A Tatse of Seneca Lake Wine and Food at Villa #Bellangelo #SLWT #WBC15

There are over 30 wineries on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, and at Villa Bellangelo we were given a wonderful overview from our hosts,  and a small group of local food and wine artisans.

The bus pulled into the driveway, and 50+ bloggers were greeted by Christopher Missick, owner of Villa Bellangelo and author of A Sense of Place (Book Review CTC).  As I stepped off the bus, stretched my legs, and set up my camera, I watched a goat being led, and a news crew setting up - this showed promise of an interesting afternoon....

As we entered the tasting room, we were greeted with a delicious, crisp Bellangelo 2013 Dry Rosé ($13) it was a great pairing for the local artisanal charcuterie laid out for us. In addition to the meats, nuts, fruits, honey and cheeses, Bellangelo had a tasting line up of their olive oil/balsamic "dippers" - it was a serious "flavor festival".

After picking my way through the display of food, glorious food (slideshow below), I spied, over in a corner, a bar set up with seemingly identical bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon.  I had heard rumors on the bus that there was to be a 10 year vertical tasting.

I took my glass, plopped my plate on the bar, and settled in for interactive wino story time. (some schools have sing-a longs, #WBC15 had "drink-a longs" - as we learned about wine, weather and terrior - oh if kindergarten had been like this, I may have done better in school)

"Make what you love to drink"

This Cabernet Sauvignon vertical from Kings Garden Vineyards  Blew. My. Mind.  ("Make what you love to drink!" was sage advice from Owner and Wine-Maker, Mike Oleksyn). Located just across Seneca Lake from Bellangelo in Lodi, NY, King's Garden is  in Seneca Lake’s “banana belt”, the warmest growing region on the lake. Is that why the Cabernet thrives? The 10 year vertical was a highlight, and I found myself just hovering, nibbling and sipping - eavesdropping on the conversations that were being held by much between educated #winelovers than myself.  I learned so much; It was amazing to taste the same varietals, from the same vines, dramatically affected by different seasons. What an enjoyable education.  I'll be going back to King's Garden for a case or two... it was THAT good.

Side Hill Acres, Candor, NY

By the end of the afternoon, we shuffled back onto the bus - stuffed, and  a little buzzed talking about the goat and the vertical as and our driver brought us to the delightfully surprising gritty/neoclassic Geneva, where we were to spend the night at the Geneva Hampton Inn.

After a quick check in and afternoon nap, there was more adventure awaiting us at a sunset celebration of #flxwinewomen, a walk through the vineyard with a vineyard scion/burlesque diva, and a sunset pairing menu on the balcony of Ventosa Winery. (I'll save that story for another post!)

About that goat….  She was unimpressed with my miking abilities, but I really, really, liked the cheese from her farm.

2014 Game Dinner: Cousino Macul Antiguas Reservas Cabernet Sauvignon `10 $11.99

It has been a rough winter - cold, dark and filled with snow.  What helps me get through the seemingly endless final weeks of winter? Counting the days until the Stockbridge Sportsman's Club Game Dinner, a fundraiser that shares the bounty of the year with neighbors and brings over 200 of us all together: writers, hunters, teachers, students, healthcare activists, carpenters, tradesmen, civil servants, business owners and a transplanted Fijian. The one demographic NOT represented at the dinner was vegetarians. This was my second year attending the annual Game Dinner, and I hope that I'll be able to write about for years to come.

The dinner had a special wine pairing, a French Rhone (reviewed last year) Chapelle St Arnoux Cotes du Ventoux, and the Chilean Cousino Macul Antiguas Reservas Cabernet Sauvignon `10 above left.  There was a full cash bar for those who wanted beer, soda, juice or mixed drinks.

The fire in the member built fireplace added a glow to the room, and mounted trophies on the walls were a reminder of where our dinner came from.  This is a gathering of old and new friends sharing in the harvest, talking about the season and celebrating by raising a glass, swapping hunting stories, and online recipes while discussing schools, orchestra practice, writing groups and honeymoons. (public vs private, 9 hours practicing with 15 mins for lunch!, topics focusing on women, a B&B in Newport RI  - a fishing trip in guise of a honeymoon)

Dinner was presented in three buffet courses:

Appetizers: Smoked Trout Pâté, Smoked Pheasant, Wild Boar Meatballs with pineapple habenero sauce, Country Venison Pâté, Mini Bear Wellington with horseradish sauce, Squirrel & Rabbit Ragu, and Moose Sausage Sliders.

