Saturday Night – Mick gets Sweet and Spicy – Part 2

Click here for Part 1

 

For the main course, Mick did Pizza Margherita and he paired this with a 2011 Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale.

 

The nose on the wine was dominated by cherry with menthol being a close second and black pepper, tobacco, sage and vanilla lurking in the background.  Tasting the wine, strawberries with a squeeze of lemon were the main flavours.  The structure was what you’d expect from a good Chianti, fresh acidity driving the wine with some soft fine tannin in the background.  The finish came across with a sour cherry flavour and lingered for quite a bit.  The wine was a lovely pairing with the food but it came across very dry and chalky on its own; this is definitely a food wine.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 88, Mark – 88, Kathy – 87, Amy – 87, Overall – 87.5.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale DOCG Chianti
LCBO#: 45195 
Price : On sale currently for $22.45, regular price $24.95
750 mL bottle
Alcohol/Vol. 13.0%
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Ruffino S.R.L.
Sugar Content:4 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry
Style: Medium-bodied & Fruity
Varietal: Chianti

Description - Bright ruby colour; cherry, plum, spice, and leather notes on the nose; dry, medium to full bodied, tart cherry and plum flavours with hints of cedar, firm, tannins and a long spicy finish.

Mick has done the Pizza Margherita but this time he changed up the sauce and it was amazing; the tomatoes had a nice sweetness to them and he added some hot sauce it which gave the dish a subtle burn which balanced with the sweetness to perfection.  This dish was perfect and had me dreaming about it the next day.

For dessert Mick did up and cheese tray and Amy picked up a Milky Way Cake, so there were plenty of tasty options for everyone to try.

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting and to Mick for all his hard work making those wonderful dishes.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Birthday time! – Part 1

Kathy’s Birthday was this past Friday so we kicked things up a notch for this Saturday night’s dinner.  In addition to Mick and Amy we also had our next door neighbours Joe and Olivia joining us. 

 

Kathy requested Wolfgang Puck’s Chicken Alfredo as the main course for her dinner, so I decided to go with an Italian based theme for the evening.  My first course was an Anti-Pasto with all sorts of goodies – Calabrese salad, a selection of Italian cold cuts, a roasted red pepper dip with crackers, a pickle tray and fresh sliced baguettes.  I paired this with a 2009 Fattoria La Ripa Chianti Classico Reserva.

The nose on the wine was big and easy to find with rich leather, tar, black cherry and wood aromas.  Tasting the wine, raspberry with a touch of menthol were the dominate flavours.  The wine had a precise narrow mouth-feel that was nice balance of acidity, tannin and alcohol and it came across very smooth.  It was a decent pairing but was thrown a bit by some of the spicier meats. 

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 90, Mark – 89 Kathy – 89, Amy – 89, Overall – 89.25.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

FATTORIA LA RIPA CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2009

VINTAGES 984401
750 mL bottle
Price $ 26.95
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: S.A. Santa Brigida S.R.L.
Release Date: Jan 18, 2014
Wine, Red Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Medium-bodied & Fruity
Varietal: Sangiovese/Canaiolo
Sugar Content: 4 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note -  A dense, muscular style, with saturated cherry, iron and earth flavors. Dry and savory in the best sense, this offers a lingering aftertaste of tart cherry, tobacco and earth notes. Best from 2014 through 2024. Score - 92. (Bruce Sanderson, winespectator.com, Oct. 31, 2012)

This was a certainly a solid wine and a decent value at its $27 price point.  The nice thing is I just picked this up from the LCBO on Friday so if you wish to try a bottle for yourself, there is still plenty of stock left.

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night – Italy vs. Spain – Part 2

Click here for Part 1

The other wine we had with the two courses was the 2010 Fattoria le Fonti Chianti Classico from Italy.

