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My second organic wine pick for this week involves Pinot Noir--which still seems to be everyone's favorite red variety. There's a lot to like about it, so it's not surprising. They're flavorful, rich without being heavy, and pair well with a wide variety of foods.
So when the folks at Cooper Mountain asked if I'd like to try their latest vintage of Pinot Noir I said yes. Cooper Mountain Vineyards are in the Willamette Valley, perched on the slopes of an extinct volcano in Oregon. Robert and Corrine Gross started the vineyards in 1978 and began bottling their own wine in 1987. Robert Gross always explored alternative methods of treating his medical patients--he's a psychiatrist, a homeopath, and an acupuncturist--and his fondness for the road less traveled in his career can also be seen in his wine work. Within a few years, Gross became interested in sustainable, alternative farming and began to convert the vineyards to organic methods. They were certified organic in 1995 (the second vineyard in Oregon to achieve this status), and four years later received their biodynamic Demeter certification.
The wine I sampled, the 2006 Cooper Mountain Vineyards Cooper Hill Pinot Noir, was a light bodied, cheerful wine with excellent QPR. ($15-$17 through online merchants) Made with organic, biodynamic grapes, the wine tasted very pure to me, with lots of cherry and raspberry aromas and flavors that were intense and lively. The wine had Pinot's distinctive silky character, and after you swallowed down all those fruity flavors there was a nice fresh taste in your mouth that reminded me of the smell of a wet garden. Like most Oregon Pinot Noirs that I've tasted, this wine is not opulent and rich but cool and restrained--like Grace Kelley. It's a young wine, with refreshing acidity at its core and I found that the cherry had turned to black cherry and the raspberry to blackberry after I recorked it and left it on the counter for 24 hours. This suggested to me that this is a wine that will continue to develop with age. But it's delightful right now, so you shouldn't wait to try this one. And the price is amazing for a wine that is organic, small production, and so darn tasty.
We had the Cooper Mountain Pinot Noir with some BBQ shrimp and cheese grits made with shrimp tossed in some homemade red sauce with bourbon and spices and some creamy grits laced with extra sharp cheddar cheese. The acidity really cut through the red BBQ sauce, and the purity of the fruit flavors didn't clash with the spices. This summer, if you've got plans to BBQ, get yourself some of this wine.
Cooper Mountain makes a wide range of organic, biodynamic wines including Pinot Gris, Malbec, and several different Pinot Noirs. If you want confirmation from another blogger that Cooper Mountain is a winery to watch, check out Jeff Lefevere's review over at Good Grape. This is a winery that may not be on your radar screen, but it should be. Their wines are further proof of the numerous affordable, delicious choices that are out there if you would like to make organic and biodynamic wine choices.
My picks from todays Kemeny SMH adverts and some new Yalumba releases incl. Signature 2004 at Nicks. Plus a bunch of updates yesterday if you didn't visit.
Ports vary in color, taste, and complexity based on the grapes used to produce them and the material used in the aging process. Among the most commonly found types of port are:
Tawny Port - Tawny port is made from red wine grapes, aged in wood. A reserve tawny is one that has been aged at least seven years. Tawny ports are usually light yellow in color and have a slightly "nutty" taste. Tawny ports made from a single vintage are called "colheitas" and indicate the vintage year on the bottle.
Ruby Port - Just as the name indicates, ruby ports are deep red in color. These are the least expensive ports and are made with red wine grapes and aged in stainless steel to preserve the color. Generally, ruby ports are aged from three to five years.
Vintage Port - The finest kind of port wine, vintage port comes from a single year's grape production. Not every year is declared a vintage year in Portugal and, as with fine Bordeaux or Burgundy wines, some years' growing conditions create a better product. Vintage ports are aged a maximum of 2 1/2 years before bottling.
LBV Port - LBV or "Late Bottle Vintage" ports were originally crafted to be vintage ports. However, due to lack of demand or other factors, they are left in the barrel longer than allowed for a vintage port. Generally, LBV ports are lighter in color and texture than the vintage cousins.