Main Courses: Smoked Salmon Cakes with Mango Sauce, Panko Crusted Cod and Pollack with Lemon Pepper and White Wine,  Moose and Elk Stroganoff over egg noodles, Venison Chili, Moose & Mushroom Stew, Polenta, Venison Meatloaf with a mushroom demi-glace, Grilled Moose, Smoked Bear with a Memphis Rub, Smoked Venison, Wild Fiddleheads and Winter Squash.

Dessert: Fruit cobbler, homemade fudge, and local Barrington Roasting Company Coffee.

Everything was local.  The club is set back in the Berkshire Mountain woods where generations of animals and hunters have co-existed.  The fiddleheads were harvested from a local riverbank.  Two Italian sisters made the delicious, creamy polenta, that highlighted the moose and mushroom stew.  The club's vice president made the Country Venison Pâté with pistachios, and he and his wife donated the Japanese Kabocha & Butternut squash from their garden too.

With two professional chefs in the kitchen, the Club's Peter de la Grande and David Pullano, this dinner is a meat loving foodie event.

At our table, between sips of the jammy, complex Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, as oohed and ahhd over the Venison Stew, Marc Fadding, the club VP and cook of both the Stew and Venison Pâté told us a he tweaked am online recipe for venison stew by adding red-wine and a rich, fresh venison stock he learned to make under the tutelage of Chef Gerhard Schmid. It was delicious, and the lean flavorful stew paired beautifully with the dark fruit layers of the Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon.

The real pairing highlights of the evening was the Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile's Maipo Valley with both the appetizer Moose Sausage Slider, and the main course Moose and Elk Stroganoff over egg noodles.   At 14% ETO, this Cabernet Sauvignon was well balanced, added a fruity taste to balance the meat, and was a perfect match to the sweetness in both the slider bun, and the stroganoff noodles. What a delicious meal.

I'm counting the days until next year....

Lenz Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon `07 $40.00

I'm starting to feel guilty about drinking this wine.  I should buy a few bottles, keep them in the cellar, and just drink one bottle a year.... but I have impulse control issues (let's just leave it at that...).

At the test kitchen, sometimes, I let the host pick the menu.  When he chose Beef Wellington with Napoleon for dessert, I smiled and thought that this meal WILL NOT be my Waterloo.  It was my first time making a Wellington or a Napoleon, but, with my usual bravado in the face of challenge, I jumped in head first and embraced the opportunity to create a culinary riff on Naval history.  The meal was perfect to showcase the Lenz Cabernet Sauvignon, and who am I to deny a man who plays the banjo while I happily putter in the kitchen? (I am a very lucky girl)

Now for the review:

Lenz Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon `07 unfiltered and unfined (Dr. Scribner would be thrilled).  What a full, lush wine.  At 13% ETOH, it was an excellent, traditional, old world style foil for the lean tenderloin wrapped in mushroom duxelles, prosciutto and puff pastry.

The truth is, I was sipping it all day as I cooked. (hey, it was 6:00 somewhere) By the time the meal was ready to be photographed... there wasn't a lot of wine left - maybe enough for a pairing - I smiled, praised Julia Child and toasted to a terrific afternoon of cooking and blissing out to my very own live acoustic soundtrack.

This Cabernet Sauvignon is flavorful, slightly dry, with notes of dark forest berries.  It's a smooth, classic, left bank type Cabernet that winemaker Eric Fry makes right here on Long Island's North Fork. I really did kick myself for drinking it while it is still young (ish).

It was so much fun pairing it with a special meal (we even broke out the good china).  I was delighted to sip it as I cooked and drink it with dinner. Thank you Lenz.  I'll be buying more, and I'll try to let it sit in the cellar long enough to mature to its full potential.


I paired the wine with a dinner of:
Beef Wellington
Herb roasted Russian banana potatoes
Red and green leaf salad with toasted walnuts & shaved Parmesan with a Honey/Balsamic dressing

 

I made a Napoleon for dessert.