 

The nose on the wine was pretty, with aromas of cherry, pine needle and vanilla but some heat was noticeable as well. The main flavour of the wine was cherry but it was more subtle than I was expecting from a Chianti. For the structure of the wine, heavy acidity with very faint tannin caused the balance of the wine to be off and it came across as hot on the finish. Unlike the Rioja, this wine was better on its own than with the food; with food the wine developed a bitter bite at times on finish which I didn’t like.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 89, Mark – 86 Kathy – 87, Amy – 87, Overall – 87.25.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

FATTORIA LE FONTI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2010

VINTAGES 295162
750 mL bottle
Price $ 15.75
CLEARANCE SALE
Was: $ 19.95
Now: $ 15.75
Save: $ 4.20
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Societa Agricola Fattoria Le Fonti
Release Date: Sep 14, 2013
Wine, Red Wine
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Full-bodied & Smooth
Varietal: Sangiovese
Sugar Content: 4 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note - Black cherry and iris aromas with sweet chocolatey oak. Nice fresh fruit and refined tannins on the palate; quite round and soft for the vintage, but good tangy finish with sweet berry fruit. Drink: 2012-2015. Score - 90. (Richard Baudains, decanter.com, Nov. 2, 2012

Looking at the results, it seems like we have a tie in our Italy vs. Spain wine competition as both pulled the 87.25 overall rating. The Chianti at full price was more expensive than the Rioja but with the sale going on, it is now actually cheaper than the Rioja so was have a tie there as well. I would say this will come down to personal preference – you like fruit and acidity – grab the Chianti, you like a red with a dark flavours and tannin – grab the Rioja.

As for the food, the “Breechetta” was amazing as always and I really liked the style in how Mick did the pork chops as they were breaded but he did them in such a way that they didn’t feel starchy or heavy which was awesome.

For dessert we had a Caramel Crunch cake and paired this with a bottle of 2006 Dr. Loosen Beerenauslese Riesling.  We have reviewed  this wine before - http://zippysauce.blogspot.ca/2011/08/saturday-night-blackout-dinner-part-3.html so won’t be reviewing it again now.  I will add however that it was a lovely pairing with the Caramel Crunch cake and hope Mick has another bottle tucked away somewhere.

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting and to Mick for all his hard work in making all of that wonderful food.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – All new stuff – Part 1

Mick and Amy were hosting this past Saturday night’s dinner and they had three new dishes and wines for us to try.

 

The first course was a grilled Calabrese type of dish and it was a paired with a 2010 Ocone Taburno Falanghina Flora. 

The nose on the wine had a lot going on with aromas of frosting, grass, barnyard, daisies, curry powder and wet stone.  Some of those aromas developed more as the wine warmed up.  Tasting the wine you find an interesting mix of tangerine, grapefruit and honeydew melon.  The structure on the wine was different as it was very lively with its acidity but there was also a slight oiliness to it as well.  The best way I can describe it is if you mixed Symphony (a hybrid wine from California) and a bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc you’d be pretty close to this wine.  It did make a really good pairing with the grilled Calabrese.

 

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 88, Mark – 88 Kathy – 87, Amy – 86, Overall – 87.25.

 

Here is the LCBO information on the wine -

 

OCONE FLORA FALANGHINA 2010
VINTAGES 326694
750 mL bottle
Price $ 16.95
Made in: Campania, Italy
By: Ocone Agricola Del Monte Srl
Release Date: Jun 8, 2013
Wine, White Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Full-bodied & Rich
Varietal: Falanghina
Sugar Content: 6 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: D - Dry

 

Tasting Note  -  The 2010 Falanghina Flora shows even greater aromatic depth and richness than the Coda di Volpe. The Flora seems to float across the palate with layers of white stone fruits, mint, sage and flowers. It is a textured, compelling Falanghina, and I don't use those words lightly. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2014. Score - 89. (Antonio Galloni, erobertparker.com, June 2011)

 

I had to giggle as written on my notes from Mick was “Best Falanghina we’ve ever had!” which is true as it is only Falanghina we’ve ever had.

 

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night – It’s my Birthday!

Kathy and I were hosting this past Saturday night’s dinner.  My birthday is on Monday July 8th so this Saturday night ended up being my Birthday dinner. 

