Saturday Night – Steak, steak and more steak – Part 1

This past Saturday night I had a craving for steak so my starter and my main course were both steak based courses.  The first course was a blackened steak salad and I paired this with a 2005 Elderton Barossa Shiraz.

 

The nose on the wine had a lot going on with Black Forest cake, white pepper, mint, thyme, green pepper and coffee aromas to be found.  Tasting the wine, raspberry, fig, pepper and coffee were the main flavours with black licorice on the finish.  It was nicely balancing though the acidity was more dominant than the tannin.  The wine had a very Italian feel to it as the fruit and acidity drove this wine and it reminded me more of a Chianti than a Shiraz.  There were a lot of big flavours coming from the blacked steak salad and this wine was more than big enough to stand up to them and it made a great pairing for the dish.  The wine was also quite good on its own as I very much enjoyed drinking it after the first course was done.

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

There was no LCBO information on the wine but a quick web search puts the price at $30-35 Canadian which for a wine of this caliber is a heck of deal.  I’m usually not a big Shiraz fan but a few more like this one and I will be changing my tune on this.

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night – It’s now Merlot Night

Mick and Amy were hosting this past Saturday night dinner.  Mick had one new dish and two old favourites on tap and a new wine for us to try.  He originally had a 2011 Eidosela Albarino on tap for us but the bottle was spoiled.  As he didn’t have another suitable white chilled and ready to go, we went with a 2012 Irony Napa Valley Merlot.

 

The first course was grilled stuff peppers and the second course was grilled prosciutto wrapped shrimp with a pear and cranberry chutney. With both courses we had the Irony Merlot.

The nose on the Merlot was big and easy to find with rich aromas of pumpkin pie, cocoa, plum, eucalyptus and green pepper notes.  Tasting the wine, dark raspberry and chocolate were the dominate flavours with a touch of white pepper lurking in the background.  The structure on the wine was a nice balance between acidity and tannin but I would have liked a bit more fruit.  The finish was short and didn’t linger.  The mouth-feel was interesting as it was big but in a slightly syrupy way; kind of an “Amarone light” type of way.  It was a very good pairing with the stuffed peppers and decent pairing with the shrimp which was impressive as I thought the sweetness of the chutney would throw it but it handled that with no problems.

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 88, Mark – 89, Kathy – 88, Amy – 89, Overall – 88.5.

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

Irony Merlot
VINTAGES#: 183186
Price: $19.95
Release Date: April 18, 2014
750 mL bottle
Alcohol/Vol14.5%
Made in:California, USA
By: Delicato Vineyards
Sugar Content:7 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: D – Dry
Style: Full-bodied & Smooth
Varietal: Merlot

For $20 this wine was a good value and there still is some stock around, so if you are looking for a nicely crafted Merlot that is very food friendly, I would suggest you pick up a bottle or two.

 

The main course was grilled chicken quesadillas with sour cream and corn salsa.  Mick paired this with a 2010 Seghesio Zinfandel which we have reviewed before so I won’t go into much detail other than to say it was a great pairing with the food. 

 

For dessert, Amy picked up a Baker’s Street milk chocolate brown sugar cake which was quite good and a nice change of pace from our usual selections of dessert.

 

It was good night with great food and wine and even better company.  Thanks to Mick and Amy for hosting and to Mick for all his hard work making those wonderful courses.

 

Cheers!

 

Mark

Saturday Night – Dinner goes South – Part 2

Click here for Part 1

 

The other wine we had with the main course was a 2011 Duckhorn Merlot.

 

 

The nose on this wine was mild and you had to do a bit of glass swirling to find the soapy, cherry, almond and pine needle aromas.  Tasting the wine, cherry, black licorice and menthol were the main flavours.  The structure on this wine was stunning as it was a perfect balance between acidity, tannin and alcohol with none of them overpowering the other.  The finish lingered though not as long as the Franciscan did.  The wine was so smooth that I would be very tempted to serve this to a non-red wine drinker as this might be the wine that converts them.  It was super easy to drink on its own and a great pairing the main course as it had no problem handling all the different flavours of the dish.  This wine is very food friendly; Mick joked that you could pair this with breakfast cereal and it would still be a good pairing and I can’t argue that point.

