Kronick Wino

Wine Value For Take-Out Night! Montresor Garganega ‘Bianco del Nago’ 2008 Review

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 | Food Pairings, Wine Tasting Notes | No Comments

I’ve officially discovered the most perfect Chinese, Japanese and Indian takeout wine…. and the best part: it’s under $10!

From the lovely land of Veneto, Italy, known for it’s Soaves, Valpolicellas, Amarones, and other high-priced Italian goodies, we have Cantine Giacomo Montresor. Specifically for tonight, ‘Bianco del Nago’ IGT, 2008, a wine produced from 100% Garganega (the grape). The Nago river is located very close to the vineyards and is the main water source of this wine project that was started by Montresor in order to showcase some indigenous varietals of the region in their own light. And showcase, they did! It’s a bit new to the wine market, so you’ll have to ask for it. Maybe you’ll find it at a restaurant near you too. {Sorry for the tiny picture…I’ll be posting more later.}

I spent the majority of the day getting to know this wine. This is the classic grape base  of popular Soave wines. Being new to the varietal, I tried it by itself, with sushi and Chinese (as I write) and it has held up on all levels! The initial reaction was surprise, mostly because the wine is very inexpensive. (I tend to be skeptical of low-price wine…. I’m a wine snob sometimes.) But man, talk about a hidden gem packed in a cool little bottle! Screw-top cap for easy access, no fuss and black and white with orange that catches the eye. Why not try something new?? And, it’s an enjoyable summertime sipper.

TASTING NOTES:

The color is a medium straw yellow. The first sniff lends itself to a very aromatic nose of a Bartlett pear and sweet apple fruit. There is a very pretty florality note, like orange blossoms and honeysuckle as well. I get almost a Riesling-esque quality to the nose. Fresh, vibrant, spring-time aromas. It makes me smile.

But, the flavor is fresh and fruity, with a nice racy acidity around the palate with a very clean and coif-fable finish! Lots of orange citrus fruit, a little lemon, some white peach is present, but not overwhelming. It finished rather dry by itself, but when I started in on my Chinese chicken lo mein and sauteed string beans, the finish carries through and the acid cuts through the fat nicely. Earlier I tried it with some sushi and whoa! The wine actually brought the sweetness of the rice out on the palate, along with the texture of the fish. The dry, clean finish turned more silky and smooth with almost a wet-minerality at the end and more viscous in texture. Anything spicy or fried was also a pleasure with this wine, as the wine didn’t taste watered down, just more complex.

So if you typically like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio and need a change of pace, go find this bottle! Or, ask your friendly wine store owner to bring it in! You’ll be happy you did and you won’t break the bank! Enjoy!

What to pair it with: Asian cuisine (Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Thai), soups, grilled fish, oysters, stir-fry, curry.

Cost: $7-$9 (prices vary from state-to-state)

Alc %: 12.5%

Try it if you like: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio/Gris, Gavi or Vermentino

Cheers,

Kronick Wino

Tags: asian food pairing wines, dry white wines, food pairing Garganega, Garganaga wines, Garganega food pairing ideas, Garganega grape, Garganega wine, Italian value wines under $10, Montresor wines, northern italian grapes, northern italian wines, riesling-like wines, summer value wines, summer white wines, take-out wine, takeout wines, Veneto, veneto italy wine, White wines under $10, wines under $10

A New Pinot Love - C.Donatiello 2006 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Sunday, April 25th, 2010 | Wine Tasting Notes | No Comments

Admittedly, I have not written in a while, as some of you know. So tonight, let me share a wine that I can’t seem to get enough of….

Out of numerous Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs I’ve had the pleasure of tasting, this one stands out based on balance, silkiness and drink-ability. Often times I am stuck with an overly rich sense of earthiness on the nose that dilute the other flavors.  But, dear friends, fear not! For I have discovered C. Donatiello’s coveted 2006 Pinot Noir!  Not only was this a brilliant vintage, Chris Donatiello, along with his brilliant winemaker, Webster Marquez, took their estate-grown grapes and created something way more delicate and beautiful to drink than I could image.

