March 2, 2010 at 9:24 pm (Age, Barbera, Black Fruit, Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Taste Fine Wine, Cellaring, Chardonnay, Comparisions, Earthiness, Fruit, Laguna Niguel, Lake County, Malbec, Napa, Nebbiolo, Paso Robles, Petit Sirah, Pinot Noir, Red Fruit, Soil, Sonoma, Syrah, Tasting, Tempranillo, wine critics, Winemakers, Zinfandel)
Tags: Acid, Adam Carruth, Barbera, Black Fruit, Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Taste Fine Wine, Carruth Cellars, Cellaring, Chardonnay, chocolate, Clear Lake, Dry Creek, Earthiness, Lake County, Malbec, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Paso Robles, Pepper, Petit Sirah, Port, Port of Syrah, Retail Wine Stores, Soil, St. Olaf vineyard, Syrah, Tannins, Taste, Tempranillo, Zinfandel
Adam Carruth is a nice, unassuming guy. He is that neighborhood friend you had growing up . But when you meet him and talk to him, he has one overriding passion: Wine. You would never guess that he owns a winery and makes 17 different wines.
Adam makes a large number of wines in his north San Diego facility at Solana Beach. He buys grapes from all over California and turns them into solid, good wines at very reasonable prices. At California Taste Fine Wine in Laguna Niguel, we just had a tasting with a few of his varietals. The place was packed and mood boisterous.
We started off with his 2007 Lake County red Hills Sauvignon Blanc. This is a lean, crisp wine packed with grapefruit, citrus and lots of acid. A food wine, this Sauvignon Blanc does not scream New Zealand. And that is a good thing. It reflects its California roots with the upfront fruit and the richness that many golden state-wide wines have. A smooth finish with this one.
Next up was the 2007 Barbera. This varietal, originally from Italy, grows well throughout California. This wine hails from Clear Lake and has a rich velvety mouthfeel with plenty of black and red fruit characteristics. Wen you are unsure what to serve with pasta and red sauce or the fully loaded pizza, this is a fun choice. And this wine is low in tannins.
Adam sometimes takes a bit of his wines and makes what he calls “Friends Blend.” The 2007 blend has Zinfandel, Cabernet , Malbec and Petit Sirah. This is a perfect red table wine and it is another very smooth finishing wine.
Next was the Yolo County Tempranillo. It seems that this spicy finishing wine has become the favorite in the store. One of our employees likes this the day after Thanksgiving with a perfectly made turkey sandwich. As for me, I think the fruit and earthiness are a perfect match to a Chile Relleno. Many would prefer beer, but the red does not amplify the heat of the chili.
Adam goes to Dry Creek in Sonoma for his 2007 Zinfandel. This is not a big, heavy fruit bomb loaded with alcohol. rather it is nice example of a medium bodied wine that has a long finish with those tastes of blackberry and spice that are the hallmarks of a Zinfandel. This is a wine I like to pour at BBQs and with a steak.
Malbec is one of my favorite grapes. I feel I was ahead of the curve on this one, enjoying Malbecs twenty years ago, before most people realized it is grape often used in top Bordeaux. the 2007 Carruth Malbec has an intense fruit flavor and log finish. It is another wine to pair with BBQ or even a slow simmered pot roast. The grapes for his wine come from the St. Olaf vineyard in Lake County. This is the same vineyard that the Barbera comes from.
The 2007 Syrah is another Sonoma wine. Syrah is often overlooked by wine buyers. This Syrah is big and plummy with a finish of black pepper. Syrah is one of those very food friendly wines, that once you have a good one, memories of Cabernet Sauvignon fade away. Syrah is the next big thing one the wine scene, or so I have been told. People need to get out and try a bottle of Syrah with their favorite meal. It will open the eyes to other possibilities.
The Red Hills of Lake County are covered in grape vines. Some of those are Cabernet Sauvignon, where Adam sources his grapes for his 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. The vines struggle in the volcanic soil and produce wines with blackberries, bing and sour cherry and tobacco/mocha notes. This is a full-bodied red with minimal tannins and a long, smooth finish. The acid and fruit is very well balanced, making this a definite go to Cabernet Sauvignon.
