Saturday Night – Mick is pulling out all the stops – Part 4

Click here for Part 1

The final course of the evening was homemade lemon squares paired with a 2007 Peller Estates Riesling Ice-wine both of which were compliments of Chris and Jan.

 

The nose on the ice wine was lovely with lychee, orange zest, petrol and peach aromas. Tasting the wine flavours of mandarin oranges in syrup, peaches, pear with a touch of white pepper are to be found. The structure on this wine was perfect with lively acidity helping to offset the sweetness of the wine and the wine was topped off with a super long lingering finish. This wine was truly amazing on its own. It was a good pairing for the lemon squares but I think it worked better on its own.

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

Bonus Rating – Chris – 93, Jan – 92.

There was no LCBO information on this wine but Jan let me know it was $70 for a 375mL bottle. That is a bit pricey for an ice-wine in my opinion but this one is worth every penny as it was that good.

The 91.25 overall rating gets this wine firmly on the list of Top Ten Dessert, Sparkling and Port wines and with good reason; this easily one of the better ice wines I’ve ever had. I tend to lean towards late harvest wines as usually ice-wines are too sweet but this one didn’t come across as cloying or syrupy like other ones that I have tried.

The lemon squares were a very nice ending to a night of wonderful food. They were a lighter dessert which after all of Mick’s wonderful food were exactly what was needed.

I like to thank Mick and Amy for hosting. I would especially like to thank Mick for all his hard work in producing so many amazing dishes… you really outdid yourself buddy! Thanks to Chris and Jan for their dessert and the lovely wine to go with it but more importantly for their wonderful company.

It will be my turn to host next week but Mick has now set the bloody bar too high so I’m not even going to try. I’m thinking frozen fish sticks might be our dinner next Saturday so I can reset the bar. So what would the wine pairing be for store bought frozen fish sticks… I’m thinking that might be some lovely boxed white Zinfandel.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Mick is pulling out all the stops – Part 3

The main course for the evening was pulled pork sliders with homemade BBQ sauce, homemade coleslaw and smoked macaroni and cheese. Mick paired this with a 2011 Seghesio Zinfandel.

 

The nose on the wine was huge with aromas of blackberry, nutmeg, black currant, cedar, must and smoke. Tasting the wine a sour black cherry flavour dominates the wine with some coffee and smoke in the background. The wine had a big mouth-feel and came across hot at times. I didn’t mind this wine on its own but where it really shined was as a pairing with the pulled pork sliders.

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

Bonus Rating – Chris – 87, Jan – 87.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

SEGHESIO ZINFANDEL 2011

VINTAGES 942151
750 mL bottle
Price $ 29.95
Made in: California, USA
By: Seghesio Wineries
Release Date: Jul 6, 2013
Wine, Red Wine
14.8% Alcohol/Vol.
Style: Full-bodied & Firm
Varietal: Zinfandel
Sugar Content: 7 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note - By every report and what we have seen in early tastings, 2011 is an uneven vintage, especially as far as red wines are concerned. This extremely well-made working proves that, as always, very good wines await those willing to search, and it hits the varietal mark smartly. It is precise in its focus on ripe berries and briary spice, and it is particularly well-balanced with fine energy and a long, very firm finish. It is still on the tight side and we would argue against hasty drinking, but it is an easy-odds bet to grow and improve for another three to five years. Special Designation: Good Value. Score - 90. (Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines, Jan. 2013)

The 2007 Seghesio Zinfandel made the Top Ten Red list and is the only Zinfandel ever to do so. We have tried Seghesio every year since then up to last night’s first look at the 2011. I think for years 2008 to current I may have been a little tough in my rating as I want each year to be as amazing as the 2007 was and they haven’t been. They have been solid, well-crafted Zins, but they aren’t as magical as the 2007 was and so my ratings have probably been a touch lower than they should be. Damn you 2007 and that high bar you set!

The pulled pork sliders were very good but add some of that home BBQ and they go from good to great. The coleslaw and macaroni sides were also very good.

