Grazr Stream of the Day: Wine

Tempier thrashes Ott in war of the rosés

Dr. Vino — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:07:06 GMT

Domaine Tempier, venerable rose from Bandol, emerged victorious against arch rival from Provence, Domaines Ott, in a war of the rosés on the official Dr. Vino Deck this past weekend.

First up was the Ott (Chateau de Selles bottling), with its sleek and stylish bottle that vaguely resembles a pink bowling pin, boasting a retail price of $30+ a bottleobscene by rosé standards, which has made it the unofficial wine of the Hamptons.

Not the overpriced yacht juice that I had feared (and vaguely remembered) it to be, the 2007 Ott actually has a pleasant arc, with delicate fruit and acidity (find this wine). Intriguingly, it has a honeyed note while remaining absolutely dry. But it was so smooth it somehow tasted like it had a little work done; an enological nip and tuck perhaps?

Next up was the Tempier (find this wine). Darker in color, this rosé has a little more of that wild character than the sleek and stylized Ott. This probably comes from a good helping of mourvedre, that stinky red grape, in the blend. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied, with greater depth, intensity and a beautiful arc. With depth and seemingly natural elegance, this is a serious wine, not just a serious rosé. Of course, like all things powerful and elegant, this comes at a price, namely $39.99 list. Fortunately I got it at a 20% sale this summer, but the still high price means that the next time I try it may well be on someone elses deck (or you can bring it to memakes an ideal host/hostess gift, especially in magnum!).

In another arena, we also tasted some other rosés. Speaking of the Hamptons, earlier in the weekend we dropped by the Channing Daughters winery during a quick stay in Long Island. The winery makes a whopping 23 wines, including three small production rosés, from cabernet franc, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon respectively (find these wines). All 2007s and all solid, they offer a great rose colored lens for viewing the fact that rosé is not monochromatic; they got darker and gained heft as we ascended from cabernet franc to cabernet sauvignon. My fave was the cab franc with a delicate aroma of strawberries and fennel.

Finally, the 2005 Joseph Roty Marsannay rosé (find this wine) joined the skirmish. From a northerly area in Burgundy that has the rare distinction of producing reds, whites and rosés, I was eagerly anticipating this $25 rosé de pinot noir given my enthusiasm for two domestic examples from the grape. However, unlike the light Provencal rosés, this one was dark and had aromas of macerated strawberries. Ill be looking to spend my rose dollars next year on other parts of France, such as Chinon since I found many great 2007 buys from there. These should remain good values since there arent too many yachts on the Loire.

"These are the times that try men's souls"

Paul Romero — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:08:48 GMT

I've actually read The Crisis by Thomas Paine. The class was 'American Political Thought". The reading list was extensive; Notes on the State of Virginia, The Federalist Papers, The entire Lincoln Douglas Debates, Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Fortunately as tough as the professor was, he also had a weakness for good food and beer, and he would always take a small group of us out to dinner after class. I learned perhaps more from the debates we'd have at those dinners, than even the reading list.

We learned to sharpen our arguments, and organize our facts in those Socratic, beer inspired debates. We also learned a great deal about intellectual strength. Sticking to what you know to be right in the face of popular pressure.

Every year in September we go through trying times as grape growers. Without fail we will have a heat wave in September every year. All around us panic starts to break out. People worry about rising sugars, and the pressure builds to harvest early.

It is a trying time. You have to stick to what you know is right, and let the grapes hang through the heat. Even as you read about harvest starting, and picking beginning, you know the grapes really are not ready. You have to have the guts and intellectual strength to stick with what you know is right.

It's very hard. A mistake and the resulting wines can have too much alcohol or burnt flavors. What if the heat doesn't end is always a concern? It gets worse as more people start to pick, and they always justify their panic with all the reasons they think it's the right thing to do, and how wrong it is to not pick.

We've got to stick that out. Hold on, do what we know will be right; "Simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense...divest yourself of prejudice and prepossession, and enlarge your views beyond the present day." Or for a more modern view: "We've got to hold on to what we've got...We'll give it a shot. We're half way there"

Which I would bet is the only time you've ever seen Thomas Paine and Jon Bon Jovi quoted in the same blog.

Twitter Live Tasting!

noreply@blogger.com (Sonadora) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:26:00 GMT

More details area available for the upcoming (September 18, 7pm est) live Twitter tasting hosted by Bin Ends Wine and co-hosted by moi!

The line up for the wines, all from Michel Schlumberger, is:

Now, I have the Chardonnay and Cabernet in my basement already and I have an 05 Merlot...but I'll be picking up the correct Merlot and the Syrah from Bin Ends!

Bin Ends is selling all 4 bottles as a tasting pack, including shipping, for $110. That's a pretty sweet deal in my opinion as I believe that Cabernet alone usually retails for about $45!!

If you have yet to taste Michel Schlumberger's wines, now is the time to pick up the tasting pack, follow us on twitter, and get to taste live and ask questions live of the winemaker!! How cool is that?

All the details, and the link to the tasting pack are available here. I hope you will join us for the live tasting, last month was a blast!

I have some brief notes from my latest visit to Michel Schlumberger and I will try to find those today and give you a slight introduction to some of the wines we will be tasting!

High Tech Wine Fraud Prevention

Mike Carter — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:49:57 GMT

The latest tool in the battle against counterfeit vintage wines is rather high tech. Antique Wine Company in London asked Guegans Centre for Nuclear Studies to create technology that zaps bottles with ion beams generated by a particle accelerator. The beams are meant to determine how old the glass in the bottles is and where it originated from. They can compare the suspicious bottles with known bottles from a certain chateau.

Of course this brings up the problem of new wine in old bottles. That involves another test, a method that tests for levels of a radioactive isotope, cesium 137, in the wine itself. Techniques like this were used in the case of wines sold by Hardy Rodenstock, the wine dealer who is the subject of "The BIllionaires Vinegar" a recent book that includes the story of American collector William Koch who has sued Rodenstock claiming bottles which allegedly belonging to US president Thomas Jefferson were fakes.

