The 2009 Numanthia-Termes has been on my radar for some time now I really liked the 2000 and the 2004. This bodega makes some hedonistic red wines. From Spain’s Toro is old-vine Tinto de Toro (Tempranillo) It’s powerful and supple at the same time. Oak spices, blackberries, brown spices and cherry notes …It has a silky texture with lush fruits It’s concentrated, complex and has a great finish. I think its great year in and out it seems. Modern yet classic. Pair it up with smoked meats, Smoked Ribs, A busy Paella with Chorizo.
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Is the barrel about flavor? Some thoughts on the role that oak plays in wine
The integrating of of oak into wines has always been part of wine making and in the past 30-40 years it’s been the French oak and the American oak that is most used. The vine and the oak tree have been used together for centuries. The relationship is multifaceted and involved.
It can be used to intensify flavors. It can be very impressive. It can add depth and structure. But the overuse can make it excessive and disproportionate. Racking and oak age are important to consider; so is maturation and the toast levels using steam or fire and of course the grapes themselves that each acts differently in the barrel and reading the terroir’s effect.
Is the barrel about flavor? Many serious winemakers say no. it’s about a balance between the fruit range, oxygen and durability of the wine. But you can imagine how it all comes into play.
American oak is white oak or Quercus alba. It has a noted vanilla or coconut nuance which can provide cutting tannins. It is also capable of unleashing sweet, gentle broad character.
French oak is from either the pedunculate oak, robur or sessile oak. It is understated, nuttier and smokier with softer tannins. Some say French oak gives a more traditional or classic feel which allow the terroir to come out more strongly.
Some of high-end oaks are Taransaud, Darnajou and Dominique Laurent. Tarnasaud really takes a while for the elegant complexity to kick in and then Wow! Darnajou tends infuses itself in the wine throughout which is a characteritic that is enjoyable and Dominique Laurent and his nicknamed “magic casks” that are very exclusive.
Either way…a few thoughts on oak barrels and how it’s the partnership that counts. It’s a relationship of wine aesthetics that help make up the magic of wines pleasure.
A quick example, a friend brought over one of these high altitude Malbec’s…3400 feet in elevation. It’s one the latest crazes. Why? Becuause the water has to struggle to get up to the grapes; and the coolness of the climate makes for slower riping, which is interesting for this grape.
Now the kicker…It has 50% New French Oak and 50% New American Oak.
It makes you think about the fuit hiding behind the powerful oak and its aging potential and the tannins that it delivers. Toasty vanilla and caramel, big and bordeaux-like in its grip. Overall it was a really great wine.
Book Review – Educating Peter 2008– Lettie Teague
7 Types of Cheeses, the basics…
These are basically 7 types of cheeses. Here’s a way to think about them when you pick them out.
The 7 Types of Cheeses
Fresh Cheese (FC)- No rind and moist. They are ready to eat quickly. Milky, refreshing and acidic, lemony and nutty undertones.
Aged fresh Cheese (AFC)- Fresh yet aged with nice molds, yeasts and controlled to grow rind. Found in rounds, logs, pyramid shapes. They are aromatic, creamy sometimes wrinkly with ash, spices or wrapped in leaves.
Soft White Cheese (SWC)- White crust a little runny, wild and earthy mushroom buttercup flavors rich texture. Can be peppery and a little grainy.
Semi Soft Cheese (SSC)- Two types: Dry Rind and Washed Rind. Dry ripens slowly and Washed rinds soften quicker and gets supple with age. Both can range from nutty to floral and barnyard to meaty taste and aromas.
Hard Cheese (HC) – Have a rough or polished rind and gets interesting flavors. Usually come in wheels, can be either cows, goat or sheep milk, Gets complex and crunchy as they mature which can be grainy, dry and oily at the same time.
Blue Cheese (BC) – Customarily blue molds with a sticky to crusty rind. Ranges from dense, herbaceous and buttery to sweet caramel or sharp, salty and spicy. Blue cheeses can be crumbly and damp with a metallic tang. Often display veins of blue and commanding aromas.
Flavor Added Cheeses (FAC)- Varied kinds where ingredients are meshed, naturally smoked, or rind is flavored. Majority is broken up and reformed with added ingredients, sweet dried fruits, seasonings, nuts, seeds, herbs, creative blendings. They are deli counter standouts.
Thinking of them like this is pretty helpful to me. So I thought I’d pass it on…
Affordable Red Burgundy…Stick to the top producers
Finding good inexpensive Pinot Noir is not an easy thing to do. Often you go to the wine shop or super market looking for these wines and you see them and say to yourself…”Are they any good”?
