Wine Tastings

Burgundy Wine Company: Specialists in Burgundy, Rhone and Oregon Wines -- New York, NY

2007-03-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

Burgundy Wine Company: Specialists in Burgundy, Rhone and Oregon Wines -- New York, NY

Good source for Bourgogne. Out of NYC.

Berry Bros & Rudd Wine Pronunciation Guide

2007-03-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

Berry Bros & Rudd Wine Pronunciation Guide

It is important to be able to pronounce the name of a wine correctly, although the ability to do so sometimes seems more of an art than a science. The dialects of Bordeaux, for example, seem to be influenced by many other European languages - Spanish, English and Dutch, for example - and I have even heard one proprietor pronounce the name of his chateau differently to an American than to an Italian.

Below is a comprehensive range of the top Bordeaux properties, arranged alphabetically. By clicking on the symbols you can hear the way they are pronounced in France - as good a start as any! The same symbol is available with many other items in our product list.

2006 Molly Dooker "The Violinist" Verdelho

2007-03-05T16:57:00.000-08:00

I recently paired this wine with skate wings with a lemon-caper sauce on a bed of roasted potatoes, red onions and, yes, asparagus.

The wine is pale straw yellow, very heavy on the glass, with plenty of tears, slowly pouring off the side of the glass. The nose is strong and slightly hot, loaded with lemon grass and sweet creamy butter. The wine slides down easily into your mouth and wraps your tongue on a thick blanket of tropical fruits and spices; peaches and cream, exotic melons, guava, lime, caramel and a touch of nutmeg. A slightly hot spicy finish compliments this intense fruit coctail over a long finish.

This wine was able to stand the asparagus. It was, perhaps, a little bit too overwhealming for the light, delicate, creamy flavor of the skate. I, nonetheless, enjoyed it very much.

2006 Molly Dooker "The Violinist" Verdelho

Goedhuis & Company | Private Reserves - Fine Wine Merchants & Storage

2007-02-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

Goedhuis & Company | Private Reserves - Fine Wine Merchants & Storage

Christian Serafin 1999 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Corbeaux

2007-02-27T11:42:00.000-08:00

Established by Polish immigrant Stanislaus Serafin in 1947, this domaine is considered one of the finest growers in the village of Gevrey. Second generation owner Christian Serafin has been making the wines for over 20 years by following a philosophy of old vines and low yields. The wines are fermented at fairly high temperatures ensuring good extraction of color and fruit. The wines are bottled unfiltered with good levels of new oak. These wines are rich, concentrated and structured, aging gracefully for many years..

'Dark cherries and Asian spices can be found in the nose of the 1999 Gevrey-Chambertin Corbeaux. Medium-bodied and powerful, this wine has superb depth of fruit, displaying freshly laid road tar, blackberries, licorice, and cherries. It reveals loads of beautifully ripened tannin in its long finish.' Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #136"

--- the burgundy report ---

2007-02-26T09:12:00.000-08:00

--- the burgundy report ---

2000 Eric Texier Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes

2005-11-13T19:17:00.000-08:00

The best Chateauneuf du Pape I've had in a very long time - usually I prefer the Syrahs from the Northern Rhone. This one is 75 % Grenache 25% Mourvedre and it's old vine Grenache, average of 50 years. Eric and his wife are trained nuclear engineers - just goes to show that techies can make good wine after all!

The grapefruit rind I dislike in most younger vine Grenache is nowhere to be found. Rich, opulent and leathery, with a touch of licorice. This is not a Parker-esque fruit bomb, however, mainly cooked blackberry. Tannin is supple but not overwhelming.

Retail price $27. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for.

Spreitzer Rheingau / Rheinhessen, Germany

2005-05-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

Michael Skurnik Wines

I recently tasted the Kabinett.

