Author: Bruno Donaggio

Philly Wine And Food Fest

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On Saturday I took a road trip to Philadelphia to attend Philadelphia Magazine’s annual Wine and Food fest. It was advertised as an opportunity to “sample over 600 exclusive wines from around the world” plus food from local vendors. The event took place at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum. It was a huge space, the size of an airplane hangar filled with vintage autos. A pretty spectacular venue for a tasting. My only gripe was that it was in the middle of nowhere in south Philadelphia. To get there by mass transit involved taking a trolley and walking a mile (just in time for a rainstorm) through industrial nothingness to get to the place, a situation that made me splurge on a cab for the ride back to town. In my opinion, a large-scale wine event should have access to mass transit, I can only imagine the chaos at the end of the event with scores of cars leaving the area and people attempting to grab a cab.

In any case it was a fun event with tables upon tables of wines from around the world to be sampled with a crowd that was there to have fun.

Some of what I liked:

2012 Ken Wright Cellars Pinot Noir “Carter Vineyard” (Oregon). Closed nose of plums and violets with silky, dusty fruit and great balance.

2010 Cade Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Dark purple with dusty plum on the nose and was juicy with dark chocolate notes with firm tannin and acids.

2010 Cade Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (Howell Mountain). Dark purple with a pretty nose of sweet violets and sweet fruit with a touch of oak and was nicely balanced.

2010 Shafer Vineyards Merlot (Napa Valley). Dark red, brambly with herbs and violet on the nose with roasted coffee on the balanced fruit with some smokiness on the long finish. Nice.

2011 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “One Point Five” (Stag’s Leap District). Dark purple with ripe black berries and red licorice on the nose with tight, concentrated fruit with red cherry tartness on the finish.

2010 Beaulieu Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Georges de LaTour” (Napa Valley). Medium, clear red with a big perfume of camphor and pencil shavings with dusty, plum fruit, great grip and a long finish.

2010 Dominus Estate “Napanook” (Napa Valley). Bordeaux blend and was medium to dark red with stewed red fruit on the nose and was juicy with some mint on the finish.

2010 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon “Oakville” (Napa Valley). Dark red to black, with dusty mint and plums on the nose and was tight and concentrated with a very firm finish.

2011 Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Special Selection” (Napa Valley). Black in color, closed nose of slate and crushed rocks and was chewy with black licorice notes on the fruit with dark chocolate on the finish.

2007 Rivetto Barolo “Leon Riserva” (Piedmont). Dark amber with ripe red cherries and tar on the nose with roasted meat notes on the silky fruit with mouth-smacking tannins at the finish.

2008 Rivetto Barolo “Briccolina” (Piedmont). I was told by the winemaker, Enrico Rivetto that only 1,700 bottles of this wine was produced for this vintage from a 1/2 hectare parcel of land. Dark amber with a closed nose of violets, tar and sweet fruit with silky and firm tannin and a long finish.

2008 Damilano Barolo “Cannubi” (Piedmont). Had the ’09 vintage of this wine not too long ago which I enjoyed and they continue with this vintage. Medium red with a nose of sweet pencil shavings, sweet tar on the firm fruit with a tight finish. Great balance.

2006 Damilano Barolo “Brunate” (Piedmont). Medium to dark red with sweet tar on the nose with deep black fruit, firm and balanced with nice silky tannin at the end.

2010 Seco-Bertani “Original Vintage Edition” (Veneto). Something new from these guys, made from a recipe, style and taste “from days gone by” packaged in an old style 1930’s hefty wine bottle and made from 80% Corvina with the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Syrah. Medium red with dusty, ripe plums on the nose and was rustic, chunky and chewy with notes of damp earth coming through on the finish with great balance. Tasty.

2006 Bertani Amarone (Veneto). Medium red with floral and roasted meat on the nose and was juicy with bitter-sweet almonds on the finish.

2007 Carpineto “Farnito” (Tuscany). Made from Cabernet Sauvignon, medium to dark red with mint and black berry on the nose with chewy, tarry and earthy fruit on the long finish.

