Saturday Night – a Sparkling Night with the In-laws – Part 3

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For the second course Mick did up his blackened scallops with avocado corn salsa. Most of us still had one of the two sparkling wines leftover but I decide to add a third sparkling wine – Tott’s Brut from California.

The nose on the Tott’s was a mix of licorice, peach and lychee aromas. Tasting the wine, gooseberry and lime were the two main flavours to it. The structure to the wine was ok but it was a touch too sweet. It was easy drinking and was good with the scallops but not enough to make me go out and buy more of it.

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

"Drip pan on fire... things not going according to plan"

There was no LCBO information on this wine and like the Astoria had been on the rack for a while so I didn’t know the price. This may have been a gift which would be why I can’t remember the price. After looking it up on the web, it looks like this would be in the $11 to 15 CDN price point if it was carried by the LCBO.

For the main course I did my corn, steak and potato dish that I did earlier this month as it was something Mick, Amy, Kathy and I enjoyed and thought it would be a good main course for the evening.

"Steak, Corn and Potato dish"

I did have a small fire issue with this dish as the steaks need to hit the grill for about 6-8 minutes to paint some grill lines on them and then I slice them up add them to the dish. I tossed the steaks on the grill on high heat and meant to come back out and check on them after about 3 minutes. I got comfortable and was enjoying my wine and then suddenly remembered the steaks probably about 6-8 minutes after I put them on. As the NY Strips have a good amount of fat/marbling to them and they had been marinating in olive oil all afternoon, by the time I popped back out, there was thick black smoke pouring out of the BBQ. I lifted the lid and was greeted by very high flames. I killed the gas to the grill and quickly removed the steaks. The drip pan to the BBQ was completely engulfed in flames. It probably took about ten minutes for the fire to die out but everything worked out ok in the end. The steaks were actually cooked to about rare which was fine.
 

"The Dessert part of the evening"

We had a couple of bottles of the 2003 Joseph Phelps “Innisfree” Merlot with the dish. I have reviewed this wine before so I won’t be reviewing it again but will add that it was a terrific pairing with the dish.

For dessert we continued with the Merlot and had a selection of cheeses and dark chocolate.

Other than the fire, it was a great evening and it was fun having Kathy’s parents attend our usual Saturday dinner. I’d like to thank Mick for making the scallops as they were a great addition to the evening.

Cheers!

Mark

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 Night – a Sparkling Night with the In-laws – Part 1

This past Saturday we had Kathy’s parents join us for our usual Saturday night dinner with Mick and Amy. For the first course I did crab dip and shrimp cocktail and paired it with two different sparkling wines; a Louis Roederer Champagne and an Astoria Prosecco.

I will review the Champagne first and then do the Prosecco in the second part of this blog.

"Action shot of the Champagne being poured"

The nose on the Champagne was an interesting mix of mushroom, nut, yeast and orange. Tasting the wine, lime was the dominate flavour but there was a smoky creamy flavour to it as well. The structure on the wine was very good with lively acidity that gave the wine a beautiful crispness. It paired very well with both the crab dip and the shrimp cocktail. Mick made the comment that this was the best Champagne or sparkling wine he had in a long time. I can’tdisagree with him as I very much enjoyed this wine.

"So Good"

Here is the group rating for the wine – Mick - 91, Mark - 92, Kathy – 92, Amy – 90, Overall – 91.25

Here is the LCBO information on this wine –

 LOUIS ROEDERER PREMIER BRUT CHAMPAGNE

 VINTAGES 268771
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 67.95
Wine, Champagne
12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Champagne, France
By: Champagne Louis Roederer
Release Date: N/A

I will be picking up another bottle or two of this to save for a special occasion, though with how much I liked this wine a ‘special occasion’ may turn out to be a day that ends in ‘Y’.

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June Wine Club – Rioja

This month’s Wine Club meeting we took a look at two Riojas. I really the value of Rioja as I find you get a very big wine for a very reasonable price. The take home bottle, 2004 Lar de Paula Reserva, was rated a 90 by erobertparker.com so I was looking forward to trying it. The Muga Reserva was picked up as a comparison bottle.

