Millbrook Proprieter's Special Reserve Cabernet Franc `08 $30.00 ***

I am lucky that I live in New York. There is so much to explore.  For the past few months, I've been traveling to Albany for my day job and with proper planning, I can swing by the Culinary Institute of America on the way, have a delicious meal and discover some local wine. It was during my February lunch at St. Andrew's Cafe at the CIA that I had Millbrook's Tocai Fruilano `10 for the first time.  I liked it so much that I decided to add Millbrook to my list of vineyards to visit (and maybe buy a bottle or two).

Just 15 miles from the CIA's Hyde Park Campus, it was easy to squeeze in a visit after my late March lunch at Ristorante Caterina de' Medici.  After following signs and driving past some beautiful farmland. (my euphemism for getting totally lost - I have NO sense of direction) An hour later, I turned to drive up the hill to Millbrook, a founding NY State Vineyard in the Hudson River Region AVA.

After a quick walk around, I stopped in the tasting room and bought a bottle of the Fruilano and this bottle of Proprietor's Special Reserve Cabernet Franc.  I ♥ Cabernet Franc. Which, as I could tell from my first glass, so do the Proprietor's John & Kathe Dyson.  The ♥ is a play on words/symbols, because at one point in his long varied career in public service for NY State, Mr. Dyson developed the "I ♥ NY" advertising campaign (it is featured on the back label of this Cabernet Franc). Millbrook Vineyard is a testimony to a love of New York State and wine - I hope to make more visits in the future.

Meanwhile back to the Cabernet Franc.  Winemaker John Graziano has been crafting Millbrook wine since 1984. In this Cabernet Franc, he has created a true to varietal wine, it is 95% home grown Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. It is also just 13% ETOH, which makes it a classic in my book - I am sometimes scared of really alcoholic red wines (although I can far too easily be persuaded... Australian Shiraz, you have provided me with many wonderful evenings and many heavy headed morning afters...).  This Cabernet Franc could easily be a go to sipping wine for me.  Black cherry, hints of cedar, full of fruit with a nice finish. Well balanced and delicious.

The only reason it didn't get four stars from me is because $30.00 is beyond my price range for a bottle of every day wine.  I don't begrudge the cost though. It is well worth it.  Only 450 cases were produced.  It is truly special artisan wine.  According to the the informative back label (another win in my book) the grapes were harvested October 21 - 24, 2008. I was in Seattle when they were harvesting those grapes.  As the grapes were pressed, blended and put away to age, I had a kidney transplant, quit my job and moved to the suburbs.  I like perspective in my wine and my life.  It is nice to know that Millbrook is around to add their perspective - it's a beautiful one.

Pictures from my March visit:

Sauvion Pouilly-Fume Les Ombelles `10 gift/$22.95 **(*)

This was a bonus bottle when S. ordered a few cases from Sherry Lehmann in NYC. after looking at the back of the bottle, it looks like Sherry-Lehmann is the USA importer; I couldn't get very much information on the wine aside from their notes.

100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley.  I can't find this wine on the producer Sauvion's website. It is an ok wine, around 13% ETOH.  We over chilled it at first, and it was a full on mouthful of crisp, sour grapefruit.  After it warmed up a bit, it became a richer wine with a more subtle citrus taste.  We paired it with Shrimp and Grits (recipe from Stella's Southern Bistro in Simpsonville, SC).

After dinner was finished, we got on to an evening of tree trimming, along with drinking some of Tom's Homemade Eggnog.  That stuff is deliciously lethal - and a highlight of the Holiday Season.

CalNaturale Paso Roblos Cabernet Sauvignon `08 #wbc11 live blog reds

Tetra Pak Cabernet from French Camp Vineyards in Paso Roblos. It comes in a 1L Tetra Pak and a 500ML Tetra Pak. It is organic and environmental with the paper tetra pak that is recyclable in 1/3 of the USA right now, and recyclable 100% in Europe.   Recycling is good for the environment.  13.8% ETOH

Cornerstone Cellars Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon `07 $75.00 #wbc11 live blog reds

Craig Camp, Wine Legend is pouring this for us!  14.9% ETOH.  Vineyard Expressive Wines. Made by Mountain Fruit.  Tannin management is important to Craig, and it shows in this wine. 

