Dallas Wine Chick

Loudoun County Wine Pre-Trip: Continues to Bring Great Surprises

I came out of my early morning haze with two words running through my mind – Dig Deepa! You see, I brought along the Shaun T Insanity workouts and I knew that I was about to sweat out the wine, cheese, dessert, nuts and other sins of yesterday. After a very ugly workout session, I was ready for day two.

Our first stop was Chrysalis Vineyards. This was to be my first experience with Norton and I was excited. I had read the “The Wild Vine: A Forgotten Grape and the Untold Story of American Wine,” by Todd Kliman and was very intrigued to taste the native Virginia grape that was such a labor of love for Dr. Norton. The Norton grape was almost destroyed during the Civil War and then again during Prohibition.

Chrysalis Vineyards is a 412-acre farm that is known for being the world’s largest grower of Norton, deemed by owner Jennifer McCloud as the “real American grape.” In addition to Norton, McCloud has planted a variety of Spanish and French varietals in addition to the usual line-up. The vineyard also has several American milking Devon cows and will be making cheese and ice-cream soon.

We were split into two groups and our hostess, Pat, was born to showcase Chrysalis wines. She introduced us to “Sarah,” namesake of several blended wines and the vineyards gorgeous outdoor patio. Sarah, who died an untimely death of “consumption” or tuberculosis at the age of 16 in 1855, was the daughter of the property owners of the estate in the 1800s. Based on what I saw, she’s definitely resting in peace.

We tried 15 wines – all except for two were grown on the estate:

- 10 Chardonnay – this was made in the Old World almost Chablis-like style with lots of acidity and green apple. This is one of the wines sourced from grapes outside the vineyard, $17.

 - 09 Barrel Reserve Chardonnay – more New World in style. Citrus and oak abounded, $24.

 - 10 Viognier – very refreshing with notes of vanilla, melon, floral and peach notes, $29.

 - 10 Mariposa – a dry rose with notes of raspberries and strawberries. Not my favorite wine as I struggle with rose wines that do not sparkle, $15.

- 10 Sarah’s Patio White – I tasted citrus, honey and almost a Chinese spice, $15

- 10 Sarah’s Patio Red – This 100 percent Norton had almost a hint of sweetness to it. Big cherry, raspberry and a note of Asian spice. Pat talked about how good this is as a base to sangria and I’m inclined to agree, $15.

 - 08 Rubiana – This wine combined Spanish and Portuguese varieties and tasted of black fruits and pepper, $17.

 - 07 Norton Estate – I really wanted to love Norton especially after reading about its resurrection and knowing this vineyard brought back Norton in 1992, but the earthiness combined with fruitiness made me pause, $17.

- 10 Norton Barrel Select – This wine was made in a Beaujolis style and was very fruity, n/a

- 08 Norton Locksley Reserve – Aged for three years in the bottle, this blend of Norton (75 percent), Petit Verdot and Nebbiollo was very earthy with pepper and chocolate. I would have been interested to see what happened to this wine had it been decanted.

- 06 Petit Verdot – I tasted chocolate, pepper and earthiness, $35.

- 07 Tannat (or poker playing wine) – I tasted mocha, currant, vanilla and blackberry. This wine could benefit with several more years in the bottle, but had nice structure, $35.

 - 08 Papillon – Had notes of mocha, cedar, pepper and pine, $35.

 - 10 Albarino – An explosion of white peaches, floral and even a bit of mango. This was one of my absolute Virginia favorites at $24.

Then it was time for the pinnacle – the 10 Petit Manseng, reserved for only the VIP wine club members and it usually sells out instantly. Chrysalis was the first to bring this wine to the Americas. I tasted honey, candid fruit, spice and orange. It was a very special wine and as much as I tried, I couldn’t convince anyone to sell me a bottle.