2010 Lapostolle “Borobo” (Chile). A blend of five grape varietals, medium to dark red with plums and crushed black fruit on the nose and was very fruit forward, chewy and chunky with mint notes with a nice grip and good balance.

 

 

Wine And Spirits Top Of The List

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On Thursday evening I attended the annual tasting of Wine and Spirits magazine poll of America’s most popular restaurant wines. The event was open to the consumer and benefited the NY/NJ Baykeeper, an organization that promotes conservation of the Hudson-Raritan estuary. The event was held at the Metropolitan Pavilion, the scene of many a wine tasting, and the Hospitality Industry folk were let in an hour before the consumers. Several local restaurants and purveyors provided food. The majority of the wines were American with some Italian, French and Greek wines thrown in the mix.

Whites:

2009 Au Bon Climat Estate Chardonnay “Nuits-Blanches au Rouge” (Santa Maria Valley). Gold in color with notes of butterscotch on the nose as well as on the full fruit but finished crisp with lime notes.

2012 Jordan Vineyards Chardonnay (Russian River Valley). Light gold in color with citrus and honey notes on the nose with crisp tartness on the finish.

2011 La Follette Chardonnay “Sangiacamo Vineyard” (Sonoma Coast). Gold in color with cinnamon on the nose with full tropical fruit and a nice grip at the end.

2011 Flowers Winery Estate Chardonnay “Camp Meeting Ridge” (Sonoma Coast). Light gold in color with a nose of spicy earth, tight and lemon tart at the end, good balance.

2012 Storybook Mountain Viognier (Napa Valley). Light yellow with a floral nose with ripe, floral fruit and nice balance.

2013 Abbazzia di Novacella Kerner (Alto Adige). From Italy’s northernmost winery founded in 1142, the Kerner grape is a cross between the Trollinger and Reisling varietals. Light yellow with a floral nose of honeysuckle with moderate fruit with some lime notes on the finish and had good balance and very drinkable.

Reds:

2012 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara County). Medium red with cooked earth on the nose and was tight and silky with a long finish of slate and earth with a good grip at the end.

2011 LaFollette Pinot Noir “Sangiacamo” (Sonoma Coast). Medium red with smoke, crushed rock and rose petals on the nose and was tight and silky and lip smacking tannin with nice acidity on the moderate to long finish.

2011 LaFollette Pinot Noir “Van Der Kamp” (Sonoma Mtn.). Medium red with sage and dried herbs on the nose with smoky fruit, tight, crisp with some cola notes on the finish.

2009 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Dark red with a nice perfume of earth and dark chocolate, tight and firm with a dusty, chocolate finish.

2005 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon “Martha’s Vineyard” (Napa Valley). Dark red with a nice perfume of dark chocolate and crushed dark berries with concentrated fruit with chocolate mint on the lingering finish.

2010 Groth Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville). Dark red with toasty red berries on the nose, very concentrated and firm with good balance and tart cherry on the finish.

2010 Groth Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Reserve” (Oakville). Dark red to black with brambly, toasty notes on the nose and was chunky and minty with silky tannin with a mouth-puckering grip at the end.

2010 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “Fay Vineyard” (Napa Valley). Dark red with dried herbs and crushed dark berries on the nose with dusty, bright fruit with herb notes on the finish.

2005 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon “Sycamore” (Rutherford). Black in color with bell pepper on the nose with sweet fruit and black licorice, chewy with bright cherry acidity on the finish.

2009 Damilano Barolo “Cannubi” (Piedmont). Medium red with a classic nose of tar and cigar box with silky fruit and silky tannin on the moderate to long finish.

2007 Chateau Vignot (St. Emillion). Decanted. Medium to dark red, slightly cloudy with a pretty nose of damp earth with ripe concentrated licorice fruit  and was firm with a long finish.

2007 Lassegue (St. Emillion). Decanted. Medium to dark red, toasty, smoky nose tight with sweet fruit and salty notes on the finish.

2005 Lassegue (St. Emillion). Decanted. Dark black with crushed black berries on the nose, concentrated, black licorice and mint with a good grip.

 

Tuscany In The City

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I attended an event on Saturday afternoon presented by wine writer Antonio Galloni and his wine blog Vinous. The event was titled “Tuscany in the City, Tuscany: A Study in Terroir”.

