Domaine Pierre de la Grange (Luneau-Papin) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Vieilles Vignes 2008 - $14

David: This is the third Muscadet that we have tried. The others were the Domaine de la Pepiere and the Domaine Herbauges Clos de la Fine .

These wines were all similar. The same big nose of citrus and minerals. The same chalky, salty tastes. This one however seemed a little bit more expressive than the others. Full bodied, prickly mouthfeel (especially with food). The other two seemed a bit more subtle. The nose on this one is really huge. The distinct aromas, lemon and brine leap from the glass. These wines are all about acidity but balanced with some fruit and plenty of minerals. There are multiple layers to it with the long finish getting somewhat bitter and austere but beautiful. Went wonderful with chicken cooked in butter with terragon sauce, mushroom risotto and broccoli.
Score 4.2/5

Jessica:
This wine was delicious. A distinct mineral taste, a tiny hint of lime but no other fruit. A slight saltiness but the dry, full-bodied white gave rise to some subtle tastes of herbs, olives and artichoke. Strong nose. Best chilled.
4.4/5

Di Majo Norante Contado Aglianico 2005 - $12

David: 100% Aglianico from Molise Italy. Crimson in color. Nose is a bit subtle. Black current, crushed stone, oak, herbs and pomegranate. Delicious big black current, blackberry fruit on the palate with good acidity, a bit of spice. Juicy. Nicely balanced with good structure. Moderate tannins. Nice finish.
Score: 4.0/5

Jessica: Light nose; medium bodied. Fruity mix of dark and red fruits. Well balanced. Medium tannins. Good length. A very easy-going wine all around, would go well to wash down with pasta.
Score: 4.0/5

Masi Amarone Wine Tasting a Binnys

Meet Tony Apastolokos, North American director for Masi, who will conduct a seminar showcasing the classic and unique process of vinification of Amarone. You will sample one single cru Ripasso: Brolo Di Campofiorin, and four single cru Amarone's: Costasera, Vaio Armaron, Campolongo Di Torbe and Mazzano.

All these wines are made by Masi in the Veneto region of Italy.

Tasting notes:

Masi Masianco 2006 -$12 - A white wine. Blend of Pinot Grigio and Verduzzo. Nice yellow color. Spectacular nose. White peach, lemon oil, minerals, oak, flowers. Full bodied. Creamy texture. Decent acidity and well balanced. Tastes like an expensive white burgundy. Hazelnut finish. Fantastic value.
Score 4.3/5

Masi Brolo de Campofiorin 2006 - $25 - A red Amarone. Garnet in color. Nose of coffee grounds, rose petals and plums. Opulent fruit. Chocolate and black cherry fruit. Nicely layered with good tannins and a long finish.
Score: 4.1/5

Masi Costasera 2006 - $60 - (Pictured) A red Amarone. Dark purple in color. Nose of chocolate covered plums, tobacco, coffee and menthol. Wonderful, opulent black cherry and plum fruit with excellent layering and complexity. Great tannins. Botrytis gives it the slight sensation of sweetness despite it being completely dry. Some cinnamon and liquorish on the finish. A spectacular wine.
Score 4.6/5

Masi Serego Alighieri 2003 - $75 - A red Amarone. This one aged in cherry wood and this gives it flavors and aromas of cherry and cedar. Cigar and herbs. Chocolate covered cherry on the palate. Some port-like oxidization. Big tannins and complex structure with plenty of wood characteristics. High alcohol.
Score 4.5/5

Masi Campolongo di Torbe Amarone 2001 - $160 - Older and more port-like than the rest. Browner in color. Figgy and spicy. Flavors of almond. Big tannins and big sturcture like the rest.
Score 4.3/5

Masi Mazzano 2001 - $185 - More purple than brown. Nose of plums and molasses and chocolate. Black cherry fruit with smoked meats, spice and strong tannins.
Score 4.4/5

Nelm's Road Merlot 2007 - $21

David: Dark crimson in color. Big nose of rich, ripe red cherry, berries, vanilla. Fox fur, maybe shoe polish. Big opulent fruit on the palate. Moderate acidity. Strong tannins. Some spice. Good structure and complexity. Lots of sediment. Solid finish with some heat.
Score 4.1/5

