Saturday Night – Mick kicks off the New Year right – Part 2

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For the main course Mick did East Indian Sliders, well sort of, as the recipe called for lamb but Amy didn’t want lamb so they were made from beef instead.  He had mini buns and/or Nan bread for the sliders and he did fresh cut French fries as the side.  Mick paired these with a 2011 De L’arjolle Zinfandel from France (not a typo, it is actually a Zinfandel from France!).

 

The nose was certain French as musty basement was the dominate aroma with Cherry flavoured Halls, mushroom, white pepper and clove as secondary aromas.  Tasting the wine, sour cherry was the main flavour but there was a touch of lime on the finish.  I found the wine simple with a thin mouth-feel but very smooth.  The wine was quite dainty and feminine which is something I never thought I’d say about a red Zinfandel.  I have been off Zinfandels lately as I fin d them too big and jammy most of the time but this one I really liked.  The other issue with the wine is it missed as a pairing as something in the food was making it awkward at times.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 85, Mark – 87, Kathy – 85, Amy – 85, Overall – 85.5.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine -

De l'Arjolle Zinfandel 2011
VINTAGES#: 346072  
Price : $19.95
Release Date : January 4, 2014
750 mL bottle
Alcohol/Vol14.0%
Made in: Midi, France
By : Domaine de l'Arjolle
Sugar Content:5 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor : XD - Extra Dry
Style : Full-bodied & Smooth
Varietal : Zinfandel

Description - This is a real gem. Inspired and impressed by the Zinfandel he encountered during a visit to California, founder Louis-Marie Teisserenc became determined that Domaine de l'Arjolle would produce Zin. Their 100% Zinfandel Z de l'Arjolle is still the only Zinfandel wine in France, and must be classified as Vin de France as there are no AC classifications for Zinfandel.

 

I really liked that Mick found two Zinfandels from two very different regions done in two very different styles and both were exactly the same price. 

 

For dessert, Amy picked up a Caramel Crunch which was a nice way to wrap up the night.

 

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting and to Mick for his hard work in making two very tasty dishes.

 

Cheers!

 

Mark

Saturday Night – Mick kicks off the New Year right – Part 1

Mick and Amy were hosting this past Saturday night dinner and Mick had a new dish and two new wines for us to try.  The first course was an old favourite, Marmalade and Dijon glazed barbequed chicken wings and Mick paired them with a 2011 Rosenblum “Paso Robles” Zinfandel.

 

The nose was big with black raspberry, smoke, black pepper and pine needle.  Tasting the wine, it starts raspberry jam and then finishes with a black licorice and cherry finish.  This wine was right on the edge of being too syrupy as the grapes were over-ripe but the good acidity helped save it.  That said it was smooth and worked well on its own and with the food.

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

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

Rosenblum Zinfandel 2011
VINTAGES#: 31781  
Price : $19.95
Release Date: December 6, 2014
750 mL bottle
Alcohol/Vol 14.9%
Made in : California, USA
By: Rosenblum Cellars
Sugar Content:9 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor : D – Dry
Varietal : Zinfandel

The chicken wings were very good but I’d be surprised if they weren’t as these are Mick best chicken wing recipe.

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Saturday Night – The Peppers Strike Back – Part 2

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The second course was grilled topped peppers which Mick had done at the last dinner he hosted but explained that he was up to his neck in peppers from the garden and needed to use them.  I wasn’t too broken hearted about this as they are quite good.

 

He paired these with a 2012 Robert Mondavi “Napa Valley” Fumé Blanc.

The nose was mild which is normal for this wine with aromas of mint, wet stone, and tropical fruit.  Tasting the wine, grapefruit, lime and vanilla were the dominate flavours to the wine.  The structure was decent but the acidity was softer than previous years of the vintage; this was a minus for me as even though it makes the wine easier drinking, I missed that razor sharp acidity we normally get.  I was decent on its own and as a pairing for the food.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 89, Mark – 85, Kathy – 85, Amy – 86, Overall – 86.25.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

Robert Mondavi Fumé Blanc 2012
VINTAGES#: 221887
Price: $20.95
Release Date: August 2, 2014
750 mL bottle
Alcohol/Vol 13.9%
Made in: California, USA
By: Constellation Brands Inc.
Sugar Content:2 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry
Style: Aromatic & Flavourful
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon

