2008 Domaine de Cristia Grenache

While typically blended with other grapes, notably Syrah and Mourvedre, Grenache does get bottled by itself.  Generally it lacks the acidity and tannins needed to make a great (or even really good) wine on its own.  This unfortunately was no exception.

There was a fair amount of color, which is also unusual as grenache tends to be fairly light colored and the nose was full of lush red fruit and hints of spice.  The palate gave up some red cherry and a touch of blackberry along with some very faint pepper.  Overall, this was a lighter bodied red with a fairly short finish.

If you were looking for a simple, light red this could fill the bill but really there are a lot of better wines for the same money so I'd recommend taking a pass on this one.  (However, they do make a really good Gigondas!)

Cheers!

2006 Block 925 Cabernet Sauvignon

Not too long ago we had the Block 345 Cabernet Sauvignon.  That one comes from Rutherford, whereas this one is from Howell Mountain.  These are both part of the Napa Valley AVA, and Howell Mountain was the first sub-appellation established within Napa Valley (in 1983 specifically).  Most of the vineyards in Howell Mountain are planted between 1,400 and 2,200 feet of elevation which is significantly higher and cooler than those in Napa.

So, is there much difference between the two?  Absolutely, although without tasting them side-by-side they may seem more similar that they actually are.

The Block 925 seems to be a bit more earthy, with some mushroom, leather, dark fruit and a touch of vegetal undertones.  It has a lot of the same cocoa and young fruit on it but the finish is much shorter.  The fruit doesn't seem to be a rich and concentrated, and the tanins are a bit more harsh but only slightly.

Both of these were great cabernets, and certainly could command more than the $21.99 a bottle price.  However, given the choice I think we preferred the Block 345 a little bit better.

Finally, if you are interesting in reading about the various appellations, here are some helpful links to get you started:  American Viticultural Area (AVA) Overview and the Napa Valley AVA.

Cheers!

Sarasoa Vineyard - Weekly Wine Tasting

On Thursdays, there is a free tasting at Sarasota Vineyard in downtown Sarasota.  If you've not been down, it is definitely worth checking out.  Around 80 wines are available in 3 different tasting sizes (taste, half and regular pour) as well as a selection of beers, great food and a good selection of wines available for retail purchase.  The wines are kept using the Enomatic wine serving system which uses an inert gas to preserve the wines once opened and electronic measuring control.  Pretty cool!

So last night there were 4 wines available at the tasting:

2008 Tierra del Fuego Sauvignon Blanc (Chile) - crisp acidity with notes of grapefruit, lemon zest and a medium body this was a good start.

2007 Isolda Viura (Navarra, Spain) - This was an interesting white that seemed to have a bit of musty earthiness to it.  Not a lot of fruit was present and definitely was my least favorie of the evening.

2006 Campus Oaks Zinfandel (Lodi, California) - This was a medium weight zinfandel, with a great balance of black cherry fruit and pepper spiciness.

2006 Greenwood Ridge Pinot Noir (Mendocino, California) - Lots of dark red fruit with a good bit of earthiness.

There was a good, but not large crowd of people there for the tasting and most also picked up a wine card to try some of the other wines available.  So, if you are free between 5:30 and 7:30 on Thursdays, I would recommend checking them out.

Cheers!

2008 Trivento Torrontes

Torrontes is considered to be the most distinctive white wine, if not wine period, of Aregentina.  While genetically related to Malvasia, it has been in Argentina for a long time and is only produced as 100% Torrontes there.

This is a ripe, fruit-forward style of wine.  There are plenty of citrus notes as well as some distintive green apple both on the nose and palate.  It tastes somewhat sweet, almost like a light honey, but it is not sweet from residual sugar (13.5% AbV) -- it is probably for this reason that Allison didn't care as much for this one as I did.

The body is light to medium-bodied and is almost clear in color.  The finish was very short.  At $8.99 a bottle, this was a nice change but not one that we'll likely buy on a regular basis.

Cheers!

Kumo Japanese Steak House & Sushi Bar - Venice, FL

We've been looking for a really good sushi restaurant ever since we left Birmingham, and think that we may have found it.  Not too long ago, we went with a co-worker of Allison's to Kumo and enjoyed it a lot.  Last night we had an opportunity to return and it impressed us even more.

