Saturday night – A very good Knight! Part 1

We got together with Mick and Amy for our usual Saturday night dinner. Mick had selected the menu and the wines, so Kathy and I brought dessert.

For the first course Mick was making crab topped scallops and had a 2004 Freixenet Cava to pair with them.

"Warning - these tasty treats will disappear quickly!"

While Mick was cooking the scallops, Amy handed me the Cava to open. To open a sparkling wine without spilling it, grab the base of the bottle firmly in the palm of your left hand and grab the cork firmly in your right. Slowly work the cork back and forth and the pressure from the bottle will ‘pop’ the cork. Your left hand with the base of the bottle will cushion the bottle as it pops and stop the wine from spraying everywhere. I have used this method to open Champagne and sparkling wines numerous times without spilling a drop…except for this evening.

I was talking to Amy and Kathy with the bottle in my hands and had the bottle sort of on my lap as I was talking. I removed the top foil and then wire cover the cork, I reached up with my right to grab the cork and as soon as I touched it the stupid thing popped. I barely managed to grab the bottle and ended up spraying sparkling wine over my pants, the floor and the table. I guess the bright side was at least I didn’t drop the bottle and most of the wine was still in the bottle.

"Look, some wine is actually in the glass..."

I felt like an ass for the mess but in my defense, I have never had a cork that was as sensitive as that one was.

After cleaning up the mess we poured out the Cava and Mick served up the scallops.

"Good value for the money"

After nosing the wine, which wasn’t difficult to do as my pants, the floor and the table now smelled of it, aromas of lees, straw and a creamy/toasty aroma were present in the Cava. Tasting the wine brought forth a slightly under ripe citrus/lime/white grapefruit combo. The Cava was very dry, good acidity but had an awkward/bitter finish. It wasn’t a great match for the crab topped scallops as the sweetness of the crab topping was making the Cava do funky things taste-wise.

On the upside the crab topped scallops were excellent.

Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick - 83, Mark - 83, Kathy – 85, Amy - 85, Overall – 84.

Here is the LCBO information -

Freixenet Brut Nature Vintage Cava 2004

VINTAGES 182014
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 10.75
Wine, Sparkling Wine,
11.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: Penedes, Spain
By: Freixenet S.A.
Release Date: Sep 29, 2007

Description - This vintage-dated Cava offers excellent value. Made in the traditional method, the grapes for this wine come from a vineyard that has a high limestone content. The resulting wine is light and clean with a distinct mineral tone and a long, creamy finish. An excellent aperitif, it would also pair well with a selection of poached or grilled seafood with a garlicky aioli.

For $10.75 this wasn’t a bad sparkling wine. Due to the sweetness of the crab topping a semi-sweet sparkler such as an Italian prosecco would have been a better match. It would be interesting to see the Cava paired with mussels or oysters as I think that would be a good pairing for this wine.

Click here for part 2

Wine Club – Muscadet

For the September meeting we went with a new grape – Melon de Bourgogne aka Muscadet aka Melon. Rather than re-inventing the wheel and writing up a description of Muscadet, here is the Wikipedia write-up - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscadet

"The better of the two!"

Both of the wines that we tried were purchased at the Premier Group in the US. Here is the information on both wines -

Premier Group Information – Domaine de la Batardiere Muscadet 2006

Stock Number – 50545
Volume - 750mL
Price: $ 9.99 US - Club Discount - $2.00 = $7.99
Duty + Exchange - $5.35
Final Price - $13.34 CDN
Made in: Loire, France

"Past its prime..."

Premier Group Information – Château Bourdiniere Muscadet 2004

Stock Number – 34715
Volume – 750mL
Price: $ 9.99 US - Club Discount - $1.50 = $8.49
Duty + Exchange - $5.69
Final Price - $14.17 CDN
Made in: Loire, France

One of the interesting points the Wiki write-up mentions is that most Muscadets should be drunken within three years of production. As you can see we had a 2006 and a 2004 and the differences between the two were quite noticeable. The 2004 was a much darker gold-yellow in colour vs. the 2006 and the nose was much fainter on the 2004 vs. 2006.

The 2006 was fresh and lively with nice aromas of Green Apples, Lees and a hint of floral in the background. The 2004 was flat and with a bit of Green Apple and not much else going on. I don’t believe this was the fault of Château Bourdiniere, I think it was that the wine was past its prime. Thankfully the 2006 Domaine de la Batardiere Muscadet is the bottle that everyone is taking home as it was clearly the better of the two.