Description - This wine has always been a treat to drink and as fine as the 2011 is the 2012 may be even better. The nose is [a] fabulous mix of tropical fruit and stony minerality notes with flecks of nettle, dried herbs and lemon curd. The blend is 87/13 sauvignon blanc/sémillon the latter bringing mouthfeel and figgy/orange rind notes. The balance and texture is near perfect in a wine that is faintly sweet on entry but beautifully dry in the finish. Complex and food friendly it is a marvel for the price. The majority of grapes come from Stags Leap and Oakville districts, and approximately two thirds of the wine is barrel fermented and it's all aged in 60-gallon French oak barrels, sûr lie for some nine months. Score - 90. (Anthony Gismondi, winealign.com, May 12, 2014)

 

The main course of the night was smoked honey Bourbon chicken wings and Mick paired this with a 2009 Seghesio Zinfandel.  We have had this before so I won’t go into much detail other than to say it was very good on its own and with the wings; there is a very good reason why there is a Seghesio Zinfandel in the Top Ten Zippy Sauce Reds.

 

For dessert Amy picked up a chocolate truffle cake which wrapped up the evening nicely.

 

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting and to Mick for all his hard work in making three wonderful courses.

 

Cheers!

 

Mark

Saturday Night – Ribfest

This past Saturday night Mick and Amy were hosting our usual Saturday night dinner. This one though was a touch more than the usual Saturday night dinner as Chris and Jan joined the four of us for Mick’s Ribfest.

 

The first course was Tuna Crostini and Mick paired this with a 2011 Mer Soleil "Silver" unoaked Chardonnay. We have had this wine before and reviewed it so I won’t go into too much detail other than to say it was a very good pairing with Tuna Crostini.

For the main course Mick did two types of ribs on his smoker and Jan and Chris were nice enough to provide the wine - a 2009 Limerick Lane "Block 1918" Russian River Valley Zinfandel. Mick also did sides of coleslaw and homemade Mac and cheese.

The nose was big with aromas of pine/Pine sol, strawberry and chocolate fudge; it was also very hot as your nostrils were burning due to the alcohol on the wine. Tasting the wine, green/Jalapeño pepper was the dominate taste with some cherry as the secondary flavour. The structure was decent but the lack of fruit had the wine coming across as hot. The wine was a good pairing for the ribs and the Mac and cheese but got a bit funky with the coleslaw.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 86, Mark – 86, Kathy – 89, Amy – 86, Overall – 86.75.

There was no LCBO information on this wine which isn’t a surprise as Chris and Jan picked this wine up on their last trip to California. The price point on it was $40 US which is pricey for a Zinfandel. This wasn’t a bad wine except for the heat but $40 US price point kills it as there are much better Zinfandels (Seghesio for example) for less money. I will say though, I very glad we got the opportunity to try something that we can’t get up here.

For dessert Jan made a selection of dessert squares that were a yummy way to finish of the evening.

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting and Mick especially for smoking those awesome ribs despite having to do this all in the rain. Thanks to Chris and Jan for bringing the feature wine of the night and for the dessert.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Getting Figgy with it – Part 2

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The main course was rack of lamb with a hazelnut and garlic crust and a Merlot reduction with sides of mashed potatoes and green beans. Mick paired this with a 2010 Gallo Family "Two Rock" vineyard Pinot Noir.

 

 

The nose on the wine was big and easy to find with aromas of overripe strawberries, tar, pepper, clove and mushroom. Unfortunately you could also smell the ‘heat’ of the wine too as the alcohol was very noticeable on the nose. Tasting the wine strawberry was the dominate flavour with some eucalyptus in the background. The wine was so overdone it was stupid as it was jammy and hot and there was nothing subtle about this wine. Mick called it "Zinot Noir" as it was more like a Zinfandel than a Pinot Noir and he was dead on with that call. Thankfully it was ok with the food as the garlic and hazelnut crust was very rich and this wine was big enough to stand up to it. I really wasn’t a fan of this wine on its own.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 86, Mark – 83 Kathy – 85, Amy – 86, Overall – 85.

