#FLXWineDineDistill Part Two: Dinner #SLWT #WBC15

As a part of #WBC15, I was on an excursions to experience the wine and food of New York State's Finger Lakes.  The evening was an alchemy of senses, the perfect blend of four Seneca Lake vineyards, chef Scott Signori and his staff from #Stonecatcafe showcasing local food and the red wines of Seneca Lake.

Known as a region famous for its white wines, we were going off script - and experienced a rich, fragrant, and flavorful marathon of 12 unique red wines from four Seneca Lake vineyards paired with a three course local menu. 

Dinner was at Damiani Wine Cellar overlooking Seneca Lake.  The setting sun set the stage for us to sip great wine, eat delicious local food and hear about making wine in the Finger Lakes. Throughout the evening, we tasted wines from Damiani Wine Cellars, Hector Wine Company, Standing Stone Vineyards and Ventosa Vineyards.

Our host was up first: In the mid-90's, Phil Davis and Lou Damiani hand planted their first vinifera on land that was to become Davis Vineyard and Damiani Vineyard in Hector, NY.  Phil is an engaging man, who told us of his history of the area, the wines and his philosophy on farming, and making wine.

After Phil welcomed us, we heard from Standing Stone Vineyard's Marti Macinski - I had met Marti earlier that week at #FLXWineWomen
and it was exciting to hear her speak more on the evolution of Standing Stone, it's white wine pedigree, planting reds, including Saperavi, and making ice wine.

Flight 1: (Rare Seneca Lake Wines)

Each of the four wines served in this flight were rare and unique - not all are available to purchase.  These wines were a special start to dinner, paired with Leek & Lively Run Chèvre Tart with local greens and blueberry vinaigrette.  I also noted that we were being served dinner on MacKenzie Childs plates - a whimsical - yet heirloom quality local company that holds a special place in my heart.

chèvre

chèvre

Damiani's Pinot Noir Reserve `12 from the Davis Vineyard (Not yet listed for sale)- it was a fresh, fruity medium body wine that complimented the rich goat cheese. Did I taste a hint of truffles? Delicious.

Hector Wine Company Merlot `13  (sold out) - Merlot from Hector is a rare commodity - for this single varietal bottle to happen grapes are hand picked from a steep slope overlooking the lake on only on the years when the weather and yield cooperate. Conditions have to be perfect for this elegant, classic wine to be made.

 Standing Stone Vineyard's Petit Verdot `13 was an eye opener.  A single varietal that I had not yet seen in the Finger Lakes. With spice and elegance, I'd grab a bottle or two of this in a second if I could.

Wrapping up this flight was Ventosa Vineyards Pinot Noir`12 What a difference a lake makes!  Ventosa is on the west side of Seneca Lake, and  there is a cordial east/west rivalry between the shores - almost a left bank/left bank division of subtle taste differences. This isn't France - this is Finger Lakes, New World, classic style, innovative and delicious (without having to learn a new language to decipher the label).  This Pinot is a classic, that is easy to drink and really highlighted the blueberries in the blueberry vinaigrette.

Flight Two
This was when it really sunk in that we were going to be tasting 12 wines with dinner.  The rarity of our first flight led to the diversity of our second flight.  Two single varietals, and two blends that showed that New York is producing wine that is world class. 

Our main course was served, a plate of Stonecat's "Cult Classic" Slow Smoked Pork BBQ with cornbread, honey butter, fresh dill coleslaw and black & black posole.


Damiani Wine Cellar's Cabernet Franc `12 (sold out) Cabernet Franc is one of my favorite varietals, and this is a classic representation.  The rich smokiness paired perfectly with the pork, and a bit of the honey buttered cornbread with a sip of this wine was just MAGIC in my mouth.

Hector Wine Company Essence `13 this Bordeaux style blend of 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc and 33% Merlot proves my point that french style red blends can translate into the new world.  This wine is well balanced, and held it's own against the dill and "vegginess" of the coleslaw.