Muscadet was an interesting grape and the best way I can describe it is it seems midway between a Sauvignon Blanc and Dry Champagne with just a hint of oiliness that you get from Pinot Gris.

We had cheese, liver paté and crackers with the wine and it was OK paring. On researching this wine, people were raving about how it paired with seafood, especially things like oysters and mussels. I have my bottle of the 2006 Domaine de la Batardiere Muscadet sitting at home and will have to try it with some mussels to see if Muscadet is as good as people were writing about it.

It was fun to try a new grape, I wasn’t blow away by it but you never know until you try these things.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday night – “Don’t believe the hype!” Edition - Part 2

Click here for Part 1

The menu for the main course was Beef Tenderloin wrapped in bacon, corn on the cob, and oven roasted potatoes.

Our wine pairing was a bottle of 2000 Chateau Lynch-Moussas (Pauillac) which I had purchased on my trip down to the Premier Group the previous day.

"Smells French!"

The wine as I poured it out was a lovely deep rich ruby-purple colour. The aroma coming off this wine was very powerful and infused with raspberry, cedar, cocoa and an earthy peat moss.

I find being very familiar with California Cabs that most of them have a distinct aroma to them which I recognize instantly. I can’t accurately describe what aromas combine to do this and jokingly refer to the aroma as “smells like love”. Now that I am getting more and more exposure to red Bordeaux wines, I’m starting to get that same recognition.

The nose on the Chateau Lynch-Moussas was unquestionably French. The best way I can describe the difference between the two regions is California cabs have a fruity-wood combo going on where with the French one’s it is more of a earthy-wood combo.

"Just missing some Zippy Sauce!"

The wine was very well balanced, you could taste the subtle fruit, and it had with a nice spicy finish. It was good with the Beef Tenderloin and then we add some Zippy Sauce to the plate as a dipping sauce. The wine pairing went from good to great.

"Great with the wine!"

I asked Amy to pickup something chocolaty for dessert and she chose a Dark Chocolate Cake with hazelnuts. We all saved some of the wine to go with this dessert and I’m glad we did. The combination of the two was an even better pairing than the pairing with the beef.

Not 15 seconds after we were trying this wine, both Kathy and Amy were asking me how many bottles of this wine I picked up. They weren’t happy when I said “you looking at it”. The bottle was $49.99 US so it was not cheap. There was a discount on it of $7.50 which made it $42.49 US, but after duty, taxes and exchange this bottle worked out to be about $71 Canadian. At that price point, I was not about to pickup multiple bottles of it blind though I wish I did as it would be nice to have a couple on the rack.

Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick - 91, Mark - 89, Kathy – 90, Amy - 92, Overall – 90.5.

There was no information at the LCBO on the 2000 but they did have the 2003 listed –

Château Lynch-Moussas 2003

Vintages 963256
750 mL bottle

Price: $ 43.55

Wine, Red Wine

12.5% Alcohol/Vol

Sugar Content : XD

Made in: Bordeaux, France

By: Borie-Manoux S.A.R.L.

Release Date: Oct 13, 2007

Tasting Note - Beautiful aromas of blackberry, currant and light licorice follow through to a full-bodied palate, with big and velvety tannins and a long, flavourful finish. Rich and tight wine with wonderful texture. Very well done for this estate. Best after 2010. Score - 90. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, March 31, 2006)

Here is what the Wine Spectator had to say about it –

Château Lynch-Moussas, Pauillac 2000

Very pretty aromas of crushed fruit, with raspberry and blackberry character. Full-bodied, yet fine and silky, with a long, delicious finish. Very balanced red. I can't remember tasting a better Lynch-Moussas. Best after 2009. 20,000 cases made. –JS

Score – 91, Price - $25

Looking over the above two with a $43.55 CDN price and a $25 US release price, the $50 retail price at the Premier Group doesn’t look that good. The only explanation I have is that the Premier Group put down a case or two in storage when it was released in 2004 and are now charging a premium for it.

At $71 US a bottle, this wine is about the right price point but maybe a touch high at $43 CDN. If the 2003 is as good as the 2000, this wine is a steal.

