This past weekend was Easter for me (Greek Orthodox Easter sometimes differs on the date from Western Easter, but I won't take the time to explain all that here) so that meant a trip to my parents' house and plenty of good wine. There were a few things tasted Friday night, but I'm going to skip over that for the bulk of the drinking from Saturday night and Sunday's Easter lunch.
Saturday night my aunt and uncle joined us for steaks on the patio and plenty of wine. We started before dinner with a 2002 Terralsole Brunello, which of course we had tasted at Vinitaly. A bottle was actually tried Friday night but was corked, so an exchange at the store Saturday brought us another bottle. This one was just about as we remembered it from Italy - a very good Brunello with some nice fruit and really drinking well. Again, this probably won't be a long-term ager but it's very nice now and worth it if you can find it marked down compared to other vintages.
Next up was the 2004 Barossa Old Vine Company Shiraz. Dad didn't seem to know much about this bottle (nor did I other than having heard of the producer before). I had mentioned my preference for good Shiraz with steaks though, so that may be why he pulled it out. It was quite tasty, not too overdone like many Shirazes tend to be these days. It certainly had a lot of fruit and some spice, but was very well-rounded. Some checking up afterwards reveals that this wine is generally quite highly regarded and a rather pricey choice as well. I certainly enjoyed it.
Finishing up dinner but enjoying our evening, we then turned to an old favorite but with a new twist - the 2006 Turley Salvador Vineyard Zinfandel. From the recently arrived shipment, this is a new offering from Turley, sourced from a vineyard in Contra Costa County. It had plenty of peppery Zin goodness, but was not a full-throttle Turley like one tends to expect. We were amazed to look and see it was tipping the scales at 16.3% alcohol, because it came off rather more elegant than that. Overall, it was an enjoyable Turley, but certainly a bit different than most of their offerings.
Sunday, with more friends and family joining us, Dad chose two wines to have with our traditional roast lamb. First was the 2003 Guidalberto from Tenuta San Guido, which I brought down from Atlanta after purchasing for Dad last week. We decided to try it out after loving the 2006 Guidalberto tasted at Vinitaly. From the same winery that produces Sassicaia, the Guidalberto is a blend of 45% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Sangiovese. It was opened a few hours early and needed that time to come around. Once it did, this was an enjoyable wine, but probably showed a little of the strain of the hot 2003 vintage. Very good, it didn't reach the peaks of the 2006, but for a blend of mainly Cab and Merlot (not my favorites) it was still quite enjoyable.
Finally, our other wine for Sunday was a 1993 Pignan Chateauneuf du Pape. Pignan is the second label from the famed Chateau Rayas, though it is usually on par with many of the better wines from the appellation. This 1993 looked as if it may be fading when first opened, but it turned out to be still in peak form. It had a lot of typical Grenache flavors, with some pepper and a hint of cherry, with a finish that was still fairly long. I really enjoyed this one, and wished I could have had more. It reminded me why I love the wines from Chateauneuf du Pape, especially once they do have some time to age and really show off all they have to offer.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
2005 Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone
Last week's final wine before heading to Pensacola for Greek Easter (more on that later) was a Cotes du Rhone from a lesser-known but very good producer, Alain Jaume. I've had the Chateauneuf du Pape from Grand Veneur as well as their Cotes du Rhone, and typically have been very pleased with them. The 2005 was a bit of a mystery though. Very dark and brooding, it never really seemed to show off all it had. It's not tannic, but the fruit just doesn't really come out like I'd expect. Even on the second night, it was just not willing to show everything that I think it really could. It wasn't bad at all, just didn't quite deliver everything I thought it could. Perhaps it needs a little bottle time to really hit its peak, as Parker gave it 89 points, and it seems to have the stuffing to do so. I'll have to get another bottle and give it 6 months or so to see how it fares.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Vinitaly, Part 2 - The beginning of the Toscana tastings
Today I'll go over the first half of our Tuscany tastings from Vinitaly. We spent nearly two full days of the five within the Tuscany pavilion (Pad 8) and the majority of that time wandering through the area that housed the members of the Consorzio di Brunello di Montalcino. Most everyone there was offering their 2006 Rosso di Montalcino and 2003 Brunello for tasting, with a few other outliers. We did manage to get a few tastes from wineries other than Brunello producers, but not many. These notes are all from our first day of Tuscany tastings.
