Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Domi Station Wine Pop Up Event





Last Friday I hosted a pop up event at domi station.  For those of you who don't know domi station is unique multi-use space for local entrepreneurs and start-ups and promotes local business in town. And the event was sponsored by Kevin Kjellerup and the American Society for Quality.  The event was open to the public and featured wines and food that I personally selected. I will be hosting more pop up events soon.  The purpose of these events is to provide the Tallahassee with an opportunity to taste wines and food combinations that aren't found anywhere else in town.  
The first wine was a young, vibrant Muscadet, which ended up being the most popular wine of the evening: 
2014 Domaine La Haute Févrie Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie
This wine had great acidity and was very tart as well as good medium body, as is typical of Muscadet.  It paired really well with (un-smoked) home made, cold Grouper dip.  

The next wine was also a big hit, 2009 Martinez Bujanda La Mancha Finca Antigua Crianza.  This was a Tempranillo blend (50% Tempranillo, 20% Cab Sauv and Merlot, 10% Syrah).  This wine had 7 years of age on it so it started to mellow a bit, but a half hour after opening it was showing really well.  This wine was from a lesser known region in Spain, La Mancha.  
This Spanish blend was paired very well with the hard Spanish Chorizo, slightly sweet, Manchego cheese, salty roasted almonds and quince jelly.  

The last wine featured was a Sauternes.  Before the event, I expected the Sauternes to be the wine of the night--it was certainly the most expensive of the 3--but it wasn't.  First off, it's clear that people just don't drink as much sweet wine as they do dry wines.  But I also think that the first two wines were really solid.  The Sauternes was paired with blue cheese.

Overall, the event was a success because people really enjoyed the wines and food.  Stay tuned for more pop up events coming soon to Tallahassee.  Don't hesitate to contact me directly if you're interested in hosting a pop up event or collaborating on an event with me.  Cheers!





Saturday, December 5, 2015

December 3 Market Square Sparkler Tasting


Well folks, the holiday season is upon us and so time for celebrating with some bubbles. Now, I need to disclose what may be an unpopular opinion: I don't love Sparklers.  I prefer the complexity and depth that red wines and some whites (e.g., Rieslings) can.  I’m a wine geek! What’d you expect? And at last night's tasting, somewhere around Sparkler #7 I began experiencing palate fatigue and all of the sparklers started tasting fairly similar to one another, besides the occasional very sweet (e.g., Asti Spumante), the sparkling Shiraz, or the Veuve Clicquot Rich that was poured over slices of red and green bell pepper (yes, you read that right).  

Now I will say that I do appreciate a good Sparkler. A good sparkler in my opinion has structure and successful integration of the relevant elements like alcohol, sweetness, secondary and tertiary qualities, etc., which makes for a seamless transition from beginning to finish on the palate. These are the 2 sparklers that I found most appealing.  Both of these Sparklers showed excellent structure and balance.



Sparkler #1: NV Le Mesnil Sublime Rose (Cotes de Blanc,Sur Oger, Champagne, France): mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this Champagne is rare in that it is one of only six cooperative producers in Champagne.  Note that this bottle retails for $48.
Tasting Note: austere nose, chalk up front on the palate, bone dry, very little fruit, excellent structure, very fine bubbles, long finish.  
My Rating: 91.  


Sparkler #2: 2011 Argyle Brut (Willamette, Oregon): 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay.  From a cool-climate in a very cool vintage. 
Tasting Note: some sweetness and very small amount of oak, overall great structure and integration of the elements, good finish, fine bubbles.
Rating: 90.  This retails for $23 at Market Square Liquors.

Champagnes—the elite of the Sparkler category—tend to be over-priced and I pride myself as someone who values a wine with a good QPR (i.e., quality to price ratio).   If you agree you might want to check out a couple of solid value Proseccos or Cavas sold almost anywhere around town, e.g., Segura Viudas CavaJaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava, or La Marca Prosecco.

Feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have any questions: srmillard@gmail.com

Happy holidays!



Friday, November 20, 2015

11/19/15 Tasting at the Wine House

Last night I stopped by the Wine House (formerly, the Wine Warehouse) for a tasting.  Here are the wines that I'd recommend with brief notes on each.  