 

Here is the LCBO information on this wine –

 

GALLO FAMILY VINEYARDS TWO ROCK PINOT NOIR 2010

VINTAGES 342972

750 mL bottle

Price $ 19.95

Made in: California, USA

By: E. & J. Gallo Winery

Release Date: Dec 7, 2013

Wine, Red Wine

14.1% Alcohol/Vol.

Style: Medium-bodied & Fruity

Varietal: Pinot Noir

Sugar Content: 6 g/L

Sweetness Descriptor: D - Dry

 

Tasting Note - For those about Two Rock, we salute you with this big, fleshy Pinot that serves up ripe strawberry, beetroot, earth and vanilla. Smoothly textured and joyously easy to drink, it'll provide serious pleasure with lamb stew or mushroom burgers. (VINTAGES panel, March 2013)

 

Mick’s lamb was cooked to perfection, proving that he is not a one trick BBQ pony as both dishes tonight from the oven/stove were very good.

 

For dessert Amy picked up a salted caramel and chocolate cake which was very good. I loved that the salted caramel worked in harmony with the chocolate cake vs. regular caramel where the sweetness of it overpowers everything.

 

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting and to Mick for all his hard work in creating three very good dishes.

 

Cheers!

 

Mark

 

Saturday Night – Mick is pulling out all the stops – Part 3

The main course for the evening was pulled pork sliders with homemade BBQ sauce, homemade coleslaw and smoked macaroni and cheese. Mick paired this with a 2011 Seghesio Zinfandel.

 

The nose on the wine was huge with aromas of blackberry, nutmeg, black currant, cedar, must and smoke. Tasting the wine a sour black cherry flavour dominates the wine with some coffee and smoke in the background. The wine had a big mouth-feel and came across hot at times. I didn’t mind this wine on its own but where it really shined was as a pairing with the pulled pork sliders.

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

Bonus Rating – Chris – 87, Jan – 87.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

SEGHESIO ZINFANDEL 2011

VINTAGES 942151
750 mL bottle
Price $ 29.95
Made in: California, USA
By: Seghesio Wineries
Release Date: Jul 6, 2013
Wine, Red Wine
14.8% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Full-bodied & Firm
Varietal: Zinfandel
Sugar Content: 7 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note - By every report and what we have seen in early tastings, 2011 is an uneven vintage, especially as far as red wines are concerned. This extremely well-made working proves that, as always, very good wines await those willing to search, and it hits the varietal mark smartly. It is precise in its focus on ripe berries and briary spice, and it is particularly well-balanced with fine energy and a long, very firm finish. It is still on the tight side and we would argue against hasty drinking, but it is an easy-odds bet to grow and improve for another three to five years. Special Designation: Good Value. Score - 90. (Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines, Jan. 2013)

The 2007 Seghesio Zinfandel made the Top Ten Red list and is the only Zinfandel ever to do so. We have tried Seghesio every year since then up to last night’s first look at the 2011. I think for years 2008 to current I may have been a little tough in my rating as I want each year to be as amazing as the 2007 was and they haven’t been. They have been solid, well-crafted Zins, but they aren’t as magical as the 2007 was and so my ratings have probably been a touch lower than they should be. Damn you 2007 and that high bar you set!

The pulled pork sliders were very good but add some of that home BBQ and they go from good to great. The coleslaw and macaroni sides were also very good.

Click here for Part 4

Saturday Night – Happy Canada Day! Part 2

Click here for Part 1

 

The main course was mesquite smoked bourbon glazed wings and Mick paired these with a 2008 Seghesio “Cortina” Zinfandel.

 

The nose on the Zinfandel was big with aromas of blackberry/raspberry, moss, cedar and close.  Tasting the wine, flavours of strawberry, pepper and rhubarb dominate the wine.  If the Parker Station we had earlier was too light, this wine more than made up for it as it was huge and unfortunately almost too big as it came across overly concentrated and syrupy.  It also finished very dry.  This is a shame as Seghesio Zinfandels are usually amazing but we were all a little disappointed with this one.  It did work as a pairing for wings but I suspect the normal Seghesio Zinfandel would have been a better pairing and less money.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 87, Mark – 86, Kathy – 86, Amy – 86, Overall – 86.25.

