Wine tasting on 7-5-08

Present were Uncle-N, Winepath, Piroca and guest appearance of Brother-M, Lady-SEA, and JBug. It was held at Uncle-N’s for a change. We started with two sauvignon blanc; one from Loire and another from Napa. Then blind tasted 4 reds. Finally we tasted syrah-based sparkling wine (Goose bumps). Uncle-E was absent and Jimmy went to beach with his family. We are not going to score these and we did not really taste but we were just enjoying the wines and the intent of this note is purely for the record so that we know what we enjoyed.

1. Domaine Merlin Cherrier Sancerre 2005

A classic Sancerre from Merlin Cherrier. Nice mineral nose. Crisp tart acidity without any wood derived flavor.

2. Rudd Sauvignon Blanc 2006

This one is quite different in style. Very crisp with acidity almost feels like effervescence. Nice green apple.

These two nice summer wines were enjoyed with many interesting and tasty assorted cheeses each with a different distinctive character; one particular smelly cheese later became a bit of a problem (quarantined in double-fastener zip-lock bag) but while we are tasting the cheese, the smell did not bother us. Nice acidity of both sauvignon blanc went very well with the rich taste of these cheeses.
We also enjoyed “smoked salmon” pizza. The base of which is made of pizza bread with chives in it, crème freche, smoked salmon and topped with more chives. Again, the smoked salmon went very well with these crisp whites.
One more pizza hot from the oven; caramelized onion with goat cheese black olive, and pine nuts. Again the sweetness of the onion went very well with the sauvignon blanc.
Now we are into the reds.

3. Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova Sangiovese Grosso 2001

Nose has nice vanilla and caramel with very slight earthiness. The palate is nice with good black fruits, long finish and supporting firm tannin. We thought this is a high-end Cali cab and were astounded to learn that this is Brunello. Here are quotes from all the experts;

92 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (December 2006): The 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova is Neri’s modern-styled Brunello. It is made from vines planted in the southern part of the zone and aged in small oak barrels. It displays a darker, almost saturated color and notable concentration with masses of sweet dark fruit, smoke and licorice flavors that flow onto the palate with exceptional length and balance in a powerful, brooding style. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021.

91 points, Wine Enthusiast (April 2006); A beautiful showing thanks to rich red fruit, pomegranate, blackberry, plum, menthol and heavy toasted notes such as clove, vanilla, almond and coconut. Rich, supple and inky, this is a big, bold wine that should be opened 5–10 years from now.

97 points, Wine Spectator (April 2006); Dark color with intense blackberry, chocolate and lightly toasted oak. Full-bodied and ultravelvety, with caressing tannins. Vanilla, chocolate and berry. Goes on for minutes. Best after 2010. 4,830 cases made. (JS).

3. Lokoya Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Nice wine and mostly because Uncle-N contributed it, two tasters thought this was Spanish--but they were wrong. Piroca had tasted this before. Big tannin was mellowed out but could have bottle aged more. Here are what experts said.

96 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocates (February 2005); The magnificent 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder boasts an extraordinary perfume of lead pencil shavings intermixed with charcoal, blueberries, blackberries, and cassis. This provocative Cabernet possesses the highest tannin level, but also the most concentration, texture, and depth. As it sits in the glass, scents of flowers, espresso roast, and black fruits emerge. A tour de force in Cabernet Sauvignon, it requires 4-5 years of aging, and should last for two decades.

93 points, Stephen Tanzer (June 2005); Good full ruby. Elemental, extremely primary nose features grapey blackberry, licorice and violet pastille. Big, sweet, broad and creamy; a huge, powerful wine with slightly rustic flavors of dark chocolate and minerals. Finishes with compelling sweetness of fruit, and very broad tannins that arrive late. From a block of vines that was recently torn out due to phylloxera. The richest of this trio of cabernets. Winemaker Chris Carpenter notes that the intention here is to make three wines of place by using "neutral" winemaking techniques. "The only difference among the wines is maceration times," he added. All three of these bottlings are close to 15% alcohol. 93(+?) points

94 points, Wine Enthusiast (May 2005); There’s something almost Zinny about this wine, with its brambly, briary notes of wild blueberries and blackberries and sun-warmed summer bark and dust. It possesses fabulous intensity, but those mountain tannins are palate-numbing, and they shut down the finish...

3. Veraison Stagecoach Vineyard Synchrony 2002

We had this before (please see the previous blog entry) but both Uncle-N and Winepath (as usual) could not identify this wine. Definitely new world style with nice almost sweet fruits. Cab and Syrah blend were mentioned. This is cab blend including cab franc, Marbec and Merlot. Then we tasted #4, Uncle-N and Piroca said they tasted very very similar and even suggested they could be the same wines.

4. Veraison Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

This is from the same vineyard and same vintage but 100% cab.

These wonderful reds were paired with;

Fillet mignon Carpaccio-style (medium rare) with tangy sauce (soy source, mirin, balsamic vinegar with grated ginger and au jus) and sautéed garlic bits accompanied by baby arugula and black bean corn salad (cilantro, cumin and jalapeño pepper).

Chicken meatballs flavored with shitake mushroom and nutmeg in Italian tomato sauce and fresh basil; Shitake mushroom risotto (unfortunately, this was made ahead of time and sat in the pan and then finished but it was over cooked and had the consistency of rice porridge).

5. Mollydooker Goosebumps Sparkling Shiraz 2006

Very interesting sparkling wine. The color is dark red like any Shiraz but bubbly. Not sweet (no sugar sweet) as you may expect but has lots of sweet fruits with creamy bubbles. “The Shiraz has been selected from Scott & Cheryl Longbottoms' vineyard in Padthaway and Darren & Belinda Joppichs' vineyard in Langhorne Creek, both of which are producing grapes which exude incredible flavor and complexity.”

This was paired with wonderful desserts contributed by Winepath and Lady-SEA; Winepath brought the most spectacular cake. It was a flourless multi-layer walnut cake. The rich taste of caramelized walnuts suffused the cake’ unctuous texture combining with the butter icing melting in the mouth. The decoration was intricate and professional. The favor and texture paired beautifully with the wine. Its hard to imagine such a cake can be made outside a Viennese pastry shop. Lady-SEA contributed a collection of Pennsylvania Dutch cookies; miniature shoo-fly pie cookies, soft sugar cookies and date nut bites.