It’s become better known that Pinot Noir is the hardest grape to grow because it’s very delicate and really tricky to master for many wine makers. So how do you know what is good if you are not prepared to take a chance on a Pinot Noir and spend $30 – $70 a bottle, yet alone $100…or even picking one out at a restaurant…Don’t worry. If you stick to the top producers, you can get the combination of quality and value. Is it going to be distinctive? You will have the basics; good fruit, good oak and its the perfect way to saturate the palate with pinot noir and who knows…in good years there’s a sleeper wine that blows the doors off the expensive stuff.
Put it this way. If you like Pinot Noir, you are in better shape than the folks that love Bordeaux wines. It’s hard enough to navigate around the Burgundy region.
Bourgogne rouge which is what it’s often called on the bottle offers great value.
People will argue…”What about the location?!?” “What about the terroir?!?” Listen here…it matters but believe me in the burgundy region where terroir is gospel. It doesn’t really matter that much, because the top producers do some great stuff. Alot of it is just declassified juice from the top wines, which is just fine and made to drink now and not lay down…and when it comes to growers versus negociants, they all for the most part have made big strides to put out good Pinot Noir. These gus know what they are doing. Buy them up too because they dissapear in a blink of an eye.
Here are some to look for…Maison Champy, Maison Louis Jadot, Domain Denis Pere et Fils, Domaine Faiveley and Domaine Drouhin.
French White Bugundy…what to look for!
French Burgundy is often looked as at the benchmark for excellent chardonnay and for good reason. As well as having a good natural alcohol level. They usually have the right balance for acidity, freshness, excellent aromatics and are built for drinking now and a little bit of aging as well. Eventhough year in and year out California chardonnay gives it a run for its money and even eclipsing. It is the the cool regions of Burgundy that give the chardonnay its style to look for.
Here are the main regions and the styles that make it so classic so seek them out:
Chablis: has high acidity. Look for the top producers here if you can but one thing is for sure is that the terroir is what screams out. They are fresh and have high acidity. Limestone, chalk and steel are prevalent.
Mersault: This chardonnay is generally the most varied, a kind of interctive feel to it. It can be very crisp and clean to ripe and heavy. In Charmes they are very energetic and bouncy; while Perrieres is straightforward, intense, alive with minerality.
Puligny-Montrachet: This chardonnay is usuall the same year in and year out. I mean this in a very positive way. Just like an old friend. It’s also vibrant and clean, the terroir gives this. Near the Mersault side there is that minerality as well. Pucelles is very pretty and silky with a floral nose that sometimes gives off a little botrytus.
Chassagne-Montrachet: These chardonnays are up on a higher in the slopes which make the vines struggle and push for excellence. There no other place on earth like it. In Chaumees the wines are floral, supple and spicy, the minerality is palpable. En Caillerates has this wet stone with fruitiness effect(not sweet!!!) that is ice cool and with enveloping white flowers…really!
St, Aubin: The chardonnay here is workman-like. delicious, zippy and juicy. Good stuff can be found here abound and at good prices.
Rully: These wines are generally ripe and fresh and straight forward.
Macconnais: These wines are again fresh and croud pleasing. The are well rounded with a good bit of acidity that go along way to match up with a good plate of seafood and chicken as most of these great chardonnays from Burgundy.
Book Review – The Ultimate Wine Companion 2010 – Edited By Kevin Zraly
The Ultimate Wine Companion 2010 – Edited By Kevin Zraly
Great Book! Very Elegant, nice to hold. An excellent choice of articles that hit the main points about wine. Truly a gateway book. A must have! It screams for a sequel that will focus on the next generation of wine trailblazers and educationalists.
The 2009 Bordeaux is on the way and it should be a great one – critic Robert Parker likes ’em
If you read anything about wine; it comes as no surprise to learn that the critics are going gaga about the quality of the 2009 Bordeaux; possibly, even better than the 2000? “One of the best vintages I’ve ever tasted in my career,” renowned wine critic Robert Parker claims. “It is as good as 2005, and certainly a historic vintage”. But hedges himself, “there are always some exceptions to the general rule”.
I myself have had a few early arrivals including La Flor de Melange Mathilde and the Chateau Feret-Lambert which were delicious, both were big, sweet raisin fruit and jammy.
Robert Parker, who lives on the East Coast of the United States, has been travelling all over the Bordeaux vineyard for the past thirty-two years. He sampled the 2009 vintage over a period of twelve days in mid-March 2010 before the futures campaign week at the beginning of April 2010. He publishes his official ratings with commentaries in his Wine Advocate publications.