Because of the high cost of testing, techniques like this are only used when there are significant amounts of money on the table. This may force savvy fraudsters to move into the mid-range of the vintage market where clients are less likely to resort to such elaborate means.

Using RFID To Track & Monitor Wine

Prooftag, A New Way To Combat Wine Fraud

By Deidre Woollard.

Tom Cannavan picks his wines of the month from August 2008

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:01:00 GMT

Tom Cannavan picks his wines of the month in four categories, from the selection tasted in August

La Botte Dell'Abate 2001Riserva Montepulciano D'Abruzzo wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:39:00 GMT

Brilliant deep garnet with big bouquet of wood, black cherry and a candy like foundation of Good 'N Plenty!

It has a big sweet spice blast at the first that is awesome; loads of spicy fruit with smooth tannins and a lingering finish of wood and fruit. Best of this grape I have had to date so raise a glass. (About $12 I think!)

Rosenblum San Francisco Bay Heritage Clones Petite Syrah 2004 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:33:00 GMT

This is a deeply pigmented wine after the fashion of the grape. It is cranberry and black cherry colored with black cherry aromas and sweet steel.

In the mouth this wine is sweet, has a nice texture that is plush with dark fruit on a nice foundation. It finishes a bit quickly but is pretty tasty and at the $19 price point, raise a glass!

A Post from London

Mad Dog — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:51:41 GMT

This week I am in the UK. I have spent some time near Cambridge and I am now in London. I am staying at the Farmers club right in the heart of London just across the Thames from the London Eye. I flew in from France last Thursday. I really enjoyed my time in Eastern France and learnt lots about how wine is made in the 'old world', and some of the mystic that is attached to it. The photo is another that I took while I was in France, in the Alsace region.

Back at home in the Barossa Valley it has been a relatively dry week, with only 2.8mm of rain recorded. We have also had 3 frosts (2 of them quite a low -1.4C). I hope these have not done any damage, I have been told that some of our vines were at woolly bud stage and so will be vulnerable to frost from now on.

Penfolds St Henri Shiraz 1998

Edward — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:11:00 GMT

South Australia. Shiraz (with a small amount, 5%, of Cabernet). Cork (half stained). 14% alcohol. Source: Cellar.

Like an infant woken from slumber, this wine is stern and unresolved. It's large and rich and laden with texture and flavour, while still possessing form and spine. Compared to recent vintages I have tried, this is somewhere between the 2004 and the 96. I suspect this will outlive my Liebherr wine cabinet and still be a rewarding drink in the 2020s. . .

Excellent.
94.
2013 - 2020.

technorati tags: wine, australian wine

Rose Colored Glasses

noreply@blogger.com (Sonadora) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:10:46 GMT

*Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample because I am a member of WineQ's Beta Club.

The wine for the night was a 2007 Ceja Bella Rose. It's a blend of Syrah and Pinot Noir, has a real cork closure, clocks in at 12.7% alcohol by volume, and can be purchased through WineQ for $21.99. I've enjoyed several of Ceja's wines from WineQ previously, so I was very excited to see another option added. However, I will say that the price for this bottle struck me as a bit high, even though I really enjoyed the wine. I have trouble wrapping my head around an over $20 bottle of Rose.

The color on the wine was great. It almost looked dark enough to not be a Rose and it certainly wouldn't win any palest Rose contests! On the nose I found red raspberry, flowers, strawberry, kiwi, and spice. The nose was aromatic and smelled crisp. In the mouth I found red berries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, limes, and cranberries.

Overall the wine was dry as could be (in fact, I wrote down dry in 3 different places in my notes) and had great red fruit laced with citrus flavors. This Rose was refreshing and tart, and would make a great match with my easy BBQ ribs, or just as a wine to enjoy on the porch.

Training Update

Paul Romero — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:01:00 GMT

We're two weeks in and doing well. Good thing we started early too, because harvest looks like it will be 2-3 weeks early this year from the past few years.

The Expresso.net bike says I'm over 56 miles in two weeks and the scale says I've dropped 8 pounds. I'm really focusing on the things we'll need for harvest; leg strength, endurance and lifting 30-40 pounds over and over again. I'll also have to watch out for the hand problems that come with harvest. Scrapes, hangnails, cuts and sore hands all come with harvest time. I've got to start now with using moisturizers and remember to wear gloves as much as possible.

There are a lot of people who work at wineries who say harvest doesn't official start until you bleed. Once you have a cut on your hand that requires a bandage, harvest has really started. The sting on your hands from 3.5pH juice in open cuts is one of the little parts of harvest that isn't very glamorous.

I thnk both Stef and I are feeling we're doing well right now. We're getting to the gym every other day or so and getting good workouts done. We should be ready once things get going.

Grapes You Don't Like?

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:06:44 GMT

That was the question. Innocent, no? I read it in on my computer in Chez Claude, a wine bar in...

Wine KitKat: have your say

Dr. Vino — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:25:55 GMT

The folks at Nestle have a wine flavored KitKat in Japan! Clearly they need our help. I mean really, what KIND of wine?!?

So what should be this products tagline? Hit the comments with your thoughts!

To get the ball rolling, Ill riff of the classic Reeses ad with You got your chocolate in my wine!

More news from the Snooth

noreply@blogger.com (Evelyne Resnick) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:57:00 GMT

It's so enjoyable to follow the technical improvements of innovative sites. When one thinks the site reaches a high level of technology, one is proved wrong very fast. I was already impressed with the geographical search facility of Snooth but it already evolved in a wider and hipper version. You can now search by postal code in 11 countries in addition to the US. Just set your location and let Snooth filter your search results. Because it also has a fresher look, it makes one's visit more pleasant. One advice: visit Snooth and enjoy!

A recap of Spottswoode’s late Summer garden party

TrevR — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:21:34 GMT

This past weekend we made our way up to Spottswoode in St. Helena for the winerys annual late Summer garden party. Guests were invited to enjoy a total of six different wines, as well as gourmet cheeses, fresh vegetables, wood-fired pizza and much more.

