Terlato Pinot Noir

2008 Russian River Valley.

A 5 year old PN with that nice juicy dark red that looks so Burgundian.

The nose is not as earthy as I expected but full of dried tart strawberries with a touch of sautéed thyme.

The thyme continues on the palate as well as lush strawberries that were crushed and sunbaked. This is going to go so well with our steak and sautéed garlic and onions.

Two words

Fizzy. Cantaloupe.

I decided to try this sparkling sake out. I am used to them being sweet, this one is semi-sweet. Nice steady stream of tiny bubbles from the bottom though, so you know this is naturally carbonated.

But I come back to the flavors, or sort of lack there of. Really, cantaloupe is dominate. There is an ever so slight lemon zest to the middle, but it ends on that heavy melon note.

Corvo Nero d'avola

Whoa, seriously dark nose on this wine from the moment I opened the bottle. Dark cherries rolled around in earth, toasted wood/ashes, and herbs. There is something perfume-like about it as well, floral/vegetation.

Dry tart plums and berries on the palate. Not a dark flavor to it, as the nose would suggest. Rather a light body with decent tannins and acidity.

I think a grilled herbal sausage in stewed tomatoes would be really good with this. Alongside of a cheese filled pasta.

Lieb wine

 I suppose I am in a NY and PA wine kick at the moment?  But coming from a French Bistro I'm intrigued by the varietals coming out of the states - things I could not get in VA really.  Not to put down Virginia wines, but they really should stop making Chardonnay... 

We have had two bottles now of this Pinot Blanc by Lieb in NY.  It has just the right amount of acidity to make it food friendly, but also has a decent light weight body to it.  Peaches, lemon peel, and a melon I have yet to identify are the main characteristics - on the palate as well as the nose.

I recommend giving it a go with your next fish based meal, little butter and herbs and you are good to go!

Wine tastings?

I am finally settled in and looking for places near me that do wine tastings.

And, honestly, I would love to host them again. It has been 3 months since my last event. Middle of January, crazy bunch of alumni, it was great! :)

Stay tuned for developments

PA Seyval Blanc

Decent acidity, notes of apricots with lemon, and just a hint of minerals. Really good with a fresh fish dinner! As I work my way through their whites this is one to keep on the list for warmer weather.

Trying out PA wines

I have to say, I think PA does the Norton grape better than VA!

Plump, juicy, with good acidity.
$20, a good deal.

Looking forward to trying more :)

Cold climate German grapes

Just enjoyed this wine, an unoaked yet dry Red from the Finger Lakes.

The nose is completely black berries and blueberries, but there is a fading floral note as well. On the palate it is juicy and dry with good acidity. Really a wine you could just sip on all evening.

I recommend contacting a friend in NY and seeing about obtaining a bottle today :)

Officially in the 'Burgh

As I settle into my new home I want to thank my readers for hanging in there :)

Aurora NY winery

Not that long ago I went to the Finger Lakes Wine Festival. There were many wines; few I liked. One was this from Long Point Winery, a Zinfandel.

Unlike others I tried, this one had a good body with fantastic blackberry jam and dark bitter chocolate notes. Really solid yet fruity with almost 14% alcohol. There were hints of fennel as well as other herbs and almost a coffee note to the finish, but blackberries is the key.

Happy new year!!!

I want to wish everyone a happy 2013 :)

Ciders

Have I mentioned my love of ciders before? If not, it is one of my favorite things about Fall. A good pear cider or apple cider at the end of the day, as it cools down outside, sitting on the balcony over looking the changing leaves... Yep.

The one I am seen holding is one we carry at La Fromagerie, it is from Normandy. Runs $17 and worth every penny.

Wines from Quintay

Looking for good value Chiliean Wines?  I found a few, let's go over them, shall we?

Chardonnay, 2009 - $14
Nose: pears, little citrus notes, and smells pretty crisp
Palate: Nice body with fresh pear flavors, and a touch of minerals and lemon zest.

As you should know by now, I do not like oak in my Chardonnays.  My basic description of most Chardonnays is as follows - "take a popsicle stick, dip it into melted butter and eat it.  Gross, right?"  This Chardonnay does have some oakiness to it, but you can tell it is older oak, oak that has had most of its tannins sucked out by other wines.

Thurston Wolfe's Cabernet

Thurston Wolfe "Teacher" Cabernet Sauvignon, $25

Nose: Black Olives, sliced peppers, maple/brown sugar
Palate: silky smooth, lighter than expected.  With a smoky maple quality, dark juicy cherries, cassis, and a light chocolate note.

I am a fan of their Dr. Wolfe Family Red wine, so I wanted to try out their Cabernet.  Though I think it has a nice aroma and flavor, it lacks the tannins/"umphf" I expect from a Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is very smooth and almost too silky for my liking.  My apologies to Stan Clarke, of whom this wine is named for.