 

I had a bottle of 2004 Cristal Champagne on the rack in the basement that I’d been aging.  I’d loved this wine when we tried it originally but all the reviews on it said it was very young and needed more time to develop.  About a week and half ago our house was broken into and some cash and jewelry were stolen.  Walking through the house with the police I was relieved to see the thieves hadn’t touched any of the wine.  I remember specifically seeing the Cristal and being very happy it was still there.  At that moment, I decided it was time to drink it now vs. later.  I was also concerned that aging the wine may not be a good thing; I loved it when we first had it and what if the changes took away from what I loved about it in the first place?

So the first course was the 2004 Cristal Champagne and I made a bacon and blue cheese dip to go with it.  As we have reviewed the 2004 Cristal before I won’t go into great detail but it was as wonderful as when we had the first time.  It made an amazing pairing with the dip as the wine’s crispness easily cut through the heavy rich flavours of the dip.

The main course was beef tenderloin with grilled shrimp, baby potatoes, green beans and Béarnaise sauce.  As it was my birthday dinner, I went with something special for the pairing here and opened a 2003 Solaia by Antinori.  I have had this aging on the rack for about 5/6 years and was very much looking forward to trying it.

The nose on the Solaia was easy to find with big aromas of sour cherry, cedar, eucalyptus, marzipan, vanilla and tobacco.  Tasting the wine, raspberry and subtle spice notes were the two main flavours.  The balance on the wine was amazing with fine tannin and good acidity working in harmony with the alcohol and fruit.  The wine was not huge but done in more of a feminine style which was subtle and inviting.  As the wine opened up it did develop a slight bite to it but this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as it just made the wine grab your attention a little more.  The finish on the wine lingered around for a long time.  I usually like my Cabernet Sauvignon blends to be big in body and more in a masculine style with a huge body that almost assaults you from the glass but I really liked this wine.  As it was done in the lighter style it was very easy drinking and we were all sad when we killed the bottle that there wasn’t more of it.  I worked well as a pairing with the beef but the green bean and potatoes were only ok with it.  Mick and I were thinking a prime rib or lamb with roasted veggies would be a great pairing for this wine. 

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 92, Mark – 92, Kathy – 92, Amy – 91, Overall – 91.75.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

ANTINORI SOLAIA 2009
VINTAGES 987586
750 mL bottle
Price $ 251.95
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Marchesi Antinori S.R.L.
Release Date: Oct 27, 2012
Wine, Red Wine
14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
Sugar Content: 5 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note - The 2009 Solaia is one of the clear standouts of the vintage. Freshly cut flowers, raspberries, spices, mint and licorice burst from the glass as this fabulous, viscerally thrilling wine shows off its pure class. Today the oak is a bit prominent, but that won't be an issue by the time the wine is ready to drink. In one of my blind tastings, the 2009 Solaia was flat-out great. There is no shortage of pedigree here ... Solaia is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc from a single parcel within the Antinori family's Tignanello vineyard. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029. Score - 96+. (Antonio Galloni, erobertparker.com, June 2012)

*Note – the wine listed here is the 2009 and not the 2003 that we reviewed.

I don’t believe the 2003 release was rated as high as Parker is rating the 2009 so I’m really thinking I might have to grab a bottle of the 2009 now; especially since the 2003 with its 91.75 overall rating grabs a spot on the Zippy Sauce Top Ten Reds.  This will mean I have a new Italian wine to place in the rack and stare at for years before I finally get to try it. 

For dessert I picked up a LaRocca Lindt chocolate flan for dessert which we’ve had before and I thought was awesome. 

Fun night with very good food and wine; I really have to figure out a way to make it my birthday every weekend.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – That’s Amore – Part 2

The second Italian red for night was a 2008 Palazzo Della Torre.

 

The nose on this wine was milder in intensity than the Salcheto but was an interesting mix of peat, pine needles, vanilla bean and caramel aromas. Tasting the wine, lots of different fruit flavours were to be found such as watermelon, cherry, raspberry and over-ripe strawberry. The structure on this wine was lovely as it was incredibly smooth as the tannin and acidity were in perfect harmony with each other. The wine was very dainty and at times got lot against the richness of the food and ended up being a better wine on its own than with the food.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 89, Mark - 87, Kathy – 89, Amy – 87, Overall – 88.

There was no LCBO information on this wine; a quick web search put this in the $20 range which is a good value for a wine this good.