We arrived a bit late and found the grounds packed with people. There was still plenty of room and it was fun to explore the property, which despite all the people still seemed quite peaceful.

The following wines were available for tasting and we tried them all:

Spottswoode 2007 Sauvignon Blanc ($32 per 750ml bottle). We really liked this wine, finding it light, crisp and just the right compliment to a hot summer afternoon. The only criticism we could come up with was the price, which at $32 is a bit higher than were used to seeing for a Sauvignon Blanc. Heres how the winery describes it:

The nose is perfumey and richly Sauvignon Blanc in character. Sweet apricots and notes of crème brûlée and vanilla playfully intertwine amongst grapefruit and orange peel. Uniquely textured, the wine enters with excitement, is delicately rich and oily at the center, and lengthy in the finish. Round and rich, this vintage exhibits orange peel and stone fruits with a pleasing minerality.

Spottswoode 2005 Lyndenhurst Cabernet Sauvignon ($60 per 750ml bottle). Of all the Cabernet we had (and we tried several), this was our personal favorite. Made of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, there were just over 1,200 cases produced and the wine was aged in 100% French Oak. At $60 this is a solid option for a prime Napa Valley Cabernet. Heres the winery description:

The 2005 Lyndenhurst begins with aromas of dark roasted coffee deliciously evolving into malted cocoa, ripe plums and chocolate-covered cherries. Supple and approachable, bright and rich, the 2005 is fresh and inviting. Soft tannins are infused with lavender, pine and toasty oak, rewarding flavors to the end.

Up next was a vertical tasting of the 1996, 2002 and 2005 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon. Each had its own unique characteristics, but for our palates we seemed to keep coming back to the 05. This wine is quite a bit pricier ($130 per 750ml bottle) and the winery describes it as follows:

Ripe, expressive, plummy fruit with hints of raspberry, ripe dark cherries, dried blueberries and licorice—all trademark flavors of the Spottswoode Vineyard—expands on the palate to toasty oak notes, dark and seductive, with sweet creamy caramel culminating into a beautiful, long finish.

Finally, we were treated to a taste of the Spottswoode 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from the barrel, which was clearly quite young but showed some great promise.

Below are a few photos from our visit. If youre planning a Napa Valley visit we recommend arranging a stop in to see the folks at Spottswoodenot only are they producing some excellent wine, but theyre good, friendly people too.

the wines of Castello di Querceto, Tuscany

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:01:00 GMT

Tom Cannavan tastes the wines of Castello di Querceto, Tuscany, an estate that believes in terroir and a range of single-vineyard bottlings

Sohne Wine Bottles

Mike Carter — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:19:17 GMT

Sohne Wine bottles designed by Ned Wright.

By Yael Miller.

Flora Springs Winery Tasting Room

Mike Carter — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:08:35 GMT

The Flora Springs Winery in St. Helena, California has one of the most intriguing tasting rooms Ive seen in a while. The Room was designed by Joe Miroglio of Miroglio architecture and the stucco stripes are meant to evoke the look of the caves where Flora Springs has been aging their red wines year after year for 30 years. Inside there is a 32-foot, steel and oak tasting bar.

There are also private tasting rooms and upper and lower patios terraced by rippling covered roofs. There are tastings at the Popcorn Bar as well as the Temptastings in the Tasting Cave which include food pairings matched to small production wines.

Tasting prices range from $15 to $50 for the single vineyard pairing.

By Deidre Woollard.

Pairing Sangiovese with Food

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:27:02 GMT

Fall is just around the corner and few wines are more enjoyable when the weather turns cool than Italys Sangiovese wines. In the video below, Iron Chef Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich discuss how best to pair Sangiovese with food. Take a look:

See full article.

Related Entries:

Wine and Hamburgers - 29 May 2006

The Wine Diet - 29 November 2006

What's New In Cookbooks - 13 June 2008

Wine Varietals: Sangiovese - 26 July 2008

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Vinaceous Snake Charmer Shiraz 2006

Edward — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:49:47 GMT

Limestone Coast, South Australia. 14% alcohol. Approx $A40 (from wine list).

To my son, I've been reading Roald Dahl's Charlie and the great glass elevator. All the adventures and talk of vermicious knids has obviously done something to my mind. For tonight, I felt compelled to order this from the Brisbane Hotel's wine list. . .

The label and the wine remind me most of Mollydooker. It's very ripe and very full (and seemingly bigger than the stated 14%) and certainly not for the mild and meek. Volatile and port like, this will appeal to many (though not me).

technorati tags: wine

Major events missed while traveling

noreply@blogger.com (Evelyne Resnick) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:38:00 GMT

How vexing to have missed so many fascinating events, just because I was traveling in the US and then taking two days (well, about 30 hours) to drag myself and my suitcases from California to France, through Salt Lake City and Paris. Convenient but not as fast as I hoped!

Anyway, I missed two major events and it will take me a little time to recover from the disappointment. Let's start by my first disappointment: a Live Twitter tasting and marathon food narrated by my friend Robert McIntosh, author of the blog The Wine Conversation and co-founder of OpenWineConsortium to match some of the best wines of Hugel & Fils. The Twitter Tasting is organized by the distributor Bin Ends once a month since July 2008, as explained on their site: "Twitter Taste LIVE is a ground breaking new tasting format that will bring the famous wine personalities of the world straight to the consumer via the popular social networking tool Twitter. This is not just national, but international! Users all over the world will have the opportunity to join the worlds top wine personalities online to taste their wines. Even better, users will have the potential to comment, ask questions and go back and forth with the winemakers in real time." Robert and the participants from Europe, China and the US chatted along the tasting and the pairing. The event went well, if I believe Robert's report with the usual little technical blunders. The experience was basically very positive and was even featured on Springwise.

His virtual tasting done, Robert McIntosh went to the first European Wine Bloggers Conference (EWBC) 2008 founded by our friends of the OpenWineConsortium (OWC) held in Logrono, Spain on August 28-31! That's what it takes to be an international traveler. They'd better give me the dates of the next conference: I'll make sure to be around. What stamina! When the organizers expected 10 people, they had many more and had to close the event for lack of room! Wonderful! It looks like everybody was able to taste wonderful wines brought by the attendees and WORK: they talked about what blogging is about and how to make money with a blog, they chatted live, they made videos and even had the conference filmed by VinusTV. There is not yet a formal report of the conference but you can already read all the biographies of the participants and their interviews.

