Saturday Night – Choices – Part 2

Click here for Part 1

 

For the main course I decided to do Lemon Prosciutto Pasta as it was something I hadn’t done in a while.   I paired this with a 2004 Chateau Langoa Barton from Saint Julien in Bordeaux.

 

Opening this wine the first thing I noticed was the cork – beautiful dark rich colouring where the wine had soaked in but only at the very top millimeter; it was one of the most perfect corks I have ever seen.  Nosing the wine, aromas of pencil shavings, cherry, almond, burnt oak, cedar and a touch of thyme are to be found.  Tasting the wine cherry and menthol/eucalyptus are the dominate flavours.  The tannin was quite high still on this wine and the fruit was slightly lacking which made the wine come across very dry.  Normally if tannin is high I would suggest aging it but as the fruit is lacking I do not believe that aging more would improve the wine.  It wasn’t a bad pairing with the pasta but this wine would be a much better pairing with a very rare cut of beef.

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

 

Here is the LCBO information for the wine –

 

CHÂTEAU LANGOA-BARTON 2009
VINTAGES 201061
750 mL bottle
Price $ 99.85
Made in: Bordeaux, France
By: Anthony Barton
Release Date: Sep 16, 2013
Wine, Red Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot
Sugar Content: 4 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

 

Tasting Note  -  Backward, tannic and beefy, this youthful but formidable 2009 Langoa Barton exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as lots of damp earth, underbrush and black currant aromas and flavors, medium to full body, lively acids and, not surprisingly, massive tannins (a characteristic of all the Barton wines). The overall impression is somewhat incongruous, having a certain precociousness in the aromatics, but then clamping down on the taster in the mouth. I recommend waiting 5-7 years before opening a bottle. It should drink well over the following 20-25 years. Score - 90+. (Robert Parker Jr., erobertparker.com, Feb. 2012)

 

Note – The LCBO listing is for the 2009 vintage and not the 2004 reviewed here.

 

For dessert I picked up a La Rocca Chocolate Cherry Torte.  I really liked this dessert as the cherry filling/flavour was very subtle and didn’t overpower the chocolate side of the equation.  The Chateau Langoa Barton worked really nicely as a pairing with this as well; it was actually better with the dessert than it was with pasta.

As this is my last post before the holidays, I want to wish my 3 or 4 loyal readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Choices – Part 1

I was hosting this past Saturday night’s dinner and prior events of the week ended up dictating my menu for the night.  This past Thursday I had a pot luck lunch at work and did shrimp with seafood sauce; the shrimp all went but I had a large amount of homemade seafood sauce leftover and didn’t want to waste it.  I also bought a bottle of Dawson’s Pear Chili Hot sauce from a friend who knows the people who make it (Here is a link to their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/Dawsonshotsauce for more information).

  

 

So with these two sauces I decided to start with fried shrimp as the starter.  To make things even more interesting I also added a lemon garlic aioli sauce so we’d have 3 different sauces on the side for people to try.  As we had a lot of different flavours happening here I wanted something big enough to handle all the different flavours as my wine pairing and decided to go with a sparkling wine.  I went with a bottle of 2007 Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catherine Blanc de Blanc “Carte Blanche” as my pairing.

The nose was a nice mix of yeast, citrus, wood smoke and floral notes that you didn’t have to work too hard to find.  Tasting the wine, flavours of grapefruit and lime were the dominate flavours with a hint of smoke and it finished with a mandarin orange flavour.  The wine starts very big on the tongue but thins out towards the finish.  The acidity was a touch softer than I would like on a sparkling wine but not by much.  I haven’t had a lot of Canadian Sparkling wines and will say this one impressed me as I have French Champagne’s that weren’t as good as this was.  I’m also not saying here that I’m dumping all my Champagnes down the drain but it was certainly competitive against the big boys and I will be looking forward to trying the 2008 vintage next year.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 89, Mark – 89 Kathy – 87, Amy – 88, Overall – 88.25.
Here is the LCBO information on the wine –
HENRY OF PELHAM CUVÉE CATHARINE ESTATE BLANC DE BLANC "CARTE BLANCHE"
VINTAGES 315200
750 mL bottle
Price $ 44.95
This is a VQA wine
Made in: Ontario, Canada
By: Henry Of Pelham Family Est. Winery
Release Date: N/A
Wine, Sparkling Wine, White
12.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Rich & Complex
Varietal: Sparkling
Sugar Content: 7 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

At $45 a bottle it is a touch pricy but not outrageously so as the Roederer is close to $70 a bottle and while the Roederer is a better wine saving $25 a bottle does make the Henry of Pelham more attractive. 

