A wonderful surprise this birthday: KT conspired with our friends at E&R&S Wine Store to create a case of "verticals" (by type) for me. And then KT suggested that I open one bottle a month for the coming year. Excellent suggestion and may actually kick my ass back to writing in this long neglected blog. Although I still think that this activity is a bit indulgent (why not just write your own diary?), it will suffice as a means to get my thoughts flowing. Without further ado, the first wine opened:
2006 Chateau Mayne-Vieil Fronsac. I write tonight with the bottle finally finished. Each day it has tasted a little different and I must say that I've not been particularly enamored with this wine. It tasted sour and flat to me, perhaps even a faint bit corked. That said, tonight the last sips are still palatable and maybe drinking at its best. I did decant it that first night. I don't think that is wine is meant to age but E&R wouldn't sell anything that wasn't fit to drink. The tannins are still quite prevalent. So, sour brambles, a bit sullen and not overly food friendly through the panoply of meals we've had since 12/29, including a Killer Burger, GF pasta, 5 hour pork roast.
Off to a slow start.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Just for the halibut
Many years ago I discovered the sublime joy of wines from Montlouis sur Loire. Unfortunately, KT didn't share my enthusiasm so the few that I purchased have languished in peaceful abandon in the basement. Recently I thought that I should open a 2000 Francois Chidaine to see how it was holding up. It was very good, albeit slightly turned with oxidation. Warning heeded! All the rest of the Montlouis now reside in a wine cooler, to be consumed soon.
Tonight La Taille Aux Loups, 2003, Sec Les Dix Arpents, graced the table and was breathtakingly delicious. It was so good that even Ms. KT didn't blink when I poured it with the evening's fair: halibut with a southern Italian green sauce. A glass or two prior to dinner revealed such amazing flavors: bracing acidity, taut apricot - that green apricot acidity, mocha and tart stone fruit - thinking peach, nectarine.
What a joy! I've a mind lately to taste through as much of the Loire as I can find and afford. I want to know the distinctions between Baudry's bottlings; I want to know that various ways the Montlouis can ride the razor's edge; I want to understand the variations of sauvignon blanc from Sancerre to its lesser vaunted neighbors like menetou.
So many amazing wines run through these lips. I am so thankful at my good fortune and the opportunity to indulge in this simple pleasure.
Tonight La Taille Aux Loups, 2003, Sec Les Dix Arpents, graced the table and was breathtakingly delicious. It was so good that even Ms. KT didn't blink when I poured it with the evening's fair: halibut with a southern Italian green sauce. A glass or two prior to dinner revealed such amazing flavors: bracing acidity, taut apricot - that green apricot acidity, mocha and tart stone fruit - thinking peach, nectarine.
What a joy! I've a mind lately to taste through as much of the Loire as I can find and afford. I want to know the distinctions between Baudry's bottlings; I want to know that various ways the Montlouis can ride the razor's edge; I want to understand the variations of sauvignon blanc from Sancerre to its lesser vaunted neighbors like menetou.
So many amazing wines run through these lips. I am so thankful at my good fortune and the opportunity to indulge in this simple pleasure.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The Northeast Battle
Threw together some simple peasant fare: fried potatoes onions, sauteed cabbage and thinly sliced longitudinally hot dogs - the good ones without nitrates. It's still cold in February and I was looking to move out some holdover winter vegetables.
The meal was surprisingly good. I haven't cooked this dish in well over a decade, but it's as good as I remember. Most surprisingly was the KT liked it a lot too....in fact, no leftovers can be found.
To match this simple, hearty repast, I first opened a gevurtztraminer from NE Italy. Colterenzio I think is the producer. It was so lovely, almost ethereal, with...yes, hints of alpine wildflowers and cool brisk mountain air. Just a lovely wine, yet not exactly what I was looking for in a match. So I proceeded to open a riesling from Alsace, Trimbach to be exact. It too was just exquisite and actually quite different from the riesling I was expecting. Very little residual sugar. Tight, bracing and a nice whiff of petrol on the nose. Very satisfying.
So NE Italy, NE France wines paired very nicely with the simple german fare. Wines of place and very much at home with food or in a meditation pose.
The meal was surprisingly good. I haven't cooked this dish in well over a decade, but it's as good as I remember. Most surprisingly was the KT liked it a lot too....in fact, no leftovers can be found.
To match this simple, hearty repast, I first opened a gevurtztraminer from NE Italy. Colterenzio I think is the producer. It was so lovely, almost ethereal, with...yes, hints of alpine wildflowers and cool brisk mountain air. Just a lovely wine, yet not exactly what I was looking for in a match. So I proceeded to open a riesling from Alsace, Trimbach to be exact. It too was just exquisite and actually quite different from the riesling I was expecting. Very little residual sugar. Tight, bracing and a nice whiff of petrol on the nose. Very satisfying.
So NE Italy, NE France wines paired very nicely with the simple german fare. Wines of place and very much at home with food or in a meditation pose.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
The Four
The week began simply, with a tomato based sauce on corn pasta and remnants of tri-tip steak. Seeking something new, I opened a 2000 Di majo norante aglianico. Although I have heard and read that aglianico can age, this $9.95 bottle gave me pause: was it past its prime? Could something priced this low hold up for thirteen years? Is the price of wine indicative of its aging potential?
All concerns were laid to rest with the first sniff and sip. Wonderfully complex and layered. Full in the mouth and with still enough structure to last a long time. Tannins softened and behind the scene to add heft. A mature fruit that didn't really have a shopping list of obvious varieties: red fruit, sure, plums, cherries and ? Really just an excellent wine with this meal.
Night two, Fat Tuesday, KT wanted a burger and fries, since her lenten sacrifice this year will be fried potatoes. Such a funny thing to do for a non-Catholic but she does it every year. So Killer Burger it was and we finished the aglianico. Not as good a match as with the pasta from last night. The aglianico dispatched, I opened a 2004 Sapoleil syrah from Wally World. OMG, this was so not a wally world wine! The syrah was magical with its defined tartness. The fruit of syrah very there but not masked by the high alcohol, fruit bomb sweet quality that often defines Walla Walla wines. at 13.9 % alcohol it was just so pleasant and kind of ethereal. We always age our WW wines and this gives evidence that, for our style at least, this is a rewarding effort.
Wednesday we had Jesse, Alica and Asher over. I opened a 2011 Taschlerhof Sylvaner that was just devine. We paired it with KT's famous chicken thighs, potatoes and kale bake. It was simply wonderful. The distraction of Asher and company kept us from really meditating on the wine but there was no need because it just merged with food perfectly and didn't demand attention. Then, on Friday, with leftovers, I opened another bottle. Some bottle variation was evident, because this one was a bit frizzante. With just the two of us, we had time to really focus on this wine and oh my, what a joy to behold. The nose transported me to a high alpine field with cool breezes blowing over spring alpine flowers...absolutely wafting with delicate scents. A tight acidity and joyous fruits in the mouth. Reminded me of sylvaners from Alsace but like those taken to the next level. A wine to spend time on your knees in a high mountain chapel, giving thanks for taste buds and deep sniffs.
