Wine Club Newsletter - June 2012
Through the years, I have seen many people intimidated, or at a loss to describe a wine they are tasting. It can be a very humbling experience for some, as many apologize for their lack of knowledge, education or understanding what the wine is telling them. First of all, I want to tell you all wine is subjective, and whatever it is you are experiencing or tasting, it is correct. No one can guide your senses, or tell you otherwise. So if a wine reminds you of a dirt road or freshly paved asphalt, it is not wrong. Have confidence in what you experience, that’s what YOU get from the wine. But if you are going to articulate your observations, and want to do it with confidence, it would be helpful if you understood how to simply break down the essentials of describing a wine. You can do this easily by taking just four different elements of the wine into consideration: Every wine ever produced can be judged by these four characteristics. You can use just one or all of these elements to identify the wine before you. Appearance says a lot about a wine. It is said that one cannot tell a red from a white wine if you were served the wine blindfolded. I don’t buy into that so much. Red wines have dark berry flavors, white wines generally have white fruit flavors such as apple or pear. Check to see if the coloring of the liquid is of a fresh, vibrant hue, without browning or other tales of aging. (Older wines will take on brownish or amber hues.) A Pinot Noir may be light in color, a Syrah nearly black. A Chardonnay may be golden, a Sauvignon Blanc nearly clear. The nose, the aromatics of the wine, is the window to its world. Typically, everything you smell in the glass will arrive on your palate, eventually. All you need is to have the vocabulary at hand to pull from. That vocabulary, the very thing that all wine tasters yearn for, is waiting for you with the Davis Wine Aroma Wheel. More later. Texture tells you how and why the wine was built: is this a wine to age in the cellar, to drink in the hot tub, to have at the most elegant dinner? Is it a fruit bomb, is it tannic, is it soft, is it meant for a BBQ? Is it acidic, rich, full flavored, or light and wispy? What kind of foods will it stand up too? Acid and fruit balance plays a large part of this, and the way a wine feels texture wise is very important to your enjoyment of the wine. Measure the fruit to acid balance and see if it feels right to you. Finally, flavor, the home run hub of wine description. Let’s go back to the Davis Wine Aroma Wheel. The Davis Wine Aroma Wheel provides you with the necessary vocabulary in a very logical, easy to understand fashion. I would recommend getting the wine aroma wheel (winearomawheel.com) and using it every time you try a new wine. You will be amazed at how fast you will find yourself speaking with confidence and knowledge about the wine you are enjoying. Remember what Ernest Hemingway said: “A person with increasing knowledge and sensory education may derive infinite enjoyment from wine. Growing Region: Loire Valley, France Varietal Blend: 100% Sauvignon Blanc Fermentation: Stainless Steel Suggested Retail: $25.00 WineSellar Club Case Price: $20.69 Broad Strokes: The Domaine des Fines Caillottes is Jean Pabiot’s best cuvee, and is produced only in the very best vintages. From the fifth generation of winemakers at the Domaine, Jean Pabiot: The soil of our vineyard was formed during the Jurassic period (140 - 160 million years ago), except on the siliceous soils formed during the Cretaceous period (113 million years ago). These are the calcareous sea deposits that contain fossils (the remains of sea shells and organisms). The climate was tropical during this era as our region was located at the latitude of today's Africa. The average age of the vines is approximately 20 years old. The oldest are more than 40 years old. Appearance: Nose: Texture: Flavor: Serving Options: Growing Region: Ribera Del Duero, Spain Varietal Blend: 100% Tempranillo Fermentation: 100% French Oak, Six Months Suggested Retail: $22.00 WineSellar Club Case Price: $17.09 Broad Strokes: Bodega del los Palacio Frontaura y Victoria boasts a high standard of quality and modernity. Traditional wine-making techniques such as the gravity system are mixed with cutting-edge technologies, producing outstanding wines. Appearance: Nose: Texture: Flavor: Serving Options: Growing Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon Varietal Blend: 100% Pinot Noir Fermentation: 20% French Oak, New Barrels Suggested Retail: $22.00 WineSellar Club Case Price: $17.09 Broad Strokes: From the Winery: Appearance: Nose: Texture: Flavor: Serving Options: Growing Region: Rhone Valley, France Varietal Blend: At least 13 different varietals to include some Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault. Fermentation: New and Used Wood Suggested Retail: $40.00 WineSellar Club Case Price: $34.19 Broad Strokes: Another Chateauneuf-du-Pape for our Gary Parker Collection and Two Rouge Club members. A very fine vintage and excellent wine overall, I am sure you will be pleased. I could never have enough well aged Chateauneuf-du-Papes in my collection, and am very happy