Friday Night Dinner: Focaccia, Veal Marsala & Saffron Pasta

Last night I was in a weird veal mood. I made a focaccia with calamata olive tapenade base, fresh basil and garden tomatoes. The veal was with marsala, artichoke hearts and capers.The pasta is Capunti with saffron, sage, rosemary, Locatelli and cream. Fresh basil finished it off.Not a bad night. Good for Hemingway too. (My 5 year old Maltese).

Sausage Pepper & Patatoes

I broke 3 cloves of garlic into olive oil and sautéed the sausage pieces, and then added the 1 large green and 1 large red pepper. Let the cook for a bit, salt and peppered and removed. The I placed a slightly par-boiled red potato and a 1 Idaho (cubed) into the sausage oil. covered and browned. I added 1 large sweet basil leaf (chiffonier).I continued cooking the sausage and peppers in another pan until peppers browned nicely. Salt & peppered the potatoes and viola! Dinner. Wine: 2004 Terrasses, Ventoux (Rhone)

2003 Sorrel Canyon Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 12/1/2007 (Super-QPR)

2003 Sorrel Canyon Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon.

The foil cap says Windsor. The cork says Windsor. This very drinkable Cabernet is produced by Windsor Vineyards, those people who can put your name on wine to give to clients and the like. It differs in the fact that those old Windsors I have tried... always sucked. This is pretty pretty good. This wine is sold exclusively by Gary's Wine & Marketplace in New Jersey. They were pouring it when I visited so I gave it a shot, then another.

From my bottle a week later;
Dark color. Out of the gate the wine was a bit awkward, but within in hour it had shown signs of elegance and structure one rarely encounters at this price point. ($8.99)

Mocha, creme de cassis, lush black fruits, tar, coffee, and a very credible tannin level. As it sat in my glass it just got better and better. What a 9 dollar stunner!

Not much info on the web about this one, but give it a try and let me know what you think. I grabbed a case....

postscript;

I can't state this enough; anyone who likes Cabernet should find this wine. I have had it 10 times to date and it just amazes me how a wine like this can still be produced and sold for under $10!! Lush, deep dark fruit. Tasted blind I would place this at about $30-$40. Really. Some friends of mine have tried and have bought cases. People who have some pretty deep cellars I should add.

I get nada for recommending this. But keep this in mind; If my name were Bob, this would be impossible to get.

You owe it to yourself. No?

TN: 2004 Dain Wines Syrah Sojourn Las Madres Vineyard

12/31/2007: Dark crimson color with beautiful transparent edges showing off a lovely purple red color. The nose is subdued; some pomegranate, some vanilla. Interesting. The palate is explosive with sweet red & blue fruits; wonderful blueberry has very much taken hold. An amazing layer of soft vanilla is evident. There is a certain something I have never experienced before. For once in my life I am speechless...

This has perfect weight, and the tannins are lying in the background nicely and a wonderful acid level is in attendance. Fantastic long & smooth aftertaste. There is much happening here. I harkens back to a term I learned from a fellow wine lover; "Mind bender". This is such a wine. A serious, sensual gratifying assault on all of my senses from the neck up. 750 ml of elegance. My last bottle. I got to get me more of this. Well done Dain! (93 pts.)

2005 Audelssa Estate Winery Summit (USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley)

Nice translucent deep color. The nose is a bit subdued, but if one looks (smells) hard enough one can find some candied red fruits. The palate reveals red plums, cassis, tar, and leather. There is a real elegant feminine quality about this wine. A quality that elevates it to the stratosphere. The Petit Verdot is evident toward the end. Not a showy wine, but a more classy restrained wine. A structured tannin level interweaved with a tight wire-like acid level hold all parts of the whole together. Very Bordeaux like while still retaining its California roots. Something for everyone. 92/100

The State of the Union…. of my glassware.

My fellow wine lovers. Glassware has become a tremendous part of our ‘thing’. Years ago you had limited options that amounted (by today's standards) to average uncut crappy glasses as the INAO (seen here left).