 

#WBC13 Upper Bench Cabernet Sauvignon `11 Live Blog Red

Gavin Miller presented his top shelf Cabernet Sauvignon.  It has a beautiful ruby color.  The only Husband and Wife wine and Cheese makers in Canada.  This was a delicious, elegant Cabernet. Now I want to try their cheese.

 Update 7/8/2013

Upper Bench Estate Winery is a labor of love. When my driver took me to the airport after the conference had ended, all she could talk about was Upper Bench. They have a loyal and vocal local fan base. Good wine, good people.

Gina Gallo Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon `08 $40.00 Live blog red #WBC12

Yes, THAT Gallo family, and Gina, now back from maternity leave is giving us this Cabernet Sauvignon.It is a BIG wine.  Kelly Conrad presented it to us, and she puts a great spin on this wine.  This is the very first vintage of the Signature Series.  Thank you Gina for upping the bar!

Long Live the King! Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Seminar #euphoriagreenville

I love wine seminars. They suit me.  Bonus points to euphoria, because they hosted three seminars in one afternoon. I started my morning with Bubblemania, (sparkling wines in all their glory) and then went upstairs to the Gold Room at the Westin Pointsett where J. Scott Carney, MS was going to talk to us about Cabernet Sauvignon.

When walked into the room, the tables were set and the wine was poured.  The smell was incredible.  Imagine hundreds of glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon wafting through an otherwise empty room.  I watched as participants stepped through the entrance, stopped, inhaled, and smiled. It was a great reminder that enjoying wine includes taste and smell.

Scott has the presence of a college professor.  (which is good, because he teaches at CUNY)  Not the stuffy kind of professor that you dread, but the cool kind of professor that recommends movies "Bottle Shock.  You can get it on Netflix"; and says things like "When I first read 'Long Live the King, J. Scott Carney', I though gee, thanks euphoria, but that is a bit much..."  The group laughed along with him and then we got down to the business of Cabernet Sauvignon.

There were six glasses set before us:

Trig Point `08  $20.00 Diamond Dust Vineyard, Alexander Valley
A light wine with a very slight tannin, this wine was a good starting point.  We tasted and discussed the changes in color that happen as a wine ages.  We held this glass up and looked at the color.  "Color loss begins at the rim" was what Scott said.  It was a nice, easy to drink wine, with a good hit of blackcurrant, a classic Cabernet Sauvignon flavor.  This wine still had its primary aromas;  as it ages, secondary aromas will develop, creating the bouquet.  This wine is a 10-15 year wine as far as drinkability.  It will develop complexity in years to come, but it is also good to drink right now.

This was also a good time to start discussing ETOH content in wines.  Did you know that "claret" the wine that I am often invoking when I write about Jefferson, was generally a low alcohol red wine.  It was only 12% ETOH.  Note to Self:  I may need to re-do my presentation "Our Drunken Founding Fathers" and rename it "Our slightly tipsy Founding Fathers".  Scott was great at putting into words how ETOH affects us "You can feel it in your chest and in your throat".  He also reminded us that we were at a disadvantage, because "Cabernet needs food." We were tasting wine straight up, and the nuances really do develop better when they have other flavors to play with.  Scott mentioned a nice steak and my mouth watered.


CrossBarn by Paul Hobbs `08  $39.99    Napa Valley
(96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc)
With  the second wine, Scott discussed the wine maker as well as the wine.  Paul Hobbs is a legend in the business.  One of the "Flying Winemakers" he works his craft in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres because the Napa harvest is in October, and the South American harvest is in March..  Pretty cool to be doing what you love in two hemispheres and creating a great product along with it.  This wine has a sweet smell.  Scott pointed out the nostalgia in wine, "A sense of smell warps space an time". (see, I told you that he was like a very cool college professor! - well duh, he IS a college professor.  I felt very lucky to be sitting in his "class").  CrossBarn is a rich wine, that brings a textural concept to the palate.

This is where we discussed tannins.  "Tannins are the acid that put the breaks on". Again, we lamented not having a steak dinner in front of us, but I was learning so much! Tannins in wine set your palate for other textures. Imagine the contrasting fattiness of a nicely seared steak with a tight, fruity, tannic wine - I am sure you can.

Manifesto North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon `09 $21.00 North Coast AVA
This was a dry, light wine.  ETOH 14.4%.  "Pink on the edge, a very young wine" (By now, I was getting so good at looking at the edges of wine, I could snap a picture while holding!)



