Cyber Tuesday: Snowpocalypse Edition!

January 28, 2014 / thewinesnob / 1 Comment

Well, it’s noon and I haven’t seen a snowflake yet… But the lists of cancellations and closings just keeps on coming! What better time to surf the interwebs and check out some new wines! Here’s some fuel for your fodder- in another brush with internet fame (err.. it’s my second), these two wines were submitted as samples from www.winechateau.com. They’ve certainly made my weekend a little brighter…

Castello Banfi Belnero, 2010 Italy, Tuscany

The first thing that puzzled me about this wine was that on the website, a customer has posted an (although very favorable) review, referring to it as a Chianti. I would not call this a Chianti. Not to nitpick. This borders on Super-Tuscan status. Which is great! It’s a fun category. I’ve always respected the idea of a Super-Tuscan- I like the “eff this noise, we’re gonna put whatever grapes we want in our wine and DOC/DOCG be damned!” mentality. How can you not?

It’s a dark, rich wine that has a giant nose of vanilla and dark fruit upon opening. It shows nice depth, color concentration and will definitely fill your “big red” niche. Additional layers of tobacco, coffee and mocha offer complexity, followed closely by luscious black cherry, blackberry, fruit compote, roasted herbs and maybe a hint of balsamic. A pleasant grip of acid reminds you that this baby is all Italian. I dig it. It’s one of those New-meets-Old-World styles that accomplishes it’s mission quite deftly. Furthermore, it’s a definite overachiever for the $19.99 pricetag. *please note- as of 1.28.14 this wine is sold out via winechateau.com, but they expect to re-up very soon.*

Fratelli Recchia Ca’ Bertoldi Amarone della Valpolicella, 2005 Italy, Veneto

I was looking forward to this one for two reasons; 1.) it got a 92-point rating from Wine Spectator and 2.) it’s $24! These two reasons in and of themselves are not earth-shattering, but combine them AND consider that this is an Amarone? Cha-ching!! For those that don’t know, Amarone can often be a verrry spendy category. It’s also an interesting style of wine because it can be a bit divisive. There are plenty of people out there who might never like Amarone, stylistically. Speaking personally, I’ve had some that I didn’t care for despite the fact that I recognized them as “good wine.” However… I can say that one of the most, if not *the* most, knee-buckling wines I have ever tasted was an Amarone. Granted, it was a $400+ retail bottle of 2006 Dal Forno. Sort of like saying, “Yeah, I was never the same after I drove that Lamborghini.” Duh.

So what’s the deal with Amarone? Why do I call it divisive? Well, they are made in a specific style- appassimento– in which the grapes (Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara) are allowed to partially dry. This causes them to lose a large portion of their weight, and concentrates their sugar content. Hence, the resulting wine is almost always rich, heady, and just plain intense. And some people just aren’t into that…

But I’ll tellya- you find a good one and it’ll just plain blow. you. the. eff. away. Like seriously, you’ll feel as if one of the secrets of the universe has been revealed to you. In one moment, you’ll comprehend why so many have chased the dream of winemaking like Captain Ahab for so many years. I’m not even exaggerating.

Alright, so that was a fun trip down memory lane, but now on to this wine! And let me start by saying I’ve tasted this wine over the course of three days, and it is still freaking beautiful on day three. Upon first open it was maybe a little restrained; the nose showed typical notes of preserved/dried fruit, cocoa, some nuttiness (nut brittle, even), anise and figs. The palate isn’t weighed down or clumsy in it’s fruit/alcohol content. It’s really a perfect introduction to this style of wine; it doesn’t break the bank and it’s balanced enough to appeal to a broad wine-drinking audience. On day two the wine seemed to relax significantly, and bloomed with some additional spicy notes and fruity finesse. All-in-all, I’d call this wine darn good.