 

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

 

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

Duckhorn Merlot 2011 Merlot Blend
VINTAGES#: 992529
Price: $59.95
Release Date: September 13, 2014
750 mL bottle
Alcohol/Vol14.5%
Made in: California, USA
By: Duckhorn Vineyards
Sugar Content:5 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: D – Dry
Style: Full-bodied & Smooth
Varietal: Merlot Blend

Description - Very deep and very well-focused with a wealth of healthy, fully ripe, cherryish fruit with nicely integrated elements of toasted herbs and creamy oak providing added interest, this very solid Merlot impresses for both its definition and depth and claims a certain sense of sophistication that is reaffirmed by its polished feel and careful balance. Its seamless construction and outgoing fruit make it hard [to] resist even now, but we would much rather wait for the complexity and extra range that a few years in the cellar are certain to bring. Score - 90. (Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines, April 2014).

For dessert I picked up a Pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing.  The dessert was a nice change of pace and very seasonal but not sure if I’d go out and buy another one.

It was nice to have Glenn join us for this Saturday night dinner and I’m already looking forward to next Saturday.

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Dinner goes South – Part 1

It was my turn to host this past Saturday night’s dinner and we had an extra guest attending, my father-in-law Glenn.  My mother-in-law was away for the weekend so we added Glenn to our guest list.  I wanted to do something different for dinner and decided to do a mixed grill with a Southern theme.

 

For the first course I went with a blue cheese and bacon dip with crackers and paired this with a bottle of Roederer Champagne.  We have reviewed the Roederer before so I won’t be reviewing it again.

For the main course I did grilled Chorizo sausages, grilled shrimp with cilantro with a chipotle dipping sauce, grilled Chimichurri steak and a side salad with grilled corn, black beans, onions, tomatoes with a tangerine and lime dressing.  I paired this with a 2011 Duckhorn Merlot and a 2008 Franciscan Estate Napa Valley Merlot.

I will review the Franciscan Estate Merlot first.

The nose was big and easy to find with aromas of raspberry, cedar and mushroom as the main ones with plum, green pepper and nutmeg in the background.  Tasting the wine, dark chocolate and plum were the dominate flavours with clove and coffee as the secondary ones.  The structure was nice with good acidity and soft smooth tannin and a finish that lingered.  The wine had a thin mouth-feel which was ok but I prefer a more meaty/full one on a Merlot.  As the chocolate flavour was the most powerful and not the fruit, the wine reminded me more of a French Merlot than a California one.  It was a good pairing with the food and was also good on its own (though maybe a touch dry at times).

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 87, Mark – 88, Kathy – 89, Amy – 86, Overall – 87.5.

This was purchased at the LCBO but it was about a year ago or so and they are no longer listing it or any other Franciscan Merlots.  The price point on it was $28 which is a fair to decent price for this wine.

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night – Mick gets Sweet and Spicy – Part 2

Click here for Part 1

 

For the main course, Mick did Pizza Margherita and he paired this with a 2011 Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale.

 

The nose on the wine was dominated by cherry with menthol being a close second and black pepper, tobacco, sage and vanilla lurking in the background.  Tasting the wine, strawberries with a squeeze of lemon were the main flavours.  The structure was what you’d expect from a good Chianti, fresh acidity driving the wine with some soft fine tannin in the background.  The finish came across with a sour cherry flavour and lingered for quite a bit.  The wine was a lovely pairing with the food but it came across very dry and chalky on its own; this is definitely a food wine.

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

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale DOCG Chianti
LCBO#: 45195 
Price : On sale currently for $22.45, regular price $24.95
750 mL bottle
Alcohol/Vol. 13.0%
Made in: Tuscany, Italy
By: Ruffino S.R.L.
Sugar Content:4 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry
Style: Medium-bodied & Fruity
Varietal: Chianti

Description - Bright ruby colour; cherry, plum, spice, and leather notes on the nose; dry, medium to full bodied, tart cherry and plum flavours with hints of cedar, firm, tannins and a long spicy finish.

Mick has done the Pizza Margherita but this time he changed up the sauce and it was amazing; the tomatoes had a nice sweetness to them and he added some hot sauce it which gave the dish a subtle burn which balanced with the sweetness to perfection.  This dish was perfect and had me dreaming about it the next day.

For dessert Mick did up and cheese tray and Amy picked up a Milky Way Cake, so there were plenty of tasty options for everyone to try.

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

Cheers!