Our next stop was Boxwood Winery. Rachel Martin, EVP of Boxwood and the daughter of Rita and John Cook, former owners of the Washington Redskins, greeted us and talked about the history of the winery. Designed by Architect Hugh Jacobsen, it’s an airy, light filled and cheery place to experience wine. The 16-acre winery was first planted in 2004 and focuses on French Bordeaux varietals – Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The focus is producing fine wines in a French style with Virginia terrior.

Stephane Derenoncourt, a French winemaker, consults with Adam McTaggart, Boxwood’s day-to-day winemaker. Boxwood was Derenoncourt’s first U.S. consulting venture.

We tried several wines:

- 09 Topiary Rose, a dry sipping wine with tasted of strawberry. You guys know I struggle with roses, but the rest of the bloggers enjoyed this wine, $14-16

 - 08 Topiary, a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, was done in a right bank style. It had a deep purple color, dark fruits, berry, smokiness, spiciness and eucalyptus notes, $25-27.

- 08 Boxwood was done in the left bank style and was a blend of petit verdot, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. I tasted blackberries, black cherries and almost a sandalwood essence, $25-27. – 09 Topiary, muted berry, cedar and earthiness. This wine will be released in the Fall, n/a.

- 09 Boxwood had big berry, a powerful structure and benefitted from a quick whirl in the Wine Soiree (actually both 09 wines did). I brought home a bottle of the 08 and 09 to compare at a future tasting, n/a.

A few things struck me after spending these two days tasting Virginia wines. First, I was surprised at the number of European influences on the wine styles and the grapes being planted. Second, it is clear that no expense has been paid to bring in some of the world’s top wine consultants. And finally, Virginia is an area that is making the commitment today to make some serious wine in the future.

The Experience of Loudoun County: Award-Winning Wines Take Bloggers by Surprise

I remember the crowd reaction last year during #wbc10 when Virginia was named as the host city for the next Wine Bloggers Conference in 2011.  There was skepticism, puzzlement and I heard the comment that the conference was clearly sold to the highest bidder.  I encouraged those around me to give the state a chance and that some of the wine there just might be a well-kept secret.  I was correct.

Fast forward a little over one year and I found myself at the Dulles airport at the pre-conference tour of Loudoun County.   Stacey and Wendy served as our very generous and knowledgeable hosts and we had no idea what a fabulous time we were about to have.  I was also thrilled to see some old friends from last year and those I connect with often on Twitter.  Our first stop was a tour and tasting of Tarara Winery.  Jordan Harris, general manager and winemaker, served us a variety of local meats, cheeses and fresh-picked blackberries.  I had to exercise a great deal of willpower to not eat the entire blackberry bowl single-handedly.

Jordan Harris, general manager and winemaker

Tarara Winery was founded in 1989 by Whitie and Margaret Hubert.  It is one of the oldest wineries in Virginia and focuses on artisan wines.  The winery has three main vineyards – Nevaeh (estate vineyard), Tranquility (in Purcellville) and Honah Lee (in Orange).  In Jordan’s opinion, these three vineyards best represent the terrior of Virginia and are defined by their place, not their varietals.  Interestingly, all of the wines produced by Tarara have screwtops.

We tried the following wines:

-          09 Charval, a blend of chardonnay, pinot gris, viognier and sauvignon blanc.  I tasted tropical fruits, floral notes and a little lemon on the nose, $20.

-          10 Viognier, a classic Virginia viognier (and that is meant as a compliment) with peach, melon and honeysuckle.  A very elegant wine for $15.

-          09 Navaen White, which is a blend of viognier and chardonnay.  I got mandarin oranges, floral, cinnamon and a little minerality.  This elegant wine was borne from a hobby that got out of control, $30.

-          09 Three Vines Chardonnay, full of pears, butterscotch, fennel and citrus.  This is a classic chardonnay for $20.

-          97 Chardonnay.  This was an interesting wine as we wondered how well Virginia wines could age.  Unfortunately this was past its prime and I couldn’t get over the musty smell, n/a.