It is balanced, smooth, and I want to grab this bottle from him.  This wine is amazing to drink right now, but also I can imagine that it can stay in your cellar for years and it could be a Christmas Wine.  WOW! You can impress your grandchildren in 20 years with this wine.

Williamsburg Winery Trianon `07 $32.00 #wbc11 live blog reds

This is a red blend from Williamsburg Winery that is considered a Cabernet Franc, but the 15% Merlot and the 5% Petit Verdot in the blend bring this to a new level.  Matthew Meyer the winemaker who is presenting to us should be proud of his accomplishment in blending. 

He has created a food friendly amalgam Cabernet Franc that is a stand alone or a perfect food wine.  It is well balanced and interesting.  I love it when I get to think about what I am drinking.  You can play "guess the varietal" with your friends! It is a wine and a game in just one bottle!

Yves Lambert Domaine de Saint-Just Samur Champigney `07 *** $22.99 (not TJ's)

This is a nice simple bottle of Cabernet Franc from the Loire producer Yves Lambert, who runs Domaine de Saint-Just with his son Arnold.  They make a good, easy drinking bottle of plonk for $22.99.

At first sniff of the plastic cork, I was a bit worried.  S. was more worried.  She likened the smell to musty, and maybe something a bit more nasty.  BUT.  The taste was good and spot on Cabernet Franc.  It was simple weak taste at first, with a dry big taste of dried blueberries at the finish.  It was very easy to drink and went well with our dinner of grilled Skirt Steak, pasta in a mushroom cream sauce and fresh fiddleheads from Marsh Stream in mid-coast Maine.

After aeration (Nuance):  Don't do it.  It made the wine weak and a bit sour.

Here is Marsh Stream, Monroe, Maine.
Home to the fiddle heads on the plate above
just 48 hours earlier.

Chateau Simard Saint-Emilion `99 AOC $25.00 (not TJ's) ***

This review was borne of a gadget.  A gadget called "the Electric Rabbit". Those of you in the know will smirk. Others will say "huh?" I will simply say BRILLIANT MARKETING!

Over Christmas, two of my closest friends independently bought Wine Rabbits as a gag wine gift for their boyfriends. Another was gobsmacked to see it for sale in a kitchen store, whipped out her iPhone and snapped a picture for her Facebook page. Let's just say that many sniggers were heard.

It is a shame that I am tainting the review of this GREAT wine with shtick on a fad.  BTW, a totally lame fad at that, all it is, is an electric screw; you still have to pull the cork from the bottle and it is rather slippery as the shaft of the Rabbit is quite sleek. Seriously, save the $50.00 on a gag gift and buy a really nice bottle of wine instead!

Now on to the wine:
Chateau Simard Saint-Emilion Bordeaux is a fantastic blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. I love Cabernet Franc, the dried fruitiness and the highlights of raspberry blend with the earthiness of Merlot.  This is a really nice, not too heavy wine, but it does have some pepper to remind you that you are drinking a red wine.  The tannins are very, very subtle. 

We had it with Beef Stew over egg noodles.  It is a not too robust wine, so I see it as a very versatile red.  It was great for sipping before dinner as we were laughing about the Rabbit.  It was good with dinner and was good as I sat at the computer and started this review.  This wine is not cheap, you are paying for the enjoyment, which is why I can't give it four stars. I can easily see this as a go-to wine for a glass at the end of the day or a really good wine to serve with nibbles if someone special has popped over for a visit. : )

I need to remember to give K an aerator so that we can taste this wine pre and post aeration. I'll be curious to see what, if any change aeration brings to this wine.  If we open another bottle in the future, I may update this review.

Whenever I review a good Bordeaux (St.-Émilion is a sub-region), I imagine Thomas Jefferson and his "claret" table wine. We could easily plow through a few of bottles of this wine over dinner while talking travel, politics, health-care or gossip. Of course, TJ elevated that to an art form. The book, Passions: The Wines and Travels of Thomas Jefferson is on my reading list. Wow, I have brought this review from low brow to Jefferson in just a few paragraphs.  How very Franklinesque of me!