Thursday, VD, we had a 1998 Marchesi Cannubi barolo. 1998 to celebrate our wedding year. KT made an outstanding polenta with sausage and truffle cheese/salt/oil and shredded arugula. The wine was wonderful but not mind blowing, as I expected it to be. We really haven't spent a lot of time with barolos and so I'm not sure if my expectations were higher than could be met, if the bottle was past its prime, if it was a "dull" period or what. It was very good but not life changing like I thought it might be. Certainly not as interesting to us as the aglianico. That seems like heresy to say and maybe its a reflection of our immature palates. At any rate, it was great with the meal but the meal was the real winner here. Nebbiolo is a great food wine and this barolo played a complimentary role with style, if not with flash.
All concerns were laid to rest with the first sniff and sip. Wonderfully complex and layered. Full in the mouth and with still enough structure to last a long time. Tannins softened and behind the scene to add heft. A mature fruit that didn't really have a shopping list of obvious varieties: red fruit, sure, plums, cherries and ? Really just an excellent wine with this meal.
Night two, Fat Tuesday, KT wanted a burger and fries, since her lenten sacrifice this year will be fried potatoes. Such a funny thing to do for a non-Catholic but she does it every year. So Killer Burger it was and we finished the aglianico. Not as good a match as with the pasta from last night. The aglianico dispatched, I opened a 2004 Sapoleil syrah from Wally World. OMG, this was so not a wally world wine! The syrah was magical with its defined tartness. The fruit of syrah very there but not masked by the high alcohol, fruit bomb sweet quality that often defines Walla Walla wines. at 13.9 % alcohol it was just so pleasant and kind of ethereal. We always age our WW wines and this gives evidence that, for our style at least, this is a rewarding effort.
Wednesday we had Jesse, Alica and Asher over. I opened a 2011 Taschlerhof Sylvaner that was just devine. We paired it with KT's famous chicken thighs, potatoes and kale bake. It was simply wonderful. The distraction of Asher and company kept us from really meditating on the wine but there was no need because it just merged with food perfectly and didn't demand attention. Then, on Friday, with leftovers, I opened another bottle. Some bottle variation was evident, because this one was a bit frizzante. With just the two of us, we had time to really focus on this wine and oh my, what a joy to behold. The nose transported me to a high alpine field with cool breezes blowing over spring alpine flowers...absolutely wafting with delicate scents. A tight acidity and joyous fruits in the mouth. Reminded me of sylvaners from Alsace but like those taken to the next level. A wine to spend time on your knees in a high mountain chapel, giving thanks for taste buds and deep sniffs.
Thursday, VD, we had a 1998 Marchesi Cannubi barolo. 1998 to celebrate our wedding year. KT made an outstanding polenta with sausage and truffle cheese/salt/oil and shredded arugula. The wine was wonderful but not mind blowing, as I expected it to be. We really haven't spent a lot of time with barolos and so I'm not sure if my expectations were higher than could be met, if the bottle was past its prime, if it was a "dull" period or what. It was very good but not life changing like I thought it might be. Certainly not as interesting to us as the aglianico. That seems like heresy to say and maybe its a reflection of our immature palates. At any rate, it was great with the meal but the meal was the real winner here. Nebbiolo is a great food wine and this barolo played a complimentary role with style, if not with flash.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
A Wine Fit for a King
2009 Melaric Saumur, Billes de Roche
An early hint of summer with floral blooms of apricot. Wonderful acidity and a backdrop of some spice that I always associate with carnations. Here in the throes of February I'm transported to a warm deck overlooking a green field of fledging, shin high wheat, tasting under-ripe apricots: fruit yes, but that subtle tartness that suggests the fruit will be ready in day or two. Was this the inspiration for sweet tart candy?
Magnificent with the hearty but light fare of the week: white bean soup and assorted cheeses. This wine defines crispness and has held its shape over several days in the refer. I believe purchased at E&R; they know a thing or two about subtleties and perfect acids. Golden hues that remind me of Terri's tresses. Terri, what has become of you? A young gypsy girl from the 70's; you were a wonderful lover and good friend. I have always been circumspect with whom I'll open the doors of perception and you were so easy and gentle on my mind. It was easy to trip with you and that phrase only means something to those who've been there. Transported by this wonderful wine to a time when things seemed....simpler? better? I can't capture that time with words but I can feel it and I love being there once again. Thank you.
An early hint of summer with floral blooms of apricot. Wonderful acidity and a backdrop of some spice that I always associate with carnations. Here in the throes of February I'm transported to a warm deck overlooking a green field of fledging, shin high wheat, tasting under-ripe apricots: fruit yes, but that subtle tartness that suggests the fruit will be ready in day or two. Was this the inspiration for sweet tart candy?
Magnificent with the hearty but light fare of the week: white bean soup and assorted cheeses. This wine defines crispness and has held its shape over several days in the refer. I believe purchased at E&R; they know a thing or two about subtleties and perfect acids. Golden hues that remind me of Terri's tresses. Terri, what has become of you? A young gypsy girl from the 70's; you were a wonderful lover and good friend. I have always been circumspect with whom I'll open the doors of perception and you were so easy and gentle on my mind. It was easy to trip with you and that phrase only means something to those who've been there. Transported by this wonderful wine to a time when things seemed....simpler? better? I can't capture that time with words but I can feel it and I love being there once again. Thank you.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
The King and I
Yes, SWIRL fans, with this Epiphany luncheon a king was chosen to lead the pack. Perhaps it was because this year's festivities fell so close to Fat Tuesday, but the lucky beignet fell to me. I will endeavor to reign with a velvet glove and a lion's heart.
By way of first order, I invoked a return to the holiday celebrations of my youth, that is, for this calendar year, we will celebrate holidays as they come and not in the fashion invoked by Richard the Deceptive Heart Nixon: conveniently compressing holidays to fit into a tidy three-day weekend formula. So, on February 12th and 22nd, Abe and George regain their rightful status as celebrations of note.
This year's Epiphany was a beauty: all accounted for except our southern sister Kay. We ate like kings and queens, drank the finest of fizz and laughed as only those who love freely can. Proof? I offer you this:
By way of first order, I invoked a return to the holiday celebrations of my youth, that is, for this calendar year, we will celebrate holidays as they come and not in the fashion invoked by Richard the Deceptive Heart Nixon: conveniently compressing holidays to fit into a tidy three-day weekend formula. So, on February 12th and 22nd, Abe and George regain their rightful status as celebrations of note.
This year's Epiphany was a beauty: all accounted for except our southern sister Kay. We ate like kings and queens, drank the finest of fizz and laughed as only those who love freely can. Proof? I offer you this:
Long may we run!
I will endeavor to post more on this blog this year. Last year's attempt at naming the "60 finest" wines to coincide with my age was clearly a bust. The task proved too big. Every wine tasted could have been on the list and how to choose? Sure, some proved more memorable than others and the "inclusion" part is easy; it's the exclusion part that gives me pause.