I remember when the Les Impitoyables hit the market. I bit. I got the Mature Red (No. 3, right), and 2 Champagne (No. 4). Pricey, but nice. My Mature Red has not been used since the mid 90’s, and my Champagne circa 2000. I must admit, I would use the Champagne often if I were a bigger Champagne drinker. 1 Bottle a year does not a big drinker make.

These days I enjoy a few types of glasses. Most recently the Waterford Mondavi Syrah glass (left). Great feel, elegant and nicely balanced. A special wine glass for special wines. I have owned the Waterford Mondavi Cabernet glasses, but found them too big.

My everyday glass for the last year is the Riedel Ouverture Red Wine glass (below right). I purchased 15 or so tubes (4 glasses) last December 26th from bed Bath and Beyond. They were marked down from $30 per tube of 4 to $12.99. How could I not grab all I could? They make great gifts, and I still have enough on hand for a decent group tasting at my home. The stem is shorter but the feel is great.

Previous to the Riedel I regularly used the Spiegelau Vino Grande Magnum Bordeaux (below left). Nice feel. Very similar to the above Riedel, just a longer stem. They break a bit easier on the faucet, so in the back of my cabinet they sit.

I have recently checked out the Crate & Barrel Loire line-up. The Sauvignons seems pretty good. Nice feel, but slight rough visually when spun in your thumb and forefinger. At $7.95 they seem like a good candidate for the dinner table, or situations that can get a bit rough like dinner on the back deck. I will grab 4 when I get a chance. Crate and Barrel glassware has come a long way in the last year. In the past they were awkward and unbalanced.

TN: 2005 Saxon-Brown Syrah Flora Ranch

(USA, California, Sonoma County, Chalk Hill) $28.99
Went on Greg dal Piaz's (Astor, NYC) recco on this. I asked him for a cool climate Cali Syrah in about the $40 range and this surely delivered. Great complex nose of pebbles,moss, white pepper and dark plums. The palate showed elegance, structure, restraint and beauty. Great under current of red fruits and tight tannins. Deft acid level. Nice decent finish. This was surely the crowd pleaser on the table. One that I wish were a magnum than a 750 as I hated to see it go. Thanks Greg.

What do point scores mean to me?

Lots of talk of this subject as of late. Good points made on both sides of the wall. Me? I am solidly aground in my use of them. I think they work well for my needs and give me a yardstick to judge all wines that cross my lips.

When reading others notes I really have no use for the points UNLESS I know the tasters preferences. Descriptors are more important to me than point scores 98% of the time.

I know what I like in a wine, but does that mean your button pushers are the same? No way.

I agree with BS, professional critics scoring schemes are different, but not. You must find a critic you align with, and only then feel comfortable relying on his scores can you purchase on his recommendation, but remember, there is nothing like tasting for yourself and making your own judgement.

Let's not abolish points just yet. They have a place, even if it's under your own roof.

But what the hell do I know?

"Where did all my Bordeaux go?" or 'Where's the fruit?"

I started 'this thing of ours' in 1981. Wine was relatively inexpensive and bargains were plentiful. The 'boom' had not hit yet, at least not the boom which has brought us to today's conditions.

I enjoyed Bordeaux from the left bank (more CS based than Merlot). I was able to get wines like 1978 Beychevelle for $11 and 1982 Lafite Rothschild futures for $300...a case!

It took some time, but I was able to build up quite a nice collection. Moderately rare Bordeuax going back to the teens (1918 Calon Segur) by tapping some of the great cellar auctions like Delmonicos in NYC. I had amassed many top vintages of the 40's, 50's, 60's and 7o's. I remember bidding on a pair of 1926 Mouton Rothschilds. When the bidding went above $200 for the pair I stopped. I also remember bein offered a newly Chateau re-corked 1934 Lafite on sale at Sherry Lehman for about $150. By time I went back to to the shop, it was gone. I found I had filled my Eurocave quite nicely.

California Cabernet was a very different beast then; monolithic and primary for the most part. Lingering in the back of my mind I had always felt there was something I was missing in all the wines I drank.