It was fairly quiet for a Sunday evening, and we promptly were seated at the Sushi Bar.  The wait service was relatively prompt, but maybe not as quick as you'd expect considering the lack of business.  Minor point.

We ordered a variety of sashimi - maguro (tuna), sake (salmon), ebi (shrimp), akagai (red clam), ikura (salmon roe) and the special of the night - toro (fatty tuna).  In addition we chose a couple of rolls - a spicy tuna and a volcano roll.

The fish was fantastic; perfectly fresh and very large pieces - Allison actually was cutting hers in two.  The toro was rich and creamy, and very reasonably priced at $6 for an order (2 pieces).  The spicy tuna roll was very good, but the volcano was not what we expected at all.  It is amazing at how different rolls are from restaurant to restaurant.  Even though it sounded similar to what we were used to, it was different.  Basically a california roll with a spicy topping - except the topping wasn't spicy at all.

We haven't tried the teppanyaki - yet - but it smelled very good as well.  As I mentioned, the service was okay but not great, and the restaurant is fairly small but otherwise everthing is top notch.  If you are in the Venice area looking for good sushi, we definitely recommend giving Kumo a try.

Cheers!

2007 Joel Gott "815" Cabernet Sauvignon

The other evening we attended a wine dinner with wines in the Trinchero portfolio were featured, including the 2006 Joel Gott "815" Cabernet Sauvignon.  At the end of the evening we purchased several bottles of this wine.  Last night, we needed a cabernet to go with some grilled steaks and thought that this would be a great choice but when we pulled it out we discovered that we had in fact been given the 2007 vintage and not the 2006 that we tasted then.

Wow!  The 2007 is so much different than the 2006 was.  While the 2006 was lighter and not overly tannic, the 2007 was full-bodied with a ton of tannin.  So much so, that even with 30 minutes in the glass the fruit was still fairly hidden!  It did open somewhat, and hinted at some black fruits and a touch of leather but it was really difficult to discern.  This needs some time to age and integrate together.

So, the other 2 bottles have now been moved from the everday wine cooler to the long-term cooler for some aging.  I'm thinking at least a year and possibly two before we think about trying this one again.

Cheers!

2006 Ten Mile "The Broken Road"

What do you get when you blend Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Barbera and Carignane?  If you said a wine that is based on classic field blends of California from the 1800's you would be correct.

What is a field blend you ask?  According to Wikipedia.com, it is a wine that is produced using two or more different grapes inter-planted in the same vineyard.  It was much more prevalent before precise varietal identification but has essentially ended nowadays.

So, how was it?  Well, actually it was pretty darn good.  I'd never have thought of this particular combination of grapes (which may explain why I'm a blogger and not a winemaker) but they sure work well together in this one.

The nose was distinctly earthy, with some leather and black cherry fruit showing.  On the palate, this carried over with some chocolate notes and a touch of cedar on the back.  A moderate finish with some sweet tannin rounded it out.

At $10.99 this was a very good bottle and definitely worth trying.

Cheers!

Michael's Wine Cellar - Wine Discoveries Tasting

In late August, the Connossieur's Club hosted a trip through the Rhone and Burgundy regions of France.  Looking through the itinerary, this appears to have been a fantastic trip and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing what will be offered next.

Upon his return, Michael Klauber put together a fantastic tasting of wines from these regions.  This tasting was a limited attendance event held after-hours last night.  16 wines were featured on 4 tasting tables along with a nice selection of hors d'oeuvres.  For $20, this was a great tasting.

Allison was not able to attend, but I managed to taste all of the wines and tried to make notes on most of them.  Where the region is not apparent, I'll include along with the price per bottle.  I'm not sure if these were special prices last night or regular shelf price.