Wine Isnt Funny

Tom Wark — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:11:48 GMT

I was sent the video below and laughed upon viewing it. I laughed hard. It could never find airing on any network or channel in this country. Still...very funny. (Kids, avert your eyes)

But here's the thing. This video file is labeled "Best Beer Commercial". It got me thinking, what about the "best wine commercial".

I went to Google and typed in "Best Beer Commercial". To quote Google: "About 50,500" pages with these words are indexed with the search engine. Then I searched on "Best Wine Commercial". Google says 5 such pages with these words are indexed in the search engine.

This bit of GoogleMinutia should give us an idea of just how insignificant video is to the sales and marketing of wine in the United States. Much of it has to do with the relative size of the U.S. wine market vs the U.S beer market.

This commercial also brings up another set of questions: Is Wine Funny? Should it be Funny? Can it be funny? Would it help sales if it were funny?

We all know beer is funny. When was the last time you saw a beer commercial that was even remotely serious. Maybe ironic. Maybe celebratory. But in the main, beer is presented as being the source of comedy when presented in television commercials. Have you ever seen a funny wine commercial presented on television? How about on radio? What about in print? (maybe a few in print) I'm sure there must be some examples of funny mass-marketing for wine. But I just can't recall it.

After all, what's funny about having to spend the equivalent of over $100 per gallon to drink a good wine?

Has the wine inflation beast been slain?

Dr. Vino — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:57:48 GMT

You think Champagne prices have risen a lot already? Just wait til the holidays when the prices will go up again.

Thats what a leading NYC sommelier told me a few months ago. When I heard it I went out and bought two bottles of champagne as a feeble hedge against the impending price rise. (But I drank them already though!)

Prices of many wines have indeed gone up. Last spring, I managed to find in my office the 2007 and 2008 catalogs of the same importers tasting. Prices were higher across the board, ranging 15 percent and went up as high as 40 percent. I should have alerted Ben Bernanke since that is several times the overall rate of inflation!

But recent developments have me wondering if the sommeliers prophecy might still be true. The dollar surged six percent against the euro last month. If it strengthens a fraction more, the greenback will be positive for the year, quite a change from the steady drumbeat of declines since the heady days of 2002.

That currency reversal means that wine importerslike airlines who now have tacked on all sorts of fees in the name of higher oilnow have less of a justification for higher prices. (Oil, which affects both imports and domestic wine, has also been turned around, now aiming for $100 a barrel down from $147.) Champagne may well be sui generis since the global thirst for bubbly seems to know no bounds. But what about reasonably priced imports? The vintages that will be landing on the market have been mixed: in Bordeaux, the 2007 vintage was weak but in Germany it was superb.

Will wine prices actually go down? Probably not. But markets tend to operate on a continuum of greed and fear. Maybe some importers are just that little bit afraid that the sorry state of the economy might cause consumers to trade down for cheaper bottles so they may hold the line on price increases (or hedge their risk if they think the current dollar rally is but a head fake). So maybe well see no more price increases this year, at least for imported wines under $30. This drinker can but hope.

Goes Down Easy

noreply@blogger.com (Sonadora) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:29:00 GMT

Our hot days and even hotter nights are winding down here now that fall is approaching, however, I can't yet seem to give up my cheap and cheerful Sauvignon Blancs. For this evening, the wine was a 2007 Matariki Sauvignon Blanc from Hawkes Bay. It clocked in at 13% alcohol by volume, had a screw cap closure and was part of my last 12 under $12 case from Total Wine & More. In the glass I was struck by the pale color of the wine.

On the nose I found grass, grapefruit, lemon, peppers, and herbs. In the mouth I got flavors of grapefruit, other citrus, and green pepper. This was no complicated wine, but it was racy and refreshing, with a good amount of lip-puckering acidity that lends itself so well to our hot swampy climate here in the DC summers.

Freeman Vineyard and Winery, Sebastopol, CA: Current Releases

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:28:59 GMT

Say what you want about the state of America, I know of no other place where it remains so imminently possible to realize your dreams. These days it takes a lot of money to do it, but this country is still one of the easiest places to decide that you want to achieve something, and then set out to do it.

This is especially true in the wine business which, despite being a far cry from the pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps success stories that typify the American Dream, continues to support those who decide to take their strongest passions and turn them into a reality.

The cynical might say that it is easy for rich people to live out their fantasies, but if you know anything about making wine, you know that there's a lot of hard work involved, and especially so if you're going to produce something good, rather than just a bottle with your name on it.

In fact, it's hard enough to do that when people who simply dive in because they love wine manage to make something fantastic, it's quite a surprise. Sort of like deciding you're going to open a restaurant because you love food and getting a Michelin star or two. But while not commonplace, it certainly is a possibility in the wine world. Just ask Ken and Akiko Freeman.

Freeman Vineyard and Winery was born of Ken and Akiko's mutual love of food and wine. The two met at a fateful garden party when the boat that Ken was crewing on was driven to port by a looming hurricane, and their love at first sight was soon cemented by their discovery that great Burgundy numbered in both their lists of the best things in life.

Their life together over the next 10 years revolved around three things: school (Ken would return for his MBA, while Akiko went back for a Masters in Art History), wine travel (to as many wine producing regions as they could manage), and business (all this while Ken brought the Discovery channel to Asia).

Returning to California in 1997 for Ken to take a job at CNET, the two decided that they wanted to set down roots in all senses of the word. As the Internet bubble swelled, Ken and Akiko began the hunt for a place to call home and a place to make their own wine. In 2001 they purchased a small winery in the town of Sebastopol in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Their goal was to simply make the best damn Pinot Noir they could.

And after having watched (and tasted) their efforts for the last few years since their initial vintage, I'd have to say they're getting close. Close enough for it to not make much difference if they ever really meet their final goal, because the wines are consistently excellent.

