Wine Club Newsletter - March 2021
Screw Cap vs Cork Closures
Back in November of 2015, I had written a story involving screw cap closures versus cork closures. I had written about a wine tour stop we made with our group at the winery of Sergio Mattura, who has been dubbed as the king of the infamous white grape, Grechetto.
Sergio pulled out all the stops that day for us. There was a huge spread of local cheeses, meats, fruits and sausages, and he began popping corks on his latest releases. We were having a grand time, then then he opened one of his Grechetto’s. This white wine had the weight of a Chardonnay, but with acid like that of a fine Chablis or White Burgundy.
In tasting this wine, I commented to Sergio about how special I thought the Grechetto was, and how here in the United States, we don’t see a lot of it. Then, I talked about how well balanced the wine was, and I felt it had potential to improve for 5-10 years in the bottle.
Sergio smiles, and lifts a finger signaling us to hold still, he will be right back. Sergio returns with a bottle of his Grechetto that was five years old, and cracks it open for us. As we taste the wine, it was quite evident that Grechetto, when aged properly, can age for at least five years. The wine was delicious, with still rounded fruit and a nearly youthful, bright acidity.
We applauded Sergio, which prompted him to lift his finger again, and we all knew he was going back to the cellar to provide us with another jewel to enjoy. Shortly, he returns, this time exhibiting a one of his Grechettos from ten years ago.
We are salivating in anticipation, as Sergio opens the bottle and pours me the initial taste for evaluation. The wine was not good . . . it was significantly darker than the 5-year-old Grechetto, but also had an off odor to it. Subtle, but enough to make me tell Sergio I was sorry, but I didn’t think the wine had made the 10-year journey intact.
Sergio pours himself a taste, and to my relief he agreed with me. He then, once again, lifts his finger, pivots, and heads back to his cellar, emerging with a wine from that exact same vintage, exact same wine barrel. The only difference was he used a screw cap closure for half the barrel, and now we are about to try the same 10-year-old wine from a bottle sealed with a screw cap instead of a cork.
The wine was absolutely magnificent! The color was appropriate, slightly golden, the aromatics were complex and clean, and the wine sang us a glorious song while traveling through our palates. It is a lesson (and a wine) that I will never forget.
This month, one of our wine club wines comes from Midnight Cellars Winery, their 2017 Zinfandel. For those of you in the Two-Rouge Wine Club, you will immediately notice the wine is sealed with a screw cap. The owner of the winery wrote the following explanation of why Midnight Cellars is converting to mostly screw cap enclosures, and I thought it would be a worthy read for everyone.
Enjoy! Gary Parker
Midnight Cellars
SCREW CAP VS CORK CLOSURES
Midnight's explanation for why we have started to transition to screw caps:
First of all, when screw caps were first developed, they were indeed designed to be an alternative closure for white, ready to drink wines. As they became more accepted in the market, companies started to research the possibility of a screw cap designed for longer term aging. These have been tested extensively by major, high end producers, perhaps most famously Plumpjack Winery up north.
As the testing results came back over the years, tweaks have been made and the product improved. Currently, screw cap producers offer a wide line of options with the range of zero air exchange to different porosities to allow really any air exchanges the winemaker desires. As someone who personally likes to age wines, and produce ageable wines, I have waited for the dust to settle on a lot of these studies before making the jump.
Every time I open a bottle of corked wine, I am sad that this could have been avoided, simply by using a screw cap closure. I am assuming you are familiar with cork taint and the fact that it is a naturally occurring compound that taints a wine in as little as 5 parts per TRILLION! This imparts a "cork taint" that is most commonly described as a musty, band aid, wet cardboard type flavor and aroma and masks the true flavors of a wine. The current industry acceptable standard for this taint is 7%, which means that it is acceptable to cork producers and wineries that use cork closures to have 7% failure in their product, which is almost a full bottle per case!
As I am still sensitive to people's perception of a screw cap closure, I have decided to keep our reserve red wines under corks for the time being. However, I have decided to make the move to a screw cap closure on the rest of the wines. Please understand that I make wines to last, so thus have chosen a screw cap that has the exact air exchange as a high-end cork closure, just without the possibility of any cork taint.