Table 1

• Aux Bois d'Allier, Christophe Cordier, 2007 (Burgundy, $26.95) - A medium bodied white Burgundy from the Macon.  While a good wine, I didn't personally care for it.
• Vire Clesse, "V.V.", Christophe Cordier, 2007 (Burgundy, $29.95) - Another white that I didn't personally care for from the Vire Clesse region.
• Bourgogne Rouge, Bertrand Ambroise, 2006 (Burgundy, $22.95) - This is a medium bodied red Burgundy which sees no oak.  Quite tasty, with bright red fruit and a touch of earthiness on the finish.
• Cote de Nuits Villages, Bertrand Ambroise, 2006 (Burgundy, $36.95) - This one has a bit of oakiness in the mid-palate.  Showing good fruit and a bit more full-bodied.

Table 2

• Domaine Belle, "Les Terres Blanches", Crozes-Hermitage (Rhone, $27.95)
• Chardonnay, Xavier Monnot, Bourgogne, 2006 (Burgundy, $29.95) - I'm not sure why I didn't make any notes on these first 2 - they were both good, solid whites.
• Rhone Blanc, CDR, Domaine de la Becassonne, Andre (Rhone, $14.95) - An excellent white Rhone which is a blend of Rousanne, Marsanne and Clairette Blanc.  My favorite white of the evening and I brought a bottle home.
• Cotes du Rhone, Domaine Andre Brunel "Cuvee" (Rhone, $14.95)
• Crozes-Hermitage,Domaine Belle, Les Pierrelles, 2005 (Rhone, $27.95) - Again, not sure why I didn't take any notes on the reds... they were both very nice though.

Table 3

• Rouge, Domaine de la Petite Cassagne, 2006 (Rhone, $10.95) - A nice medium-bodied red blend of 53% Syrah and 47% Grenache.
• Gigondas, Santa Duc, 2005 (Rhone, $29.95) - Wow!  Dark fruit, good spice, full-bodied - this is an excellent Gigondas that I thought was a great representation of the region.
• Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine Font de Michelle, 2006 (Rhone, $39.95) - In Chateauneuf the law allows for up to 13 grape varietals to go into the blend.  This one had 11 of those where most use 4 or 5.  Interestingly, 4 of the 13 grapes are white.  This was full-bodied, with nice spice on the finish.

Table 4

• Roussane-Viognier, Mas Des Bressades, 2007 (Rhone, $19.95) - This was an interesting white blend of equal parts.  I thought that it had a touch of oakiness to it, but these are generally stainless fermented so not sure what was going on with that.
• Rose, Mas de Gourgonnier, 2008 (Rhone, $13.95) - A refreshing rose, with notes of raspberry.  I liked it pretty well, but it was probably too fruit forward for Allison.
• Syrah/Grenache, Mas de Bressades, 2007 (Rhone, $11.95) - This red blend was equal parts and showed a lot of tannin.  Dark fruit and some spice were there, but it may need to let the tannins integrate a bit before showing well.
• Rhone Blend, Mas de Gourgonnier, 2006 (Rhone, $14.95) - Another full-bodied red, with solid fruit and spice.  I liked this one a lot for the price, and brought a bottle home.

Cheers!

Taste Dining & Travel - Wine Dinner @ The Tuscany at Freedom Village

Often times you can find outstanding food in the most unlikely places, and this wine dinner is proof positive of this fact.  Consider that often the best Chinese food is a hole-in-the-wall place in a strip mall or that a great burger can be had in a greasy spoon or... well, you get the picture.  Now, it turns out that you can have exquisite American and Italian at a retirement community.  Yep, that's right - a retirement community!

Last night we ventured forth to the latest wine dinner sponsored by Taste Dining & Travel magazine which was held at The Tuscany at Freedom Village.  The dinner was planned and executed by Director of Food services Luciano Silva and a fantastic staff.  In addition, Allison and I had the pleasure of sitting with the Tampa based representative for Trinchero Family Wines, whose wines were featured, and the representative from Southern Wine & Spirits who is the distributor for the wines.

The meal was 3 courses plus dessert.  Each course was paired with a wine from the Trinchero portfolio, and we both thought that the pairings were spot on.

First course

Sea Scallop with Asian maple glaze and a cold water Prawn wrapped in potato shreds 

2007 Montevina Terre D'Or Pinot Grigio

The scallop was exquisitely prepared.  Seared lightly on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth sweet on the inside.  The glaze was very light but highlighted the scallop perfectly.  I would have preferred a bit more of a sear on the outside, but when cooking scallops (and especially for the 40-50 people at this dinner) I understand how difficult it can be to not overcook them.  The prawn was also perfectly cooked.  The potato shreds were an interesting touch, but the contrast was a touch over the top for me personally.