Château Sénéjac Cabernet Sauvignon`05 $30.00
Now to France, ancestral home of Cabernet Sauvignon,  Bordeaux, Haut-Médoc.  This was probably the closest resembelance to the "Bordeaux Claret" that I write about.  It is a low alcohol (13%ETOH), spicy (baking spices - clove, cinnamon, nutmeg), subtle wine. With its age (`05), it is developing secondary aromas, cedar? menthol? To me, it was a very light wine, and a bit sour.  But I am imagining that paired with the right food, this could be amazing.

Regusci Cabernet Sauvignon `08 $58.00
(92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc)
By far, my favorite wine of the day. It was a full flavor, jammy wine, with a lovely "toasted oak" flavor (vanilla).  And oh so smooth.... I just wanted to grab a bottle and run next door to euphoria's "Grand Tasting" tent. I was very proud of my self control. There may be a case of this wine in my future.

Back to the wine.  From the Stags Leap District, it is one of Napa's few "Ghost Wineries" which is a great story, involving California, Italy and prohibition.  I won't tell it here. It is a story to be told while sipping a glass of this wine while sitting around the fire-pit.


Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon `08 $70.00
(98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petite Verdot, 1% Malbec)
At 15.1% ETO, this is a powerhouse wine from Shafer Family Vineyard in Napa's Stags Leap District.  A classically dark forest fruit flavored, tight, dry Cabernet, I wonder what it would be like aerated and served with an amazing crown roast.  

Thank you Scott for walking us through these great representatives of Cabernet Sauvignon.  It truly was a Master Class on Cabernet Sauvignon.


My slideshow from all the Wine Seminars:

Savage Cabernet Sauvignon (not TJ's) $37.99 ****

So maybe you heard, we had a hurricane.  It was in the news. Mother Nature and I are on pretty good terms -  I respect her, and in turn, she hasn't swept me away or crushed me with falling debris (so far); but I had to evacuate anyway.  And when you are packing up all of your belongings and heading to non offensive ground (in my case, Kate's house), it important to take all of your good wine. I may have not packed any of my work clothing, but I remembered my wine and my vinegar barrel.  (a girl has to have her priorities straight)

As I wrote a year and a half ago, this Savage Cabernet Sauvignon is for a special occasion.  And what better occasion than being with friends in a hurricane. (after all, when surviving, it is all about who you share your foxhole with)

Right next to Chateau Montelena, is Savage Estate Wine. A family owned and operated, small producer (150 cases a year) of some fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon. If I had my way, one of those cases each year would be mine.

On a blustery afternoon, we had this `04.  It came out of the bottle with a fruity power then mellowed into a subtle, smooth and sublime wine that paired perfectly with our cheese and crackers.  As it opened up, it changed.  I didn't decant it, because room air did that for us.  A swirl in the glass and the wine woke up.  Ten minutes in the glass and it became delicate and delicious.

Elegant and nuanced, this was the perfect foil for a hurricane that turned into a tropical storm. 

This really was a wine for a special occasion.  It reminded me that we should drink the good stuff while we are alive and able to enjoy it.   Thank you Michael Savage, I'll be buying more.  You never know when you'll need to pop a cork and celebrate being alive.

The Climber Cabernet Sauvignon NV $17.00 1.5L #wbc11 live blog reds

Central Coast California.  100% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the Astra Pouch, developed for hikers.  It is insulated and easy to carry.  Developed by the Cliff Family Winery, who make cliff bars, it is a way to lug Cabernet with you when you hike, and not have to carry out empty bottles.  The packaging is unique and it would be great if it were refillable. I think that the Cliff Family are doing amazing things for the environment and changing the way we think about packaging our wine.  It only weights 3.5 lbs, and it holds a bottle and a half of wine.

Domingo Molina Cabernet Sauvignon `06 (not TJ's) gift/$19.99 ****

Repeat after me.  The grapes for this wine were harvested in April, 2006.  A spring harvest plays with my mind, but if I drink more wine like this I could easily adapt to the Southern Hemisphere's Autumn harvest in Spring.  Down in Salta, Argentina, the Brothers Molina are running an small, but nice Bodega.  I can't wait to try more of their wines.

