, Merlot blend, St. Emilion, Bordeaux, $23
The store’s tasting notes: “Garnet with a violet rim, spicy cedar, blueberries and tobacco on the nose. Medium weight with spicy cedar, blueberries and tobacco, great structure.” If I closed my eyes and sniffed really hard, I could just pick out the scent of tobacco and cedar, but my god, the blueberries! It just jumped right out at you, unmistakeable and completely in your face. I loved the nose. But alas, the body was almost unbearably tight, the tannins completely sucking out the moisture from my lips. I suspect though, that a few years in the cellar might do wonders for this wine.

It was still early when we were done, and the revellers were still crowding the hundreds of Irish bars in the city. So we made our way over to Randolph Wine Cellars right down the street, and engaged in an entertaining tasting with another distributor.

My notes:

2006 Licia Albarino, Rias Baixas, Spain $14
Heh, this tasting was right down my alley, since we tasted both the Albarinos and plenty of Grenaches, both grapes of choice right now. I thoguht the Rias had a very light nose, such that I couldn’t quite place the smell. Or maybe sensory fatigue was setting in already. But even so, I could definitely place the lemony structure in the body and finish, almost akin to lemon juice with a kick. Would be a delicious combination with a lightly sauteed fish – mmm, need to do another canoeing trip down the Wisconsin River this spring…

2004 Atrea “The Choir,” Mendocino County $20
It’s a rhone varietal blend, with parts of viognier and roussanne. This one had quite a pungent nose of wood and earth. The heavier body would make it an unsuitable pairing with fish, but the distributor suggested heavy aged cheeses.

2005 Moulin D’Issan, Bordeaux $16
A Bordeaux Superior wine, which doesn’t fall under the 5 growth system, this wine can be found in the Margaux region. Blend of 70% cabernet sauvignon and 30% merlot. Lots of bright fruit in the nose, with a little bit of oak. I thought it tasted a little green.

2005 Domaine du Grand Tinel Chateauneuf-du-pape $30
My favorite tasting of the day, very smooth and balanced, with a hint of orange peel and black plum in the nose and body. It’s a blend of grenache, syrah, and mourvédre.

2004 Domaine Raspail-ay Gigondas, Rhone $22
Eh, to be honest, I’ve forgotten the taste of this, and didn’t take down any notes since I was busy enjoying a long conversation with the distributor about how she fell into wines and the various wine trips she’s taken in France (damn the weak USD right now). I do vaguely remember thinking that it was quite delicious though…

My palate was a little tired by this point, but the green clad revelers were still out on the streets, so we decided to continue the celebrations in our own way by making our way over to WineStyles, where Denise and Janel gave us two tastings of “green wines,” wines made the organic and environmentally friendly way. Erm, I don’t have any notes of those tastings either… but I did leave WineStyles armed with a bottle of Australian Grenahce that Janel says would go great with lambshank or spicy fish. Mmm.

We made a pit stop at Binny’s next, but boo, they didn’t have any tastings available. Disappointed but not deterred, we pressed on next to Sam’s Wine. By that time, I think the tastings were already concluded, so instead I tasted some cheeses (and picked up a slab of pate), and a pizza beer (beer brewed with pizza ingredients such as tomato, mozarella etc. very authentic!). And I also got the bottle of El Tesoro (thank you Cristalle!).

And then, I was done.

Cheers, it’s the holidays

Wines of choice this holiday season (so far):

1. Tamellini Soave 2004 ($12):
Over dinner with the girls Maggie, Kayla, and Peiyun. Our shared Italian meal was excellent – simple, yet flavorful and tasteful. Peiyun admired the Soave too, which incidentally, I have another bottle that’s sitting in my fridge. Made of 100% Garganega grapes (need at least 70% composition to be labeled Soave), the wine is a light gold in color with a heady apple and apricot perfume. Strong, luscious mouthfeel and finish, an elagant wine.

2. Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Clos des Capucins Reserve Personnelle 2005 ($33)
This was one of the dozen bottles I picked up at the beginning of December, and actually, the most expensive one. Which was a little odd, considering my preference for reds, but the wine experts at Sams helped me put together my case, and they couldn’t help going on and on about the Alace wine. I broke it out last Thursday night, after a heavy dinner at Broadway Cellar with my favorite peeps who were in town. Peiyun wasn’t a fan though; I guess she didn’t quite enjoy the more restrained body with the slightest peppery finish. I thought it quite austere, a little chewy, and on hindsight, perhaps a wine better served with food.

3. Susan Balbo Malbec 2005 ($16)
We opened this last Friday, post-dinner at Barbareebas, when we were lounging on my landing, playing my various board games. Definitely an easy to drink wine; lots of fruit in the nose – blueberries, rasberries. Very lush, and complemented the sponge cake that the girls got for Peiyun’s belated birthday.

4. Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($47)
If the Malbec was a youthful, exuberant wine, then the Turnbull could be likened to as a more grown up version. The Cabernet wasn’t as packed heavy with fruit as the Malbec – it was a thinner, more svelte, and much sexier version. Think slinky silver dress with those long gloves. Alright, I know I’m over the top with my descriptions, but I stand by my point: the Turnbull was sultry. The first sip took me by surprise: it was smooth, silky, slid down my throat, and I was smitten. I brought it over to Sandy’s for Christmas eve, and yes, it went well with the smoked turkey.

5. Clautiere Estate Viognier 2004 ($23)
I picked this bottle up on a whim over the summer. I remember the wine shop well: it was a small, boutique shop near UIC. We had stopped in after dim sum on Saturday afternoon, looking for some tastings, and I fell into conversation with the people working in the store. We gushed over viogniers, and she let me taste this one bottle. Last night, I popped the cork, rationalizing that no matter that I was alone at home, it was Christmas. A deep, golden yellow in color, it has a heavy nose of honeydew and melon. Thick, creamy body that just sits so right in your tongue, and rounded off with an earthy finish.

Recipes for the lazy

I’m a lazy cook, especially if I’m dining alone, so I usually opt for simple, easy to make dishes that use a minimal number of utensils and pans. Typically, on the rare occasion when I elect to cook, sautéed onions, mushrooms, green peppers and generous slices of spicy sausages drenched in pasta sauce and wine marinate is my dish of choice – washed down with a glass or two of red.

On Sunday though, I was craving some fish, and consequently headed out to buy a couple slabs of tuna steak. I rubbed pepper and salt into the fish, and doused it with some Viognier (Alamos, Viognier 2006, Mendoza Argentina) that I was drinking for good measure. While I left it to marinate, I sautéed some onions, mushrooms and baby carrots in a pan heated with a dab of olive oil. When the carrots were soft enough, I threw in the steak. Simple, and delicious.

I still have some of that Viognier left, and right now I’m kind of craving a steaming bowl of macaroni soup with shredded chicken. Figure I’ll just cook the macaroni in some chicken stock with generous shreds of chicken, and some of my leftover carrots. Nice and simple. Alas, I won’t be in town tonight and possibly won’t make it back in time for dinner tomorrow night, but if all goes to plan, I’d be enjoying the dregs of the Viognier along with the soup on Thursday. While watching Private Practice online. Hehe.