wine events
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
A Taste Of Time - Duckhorn Merlot Across Three Decades
Sunday, February 7th, 2010 | Wine Tasting Notes, wine, wine events | 1 Comment
Starting with 1985 (on the far left), there was still a strong influence from Europe in the way California growers kept their grapes. At that time, the old-world style of letting the grapes show their fruit and allowing an extended lay-down on the bottle was apparent when I took my first waft of the red and orange-tinged liquid in my glass. I wasn’t detecting a big fruity merlot most of us are used to; I was sensing something close to an old-world style Bordeaux!
TASTING NOTES
1985 Napa Valley Merlot ‘Three Palms Vineyard’– 75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon (~12.5% alc.)
Good dark leather, cherry fruit on the nose with a hint of tobacco, cedar and a little vanilla spice. Flavors of sweet soy sauce with solid tannic structure, but not big at all in the mouth. The fruit is still fresh, despite the age.
1985 Napa Valley Merlot (my favorite of the two) – 78% Merlot, 15% Cabernet, 7% Cab Franc
Some chocolate-covered cherry on the nose, cedar and oak, dark spice of lavender and violet. Soft tannins, a good balance of fruit, some leather in the flavor. About an hour later in the glass: very smoky and rounded spiciness. This opened up beautifully!
Jumping to the 1995 vintages, everything changes. The wine is bigger, fruitier and toastier. The increase of alcohol levels during the 1990s was very common and only continued to grow into the 21st century. Both of the merlots are drinking beautifully now and could be cellared for a few more years, but definitely at a peak.
TASTING NOTES
1995 Napa Valley Merlot ‘Three Palms Vineyard’ – 76% Merlot, 18% Cab Franc, 6% Cab Sauv. (13.4% alc.)
Aging nicely with bright blackberry and blueberry fruit on the nose. Lots of cherry and strawberry on the palate, milk chocolaty and toasty vanilla tones. There is an underlying current of minerality and slate through the Three Palms merlots.
1995 Napa Valley Merlot – 82% Merlot, 13% Cab Sauv, 5% Cab Franc
Rich ruby red color with more earth and mushroom, black cherry and coffee on the nose. It was smooth, with dark, intense juiciness. Needed to blow off the alcohol for a little bit, though. Black cherry and cassis flavors came out beautifully balanced with the oak towards the end of the tasting.
The 2005 vintages lead us into what is predominately in the market now and ready to drink. The difference leading up to this point is that the tasting went from letting the grapes display their elegance, to big, juicy fruit bombs that are manipulated with oak, some sugar to raise the alcohol levels and much richer drinking. Upon first sips, I forgot I was drinking merlot and feeling more like a cabernet sauvignon had been placed in front of me. In fact, had this been a blind tasting, I would have failed miserably. The only tell-all was the lack of black pepper on the nose that is common in Napa cabs.
TASTING NOTES
Three Palms Merlot – 77% Merlot, 14% Cab, 6% Cab Franc, 3% Petit Verdot (~14+% alc.)
Very pretty nose of flowers, like sweet rose petals and violets (indicative of the petit verdot). Some orange peel, sweet fruits of cherry and boysenberry came out on the palate. This wine had a nice dark color, good cedar aromas, some mustiness and lots of cherry-vanilla hues. This was my absolute favorite! Tremendously LUSH.
Napa Valley Merlot – 86% Merlot, 13% Cab, 5% Cab Franc
Lots of raspberry, red licorice, clove spice, leather and strong, rich tannins made this a wonderful wine as well. It was chewy, presented a big mouth feel wine that would be fantastic with some herbed lamb chops. It was showcasing full acidity and lots of black pepper! A little bitter at the end would be rounded out nicely with some aged cheeses for sure.
Finally, we reached the most current vintages that are not quite out on the market, or soon will be by the time this article reaches some of you. The 2006 Three Palms merlot and the 2007 Napa Valley merlot are not the merlots of old. These are what most of us have come to expect out of Napa, CA. However, please don’t take these comments as negative. It’s become clear to many winegrowers of California that they have a certain terroir to introduce, and have spent the last 30 years honing in on those characteristics. What I tasted out of these two vintages was just that…
TASTING NOTES
2006 Three Palms Merlot – 75% Merlot, 13% Cab, 7% Cab Franc, 5% Petit Verdot (Not on the market just yet)
This was an expected aroma of new wood oak barrels, like freshly cut timber. This wine shows strong acidity at the front, some strawberry and red berry fruit flavors on the tongue with strong minerality and a long jammy finish. It was nice to drink now, but absolutely needs some time in the bottle; say, 3-5 years.
