Gotta Love Those Winebrats!

During my recent visit to the NW, Seattle Winebrats (SWBs) gathered for the occasion and tasted through a dozen old vine wines (same theme as TNTs party a couple of weeks ago). Though there were at least a dozen wines tasted at both parties, not a single wine was duplicated. I tried to find the Tschark, the Milwaukee group’s favorite, to share with the SWBs, but with no luck. Checked four places and the distributor list and learned it’s not being sold in Seattle. I’ll have to ship some to you for your next tasting.

Before getting into the wines, I just have to say how fantastic it was to be reunited with everyone and to share great friendships with wine-lovers in two great cities, Milwaukee, and Seattle. In addition to some great wines, a lot of fantastic food was also shared, thanks to our gourmet cooks in the group. Four stars all around for Leslie’s decadent hand-made ravioli stuffed with chanterelles and drenched in butter with hazel nuts and sage. The same goes for Joy’s chicken adobo, Tammy’s Spanish meatballs, Dmitri’s bruschetta, Karen’s stuffed mushrooms, and Steph’s fig balls. How can I not love these folks?? Thanks again to D&J for hosting at their beautiful place “in the woods.”

Tasting notes in order of tasting (the food and wine stains on my hand-written notes are classic). Eleven tasters scored wines on a four-star system, with 44 points being the highest score. Top three rated wines shown in bold:

1. Lake Sonoma 2005 Old Vine Zin, Saini Farms Dry Creek Valley (Score = 31)
Beautiful new world wine with nice tannins and finish. Perfect with the mushrooms. Very well balanced. $25

2. St. Francis 2005 Old Vine Zin, Sonoma County (36.5)
Dk cherry, fruity, ripe, cocoa, smooth, well-balanced. Not as long a finish as the first wine. Cherry on the nose. Much bolder and more concentrated. 15.5% alc. $20

3. Abacela 2000 Tempranillo, Umpqua Cuvee, Southern OR (24)
This wine doesn’t qualify as old vine, but we scored it any way. Sour cherry. Short finish. Tasted more like pinot noir. 13.6% alc. $20

4. Glaetzer 2005 Bishop Shiraz, Barossa Valley (41)
The favorite of the evening, inky, jammy, big, sweet nose, dk cherry, ripe, marion berry, licorice on the finish. Regular price is $30, but DK got it on sale for $17—EXCELLENT VALUE!! He sent two bottles home with JJ to share with the Milwaukee Winebrats :) Thanks DK! If you go shopping for this, beware the 2006 vintage—DK’s wine guy says it is not as good…

5. Bogle Vineyards 2005 Phantom Old Vine Zin/Mouvedre/Sirah (their spelling), California (29)
Bl cherry, anise. $20

6. Rotllan Torra 2001 Reserve, Priorat, Spain (26.5)
Elder berry, pre-Cambrian chalk (things are possibly beginning to decline), minerally, seems younger than a 2001, pruny, tart, high in acid, earthy, detecting a little Brettanomyces (Brett. for short)*. This wine greatly improved after it had breathed for at least an hour. $24.99

*Bacteria that live in dirty wooden barrels and can infect wine with an unclean, mousey flavor. (It usually reminds me of an old, used, smelly band-aid). An attribute more of old world wines, Americans tend to be more sensitive to this.

7. Gundlach Bundschu 2005 Merlot, Rhine Farm Vineyard, CA (29)
Softens as it opens. $27

8. Root 1 2006 Cab., Colchagua Valley, Chile (29.5)
Smokey, orange. $13

9. Clot de Lloum, 2004, Cotes du Roussillon Villages (somewhere in the Rhone) (28)
Conifer sap notes, Brett., Alpine forest, very concentrated, pine needles, very Fr. in character. $12

10. Luis Canas 2001 Rioja (30)
For some reason, I can’t remember why, this wine garnered a lot of discussion… some notes include: one-dimensional, caramel w/coffee, dusty, hint of chocolate, finish a little short, or, maybe its medium. Hermoso!!?! $31

11. Rincon Vineyard 2002 Pinot Noir, Talley Vineyards, Arroyo Grande, CA (28)
Good…really good… (uhm—I forgot to get the price)

12. Tatrarra 2006 Shiraz, Heathcote, Australia (27.5)
This wine inspired a spontaneous litany of political slurs, the least helpful of which was, “tastes like a hockey Mom!” Other notes: big and bold, too acidic and high tannins, yet someone was able to glean some dk cherry (go figure…) Price unknown.

