2005 Santa Rita Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is not a typical summer wine, I’ll attest to that. But then again, this 2005 Reserve from the Maipo Valley of Chile is not a typical Cab Sauv either.

I’m pretty sure this was a ‘mistake’ bottle that I grabbed; having recently purchased and loved a Santa Rita Reserva Carmenere, when spying the label in a wine store, I picked up a bottle only to get it home and realize it was a Cabernet, not a Carmenere. I believe this was last Fall, or possibly, in the early winter. It has languished in my cellar ever since.

During one spell of recent warm summer weather, I abandoned all my current delights of non-traditional whites or a perfect summer rose in favor of this lone bottle on the rack, this Cabernet that I never intended to buy. Sure, I could have waited until Fall, waited for a cool night, a perfect cut of tender Porterhouse, hot off the grill and steaming with black pepper and garlic as a terrific foil for a glass of this intense ruby red liquid, but those who know me know that I am never one to follow anything that ever smacks of tradition. By all means, if I want a red wine in July, I’m going to have one.

Upon opening this bottle, I was overcome with the musty earthy scent full of vegetal notes that came from the glass. The first sip was uninspired, and I was left wondering if my bottle was going to disappoint, but I persevered, swirled and swirled some more. Once the wine opened up, an amazing palette of flavors and scents began to come to my nose and mouth, and I found something new to love about it with each sip, truly the hallmark of a complex Cabernet. If it doesn’t hide it’s original personality, only to reveal it to you over time and with great reluctance, is it truly worthy of its name? A good Cabernet should be mysterious and complex. It just wouldn’t be the same if it blabbered all of its attributes to you in the first few minutes of your initial meeting.

Lush rich notes of ripe black fruits came to my tongue; I envisioned the ripest of plums, where they are so succulently sweet and dark that they seem surreal, mingled with hints of herb, and a balanced blend of spice and vanilla. The texture was rich and lush, definitely Cab in the mouth, with hints of leather and oak. Cabernet Sauvignon has always evoked images of lush leather libraries, elderly men with cigars and plenty of low intense conversation. It isn’t a wine varietal that jumps up and shouts ‘Look At ME!’ but rather one that stands to the sidelines, confident in itself, ready to show you its worth when you wish to look.

So a mistake in the aisle actually led to a potent and brilliant discovery in the bottle. Despite the paradox of warm summer and rich red wine, it worked on the tongue, and that’s the best indication of what comes from the bottle, don’t you think?

Summer sipping

Summertime- what a wonderful word, evoking lazy, relaxing images of sunshine, warmth and fun.

And for me….summer wine!

Let’s start with the wonderful Rose (wish I could add that lil’ hash-mark above the ‘e’)
Since I am a huge fan of Malbec, I was pretty excited to see this Malbec Rose on the shelf at Tournament Liquors- which, by the way is an Northern Suburban dwellers dream wine store. I swear it doesn’t look like it on the outside, but within the walls are some amazing and unique wines.

This rose was a stunning pink color, deep and warm, flavored with red cherries and strawberries. It was refreshing, and a superbly easy sipping wine without the jammy sweetness of some Rose I have had, and the finish was long and clean. Good for summer drinking, pairing well with smoked ham and other pork, especially from the grill.

Details- 2007 Finca Sophenia Altosur Malbec Rose, Tupungato Mendoza, Argentina

Then there was this delicious Tocai-

From the Monte Volpe website- “Tocai is native to and the most widely planted grape variety in the Friuli Province of Northeastern Italy. The Tocai Friulano name is said to be derived from the local word for the small juice glass used to serve wine in taverns and restaurants. The Friulan’s call the grape “the brother of the sauvignon” because of the growing characteristics of the vines”

I also found that the varietal goes by the name of Sauvignon Vert too. Whatever it’s called, there’s no doubt that its delicious- yet another richly fruited and lush white wine. This one is full of grapefruit and honeysuckle with a tiny hint of spice and lots of toasty oak. It was highly refreshing with just the right amount of acidity and deeply luxurious too.

Details- 2006 Monte Volpe Tocai Friulano, Mendocino California USA

Ahhh summah…..summah, summah! How I love thee…..