The food and wine for the evening was excellent and I have to give a huge thank you to Mick for modifying his menu to pair with the two wines.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday night – “Don’t believe the hype!” Edition - Part 1

Mick was cooking this Saturday and I tossed a pairing challenge his way. I asked for an appetizer that pairs with Sauvignon Blanc and a main course that pairs with Cabernet Sauvignon.

I had been wine shopping earlier in the week at the LCBO and down in the US at the Premier Group so I was excited to try a couple of bottles sooner than later.

The Sauvignon Blanc was a 2007 Cloudy Bay from New Zealand. I have heard a number of people rave about this wine and the Judgment of Paris book I reviewed also had good things to say about this winery. I wanted to have this wine sooner than later as the LCBO still has good stock, so if it was good I could get more of it.

"You can never have too many!"

Mick decided to prepare Blackened Scallops with Avocado Relish served on tortillas. The first time he did this recipe - http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2008/08/saturday-night-noahs-ark-edition.html he paired it was a Beringer Alluvium Blanc (a white blend). I speculated at the time that a pure Sauvignon Blanc would be a better pairing so it would be fun to see if this was the case. I was also looking forward to this dish as it was awesome the last time.

Mick was ready to go with the food when we arrived so I poured out the wine while he went outside to grill the scallops.

"Good, but Pricey"

The colour of the wine was a very pale yellow, almost no colour to it. The aroma was classic Sauvignon Blanc – Gooseberry, hay/cut grass and cat’s pee but there was also a pineapple and citrus aroma as well. In tasting it, the first thing that stood out was its zippy fresh acidity. There was a nice citrus tartness happening with the wine as well. The finish was a bit sharp but nothing too distracting.

Mick served up the scallops and the room got very quiet as everyone dove into the dish with gusto. The wine pairing with the scallops was very good. It was not a perfect pairing but very close.

Mick agreed this was a better pairing than the Alluvium Blanc he paired with the dish the first time and for that I have to give him credit as it takes a big man to be honest about these things.

We killed the bottle very quickly and I think if a second bottle of Cloudy Bay was around we would have put a large dent in it as well. This was a very easy drinking wine so I can see why people like it so much.

Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick - 88, Mark - 91, Kathy – 90, Amy - 88, Overall – 89.25.

Here is the LCBO information on this wine –

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Vintages 304469
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 34.95
Wine, White Wine,
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: New Zealand, New Zealand
By: Cloudy Bay Vineyards
Release Date: Jun 21, 2008

Tasting Note - Zingy and vibrant with a ton of crisp, fresh, grassy flavours and razor sharp acidity balancing the ripe, sweet tropical fruit with melon, capsicum and hints of pineapple playing around in the background. It slips down nicely and the finish is pungent and long. A somewhat 'retro' style for Cloudy Bay - but that's a good thing because lots more people liked it this year. (Sue Courtney, www.wineoftheweek.com, Jan. 23, 2008)

Here is what the Wine Spectator had to say about this wine –

Crisp, tart and fragrant, with very good intensity to grass, lime peel, grapefruit and sweet pea flavors. Sea salt and fresh herb undertones extend through the finish. Drink now. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 10,000 cases imported. –DS

Score – 88, Price $27 US

The biggest problem I have with this wine is the price point. Being priced at $35 a bottle and the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc being $20; it is too hard to justify that price. I was truly expecting more from this wine due to all the hype.

I like the Cloudy Bay and I have two more bottles in the cellar that I’m sure I will enjoy but I don’t see me going out to buy more of this one.

Click here for Part 2

Book review - Judgment of Paris

George M. Taber was the Time reporter who broke the story of the 1976 Paris tasting. He was the only reporter at this small but prestigious event. The wine tasting event was put together by Steve Spurrier, a British national who owned a wine store and wine school in Paris.

The event didn’t set out to prove that California wines were better than their French counterparts. His motivation for doing so was to show how far American wine making had progressed in the 200 years since they gained their independence from Britain. The idea behind the event was to have fun and show how American wines had improved. He picked six Californian reds and six Californian whites and four top French red Bordeaux’s and four top French white Burgundy’s.

The reason the event was news worthy is a Californian red and a Californian white took first place in a blind tasting.

