Category: Bruno Donaggio

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This past week the 8th annual Starchefs international congress was held in New York which was a three-day food and spirits expo featuring demonstrations, seminars and new food products. And of course, wine. One of the events at the Expo was the Somm Slam which was a Sommelier competition. I was lucky enough to attend as one of the judges on Sunday. There were twelve Sommelier in attendance with some local favorites as well as few out of towners and a Somm from Mexico. The group of Somms were split into two groups of six, and each group (and the judges) were given two different cheeses (from Murray’s Cheese)to taste. The Somms were to go to a table which was stocked with various bottles of wine and they were to pick a wine they believed would go well with the cheeses. The two groups took wildly different approaches to picking what they thought was an appropriate wine.

The first group picked all red wines including the 2011 Damilano Barbera D’Asti, the 2008 Produttori del Barberesco Barberesco, the 2008 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino, the 2012 Leyda Las Brisas, and the 2008 Produttori del Barberesco “Rio Sordo” Barberesco Riserva. In my opinion, in the first group I thought the 2009 Damilano Barolo “Cannubi” picked by Somm Erin Scala paired best with the cheeses.

The second group picked five whites and one rose, the 2012 Arboleda Sauvignon Blanc, the 2011 Concha y Toro “Amelia”, the 2012 Vadio Bairrada, the 2012 Domaine les Hautes Cances “Cairanne”, and the 2012 Chateau Mourgues du Gres “Galets Dores Blanc. I thought that the 2011 Domaine de la Verriere “Chene Bleu” Rose picked by Somm Yannick Benjamin paired best with the cheeses.

It was an interesting competition.

After the judging I strolled around the event and sampled lots of ham, specifically cured hams from Spain, Italy and the U.S. And I hate to say this about my paisan but the other countries gave prosciutto a run for their money. That black-hoofed pig from Spain makes some mighty delicious ham. There was even a producer from West Virginia who aged his ham for four years and it was delicious. The Somm Bar keep the wine flowing by pouring wines from the Somm Slam competition as well as wines from Portugal, Verdejo and Sagrantino.

Overall, it was an enjoyable Sunday afternoon.

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Taste of France was a two-day festival held last weekend in Bryant Park promoting French culture and lifestyle. There were more than 120 booths showcasing French culture, technology, beauty and cuisine including 30 French Master Chefs . Of course there was also wine. On Saturday afternoon there was “Le Grand Wine Tasting” held under the big-top in the park featuring 100 wines from the top 10 regions of France poured by some of the top Sommeliers in New York . It was a consumer event with a portion of the proceeds going to Action Against Hunger and Wheeling Forward. I made a beeline to the Burgundy table where I started my tasting.

Bourgogne; 

Christian Moreau Chablis Grand Cru “Blanchots” 2009. Gold in color with a nose of honey and toast with full fruit and notes of slate and wet rocks  with a long finish.

J. A. Ferret Pouilly Fusse “Sous Vergisson” 2010. Light gold in color with a floral nose with medium fruit and some nice crispness on the long finish.

Antonin Guyon Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Pucelles” 2009. Yellow with floral notes on the nose, starts tight and then opens with some sweetness in the middle before dropping off.

Francois & Denis Clair Santenay “Clos Gents” 2010. Medium red with notes of cherry earth on the nose with moderate body, chewy fruit with great balance with some earth notes on the finish.

Joseph Drouhin Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru 2008. Medium red with an amber robe, big nose of barnyard and black cherry and was silky and smoky with an excellent long finish.

Domaine Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin “Villes Vignes” 2011. Dark red with a nose of wet stones and dark plums and was chewy with hints of dark chocolate with moderate tannins and a long finish.

The Burgundy table was nice and I had some nice juice at the Bordeaux table as well.

Chateau D’Yquem “Y” (Sauternes) The dry white wine from this estate made with equal parts Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon and was yellow in color with a nose of damp earth and fresh-cut grass and had great fruit and balance with a long finish.

Chateau Brillette 2005 (Moulis-en-Medoc) Poured from a Magnum, it was dark red with an amber robe and had a big perfume of herbs, bell pepper and black fruit and was chunky with notes of smoke and black licorice with great balance. Tasty.