All three sauces were fun with the shrimp; the Lemon Garlic Aioli was my favourite as it probably was the best pairing for the wine.  The Dawson’s Pear Chile was very good but it was punishingly hot at times.  Going forward with the Dawson’s Pear Chile I will treat it like it is a concentrate and probably add equal parts mayo or sour cream to it to cut it; that said it did have a terrific flavour to it.  My homemade seafood sauce was probably my least favourite as the wine got a touch funky with it at times.

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night – All new stuff – Part 3

Click here for Part 1

 

The main course was BBQ’d pork sliders with caramelized onions.  Mick paired this with a 2010 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

 

The nose on the wine was a mix of stewed prunes, chocolate, raisins, green pepper, petrol and marzipan.  Tasting the wine, you will find flavours of black cherry, green pepper and vanilla.  Structure-wise is where this wine breaks down as the acidity was low and the flavours tasted like the grapes were seriously over-ripe; the wine was closer to an Amarone than a Shiraz blend.  It did work as a decent pairing for the food but I found myself looking for a bit more bite to the wine and feel that a pure Shiraz would have been a much better pairing.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 86, Mark – 84 Kathy – 85, Amy – 86, Overall – 85.25.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine -

DOMAINE DU VIEUX LAZARET CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2010
VINTAGES 983650
750 mL bottle
Price $ 35.95
Made in: Rhône, France
By: Jérôme Quiot
Release Date: Oct 26, 2013
Wine, Red Wine
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Full-bodied & Smooth
Varietal: Grenache Blend
Sugar Content: 5 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note  -  Not surprisingly, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape (Domaine du Vieux Lazaret) possesses more power, concentration and substance. Dense black raspberry, garrigue, licorice and floral notes are found in this pure, impressively full-bodied 2010 along with lots of fat, glycerin, flesh and succulence. Enjoy this beauty over the next 10-15 years. Score - 90. (Robert Parker Jr., erobertparker.com, Oct. 2012)

 

Not often I find myself disagreeing with Robert Parker but quite frankly he can take his 90 rating and shove it.  Also, as the acidity was already soft, I can only imagine what 10-15 years of aging would do to this wine.  On the other hand, that aging might tone down the over-ripe fruit so maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to sit this one down for a few years.

 

For dessert, Amy picked up a mint chocolate cake… if chocolate cake and After Eight dinner mints had a torrid night of passion, this cake would be their love child.  As I like both chocolate cake and After Eight dinner mints, this was a very good thing as the cake was quite yummy.

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

Mark

Saturday Night – All new stuff – Part 2

The second course was Smoked Salmon Blintzes and these were paired with a 2010 Stonehedge Reserve Napa Valley Chardonnay.

 

The nose was a mix of burnt caramel, toasted oak and hazelnut.  Tasting the wine oak, marshmallow and kiwi fruit are the main flavours.  The structure was off as the acidity was low and the wine came across a bit sloppy, add in high levels of oak and this certainly wasn’t a wine that blew me away; or as Mick aptly put it “Chateau 2 by 4”.  It spite of the faults it was surprising good pairing with Smoke Salmon Blintzes probably as it was big enough to keep up with the richness and flavours of the dish.

 

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

Here is the LCBO information on the wine -

STONEHEDGE RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2010

VINTAGES 311548
750 mL bottle
Price $ 14.75
Made in: California, USA
By: Stonehedge Winery
Release Date: Jan 19, 2013
Wine, White Wine
13.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Chardonnay
Sugar Content: 19 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: D - Dry

 

Tasting Note -  A great crowd-pleasing, full-flavoured Napa Chardonnay featuring aromas of tropical fruit (coconut, pineapple and banana), cream and woodsmoke. Very fruity and robust with a nice, balanced finish. Enjoy with crab legs or pan-seared sea scallops. (VINTAGES panel, July 2012)

 

This wine at $15 isn’t a bad value as long as it is used right.  This is not a wine I would like to sit around and drink on its own but you pair this with a rich dish like pasta in Alfredo sauce or a big butter garlic sauce and you’ll probably have no issue finishing the bottle.

 

Click here for Part 3

 

Saturday Night – All new stuff – Part 1

Mick and Amy were hosting this past Saturday night’s dinner and they had three new dishes and wines for us to try.

 

The first course was a grilled Calabrese type of dish and it was a paired with a 2010 Ocone Taburno Falanghina Flora. 