Somewhere around 2001 I awoke and realized; I did not like Bordeaux. To me it was funky, barnyardy, missing fruit and just plain amiss. The whole concept of 'secondary nuances' flew past me. In contrast, many of today's California Cabernet's are full of deep red/black fruits, wonderful lush mouth feel, and just all around enjoyable. I happen to like my Cabs young; 5-10 years is perfect, and I am not shy about opening my 2004's either. Why wait? If I enjoy them now, what's to gain? (I love when I see tasting notes proclaiming "wonderful, 95 points! I will wait for my other 5 to get better." Better? There is a high probability they will be disappointed.)

What to do? What to do?

I sold ALL of my Bordeaux and restocked with my beloved newly rediscovered Cabernet. Not just any Cabernet, pure Napa Valley elixir.Don't cry for me...I did OK.

TN: 2005 Saintsbury Pinot Noir Carneros

This pinot noir is well worth its 23 dollar price:

It is somewhat pale in color, but intense, with crimson edges. The nose reveals fresh crushed pebbles & sour red cherries. The palate continues on with the cherries and pebbles with the addition of : tar, leather, violets and a hint of strawberries. The acid level seems right on and the medium texture tannins are well balanced and smooth. A great effort from the entry (I believe) level Pinot in the Saintsbury line. I have had Gevrey-Chambertains costing 3x the price that were not as expressive and enjoyable. Isn't that the real meaning of QPR? 92 points. ($22.99)

TN: 2005 Lucia Syrah Susan's Hill

USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

(11/23/2007)This is a more 'complete' wine when compared to the 2004. The color is deep and dark, almost blue/purple on the edges. The nose is blueberry, blackberry, camphor, and more. On the palate there was the sexiness spoken of, as well as a lushness I don't not usually associate with Syrah. A beautiful deep fruited Syrah that will just get better in the next few years. The tannin and acid level are spot on. A super long finish completes the package. Note to self; get more.

(94 pts.)

TN: 2004 Scholium Project Syrah Scythia Donati Vineyards

USA, California, Central Coast, San Benito County (8/24/2007)Not decanted as long as usual. Super dark purple color. This is one of the smoothest syrahs I have ever come across. Pretty blueberry pie on the nose as well as bruised purple fruits; plums are the highlight. A wonderful integration of tannins and acid create an ultra refined mouthfeel for a syrah. The finish goes on 'til midnight, or at least 40 seconds. Glad I got 5 more in reserve. (93 pts.)

TN: 2002 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon

USA, California, Napa Valley (8/24/2007)The nose on this is phenomenal. Dark fruits & chocolate shoot upward from the glass. Medium color. The palate reveals wonderful cassis, dark cherries, and cocoa. There is an amazing mouthfeel which exhibits the purest expression of cabernet you can find, all wrapped in a wonderfully meshed tannin jacket. This is just so elegant and classy; words are difficult to describe it. 30 second finish sums things up nicely (95 pts.)

TN: 2004 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon

USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (8/24/2007)Decanted 1 hour. Sweet red fruits, cherry pie. Over extracted and very unbalanced. Not flawed, just not.....nice. High acid and never yielding in any sort of 'cabernet as I know 'em' type of way. If this is the new world, stop it, I want to get off.n/a

TN: 2002 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages

USA, California, Sonoma County (11/24/2007)Pretty medium ruby color. The nose is all about casis and blackberry with some anise. Quite intense. The palate reveals beautiful pure cabernet qualities of currant, sweet dark fruits, wonderful slight cocoa, and tar. There is a very intense oak quality but this has the fruit to carry it. If I have any complaint its the somewhat high acid level, but its negligable. This is a very elegant intense bottle of wine. A superb finish brings it all home. This was a wonderful deal at $37.00 from Winestilsoldout.com. (91 pts.)

An interesting wine taste observation

Yesterday I opened what amounts to my 3rd bottle in 2 months. (I have been going real easy, getting in shape and lowering some numbers).

Anyhow, I opened this good bottle of Cab, figuring it would be nice to enjoy with dinner.