Chateau D’Issan 2005 (Margaux) Dark red with mint and vegetal notes on the nose and was very tight with firm tannin on the tight finish. Not my favorite on the table.

Chateau Branaire-Ducru 2007 (St. Julien) Dark red with red licorice, mint and dark fruits on the nose and was chewy and smoky with great balance and a long finish. Another tasty one.

Chateau Lynch-Bages 2010 (Paulliac) Dark red with a nose of roasted meat and black cherry and was silky with a hit of mouth puckering tannin at the end.

Chateau Phelan Segur 2004 (St. Estephe) Dark red with an amber robe with notes of damp earth, mint and cherry on the nose with great mouthfeel and a balanced finish.

Domaine de Chevelier 2005 (Pessac-Leognan) Poured from a magnum, it was dark red to black in color with notes of earth and barnyard on the nose and was concentrated and silky with  black licorice on the balanced and long finish. Drinking nicely.

Chateau Gazin 2005 (Pomerol) Dark red with a big nose of mint, bell pepper and black licorice and was silky and dusty with mouth filling fruit and great balance on the very long finish. Nice juice.

Le Petit Cheval 2006 (St. Emillion) Dark red with notes of Asian spices and stone on the nose and was tight and concentrated, I thought it was a little closed right now.

That was some outstanding juice on those first two tables but I had to give the other regions a stop by. I tried some nice wines at Beaujolais, the Cru wines are very underrated and are a good price quality ration in my opinion. A few that I enjoyed includes:

Domaine Guy Breton 2011 “Regnie”. Medium red with a pretty  tang of sea air and earth on the nose  with great balance with notes of damp earth on the long finish. Very complicated for a Beaujolais.

Domaine de la Conseillere 2010 “Julienas”. Dark red with a nose of earth and cherry candy with notes of wet earth on the fruit with good acidity at the end.

Domaine Du Vissoux 2011 “Brouilly” Pierreux. Dark purple with a nose of red candy and was silky and dusty with good acidity.

Loire

Domaine De L’Ecu 2011 Muscadet “Granite”. Nose of apricot with notes of canned peaches on the fruit with good balance. Not at all what I was expecting from a Muscadet.

Pascal -Jolivet 2011 Pouilly-Fume “Les Griottes”. Dark yellow with notes of earthy flowers on the nose and mowed grass on the fruit with good balane.

Domaine Galbrun 2010 Bourgueil “Chatrois”. Dark purple with a stemmy nose with big notes of dried herbs on the finish.

Rhone

Chateau De La Selve 2006 Coteaux De L’Ardeche “La Serre De Berty” Dark yellow with a nose of ripe floweres with full, floral fruit and good balance.

Chateau De Vaudieu 2010 Chatteauneuf Du Pape. Black in color with a closed nose of cherries and bacon with fruit and was chunky and firm.

Domaine Pierre Gaillard 2009 Saint Joseph “Les Pierres”. Dark red with a nose of earth and cherry and was chewy with notes of bitter cherry on the long and balanced finish. Very nice.

It was a great afternoon with some outstanding wine.

 

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I attended an excellent tasting held by Villa di Carpezzana, a wine estate in Carmignano, Tuscany. The Carmignano appellation is West of Florence and the wines are not Chianti. An important distinction between Carmignano and Chianti is that historicaly in Carmignano the wine laws permitted the use of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend so they were using Cab long before the Super Tuscan’s got into the act.

The event was held in a loft in the West Village, the type of apartment we all wish we had and the Chef was in the open kitchen furiously preparing tasty appetizers for use to nibble on with the wines. Not only did they pour their current portfolio of wines, they  poured a vertical of their Villa di Capezzana, five wines from five decades. It’s exciting to drink older wines and I never pass up the opportunity to taste a verticlal of wine, it’s always interesting to see how a wine evolves over time or if a wine was age-worthy in the first place. All the wines of the vertical were drinking beautifully and I enjoyed the experience and was the only wine event I participate with no shoes on.

Villa di Capezzana 2008 (80% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon) Dark red to black, concentrated with notes of slate and dried herbs and tight at this point.

Villa di Capezzana 1998 (80% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon) Dark red to black with a big perfume of black licorice and slate, dry with notes of roasted meat on the finish.