The nose on the wine had a lot going on with aromas of frosting, grass, barnyard, daisies, curry powder and wet stone.  Some of those aromas developed more as the wine warmed up.  Tasting the wine you find an interesting mix of tangerine, grapefruit and honeydew melon.  The structure on the wine was different as it was very lively with its acidity but there was also a slight oiliness to it as well.  The best way I can describe it is if you mixed Symphony (a hybrid wine from California) and a bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc you’d be pretty close to this wine.  It did make a really good pairing with the grilled Calabrese.

 

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 88, Mark – 88 Kathy – 87, Amy – 86, Overall – 87.25.

 

Here is the LCBO information on the wine -

 

OCONE FLORA FALANGHINA 2010
VINTAGES 326694
750 mL bottle
Price $ 16.95
Made in: Campania, Italy
By: Ocone Agricola Del Monte Srl
Release Date: Jun 8, 2013
Wine, White Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Full-bodied & Rich
Varietal: Falanghina
Sugar Content: 6 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: D - Dry

 

Tasting Note  -  The 2010 Falanghina Flora shows even greater aromatic depth and richness than the Coda di Volpe. The Flora seems to float across the palate with layers of white stone fruits, mint, sage and flowers. It is a textured, compelling Falanghina, and I don't use those words lightly. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2014. Score - 89. (Antonio Galloni, erobertparker.com, June 2011)

 

I had to giggle as written on my notes from Mick was “Best Falanghina we’ve ever had!” which is true as it is only Falanghina we’ve ever had.

 

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night – Someone say Crab Cakes ? – Part 2

Click here for Part 1

 

For the main course, Kathy picked up two good sized NY strips from Cumbraes on Friday so we had those with shrimp, baby potatoes, green beans and Béarnaise sauce.  I picked a 2003 Chateau d’Armailhac from Pauillac (Bordeaux) as my pairing for this course. 

 

The nose on this wine was awesome with big aromas of graphite, lead pencil shavings, moss, pine needle and a gas station like smell.  Tasting the wine, it starts cherry then transitions to rich caramel on mid-palate and then has a white chocolate like finish.   The tannins were silky smooth and with the decent acidity levels has this wine in perfect balance.  This is one of the rare Cabernet blends that I just enjoyed more on its own then with the food.  It was a good pairing for the food, but it was a better wine just on its own.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 90, Mark – 91 Kathy – 89, Amy – 88, Overall – 89.5.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

CHÂTEAU D'ARMAILHAC 2009
VINTAGES 197434
750 mL bottle
Price $ 76.85
Made in: Bordeaux, France
By: Roger Joanne
Release Date: Feb 5, 2013
Wine, Red Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Bordeaux
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note  -  The finest d'Armailhac I have tasted to date, the 2009 is largely Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) blended with a big wallop of Merlot (25%) and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Its dense purple color is followed by a big, sweet kiss of asphalt, black currants, mocha, barbecue smoke, cedar and spice. This medium to full-bodied, well-made, impressively endowed Pauillac should drink well for 20+ years. Drink: 2012-2032. Score - 92. (Robert Parker Jr., erobertparker.com, Feb. 2012)

*Note – the LCBO listing is for the 2009 and not the 2003 reviewed here.

The main course was very good and I’d like to thank Mick for grilling the steaks and shrimps while I prepared the side dishes.

For dessert we had a La Rocca Lemon Cake which was a nice way to finish off the evening. 

Thanks to Mick and Amy for company and I’m already looking forward to next Saturday’s dinner.

Cheers!

Mark 

Saturday Night – Someone say Crab Cakes? – Part 1

This past Saturday it was my turn to host and I had a new recipe on tap and two new wines to try.  About a month ago I found a recipe for crab cakes that I did as ‘during the week’ dinner for Kathy and myself.  I enjoyed it and wanted to share it with Mick and Amy so the first course of the evening was crab cakes.  I paired this with a Bollinger Special Cuvee Champagne NV.  I had picked the Bollinger’s up two days before at the LCBO as it was rated a 93 by the Wine Spectator so I was excited to try it.

 

The nose was powerful for a Champagne as you didn’t need to swirl the glass to get the aromas like you usually do; aromas of lime, soap, pumpkin and yeast were to be found.  Tasting the wine, pink grapefruit and orange zest were the dominate flavours.  This wine starts huge in your mouth with an explosion of flavours but seems to disappear quickly after the mid-palate and didn’t linger much on the finish.  The acidity level was good but I tend to like a Champagne’s acidity to be a bit more cutting then this one was.  There was also a creaminess to this Champagne which I enjoyed.  It was a decent pairing with the food but it was actually better on its own.  Even more surprising was that as it warmed up it got even better. 

 

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 90, Mark – 89, Kathy – 89, Amy – 89, Overall – 89.25.

