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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.

Summer Pink

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This Saturday afternoon I attended a tasting of Rose wines held at Le Du Wine shop located at 600 Washington Street. They poured twenty two wines. Rose are your typical Summer wines, not heavy but refreshing with just enough body to make them interesting though I think the flavor profiles are limited. Personally, my go to wine in the hot weather is dry Lambrusco. Cold, fizzy, and goes down easy, the perfect Summer sipper.

At the tasting they poured mostly French wines with some North Americans and a couple of Italians thrown in.

From Long Island I tried the 2011 Channing Daughters Petit Verdot and the 2011 Croteaux Merlot 181. I have been to the Croteaux vineyard out east. All they produce is rose in various blends and the backyard tasting room is very rustic and scenic.

From Italy they poured the 2011 Domani Marengo Negromaro (Puglia) and the very good 2011 Pertimali Rosato di Toscana (100% Sangiovese). Some of the French I enjoyed were the 2011 Olga Raffault Chinon (Loire), the 2011 Lucien Crochet Sancerre (Loire), the 2011 La Coste Rose D’Une Nuit (Provence) and the 2011 Lafon Roset (Bordeaux). From Cali I liked the 2011 Bedrock Ode to Lulu Mouvedre (Sonoma).

Italian Wine Merchants

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A sunny Saturday afternoon so of course that means time to go to a wine tasting! This was a consumer tasting held at the Italian Wine Merchants which is located at 108 E 16 Street.

At most consumer wine events they will put out something to nibble on while you try the wines. Most times that will be some stale sliced baguette or crackers with cubes of massed-produced yellow and white cheese.  At this event venue I have to admit they put out an admirable spread. Today they had prosciutto and speck and several good cheeses including some very good buffalo mozzarella all served with excellent crusty and chewy Italian bread.

There were four tables of wine, Spanish, French, Italian, and “Other” which included wines from  California, Chile, Slovenia, and Austria.

Starting at the Spanish table I had the 2001 Vina Ardanza Reserva Especial Rioja, medium red with warm dusty fruit and oak  on the nose with medium fruit and bitter cherries on the finish. The 2009 Bodegas Mauro Tudela de Duero, was dark purple with a nose of black plums, dark velvety fruit and bitter almonds on the long finish. The 2001 Bodegas Cune Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja was medium dark red, pickle juice on the nose (American oak), tight black cherry fruit and a lingering finish.

At the French table I started with the 2011 Chateau de Pibarnon Bandol Rose, light pink with dried rosemary on the nose and chewy for a rose, firm finish. The 2009 Louis Latour Chassagne Montrachet Les Cailleret had a nose of pineapple and bubblegum but with tight fruit and pencil shavings on the finish. The 2009 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Bordeaux was dark purple with dusty, stewed plums on the nose, firm, dusty finish with moderate tannins and acids. The 2007 J L Chave Selection Hermitage Farconnet was dark purple with a big nose of tar, cigar box and black cherry with a tight velvety finish and firm acids on the finish.

At the Italian table I started with a sparking wine from Campania, the De Conciliis Selim Spumante Brut NV (Fiano, Aglianico, Barbera). Very nice with a light copper color and a crisp, citrus finish.  The 1995 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva had a brick rim with a big perfume of menthol and red roses, tarry fruit and crisp acids on the finish. The 1999 Bovio Barolo Riserva Parussi was dark red with an orange robe, dried mushroom, tar and rose petals on the nose with silky fruit and a mouthful of tannins on the long finish. The 2005 Paolo Bea Sagratino di Montefalco Pagliaro was dark red with a slighty closed nose of roses and black cherry, chewy, dense fruit and good structure on the long finish. I would say this was my favorite red wine of the night.

At the “Others” table I had the 1995 Kalin Cellars Cuvee LD Chardonnay from Sonoma. Dark gold with a nose of honey and pickle juice, tight fruit with notes of celery on the finish. The 2008 Bodega Chacra Pinot Noir from Argentina was dark red with chewy, dense fruit and dried flowers on the finish.