Villa di Capezzana 1988 ( 70% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Canaiolo, and 5% Others) My favorite of the flight, it was dark amber with a beautiful perfume of black licorice, roasted coffee and bacon and was silky with great balance.

Villa di Capezzana 1977 (65% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Canaiolo and 10% Others) Dark amber with an amber robe with a nose of stinky roasted coffee with notes of roasted nuts and coffee on the great balance.

Villa di Capezzana 1968 (65% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Canaiolo, and 10% Others) Dark amber with a nose of roasted meat, great balance, silky with notes of bacon, meat and licorice on the finish, still drinking nicely.

From the new releases: The 2007 Ghia della Furba (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Syrah) was black with a dark red robe with a nose of stewed fruit and roasted coffee and was chunky with firm tannin and acid on the finish.

The 2007 Trefiano (80% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Canaiolo) was dark red to black with a nose of dusty, black fruit and wet earth and was concentrated and tight with notes of black licorice with firm, accesable tannins.

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It seems that this September Is California wine month. The Wine Institute of California is sponsoring a travelling road show featuring the wines from nine regions of California and they held an event Monday afternoon at the Astor Center which is located at 399 Lafayette Street. It was a small event compared to many mega-trade tastings being held around town and the crowd was light but that was because the gatekeepers at the door were a little too zealous with their job and turned away many people that normally go to the trade events.

I began with some whites, the 2012 Bernardus Vineyards “Griva” Sauvignon Blanc (Monterey County) was light yellow with greenish tint with a nose of dried flowers with grapefruit on the medium body and nice acidity on the finish.

The 2010 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills (Santa Barbara) was nice. Gold in color with a nose of mango and tropical fruit with good mouth-feel and nice acidity on the finish.

The 2011 Kenneth Volk Chardonnay “Jaybird” Santa Maria Valley (Santa Barbara) was light yellow with a greenish tint with a nose of honey and pineapple with peaches on the fruit with firm acidity.

With the reds I started with some Pinot Noir, the 2009 Ampelos Cellars Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills (Santa Barbara) was medium red with a big nose of smoky cinnamon, vanilla and crushed black berries with moderate fruit and great balance. Tasty.

The 2009 Fiddlehead Cellars Fiddlestix “728” Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara) was medium red with a nose of stinky crushed strawberry and was very tight with firm acidity.

A couple of Italian varietals done very nicely, the 2010 Palumbo Family Vineyards “Bella Vigna” Sangiovese (Temecula) was medium red with a nose of crushed blueberries, spices and cinnamon and was chunky with notes of black licorice and good balance. Nothing like an Italian Sangiovese but not a bad glass.

The 2011 Thornton Winery Nebbiolo (Temecula) was dark red with a nose of juicy pencil shavings and was chewy and plummy and notes of graphite on the balanced finish.

Ended the day with the Cabs. The 2009 Alexander Valley Vineyards “Cyrus” Bordeaux Blend (Sonoma County) was dark red to black with a nose of mint, cigar-box and crushed blueberries and was concentrated, silky and dusty with a balance, long finish.

The 2007 Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards “Test Pilot F-16” Bordeaux Blend (Santa Cruz) was medium red with an amber robe with a nose of stewed fruit, herbs and slate and was tight and silky with notes of mint and dried herbs on the excellent balance.

The 2010 Blackbird Vineyards “Arise” Red Blend (Napa Valley) was dark red to black with oak, bell pepper, mint and black berries on the nose and was velvety with firm tannis and a long finish.

The 2010 Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) was dark red with some barnyard on the nose and was lean and velvety with great balance.

The 2006 Marketta Winery Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) was dark red to black with a big nose of mint and black berries and was concentrated and tight, with black licorice on the balanced and long finish.

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Several tastings this week and I began the fun on Monday afternoon at the Martin Scott Grand Portfolio tasting. The tasting was held at the David Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, it was a huge event as Martin Scott has a large portfolio.

The lobby area of the theater is huge and very elegant. Since there was so much juice to try, I decided to focus on high-end California wines from small boutique wineries. My opinion is that in general, many of the wines were the stereotypical big, fat, juicy fruit bombs that people expect to come out of California.