We finished the tasting with Carruth’s 2007 Paso Robles Petit Sirah. This is a rich,dark wine that is good with roasts and osso bucco as well as say a chocolate dessert. Made for the red wine drinker who enjoys a wine that stains the glass, this a big red.
Adam makes a number of other wines including a two different Ports, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and a Nebbiolo. He is also experimenting and vinifying the first ever Flor, a crossing grape from the University of Davis, California. Adam likes his wine., when people enjoy his wine, he says they are Uncorking happiness. Me, I just think they are opening a good bottle of wine.
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February 20, 2010 at 9:59 pm (Age, Anjou, Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Taste Fine Wine, Cellaring, Chateau Passavant, Chinon, cleaning, Collecting, Comparisions, Cooking, Earthiness, Food, Francec, Fruit, LoireValley, Malbec, Napa, Paso Robles, Rose, Soil, Sonoma, Storage, Tasting, wine critics, Winemakers, wineries)
Tags: Acid, Anjou, Black Fruit, Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernt Franc, Cellaring, Charles Joguet Cuvee de la Cure 2005, Chateau Passavant, Chateau Petrus, Chinon, Cornerstone Winery, Earthiness, France, Loire Valley, Malbec, Merlot, Napa Valley, Rose, Soil, Stepping Stone Cabernt Franc, Taste, Tasting
So many people have gotten into the habit of calling most reds, Cabernet. Not only are there hundreds of red grapes, but in the Cabernet family, there are quite a few as well. But the parent of all Cabernet Sauvignon and their ilk is Cabernet Franc.
It is said that Cabernet Franc was crossed with Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon was born. But dad is still around and asking for a little respect. Cabernet Franc is a major player in the Loire Valley of France and is a major grape in Bordeaux, France as well. Most of the right bank Bordeaux, that is the ones that are Merlot based are blended with Cabernet Franc, just ask Chateau Petrus. Left bank Bordeaux are also blended with Cabernet Franc, but to a lesser degree as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot take a starring role. There a number of Bordeaux from the right bank that are primarily Cabernet Franc, but it is hard to find a bottle that is 100% Cabernet Franc. Typically, something is blended in that helps the color, structure and nose of the wine.
In the Loire, in places like Anjou, they blend Cabernet Franc with Cabernet Sauvignon. These are big reds and they have a very earthy taste. The organic red blend from Chateau Passavant is a good example of how an earthy red can be made and priced very reasonably. Chateau Passavant also makes a 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Cabernet Franc Rose that is fruity and very smooth. Many Cabernet Francs can also have a sense of vegetal smell. Some say asparagus and other s say brussels sprouts. When ever you are drinking a red and you get these stemmy, green smells, typically there is Cabernet Franc present. Cabernet Sauvignon has a hint of this as well.
Chinon is considered perhaps ground zero for Cabernet Franc in the Loire Valley. Wines from this area a have a wet, earthy nose, blackberry and cherry aromas coupled with spice and oakiness. One vintage that stands out at a great price is Charles Joguet Cuvee de la Cure 2005. This is a very earthy wine and when paired with a steak, is a match made for any palate.
In California, Cabernet Franc has been growing for a long time and is now just gaining recognition. Cornerstone Winery in Nap makes a Stepping Stone Cabernet Franc. Stepping Stone is 90% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot. It does not have any of the green characteristics of the French Cabernet Francs. It has a deep, dark blackberry and cherry taste. It might be the best California Cabernet Franc I have ever had. I kept thinking how good would this be with grilled Portobello mushrooms. There was a good acidity and a long finish. With proper storage, cellaring, this is a wine that can gae well.
It is no secret that I like some of the lesser sampled grape types like Malbec and Cabernet Franc. I think it is important to try as many grape types as possible and then as many different styles of the same grape. This helps determine your own taste. Discovering a style or varietal that pleases you is always a fun way to Uncork Happiness.
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February 8, 2010 at 6:04 pm (Cellaring, Earthiness, Food, Paso Robles, Tasting, wineries, Zinfandel)
Tags: Acid, Black Fruit, Four Vines, Paso Robles, Zinfandel
So I put on the miners hat and venture forth into the cellar. I decided that I needed a big, juicy red. A bottle jumped off the rack and into my hand. Something somewhat unexpected.