I decanted and let sit in my glass. it was good. Then I opened the sliding door to my deck and took my glass with me, sat it down while I lit the Weber, and took another sip. WOW. Much fresher and bigger fruit. I even enjoyed the cool glass smells right before sipping. It was not that the wine cooled, but the environment around it did. Fresh NY fall air. Lots of red and yellow leaves on the ground. Wonderful clean air. 50 degree F. with a light breeze. And this all showed in my glass.

I finished up and sat for dinner. Same good wine but the exterior wow had subsided. Needless to say I finished the last half a glass a fresco.

Maybe its the fact that I have been away for a bit, combined with the fresh air. So to all those posts asking if any particular environment treats wine better, my answer is a resounding....yes.

I should hold my next OL outside.

The Quintessa style - 6/6/2006

Last night 2 dozen wine aficionados were invited to an exclusive tasting of Quintessa hosted by both Gary Fisch. from Gary’s Marketplace and George Staikos from Quintessa (Eastern Regional Sales Manager). The tasting focused on 3 block selections of the ’04 Quintessa property, as well as the finished product from ’01, and ’02.

The first wine was the Dragon’s Terraces block ’04 – This wine was light in color, but big in flavor. Lush red fruit, medium tannins, with a very smooth long finish. Some cherry notes present. A wonderfully balanced wine. One of the backbone wines in the final blend.
The second was the Cruz Del Sur block ’04 – This one was a bit darker with much bigger fruit up front. Dark fruit with some notes of cassis, & clove. Tannins more evident. I love the 30 second finish. A very integrated wine on its own. Now, since biodynamic measures it's becoming more important in the final blend. My favorite of the blocks.

The third and final block was the Corona Sur ’04 – This was a totally different styled wine altogether, as promised on the nose. The darkest of the three both on sight and on fruit style. I found a slight bitterness in the middle palate and a super slight vegetalness. An interesting wine non-the less.

The fourth wine was the Quintessa 2001 – This wine was the last make by Philippe Melka. This wine is Cabernet with some Merlot. 18 months in oak, 100% French, 60% new. I liked this wines approachability. The same reason some did not like it. Moderate tannins. I did notice some of the famed Rutherford dust. A smooth beautiful long mouth feel. Medium dark fruit. Some browning on the edges. After some time in the glass some port notes evident on the nose. Some believed this wine was tiring too soon. 88/100

The final wine of the night was the Quintessa 2002 – This wine was made by Sara Gott. Totally different than the ’01. The ’02 was a bigger fruit more tannic styled wine. !00% new French oak and 20 months in it. The blend here is 78 Cabernet, 18% Merlot and 4% Cab Franc. The Cab Franc was evident from the get go. Currants and dark cherries, with beautiful integrated levels of acid and tannins. I felt this wine has stuffing to go many years. Not as approachable as the’ 01. The dark color gave promise to the long persistent aftertaste. I would cellar this 2-4 years. 92/100

I think Quintessa is a great wine with much potential to be a very great wine once consistency issues are worked out, and crazy price strategies are corrected. They now have a new winemaker, Aaron Pott, and going forward I believe they should build a flavor profile that fans could rely on. Unfortunately prices are way up there and it’s getting hard to justify $120+ per bottle. Much of Quintessa’s fan base has abandoned her. Too bad.(Just my opinion and we all know what opinions are worth).

Quintessa now has a second wine which is made from blocks not quite up to Quintessa standards called Faust. I will seek out a bottle to try. Gary Fisch tells me it’s on the style of the Corona Sur. It’s priced at about $53.

TN: 2005 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Napa

I know there are many fans of this wine lurking here. I was real curious to taste this. I believe some of these grapes are still sourced from To-Kalon vineyard. I have heard as much as 50% To-Kalon for this vintage, although I could be wrong. This bottle shows that the QPR magic still exists. Real Napa, especially ties to To-Kalon for $20!