Some that I enjoyed included:

Perfect Season 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Knights Valley”, Napa Valley. Very small production of 250 cases. It was dark purple with a nose of dried herbs and was dusty and velvety with a long finish.

Saint Helena Winery 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve “Sympa”, Napa Valley. It was dark purple with a nose of bacon smoke and black berries and was concentrated and velvety with excellent balance. The 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was nice as well, dark purple with oak and spice on the nose and was chewy and dusty fruit on the nice balance.

Cimarossa Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon “Riva di Ponente Vineyard”, Howell Mtn. It was black in color with black cherry notes on the nose and was concentrated and silky with mouth coating tannins.

Barbour Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena. It was dark purple with black berry and cinnamon on the nose and was thick and chunky with some toasty oak on the finish.

Kamen 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley. It was black with a robe of dark purple with a nose of crushed strawberry and black licorice and was chewy with dusty plum on the balanced finish.

Casa Piena 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville. This was dark purple to black with red candy notes on the nose and was thick and silky.

Snowden 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Napa Valley. It was dark red to black with barnyard on the nose and was tight with firm, silky tannins on the long finish.

Janzen 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. This was black in color with dusty  black fruits on the nose and was concentrated with good balance.

Getting away from all that Cab, the Breggo 2010 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley was nice. Dried mushroom and earth on the nose with velvety fruit with earth notes on the long, balanced finish. Very tasty.

The next day I attended the Frederick Wildman portfolio tasting which was held at Gustavino’s restaurant at 409 East 59 Street under the Queensboro bridge and is always an impressive venue to hold a tasting. Wildman’s portfolio is a little weak on the Italian wines but strong on US and French wines. It was another huge tasting and unfortunately at the end of the event I grabbed the wrong tasting book (doh!) so my notes disappeared.

The wines I enjoyed, from the Old World: Domaine Christian Moreau 2012 Chablis and the 2009 Chablis Grand Cru “Vaudesir”, Chateau Fuisse 2010 Pouily-Fusse “Les Brules”, Casteninau de Suduiraut 2007 Sauternes, Paul Jaboulet Aine 2007 Hermitage “La Chapelle” and Domaine Armand-Rousseau 2007 Clos de la Roch Grand Cru.

From the New World: Hanzell Vineyards 2012 Chardonnay “Sebella”, Merry Edwards 2010 Pinot Noir “Coopersmith”, Bond Estates 2009 “Quella” Red Wine, Heitz Cellars 2004 & 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon “Martha’s Vineyard” and Chappellet 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon “Signature”.

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This week is the start of the Autumn trade wine tasting season which means for the next couple of months I will be drinking copious amounts of good juice.

On Tuesday I attended a tasting sponsored by the Union of Cotes de Bordeaux which promotes Bordeaux wines from the lesser known appellations of Blaye, Cadillac, Francs and Castillon. They are also trying to fight the perception that Bordeaux is only about high end trophy wines for the wall street crowd and that they are not accessible to most people or more importantly to younger wine drinkers who get their wine excitement from other wine regions. Since Bordeaux is France’s largest wine region, there is plenty of wine in all price ranges.

The event was a sit down tasting of eleven wines and was held at Hearth restaurant at 403 East 10th street in the East Village along with colorful commentary by the owner of the restaurant on the wines.

The 2009 Chateau Moulin de Clotte (Castillon) was dark red with a purple robe with a nose of smoky plums and black fruits and was dusty amd tight with moderate tannins and finished with some tartness.

The 2010 Chateau Tetre de Belves (Castillon) was black with a dark purple robe and I was getting pixie stix and red licorice on the nose, it was concentrated and silky with a tight finish.

The 2010 Chateau de Lardiley (Cadillac)  was dark red with bell pepper and slate on the nose with silky fruit and tannin and wet rocks on the balanced finish.

The 2009 Chateau Suau (Cadillac) was one of my favorites and was dark in color with a big perfume of stinky earth, violets and black cherry and was chewy, juicy and tight on the long finish.

The 2010 Chateau Lamothe de Haux (Cadillac) was black with a nose of stewed fruit and dried herbs and was tight with big acids on the finish, I thought it was unbalance.

The 2010 Chateau La Rame la Charmille (Cadillac) was dark purple with a closed nose and was astringent and unbalanced.