Click here for Part 3

Saturday Night – That’s Amore – Part 1

Jan and Chris were kind enough to have Mick, Amy, Kathy and myself over dinner this past Saturday night.  We reviewed three new wines and were treated to three wonderful new dishes as well.

 

The first course was a Mediterranean Tart which had roasted goat cheese and a wide array of roasted vegetables in it.  This was paired with a bottle of Louis Roederer Champagne.  We have reviewed the Roederer before so I won’t go into much detail.  It did pair well with the food but was funny as with certain bites it was an amazing pairing and at other types it was OK; the tart had a very wide range of flavours so this was a tricky dish to pair with. 

The main course was Italian Meatballs with Tomato Sauce.  Jan paired this with two different Italian reds – a 2006 Salcheto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and a 2008 Palazzo Della Torre.  I’ll review the Salcheto first in Part 1 and then cover the other wine in Part 2.

The nose on the Salcheto was easy to find with powerful aromas of leather, pine, eucalyptus with some plum and black pepper notes in the background.  Tasting the wine, you will find sour cherry and black peppers flavours that run the length of the wine.  The structure of the wine was good though it was a bit acidic at times.  The finish on the wine lingers around for quite a while.  I wasn’t too keen on this wine on its own as the acidity was very noticeable but it was quite good with the food as the acidity was neutralized and it went down very nicely with the rich food.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 88, Mark - 86, Kathy – 88, Amy – 86, Overall – 87.

 

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

 

SALCHETO VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO 2006

VINTAGES 685180
750 mL bottle
Price $ 24.95
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Salcheto
Release Date: Nov 24, 2012
Wine, Red Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Sangiovese (Chianti)
Sugar Content: 5 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

 

Tasting Note -  The 2006 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano shows the darker side of Vino Nobile in its wild cherries, scorched earth, grilled herbs and leather. This is a decidedly muscular, authoritative Vino Nobile endowed with considerable richness and depth. Though delicious today, it really begs for another few years in bottle. It is a fabulous effort. The estate's Vino Nobile is 100% Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese) fermented in large oak vats and aged in a combination of small French oak barrels and in large Slavonian oak casks for a total of 24 months. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022. Score - 92. (Antonio Galloni, erobertparker.com, Oct. 2010)

 

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night – An Easy Night – Part 3

Click here for Part 1

 

This wasn’t supposed to be a three bottle evening but get a couple of bottles of Champagne in me and odd things happen.  Towards the end of the meal I mentioned that I got a bottle of 2008 Le Serre Nuove Dell Ornellaia from a lawyer in my building this week.  A couple of months ago I gave him a bottle of the Robert Mondavi “To Kalon” Fume Blanc as I was discussing it with him and he wanted to try it.  He asked me what he owed for the bottle and I told him, nothing but if he comes across something that lights him up to return the favor with a bottle of it.  This was that bottle.

 

 

I picked up a mix of dessert slices and half of them were dark chocolate based so we decided to give this wine a shot.

 

The nose on it was big with vivid aromas of plum, blackcurrant, eucalyptus and vanilla.  The nose reminded me of a California Cab/Merlot blend then an Italian red but I love the nose off of California reds so this was a good thing.  Tasting the wine, rich blackberry, dark chocolate with some mint notes in the background made up the flavour profile to this wine.  I was shocked at how soft the tannin was in this wine as it was only a 2008 and by how smooth it was I would have guessed it was a 2001-2003.  It was stunning with the chocolate based dessert but did come across a little sharp on the finish on its own.  All in all, a very well-crafted red wine.

 

Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick –91, Mark - 90, Kathy – 89, Amy – 90, Overall – 90.

 

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

 

ORNELLAIA LE SERRE NUOVE DELL'ORNELLAIA 2009

VINTAGES 606194
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 59.95
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia
Release Date: Nov 12, 2011
Wine, Red Wine
12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Blend - Other
Sugar Content: 6 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

 

Tasting Note - The 2009 Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia is a gorgeous, fleshy wine that shows the radiant personality of the vintage. Mocha, espresso, raspberry jam and spices are some of the aromas and flavors that flow from this pliant, accessible red. This is all silk and polish. Stylistically, the 2009 is close to the 2007 for its early approachability but appears to have less overall stuffing. It is a gorgeous, rewarding wine to drink now and over the next 8-10 years ... Score - 92. (Antonio Galloni, erobertparker.com, August 2011)

 

* Note – this is the 2009 and not the 2008 reviewed here.