2007 Napa Valley Merlot (another favorite) – 89% Merlot, 10% Cab, 1% Petit Verdot
A lot more pepper this time than the Three Palms was showing and also darker in color. I picked up a lot of tobacco flavors, cherry pie with a tinge of anise or sweet licorice. Some plum and vanilla lingered in the background. Fig fruit, almond and cedar came out on the finish and a bit of doughiness from the oak aging. Very sold wine in terms of structure. This is great to drink now, but I think in about 5 years, this is going to be phenomenal wine!
It’s clear that the folks at Duckhorn know their grape and will continue to create beauty in a bottle. It was so surreal to taste wines that have been around about as long as I have and to grasp what each one revealed over a course of its life. Well done!
Cheers,
Kronick Wino
Upcoming Wine Dinners In Fairfield County - November 2009
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 | Favorite Wine Destinations, wine events | No Comments
I sense there are a few of you out there dying to know what the good word is on Wine Dinners in the near future, so I’ve gathered my list, checked it twice and let’s find out who can handle some wine, once or twice….
Maybe one of these day’s I’ll have a calendar.
First Stop - Cafe Lola, Fairfield, CT
Cafe Lola will be hosting an Alsacian Wine Dinner on Tuesday, November 10th.
When: 7pm with an hor d’oeuvre reception at 6:30pm.
Cost: $55 / person (tax & gratuity not included)
**Call for reservations: 203.292.8014
Next Stop - Barcelona Wine Bar, Stamford, CT
Vinos de Terruno Wine Dinner
When: Wednesday, November 4th @ 7pm.
Cost: $60 per person*
*Dinner prices do not include tax or gratuity
To make reservations, please call the restaurant at (203)348-4800 or email gretchen@barcelonawinebar.com
This dinner will be celebrating the terroir-driven wines of Spain. As the wine world evolves quickly, ‘internationalization’ is blurring the lines between classic and modern styles. Terroir – known as Terruño in Spain – is becoming difficult to find even from Old World producers. However there are still those that strive to protect tradition by allowing the vineyards to create the wines, preserving the natural flavors of the earth. Barcelona Wine Director Gretchen Thomas will be leading discussion of the diverse soils and climates of Spain, and pairing her favorites with regional foods created by Executive Chef Larry Baldwin.
Menu
Cava, ‘Brut 21,’ Albet I Noya, Penedès NV
“Oysters Gratinata”
Oyster Stuffing in a Half Shell with Bacon, Celery, Onion, Parsely & Bread
Godello, ‘Clásico,’ Viña Somoza, Valedorras 2007
Grilled Quail with Kabocha Squash, Morcilla & Arrope
Petite Verdot, Casa de la Ermita, Jumilla 2003
Braised Short Ribs with Mashed Tarro Root
Cariñena/Garnacha, ‘Acústic,’ Acústic Celler, Montsant 2006
Garnacha/Carinena, ‘FA 206,’ Mas Igneus, Priorat 2006
“Torrija”
Spanish Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce
Monastrell, ‘Dulce,’ Casa de la Ermita, Jumilla NV
PLUS, don’t miss out on their ‘Wine Down Wednesdays’ at Barcelona New Haven.
Enjoy three delicious courses for only $29 and have a glass (or three) of their refreshing sangria or specialty cocktails.
For the lover of natures’ fine palate: Napa & Co., Stamford, CT
When: Wednesday, November 11th (call for time)
What: Four Course Truffle Tasting Menu
Cost: $100 and $135 with wine
Call for reservations: 203-353-3319
Info from their site: “The mention of truffles conjures up images of the expensive French black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) from the Périgord region of southwest France, used in making pâté de foie gras, or the renowned odorous white truffle (Tuber magnatum) of Alba, in the Piedmont district of Italy. They are among the most expensive of the world’s natural foods, often commanding as much as $250 to $450 per pound. Truffles are harvested in Europe with the aid of female pigs or truffle dogs, which are able to detect the strong smell of mature truffles underneath the surface of the ground. The use of pigs is risky, though, because of their natural tendency to eat any remotely edible thing. For this reason, dogs have been trained to dig into the ground wherever they find these odors, and they willingly exchange their truffle for a piece of bread and a pat on the head. Not a bad trade for the truffle hunter! with truffle spores, and when the sapling tree is established, it is transplanted to the proper environment, usually a barren, rock-strewn calcific soil. It takes about seven years before the first truffle begins to grow.”
Other Tastings Not To Be Missed:
- Beer & Malt Tastings at The Ginger Man - Norwalk, CT the last monday of each month. Sign up for their monthly email here.
- Strada 18 - South Norwalk, CT usually hosts a monthly wine tasting dinner. Sign up to receive email notifications here.
For next time… a rambling through some of Hudson Valley’s wineries, my recent review of Cafe Lola’s new Fall/Winter menu and new restaurants of Fairfield County in the scene… check back soon!
Cheers,
Natalie
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