Russian River Pinot Fest Day Two

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Sunday, day two of the Russian River passport to Pinot. Yesterday I concentrated on the southern half of the valley so the plan for Sunday was to tour the wineries in the northern half of the valley. The weather continued to be beautiful but HOT! The temps quickly climbed into the mid 90’s and those cool wine cellars were very inviting. I decided to begin my tour at a couple of urban wineries in the town of Healdlsburg. The wineries I visited this day were Davis Family, Holdredge, Matrix, John Tyler, Hop Kiln, Arista, Thomas George, Muller, and ended the tour back at the urban wine mall at Krutz.

At Davis Family the 2009 “Soul Patch” Estate PN was medium red with a big nose of barnyard and leather, elegant with silky mouthfeel on the finish with some heat. The 2009 “Starr Ridge” Estate PN was purple with some smoke on the nose with warm, dusty fruit and a velvet finish. I also had the 2009 “Horseshoe Bend” PN. Passport participants were served pork sliders with coleslaw.

Across the street was Holdredge. Mr. Holdredge himself was pouring five wines plus a barrel sample. The 2006 “Bucher Vineyard” PN was throwing sediment and was beginning to show its age, a nose of dried red roses and leather with moderate fruit. His 2008 “Bucher Vineyard” PN was light red with a spicy, cinnamon nose good concentration and a long finish. The 2009 “Bucher Vineyard” PN was darker than the 09 with barnyard on the nose, dark fruit and a balanced long finish.

At Matrix, they poured three single vineyard Pinot and their barrel samples. The 2009 “Buoncristiani” PN had aromas of black cherry and bubblegum, bright fruit and some damp earth and candy apple on the finish. The 2009 “Bacigalupi” PN had a stinky, stewed fruit nose with a crisp, barnyard finish with some heat showing through. The 2009 “Nunes” PN was darker than the previous two with a toasty nose, smoky fruit and a firm finish. They served a crispy mushroom and truffle oil appetizer which was pretty tasty.

At Hop Kiln I had some mighty tasty lamb meatballs in tomato sauce which went well with the barrel sample of the 2011 “Turin Corner” PN which was dark purple with spicy cherry fruit.

At John Tyler, the 2007 “Bacigalupi“PN was made from 100% Pommard clones and was medium red with some fresh rosemary on the closed nose, full, mouth filling fruit with hints of bitter almonds on the finish.

At Arista winery, the tasting was outdoors and at that point the temp was 96. They had the foresite to serve the reds slightly chilled which I believe made a difference on how the wines came across. The 2010 “Bacigalupi” PN was medium red, slighty cloudy with cherry leather on the nose, dark but bright fruit and good balance. The 2010 “Mononi” PN  was dark with a nose of cocoa powder with dusty, dark fruit on the finish. They served some nice chewy pizza straight out of the oven.

The tasting room at Thomas George was in a modern cave which was blissfully cool. They poured several Pinot including the 2009″Starr Ridge“, the 2009 “Barkers Ridge“, and  the 2009 “Lancel Creek“. The 2009 “Cresta Ridge” had a warm, barnyard nose with silky dark berry fruit and a moderate but long finish. The 2009 “Bee Ranch” Syrah was black with a violet and cigar-box nose, dense chewy fruit with slate undertones on the finish.

At Mueller, the 2010 “Tempi” PN was dark to black in color with a nose of black cherry, very concentrated with good balance and dark, fresh herbs on the finish.

Russian River Pinot Fest Day One

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Russian River Passport to Pinot is this weekend. Several wineries are participating and the wineries will be pouring their Pinot including barrel samples of the current vintage so I spent Saturday afternoon driving around the rolling hills of Russian River.

The wineries I attended this day were: Joseph Swan, Harford Winery, Dutton Estate, Iron Horse, DeLoach, Hook & Ladder, Harvest Moon, Martinelli, Russian Hill Vineyards, La Crema, and last but not least, D’Argenzio.

My first stop was at Joseph Swan. I had the 2008 Trenton Estate Pinot Noir, slightly cloudy, medium red with cola flavors. In addition to their regular tasting they poured multiple lots of barrel samples of their Estate Pinot from different blocks in the same vineyard.