 

The Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia is the winery's 2nd level wine and the little sister to this one (LCBO Listing)-

 

ORNELLAIA 2008

VINTAGES 722470
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 184.95
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Tenuta dell'Ornellaia
Release Date: Oct 1, 2011
Wine, Red Wine
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Blend - Other
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

 

Tasting Note - The 2008 Ornellaia has really come together beautifully over the last few months. Up until fairly recently it was a tightly wound, inaccessible wine, but it has begun to blossom quite nicely. The 2008 is a cool, inward Ornellaia graced with exquisite finesse in its dark fruit, mocha, licorice, tar and spices. I especially like the minerality and focus. There is a fabulous balance between the tannins of this structured, powerful vintage, but with gorgeous fleshiness and pliancy that makes the wine very attractive, even at this early stage. It will be fascinating to watch the 2008 develop over the coming years and decades. The 2008 growing season was marked by a rainy, wet spring which resulted in an irregular flowering and naturally low yields. The summer was hot, but temperatures cooled towards the end of the summer, particularly at night, so important for the development of color, aromatics and full phenolic ripeness in varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon. The result is a big, massively structured Ornellaia built for the cellar. In 2008 the blend is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. The 2008 Ornellaia spent about 20 months in French oak barrels, 70% new. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028. Score - 96+. (Antonio Galloni, erobertparker.com, Aug. 2011)

 

With the second level being this good, it really has my curiosity peaked on how good the 2008 Ornellaia must be.

 

For a casual and spur of the moment dinner, this was a lot of fun – two out three of the wines were excellent and the food was good and the company was even better.

 

Cheers!

 

Mark

Saturday Night – Tomato Extravaganza – Part 2

Click here for Part 1

 

The main course of the evening was Pizza Margherita and Mick paired this with a 2006 Rocca delle Macie Chianti Classico.

 

The nose on the Chianti was dominated by a rich eucalyptus aroma with black pepper, forest floor and cherry notes.  Tasting the wine, sour cherry with a splash of strawberry were the main flavours.  The wine had a thin precise mouth feel as the tannin was very soft to non-existent, lots of acidity and fruit on the wine and even though the wine was 14.5% alcohol it never came across as hot.  This was a very good pairing with the pizza.

Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick –89, Mark - 89, Kathy – 87, Amy – 86, Overall – 87.75.

Here is the LCBO Information on the wine –

ROCCA DELLE MACÌE CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2006

VINTAGES 930966
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 21.95
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Rocca Delle Macie S.P.A.
Release Date: Jul 21, 2012
Wine, Red Wine
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Sangiovese (Chianti)
Sugar Content: 5 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note - The 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva is a big, super-ripe wine loaded with black cherries, blueberries, French oak and spices. Stylistically, this is a concentrated, voluminous Riserva with terrific persistence and balance. It is one of the finest wines I have tasted here in some time. The Riserva spent 24 months in French oak. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018. Score - 90. (Antonio Galloni, erobertparker.com, Aug. 2010)

 

For dessert Amy picked up a decadent Chocolate cake which was enjoyed by all and made a lovely finish to the evening.

 

I’d like to thank Mick and Amy for hosting and Mick for all of hard work with the food.

 

Cheers!

 

Mark

February Wine Club - Brunello di Montalcino

Things have been a little slow on the blog recently.  Mick and Amy have been away so there hasn’t been the usual Saturday night dinners to review.  I have also been down with a head cold / sinus thing that has had me leaning more towards whine than wine.

On the upside I did have a Wine Club meeting where we looked at two Italian reds both of which were Brunello di Montalcino.