Freeman Vineyards and Winery is a classic example of what I call an "estate-less winery," a model that was popularized in the old world by the negociants of France, and which is gradually proving incredibly successful here in California. The Freemans own no vineyards (yet), only a winemaking facility and cellar. They purchase long term contracts for grapes with growers that let them be extremely hands-on with the vineyard management. Together with a contract winemaker, assistant winemaker, vineyard manager, and a small team of friends and family, they make small quantities of wine that bear the unmistakable signature of diligent and tender care just as they do the flavors of the soil they come from.

Freeman makes around 5,400 cases of mostly Pinot Noir from a couple of single vineyard sites around the Russian River valley, as well as a top cuvee named after Akiko that is their flagship wine each year. They also produce a Sonoma Coast designated Pinot Noir, and more recently a Chardonnay.

The winemaking regimen at Freeman, handled by winemaker Ed Kurtzmann (formerly of Chalone, Testarossa, and currently his own label, August West), is what you might expect from an artisan Pinot Noir producer. The grapes are babied in from the vineyard by hand, de-stemmed and fermented without crushing in small lots, and then mixed with the fermenting juice ("punched down") several times per day by hand as the fermentation proceeds. The wines spend at least 11 months in French oak before spending another six in bottle before release.

The crown jewel of the Freeman portfolio for me has always been Akiko's cuvee, which is a blend of "best-barrel" fruit from many vineyard sites and always embodies the best qualities of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.

Full disclosure: I received these wines as press samples.

TASTING NOTES:

2006 Freeman Vineyards and Winery Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
Medium garnet in the glass, this wine has a bright, horsey nose that combines cranberry, plum, and faint barnyard aromas into a pleasing whole. In the mouth it is soft and velvety with pleasant but not resonant flavors of cranberry and cherry. Soft, even plush tannins guide the wine to a decent finish with hints of herbs. Good acidity plus tannins says to me that this wine will age well. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $40. Where to buy?

2006 Freeman Vineyards and Winery Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
Light garnet in color, this wine smells of cranberries, herbs, and wet tree bark. In the mouth it has a beautiful texture and a dark loamy quality that is arresting even as bright acids dance on the palate. The primary flavors of cranberry and herbs are nicely balanced with this earthy quality, and remain so through a nice finish. Score: around 9. Cost: $45. Where to buy?

2006 Freeman Vineyards and Winery "Ryo-fu" Chadonnay, Russian River Valley
Light to medium gold in the glass, this wine smells of buttered popcorn in the best possible way. In the mouth that same bright buttered, almost savory flavor persists with a silky texture, only to be cut, slashed, and dazzled by a tempest of citrus zest and lemon curd that bounce on through a long, intense finish. Ryo-fu means "cold wind" in Japanese. Score: around 9. Cost: $40. Where to buy?

2006 Freeman Vineyards and Winery "Keefer Ranch" Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
Light to medium garnet in color, this wine has a rich plum and pomegranate set of aromas that creep out of the glass to take hold of your senses with a velvet vise grip. In the mouth its initial impression is of intensity -- smooth, silky and bursting with tart cherry and pomegranate flavors that are beautifully balanced with acidity and fine grained tannins. Hints of sandalwood and crabapple emerge on the long finish. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $40. Where to buy?

2006 Freeman "Akiko's Cuvee" Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
Light garnet in the glass, this wine has a pungent nose that, with the right memory, might instantly transport you to a misty ridge above the pacific with aromas of cedar and sea air mixed with redcurrant and cranberry. In the mouth it is soft -- baby bottom soft -- with bright, juicy flavors of cranberry, cherry, and amidst the nicely balanced acids and tannins, the faint traces of exotic spices that linger for a while, quietly. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $60. Where to buy?

Rosenblum Zinfandel Apellation Series "North Coast) 2005 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 01:04:00 GMT

Nice magenta hue with some depth and a bouquet of fruity black cherry and plum with anise notes.

The palate is rally sweet in the popular American style, with tasty, intense fruit with a silky presence. and loads of fruit.

I paid $14 on sale for the regularly priced $18 wine. Finishes with some smoke and is a very nice Zin at the price so raise a glass.

Burgans Albarino 2005 wine review by (PB)

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:57:00 GMT

Pale straw wine with gentle bouquet of flowers and lemon with a mandarin orange hint for lack of better description.
The palate has presence of flavorful, off-dry citrus with gentle "flat" white peach (maybe called satellite peach) and vanilla. This is a tasty wine that is better as a solo wine than some of the other Albarino's I have had. Very nice at $16 price point so raise a glass.

d'Arenberg The Galvo Garage 2002

Edward — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:20:16 GMT

McLaren Vale and Fleurieu, South Australia. Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot, Petit verdot and Cabernet franc. 14.5%. Cork. Source: Cellar.

One of the pleasing things about wine blogging, is the people you come to know. Joe is one such individual. He lives somewhere on the opposite side of the globe and he is a very talented wine blogger with a deep passion for d'Arenberg.*

After a hard day in the sun, I was procrastinating about what to drink (does that mean I have too little or too much wine at home?), after half an hour of indecision (I even toyed with the idea of an alcohol free day), I settled on this wine. . .

To begin with form, this is rounded, fleshy and full. Of course there is Cabernet structure and hardness - seams of coal and graphite, followed by muscled tannins, but there is also plenty of padding and suppleness. The scent is exaggerated, tomato leaf and an impossibly ripe blackcurrant, that makes me think of dimethyl sulfide. It's full of character (which is of a polite way of saying this lacks grace, but has lots of energy and interest) and is faintly medicinal.

Very good.
90.
Now - 2012.

*The d'Arenberg Peppermint Paddock Sparkling Chambourcin is more than likely to be on Joe's shopping list, as he drives to 100. . .

Summer Return

Eric Asimov — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:39:00 GMT

(Photo: Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times) I've dreaded this day. Not that I don't love my job, but I had dedicated my vacation to not working and, well, I kind of got used to the idea. So, please allow me a deep breath, a sigh and a leap over the hurdle of indolence. There. I'm [...]