Usually when Robert Parker makes his assertions it kicks off the buying frenzy of the ‘futures’ market.
I was reading in French Wine News magazine a while back that generally the sales market for premier Bordeaux concerns itself with about 120 estates on the less successful vintage years and 250 châteaux in the excellent vintage years. That’s interesting because in the best years more Chateaux get exposure and that usually means you see a lot of great values in the states. Let’s see how that goes due to the fact that all the best Bordeaux is purportedly being bought up by Asia and they are overpaying for the stuff too.
Just think…all the hoopla is about 120 -250 vineyards.
Back in 2010 these ‘futures’ bottles were on sale at theoretically attractive prices, while the wines were still undergoing their ageing process in the châteaux cellars. The cases will not be ready for delivery until the end of 2011 and early 2012. So it’s about time now.
This type of early purchasing assists enthusiasts to obtain rare wines in advance, that will be essentially in demand now depending on the reputation of the vintages and the individual châteaux.
According to Robert Parker there are a large number of really good ratings and several all-out extreme scores. Saint-Emilion is a good example with Angélus (95-100), Bellevue-Mondotte (95-100).
Furthermore, Cheval Blanc (98-100) or Pavie (96-100). But equally in Pomerol : Clinet (97-100), Clos l’Église (96-100, l’Église Clinet (98-100), l’Évangile (96-100), Hosanna (98-100) or Petrus (96-100). The same goes for the Médoc wines : Cos d’Estourmel (98-100), Lafite Rothschild (98-100), Latour (98-100), Léoville Las Cases (96-100), Léoville Poyferré (97-100), Margaux (98-100), Montrose (96-100) or Pontet Canet (97-100) are also in the uppermost.
Come late January the major wine tastings begin running through early May. So we’ll see what we run into. Personally, I look forward to the full swing arrival of the vintage because I am certain there will be some great sleeper wines.
Wine Speak and Wine Sensory References Now Available!
New working versions of the Wine Speak and Wine Sensory Guides that I have been putting together for some time are now available to view. You can also find them in the ‘Tool and Resources’ section of my blog. Happy Holidays and enjoy this season with good friends and great wine!
Wine Correspondent’s Top 25 Wines of 2011; A Special Report by Ralph Del Rio Wine Correspondent
By Ralph Del Rio, Wine Correspondent
As I often say to folks; How good can a wine be if not many people can taste it or afford it. That’s a double edge sword. There are many wines that the only way you will be able to taste is to go to your neighborhood wine tastings or to go to wine conventions and things like that. You have to be on the lookout.
Sometimes you have friends or corporate parties you can go too. Another way is to read your wine magazines and see what looks like it might be of interest and buy a bottle or two and take notes. Accessibility is key and the abilty to be able to write down sme good notes and if you can get the feedback from others who are tasting with you.
There are different approached to scoring some rely on telling you about the terroir and the soil and what the year was like for the wine, what the winemaker did to make the wine shine and also comparing it to previous years. Other reviewers go straight for the the aromas and flavors.
I like to consider the wines feel and overall makeup including the nose, aromas, tastes and finish. Whether the wines are actually available for purchase. I like to hit what I like to call the ‘mezzo territory’ that often happens when you taste, looking at the amplitude versus the smallest nuance, so the average person can say ‘Yeah, I understand where your coming from’. As with any list there’s always things that get left off, nevertheless…without further delay, my top 25 wines for 2011.
2007 – Stag Leap Wine Cellars Cack 23, Cabernet SavignonA well-rounded wine with good cigar box and oak. The fruit sits on layered tannins with big dark stewed cherries, It’s savory with cool earth tones.
2008 – Le Ecole No 41 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla ValleyThe wine gives off smokey coffee notes, it’s complex, meaty yielding grill mark flavors to red fruits It’s rounded with metallic iron, powerful and yet refined.
2007 Fransiscan Estate Napa valley Cabernet SauvignonBetter than the 2000 & 2002 which I have re-tasted. This is a classic Napa Cab. Blueberries and Blackberries, plummy, jammy, and racy. It’s full of toasted oak with the edges chopped off. This can age better in the bottle.
2008 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountain Estate Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet SauvignonIt makes me think of forest floor. A musky Robin Hood feel to it. It is herbaceous like thyme with oak, graphite and cassis. Earthy & silky goodness. Another classic.
2009 Mitolo Jester, McLaren Vale South AustraliaExcellent nose on this Shiraz wine; blackberry jam, perfumed aromas of five spices, olives and plums. It is crisp, chewy and concentrated.
2009 Chateau St. Cosme Gigondas ValbelleVery focused with good body, good mouth feel. Black cassis fruit with crème flan notes and oodles of anise. It has a good fruit palate.