This Cabernet is a deep berry, dusky flavorful wine that does Argentina proud.  It paired perfectly with our Grilled steak and pasta tossed with Marcella Hazan's Eggplant Sauce with Tomato and Red Chili Pepper.  The earthiness was a perfect foil for the high notes of the chili pepper in the pasta sauce, and the char from the grill on the steak, well... wasn't that was Cabernet was made for? We liked the spicy deep wine, and for some strange reason, I didn't even think to decant it. I think that it would decant well, and also that it is a wine that could stand to breath, and the spice would just mellow.  Maybe because our meal was so flavor forward, I didn't notice the wine opening up. It was good on the first pour.


Last Christmas, Lucie was coming to visit for a weekend in New York, between Polo Camp at El Venado in Argentina and home (London).  As she is the most wonderful house guest in the world (ok, I am biased), she brought wine.  Six months later, we are drinking it.

Thank you Lucie for picking up this tasty bottle of wine
after a week of polo!!

Pitch Cabernet Sauvignon `07 $19.99 (Not TJ's) ***

JPH pulled this Cabernet Sauvignon from a dormant corner of the wine rack.  It had been laying there for a few years - it was time to dust it off and pull the cork.

I learned something tonight.  First sips can be deceiving. My first impression was that I didn't like it. It seemed intense, almost concentrated, sharp.  JPH tried it and said the prophetic words "I bet it'll open up."  I was leery, and commented, "I may not review it. We'll see after we've aerated it". (Lately, I have been thinking that life is too short to review bad wine)  I needed reassurance, and JPH said, "just let it sit in the glass for five minutes."

WOW. I really have to learn that good things come to those who are willing to wait. (I have impulse control issues...)  After five minutes, it became a totally different wine; it brightened and there was a highlight of the faint, fruity sweetness of cassis, but also a nice basic dried cherry/raspberry heaviness.  This has a big mouthful of taste and a short finish, with very slight tannins; making it easy to drink and good with our dinner of grilled skirt steak, cherry tomatoes, fried potatoes and Al Funghetto (sauteed eggplant cubes) from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Italian Cooking.

I was wishing that S. were home.  She is my tasting partner in the "Aerator Death Matches". But as it was, we didn't need to have an aerator "taste off".  A run through the Nuance didn't do anything more than the first ten minutes of being open; the wine was breathing just fine on its own.  Give it some space.  For an `07 on the rack for four years, I think that it is at its peak with just a few swirls around a glass.

This is a good blend, that highlights all three varietals very well:  Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.  From Reninger Winery,  in Walla Walla, Washington (home of some great modern Vineyards, and the Walla, Walla Sweet Onion Festival).  I don't know why the vineyard doesn't list this line of wine on their website.  I'm curious, why the omission?

Concha y Toro Casillero Del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon `09 $9.99 (not TJ's) (*)

We talked about whether or not I would review this wine.  I've been criticized for not posting many bad reviews (well, one star reviews, some of my reviews are classic in how badly written they are... I almost named this blog "Drunken Wine Reviews").   I'll admit that I have hated wines and NOT written a review about them; but in this case, I want to write about this wine. I made it through a couple of glasses -  it was drinkable. I was simply disappointed, and here is why:

The marketing and the bottling are great, super slick, fun and a conversation starter  - second only to Fat Bastard Wine IMHO.  The details are so professional - from the devil emblem on the bottle to the super fancy website.  All those bells and whistles, and the pour was a heavy Cabernet from Chile that had a seriously sour finish. The body of a good Cabernet was there, it had depth and a dried fruit aroma, but the finish was sour, like biting into a not quite ripe grape.  We couldn't even think of a way to "fix" this wine.  It was relegated to the vinegar barrel in the basement.  I was seduced by the devil on the package and the flames in the flash video and I was disappointed. Read into that what you will, but I had high hopes - hey it may make some really good vinegar - it was well on its way.

If they had taken just a fraction of their marketing budget and put it into better grapes, I think that they could have hit this wine out of the park (it is Spring, and I am hauling out the baseball metaphors).

Dinner was good.  We had fun cooking it.  Pan roasted new potatoes, sauteed kale and  Beef Brisket Braised with Onions From Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan (I LOVE that Marcella comments on the recipe in the post that I linked to above).

Here is our dinner as it sat on the stove waiting to be plated....