Click here for Part 4

Saturday Night – Mick is pulling out all the stops – Part 2

The second course of Prosciutto wrapped curried shrimp was an old favourite that Mick hasn’t done in a while so it was nice to see it return to the menu. Mick mentioned to me earlier in the week that this would be one of the courses and I begged him to let me provide the wine to go with it. I had a German sparkling Riesling that I’d picked up a month or so ago and really wanted to try. The problem was the wine was done in a drier style so it probably wouldn’t have been a good pairing with what we usually pair Kabinett Rieslings with. The Prosciutto wrapped shrimp though were on the savory side so I figured they would make a very good pairing for it. Mick was up for trying this wine so a Non-vintage Schloss Wachenheim Sparkling Riesling was our pairing.

 

The nose on the wine was easy to find with aromas of peach, honey and yeast in the forefront with cantaloupe husk and petrol in the background. Tasting the wine you will find lively flavours of melon, lemon, tangerine and honey. There was a slight sweetness to the wine so it came across less dry then a French Champagne and was more like an Italian Prosecco in style. It was a very light wine that was easy drinking with light acidity and a nice balance to it. It was more of a contrasting pairing with the shrimp as it very quickly cleansed the palate and was very good at washing away the spicy burn of the dish. It was a good pairing with the shrimp but not ideal as we’ve had better pairings in the past. It was very good on its own and is a friendly wine that most people will enjoy.

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

Bonus Rating – Chris – 88, Jan – NA (Jan said she hasn’t had enough sparkling wines to feel comfortable about giving this wine a rating).

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

SCHLOSS WACHENHEIM RIESLING TROCKEN TRADITIONELLE FLASCHENGÄRUNG SEKT

VINTAGES 301366
750 mL bottle
Price $ 10.75
CLEARANCE SALE
Was: $ 14.65
Now: $ 10.75
Save: $ 3.90
Clearance Sale products offer price reductions of Wines, Spirits & Beers - on some familiar brands! Clearance product supplies are limited. Product selection may vary by store. No transfers between stores. In-store shopping only. Prices & savings subject to change.
Made in: Pfalz, Germany
By: Sektkellerei Schloss Wachenheim Ag
Release Date: Jan 5, 2013
Wine, Sparkling Wine, White
11.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Riesling
Sugar Content: 21 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: D - Dry

Description - Traditionelle Flaschengärung translates as traditional bottle fermentation, meaning it is made in the same manner as Champagne. This is a rare technique that is not often used with Riesling.

Tasting Note - Opens with delightful floral notes, white peach, apple, pear, toast and a touch of strawberry. Off-dry and soft on the palate with a slightly waxy texture and good mousse. A wave of bright acidity makes for a crisp, dry, tasty finish. (VINTAGES panel, April 2012)

This wine was a good deal at $14.65 a bottle but at $10.75 it is a steal and I’d strongly recommend that you hit your local LCBO and grab a bottle or 2 (or 12).

Click here for Part 3

Saturday Night – Mick is pulling out all the stops – Part 1

Mick and Amy were hosting this past Saturday night’s dinner and Chris and Jan joined us as well. Mick had two new courses and three new wines for us to try. As an extra bonus, Chris and Jan brought dessert and an ice wine to go with it, so we have four wines to review in this Blog article today.

The first course was Tuna Crostini that was paired with a 2009 Simon Alexandre Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

 

The wine was a concern to me when I first opened it as it had a strong alcohol and chemical aroma to it and when I poured it out the colour was more golden than I was expecting. As the wine sat for a bit and opened up, the alcohol aroma was still there but aromas of peat, pineapple, honeysuckle and burnt marshmallow developed. Tasting the wine flavours of vanilla bean, grapefruit and oak were to be found. The wine had a slight oiliness to it, with a large mouth-feel and was quite hot. It also had a not so nice bite to it on the finish. I really wasn’t a fan of the wine on its own but it did work well as a pairing for the tuna crostini.

 

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

Bonus Rating – Chris – 83, Jan – 83.

I couldn’t find an LCBO listing for this wine but Mick said it was about $35 a bottle. At $35 a bottle there are much better white wines out there that I would go with instead. It was fun to try something new though and we haven’t done much white Chateauneuf-du-Pape so that was an interesting change up.