Ill Have My Booze Just In Case

Tom Wark — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:49:13 GMT

Ive thought a little bit about natural disasters. Out here in CA its all about the big earthquake. I have a pretty substantial emergency kit stocked with cloths, food, batteries, radios, water, etc. But what I forgot to put in there is booze.

These people were not as delinquent as I:

It appears that the Hurricane Gustav spurred lots of people to stock up on booze.

Why?

Is it a matter of not wanting to ride out the storm sober? Maybe they figure that so many stores will be knocked out of commission in a Hurricane they may end up with no access to alcohol for a while. (Is that a bad thing?) Or maybe they figure water wont be potable and you can count on alcohol not being tainted. Im not sure what it is.

But it is kind of funny.

Ive got about 20 cases of wine here in the house in Glen Ellen, stashed in various places. I figure as long as my roof or walls dont come down and fire doesnt break out during an earthquake my stash is relatively safe. Its all fairly close to ground or pretty darn secure. So, Im safe if the big one hits. Ill have my booze.

But just to be safe, Im putting a case of that wine in my Earthquake Emergency Stash. I feel better already.

Disoriented

Tom Wark — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:29:00 GMT

I left the movie theater after watching "Bottle Shock" very disoriented.

The movie, loosely based on the 1976 Paris wine tasting that pitted California wines against French wines and that put California wines on the map, provided me with a movie-going experience that I'd never had before.

I've never watched a film where people I know and people I've met were portrayed. But in addition, I've never watched a film where the locations used were intimately familiar to me; places I walk past and into on a regular bases and places I've spent a great amount of time.

I've seen films that brought to the screen characters I felt close too or felt I knew very well. But those characters usually were familiar to me from the reading of the book first. And though it's always fun to look at a film and think, "oh, I've been there," it's altogether different to watch the tavern scenes in "Bottle Shock" and think, "Lord, how much time have I spent on that very same bar stool at that very same bar where actors portraying people I know are sitting?"

The whole experience makes me rather incapable of deciding if "Bottle Shock" was a good movie or not. I certainly enjoyed it. In fact, I enjoyed it tremendously. I do know this: it is a far more authentic "wine movie" than "Sideways, with just enough romantic stereotypes to provide a backdrop, but not going overboard.

The one thing that was on my mind before walking in to see the film was whether or not we had on our hands another film, like "Sideways", that would boost sales of wine; really give the wine industry or a type of wine or a category of wine a boost in sales. I'm somewhat bummed to say we absolutely do not have a film that will lead to any kind of bump in sales a la "Sideways".

When we see a move that inspires us in some way, it's natural to want to internalize, act out or re-experience the themes of the movie that inspired us all over again. For those inspired by "Sideways" and wanting to reconnect with the themes and characters, all that was necessary was to go to to a local bottle shock and pick up Pinot Noir or go to wine country and experience the satisfaction of appreciating and discovering the beauty of wine. And "Sideways" did inspire many to take this walk to the bottle shop or go to wine country. And sales of Pinot Noir saw a tremendous boost as a result.

In order to re-experience the inspiration of "Bottle Shock" one must go out and buy a vineyard or winery or wine store.

The movie examines the ambitions of people in different parts of the wine industry: the winery family, the young winemaker, the young wine loving merchant seeking to climb higher in his industry and in the minds of his peers. While the film's story might indeed inspire and delight, it's not going to lead viewers to take much action for the simple reason that that they can't. Vineyards and wine stores cost more than a bottle of Pinot Noir or a trip to wine country.

Alas, no bump in sales.

Chateau Montelena and Gustave Thrace Winery are the big winners in this film. Montelena is the featured winery in the movie. And a wonderful character in the film, probably my favorite, was Gustavo Brambila, portrayed by Freddie Rodriguez. Gustavo worked at Chateau Montelena for a short time, went on to make wine for many years in Napa Valley at Grgich Hills before opening his own winery, "Gustavo Thrace", in 1996. Gustavo's winery is prominently mentioned at the end of the film, before the credits, where the fall out of the Paris Tasting is described and the lives of the characters are brought up to date.

If any general category of wines benefits from "Bottle Shock" it will be those of Napa Valley, which are portrayed correctly as world class. However, anyone inclined to investigate the worlds best wines will eventually get around to Napa Valley anyway and won't need to be prodded into it.

Hard to Put Down

noreply@blogger.com (Sonadora) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:16:00 GMT

Ever since I went to law school, I find myself with a short attention span for reading books. I think reading thousands of pages of case books a week in order to try to stay on top of your class material did a number on my desire to read. So I don't read much anymore, which is a small tragedy for me, since I used to read anything and everything I could get my hands on, including backs of cereal boxes, random pamphlets, and even, at times, the dictionary.

So when I find a book that I actually want to finish, and in fact, don't want to put down, I get excited. And that's what I found in Extremely Pale Rose: A Very French Adventure y Jamie Ivey. I purchased this book on a whim from the local bookstore, R.J. Julia's in my parents' town, when I was visiting for Christmas.

Extremely Pale Rose details the adventures of the author, his wife, and one of their good friends, on a whirlwind adventure in France, searching for France's palest Rose. It all started one afternoon at an outdoor cafe, where they sat drinking Rose with their niece Rosie. A language barrier and a misunderstanding sets them off on a year long challenge to find a Rose paler than the one produced at Chataeu Etienne or else facing the challenge of finding an English importer for the Chateau's wine.

The books is told from Jamie's point of view, as they give up their flat in England, and prepare to leave for France. Adventure after adventure follows the threesome through France, as they scramble to meet their one year deadline. I found myself saying "Ok. I'll just read one more chapter, and see if they find a really pale Rose in the next town." And then, after that chapter was finished, I just had to read the next. I was rooting for them throughout the book, wanting them to suceed, fearing they would not.

And do they? Well, you'll have to read it for yourself to find out! An easy read, and it was perfect for my plane ride and lonesome hotel stay on one of my many work trips this year.