Salud, prost, asante: I raise a new glass to my Swirler brothers and sisters and look forward to providing a court worthy of your attention.
WtE
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
La dolce vita revisited
We came together eleven weeks after our many weeks in Italy: the colonel and the angry pony hosted. Scriba brought along her delightful husband, Dave, who unfortunately did not make the Italian vacance and had to suffer through our many 'you had to be there' stories of our time together in Cortona and other oases of Italian nirvana. He held up well. The Bawl Baby, Minkie and Ed from Fla rounded out the festa and a festa it was: the center piece being the distribution of our italian wine purchases and a chance to worship the almighty pig.
The antipasti plate of cheeses, salami, marcona almonds, olives and assorted crackers provided an elegant accompaniment to the Walla Walla champagne, compliments of Minkie. Dinner followed shortly: perfectly pan-roasted potatoes and cruciferous vegetables, day-long languidly stewed white beans and the centerpiece, the anglo-fied porchetta roast tinged with maple smoke from the Traeger. The table groaned under the weight of such largess and the gutteral utterances of happy eaters. Yeah, we had some wine too: a 2003 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano from Boscarelli, a 2007 Villa Antinori Toscana, a 2007 Vino N di M from Poliziano (that we purchased in Italy) and a non-vintage Sauvignon Blanc from Wally World's Va Piano.
The antipasti plate of cheeses, salami, marcona almonds, olives and assorted crackers provided an elegant accompaniment to the Walla Walla champagne, compliments of Minkie. Dinner followed shortly: perfectly pan-roasted potatoes and cruciferous vegetables, day-long languidly stewed white beans and the centerpiece, the anglo-fied porchetta roast tinged with maple smoke from the Traeger. The table groaned under the weight of such largess and the gutteral utterances of happy eaters. Yeah, we had some wine too: a 2003 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano from Boscarelli, a 2007 Villa Antinori Toscana, a 2007 Vino N di M from Poliziano (that we purchased in Italy) and a non-vintage Sauvignon Blanc from Wally World's Va Piano.
You Had to Be There
A spontaneous change, for us: instead of a trip to ERS, we went to Vinopolis to pick up a few things, including a remarkable wine from the ever remarkable Marcel Deiss. Then on to Andina for a bit of food and drink. Well now, little did I know that another entry into the top 60 would appear....perhaps the entrants are as much about the "where" and "with what" as they are the wine proper; as if you could separate the two!
So, a meal laden with quinoa was taken to new heights by a 2010 rioja blanco (viura) from a producer that I don't recall but it started with an "I". The wine was just spot on with the entire meal. The pequillo peppers, the avocado/crab salad, the quinoa timbale all were impeccably interwoven with this crisp, floral, acidic white wine. One of my "to die for" wines is the LdH Vina Tondonia, which is an aged, oxidized viura. But this fresh version makes me committed to finding more viura, in whatever stage of age, to reconnect with the food marriage like few others. Is it only with Spanish or Latin flavored dishes? I have to find out.
So, a meal laden with quinoa was taken to new heights by a 2010 rioja blanco (viura) from a producer that I don't recall but it started with an "I". The wine was just spot on with the entire meal. The pequillo peppers, the avocado/crab salad, the quinoa timbale all were impeccably interwoven with this crisp, floral, acidic white wine. One of my "to die for" wines is the LdH Vina Tondonia, which is an aged, oxidized viura. But this fresh version makes me committed to finding more viura, in whatever stage of age, to reconnect with the food marriage like few others. Is it only with Spanish or Latin flavored dishes? I have to find out.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Interlude
Meanwhile, a road trip to WW, while the 60 for 60 awaits.
I love going to the Wallas. It is spring, the Cayuse is flowing, and the inevitable battle arises: why do we spend so much on domestic wine when we could get twice the value and quality for as much or less dough from our favorite areas in Europe? I don't have an easy answer. Basically, I guess it's because we can. In another economic time, we would, but because I'm still employed and "we can", we schlep over and make a game of it. Trapped in the Cayuse flywheel...oh well, the wine holds its value and is fun to drink. Over priced? Compared to what....foreign? domestic? As good as the high end Napas and hold their value as well. Foreign? Apples and oranges my friend; can't compare in any format.
So we play and meet exceptionally nice people. Our love affair with the simple down to earth folks at Bunchgrass always a highlight. New friends this time, from Mannina, whose roots are Italian and makes....wines....under .....14%...and can be good with food! What a concept. Nice man with a great feel; will buy and drink more of his wines. It's not the etoh level debate; it's the "can you drink it with something besides bbq" issue for me and Mannina's wines will make the grade. Also spent a nice afternoon at Castillo Feliciana...very nice people and serviceable wines. Others? WTF is up with Rasa? Wines WAY over priced and not that good. What do you think: you can hang with the big dogs? Good luck with that. Mackey, probably a mercy buy of two bottles; same with Ash Hollow. These two were nice came with nice folks who were nice to us and that will generally get you a sale. Rulo? The white wine refuge came through again, with a really nice, affordable stainless chardonnay that washed down our free Burgerville chicken salad way too easy.
Home to chinese and, for grins, a 2007 Trio Riesling that's been lurking in the cellar and a fino sherry. The sherry just magnifico with the hot and sour soup and the riesling working well with the spiced up rice/vegetables (see? you can spell vegetables, people; veggies (ick) is NOT a word!!!
Okay, now back to the 60/60 tales.....gevry, sancerre, oh so much more.....
I love going to the Wallas. It is spring, the Cayuse is flowing, and the inevitable battle arises: why do we spend so much on domestic wine when we could get twice the value and quality for as much or less dough from our favorite areas in Europe? I don't have an easy answer. Basically, I guess it's because we can. In another economic time, we would, but because I'm still employed and "we can", we schlep over and make a game of it. Trapped in the Cayuse flywheel...oh well, the wine holds its value and is fun to drink. Over priced? Compared to what....foreign? domestic? As good as the high end Napas and hold their value as well. Foreign? Apples and oranges my friend; can't compare in any format.
So we play and meet exceptionally nice people. Our love affair with the simple down to earth folks at Bunchgrass always a highlight. New friends this time, from Mannina, whose roots are Italian and makes....wines....under .....14%...and can be good with food! What a concept. Nice man with a great feel; will buy and drink more of his wines. It's not the etoh level debate; it's the "can you drink it with something besides bbq" issue for me and Mannina's wines will make the grade. Also spent a nice afternoon at Castillo Feliciana...very nice people and serviceable wines. Others? WTF is up with Rasa? Wines WAY over priced and not that good. What do you think: you can hang with the big dogs? Good luck with that. Mackey, probably a mercy buy of two bottles; same with Ash Hollow. These two were nice came with nice folks who were nice to us and that will generally get you a sale. Rulo? The white wine refuge came through again, with a really nice, affordable stainless chardonnay that washed down our free Burgerville chicken salad way too easy.