Understanding the German Quality System for Wines

2005-05-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

Wine Lovers' Page/John Trombley on Wine

De Long's Wine Grape Varietal Table: Learn About Wine The Visual Way

2005-05-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

De Long's Wine Grape Varietal Table: Learn About Wine The Visual Way

2003 Pojer e Sandri Traminer Aromatico

2004-12-09T17:05:00.000-08:00

http://www.pojeresandri.it/english/html/Wines.asp?IndiceVino=6

The last time I had this wine was a few years ago at a restaurant in Boston's North End. My wife and I had a romantic northern italian inspired dinner at Marcello's . I don't recall what my wife had but I had a braised rabbit over potatoes. Unfortunately the restaurant has since closed. The memories, however, will last a lifetime.

I had the opportunity to try this wine again at home last December. The experience, however, was remarkably different. First, it is impossible to replicate the experience of dining at Marcello's. Second, the two vintages were very different. I do not have information on 2001 for Trentino Alto-Adige DOC in northern Italy. The year 2003 was a record-breaking hot summer throughout Europe. The wine, as you will read further, definitely seemed to show an overwhelming oily ripeness.

The wine was golden in color, very heavy and oily on the glass. On the nose, intense aromas of sweet rose petals, poached pears, grapefruit and citrus oil. On the palate, it hits you with a shot of lytchee nut. Ginger, flowers and spices linger in the long finish. Relatively low in acid and high in alcohol, although the latter is masked by the intensity and perfume character of the fruit.

The 2001 was a much different wine, lighter in body, intensely perfumed nose, with fizzy, crisp acidity and a nice dose of fruit, flowers and spice. It was a very food friendly wine.

Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

2004-11-18T07:33:00.000-08:00

So after all the hoopla in the press I finally had to put my wine snob hat aside and try out Fred Franzia's two buck creation marketed as Charles Shaw (Two Buck Chuck). Since we have no Trader Joe's in New York I asked my uncle to bring a bottle from Massachussetts, which happens to cost around $3, probably due to shipping and state regulations.

So we tried it on the blind, along with a cabernet dominated Grand Cru Bordeaux (D'Armailhac) and a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon that goes for $10 (Cousiño Macul). Unfortunately, blind tasting was not enough to hide reality.

Here is an experiment. Take a bottle of cheap red wine vinegar and take a whiff. If you concentrate on its green grape juice, stems and leaves aroma while ommitting some of the acidic volatiles you'll get an idea as to what Two Buck Chuck smells like.

The taste? Sweet supermarket Concord grape juice interlaced with dried leaves and stems. The acidity was somewhat pronounced and there was an almost induced sweet aftertaste. Perhaps from the "residual" (how residual can added sugar be called) sugar in the wine. This wine cannot possibly be dry.

I do give a lot of credit to the marketing. That must be were most of the cost goes into. The bottle was nice; Bordeaux styled, heavy dark glass. Makes a nice addition to my bottle collection for home winemaking. The label? Simple, yet elegant, design; a typical design from a cult winery offering. And an almost real cork! So if you get a lot of pleasure from the packaging, good for you!

Overall, neither my uncle or I could palate it. It was funny. At least we had two whole bottles of the real stuff to go along with our dinner that evening! I wouldn't recommend this wine for a micro-second. Not even for a big party gathering. Stick to Yellow Tail.

If you want a cheap good bottle of wine for everyday drinking try some of the selections from Spain (such as Protocolo). For $5-6 bucks, you get a more seriusly structured wine. Can't afford it every day? Then drink it every other day...

Now, where did I put that wine snob hat... Oh.. here it is! It was on my head all along.

2000 Domaine La Garrigue Cotes du Rhone "Cuvee Romaine"

2004-09-21T06:19:00.000-07:00

Deep opaque blood-like red with a slight brick rim, suggesting this wine might be at a mature stage. The nose was significantly dominated by raw lamb meat with hints of ripe cherries and damp leather. The palate was more fruit dominant than the nose. An initial burst of marraschino cherry was followed by subtle flavors of black currants and plum, vanilla and musty white pepper. A spicy peppery finish with lingering plum fruit and slightly bitter tannins. This $10 medium modied wine with moderately high acid stood up nicely against pepperoni pizza.