Fifteen wines were poured with the owners and or wine makers from those properties on hand to talk about their respective wines and properties. The event was held at Del Posto restaurant located at 85 10th Avenue. The wines were poured by several of the city’s top Sommeliers that were in attendance.

It was a sit-down tasting and the wines were poured and tasted in four flights with each flight a different expression of Tuscan wines.

Flight 1: Chianti Classico Reserva

2010 Fontadi Chianti Classico Reserva “Vigna del Sorbo”. Dark red with a nose of violets and toasted sweet cherries with dusty fruit and firm tannin on the finish.

2010 Fattoria di Felisina Chianti Classico Reserva “Rancia”. Dark red with an amber robe with grapey, black licorice and a bit of cooked fruit on the nose, I thought the grapiness blew off after a few minutes. It was tight with a dusty finish. In my opinion the wine needs some more time to come together.

2008 Castell’in Villa Chianti Classico Reserva. Medium red with a nose of dried herbs, thyme and was very tight with crisp acids on the finish.

Flight 2: 100% Sangiovese

2010 Isole e Olena “Cepparello”. Dark red with a big nose of black cherry with toasty and dried herbs notes on the fruit.

2010 San Guisto a Rentennano “Percario”. Dark red with a floral perfume of red cherry and cooked vegetable with tight and dusty fruit with a mouth-full of tannin with mineral and salty notes.

2010 Poggio Scalette “Il Carbonaione”. Dark red to black with notes of roasted meat and burnt rubber on the nose and was chunky and somewhat unbalanced.

2010 Podere Forte “Petrucci”. Medium red with a perfume of red cherry and dried herbs with juicy fruit framed with balanced tannin and acid.

Flight 3: Sangiovese & Bordeaux Blends

2010 Antinori “Tignanello”. Dark red to black with black cherry and mint with a dash of barnyard on the nose.

2009 Castello dei Rampolla “Sammarco”. Medium to dark red with a big perfume, floral, tar, slate with some barnyard, tight with a big hit of mouth puckering tannin, a bit jarring.

2010 Agricola Querciabella “Camartina”. Dark red with red cherry, mint and dried herbs with some barnyard on the nose, chunky, tight with firm and balanced tannin and acid at the end.

 2010 Castello di Ama “L’Apparita”. Dark red with prunes, dark plums and mint on the nose with bright, tart fruit.

Flight 4: Bordeaux Blends

2010 Tenuta San Guido “Sassicaia”. Dark red with red cherry and roasted meat on the nose and was plummy with tart cherry on the finish.  A little disappointed in the wine.

2010 Le Macchiole “Paleo Rosso”. 100% Cabernet Franc, dark red to black in color with bell pepper and tar on the nose and was chewy and dusty with mint notes and a big grip at the end.

2010 Tenuta dell’ Ornellaia “Ornellaia”. Dark red to black with roasted coffee and dark chocolate on the nose, velvety with notes of crushed rock, slate and dark berries on the fruit with mouth filling tannin on the finish.

2011 Tenuta di Trinoro “Rosso Toscana”. Dark red with a purple robe with roasted, ripe vegetable on the nose with bright cherry fruit that was chewy and chunky with tight tannin and firm acids on the finish.

Long Island Wine Expo

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On Saturday late afternoon I attended the Long Island Wine Expo. The expo was held at the Cradle of Aviation museum in Garden City Long Island. The museum commemorates Long Island’s part in the early history of aviation. It seems that part of Long Island was conducive to flying since the geography was flat and tree-less. In fact, Charles Lindbergh took off on his famous flight to Paris about a mile from the museum where the Roosevelt Field Mall is located now. The museum itself is pretty cool, covering the history of aviation from the first flying machines to the space age. I liked the World War II fighter aircraft as well as Lunar landing that was scheduled to land on the surface of the moon.

The Expo itself wasn’t as exciting as the museum. Billed as “the largest wine event on long island”, I don’t feel it was all it could have been, long lines and for the most part, forgettable wines. The crowd did seem to be having a good time though.

