October 28, 2010 at 9:46 pm (Age, Barbaresco, Barbera, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Taste Fine Wine, Campagne, Cellaring, Chablis, Collecting, Diamond Mountain, Laguna Niguel, Napa, Nebbiolo, Reverie Winery, Rose, Rousanne, Storage, Tasting, Vinspelunking, White Wines, wineries)
Tags: Barbaresco, Barolo, Bordeaux, Burgundies, California Taste Fine Wine, Cellaring, Diamond Mountain, Laguna Niguel, Nebbiolo, Retail Wine Stores, Reverie Winery, Rousanne, Vinspelunking
I know that you may never have heard of the term Vinspelunking. It is the idea that you are exploring your or others wine caves, looking for hidden treasure. In this case, hidden bottles. Forgotten treasures. It is a great way to relive some magical wine moments.
The tools needed to Vinspelunk are these: Corkscrew, wine glass(es) and maybe a candle. There are always a few cups and a cork screw or two in our wine cellar.
As someone who is in the business of selling wines, (California Taste Fine Wine, Laguna Niguel), I am often asked when is it time to drink a certain bottle. I too am asking myself this very question. I was recently rearranging things in the home cellar and came across a few bottles that I totally did not remember owning.
One of those was a bottle of Roussane from Reverie Winery on Diamond Mountain in Napa Valley. It is the 2005 vintage and now I am going to open it in the next few days and hope that it is okay. It seems a bit aged. It is a little dark, with hints of oxidation. Too bad it was not a screw top bottle. Screw top bottles can be stored or cellared in any position. I call that fool proof cellaring. The only concern is light, heat and vibration. The Rousanne was cellared, but not properly. It was standing up in a box. My bad.
It seems the concern is more about White Wine, Champagne and Rose. Finding an older red wine such as a Nebbiolo (Barolo, Barbaresco etc), Cabernet or Bordeaux is not so troublesome. Many of the reds have mellowed out and are drinking so well. Interestingly enough, a few of the white wines taste better with a little age on them. Especially the white Burgundies and Chablis from the 2002 vintage.
This experience has taught me that if you have a wine collection, you need to make at least two trips into the depths of the cellar a week. Vinspelunking can be a fun activity. It will be shocking what you might find. Uncork some of your own happiness.
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August 3, 2010 at 12:32 am (Age, Black Fruit, Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Taste Fine Wine, Cellaring, Collecting, Earthiness, First Growth Bordeaux, Francec, Heat, Laguna Niguel, Merlot, Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Red Fruit, Soil, Storage, Syrah, Tasting, Winemakers, wineries)
Tags: Acid, Black Fruit, Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Taste Fine Wine, Cellaring, Earthiness, First Growth Bordeaux, France, Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Ramona Valley, Soil, Syrah, Tasting
I am a lucky person. Recently I was invited to a party in the lovely north San Diego County town of Julian. The party, in honor of friends mother’s birthday, was a blast. Too bad it was 98 degrees that day.
On the drive from Laguna Niguel to Julian, Kim and I discovered that there are 17 wineries in the Ramona Valley. Many of them are growing and producing good wine. The irony of the trip was that of the four tasting rooms visited, we did not like a single Cabernet Sauvignon. The star was Syrah and Merlot. More on this later.
Because of the unplanned tastings, we arrived at the party well after it had started. We barely had a chance to get a plate of food as the caterers were cleaning up.
We ate, visited and all of a sudden our hostess, Ida said, try this wine. “I know you are into wine, you might enjoy this.” Ida told us the story of how she and her husband had bought the wine celebrating their daughters birth year. They bought a case, which in 1981, when the wine was released, cost about $200. For a first growth Bordeaux from Pauillac, no less. The wine has been stored properly and Ida said that since her daughter is not going to get married, she might as well enjoy the wine. She has a few bottles left.
The wine was earthy. It had a nose of stewed fruit and figs. There were slight hints of cherry and definitely tar on the nose. The wine was just beginning to lose its red color as it slowly goes to a dark, brickish color. The tannins were very soft, but the experience was incredible. The acid, earth and lingering fruit stayed with you for quite a long time. It is interesting that lately, as we have opened older wines at California Taste Fine Wine, many customers say the older wines are flat. That they lack fruit. But that is what happens as a wine ages. The fruit does die down a bit and those secondary flavors and tastes come to the front. And we constantly get asked about how long this wine can be cellared.
When drinking a 31 year old wine,what you are left with is a very smooth, supple and delicate wine. Those french know how to make a long lasting wine. Something to remember and a big thanks to Ida.
Now that is Uncorking Happiness.