Nothing matters to me more than my customers, especially wine club members, being happy with my wines, so I am always looking for ways to ensure that. All of our wines are being made with ageability in mind and I am just trying to assure that every bottle tastes the same and will improve in the bottle for years to come!
If you ever have any further questions about anything at all, please feel free to email or call me directly!
- Rich Hartenberger, Owner Midnight Cellars Winery
2017 Cotes du Rhone Blanc, les Collines
Growing Region Rhone Valley, France
Varietal Composition Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier
Fermentation Cement Vats
Alcohol Content 13%
Suggested Retail $22.00
WineSellar Club Price $17.99
Broad Strokes:
The Southern Rhône is situated in a large, sprawling valley, shaped by the course of the Rhône River. A Mediterranean climate makes the Southern Rhône Valley one of the warmest wine growing regions in France. The vast majority of Rhône wines found on the market are labeled as Côtes du Rhône AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée). Many are excellent and inexpensive, making them one of the most consumer-friendly French wines to explore.
I have a soft spot for Rhone Valley wines of all types. I love Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Hermitage, Cote-Rotie, St. Joseph, and especially love the values you get from the Cotes-du-Rhone appellation wines, such as the les Collines Blanc we are featuring this month.
Appearance:
Kind of a cool sketch of the property with the surrounding hills and mountain sides, in color no less. Somebody spent a lot of time on this label, with the colored etchings, the embossing, the foil . . . really homey like, and quite unique. The wine has a gold metallic hue, with a small tinge of green lacing the edges.
Nose:
White flowers and white fruits: apple, pear and some white peach for the fruits. For the flower scents, it is jasmine, honeysuckle and ginger flower. The fragrance on the wine is delicate and delightful!
Texture:
Even though the alcohol is at a near standard level, the richness and viscosity are simply amazing. The wine feels very smooth in the mouth, almost oil like. It has excellent depth, with a nice round finish touched by a crisp acid note.
Flavors:
OK, try to imagine this: think of what a sliced pear would taste like if you gently warmed it in a saucepan with a touch of peach juice, cardamom and butter. That’s my take, just add some ginger flower, white pepper and vanilla!
Serving Suggestions:
What a great sipper. It is very versatile, I had mine with cheeses and apples, yet it would do
well with white-fleshed fish dishes lightly sauced, perhaps like a lemon caper butter sauce.
2016 Petit Sirah, Arendskloof, Eagles Cliff
Growing Region Breede River Valley, Western Cape, So. Africa
Varietal Composition Petit Sirah
Fermentation Barrel Aging
Alcohol Content 14.5%
Suggested Retail $30.00
WineSellar Club Price $25.99
Broad Strokes:
Situated between Villiersdorp and Worcester, in the breathtakingly beautiful Breede River Valley, is the home of Eagle’s Cliff Wines. We produce a wide range of exceptional quality red and white wines, namely Arendskloof, Eagle’s Cliff, Dwyka Hills and Hoeks Rivier.
Christiaan Groenewald, who is the founder of the New Cape Wines Company, won the prestigious Diner’s Club Winemaker of the Year Award in 2013 with his Tannat Syrah 2011 and again in 2017 with his Eagle’s Cliff Pinotage 2017. He is one of only 5 winemakers to have received this award twice. New Cape Wines distributes its award-winning wine ranges locally, and also exports to Europe, destined mainly for Germany and Switzerland.
Appearance:
First thing you notice is the seemingly hastily applied award stickers above the label. I think it is great to get the awards, and to be proud of them. These looked a lot better when I smoothed them out with my thumb. Kind of a hard word, and hard to read “Arendskloof” in that font. Enough of my silly stuff . . . The wine has a dark purple hue, with barely a touch of maturity around the edges.
Nose:
A solid and pleasant nose, with the skin and meat of a very black cherry wafting up from the glass. You may notice some blueberry, coffee, and Indian spices as well as the scent of flowers, violet or rose petals.