"This is why Amy takes the pictures for this blog and not me"

Here the LCBO Information on the wines –

LAR DE PAULA RESERVA 2004

VINTAGES 208207
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 21.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: Region Not Specified, Spain
By: Heredad De Baroja
Release Date: May 14, 2011

Tasting Note - The purple-colored 2004 Lar de Paula Reserva is 100% Tempranillo with a classic bouquet of cedar, mineral, earth notes, black cherry, and blackberry. Medium-bodied, it is dense and layered on the palate. Black fruit and spice notes are buttressed by moderate ripe tannin leading to a pure, fruit-filled finish. Give it 3-4 years to fully blossom and drink it from 2012 to 2024. Score - 90. (Jay Miller, erobertparker.com, June 2009)

MUGA RESERVA (V)

VINTAGES 177345
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 23.95
Wine, Red Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Rioja, Spain
By: Bodegas Muga S.A.
Release Date: N/A

I was amazed at the strength of the nose on both wines as just pouring them out the room was filled with their aromas. The nose on the Lar de Paula had big aromas of blueberry, blackberry and spice. The nose on the Muga was a nice mix of leather, sour cherry and some mushroom lurking in the background. Tasting the Lar de Paula you’ll find a raspberry flavour dominating this wine. The structure on the Lar de Paula was good with lively acidity, tons of tannin. I actually think this wine could use a couple of years down to soften the tannin. The Muga’s main flavour was sour cherry. The Muga was a much softer styled wine as the tannin level was much lower than the Lar de Paula and the acidity was a touch more muted as well. I slightly preferred the Muga over the Lar de Paula without food.

Monica, (one of our Wine Club members) was nice enough to do up a big pot of chili to go with the wines. The chili was very good and the Lar de Paula quickly became the crowd favourite as the chili neutralized the high tannin and the wine became very polished and smooth. The Muga with the food couldn’t stand up to the bold flavours of the chili and seemed lost at times.

Both wine were enjoyed by everyone and even though the Lar de Paula was the favourite, I don’t think anyone would have been too disappointed to take home a bottle of the Muga either.

It was a fun session and I’d like to thank Monica for the chili as it really did pair well with the wines.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday night – Just grin and Beer it – Part 2

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For the second course Mick did honey and chipotle bacon wrapped scallops grilled on the barbeque. We paired this with a 2010 Chateau d’Aqueria Tavel Rosé. I bought this wine as a pairing as this was the comparison bottle for Wine Club when we looked at Rosés. As we really enjoy the Wine Club take home bottle at last Saturday’s dinner and at Wine Club the Tavel was the favourite hands down over that bottle, I wanted Mick, Amy and Kathy to try it as well.

The nose on the Tavel was faint with sour cherry and a slight soapy aroma in the background. Tasting the wine, sour cherry and lime were the dominate flavours. The structure on the wine was good though it did have a bit of a sharp finish to it. With the food the sharp finish was more muted but I did find it got a bit funky with the food at times. I would guess the sweetness of the honey would be what caused the funkiness with the dry Rosé.

Here is the group rating for the wine – Mick - 86, Mark - 86, Kathy – 86, Amy – 83, Overall – 85.25.

Here is the LCBO Information on the wine -

CHÂTEAU D'AQUÉRIA TAVEL ROSÉ 2010

VINTAGES 319368
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 18.95
Wine, Rosé Wine
12.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Rhône, France
By: Jean Olivier, Prod.
Release Date: May 14, 2011

Tasting Note - Tavel, an AC located across the Rhône River from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, uniquely makes rosé wines its exclusive focus. This version offers up fresh strawberry, sweet cherry, rosehips, and spring flowers in abundance. Dry, light bodied, fresh and tangy on the palate with waves of vivacious acidity. The lingering finish sports a strawberry-rhubarb character embroidered by herbal and floral notes. Enjoy with salmon-and-cream-cheese appetizers, or turkey breast with paprika. (VINTAGES panel, March 2011)

For the final course Mick did pulled pork quesadillas and paired them with a 2006 Seghesio Zinfandel. We have reviewed the 2006 Seghesio before so I won’t be reviewing it again today. I will add that both the wine and the quesadillas were excellent.

