Saturday Night – If it walks like a Duck…

It was our turn to host the usual Saturday night dinner with Mick and Amy and my lovely wife requested Caesar salad as the starter.  I hadn’t made it in a while so I went with that as the starter and paired it with a Louis Jadot Chardonnay.  We have reviewed this wine and food combo before so I won’t be doing it again but will add I really love this pairing.

For the main course, I did Chimichurri steak with grilled pita and a side salad of corn, red onion, tomato and basil in a light Oil and Vinegar dressing.  Chimichurri is made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, red wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes.  Normally with steak, I’d pair this with a Cabernet Sauvignon but with the Chimichurri sauce and the sweet corn in the side salad, I thought a Merlot would be a better pairing.   I selected a 2004 Duckhorn Vineyards “Napa Valley” Merlot to go with this course.

The nose on the Duckhorn was easy to find with big raspberry notes and some pine and chocolate in the background.  As the wine sat for a bit, the raspberry aroma faded more into the background and some nutmeg and mint aromas appeared.  I love wines that change nose like that as it is fun to catch new and interesting aromas each time you come back to it.  Tasting the wine, black current and chocolate were the dominate flavours.  It was very nicely balanced with lots of acidity and tannin and it was very dry on the mid-palate but it finished with a very smooth and lingering finish.  It was a great pairing with the main course as it was more than big enough to stand up to all the different flavours of the dish.  I will note that I would suggest decanting this wine as there was a lot of sediment in it.

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

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

DUCKHORN MERLOT 2009
VINTAGES 992529
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 56.95
Made in: California, USA
By: Duckhorn Vineyards
Release Date: Feb 18, 2012
Wine, Red Wine
Varietal: Merlot
* Note – this is for the 2009 version and not the 2004 version reviewed here.

I pretty sure I picked this bottle up at a $70 price point so it has come down in price over the years probably due to the high Canadian dollar.  The 2004 was the only bottle of Duckhorn Merlot I had in my wine rack and I will have to correct that by picking up a bottle or two of the 2009 as I really liked this wine.  It is one of the better Merlots I have tried in a while.

For dessert I made dark chocolate Corn Flake cakes (think Rice Krispies squares but with Corn Flakes and chocolate) and homemade soft Caramel candy.  I don’t usually do a lot of baking but just had an urge and I knew the dark chocolate Corn Flake cakes would be a good match to go with the Merlot.

It was a fun night with good food and great company, in other words a typical Saturday night with Mick and Amy.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – It’s been too long – Part 3

Click here for Part 1

For the main course Mick did grilled steak tacos with an avocado and corn salsa.  He paired this course with a 2003 Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon. 

The nose on the Hess was black pepper, cedar, raspberry and smoke.  Tasting the wine raspberry, pepper and cocoa were the main flavours.  The balance on this wine was off as the acidity far outweighed the tannin which made the wine come across as sharp at times.  It was an OK pairing with the steak tacos but I think the avocado in the salsa was throwing this wine.

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

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

HESS SELECT CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2008

VINTAGES 25080
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 24.95
Made in: California, USA
By: The Hess Collection
Release Date: Mar 3, 2012
Wine, Red Wine

Tasting Note  - Winemaker Dave Guffy's standards and styling make [Hess Select] a strong brand. The new Cab, off vineyards in Mendocino County, Lake County and Napa County, is stylish and varietally correct. The fruit is black currant up front, followed by black plums, cherries, raspberry and vanilla. Tannins are chalky and acidity provides structure ... You can take the Hess name to the bank. (Sandra Silfven, The Detroit News, Feb. 4, 2011)

Note – this listing is for the 2008 and not the 2003 reviewed.

The steak tacos were very good and I hope Mick does them again in the near future. 

For dessert Amy picked up some Lindt Dark Chocolate which was nice as this went well with the Hess to finish it off.

It has been too long since we had a ‘normal’ Saturday night dinner with Mick and Amy but thankfully our schedules mesh a lot better in the upcoming weeks so there will be more Saturday night dinners on the horizon.

Cheers!

Mark 

Saturday Night – It’s been too long – Part 2

For the second course Mick did grilled curried chicken wings with a side of Tzatziki sauce.  Mick paired this with a 2007 Sobon Estate Zinfandel.