-          09 Tranquility Red, this is a blend of the top two barrels that three wineries – Tarara, 8 Chains and Hiddencroft Vineyards – produced from Tranquility Vineyard.  It’s a great example of the collaboration that you find between Virginia winemakers.  I tasted blackberry, licorice and pine.  I’d like to have some time for this to open up to truly experience the flavors and in fact the winemaker recommends holding for 5-7 years, $40.

-          08 Nevaeh Red.  I tasted berry, cassis, mineral, plum and oak.  This wine is one of the first east coast wines to be named a Rhone Ranger, $40.

-          09 TerraNoVA, this allocation-only wine tasted of big currant, eucalyptus, menthol and red raspberry.  The fruit was harvested from several vineyards from Loudoun County.  Tarara selects its two favorite barrels of cabernet that best represents Loudoun’s terrior.  At $45, this is a very nice wine.

-          08 CasaNoVA.  This was the biggest wine of the bunch and therefore, my favorite red.  I tasted chocolate, mint, tobacco and cedar.  It was lovely, complex and well-rounded.  It was also $45.

-          07 Cabernet Sauvignon.  It was very Old World with earthiness, plum, cooked raspberries and strawberry notes.  It aged better than the white, but wouldn’t be my first choice to pull out of the cellar.

We ended with the 10 Honah Lee LH Petit Manseng, the winery’s first late harvest wine.  I tasted floral, honey and tropical notes.  It was a great dessert wine, but wasn’t for sale. We also tried an 08 syrah that was cold fermented with viognier – also not on the regular wine list yet.

Our next stop was Breaux Vineyards, which was founded in 1994 and opened to the public in 1997.  It has 104 acres planted with 18 different grape varieties – half red, half white — with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Owners, Paul and Jennifer Breaux, welcomed us with a hayride around vineyard.  It was scorching weather, but of course I had to participate as did most of our blogging crew. 

Jennifer Breaux Blosser, Sales & Hospitality Director 

We then moved into the cool cellar where we got to taste amongst the barrels and see how Virginia winemakers are encouraging experimentation with lesser known varietals like nebbiolo. 

We tried the following wines: 

-          10 Sauvignon Blanc – the perfect “after hayride” wine.  At $17, it was very crisp with citrus, melon and green apple notes.

-          10 Viognier – Lots of apricot, honey and floral notes with a touch of oak on the finish.  A very nice elegant wine for $24.

-          07 Nebbiolo Barrel Sample – Lots of promise in this wine.  I tasted deep berry, violet, roses and a bit of terrior-driven chalkiness.  It was a soft wine – even in the barrel – and one I can’t wait to try in the bottle, n/a.

-          07 Meritage – Definitely an Old World style with spice, pepper, blackberries and chocolate and oak on the finish.  It was a nice mosaic of Bordeaux varietals, which is priced at $28.

-          07 Cabernet Franc Reserve – very soft tannins with spice, blackberry, vanilla and raspberry.  Two bottles of this came home with me.

-          10 Cabernet Franc Barrel sample – I tasted raspberry and mocha.  This had a nice structure and it will be interesting to see what the end result brings, n/a.

-          10 Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel sample – Blackberry, chocolate, mocha, cassis and mint were the dominant flavors in this blend.

David Pagan Castaño, winemaker

We then got to try a few others including the 08 Nota Viva Viognier, which was refreshing with tropical notes, but a nice minerality and the Corcoran Seyvel Blanc, which wasn’t my personal taste.

After that, we took a short bus trip to Grandale Farm Restaurant. The restaurant is located on a Historic Operating Farm in Loudoun County.  The mission of the restaurant is to source locally as much as possible and the picturesque garden showcased some great looking herbs, fruit and vegetables.  The dinner was fabulous and paired with Loudoun County wines.  I enjoyed the first two whites – a Viognier and a Chardonnay, but the dessert wine pairing tasted to most of us at the table like it had turned.