Bortolotti Prosecco Superiore Brut NV (Valdobbiadene, Veneto Italy): this is a higher quality Prosecco, not of the more common varieties that tend to be sweet, etc.  This Prosecco isn't sweet, is balanced and has a longer finish that common Proseccos. 

Tip: this would be a great sparkler for the holidays that costs much less than Champagne.

Another wine that wasn't part of the tasting line-up that the Wine House owner, Bart, was kind enough to open and share with me was are rare one: 

Ruca Malen Petit Verdot Reserva 2011 (Mendoza, Argentina): what makes this rare is that it is a 100% Petit Verdot (PV).  Typically PV is a blending grape, is very tannic and has a dense, inky black appearance.  As a result making a 100% PV wine is challenging and therefore rare.  It was immediately obvious upon opening that, although this wine was 4+ years old, it was very tight and needs more time; if you choose to purchase and drink now, you'll want to decant it for at least 1 hour.  

Last, I'll finish with a wine that I didn't taste last night but I have tasted a prior vintage and absolutely loved it; and I've noticed that the current vintage found at the Wine House has great public ratings on Cellartracker that are consistent over all vintages.


2012 Aia Vecchia Lagone Toscana IGT (Tuscany, Italy): this is a Super-Tuscan, i.e., an Italian version of a Bordeaux blend.  I picked up a bottle of the 2012 vintage last night.  My note on the 2009 Lagone was: this wine has dark red & black fruit on the nose, is big, dense and dry (read: not fruity) in the mouth, very tannic but balanced with a long finish.  

Again, I'd recommend all of these wines if the characteristics in the notes are appealing to you preference.  I also noticed a couple other reds on the shelves that I'll be picking up for the holidays that I'll write about soon.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions: srmillard@gmail.com

Cheers! 






Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Value Mendoza Cabernet


2013 Bodega Sottano Cabernet Sauvignon



This wine hails from the a vineyard in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in the Perdriel district of Argentina's Mendoza region (see map, above left).  Mendoza has been producing excellent wines in the last few years and was named the Wine Region of the Year in 2008 by Wine Enthusiast.  The altitude of the Bodega Sottano is almost 3,000 feet above sea level, which means that the vineyard receives intense amounts of sunlight.  The soils in the Pedriel region are predominantly loamy with clay on top of a layer of gravel, which makes for good natural drainage, causes modest exposure to water all of which makes for rich and complex wines with great structure and firm tannins.  Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon are the two most commonly grown grapes in the Perdriel district.

Day 1: popped and poured.  Immediately you notice that this is a big, muscular red with powerful red and black fruit on the nose and great structure in the mouth.  On day 1 it is a little hot.

Day 2: the heat from day 1 is gone but the fruit and structure of the wine is still present.

This is an excellent wine for $12 and can be found at Market Square Liquors (Timblerlane Drive location).

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Are there beer and wine counterparts?


Beer and wine have their own unique qualities, based on ingredients, how they are made as well as the specific characteristics that result in the finished product.  But they do have some things in common.  I think they have enough in common that in some cases we can identify beer and wine counterparts.  Why do this?  I see at least two reasons:

(1) Many people see beer and wine in exclusive terms, e.g., there are many people categorize themselves as a beer drinker or a wine drinker (but not both).   I’d argue that it’s time to start viewing beer and wine inclusively, i.e., beer and wine don’t necessarily compete with each other but rather complement each other, e.g., some types of beer and wine share certain similarities, pair well with the same foods, etc. 
(2) People who tend to drink only beer or wine can use this post as a way of deciding which beer or wine counterpart to try… in essence, a gateway counterpart.

Based on (1) and (2), for example, I’d like to begin seeing restaurants hosting special opportunities to have (combined) beer and wine pairing dinners, etc.