The Tuna Crostini course was really good. I’m not usually a huge fan of Tuna as I can take it or leave it but I really liked this course and lovely fresh flavours of it.

Click here for Part 2

 

Saturday Night – It’s my Birthday!

Kathy and I were hosting this past Saturday night’s dinner.  My birthday is on Monday July 8th so this Saturday night ended up being my Birthday dinner. 

 

I had a bottle of 2004 Cristal Champagne on the rack in the basement that I’d been aging.  I’d loved this wine when we tried it originally but all the reviews on it said it was very young and needed more time to develop.  About a week and half ago our house was broken into and some cash and jewelry were stolen.  Walking through the house with the police I was relieved to see the thieves hadn’t touched any of the wine.  I remember specifically seeing the Cristal and being very happy it was still there.  At that moment, I decided it was time to drink it now vs. later.  I was also concerned that aging the wine may not be a good thing; I loved it when we first had it and what if the changes took away from what I loved about it in the first place?

So the first course was the 2004 Cristal Champagne and I made a bacon and blue cheese dip to go with it.  As we have reviewed the 2004 Cristal before I won’t go into great detail but it was as wonderful as when we had the first time.  It made an amazing pairing with the dip as the wine’s crispness easily cut through the heavy rich flavours of the dip.

The main course was beef tenderloin with grilled shrimp, baby potatoes, green beans and Béarnaise sauce.  As it was my birthday dinner, I went with something special for the pairing here and opened a 2003 Solaia by Antinori.  I have had this aging on the rack for about 5/6 years and was very much looking forward to trying it.

The nose on the Solaia was easy to find with big aromas of sour cherry, cedar, eucalyptus, marzipan, vanilla and tobacco.  Tasting the wine, raspberry and subtle spice notes were the two main flavours.  The balance on the wine was amazing with fine tannin and good acidity working in harmony with the alcohol and fruit.  The wine was not huge but done in more of a feminine style which was subtle and inviting.  As the wine opened up it did develop a slight bite to it but this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as it just made the wine grab your attention a little more.  The finish on the wine lingered around for a long time.  I usually like my Cabernet Sauvignon blends to be big in body and more in a masculine style with a huge body that almost assaults you from the glass but I really liked this wine.  As it was done in the lighter style it was very easy drinking and we were all sad when we killed the bottle that there wasn’t more of it.  I worked well as a pairing with the beef but the green bean and potatoes were only ok with it.  Mick and I were thinking a prime rib or lamb with roasted veggies would be a great pairing for this wine. 

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 92, Mark – 92, Kathy – 92, Amy – 91, Overall – 91.75.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

ANTINORI SOLAIA 2009
VINTAGES 987586
750 mL bottle
Price $ 251.95
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Marchesi Antinori S.R.L.
Release Date: Oct 27, 2012
Wine, Red Wine
14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
Sugar Content: 5 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry

Tasting Note - The 2009 Solaia is one of the clear standouts of the vintage. Freshly cut flowers, raspberries, spices, mint and licorice burst from the glass as this fabulous, viscerally thrilling wine shows off its pure class. Today the oak is a bit prominent, but that won't be an issue by the time the wine is ready to drink. In one of my blind tastings, the 2009 Solaia was flat-out great. There is no shortage of pedigree here ... Solaia is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc from a single parcel within the Antinori family's Tignanello vineyard. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029. Score - 96+. (Antonio Galloni, erobertparker.com, June 2012)

*Note – the wine listed here is the 2009 and not the 2003 that we reviewed.

I don’t believe the 2003 release was rated as high as Parker is rating the 2009 so I’m really thinking I might have to grab a bottle of the 2009 now; especially since the 2003 with its 91.75 overall rating grabs a spot on the Zippy Sauce Top Ten Reds.  This will mean I have a new Italian wine to place in the rack and stare at for years before I finally get to try it. 

For dessert I picked up a LaRocca Lindt chocolate flan for dessert which we’ve had before and I thought was awesome. 

Fun night with very good food and wine; I really have to figure out a way to make it my birthday every weekend.

Cheers!

Mark