Wine Soiree Came to the Rescue Many Times This Weekend, But Couldn’t Save the Dessert Wine

After eating way too much food, we were transported back to one of two hotels where we either hit the bar, pool tables or if you were smart, got a full night’s sleep.  I wasn’t.

A Preview of Virginia Wines: Surprises Abound (the Good Kind)!

It’s just about lights, camera, and action time for the Wine Bloggers Conference in Charlottesville, VA. To whet our palates and educate many bloggers who aren’t familiar with wine from Virginia, the Virginia Wine Council and my Twitter friend, Frank Morgan, put together several Twitter Taste Live opportunities to get a group of us familiar with what the state has to offer. Last week, it was all about Virginia Viognier.

I am a big fan of viognier, but shared some trepidation with the group of seven girls who I gathered for the tasting. Boy, were we wrong. Virginia makes some great Viogniers in a variety of styles from sparking to fruity to mineral in nature.

We started with the NV sparkling viognier, a 100 percent viognier wine. I got green apple, pear, mango and apricot in this wine. Winemaker Mike Heny told us that he wanted to do something unique that had not been done before. Well, he succeeded and beautifully. At $25, this was my favorite of the tasting.

Our next wine was the 2010 Blenheim Vineyards Viognier. This wine was full of honey, tropical fruits and had a minerality that made it a perfect match for the spicy shrimp we were eating. At $19, this was a great food friendly white.

We then tried the King Family Vineyards 2010 Viognier. This was elegant and well balanced with melon, honey and peach flavors. At $24.95, this wine was a delightful pairing with sushi.

We followed up with the 2009 Barboursville Vineyards Reserve. This was a very floral wine with peach, apricot and some minerality. It was interesting to see the change in flavor as the wine spent more time in the bottle. This wine was $22.

While there were six wines in the tasting, my sixth wine from Delaplane Cellars didn’t arrive until after the tasting, so our last wine was technically the fifth wine – the 2010 Cooper Vineyards Viognier. I tasted of peach, apricots, tropical and floral notes. While the wines shared many of the same qualities, they were all very different.

My friends, who usually are tougher than most wine critics, universally said that they enjoyed all of them. It was a reminder to me that there are some great wines out there and it often pays to go off the beaten path and experiment. I look forward to sharing my adventures with you during my time in Charlottesville beginning today through July 25. The Wine Blogger’s Conference is always good for new discoveries and good friends.  I look forward to sharing my adventures.

Summer Whites: Virginia Wines Offer a Refreshing Alternative

I recently participated in the Summer Wines of Virginia Taste and Tweet that consisted of a group of twelve bloggers who will be attending the Wine Bloggers Conference in Virginia in July.  Like usual, I invited over my group of good girlfriends who happily opened their palates to a new experience.  And, they came bearing food in overwhelming quantities. 

I did some research and according to Virginia’s Department of Agriculture, the state ranks number eight nationally in commercial grape production and eighth for bearing acreage.  However, I’m from Texas and while we are making better wines than in the past, what was important to me was the taste.

We tasted six white wines – all pretty well priced in nature and all new to me.  We started with the 2010 Keswick Vineyards Verdejo, a light, crisp summer wine that tasted of citrus and green apple with a hint of floral.  It was nice, but seemed a little overpriced for an everyday wine at $20.

The second wine was the 2010 Veritas Sauvignon Blanc Reserve. If I tasted this blind, I would have guessed New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.  I really liked this wine and it had some structure, but with a New World style with grapefruit, grassiness and lemon.  It’s a natural with oysters.

The third wine was a rose.  You guys know that I have a hard time personally with roses unless they sparkle, so I definitely let the guests provide the more objective review.  The 2010 Boxwood Winery Topiary Rose, was described as “dusty strawberry” in taste – a mix of strawberries and minerality – and is priced at $14. 

We then shifted to the 2010 Jefferson Vineyards Viognier, which was rated very highly by other bloggers in the tasting.  Unfortunately, my bottle was corked, so I look forward to trying the wine at WBC in July.  This is priced at $25.