In Paso Robles, there is a very irreverant wine company that takes an extreme attitude to the wines. That winery is Four Vines. They make a number of good wines, and specialize in Zinfandel. And that is what we drank. 2005 Biker Zinfandel. I wanted a wine that had a good fruit component,a long finish and one I could write about. This wine had all that and more. And when matched with the braised chicken, I was a very happy drinker.
My wife was pleased a well. She is a big fan of Four Vines. Uncorking one of those always brings her Happiness.
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February 4, 2010 at 4:46 am (Age, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Taste Fine Wine, Cellaring, Collecting, Earthiness, Food, Fruit, Merlot, Paso Robles, Soil, Storage, Tasting, wine critics, wineries)
Tags: Acid, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Taste Fine Wine, Clos du Val, France, Italy, Languedoc, Magnums, Merlot, Retail Wine Stores, Rioja, Tannins, Tasting
I have mentioned before that it is smart to immediately start buying wines for your birthday or from your birth year. The longer you wait , the wines are more expensive and harder to find. remember to ask your friendly neighborhood wine retailer for help.
But you can also just start collecting wines you like or wines from wineries you like. That is exactly what I did. One of my favorite wineries in the world is Clos du Val in Napa Valley. This Stags Leap winery has a very French flair.
We enjoyed a magnum of 1981 Napa Cabernet. MAny will say that Napa Cabernets will not last. I beg to differ. Two Thanksgivings ago, we open a 1976 Cabernet from Clos du Val that was absolutely stunning. Both wines had abundant fruit, strong acidity and soft tannins. Each wine had a long finish and could have aged at least five more years.
One other wine we enjoyed in the last week was a 1999 Palisades Vineyard Cabernet from Clos du Val. This was another Magnum and was indeed very fruit forward. It was well balanced between fruit, tannins and acid. A real treat. And the crowd favorite.
A few thoughts about this whole birthday wine thing. First, if you can get a magnum or larger bottle, you should go for it. The little extra expense is well worth it. Larger bottles age slower and are less affected by temperature fluctuation. Plus when celebrating, typically there a few folks around and you want them to try the wine. And most importantly, wine is mean to be shared and enjoyed. It does not do any good to kep huge amounts on hand, unless your plan is to properly age the wine for future enjoyment.
We had always had a philosophy about wine buying. One for today, two for tomorrow. For me, tomorrow is now as I enjoy some great wines with a bit of age. And surprises occur all the time. I had a bottle of Chateau Lafleur Merlot from the Languedoc region of France. This is a wine that was made to be consumed right away. I buried it in the cellar and a month ago found it and popped the cork. The vintage: 1996. It was wonderful. Same thing with a 1992 Rioja. Both bottles cost about $6. Miracles can happen.
So get to a local retail shop like mine and start building that collection. You will be Uncorking Happiness with each bottle.
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January 26, 2010 at 10:13 pm (Cabernet Sauvignon, Comparisions, Cote du Rhone, Earthiness, Food, Fruit, Malbec, Merlot, Napa, Paso Robles, Soil, Tasting, wineries, Zinfandel)
Tags: Anise, Asinthe, Berry, Black Fruit, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Taste Fine Wine, Cassis, chocolate, Clos du Val, Cote du Rhone, Dry Creek Vineyards, Earthiness, Layercake, Licorice, Malbec, Merlot, mocha, Mosby, Rotta Winery, Soil, Tasting, Truffles, Zinfandel
We are constantly lead to believe that chocolate pairs very well with Port. And yes, it does. But what many people do not realize is that chocolate pairs well with many red wines.
But I have to digress for a moment. Many years ago, I had a Vichon Cabernet from Napa in Sedona, Arizona. (Vichon is no longer made in Napa). The restaurant owner said, “Try it with this.” What he had was a chocolate mousse topped off with whipped creme. The whipped creme had vanilla in it. The whole thing with the dry Cabernet was one of those moments that change your perception of food and wine pairings. At that time, I was not that into the whole thing like now, but I enjoyed a good bottle of wine.
So When California Taste Fine Wine had the red wine and chocolate tasting, I wanted to turn a few people around on their thinking.