Mark

Saturday Night – Mick gets Sweet and Spicy – Part 1

Mick and Amy were hosting this past Saturday night’s dinner and Mick had a new dish and a couple of new wines for us to try.

 

The first course was the new recipe – grilled baby artichokes with crab dip. Mick paired this with a 2010 Genesis "Columbia Valley" unoaked Chardonnay.

The nose was pleasant with rose, lime and thyme aromas. Tasting the wine, white grapefruit was the dominate flavour with smoke, mineral and thyme flavours in the background. The acidity was racy but the mid-palate had a bite that came across a touch harsh at times. It was an OK pairing but it got a bit funky at times with the artichokes. The wine was decent on its own. If I had to guess at a good pairing for this wine, I’d lean towards a French onion soup.

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

Here is the LCBO information on the wine –

Genesis Chardonnay 2010 Chardonnay

VINTAGES#: 327916  
Price : $15.75
Release Date: August 3, 2013
750 mL bottle
Alcohol/Vol13.3%
Made in: Washington State, USA
By: The Hogue Cellars
Sugar Content:4 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry
Style: Light & Crisp
Varietal: Chardonnay

Description - Speaking of genesis, this is the first incarnation of this wine we've carried at VINTAGES. Combines sleek racy brilliance with a bit of oomph, bringing good flavour concentration of fresh yellow apple, citrus, vanilla and roasted nuts while maintaining its pleasant lightness. Grill up some chicken thighs or pork chops, kick back, pour a glass of this Chardonnay and survey the scene, and you'll see that it is good. (VINTAGES panel, July 2012)

The baby artichokes and crab dip were quite yummy and I hope Mick will do them again soon.

Click here for Part 2

Saturday Night – A Hot Hand in the Kitchen

It was my turn to host and my menu had already been decided weeks ago.  After we tried the 2007 Ambullneo Chardonnay and loved it, Mick and I decided we’d have to get more and have it with a Wolfgang Puck’s Alfredo recipe.  As this recipe is extremely filling so I did not to do an appetizer but did decide to do a side of garlic bread with it.  When I bought the Ambullneo a few months ago I also bought a 2011 Smith-Madrone Napa Valley Chardonnay and thought we have a little head-to-head competition.

 

We are just reviewing the 2011 Smith-Madrone as we reviewed the Ambullneo very recently we will not being reviewing that one again; I will add though, that the Ambullneo was an exceptional pairing with the Alfredo.

The nose on the wine was a lovely mix of butterscotch, vanilla, wet stone, tropical fruit and floral notes.  Tasting the wine, butterscotch is a main flavour with a strong hit of lime on the finish with some pineapple and orange zest in the background.  The wine came across as very fresh as the acidity was crisp and vibrant and the finish lingered forever.  The wine was very good on its own but was a miss as a pairing for the Alfredo as it developed an odd bite with it.  I think pairing this with shrimp cocktail or scallops with lime would be a real winner.  I liked that the wine had a very unique character but it was certainly overshadowed by the Ambullneo in our head to head competition.

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 –

Smith-Madrone Chardonnay 2011
VINTAGES#: 363556
Price : $39.95
Release Date: June 7, 2014
750 mL bottle
Alcohol/Vol14.2%
Made in: California, USA
By: Smith Madrone
Sugar Content:5 g/L
Sweetness Descriptor: XD - Extra Dry
Style: Full-bodied & Rich
Varietal: Chardonnay

Description - Moderate golden yellow color and clear in the glass. This wine is about the soil and uniquely reflects the terroir. The nose is replete with aromas of iron, paraffin, peach and citrus. Crisp and bright on the palate, with layered flavors of lemon, green apple, spice, and iron. Beautifully balanced with a remarkably long finish for a Chardonnay. This wine can be cellared for several years, but drinks beautifully now. Score - 93. (Rusty Gaffney, princeofpinot.com, Feb. 22, 2014)

The “Hot Hand in the Kitchen” title for this Blog was a little tongue-in-cheek humour as it wasn’t due to my skill in the kitchen but due to me trying to do things too fast and pouring about half a ladle of very hot Alfredo sauce over my hand as I was serving up.
For dessert I made Reese Chocolate Fudge which was yummy but certainly not a light way to end the evening. 

Fun night (well, minus my burnt hand) and I’m already looking forward to our next Saturday night dinner.

Cheers!

Mark