An unnamed guest with a good sense of humor

The fifth wine was the 2010 Chrysalis Viogner, which was definitely the favorite of my group’s tasting.   This wine was almost creamy with layers of pineapple and citrus along with some minerality.  This was priced at $29.

The final wine was the 2010 Lovingston Petit Manseng.  Priced just under $17, it was my first experience with petit manseng.  And possibly my last.

Indian Wines: Not Ready for Primetime

Almost every country is making wine today, but should they be?  I had an experience last week that would make me give a resounding no to Indian wines.  A friend of mine went on a press trip to India where she sampled several wines.  She returned with some bottles and offered to share them with a group of foodies/winos.  I thought it was curious that when I was in India several years ago, I was not offered any Indian wines even when I asked about them.  I quickly found out why. 

We tried four different wines – two from Grover Vineyards in Nandi Hills.  The first was the 09 Grover Art Collection Viognier.  I tasted a bit of peach and tropical fruit and then nothing remained on the palate.  My favorite part of this wine was the artistic label by Paresh Maity, a famous Indian painter. The second wine from Grover was the La Réserve where I think I tasted Cardamom and some stone fruit.  In the words of one of my closest pals, there was “no there” there.  We also tried the Madera red from Sula Vineyards with different flavors, but the same experience.

Photos courtesy of Andrew Chalk

The last wine was the 08 Chateau D’Ori, a Bordeaux blend first harvested in 07, that none of us could drink.  My husband jumped from the table to obtain something suitable for a spit bucket while one friend just dumped his glass into the ice bucket that was holding the Viognier.  I have a hard time bad mouthing wines because of all the work involved by those that produce them, but these were awful.  Since they brought samples for the press to taste and you guys like to experiment, I would give these wineries a few years to develop their wines and perhaps try them again.  In the spirit of fairness, these were stored in checked baggage and my friend didn’t remember the wines tasting quite so bad.  But when you have a 06 Trimbach Gerwurtzeimer as well as two Torrontes from Argentina, for the same price or lower, there is no comparison.

Beyond Safe Labels: Dallasites Take the Challenge

A few weeks ago, I was shocked to read a blog comment from The Wall Street Journal’s Lettie Teague about what Dallasites are drinking. Teague visited a Sigel’s Fine Wine shop in Frisco and was told by manager Tim Farina that we only drink big cabernets and big brands.

Whaaaaatttt? While I don’t personally follow the steak to cabernet sauvignon rule, I can understand a local steakhouse having a larger selection of those wines. So, I decided to go for a sanity check. I reached out to Terri Burney, owner of  WineTastic, who told me that while she has some customers that would fit the bill, even more are trying Malbec, Rioja, Albarino and Champagne.

Brooks Anderson, owner of  Veritas, had some great insights. “To say that Dallasites drink only overpriced, big labels of Cab and Chard is absolutely ridiculous and wholly inaccurate. If that were true, Veritas would have gone out of business long ago. We do not carry Cakebread; we do not currently carry Silver Oak; we do not currently carry Caymus; we do not currently carry Far Niente; we do not carry Nickel & Nickel; etc. Instead we carry lots of fun, boutique Cabs and Chards (and other wines from around the globe) that aren’t necessarily cheap and we sell them all day long. There are plenty of Dallasites who love to explore new labels, who would rather offer a delicious wine that their dinner guest has never heard of rather than an overpriced ‘label’.”

He went on to say that “in addition to ‘not cheap’ Cabs and Chards, we sell loads of Chateauneuf du Pape, Brunello, Barolo, Barbaresco, Burgundy, Amarone, Sancerre, etc. Dallasites are trying inexpensive wines like White Rioja; White Bordeaux; Gavi; Albarino/Alvarhino; Cotes du Rhone; Spanish Garnacha; Carmanere; Malbec; Baby Super Tuscans; Nero d’Avola; etc.”

So, where do we go from here? We need to take a stand. While there is a place for Cabernets, Chardonnays and other mainstays in our lives, let’s try some new varietals.