The wine was a very light, almost silvery, color which is a result of it being 100% free run Pinot Grigio.  Free run means that the juice is not extracted from pressing the grapes so you will not get the coloration of the skin.  This is also blended with a touch of chardonnay, less than 10%, to give it some color.  It was crisp, but not highly acidic like some Pinot Grigio can be, with notes of citrus and baked apples.

Second Course

A bouquet of organic greens served with sun-dried blackberries, baby spring vegetables, hand-crafted Chevre cheese and a Truffle vinaigrette

2007 Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc

A very nice salad course, with a unique presentation and great contrast of flavors.  The truffle vinaigrette was fantastic.  I only wish I had asked for extra.

The Sauvignon Blanc was light and very refreshing with green apple and citrus notes.  A bit higher in acidity, it offered a great balance to the overall dish.

Third Course

Prime Filet Mignon with parmesan risotto, morrels and broccolini finished with a port wine reduction

2006 Joel Gott 815 Cabernet Sauvignon

or

Seared Chilean Sea Bass with chive beurre blanc, little neck clams with herb gnocchi and asparagus tips

2007 Napa Cellars Pinot Noir

We decided to split the difference - I had the filet while Allison went with the sea bass.  The filet was perfect - medium rare as ordered.  The port wine reduction was very good but the broccolini might have been a touch overcooked (again, not hard to do especially with the number of dishes coming up all at once).  I did not try the fish, but Allison said it too was fantastic.

One of the advantages of sitting with the wine representatives was the opportunity to sample both wines, although I suspect that anyone could have asked to try both and gotten away with it.  We are going to just pretend that it was the company we kept that got us both :-)

The Cabernet was incredible.  There were notes of cassis, black cherry, leather and a touch of smoke.  It was a lighter style Cabernet, which was not overly tannic but ready to drink now.

The Pinot Noir was equally impressive, with cherry fruit and a bit of an earthiness that was somewhat reminiscent of Burgundy.

Dolce Trio

Crema of Cheese with Fig Coulis, Melted Pot de Chocolat with Chambord and Crystal Vanilla Creme Brulee

Menage a Trios Red

This was a delightful end to a fantastic meal.  My favorite was definitely the creme brulee, although the chocolate was pretty tasty as well.

We've had the Menage Au Trios before and it has always been a bit too fruit forward and sweet for our palates.  It hasn't changed.  A touch of residual sugar gives this a definite sweetness, while the fruit is very dominant and over the top.  It you want a sweeter styled red wine, this is your ticket.  However, it did work well with the dessert.

The wines did not list retail pricing on the tasting sheet, but I did ask and came up with some approximations: Pinot Grigio ~ $18, Sauvignon Blanc ~ $13, Cabernet ~ $18 and Pinot Noir ~ $28.  These were all approximations so you may see them for more or for less.  The really good news for those of us at the dinner was the special pricing - $10 a bottle for all except the Pinot Noir, which was $15.  We came home with 3 bottles each of the Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet and Pinot Noir.  Wow!

Again, you never know where you may find a fantastic meal.  I was talking to Neal Finelli, publisher of Taste Dining & Travel, and he was telling me that a lot of regulars passed on this event because of the location (retirement community).  I've always believed that nothing ventured is nothing gained.  The Tuscany was a fantastic dining experience.  Open to the public for lunch, and they are also planning on a Sunday brunch beginning later in the fall.  If you are in the area, I would very highly recommend giving it a try!

Cheers!

2007 Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc

This week's theme must be Sauvignon Blanc ;-)  Just kidding!  But, it does seem like we drink a lot of it; probably because we do not particularly care for Chardonnay.

A lot of domestic (US) produced Sauvignon Blanc is pretty average - some fruit outweighed by a lot of acidity.  This one definitely has some acidity but it pretty well balanced with the fruit up front.