One cool perk about Wine Chateau is that on your first order, you get a coupon for $10 off shipping. Additionally, they offer a Mix-&-Match free shipping on many (not all) wines. As I maintained on my last post that involved wines available for internet purchase- I can’t see myself as someone who would purchase wine online that often, but once and a while it’s fun to mix it up. And sometimes online retailers do offer very competitive pricing, and occasionally exclusives on wines you might not find elsewhere. In the case of one particular wine that comes to mind, it has actually become easier in the last few years to find online than it is for (at least in SC) on-premise accounts to get it. So, I’d be remiss if I did not say- don’t forget about your small, local wine store!!; but there’s room in the wine world for more than one way to purchase.

Alright so that’s it for Snowmageddon morning! Best of luck to y’all in the impending doom. I hope you have enough wine. I sure do!

A big fat BUBBLE post!

December 28, 2013December 28, 2013 / thewinesnob / 1 Comment

Is it me, or has this been the absolute fastest November-December in the history of the world? It seems like it was just October and I was saying to myself, “the holidays will be here soon”, and now they’re over. I don’t tend to perseverate too much over the timing of Thanksgiving and Christmas, but really? They were that close together? It just seems wrong. But there’s no use dwelling; at this point we just need to strap in and be ready. And now it’s just up to NEW YEARS EVE and then we’re into 2014! So what better time than now to talk about some recent arrivals of a BUBBLY nature?! You know it!

they can be yours, too.

BUBBLES. My all-time favorite thing to open on a whim, at any time of day, for no reason at all. To celebrate nothing. Or everything. Or somewhere in between. But considering that it’s a holiday, you have an excellent reason. I’ll highlight a few from all price ranges….

Clara C “Fiori” Brut Rose, NV Italy ($13) The Clara C is as close to a perfect little pink bubbly as I can imagine. It is light, fresh and offers up crispness and a touch of pretty red fruit and vanilla. This one, of course, is ideal if you have a lot of people coming over. The bottle is classy and it looks and tastes like it cost way more! Side note- it has a sibling that is decidedly NOT pink, but still delicious.

Sokol Blosser “Evolution” Sparkling, NV Oregon ($21) The Evolution Bubbly is another favorite- I fell in love with this wine back in June when I visited the winery, and at the time it was winery-only. At this point I confess to being a total Oregon Wine Nerd, thanks to said trip to Pinot Camp- however, this wine really is the jam- AND it’s from Oregon, which is awesome. It is a blend of (up to) nine undisclosed Oregon white grapes. I was told it’s based in Muller-Thurgau (holla!), but you can figure there’s probably some Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, maybe even Viognier or Pinot Blanc in there, too. I sort of relish in not knowing, and I suggest you do the same. Anyhow– you should drink this because it has brilliant clarity, precision and tastes like heaven. Green apples, tart citrus zest, a light floral background and brilliant acidity are artfully blended. Get on it. And at $21, it’s in an excellent “treat yourself” price range, in my opinion. Truth be told, I plan to make a mimosa out of this on New Years Day. Because- well, New Years.

Louis Grenelle Brut Rose, NV France, Loire ($18) OHHHH heavens, you need this. One of my absolute favorites. (hmm… that word seems to be coming up a lot…). But really, this stuff is the BOMB. I posted about it’s white sister a year or so ago, and I love both of them- but the pink one holds a special place in my heart. It is made from Cabernet Franc- and if you’ve never had a sparkling Cabernet Franc, you really must. With this bubbly, you get gorgeous notes of strawberry and cranberry, hints of fresh flowers, and the MOST clean and zippy finish you’ve ever experienced. Zippy being a technical term for that fleeting “lift” that we love so much in a sparkling wine. Bubbles and acid. Magic, I tell you.

Domaine Carneros by Taittinger Brut, 09 California ($19). An absolute steal of a California sparkler! This guy has impeccable balance- bright flavors of citrus, golden apples and raisins and lime zest are met with a touch of yeast, honeycomb and toasty-ness. I drank some of this alongside a giant bowl of buttered popcorn, and I was transported to a very happy place. Crunchy things with a bit of salt are fantastic with sparkling wine- and add in that toasty quality with the buttery popcorn?! Oh, lord have mercy!