The book starts off with Steve Spurrier, his life, his wine business and how he went about setting up the tasting. It steps away from Steve Spurrier and starts delving into some of the key people and wineries in California that were in the tasting or had a large influence on how the wine was made. Names like Grgich, Tchelistcheff, Martini, Mondavi, Stewart, Winiarski begin showing up in the book. Their backgrounds, their personalities and their wine making methods and styles are explored. The author does a great job of bringing some of these colourful individuals to life.

He also covers the history of California wine making. It was amazing to see how things have evolved since the fifties to today and how quickly it has changed.

The book returns to the tasting, covers the credentials of the French judges and then covers the tasting itself. Once the shocking results are reveled, how people reacted; the California winemakers’ jubilation to the fallout for the French judges and Steve Spurrier.

He talks about regions like New Zealand, Chile, Australia, South Africa that weren’t well know for wine or quality and how they began changing and adapting. How the wine making began to change and globalize. He re-visits both California and France present day and shows how things in both places have changed.

It was a fascinating read. I was amazed how many wines I have tried that were mentioned in the book. It also peak my curiosity in some wines that I hadn’t tried. I recently picked up a couple bottles and am looking very forward to trying them.

I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in wine.

Saturday night – “Not a total schLOSS!” Edition Part 3

Click here for part 1
Click here for part 2

For dessert we had the cheese leftover from last Saturday’s cheese course and Amy picked up half a chocolate truffle cake.

"Chocolately"

Earlier in the week, I stopped by my local LCBO and came across a Spanish dessert wine – a Torres Moscatel Oro. It was $17 for a 500ml bottle and the wine had the gorgeous amber colouring of a tawny port, so I decide to give it a try.

"Lemon Pledge"

Here is the LCBO information on the wine -

Torres Moscatel Oro

Vintages 642173
500 mL bottle
Price: $ 16.95
Wine, Dessert Wine,
15.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : MS
Made in: Penedes, Spain
By: Miguel Torres S.A.,
Release Date: Aug 30, 2008

Description - Made with the Muscat of Alexandria grape, Torres' Moscatel Oro is a voluptuously scented, concentrateddessert wine that would match fruit tarts, crème caramel, puddings, dried fruit or nuts. A multi-award winner,including a Gold Medal at the 2005 Muscats du Monde, expect aromas and flavours that recall orange blossom, honey, candied orange, lemon peel, raisins, floral (rose, lily) and spice (tobacco leaf, rosewood, clove).

Nosing the wine raised an eyebrow or two around the table, there was certainly a familiar aroma in the wine. Mick suddenly exclaimed “Lemon Pledge” (furniture cleaner) and after another sniff, I found myself agreeing with him. There was also a rose aroma coming from the wine as well.

I personally love the smell of “Lemon Pledge” so this wasn’t really a turn off for me.

Tasting the wine there was a honey lemon flavour to it as well as a medicinal taste. The wine had very narrow month-feel to it and a cloying sweetness that for me took away from the wine. On the upside that cloying sweetness easily hid the 15% alcohol entirely. High heat/alcohol wasn’t an issue with this wine.

Mick described the taste as Vick’s honey lemon cough drops and after tasting the wine again I quickly agreed that Mick was two for two on this wine.

It was an OK pairing with the cheese. I didn’t have any of the chocolate cake so I can’t comment on how well the wine paired with it.

Here is the group rating for the wine –Mick – 85, Mark – 83, Kathy – 82, Amy – 80, Overall – 82.5

I wasn’t enamored with this wine but I’m glad I tried it. Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting the evening and to Mick for the great food.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday night – “Not a total schLOSS!” Edition part 2

Part 1 can be found here

For the main course Mick prepared Chicken Quesadillas and choose a 2004 “Phantom” by Bogle. The Phantom is a blend of Petite Syrah, Zinfandel and Mourvèdre.

The nose on this wine was excellent with vanilla, cedar, blackberry, cherry and a touch of mushroom. Tasting it on the other hand was a let down, the wine started off nicely as it exploded with huge flavors to start but then it just faded away to nothing, maybe that is where the name Phantom comes in. There was good tannin and acidity but something was missing with this wine as I’m at a loss to explain the lack of mid-palate and finish.

"Ohhh, Sssscary!"

The Chicken Quesadillas were very good and the wine was a good but not great pairing with them.