Some of what I enjoyed:

2005 Sparking Point “Brut Seduction” (North Fork). Sparking wine from a producer that only produces sparking wine. Nose of lime and melon and nicely crisp with citrus notes on the finish.

2012 Cambria Pinot Noir “Julia’s Vineyard” (Santa Maria Valley). Medium red with dark berries on the nose and was juicy with coffee notes on the finish.

2011 Ferrero Roso di Montalcino (Piedmont). Dark amber with dark cherry notes and was silky with some sour cherry on the finish.

2012 Salentein Reserve Malbec (Mendoza). Dark red with a concentrated nose of dark plums and sweet spices and was juicy and dusty with some mint notes on the finish.

2008 Faustino “V” Reserve (Rioja). Dark red to black with an old world nose of dried leaf and cigar box, tight with sweet cherry fruit and sour cherry on the finish.

2009 Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon  Reserva (Maipo Valley). Dark red with an amber robe with bell pepper on the nose and was concentrated and juicy with black licorice notes with a firm grip.

Le Deux Chateau poured a couple of their wines, the 2012 Pinot Noir and the 2012 Chardonnay. I was told that the grapes are French but were bottled on the North Fork of Long Island. The wines are available in bottles but my samples were poured from kegs. Both the wines were inexpensive with not much character to them but were easy drinking, which is what I suppose you would want in a budget glass of wine.

 

 

Industry Event

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On Monday evening I attended an event sponsored by Culintro which was billed for “NYC’s Industry Elite”. Mighty fancy words and since I’m in the biz I decided to stop by. The event was held at Hearth restaurant located at 403 E 12th Street. The night tastings are usually a lot of fun and this time was no different. Beer, spirits and wines from the Rhone Valley to drink and the people at Hearth put out a nice spread of various salumi  and cheeses. And on at midnight, the roast pig made its grand entrance.

It was more cocktail party than tasting so I stuck with a few wines to keep me busy:

2012 Prieure de Montazargues Rosé (Tavel, Rhone). My starter wine, dark pink with notes of cantaloupe melon on the nose and was full bodied with cherry flavors on the finish.

2011 Andre Brunel Cote du Rhone Villages “Cuvée Sabrine” (Rhone). Notes of roasted coffee with a good grip on the finish.

2010 Vidal Fleury Crozes-Hermitage (Rhone). Looking forward to drinking this, was a little disappointed, the wine tasted tired, older than the vintage. Notes of tobacco and slate on the nose with ripe fruit followed by mint and pencil shavings on the finish.

 

Dressner Fundraiser 2014

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Saturday afternoon I attended a fundraiser sponsored by Chambers Street Wines and Louis Dressner importers for Partners in Health. It’s been an annual event for a while and the past few years has been held at City Hall Restaurant on 131 Duane Street. The event was open to the consumer and ran from 1-5 and over 100 wines were poured, mostly French with some Italian. I have to admit I had a head cold and congestion which made picking up the aromas from the wines difficult so most of them came across as closed on the nose.

Whites

I tried a few Muscadet from a couple of producers, I usually think of Muscadet as light and crisp, something to drink young with oysters. I tried a few with some bottle age to them and was impressed with the results. The wines gained a creaminess and complexity as they aged.

Domaine de la Pepiere                                                                                                                             2012 Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie (Loire). Their basic wine, light yellow and easy to drink.

2012 Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie “Les Gras Mouton” (Loire). Single vineyard, light yellow with tight fruit, tart with lemon notes on the finish.

2010 Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie “Chateau-Thebaud Clos des Morines” (Loire). More body than the Mouton with good acidity.

2009 Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie “3” (Loire). Nice minerality with a mouth-watering finish.

Domaine Luneau-Papin,                                                                                                                2009 Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie “Le L d’Or” (Loire). Light peaches on the fruit with nice acidity on the long finish.

2005 Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie “Le L d’Or” (Loire). Great body followed by firm acidity with citrus and peaches on the finish.

Nusserhof 2010 Vino Bianco Blaterle. (Trentino Alto-Adige). An unusual wine, Blaterle is the grape varietal, yellow with some earth notes on the nose.