 

Here is the LCBO information the wine –

 

BOLLINGER SPECIAL CUVÉE BRUT CHAMPAGNE
VINTAGES 384529
750 mL bottle
Price $ 74.95
Made in: Champagne, France
By: Champagne J. Bollinger
Release Date: Oct 26, 2013
Wine, Champagne
12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Rich & Complex
Varietal: Sparkling
Sugar Content: 14 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

 

Tasting Note -  Very elegant and refined in texture, with fresh, focused acidity finding fine integration with the layered notes of patisserie apple, black currant, smoky mineral and biscuit, complimented by hints of lemon zest and honey. Lingering finish. Drink now through 2020. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. Score - 93. (Alison Napjus, winespectator.com, Dec. 15, 2012)

 

The crab cakes were good and there are three things I loved about this recipe.  The first is they are pan fried in a little butter vs. deep fried in oil which is a good thing.  The second thing is instead of breadcrumbs they use crushed Ritz crackers which is genius in my opinion as the biggest issue with crab cakes is usually getting them firm enough to stay together through the cooking process.  As crackers are drier than breadcrumbs they absorb more of the moisture of the crab mix and stay together really well.  The last thing I like is the prep time to make this mix is about 15 minutes and the cook time is less the 10 minutes so fairly quick to make.

 

Here is a link to recipe - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Ever-Crab-Cakes/?prop24=hn_slide1_Best-Ever-Crab-Cakes&evt19=1

 

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night – Bison Burgers for the win – Part 3

Click here for Part 1

 

For dessert, my Mom a week or so ago dropped off a frozen homemade apple crumble so we thought it would be fun to have that for dessert.  We also had a bottle of 2008 Megalomaniac Cold-hearted Ice-wine Riesling to go with this. 

 

The nose on the wine was big with lovely aromas of lychee, Jolly Rancher Melon flavored candy and some petrol lurking in the background as well.  Taste the wine, peach and green apple flavours with touch of vanilla were to be found.  The best way to describe this wine is if you took canned peach syrup and infused it with vodka you probably wouldn’t be far off from this.  The wine did have enough acidity to offset the sweetness of the wine which was nice.  You know a wine is freaking sweet when after it you have a sip of Pepsi and the Pepsi doesn’t seem sweet anymore.  The wine worked really nicely with the apples and cinnamon of the apple crumble dessert.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 87, Mark – 89, Kathy – 88, Amy – 87, Overall – 87.75.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

MEGALOMANIAC COLDHEARTED RIESLING ICEWINE 2010
VINTAGES 243519
200 mL bottle
Price $ 29.95
This is a VQA wine
Made in: Ontario, Canada
By: John Howard Cellars of Distinction
Release Date: Feb 11, 2013
Wine, Icewine
7.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Icewine
Sugar Content: 222 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: S - Sweet

Description -  Silver Medal winner at the 2012 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, a prestigious competition now in its 90th year.

Tasting Note -  This attractively perfumed Icewine is a liquid golden colour in the glass, and serves up bountiful fragrances of honeysuckle, tangerine and peach, clementine, mango, pear and ripe pineapple. Mouthfilling and generously sweet with nervy acidity bringing perfect balance. There's some tangy lemon zest on the finish. A rousing success that shows why Riesling Icewine from Ontario is so enchanting. Savour with spicy spring rolls or freshly sliced melon, or mix it with equal parts sparkling wine for a lively cocktail. (VINTAGES panel, Nov. 2012)

* Note – the LCBO listing is for the 2011 vintage and not the 2008 vintage reviewed here.

At $29 a bottle (though it is a 200mL vs. a 375mL) it is decently price for the quality of wine that it is.  I wouldn’t rush out to buy more but I certainly would consider picking up a bottle if I was shopping for a dessert wine.

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting and to Mick for all his hard work that went into making those two wonderful dishes.

Cheers,

Mark

Saturday Night – Bison Burgers for the win – Part 2

For the main course Mick did Bison burgers with an avocado corn relish and a side of lobster risotto.  He paired this dish with a 2009 Estancia Pinot Noir from California.

 

The nose on the wine was big and easy to find with aromas of strawberry, spearmint, cedar, green pepper, eucalyptus and a hint of cocoa.  Tasting the wine, flavours of cherry, strawberry and mint were to be found with a slightly medicinal finish.   The acidity was higher than the tannin which is common in Pinot and it gave the wine a very fresh feel to it.  It was a good pairing with the food but I would be curious to try a Rioja with this dish as I feel it might be a slightly better pairing.  With the slightly medicinal finish I wasn’t a huge fan of this on its own as the food helped neutralize the finish and it was much better that way.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 88, Mark – 87, Kathy – 86, Amy – 86, Overall – 86.75.