The 2010 Chateau Monoconseil Gazin (Blaye) was dark purple with a toasty nose, chewy and oaky with a firm grip and tight fruit.

The 2009 Chateau Morange (Blaye) was another favorite of mine, it was dark purple with some brown notes on the robe with a nose of black fruits, good fruit with a balanced grip of tannin and acids with notes of slate on the finish.

The 2009 Lalande du Chateau Tifayne (Francs) Another favorite, dark red with a purple robe with a candy nose and some stinkiness at the back-end, silky fruit with a firm and balanced finish.

The 2010 Chateau Puygueraud (Francs) was black to dark red with a nose of sweet cherry and was chunky with mouth puckering tannins and some heat on the finish.

I attended another tasting by alt./pour wine importers held at L’Apicio restaurant in the Bowery. Several importers and distributors were at the event and the restaurant put out some tasty appetizers. I had some good juice including Flavio Roddolo’s wines from Piedmont. He had a couple of nice Dolcetto’s including the 2009 Superiore and the 2011 which did not taste like a typical Dolcetto to me. It was dusty, earthy and rustic but tasty. A couple of nice Barolo were the 2006 Barolo “Ravera” which was dark amber with the classic nose of cigar box with silky fruit with notes of tar and cigar box on the balanced finish. The 2006 Barolo “Bricco Appiani” was excellent. It was dark red with a nose of black cherry and leather and was chewy and silky with tar notes on the finish. Big fruit for a Barolo.

I had some nice juice from the Burgundy producer of Domaine Coudray-Bizot. They poured some older vintages of their wines including the 2001, 2004 and the 2006 of the Puligny-Montrachet “Les Comettes”. The ’06 had a big nose of mushrooms and forest floor with some toasty mouth coating fruit and a long finish. Very tasty. The reds I enjoyed were the 2001 Nuites-St-George “Au bas de Combe” which had some cloudiness to it with hints of earth on the nose and great balance. The 2001 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru “La Croix Rameau” was light red with barnyard on the nose with smoky fruit and a long finish. The 2003 Echezeaux Grand Cru “En Orveaux” was medium red and slightly cloudy with the classic barnyard nose and was silky with notes of forest floor and sour cherry on the long finish.

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Saturday afternoon I attended a wine tasting event run by Ave Gourmet which advertises it’s events as “high-end tastings of the world’s best wine”. This is the second event run by this organization that I’ve attended and I’m not sure if I would say the world’s best wines but they do throw a fun party with some decent juice to be had. This tasting was held at the Gallow Green, a roof-top bar at the McKittrick Hotel located very far west at 542 West 27 Street. Very nice spot like an outdoor garden with lots of plants and greenery, and it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon to be outdoors.

It was a casual tasting and I was able to score a table which I soon shared with a couple of lovely ladies. They started us with a glass of Drusian Prosecco, I’m not a big fan of Prosescco but it was a nice way to start the tasting, after that they poured:

Donna Laura Pinot Grigio which was light yellow and dry, a little bland but drinkable.
The 2008 Prophet’s Rock Dry Riesling from Central Otago, New Zealand had a nose of peaches and was dry and lemony with mouth puckering acids on the finish.

The 2010 Saint Andre de Fiquire Cotes de Provence Rose was salmon colored with a nice balanced mouth-feel of cherry and herbs. Very drinkable

They poured four reds and I started with the 2010 “Little J” red blend from Western Cape, South Africa. It was dark red with a toasty and floral nose with sour cherry notes on the fruit with very crisp acids on the finish.

The 2012 Les Fontanelles Pinot Noir from Languedoc, France was light red in color with a nose of sweet cherry and candy cherry notes on the fruit with the finish dropping, a little bland at the end.

A local wine, Macari’s Collina 48 North Fork Long Island, Non-Vintage Merlot was dark red with a nose of sea air and dark plums and had tight black cherry fruit and a firm balance.

The 2012 Dos Fincas Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec blend from Mendoza, Argentina was dark red to black in color with a nose of black licorice and cherry and was tight and tart with firm tannins on the end.

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It’s been a while since I took a road trip to the North Fork wineries and It was a nice Sunday afternoon for a drive. I stopped by a couple of favorites and a couple of newly opened tasting rooms.