Maison Brulee Vin de France 2012 “Poussiere de Lune”. (Loire). Another unusual wine,  an orange wine made with Sauvignon Blanc and was pale red with moderate body.

Reds

Alain Coudet 2012 “Clos de la Roillette” Fleurie (Burgundy). Cru Beaujolais, dark purple with a nose of warm, cooked fruit and crushed black berries and was tight with bitter red licorice on the finish.

Georges Descombes 2012 Brouilly (Burgundy). Cru Beaujolais, dark purple with dried mushroom and forest floor on the nose with crushed red fruit and a nice grip.

Cascina Tavijin 2012 Grignolino D’Asti (Piedmont). Very light red in color with a closed nose, more fruit than the color would suggest with good balance with notes of dark flowers on the finish.

Monte dall” Ora 2009 Valpolicella Classico Ripasso “Sausto” (Veneto). Medium red with silky medium fruit with bitter cherry notes on the balanced finish.

Poderi Sanguineto 2011 Rosso di Montalcino (Tuscany). Medium red with dusty, silky fruit with tart cherry notes on the nice balance.

Domaine Bernard Baudry 2011 Chinon “Les Clos Guillot”. (Loire). Dark red in color with dusty fruit and silky tannin with a firm grip.

Domaine Bernard Baudry 2011 Chinon “Domaine” (Loire). Dark red with notes of slate and crushed rocks on the fruit with velvet tannin at the end.

 

Giants Of Generosity Fundraiser

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Saturday evening I attended a food and wine fest fundraiser for Giants of Generosity, a non-profit organization that is about “encouraging altruism in local communities”. It was a consumer event and was held at the Clinton Inn Hotel in Tenafly New Jersey. There were a couple of celebrity chefs in attendance, Maneet Chauhan and the White House Chef, Guy Mitchell who ran cooking seminars that night. Tid-bits of food were provided by local vendors and quite a few wines were poured. Like many consumer events it was more quantity than quality when it came to the wines but this was a fundraiser, and any night there are wines to sample is a good night. I took a bus from the Port Authority and an hour later pulled up in front of the hotel which was very quaint.

Whites

2012 Champalou Vouvrey (Loire). Light yellow with a greenish tint with a nose of sweet peaches and peach fruit with some nice acid at the end.

2012 Villa Rosa Gavi di Gavi (Piedmont). Medium gold with some forest floor on the nose, medium bodied with peach flavors and lime notes at the end.

2012 Dinastia Vivanco Blanco (Rioja). A blend of three white grapes including 60% of the obscure Viura variety, it was light yellow with earthy notes on the nose and was medium bodied and crisp with some of those earth notes on the finish.

Reds

2012 Kriss Pinot Noir (Pavia). Medium red with smoky black cherry notes on the fruit.

2011 Maculan “Brentino”(Breganze). About an equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from a producer that does a good job, dark red with bell pepper, smoke and tobacco on the nose with chewy fruit and dried herbs and mint on the balanced finish.

2011 Terra di Vulcano Aglianico del Vulture (Basilicata). From 100% Aglianico, medium red with a big perfume of black cherry and was tight with firm tannin.

2009 Vina Bujanda Crianza (Rioja). Dark red with sweet leather on the nose with velvety fruit followed by firm tannin.

2007 Marquis de Grinon Cabernet Sauvignon (Valdepusa). Black in color with a nose of dried herbs with black cherry and licorice on the dark, dusty and concentrated fruit with good grip at the end. Nice wine.

2011 Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Dark red to black with cooked fruit notes on the nose with a tight and smoky finish.

2011 Bogle Merlot (California). A good budget producer, this was dark red to black in color with stewed fruits and vegetables on the nose and was chewy and chunky with black licorice on the finish, good balance.