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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 23, 2010 at 7:35 pm (Age, Bordeaux, breathable glass, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Taste Fine Wine, Cellaring, Collecting, Comparisions, Earthiness, Food, Francec, glasses, Laguna Niguel, Malbec, Napa, Petit Sirah, Petit Verdot, Soil, Tasting, wine critics, Winemakers, wineries)
Tags: Acid, Black Fruit, Bordeaux, Boyd 2006 Big Ranch Cuvee, breathable glass, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Taste Fine Wine, Cellaring, Cherry, chocolate, Clos du Val, cornerstone 2005 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, Earthiness, Hope and Grace 2006 Napa CAbernet, JR 2005 rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Modis Operandi 2007 Vicarious Red, Napa Valley, Petit Sirah, Retail Wine Stores, Rutherford Dust, Soil, Stags Leap, Tasting, Value Wines
It is not often that I say I love a certain wine tasting, but that was just the case this last Friday. We featured a few boutique wines from Napa and one solid Cabernet Sauvignon from Stags Leap district. All of the wines were big reds. The few I got to sample the day after the tasting were even better.
Which brings me to a slight digression. I am finding more and more that the wines in our tastings typically taste better on day two than day one. At California Taste Fine Wine, we do not decant that often before a tasting. The thinking goes, that if we are going to sell a bottle of wine, we like to have it just as you would at home. You are going to open and then just pour yourself a glass. That is kind of how we want to do the tastings. We want to mimic the home experience.
But Friday, these wines were all so good. We started with the Cornerstone Stepping Stone Cabernet Franc. I wrote a bit about the wine earlier (See my Cabernet Franc Post). Suffice to say, this was an excellent wine to start a tasting with. Then came the 2006 Clos du Val Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. This is actually a blend of a few wines, much like a Bordeaux. The trick with Clos du Val is to let them age a few years. The rewards are immense. This is a solid bottle of wine, with lots of black and red fruit and a long finish. The idea is to stock up and put a few into the cellar. Go back to the older vintages while you wait. At least that is what I do. And I recently had a 1981 Clos du Val Cabernet that was drinking beautifully.
We also tasted the Boyd 2006 Big Ranch Cuvee. This is a blend of 40% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Syrah. This is a big, luscious red blend that lingers. Aged in oak, they only made 325 cases. So this is one to collect.
We opened the Modis Operandi 2007 Vicarious Red. The tasters really liked this wine and this is another sudo Bordeaux blend were one of the grapes is Syrah. This is one of those wines that lingering in the head and on the tongue. Big fruit and a long finish. Again one of those low production wines. Only 12 barrels produced.
Hope and Grace 2006 Napa Cabernet was at first just okay. But on day two, it was absolutely incredible. The wine unwound to a lush nose of violets and Cassis, coupled with Oak and blackberry. Wow! Totally unexpected and quite a treat. And so smooth.
The JR 2005 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon was yet another sleeper. The first night, the wine should the dark fruit and a hint of the famous Rutherford dust. Rutherford dust is a special earthiness that wines get in a special are of Napa. There is an alluvial fan of dirt, dust, stone and gravel that spread out eastward from Mt. St. Helena after an eruption many thousands of years ago. Wines grown in this region have a very distinct taste. There are a few areas in Chile that are similar, but a Rutherford Cabernet is a very tasty thing. On day two, this wine was in full swing. If you like Napa Cabernets, this wine would be at the top of your list.
We finished the tasting with the Cornerstone 2005 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Only 500 cases were produced of this black beauty. It is a very concentrated wine with plum, cherry and mocha. This was a very smooth wine and on day two, it was absolutely spectacular.
I have often thought that there are amazing values in the $30-$60 range of wines out of Napa. These wines certainly prove that point. But what I am really discovering is that so many wines are tasting better the second day. So now I think I need to open two bottles at once. I need to enjoy half of each and wait for the rewards that come with drinking the wines on day two.
And yes, this is indeed happening with a number of whites as well. You will have to experiment for yourself, but the journey is well worth it. Ask your local retailer for help in finding these boutique wines. Great reds from premier wine areas such as Napa do not have to cost $100 or more. Value is what tastes good and delivers. These wines did just that.
So think like me and open two at once. Swirl them around your mouth and enjoy as they go down like silk. Then cork them as you save save some of each for the next day. Let me know if I am not absolutely correct. If you cannot wait, decant or use breathable glass. So now you are Uncorking Happiness, times two.
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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 16, 2010 at 9:55 pm (Age, Bordeaux, breathable glass, Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon, Campagne, Cellaring, Chablis, Chardonnay, Collecting, Comparisions, Earthiness, Food, Francec, Fruit, glasses, Malbec, Merlot, Napa, Petit Verdot, Soil, Storage, Sushi, wineries)
Tags: Acid, Black Fruit, Bordeaux, breathable glass, Burgundies, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cain 5, Cain Cuvee, Cellaring, Chablis, Cherry, chocolate, cornish game hens, Crown Roast of Pork, Fourchames, France, Iron Horse, kimmeridigian, Kubota Squash, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, red currants, William Fervre, Zinfandel
It starts simply enough. You have a few friends over for diner and then decide to do a vertical tasting. The friends brought the appetizers. So we decided that we would start with something white. Not just any white, but a Burgundy. And not just any Burgundy.