The first wine was the Don Rodolfo Tannat. Tannat is an earthy wine with chocolate/mocha notes in it’s taste. The chocolate with mocha paired well with that as did the Vidal Fleury Cote du Rhone. Both of these wines had an earthiness and a hint of dark fruit that made the chocolate sing. This would have been stunning chocolate with a Malbec as well. It would have brought out the ground coffee/earth of Malbec
The Clos du Val Merlot and the Dry Creek Heritage Zinfandel matched up nicely with Cassis Truffles. The big fruit bomb of cassis was perfect foil for these wines that had a large amount of berry in them.
A word about the chocolates. The chocolates were custom made for the tasting. There were truffles with coffee/mocha, cassis, and Absinthe. There were also dark chocolate cups. But we will get to that shortly. Our thanks to Lynnsey Ramos for her culinary skills.
The next wine in the tasting was Mosby Obssessione. This was a bottling of Montepulciano from Italy. This wine paired well with truffles coated in coco powder. Those were purchased from Costco. They are not overly sweet and again, the hearty character of the wine and chocolate matched well. At this point, I started to realize that there was a theme happening. And the next wine proved the point.
For many years, Absinthe was an illegal beverage in the United States. It has just been legalized in the last couple of years. The primary taste of Absinthe is Licorice or Anise. There are whole rituals for drinking the liquor. But we will save that for another time. Lynnsey incorporated about a teaspoon into a number of truffles. That made them very hardy and tasty. And it went very well with the very fruit forward Cabenet Sauvignon from Layercake. The bit of the Absinthe cut the fruit of the wine and brought out its acidic side.
The final wine was Rotta Zinfandel Port. We pored that into the little cups. Then we slammed the whole thing into our mouths. Delightful, especially as the tasters were going hands free.
But the trend that developed is this: When you have an earthy wine, it tends to pair very well with dark chocolate and chocolates infused with black fruit flavors. Something to keep in mid when you need an instant dessert and all you have is a bag of Hershey’s Special dark and a bottle of red. Try it and see if you are Uncorking Happiness.
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January 9, 2010 at 6:12 pm (breathable glass, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Taste Fine Wine, Cellaring, Comparisions, Paso Robles, Storage, Tasting, wineries)
Tags: Acid, breathable glass, California Taste Fine Wine, Chateau Montelena Riesling, Hammersky Zinfandel, Napa, Paso Robels, PAtel Cabernet Sauvignon, PAtel Zinfandel, Retail Wine Stores, Tasting, Zinfandel
It is not everyday that an open bottle of wine will stay that way in the house. Unfinished and with just a cork shoved in it. Most wines are drinkable only for about four days. A few make it to a week. And then there are the rare few that go beyond that. I have discussed storage and ways to keep wines in previous blogs.
The first wine that was good after about three weeks was a Chateau Montelena Riesling from NApa. We had a bottle and then put the cork in it when we did not finish it. The bottle got buried in the refrigerator. A little over three weeks later, I was getting ready to sit down to a meal of baby back ribs. We had a few bottles open at the time, but for some reason, I stumbled upon the buried bottle in the refrigerator. Being curious, I pulled out the cork and gave it a smell. It was very nice, then i put a sip into a wine glass and tried it. It was absolutely amazing. It still had citrus and melon flavors ad was ultra smooth. The small amount of oxygen had helped tame this wine. And tasted great with the ribs. I finished the bottle, which was three quarters full.
The next wine we had a chance to recently play with was from Hammersky Vineyards in Paso Robles. PAso Robles is known for big wines, but the Zinfandels from Hammersky are over the top. These are small production wines but they have a very firm tannic, acidic and fruit structure. These wines really come into their own after about four days of being opened. I had some n decanter for seven days that tasted great at day seven. It is amazing when something like this happens. And though most people do not have bottles open for so long, it is fun to see how long some of these things last. At the house, we sometimes hit on a great bottle and it tends to last all of about twenty minutes. So often, when we do experiment with time, there are a number of bottles open.
On December 26th, 2009, I met up with Raj Patel of Patel Vineyards. I tried his Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. My friend Ken Nicholas I loved the wines and they were big and bold. They tasted very good right out of the bottle but were even better in breathable glass. More on the glasses later.