A few introductory notes: sometimes I’ll refer to a beer or wine style.  In wine, there is a conventional distinction between new- and old-world, which refers to the distinction to Europe (old-world) and everywhere else (new world).  Typically new-world wines are more fruity and less dry than old-world style wines, e.g., Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand tend to be fruitier than those from France.  Note, however, that there are many exceptions to the new-/old-world categories, i.e., there are old-world style wines, e.g., less fruity, more dry, etc., that made in new-world wine regions, e.g., California, etc.  It’s also common to categorize wines into styles based on specific wine regions, e.g., a Syrah from Cotes-du-Rhone, etc.  In beer, there are many styles: American, Belgian, English, German, Irish, Scottish ales; and American, Czech, European, German and Japanese lagers; as well as styles such as Summer Ales, etc. 

Last, I want to point out that—obviously—there are many differences between beer and wine; not just their ingredients, how they’re made but also that there are many characteristics that are just unique to each kind of beverage. 

Beer and Wine Characteristics
Appearance & Color
While there are similarities between the appearance and color of beer and wine and beer and wine drinkers definitely get enjoyment out of the appearance of a beer or wine, people typically people don’t drink something only because of appearance.  So I’ll ignore this characteristic.

Aroma & Flavor
There’s a close connection between the senses that detect aroma and flavor, i.e., the olfactory sense and taste, respectively.  Further, although beverages can have some aroma X, e.g., sweetness, etc., it may not taste like X.  Also, I’m only going to discuss characteristics that have similar counterparts in beer and wine; I’ll be ignoring types of characteristics that have no counterparts in beer and wine.  For example, sweet citrus characteristics are (almost exclusively) not found in beer but only wine so I’ll ignore this type of characteristic.  Examples of aroma and flavor:

Fruitiness: both beer and wine have fruity characteristics.  And good beer and wine can have fruit in different stages of consumption, e.g., fruity start, dry or bitter finish.  Some examples of fruity characteristics in beer and wine and their counterparts:
§       Citrus:
  • Beer: Summer style beers, Belgian (white) ales, (and my favorite) Jai Alai IPA (Cigar City)
  •   Wine: old-world whites, e.g., Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, dry Rieslings, Chilean Torrontes (which also tends to have floral characteristics)

§       Red Fruit:
  • Wine: old-world style reds.  Common favorite grape varietals include Italian Sangiovese, Spanish Tempranillo & Grenache and French Syrah
  • Beer: these are easy to spot, with names like Cherry or Rasberry Lambic (Kreik or Framboise), Strawberry Wheat

All of these wines with citrus and red-fruit that have beer counterparts tend to be dry; and all of these beer and wine counterparts tend to have a good amount of acidity.
Savoriness: examples of savory characteristics in beer and wine and their counterparts:
§       Cocoa:
  • Wine: new-world Malbec
  •  Beer: Stouts and Porters (esp. those with “chocolate” in the name!)

§       Smoky:
  • Wine: Spanish Tempranillo
  • Beer: Stouts and Porters (esp. those with “smoke” in the name!) 

Mouthfeel
Another important way to identify beer and wine counterparts is by similar mouthfeel.  Both beer and wine contain alcohol, which produces a specific sensation in the mouth (e.g., hot, etc.).  And if you’re looking for a low-alcohol beer or wine or a high-alcohol beer or wine, it isn’t difficult to do: simply look at the alcohol by volume (ABV) percentage on the label.  But I’d argue there is another aspect of mouthfeel found in beer and wine that makes them similar: bitterness in beer and dryness in wine.  In beer, bitterness is produced by hops; and in wine tannins produce the feeling of dryness and astringency in the mouth. 
It seems plausible that if someone likes hoppy (e.g., bitter) beer they might be disposed to like dry wines.  Here are some beer and wine style counterparts by bitterness and dryness:
Less Bitter/Dry
  • Beer: Light Lagers
  • Wine: White wines and new-world red wines

More Bitter/Dry
  • Beer: IPA, Barleywine
  • Wine: Old-world red wines, e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Tannat.
Have a beer-wine counterpart of your own?  Leave it in the comments.....

Friday, July 27, 2012

Tallahassee Wine of the Month Club

Tallahassee
Wine of the Month Club


Love wine but don’t know which ones are good?

Join the Tallahassee Wine of the Month Club and let us select the very best wines available at the best prices!


Club Details:
You customize your membership by duration, number of bottles per month and average price per bottle.

To join or for more information contact me at

(850)212-3823 or srmillard@gmail.com

Sip locally!