I had the recent opportunity to meet Anne-Laure Helfrich of Helfrich wines to try wines produced in her family’s Alsatian vineyard. The price points were fantastic — $14.99 for the Noble Tier wines that were really good (Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gerwürztraminer). The Grand Cru wines with the same varietals were fantastic and priced at $24.99. The Grand Cru Riesling was elegant with orange blossom, apricot and minerality. The Grand Cru Gewurztraminer had a floral nose with honeysuckle, citrus and a floral nose. I personally am adding these to my wine “off the beaten path” selection list.

In Dallas, you can find these wines at Whole Foods, Costco, Majestic Liquors (Fort Worth), Winestyles (Arlington and Fort Worth), Vino 100 and Veritas.

Let’s prove to Tim that we’ve moved from a “safe label zone” and into wine drinkers that have the courage to put an unfamiliar bottle on the table.

Senseless Women with Wine: The Goosecross Experience

Goosecross Cellars

Our day began with the magic words, “would you like grapefruit juice for breakfast?”  Why yes, we certainly would!  And a wonderful glass of 08 Goosecross Sauvignon Blanc was served by the lovely Nancy (known as @vinifera in the world of Twitter) as we gathered around an outdoor table with a spectacular view of the vineyard.  The wine had nice notes of honey, grapefruit, pear and citrus – it was delightful and $23. I’ll take that for breakfast any day.   

Goosecross Cellars began in 1985 and is truly a family affair.  Our group of ten was greeted by Geoff Gorsuch, Winemaker & Vice President with a pretty on target comment, “What group are you with? Women tasting wine without sense?”  We shortened it to Senseless Women With Wine.  Geoff, I can tell you my husband would more than agree with that statement and usually after he sees the credit card damage from a Napa/Sonoma excursion.

Our group quickly came to a consensus about the 08 Viognier that made red wine lovers buy white.  Full of nectarine, floral, honeydew and apricot notes, it was a fantastic Texas summer porch wine that made me wish for Summer.  Naturally, my wish came to fruition as it hit 80 and now I can’t get my wines shipped.  But, for $32 it was definitely one of the universal group favorites and chances are it will be served if you drink wine at our houses this summer.

Next up was the 07 chardonnay that had notes of green apple, vanilla, citrus and a creamy finish.  It was priced at $34 and I actually saw it on the order form of one of my exclusively red drinking friends.

We jumped over to red wines and started with the 07 Napa Valley Syrah, which retails for $36. This was a great syrah representation with lots of cherry, smoke and spiciness.  Our next wine was the merlot which tasted of cocoa, black cherry and vanilla at $42.  The 04 Howell Mountain Cabernet had plum, cherry, cedar and something I couldn’t place that turned out to be anise.  At $69, I’d put this up against the many $100 plus cabs that we tasted over the weekend.

The grand finale came as we were checking out and were poured a taste of the ÆROS 2006 Napa Valley Estate Meritage, only the second release in 24 years.  Let’s just say that this was well worth the wait.  Excellence doesn’t come cheap and this wine is priced at $142.  But, wow!  It was rich and seductive.  Big fruit, smoke, stone fruit and ripe raspberry made this well balanced wine the winner in the bunch.  But honestly, with the hospitality, great wine and Colleen’s adorable puppy that we couldn’t get enough of, you can’t go wrong with Goosecross as a must see winery.

A Small Town Boy from Iowa Turns a Hobby into Wine Magic

I had the opportunity to attend yet another wonderful wine dinner that Lakewood Country Club hosted for its wine locker members.  Co-owner Gary Luchtel from Surh Luchtel joined us for a wonderful four course dinner prepared by Executive Chef William Koval.  Poor Gary drew the short straw and ended up seated next to me.  For the next three hours, I proceeded to pepper the poor guy with questions that he handled with incredible patience and good humor.