Natural Wines

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On Saturday afternoon I attended the tenth annual Natural Wine Event held at Astor Center located on 399 Lafayette Street, it was a consumer event. The wines were from Jenny & Francois Selections imports. Natural wine is defined as “made with minimal chemical and technological intervention in growing grapes and making them into wine”. How is that different from Organic wine? Glad you asked. Organic wines have varied definitions  from country to country but standards are set from some governing agency which excludes the use of preservatives. I think the main difference is the word “minimal” as opposed to “excluding”. The difference I experienced was in what aromas came out of the glass. At an organic tasting those aromas tilted toward the pungent and stinky and not roses and black cherry. At this natural wine event the aromas where more subdued. In any case, the practice is pretty big in France and most of the wines served at this event were from France though I was glad to see a couple of wineries from the USA represented as well as one from Italy.

Whites

2012 Dirty & Rowdy Semillon (Napa Valley). The only Cali producer at the tasting, light yellow and cloudy with a closed nose, medium bodied with dirty tartness on the finish.

2011 Emmanuel Guillot-Broux Macon-Cruzille  “Les Perrieres” (Burgundy). Gold in color with a nose of ripe mango with dusty fruit with lime notes on the finish.

2011 Emmanuel Guillot-Broux Macon-Chadonnay “Combettes” (Burgundy). Light gold with saffron and tropical fruits on the nose with some cinnamon on the fruit with lemon notes on the long finish.

2012 Domain de La Patience Chardonnay Vin de Pays (France). Light gold with notes of pineapple and green apples on the nose and tropical fruit on the balanced finish. Not a bad glass for a budget bottle.

2011 Domaine Grange Tiphaine Montiouis Sec “Clef de Sol” (Loire). Medium yellow with a spicy nose with pear notes on the fruit with a moderate long finish, good balance.

Reds

2012 Dirty & Rowdy Mouvedre “Shake Ridge Ranch” (Amador County). Medium red to purple with sweet berry notes and some earth on the nose and was chunky and rustic with black licorice on the fruit with a good grip.

2010 Montebruno Winery Pinot Noir “Crawford-Beck” (Oregon). Light red with rosemary and crushed grapes on the nose and was tight and tart on the finish.

2011 Dufaitre Winery Beaujolais Villages “L’Air de Rein” (Burgundy). Medium purple, cloudy with sweet spices on the nose and was chewy with crushed berries on the fruit with a nice grip at the end.

2008 Le Loop Blanc Val de Cesse “Les Trois Petits C” (Languedoc-Roussillon). Unusual with some Tempranillo in the blend, dark purple with a nose of crushed blueberry with silky tannin and drops a bit at the end.

2011 Le Loop Blanc Minervois “Le Regal” (Languedoc-Roussillon). Aged 12 months in concrete and was dark purple with earth and crushed dark berries on the nose and was tight and concentrated with silky mouth tannins on the finish.

2012 Domaine Grange Tiphaine  “Ad Libitum” (Loire). A Gamay blend, medium purple with toast, and dried mushroom on the nose with dried herbs on the finish.

2011 Clos Siguier Cahors (France). Dark purple with a closed nose with crushed strawberry on the fruit with moderate tannin and crisp acidity on the end.

2012 Domaine Cousin-Leduc Le Cousin Rouge “Le Grolle” (Loire). Le Grolle is the grape varietal, light red with a big nose of barnyard, more full bodied than it looks with nice balance with barnyard notes on the long finish.

2012 Domaine Cousin-Leduc Anjou “Pur Breton” (Loire). 100% Cabernet Franc, dark purple with smoke and dark berries on the nose with chewy moderate fruit with moderate tannin and acid on the black licorice finish.

Boston Wine Expo 2014 Sunday

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I had a very nice tasting at the Vintners Reserve Lounge on Saturday and today, Sunday I concentrated my time in the main tasting area as well as attending a couple of seminars. There were plenty of wines to sample from many countries, I began my tasting in the North America section of the convention hall and made my way to the California wines and was able to attend a couple of excellent seminars.  For a huge consumer event, the Boston Wine Expo poured some very drinkable juice.

Clos du Val 20011 Chardonnay (Carneros). Medium gold with big pineapple/tropical fruit on the nose with moderate, dusty fruit with some tartness on the long finish.

Clos du Val 2011 Pinot Noir (Carneros). Medium red with a nice perfume of earth and roasted meat with meaty and dried mushroom notes on the fruit with good balance.