Tallahassee Wine Shopper

Tallahassee Wine Shopper


Ever find yourself on the wine aisle completely confused?

Let us buy your wine for you!
 
We have the resources to find you the best wines to suit your unique preferences and save you money. When we shop for you, you’ll also get:

• Tasting Notes on your wines

• Food Pairing Suggestions

• Suggestions for new wines to expand your palate

To join or for more information contact me at


(850)212-3823 or srmillard@gmail.com

Sip locally!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

A Summer White Post in Spring



Since March 2012 was the warmest on record in the US I don't think any would object to publishing the customary Summer wine post a bit early.  I don't know about you but I really couldn't wait to start drinking some white wines to try to stay cool in this early on-set heat.  I'm also starting to store my everyday reds in the fridge before serving so as not to experience too much of that internal warming sensation in my mouth since I'm already roasting externally in the summer-like temperatures.  


The first wine that I picked up was the most recent vintage of Domaine Lefage Vin De Pays des Cotes Catalanes Cote Est (Languedoc Roussillon, France).  This is a blend of White Grenache, Chardonnay & Marsanne from the interesting southern part of France that borders the northeastern tip of Spain.  The Languedoc Roussillon region of France has an interesting collection of grapes and some very good values.  I enjoyed the Cote Est.  It had good weight, noticeable floral elements and a good amount of acidity.  For $10 I thought it was a good wine.


The second wine was the 2010 Regis Minet Pouilly Fume VV (Loire, France).  This Sauvingnon Blanc was a nice alternative to the New Zealand SBs (which I enjoy) with a some chalkiness and a less amount of acidity that lead to a seamless, enjoyable transition from beginning to the finish.  This wine would pair very well with most kinds of shellfish and seafood that were prepared in a simple manner, e.g., raw, lemon/butter sauce, etc.  This wine was a bit more expensive at $17 but I would still rate it a good value, which would be an even better value if enjoyed with the right food.


Both of these wines were purchased at the Wine Warehouse, which is recently under (mostly) new ownership (Bob Gorman).  

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

The Not-Really-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Wine Post

On the one hand, people have come to expect a list of wines dedicated to Thanksgiving. On the other hand, I think posts dedicated to Thanksgiving wine recommendations have been over-done. And there are problems with wine lists (e.g,. top 10 wines for X, etc.,): people's preferences vary and there's no single wine that goes with Thanksgiving, but rather a range of many wines that would be good fits with typical Thanksgiving fare, e.g., turkey, starchy goodness, etc.

As always I start with premise that wine can be a source of enjoyment and that some of that enjoyment can come from trying wines that they have never tried, e.g., wines made with grapes that they have never tried, produced by a country or region that they have never tried, etc.   Then apply this idea to wines that are available in Tallahassee at the moment that are either legit alternatives to the wines commonly associated with Thanksgiving or just darn good wines in their own right that are off the beaten path!  This is what I've done...as always, the wines featured are all sub-$20.
Reds
- 2010 Casillero del Diablo Reserve Pinot Noir (Chile). Strawberries, bing cherries, light-bodied, balanced, simple Pinot Noir.  You'll be hard-pressed to find a Pinot Noir of equal quality for $10.  Pinot Noir is traditionally associated with Thanksgiving...I'm buying more of this stuff.  (Publix, Killearn)
- 2009 Annabella Pinot Noir (Carneros, CA). This is probably the best $15 Napa Pinot Noir in town (New Leaf Market)
- 2009 M. Chapoutier Bila-Haut (Languedoc Roussillon, France). This wine is well-known and much like the Borsao it's a wine that won't disappoint for the price. Medium-full bodied Grenache blend with good secondary elements of earth, leaves, etc. ($12 Wine Warehouse)
- 2009 Borsao Garnacha (Spain). This is a steal at $6.99 (I've seen it listed around $10) although it's a fairly big wine and will need some bold flavors to compliment it. This is a good wine Thanksgiving or no Thanksgiving. (World Market)
Whites
-2009 Villa Wolf Riesling (Pfalz, Germany).  Simple, clean, balanced Riesling from a reliable producer year to year.  This is an ideal first-Riesling... can't go wrong with this wine.  ($9 Earth Fare)
- 2010 Dr. Loosen Riesling (Mosel, Germany).  I tried this wine a few weeks ago and was most impressed by its balance, weight and mouth-feel.  Sour with some sweetness to it, so if you have an aversion to sweetness, then avoid... unless you have an open mind and are willing to try something new! ($14 Earth Fare)
- 2010 Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc (Stellenbosch, South Africa). Fantastic, different light white wine with fresh floral, chalk and citrus notes.  This is must-try if you're looking for a great non-traditional white.  ($14 Market Liquor, Lake Ella Plaza)
- 2009 Giachino Vin De Savoie (Jura, France) I already bragged a lot about this nice French white here. ($13 Wine Warehouse)
Sparklers
 - Riondo Prosecco (Italy). I tried this over the weekend at some friends' wedding and enjoyed it, as did the others at my table--so it's not just me! Note to reader: it had a little more sweetness that expected but not enough to diminish its quality. ($10 Costco, $11 Publix Killearn)
- N.V. Jaume Serra Cava Cristalino Brut (Spain).  Much like many of the wines featured here, this Cava is simple but well-made and won't disappoint for the price. ($8 World Market, $10 Publix)  