A small town Iowa boy who followed an attractive exchange student to California, Gary told me his story about the wine hobby he and Don Suhr shared that began in 1990 and became a career in 1999.  I always am intrigued when I see people who have made their passion a success.  However, Don gave me a new perspective when he stated, “you know you lose your hobby when it becomes your job.”  Hmmm.

Suhr Luctel has grown and now  produces 4,000 cases of ten wines – Pinots, Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet, Zinfandel and Viognier.  He and Don serve as the only two employees of the winery and their focus is on making good wines at even better prices. While they source grapes from high-end growers all over California, they also own Fortanati Vineyard, which produced the Viognier that has become a new favorite of mine.  More on that to come later.

During the cocktail hour, we sampled the 07 Surh Luchtel Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast.  Cherries, spice and earthiness in a glass that retails for $32.  The other wine served was the 06 Surh Luchtel Mosiaque.  This wine priced at $31 was a Bordeaux blend with lots of blackberry and stone fruit.   I’d like to try this wine in a few years as I feel age would make it very different than it is today.  These two wines were paired with passed appetizers of mini crab cakes with tomato jam and lobster sauce; black peppered beef, arugula and parmesan and pork shumi with karashi mustard.  The appetizers and wine matched well.

Our first course was a soup of spring green garlic cream with fresh peas, morels and seared rabbit loin.  This was served with the 08 Surh Luchtel Viognier from Oak Knoll in Napa.  An unlikely pairing in my mind, but I can’t find my way around a kitchen.  It was a fantastic match.  The wine is my new favorite Viognier.  It is produced in stainless steel barrels, but after the primary fermentation, they add a partial malolactic fermentation to bring out the creaminess of the wine.  The combination of the minerality, crispness, apricot, white peaches and pepper make it one of my top new summer wines and it is a great find for $28.   

The next course was a seared long island duck breast with a Japanese sweet potato, cardamom, mango, shitake served with star anise duck sauce.  This was served with the 06 Surh Luchtel’s Gary’s Vineyard Pinot Noir from Santa Lucia Highlands.   This was a very expressive and big Pinot with a taste of berries and cherries.  It was a wonderful match with the course.  It is priced at $50.

Our dessert course was served with the 05 Surh Luchtel Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa.  The fresh fruit almond cream pastry and pistachio almond ice cream – especially the ice cream – worked well with the Cabernet.  This was also a big wine with blackberry, cherry, currant and hints of chocolate.  Priced at $40, this wine would evolve for another 5-7 years with cellar age.  The bonus of the night was the glass of 63 Taylors Port that Clubhouse Manager Tony Zaranti poured at the end.  It topped off a great evening of fun, friends, food and wine.

Wines Rated Over 90 and Under $30 Wine Club: The Intersection of Class and Sass

On Saturday night, my husband and I gathered with some of my favorite people for our bi-monthly wine club. The theme was wines that were rated over 90 points and cost under $30. We started out with an impressive display of gourmet cheese, hummus, breads, pates and prosciutto as well as two starter (or as we call them, swill) wines. The first was an 07 Olivares Altos de la Hoya. This Spanish wine was rated 91 points and well priced at $11.99. The second, was the Signargues La Font due Vent Cotes du Rhone 06, which was rated 91 points and priced at $14.99. I personally enjoyed both of them, but the Rhone seemed to be the clear winner among the group, especially after it had a chance to open up.