Texture:
Very ripe and smooth palate entry on this medium-to medium full-bodied wine. The large style fruit keeps expanding in the mouth. It has a clean, wonderful presence, with a touch of cranberry acid to finish.
Flavors:
Big fruit black cherry is solid and distinctive, I love it. The blueberry and Indian spices come through as well as hints of dates, fresh prune, and pine are detected along the way. On the finish, rose petals!
Serving Suggestions:
This is a very interesting wine, for many reasons. We don’t see many Petite Sirah from
South Africa in the states, and it is so smooth and rich. Great with or without food.
2016 Châteuneuf-du-Pape, les Collines
Growing Region Rhone Valley, France
Varietal Composition 60% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, 15% Cinsault, 10% Syrah
Fermentation Barrel Aging
Alcohol Content 14.5%
Suggested Retail $40.00
WineSellar Club Price $29.69
Broad Strokes:
The first vines in Châteuneuf-du-Pape were planted by the ancient Romans. Historic ancient Roman ruins are easy to find in the Southern Rhone Valley. In fact, one of the best preserved, ancient amphitheaters built by the Romans in all of Europe is in Orange, not far from Châteuneuf.
Châteuneuf-du-Pape takes its name from the time when the Pope moved to Avignon in 1309. The move was due to issues between the King of France and the Papacy. 8 different Popes served in Avignon as the Papacy remained in Châteuneuf-du-Pape until 1378.
The first Pope to move to Avignon was Pope Clement V, who was an avid wine lover. Pope Clement V also spent time in Bordeaux at what is now called Chateau Pape Clement in Pessac Leognan. The Pope moving to Avignon is of course where the region takes its name, as Châteuneuf-du-Pape is translated to mean; “The Pope’s New Castle.”
Appearance:
Kind of a cool sketch of the property with the surrounding hills and mountain sides, in color no less. Somebody spent a lot of time on this label, with the colored etchings, the embossing, the foil . . . really homey- like, and quite unique. The wine is a medium red garnet.
Nose:
Archetypal fragrance from this CDP, to include red fruits, licorice, spices, dust, earth, red berries, underbrush, dark soil, thyme, rosemary, mineral, white pepper. Simply gorgeous, complex, the gift keeps on giving.
Texture:
The wine is medium in body and has silky tannins. There is some lively acid in the palate, giving a long mouth full of joy on the finish.
Flavors:
Bright red and black fruits with cherry and red cassis on the entry. Then followed by underbrush and herbs of thyme and rosemary, earthen soil, garrique, white pepper, spices and licorice. Long and beautiful.
Serving Suggestions:
This is a tremendous value, as it is nearly impossible to find a CDP for under $30!
2017 Zinfandel, Estate, Willow Creek District, Midnight Cellars
Growing Region Paso Robles
Varietal Composition 100% Zinfandel
Fermentation 15% New Oak, 85% Neutral, 24 Months
Alcohol Content 16.4%
Suggested Retail $44.00
WineSellar Club Price $25.19
Broad Strokes: 90 Points
From the Winery: The Patricia Jane District of the estate vineyard is named after Dr. Jane Hogan, the eldest granddaughter of Robert & Mary Jane. While Jane is saving the lives of children in New Mexico, grapes are growing in Paso Robles that bear her name.
Planted in the spring of 1996, the Midnight Cellars estate Zinfandel has developed its own following, known as "the crazy zin people." Possibly the most popular estate wine, it's not one for the faint of heart! These grapes ripen at a higher sugar than most which leads to a bit more alcohol and extraction. A few words of caution from the winemaker: "don't drink the whole bottle by yourself!"
Appearance:
Tall, slender bottle with a screw cap closure. I like the label, just wish the three bottom lines had larger, darker font to distinguish the pedigree of the wine a bit better. Maybe it is just my diminishing eyesight, jeez. The wine itself is medium in color depth, a pure red and clear at the edges. At least I can see that!
Nose:
Very ripe and concentrated nose, with dark cherry cola, blackberry fruit and whiffs of smoke. Also got some strapped leather, vanilla, dark chocolate, and tobacco. It is a superior example of just how pleasing Zinfandel can be.