Dessert Wines & Aperitifs
- Moscato might be the most popular wine at the moment.  They're bubbly, sweet, relatively inexpensive (sub-$20) and fun.  Wine Warehouse carries this pink Moscato for under $10 that is simple and surprisingly good.
- Madeira or Sherries.  Here's a good post I came across recently on dry and cream sherries, their characteristics and foods you might want to try them with.  Sherries and Madeira are under-valued (read: relatively cheap) and so are worth exploring.

Last, it's impossible not to notice that some retail stores are also selling wine-based beverages like ChocoVine, Mulled Wine, wines made from fruits other than grapes--I discovered that Cranberry wine is being pushed this holiday.  These can be enjoyed after over-eating.

I hope one (or more) of these wines helps contribute to a happy Thanksgiving!

p.s. please contact me if you have any questions about any of these wines or any wines not included on this list that you'd like to find in town, e.g., Zinfandel, Cru Beaujolais, Rose, Syrah, etc.  Also if you're not afraid of dropping more than $20/bottle, there are some very good wines available in town--contact me and I'll try to point you in the right direction.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Summer Vin De Savoie

Yesterday I came across a wine good and interesting enough that I thought it deserved a post unto itself. Trying to survive the 100 degree temperatures of the south in the summer I went looking for a white and found the 2009 Frédéric Giachino Vin de Savoie Abymes Monfarina

It is produced in the French region of Savoie, east of Burgundy and south of Jura. (Map below.) The grape is Jacquere. According to winegeeks "wines from the Jacquère are often very light, higher in acidity, and crisp with scents of fresh grass and flavors of citrus fruits." And the Giachino Vin de Savoie is no exception. I called Jacquère obscure--obscure is relative, obviously--because my audience is most readers in the southern US many of whom aren't wine geeks, and my use of (a dry or off-dry) Riesling as an analogue to describe the acidity of this Vin de Savoie caused some disagreement. But the high, vibrant acidity (that almost pulsates in your mouth!) is what grabbed me and reminded me of the acidity in some very good Rieslings and Sancerres and even the occasional excellent Provencal rosé. In any event, I found this off-the-beaten-path French white to be one of my favorites of this summer. You can find this very good Vin de Savoie at Wine Warehouse in the $12 range. I'll be buying more.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Loire Tasting



Loire Wine Region Tasting
Here is the Wikipedia page on Loire wines. Loire is one of my favorite regions especially for its sparkling wines which are a great alternative to the sparkling wines of Champagne. Loire fact: the Loire region produces the second most sparkling wine in France behind only Champagne. All of the following wines were sampled at a tasting at The Wine Warehouse (WW) on February 2, 2011. If you live in Tallahassee and are interested in any of the wines, you can find them there (WW prices shown). Last, although I have #4 as my favorite of the tasting, #5 is just as well made; I just thought #4 was more interesting, had more complexity to offer, etc. On to the wines....
The Whites
All of the whites showed elements of citrus, chalk and some amount of passion fruit.
1. '09 Les Hexagonales (Sauv Blanc), $12: Tart citrus passion fruit nose but not much sweetness. Medium acidity (read: not New Zealand SB acidity levels), some chalk, balanced. Short-med finish. 85-6
2. '09 Jardin de la Fruitiere (Melon-Chard blend), $9: Tart, passion fruit and small amount of anise. Sour fruit (I'm at a loss for an example here--any ideas?), chalk, balanced. 84-5