The nose reeked of lemon cured and, strangely enough, orange marmalade.  On the palate the citrus was pretty bold, with grapefruit being dominant but also showing some kiwi fruit and a hint of wet stone.  The overall weight was fairly light, with a fairly short finish.

Opinion?  Good, not great.  Better than a lot of Sauvignon Blanc out there but does not really stand out as unique.  I picked it up on Sale for $9.49 and got a decent, if unremarkable, white for my money.

Cheers!

2008 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc

It had been a while since we had last tasted a Brancott wine, so when looking for a white to drink the other night I decided it was time to revisit this producer since we had some in the cellar.  Brancott has long been one of our favorite producers in New Zealand, and we were not disappointed with this vintage.

The color was that of golden straw.  On the nose were notes of citrus and melon.  The palate hit you with grapefruit and mango as well as some fresh herb and grass.  There was plenty of acidity but it was well balanced with the fruit.  A lingering finish completed this wine.

As always I am amazed that they can produce this caliber of wine, ship it half-way around the world and still only charge $10.99 retail.  Wow!  We definitely would recommend this one.

Cheers!

2007 Cuvee Jean-Philippe Brut Sparkling Wine

While shopping for some new things on Monday over at the ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, I happened to mention wanting to find an affordable, everyday sparkling wine.  I was introduced to this Cuvee Jean-Philippe Brut.

Now, normally when you see a French Brut you immediately think Champagne.  But remember, this is not from the Champagne region so it can not legally be called Champagne -- even though it is made exactly the same way (which is known as Methode Traditionnelle).  Limoux is part of the Languedoc which is all the way to the southern end of France, near the Spanish border.  They are widely known for their sparkling wines in Limoux.

I was hoping that this was going to be it... a great tasting, affordable, everyday sparkling wine to have on hand for when we want some bubbly.  Unfortunately, it was not to be.

The color was a pale straw-yellow.  The bubbles were somewhat largish and pretty uneven, which in my experience is somewhat typical of a sparkling wine that we are not going to care for much.  The nose was somewhat floral and I wanted to say bubblegum but I think Allison summed it up better with grapey.  And unfortunately, that is exactly what the palate was -- grapey.  So much so that she immediately thought of Welch's grape juice (not that there is anything wrong with Welch's!).

This was $12.99 a bottle.  We didn't care for it at all, and can not recommend it.

Cheers!

(Sorry about the picture, my camera wasn't cooperating with me... may be time to read the manual again since I don't use all of the features that often)

2007 Gladius Tempranillo

This past Monday was a holiday for some, but fortunately for me not for my wine consultant Steve over at the ABC Fine Wine & Spirits.  Since Allison wanted to go to the beach on her day off, I decided to spend some time picking up some new wines.  After all, to keep this blog going means we have got to be trying new things!

Knowing that I was looking for some new things to try, Steve pointed me in the direction of several things.  One of them was this Tempranillo from Vino de la Tierra de Castilla.  We generally like Tempranillo and this was at a good price point of $7.99 so I grabbed a bottle.

When we first opened this up, we initially were afraid it was going to be a fruity-style that we would not care for.  The nose was ripe with red cherry and plum.  However, for us the good news was that while the nose was pretty fruit forward the palate was anything but.  Yes, the cherry and plum came through, yet there was a solid amount of cedar, mushroom and tannin to balance this out.  The finish was moderate, and overall the wine was medium to full-bodied.  We wound up liking it pretty well.

Cheers!

2006 Windmill Old Vine Zinfandel

We were very impressed with this old vine Zinfandel, and at $12.99 thought it was a great value. I picked it up at Publix, which generally seems to be about 10% higher than other wine venues so you probably can find it for $1-2 cheaper if you look.

The nose was a massive beast with bold, red fruit and a solid core of hot spices. We were pretty sure that this was going to be a big wine, and it didn't disappoint. On the palate, the fruit was front and center - plum and black cherry - but in full harmony with a mix of licorice and black peppercorn. Interestingly, the finish mellowed out and revealed notes of cedar and cocoa. Very full-bodied, with a finish that seemed to never quit.

This was 14.5% AbV, which is pretty high but not as high as I've seen a lot of Zinfandel and certainly not as high as I would have thought, given the massive weight of this one.

Cheers!