Texture:
Medium to medium full in body and weight. It is a bit edgy for the vintage age, perhaps some of the high alcohol slipping through. Mouth-watering fruits and acids are superb, as the wine finishes with a balanced blend of crispy acids and firmed fruit.
Flavors:
As happens from time to time, aromatic traits transfer to the palate. Dark cherry cola, blackberry/brambleberry fruit, leather, smoke, and tobacco all chime in. The flavors keep on opening as we go on. The spice and brambleberry fruit are distinctive and brilliant. I also got some mineral, white chalk, stones, and black pepper.
Serving Suggestions:
For $25, this wine is a bargain especially from the winery price of $44. It overdelivers on taste, structure, and class. Will keep in the cellar for up to ten years.
2015 Penedo Borges Expresión Parcela Malbec
Growing Region Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
Varietal Composition 100% Malbec
Fermentation 20 Months in American & French Oak
Alcohol Content 14.9%
Suggested Retail $35.00
WineSellar Club Price $29.69
Broad Strokes:
From the Winery: Penedo Borges is produced by Bodega Otaviano, located at the foot of the Andes Mountains. Founded in 2003, they have 41 hectares (101 acres) of vineyards & produce around 22,000 cases annually.
Bodega Otaviano began when a group of friends fell in love with Argentina, its terroir and its wines. The property is located 3,400 feet above sea level in Lujan de Cuyo's Alto Agrelo area. The soil is alluvial, with some loam and sandy loam areas. The use of precision viticulture techniques allows the production of different grape characteristics, appropriate to each wine that is produced.
Appearance:
Classic looking package, with the bottle and label uniformed and coordinated. I like the embossing, and the nice info on the back. The wine is black at the core, with dark red/brick edges. It is very viscous, the wine clings hard to the wine glass.
Nose:
Another “classic” feature is the scent of the Malbec grape: dark fruits, leather, coffee, black pepper and melted dark chocolate. This wine has all of those in bundles, as well as intriguing notes of fresh herbs and underbrush.
Texture:
Juicy and mouth-filling, I find the texture exciting, and it makes me want to go back for another sip very soon. Even though the alcohol is 15%, it is not readily evident as it meets the balance point seamlessly.
Flavors:
Dark fruits, coffee, leather and dark chocolate come through on point. A firm but lovely grab of black cherry, smoke, wood, and toasted hazelnuts. It has a broad dense character, that after a couple hours of air, develops into a wonderfully complex wine that is so satisfying.
Serving Suggestions:
So, how can a wine that is under $30 qualify for the Gary Parker Collection? Simple, it is
cellar-worthy and will become a truly wonderful bottle of wine to have in our wine cellars in ten years or so. Imagine the gratification of something so cool for so little down the road!
2018 Prime, Cabernet Sauvignon
Growing Region Coombsvile, Napa Valley. California
Varietal Composition 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot,
Fermentation 20 Months in 20% American Oak & 80% French Oak, of which 75% is new
Alcohol Content 14.4%
Suggested Retail $68.00
WineSellar Club Price $62.09
Broad Strokes: 94 Points (Only 859 Cases Produced)
From the Winery: After working with grapes from all over California, PRIME's winemaker, Ted Henry, launched PRIME Cellars with the 2005 vintage to focus on a prime piece of Napa Valley called Coombsville. With its cooler temperatures and unique flavor and acid profile, Coombsville was approved as Napa Valley's newest AVA in 2012. In 2013 we opened our Downtown Napa tasting room at 974 Franklin Street.
Ted is the winemaker at Napa Valley's Clos du Val and has been making wine in Napa Valley since his graduation from UC Davis' winemaking program in 1999. Ted also was winemaker at Jarvis (for seven and a half years) in Paso Robles. PRIME wines are extremely limited with production levels of less than 1,000 cases annually.
Appearance:
How can you miss a name like “PRIME”, right? The packaging has that kind of black Darth Vader look when the bottle is full. Direct, to the point, simple, effective labeling, and the information on the back of the bottle is really cool. The wine is black at the core, dark red at the edges.