Here is the LCBO rating for the wine –

ESTANCIA BENCHMARK VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2009
VINTAGES 327049
750 mL bottle
Price $ 36.95
Made in: California, USA
By: Constellation Brands Inc.
Release Date: Sep 28, 2013
Wine, Red Wine
14.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Full-bodied & Smooth
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Sugar Content: 4 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note - Estancia pride themselves on their artisanal approach to their wines. This Pinot was sourced from a single vineyard in the cool Santa Lucia Highlands. The 2009 has an intense nose offering ripe red cherry and spice notes. The palate is creamy, with more ripe fruit flavours and a long spicy finish. (VINTAGES panel, Aug. 2012)

The Bison burgers with their rich flavour and then being offset by the  soft sweetness of the avocado corn relish were very good.  The lobster in the lobster risotto was beautiful cooked and plentiful; all-in-all a very good main course.

Click here for Part 3

Saturday Night – Bison Burgers for the win – Part 1

Mick and Amy were hosting and Mick had two new dishes on tap for us to try and two new wines.  Kathy and I added to the meal by bringing dessert and a wine to go with it so we actually have 3 new wines to review.

 

The first course was Belgium Blonde Mussels with fresh sliced baguette.  Mick paired this with a 2011 Mer Soleil Sliver unoaked Chardonnay from California.

The first thing you will notice about this wine is its bottle as it is an opaque ceramic-like grey bottle that is very different from your normal wine bottle.  The plus to the design is it stands out from other bottles and the opaqueness of the bottle will prevent light from getting in possibly spoiling the wine.  The big downside to it is it is very difficult to figure out how much wine is left in the bottle as you can’t see the wine level and the bottle is heavy so it always feels like there is more left in the bottle than what there actually is.

As to the wine itself, the nose was mild but aromas of Angel’s food cake, citrus, and hops were to be found.  Tasting the wine, it was a mix of gooseberry and lime zest with the butterscotch finish.  The flavours came across a touch overripe and the wine wasn’t as crisp as I would have like for an unoaked Chardonnay.  It was easy to drink and had a slight oiliness to the mouth-feel.  It was good on its own and made a decent pairing with the Mussels, though I think a nice crisp Chablis or French Sauvignon Blanc would have been a stronger pairing.

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

Here is the LCBO Information on the wine -

MER SOLEIL SILVER UNOAKED CHARDONNAY 2011
VINTAGES 220343
750 mL bottle
Price $ 28.95
Made in: California, USA
By: Mer Et Soleil
Release Date: Sep 14, 2013
Wine, White Wine
14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Full-bodied & Rich
Varietal: Chardonnay
Sugar Content: 4 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry
Description - This intense yet elegant Chardonnay comes in an unconventional ceramic bottle that juxtaposes an eye-catching brilliance with a stripped-down minimalist style, from the Wagner family of Caymus fame. Look for ripe apple, pear, peach, mineral and a touch of hazelnut, and pair with grilled chicken.

As for the Belgium Blonde Mussels, they were very good.  They were in a very light creamy garlic sauce that had amazing flavour to it.  I also like that the sauce didn’t completely over-power the flavour of the Mussels which can sometimes happen with other Mussel dishes.  It was also a great sauce just to dip the bread into and enjoy it that way too.  This recipe was certainly a winner.

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night – Mick’s new classic – Part 2

Click here for Part 1

 

The main course was Bifteck Saute Marchand de Vins from the Julia Childs cookbook or in simpler terms - Pan broiled steak with red wine sauce and a touch of red wine shallot butter.  This was served with green beans and homemade fresh cut French fries.  Mick paired this with a 2002 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

The nose on this wine was huge with aromas of strawberry, cherry, Christmas cake, eucalyptus and cedar chest.  Tasting the wine, stewed cherries and green pepper/vegetal flavours were to be found.  The wine came across almost syrupy as the acidity was ok but the tannins were almost nowhere to be found.  This gave the wine an almost Port-like mouth feel.  The finish lingered for a long time.  If I tasted this blind I would have guessed it to be an Amarone rather than a California Cabernet. It was decent as pairing for the steak but would have been better with more tannin to give it some bite.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 89, Mark – 87, Kathy – 88, Amy – 87, Overall – 87.75.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

ROBERT MONDAVI CABERNET SAUVIGNON (V)
VINTAGES 255513
750 mL bottle
Price $ 34.95
Made in: California, USA
By: Robert Mondavi Winery
Release Date: N/A
Wine, Red Wine
14.3% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Full-bodied & Firm
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Sugar Content: 5 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry
*Please note that this is probably the 2009/2010 vintage and not the 2002 reviewed here.