The nose on the Zinfandel had a lot going on with it as it had aromas of green pepper, mushroom, blackberry and an earthiness to it as well.  Tasting the wine you will find pepper, spice and cherry flavours to it.  It came across as being very dry with a smaller mouth-feel than you would expect from a California Zinfandel.  It was very smooth but had a slight bite on the finish.  It also happened to be a great pairing for the chicken wings.

Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick – 91, Mark - 89, Kathy – 87, Amy – 89, Overall – 89.

There is no LCBO listing for this wine as Mick bought it in the US a few years back.  A quick web search has it listing for around $15US ($25 CDN after duty, taxes, etc.).

The curried chicken wings were good but Mick has done better ones.  He asked on a scale of 1 to 10 where we would rate these and the consensus was about a 5 or 6.  He was disappointed in this but then the ladies and I explained that a 5 on the Mick chicken wing scale would be like a 8 or a 9 on a normal chicken wing  scale… sorry Buddy, you have just set the bar on chicken wings so damn high that you are going have a hard time beating your past efforts!

Click here for Part 3

Saturday Night – It’s been too long – Part 1

Thanks to birthday dinners, Easter and a generally busy April schedule, our normal Saturday night dinners with Mick and Amy haven’t been happening.  Thankfully that all changed last night when we actually managed to head over to Mick and Amy’s for a Saturday night dinner.

Mick had a couple of new recipes on tap as well as a new favourite recipe and three new wines to try.

The first course was Baba Ganoush with grilled pitas which I asked for earlier in the week when he asked if I had any menu suggestions.  He paired this with a 2007 Amayna Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc.

The nose the Amayna was an interesting mix of vanilla, gooseberry and toast.  Tasting the wine you will find pineapple, mango and caramel flavours running the length of the wine.  The structure on the wine was nicely balance which created a very smooth and easy drinking wine.  Quite frankly this was one of the better Chardonnays I have had in a while – too bad it is a Sauvignon Blanc! The oak on this wine was subtly done and it was a great pairing for the Baba Ganoush but I really had trouble getting my head around the fact that this was a Sauvignon Blanc and not a Chardonnay.  If you are looking for a big crisp Sauvignon Blanc then this isn’t the wine for you.  On the other hand, if you are just looking for a very nice white/Chardonnay like wine that is easy to drink and super smooth then this just might be your wine.

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

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

GARCÉS SILVA AMAYNA BARREL FERMENTED SAUVIGNON BLANC 2007

VINTAGES 143511
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 29.00
Made in: Leyda Valley, Chile
By: Vina Garces Silva Ltda.
Release Date: N/A
Wine, White Wine

The Baba Ganoush was excellent.  Mick grills the eggplant for this recipe and adds Sun-dried Tomatoes to it which I think are the keys to it being as good as it is.

Click here for Part 2

April Wine Club - Cabernet Sauvignon + Wine Auction

This past Thursday, Wine Club got together to look at three different Cabernet Sauvignon.

Here is the LCBO information on the wines -

MOUNTADAM THE RED CABERNET SAUVIGNON/MERLOT/CABERNET FRANC 2007

VINTAGES 931105
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 30.95
Wine, Red Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: South Australia, Australia
By: Mountadam Vineyard
Release Date: Feb 18, 2012

Tasting Note - Healthy colour leads into a very elegant and fine wine, with vibrant blackcurrant, cassis and cherry fruit running through the long finish; it is amazing how easily the wine has absorbed two years in new French oak barriques, and how polished the tannins are. Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc. Score - 96. (James Halliday, winecompanion.com.au, Aug. 3, 2010)

CHATEAU CHEVALIER CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006

VINTAGES 256776
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 34.95
Wine, Red Wine
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: California, USA
By: Spring Mountain Vineyard
Release Date: Feb 18, 2012

Tasting Note -  The Spring Mountain District is quite remote and relatively small, and the unique microclimate it enjoys has earned the region a global reputation for the flavour intensity and balance of its wines. This example delivers complex aromas of black plum, cedar, leather, cassis and blackberries. The palate it dry and full bodied with impressive flavour replays, round and soft tannins, fantastic structure and balance and a full-flavoured finish. Enjoy with grilled lamb in a warm blackberry sauce. (VINTAGES panel, May 2011)

VILAFONTÉ SERIES M (Bonus Bottle)

VINTAGES 7757
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 34.55
Wine, Red Wine
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Made in: Region Not Specified, South Africa
By: Vilafonte
Release Date: N/A

The Mountadam was recommended by my local LCBO Vintages consultant as it was Australian and had a high Cabernet Franc percentage which is something you don’t see that often.  It has been awhile since I had done a wine from “down under” so I figured we’d give it a try.  I picked up the Chateau Chevalier from California as a comparison bottle as it was around the same price point.  As a bonus I also decided to add the Vilafonté Series M as it too was in the same price range and I really enjoyed it ( http://zippysauce.blogspot.ca/2012/03/saturday-night-two-cases-later-part-2.html ) and wanted Wine Club to try it.