Hartford Winery in my opinion was the star of the day. The winery is new to me and this was the first time I had their Pinot Noir. If there was one wineries Pinot that I would have to describe as “Burgundian” it would be this one. Of the five wines I tried they all had the flavor profile of a good Burgundy. The 2009 Fog Dance Vineyard PN was medium dark to red, dusty mushrooms on the nose, tight but balanced finish. I also had the 2008 Stevens Bench PN, the 2009 Velvet Sisters PN and the 2009 Jennifer PN as well as a couple of barrel samples. And by the way, they had the best hor d’ourves of the day.

At Dutton Estate I liked their 2009 Thomas Road PN which was dark red with a nose of warm mulled spices with a tight, firm finish. And the salmon sliders were not bad either.

Iron Horse vineyards had to have the best view of any vineyard I visited this day, to reach the winery you drove along a winding, one lane road to get to the top of the hill where the winery was located. I liked their 2007 Golden Gate Cuvee sparkling wine. Poured from a Jeroboam, it was pale salmon in color, crisp with good balance and it went well with the bbq brisket sliders they served.

The Martenelli Winery was one of my must go to stops and I wasn’t disappointed The Pinots were very interesting. The 2009 Sonoma Coast PN was medium red with black cherry and mushroom nose, tight with dried mushrooms on the long finish. The 2009 Bondi Home Ranch PN was dark purple with a slight oily, rubber band nose, fleshy, full-bodied, concentrated but closed flavors. the 2010 Bondi Ranch PN had a toasty nose, juicy but balanced, deep fruit. The served a plate of three cheese to go with the wines which were very tasty.

My final winery of the day was D’Argenzio which is located in a small mall with several other wineries. I had a chat with Mr. D’Argenzio, sipping his 2008 Bacigalupi Vineyard Petite Sirah (still in barrel!) while sitting in the back near the bocce court, listening to an excellent guitar duo and a pretty women shaking her tambourine.

Dry Creek Valley

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Had an excellent wine adventure in Santa Cruz and now it was time for a weekend in Sonoma. Since I would spend a couple of days doing the Pinot passport in Russian River, I decided to spend Friday afternoon touring Dry Creek Valley which is slightly north of Russian River.

Again it was a beautiful day whenI started the tasting tour at Rafanelli Winery which is known for their Zinfandel. They poured three outstanding wines. Their 2010 Zinfandel DCV was black with a sweet, dusty plum nose, chunky but not jammy with moderate structure at the finish. The 2009 Merlot DCV was black and brambly with chewy concentrated fruit and good structure on the long finish with a touch of heat peaking through. The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon DCV was black with a nose of oak and black plums, chewy concentrated fruit without being jammy with good structre on the finish. Very tasty wines.

Next stop was Martorana Winery, a small family winery and the winemaker was doing the pouring duty in the tasting room this day. He  poured wines made from Dry Creek fruit as well as from Alexander Valley fruit. The 2007 Alexander Valley Zinfandel was dark red with black cherries on the nose with good, but not jammy fruit and good balance. The 2006 Merlot DCV was dark red with blueberries on the nose and good concentration of fruit. The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon DCV was dark red to black in color with chocolate and mint on the nose, good structure with mouth coating tannins on the finish.

The drive to the tasting room at Mounts Family Winery took me through beautiful rolling hills surrounded by vines and the workers tending them. I started the tasting with their 2010 Viognier which had a bouquet of canned peaches with creamy, full fruit. Their 2009 Old Vines Zinfandel DCV was dark violet to black with a nose of black plums, very concentrated, great balance and menthol on the long finish. Their 2008 Petite Sirah DCV was black with a nose of toasty blackberries, very chunky with a nice mouthful of tannins on the long finish.

At Zichetti Winery the 2008 Estate Zinfandel which is made from vines planted in the 1960’s was dark and concentrated with notes of black licorice on the long finish. I tried a barrel sample of their 2011 Estate Zinfandel and what was unusual was getting peaches and apricots on the nose with some peach notes on the finish.

At Passalacqua Winery their 2009 Estate Zinfandel had a closed nose with velvety fruit and a long finish was some crisp acids.