As usual, I began the tasting tour at The Winemakers Studio at 2885 Peconic Lane.  The studio is a cooperative tasting room run by Anthony Nappa that features wines he produces and the pet projects of local winemakers. It also is a good place to catch up on the local wine gossip and to find out if any new tasting rooms opened up.

At the Studio I started with the 2011 Anthony Nappa “Bliss” Rose. It was medium red in the glass with some earth notes on the nose with crisp acidity on the finish. A bit tart for my taste.  The 2012 SuHru Pinot Grigio made with Finger Lakes fruit had a greenish tint in the glass with a nose of bubble-gum with an oily mouth-feel with nice acidity and lime notes on the finish. A little more interesting than the mass-produced Pinot Grigio on the market.  I enjoyed the 2012 Anthony Nappa “Bordo” Cabernet Franc. Fermented wild without any additives, with a nose of dark cocoa and coffee with black cherry fruit and a balanced, long smoky finish. I didn’t  get any of the green, vegetal aromas you get with many Cabernet Franc. I was told of some new tasting rooms that have opened since I was in the area last.

My next stop was to one of my favorites, One Women Winery at 5195 Old North Road. A truly family run operation with a cozy shack for a tasting room and very friendly pourers, they produce the only Gruner Veltliner on Long Island. They had just released the 2012’s so I started with the 2012 Gruner Veltliner which was yellow in the glass with a nose of ripe peaches and nice acidity. The 2012 Gewurztraminer was light yellow with a big floral nose and cinnamon notes. The 2012 Rose was dark pink and full-bodied with a nose of earth and dark flowers. The 2010 Merlot was dark purple with a nose of black licorice and was chewy and dusty and was tight with dusty tannins on the finish.

Driving East from One Women I made my way to a new tasting room, the Kontokosta Winery at 825 North Road. Sprawling grounds surrounded by vines and a brand new tasting room that opened this past June. The view from the tasting room was outstanding and you can take glass and walk down the road for a view of the sound which I didn’t do this time around. I had a flight of four wines and  started with the 2009 “Orient” Chardonnay and then to the 2010 Viognier which was dark yellow with a nose of ripe peaches and was very tight with crisp acids with some oiliness and burnt rubber notes on the finish. The 2007 Merlot was very interesting. If I would have tried this wine blind I would have been sure it was a Chianti. The color was black with a purple robe and had the classic Sangiovese nose of violets, tar and crushed blackberries with silky fruit and tongue tighting tannins on the finish. The 2007 Cabernet Franc was dark purple with a nose of stewed fruit and black licorice with dusty stewed fruit and roasted coffee on the finish.

Working my way back East I stopped another new tasting room, Coffee Pot Cellars. Another second project from one of the local winemakers, I’ve had the wines at the Winemakers Studio but it seems the winemaker decided to open their own tasting room. They also like bees. The winemakers are bee keepers as well and you can see part of a real live hive in the tasting room, enclosed in glass of course. It’s a no frills room pouring four wines. I started with the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc which had a very stinky, barnyard nose and was crisp and tart. The 2011 Chardonnay was gold in color with a nose of ripe melon and honey with notes of rosemary on the finish.  The 2008 Merlot was dark purple with a nose of violet, tar and red cherry with tight, chunky fruit and a crisp finish.  I ended with the 2008 Meritage which was dark red with a nose of roasted coffee with toasty fruit.

The last stop of the day was at another new tasting room located on Love Lane. There are two roads on the North Fork wine trail, Sound Avenue and Route 25. At some point they are separated by only a couple of blocks, that is Love Lane and it’s like a mini village with various shops. Roanoke Vineyards opened a second tasting room on the Lane. I’m quite familiar with the original tasting room if only because it’s the last room before the expressway and it’s open late. The juice is not bad either. The Love Lane tasting room is cozy with a nice little “piazza” out back. I had a glass of the 2012 “The Wild” Chardonnay which is made with wild yeasts, had a seat in the piazza and called it a day.