NapaNews.com | Mondavi break-up is talk of the valley

2004-09-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

NapaNews.com | Mondavi break-up is talk of the valley

Chateau de Lascaux Rouge 2001

2004-09-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

Praise the lord Kermit Lynch for another great value! This $12 wine is bright crimson red and relatively opaque in color, turning hot pink on the rim. On the nose, it has aromas of kirsch liqueor, ripe cherry, tar and vanilla ice cream. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied and tastes like sweet ripe plums and cherries with hints of aged vanilla pods, cloves, thyme and white pepper. Soft, pleasantly ripe tannins and lively acidity complement the fruit. The finish starts out spicy but quickly softens to lingering touch of stewed nectarines with hints of green olives.

2001 Shingleback Shiraz

2004-09-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

A RELATIVE newcomer to the McLaren Vale scene, Shingleback has attracted praise locally and abroad. Brothers John and Kym Davey planted their family property to vineyard in 1995 and released the first wines from the much-lauded 1998 vintage. The fourth-release 2001 is rich, juicy McLaren Vale shiraz incarnate, a testament to both the effort invested in this undertaking and what has turned out to be a pretty spectacular vintage for Mclaren Vale shiraz across the board. The nose opens with big plum fruit, sweet milk chocolate and spice. Caramel-scented American oak is present in force but fairly met by the fruit, from fragrant raspberry to ripe prune. It’s a similar tale in the mouth with lots of very sweet, dark fruits, black olive and chocolatey, creamy, assertive wood. Massive concentration, high in extract and full of ripe, velvety tannin, it almost takes on the texture of dark chocolate, as well as the flavour. The finish brings a wave of mocha, roasted coffee bean and savoury, smoky flavour as the wood momentarily takes the upper hand before being washed over by a long, juicy, blood plum aftertaste. It has masses of everything, including value.

-Nick Stock, Adelaide Review

1999 Giuseppe Mascarello Barbera d'Alba

2004-09-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

An old world style Barbera from Piemonte (where else?) . What makes it old world? Lots of volatile acidity on the nose and a more than slight hint of brettanomyces on the palate. Murky in appearance with a medium mohogany core and a medium tawny rim. VA makes for an unclean nose of a moderate aged bouquet with animale (from the brett) and not much fruit. Pretty much bone dry on the palate with not so much tired but resigned fruit. Balanced and rounded acidity, soft tannins, with a medium body and medium finish. The savory characteristics of grilled onions (not sauteed, that would be sweeter) dominates any fruit.

It's not too much VA or brett for my liking but purists may object.

Good quality and a good value at $16 retail. Drink now, may not last more than a year.

Good with any meat and tomato dish, like a Bolognese sauce.

2003 Standing Stone Vidal Ice

2004-09-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Made from Vidal Blanc grapes from New York's Finger Lakes. Flash frozen so not truly an Eiswein. Bright golden yellow core with a medium yellow rim. Clean nose with a pronounced grape aroma. Spicy pineapple/tomato (salsa, perhaps?) on the nose. A sweet wine balanced out with crisp acidity and firm grip. Full bodied with great syrupy legs. Medium alcohol (10.5%) with a long finish. Fruit is pronounced pineapple and tomato ketchup with a mild peppery spice finish.

Very good quality. Drink now or hold 2-3 years.

Retail Price: $20/375ml

2002 Peter Howland Pine Lodge Vineyard Mt. Barker Shiraz

2004-09-08T19:26:00.000-07:00

Old vine Shiraz from Western Australia. An atypical Australian Shiraz, reminiscent of a well made Côte-Rôtie. Clear color with intense purple core and garnet rim. Clean and pronounced nose with a mature bouquet. Peppery on the nose with hints of black raspberry. Medium dry on the palate with balanced acidity, black fruit and black pepper finish. More earthy than fruity, though. Fruit is not intense and oak is mature vanilla French oak.

If I had tasted this blind, I would swear it was from the Northern Rhone.

Outstanding Quality. Drink now (decanted) but will keep up to 10 years.
Retail Price: $30
peterhowlandwines.com

Riesling.de

2004-08-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

German website on riesling.

Wine's potent appeal may be at its limit (?)