North Bay Business Journal gets a ’scoop’…

TrevR — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:59:48 GMT

one that we wrote about last week, that is. In an article published today, the North Bay Business Journal reports that Michael Chiarello is in the process of finalizing details around a new television show to be filmed on the V Marketplace property where his new NapaStyle store is and where his to-be-opened restaurant, Bottega, will sit.

Sound familiar?

It should, we reported these very same details on August 26th.

Meanwhile, construction at the Bottega site is coming along quite nicelytheres a great view to be had from the second level of the V Marketplace (just above NapaStyle). Just this weekend we noticed new renderings of what the completed restaurant will look like from the outside hanging on the blinders that surround the site at present. Heres a glimpse:

NBBJ article is here.

Market report for June: how fine wine investments fared in July

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:01:00 GMT

The Market report from Liv-ex, an electronic stock exchange for fine wines, looks at how fine wine prices have moved in June, examining trends and what's influencing the market.

Raise Your Glass to the Pinot Noir Glass!

Catie — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:27:27 GMT

Can a glass really make a difference in the wines we taste? I'll admit to being persnickety about certain beverage glasses (never liked drinking wine out of a glass that has a thick rim) and although I do own a few sets of Riedel glasses that I love, I’ve been a bit cautious to not get so caught up on their "magic."

A few weeks ago, Steve and I were in Portland on our way to wine tasting through the Willamette Valley. We stayed downtown Portland and across the street from our hotel was the "Oregon Wine Bar on Broadway" - - and of course, we had to check it out. It was a friendly bar (staff and customers) that was bright and roomy, with an excellent assortment of Northwest wine including an impressive selection of wines from Walla Walla. We decided, "When in Oregon...,"so we immediately jumped into a flight of Pinot Noir - 2006. Steve was particularly happy with the selection offering as the flight included one of his favorite labels of Pinot Noir, Stoller Vineyards. Also, included were two other Oregon wineries, Hamacher "H" Wines and J Christopher Winery.

At first glance of the flight, I noticed the glasses were a cheaper bar glass like what you would see at a fraternal lodge stag bar, where wines are often an afterthought - short stem, small 4 oz bowl with a very thick rim. The glasses were also very scratched from many visits to the dishwasher. Being familiar with the wines from Stoller, I was very disappointed in the nose and taste. The nose was closed and what aroma I finally caught was pungent and sour. This wine did not have the elegant quality that I remembered and seemed kind of tight - flavorless. "H" was a little better in flavors, while J. Christopher seemed to be a heavier, thicker tasting Pinot, but Steve noticed a bit of vinyl taste. Overall, the experience of this Pinot Noir flight was still enjoyable and a perfect way to kick off our visit to the Willamette.

The next morning, we were on the road - destination Willamette Valley with our first stop at Stoller Vineyards. The glasses given to us at Stoller to taste from, were nothing I had ever tasted from before. I had only seen these interesting shaped glasses in catalogs. They were very different from the typical round Burgundy glass, but with an extra-large crystal bowl that flared towards the rim. Of course, they were Riedels. We commented about the glasses and were told they were especially designed for Oregon Pinot Noir. I remembered reading about such glasses but rather passed it off, with a raised eyebrow. The same 2006 Pinot Noir that we tasted at the Oregon Wine Bar on Broadway was not the same wine - - but it was! It was the exact Junior Vines Estate Pinot Noir - 2006! The nose was full of sweet strawberry jam and cherry pie with accents of almond. The taste was earthy with a spicy finish and never showing a flaw. We told the tasting room attendants about our positive experiences with their wines (Steve more so as he is a club member) and about the not-so positive the night before - - their wine was our least favorite of the three wines in our flight. Of course, it was like the light bulb went on for all of us - it was all about the glass. The staff explained to us about what a difference the Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir glass made: from how crystal alone conveys aroma and flavors better than ordinary glass and the fruit of the Pinot Noir is accentuated with the tapered glass.

Our last wine of the Stoller flight was their SV Estate Pinot Noir - 2006. This wine was the selection of their very best senior vines and the best of the barrels. The nose was just about the most exquisite wine ever and could make a non-lover of Pinot Noir change their mind. Aroma of violets, spice and earth came through and the ripe flavors of cherries. We savored this wine while enjoying the view of the perfectly manicured vineyards. Our tasting room attendant encouraged us to take a walk down the hill and up the slopes to the vineyard. Along with the invite, she poured us another glass of the SV Estate into a heavy plastic wine glass especially made to pack in a picnic basket. We "inspected" the pristine vineyards, assessed the canopy management, the fruit zone, the clay top soil (yah okay, we're grape geeks) and of course, took in the view of the Willamette Valley scenery from the hilltop. And while we were absorbing everything around us, we couldn't help but notice the difference of the same wine we had tasted earlier in the Riedel Pinot Noir wine glass. Flavors and aromas were there, but noticeably very muted in the plastic glass with the thick rim! Viva la difference! I will never raise my eyebrow again.

Duck ham. . .

Edward — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:26:00 GMT

I posted the recipe a few days ago. Despite the cadaveric appearance, this is sweet smelling and pink inside. The golden brown flecks on the surface are not colonies of bacteria, but spice fragments. . .

Serving suggestions - I've been eating this plain, but last night I topped a poached egg with a few thin slices, allowing the egg to take on some of the spice and saltiness.

Wine? A pinot dominant sparkling wine. A moderately priced local example would be the convincing 2004 Domaine Chandon Rosé Brut. (Multi region, 12.5%, Diamant cork, Approx $A35). Pale pink and scented with rose petal, raspberry and apple. Mouth-filling and creamy and then taut, savoury and dry. 90. Now - 2010.

Anglican wine bars set to take over Birmingham

Dr. Vino — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:53:47 GMT

If youve wanted to work for the Church of England but have felt constrained by the whole clergy thing, Birmingham Cathedral in England may have just the position for you: sommelier.

According to this article, the Cathedral has hired a new director of hospitality and welcome away from a department store. He plans to open a chain of wine bars in the downtown area as well as implementing loyalty cards for regular parishioners (on the tenth worship you get a tall glass of forgiveness?).