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Alfonso Cevola was asking me last night if I knew of any other good places to stay in the Verona area -- besides the friendly Conca d'Oro B&B that I wrote about after Vinitaly (click here) and the beautiful Alla Colombara (click here). I told him I did and he urged me to write about it. I happily comply; I'm long overdue writing about Villa Monteleone. If the name seems familiar, it will be because I have written about the classy wines of Lucia Raimondi before. Her house is a...
Feb 26th-Mar 19th 2005, Los Angeles CULINARY BASICS II – No Prerequisite! Sat – 2/26/05-3/19/05 3:00pm-6:00pm This series meets weekly, 3 hours per day, for 4 weeks.
I am a fan of Spencer-Roloson winery, so I sought out Sam Spencer for our “20 Not So Penetrating Questions for a Wine Craftsman.”
Sam and his partner Wendy Roloson produce high-end, affordably priced, small lot Rhone and Spanish style wines, mostly reds and a couple of delightful whites.
Simply, these people get it.
They sell in Indiana, which always engenders a boutique producer to me, because most others eschew distribution in the state without understanding the opportunity. They sell Direct-to-Trade, a program that I helped initiate with Inertia Beverage Group; they are starting a blog and their positioning to market is, “Provocative Wines Evocative Dirt.” Oh, and this is on top of their wine line-up being fantastic from top to bottom.
But, Sam doesn’t stop there, in fact he has side projects, too. His most recent project is the current Cameron Hughes “Hughes-Wellman” Cabernet. As a wine club selection and a slight one-off from the CH model, the $50 Cabernet with just 199 cases produced should go extremely fast. Available now at this link.
Fortunately, Sam found a few spare moments to interview with us and our 20 questions … an economy of words and a spareness of detail makes this interview kind of like the subject—smart, to the point and without a lot of artifice. Though, as a child of the 80’s and a viewer of late night Cinemax as a young teen, I do have to chuckle at his favorite movie genre.
Which of the Seven Deadly Sins are you most guilty of?
Sam: Lust mostly, pride in the balance
What is your biggest pet peeve?
Sam: Poor diction and improperly spoken English. Although I speak Spanish terribly and mangle that language daily.
Sam: Failing to keep your area/station clean
What is on your nightstand?
Sam: James Salter: Last Night John Mcphee : the founding Fish Luca Turin: Perfume: the Guide
What is in your refrigerator or pantry that you would not openly admit?
Sam: Nothing
What do you drink when you are not drinking wine?
Sam: Tecate, Campari or Patron silver-rocks and lime
What type of music or radio station is played most often in your car?
Sam: KQED for news and KCRW via satellite for the best music in CA
In what era would you live if you transport yourself?
Sam: 100 years in the future
What is the best wine-related book you have read?
Sam: The Emperor of Scent by Chandler Burr and Assembling California by John Mcphee
The former is about the science of olfaction, scent and the perfume industry the latter is about the geology of CA put into lay terms with explanations
What is your favorite movie genre?
Sam: 1970’s Soft-Porn
Is your desk messy or organized?
Sam: Both
Are you always early or terminally late?
Sam: Late
Whom would you want to play you in the movie about your life?
Sam: Jack Nicholson
What super-power would you most like to have, and why?
Sam: Super strength and endurance—Get more done with time to spare for hanging out with my family and friends
It is the best of times. It is the worst of times. And right now I'm in between. About two years ago we decided to build a wine cellar in our house. I spent a lot of time with my wife choosing the various designs for the cellar, the ...
I keep bumping into the guy. First in the Bordeaux section, a couple of minutes later we?re both cruising through the Sauvignon Blancs of New Zealand. I head for Piedmont, and there he is ? again. We smile at each other over Cognac, one of those ?okay, this is either too weird or too funny? sort of smiles. But it?s not till we simultaneously hit Spain that we actually strike up a conversation.