Sunday June 29- Casa Walker

Sunday June 29th was the latest and greatest of the Grape Nutz gatherings. No matter that they are all great, this one had it all; great weather, fabulous food from Randy and Denise, a most excellent outdoor deck to enjoy, the usual GN suspects plus many other budding oenophiles and of course, terrific wines.

For the food, there was Randy’s awesome 2005 vintage salsa, the terroir was noticeable- 2005 was an especially great year for tomato, if I so recall. Love that sombrero hat serving dish, don’t you?

Doni made guacamole too. Who can resist the green goodness of that??

Denise made pasta salad, perfect for warm weather- light, refreshing and with shrimp!

Randy smoked a ham- I could have eaten it until I passed out from dehydration, or exhaustion, whichever would have come first. It was killer good.

And no party is complete without chocolate- dark chocolate, with raspberries, and Banyuls.

Kill me now. Dark chocolate alone is one thing, but pair it with Banyuls dessert wine? I can die happy.

And cheesecake!

Ok, so how about the wine? Thanks for asking. I would have gotten to it eventually.

2005 Campo Viejo Tempranillo Crianza Rioja -
Sweet vanilla with a slight taste of berry and just the right amount of tannin.

Westrey 2003 Reserve Pinot Noir-
An unbelievable Pinot- there is blueberry, cherry and the rich earthy loam of a good PInot Noir, aromas of a very musky vanilla and some spicy clove too.

2006 Domaine De Gournier Rose-
Rose is swiftly becoming a summer favorite for me- this one is an exceptional offering. Produced from Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, this French Rhone wine is dry with a medium body; it’s soft and fresh too without the strawberry jam taste of many rose wines. There is enough acidity and minerality among the sweet cherry and berry flavors, a hint of herbs and mild tannins to make this a nicely balanced wine that is perfect with food.

2005 Las Rochas de San Alejandro Garnacha-
A Grenache by any other name, especially in Spain, is known as Garnacha. This bottle smelled like fresh raspberries, rich from the ground with a little peppery kick. It was big and full of flavor, but smooth on the tongue. Garnacha from Spain can be an excellent value; well worth seeking out.

2006 Michel Torino ‘Don David’ Torrontes-
Cantina del Taburno Falanghina-

If it were up to Randy and I, we would make the world stand up and take notice of Torrontes and Falanghina. I swoon over Argentina’s largely ignored principal white grape, and Randy adores Falanghina- a white grape from the Piedmont region of Italy that was nearly extinct before being brought back from the dead. Mention these two varietals to your friends and see how many quizzical looks you get- this needs to change, and pronto.

The Falanghina is a superb wine- crisp, fruity and lightly bracing; you taste citrus, peach and almonds in a medium bodied, balanced wine. This is a perfect summer glass that goes well with light foods- or just drink and enjoy it all on its own.

Torrontes is another superb summer offering. It’s an intensely aromatic grape, rich with pear, peach and apple, a little spice and a lushness that evokes images of blue water and hammocks on the beach. It’s fresh and crisp and purely tropical, an exotic wine ripe for a warm day. Don’t say I didn’t warn you- buy a bottle and taste for yourself the white that everyone should be talking about. If you can’t find a Torrontes, try a Viognier, another stellar white with similar tropical lushness. See if you touch a domestic Chardonnay again.

And the Banyuls? Well, dessert wines have not always been my strong suit- like Randy and his blue cheese. Some of them, while paired with a terrific opponent are wonderful- the tawny port and chocolate on the river cruise comes to mind- most of them are so hot and high on the alcohol that I take one sip and feel like my head is on fire. My GN friends will change that, I am sure. Just keep giving me chocolate and port.

Well into the Summer of Nom we are…..thanks so much for the wonderful hospitality Randy!

“Try the Falanghina!” ( can’t you just hear him?? )

Taste of St Croix River Cruise- June 19

Summer has arrived in the Twin Cities, and not a moment too soon, as we embarked on a gorgeous last night of Spring river cruise down the St. Croix for the kick-off of the Taste of St. Croix. Highlighting 11 restaurants in the St. Croix River Valley, along with 40 wines from local distributors, the event, held on the Grand Duchess riverboat was a smashing success. This being a non Nutz outing, it was just Nikki, Samantha and I, along with Brian who was stuck sweating it out behind a table pouring wine for Winestyles.