As the volume of the music increased and the dancing ensued, the quality of the tasting notes was deteriorating precipitously, so the scribe set down her pen…and joined in the fun! I love you guys and gals—see you next year!

The Best of Times

18 fabulous friends, the soulfully-funky sounds of Average White Band at Seattle's best nightclub, Jazz Alley, good food, and great wine made for a happy birthday celebration, one of the best I can remember. Since there's no dance floor at this club (the one drawback), we were forced to take chair-dancing to new heights. With the first note, AWB transported me back to the 70's and 80's with the old-school sounds of Cut the Cake, Work to Do, Pick Up the Pieces, and so many more of those great oldies. It was wonderful to trip down memory lane with everyone who honored me with their presence and filled my life with so much fortune.

It would not be a celebration without lots of good wine, so it was flowing freely throughout the evening. Everything was delicious, but the standouts were two from Andrew Will, a 2006 Sangiovese from the Columbia Valley and another from his Artist Series (I never saw the label and need details from the buyer on this one). We had another good wine later at the Triple Door, but I can't remember the label--can someone who remembers post the information in the comments?

Thanks again to everyone who joined me, and especially to those who shared so generously from their wallets...completely unexpected, but greatly appreciated...you know who you are...

Love,
JJ

Mimosa State of Mind

It was a grey day in the city this past Sunday as the clouds settled in over the southern shores of Lake Michigan. But inside this sweet little spot on Chicago’s north end, we cut the chill and brightened the day as we indulged each other with our stories of triumph and defeat, childhood memories, and determinations for the future. Add the bottomless mimosas and bloody marys and you’ve set the stage for a soul-stirring session of the sisterhood.

This cozy scene was in stark contrast to the day before, hot and sunny, a dozen outdoor music venues filled with the sounds of jazz as the 2nd Annual Hyde Park Jazz Festival played itself out. TH and I trolleyed from venue to venue and enjoyed the classic sounds of Fred Anderson, the more contemporary music of the Charlie Johnson Quintet and others. Later, we headed to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra facility to enjoy the 12th Annual Day Of Music. TH caught up with Reginald Robinson, and I took in Paulinho Garcia and Greg Fishman, who make up “Two for Brazil.” These free concerts were just an incredible gift to the people and mimicked many similar weekends in one of our fair city’s beautiful parks, full of sun, fun, and music throughout the summer.

This weekend was the perfect ending to the best summer I can remember.

SWB Checks Out Middle Coast!

It was great to have another favorite Seattle Wine Brat (SWB) visiting recently. Though she took over Rain Man’s legacy of bringing down the sky, abundant good times did not elude us. Effects of Hurricane Ike plagued Bay Views two biggest festivals on Saturday but we managed to take advantage of the one break in the rain to enjoy dancing a full set by Beat Nation at the Global Union World Music Festival. It started to rain again just in time for the next band, so we decided it was a good time to find a nearby wine bar. The next morning we hit as many of my favorite places around town as possible before heading back home to finish cooking and set up for the dinner party, which featured Middle Eastern cuisine and wines from all over the world. The MWBs did an excellent job of supplementing the main course dishes and sides with appetizers and salads. As we enjoyed each others good company and conversation, there were many moments of that most exquisite pleasure of making a perfect match between the wine you’re drinking and the food you’re eating. There were some reds that had the old world earthiness that blend so well with the gamier flavors of lamb and the eastern spices that dressed the sides. Others were big, bold, deep, dark fruit reds that are the perfect complement for a hearty, harvest-time meal on a cool, rainy evening. Memorable labels included Coppi Primitivo Riserva 1997, Italy, Arcturus Astrale 2002, Napa, and Midnight Cellars Gemini Reserve Red Wine 2004, Paso Robles.