Clearly, this man has a fairly upscale taste in wines. Not that I was actually checking out his purchases? much. I guess I just ?happened? to notice some of the bottles. Since he obviously likes all the same wine regions Frank and I do, I wanted to see if he chose anything we hadn?t tried. Not much under $40 will find its way to his table. So when I see him piling bottles of $9.95 Castillo de Monseran Garnacha from Spain into the now groaning basket, I can?t help myself ? I have to ask.
?One of the best deals going,? he tells me. Then he actually winks at me ? it?s a cute wink too. ?Just don?t tell too many people about it ? all the more for us.? A good natured laugh and he?s gone. What the heck, at the price, if it?s awful, I figure it will pour down the drain more easily than some of the pricier stuff that?s been know to suffer the same fate. I snag a bottle.
A couple of days later I?ve got a spicy chicken stir fry on the go, a quiet evening with just my book ahead, and uh-oh ? no Riesling to go with dinner. In fact, there?s nothing that seems to go with the food. I manage to catch Frank just before he goes into his meeting. ?Am I absolutely crazy or do you think the Garnacha might work??
Initially Frank?s not impressed, but after some deliberation, we decide it will probably be a more or less acceptable though not stellar pairing. With 12.5% alcohol, it?s at least not going to totally burn out the taste buds when it hits the chili spices on the chicken. I cross my fingers, open the bottle, and hope for the best. The kitchen sink is within arms reach.
The initial nose is surprising. Exotic spices ? cloves, allspice, cinnamon. There?s a whisper of anise and leather too, kind of like John Wayne strolling through the kitchen chewing on a licorice Twist. Later coffee and cocoa appear introducing a not unpleasant grittiness like riding through the desert.
And it worked with the chicken too ? as expected, not stellar, but not half bad. There was a complementary nature to the spices and just enough of fruitiness in the meat?s marinade to work with the wine. Alas, Tenderland Meats on Granville Island where I buy it aren?t parting with the secrets of all the seasonings they use, but they did confirm there?s allspice, cilantro, and sweet green chili peppers. I?m betting there might be a hint of papaya in there somewhere too.
Hopefully, one day I?ll run into the gentleman with the cute wink. I?d like to tell him he was right, this wine is a steal of a deal. And I wonder if he knows it also goes fabulously well with the chocolate Hedgehog from Purdy?s Chocolates that I had after dinner ? that pairing is almost stellar. Sorry, Frank, I guess it slipped my mind to tell you about the Hedgehog.
The Wine: Castillo de Monseran Garnacha 2006 ($9.95) - if you find their website, please let us know because we couldn't The Food: Chicken Chili Stir Fry from Tenderland Meats The Chocolate: Hedgehogs from Purdy?s Chocolates The Scoop: One of the best under $10 values going
Some notes taken at a New Years Eve event … in 2006 leading into 2007.
Seppelt Salinger 1994 A slightly better bottle than the last one, this was fresher on the palate. On the nose there were aromas of creme brulee, toast, lime and a dab of oak. Still not amazingly complex on the palate, but the length is good and it is well balanced. 88/100
Moet et Chandon 1999 Green apples and grass on the nose. Very lean palate, acid stands out and this is very simple and short. 82/100
T’Gallant Moscato 2006 A pale salmon colour. Very light spritz. Strawberry, turkish delight and cherry on the nose. Palate has a medium level of sweetness, needs a touch more acid to be refreshing but it is still quite nice. 86/100
Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon 1994 Honeyed nose with toast and lemon as well. There is an oily texture to the medium intensity palate. No rough edges, this was very nice drinking now. 91/100
Raymond Boulard Cuvee Reserve NV Apples, some florals and some candy style raspberry notes. Crisp palate, medium length. No elements of great excitement but it is well made and enjoyable. 87/100
Best’s Great Western Chardonnay 1986 Grapefruit, honey and wet wool aromas. Incredibly youthful palate, it was fresh, balanced and long. Seemed as though it could live another 10 years as well. 90/100
Robert Groffier Les Amoureuses 1996 Brilliant, shifting, challenging nose of cherry, earth, violets, spice and fleeting notes of coffee beans. The palate is so delicate and wonderfully poised. the mouthfeel is beautiful with well integrated tannin and acid. Superb. 94/100