3. '09 Chardonnay de la Fruitiere, $10: Similar to 1 but more muted nose. More body than 1 & 2. Some/mild toast. Mild bitter (steel) finish. 84

4. '09 La Craie, Vouvray, $15: Similar nose to 1-3 with some honey; pleasant. Mild sweetness/honey, bigger body/more viscosity than 1-3. Lower acidity. Medium finish. 88. IMO, wine of the night...yes, I bought a bottle.

5. NV Louis De Grenelle, Samur Brute Rose (100% Cab Franc), $17: Strawberry nose muted. Fine bubbles, mild creaminess, focused body, balanced. 88 IMO, runner-up wine of the night.

The Reds

6. '08 Les Hexagonales (Pinot Noir), $15: Red fruit (cranberry), spice and mild oak. Near perfect Pinot nose. Somewhat flat (not enough acidity). Let down after such a nice nose. 83

7. La Claux Delorme, Valencay Rouge (Gamay, Malbec, Cab Franc, Pinot Noir blend), $15: Red fruit and... kitty litter (!) nose. Some pepper, mild green veg (raw collards) some oak. 85

8. '08 J. Merieau, Cot Cenit Visage (100% Malbec), $16: Super dry, tight prune brown leaves... bizarre nose! Dry but Not bone dry. This needs cellar/decanting time... or a blackened steak to reveal everything it has. 84

9. '09 La Paradou, Provance (Grenache), $12: Button mushroom, moist forest floor nose. Fruitest of all the reds. Acceptable everyday red. 85

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Aged Merlot for $12

Ever hear wine snobs talking about the higher pleasure of drinking aged wine and haven't been able to find out for yourself whether they're just self-deceived ego-maniacs or whether they're actually on to something? Well, here's your chance. The Wine Warehouse has a 2002 Merlot for a great value, circa $12. It's 8 years old and just starting to reveal signs of aging. And as a bonus, the wine is from Israel--Israeli wines are fairly rare. So this wine may provide you with two firsts. Here are my notes.

2002 Segal Merlot Special Reserve (Israel, Galilee, Galilee Heights)
  • Nose: stewed prunes & cedar. A great nose, IMO.
  • Taste: medium bodied, stewed prunes (again), molasses on the finish. Very focused still. A fairly long, smooth finish.
Although this wine is just starting to show elements of aging, it is holding up very, very well. This wine is ready to drink now. The stewed prunes & molasses are the best way I can describe the aging characteristics of this wine. But don't take my description alone, go taste it for yourself.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Who, I ask, doesn't like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc on a hot summer day? Still when I arrived at my local retailer late there were no clerks available to help me sort through the good, the bad and the ugly. So when I saw this wine in a waist-high stack of 3-4 cases in the middle of an aisle with a price tag of $9.99 I must admit that I was skeptical. I took a chance anyway and have to say that I was impressed with the wine I got for the price.

2009 The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc
(New Zealand, Awatere Valley, Marlborough)
Color: transparent pale yellow.
Nose: bold pink grapefruit with some orange blossom. Screams NZ SB!
Taste: balanced, light-medium mouth-feel, lime peel/oil with a mineral finish.

The only way this wine could improve is if it were more tightly focused (it was slightly flabby esp. on day 2) and for my tastes a little less sweet. But, again, for a sub-$10 white wine I was very happy.

I found this wine at the Timberlane location of Market Square Liquors.

Monday, August 2, 2010

2008 M. Chapoutier Côtes du Roussillon Domaine de Bila-Haut

Michel Chapoutier is one of the most respected winemakers in all of France. He took over operations of the family business from his father around 1980. All of the wines produced by Michel are from the Rhone region of France; and all of the Chapoutier vineyards produce biodynamic wines.