The nose consists of light strawberry and cherry fruit, a little vanilla from the french oak and some spice, with just a little cinnamon. The first sip went down all too easy, as did the rest of the bottle. Wonderfully silky, fluid, slightly sweet berry fruit and brown sugar. There was literally no indication of tannins, but just a mild acidity. Kind of reminds me of a fresh summer berry pie with sugar sprinkled on the freshly baked pie crust. In a nutshell: Pure heaven! Drink now, drink later, drink anywhere and any day! Absolute bliss in a bottle!!

You can follow them on Facebook here.

Or, check out their website: C.Donatiello Winery.

Big thumbs up, guys! Keep it up! (oh…. this nifty little bottle will run you about $35-$40 clams.)

Cheers,

Kronick Wino

Tags: 2006 C.Donatiello Pinot Noir, 2006 Pinot vintage, C.Donatiello pinot noir tasting notes, C.Donatiello winery, CA Pinot Noir, CA Pinot noirs 2006, California pinot noir under $40, Donatiello Chardonnay, Donatiello pinot noir, french oak pinots from CA, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, sonoma valley wineries

The Cork Dorks Say ‘Ole!’ with Spanish Wines

Thursday, March 18th, 2010 | Food Pairings, Priorat, Rioja, Spain, Wine Tasting Notes, wine events | 1 Comment

A new month; a new destination: SPAIN

I don’t know if this is a theme, but for the second time we got together, it was yet another cold, rainy night at the good ol’ Bin 100 in Milford, CT.

All the more reason to drink some delicious reds from a bold and robust region that is Espana.

No bad surprises hit us this night - no corked bottles. And if anything, we had nothing but a wonderful turnout of fantastic cheeses and LAMB CHOPS! (Thank you chef for making the evening that more special!).

Wine #1: 2004 Loxelo, Gran Reserva, Cava - Penedes

We like to enliven our palates, so why not do that with some zesty CAVA from the Penedes region. This one did just that! The acidity was zingy and woke me up for sure. The texture was light, but the finish was dry and long. Being that this was a vintage Cava made it pretty special, as they tend to be few and far between. I was delighted by the nice green almond finish that reminded me of some Fino sherries I’ve tried in the past. There was a certainly a raw doughy nose, lots of yeast coming through with some lemon zest, but still rich and paired the best with some Robusto cheese we passed around the table. The cheese rounded out the finish with some smoky notes and showed more of a fruity finish than when I drank it sans food. I also drank this with some smoked oysters (of which Alek gagged…) that paired nicely.

Varietal: Chardonnay / Xarello / Macabeo

Imported by: Classic Wines, INC

Discovered at: New England Beverage Co., Orange, CT

~$25

Wine #2: 2001 CUNE Imperial Reserva, Rioja Alta

After 9 years, this wine was sheer beauty and showed the classic lines of Tempranillo and what is ‘old-world’ Spain in style.  The color was very clear and uniform showing a bright ruby / garnet hue. Not overbearing, just silky smooth, bright chocolate-covered maraschino cherry fruit, round tannins and tasty vanilla oak tones. Acidity was still very fresh and the Lamb Loin chops were deliciously paired with this wine. Additionally, some Midnight Moon Goat Gouda showed fantastically with this wine. The finish was coating, like a sugary candy and you could see that in the glass as well. In a nutshell: We all swooned.

Varietal: Tempranillo (maybe a little Mazuelo / Graciano blended in)

12 Months in French / American Oak (minimal)

Imported by: Pasternak

Discovered at: Amity Wine & Spirits, New Haven, CT

~$50

AND NOW WE GO BIG…

Wine #3: 2004 “CULMEN” by Bodegas Lan, Reserva, Rioja

This is serious wine, kids. And by serious, I mean complex, captivating, BIG, deep, intricate and the bottle was really really heavy. (I had to use 2 hands.)