Standing Stone Vineyards Saperavi `13 (sold out) I had never heard of Saperavi before. It is a ancient Georgian grape that now is thriving at Standing Stone.  I love it when vineyard owners do their research and bring us dark rich wine with many layers of flavor. This wine paired very well with the pork BBQ, but I can only imagine how it would pair with a juicy grilled steak - or classic Sausage and peppers - the whole time Marti was talking about this wine, I was designing menus around it.


Ventosa Vineyards Saggio-x This Italian style red blend (43% Cab Sauv, 26% Cab Franc, 22% Merlot & 9% Syrah) is Ventosa Vineyard's signature wine. It is smooth, easy to drink and at 13.5% ETOH it's a great way to elevate a special evening dinner - or even a tailgate for a big game.

Flight Three
By now, there is some palate fatigue. My tasting notes had been sloshed on, and I seemed to love EVERYONE in the room. Which was a sign that any semi-professional attempt at reviewing was out the window, and this became the most amazing Finger Lakes dinner party that I had ever been to. Good thing that the sun was setting, and dessert was being served. Dark Chocolate hazelnut torte infused with Finger Lakes Distilling Cassis Liquor and drizzled with a spiced Blueberry sauce - served on slate from a local waterfall. Rich, delicious and inventive.

Bouchaine Pinot Noir `10 #BouchaineWines #CarnerosWine

Napa Valley's Carneros AVA on NY's Gold Coast: Lunch with Bouchaine Vineyard's Greg Gauthier.

We're surrounded by wine in NY - spoilt for choice actually; it's a city of 8 million people -  with a galaxy of wine shops and restaurants to choose from, so how do we decide?  Price? Recommendation? Reputation of the maker/area? There are so many choices, but when you cancel out the mass produced wines (you know, the ones you see on billboards and wrapped around the side of a bus) there are small gems to be found, bottled evidence of the efforts of passionate people who love what they do.  Each of these small producer wines that make their way to our tables represents a  diversity of landscapes from lands unlike Manhattan.  These wines are a tapestry of flavors,  moments that enrich our meals and enlighten us to a different place, unique to  farms, tilled soil and vineyard friendly climates- or as the French would say, "Terroir".

Lunch with  Greg Gauthier, Bouchaine's Vice President, of Wine Production and Sales, was just that kind of  transcontinental moment.  He's a UC Davis educated, Carneros Cowboy with a palate. As I walked in, I found him standing in the hotel lobby with his bags packed, and a bottle of  `10 Pinot Noir in one hand, and `11 Estate Chardonnay in the other - like I said... spoilt for choice.

Just when you think you know Napa, someone like Greg comes around and throws you a curve ball in the game of wine.  I hadn't really thought a lot about the sub regions of Napa, and I was surprised to  read that Carneros  "Where the San Francisco Bay meets Napa and Sonoma" produces wines I have really enjoyed in the past (at the time I just though "ahhh- Napa") Gloria Ferrer- Sonoma Brut , and Saintsbury to name a couple, now I'll put this Pinot Noir at the top of the list.  It was a perfect pour for the rich intimacy of the  Polo Steak House, in Garden City, NY.  Look for it on restaurant lists - you won't be sorry.

For romantic souls, wine alone can tell the story of a vineyard in the bottle, but for people like me, it's great to hear Greg talk about the colorful history of Bouchaine.  As I sipped the classically styled, (a delightful 13.8% ETOH), complex, earthy Pinot Noir with a hint of tangerine, I listened to Greg talk about his coming to Bouchaine over a decade ago .  We paused momentarily so I could taste a slice of seared tuna from his lunch, with the Pinot.  I smiled and thought of Robin Pfeiffer, who taught me that "wine wants to be married", the right wine enhances food and can make a good meal, great.  I sipped the Pinot as I nibbled away at the layers of my Cobb salad,  - it's true, although wine by nature is a brief and polygamous partner, it opened up the flavors of the salad's grilled chicken, balanced the smoke of the bacon, and then melded smoothly with the blue cheese, heightening the meal's layers of distinct, delicious flavors and textures. 