Here is the group rating for the wine –Mick – 90, Mark –85, Kathy – 88, Amy – 90, Overall – 88.25

Mick purchased this wine down in the US for around $17 US so about $28 Canadian after exchange, duty and taxes. The LCBO has no listing for it so here is what the Wine Spectator had to say about the wine –

Bogle Phantom California 2004

Ripe, with vivid pomegranate, wild berry and raspberry-rhubarb flavors that have a spicy floral edge. Ends with a complex aftertaste and firm, integrated tannins. Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2011. 20,000 cases made. –JL

Price - $17, Score – 88

Funny after looking at the group scores and the Wine Spectator’s description and rating on this wine, I seem to be the odd one out as my score was lower and I was not as impressed with this wine as everyone else seems to be. I wasn’t a fan but maybe this is one wine you the reader should try for yourself and see what you think.

Click here for part 3

Saturday night – “Not a total schLOSS!” Edition Part 1

Amy wanted to try the Schloss Johannisberger Riesling 2006 that I had at the latest wine club –

http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2008/08/wine-club-two-out-of-three-aint-bad.html

We are all big fans of the Robert Mondavi Riesling and I was curious to see how this Riesling would pair with foods that the Mondavi paired well with. Mick agreed to do Satay shrimp for the occasion.

"Seriously good shrimp!"

Mick was had everything already prepped by the time we arrived Saturday, so we got straight to pouring out the wine. The Schloss Riesling was an attractive pale gold in colour with a very aromatic nose. Grapefruit was the predominant aroma with accents of pear, melon and peach.

Tasting this wine caught me off guard as I was expecting it to be sweeter than what it was. When I tried this wine at wine club it was with a dry Chardonnay and a very dry Sauvignon Blanc so it seemed very sweet compared to those two. On its own it wasn’t as sweet as I recalled it to be. The wine had a very appealing tanginess to it. It reminded me of the same taste sensation you get with pink grapefruit with sugar on top – a hit of sweet as it first touches your tongue quickly followed by a refreshing tartness. The acidity on the wine was fresh and lively giving the wine a very nice balance.

"A very good Riesling!"

With the Satay shrimp the wine was an OK pairing, the peanut sauce that goes with the shrimp has a sweetness to it that this wine had trouble keeping up with. The Mondavi would be a better pairing due to its extra sugar. The prosciutto wrapped shrimp Mick did last week would have been an awesome pairing for this wine.

Here is the group rating for the wine –Mick – 89, Mark – 92, Kathy – 90, Amy – 89, Overall – 90

Here is the LCBO information on this wine –

Schloss Johannisberger Riesling 2006

Vintages 70961

750 mL bottle

Price: $ 27.95

11.0% Alcohol

Vol.Sugar Content : 2

Made in: Rhine Rhinegau, Germany

By: Schloss Johannisberg

Release Date: May 10, 2008

Tasting Note - Classy, aristocractic Riesling with aromas of pear, quince, lime zest and mineral. Off-dry with a nice acid crispness that adds a touch of dryness. Creamy/ nutty tones to add complexity. Light-to medium-bodied with a medium long finish, this polished wine is a great sipper or an excellent choice for grilled white fish. It will also cellar nicely for up to four years. (VINTAGES panel, March 2008)

Here is what the Wine Spectator had to say about this wine –

Schloss Johannisberger Riesling QbA Rheingau Gelblack 2006

Has fine power and verve, with the structure driving the apple, white peach and grapefruit notes to a long finish. It's more about the structure at this point. Drink now through 2012. 3,500 cases made. –BS

Price $29, Score 88

Two interesting things with this wine and the Wine Spectator. The first is that as a group we rated it higher than the Wine Spectator did – WS = 88 and we rated it a 90, generally our ratings have been a touch lower than the Wine Spectator’s ratings. The other item of interest is the price is higher listed on the Wine Spectator $29 US vs. $28 Canadian at the LCBO, this is the first time I can ever remember the price at the LCBO being lower than the Wine Spectator’s.

Click here for part 2

Saturday night - "Stuff your pie-hole" Edition - Part 3

Here is a link to Part 1
Here is a link to Part 2

For dessert, we decided upon a cheese tray for a few reasons. Amy had been reading the latest issue of the Wine Spectator and the cover story was all about cheese. Kathy and I are organizing a wine shopping bus trip to the Premier Group store in Kenmore NY and thought a small pre-event wine and cheese party might be fun so we needed to scope out supplies.