2004-08-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

Wine's potent appeal may be at its limit the media says... Why does the trend have to be one-sided? Why can't we have it both ways? A nice wine with an acid, alcohol and fruit balance that better complements a meal (that doesn't always mean lower alcohol) and a fruit-bomb power house you can sip while sitting on your deck waiting for the sun to go down on a cool fall evening...

Will everything be predictable?

2004-08-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

Fight Against Genetically Modified Vines Gaining Momentum

If you could control every characteristic of wine through gene modification and completely controlled vinification, will the whole point of drinking wine be stripped away: the anticipation and the thrill of tasting the unknown?

2001 Clos La Coutale, Cahors

2004-08-16T18:22:00.000-07:00

2001 Clos La Coutale from Cahors. Its a Kermit Lynch selection. Nice aromas of ripe dark fruit, dark crimson color, medium body with ripe currant, cherry and earthy flavors with a somewhat long spicy finish. A little rustic on the edges and noticeable tannin, but for $10, its a great deal in my opinion. Eat it with a nice slab of red meat off the grill and you'll be in heaven!

Having Fun in the Russian River Valley

2004-08-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

Having Fun in the Russian River Valley

The Cheese Diaries: Behind the Scenes: A cheese buyer tells all

2004-08-06T05:24:00.000-07:00

The Cheese Diaries: Behind the Scenes: A cheese buyer tells all

Winery Pojer & Sandri - Faedo - Trentino

2004-08-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

Winery Pojer & Sandri - Faedo - Trentino

My wife and I had a 2001 bottle of their Traminer a few years ago in a restaurant in Boston's North End. I don't know whether it was the wine or the restaurant's ambience (or both) but it was a pleasurable experience to drink this wine along with some fine northern italian food.

Tasting Sonoma

2004-07-20T21:03:00.000-07:00

Click here for pictures of the trip.

Sunday July 27^th, First Day

My wife and I started our trip to Sonoma after spending a few days in San Francisco. After a brief visit to Lombard Street and the Golden Gate Bridge, we headed up to wine country with a busy ride on Rte 101. The skies were crystal clear and the temperature a cool 60 degrees. The breeze was strong enough to numb our faces while walking on the Golden Gate sidewalk.

We turned onto rte 37 and then 121 heading towards Kenwood. We went past Infineon raceway and listened to the buzzing sound of NASCAR racecars going around 80 mph. For those who love NASCAR (I can care less), the Dodge/Save Mart 350 was just starting when we went by the raceway.

Lunch

We continued north on 12 and stopped for lunch at Cafe Citti in Kenwood. This humble italian deli/eatery had a small dining room and an outside patio. It looked a little old but picturesque; the food was outstanding. The temperature was a lot warmer than by the bay; somewhere between 85 and 90- degrees.

Despite the heat, we decided to sit outside and have a few cold drinks. My wife had a nice freshly squeezed lemonade and I had a Hazelnut soda. I had never tried this soda. It was a little bit sweeter than I would have liked; frangelico meets club soda. For lunch we both had a grilled chicken sandwich with roasted peppers and a touch of pesto on focaccia bread. The food was nicely prepared and the flavors were outstanding. The also had a nice wine selection of local and Italian wines to complement the food.

After lunch, we headed back down route 12 towards our first winetasting destination: Arrowood Vineyards.

Tastings

Arrowood Vineyards

Wines Tasted

2001 Arrowood Côte de Lune Blanc, Russian River Valley, Saralee's Vineyard
2001 Arrowood Viognier, Saralee's Vineyard

I am not familiar with Viognier or Rhone-style white wines so I had no basis for comparing these two wines. They both seemed to have interesting tropical flavors, butterscotch, spice and a relatively long, hot finish. They were big and silky soft. The Viognier was more interesting, intense, with good structure and a longer finish. Both seemed low in acidity to me. I am very narrowminded when it comes to whites (a Riesling fanatic), so these wines fell short on my personal pleasure scale.

2002 Arrowood Gewurztraminer, Russian River Valley, Saralee's Vineyard

Pleasant flavors of watermelon and grapefruit. What little acid there was did not complement or balanced out the fruit. Personally, this wine was dissapointing.