Greg told me about their wine making process - tasting, blending, tasting, waiting, tasting and then tasting again, to get the flavor "just right".  There is a lot of talent at Bouchaine,and along with the owners Gerret and Tatiana Copeland, everyone is part of the process, General Manager & Winemaker Michael Richmond, Greg,  and the newest addition to the team, second generation Associate Winemaker Andrew Brooks. Their work and dedication is paying off. This `10  Carneros Pinot is from a 9,798 case production -  one of their largest lots; With a total case production of 20,000 each year, Bouchaine is an artisanal vineyard, making about 15 wines; including other specialty Pinot Noirs,  and ranging to the Estate Vineyard Chardonnay, with some interesting varietals in between, including Las Brisas Vineyard Riesling, Pinot Gris, a late harvest Bouche d’or Chardonnay dessert wine, and an exotic Pinot Meunier to name a few.  

The staff at Bouchaine is working with cooking schools to educate nascent chefs in the layers of flavor that can be found in a single varietal wine, the 20 micro-climates that make each lot of their 80 acres subtly unique, and the blending process.  As I swirled my glass, and held it up to the light, to see the the vibrant garnet edges of the wine, Greg  shared Bouchain's history as the oldest continuously operating winery in Carneros - originally planted by a Missouri farmer, Boon Fly in the late 1880's, it's a labor of love that Gerret and Tatiana Copeland have fostered since 1993, They've got deep rootstock behind them, and a bright future ahead.  Bouchaine is a shining star in the New York galaxy of wine.

NV Viñedo de los Vientos Tannat Alcyone $27.00 2nd review #DessertWine

A crowd pleasing gift.

Exotic, approachable and unique, this dessert wine form Uruguay is the most universally interesting wine that I have ever tasted. It is a very sweet wine, which makes it popular with non-wine drinkers. This Alcyone is my hostess gift of choice, and I love watching people react to the sweet chocolate/marshmallow taste.

I first discovered it at Vini-Volo JFK. It's not easy to find (I get mine at Astor Wines and Spirits in NYC) and it varies in price, but it's a guaranteed to be a welcome addition to almost any dessert course.

Recently, I paired it with cake, whipped cream and fresh strawberries. It really worked.  For the leftovers, it was suggested that I macerate the strawberries in the wine, brilliant idea. I'm thinking that I'll make a couple of recipe cards to add to the gift bags.

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....

Willamette Valley Estate Pinot Noir`09 $45.00 Live Blog Red #WBC12

"It's Willamette, Dammit!" Turner Oregon.  ETOH 14.5% They take this wine seriously, and this Pinot is serious.  The wine is light, but has long finish.  I'm thinking Thanksgiving turkey. This is a vineyard that cares. It cares about its wine, and about the earth.  They talk the talk and they walk the walk.  This is a sustainable, happy wine. I'm a convert.

Tapena Garnacha`10 $10.00 Live Blog Red #WBC12

@Tapenawine  Spain. Garnacha. Ten Bucks. The name and price say it all.  ETOH 13% Pena means friend, and tapas is small plates.  Have a bunch of friends over, mix up a lot of food, dig in, kick back drink a few bottles while you eat, talk and dream about the future.  40,000 cases were made.

Cornerstone Pinot Noir`09 $50.00 Live blog red #WBC12

Hi Craig!!!  This is an Oregon Pinot Noir,  I'll just drink your yummy wine while you talk about how you make it.  Ok, I'll take a picture and then wonder how many bottles I can fit in my suitcase for the flight home.  This is a great wine that would pair with the char on a perfect thick slap of grilled salmon.  ETOH 13.9%  So you can buy three bottles and the hangover won't be too bad.  This is a great wine to impress people with!

Archery Summit Premire Cuvee Pinot Noir`10 $48.00 Live Blog Red #WBC12

This is a very fruity pinot.  WOW.  Fruit upon fruit upon fruit. 14.5% ETOH it is a big wine.

J. Christopher Pinot Noir `10 $30.00 Live Blog Red #WBC12

Winery started by J Somers.  From the Chehalem Mountains AVA.  This is a complex Pinot.  This is a Pinot that would stand up to a fatty lamb.