There was no LCBO information for this wine either but it would have been in the $40 dollar range.  The standard $29 Seghesio is by far the better wine and value here.

 

Amy picked up a selection of Cup Cakes that were a nice way to end the evening. 

 

It was good have a normal Saturday night as June has been a quiet month on the Blog due to our busy schedules but July is looking much better for Saturday dinners.  Thanks to Mick for all the wonderful food and for both Mick and Amy for hosting.

 

Cheers!

 

Mark

Saturday Night – A nice, normal Saturday – Part 1

Mick and Amy were hosting this past Saturday night and he had a couple of new dishes lined up for the night as well as three new wines for us to try.

 

The first course was a Seafood Chowder and Mick paired this with a 2009 Pedroncelli Zinfandel.

 

The nose on the wine made me giggle as the first aroma that jumped out at me was Strawberry Twizzlers with some tobacco and nutmeg in the background.  Tasting the wine, a concentrated raspberry flavour hit you first with hints of vanilla on the finish.  The structure to the wine was good as the balance was almost perfect, maybe a touch tannic but not in a bad way.  There was quite a bit of oak on the wine but I liked the vanilla flavour that the oak imparted to the wine.  The sad thing was it was a miss as a pairing with the chowder as it came across very dark and harsh with the soup.   This wine would be a very good pairing with some like Korean BBQ short ribs or any wings/ribs that have more a salty vs. sweet flavour to them.  I really enjoyed this Zinfandel on its own though.

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 –

PEDRONCELLI BUSHNELL VINEYARD ZINFANDEL 2009
VINTAGES 463026
750 mL bottle
Price $ 22.95
Made in: California, USA
By: J Pedroncelli Winery
Release Date: Aug 4, 2012
Wine, Red Wine
15.2% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Zinfandel
Sugar Content: 4 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: D - Dry

Tasting Note -  Classic Dry Creek Zin, high in alcohol, brilliant in fruit and spices, and with that curious finish that's both sweet and dry at the same time. Really dazzles with cherries, raspberries, blackberries and all kinds of other wild forest berries. Editor's Choice. Score - 89. (Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast, Nov. 1, 2011)

The seafood chowder was good but too spicy and that was a shame as there were so many wonderful ingredients that if the spice was toned down more, I think it would have really been stunning.  I will give Mick credit as he cut the spice down from what the recipe called for because he thought it would be too much, unfortunately he didn’t go far enough.  Mick really likes printed recipe books whereas I like online recipes.  The wonderful thing about online recipes is the comment section at the end.  Can’t count the number of times I read a new recipe online and thought that it has too much salt, spice or a certain ingredient and then seen a number of people verify that in the comments.  That said I hope Mick attempts this recipe again with less spice as I truly think it will be amazing.

Side note here – As the Zinfandel was a miss as a pairing, I made the comment to Mick that I thought a Sauvignon Blanc would be a good pairing with the soup. He laughed and said the next two courses he was pairing Sauvignon Blanc with them.  Both of them were screw cap so he poured out a small sample to taste with the chowder and both were stellar pairings with the chowder.

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night – Nach-Rogies – Part 1

One weekend when Mick and Amy were away, I was about to head out the door and go grocery shopping when Kathy asked me what was for dinner.

"It’s a surprise!" I replied

 

"Ok, but no Perogies!" answered my wife

 

"Sure."

 

"And no Nachos!" insisted Kathy

 

"Whatever." I replied

 

"And no combining the two!"

 

At that point the light went on and I suddenly thought – "Nach-Rogies!" (I swear when I thought of that term I could hear Angels’ singing and a bright heavenly light shined down on me). At the time I was actually going to pick-up steaks so Perogies and Nachos were the furthest thing from my mind but I kept thinking about "Nach-Rogies" and decided that I had to try them. 

 

This past Saturday night it was my turn to cook so "Nach-Rogies" were going to be the main course. I started the night however with Carrot soup with fire-roasted chilies as this was a Mick and Amy request. Mick did chicken wings about a month ago for him and Amy and cracked a bottle of 2011 Predator Old Vine Zinfandel. He liked it with wings but thought it would be an awesome pairing with my carrot soup recipe.