WILDAIRE Cellars

http://wildairecellars.com/

One of the perks of my job is getting to meet the wine makers.
The other week I had the opportunity to meet Matt, who is originally from VA and moved to Oregon to produce Pinot Noir.

Though he specializes in Pinot Noirs, I happened to like his Tempranillo the best.

WildAire Cellars Tempranillo, $21

Sight:  a lovely shade of Ruby
Nose: cherry/raspberry, with a touch of vanilla spice
Palate: So soft, subtle, and smooth for a Tempranillo!  Lush berries, little bit of a floral note to it, and a toasted vanilla note (thanks to the Oregon Oak it was aged in)

I would LOVE to have this with an aged Cheddar of some sort.  And I am really thinking about bringing this in for the Fall.


2010 "Timothy" Pinot Noir, $21
Nose: light cherry fruits and blossoms, and maybe a hint of cherry cola/Molasses
Palate: Cherry Lollipop, light body with good acidity, notes of Cola.


2009 Reserve, $38
Sight:darker in color than the previous Pinot Noir
Nose: Vanilla, Cherries, Currants, notes of anise.
Palate: Spicy cherries, Cola, Currants and Plums.  Good tannins makes me think this will age pretty well and perhaps bring out more of the spicy earthy quality and less of the Cherry Burst.

Pinot Gris from OR

Belle Pente, Pinot Gris 
$22

Those who know me know that I do not like Pinot Grigios very much at all.  But I do tend to like Pinot Gris.  So I figured I would give it a go!

This wine seemed rather shy so there are no real aromatics to speak of, but I was struck by the smoothness of the wine itself.  On the palate there were peachy, mineral, almost ashy notes that were prominent.  Giving way to something more tropical.  I was expecting it to be more acidic than it was.

Though I liked it, it is a little pricey.  I would rather stick to my unoaked Chardonnays.

it is not easy, when you are too green

Bernard REVERDY et Fils Sancerre 2011
$15 (375ml)


While I normally love Sancerre, L-O-V-E Sancerre, this one does not make my list.  Feel free to sigh, I am.

The Nose: Crisp green pepper and grass notes, with a touch of minerals.

The Palate:  Green peppers, green peppers, green peppers . . .  oh.

How can you smell so good and be a one note Sauvignon Blanc?  Perhaps too young?  Whatever the cause, I cannot think of a reason to drink this again any time soon.  But maybe I will give it another sip in a few months.

A Light Pinot Noir for a warm day, I must say

Biggio Hamina 2009 Pinot Noir
$25



On the Nose:  unsweetened Twizzlers may not be the most eloquent way to put it, but it has notes of tart cherry and strawberry to it, so that is what I 1st thought of.

On the Palate: Tart cherries, strawberries, and a little raspberry as well.  There are also notes of walnuts, uncooked oats and something floral - perhaps rose petals.


Even though this is an incredibly light Pinot Noir, it is not thin.  It has a good medium body to it, that gives the walnut notes a more rounder feel.  Even though the body could stand up to it, I would not pair this with anything heavy or too full on flavor - you will overwhelm the wine.  Stick with this as a before dinner drink with a little cheese or to end dinner with.  Or just crack it open on your balcony, like I do!

Thurston Wolfe's crazy red blend

Thurston Wolf 2009 Doctor Wolfe's Family Red
$18
(First, I must note what an odd blend this wine is - Primitivo, Lemberger, and Petite Sirah.)

On the Nose: there are coconut notes, as well as smoke/ash, and a touch of berry vanilla.  I was expecting something along the lines of a Zinfandel, but nope, this is a totally different creature.  


On the Palate: it must be the Lemberger in there, giving off those chocolate and coconut notes.  The Petite Sirah and Primitivo have the dark berry, earthy, hearty notes covered.    Honestly, this wine makes me think of a Samoas/Caramel Delights in a glass.  There is a caramel note midway through the sip- this mixed with the chocolate and you have that Girl Scout Cookie!  Only minus the sweetness and tannins instead of a cookie crust.  But you know what I mean, don't you?


Stop in to see me, and give it ago.  I have it on my wine list!

New Sav. Blanc on my wine list, at La Fromagerie

Claar Cellars 2011 Sauvignon Blanc

$16.00

On the nose: nice notes of grass and minerals.  You can tell this came from the White Bluffs by the seaside aroma this wine has.  There are hints of stone fruit and pears, yet pineapple stands out the most.  Letting you know you are in for a crisp, tingly wine.

This is a lively Sauvignon Blanc - very acidic, but not overpoweringly so.  Citrus/pineapple finish with those apricot/pear notes in the middle.  Actually a surprisingly medium weight body to it as well.