And now for a few high-rollers... In my opinion, if I’m going to shell out $40 or more for a bottle of anything, let alone Champagne, it better be good. And not just good because celebrities on TV drink it, or because it has a shiny ad in Wine Spectator or excellent marketing- like it has to be GOOD WINE. So here are a few that I would GLADLY spend my money on and drink with relish:

A. Margaine Cuvee Traditionelle, NV France, Premier Cru ($42) and Aubry Brut, NV France ($42). Since I am spoiled and DO get to taste a lot of Champagne, I can honestly say that I don’t taste Champagne the way I do other wines- when I really love a Champagne, I FREAKING love it and want to marry it. If I just like it and think it’s fine or even excellent- I usually forget about it the next day. These two have been staples on our shelves for years, and both come from what I think to be the best importer of Champagnes in the US- Michael Skurnik. The Margaine is made from mostly Chardonnay and a touch of Pinot Noir; the Aubry is an interesting blend of 45% Pinot Meunier, 25% Chard, 25% Pinot Noir, and the rest small weird varietals that I’ve never heard of. So why these? All I can really say is, they both have that touch of “magic” that you can’t quite put your finger on. Therefore I’ll not go into massive detail- stylistically, they’re a fresh, lean, taut and energetic style that I’m quite drawn to. They both taste tremendous and you should get one. Coincidentally, they both also got 92 Points from Robert Parker.

Last, the Pierre Gimonnet “Paradoxe” Brut, 2006 France, Premier Cru ($65). This is the big sexy. A richer style that is sheer indulgence. Also imported by Michael Skurnik, and also 92 points rated by Robert Parker. Made from about 2/3 Pinot Noir and the rest Chardonnay, it is more broad-shouldered and bustier than the last two. Ripe red berries, hints of spice, smoke and cherry pits; it is deep, layered and expressive. A real treat. Go for it.

Hope everyone’s enjoyed this trip down bubble lane and HAPPY 2014!

All aforementioned bottles are available for purchase at Cellar on Greene.

One Wine to Rule Them All- Verso Rosso Salento, 2012 Italy

November 22, 2013 / thewinesnob / 9 Comments

THIS is your big Winter Red!!

I’m 1000% serious. This is absolutely THE wine you are gonna fall head over heels for during the chillier months that are upon us. The best part? You’ve probably never heard of these grapes. You might not know how to say Verso or Salento (VAIR-so and sa-LAIN-to). Heck, you might not have had an Italian wine quite like this before. But trust me, YOU’RE GONNA FLIP!!

This wine is special for several reasons– first, it comes to us from one of my favorite portfolios, Small Vineyards. In order to be included in Small Vineyards, the wine must be hand-harvested, from a family-owned estate, and be farmed in an ecologically friendly manner. Note the word organic is not in use here; in my opinion it’s a bit irrelevant- you can trust that this wine comes from people that really cares about their impact on the environment as well as making the best wine possible, which I trust over a USDA certification eight days a week.

Raisins are tasty.

Second, this wine is big and sexy for a cool reason; a portion of the grapes (no, I’m not sure which ones) were allowed to “raisin”- which is exactly what it sounds like! Also known as “appassimento”, it is a process of allowing the grapes to hang out and dry a bit- concentrating their sugars. It is a labor-intensive process, which results in the reduction of the yield. A labor of love, I would call it. So it means they end up with LESS total wine to put into bottles, BUT the wine that results is so rich and flavorful it’ll leave you speechless- and (AND!) it it not weighed down with a high alcohol content! This wine comes in at a solid 14% abv. That’s a full 1.5-2 percentage points less than your average Cali Cab, Zin or Shriraz- the typical wines “big red” drinkers tend to like. Balance, people- balance! And it means you can drink a bit more of this guy without that thick, heady feeling you get after two glasses of Zinfandel.