I am the owner of multiple bottles of Domaine de la Chartreuse as of now. Appearance: Nose: Texture: Flavor: Serving Options: Growing Region: Santa Barbara California Varietal Blend: See Below Fermentation: Barrel Fermented Suggested Retail: $100.00 WineSellar Club Case Price: $58.49 Broad Strokes: Sanguis wines are made in a converted warehouse in the heart of Santa Barbara's industrial zone (yes, there is one), from the grapes that we grow in the idyl that is called the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Valleys - this juxtaposition is representative of the style of wine that is Sanguis. There is a bit of everything in this wine – Syrah (three different clones from as many different vineyards), Grenache from two different vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon and (of course) a tiny bit of Viognier. Everything was co-fermented with everything else – making this wine was like an old-school block party, giving this wine a certain “je ne sais quoi” (which is unusual for a guy). Appearance: Nose: Texture: Flavor: Serving Options: Serves four with the 2010 Pouilly-Fume’ Jean Pabiot Domaine des Fines Caillottes This is a classic recipe for a sauce that is quite versatile. It is used in many restaurants, but also quite a few homes for enhancing fish preparations (great with lobster, too!) as well as vegetable plates and side dishes. Also, you can switch the lime to lemon, basil to another herb, you can use red (Buerre Rouge Sauce) or rose wine instead of white, and even add spices. To Marinate the Fish: Ingredients for the Sauce: Method for the Sauce: GPPrimer for Tasting Wine - Speak with Confidence About What You’re Tasting
2010 Pouilly-Fume’ Jean Pabiot, Domaine des Fines Caillottes (June, 2012 - The WineSellar Club)
Combined retail value of the WineSellar Club this month is $47. We are continually proud to offer you these fine wines at such great prices!
I love the packaging. It is so definitively French, with the family shield prominent and centered on the label and the shoulder strip displaying the vintage in old world style font. Fabulous! It has a clean appearance, clear, with a light straw hue. Check out the back label for more fun info.
Refined, subdued nose with predominant minerality and a floral touch. It continues to open for as long as you have wine in your glass. In fact, it was just as wonderful the next day. Anyway, Mandarin orange, honeysuckle, and anise rise above the flinty, mineral components that are laced with an exotic oceanic aromatic. Yes, you can smell the ocean deposits ground into their soils from ages ago. Wow.
It is very angular and sharp on entry, very crisp for the first minute. Developing length and middle-weight, this medium bodied wine has a lot of verve, then softens somewhat, and finishes clean, crisp, and balanced.
White and pink grapefruit come to mind upon your first sip. You certainly get that wonderful mineral note, along with the flint and the oceanic presence brought to you via the small oyster shells in the limestone and clay vineyard. Look for honeysuckle, white tree fruit of pear and apple, along with white peach.
Composed salads, clams, lobster are obvious choices. So is a white-fleshed fish served with butter sauces with citrus, herbs and perhaps even capers.2010 “Nexus”, Bodega del los Palacio Frontaura y Victoria (June, 2012 - The WineSellar Club)
Combined retail value of the WineSellar Club this month is $47. We are continually proud to offer you these fine wines at such great prices!
Almost all the wording on the bottle gets lost, save for “Nexus”. The silver embossed font on the pale purple label is hard to read, and so is the number 4 font in multi-language on the front. Anyway, I like the capsule and the overall design, and what I think are their vineyards looking like fingerprints on the front label. Oh yeah, the wine is dark purple and cherry colored, kind of murky, and it clings hard to the glass.
The winery calls it very intense on the nose, to which I perfectly agree. The powerful aroma of black fruits is quite fun, laced with sweet vanilla oak and chocolate. Some tar and gravel in there as well. It seems a little rough at first, but mellows to a smooth, powerful young wine that is letting you enjoy it at this early stage of its life.
Comes in big and bold, long and intense, fresh and well-structured feeling to it. The tannins are not overwhelming, but present. In fact, just enough tannins to give you a drying finish that will bode well for combining this baby with full flavored foods.
This big meaty wine plays out to the black fruits very well. Black berry, black cherry, couples with some dairy, boulder/gravel hot stones and cola. I also got notes of black pepper, vanilla from the wood treatment, or is that chocolate like that from a chocolate cream pie?
Go Spanish foods with this. Big flavored grilled steaks, marinated for a day or two and peppered up before cooking. Spicy chorizo, or other throttling sausages would be great fun as well.2010 Couer de Terre Pinot Noir (June, 2012 - The Two Rouge Club)
Combined retail value of the Two Rouge Club this month is $60. We are continually proud to offer you these fine wines at such great prices!