Charles Melton Sparkling Shiraz (disg. February 99) Cola, chocolate and a strong horse stable component. The palate is almost sickly sweet. Worst bottle of this that I’ve had. 79/100
Orlando Lawson Shiraz 1991 Dark crimson colour. Sweetly fruited with a touch of mint. Nice intensity to the palate, it is bold without being over the top or losing focus. Very youthful, it will go another 5 years without any trouble and it wouldn’t surprise me if people were saying the same thing in 5 years. 89/100
J. Vidal-Fleury Cote-Rotie Brune et Blonde 1998 From magnum. Lifted florals, pepper, five spice and red cherries. Savoury palate with good acidity and a medium length finish. Very good. 90/100
Domaine Michel Gros Vosne-Romanee Clos des Reas 1998 Deeply coloured. Very perfumed nose, with florals and light raspberry. Tannins are quite grippy at present, but contribute to the good structure. Well balanced acidity. 90/100
Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova Brunello 2001 Briary and tobacco aromas followed by vanilla, coconut and some floral characters. Quite aggressive tannins on the palate, but the length and structure are both excellent. Give this time and you will be rewarded. 91/100
Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Brut 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs 1998 Opened to drink at midnight. Corked. Happy new year. NR/100
Pol Roger Brut 1998 Apples, yeast, toast and some smoke. Good length and balance, with medium flavour intensity. Will be nice to drink over the next 5 years. 89/100
Henschke Cyril Henschke 1994 DMS city with blackcurrant, tinned corn, blackberry and chocolate oaky aromas. Palate is alright, but the wine as a whole isn’t up to the standard of one had a year prior. 84/100
Chateau d’Yquem 1958 An incredibly generous gesture from a friend of Phil’s to bring this along to share. This has been open for a while, the nose was deeply scented and consisted of caramel, burnt sugar, orange peel and almond. Luscious mouthfeel, the acid struggling a little bit to keep pace. I was immensely glad to have gotten the chance to try this. 92/100
Veuve Fourny Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru Brut NV Apples, cinnamon, honey and smoke. Dry on the good length palate, with racy acidity and great refreshment value. 88/100
CellarTracker, my preferred cellar management and tasting note program, has rolled out some fun new features that you may want to check out. Even if you are familiar with the program, you may not know that there are now ways to highlight posts made by your favorite tasting note authors, and allow friends to peek into your cellar.
To the right, you see a screen shot from Cellar Tracker, with the new featured areas highlighted with red indicators. I know it's a little small, but if you click on it you will enlarge it and be able to see how the new features appear on the home page.
Using the new features is simple. You can either search for a user in the search box on the upper left, entering their handle (mine is "drdebs") and using the pulldown menu to search for "users". This will take you to their profile page where you can indicate they are a favorite author or make them a "cellar buddy" so they can see the contents of your cellar. Or, if you are reading tasting notes and find an author who seems to share your palate, you can make them a favorite author simply by clicking on that option which appears for each tasting note in the database. Lots of bloggers and readers of GWU$20 are CellarTracker users, and it will be interesting to see how these features develop in the coming months.
By clicking on Buddies in the top menu bar, you will be given options on how to manage the people you've identified as friends and favorite authors. You can opt to only see tasting notes from these folks (although why you would do that don't ask me--the whole point of CellarTracker as far as I'm concerned is the enormous range of tasters), ignore tasters that you don't find helpful, and tweak the program in other ways.
I've started checking my buddies list and giving reciprocal favorite author stars and cellar access to people who indicate that they are readers, so if you want a peek into my cellar don't hesitate to indicate that you are interested on my profile so that I can do the same.
…Big Boy style Rob had been planning this event seemingly all his life, and twelve very fortunate guests were invited to the private room at Cru one innocent Spring evening for this once-in-a-lifetime event, making me the resident Chesire Cat. For those of you that might not know or forget, double-blind means you do not know [...]