Grassini Family Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (Happy Canyon). Dark purple to black with a big perfume  of roasted meat and dark plums and was chewy with black licorice flavors on the finish.

Dylan’s Ghost 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon “Hell Hollow” (Napa Valley). Small production (400 cases) from a producer have never had before, dark red to black in color with a very dusty nose with dusty black plums on the fruit with a nice balance.

Dylan’s Ghost 2010 Red Blend “The Beast” (Napa Valley). Black with a nose of concentrated forest wood with concentrated black cherry fruit and moderate balance. A big wine.

Rombauer Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Dark red to black with a nose of black licorice and crushed black berries and was thick and juicy with coffee and crushed berry fruit.

Fess Parker 2010 Pinot Noir “Ashley’s” (Sta. Rita Hills). Dark red spice and red cherry notes on the nose with chewy cola and black cherry fruit on the balanced finish..

Piandacco 2010 “Mairem” Rosso di Toscano (Tuscany). Dark red with mint on the nose, concentrated and tight with firm balance with sweet slate notes on the finish.

Altesino 2008 Brunello di Montelcino (Tuscany). Brick red, stinky nose and was velvety with great balance and a good grip.

Seminars                                                                                                                                                    Rioja Today

An excellent seminar given by Ana Fabiano, Trade Director, Rioja USA, we sampled seven wines from Rioja.

2012 Sierra Cantabria Rosado. Dark salmon pink in color with and earthy, forest floor nose with very good structure for a rose.

2010 Bodegas LAN Crianza. Medium to dark red with sweet basil and pickle juice on the nose with velvet fruit and dried herbs and wet stone notes on the long finish. Great balance.

2009 Marquis de Caceres Crianza. Dark red with hints of barnyard and pickle juice on the nose and was a little rustic and chunky with some heat at the end.

2011 Luis Canas Crianza. Dark red with a beautiful nose of tobacco, crushed rocks and crushed black berries with sweet black berry, wet stone and herbs on the fruit, nice grip and great balance. Delicious.

2008 Baron de Ley Reserva. Dark red to black with a big perfume of sweet plums and was juicy and velvety, balanced with good grip. Tasty.

2004 Bodegas Ontanon Reserva. Black in color with smoky tobacco on the nose and was very dark and chewy and concentrated. I though it had some corkiness notes at the beginning but my colleague’s to the left and right of me disagreed.

2004 CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva. Black in color with a beautiful perfume of tobacco and smoky bacon and was very deep and concentrated and chewy followed by mint, tobacco and silky tannin on the long finish.

Matching Cheese with Wine

The local cheesemonger, Wasik’s Cheese Shop presented this seminar where they paired ten really excellent cheeses with six wines. The cheese plate alone was worth the price of the seminar. Piave Extra Vecchio (Veneto), Bijou Goat Cheese (Vermont), Mt. Vully (Swiss Alps), Brie de Lyon (Lyon, France), Pawlet (Vermont), Brie Traditional (Brie, France), Beecher’s Flagship Reserve (Swiss Alps), Humbolt Fog (California), Madaio Canestrato (Italy) and Colston Bassett Stilton (England).

Wines in the pairing that I enjoyed included the 2011 Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay “Robert Young Vineyard”, the 2011 Etude Estate Pinot Noir, and the 2011 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon “Knight’s Valley).

Boston Wine Expo 2014 Saturday

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This past weekend I made my annual pilgrimage to the Boston Wine Expo which was held at the Seaport World Trade Center. I Usually make it a one day affair and take the bus up and back later that evening which makes for a very hectic day. This year I decided to spend the weekend in town which made for a more relaxing experience. I and was able to get to Boston Saturday morning before the anticipated snowstorm hit and I  got to attend the events on both days so I was able to cover a lot of ground. The Expo was a consumer event but they had trade only hours before the event was opened to the public. The expo consisted of the “Grand Tasting” which was the main tasting event and was held in the warehouse size convention center, and the high-end “Vintner’s Reserve Lounge” tasting which was held along with the seminars in the hotel next door. On my first day, Saturday, I spent the day in the Reserve Lounge. Some nice juice and food including very tasty grass-fed beef from Uruguay which I heartily enjoyed. Some of what I sampled:

Whites

Bonny Doon 2011 Le Cigare Blanc (Arroyo Seco). A blend of Grenache Blanc and Roussanne, it was medium gold with notes of white flowers on the nose and was medium bodied with mouth-watering, crisp acids on the finish.