Those hearty reds were in abundance once again, this time at TNT’s birthday party and wine tasting. The theme was “old vine” or “late harvest” any region or varietal. The “darling” of the evening was by far the Tschark 2006, Barossa Valley, Australia, a blend of tempranillo and graciano. This wine softened as it opened and yielded hints of leather, chocolate, and the slightest bit of dark cherry.

One more wine to mention is Hegarty Chamans 2004, Minervois, France. This blend of carignan, syrah, and grenache is one of the most memorable due to a striking note of mint dominating the palette. My only other experience of that was with a high end Australian blend by Penfolds. To try this one by the glass, head out to Trocadero Café.

Patz & Hall at Thief Wine

Fabulous tasting tonight at Thief Wine in Milwaukee Public Market. Thanks to TJ for the heads up and invitation. TJ was working the event and TS joined in the fun. We got to meet winemaker Don Patz and grill him about the movie Bottle Shock. He’s been in the Napa Valley making wines since 1988, so he knows the players in the region, including all the characters depicted in the movie. He said the portrayal of Jim Barret was pretty right on—a tough guy. Portrayal of the son Bo seemed reasonable. His girlfriend, Sam, who later became his wife didn’t actually moon the crowd, but the real people being portrayed didn’t harbor any resentment toward the filmmaker, they mostly felt it was all in good fun. I asked him about the phenomenon about the Chardonnay turning brown in the bottle. He specializes in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir—about eight of each. We had five total and they were all beautiful wines—more about them in a minute. Don said he’s never had the experience of wines turning brown in the bottle and didn’t know anyone else who had either, and that the chances are much less than being struck by lightning. He did say that the part of the story about the wine turning brown is part of the folklore of Chateau Montelena. Don said that shortly after pressing, you get a lot of agents in the juice that are susceptible to oxidation and turn brown pretty early on, but they also settle out to the bottom pretty quickly well before bottling and leaving a clear, beautiful wine. At that point, what’s left is pretty resistant to oxidation and can last many years before suffering the symptoms of further oxidation.

About the wines—we had three Chardonnays and two Pinot Noirs. Don only makes wines from these two varietals, sourcing from various vineyards in the Napa Region. We had one of each varietal with a designation of Napa Valley, the least expensive, and then one of each from the very reputable Hyde Vineyard in Carneros (SW corner of Napa and high country—great microclimate for both grapes). The Hydes were the most expensive. He also had a Chardonnay from Duton Ranch. I had never had any Patz and Hall wines before tonight and am now a huge fan. All five wines were delicious, gorgeous wines. CG, you would love all of these Chardonnays!! I bought two bottles of one of them and hope to share some with you before the fall season sets in. All the Chardonnays are barrel fermented with a second malolactic fermentation. The effects of the wood were nicely understated—a little buttered toast under scoring the fruit. Nicely balanced with no oiliness. These were outstanding wines. The Pinot Noir wines were even better, sporting ripe fruit, black berries (not much of that sour cherry thing going on—these wines were much richer and had more depth). The first Pinot was from Hyde Vineyard and the second was his Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Not much earthiness from either, but a little spice from the oak barrels. Both were elegant and sensuous wines. Pinot lovers will want to have these in their cellars. Discounted prices ranged from $28.50 to $52.95 per bottle.

After the tasting, we retired to the wine bar on the first floor to split a bottle of the Foley 2006 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir, Rancho Santa Rosa. Another beautiful Pinot, this one has some cherry notes, and less of the ripe black fruit found in the Patz and Hall. Thanks to AF for introducing me to this wine earlier this year—a perfect way to round out the evening.

Milwaukee Wine Festival

The winebrats were all together for the art museum’s annual wine festival on the lakefront under hot, sunny, blue skies. The first taste of the day was Domaine Wachau Gruner Veltliner, light and crisp, it was the perfect cooler. That was by far my favorite white wine, closely followed by Redwood Creek 2007 Chardonnay, also light and refreshing, with some appliness.