Mark Hope-Urwin, the new director, said: Were not trying to encourage drinking, but the cathedral has to engage more with the city and find ways of meeting people on their territory.

Perhaps educating parishioners about wine will lead to an upgrading of the Communion wine? Wouldnt want them to spit that, after all.

Hit the comments with your thoughts on whats on the wine list at an Anglican wine bar!

The Omnivore's Hundred

noreply@blogger.com (Sonadora) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:21:00 GMT

I've seen this list popping up all over the blogosphere, most recently at McDuff's Food and Wine Trail. I thought about participating earlier this week when I first started seeing it, however, other endeavors got in my way. Today, however, is Labor Day, and my only plans for the day include catching up on my much neglected roaming of the interwebs ;). The idea behind The Omnivore's Hundred list is that you check off all the things you've tried, and cross off the things you would never try! The official rules are:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at Very Good Taste linking to your results.

Here's my list, things I've tried are in bold, italics (because I can't figure out how to strike-through...) are things I wouldn't eat, I put stars next to the things I can't identify, which probably means I haven't eaten them.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho*
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi*
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses*
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream (I don't like nuts.)
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet Pepper (I'd like my tastebuds to be able to taste wine..)
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters (I'm allergic.)
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda*
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi*
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float (I don't drink soda of any kind, ever.)
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (I'll take the cognac, minus the cigar, the smoke would give me an asthma attack(
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal*
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu*
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi*
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (I don't eat at McDonalds.)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin*
64. Currywurst*
65. Durian*
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini (I've had caviar, no idea what blini is though...)
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu*
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong*
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum*
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky*
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa*
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

I don't think I make a good foodie. I've only had 38 of these things and I wouldn't eat 6 of them. Further, I have no clue what 16 of them are. I'm a bit of a picky eater, but I've gotten better in recent years...

BRIX Readings

Paul Romero — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:36:12 GMT

We've started to take BRIX (percentage of sugar to juice) readings in our vineyards. I like to harvest grapes at between 23.5 and 25.0 BRIX. It depends on the vineyard and other factors exactly when we pick, but those are the 'numbers' I look for.

We also look for 'secondary' signs of ripeness. The pips or seeds should become brown and crisp. The petiole, where the cluster connects to the vine, should harden and turn brown. The skin should start to dimple on the grapes, and when you eat a grape the flesh should tear with your teeth and the pulp should separate easily from the seeds.

I also check for flavor development. Grapes change flavors as they get ripe. Syrah starts of very citrus like, with pineapple, and tropical fruit. It then gets very peppery with raspberry and cherry fruit. Next it starts to develop deep cherry and berry fruit, the pepper gets more like black pepper and finally you get fruit flavors like wild berries and dark plums. If you leave it on the vine long enough, you'll get prunes, dates and raisin flavors.

I like to pick when the flavors are in the middle area, with still a hint of red fruit, but moving into the dark fruit flavors and before the prune flavors show up. In our vineyards that usually happens right around 24-25 BRIX.

Right now most of the vineyards are right below 20 BRIX in the 'warmer' vineyards, and 18 in the cooler ones. That means we are still 3-4 weeks away in the warmer ones and 6-8 in the cooler ones. Secondary signs are just starting to show, and flavors actually seem a little ahead of the BRIX. We'll probably pick the grapes around our home, the Haut Tubee, in about two weeks. That is always our first pick of the season.

New Grape

noreply@blogger.com (Sonadora) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:40:00 GMT

The wine for the evening was the 2003 Esporao Trincadeira 2003. I purchased this wine from Domaine547 for $24.99, it clocked in at 14.5% alcohol by volume, hails from Portugal, and I believe it had a real cork closure, though to be honest I didn't write it down. (For some reason my Firefox spell check has decided that it doesn't like contractions anymore...)

On the nose I found blueberry, spice, blackberry, plum, raisins, prunes, vanilla, and toast. The wine's nose struck me as a combination of a Syrah and Petite Sirah. I purchased this bottle in my quest to try some new varietals, so I had absolutely no expectations leading into trying the Trincadeira grape, nor do I have anything to compare it to!

In the mouth I got flavors of blueberry, plum, blackberry, spice, baking spice, and raisins. The wine had huge tannins. It was full in the mouth, fruity up front, but drying in the back palate. I was really struck by the blueberry in this wine, making me lean almost toward it being kind of Peite Sirah like.

We drank this on its own, but I think with the big tannins it would have shown with a nice thick steak or a rack of lamb.

Penfolds Koonunga Hill 'Seventy six' Shiraz Cabernet 2006

Edward — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:19:23 GMT

South Australia. Shiraz, Cabernet sauvignon. 14.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A20.

I first read about this wine back in March. I looked for it momentarily, but gave up. I liked the idea that in celebration of 30 years of Koonunga Hill, a special wine and retro label was created. Not being able to find it initially, I settled on the standard release.

I fortuitously found a few bottles this week. Which coincidentally is the week that Fosters (the current owner of Penfolds) made their full year profit announcement. For 2008, their net profit fell by 88% (to $A111m), thanks largely to a decision to write down the value of their under-performing wine division by $A603m.

From what I can gather, the 'seventy six' is aimed at restaurant wine lists and boutique retailers (mine was purchased from Lamont's in Cottesloe), who presumably would not bother with the standard release of Koonunga Hill. Over 30 years, the value of Koonunga Hill has also been written down, at least in the eyes of the average consumer. Will the 'seventy six' restore the faith, or just create more confusion? There is a risk that it will merely highlight the apparent decline in quality. . .

Compared to the standard release, this is 100 basis points north in terms of weight (14.5% versus 13.5%) though it is clearly recognisable as Penfolds, and as Koonunga Hill. Smelling of malt, dried herbs (lavender and bay leaf), mulberry and well toasted oak, this is concentrated, sweet and silken. It's Balsamic like in intensity, with lovely length, polish and poise. A pleasing wine, where the hand of the maker is clear and present.

Very good - excellent.
92+
Now - 2016+

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