From popular wine reviewer "Dr. Debs" at Good Wine Under $20: "In the spirit of the New Year, a group of bloggers decided to start an online Wine Book Club. Many of us want to read more--hands up if you've got a stack of books sitting on your bedside table with an inch of dust on them . . ." The first bi-monthly book is Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy, and the discussion will be hosted by Philadelphia retailer David McDuff at McDuff's Food and Wine Trail. This online meme-slash-wine club will appeal, I think, to those seriously...
More banging on from me about how we should look to the independent merchant for the more interesting wines - small producers, interesting flavours, unknown grapes etc etc but such purchases do not have to be the idiosyncratic, often you just need something decent and mainstream but still retaining that small producer mentality...
Wine Tasting Note: Château Les Tonnelles, 2004, Fronsac, France. Available from Bordeaux-Undiscovered [more] for £7.99 (normally £11.99). Very French (for which read Bordeaux) in style and structure - the aroma has a lovely fruity edge that needs a little teasing (swirl/decant) to really reveal itself - don't forget that aroma offers so much to the overall enjoyment of wine - is that blackcurrant, blackberry, leaves, undergrowth?
The Bordeaux Undiscovered website states that this 'drinks well on it's own' but I disagree - it's a classic French food wine - unless you enjoy hearty tannins - and in that regard is highly recommended with a simple roasted game bird. In this case it is stuffed with herby sausage and served with a potato-parsley-garlic mash and a broad bean puree (the latter left over from the Pappardelle with Broad Beans and Rocket dish).
The wine is 100% Merlot. Alcohol 13.5%. Scribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]
Recently Tom Wark posted a piece on Fermentation titled On Dogs, Wine & God that compares wine characteristics to the traits that are bred into dogs. Quoting one of his commenters, wine blogger Arthur Z Przebinda of Redwinebuzz, Tom says: "What makes a Doberman a classic example of the breed? The way it best displays the traits and characteristics that define the breed," then goes on to point out that over time dog breeders have bred out or in certain characteristics based on evolving breed standards, that the same thing has happened with wine, and that's perfectly OK.
The Doberman is a perfect example, since the Dobes of today are bred to be companions more than the protector that German tax collector Louis Dobermann created in the late 1800s. Today's Dobes are bred to retain all the qualities Herr Dobermann was after ? intelligence, power, speed, and ease of mainenance ? but with a more tractable temperament suitable for a family dog. Similarly, some wines that were previously unapproachable or challenging have been changed so that they can be enjoyed by a larger segment of the population. In each case, there are curmudgeonly traditionalists and those who embrace the new style, and their viewpoints are equally valid.
This seems like a good way to segue into an introduction to our newest staff member here at WineCanine, a 10-month-old Doberman named Hobbes. Hobbes came to us through Southwestern Ohio Doberman Rescue, which had him in a foster home in Louisville, Kentucky. Hobbes was named Sirius by SWODR and apparently had been called Buster at one time, judging by the name on the leash that he came with. We had originally gone down to meet a red Dobe named Calvin, who, with his long tail and natural ears, looked quite a bit like our Red, who passed on in late March. Calvin was nice, but this young, fawn-colored fella turned out to be a Weim lover. So, we went down to look at Calvin, but ended up with Hobbes.
Hobbes has been very interested in learning about everything in the kitchen, so after a brief training period he will assume the position of WineCanine's official ChowHound.
It's official. Millennials are a major force in wine. Why we needed a study to tell us this, I'm not sure. We millennials are hip, sophisticated and reliably swayed by marketing. Sigh. At least we have the good sense to like wine.
Quotable: "Connoisseur, n. A specialist who knows everything about something and nothing about anything else." - Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
Caberiffic: Delectus 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Stanton Vineyard Oakville ($50). Tobacco, mushroom, black cherry, plum. Decant, my friends, decant.
Splurge worthy: Philip Togni Vineyard 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (online prices vary widely, between $80 and $150). Blackberry, dusty chocolate, plum, great acid on the back end.
It's hard to believe that a year has almost gone by and Christmas Time is here. In getting into the holiday rhythm, I went looking for some music only to find most of it unsatisfying (surprise, surprise). There are exceptions, and here I think is one of them.