Jean Max Roger Sancerre Cuvee G C - 2006 - $19

David: Bright gold in color. Gorgeous nose of honeyed mellon and minerals. Some muskiness. Acidity and fruit are wonderfully balanced. Complex layers of fruit. Even a bit of spiciness or herbaceous notes. Overall a beautiful wine. Went nice with barbeque chicken.
Score: 4.4/5

Jessica: seemingly light. Fragrant nose with flowers and mild herbs. Crisp and fresh. Delicious.
Score: 4.3/5

Alto Almanzora Este 2007 - $8

David: A red blend from Andalucia Spain. 45% Monastrell, 25% Tempranillo, and the rest syrah, garnacha, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon. Crimson tending toward purple. Medium depth of color. Fantastic nose has black cherry, red currant, smoke, spice box, coffee and vanilla. Nice black fruit on the palate, decent acidity. Gets spicy quickly. Medium tannins. Nice structure and balance. Ends on dark fruit notes, some bitterness and a little heat. Pretty nice and a good value.
Score 4.0/5

De Bortoli Merlot 2006 - $6

David:
Light purple in color. Pinot-like, cherry nose. High acidity and tart cherry define this wine. Good and cheap, food wine. Not complex but has sufficient structure to keep it interesting. Soft tannins. Some spice. Some cola on the finish.
Score: 3.8/5

Jessica:
Juicy and sweet. A touch of vanilla. Palatable, rounded and balanced.
Score: 3.9

Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay 2008 - $8

David: Yellow in color. Nose of flowers and tropical fruit and of course oak. Very soft mouthfeel. High alcohol but not harsh. Overall, a nice, likeable, low-priced Chardonnay.
Score: 3.9/5

Jessica: Solid no frills chard. Did the job. Crisp with subtle fruits. Oak present but not overwhelming. Easy summer drinking wine.
Score: 3.8/5

Plume Bleue 2007 - $10

David: This french VDP is 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah. Light crimson/purple in color. Nose is weak and pretty hard to detect. Red fruits. Some of that distinctive grenache smell and maybe crushed rock, minerally aromas. Decent acidity and pretty good strawberry, plum fruits followed by soft tannins. Finishes with some bitterness that is interesting and not unpleasant. Overall, I like the wine but it is subtle and not especially exciting.
Score: 3.7/5

Domaine du Bouscat, Cuvee la Gorgone 2006 - $16

David: A Bordeaux blend of 60% Merlot, 20% Malbec, 18% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep purple in color. Nose is earthy more than fruity with leather, black fruit and violets, a hint of menthol. Opens up a bit after a while. Full bodied and dense. Not overly fruity or acidic. A bit hollow on the mid palate. Mild tannins. Finish is decent but not especially attractive. Overall,the wine is good but not a stand out.
Score 3.5/5

Jessica: Peppery and leather in the nose. Initially a strong nose but eventually became more subdued. Full-bodied, but easy going down due to the low-impact tannins. Nothing about this wine really stood out that much. It was good, but not great.
Score: 3.8/5

Bellum Providencia 2006 - $14

David: From Senorio de Barahonda who made the Nabuko which we liked a lot and the M5 which we just thought was Ok. 100% old vine Monastrell from Yecla Spain, aged in French oak for 8 months.

Color is crimson. Not too dark. Gorgeous, big nose of black cherry, smoke, blueberry, violets and forest floor earthiness. Big fruit on the plate with pepper and good acidity. Soft tannins. Layered with black cherry turning to blueberry and finally jammy berry fruit with some bitter notes along the way. Balances wonderfully the fruity and earthiness. Finish is quite long and pleasant.
Score 4.2/5

Jessica: Strong fruits--dark cherry, plum with dark earthiness. A long finish with ample complexity. A bit of astringency hits the tongue and radiates throughout the mouth; medium tannins, on the softer side. Full-bodied and delicious. An ideal "jessica-whine" with a nice balance of fruits and mouth-puckery yumminess.
Score: 4.4/5

Trimbach Gewurztraminer 2006 - $16

David: A Gewurztraminer from Alsace. We tried the
Riesling from Trimbach before.