1999 Arrowood Malbec, Sonoma County

Nice Malbec, red fruit, cedarwood and a linguering spice on the finish.

2000 Arrowood Syrah, Saralee's Vineyard
2001 Arrowood Syrah, Saralee's Vineyard

These two Syrah (both of which made in the Cote Rotie style; some Viognier added to the final blend) reminded me of Guigal's Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde. They were inky purple, almost black in color, thick and glycerin-rich, especially the 2001. A hint of flowers emerged from the intense aromas of blackberries, licorice, herbs and white pepper. These seemed to carry through the mid-palate and relatively long finish. Silky in texture, these two wines were a great pleasure to taste. The 2001 was more fruit-driven, more intense. The 2000 was a little more restrained with some earth peppery undertones.

2001 Arrowood Select Late Harvest White Riesling, Alexander Valley

This late harvest had a pleasant fruity nose. Flavors of honeyed peach and pineapple carried well through the palate and finish. I, however, found the wine uninspiring and without enough acid to balance out its high sugar content.

Mayo Family Winery

Monday July 28^th, Second Day

We had a perfect breakfast at the Inn; pouched egg over smoked salmon hash. The coffee was also outstanding. I don't recall the blend but it was from Flying Goat Coffee.

After our breakfast we started our winetasting journey driving through redwood trees and hillside vineyards towards our first destination: Martinelli Winery.

Martinelli Winery

The Martinelli tasting room is located right on River Road, a few miles west of Route 101 in Windsor. The tasting room is a humble red barn right near Hop Barn Hill. The inside reminds me of a typical country store in Vermont. The tasting bar is located in the back of the store.

Wines Tasted

2003 Martinelli Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

2002 Martinelli Road Chardonnay

2001 Dry Select Gewurztraminer

2000 Reserve Pinot Noir

2001 Bondi Home Pinot Noir

2002 "Vigneto Di Evo" Zinfandel

2003 Jackass Hill Muscat Alexandria

17% alcohol and 4% residual sugar was not the style of Zinfandel I was hoping to find at Martinelli. Nevertheless, this wine was very thick and almost siropy, with nice aromas of plums and flowers which carried through its flavors with hints of raisins, anise and vanilla and a long lingering spicy finish. This was a nice, port-like, sipping wine.
Hartford Family Winery

2002 Hartford Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

2002 Hartford Court Chardonnay Three Jacks Vineyard Russian River Valley

2001 Hartford Court Chardonnay Seascape Vineyard Sonoma Coast

2002 Hartford Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2001 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch-Sanchietti Vineyard Russian River Valley

2001 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard Russian River Valley
J. Rochioli Vineyards and Winery

I stopped here hoping to get a taste of Rochioli's single vineyard offerings only to find that there are no allocations for the tasting room and there is a six year waiting list! They had three estates wines available for tasting: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They were all nice wines but, IMO, overpriced. Each carried a $30-40 tab. I rather go back to Martinelli and drink their $25 chardonnays...
Rosenblum Cellars

I happen to hit this joint while walking around the town of Healdsburg. After a nice lunch at the Healdsburg Bar and Grill, ice cream at the Downtown Bakery and Creamery and coffee from Flying Goat Coffee, my senses were shut. Nevertheless, I decided to go to the tasting room anyway because it was an opportunity to try a wide variety of Zins. The only Zin I had tasted that day was Martinelli's "Vigneto Di Evo" which, at 17% alcohol and 4% residual sugar, was not the kind of Zin I was looking for. Only one wine managed to achieve the impossible: 2002 San Francisco Bay Continente Vineyard. Somehow this wine managed to get through layers of ice cream flavors lingering in my mouth and show its rich plum and dark berry flavors with a hint of vanilla and soft approachable tannins. Lucky me, it was the cheapest offering: $18.
Limerick Lane Cellars

Limerick Lane had the best Zinfandels I tasted while in Sonoma. Unlike other offerings, these were not huge raisiny bombs. With hints of fruit, spices and herbs, these were well-crafted wines with food in mind.