I had heard about Mickey McGuire’s Cheese Shop in Dundas as one of our wine club members had purchased some cheese from McGuire's for a previous wine club meeting and it was first rate. So, Kathy and I thought it be fun to scope out the place before we needed to shop for our wine and cheese pre-event and purchase the cheese for our Saturday night dessert at the same time.

Mick and Amy had picked up a bottle of Yalumba Antique Tawny on their recent trip to the US which was another great reason to go with cheese.

"Too good for words!"

I was surprised at how small Mickey McGuire's Cheese Shop was and how big the selection was for the size. All of the staff was incredibly passionate about cheese. They would happily cut of a piece for you to try and tell you all about the cheese as you tasted it. There were no prices and no signs on any of the cheeses. If you wanted to know anything about a specific cheese you asked. Conversely if you need a cheese to pair with something or were looking for certain qualities in a cheese you could just ask.

It was a fun experience. I did find it a bit pricey but one would expect to pay more for premium cheese and great service. I have added a link to Mickey McGuire’s Cheese on the right hand side of the webpage in the “Links” sections.

In the end we bought a mild goat’s cheese, a peppercorn goat’s cheese, a Le Gruyère Premier Cru, a blue cheese with a red wine crust, and the most awesome cheese ever – St. Agur which is a creamy French blue.

Here is what Wikipedia had to say about the Le Gruyère Premier Cru -

Le Gruyère Premier Cru is a special variety, produced and matured exclusively in the canton of Fribourg and matured for 14 months in humid caves with a humidity of 95% and a temperature of 13.5° Celsius.

It is the only cheese that has won the title of best cheese of the world at the World Cheese Awards in London three times: in 1992, 2002 and 2005.

The two favourites for the night were the St. Agur and the Le Gruyère Premier Cru.

The port was a great pairing with the Blue cheeses and the Gruyère and ok with the goat’s cheese.

The Yalumba Antique Tawny had its usual nose of stewed prunes and caramel. The port is so smooth and sweet it reminds you of toffee as you drink it. It is an amazing port and I highly recommend this as a “must buy” if you find it.

This was purchased in the US and is not available at the LCBO. It is $17 US for a 375 mL bottle which is about $27 Canadian after duty, taxes and exchange rates.

Here is the group rating for the wine –Mick – 90, Mark – 94, Kathy – 90, Amy – 90, Overall – 91

Here is what the Wine Spectator had to say about it –

Yalumba Tawny Port Barossa Museum Release Antique NV

Lightly sweet and elegant, not a huge, mouthfilling style but one that unfolds its walnut, nutmeg, cinnamon and coffee flavors on a lithe, silky sweet background. Drink now. –HS

Score – 92, Price $15/375mL

It was good to have Mick and Amy back but my waistline isn’t thanking them after all that wonderful food.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday night - "Stuff your pie-hole" Edition - Part 2

Here is a link to Part 1

For the main course Mick prepared NY Strips and fresh corn on the cob. The wine pairing was a 2001 Hess “Napa Valley” Cabernet Sauvignon. I have been a fan of Hess wines since having one of their higher end Cabs during a New Year’s dinner a few years back. The Hess Cabernet Sauvignon that night easily would have made my top ten all time Cabernet Sauvignons.

The first thing that stood out about this Hess Cab was the nose. It was absolutely stunning. Wonderful aromas of black current, green pepper and leather had me drooling in anticipation of trying this wine.

"O' Tannic-Bomb, O' Tannic-Bomb..."

Unfortunately, this wine was one of the most tannic Cabs I have ever had. The lack of fruit and high tannin tossed the balance to the wine right out of the window.

On the upside, it did pair nicely with the NY Strips as they were able to neutralize the tannins in the wine. The pairing wasn’t quite as nice with the corn as an odd flavour was occurring when having the two together.

This wasn’t a bad wine. I think my disappointment mostly sprang from my high expectations after nosing this wine. In short, one of the better noses on a wine in a long time but also one of the most tannic wines I have tried.

Here is the group rating for the wine –Mick – 88, Mark – 87, Kathy – 85, Amy – 84, Overall – 86

There was no LCBO information on this wine, not really a surprise as the Hess Collection wines don’t tend to show up on the LCBO shelves very often. I’m assuming that Mick purchased this wine in the US.