2006 Block 345 Cabernet Sauvignon

Here is another one that I'm told is an ABC Fine Wine & Spirits exclusive. According to my wine consultant, ABC purchases excess juice that would normally be sold for blending and has it bottled just for them.

Block 345 is produced from grapes sourced in the Rutherford Bench, which is part of Napa Valley. Known for a mix of gravelly, sandy and volcanic soils, Rutherford Bench is an ideal place to grow Cabernet Sauvignon and has produced some outstanding wines over the years.

On the nose, we detected some sweet, young berry fruit - predominantly cherry and blueberry. The palate revealed sweet, silky tannins with cocoa, cassis, leather and some smokiness. The fruit profile continued with the young fruit nuances, but was a touch more subdued than we expected. The finish was vanilla oak, and lasted forever.

Allison absolutely loved it, however I thought that the finish was a touch too "hot" and more acidic than I would have liked to see. I think that it was definitely too young to fully appreciate, and am thinking that we may lay a couple of bottles down for some aging.

In any case, at $21.99 this was an exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon and if you get a chance to try it, I would definitely recommend it.

Cheers!

Michael's Monthly Wine Tasting - September 2009

Saturday was the monthly wine tasting at Michael's Wine Cellar. As usual, there was a range of wines and price points being showcased, along with some light snacks and a pretty good sized crowd.

Allison and I both really liked the new layout, where the tasting tables were on the edge of the store, leaving the center open. We both felt that the crowd flowed a lot better and didn't bunch up as with the old layout. Unfortunately, even with this there still seemed to be a lot of just standing in front of the table and not letting others up to try some of the wines. After a dozen years or so in the business, I know this happens at all tastings but that doesn't mean it doesn't still drive me nuts! (I'm off the soapbox now).

For some reason, neither of us seemed to particularly "into" the tasting and thus didn't take a lot of tasting notes. So, this month's post is mostly going to be the list of what was tasted and whether we liked it or not. We'll try and do better next month, promise!

Table 1 - Transatlantic Wine & Spirits

• NV Roederer Brut Sparkling Wine, California, $19.95
• 2006 Licia Albarino, Spain, $14.95 - Good Albarino that was a bit more full-bodied than we're used to
• 2006 Mer Soleil Chardonnay, California, $24.95
• 2008 Mollydooker "The Violinist" Verdelho, Australia, $25.95
• 2007 d'Arenberg "The Stump Jump" Shiraz/Grenache, Australia, $11.95
• 2006 Bell "Claret" Cabernet Sauvignon, California, $26.95

Table 2 - Premier Beverage

• 2006 Dom. Ehrhart "Vieilles Vigne" Riesling, France, $9.95 - Good Riesling, not too sweet and well balanced
• 2006 Dom. Ehrhart "Im Berg" Pinot Gris, France, $9.95
• 2007 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay, South Africa, $25.95
• ? Rocca Family Vineyards "Bad Boy Red" Cabernet blend, California, $19.95
• 2007 Girard Petite Sirah, California, $23.95
• 2005 Burgess "Vintage Selection" Cabernet Sauvignon, California, $28.95

Table 3 - Opici Fine Wines

• 2007 Santa Alicia "Late Harvest" Muscatel, Chile, $9.95 - I liked this one a lot; very, very similar to a good Sauternes
• 2007 Leitz "Dragonstone" Riesling, Germany, $16.95 - This was another excellent Riesling, but I just can't get Allison into these wines. Not terribly sweet, but just enough. I had the 2006 at a tasting in Cincinnati and wrote about it here.
• 2008 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa, $18.95
• 2007 Plungerhead Zinfandel, California, $14.95 - We've reviewed this here
• 2004 Warwick Estate "Three Cape Ladies" Cape Blend, South Africa, $16.95
• 2005 Elyse "Naggiar Vineyard" Rhone Blend, California, $27.95

Table 4 - Republic National Distributing

• NV Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne, France, $15.95 (half-bottle) - We both liked this one a lot; forgotten how good it was at this price point.
• 2007 Justin Charodonnay, California, $15.95
• 2008 Justin Sauvignon Blanc, California, $15.95
• 2006 Dead Letter Office Shiraz, Australia, $18.95
• ? Summers Winery "Adrianna's Cuvee" Cabernet Sauvignon, California, $21.95
• 2005 Peachy Canyon "Old School" Zinfandel, California, $37.95 - Allison said this was excellent; Peachy Canyon has always been "fruit bomb" Zinfandel to me but she said this was not, and unfortunately I didn't get back around to try it.