Owen Roe Sharecropper's Cabernet Sauvignon `07 $19.99 (not TJ's) ***

Washington State.  In wine parlance, it is "New World" and with that comes a lot of new development, creativity and whimsy.  If France is the grandfather of Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State is the prodigal grandchild who cast aside the dusty accoutrement of collected generations of antiquities and kept the core of the family tree.  In this case, good wine that is true to the flavor profile.  The label and name may be whimsical and iconoclastic but the taste of this wine is classic, and good.

We had just come home from seeing Al Pacino on Broadway as Shylock in the Merchant of Venice (a Broadway adaptation of a classic, a lot like Washington State wine).  The play was edited heavily to humanize Shylock, but I was still stunned by the production; the words of Shakespeare rang true. (Even if 1/3 of the plot was cut out). 

When we got home, I scurried to feed the dog, cat and then the humans.  We had leftovers:  Game pie, chickpeas, chorizo & spinach, and a partial loaf of bread. I was perusing the wine-rack when S said, "Why don't we have this" and she pointed to the bottle of Sharecropper's on the counter. "Why not?" and I ran to get the camera.

Owen Roe Sharecropper's Cabernet Sauvignon `07 was a surprise.  I don't know how it came to be on the counter.  It has a cute label, a horse pulling a cart loaded with a wine barrel, I take it to be a riff on the Conestoga wagons that brought pioneers to the Columbia Valley.  Is Own Roe a wine pioneer?  Yeah, I think so.  I would never have guessed this to be a "New World" Cabernet had it been a blind tasting.  It has all of the hallmarks of a solid Cabernet, a dried cherry/black current taste, intense, a bit juicy, but not overpowering.  A dry(ish) tannin finish, and a smell that is not exactly fruity, but not totally spicy.  It is very distinct, maybe a hint of earthiness?

After aeration (Nuance): This wine became smooth... oh so very smooth.  The tastes were still there, (notably dried cherry) but the smoothness was delightful.  I love the change that aeration creates in wine.  It is like unwrapping a present:  sometimes you get an iron and ironing board and sometimes you get chocolate or an iPad! (what can I say, it was a good Christmas!)

After dinner, we ended the day by watching "Annie Get Your Gun". Although I am not a fan of the message that AGYG sends, (I'm not a fan of how Shakespeare wrote Shylock either); But I am a fan of entertainment, both were entertaining, and spurred some interesting conversation, over a some very good wine (and Port!)

Since I can't seem to find a clip of Barbara Hutton singing "Anything you can do, I can do better", I'll just end today with a nod to Mr. Pacino.  He really was an amazing Shylock.

If you prick us, do we not bleed? 

If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?
And if you wrong us, do we not revenge? 

If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.
The Merchant Of Venice Act 3, scene 1, 58–68

Carpineto Dogajolo `08, (IGT) $13.99 (Not TJ's) 2nd Review***

When I saw this wine in the wine rack, I thought to myself... "hey, I have reviewed this before!"  Of course it was wine that I had (maybe a bit too much of and played table football...) at a restaurant on the Upper East Side, but it really went well with the meal then.  How would it fare for a Sunday lunch??? Today, I found out.

JPH laid out a spread of smoked chicken, sausage, pate, cheese and fresh bread. After some discussion about the picture - MEH took the first pics, and they were the best (hers in the one on the left - I'll post mine below), I took my first sip.  This Carpineto Dogajolo "Baby Super Tuscan" (13% ETOH)  has Sangiovese (80%) as the predominant taste, strong, fruity, kind of oaky but the finish was definitely Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) making it mellow and long.

We broke bread and munched away at a picnic spread of cold meats, subtle cheeses and bread from the oven. It was a good inexpensive dry red table wine that cut through the rich cheeses:  Bucheron, a goat cheese from the Loire that is MEH's favorite & Queso Manchego, a Spanish sheep's milk cheese that has firmer, riper, buttery flavor.

After the Vinturi:  Yes, it would do you well to aerate this wine.  It not only opens it up, but it evens out the taste, making it a consistent mild acid cherry taste of the Sangiovese with the deep dryer taste of the Cabernet. It is interesting how they make this wine.  The grapes are picked, and then fermented separately  - due to different timing in the fermentation for each varietal and then they blend the wine for a fermentation in oak barrels.  On first sip, the wine has light tannins, but after the Vinturi, it has a much longer finish.

