Saturday Night – Kapow! Part 3

Click here for Part 1

For the last course of the evening, Mick did a Crab melt served with toasted pitas, tortillas and celery and carrot sticks. He paired them with a 2006 Amayna Chardonnay.

"Mmm...melty"

The nose on the wine was an interesting combination of vanilla, gooseberry and buttered popcorn. Tasting the wine you’ll notice vanilla and lime flavours running throughout the length of the wine. Strangely enough, this wine had more oak to it than the Cuvaison but the acidity on this wine was crisper and offset the oak better and due to this I actually like this wine better than the Cuvaison in spite of the oak. It was also a stellar pairing with the crab melt and goodies.

"A wine with character"

Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick – 88, Mark – 88, Kathy – 85, Amy – 85, Overall – 86.5.

Here is the LCBO Information for this wine -

06 AMAYNA CHARDONNAY (GARCES SILVA)

VINTAGES 76265
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 20.10
Wine, White Wine
14.8% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: Chile, Chile
By: Vina Garces Silva Ltda.
Release Date: N/A

For $20 this is a decent Chardonnay with character that would be a nice addition to anyone’s Wine Rack.

We finished up the night with some cupcakes that Kathy had picked up from a local specialty dessert store.

Thank you to Mick and Amy for hosting the night and it was nice to get back to our ‘usual’ though recently not so ‘usual’ Saturday night dinners.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Kapow! Part 2

For the next course Mick had a new recipe to show us, Belgium Blonde Mussels which is made from Belgium Blonde Ale and paired it with a 2008 Cuvaison Chardonnay.

"A Big Bowl of Happiness"

The nose on the Cuvaison was a pleasing mix of peach, pineapple and vanilla. Tasting the wine you get a buttery rounded mouth feel with vanilla and lime flavours. The oak wasn’t over done for a California Chardonnay but I’m finding I’m more and more preferring the subtle oak of French Chardonnays to the California style of wine making. I liked it as a pairing for the mussels, which were excellent by the way.

"A new California Chardonnay to try"

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

Here is the LCBO Information –

CUVAISON CHARDONNAY 2008

VINTAGES 988261
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 26.95
Wine, White Wine
14.2% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: California/Californie, United States
By: Cuvaison Estate Wines
Release Date: Oct 16, 2010

Tasting Note - Clean, bright, decently fruity, stony and focused on tart apples and Meyer lemons, this wine is very much cast in the zesty style that is the unmistakable touchstone of Cuvaison Chardonnays. Medium-full in body and just a bit scaled back relative to its mate above, this is a wholly reliable bottling for all manner of settings from fresh-shucked shellfish on the half shell to broiled chicken breasts brushed with Dijon mustard. Score - 89. (Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines, June 2010)

 

 

Click here for Part 3

Saturday Night – Kapow! Part 1

Mick and Amy were hosting this past Saturday night’s dinner. Mick decided to start with an old favourite – spicy shrimp with mint sauce paired with a 2004 Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc.

"Spicy Shrimp with Mint Sauce"

The problem with this combo is the 2004 Fume Blanc is 14.5% alcohol, and spicy shrimp aren’t that filling, so they don’t soak up much of the alcohol. The shrimp are also very spicy (hence the name “spicy shrimp”) so you tend to drink quicker than you normally would which causes the wine to hit you very hard. Amy was writing up the notes on the wines and by the third course of the evening the writing turns more to chicken scratch, though I can just make out the line “I can’t feel my legs…”.

This was actually kind of a sad moment as this was our last bottle of the 2004 Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc and 2004 was the last year they bottled it in a distinct frosted glass bottle. The years after 2004, Fume Blanc is bottle in a standard brown wine bottle which is a shame as that frosted bottle was very distinct and made it stand out from other wines on the shelf.

"Last of the frosted bottles"

The nose on the 2004 Fume Blanc was moderate with vanilla and over ripe mango. Tasting the wine you get a big mouth feel and a ton of acidic bite. The wine starts with a crisp green apple flavour and then finishes more to a tart white grapefruit flavour that lingers. It is a great pairing with the spicy shrimp for two reasons; it coats your mouth and really cools the ‘burn’ of the cayenne and the big acid contrasts nicely against the flavours of the shrimp.

Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick – 86, Mark – 86, Kathy – 87, Amy – 87, Overall – 86.5.

Here is the LCBO Information -

ROBERT MONDAVI FUME BLANC 2008

VINTAGES 221887

750 mL bottle

Price: $ 23.95

Wine, White Wine

13.9% Alcohol/Vol.