This was an odd wine to rate, as an example of a good California Cabernet Sauvignon, it fails badly but as a red wine with lots of interesting tastes and aromas it was quite good and hence why it got an 87 from me.  So if you are looking for a good Cabernet Sauvignon – move along nothing to see here, but if you are looking for a good red wine where you don’t have any preconceived notions this might be your cup of tea.

Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting and Mick for the all the wonderful food.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Mick’s new classic – Part 1

Mick and Amy hosted dinner this past Saturday night and they had a couple of new wines for us to try and two new dishes as well. 

 

The first course was a new one – sweet garden peppers stuffed with corn, cheese and herbs.  Mick paired this dish with a 2007 Chateau Pey La Tour (red wine).

The second course was a BBQ Brie with bruschetta topping served with toasted baguette slices and we had the 2007 Chateau Pey La Tour with this course as well.

The nose on the wine was easy to find with cherry, pine needles and tar.  Tasting the wine, a sour cherry flavour dominates the wine but there is also a hint of mushroom lurking in the background.  The balance was off slight as the acidity was stronger than the tannin in this wine.  The higher acidity was different as it reminded me more of a Sangiovese from Italy than a Bordeaux blend.  The wine had a nice medium length finish.  Not a big fan of the wine on its own, it got even worse with the first course as something in the dish was throwing it a curveball it couldn’t handle but it was very good with the BBQ Brie. 

 

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

 

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

CHÂTEAU PEY LA TOUR (V)
VINTAGES 925859
750 mL bottle
Price $ 19.95
Made in: Bordeaux, France
By: Dourthe Freres
Release Date: N/A
Wine, Red Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Full-bodied & Smooth
Varietal: Bordeaux
Sugar Content: 4 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

 

Before I jump to part 2, I would like to state how good Mick’s BBQ Brie was.  Mick has done this recipe a few times over the past couple of years and it has always been very good.  Tonight’s version was stunning and I don’t think I have enjoyed a dish that much in a long time.  This dish is certainly a classic and I hope that we’ll be having it again a number of times in the near future.

 

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night - Return of the Combique

The Blog has been a little quiet recently as our usual Saturday dinners with Mick and Amy haven’t been so usual.  Health matters, schedules and holidays were to blame but on the upside we did get together with Mick and Amy on Saturday with four extra guests as Steve, Melanie, Zdenka and Alex joined us.  The original plan was Mick, Steve and myself were going to hit the drag-strip and spend the afternoon laying down some rubber on the track and then the eight of us were going to get together for a Combique style dinner.  Unfortunately due to the weather the only thing getting laid down on the track was lots of rain water.

 

Normally for a Combique each couple brings an appetizer sized course and a bottle of wine to pair with it.  For this one, as we were supposed to be at the track most of the day, we changed so I would provide the meat for a mixed grill, Mick/Amy and Melanie/Steve were making sides to go with the mixed and Zdenka/Alex were bringing dessert

As the weather cancelled the event and I had free time I made a Blue Cheese and Bacon dip as a starter and we kicked the evening off with this and a bottle of Roederer Champagne (which turned into two bottles as the first went down so well).  I won’t review the Champagne as we have had it a number of times and it is always very good.

The main course was a mixed grill of Beef Tenderloin, Chicken and Wild Boar Sausage which Mick was kind enough to grill on the BBQ.  Mick made a corn and bean salad which was very good and Melanie made cheese stuff potatoes (two types – Blue Cheese and Cheddar) and a tomato and feta salad.  The potatoes were awesome looking and tasted just as good as they looked. 

I opened a bottle of 2005 Decoy as the pairing to go with the main course.  Decoy is a red wine blend (45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot 11% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot.) from California.

Nosing the wine, you will find a nice mix of black licorice, eucalyptus, pine, black berry and black pepper.  Tasting the wine, flavours of raspberry, mint, pepper and green pepper are to be found.  The wine came across as very dry due to the tannin being a little out of balance when drinking it on its own.  Having the wine with the food though is where it really shined; the tannin was toned down thanks to the food and the wine came across as very smooth.  I was impressed that the wine was easily big enough to handle all the different flavours of the main course without an issue and worked as a great pairing for all of those food flavours.  The other thing of note was the finish – big, beautiful and lingered around forever.  All in all, a very solid and nicely crafted red blend.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 90, Mark – 90, Kathy – 88, Amy – 89, Overall – 89.25.