Mary Hill Zinfandel`08 $16.99 Live blog red #WBC12

@MaryhillWinery presented by Rich Marshall and Carley from the Columbia Gorge Basin.  Total Production 85,000 cases 15th largest winery in the state.   ETOH 14.5% Very Well Balanced, a favorite for lamb and game. In addition to a winery, they have an amphitheater, check out their website:  www.maryhillwinery.com

Seven of Hearts Red Blend Chatte D`Avignon `10 $25.00 Live Blog Red #WBC12

Byron Dooley from Seven of Hearts wines small production out of Carlton Oregon, and Dundee Oregon. This is a Rhone Style red wine. 252 cases made.  Grapes are from the Columbia Valley. This is a grilled meat wine! ETOH 14.3%

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!

Louis Jadot Pinot Noir `08 $17.99 **

I got home from work and found JPH prepping eggplant. It was going to be a comfort food night.  There was a chicken in the fridge that needed to be roasted, potatoes to be baked & mashed, parsley to be chopped and rosemary that needed to be harvested from the patio. (finally the plants are outside  - I am trying to convince S. to start a gardening blog, she has done amazing work with the garden).  As I was seasoning the chicken, JPH pointed out that a wine needed to be selected.  I hesitated on this French Pinot Noir simply because it is a $17.99 bottle of plonk - that is steep for a Wednesday night table wine, but hey, why not?  JPH also challenged me to a review and since I have been slipping in that department this year, I accepted.

This is a classic French Pinot Noir from the classic Bourgogne power house Maison Louis Jadot.  That being said, it is simple French table wine and we were opening it on the down side of it's peak.  It has some forward spice and a watery finish, which is not unattractive in a wine to have with a well seasoned dinner.  At 12.5% ETOH, JPH noted that you could just keep drinking and drinking this with a meal. We wondered just how many French restaurants have it as their house red. We're guessing a lot - Maison Jadot has a winery dedicated exclusively to the production of Bourgogne Pinot Noir. This is high quality, mass production wine and it is the backbone of Burgundy, good wine that you can drink that won't break the bank.

"Well Balanced" was the catch phrase for the evening.  It is an even drinking wine with no surprises.  Slight tannins made it a good astringent foil for the roasted chicken, and the earthiness made the truffles stand out more in the truffled mashed potatoes.  (seriously, between the wine and the potatoes, I wondered if I put any butter in at all)

This is a "safe" classic French wine.  You could bring it to your in-laws and be deemed cultured.  As for me, I am just thrilled that we hit the pairing out of the park.  Dinner was the highlight of my day. Chicken roasted with lemon and rosemary, sauteed eggplant in garlic scented olive oil with parsley and truffled mashed potato. It doesn't get much better on the comfort scale.

I'll leave you with my chicken as it just came out of the oven, and the eggplant waiting to be plated. It was a rainy Spring night, and comfort food hit the spot.

Poggio Trevvalle Santippe, IGT `09 $12.99 ***

Poggio Trevvalle Santippe made a liar out of me.  I used to say that I don't like Sangiovese but I really liked this Tuscan 100% Sangiovese. It it light, easy to drink and fruit forward (rich strawberry) with a subtle earthy finish and very light tannins.  The joke is on me though... it is 14.5% ETOH.  It goes down waaaaayyyy too easy.  This is a wine that I need to watch myself with, it is beguiling and wonderful but could lead to a regrettable morning after.

Made by two Italian brothers at their vineyard Poggio Trevvalle in Maremma, Tuscany, between the towns of Grosseto and Campagnatico, this wine shows their commitment to the area "terroir".  It s a delicious, straightforward juicy wine that could easily be our house wine for Spring 2012. (JPH ran out to buy three more bottles after we polished off the first one with the dinner pictured above)

We paired it with chicken cutlets filled with buffalo mozzarella and parsley, wrapped in prosciutto,; eggplant cubes sauteed in olive oil with a hint of garlic and pasta with a simple red sauce. It was a delicious meal.