Sugar Content : D

Made in: California/Californie, United States

By: Constellation Wines U S

Release Date: Jul 10, 2010

Tasting Note - Concentrated and robust peach, citrus, golden raisin and apple flavors have a firm structure and refreshing juicy acidity. Smooth and sophisticated, with a long, spicy finish. Drink now through 2012. Score - 88. (Mary Ann Worobiec, www.winespectator.com, Web Only, 2010)

* note the LCBO listing is for the 2008 and not the 2004 reviewed here

This wine was a big favourite of ours in earlier years but as we have tried more and more Sauvignon Blancs it is losing it shine. The Mondavi Fume Blanc tends to be one dimensional compared to New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs and not as refined as the French ones. It still is great with spicy shrimp but I would hesitate to pair it with other foods.

Click here for Part 2

October Wine Club - Merlot

At this month’s Wine Club we took a look at three different Merlots. Here are the LCBO details -

CHÂTEAU PIPEAU 2006

VINTAGES 564179
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 29.00
Wine, Red Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Bordeaux, France
By: Mestreguilhem, Prop.-Récolt.
Release Date: May 15, 2010

Tasting Note - Shows black licorice, black pepper and berries on the nose. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and ripe, chewy tannins, but in balance. This has very stylish flavors. Should be nice to drink soon. Always excellent value. Best after 2012. Score - 90. (James Suckling, www.winespectator.com, March 31, 2009)


CHÂTEAU LANBERSAC 2005


VINTAGES 177006
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 19.95
Wine, Red Wine
13.4% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Bordeaux, France
By: Françoise and Philippe Lannoye
Release Date: Jun 26, 2010

Tasting Note - Puisseguin Saint-Émilion, one of the tiny satellites to the northeast of Saint-Émilion, is hilly terrain, with the highest elevation in the region. As in the larger appellation, Merlot is the principal grape used here due to the clay and limestone soil. This well-made red from the outstanding 2005 vintage is medium bodied and nicely balanced; notes of smoke and tar accent a solid core of berry fruit. It's a bargain at this price. (VINTAGES panel, Dec. 2009)


JACKSON-TRIGGS PROPRIETORS' GRAND RESERVE MERLOT 2007

VINTAGES 563197
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 19.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
This is a VQA wine
Made in: Ontario, Canada
By: Vincor International Inc.
Release Date: May 15, 2010

Tasting Note - Deep ruby coloured, impressively scented Merlot from the excellent 2007 vintage. Aromas of sour cherry, vanilla, raspberry, coffee bean are all on display here. Dry with a nice core of fruit surrounded by moderate tannins and pleasing acidity. Medium-full bodied with a lingering, refined finish. Age it 2-3 years, or try it tongiht with a grilled porterhouse steak or calf's liver with bacon and onions. (VINTAGES panel, March 2010)

I was looking forward to trying the ‘take home’ wine which was the Chateau Pipeau, a French Merlot rated a 90 by the Wine Spectator. I picked the Chateau Lanbersac as the comparison bottle as it was from the same region as the Chateau Pipeau. The Jackson-Triggs Merlot was something recommended by my LCBO rep. I’m not usually a huge fan of VQA red wine as I find it usually tends to be under ripe/green as the climate doesn’t usually have enough length to ripen most red grapes. It was $20 and split 11 ways, I thought why not give it a go.

The first wine I tried was the Jackson-Triggs and I really liked it. The tannin in it was very soft and approachable, there was good fruit on the tongue, not much acidity and gentle finish. It wasn’t very complex but it was very easy drinking.

The second wine I tried was the Chateau Pipeau and oh my was it dry, bone dry, with harsh tannin and not much fruit though the acidity was crisp. I was a touch disappointed with it at this point but figured it might improve with the food.

The last wine was the Chateau Lanbersac, it was right in between the two others; tannic but less so than the Chateau Pipeau, some fruit and acidity.

So far my favourite was the Jackson-Triggs, score one for the VQA, then the Chateau Lanbersac and then in dead last the Chateau Pipeau.

Sean, one of the Wine Club members, made beef sliders in mini-pitas which were very good. Trying all the wines again with the food, my order changed, the Chateau Lanbersac took first as the food soften the tannins and brought out more fruit in the wine. The Jackson-Triggs was OK with the food but at times got lost against the flavours. The Chateau Pipeau remained in last place but was better with the food then on its own.