2008 Mount Eden Vineyard Chardonnay Santa Cruz MountainsAn intense wine that is concentrated with smoked oak and floral-like jasmine, very rich and layered–quite a mouthful. It’s a Chardonnay that stands on its own.
2007 Modus Toscana Ruffino IGTThis is what I call I great Super Tuscan wine, to use an overused term. But it’s a fact. Rich and powerful; cherry notes some roses and black fruits. There are spice aromas along with leather. An integrated tannic finish which is sleek .
2008 Dr. Loosen Bros “Dr. L” Mosel RieslingA real straightforward excellent Riesling. It has it all, in the right places. Minerality, balance, stoney & bright.
2007 Marchesi de Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti RiservaAn excellent full bodied wine. Exotic cherry and mocha notes and spice with richness.
2009 Chateau St. Michelle Dr. Loosen EroicaGreat citrus and tropical flavors. This wine is lively and jumpy. It has great acidity and very light petrol. Year in and year out the Eroica exhibits good character.
2004 Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva RiojaAn earthy wine. Fine structure. Juicy but still has that dryness. Delicious dried fruits, cocoa sweet tobacco with a leathery nose with toasty vanilla spices.
2008 Storybook Mountain Maycamas Range ZinfandelStrong powerful blackberries, good tannins that is concentrated yet stylish. Nice white pepper flashes and mixed wild herbs feel to it along with hints of strawberry. A fine layers of flavor.
2008 Chateau Beau-Sejour-Becot 1er Grand Cur ClasseFruit is dead center on this wine. It is fleshy. With good oak grainy tannins spicy, some mint and feels very fresh. It is well rounded. It will only get better which is scary.
2004 Chateau Haut–Bages LiberalThis Bordeaux stands out with its firm black current, backberry and cassis flavors. The earthiness is big and complex. Truffles and Muddy. A totally concentrated bottle of juice that is just plain good.
2009 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Mendoza ArgentinaThis Malbec was a favorite. It’s juicy deep and intense. It’s very focused. You can appreciate the smoke and the spicy black fruits, currants. It is rich and full bodied; fine stuff.
2009 Mollydooker The Boxer Langhorne Creek South AustraliaA bright bouquet with deep cherried, black pepper, eucalyptus, and plenty of oak. Animal notes, bacon fat; it’s an integrated wine with a lot of backbone to it.
2009 Morgan Chardonnay Monterey Metallico Un-oakedA Bright wine, but not creamy. It is clean and fresh like cut flowers. You can taste the fresh ripe honey due melons and the pleasurable fruit. It is a long wine. Many seconds of pleasure.
2010 Cave de Lugny, Macon Villages Burgendy FranceA great Chardonnay. It’s better than the 2009 and 2007 which were great. It is a great value too. It’s oak less and pure tasting. The wine has a dry chalk fresh taste of lemon & apricots. It’s long it’s racy quick mouthful of awesomeness really good.
2007 Condado De Haza Ribera Del Duero, SpainA fresh classy wine generous fruit. Flavors that suggest very ripe sweet strawberry, mocha, tobacco, and leather. It has nice grainy tannins with and iron minerality, good acidity and stuff that reminds me of wet stones.
2008 Chateau St. Michelle Columbia Valley Cabernet SauvignonA consistently solid wine that just overachieved this vintage. So much that it really turns heads. The wine is accessible. It is earthy, chocolatey, big and a little complex. It opens up well. The length is uncanny.
2009 Sebastiani Chardonnay Sonoma CountyAn intermixing of great flavors, honeysuckle and smooth buttercream, banana with a tinge of granny smith apples, it’s there all framed and balanced. Super value too, unreal.
2008 Archery Summit Willamette Valley, Premier Cuvee Pinot NoirA deep pinot noir. It has good flavors. A Big taste of chocolate & black plums. There is a smokey wood spice going on. There are a lot of dark scents; burnt cherry pits and a little tomato. It is earthy even mushroomy. It screams for wild salmon, charred vegetables and seasoned pork loin.
2007 Chateau Doisy-Vedrines Sauternes 375MLVery harmonious Sauternes. It’s better than last years. Powerful and lively, dried pineapples and apricots full bodied. The citrus cuts through. You taste the honey, graham crackers, caramel & spice. It’s a big winner.
2009 Domaine Grand Veneur Clos de Sixte – LiracA rich blend of granache, syrah and mourvedre. Really deep, black plum, cassis, fig and smoked ham. Whiffs of gardenia. It’s ripe and complex with excellent acidity. Tarry but rolls like velvet.