We wasted no time on Friday getting to the top flight producers, as our first stop was Siro Pacenti. As would become the pattern, we first tasted the 2006 Rosso, followed by the 2003 Brunello. Our host turned out to be none other than the winemaker himself, Giancarlo Pacenti (kudos for my Dad for figuring out it was him too!). No doubt, these wines were very good, and were my first hint that the 2003 vintage may be better than a lot of "experts" have thought. The extreme heat that did produce some stress was apparently dealt with fairly effectively my many of the top producers, especially those who have vineyards in spots that are traditionally a bit cooler.
Following Pacenti, our next two stops were Lisini and Fanti. Lisini offered the standard two wines, while at Fanti, we also tasted the 2006 Rosso Sant'Antimo. Honestly, I can't remember a lot about these wines, other than they were very good but not good enough to stand out from the crowd. I'm not knocking them at all, I just really don't recall much. I've had the 2005 Sant'Antimo from Fanti here at home and have another bottle at home currently, so there will be a tasting note on that soon.
From Fanti, we next stopped at Terralsole, a winery I was actually quite familiar with, having had their Brunello and Rosso previously (the Rosso as recently as two weeks before). We ended up with quite a treat here, as the owner Mario saw us standing behind some other tasters and invited us to sit down with him. He proceeded to discuss everything we'd want to know about his wines, and bring out quite a lineup of wines. After starting with the usual (06 Rosso and 03 Brunello), we then tried the 2002 Brunello, which shocked us with how good it was for the vintage. Mario explained that in their location, they were actually almost finished with their harvest in 02 when the rains hit (02 was basically a washout vintage in most of Tuscany) so they were able to produce a very good wine. We then finished the Brunello portion with the 2000 vintage, which is still on the young side, but starting to come into its own.
Mario then introduced us to Terralsole's new IGT wines, with three wines from the 2005 vintage. The Coldoro is 100% Merlot, the Solisto is 100% Syrah, and the Pasticcio is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Sangiovese. All were very enjoyable and will be interesting to search out here in the US. Mario's enthusiasm made this one of the highlight tastings of the trip, and certainly left an impression on us. Terralsole will definitely be a winery I continue to seek out.
This actually only completes a part of Friday's Tuscany tastings, but I'll split this post here before continuing with more Vinitaly recaps later.
We wasted no time on Friday getting to the top flight producers, as our first stop was Siro Pacenti. As would become the pattern, we first tasted the 2006 Rosso, followed by the 2003 Brunello. Our host turned out to be none other than the winemaker himself, Giancarlo Pacenti (kudos for my Dad for figuring out it was him too!). No doubt, these wines were very good, and were my first hint that the 2003 vintage may be better than a lot of "experts" have thought. The extreme heat that did produce some stress was apparently dealt with fairly effectively my many of the top producers, especially those who have vineyards in spots that are traditionally a bit cooler.
Following Pacenti, our next two stops were Lisini and Fanti. Lisini offered the standard two wines, while at Fanti, we also tasted the 2006 Rosso Sant'Antimo. Honestly, I can't remember a lot about these wines, other than they were very good but not good enough to stand out from the crowd. I'm not knocking them at all, I just really don't recall much. I've had the 2005 Sant'Antimo from Fanti here at home and have another bottle at home currently, so there will be a tasting note on that soon.
From Fanti, we next stopped at Terralsole, a winery I was actually quite familiar with, having had their Brunello and Rosso previously (the Rosso as recently as two weeks before). We ended up with quite a treat here, as the owner Mario saw us standing behind some other tasters and invited us to sit down with him. He proceeded to discuss everything we'd want to know about his wines, and bring out quite a lineup of wines. After starting with the usual (06 Rosso and 03 Brunello), we then tried the 2002 Brunello, which shocked us with how good it was for the vintage. Mario explained that in their location, they were actually almost finished with their harvest in 02 when the rains hit (02 was basically a washout vintage in most of Tuscany) so they were able to produce a very good wine. We then finished the Brunello portion with the 2000 vintage, which is still on the young side, but starting to come into its own.
Mario then introduced us to Terralsole's new IGT wines, with three wines from the 2005 vintage. The Coldoro is 100% Merlot, the Solisto is 100% Syrah, and the Pasticcio is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Sangiovese. All were very enjoyable and will be interesting to search out here in the US. Mario's enthusiasm made this one of the highlight tastings of the trip, and certainly left an impression on us. Terralsole will definitely be a winery I continue to seek out.