But with all of the holiday goings on and store tastings, once again the wine got shoved aside. Last night,yes fourteen days later, we got to finish and see if the Patel Cabernet held up. At this point, this Cabernet might be the best mad wine I have ever experienced. Originally, there were notes of black cherry, black berry and cassis, leather and earth/tar. After two weeks, the wine had all of that and a very smooth finish. It was better than many wines that have enjoyed right out of the bottle. Patel wines are very limited production wines, but you can go to www.patelwinery.com or pop into California Taste Fine Win for a bottle.
I recommend wines from these wineries because they all have amazing structure and balance. The acid, Tannin and fruit are aligned and that makes for a wine that each time you open it you will be Uncorking Happiness.
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January 6, 2010 at 6:36 pm (California Taste Fine Wine, Comparisions, Napa, Paso Robles, Soil, Sonoma, Tasting, wine critics, wineries)
Tags: Acid, Cortese, Gavi, Italy, Loire ValleyChenin Blanc, Mosby, Nickel & Nickel, pa, Paso Robles, Soil, Sonoma, Zinfandel
There is never a happier moment when you get to a winery and prepare to sample the wine. You are happy and in a receptive mood for enjoying the experience and learning about the winery.Tasting at a winery is the best way to learn intimate details about the winery and the believes of the winemaker(s).
So let’s start with the wine. typically the tasting is designed to help open your palette. Often, people say they only like red wines and tend to ignore the whites or Roses. That is a huge mistake. Often the whites and Roses highlight a certain grape varietal that might be unique to to the winery. Two cases in point are the Chenin Blanc at Ballantine in Napa Valley. An absolutely incredible wine, value priced. Chenin Blanc, which finds it’s main home in the Loire Valley of France is a very versatile grape. The wine from Ballentine takes the fruit forward nature of California and combines it with the high acidity and finish of a french Chenin. At Mosby winery in Santa Barbara, they specialize in Cal/Ital varietals. One of those is the Cortese grape. Often known as Gavi, this white is the perfect alternative to Chardonnay. Again, here is perfect example of combning the best of California with the best of Italy. So do not skip the whites and Roses.
When at a winery, try to learn about the wine making techniques. The soil and why the winemaker choose to do things a certain way. This were each wine starts to distinguish themselves. A good case n point is Nickel & Nickel. When at the winery, they have tubes that highlight the various soil types of their single vineyard wines. The wines taste so different because of the soil. And of course the angle of the sun on the slopes plays a part as well. Water, that is a long discussion as well.
When at a winery, ask the person behind the bar guide you. And ask questions. There are no dumb questions. But do not fall victim to what I call winery mouth. That is when you have had a few tastes and your taste buds start to go flat, the alcohol is taking effect and everything you taste is really good. So how do fight this effect? Always travel with water and fresh bread in your car. Having a certain thing, for me it is root beer, to help cleanse your palette is also a good thing. And do not forget to eat every so often to help mitigate the effects of the wine. Nothing is more frustrating then coming home and opening a bottle of wine and then saying, “why did I buy this?” Winery Mouth.
If driving in wine country, try and have a designated driver. Nothing would ruin a trip to wine country more than a DUI. And if you are at a winery and cannot drive, ask the person behind the bar to call you a taxi. They are happy to do it.
There is a certain wine buying strategy that should be used when visiting a winery. I will have to assume that you have called and made your appointments for tastings and know a little bit about the wine. So when you are at the winery, buy things on special and winery only bottlings. Often, you can find the flagship wine in a retail location at the same or less price then the winery. Less to carry home, but you the ones you do bring back will be the envy of all of your friends.
The final thing when in wine country to keep in mind is this: when dinning out in wine country, try and order a bottle at dinner that is new. I often try to do this from a winery that we were unable to visit. This is easy as most restaurants feature local wines. This practice makes for a broader tasting experience.
When I am in wine country, I try and go to as many wineries as possible. I do not recommend this for everyone. But I do feel that when in wine country, we want to try and do as much as possible.
Being in Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles or even wine tasting in Italy, I find that I get to Uncork (my own) Happiness.
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