Home to chinese and, for grins, a 2007 Trio Riesling that's been lurking in the cellar and a fino sherry. The sherry just magnifico with the hot and sour soup and the riesling working well with the spiced up rice/vegetables (see? you can spell vegetables, people; veggies (ick) is NOT a word!!!
Okay, now back to the 60/60 tales.....gevry, sancerre, oh so much more.....
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The Top 60 Continues, in No Particular Order
It should have been apparent, with the precipitous jump on things on the 20th of Dec. I guess there's no compelling reason to list these things in the order consumed. It's the top 60 wines after all and chronology isn't mandatory.
So with that out of the way, let's talk about the 2009 Muller Thurgau from Colterenzio. This wine was spellbinding. Instantly I was transported to an alpine field, crisp and cold, redolent with glorious wildflower scents. Amazing. Just amazing. Ethereal and long lived, as if the gustatory pleasure would never end. It soared, in a high alpine way; cutting acidity but not aloof and remote. Unbelievably good....really: it was so good it was unbelievable. Those crazy kids at ERS know there stuff. Wish I'd bought a case.
Next up, another white from northeastern Italy, the 2009 Malvasia from Skerk. We took this to Cabazon and had it with fish. Truly an astonishingly good wine. So floral, so flavorful, so damn good. The folks at Cabazon would be wise to expand their wine list and include more fish friendly wines. It is their character flaw: too many Cali and northwest whites. If you could taste this wine, with the skate I had, you would die knowing that you had tasted one of the great food/wine matches. Just astonishingly good and....I think we have another bottle in the basement! At least I know that we have more Skerk, just not sure it's malvasia. We had the good fortune to meet the folks from Skerk at ERS; that's how we happened onto this gift from the wine gods. Ed/Richard/Stephanie: thank you.
So with that out of the way, let's talk about the 2009 Muller Thurgau from Colterenzio. This wine was spellbinding. Instantly I was transported to an alpine field, crisp and cold, redolent with glorious wildflower scents. Amazing. Just amazing. Ethereal and long lived, as if the gustatory pleasure would never end. It soared, in a high alpine way; cutting acidity but not aloof and remote. Unbelievably good....really: it was so good it was unbelievable. Those crazy kids at ERS know there stuff. Wish I'd bought a case.
Next up, another white from northeastern Italy, the 2009 Malvasia from Skerk. We took this to Cabazon and had it with fish. Truly an astonishingly good wine. So floral, so flavorful, so damn good. The folks at Cabazon would be wise to expand their wine list and include more fish friendly wines. It is their character flaw: too many Cali and northwest whites. If you could taste this wine, with the skate I had, you would die knowing that you had tasted one of the great food/wine matches. Just astonishingly good and....I think we have another bottle in the basement! At least I know that we have more Skerk, just not sure it's malvasia. We had the good fortune to meet the folks from Skerk at ERS; that's how we happened onto this gift from the wine gods. Ed/Richard/Stephanie: thank you.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Heading into the Sixties
As I stand on the precipice of this next decade, I've decided to make a run at writing about my 60 favorite wines. (KT was quick to point out that often it's the one I'm holding at the moment.) It was my intent to start on the actual day of my birth, but tonight this plan was pre-empted by a 1996 Cahors.
I spent the better part of Sunday cooking up a cassoulet. I've always wanted to make one and this recipe seemed achievable, even for a middlin' cook like me. Although the end result would not be featured on the cover of any fine dining rags, it is a country stew, after all, and in that regard the results were a stunning success.
What to drink? I initially planned to open a CdP that I picked up at a very reasonable price from Vinopolis, but glanced briefly at the "What to Eat with What you Drink" book and "they" suggested that Cahors was the quintessential match. OMG were they right! We had the "old" cahors in the basement (I believe it was the Clos de Coutale from Kermit Lynch) and this seemed like the perfect time to give it air.
Absolument! It was spectacular. The wine married with the food so well that I didn't think to "analyze" it. It just went down seamlessly with the cassoulet and describing it would be like trying to pick out one of the spices that melted into this wonderful recipe. I know that I tasted fruits - dark, perhaps cranberry - and herbs - exotic, subtle and perhaps asian - and maybe some resinous wood, but on the whole the wine and food were an inseparable experience and amongst the finest combinations that this mouth has tasted.
A few years back, we were at a wine tasting at the old Noble Rot. Cahor was featured in the lineup and the person leading the tasting said that cahors was best drunk young and not built for aging. We happened to bring a ten year old cahors along for the fun of seeing how it matched against the class offerings. It literally stole the show. Here again tonight, and a little bit older, the proof in the glass is that you can never tell too much about wine. It surprises and it pleases me to no end that the FIRST of my 60 favorite wines is Cahors: a simple country wine that carries the elegance of the french countryside and its people. Especially memorable because we gazed at the devil on the bridge in 1998, my first trip to France. Let the tastings begin!
I spent the better part of Sunday cooking up a cassoulet. I've always wanted to make one and this recipe seemed achievable, even for a middlin' cook like me. Although the end result would not be featured on the cover of any fine dining rags, it is a country stew, after all, and in that regard the results were a stunning success.
What to drink? I initially planned to open a CdP that I picked up at a very reasonable price from Vinopolis, but glanced briefly at the "What to Eat with What you Drink" book and "they" suggested that Cahors was the quintessential match. OMG were they right! We had the "old" cahors in the basement (I believe it was the Clos de Coutale from Kermit Lynch) and this seemed like the perfect time to give it air.
Absolument! It was spectacular. The wine married with the food so well that I didn't think to "analyze" it. It just went down seamlessly with the cassoulet and describing it would be like trying to pick out one of the spices that melted into this wonderful recipe. I know that I tasted fruits - dark, perhaps cranberry - and herbs - exotic, subtle and perhaps asian - and maybe some resinous wood, but on the whole the wine and food were an inseparable experience and amongst the finest combinations that this mouth has tasted.
A few years back, we were at a wine tasting at the old Noble Rot. Cahor was featured in the lineup and the person leading the tasting said that cahors was best drunk young and not built for aging. We happened to bring a ten year old cahors along for the fun of seeing how it matched against the class offerings. It literally stole the show. Here again tonight, and a little bit older, the proof in the glass is that you can never tell too much about wine. It surprises and it pleases me to no end that the FIRST of my 60 favorite wines is Cahors: a simple country wine that carries the elegance of the french countryside and its people. Especially memorable because we gazed at the devil on the bridge in 1998, my first trip to France. Let the tastings begin!
Monday, October 31, 2011
The Simple Things
For the past little bit, we've been having simple wines, that is wines without pretense, under $15 or so, without "pedigree". And they have been almost unbearably delicious and utterly surprising.
With all their goodness, they have also brought specks of introspection. Take last night, for instance. I was recently inventorying the cellar and discovered two bottles of 2005 beaujolais. Nothing special about the producer; no big hype in the bottle or vintage; just 'blue collar' wine. And....it was spectacular. Not in a big showy way, just in the perfect way that a wine can bring the essence of the good moments of life to the fore. The wine married with our simple eclectic meal of leftovers as if it was cast to be in service to the meal. The fruit light and vibrant and happy to be at the table. And I wanted so badly for someone else to "get it", to see that what we held in our hands was the best that life can reasonably offer. But, alas, it was not to be and it leaves me sad but at the same time I have to say that I felt it and why isn't that enough? Why do I feel that I need someone else to share in my joy for it to feel validated? Is it not enough that I felt it?