This actually only completes a part of Friday's Tuscany tastings, but I'll split this post here before continuing with more Vinitaly recaps later.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
2006 Borsao Tres Picos
You've got to love a winery whose top-end cuvee still only costs about $12 and gets 90 point ratings from The Wine Advocate. That's what you get with this Spanish 100% Garnacha (Grenache) from the Campo de Borja region. The entry-level wine is consistently a favorite of mine for it's super-low price (about $6), but I must admit past disappointment in the Tres Picos. In prior vintages it has been a bit inconsistent, sometimes coming across as way too hot and unbalanced for my taste (much like some of the overdone Australian wines that many folks complain about). This was my first experience with the 2006 vintage of the Tres Picos, so I figured I'd give it another shot.
The wine was drunk on the first night with an herbed pork tenderloin roasted on the rotisserie. I was pleased at the outset, as the wine showed a little more balance and not too much heat. There was a decent nose and good fruit, but to me it was by no means a whopper. It didn't possess the elegance of a 100% grenache from the Rhone either, holding a bit of a wild side, which can be a nice change if that's what you are looking for (I do like some variety that is maybe due to something like the terroir). Overall, it was better than I remembered some prior vintages, but not sure if it quite reached 90 points.
On night 2, I was disappointed to find signs of a downturn. There was a bit more heat, as it seemed that the fruit had faded a bit. It was not completely out of balance, but I'm not too hopeful that this is a long-lasting wine. For $12, it's still nice for a near-term drinker, but I don't know how often I would choose to spend the extra $6 compared to the regular entry-level Borsao (I have a bottle of this at home, so it will certainly get reviewed soon as well).
The wine was drunk on the first night with an herbed pork tenderloin roasted on the rotisserie. I was pleased at the outset, as the wine showed a little more balance and not too much heat. There was a decent nose and good fruit, but to me it was by no means a whopper. It didn't possess the elegance of a 100% grenache from the Rhone either, holding a bit of a wild side, which can be a nice change if that's what you are looking for (I do like some variety that is maybe due to something like the terroir). Overall, it was better than I remembered some prior vintages, but not sure if it quite reached 90 points.
On night 2, I was disappointed to find signs of a downturn. There was a bit more heat, as it seemed that the fruit had faded a bit. It was not completely out of balance, but I'm not too hopeful that this is a long-lasting wine. For $12, it's still nice for a near-term drinker, but I don't know how often I would choose to spend the extra $6 compared to the regular entry-level Borsao (I have a bottle of this at home, so it will certainly get reviewed soon as well).
Monday, April 21, 2008
Vinitaly, Part 1
Part of my inspiration to start this blog came from my trip to Italy a few weeks ago, where I attended Vinitaly with my Dad. For those who don't know, Vinitaly is a big (if not the biggest) event for the Italian wine industry. Over 2,000 producers come together in Verona each year to show off their latest wines and hopefully secure deals with distributors, importers, and the like. It's not really publicized much to the public, but is in fact an open event. For 5 days, we were able to taste some of the world's great wines, and also visit with many winemakers and vineyard owners. It was an amazing experience for a wine lover, and also quite educational. I feel that doing that much tasting really improved my tasting skills, and I also learned a lot more about many of the wines and how they are made.
Over the coming days and weeks, I'll be posting recaps of the tastings and visits. I will preface by saying I did not take detailed notes, so don't expect too much detail. I did my best just to make sure I wrote down all the wines we were tasting, so that data is pretty accurate (only a couple of holes). Basically, I'll try to present the wines of a particular region/vintage and give my overall thoughts on the group, with possibly some highlighted recommendations.
Since this is the intro piece, I won't overwhelm and will start with a short one. Even though there are a lot of producers starting to make quality wines in Southern Italy, we simply did not have the time to focus much on tasting from that area. The one winery I made sure to hit was one of the big names from Campania, Feudi di San Gregorio. I really got on board with their wines last summer in Italy, drinking their Rubrato Aglianico while in Amalfi. We did not try the latest vintage of Rubrato at Vinitaly, but instead stepped up a level to start with the 2005 Taurasi. The Taurasi is an Aglianico as well, and seemed solid, but unfortunately I was not in prime tasting mode at the time as I had just finished tasting through some Amarone and Recioto (more on thosein a later post).
Following the Taurasi, we got to taste the 2004 Serpico, which is a DOC Irpinia Aglianico. From what I've read the Serpico is regarded as one of the top wines from Campania in most vintages, and it was a pleasure to get to taste it (never had before). Again, no detailed note, but it's a wine definitely worth seeking out if you ever want to go for a top-notch Southern Italian. It isn't cheap though, retailing for probably $70+ in most places in the US.