Alright, so I got wine-nerdy there for a minute- so let’s get moving with HOW IT TASTES! Because that’s what’s gonna keep you coming back for bottle after bottle. But before I forget, this wine is a blend of 60% Negroamarao, 35% Primitivo (aka Zinfandel’s parent grape) and 15% Malvasia Nera. A giant nose of figs, cloves, anise, vanilla, raisins (go figure), a hint of olives and black peppercorns, a nice lift of dried flowers and red berries and blueberry. The texture is silky, polished and mouth-coating. There’s some unique spicing at work here that I can’t quite pinpoint… I want to say it’s Sumac, but I can’t be positive. It’s taunting me. The wine finishes with elegance and a tangy little pop.

So I saved the BEST FOR LAST! This bottle will cost ya just $16!!

To add to the fun, this wine is available as part of TURKEY PACK #2 at Cellar on Greene this year! That means you can have it along with three other swell bottles to take to your Thanksgiving feast quickly and effortlessly. Never heard of a Turkey Pack? Well, you must click here and check them out. They’re only our most popular wine club item every year! Good news is, you can absolutely grab them as a walk-in purchase- it’ll take 2 seconds for us to pack you one. So you can leave it til last minute, if you’re at all like me!

Happy Thanksgiving, wine-lovers!

Beast of the Week- Orin Swift Abstract, 2012

November 4, 2013 / thewinesnob / 3 Comments

It’s cold out, y’all. What does that mean? It’s time for a beast of a red wine! Stop looking, because you’ve just found it. After all, who does beast better than Orin Swift? Maybe a few. But not with the same kind of finesse. So, I write to you today from under a fleece blanket, wearing a hoodie, having refused to turn on the heat last night. House is a balmy 66 degrees. It’s mornings like today’s that cause conversations like this to take place:

hash tag- bed tweet.

So now that I’ve managed to get out of bed without the assistance of a wifi-enabled thermostat that also makes coffee (speaking of which- I would marry this gadget if it existed), we can talk about this gigantic beast of a wine! Yep, it’s early, but it’s okay. You need this wine in your life to get through these first painful days of “winter”. Been itching to build that first fire of the year? Plan on it, plan on a bottle of this to go with it, and you’ll be a happy camper. This wine is good for sipping on it’s own after dinner- not that it wouldn’t be good with food, but it’s rich palate makes it great as a stand-alone.

Look at that! A way cool label. Something Orin Swift Wines also excels at. The last vintage of the Abstact was an all-black label, with raised, textured pictures on it. Also pretty cool, but this one is a little more eye-catching. So the 2012 is a blend of Grenache, Petite Sirah and Syrah of undisclosed percentages. The fruit was sourced from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Amador and El Dorado. The nose has a nice California Grenache-y wildness- some high notes of herbs, red raspberry and a hint of fresh flowers. Give the glass a swirl, however, and be prepared for vanilla, vanilla, vanilla- and some intense blackberry liqueur, black cherry, dark chocolate and black licorice. Sage, pepper and a touch of clove are hiding in there, too. I should also mention that this wine is a whopping 15.7% alcohol- heat is definitely a trademark of Orin Swift wines, but the booze is carried here gracefully and without awkwardness. Like this:

She’s in a chariot, in case you can’t tell. I searched long and hard for a better image, but no luck. AND in case you don’t know who this is- ONLY one of the greatest, most deliciously vile female characters ever written- Atia of the Julii. Love. Her.

This wine greets you with flashy, dark fruit and leaves you with a brooding spice content and a bit of tannin. That’s always what I’ve liked about the Abstract, in particular- it’s pensive and dark and a little closed. The Prisoner is eager to meet you and smiles a toothy grin; the Abstract stares you down for a few minutes before agreeing to shake your hand. Once it does, it is generous, hangs on firmly, and does not disappoint. I consider this wine to be a steal at $28 retail. It is for sale at Cellar on Greene as we speak, so I suggest hopping to it before it’s too late! Orin Swift wines are almost always scantily available, and once November and December roll around, even more so. Happy drinking!