The nose on the Predator Zinfandel was powerful and complex with aromas of cherry, cedar, black pepper, tar, vanilla and coffee. It was easily one of the more enjoyable noses I have ever experienced with a Zinfandel. Tasting the wine, blackberry and cinnamon were the dominate flavours but it finished with more of a dried cranberry flavour. I found the body was a bit thin for a Zinfandel and I felt I could have used a bit more body to it. It was a good pairing with the carrot soup but I think the Rosenblum and Seghesio Zinfandels made a better pairing in the past.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 89, Mark - 89, Kathy – 89, Amy – 87, Overall – 88.5.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

PREDATOR OLD VINE ZINFANDEL 2011

VINTAGES 219485

750 mL bottle
Price $ 18.95
Made in: California, USA
By: Rutherford Wine Company
Release Date: Jan 5, 2013
Wine, Red Wine
15.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Zinfandel
Sugar Content: 14 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: D - Dry

Description - Winner of a Silver Medal at the 2012 New York World Wine and Spirit Competition.

Tasting Note - Tremendous crowd-pleasing Zin with aromas of plum, pine boughs, sour cherry and hickory smoke. Dry to slightly off-dry, this flavourful wine is a must-have for your pizza, burgers, or sausage night. No pretensions, just a good, rich, honest, fun-food wine. (VINTAGES panel, Nov. 2012)

At $19 a bottle it was very tempting to raise my rating to a 90 as it is very hard to find such a well-crafted Zinfandel at that price point. The Seghesio is still my favourite but it is usually in the $24-30 range vs. the sub $20 that the Predator is in. Do yourself a favour, pick and bottle up and give it a try as this was a very good wine.

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night – Seafood and Diablo Sliders – Part 2

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For the main course, Mick did Diablo sliders with sweet potato fires and mixed green salad.  He paired this course with a Sivas Sonoma Old Vines Zinfandel.

 

The nose on this wine was easy to find with powerful aromas of raspberry, leather, black pepper and cloves.  Mick and I both thought the nose on this wine was awesome as it was so big and had a very comforting quality to it.  The main flavour to the wine was strawberry jam with hints of clove and nutmeg.  The structure on the wine was very good but it was a touch hot at times.  I liked this wine as a pairing for the sliders as the two flavours worked very together.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 89, Mark - 89, Kathy – 85, Amy – 88, Overall – 87.75.

Here is the LCBO information for this wine –

SIVAS-SONOMA OLD VINE ZINFANDEL 2009
VINTAGES 291096
750 mL bottle
Price $ 18.95
Made in: California, USA
By: Don Sebastiani & Sons
Release Date: Jan 5, 2013
Wine, Red Wine
14.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Zinfandel
Sugar Content: 9 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: D - Dry

Tasting Note - Intense Zinfandel with a zippy acidity making this into a multi-use crowd-pleaser. Look for aromas of elderberry, black cherry, blueberry, spice cupboard and woodsmoke. Dry and jammy at first, but then that really vibrant acidity comes into play. A great choice for back ribs, gourmet hamburgers or sausages, grilled steaks, or rich meat-based pasta dishes. (VINTAGES panel, Feb. 2012) 

I have to add that for a $19 Zinfandel this wine is a very good value and once again I think the LCBO is dead on with their food pairing suggestions.

I feel kind of spoiled between Chef Jono’s wonderful dishes on Friday and Mick’s amazing ones on Saturday, I’m certainly not living the hard life.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Salsa for 700 people

Mick and Amy were hosting this past Saturday night’s dinner.  The first course was a new recipe – crab and corn fritters with salsa.  He paired this with a 2010 Cape Point Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa.  We have reviewed this wine before so I won’t be going into too much detail on it - http://zippysauce.blogspot.ca/2012/08/saturday-night-tomato-extravaganza-part.html

 

The crab and corn fritters were very good, as was the salsa Mick made to go with it.  Mick is lucky that the salsa was so good as there was a ton leftover. He did the salsa as per recipe but it made probably 4 times more than was needed.  I’m assuming Amy will be having salsa on her cereal for the next few days and Mick with be finding other creative ways to use it up.  The wine was a decent pairing with the dish.