Then the games began. Flight one was comprised of six wines beginning with the Pazo Senorans Albarino 06 from Spain. I found it fruity, but with some minerality that kept it from being cloying. It was rated a 92 and priced at $27 (29 cents per point). The second wine was the Tablas Creek “Cotes de Tablas Blanc.” I tasted guava, peach and apricot and likened it to the drink “Sex on the Beach.” It was rated 92 points and priced at $23 (25 cents per point). The third wine, a Melville Estate Viognier, had an essence of peach, apricot, orange blossom and floral tones. It was rated 90 points and priced at $22 (24 cents a point). Around this time, smoked salmon and trout on polenta was served to the table with a lovely crème fraiche. It paired nicely with the whites served. But, this group generally prefers reds, so we made the switch on wine number four – the 08 Borsao Tres Picos Grenache with big flavors of blackberry and liquorce had a nice balance. Priced at $18 (20 cents per point) and rated 91, it was one of my favorites from the first flight. Wine number five was the 07 Descendientes de Jose Palcios Petalos from Spain. Full of raspberry, blackberry and smoke, the wine was rated 91 points and is priced at $22 (24 cents a point). The final wine of this flight was the 05 Capcanes Mas Donis rhone blend from Spain. The cherry, blackberry, liquorice and herbs made this the most interesting of the flight. Priced at $16 (18 cents per point), this wine is rated 91 points making it the best value of the flight and another favorite.

At the intersection between the first and second flight of wines, I find that the conversation usually splinters off from class into sass. Because I’d like to not be tossed out of the group, I won’t go into details here, but the conversation is always fast, furious, fun and many times, inappropriate.

At this point, a savory beef stew was served to begin the second flight of wines. The first, a Luigi Bosca Reserve Malbec tasted earthy with blackberry and espresso essences. At $20 and 90 points (22 cents per point), it fulfilled what a Malbec should be. The second wine was the 07 Clos de los Siete Super Red Blend. I tasted black currant, hints of oak and black cherry. Priced at $20 and rated a 91 (22 cents per point), it was a nice wine. The third wine was one of the hidden zingers that didn’t fit the criteria for wine club because that’s the way we roll. The 05 L’Aventure Estate Cuvee tasted of currant, liquorce, chocolate and spice. And, at $75 (and 77 cents per point), it was rated a 97. I liked this much more until I found out the price. The fourth wine was a 07 First Class Shiraz from South Australia. I tasted chocolate, berry and smelled a hint of bacon. Priced at $28 (31 cents per point) and rated a 90, it was one of my favorites. The fifth wine was aptly named the 07 Suxx Shiraz. In my opinion, it is an appropriate name. It was priced at $24 and rated 91 points (26 cents per point). The final wine was also a favorite – even after finding out it too was a zinger. The 04 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Cuvee Prestige. Full of black cherry, liquorce, pepper and currant.. It was priced at $57 and rated 94 points (61 cents per point).

Usually, at the end of a tasting, we choose one wine that the group will purchase to drink at the end of year party. However, due to a few pregnancies of core group members (not those attending this evening) and the inability to agree upon one favorite, we changed the plan. While this group knows a great deal about wine, we all have different palates and taste preferences. It’s a good reminder to me that the best wine out there is one that you enjoy – no matter what the critics say.

My Four Year Old Has a Better Palate Than Mine?

A few days ago, I was going through my usual wine consumption ritual – view the color and clarity, sniff the aroma, swirl the glass, and was getting ready to taste when I suddenly heard, “Mommy, can I have a sip?” I looked down to see the big blue eyes of my four and a half year old daughter staring up at me. “Um, no. This is an adult drink.” Strange – she had never shown an interest before other than looking at the Eurocaves and asking if those were full of “adult beverages.” I saw the disappointment in her eyes and said innocently, “would you like to smell it?” I showed her how to swirl the wine to bring out the bouquet (it wasn’t pretty). I figured she would lose interest immediately. She did not.

She took a deep sniff and declared, “I smell cherries, chocolate and strawberries.” Holy crap – we were drinking an Archery Summit Pinot Noir 2002. Did I have a sommelier in training? Should I give the blog over to her since her palate was so much more evolved than mine? I did what any good mom and wine lover would do – I bragged to my friends and on Twitter all week.

A week later, I poured a glass of Failla Viognier and handed it over to her. She sniffed, she swirled. I held my breath. Finally, she declared, “I smell cherries and chocolate and strawberries.”

Seems those childhood experts are right about kids picking up the darndest things. And so I wait for the next college scholarship opportunity.