“Our belief is that great Pinot is made in the vineyard. This is why the only Pinot Noir from Coeur de Terre comes from our estate vineyard, where we have total control at every step of the growing process. We are fanatical about growing grapes and optimizing their potential to make noteworthy wine. The maintenance of our vineyard follows a strict regimen of utilizing only organic practices and a dedication to spending a great deal of time with our vines to ensure they are maintained in a condition that will allow them to produce the most elegant and concentrated wines possible.”
Nice looking label. After reading the back label, I was more expecting a picture of the rock instead of the landscape. But the big heart on the cork was a really cool touch. The wine has a soft, lighter appearance, with the cranberry hue brightening up the black tea. The color was even throughout. It is not opaque in the middle, as is typical with many Pinot Noirs.
Even though it is young and fresh, I got a nice scent and feeling of Autumn leaves. There is also fresh cherry, just about reminding me of Smith Brothers cough drops intensity. There is also stewed cherries, chalk, mineral, white and black pepper to add to the mix. As the wine opened further, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) with a hint of mint/eucalyptus came forward, most pleasantly.
Medium light in body with some nice silken texture: aka good Pinot Noir texture. The middle opens up with impressive length. A constant, mouth-watering presence of wonderfully balanced acid to the fruit dances on your palate.
Super-delightful, complex and pure Pinot Noir character. Sweet cedar, lip-smacking cherry, chocolate-cherry candy and vanilla are marvelously interwoven. Fascinating Indian spices, firm cherry fruit with gentle, subtle herbs nuances tightly wound in the mix.
This drinks superbly now, especially with wild mushroom dishes using pasta or lighter proteins, such as pork, fowl, chicken, or even fish.2009 Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine de la Chartreuse (June, 2012 - The Two Rouge Club; Gary Parker Collection)
Combined retail value of the Two Rouge Club this month is $60. We are continually proud to offer you these fine wines at such great prices!
As always, the bottle itself is a winner. Glass embossing for the Chateauneuf-du-Pape Appellation is always welcome. The label itself is quite understated and modern in contrast to the traditional bottle. It is blackberry colored, with a touch of a black hue or black rose. A touch of youthful crimson is visible on the edge of the glass.
A classic Châteauneuf-du-Papenose. A gorgeous bouquet of black fruits, licorice and walnuts jump from the glass. A touch of earth, wet soil, Provencal Herbs and smoked meat follow. Hints of stone, mineral and Moroccan spices also come forward.
Medium to medium-full on the palate. Smooth, elegant entry turns deep and lush almost right away, surprising me. Velvet like tannins leads this muscle head to an elegant mouth feel, with a great, long, almost feminine finish.
Kind of like a fruit bomb, but totally correct for a Chteauneuf-du-Pape. Nice touch of sweet vanilla oak, plum, dark berry, blackberry fruits abound, mixing with white and black pepper, coffee, tanned leather, smoky meat and black licorice.
This wine, though drinkable presently, will sit on our cellars for another ten years and age gracefully. It will take on some beautiful complexities as it ages, so I suggest getting 6-12 bottles to lay down.008 Sanguis 'Ballad of John Henry' (June, 2012 - The Gary Parker Collection)
It is indeed rare to have the Sanguis wines available to us. Only 220 cases produced. From the winery:
Big ol’ dark handsome bottle that is heavy, which subtly says there is something quite worthwhile inside. The label itself is a bit difficult to decipher with the dark font on a black label background. It also took me looking at the label a few times to figure out that the art was depicting a man crossing his arms, which by the likes and looks of it, must be John Henry. The wine is deep purple and black, with very little red coloring. The special cap came off clean and easy, wow!
The nose is a haunting and powerful statement of assertive dark berry fruit, with vanilla, hazelnut, Asian spices and sandalwood.
Full, rich and creamy. In fact, almost dairy like creamy. Very full, balanced, with its perfect entry to finish showing stain like tannins: strength to softness tug and pull. Big and full in mouth, but it doesn’t feel like it is being rammed down your throat.
It’s hard to believe this is made from grapes, there are SO many flavors one doesn’t generally associate with wine. Bing cherry, black berry, honey and maple syrup, leather, black berry, white pepper, boysenberry and raspberry, root beer, cola, Moroccan spices, vanilla and cream. It’s totally wild, but I LOVE it!
I am not sure how long this will go in the cellar. It is built very well, and I assume from the varietals, will have a long life ahead of it. I would try one a year for the next twelve years.Blood Orange Buerre Blanc with White Fish