Here is the LCBO Information -

FATTOI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2006

VINTAGES 33498
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 34.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Fattoi Ofelio & Figli
Release Date: Jan 7, 2012

Tasting Note - There's plenty of power here, with dark fruit flavors reminiscent of black currant and blackberry. Fruity in style, yet with firm, uplifting tannins. Features a long finish of sweet fruit. Best from 2012 through 2025. Score - 92. (Bruce Sanderson, winespectator.com, July 31, 2011)

SAN GIORGIO UGOLFORTE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2005

VINTAGES 212431
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 48.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.1% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Tenuta San Giorgio
Release Date: Jun 11, 2011

Tasting Note - The 2005 Brunello di Montalcino Ugolforte blossoms from the glass with an expressive bouquet of freshly cut roses, sweet French oak, spices and raspberries. There is a lovely up-front raciness and freshness to the fruit. The wine loses a bit of persistence on the finish, but it is nevertheless beautifully balanced, harmonious and appealing. The Ugolforte is delicious today but also seems to have enough freshness to support cellaring; still it would be a shame to miss it at this stage. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022. Score - 91. (Antonio Galloni, erobertparker.com, April 2010)

My sinuses were still acting up so I’m not going to do a review of either wine as it wouldn’t be fair to do it.  I did find that both wines leaned towards a earthier/herb like flavour with some light fruit in the background which was interesting as I was expecting more fruit up front.  Not that this was a bad thing, as both wines were very tasty.

I will also add that both wines were very much enjoyed by Wine Club and was surprised at how many members were asking if the LCBO still had stock as both wines are well outside our usual $15-20 price point.  Dorie, a Wine Club member, was nice enough to make a roasted red pepper soup and sliced and toasted baguettes topped with prosciutto, basil and Bocconcini cheese both of which were really good pairings with the wine.

Mick and Amy will be away for next Saturday but will be back after that so I should have some new wine after the following Saturday.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday night – Mick’s Mom joins us for dinner – Part 1

The past Saturday night we had Irene, Mick’s mom, join us for our usual Saturday night dinner. Mick and I split up the menu for the night and we ended up with a five course meal for the evening.

The first course was Kettle chip Smoked Salmon bites and we paired this with a Masottina Prosecco.

The nose on the wine was a pleasing mix of yeast, lime, roses and lychee. Tasting the wine you get an initial flavouring of lemon that transitions to a lime flavour on the finish. The structure on the wine was good as the crisp acidity really brought this sparkling wine to life. It was a decent pairing with the Smoked Salmon bites but once we finished those, I brought out the extra chips and the leftover lemon/cream cheese topping and the wine paired amazingly well with just the chips and dip.


Here is the group rating for the wine – Mick - 89, Mark - 89, Kathy – 87, Amy – 88, Overall – 88.25

Here is the LCBO information on the wine -


MASOTTINA EXTRA DRY CONEGLIANO VALDOBBIADENE PROSECCO SUPERI


VINTAGES 216317
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 19.95
Wine, Sparkling Wine, Other Sparkling Wine
10.7% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Veneto, Italy
By: Masottina
Release Date: May 14, 2011

Tasting Note - Masottina has been producing wines since 1946. Aromas of apples, peach, and floral. The palate is very dry, with a racy acidity and fantastic fruit throughout. Very well structured and expertly made. This lively and delicious bubbly is the ideal aperitif for casual or formal affairs. (VINTAGES panel, July 2010)

For the second course Mick did Spicy Shrimp with Mint Sauce… well he brought the ingredients for the Mint sauce and had me make the mint sauce (not that I’m bitter about this or anything!). I was out of Fume Blanc so we had to use a Sauvignon Blanc instead. I went with a 2007 Henri Bourgeois "Les Baronnes" from Sancerre as my pairing. We have reviewed this wine before so I won’t be going into great detail on this one. It was a good pairing with the Spicy Shrimp though a touch shy of being as good a pairing as the Robert Mondavi Fume is.

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night – Lobster, oysters, shrimp & Champagne... and that's just the first course – Part 1

This Saturday Night we were supposed to have Sheian join us for dinner but due to a late flight home and an early morning shift at work she couldn’t make so it was just the four of us for dinner.