The main course of the evening was Mick’s chicken quesadillas and he paired them with a 2009 “The Prisoner” by winemaker Dave Phinney.  The Prisoner is a blend which contains the following - 51% Zinfandel 19% Cabernet Sauvignon 18% Syrah 7% Petite Sirah 3% Charbono 1% Grenache 1% Malbec. 

The nose on the wine was powerful with aromas of raspberry, dark chocolate, mint, cedar and nutmeg.  Tasting the wine, strawberry is the main flavour with raspberry, dark chocolate and vanilla notes in the background.  The structure was off on this wine as it came across very hot as the fruit, acidity and tannin weren’t enough to temper the high alcohol level (15.2%).  It was an OK pairing with the chicken quesadillas but the pure Zinfandels we’ve had in the past made a better pairing.

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 –

11 THE PRISONER RED NAPA VLY (HUNEEUS)
VINTAGES 104299
750 mL bottle
Price $ 49.95
Made in: California/Californie, USA
By: Huneeus Vintners, Llc
Release Date: N/A
Wine, Red Wine
15.2% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content: 10 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: D – Dry

* Note – this is for the 2011 and not the 2009 reviewed here.

Mick actually bought this in the US for $22.  Either the price of the wine has gone up since the 2009 was released or Mick got a really good deal on this.  When I rated this wine I thought it would be in a $30 Canadian price point based on Mick $22 US purchase price.  As $50 Canadian a bottle wine, I would probably lower my rating from 86 to 85/84 as for that money there are much better wines out there.

 

For dessert Amy picked up a Chocolate Banana cake which made a great ending to the night.

 

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting and to Mick for the wonderful dishes.

 

Cheers!

 

Mark

Saturday Night – Mick is back in the saddle again – Part 2

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For the main course Mick did his Dijon and marmalade chicken wings and paired this with a 2010 Artezin Zinfandel.

 

The nose on the Artezin was a pleasant mix of peat, smoke, strawberry, white pepper and green pepper.  Tasting the wine was interesting as initially had a huge strawberry flavour but as the wine opened up it became a cherry flavour with some mocha in the background.  The structure on the wine was superb as it was very smooth, with a long lingering finish which combined with the fruit on the flavour made this a very easy drinking wine.  I really liked this wine but the Amy, Kathy and Mick while they enjoyed weren’t in love with it like I was.   I think the problem is the wine was almost too smooth and it needed a little bite to it to jazz it up a bit.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 88, Mark - 90, Kathy – 87, Amy – 88, Overall – 88.25.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

ARTEZIN ZINFANDEL 2010
VINTAGES 302943
750 mL bottle
Price $ 21.95
Made in: California, USA
By: Hess Family Estates
Release Date: Sep 29, 2012
Wine, Red Wine
14.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Zinfandel
Sugar Content: 8 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: D - Dry

Tasting Note  -  A zesty Zinfandel that's loaded with spice, offering aromas of dark cherry and licorice that lead to lively plum, toasty sage and anise flavors. Finishes with ripe, briary tannins. Drink now through 2017. Special Designation: Smart Buy. Score - 90. (Tim Fish, winespectator.com, June 15, 2012)

Amy had picked up a Chocolate Truffle cake for dessert but we were so stuffed from the first three courses we all decided to pass on it.

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting and to Mick for all his wonderful hard work in making those three great dishes.  Hopefully we’ll get back to a more regular schedule and therefore more regular blog posts but with Christmas around the corner that might make things tricky.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Tomato Time!

Mick and Amy were hosting this past Saturday night’s dinner and Mick had a Tomato theme going for the evening.  Mick decided that every dish on the menu (thankfully except for dessert!) was going to have tomatoes from his garden in it.

The first course was Caprese salad with a 2010 Graham Beck Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa.  We have reviewed this wine before so I won’t be doing it again now.  I will add that it was a decent match with the Caprese Salad but we thought a Chardonnay might be a better match.

The second course was sliders with a cherry tomato salsa.  Mick paired this with a 2007 Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon.