So any opportunity to sample a bottle of a Chapoutier wine is exciting. And his most recent vintage of his Bila-Haut for $11 shouldn't be missed.

2008 M. Chapoutier Côtes du Roussillon Domaine de Bila-Haut
(France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon): this wine is a Grenache blend, which is very common in the Rhone.
  • Color: slightly transparent edges.
  • Nose: raspberry, muted cinnamon and soil.
  • Taste: primarily raspberry, but also tempered notes of nitrogen/soil and graphite/lead. Dry, medium tannin. All of the elements are very well integrated. Balanced
This wine cries out for food. If you're a wine drinker who believes that wine is a compliment for food, you'll love this wine. I drank it with dry rubbed, grilled chicken and it was an outstanding match.

I found this wine at the Wine Warehouse, but I'm sure that you can find it at Market Square Liquors too.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Beating the heat with Chilled Effervescence

Dear Tallahasseans,
I hope you haven't had an AC unit stop working like mine did--it's tough to sleep when it's in the upper-80s...mid-90s with the heat index! I did, however, luck out with only a $100 repair, avoiding a new $5-thousand unit. For this reason (and because it's the beginning of a new month) I decided to try a couple new effervescent wines that are great served chilled. Both are available at the Wine Warehouse (WW).

The first was a South African sparkler; the second a Moscato D'Asit

NV Graham Beck Brut (South Africa, Western Cape) 58% Chard, 42% Pinot Noir. This evolves slightly in the glass slightly but shows consistent fine bubbles, very little sweetness, a frothy mouth-feel (but without creamy/yeasty notes) , with clear lead/graphite secondary elements. And with good balance. WW, $13.

2008 Oscar Bosio Moscato d'Asit La Brusciata (Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Moscato d' Asti) Light bodied, super-fine bubbles showing clear honey, peach/apricot flavors. WW, $13.

Neither of these white sparklers are complex, but are enjoyable nonetheless. I enjoyed them with some prosciutto, baguette with Fontina cheese & fig & guava jam.

A good way to beat the heat and relax.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Wine Warehouse Sleeper Tasting


Why is this tasting called a sleeper tasting? Because the wines featured are considered unknown excellent wines... available now at the Wine Warehouse at an excellent price. And most of the wines lived up to their name. Below are my favorite, all of which I'd recommend. If you can afford them (how can you not afford them at these prices?), you won't be disappointed. I've listed both the retail and Wine Warehouse Sale prices.

Denogent Cuvee Claude 2004 1/2 bottle (pictured, left above). Retail $40/WW $15. Balanced, restrained 100% Chardonnay that IMO is what Chardonnay should taste like. Rating: 90-91.

Le Soula Blanc 2004. Retail $45/WW $25. A white Rhone blend from 13 grapes that is medium-bodied, focused, complex white that among other things showed an unusual sweet-tart element. Simply put: my favorite white wine of 2010 for sure--my favorite white wine since as long as I can remember. Rating: 94.

Brokenwood Area 2002. Retail $30/WW $19. A balanced, medium bodied 100% Shiraz. Rating: 90.

Roeder Brut 2002. Retail $72/WW $40. Perfectly balanced, complex elements of roasted marshmallow, seamless smooth finish. IMO drinks like some $100 Champagnes. Rating: 93-94.

Vieux Telegraphe 2004. 1/2 bottle retail $35/WW $20; full-bottle retail $60/WW $40. A virtually perfect example of Chateauneuf-de-Pape. This wine is drinking perfectly NOW. Incredibly food friendly. Rating: 93-4.

Quinta Do Noval 2003 (pictured, right above). Retail $95/WW $40. Not enormous mouth-feel that you find in lower quality ports that try to compensate for other . Simply put: the best port (vintaged or non) I've ever tasted. Rating: 96. If you're a port love, you simply cannot afford to miss out of this port at this price point.

Monday, January 25, 2010

A Couple Good Value Ports

This winter I've had the desire for something to drink that could warm you up… something fortified. So I decided to try a few ports. Always in pursuit of variety I decided to try one aged port and another blended port; both are non-vintage. And since I’m always in pursuit of good values, I chose Warre’s 10 Year Old Otima and Trevor Jones Jonesy Tawny Port. (Both pictured above & below.)