When Sheian is coming for dinner, I usually like to ‘step up my game’ on the food front and tonight was no exception. The first course was a Lobster, oysters and shrimp on a bed of ice with seafood sauce and lemon. I wanted to make the platter memorable so I used two different sized plastic containers to make a bowl out of pure ice for the center of the platter. I was sure how this would turn out but it ended up looking really good and the platter looked amazing.

I paired this with a bottle of Louis Roederer Champagne (which has been reviewed recently so I won’t be doing it here). I will say that the seafood and Champagne starter did go down very well together.

For the second course I did an Italian Anti-Pasto with Mozzarella di Bufala , Tomatoes, Basil and a side of cold cuts and olives and roasted red peppers. I paired this with a 2007 Cigliano Chianti Classico.

The nose on the wine was big as it filled the room just after being poured out into the glasses. Aromas of cherry, raspberry, cigar box and eucalyptus made up the rich nose. Tasting the wine you get cherry and black licorice flavours to start with and herbaceous notes on the finish. Mick liked the wine as it was versatile with all the different flavours of the dishes and not once did he find an awkward pairing and I can’t argue that as I found the same thing. It was a nicely balanced, easy to drink wine.


Here is the group rating for the wine – Mick - 88, Mark - 89, Kathy – 88, Amy – 89, Overall – 88.5.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

CIGLIANO CHIANTI CLASSICO 2007

VINTAGES 189803
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 18.95
Wine, Red Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Villa Del Cigliano
Release Date: Jan 8, 2011

Tasting Note - The Chianti Classico '07 is very natural in its expression and precision of flavour. It's classy, land-focused and shows the winery is on its way. Score - 2 Glasses (out of 3). (Gambero Rosso Italian Wines, 2010).

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Saturday Night – a Sparkling Night with the In-laws – Part 2

The Astoria Prosecco was the other sparkling wine we had with the first course and it had a tough act to follow going against the Louis Roederer Champagne.

The nose on the Prosecco caught me off guard as cherry was the aroma we all first noticed which I didn’t expect on white wine, there was also violets and vanilla in the background as well. I actually liked the nose on the Prosecco more than the nose on the Champagne. The main flavours to the Prosecco were white grape juice and lemon. The structure on this wine wasn’t quite as nice as the Champagne as the acidity was lacking compare to it. It was good with both the crab dip and the shrimp cocktail but the Champagne was a much stronger pairing. While this wasn’t as good as the Champagne, it was a very nice wine.


Here is the group rating for the wine – Mick - 89, Mark - 88, Kathy – 87, Amy – 88, Overall – 88

Here is the LCBO information on this wine –

 ASTORIA PROSECCO LA ROBINIA

LCBO 593855
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 12.95
Wine, Sparkling Wine, White
11.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : 1
Made in: Region Not Specified, Italy
By: Astoria Vini

Tasting Note - Pale straw, light mousse; candied lemon, pear and apple aromas; dry, elegant with simple fruit flavours.

Serving Suggestion - As an apperitif, with light soups, appetizers, the perfect toasting bubbly at parties.

I honestly didn’t know the price on the wine until I looked it up just now as the bottle I used had been on the wine rack for a while. I assumed this was in the $17-20 price point. At $13 this sparkling wine is a great deal. It wasn’t as good as $68 Champagne but on the other hand it was nice and easy drinking and went nicely with the food so I will be picking up a couple more bottles of this one too.

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Saturday – Summer is here! Part 1

Ah the sounds of Jackhammers tearing up our roads and corn on the cob back at the supermarket; that can only mean that summer is back! It was our turn to host the usual Saturday dinner with Mick and Amy and with the nice weather, I wanted to do a summer menu.

The starter for the night was Kettle chip Salmon bites and I paired this with a 2010 Bardolino Chiaretto Rosé from Zenato. The recipe was from a colour brochure that the LCBO put out spotlighting Rosé wine.

The nose on the Zenato Rosé was easy to find with aromas of lime and strawberry. Tasting the wine on its own, I found it to have a yeasty lemon flavor to it. The structure on the wine was decent but it was a touch on the acidic side but the crisp bite to the wine did make it very refreshing. It made a very good pairing with the Salmon bites and I was actually a bit shocked at how quickly the four of us killed the whole bottle.