Badenhorst “The Curator”, 11 South Africa

September 13, 2013 / thewinesnob / 1 Comment

What do we call this here? We call this a perfect Tuesday Red!

Could you substitute the word Tuesday with Wednesday? Thursday? Sunday? of course. Tuesday is just an example. The intention here is to highlight a wine that is perfect for ANY old day of the week, even a day when you are doing NOTHING exemplary, noteworthy, exciting, or interesting. But nonetheless, you need wine for these occasions. Watching The Bachelor? yup. Cleaning the house? yes. Writing thank you notes? (do people still do that?) yep. Painting your nails? oh, yes- this is one of my favorite activities to accompany with wine! This wine fits the bill on all of the above.

Recognize the name Badenhorst? If you do, you have a good memory; but this wine is the little brother to the Badenhorst “Secateurs” Shriaz blend that we crushed just about two years ago (post on the 2010 vintage here). That wine still kicks ass. As do their higher-end wines. But this little guy is a great addition! A blend of 82% Shiraz, 16% Mourvedre and a teeny 1% each of Cinsault and Viognier, it strikes a nice balance as a medium-bodied red that pulls off hefty, yet not overwhelming, fruit content.

A briary nose of blackberries and and crushed violets will fly out at you. Some lighter tones of red cherry, raspberry and plum jam will follow, along with some savory herbs n’ spices; black pepper, roasted thyme, sage, and some flirty vanilla. It’s a tangy sort of palate, not too much alcohol or heat, and a smooth finish that doesn’t fall off. The juicy quality of this wine would make it a great friend for a burger- maybe topped with a smoked cheese, a smoky BBQ sauce, charred onions… or all of the above! Go for it! After all, what else do you have to do on a Tuesday night? Once late Fall and Winter come around, this wine would also be great with a rich stew or a braised beef with red wine n’ herbs.

What’s the clincher with this wine? It’s freakin’ $11! Huzzah!! And speaking of Fall… with wedding and Holiday party season about to rear it’s ugly head, keep this one in mind for when you have a large group to entertain. It’s certainly a crowd-pleaser. This wine is also available this week as part of our $90 Mystery Case, which would be a cost-effective way for you to try it, and eleven other delicious bottles too!

For anyone interested in specs, this wine was given 88 points by Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar. So that’s cool, too. I give it a hat tip. And I think you should come down and give it a try!

new wines for Friday that are Fabulous and Fun!

August 30, 2013August 30, 2013 / thewinesnob / 2 Comments

It’s FRIDAY, and that means it’s high time we chatted about some new juice. Well, technically any day of the week is perfect for that, but today’s the day. These three puppies are really, truly fantastic and individualistic. They truly each deserve a post of their own, but multi-wine posts are a little easier to pull off on a Friday afternoon. So let’s take a peek…

A total of five grapes and three countries! One grape of which you probably have never heard of. One brand-new to SC Pinot Noir. And one freaking excellent Malbec blend from a forgotten place for Malbec- France! Eeek, what fun!

First up is one of my favorite finds of the last few weeks: Cederberg Bukettraube, 2012 South Africa:

Buke-what? Buke-who?

When I first met this wine, I knew we would be fast friends. I’m widely known as a weird white wine nerd, so it wasn’t exactly a shock that I took a liking to this one. However, just cause you weird, don’t mean you good- but this one is! To me, when I first smelled it, it reminded me of a really pretty Vouvray. Which, when you consider that South Africa does really well with Chenin Blanc, isn’t too far of a stretch. However, this Bukettraube (buke–rhymes with nuke–uh-traube) is not related to Chenin, as far as I could Google. Apparently it is a grape of German origin. It is a cross of Silvaner and Schiavia. Not much else to be found on this one, but you shouldn’t be phased by that. There’s only so much background info we really need. What we do need to know is how incredibly TASTY it is!