2003 Rose Sec

2001 Zinfandel, Collins Vineyard

2001 Old Vine Zinfandel, Collins Vineyard

2001 Syrah, Collins Vineyard

Tuesday July 29^th, Last Day

Silver Oak Cellars

If you are willing to pay $60-$100/bottle and you love sweet oaky Cab, you'll be very satisfied with their selections.

1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

More red in color, this wine had intense aromas and flavors of currants and red berries, crushed flowers, hints of peppermint, tobacco and vanilla. Long finish. A lot of young fruit but very approachable soft tannins and velvety feel. Outstanding balance of fruit, acid and alcohol. I didn't find it had as many nuances of flavor as the Napa offering but was more pleasurable to drink. I found this was my favorite of the two Silver Oak offerings, perhaps because it was more approachable.

1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

This was an excellent wine. Very dark ruby/violet color, this wine had darker flavors than the Alexander Valley selection and was not as fruit-driven. Loads of black-currant and other dark berries, roasted coffee, coccoa and vanilla flavors. Very long finish. The tannins were more apparent and the wine seemed heavier in feel and not as velvety. This wine clearly needs more time to mature.
Hendry Ranch

2003 PINOT GRIS

2003 HENDRY RANCH CHARDONNAY (UNOAKED)

2002 BLOCKS 9 & 21 CHARDONNAY

2002 BLOCKS 19 & 20 CHARDONNAY

2001 BLOCKS 4 & 5 PINOT NOIR

2002 BLOCK 7 ZINFANDEL

2000 BLOCK 28 ZINFANDEL

2001 HENDRY RED WINE

2000 BLOCK 8 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Vienna Riesling tasting leaves New World standing

2004-06-18T07:32:00.000-07:00

Article on a world riesling competition: Vienna Riesling tasting leaves New World standing.

Melville Vineyards and Winery

2004-06-14T05:54:00.000-07:00

Recently tried the 2002 Melville Estate Pinot Noir for the second time and it was just as excellent as the first time (Melville Vineyards). Gobs dark cherry fruit and crushed flowers interlaced with a hint of oak and mineral. Went real nice with grilled salmon.

Ravines Wine Cellars

2004-06-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

Here is one winery to watch: Ravines Wine Cellars.

On tasting wine

2004-05-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

The following was a quick presentation I did for a presentation skills class I took about a year ago. It was actually pretty cool to do:

"I am going to show you the simple technique of tasting wine. Wine, like any food, can be a pleasurable experience that you share with others.
You can, however, maximize this pleasure by paying close attention to all the senses involved in the process of consuming the wine.
I can't tell you how many times I tell my wife to slow doing before taking that first sip. When you consume wine you
see the wine, smell the wine and taste the wine.

To see the wine
Use a clear wine glass.
Tilt against a light surface, preferably white. Also notice its color and intensity.
Pay attention to how clear or opaque the wine is. Listen to yourself on what you find pleasing. Too opaque for your liking? Or perhaps its sediment
pleases you as it reassures you the wine is naturally made, not overmanufactured.

To smell the wine
Tilt the glass about 45 degrees and put your nose right on the rim of the glass, collecting the scent that is accumulated inside of the glass bowl.
Once again pay full attention to what you are smelling. Try to identify and associate what you smell to things that are common to you, such as
berries, flowers, tobacco, mushrooms, earth, tar, gasoline, etc, even if you actually never smelled them before. These associations will help you
recall these smells later and you'll be able to not only recognize what you are tasting but also be able to recognize what you like or don't like.

To taste the wine.
Take a sip, but make it a nice size mouthful, without choking of couse, so that you can maximize the senses. Note the wine's sweetness and acidity.
For reds, how much tannin (that constricting feel you get in the mouth, like with tea). Once again, associate the flavors with anything that is common
to you. Notice the weight of the wine, is it light like skim milk or heavy like cream. Swallow the wine and notice how all these things change with time,
what lingers in the mouth.

To make this experience more exciting, practice this along with food to see how your sensory experience changes with the wine.

To summarize, by maximizing your awareness on each step of the wine tasting process, you can maximize the pleasure
you get out of drinking it and sharing with others."