I will just be reviewing the Mountadam and the Chateau Chevalier as I have reviewed the Vilafonté Series M in the link above.  I will add that the Vilafonté Series M was my favourite out of the three wines but the Mountadam wasn’t that far behind.

The nose on the Mountadam was very French, with strong aromas of lead pencil shavings, green pepper and Blackberry.  The nose on the Chateau Chevalier was milder with cedar, cranberry and raspberry notes.  Tasting the Mountadam it was a nice mix of raspberry and herbs with a nice balance of acidity and tannin; though it was more acidic than tannic but not by much.  The Chateau Chevalier had cherry as the dominate flavour but it had a bit of ‘green’ taste to it as if the grapes were under ripe.  The Chateau Chevalier’s structure wasn’t bad but the acidity and tannin were much less than the other two giving this wine a small mouth-feel.  Chateau Chevalier with its greenness and small mouth-feel could best be described as Cab-lite like a light beer is to regular beer; the flavours are all there but it just seems watered down.

Monica, a Wine Club member, brought in a selection of cheese and crackers to pair with the wines.  The cheeses were very good especially the Brie, which I normally not a huge fan of, but this one was lovely.

The Chateau Chevalier is a “won’t buy again”, the Mountadam is a bottle that I would recommend grabbing a bottle of as it is a very solid wine for its $31 price point.  

The other thing that we did after Wine Club on Thursday was have a Wine Auction.  One of the managers I worked with came to me on Wednesday and said his son won 80 bottles of wine at a charity event.  He said his son doesn’t drink wine and he doesn’t either for medical reasons and had no idea what to do with 80 bottles.  The manager mentioned that the raffle ticket said the 80 bottles were worth $2000 and asked me if this sounded right.  I told him not knowing what the wine were I couldn’t say if they were worth $2000 or not and then said you can bet that they would be worth $800 as it is fairly hard to find wines at less than $10 per bottle  He then asked if I wanted all 80 bottles for $800. 

I at first said no as I wasn’t sure what the wines were or how old they were and I have more than enough wine at home to get through but a few hours later changed my mind.  I hit up Wine Club members and asked if they would be interested in 8 bottles of wine for $80 and in less than 20 minutes had 9 people interested.  I told the manager I’d take it and he checked with his son and his son was more than happy to turn the wine into $800 cash.  The manager brought all the wine in the next day which happed to be the same day as our Wine Club meeting.

I looked through the cases and the second bottle I pulled out was an Italian 2008 Tignanello which is $100 at the LCBO.  I started to doubt my wisdom about split these wines ten ways!  There were lots of French, Italian and Spanish wines in the first couple of cases but after that I would say at least half the wines were domestics and I didn’t find anything else on the same level as the Tignanello.  I put all the wines out on the counter so they were displayed.

We drew cards during Wine Club to determine who picked in what order and I got 4th pick.  The Tignanello went first, there were two Amarone that went 2nd and 3rd.  I grab a Brunello di  Montalcino as my choice.  After the first ten picks we reversed the order so the person who picked 10th, got the 11th pick as well and the person who picked 1st got the 20th pick.  This meant I had the 16th pick and grabbed a Chianti Classico as my pick. 

In the later rounds I got a bottle of ice wine from a winery I’d never heard of, a Speck family reserve Chardonnay from Henry of Pelham, a French red that was a GSM blend, and two VQA wines that I gave to two girls in the office.  When I did some quick LCBO searches I total up the six bottles I kept to $143… not bad for $80.  The rest of wine club members were between $140 and $240 and were happy with what they got as well. 

The auction itself was a hoot as when you were on the clock people were pushing you to make a quick pick so it got your blood pumping and we were laughing and having a good time with it.  I would do this again in a heartbeat but I don’t expect to come across this type of opportunity again anytime soon.

Cheers!

Mark