Gold in color. Nose has apples and honey with some gingerbread spice. Some mineral character. Off-dry to dry, full bodied acidity is muted. Somewhat subtle fruit character on the palate. Transitions into a more dry mineraly wine on the finish as vodka-like alcohol becomes a little more apparent. But pleasant overall.
Score: 4.0/5

Jessica:
This wine required me to recheck my detection of sweet vs/ fruit. The nose was so fruity, giving essences of apricots and peach that I was certain it was sweet when I took my first sip. In fact it is a dry white, but had a full delicious fruity character that made it seem sweet. It was full-bodied, and seemed well balanced to me. I thought it was really nice.
Score: 4.1/5

Scott Harvey Mountain Select Barberra - 2007 -$17

David: Dark crimson in color with glints of magenta. Big rich nose. A little strong a first but it gets gentler with time. Ripe cherry kirsch, dusty earth, some burnt rubber and sight vegetal character. The most distinctive aroma is menthol. Toasted oak. Reminds me a bit of the Illinois wines we tried recently. Tart on the palate with mountain berries and cherry. Well layered with good structure despite weak tannins. Tartness pick up and ends with rhubarb and liquorish. An interesting,complex wine but not really to my liking. Might be better with foods like grilled meats.
Score 3.9/5

Jessica: Dark red in color, slightly magenta. This wine was tart and fruity but had a note of sourness to it. Nice big nose initially but I did feel that it became overtaken by a tangy note. Red fruits like strawberries present. Tannins mild and not very distinguishable.
Score: 3.6/4

Favorite wines so far

Starting with most favorite

Domaine de la Janasse Bussiere - 2007
Terranoble Pinot Noir - Chile
Hughes Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet 2008
Georges Duboeuf Morgon Domaine Jean Descombes 2008 - Beaujolais
Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz 2007
Botromagno Primitivo 2005
Prima Mano Primitivo 2006
Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti Superiore "Le Orme" 2007
Les Jamelles Pinot Noir Vin de Pays d'Oc 2008
Vitiano 2007

Domaine de la Janasse Cotes-du-Rhone - 2008 - $15

David: A cote-du-Rhone from Domaine de la Janasse, a producer known for their fine Châteauneuf-du-Pape. We had one of their wines before, the Terre de Bussière , a VDP which we really liked.


The Cote-du-Rhone is blend of 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 15% Carignan and 5% Cinsault. This one is the color of red brick, fairly light. Nose is black cherry, blueberry, crushed rock and a hint of dried herbs as well as violets. Medium bodied. On the palate, the fruit is subdued as is the acidity. Bone dry, almost bitter. Very pinot-like. Spicy tannins but not as grippy as the Terre de Bussière. Finishes well enough with hints of peppery liquorish. The wine has a purity and austerity to it that keeps it fairly interesting but it is definitely a notch down from the Bussière.
Score 4.0/5

Jessica: A lighter-bodied cote-du-rhone than have previously experienced. Juicy, fruity nose, but the fruits seem to disappate on the palate. Tart, medium tannins with a hint of earthiness. Well balanced.
Score: 3.9/5

Venta Morales Tempranillo 2009 - $6

David: Sourced from small vineyards with low yields in La Mancha of Don Quixote. Outrageous color. Bright magenta, the color of beets. Appears unfiltered. Nose is a little strange. Berries with copious amounts of vanilla. Also some orange peel, cinnamon, dried herbs and loamy soil character. A little stinky. Palate displays mulberry and raspberry fruits. Decent acidity. Fairly strong tannins with pretty good structure. Overall, a little hard to get past the nose. Has some good qualities but not really to my liking.
Score: 3.2/5

Gallo Family Merlot - $2

David: Bought this airplane sized bottle at CVS. Just wanted to try some cheap wine. Color is purple. Nose (probably its best feature) has black cherry and smoke and maybe a bitt of strawberry. Presages a little sweetness. The first thing noticed on the palate is the low acidity, dulled fruit and overall lack of character. Comes off as flabby and bland. Somewhat of a grape fruit punch taste, a little sweet. However there is no harshness, or other unpleasant flavors. Tannins are barely there and the finish is not long. Overall, the wine has no complexity or structure though it is not terrible. Better for cooking than drinking.
Score 2.2/5