I wanted to merge with this wine; I wanted to bathe in it and be one with its joyous, generous presence and maybe that's what I was hoping for with someone else. When you feel something that intimately, does it necessitate sharing to be real? I don't know but try as I might to be above it, I'm just left feeling lonely. Looking around for someone to recognize this rare slice of life exposed, unplugged. Is there any possibility that the vintner knew how good this would be? Could it be that someone could foresee this time, this place, this experience of unfettered joy? God, I hope so. I'd like to believe that this is not an accident but a divine plan to make my life soar and dip with each sip. I would drink this wine everyday forever and never grow weary of its simple elegance.
Can you feel it? Reminds me of a Don McLean song: do you remember who we are? can you still feel it? Find me, please, I will stream this wine on your soft skin and sip it, lick it, nuzzle it until we fall exhausted in reverie, bliss. No questions asked; no critique; just simple joy. Can this be so much to ask?
sigh.......
With all their goodness, they have also brought specks of introspection. Take last night, for instance. I was recently inventorying the cellar and discovered two bottles of 2005 beaujolais. Nothing special about the producer; no big hype in the bottle or vintage; just 'blue collar' wine. And....it was spectacular. Not in a big showy way, just in the perfect way that a wine can bring the essence of the good moments of life to the fore. The wine married with our simple eclectic meal of leftovers as if it was cast to be in service to the meal. The fruit light and vibrant and happy to be at the table. And I wanted so badly for someone else to "get it", to see that what we held in our hands was the best that life can reasonably offer. But, alas, it was not to be and it leaves me sad but at the same time I have to say that I felt it and why isn't that enough? Why do I feel that I need someone else to share in my joy for it to feel validated? Is it not enough that I felt it?
I wanted to merge with this wine; I wanted to bathe in it and be one with its joyous, generous presence and maybe that's what I was hoping for with someone else. When you feel something that intimately, does it necessitate sharing to be real? I don't know but try as I might to be above it, I'm just left feeling lonely. Looking around for someone to recognize this rare slice of life exposed, unplugged. Is there any possibility that the vintner knew how good this would be? Could it be that someone could foresee this time, this place, this experience of unfettered joy? God, I hope so. I'd like to believe that this is not an accident but a divine plan to make my life soar and dip with each sip. I would drink this wine everyday forever and never grow weary of its simple elegance.
Can you feel it? Reminds me of a Don McLean song: do you remember who we are? can you still feel it? Find me, please, I will stream this wine on your soft skin and sip it, lick it, nuzzle it until we fall exhausted in reverie, bliss. No questions asked; no critique; just simple joy. Can this be so much to ask?
sigh.......
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Wines They Are a Changin'
Tonight, sitting to the last of summer fare, I decided to revisit a wine that I bought by the case a year or so ago. It's a village level wine, a 2005 Domaine du Prieure Bourgogne that I picked up from Vino. Bought it by the case, to watch it evolve through time.
The first bottles, enjoyed in 2009 and 10, reflected a kind of bitter cherry, acidic wine. Good but not exceptional. That seemed appropos since I paid about $10 a bottle for it and expected little else.
Tonight, however, the wine is showing a much brighter face. Tonight this wine personifies the expression "soft mouthfeel", as it literally feels like silk. The body is the definition of soft. The nose is not dissimilar to previous tastings: iron, blood, cherry. But it's in the mouth and on the palate that things have appreciably changed. The cherries have become brighter, more fruitful; not in a fruit forward new world way but in a settled defining way. Still bitter fruit but more of a true cherry flavor. Iron and blood still have a home here, but in more of a contextual way than in a dominant fashion like initial tastings.
The wine is very clear and taking on some brickish color; still some lingering tannins so I know we have a little while longer to enjoy the remaining few bottles. Paired splendidly with a steak, corn and potato salad; all in all a delightful somewhat picnic like wine.
The first bottles, enjoyed in 2009 and 10, reflected a kind of bitter cherry, acidic wine. Good but not exceptional. That seemed appropos since I paid about $10 a bottle for it and expected little else.
Tonight, however, the wine is showing a much brighter face. Tonight this wine personifies the expression "soft mouthfeel", as it literally feels like silk. The body is the definition of soft. The nose is not dissimilar to previous tastings: iron, blood, cherry. But it's in the mouth and on the palate that things have appreciably changed. The cherries have become brighter, more fruitful; not in a fruit forward new world way but in a settled defining way. Still bitter fruit but more of a true cherry flavor. Iron and blood still have a home here, but in more of a contextual way than in a dominant fashion like initial tastings.
The wine is very clear and taking on some brickish color; still some lingering tannins so I know we have a little while longer to enjoy the remaining few bottles. Paired splendidly with a steak, corn and potato salad; all in all a delightful somewhat picnic like wine.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Preaster and Beyond
Since Saturday, the wine opportunities have been uncommonly good. This has been in large part due to KT's request to have grilled lamb chops for "preaster" (so dubbed because the day before was so glorious - as only a 70 degree spring day in Oregon can be - and the actual easter day was bound and determined to be damp, bleak and like the rest of Oregon spring weather).
Lamb for me is like being given the keys to the wine cellar and told: "Go on. Pick one of those wines that you covet that soars in the presence of this meat that the gods and goddesses designed for wine." Sooooo many choices! Red for sure. But which red? One of the bordeauxs tucked away for a special meal? One of the old LdH's waiting patiently to take my breath way? Finally, we decided on a CdP because the lamb was accompanied by an excellent olive salsa. So a 1998 Domaine Lucien Barrot et fils to the table.
The Cdp was superb, but not at all what we expected nor what was best with this meal. In a very peculiar way, this wine was sweet and fruity - not in the "new world" way - and lacking the acidity that the olives required. Oh, make no mistake about it, we finished it off with relish but it was the magical pairing wine that I had craved.....and then.....
Leftovers! Last night I rewarmed some leftover chops and a smattering of chive, tarragon potatoes. To accompany, I selected a mystery wine: a red from the Bellet aoc. Bellet aoc? Yes, this wine we picked up from one of the Noble Rot classes of yore and neither KT nor I could recall it. But let me tell you, this wine from the area around Nice was THE wine for the lamb! It was a 2001 and still had lovely mediterranean style: rustic, herbal, suntanned and grisled but so approachable and lovely going down. The wine was polished without being principled, wild without being untamed; just on the money for this meat and meal. It was like Bandol but Bandol after it has aged a generation or two. Only bottle we have but we WILL find more.