An Italian "Super Tuscan" wine, American smoked chicken breast, French sausage, pate and cheese, along with some Spanish cheese made for an international party of flavors on a beautiful Fall afternoon. There were New York Honey Crisp Apples for Dessert - but I opted for the chocolate meringues that JPH made on Saturday... (Have I mentioned how spoiled I am since I have been staying here?  Expect some very depressed posts when I move to a place of my own.)

Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon `89 **** ; (`88 ****!)

The Night of Two Dinner Parties (part deux)
continued from part one:  I stopped at Waldbaum's for some heavy cream on my way home from Glen Cove.  We had discussed wine for the night's dinner, and it was decided that as it was a special night, there may be a trip to the cellar involved.  (that can only mean bringing out the good stuff!)

I pulled in, parked the car, and the dog greeted me with wagging of tail and sniffing of leg.  (Yes, it is true, I did walk another dog, but seriously, it is just platonic...)  Then I caught the scent of woodsmoke wafting from the back of the house... my heart skipped a beat...the fire pit was lit!  (I am a pyromaniac... ok, that may be drastic, but open fires are euphoric for me).  As I stepped up to the patio, I saw a dusty wine bottle just waiting.  The door slammed and wine glasses appeared. I had to take a picture!

This is great wine with a story...  back in the early `90's, JPH & S  traveled their way through Napa sipping all along the route (Of course @MH still denies being in Napa, using some sound logic: "If I don't remember it, it didn't happen" - note to self: sound logic for future use) .  Their favorite wine of that trip was the `88 Chateau Montelena, a few cases made their way back east and were safely tucked away in the cellar. I have to agree with them - it is a fantastic wine and the `88 is even more amazing than the `89. A few bottles are usually hauled out for festive occasions, and since I see it going for up to $149.00 per bottle ($60-80 is more realistic), tonight was very festive!

I sat on the patio, gazed at the fire and sipped wine. Well, that was after I broke the cork in the bottle and JPH had to save the day.  Thanks to me, we still had to strain it before drinking, but the wine was a treat and a surprise. I had the first pour, and it was a big red taste that was evanescent - really, it disappeared.  No finish at all.  It was very easy to drink. We sat nibbling on Parmesan squares and truffled almonds, the fire pit cracking in front of us, and the steak grilling just to the side, it was a perfect Fall evening.
S joined us at the table and tried a glass - and hers was nothing like my glass.   Hers was the third glass poured and it had a bigger taste and a bold, deep oak finish.  WOW.  Who knew? How can the dynamics of a wine change even when being poured from the bottle.  This wine has been gently aging fairly undisturbed in the cellar for 21 years, yet from the moment we opened it, it was a dynamic living wine that was stratified (for lack of a better descriptor),  was great to start with and  it became even better with each glass we poured. (too bad we didn't have a chemist in the crowd to explain the phenomenon.)  I do think that this wine peaked a few years ago, but even slightly past it's prizewinning peak, this wine is fantastic. Kinda like "70 is the new 40" (or maybe George Clooney still being dreamy when he is collecting his pension and still has a 25 year old on his arm).

There was no vinturi for this wine, it did not need the agitation of an aerator, this is a wine to be poured and savored, there will be sediment at the bottom of your glass, just dump out the last teaspoon before you refill (or not) and enjoy it while the bottle is open.  We just sat and sipped, then carried our glasses to the table and opened up another bottle from 1988 (an even better year that I swear I have already reviewed, but I can't find the review anywhere!).

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, cooking and assembling was happening at a casually frantic pace. Steak and tomatoes were sliced, I lent a hand in tossing the pasta with pesto.  Bread from Leonetti's was unbagged, JPH's famous Eggplant Parmesan was crusted in the oven, Pies were set on the counter. Sorry,  there are no pie pictures, JPH made the crusts and S. made pumpkin pies (from scratch - really, she roasted a French pumpkins - seriously, who roasts pumpkins for pie?? now that is dedication (and delicious dedication at that!)) I didn't think to grab a picture and the crowd was already hungrily milling about.

We all lined up buffet style and dug in, with the over 20's in the dining room, and the next generation having a raucous time in the kitchen (for which they interrupted their raucous Monopoly game).
 