Despite the searing heat, I forced myself on to the reds, and it was well worth it. I got to know some new labels for a number of old favorites. My friends and I were charmed by two PKNT Carmeneres from Chile, one of them a Reserve. Both were delicious with good solid structure, fruit, and a hint of red pepper. The other Carmenere was Casa Silva Reserve, a little drier than the PKNT and offering more spice. There were also three wonderful Malbecs, Jean Bousquet, Alamos, and Catena.

By late afternoon as the sun began to sink toward the horizon, we were surrounded by a swarm of low flying dragon flies. I haven’t seen these wonderful creatures in such great numbers in decades. I was wondering if we just happened be along their migration route, or were they attracted by the wine aromas wafting through the air? I won’t have time to research this, so please post a comment if you know the answer.

Of the major labels offering consistently good wine year after year, Michael David Winery really stands out. They poured six wines and all were excellent. In addition to the usual suspects, they poured one that was new to me called Petite Petit, a blend of Petite Syrah and Petit Verdot. This was highly concentrated black fruit and spice with lots of structure. Other notables included Mondavi’s Solaire Cabernet and Private Selection Pinot Noir. A number of us also enjoyed the Penfold’s Bin 128 Kalimna Shiraz—no surprises from this Australian mainstay.

I was only able to taste a small fraction of the over 200 wines that were offered, but managed to find a number of really good values of those I did have a chance to try. Most of these wines were priced at a discount from $5 - $22. Even though the prices are low, the quality is not. I tried many others that were good or so-so, but these are the wines I’d buy repeatedly to enjoy myself and to share with friends. For more information about the festival, visit http://www.milwaukeewinefestival.com/.

Cheers!

German Wine Tasting

I never thought I'd enjoy a Riesling tasting as much as I did this weekend. The weather was perfect for Riesling - a hot summer day. The distributor, Toni of Purple Feet was mah-vuh-lus, and I was very lucky to be the only one in the room and had her all to myself for the better part of an hour. She shared a numbe of German terms that will really help me better understand wine labels from now on. Here's what she was pouring (in order of preference on a scale of 1-4, the latter being the best):

1. Peters Willinger Klosterberg Riesling Qba Trocken - Rating = 3.5; This Mosel wine was very refreshing with floral notes in the nose and on the palette; $18

2. Weller Lehnert Piesporter Treppthen Riesling Qba - 3.0; This is a more traditional style with some residual sugar (the Peters was dry), but still very clean and refreshing; a great value at $14

3. Geschwister Schuch Niersteiner Pettenthal Riesling Kabinett QmP - 3.0; A sweeter wine with a little more body, but still has just enough acidity to create a perfectly balanced wine. This wine is from the Rheinhessen region; $18

4. Unckrich Kallstadter Saumager Riesling Spatlese QmP - 2.5; Of course, as a late harvest wine, this was the sweetest of the six. It's from the Pfelz region; a very good value at $13

5. Johann Peter Mertes Kanzemer Sonnenberg Riesling Spatlese Halbtrocken QmP - 2.0; Another Mosel wine, this off-dry Spatlese (interesting in and of itself) actually presented the aroma of hops, a familiar experience to the olfactory for this Brewtown girl. After I mentioned this, Toni tried it and totally agreed with me on the hops. This wine was interesting, but not enough for me to want to pay $15

6. Hirt Gebhardt Martinshaler Wildsau Riesling Trocken Qba - 1.5; This Rheingau region wine reminded me a lot of Sauvignon Blanc, but not as good--it was a bit on the sour side; $11

That was my first German wine tasting and hopefully will be the first of many more to come. I learned that there are many delicious Rieslings out there at great prices. When I buy whites, I habitually reach for Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or any of the Rhone whites--now I will think seriously about going for a Riesling instead. I made a good start yestserday with a mixed half case of the first three wines on the list above, and I'm looking forward to sharing them this summer with visitors and friends, including my new friend Toni.

Cheers!!