We bought a lovely assorted case of roses from North Berkeley, all from Italy, and they have been outstanding. When in doubt, rose is always there. Maybe Joni Mitchell fooled us: her For the Roses album may have been For the Roses (insert the appropriate accent mark please). An excellent rose is certainly up to the pairing with her lyrically smokey voice, sweet seductive and never cloying. Did you notice me Joni? That night at McCabe's guitar shop, when you sat behind me and "we" joined fifty other people listening to Jackson Browne spin his gorgeous, soulful web? I made every excuse to turn and quickly glimpse you, when what I wanted to do was to stare, unabashed at a woman that I have always thought amongst the most beautiful of all time. (Insert the appropriate swoon mark please). For the Roses, then, liquid or otherwise. I toast you and the air that we shared.
Lamb for me is like being given the keys to the wine cellar and told: "Go on. Pick one of those wines that you covet that soars in the presence of this meat that the gods and goddesses designed for wine." Sooooo many choices! Red for sure. But which red? One of the bordeauxs tucked away for a special meal? One of the old LdH's waiting patiently to take my breath way? Finally, we decided on a CdP because the lamb was accompanied by an excellent olive salsa. So a 1998 Domaine Lucien Barrot et fils to the table.
The Cdp was superb, but not at all what we expected nor what was best with this meal. In a very peculiar way, this wine was sweet and fruity - not in the "new world" way - and lacking the acidity that the olives required. Oh, make no mistake about it, we finished it off with relish but it was the magical pairing wine that I had craved.....and then.....
Leftovers! Last night I rewarmed some leftover chops and a smattering of chive, tarragon potatoes. To accompany, I selected a mystery wine: a red from the Bellet aoc. Bellet aoc? Yes, this wine we picked up from one of the Noble Rot classes of yore and neither KT nor I could recall it. But let me tell you, this wine from the area around Nice was THE wine for the lamb! It was a 2001 and still had lovely mediterranean style: rustic, herbal, suntanned and grisled but so approachable and lovely going down. The wine was polished without being principled, wild without being untamed; just on the money for this meat and meal. It was like Bandol but Bandol after it has aged a generation or two. Only bottle we have but we WILL find more.
We bought a lovely assorted case of roses from North Berkeley, all from Italy, and they have been outstanding. When in doubt, rose is always there. Maybe Joni Mitchell fooled us: her For the Roses album may have been For the Roses (insert the appropriate accent mark please). An excellent rose is certainly up to the pairing with her lyrically smokey voice, sweet seductive and never cloying. Did you notice me Joni? That night at McCabe's guitar shop, when you sat behind me and "we" joined fifty other people listening to Jackson Browne spin his gorgeous, soulful web? I made every excuse to turn and quickly glimpse you, when what I wanted to do was to stare, unabashed at a woman that I have always thought amongst the most beautiful of all time. (Insert the appropriate swoon mark please). For the Roses, then, liquid or otherwise. I toast you and the air that we shared.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
The Note
There once was a note, pure and easy
Playing so free, like a breathe rippling by
The note is eternal, I hear it, it sees me
Forever we blend as forever we die
What is it about Lopez de Heredia wines that play that note for me? Their timeless ethereal quality is so lyrical and seductive. My last wish wines. Lately a fixation with Vina Tondonia: last week the 1991; last night the 2000. How can aged white wine soar to such gossamer heights? Salty caramels, cleaved by an acidity that is precise yet can't be defined or measured. Contemplative and discrete, like the interview that I saw of Maria LdH on the dreadful WLTV...rambunctious but not in a fidgety sort of way, more like a free soul that can't be bridled. I hung on her every word and wished the host to be struck dumb so that she could talk more. She moved me the way her wines move me...is she the terroir? The terroir of infatuation for me, indeed. Forever we blend as forever we die. RIP.
Playing so free, like a breathe rippling by
The note is eternal, I hear it, it sees me
Forever we blend as forever we die
What is it about Lopez de Heredia wines that play that note for me? Their timeless ethereal quality is so lyrical and seductive. My last wish wines. Lately a fixation with Vina Tondonia: last week the 1991; last night the 2000. How can aged white wine soar to such gossamer heights? Salty caramels, cleaved by an acidity that is precise yet can't be defined or measured. Contemplative and discrete, like the interview that I saw of Maria LdH on the dreadful WLTV...rambunctious but not in a fidgety sort of way, more like a free soul that can't be bridled. I hung on her every word and wished the host to be struck dumb so that she could talk more. She moved me the way her wines move me...is she the terroir? The terroir of infatuation for me, indeed. Forever we blend as forever we die. RIP.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
A Sense of Place
Last night KT pungled together a delicious dinner of spicy sausages, slivered red peppers, chopped kale and corn penne pasta, all sauteed together in garlic, olive oil and a pinch of red pepper. Yum!
To accompany, I chose a 2004 Breton Bourgueil called "Trinch". The Bretons, Catherine and Pierre, were in Portland at a trade tasting and KT and I were blessed to meet this lovely and very gracious couple. At the time of our meeting, the Breton's were importing through Louis Dressner but now bring their wine in through Kermit Lynch. I asked Kermit about this, when I met him at E&R wines last spring, but he offered little to explain and in the end what does it matter anyway, except to say that both importers represent a guaranteed trek into superb wines.
But back to the wine, Trinch is a word that is supposed to represent in french the sound of two glasses clinking in a toast. I wasn't sure what we would find with the six year old cab franc; in the press you always read about this "early drinking" wine, full of blackberry and mulberry flavors (has anyone really tasted a mulberry?), hints of smoke and spice. What would six years do? Well, I'm happy to report that this was just a gorgeous wine and it tasted EXACTLY like the Chinon area that we remembered from our time there: cedar, violets, beet greens and simply place. This wine spoke directly of where it was from. Not all wines do that, do they? We talked about that, as we drank, how a good rioja - like the 2001 from Lopez de Heredia that we had Sunday night with an incredible spanish lamb stew (let me know if you want the recipe: it is divine) tasted exactly like rioja Spain, how a good cote du rhone tastes exactly like the rhone and on. We've had great wines that you can pin point to a geographical region, but they don't always bring the "place" to bear; I adore good burgundian chardonnay but I'd be hard pressed to say it is from "here" on a map. Perhaps it's the soil in the expression of wine (can this be the elusive and oft cited terroir?). We've had great cab francs from around the wine world but none have tasted liked this from the Loire and the remembrance of our time there is vivid now, a muggy, humid early summer in 2000 and a crisp fall in 2009; the one constant: the place in the wine as it was so delightfully displayed and replayed last night.
To accompany, I chose a 2004 Breton Bourgueil called "Trinch". The Bretons, Catherine and Pierre, were in Portland at a trade tasting and KT and I were blessed to meet this lovely and very gracious couple. At the time of our meeting, the Breton's were importing through Louis Dressner but now bring their wine in through Kermit Lynch. I asked Kermit about this, when I met him at E&R wines last spring, but he offered little to explain and in the end what does it matter anyway, except to say that both importers represent a guaranteed trek into superb wines.