For dessert Amy picked up a Milky Way cake that was very good.

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting and to Mick for making three new exciting dishes for us to try.

Cheers! (or maybe for this article “Beers!” would be a better ending)

Mark

Saturday night – Just grin and Beer it – Part 1

Mick and Amy were hosting this past Saturday night’s dinner. When we arrived, Mick announced that all three recipes used beer in their recipes and was using that as his theme for the evening. I’m not a huge beer fan but have no issues with it being used in recipes so I was curious to see what Mick had created.

His first course was mussels in a light cream sauce with freshly sliced baguette. Mick picked a 2009 Fog Head Reserve Chardonnay from California as the pairing for this dish.

The nose on the wine had aromas of pink grapefruit, lilac and vanilla. Tasting the wine was interesting as it had a funky combination of butterscotch and grapefruit as it flavours. The structure to the wine was decent and it was a very smooth and easy drinking Chardonnay. The flavours to the wine got much better with the food as the butterscotch faded away into the background and the crispness of the grapefruit really came out in the wine.

Here is the group rating for the wine – Mick - 86, Mark - 84, Kathy – 83, Amy – 85, Overall – 84.5.

Here is the LCBO information for the wine –

FOG HEAD HIGHLANDS RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2009

VINTAGES 158568
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 17.95
Wine, White Wine
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: California, USA
By: Delicato Vineyards
Release Date: Mar 5, 2011

Description - Tasty, toasty Chardonnay with loads of tropical fruit and citrus aromas. Dry and zippy with lots of fruit on the palate. A nicely balanced, mouth-filling wine ideal for pan-seared scallops or smoked chicken.

For a $17 it wasn’t bad though I’d probably lean towards spending $2 more and get a KJ Chardonnay or a Louis Jadot Chardonnay instead.

Mick Mussels were really good, though soaking up the sauce with the bread might have been even better than the Mussels.

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Saturday – Summer is here! Part 2

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For the main course I did a Corn, Tomato and Steak dish which for me is the dish that signifies that summer is really here. This dish has steak, fresh corn shaved from the cob, pan fired baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes, arugula, celery, shallots, olive oil, butter and salt and pepper. As there is not much seasoning (other than salt and pepper) for this dish, it the natural flavours of this dish that make it so good. It is also important to find fresh ingredients as there is no sauce or seasoning to hide behind either.

I paired this with a Merlot and as we hadn’t done Merlot for a bit, I want something a little special and picked a 2001 Merryvale Napa Valley Reserve Merlot

The nose on the Merryvale was amazing with rich notes of plum, cigar box, eucalyptus, and leather. Tasting the wine Black Licorice, Blueberry and Cassis were the dominate flavours. I was concerned after trying the wine that the Black Licorice flavour wouldn’t work with the dish and it was a touch tannic as well. Trying the wine the food, raspberry notes became the main flavour to the wine and the tannin soften big time and this wine became a truly excellent pairing with the food.

Here is the group rating for the wine – Mick - 90, Mark - 91, Kathy – 90, Amy – 90, Overall – 90.25.

"Check out the colouring on the cork from the Merryvale Merlot"

There was no listing for the Merryvale Merlot on the LCBO’s website which is not surprising as I bought this in the US a number of years ago. I believe the price point on it was $39 US so around $55-60 CDN a bottle. The 90.25 rating means this wine comes up just short by a quarter of a point on making the Zippy Sauce Top Ten Red list but I will say I haven’t enjoy a bottle of wine as much as this one in a long time.

For dessert I picked up a La Rocca Key lime crunch cake and it was a fine ending to our ‘summer’ themed meal.

Cheers!

Mark

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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