As I mentioned, the weather was amazing. It was in the mid 80’s with a gentle breeze, and of course, the St. Croix is beautiful even when it’s raining, but the sunshine bouncing off the water and the ceiling of the room we were in was just stunning.

Each of the restaurants offered a small plate of their dish, a few bites worth. Directly behind our table was the runaway favorite offering of the night, the pan seared scallop with bacon smoked corn hash and cilantro oil. We had that one first due to it’s proximity, and it spoiled us for the rest of the evening. The scallop, tender and superbly fresh, was surrounded by apple smoked bacon and corn, thick with flavor. If there weren’t other delectable items awaiting, I could have been happy with that for the evening. A good scallop, perfectly cooked, is a thing of beauty.

My other favorite, almost on a par with the scallop was the Green curry shrimp with coconut rice noodles. I may be biased because Thai food is one of my favorite ethnic offerings, but the flavors of this dish, from famed chef Jim Kyndberg of the Bayport Cookery, was beautifully subtle and at the same time, a lively dance of tastes in the mouth. For this dairy-free gal, finding a wonderfully creamy noodle that won’t come back to haunt me made me very happy. Top it with a perfectly cooked shrimp and a little crunch of micro-greens, bean sprouts and peanuts and you’ve got one fabulous dish. The Halibut taco with garlic aioli, wild rice and cabbage was ok, but the shell was dry and crumbly and the overall flavor was too heavy. If the chef had skipped the rice and aioli, instead pairing it with a nice kicky salad of just cabbage, it might have been better. Pan fried Angus sliders were great, a perfect little patty with sweetly caramelized onions on a nice soft bun. A spinach, apple, manchego salad with nuts and apricots was very flavorful; the Lamb samosa was nicely spicy with a sweet little hint of raisin and a kicker of a chili puree. The peanut butter ravioli was forgettable- it’s too tough to keep pasta well in a steam table, and a chilean sea bass with walnut sauce on a red pepper blini was good but too salty. We missed out on two menu items due to full tummies, but after a short stint on the top of the boat, taking in the views, we descended again to seek out dessert. The two desserts did not disappoint at all- a raspberry creme brulee in an edible chocolate cup was topped with a tasty meringue that made it look like a tiny cappucino. It was stellar with a 10-year old Tawny port from The Wine Co. – and I am really not a fan of port, but this pairing was perfect. The other dessert, called ‘The Sin of the Inn’ from the Lake Elmo Inn, was an amazing little tart filled with perfect dark chocolate and a delicious fresh whipped cream that paired beautifully with the wonderfully smoky and earthy 2004 Oubenheim Syrah from South Africa. Who thinks of Syrah as a potential dessert wine?? I usually don’t, but the tables were right next to each other and it just happened, a touch of kismet on the river.

The view from the top of the boat:

Look at that gorgeous sky, would you?? It really could not have been any nicer.

Other great wines we tried were the Martin Codax albarino (already reviewed on this site) a Martin Codax Rioja that was really wonderful and complex and a Le Grand Viognier, probably my favorite white wine of the evening. I could be biased to Viognier because it truly is my favorite white varietal, but this one was a perfect example of what Viognier can be- exotic fruit, crisp and smooth. There was a 2007 Fuzelo Vinho Verde that was very nice, light and refreshing but really nothing to compare to our favorite Pavao Vinho Verde, which all three of us agree is top notch. I was wholly disappointed by the Monte Lomas Malbec; malbec being one of my favorite red varietals I expected much more, but this one was boring and bland, more like a warm grape juice than what a good malbec can offer. There were also some good red blends and several nice Zinfandels too.