Summer is the slow season when it comes to trade tastings. September is looking like it will be a bountiful month for the drinking of the juice. Fortunately at this time of year, there are still some consumer events to keep the palate fine tuned. On Tuesday I attended a tasting at Vino Versity wine shop located at 1657 first avenue. The theme was South American wines and they poured a couple of dozen whites and reds. While I wasn’t blown away by anything particular wine, it was a fun evening.

With the whites, the 2012 Cucao Winery Pedro Ximenez (Chile) was something different, anytime I’ve had this grape in the past it’s been as a sweet sherry. This one was dry with a nose of bread dough and white flowers with some of the dough components on the fruit and was crisp and very drinkable.

2011 Michel Torrino “Cuma” Organic Torrentes (Argentina) had a big sweet, nose of cinnamon and lychee with grapefruit notes with good acid and grapefruit peel on the finish.

2012 Pulenta Estate Pinot Gris (Argentina) had some nice weight to it for a Pinot with a nose of white flowers with some earth notes on the finish.

2012 DeMartino Legado Reserva Chardonnay (Chile) had a nose of very ripe melons and white flowers and was tight and lemony with good balance and some heat at the end.

With the reds, the 2011 Vina Tabali Reserva Carmenare (Chile) was black in color with a perfume of crushed black berries and mint with chewy, bacony and meaty notes on the young fruit with some tartness at the end.

2012 Casarena “505” Malbec  (Argentina) was dark purple in the glass with a nose of herbs and red flowers with firm fruit of leather and meat with a long finish.

2011 Bodega Bouza Reserva Tannat (Urugauy) was black in color and was chunky, chewy, dusty and smoky.

2010 Ruca Malen Reserva Petit Verdot (Argentina) was black and concentrated with hints of herbs and black currents and was nicely balanced.

2012 Pulenta “Lar Flor” Cabernet Sauvignon (Argentina) was dark purple in the glass with a nose of bell pepper and crushed blackberries with chewy fruit and black licorice and bell pepper notes on the finish.

2010 DeMartino Lagado Reserva Syrah (Chile) was black with a nose of ripe flowers and sweet cherries and was meaty and tight with firm acids.

 

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Last Saturday afternoon I attended a tasting held at the Italian Wine Merchants wine shop located at 108 East 16th Street near Union Square Park. It was a consumer event and originally was to be a walk-around event. Apparently they didn’t get the numbers they were hoping for and it was set up as a sit down tasting. They poured an interesting line up of eight Italian and French whites. As usual for this venue good cheeses and proscuitto were served.

We began with the Domaine Barat 2010 Chablis 1er Cru “Cote de Lechet”. It was gold in color with a big nose of honey and wild flowers with some nice mouth filling honeyed fruit. A nice beginning.

Hofsatter  2011 Pinot Bianco from Trentino-Alto Adige was yellow gold in color with a nice nose of lavender and herbs with good balance.

Rijckaert 2009 Monthelie Blanc “La Combe Danay”.  It was dark gold with a nose of slate, wet rocks with a salty tang on the full finish with  moderate acids and was very drinkable.

Antinori Castello della Sala 2009 “Cervaro della Sala”.  Primarily Chardonnay, it was very deep gold in color with a nose of ripe mango and melons, full-bodied with some oak notes on the finish. Balanced, this wine was the most Cali-like of the bunch.

Edi Kante 2008 “Vitovska”,Fruili. Bottled in one liter bottles with a skinnier than normal cork. Something different, Vitovska is the grape varietal and it was dark gold verging on brown with a nose of dried herbs and candy (I wrote tic-tacs) and was tight with a salty, citrusy finish.

Gravner 2003 Ribolla Gialla Anfora, Fruili.  Something very different. The wine maker is one of those mad scientists wine guys that make wine in a biodynamic manner,  in this case using wild yeasts and fermenting the wine in large amphorae that reside underground. The wine was decanted and was bright brown in color with a nose of smoky toffee, dusty with notes of hard candy and was tight with mouth puckering tartness and some wet cardboard on the finish. Unusual.

Domaine Michael Lafarge 2010 Bourgogne Aligote Raisins Dores.  Gold with brown notes on the color, closed nose of ripe peaches and was lean and tart.

Conarea 2011 Roero Arneis, Piemonte. Gold in color with green tints with a nose of sweet candy and bread dough with a crisp finish.