Terranoble Sauvignon Blanc 2009 -$6

David: Color is yellow straw. Big nose of gooseberry, pineapple and just a hint of lemon and banana. Full bodied, bold fruit, oak. Acidity picks up into the long finish which also has some mineral character, grapefruit and mild bitterness. A tad hot. Not terribly complex but rather nice. Great value.
Score: 3.9

Jessica:
Strong green apple in nose. Adequately complex. Tart. Full-bodied and well balanced.
4.0

Vitiano 2007 -$10

David: From Umbria in Southern Italy. A blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot. Medium to light purple in color. The nose seemed to evolve somewhat over the hour or so that we drank this and I detected different things at different times. Black cherry and black currant are clearly present with nice concentration. Vanilla and a bit of leather with smoke and a bit of balsamic character made appearances. Maybe floral notes, roses. Full bodied and rich with dark fruits. Acidity balances very well the fruitiness and perhaps a little sweetness. Tannins are soft and the wine remains gentile but appealing with sufficient structure. Finish is fairly long and quite pleasant ending on sweet blueberry rather than tart fruit. Had with spaghetti and meatballs and it went well but I would prefer it alone (the way I feel about most wine). A great value!
Score 4.1/5

Jessica: Uh, what he said.
Score: 4.1/5

Chateau Guiraud-Cheval-Blanc Cotes de Bourg 2006 - $10

David:
75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec and Cabernet Franc.
Color is ruby and fairly light for a Bordeaux. Nose is fairly fragrant: red cherry, leather and violets. Medium to full bodied. Juicy and plenty of fruit. Well balanced with good acidity and soft tannins, fruit balancing the earthy notes. Nicely layered as cherry turns to juicy boysenberry on the finish. Had with grilled steak but wasn't really an ideal match since the wine is a little too delicate (tannins too soft). Got this at Whole-foods for $10 and for the price, there is nothing to complain about. A solid effort.
Score: 3.9

Jessica: Full-bodied. Leathery nose. Strong dark currents initially. Dark fruits and juicy taste. Mildly tart, medium tannins. Has a bit of a bite. Puckery finish. Pleasant enough, I would buy again.
Score: 4.1/5

Cheese Tastings, a history

In spring of 2008, David and Jessica started some cheese tastings matched with wine. It might be interesting to revisit these combinations.


Cheese Tasting #1
Camenbert
Parrano
Olives
Wine: Pinot Noir (not sure source)
Rye crackers

David loves parrano--a nutty cheese. Parrano descriptor not in book. More research required. Cambert good, soft and brie-like. Kind of boring.

Cheese Tasting #2
1) French Port-Salut, a cheese from Brittany. Said to be generic and uninspired. Cows milk, soft, slightly pungent, mild.
2) German mountain cheese from Trader Joe's. Said to be soaked in a red wine rennet. A relatively mild cow's milk cheese with a grassy, almost sheeps milk taste. Slightly smelly. Not a soft cheese, but a softer texture than swiss.

Wine: Chateau Candelaire, 2005 Bordeaux

+ olives and multigrain crackers.

David found cheeses boring, did not like the #2 cheese.

Cheese Tasting #3
Goat Cheese and Rose!

Some favorites from my old job at A.G. Ferrari: Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog and Drunken Goat with the lovely Belleruche Cotes-du-Rhone Rose.

It was delicious with a fig jam for the Humboldt Fog on plain multi-grain Kashi crackers. Accompaniments also included sliced apple, almonds and Brazil nuts. It seems these cheeses do well with fruit and nut accompaniments, as I had roasted vegetables and olives available, once we had a bite of the cheeses with a sip of the Rose, we lost our taste for the savory. Nuts and the sweetness of figs and apples went best.

David liked this paring the best. It was the first time we went through an entire hunk of cheese! It was just too good to stop eating. The Humboldt Fog was at a perfect temperature and aged perfectly with the soft, brie-like texture by the rind and the crumbly interior. Truly a beautiful cheese. Drunken goat was as creamy and palateable as ever--a goat-cheese cheddar in my mind.

For certain a pairing that will be repeated!