There was no LCBO information on the wine but a quick web search puts it at $29 US per bottle so between $40 and $50 Canadian.  At that price, it is a heck of a wine for the money and I would recommend if you happen to come across some to pick it up.

For Dessert, Alex and Zdenka brought a La Rocca Chocolate Truffle Royale cake which happens to be a favourite of Amy’s.  It was a nice finish to a great evening.

It was great seeing Alex, Zdenka, Melanie and Steve again.  Too much time passes between our get-togethers but it is amazing how quickly we get comfortable around one another as if no time at all has passed. 

Thanks to everyone for making it a great night!

Cheers!
Mark

Saturday Night – Yakiniku… huh? – Part 3

Click here for Part 1

 

Mick has certainly been much more adventuresome then I have been over the last few years in trying new dishes and I give him credit for that.  On the other hand, I think the quest to do new things is starting to put too much pressure on him as the main course was something he called Yakiniku beef.  Now I’m not even bothering to do an Internet search to see if Yakiniku beef is real or not as I’m convinced he is just making shit up at this point.

 

So the main course was “Yakiniku” beef and Mick paired it with a 2011 Loveblock Pinot Noir from New Zealand.

The nose on the Pinot was big and easy to find with aromas of strawberry, cherry, smoke, tobacco, black pepper and some herbaceous notes in the background.  Tasting the wine, sour cherry is the main flavour.  The wine came across simple and one dimensional as it was a touch acidic and the sour cherry flavour wasn’t lighting me up like a Christmas tree.  It did work as a good pairing with the beef but I wonder if a peppery Shiraz would have been a better match.

 

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 87, Mark – 86, Kathy – 84, Amy – 88, Overall – 85.75.

 

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

 

LOVEBLOCK PINOT NOIR 2011
VINTAGES 313924
750 mL bottle
Price $ 23.55
Made in: Central Otago, New Zealand
By: Loveblock Vintners Ltd
Release Date: Feb 16, 2013
Wine, Red Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Sugar Content: 5 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

 

Description -  Loveblock is the new biodynamic and organically focused project for renowned New Zealand winemaker, Kim Crawford. Free sulphur: 18 mg/L.

 

Tasting Note -  Marvellous complexity on the nose with a smoky-mocha layer atop red cherry, raspberry and a flinty minerality. The very well-structured palate demonstrates considerable sophistication through the continuance of the oak, mocha, smoke and red fruit and lengthy finish. Delicious. (VINTAGES panel, June 2012)

 

The “Yakiniku” beef or whatever Mick was calling it was very good and the two side sauces he made to go with it really put it over the top.  The sticky rice and the homemade pickles from the garden were great compliments to the beef dish.

 

Lots of good food and great company always make these nights a ton of fun.  I would like to thank Mick for all his hard work on the all three of the dishes he made (no matter what crazy names he calls them) and another thank you to Mick and Amy for hosting.

 

Cheers!

 

Mark

Saturday Night – Yakiniku… huh? – Part 2

For the second course Mick did Trout Bruschetta and paired it with a 2011 Jean Marc Brocard les Vieilles Vignes de Sainte Claire which is a Chablis.  This wine always makes me giggle as Jean Marc Brocard sounds like Jean Luc Picard from Star Trek and when Mick offers to fill my glass, I can’t resist saying “Make it so, number one”.

 

The nose on the wine was faint but aromas of butter, melon, nutmeg and floral notes could be found.  Tasting the wine lemon and lime were the two main flavours with hints of butterscotch and pineapple in the background.  This wine was very smooth and exceptionally easy drinking as the acidity was very mild, almost too much so as it got lost against the food at times.  I liked this wine but felt it needed to be a touch bigger to be a better pairing with the food.  On the other hand, we killed the bottle with no issues and I was sad when the bottle was empty as I could have easily poured myself another glass or three.

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

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

JEAN-MARC BROCARD SAINTE CLAIRE VIEILLES VIGNES CHABLIS 2011
VINTAGES 329995
750 mL bottle
Price $ 24.95
Made in: Burgundy, France
By: Jean Marc Brocard
Release Date: Aug 31, 2013
Wine, White Wine
12.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Light & Crisp
Varietal: Chardonnay
Sugar Content: 5 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note -  The 2011 Chablis Les Vieilles Vignes de Sainte Claire (tank) comes across as intensely saline and pointed. Lemon, flowers, and crushed rocks form the core of this beautifully delineated, energetic Chablis. Anticipated maturity: 2013+. Score - 90-92. (Antonio Galloni, erobertparker.com, Aug. 2012)

The wine was good but the real star of this course was the Trout Bruschetta; this dish certainly knew the way to downtown flavour country and wasn’t stopping for anything.  The Trout was smoked beautifully and add the garden fresh tomatoes with just a hint of dill mixed in and you have a stunning dish.