But back to the wine, Trinch is a word that is supposed to represent in french the sound of two glasses clinking in a toast. I wasn't sure what we would find with the six year old cab franc; in the press you always read about this "early drinking" wine, full of blackberry and mulberry flavors (has anyone really tasted a mulberry?), hints of smoke and spice. What would six years do? Well, I'm happy to report that this was just a gorgeous wine and it tasted EXACTLY like the Chinon area that we remembered from our time there: cedar, violets, beet greens and simply place. This wine spoke directly of where it was from. Not all wines do that, do they? We talked about that, as we drank, how a good rioja - like the 2001 from Lopez de Heredia that we had Sunday night with an incredible spanish lamb stew (let me know if you want the recipe: it is divine) tasted exactly like rioja Spain, how a good cote du rhone tastes exactly like the rhone and on. We've had great wines that you can pin point to a geographical region, but they don't always bring the "place" to bear; I adore good burgundian chardonnay but I'd be hard pressed to say it is from "here" on a map. Perhaps it's the soil in the expression of wine (can this be the elusive and oft cited terroir?). We've had great cab francs from around the wine world but none have tasted liked this from the Loire and the remembrance of our time there is vivid now, a muggy, humid early summer in 2000 and a crisp fall in 2009; the one constant: the place in the wine as it was so delightfully displayed and replayed last night.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Adventures in Wally World
Greetings and Welcome to Wine E the Elder.
This my inaugural posting in the new blog begins with our recent trip to Walla Walla, Washington, with Ruth and Steve and their (now our) friends Mark and May. This trip in November has been an annual event for many, many years. What started originally as an exploratory weekend, we soon (we being KT, moi and T&J) were snared into the yearly bacchanalia that surrounds the Cayuse release. Although the Cayuse release has now moved to April, our salmonoid instincts drew us back to the spawning grounds of so many wonderful wines, meals and memories. This trip, sans Cayuse, proved no exception.
The trip over was exceptional for the unusual weather. Most of the way the air was thick with a milky, gossamer haze, often rendering the eerily placid Columbia barely distinguishable from the horizon and above. Paul Simon's Hazy Shades of Winter played constantly in my head. We, of course, stopped in Arlington to pay homage to the Tot, (And the Tot did NOT disappoint!) then it was onward Dionysian Soldier.
Our first stop, once within the wine rich circumference of the WW, was at L'Ecole. I had read that their Apogee blend was again available and I had distant memories of enjoying it. Also, a new blend to me, the Perigee, was being offered; whether it was the clever titles or the 'hope springs eternal' side of me I don't know, but we, despite having previously mediocre at best experiences at L'E, trudged through their line-up of forgettable wines. The P & A are "bordeaux blends", so they say. They can say that because the varietals they use, cab sauvignon/ merlot/ cab franc, are the same as those used in the mother land, but honey, it is a sacrilege to even use the "b" word in the same context. L'Ecole bordeaux blends are to bordeaux what Miracle Whip is to mayo, what Velveeta is to cheese, what Kraft Mac'n'Cheese is to pasta! Needless to say, we did not let the dust settle on our feet as we headed for the exit; not even a Mercy buy in hand. L'Ecole: I finally understand my lesson...we have graduated and won't be back.
On to Long Shadows, then, to sample through current offerings and stuff from their library. It was fun to taste vintages that we have kept underwraps, awaiting the taming of the fruit that only time can bring to these bottles. The Poet's Leap was delightful, as always, and maybe a few bottles came home with us, but we were not enticed to pony up the big bucks that the big reds are going for. The lunacy of paying +$50 for those monsters cannot be sustained, can it? Yeah, it probably can, but for we who enjoy the finesse of barolos, barbarescos, chateauneuf's (for a lot less dough) the day of reckoning arrived. We just said no, Nancy, we just said no.
The journey to town got a lot sweeter, when we stopped off at Bunchgrass. Although the original proprietor, Roger, is not directly involved anymore, the winery has stayed true to his legacy. We tasted a malbec, a couple of syrahs and a cab sauvignon that were just delightful and didn't smack of the jammy, sugery, high alcohol offerings that are ubiquitous in WW land. Okay, maybe one of each came home with us and they were not mercy buys: the mercy will be in the graceful way they someday make their way to our ample table.
Dinner at the downtown Bistro found the six of us full of good cheer; we made a stop on the way at the new-to-us Main Street tasting room of Sinclair. There, we tasted some pretty reds and heard a charming little nineteen year old cutie crooning out some soulful tunes from the forties and fifties. The tasting room was elegant, bedecked in antiques and sculpture and all the atmosphere equalled pricey but not over pricey wines. We snagged a nice bottle of cab sauvignon for the future. At the Bistro the ensuing food and bottles of wine only increased our bon vivant mood and made for a delightful end to our first day trek. Wined and dined, boys and girls, that's the winning hand and we held 'em in spades.
On day two in Wally World, we made some new discoveries and indulged in some old favorites. KT and I began the day at the Reynvaan winery, sampling their early offerings and chatting up some very friendly folks including a geologist of some reknown. The winery sources its grapes from the fabled cobblestone fields near Cayuse's holdings and the wines had some of the same character...oh, and they had some of the same prices! So we limited our indulgence to the two best futures and will be deelighted to pick those up next year. The geologist, by the way, was one who spent the day with the legendary wine writer Alice Feiring this past spring. Alice is a formidable opponent to all wines domestic and a legendary zealot for the difficult to define "natural wine" movement. But she had good things to say about her visit to Cayuse and that's no small compliment. Read it for yourselves: http://www.alicefeiring.com/blog/2010/03/1st-stop-cayuse.html
Mark my words: we got single bottles this time but they will surely follow the Cayuse exclusivity formula and go to the "three bottle minimum" ploy soon. It is a capitalist adventure, after all, and a successful model has been already established.
From Reynvaan, KT and I went to see our good buds at Gifford Hirlinger aka "the potato house". Great wines, great people and maybe a few bottles found their way into our car. Such yummy juice at such reasonable - for Walla Walla - prices. We were there when they first opened and owner Melissa was about 180 months pregnant; she's been scarce since, raising her and Mike's two kids but they are old enough now so she could come to the tasting room. How nice are these people, Mike and Melissa? When we maybe purchased a few bottles, Melissa forgot to charge us non-tax rates. We had mentioned that we were heading to Trust after her place and she called us there to tell us that she had overcharged us and if we came back by, she would compensate us with another bottle of wine! Ah, the antidote to all the commercialism that speckles these vineyards.
For a luncheon rendevous, we headed to Abeja to join our new crew. Interestingly, the scene at Abeja was considerably more subdued this year. The economy? The absence of Cayuse crowd? Don't know but it was different. Their wines, of course, were great but we were not inclinded to take any home.
From Abeja we went to the forgettable but delightfully named winery: Tranche. And there, we made our first and only Mercy buy: a pinot gris that has a wee bit too much residual sugar. Tranche is apparently affiliated with the uber hip and pricey Corliss winery and has some work to do to make a niche in the coveted wine world of WW. I wrote it off but KT wants to come back and see if it can grow into its pedigree.