I'll leave you with Kodi.  

K's gentle giant who, from his enthusiastic greetings
and subsequent attempts at being a lap dog,
seems to like me as much as I like him.

Kodi is an Alaskan Malamute of the "Giant" persuasion.

He guards over dinner, 

hoping that a scrap of food may come his way.  

On the left was last night, as we were getting ready to go to the table and 

next to that is a more flattering picture of Kodi simply being adorable.

Chateau de Macard Bordeaux Superieur `05 $19.99 (not TJ's) ***(*)

Thomas Jefferson had his claret, I have my Cabernet Franc blends.  (the only other things president TJ and I have in common is our hair color and our financial acumen)

This is a great versatile wine.  30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Cabernet Franc makes this a very easy to drink table red that is mild, slightly fruity and has a finish that works with almost any savory meal with a hint of complexity. I really do think that this wine is made so versatile by the 50%Cabernet Franc that lightens the Sauvignon and the Merlot.  You still have a nice wine, but it just mellows the depth and density of the Merlot and the Cab Sauvignon, yet you are still drinking a distinct red wine hence my reference to Claret, an archaic word that evokes in my mind - just what we drank tonight.

After a run through the Vinturi: It has more of a finish and is a bit more cutting, but really, I'd rather just pour it straight from the bottle and swirl it a bit in my glass as I slowly drink it in between bites of a delicious, filling dinner.

Let me put that into a real scenario:  Dinner of leftover Anatolian loin of pork (my favorite roast pork - with butter, cinnamon, thyme and rosemary) re-purposed in a light veloute; White beans and garlic cooked in a beef stock and a sauteed ratatouille with just a hint of crushed red pepper flakes.  Now, THAT is a meal of delicious and complex flavors (and there may have been some fried potatoes with truffled butter...) - the quandary... what to serve with this delicious amalgam of tastes?  Well, nothing so heavy that the cinnamon would be overlooked.  Nothing so acidic that the subtle flavors of the beans with a hint of garlic could be lost, and well, the red pepper highlights of the ratatoullie, well, what wine to serve???

The answer came from the wine-rack.  JPH pulled out this Bordeaux, and a delicious meal was born.  The wine simply highlighted it and made every bit just a bit yummier. Do you think I am waxing on a bit too much? Well, no, because tonight's dinner is a great example of what pairing is all about. (sorry that I am not very good at photo composition)

The Chateau de Macard is a solid all around wine.  But, I wouldn't serve it with a fatty steak. This is a good, safe wine for any type of roast chicken dish, or something that just won't overpower it. That is what a good glass of Claret is for, wouldn't you say Mr. President?  (ok, so maybe we have been watching the John Adams HBO miniseries on DVD, and maybe, just maybe I have had a few glasses of wine before I wrote this, well, the fact is, it's my blog, and I am standing by it - I reserve the right to correct typos in the morning!)

Bedell First Crush Red`08 (not TJ's) $16.99 ***

The first winery I ever visited was Bedell - happy, happy memories of the North Fork of Long Island.  A lot has changed in the years since I first was at their tasting room  - originally in a barn, now it is pretty swank, and owned by a Hollywood producer.

I was at a tasting a while back and the rep was pouring their newest, First Crush.  This red is 72% merlot, 28% cabernet franc.  Both wines that I love.  No oak (another hit with me) and no tannins.  This is a fresh, kind of acidic fruity, light red wine that tastes of slightly tart raspberry, and smells like crushed fresh fruit (I love that smell!).  I chilled it slightly, and we really liked it. This "first crush" is pretty much a text book example of a lightweight's starter red wine. After the vinturi, this kind of sharp wine mellowed.  It is well worth decanting.

It is sunny and hot here in NYC 88 degrees, and I am out of white wine.  I cooked up some skirt steak, tossed a salad, toasted some bread from the Farmer's Market, and here is dinner.

Here is a hint though, and I am told that it is industry wide.  This wine is more expensive at the tasting room than in the wine shops of NYC. To save some money, do your market research before you load up at the winery (the money you save could pay for a vineyard VIP tour & tasting).