This wine can even make you smarter. (if you are lucky enough to have a brilliant Ph.D at the table)  After she had a sip and liked it, S. looked at the bottle and exclaimed "This is named after Socrates's wife!".  Well, that is fascinating (after all, I have always been quite fond of Socrates - as a child, my pet white goat after him)  History was not overly kind to his wife though.  For the original Xanthippe "strong willed" is one of the kinder sentiments that have survived the ages.  Shakespeare mentions her in the Taming of the Shrew which is what has really put her reputation to the test over the centuries. Jet Wine Bar wrote a great review of this wine that touches on a lot of history. I'll let you click over there to read more if you want to.


As for me, as soon as I hit "publish", I'm going to take the glass of Santippe here on my right and go take a walk in S's garden on this beautiful sunny Spring day. I think that Socrates and the brothers Umberto e Bernardo Valle won't have a problem with that!

Breaux Vineyards Nebbiolo `05 $72.00 ****

I travel.  Sometimes when I travel, I bring back wine to be tasted at a future date.  Which is why S. was very happy that we were finally drinking the "Leonardo" (that's a Da Vinci self portrait on the label) from the wine rack.

Leonardo never had it so good.  This Virginia Nebbiolo is a really good wine, with a GREAT story.

Lat year, I was lucky enough to tour Breaux Vineyards in Purcellville, VA, just an hour from Washington DC. While I was there, I fell for their Viognier, a lovely white that Jancis Robinson and Oz Clarke like too. But for me, the star is their hill of Nebbiolo grapes and the way that Spanish winemaker David Pagan Castaño creates a magic Italian elixir from the fruit.

Where else can you have a classic indigenous  Italian varietal, grown in rural Virginia by a family with deep Louisiana roots, with a second generation Spanish winemaker producing a delicious "true to the varietal" wine that holds it's own against famous DOCG Borolos and Barbarescos?  Only in America. 

E. Paul Breaux likes wine.  The story behind Breaux Nebbiolo was told to me by Chris Blosser and his wife (Paul's daughter) Jennifer Breaux Blosser, who now run the day to day of the Vineyards. As we sipped chilled Viognier in the August heat, I asked "why Nebbiolo?"  Chris answered:

One evening while visiting Italy Mr. Breaux had a conversation with an Italian man (their only common language was wine) about the noble Nebbiolo grape. It was such a great night (I believe wine consumption was involved) that he decided to come home to Virginia and plant some Nebbiolo vines.  This shows that the real estate magnate is also an iconoclast who is willing to take risks; in the spirit of the founding fathers, he took European originals (Nebbiolo and winemaker Castaño) and made a rich, flavorful American wine with Piemonte roots.

I opened the bottle while making Marcella Hazan's Risotto with Beef, Rosemary, Sage, and Barolo Wine, Alba Style.  This is where I tell you that taste does not photograph well.  I intentionally cropped out dinner from the photograph above because as I call it "Hamburger Risotto" is mouthwateringly delicious, but it looks like Ginny's dinner.  I didn't want to sully your view of this amazing wine:  Aged to perfection, with a slight orange tinge around the edge, no tannins that I could taste and a rich fruity structure with mellow earthy undertones.  It is great for sipping and paired with delicious food. At 13.8% ETOH, this is a full flavor wine, but there was no overly alcoholic kick back.

Thomas Jefferson's dream has come true.  They're making delicious wine in Virginia.

Breaux Vineyards, Summer 2011:

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:

Argiano Non Confunditur `08 $17.99 ***

This Argiano Super Tuscan was a JPH find.  The translation of the Latin name Non Confunditur is "don't get confused".  Well, this blend is IGT, meaning that with this wine, Argiano intentionally broke with tradition and got experimental: high quality blending of French and Italian varietals.

All marketing and intentional confusion aside, it is a rich, smooth, fruity, light tannin blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot and 20% Syrah.  Which makes it a good Tuscan red for people who aren't fond of Sangiovese. (Look at me, I am raising my hand here - I'll say it, Sangiovese is not one of my favorite varietals) At 14% ETOH, it is a wine with some power.  The full flavor of the wine made it a memorable sipping wine, but where it really stood out for me was with dinner.

We paired it with Venison & Mushroom Pie from the National Trust's Good Old Fashoned Pie and Stew Cookbook and a side of fresh green beans and rolls from Leonetti's Pastry Shop. It was a simple, hearty meal paired with this not so simple Tuscan blended wine.  S. and JPH really liked it (I think that this was the fourth bottle purchased).