Here is the group rating for the wine – Mick - 87, Mark - 87, Kathy – 87, Amy – 86, Overall – 86.75.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

ZENATO BARDOLINO CHIARETTO 2010


VINTAGES 45203
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 11.95
Wine, Rosé Wine
12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: Veneto, Italy
By: Azienda Vinicola Zenato
Release Date: May 14, 2011

Tasting Note - This delightful candy-apple-coloured wine is made from the same grape varieties as Valpolicella - Corvina, Molinara, and Rondinella. Lively aromas of cherry, strawberry and blood orange greet the nose, along with a nice minerality and a lifted floral note. Dry, medium bodied with plenty of zippy acidity, it offers tart and tangy fruit to start, but sweeter notes emerge mid-palate and throughout the medium-long, crisp finish. Enjoy with crab cakes, or Portobello mushroom sandwiches with provolone cheese. (VINTAGES panel, March 2011)

The Kettle chip Salmon bites were really good, though a touch too lemony at times; it had both lemon juice and lemon zest in it. If I did this recipe again, I would cut the lemon zest by half to bring out more of the other flavours like capers, shallots and garlic.

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Saturday Night – Mick’s Treasures from the Sea

Mick broke out an all seafood menu for our latest Saturday night dinner.

The first course was baked Crab Dip with a 2009 Tokara Sauvignon Blanc. We have reviewed this wine before - http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2011/01/saturday-night-old-favourites-part-1.html so I won’t be reviewing it in full again for this post.

I will say that it was a very good pairing with the Crab Dip; it was actually better with the food than it was on its own. The Crab Dip was very good too but Mick did go a bit heavy on the cayenne pepper so it was zippier than I thought it should have been.

The second course had both a new wine and new dish for us to try – Clams Casino and 2008 Chateau de Ligny Chablis.

The nose on the wine had faint aromas of peach and pineapple and a musty basement smell which I find common in a lot of French wines. Tasting the wine, you’ll find flavours or honeydew melon and lime. The structure on the wine was decent but the acidity on the wine was too soft. It was an easy drinking wine but at times it got lost against the rich flavours of the clams.

Here is the group rating for the wine – Mick - 87, Mark - 86, Kathy – 85, Amy – 85, Overall – 85.75.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –


CHÂTEAU DE LIGNY CHABLIS 2008

VINTAGES 200105
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 18.95
Wine, White Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Burgundy, France
By: Jean Claude Fromont
Release Date: Jan 8, 2011

Description - International Trophy winner at the 2010 Decanter World Wine Awards.
 Tasting Note - Pretty pale straw-yellow colour leads to an attractive nose featuring apple, mineral/wet stones, lees and a hint of pear. Dry, simultaneously fresh and ripe with zippy acidity adding vibrancy. Medium bodied with a fairly lengthy finish. Match it to grilled tuna or swordfish. (VINTAGES panel, Nov. 2010).

Mick did up the Clams Casino on the BBQ and topped them with bacon and cheese. The flavours to the Clams Casino were excellent. My only issue with them was, when I have had them in the past they are usually oven broiled which makes a nice crust on the top which I really like. I discussed this with Mick and said he too would be interested in using the oven next time he makes these to see what kind of difference it makes to the flavour of the dish.

The next course was Mick’s Blacken Scallops with Corn and Avocado salsa and he paired this with a Bottega Brut Prosecco.

I screwed up as we didn’t review this wine; we’ve had it before so I assumed we reviewed but after checking on the Blog, we didn’t fully review it the last time. It was very good on its own but got a little funky with the food at times. This is weird as when we paired this with the Santa Margherita Prosecco di Valdobbiadene (http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2011/01/saturday-night-taking-pro-out-of.html) the last time it was a very good pairing and yet the Bottega Prosecco didn’t work as well as a pairing.

 

"The top of the Bottega bottle - Either drink or leave... can't argue with that!"

 The scallops on the other hand were awesome as always.

Amy picked up a Milky Way cake for dessert which finished the evening off beautifully. I’d like to thank Mick for all his hard work in making three very tasty dishes this evening and to both Mick and Amy for hosting.

Thanks,

Mark