One component of the evening was a table of ‘mystery bottles’- fully covered and cleverly hidden,  that you could purchase for $25.00. At the end of the evening, everyone who purchased was able to select one to take home, keeping fingers crossed that you made a good grab. I bought two options and what I got was a white Bordeaux- a 2005 Prince de Tabourg and the other was a 2006 Ca Fischele Gambellara Classico from Italy, a Garganega blend. Although neither of them could be considered stellar bottles, they are good interesting whites which is something I love, and with warm weather all around me, they will fit perfectly.

For the money spent, this was such a terrific bargain. Nowhere could we have gotten more food choices and wine offerings for the money, not to mention the weather and the setting. We will be highly anticipating next year when it comes around again.

Tuesday May 27, Winestyles of Woodbury

I know you’re thinking this, and it’s perfectly OK…

“For Pete’s sake, what the heck took you so long!!?!?”

Partly it’s all my fault, not getting our recap up in any semblance of a timely manner; I somehow did not bring home the tasting notes that Brian so beautifully put together for us, and then, when I asked him ever so politely to email them to me, he sends me the document from hell, so sorely infected with some rampant evil that Microsoft does nothing but give me the blue screen of death and that ubiquitous ‘FAIL’ message each time I attempt to open it. I don’t blame him, he didn’t know. When he sent it again, it was perfect and I then, of course, I had no excuse except laziness as to why I put it off.

So here it is, sans photos. Betsy? Got anything good for me??

Winestyles of Woodbury was our May meeting spot; it’s Brian’s workplace too, and he set up the most delightful tasting. We had a nice room, nice nibblers like cheeses, crackers, meats, killer killer chocolate, and……well, after that chocolate hit my tongue, whatever else there paled in comparison, and apparently, was promptly forgotten. This will teach me to not record….on PAPER…..any of our future events. At my age, and with a little wine consumption, my brain seems to not retain very much. Surprising, huh?

We started in grand style with sparkling wine, Francois Montand Ugli Blanc from France. A delicious non-champagne bubbly, it was dry but elegant with lively little bubbles that put a smile on everyone’s face.

Brian followed this stellar start with a very crisp and fruit filled Chenin Blanc, Amaboko from Wellington South Africa. This was a superbly balanced Chenin Blanc; plenty of acidity and layers of fruit, nice and rich in the mouth. I could close my eyes and imagine a tropical beach, warm sunshine and a hammock. Given the chill of that late May evening, it wasn’t a bad fantasy.

The next wine was a Rose, and what a Rose it was! The brightly colored Domaine de Gournier from the Rhone Valley in France, a blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah was rich with red berries, a touch of spice and some earthy notes. It was a beautifully dry Provencal-style Rose.

Brian followed this up with a mellow MIO Valpolicella, a blend of Corvina and Rondinella. Granted, these types of wine tends to be a big and heavy, but this was none of the above. The blend was ruby red with nice cherry notes; juicy without being a fruit bomb and rounded out with a hint of almond and some subtle spice tones.

The next two wines were stellar, bold offerings. The first, a Marques de la Musa Crianza, Tempranillo from the Carinena region in Spain. A crianza is a wine aged for one year in the barrel, making it smooth without too many overpowering tannins. Although the aromas of oak were present, this wine was pleasantly balanced, with good fruit and spice tones and a decidedly lingering finish. The last of our offerings was an amazing Australian blend from Bremerton Wines. Mixing Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and Malbec, we had a nice dark ruby colored wine that was just brimming with fruit, spice, floral notes and the lingering scent of rich oak.

Brian did a bang-up job with this tasting, and due to the fact that the store offered us a nice discount, I’m sure that we all easily contributed to a nice sale point for the day. Few people left empty-handed, some of us more laden with purchases than others!

April 29- Mothersauces Cooking School

Spanish flair, beautiful weather and a happy crowd of 10 people created a wonderfully enjoyable evening for our most recent Grape Nutz gathering. We convened on Mothersauces Cooking School in Richfield for a hands-on cooking  experience, complete with wine pairings. The menu was a Tapas theme and did not disappoint at all.

Tapenade (Roasted Pepper and olive paste)
Stuffed Endives with Fennel and Barley Topped with Citrus Vinaigrette
Tilapia Ceviche over Vegetable Paella
Sponge Cake with Tangerine and Strawberry Coulis Sauce

Here is the Paella…..it was really delicious and flavorful.