2002 Elderton Shiraz
This was one from the cellar, pulled out for steak night (and what a steak it was, a dry aged strip purchased at Star Provisions). I've got a fair amount of Aussie Shiraz and have been a bit disappointed at how some of the low and mid-range ones have been aging, so I figured it was time to pull the cork on this one (note this was just the basic Elderton Shiraz, not the Command).
I was definitely pleased to find that this wine was certainly not over the hill, or really even fading, but seemed to be a peak performer. It did not seem to be carrying the heat or overripeness that so many new Aussie Shirazes now seem to possess. Instead, it still presented lots of dark fruit, but with a bit of class I'd expect from a mid to high-end Crozes-Hermitage. The body certainly was a great accompaniment to the steak, and made for a very pleasing meal. The bottle was finished the next night, and maintained a consistent profile from when it was opened, suggesting that there was still a bit of life left in it.
Overall, I was quite pleased with this one, and will definitely keep Elderton on my list of Aussie Shiraz in the $25-$30 price range. It showed the capability to put a few years of bottle age on quite nicely and really round into a fine bottle of wine.
I was definitely pleased to find that this wine was certainly not over the hill, or really even fading, but seemed to be a peak performer. It did not seem to be carrying the heat or overripeness that so many new Aussie Shirazes now seem to possess. Instead, it still presented lots of dark fruit, but with a bit of class I'd expect from a mid to high-end Crozes-Hermitage. The body certainly was a great accompaniment to the steak, and made for a very pleasing meal. The bottle was finished the next night, and maintained a consistent profile from when it was opened, suggesting that there was still a bit of life left in it.
Overall, I was quite pleased with this one, and will definitely keep Elderton on my list of Aussie Shiraz in the $25-$30 price range. It showed the capability to put a few years of bottle age on quite nicely and really round into a fine bottle of wine.
2005 Vietti Barbera d'Alba Tre Vigne
This has been one of my favorite Barberas over the past few years, but was my first taste of the 2005 vintage. '05 is supposed to be another very good vintage in Piemonte, and this wine did not disappoint. Plenty of elegant fruit, and not too much tannin. Even so, it held up when finished two nights after opening. On the last night, a nose of butterscotch also appeared that was not present before.
I drank this on the first night with greek-style meatballs (Keftedes) in red sauce over pasta, then on its own (post-dinner).
Overall, this was a very enjoyable wine and one I definitely recommend. I believe it was around $18, and well worth it.
I drank this on the first night with greek-style meatballs (Keftedes) in red sauce over pasta, then on its own (post-dinner).
Overall, this was a very enjoyable wine and one I definitely recommend. I believe it was around $18, and well worth it.
Intro - Background and FAQ sort of stuff
Who am I?
I'm a 30 year old guy, living in Atlanta, and I like wine. I'm not in the business, just a consumer who has developed a passion for wine. I really started to get into wine around 2000 or so, and the obsession has grown from just buying inexpensive everyday drinkers to now a "cellar" at home numbering about 250 bottles that range from simple Italian rossos to a top Northern Rhone cuvees.
What's the blog for?
I figured this would be a good way to start keeping a record of what I'm drinking, and also serve as an easy spot for recommendations. As more people I know find out about my love of wine, I get asked for recommendations a good bit. So I figured I might as well put something out that will make it easy for all of my friends to check up on what I've been enjoying.
What do I usually drink?
I'm not independantly wealthy, so you probably won't see me drinking a lot of "trophy" wines. That's not to say everything here will be inexpensive - I spend a lot of my disposable income on wine, but try to spend wisely. I also have favorites, and this will slant that way. By no means does this mean I don't think other wines are no good, they just aren't what I like. Everyone has different tastes, and the sooner you figure out what your tastes are (especially compared to wine writers or critics) the more you will begin to enjoy the journey that wine can provide.
First, I'm a red wine guy. Nothing against whites, but reds tend to go better with the types of food I usually eat, and certainly stand up better on their own to me.