Raphael Cabernet Franc `07 (not TJ's) $13.99 **

I finally understand what it means when someone says that a wine smells like leather.  This Cabernet Franc smells like a library in a stately home. It needs to be aerated, to deepen it.  Rather than open it up, the Vinturi made it seem more lush. On first sip, this is a veggie, light, peppery wine - with a tart finish.  Really, think celery leaves.

That being said, this is a cheese wine.  Tonight, we are going with Brie, crackers and grapes.  Meh, better with cheese.  BUT there is much better and cheaper out there to be had.

I really, really, really wanted to love this wine.  It is locally grown and bottled on Long Island by Raphael Vineyards, but I just can't do it.  I have a bottle of their Rose to try as well. (fingers crossed!)

Fabrice Gasnier Vieilles Vignes Chinon `07 $19.99 (not TJ's) ****

This is a beautiful sipping wine.  Fresh, fruity, dry and only a slight tannin aftertaste.  I may be falling in love with Cabernet Franc. Even before the vinturi, it seems open and aromatic. I know that I am going to sound weird, but it smells like really yummy, fresh Chinese food - sort of sweet smelling, but fresh, with a hint of tanginess (and that is just the smell - we're talking Oriental Jade in Bangor, Maine - before they moved the restaurant) Ok, maybe I am being way too sentimental.  Maybe the smell is plum.  The taste is light and fresh and not sweet at all.  I like that combination. It teases my nose with sweetness, and then delights my mouth with dry fruitiness. (I'm gonna stop there.  I really need a boyfriend!)

After the Vinturi:  NOPE, don't decant it.  It seems rougher, dryer. Aeration seems to accent flaws in this wine.  It is much better straight out of the bottle (well, via a glass that is).

With food, it is lovely. This lamb is subtle, and the orzo is lemony and well, peas are peas... All around this is a GREAT wine.

Today's menu:
Pistachio & Panko crusted Lamb
Orzo with lemon & tomatoes
Peas

Some thoughts:
Wow, I am drinking one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvingnon. This wine is 100% Cabernet Franc.  Someone once suggested that I taste as many 100% wines as possible to develop my palate.  Slowly, I am learning.  I made a pretty big study of Cabernet Sauvingnon for World Kidney Day - (yeah, it was an effort... NOT) now I can really understand the difference between C Franc and C Sauvignon.

In a case of "I really want to do this", wander lust, I stumbled across this blog post about the vineyard....

http://mcduffwine.blogspot.com/2008/04/tasting-chinon-with-fabrice-gasnier.html

This is just a partial quote - this blog has much, much more (with pictures)

We discovered Fabrice Gasnier at work in his vineyards, pruning his vines in preparation for the coming of spring. Fabrice began his work at the property during the benchmark vintage of 1989. He and his father Jacky, who has since retired, incorporated the Domaine as it now stands in 1993. Their family has owned land and farmed here in Chezelet for four generations, during which time the estate has grown from its original three hectares to its current 24. All of those 24 hectares – 23 planted to Cabernet Franc and one to Cabernet Sauvignon – are located on the flat portions of the Cravantine landscape, within a two kilometer radius of Chezelet. Finding Fabrice in his fields presented the perfect opportunity to really gain an understanding of his farming techniques and of some of the peculiarities of his terroir.

All of Gasnier’s vines are Simple Guyot trained, with one main baguette producing seven eyes. A second, smaller baguette is pruned to two eyes and trained in the opposite direction, the intention being both to begin the growth cycle for the following year’s season and to prevent bunch clustering. Farming is entirely organic (the estate is now in the process of organic certification through ECOCERT), using only natural products and homeopathic principles, practices which Fabrice describes as preventive rather than curative viticulture. Predator insects and bio-organisms are relied upon for pest control. As we can see, standing in a freshly plowed 2.5 hectare plot of vines planted by his grandfather 50-60 years earlier, the earth is turned regularly to promote deep root systems and a maximum expression of terroir. Following pruning – and completing the cycle – vine cuttings are mulched and returned to the soil to reintroduce their stored energy to the vineyard.