Both of these ports are made using the traditional Portuguese blend of grapes, e.g., Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz and Tinto Cão. After fermentation it is fortified with brandy. And the alcohol content is 20% by volume.

The Otima is made in the Douro region of Portugal and is a lighter style Tawny (pictured right, below) that clearly shows aged aromas and flavors on the finish, e.g., Sherry or Madeira oxidized characteristics together with honey, hazelnuts, orange peel on the mid-palate.

The Jonesy is made in the Barossa Valley in southern Australia and is a blend averaging 46 years in age. It is dark brown (pictured left, below), with notes of candied black cherry and molasses.

I found the Jonesy more approachable than the Otima but enjoyed both for their differences.

You can find both of these Ports at The Wine Warehouse; the Jonesy is $11 and the Otima is $25.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Warming Up to Malbec



I have to confess that when Argentine Malbec first hit the market, I was not a fan because I tended to dislike malolactic, oak-y, prune juice. But since we are in the dead of winter I drove myself to my local merchant and asked for some recs for substantive reds under $15. In the process I consciously decided to put aside my aversion to Argentine Malbec. Then in my inability to decide between two different Malbecs, I decided to pick up both of them. Due to sheer coincidence I happened to purchase another cheap bottle of Malbec a few days earlier at another local merchant. So I found myself with with three Argentine Malbecs... and here they are:

2007 Urban Uco Malbec (Mendoza)- Medium bodied, red & black fruit, discernable amount of spice & oak, balanced. 90
2008 Dona Paula Estate Malbec (Mendoza) - small amount of earth disappeared quickly after opening, medium bodied, not much fruit, almost no attack, seamless transition from middle to end, longest finish of the three. 89
2008 Gouguenheim Malbec (Mendoza): light bodied, strawberry (fruitier than expected), dry finish, balanced. IMO a nice table wine. 87

The first two Malbecs were purchased at Wine Warehouse for $9.99 each. The third was purchased at New Leaf Market for $7.99. Both the Urban Uco and Dona Paula were very good and I'd recommend both, but personally I preferred the former because it had more complexity and because the Dona Paula did show more oak. But I was pleasantly surprised by all of these wines mostly because none showed any malolactic treatment. If you are like I was--Malbec-phobic--please give any of these a try and shed your Malbec phobia.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Visiting Walla Walla AVA

I just returned from a visit to Walla Walla AVA in the southeast corner of Washington. I have some family there so I have sampled Walla Walla wines before, e.g., L'Ecole 41, Cougar Crest, etc. But I wanted to visit some new tasting rooms. I ended up visiting Northstar (pictured above), Va Piano and Amavi Cellars. (I went by some others but they were closed, one of which was K Vintners--I was told by some locals that Charles Smith marches to the beat of his own drum, which in this case meant "doesn't hold conventional hours for public tastings.") Walla Walla is approximately the same latitude as Bordeaux as 2007, which explains that three out of the four most common grapes grown (by planted area) are Bordeaux varietals:
  • 41% Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 26% Merlot
  • 16% Syrah
  • 4% Cabernet Franc

Some white grapes are grown, e.g., Chardonnary, Viognier, Riesling; and some growers in Walla Walla are starting to break out of the Bordeaux paradigm and are planting other red varietals. But red grapes dominate this AVA.

During my visit to the three tasting rooms I tasted three whites--a Sauvingnon Blanc blend, a Viognier blend and a late harvest Semillon. I found the white blends to be average; the late harvest Semillon was better, but still doesn't compare to a $25 half bottle of Sauternes. The rest of the reds were almost all blends; except for one 100% Syrah at Northstar. Without exception I found the reds to be very well made. None of the wines showed the slightest hint of being off balanced; all had a seamless transition from the attack to the finish. All were incredibly polished. In general they were fruity; and all received some amount of oak treatment--some more than others, but even for someone with old-world preferences like me none of the wines had an offensive amount of oak. To me these wines tasted like they were made by very skilled people with state of the art technology. Although I personally prefer something from the south of France to these reds, I can see why people would enjoy these wines. They're seductive. I look forward to going back soon to visit more wineries... oh yeah, and family too!