Nose:
Fabulous and fascinating aromatics! Deep and rich, with fresh blackberries, red raspberry and black cherry fruit essence that seem to just glide into your nostrils. That’s because there is a smooth, enveloping dollop of sweet vanilla oak, chocolate, and a hint of smoke.
Texture:
This is medium full in body, with a roundish like entry, with sweet fruit being held in check by a slight pucker of the finely grained tannins. The middle is rich and creamy, the finish is long and balanced.
Flavors:
Like the nose, the flavors are intense with black berries, raspberry and black cherry fruit. Look for some smoke, vanilla, chocolate, tobacco violets and a hint of maple syrup. LOVELY!
Serving Suggestions:
It is so lovely, but so young. Wait at least five years, keep up until 2030! This just might beat out Silver Oak Cabernet, for a lot less $$$!
Pan Seared Salmon Tacos w/ Cabbage Apple Slaw, Dried Cranberries
I got this recipe from JenReviews.com, with the headline: You should go to the website https://www.jenreviews.com/salmon-tacos/ and read all that is written about this recipe, complete with photos. I have put the ingredients and method for making the tortillas on the back of this recipe, as it is a bit lengthy, and we get great tortillas here in San Diego. However, it will provide more fun and perhaps a better overall experience if you make the tortillas yourself.
Read the NOTES at the end. I am sure you will love it. Serves 6
Ingredients:
Slaw
- ½ small red cabbage
- 1 green apple
- ½ bunch cilantro
- 2 teaspoons mustard seed
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ tablespoon mustard
- 2 limes
Tacos
- 1 pound salmon filets
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
Method:
Slaw
-
Thinly slice the cabbage on a cutting board. Shred the apple on a grater, discarding the core, stems, and seeds. Roughly chop the cilantro. Put each into a medium sized bowl.
-
Add the mustard seed, Greek yogurt, salt, honey and mustard. Cut the limes open and squeeze the juice into the bowl and mix everything together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Tacos
-
Lay the salmon filets on a cutting board, dab each with a paper towel to remove extra moisture, and sprinkle each with salt.
-
Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Lay the salmon fillets in the pan, skin side down and allow it to sear about 3 minutes.
-
Turn the salmon over and sear the other side for 4-5 minutes. Pull the skin off of the salmon and lay it back in the pan to let it crisp up if desired for the tacos. Make certain the salmon is cooked all the way through, leaving no dark pink in the middle, only the light cooked pink.
-
Transfer the cooked salmon to a cutting board and the skin to paper towels to drain of excess oil.
-
Using 2 forks flake the salmon apart and crumble the skin.
-
To assemble the tacos, add the salmon to a tortilla, a generous amount of slaw on top, and finish with the dried cranberries, crushed crisp salmon skin, and additional cilantro if desired.
Tortilla Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus extra
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Warm water if needed
Tortilla Method:
-
Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk and olive oil. Stir the dry and wet ingredients together, pulling the dry into the wet to form a sticky but firm ball. If the dough is too dry add water a tablespoon at a time, if too wet add flour a tablespoon at a time.
-
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it for about 5 minutes.
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Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest 30 minutes.
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After 30 minutes, cut the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a ball.
-
Press the dough ball down into a thick, small circle before either rolling it out with a rolling pin or pressing it flat between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic storage bags with a tortilla press. If using a tortilla press, roll it out again after with a rolling pin for a thinner tortilla.
-
Heat a griddle or large non-stick pan over medium heat. Lay the rolled out tortilla on the hot pan and allow it to cook about 1 minute on each side or until brown marks show and the tortilla has risen slightly or formed bubbles.
-
Transfer the cooked tortillas to a plate and cover with a slightly damp cloth to keep them soft and warm.
NOTES:
Don’t skip the cranberries! It changes the entire taste of the slaw/salmon combo.
The salmon skin can be left out, but if you’re the adventurous type, it can give a satisfying crisp crunch.
Corn tortillas can be substituted for the wheat ones made in this recipe if they are preferred.
Don’t make the tortillas ahead of time if it can be helped as they won’t be nearly as delicious as they are fresh!