We opened the night with 2002 William Fervre Chablis Bourgeois and Fourchames. Both of these regions are renowned for their quality of wine. The Kimmeridigian clay/chalk soil makes these wines very minerally and brings out much of the fruit flavor. The high acidity and use of neutral oak make these a long-lived wine. Just now , they are coming into their own. The long finish and incredibly smooth nature was tempting m e to drink these all night long and with nothing else.
But then we said, okay, it’s Valentines, we need something pink and red. The pink was Oriel Femme Fatale 2007, a mix of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Talk about an amazing Rose. Bordeaux is not really known for Roses produces this gem. It has amazing depth of flavor, strawberry cherry and small hints of cranberry. The dry finish makes this a wine that pairs well with food.
Okay, so what about the food, we had small balls of rice with Fontina cheese inside, hot artichoke dip, lollipop sushi, and one other thing that escapes me. The white and Rose worked well with these items. We then sat down to seared shrimp topped with Kubota squash soap, then red and yellow beat ravioli,crown roast of pork stuffed with wild rice and dried fruit, red currant glazed Cornish game hens, roasted heirloom carrots (yellow, tan, purple) and a few orange ones as well. By the way, orange carrots are relatively a new thing, just few hundred years old.
For dessert we had chocolate pots du creme with caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream. And fresh strawberries.
But back to the wine. Because the main goal of the night was to do a vertical tasting of cain 5. We were missing a few years, having enjoyed a random bottle or two. So we started at 1999 with a bottle of Cain Cuvee. This is also a red blend from the winery on Spring Mountain. Cain Cuvee is a wine that is made with the juice that does not make it into the Cain 5 or Cain Concept. For a wine that was basically ten plus yeas old, it was very fruit forward with black and red fruit coupled with cinnamon and oak notes. It was a great way to get us in the mood for the main event.
Cain 5 is a wine that is made just like a French Bordeaux, blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Each year the blend changes. We used breathable glass for this as we wanted the wines to decant very rapidly. More on breathable glass later.
We started with the 1992. Lots of Cabernet and Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Interestingly enough, this wine had a lot of fruit and was starting to get a hint of age. But the nose and taste had a lot of green bell pepper. A sort of stemminess from the wine making process. We then moved to the 1994, which was similar in taste and the blend was almost identical.
The big turn came at 1995. Here the fruit was very upfront and the acid was balanced and the oak was very evident.It was smooth like the other wines, and tasted like something special. Then came the 1996. The big change was that the amount of Petit Verdot went from 2-4% in all of the others leapt to 19%. This was a stunning wine. The kind that you wish you had a case of. Unfortunately for us, we had only a single bottle. The luscious black fruit was tempered by cherry and toasty oak. Wow.
We then jumped to 2001. This was still a young tasting wine. Very fruit forward and loaded with acid. This was a wine that needs a few years to age and will reward the faithful in a few years. We never made it to the 2003, 2004 and 2005. We will save those for another day.
Soon we will go back and try the rest. These wines are incredibly and pair so well with food. Especially the crown roast of pork.
I did want to mention that with dessert, we had some Iron Horse Brut Rose Champagne. This was perfect with the chocolate and the sparkler brought out the tastes of the strawberries as well.
So if you can find a wine you like and start building a library, give it proper cellaring, you too can Uncork Happiness. What an amazing night.
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January 18, 2010 at 7:37 pm (Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cheese, Cote du Rhone, Laguna Niguel, Petit Sirah, Petit Verdot, Zinfandel)
Tags: Blue Cheese, Bordeaux, Brandy., Cabernet Sauvignon, California Taste Fine Wine, Cote du Rhone, Laguna Niguel, Petit Sirah, Petit Verdot, Port, Taste, Zinfandel
Well it has finally started to rain here in Orange County, California. Laguna Niguel has been parched. And at times like this, you might ge parhced too.
Most people would automatically reach for a bottle of red. That is a good thing to do. Something with kick like Zinfandel or a Cote du Rhone would normally hit the spot. On days like this, you are simmering up some soup or making a pot roast. Hearty meals. These demand some hearty wines as well. One that springs to mind is Petit VErdot. This grape varietal is one of the blendng grapes in Bourdeaux and makes a great red on it’s own. Usually packed with black fruit and soft tannins, Petit Verdotadds body and color to many Bordeaux style blends. The same can be said about Petit Sirah.
Petit Sirah appears in many Califonia Cabernet Sauvignons as a way to help them get a little extra color, finish and backbone. And believe me, there is nothing wrong with that. So wines like this are good on a rainy day.
But for me, rainy days man Port. This thick version f wine, fortified with brandy or done in a late harvest style really warms one up from the inside. Port is one of those wines that people do not realize can be used for a number of things other than an after dinner drink. On a rainy day like today, imagine a glass of port with some blue cheese, neutral crackers and maybe some roasted almonds. Or splash some into a chocolate cake after it has come out of the oven . That adds a whole new dimension to the cake. Remember to let the cake cool before frosting.
A nice tawny Port seems to have that certain taste that seems to hit the red fruit/alcohol/maybe a hint sweetness spot. And on a rainy day like today, Uncorking Happiness is essential.
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