We let this bottle breathe for about an hour, but didn’t decant, although that might have been ideal in our situation. Talk about opening slowly…. but when it did, things got interesting. I was mildly warned by the kind gentleman about this wine and the crazy flavors / aromas I might experience. He was even so bold as to tout the idea that I might smell PICKLES! (WHAT??) And he was right, except that I think what he was smelling was more of a soy sauce aroma and couldn’t put a finger on it.

Initial aromas showed dark fruit, like blackberries, some black peppercorn and balsamic.

About an hour after I poured my glass, I noticed bouquets indicative of dark forest flowers - lavender, violets, some Eucalyptus arising and lots of delicious, fresh-packed mint! Very pretty and beautifully layered. The color was super dark with a rich purplish color and very juicy.

Tannins are pretty strong on this wine, but structure made up for the snap in the cheeks. The acidity is definitely strong enough for a long lay-down period, but drinking well now with the appropriate cuisine. I’m imagining the amazing Balsamic glazed Hanger steak from Cafe Manolo with some dried fig / blackberry fruit to pair.

Varietal: 85% Tempranillo / 15% Graciano

Imported by: Monsieur Touton Selection LTD

Discovered at: Harry’s Wine & Liquor, Fairfield, CT

~$60

Wine #4: 2004 “A’ALTO” by Bodegas Aalto Sa Quintanilla, Ribera del Duero

So in an effort to drift away from Rioja for a moment, we delved into this bottle of wine from Ribera. The color was super dark and red, like deep crimson. First swirls indicated it was a little ‘hot’ on the nose….and then I looked at the bottle: 15% alcohol! whoa.

The first sips created a very lush and velvety sensation with loads of DARK chocolate with currant notes. An overwhelmingly rich mouthfeel ended with a sweet bing cherry aftertaste. Loads of oak and cedar notes came out on this wine as well.

As much as I want to say I liked this wine, we had it paired up against the other reds and it was just too strong on the nose with the alcohol and cedar tones. This wine needs to settle itself down for a couple years. I think if we come back to it in 2-3 more years, or even 5, it will be spectacular.

Varietal: 100% Tempranillo

Imported by: European Cellars, LLC

Discovered at: Amity Wine & Spirits, New Haven, CT

~$60

Wine #5: 2004 ‘Les Eres’, Vi de Guarda, Priorat

Want to know a personal weakness of the Kronick Wino? Priorat wines.

Here are 2 reasons: Carinena / Garnacha (Carignan / Grenache french varietals)

These grapes always over-deliver for the price, age beautifully and have some of the BEST quality available on the market. If you’re not into Priorat wines from Spain, then you haven’t lived.

When chef busted out the dessert pairings of the night, I immediately took to the dark, flourless chocolate torte because this wine IS the dark, flourless chocolate torte in a bottle! This wine was superb! Rich, big, dark, a beautiful rose petal perfume on the nose, some lavendar, deep raisin and cinnamon spice was all around. I could have smelled this wine for hours before sipping it. Around 45 minutes later, some minerality started to show graphite and slate nuances on the palate. Never-ending finish and smooth mouth-feel made this wine remarkably rich and velvety and delightful. The wine was also aged for about 18 months in New French oak barrels. Only 7200 bottles were produced (~700 cases), so get your hands on a bottle and drink now or keep in the cellar for some time. This has some wonderful aging potential over the next decade and beyond.

Varietal: 55% Carinena from 99 year-old vines! / 30% Garnacha from 89 year old vines / 15% Cabernet Sauv from 26 year old vines.

Imported by: Slocum & Sons

Discovered at: One of the wine bins at Bin 100. Luckily, Elena decided not to throw this one out.

~$80

THE WINNER: A TIE!! CULMEN vs. Les Eres

None of us could decide the winner between the two, but we could decide that we all needed to be rolled out the door after in-satiating ourselves with the rich tannins and juice of Spain.

Until next time….

Cheers!

Kronick Wino

Tags: Gran Reserva Cava, high-end spanish wines, Priorat wine, Riebera del Duero wines, Rioja Alavesa Wine, Rioja wine, Spanish Cava notes, spanish wine and lamb, Spanish wine food pairings, spanish wine notes, Spanish wines over $50, Vintage Cava