Second, I actually have some different tastes than many folks - I'm not huge on Cabernet or Merlot, nor do I really go for Pinot Noir. At this point, you may wonder what I could possibly drink, or how I could say I'm a wine lover without drinking much of those types. I'm fine with that - like I said we all have different tastes. My favorite grape is Syrah. The ultimate expression to me comes in the Syrahs produced in the Northen Rhone, but I'll also drink Syrahs from other locales, whether Old World (Italy) or New (Aussie Shiraz or American Syrahs). The Rhone Valley is also home to two of my other favorite grapes, Grenache and Mourvedre, and I enjoy plenty of Rhone wines made from those varietals, as well as some great wines from Spain, Italy, Australia, and the US.
Other favorites come from Italy, with Sangiovese-based wines being a favorite. I also drink a lot of wine from the Veneto, where the main grapes are Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. Finally, you may be wondering if I drink much American-produced wine other than the occasional Rhone varietal. I do, with the bulk of it being Zinfandel (no, not the pink stuff), as well as some Petite Sirah.
Overall, that's what you're going to see written about most here, because it's what I like. I encourage everyone to find what they like, so if you find you don't like any of this stuff and prefer a good Cabernet or Pinot, I won't be offended - everyone has different tastes, and I just want to let people know about mine.
What will the posts contain?
Don't expect the "serious" tasting notes you'll find in most wine publications. I'm not going to pass myself off as some sort of expert, and truthfully I'll admit I don't usually get a lot of the flavors that many of those notes will reference. Plus, I'm not going to be taking notes every night at home while tasting - posts will be what I remember about the wine, anything that really stuck out, and just my overall opinions on it. I'll typically try to include approximate prices and availability as well, so if you find something that piques your interest, you will know if it's something you could go and get.
I'm a 30 year old guy, living in Atlanta, and I like wine. I'm not in the business, just a consumer who has developed a passion for wine. I really started to get into wine around 2000 or so, and the obsession has grown from just buying inexpensive everyday drinkers to now a "cellar" at home numbering about 250 bottles that range from simple Italian rossos to a top Northern Rhone cuvees.
What's the blog for?
I figured this would be a good way to start keeping a record of what I'm drinking, and also serve as an easy spot for recommendations. As more people I know find out about my love of wine, I get asked for recommendations a good bit. So I figured I might as well put something out that will make it easy for all of my friends to check up on what I've been enjoying.
What do I usually drink?
I'm not independantly wealthy, so you probably won't see me drinking a lot of "trophy" wines. That's not to say everything here will be inexpensive - I spend a lot of my disposable income on wine, but try to spend wisely. I also have favorites, and this will slant that way. By no means does this mean I don't think other wines are no good, they just aren't what I like. Everyone has different tastes, and the sooner you figure out what your tastes are (especially compared to wine writers or critics) the more you will begin to enjoy the journey that wine can provide.
First, I'm a red wine guy. Nothing against whites, but reds tend to go better with the types of food I usually eat, and certainly stand up better on their own to me.
Second, I actually have some different tastes than many folks - I'm not huge on Cabernet or Merlot, nor do I really go for Pinot Noir. At this point, you may wonder what I could possibly drink, or how I could say I'm a wine lover without drinking much of those types. I'm fine with that - like I said we all have different tastes. My favorite grape is Syrah. The ultimate expression to me comes in the Syrahs produced in the Northen Rhone, but I'll also drink Syrahs from other locales, whether Old World (Italy) or New (Aussie Shiraz or American Syrahs). The Rhone Valley is also home to two of my other favorite grapes, Grenache and Mourvedre, and I enjoy plenty of Rhone wines made from those varietals, as well as some great wines from Spain, Italy, Australia, and the US.
Other favorites come from Italy, with Sangiovese-based wines being a favorite. I also drink a lot of wine from the Veneto, where the main grapes are Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. Finally, you may be wondering if I drink much American-produced wine other than the occasional Rhone varietal. I do, with the bulk of it being Zinfandel (no, not the pink stuff), as well as some Petite Sirah.
Overall, that's what you're going to see written about most here, because it's what I like. I encourage everyone to find what they like, so if you find you don't like any of this stuff and prefer a good Cabernet or Pinot, I won't be offended - everyone has different tastes, and I just want to let people know about mine.
What will the posts contain?
Don't expect the "serious" tasting notes you'll find in most wine publications. I'm not going to pass myself off as some sort of expert, and truthfully I'll admit I don't usually get a lot of the flavors that many of those notes will reference. Plus, I'm not going to be taking notes every night at home while tasting - posts will be what I remember about the wine, anything that really stuck out, and just my overall opinions on it. I'll typically try to include approximate prices and availability as well, so if you find something that piques your interest, you will know if it's something you could go and get.
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