Click here for Part 3

Saturday Night – Yakiniku… huh? – Part 1

This Saturday it was Mick and Amy’s turn to host the usual Saturday night dinner.  Mick had 3 new dishes and 3 new wines lined up for us to try.

The first course was Santa Fe Popper made from peppers from Mick’s garden and filled with cream cheese and bacon.  Mick paired this with a 2009 Robert Mondavi “Napa Valley” Fumé Blanc.  If you look through the North American wine list link on the right side of the page, so will see we have been drinking this wine for years; a new vintage year is more like a returning friend than a something new but we haven’t reviewed it in a while so it was time to take a fresh look.

The nose on the wine was pretty with aromas of diced peaches, wet stone, melon, mango and vanilla.  Tasting the wine a grapefruit and smoke flavour dominates this wine.  It came across a little bitter on the mid-palate which I didn’t like and wasn’t a huge fan of this wine on its own.  With the food the wine got much better, which historically has been the case with this wine.  The food softened the bitterness and brought out more of the wine’s fruit to the surface.  The Santa Fe Poppers were much spicier than Mick figured and the wine really helped neutralized the burn of them.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 88, Mark – 86, Kathy – 86, Amy – 85, Overall – 86.25.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine -

ROBERT MONDAVI FUMÉ BLANC 2010
VINTAGES 221887
750 mL bottle
Price $ 22.95
Made in: California, USA
By: Constellation Brands Inc.
Release Date: Jul 6, 2013
Wine, White Wine
13.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Aromatic & Flavourful
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon
Sugar Content: 2 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note  -  Fumé Blanc is just another name for Sauvignon Blanc, and this is a delicious one. Dry and racy in acidity, it has deep citrus, tropical fruit and gooseberry flavors. At this price, it's one of the best Sauvignon Blancs on the market. Score - 90. (Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast, Oct. 2012)

* Please note that this listing is for the 2010 and not the 2009 reviewed here.

Fumé Blanc has always been an odd wine as it isn’t something that will pair well with millions of things but give this wine something citrus or cream based and that has a lot of spicy burn and it will shine.

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night – It’s a sign – Part 2

Click here for Part1

 

The main course was middle Lamb loin from Cumbrae’s with sliced garden tomatoes with feta and basil and green beans with butter and parmesan cheese.  I paired this with a 2004 Adelsheim Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. 

 

The nose on this wine was easy to find with huge aromas of cherry, herbs, mushroom, pine needle, sulfur and cedar.  Tasting the wine, you will find black cherry, raspberry with a hint of mint in the background.  The structure on the wine was phenomenal with acidity, silky tannins and alcohol all being in perfect balance together with a long finish.   The wine was a bit cloudy but didn’t show any bricking around the edges which was surprising considering its age.  It made a wonderful pairing for the lamb but was also very good with the tomato and green bean sides.  I’m not normally a huge pinot fan but this wine was big, complex and there was very little I could find fault with and I was sad when the bottle was empty.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 91, Mark – 92, Kathy – 91, Amy – 92, Overall – 91.5.
Bonus Rating – Chris – 91, Jan – 92.

There was no LCBO listing on the wine which isn’t a shock as I bought this down in NY state years ago.  Doing a quick web search puts the bottle price at $27-32 a bottle.  The 2011 is the current release so that shows it has been a few years since I bought the 2004.  This is one of those bottles that had I known it was going to be this good, I would have bought a case without even thinking about. 

For dessert I picked up mini Angel food cakes and topped them with a fresh berry medley, raspberry coulis and fresh whipped cream.  I really couldn’t resist doing something berry based as they are all in season and so inexpensive at this moment, it would have been a crime not to do this type dessert.  I opened a bottle of Henry of Pelham Late Harvest Riesling to go with the dessert (I have reviewed this before so won’t go into much detail).  The first time we had the 2006 Late Harvest Riesling we rated it a 86; this one certainly tasted better than that but I was disappointed on the nose of the wine as dessert wines usually have an amazing nose and this one was a bit funky so maybe the 86 isn’t too far off the mark.  The berry based dessert was also a good choice as I think we were all pretty full at this point and this lighter styled dessert was a great way to finish up.

 

Even though we didn’t get to go out for dinner, in the end, it worked out for the best as I believe any restaurant out there would have been hard pressed to match the quality of the food and wine of last night’s dinner.  It was great having Chris and Jan added to our usual Saturday night dinners and I am already looking forward to the next time we get together.

 

Cheers!

 

Mark