Menu:
Heirloom Tomatoes (in season and delicious)
Gemelli Pasta with homemade Pesto
Eggplant Parmesan
Grilled Fillet of Beef
French Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream

About the `88:  As with most great dinner parties, an even better party can be the day after for a lunch of leftovers, cheeses, fresh bread and good wine, properly stored. The bottle of the `88 was still good (having vacuumed* it the night before), so we had a GREAT informal lunch. As decadent as truffled pecorino Romano cheese may sound, eating a hunk of it and then sipping the `88 Chateau Montelena Cabernet will be one of the culinary highlights of my life.  You don't need a lot of food, you just need a simple bite, a sip of good wine and the meal can be transcendent.  I know that I sound like I am going on and on, but you should try it some day. It doesn't have to be a 22 year old bottle of fine wine (although that helps) but it could also be a $4.99 bottle of Villa Cerina.  Find the right match, and it could be magical.

*I have bowed to the pressure of Amazon Affiliates, this is what I am using as a wine keeper.

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!)

Ménage à Trois Red `08 $10.00 (Not TJ's) ***(*)

Of course I have a lot of fun with the name of this wine - after all, wine is fun! Would you expect anything else? This wine is produced by a winery called Folie à Deux in California - I've had their whites, they are good too.  The discovery tonight was that this is a really delightful pour and it is also a bit of a chameleon.  I am not usually fond of blends, BUT this is a nice blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Zinfandel. 

First pour:  Yummy.  Light and fruity with a long finish.  Fresh currant and raspberry, with a Cabernet Sauvignon slightly oaky finish.  WOW! A great wine for food. JPH helped me style this first picture.  What a beautiful purple wine.  There had been a breakfast pie baked earlier in the afternoon, and I wanted to show off JPH's handiwork (6:30am coffee is only made better by the promise of pie!).

After the vinturi: WOW - it opened up the wine so that it was light and deliciously fruity - the depth of the finish was gone, but it became sooo easy to drink. Of course as I was nibblish, a plate of goldfish made it to the table, and now I can say that this red goes really well with goldfish crackers!  This red changed dramatically after the vinturi, but BOTH ways, it is extremely palatable. It is also interesting that this wine is blended AFTER fermentation - the flavors don't meld until they are bottled - maybe that is why it is so distinctively layered (any why aeration blends the flavors so completely).


Then the deluge began.  I wish I had taken pictures of the torrential rain that was soaking the lawn and flooding the roads. Wow, it was raining, and I was safe and dry in the kitchen with really good glass of wine in my hand.  It was all good.


The rain slowed down and S went out to inspect the new plantings, then came back in muddied, but satisfied that they had survived and were enjoying a much needed watering.  I went to check on the dog  - she is an octogenarian and does not like thunderstorms - I found her blocking the door and shaking. That was when the lights started to flicker, and the adventure began.  By the time I asked about the power going out, it was out. Supplies were rounded up, candles were lit, plans were canceled and we all settled in for a beautiful Thursday night dinner - of course, I still had to cook it - thank goodness for gas stoves!!! It was my turn - and let's face it I'll trade cooking risotto for a fresh baked pie any day!!

It was late afternoon, but the storm  made it look like nighttime.  I poured another glass of wine, started making my notes by candlelight, JPH opened a beer, S checked on the garden again for storm damage and MEH provided the play list (iBook/iTunes) to set the ambiance. We played with shadows and flashlights. All of a sudden, a small dragon looked ominous.

We had Risotto by candlelight.  Poor traumatized Nell had a dinner of marrow bones, chicken and kibble. We sat around the table enjoying our meal, talking about the wine (there was mention of stocking up on it) and a good time was had by all.

This is a longer than usual review, because we happened to open this bottle on an eventful evening. What was originally going to be a simple dinner of Risotto with bone marrow and porcini mushrooms from Aosta, ended up being an intimate dinner in the dark of a power outage after a deluge of rain and NYC being forced to a grinding halt by tornadoes and thunderstorms. One person died in the storm and millions of dollars of damage was done.  Train lines were stopped and people were stranded in the city. We counted our blessings when the power came back on a few hours later and we saw the news.  We were safe, dry & well fed; and I get to review a very nice bottle of wine named Ménage à Trois.