Final night was dinner at the Whoopemup Cafe. More good food and good wine and we closed this visit out in style. Sunday night, back in the comfort of our lair, we followed tradition by having a french white wine with a simple but delicious meal. And, as in years past, we were amazed at how much more enjoyable the simple wines of Europe are, than any we tasted in Washington. Simple, elegant finesse and made for food. It's like we've been eating deep fried foods for days and then, at last, sit down to a fresh crisp green salad. Really, it's that different. So, in the end, we decided, that Walla Walla wine touring is always about the experience and seldom about the wines. And as long as the experience delights, as did this one, we will continue to brave the big "bad" world of big "bad" red wines.
This my inaugural posting in the new blog begins with our recent trip to Walla Walla, Washington, with Ruth and Steve and their (now our) friends Mark and May. This trip in November has been an annual event for many, many years. What started originally as an exploratory weekend, we soon (we being KT, moi and T&J) were snared into the yearly bacchanalia that surrounds the Cayuse release. Although the Cayuse release has now moved to April, our salmonoid instincts drew us back to the spawning grounds of so many wonderful wines, meals and memories. This trip, sans Cayuse, proved no exception.
The trip over was exceptional for the unusual weather. Most of the way the air was thick with a milky, gossamer haze, often rendering the eerily placid Columbia barely distinguishable from the horizon and above. Paul Simon's Hazy Shades of Winter played constantly in my head. We, of course, stopped in Arlington to pay homage to the Tot, (And the Tot did NOT disappoint!) then it was onward Dionysian Soldier.
Our first stop, once within the wine rich circumference of the WW, was at L'Ecole. I had read that their Apogee blend was again available and I had distant memories of enjoying it. Also, a new blend to me, the Perigee, was being offered; whether it was the clever titles or the 'hope springs eternal' side of me I don't know, but we, despite having previously mediocre at best experiences at L'E, trudged through their line-up of forgettable wines. The P & A are "bordeaux blends", so they say. They can say that because the varietals they use, cab sauvignon/ merlot/ cab franc, are the same as those used in the mother land, but honey, it is a sacrilege to even use the "b" word in the same context. L'Ecole bordeaux blends are to bordeaux what Miracle Whip is to mayo, what Velveeta is to cheese, what Kraft Mac'n'Cheese is to pasta! Needless to say, we did not let the dust settle on our feet as we headed for the exit; not even a Mercy buy in hand. L'Ecole: I finally understand my lesson...we have graduated and won't be back.
On to Long Shadows, then, to sample through current offerings and stuff from their library. It was fun to taste vintages that we have kept underwraps, awaiting the taming of the fruit that only time can bring to these bottles. The Poet's Leap was delightful, as always, and maybe a few bottles came home with us, but we were not enticed to pony up the big bucks that the big reds are going for. The lunacy of paying +$50 for those monsters cannot be sustained, can it? Yeah, it probably can, but for we who enjoy the finesse of barolos, barbarescos, chateauneuf's (for a lot less dough) the day of reckoning arrived. We just said no, Nancy, we just said no.
The journey to town got a lot sweeter, when we stopped off at Bunchgrass. Although the original proprietor, Roger, is not directly involved anymore, the winery has stayed true to his legacy. We tasted a malbec, a couple of syrahs and a cab sauvignon that were just delightful and didn't smack of the jammy, sugery, high alcohol offerings that are ubiquitous in WW land. Okay, maybe one of each came home with us and they were not mercy buys: the mercy will be in the graceful way they someday make their way to our ample table.
Dinner at the downtown Bistro found the six of us full of good cheer; we made a stop on the way at the new-to-us Main Street tasting room of Sinclair. There, we tasted some pretty reds and heard a charming little nineteen year old cutie crooning out some soulful tunes from the forties and fifties. The tasting room was elegant, bedecked in antiques and sculpture and all the atmosphere equalled pricey but not over pricey wines. We snagged a nice bottle of cab sauvignon for the future. At the Bistro the ensuing food and bottles of wine only increased our bon vivant mood and made for a delightful end to our first day trek. Wined and dined, boys and girls, that's the winning hand and we held 'em in spades.
On day two in Wally World, we made some new discoveries and indulged in some old favorites. KT and I began the day at the Reynvaan winery, sampling their early offerings and chatting up some very friendly folks including a geologist of some reknown. The winery sources its grapes from the fabled cobblestone fields near Cayuse's holdings and the wines had some of the same character...oh, and they had some of the same prices! So we limited our indulgence to the two best futures and will be deelighted to pick those up next year. The geologist, by the way, was one who spent the day with the legendary wine writer Alice Feiring this past spring. Alice is a formidable opponent to all wines domestic and a legendary zealot for the difficult to define "natural wine" movement. But she had good things to say about her visit to Cayuse and that's no small compliment. Read it for yourselves: http://www.alicefeiring.com/blog/2010/03/1st-stop-cayuse.html
Mark my words: we got single bottles this time but they will surely follow the Cayuse exclusivity formula and go to the "three bottle minimum" ploy soon. It is a capitalist adventure, after all, and a successful model has been already established.
From Reynvaan, KT and I went to see our good buds at Gifford Hirlinger aka "the potato house". Great wines, great people and maybe a few bottles found their way into our car. Such yummy juice at such reasonable - for Walla Walla - prices. We were there when they first opened and owner Melissa was about 180 months pregnant; she's been scarce since, raising her and Mike's two kids but they are old enough now so she could come to the tasting room. How nice are these people, Mike and Melissa? When we maybe purchased a few bottles, Melissa forgot to charge us non-tax rates. We had mentioned that we were heading to Trust after her place and she called us there to tell us that she had overcharged us and if we came back by, she would compensate us with another bottle of wine! Ah, the antidote to all the commercialism that speckles these vineyards.
For a luncheon rendevous, we headed to Abeja to join our new crew. Interestingly, the scene at Abeja was considerably more subdued this year. The economy? The absence of Cayuse crowd? Don't know but it was different. Their wines, of course, were great but we were not inclinded to take any home.
From Abeja we went to the forgettable but delightfully named winery: Tranche. And there, we made our first and only Mercy buy: a pinot gris that has a wee bit too much residual sugar. Tranche is apparently affiliated with the uber hip and pricey Corliss winery and has some work to do to make a niche in the coveted wine world of WW. I wrote it off but KT wants to come back and see if it can grow into its pedigree.
Final night was dinner at the Whoopemup Cafe. More good food and good wine and we closed this visit out in style. Sunday night, back in the comfort of our lair, we followed tradition by having a french white wine with a simple but delicious meal. And, as in years past, we were amazed at how much more enjoyable the simple wines of Europe are, than any we tasted in Washington. Simple, elegant finesse and made for food. It's like we've been eating deep fried foods for days and then, at last, sit down to a fresh crisp green salad. Really, it's that different. So, in the end, we decided, that Walla Walla wine touring is always about the experience and seldom about the wines. And as long as the experience delights, as did this one, we will continue to brave the big "bad" world of big "bad" red wines.
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