Table 5 - Selected Brands

• 2006 Graham Beck Brut Rose Sparkling, South Africa, $19.95 - Very nice sparkling rose
• 2007 Kilda Chardonnay, Australia, $8.95
• 2008 Dr. Loosen "Dr. L" Riesling, Germany, $11.95
• 2007 Gini Soave Classico, Italy, $18.95
• 2007 Hugh Hamilton "Jim Jim" Shiraz, Australia, $11.95
• ? Graham Beck "Gamekeepers Reserve" Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa, $15.95

Table 6 - Stacole Fine Wines

• 2007 Ch. Thieuley Blanc, France, $16.95
• 2007 Elk Cove Pinot Gris, Oregon, $18.95
• 2003 Dom. de Triennes St. Auguste (Viognier), France, $14.95
• 2007 BenMarco Malbec, Argentina, $18.95
• 2005 La Spinetta "Il Nero di Casanova" Sangionvese, Italy, $18.95 - Lots of black fruit surrounded by gritty tannins, this needs some bottle time but is fantastic!
• 2007 Tikal "Amorio" Malbec, Argentina, $29.95

Table 7 - Southern Wine & Spirits

• 2007 Haras de Pirque Estate Chardonnay, Chile, $11.95
• 2008 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, $15.95
• 2007 Joel Gott 815 Cabernet Sauvignon, California, $17.95 - A lot of fruit well balanced with some vanilla oak and sweet tannins
• 2007 Qupe Syrah, California, $16.95
• 2007 Erath Pinot Noir, Oregon, $17.95
• 2006 Dry Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, California, $22.95 - Egads! Somebody set of a tannin bomb in this bottle... wow, completely closed down due to the tannins.

Table 8 - Terry Seitz Wines

• 2007 Amani Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa, $13.95
• ? Post House "Bluish White" Chenin Blanc/Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa, $14.95
• 2007 Bouchard Finlayson "Blanc de Mer" White Meritage, South Africa, $14.95 - Tasty! We both liked this one a lot
• 2007 Bouchard Finlayson "Sans Barrique" Charonnday, South Africa, $21.95
• 2005 Avontuur "Vintner's Red" Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc, South Africa, $11.95
• 2006 Post House "Penny Black" Merlot/Shirz Blend, South Africa, $21.95 - Reviewed here

So, another good tasting. There was a lot of familar stuff and also a lot of new stuff to be tried. As always, we tried to hit the stuff we either have never tasted or have not tasted in a while. The next tasting is November 14. Hope to see you there!

Cheers

Lunch at Crab and Fin - St. Armands, Sarasota, FL

Allison and I have been talking about going down to St. Armands circle and just walking around looking at the shops for some time now. So yesterday, since we were headed to Michael's Wine Cellar for the monthly tasting anyway we decided to hit the circle and also pick up lunch while we were there. We'd also been thinking about checking out Crab and Fin, and decided that lunch there would be a good option.

Outdoor seating (at least for lunch) was help yourself, so we found a table where we could enjoy our meal and people watch at the same time. Almost immediately we were presented with menus and asked about drinks. Allison decided to go with a frozen mojito while I stuck with tea.

To start, we split an order of tuna tataki. This was a large helping of yellowfin tuna that had been crusted with black seasame seeds and then seared rare, served atop a bed of pickled cucumber and sided by wasabi, pickled ginger and soy sauce. The fish was delicious! And the cucumber was a light and refreshing contrast. The only negative I could find was that I thought that it was overly coated in seasame seeds, but this was only a minor issue.

Allison went with a Alaskan king crab cobb salad which was huge. Romaine lettuce topped with honey mustard dressing, apple wood smoked bacon, bleu cheese, diced tomato, chopped egg and black olives with a pretty generous helping of king crab. This was definitely a meal unto itself.