December 1965, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was aired and became an instant standard. Most people will remember the Charles Schultz cartoon along with the catchy tunes. Upon listening to the recent 2006 re-master of this album by Fantasy records, I was amazed. This is so much better than coming out of a 14 inch mono TV. Arranged & composed by Vince Guaraldi, there is an underlying quality of happiness and cheer to the music. Perhaps it brings back happy memories of my childhood but I think it is intrinsic to the music. Guaraldi to me, has the lyrical qualities of Bill Evans together with the rhythm and swing of a Dave Brubeck - it is a shame he died of a heart attack at an age of 47 between sets at a jazz club. Thought I would share this one with you, the album code is FCD-30066-2 in case some of you are interested.
Merry Christmas, good health, peace on earth and may joy come over the world.
This wine is wild and untamed! It has an exotic taste of berries and herbs, and is still quite tannic. After decanting, the wine softened a bit but continued to be chewy and dense. It also has a striking dark purple color, that looked beautiful in the decanter.
From a tiny region in Southern France, Bandol is made primarily from Mourvedre. The grapes are extremely ripe, but there's an underlying herbal tone that makes some of these wine taste almost wild and this is no exception.
I paid $32 for the bottle, and have seen it for as much as $40. If you're ready to do some exploring in France's lesser-known regions, look for a Bandol. And raise a glass!
Reader Dag from Norway (Oslo rep-re-sents!) poses a question about Eiswein:
"May I raise a question after a discussion we had in Luxembourg recently, about icewein.
Must be picked at minus 7 degrees and pressed while still frozen.
But, I was once told that there is also something else happening to the wine stock at minus 7. That some ?elements? are withdrawn from the grape during this freezing process, which also contributes to the divine taste of eiswein. Therefore, real eiswein should/must be made this way ??
Have you heard about this process and which elements are withdrawn ??
Hope you have the answer.
Eager to hear from you.
Best regards from an eiswein lover in Norway."
Well, Dag. Allow me to first refer you to a fun article I wrote a few years ago called, "Ripeness or Ruin." It is my understanding that the divine taste of Eiswein is derived from the fact that the extract is devoid of most, if not all, water (since it's frozen). Thus the extract is fruit-essence goodness (sugars, -ols, etc.), which apparently ferments slower than typical must. Perhaps the combo of less/no water and slower fermentation adds to the otherworldly flavor of Eiswein.
Scott Paul Wines is a boutique winery dedicated to producing ultra-premium Pinot Noirs from the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Proprietor and winemaker, Scott Paul Wright, came to winemaking as a second career. For thirty years, he had a career in the radio and music industries. As a disc jockey, his handle was “Shadow Stevens” and those of you from the East Coast remember him well. His financial success in the music world allowed him to cellar and drink good wine from an early age. As the music business became more and more a corporate-driven industry, Scott lost interest in continuing in that field, and left to learn winemaking.
Under the mentorship of Greg Le Follette and others, and taking inspiration from Burgundy, he developed his winemaking skills. After ten vintages in Oregon, he is now very comfortable with his career change.
An order of Sardinian nuns is the first convent to practise organic? viticulture?? in Italy.
The Compagnia delle Figlie Evaristiane grows hardy indigenous varietals? including Cannonau, Monica and Vermentino on an inhospitable stretch of the west coast of Sardinia.
The community focuses its efforts on supporting youth from disadvantaged backgrounds.
'We like to think that our vines are like the vegetables in the backyard of the convent,' said Mother Superior Margherita Piludu, 'we've never needed chemical fertilizers or fungicides to grow them. We pursue the same philosophy in viticulture.'
After four decades in the wine industry, Harry McWatters, the spirited, fun-loving, and sometimes outspoken president of Sumac Ridge Estate Winery in Summerland, British Columbia, is stepping down.
Tecnorati
Wine Tasting Note: Château Les Tonnelles, 2004, Fronsac, France.
Recently Tom Wark posted a piece on Fermentation titled 