Argiano is a producer of some amazing Grand Reserves of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. I've stumbled across them in some of the better cellar tastings that I have been to over the years. They are a quality, big name in Italian wines.  It is great to see classic production side by side with innovative blends like the Non Confunditure.  This is an Estate that is well grounded in history but is also forward thinking.  Well done.

It was a long, uneventful winter, and now that it is officially Spring I want to share pictures of S.'s garden. Soon enough, we'll be sitting on the patio sipping wine and enjoying the view that she & JPH tirelessly work to create:

The Chook Shiraz-Viognier `10 $12.99 **(*)

This is a very interesting light, bright and peppery wine. It is interesting because it's a blend of 95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier. So it's a robust, full flavored red wine with a hit of fruity white Viognier.  Ben Riggs, famed Australian "Flying-Winemaker" is known for his beloved McLaren Vale Shiraz .  I bumped this an extra star because it is a pretty straightforward representation of a good Shiraz blended to be lighter and well, "interesting". We all need to shake it up every once in a while and think outside of the box.  Thank you Mr. Riggs.

The wine paired well with Veal Paprikash, from The Old World Kitchen: The Rich Tradition of European Peasant Cooking by Elisabeth Luard; with truffled mashed potatoes and asparagus.

Bodegas LAN Rioja Crianza `06 $10.99 ***

Comfort food and comfort wine.  That was our evening. I've written a lot about my beloved Tempranillo.  This wine is complex, fruity, brooding and well balanced.  It is a mouthful of flavor, and it is better off balanced with food...fatty food.  JPH knocked it out of the park with home made burgers, stewed onion & peppers, roasted cherry tomatoes and pan fried potatoes.  S. sat down at the table and exclaimed "Comfort Food".

Now for the wine.  This is a rustic wine.  Textured, a lot like the unseasonal (57 degrees outside in January?  Really??) grilled hamburgers that we had .  Juicy, but with a hint of char and full of flavor.  I made a comment about "chewing on a mouth full" of this wine, and I stand by it. Flavor and balance all in one bottle, and for $10.99 - we've had a few of these bottles so far this winter, and it really is a great find.

From Bodgeas LAN 100% Tempranillo, 13.5% ETOH. Rioja is an amazing wine region producing some really nice, inexpensive wines. Thank you.

And as an added bonus, their back label actually teaches us something.  I love the graph telling you when the wine is at its peak.  This may be my favorite label of the year (so far)

Mosen Cleto Crianza DO `06 ** $17.99

I really wanted to like this wine.  It was a recommendation from the expensive wine shop in Locust Valley.  But, from the moment JPH presented it, there was a sense of doubt looming.  The bottle was off putting; both S. and I tried to clean it. In a marketing gimmick, Mosen Cleto, the Spanish producer coats the bottles with glue & sand then calls it  "Well Cellared" (we just thought it was dirty).  Gimmicking the bottle harkens back to Chianti in bulbous wicker from my childhood.  Good for ambiance (burning rainbow candles in...) but for drinking? Shudder.

When it was uncorked, the cork smelled really fruity. It does smell great - dark Cherry with a subtle hint of vanilla and leather.  It was a beautiful swirl in the glass, with just the slightest pink tinge in the edge.  The first sip was so full of unsweetened stewed fruit flavor that I thought I had been punched in the mouth by an Australian Shiraz.  Really, I was wondering how it would taste with clotted cream, a fresh biscuit and some sugar... if it were thicker, I'd spread it for breakfast.

It is full of flavor with a long finish. 75% Garnacha and 25% Tempranillo, the undertones of leather and smoke give the wine a heaviness, and as an `06 Crianza, I wonder if we were a couple of years too late. Produced by the Spanish giant Bodegas Aragonesas, I wonder if we should try a younger bottle.  But at $17.99, it simply isn't worth the experiment.

S. made Brisket and Mashed potatoes, good hearty food to go with a hearty wine, but I think that this wine might just be too hearty for me.