I wondered if maybe the food pairing wasn’t quite right with the Chateau Pipeau and opened another bottle of it on Friday when I made Lemon Cream Pasta with Prosciutto. It was much better with the pasta but still seemed a bit young and I will be laying down my last two bottles of it for a few years at least.

So to sum up - If you are looking for a nice easy drinking Merlot, I’d recommend the Jackson-Triggs. If you are looking for a food friendly Merlot, then I would recommend Chateau Lanbersac. If you are looking for a Merlot for your wine cellar that will pay dividends down the road, I would go with the Chateau Pipeau as this wine has the structure to last and will be quite nice once it ages which will cause the tannin in it to soften.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night Combique – Mustangs and Mini-vans

This past Saturday we got together with Mick, Amy, Steve, Melanie, Zdenka and Alex for a Combique. A Combique is our pet name for a get together where each couple brings a course and a bottle of wine to pair with their course.

The evening started off with cars being the big topic of the evening. Steve just picked up a 2011 Mustang GT which I thought was funny as most people after having their 3rd child lose the Mustang for a Mini-van but Steve went the other way. I would have thought a Minivan with its 2 in the front and 5 in the rear seating would be much more practical for a family of 5 but hey who I’m I to judge. I will say the new Mustang is a pretty sweet ride. Mick (who has a 2010 Mustang GT) and Steve were busy talking about the cars and their differences. Zdenka and Alex are shopping for a replacement vehicle as Alex’s was stolen recently. Kathy’s new Audi also was discussed. Enough about cars and on with this article…

The first course was mine and I did a poached pear salad with spiced pecans and blue cheese with a raspberry vinaigrette. I picked a 2007 Lingenfelder Kabinett Riesling to pair with. This wine is on the Zippy Sauce Top Ten Whites and we haven’t had it in the awhile so I was looking forward to sampling it again.

The wine paired nicely with salad though I was a bit disappointed with it as it didn’t seem quite as good as I remembered it being. This may have just been me over anticipating it. In the end the eight of us had no problems killing two bottles of it so it couldn’t have been that bad!

The second course was Melanie’s and she made pulled pork tacos with guacamole, grape tomato salsa & lime cilantro sour cream. She picked a 2007 Couly-Dutheil Chinon (Cab. Franc). As the pulled pork had a sweeter BBQ sauce with it I probably wouldn’t have picked a Cabernet Franc as my pairing. Trying the wine without the food it was very dry, almost bone dry with not much fruit showing. Trying the wine again with the food was amazing as the fruit popped out at you and the wine became much more accessible; it was a truly stunning pairing.

The third course was Mick’s and he made Tandoori chicken skewers with rice. He went with a 2008 Becker-Steinhauer Kabinett Riesling to pair with this.

Mick course had quite a bit of spice to it and the Riesling loved it. The Becker-Steinhauer Kabinett Riesling had a nice balance of sweetness and acidity and had a bit of frizzante happening as well and made a great pairing to the food.

The fourth course was Alex’s and he made grilled rib-eye with peppercorn brandy sauce & prosciutto parmesan asparagus. He paired this with a 2008 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir.

I feel very bad as I didn’t eat much of it as I was well past comfortably full at this point. The rib-eye and sauce were very good. I’m usually not a huge fan of asparagus but Alex cook these to absolute perfection; soft enough to enjoy but with a nice amount of firmness to them that they weren’t limp and overcooked. Add the prosciutto and parmesan and these were some seriously good asparagus. The Pinot was a good pairing with this dish; enough fruit and crisp acidity to stand up to the all the flavours in the dish but not overpowering the food either.

I picked up a Brown Sugar Torte Cake made by La Rocca for dessert. I had never seen this dessert before so either it was new or it is something our local supermarket doesn’t normally carry. I passed on the Torte that night as I mention earlier I was too full. I tried it the next day and found the two main flavours were maple and mocha and it was overly sweet for my taste buds, oh well they can’t all be winners.


I would like to thank Alex, Mick and Melanie for there wonderful courses and the hard work they put into them. I would also like to thank Melanie as a certain Official Zippy Sauce Photographer forgot her memory card for her camera, Melanie jumped in with hers and took all the pictures displayed in this article.

These Combiques are always a blast as I’m sure everyone had a good time and I always look forward to them. Next time though we are going to have to watch portion sizes or my ever expanding waistline is going to require a mini-van to get me around!

Cheers!

Mark