An incredibly aromatic wine, it bursts with smells that are similar to a Muscat; ripe apricot, lychee, rose petals, peaches and prickly pineapple. Nice floral accents set it off, the mouthfeel is soft and plush but not overbearing, and the finish clenches with a nice pop of citrus zest. Truly a gorgeous and unique wine. Who will like it? Well, probably other white wine nerds like me. But if you like Riesling, Chenin Blanc or even a Sauvignon Blanc (minus a little citrus), you will want to give this one a try. It would be to DIE with spicy cuisine. The 2010 vintage of this wine got a little press; 90 Points form Steven Tanzer and 89 points from Wine Enthusiast. I’d not be shocked if this one earned itself a rating, too, so keep your eyes peeled. Or don’t, if you don’t care. This wine is a ridiculous value at $13 retail!

What’s next? A personal fave. Omero Cellars Pinot Noir, 2011 Willamette Valley, Oregon. I actually had this wine prior to my trip to Oregon in June and was quite tickled by it. My appreciation grew after the trip, where I tasted approximately 10,000 (okay, slight exaggeration) Oregon Pinot Noirs. We just picked up this wine as a by-the-glass pour last week (hat tip- only the second account in SC to do such…).

serious Oregon juice.

So why do I like this particular one? Well, an Oregon Pinot that is artfully made tends to really stand out. When that wine offers what I perceive to be a great value, they stand out even more. This is the first distribution vintage for this winery; they are very small and only 1500 cases of this 2011 were made. It’s everything Oregon Pinot Noir should be: bright acidity, a nice mix of ripe red fruit on the forefront, followed by some sour cherry, pomegranate, wild strawberry and raspberry. There is a nice softness and a flowery suggestion in the finish, and a touch of mild vanilla. This wine tastes freaking phenomenal the second day after opening! In and of itself, this is an indicator that this wine is a great candidate for a bit of time in the Cellar. For a cooler vintage like 2011, this is a great quality for a wine to have. The winemakers are pretty legit, making it their goal to express the true nature of Willamette’s climate and soil. Their winery is located in the Ribbon Ridge AVA of Willamette, which is where the majority of this fruit is sourced. This wine is currently available for tasting purposes and as a glass pour! It’s retail cost is a modest $24. (Side note: their single Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir is exemplary, too). You will not find this on any other wine list in Columbia- BOO-YAH!

What’s the last thing on my mind today? A little Frenchie! From one of my favorite regions in France, Cahors. Cahors is relatively close to the Bordeaux region. Malbec is a grape that is considered a true Bordeaux varietal, but it is often seen in Cahors as a single varietal, or in this case used in a cool blend of 80% Malbec with a splash of Merlot and Tannat:

mmmmmm.

Chateau de Gaudou, 2011 retails for a sweet $15. It is as close to a perfect house French red as you could find. In my mind, approach this wine as 1.) a great value French red and then 2.) as a Malbec. It will not taste like the Argentinian Malbec you had last week. Sure, there are some definitive grape characteristics that are similar, but they’re treated much differently in each country. I like both, but I find Cahors Malbecs to have density, color and depth that are quite striking. A deep purple, almost black color, it has a whopper of a nose of blackberry liqueur, blackcurrant, toasty oak, black cherries, violets, and undertones of roasted sage and thyme. Some higher notes of red raspberry are found if you search for them, too. The mouthfeel is smooth with a little bite of tannin that makes it great with food. Grilled or roasted game. Maybe a beef or lamb tartare to make the mineral content pop a bit. It’s quite versatile and great on it’s own. This wine is also currently a glass pour at Cellar, so should you desire a taste, just stop on in! Or have a glass with your next dinner!

Thanks for reading and HAPPY DRINKIN!