Deep color, great nose of currant and other black fruits. The palate shows the nice balance of tannins and acid that these Mondavi cabs are known for. Decent cassis with signs of cocoa, leather, and a slight soy. Always a good food wine. Not the longest on the palate though. I paid south of $20 all in and will get some more as they make great everyday drinkers. 88/100

Napa Vintners on Tour - NYC January 23th, 2007

Some impressions of the other notes from the Napa Vintners Assoc tour tasting in NYC. Tuesday, January 23rd.

2004 Blackbird - Singing. Much more refined fruit coming through than back in November at their open house. This has gone from a good bottle to a great bottle. The 2005 is still showing a bit much cab franc for me.93/100

2003 Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow - To me this is always the best of the three and this year is no different. There was a 1999 MicroClimate bottling of Volcanic hill. An ok bottle. I expected more. 92/100

1996 Heitz Ink Grade Cabernet- This had tremendous length and class. Deep dark fruits belying its age. Unavailable. Too bad. 93/100

2002 Dyer Cabernet- I loved the purity of this. It had great dark fruit and smooth integrated tannins. Now, the '03 next to it was something altogether different. 91/100

2003 Long Meadow Ranch Cabernet (from Mag)- To this point in the tasting, this was the best '03 that I came across. Silky smooth and delicious. A qpr too! (In this room? Never heard of it). One to seek out. 90/100

A few Merlots;

2002 Sullivan Merlot Reserve - This had all of the big explosive qualities I like in a Merlot. Deep dark red fruits, super smooth tannins, and an acid level deftly present. 93/100

2002 Sullivan Merlot - This was just a notch below in quality, but a very good bottle for the price ($40s). 90/100. The people at Sullivan are doing Merlot right.

Amidst all those lovely Cabs and Merlots were the good people of Saintsbury, pouring their Pinots. These I have overlooked in the past.
The 2005 Pinot Carneros showed amazing fresh pure fruits, with a backbone that carries it all the way to a long elegant finish. Red cherries and violets abound. I like one this a lot. 92/100

This year the vintners were asked to bring something special. Many partake in the Napa Premiere Auction, and brought representative bottles. These are limited bottlings given to the auction by the wineries to auction for medical needs and such for migrant workers. A noble cause indeed. The wines are usually 5 or 10 case runs, and usually the best barrels (or cuvees) available. In the past 3 or 4 years I have been a buyer, but the costs are getting prohibitive. Some beauties were;

2005 Trinchero Stagecoach- Big dark fruits abound. A glorious texture made this on of the best in the room. Available only at auction. 97/100

2005 The Terraces Premiere Cabernet, Quarry Vineyard. This was unique for the day in such it has 6% Zin blended into the cuvee. Smooth and beautiful with just a hint of bramble. I loved this and so did my companions. 97/100

2005 Corison Cabernet- I got to admit, I am usually not a fan of Corisons wines. This one was different. Big plush deep cored fruit wrapped sublimely in tannins. Smooth finish. Wow. 95/100

A great tasting, usually the best of the year. The room probably had 500-600 people at peak, so crowding was evident of the demand to taste these beauties.

2007 Polaner Selections Spring Portfolio -part 2 (US Pinots)

Part 2 - Pinots

2005 Melville Pinot Noir Terraces- Light in color but big in taste. Great cherries and tar. Very Burgundian in style. A crowd pleaser. 3.6/4 (93)

2005 Melville Pinot Noir Carries - A bit more austere and reticent. Fruit is there, just hiding a bit for the moment. Should show well in a few years. 3.3/4 (90)

2005 Radio-Coteau Pinot Noir La Neblina- A very fruit forward Pinot with soft tannins. Smooth and elegant. 3.6/4 (93)

2005 L'Angevin Pinot Noir RRV- Super floral style of Pinot that I vcan love for 10 minutes, then be turned off for the rest of the evening. Silky mid palate. I just don't always know what to make of wines like this. 3.5/4 (92)

2005 L'Angevin Pinot Noir Sonoma Stage- Similar in style to the above, just a bit more lite bodied. 3.5/4 (92)

I also tasted Giacomo Conternos offering, as well as Mas Doix from Priorat.

Either I am missing something, or my palate has changed drastically. I was once a big fan of Barolos.

Priorats leave me with more questions than answers.