Bonny Doon 2011 Le Cigare Blanc “Reserve” (Arroyo Seco). Same blend of Grenache and Roussane, unfiltered and cloudy, aged in demijohns with white flowers on the nose and notes of dried mushroom on the somewhat chewy fruit, nice balance.

Bonny Doon 2010 Le Cigare Blanc “Reserve” (Arroyo Seco). Grenache Blanc and Roussanne, unfiltered but clear, medium gold with an interesting nose of roasted meat and saffron with moderate mouth filling fruit on the nice balance with a long finish. Very tasty.

Littorai 2008 Chardonnay “Charles Heintz Vineyards” (Sonoma Coast). Very ripe nose of tropical fruit juicy but not overdone with good balance.

Phillippe Colin 2011 Chassagne-Montrachet (Burgundy). Light gold in color with moderate fruit with some tropical notes on the nose with some lemon tartness at the end but nice balance.

Domaine Borgeot 2010 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot (Burgundy). Medium gold with white flowers on the nose with moderate tropical fruit followed by lime notes on the finish.

Captain Gagnerot 2011 1er Cru Ladoix (Burgundy). Medium gold with a nose of sweet flowers with nice mouth feel with lemon/lime notes on the finish.

Reds

Bonny Doon 2008 Le Cigare Volant (Central Coast). Medium to dark red in color with a nose of rip vegetables and dried herbs and was silky and dusty with herb notes on the fruit with a long finish and nice balance.

Boony Doon 2008 Le Cigare Volant “Reserve” (Central Coast). Medium dark with a nose of ripe vegetables and cigarette smoke and was juicy with a big hit of tannin at the end.

Winderlea Vineyards 2011 Pinot Noir (Dundee Hills). Light red in color, closed nose of earthy leather and was tight with very smoky fruit.

Winderlea Vineyards 2010 Pinot Noir (Dundee Hills). Medium red with a nose of red licorice with more fruit than the 2011 with tart cherry notes on the finish.

Alexana 2011 Pinot Noir “Revana Vineyard” (Dundee Hills). Medium red with a floral and bright leather nose with smoky leather on the moderate fruit with a bit of heat at the end.

Revana Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Dark red to  black in color with a nose of stewed fruit and black cherry with notes of roasted meat and plums on the velvet fruit and was firm and balanced at the end.

Le Saffre 2009 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast). Medium to dark red with dried leather on the nose with red cherry fruit and good balance.

Le Saffre 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley). Black in color with a nose of stewed prunes, black cherry and camphor and was silky with forest floor notes on the balanced fruit with a long finish. Tasty.

Emmollo Winery 2011 Merlot (Napa Valley). A producer I’ve never tried before, it was black in color with a nose of dried herbs and black fruit and was dense and chewy with balanced tannin.

Caymus Vineyards 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon “Special Select” (Napa Valley). Very black and very concentrated with mint notes on the balanced finish. I thought it was drinking great at this stage.

La Spinetta 2008 Barberesco  “Vigneto Gallina” (Piedmont). Medium to dark amber in color with a nose of dark fruit and cigar box on the velvet fruit with nice silky tannin on the firm finish.

La Spinetta 2005 Barolo “Vigneto Campe” (Piedmont). Medium to dark red with an amber robe with pencil shavings on the nose, silky fruit and silky, mouth filling tannins on the nice balance. One of my favorites of the night.

Ruffino 2004 Toscana Romitorio di Santedame (Tuscany). A blend of Colorino and Merlot, it was dark red to black in color with pencil shavings and black cherry on the nose with velvet fruit and hints of cigar box, great balance and a long finish.

La Serre Nuove dell Ornellaia 2010 (Tuscany).  The second label from Ornellaia, a Bordeaux blend with a nose of toasted oak, dark chocolate and dried herbs and was chewy and chunky with dusty fruit with mint notes and great balance.