I went with a blackened group sandwich, served on a fresh bun with lettuce, tomato, red onion and tarter sauce and accompanied by some really good fries. The fish was perfectly cooked, not overly blackened and very moist and tender.

Overall, we were more than satisfied with the quality and quantity of the food and the service was impeccable. Unfortunately, this came at a price - and a pretty darn high price at that. After leaving the waiter 15% (which he deserved), the check came to just under $70 which is absolutely nuts for lunch! I know that they are in the heart of St. Armands circle - the high rent district - but this was just absurd. So, bottom line -- great food and service, but the prices will likely prevent us from returning. Bummer...

Cheers!

2006 Columbia Crest "Horse Heaven Hills" Cabernet Sauvignon

Columbia Crest Winery produces a range of wines labeled H3, short for Horse Heaven Hills which is where they are located. The vineyards are mostly southward facing and blocked by mountains up to 14,000 feet in elevation which blocks a lot of the wet weather so typical of the area and gives the grapes a chance to reach the full potential. Under the H3 label there are several varietals which includes the Cabernet Sauvignon as well as Merlot, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.

When we first opened this one up, it was as tight as a drum. Fully shut down, it took nearly 20 minutes of aeration to begin to develop but once it did... wow! The nose opened to dark fruits, wet stone and dusty earth undertones. On the palate blueberry and plum were predominant with moss and bell pepper bringing up the rear. The tannins were very silky and very well integrated. The finish brought on notes of vanilla and oak and lasted a good while.

We paid $13.99 for this one. I would have paid $20-25 for the quality. This is seriously good Cabernet and is going on the everyday list because it is hard to find a good, much less great, Cabernet at this price point.

Cheers!

2006 Dry Creek Heritage Zinfandel

Allison told me that she knew this was going to be good because there were sailboats on the label. I don't know if I agree with that criteria being the deciding factor or not, but she was right... this was good. Actually, it was very good.

On the nose there was dark fruit, some earthiness and bold spices. The palate was black plum, cherry, cocoa, peppercorns and mildly sweet tannins. Full-bodied, but with a great balance between fruit, spice and acidic tannins this had a short finish.

This one was on sale for $13.59 at the ABC; I think the regular price was $15.99. A good price for a great Zinfandel!

Cheers

2006 Ruffino Il Ducale

Ruffino has to be one of the most consistent producers of wine in the Tuscany region. This is a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot and 20% Syrah. I guess you could technically call it a "Super Tuscan" but it is not the big powerhouse wine that I generally would put in that category. While full-bodied, there is a lot of fruit that makes it feel softer on the palate.

The nose reeked of leather and plums. There was a hint of mushroom and some earthiness as it opened up in the glass. The palate was very earthy, with firm tannins surrounding a solid core of cherry, blackberry and licorice. The finish was moderate with a just a bit of harsh acidity.

At $13.99 this was a very good wine that would pair up well with a lot of different hearty dishes.

Cheers!

2005 Bellingham "The Old Cellar" Shiraz

Shiraz (or Syrah if you prefer) has long been grown in South Africa, but to tell you the truth it has only been in the past few years that I've personally noticed a large uptick in quality. Now, however, I am seeing more and more Shiraz come out of South Africa that could rival a lot of Australian Shiraz as well as any number of Syrahs produced domestically. The good news is that they are still great bargins for the quality that is being produced.

Take this Bellingham for example. If you tasted this one blind, you would be hard pressed to think of anything except for Australian Shiraz. It had the same jammy fruit and spicy overtones, as well as the full-bodied "inky and brooding" that is to me what makes a great Shiraz.

The initial nose was full of red cherry and spices. The palate started with red licorice, jammy fruit, bell pepper and freshly cracked peppercorn. As it opened up, some nuances of blueberry peeked through along with some silky tannins. The finish was moderately long.

At $11.99, I think that this one is a very good value.

Cheers!

By the way - I know that we haven't posted much recently but we have been tasting so I will be putting up several reviews over the next day or so. In addition, the monthly Michael's Wine Cellars tasting is this week and we have a wine dinner at the end of the month. Hopefully things are a little bit more settled now, and we'll get back to some regular updates.