Here is what the Wine Spectator had to say about his wine –

The Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2001

Intense and concentrated, with a rich array of ripe plum, blackberry, currant and earthy, cedary scents. It's complex and concentrated and turns firmly tannic on the finish, and that tannin level is the only minor concern. Best from 2005 through 2012. 9,600 cases made. –JL

Score – 88, Price $39

The price on this wine caught me by surprise, at $39 US it would be about a $63 bottle Canadian after duty, exchange and taxes. There are certainly better Cabs available for less money out there such as a Beringer’s Knight’s Valley for instance

Here is a link to Part 3

Saturday night – "Stuff your pie-hole" Edition – Part 1

Mick and Amy are back from their vacation and, to my disappointment, they only had two hours of rain during that time, so they’ll probably want to vacation again. During their time away I picked up a 2005 Domaines Schlumberger “Les Princes Abbés” Riesling which had been rated a 90 by the Wine Spectator and was one of their Top 100 wines for 2007. If the name seems familiar it is because I covered the 2003 Domaines Schlumberger “Les Princes Abbés” Pinot Gris last week. I came across the Riesling when I was looking up information on the LCBO’s website on the Pinot Gris.

I really wanted to try the Riesling sooner than later as the LCBO still has good stock on it, but probably won’t in a month or two. I called Mick, explained about the wine and ask him if he could make something to pair with the Riesling. He laughed and said that he was planning on making prosciutto wrapped curried shrimp as the starter as he had a 2007 Mondavi Riesling he wanted to try and he’d happily try the Schlumberger Riesling instead.

"Can you really have too many shrimp?"

When we arrived at Mick and Amy’s, Mick was still busy prepping the shrimp. I wondered why it was taking him so long and then noticed how many he was making; he probably had twice the normal amount that he usually makes. This was cool as I was starving.

As Mick was cooking up the shrimp, I grabbed the Riesling from the fridge and poured everyone a glass.

Mick came back in with a huge plate of grilled shrimp, dished them out and we all sat down to enjoy them and the wine.

"A Top 100 Wine, eh?"

The Domaines Schlumberger Riesling was a pale straw colour with slight greenish tint to it. The first thing my nose noticed about the wine was a distinct smell of petrol. Kathy was getting a faint floral aroma that reminded her of roses. Amy was detecting lychee and Mick was finding a pear/melon aroma. In short, a very interesting array of aromas were to be found in this wine.

Tasting the wine, the first thing I noticed was the dryness of it. I have gotten comfortable with sweet and semi-sweet Riesling so a dry Riesling is a bit of a shock. The wine’s balance was very nice and had a dominate a grapefruit flavor to it. It was very cool and crisp. The acidity reminded me more of a Sauvignon Blanc than a Riesling. It was an OK pairing at first with the shrimp but the sweeter Rieslings we have had before were a better match for this dish.

The Riesling when we first served it was very cold and as it came up in temperate it really opened up and got much better. The wine became softer and rounder and developed a slightly oily texture to it. The nose opened up as well and the fainter aromas were we detecting earlier were much stronger. The pairing with the shrimp got better as well.

It was amazing how much difference the temperature made to the wine. It was like we were tasting two completely different wines.

If you are going to have this wine with food, take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving it as it is much better wine at higher temperatures.

Here is the group rating for the wine –Mick – 88, Mark – 89, Kathy – 88, Amy – 85, Overall – 87.5

Amy’s rating was low as she was smoking a huge crack pipe... I mean she didn’t think this wine was as good a pairing as the Mondavi Riesling usually is and she prefers a sweeter Riesling.

Here is the LCBO information on this wine –

Domaines Schlumberger Riesling Les Princes Abbés 2005

Vintages 981662
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 25.95
Wine, White Wine,
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: Alsace, France
By: Domaine Schlumberger
Release Date: Aug 16, 2008

Description - This wine ranked at #85 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2007.

Tasting Note - Elegant, dry and light- to medium-bodied, with concentrated peach, citrus and mineral flavors melding together. Stays focused through the lingering finish. Drink now through 2016. Score - 90. (Bruce Sanderson, www.winespectator.com, Oct. 31, 2007).

I picked four bottles of this and now have three left. Even though am looking forward to trying the remaining three in the future, I probably won’t rush out and buy more of it.

Link to Part 2