The nose wine was big with easy to find aromas of cherry, cocoa, wood smoke, green pepper, coffee and mushroom.  Tasting the wine, it came across very French as it was herbaceous and loamy with dark chocolate and a touch of vanilla.  The structure was a little off as it was much more tannic than it was acidic and this caused the wine to come across as extremely dry on its own.  I wasn’t a big fan of this wine on its own but it really redeemed itself with the food and was a very good pairing with the sliders.   The sliders did a good job of neutralizing the tannin and bringing out the fruit in the wine.  

Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick –89, Mark - 86, Kathy – 87, Amy – 88, Overall – 87.5.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine -

CONCHA Y TORO MARQUES DE CASA CONCHA CABERNET SAUVIGNON (V) 2009

VINTAGES 337238
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 19.95
Made in: Maipo Valley, Chile
By: Concha Toro S.A.
Release Date: Jul 25, 2012
Style: Full-bodied & Smooth
Wine, Red Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Sugar Content: 4 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry
Tasting Note  - A real beauty with graphite, minerality and rich, clean, exciting berry fruit and controlled oak aromas. Very pure and stylish Cabernet Sauvignon with fat but balanced cassis and sweet berry flavors. Big tannins lend structure and framework; young like a baby now; will be better and more evolved come fall, winter and over the next few years. Editors' Choice. Score - 91. (Michael Schachner, Wine Enthusiast, June 2011)

*Note – this LCBO listing is for the current release which is a 2009 and not the 2007 reviewed here.

The main course for the evening was Cherry Bomb Grilled Chicken with oven roasted fingerling potatoes.  The Cherry Bomb Chicken was a soak in a salt, sugar, cherry tomato and habanero brine before being grilled on the barbeque.  Mick paired this with a 2006 Seghesio Zinfandel.  We have had this wine before so we won’t be reviewing it again here.

The Cherry Bomb Grilled Chicken was really good; brine gave the chicken a sweet smoky flavour that was awesome.  The Seghesio was also a good pairing with this dish.

For dessert, Mick had picked up a decadent Chocolate cake which was enjoyed by all.

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting and to Mick and his garden for three wonderful tomato based courses.

Cheers!

Mark
 

Saturday Night – What was that 3rd wine we had? – Part 3

Click here for Part 1

For the main course of the evening Mick did his famous marmalade and Dijon barbequed chicken wings.  He paired the wings with a 2006 Optima “Dry Creek Valley” Zinfandel.

The nose on the wine had a lovely mix of blackberry, cherry, pepper, cedar and leather aromas on it.  Tasting the wine, you are going to get punched in the face with a huge cherry flavour and not much else.  The wine came across as being very dry as it needed more acidity to offset the tannin in it.  The wine was a decent pairing with the chicken wings but we have had better matches.  Overall it was  a solid but very forgettable wine.

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

There was no LCBO information on this wine, so I’m assuming this was a purchase Mick made in the US.  Hopefully he will be trolling the Blog later and add more details for it in the comment section.

For dessert, Amy picked up a wide selection of cupcakes.  They looked great but I had hit that “Not even a wafer thin mint” stage and passed on them.  Kathy though assures me they were excellent and that I missed out big time by passing on them.

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting the dinner and I'm already looking to next week.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Six for dinner

This past Saturday we were joined by Alex and Zdenka for dinner along with Mick and Amy.  This blog is just a quick overview of the night with no reviews as most of the wines we have reviewed before. 

Mick and I split the cooking duties for the night and Alex and Zdenka took care of dessert.

Here is the menu for the night –

Barbequed Brie with a Bruschetta topping paired with a 2010 Graham Beck Sauvignon Blanc

Carrot Soup with Fire-Roasted Chilies paired with a 2005 Rosenblum Zinfandel

Almond encrusted Goat Cheese on a bed of mixed greens with a Raspberry Poppy seed dressing paired with a 2005 Wegeler Kabinett Riesling

Marmalade and Dijon Grilled Chicken Wings with a side of homemade Blue Cheese dressing and carrot and celery for dipping paired with 2010 Seghesio Zinfandel

Chocolate Cake paired with a 2008 Cattail Creek Select Late Harvest Merlot

The evening was a ton of fun and we got through a lot of wine hence the lack of reviews as the some of the evening was a bit fuzzy. 

Cheers!

Mark