The wines we brought in were a delicious mix of Spanish varietals. We started the evening with Perelada sparkling cava in both white and rose. We moved into a delicious 2005 Grand Arte Alvarinho (ok, so this one was Portugese; like anyone is going to raise a stink?). I found an amazing Tempranillo based rose, a 2005 Bodegas Otero Vallescuro that we loved to death. Our reds were a 2006 Vina Borgia Campo De Borja, which was a delicious grenache, and a 2004 Marquis de Tudellila Tinto Rioja, as esoteric as they come with respects to tempranillo.

There’s one thing that I have really come to enjoy about our gatherings and it’s the very basic pull of good food and wine to bring people together. My friend Leo, who owns Mothersauces, bases his entire school on the idea of drawing people in through the creation and sharing of food. I firmly believe that our skyrocketing interests in food that have occurred in the past few years comes as a fundamental need of people to connect, deepen their ties to one another and fill themselves emotionally. It’s the feel of gathering as a group that pulls everyone in; our lives can be so disconnected these days as people resort more and more to electronic communication that deprives us of familiar and visual contact. But when we share the basic needs of food and drink, something binds us tighter. Several people attended our gathering that night that had never been to a Grape Nutz event, and it took maybe a half an hour to make them feel like long lost friends. This sort of thing doesn’t happen over email.

Wine Notes:

The Perelada was a delicious brut Cava, well priced (and better because it was on sale- Thanks Randy!) and highly flavorful. Although a good champagne is always worthwhile, when it just needs to be a nice sparkler to start an evening off, Cava is the way to go.

Grand Arte 2005 Alvarinho- Vinho Regional Estremadura
The DO Estremadura is the second largest wine producing region in Portugal, NW of Lisbon. The wine is a 100% varietal with a pale straw yellow color, aromas of citrus- lemon predominantly- and white peach or pear. It has a very refreshing minerality to it, grapefruit-like and clean, with a tiny hint of the sea by where the grape grows. The finish lingered slightly, then slipped surreptitiously away.

Bodega Otero Vallescuro 2005 Rosado
This rose, a blend of Tempranillo and Prieto Picudo, was a surprising hit with everyone. Bodega Otero is a third generation producer in the DO Benevente in Spain; Prieto Picudo (not on our Wine Century Club list!!) is a red wine grape of Spain, black skinned with similar characteristics of the Tempranillo grape. The wine, reminiscent of crushed strawberries, was smooth with a tiny, almost imperceptible hint of effervescence. It was not overly sweet or cloying, and my glass was empty too quickly. This is one wine that would be a perfect summer sip.

2006 Vina Borgia Campo de Borja Grenache
Nikki was responsible for bringing in our reds for the evening, and as always, her offerings never disappoint. I had this same bottle out, debating whether I should bring it along, but I replaced it as my confidence in her selections should never come in question. This 100% Grenache, a dark but translucent ruby red, was bold but slightly sweet with a hint of spice. Paired with the Vegetable Paella, it’s herbal and vegetal tones were brought out, almost creating a completely different experience in the glass; definitely more of an earthy twist. This is another value priced bottle, coming in well under the $10 range.

2004 Marquis de Tudelilla Tinto Rioja Crianza
This tempranillo was a perfect example of the grape- velvety and round with a clean finish, an subtle tannic hint and the customary soft ruby tones. A crianza is indicative of one year of oak aging, giving this wine an easy drinking ability. For showcasing a tempranillo, this is an excellent option.

GRAPE NUTZ NOTES:
Check the ‘Upcoming Events’ tag at the top of the page for news. We likely will slide through May without a formal gathering, unless someone wants to make an impromptu gesture- maybe outside on a lovely evening? Shoot out an email to me and I will spread it to the Nutz.

June will find us at Randy’s house, on a Sunday. A BBQ/Grillling affair. Menu TBD.

A quick shout-out about our 4/29 meeting

Mothersauces Cooking School
Tuesday April 29, 6-8pm. Per person cost is $40.

There will be nine of us, including myself. This is a hands-on cooking experience and we should all have a great time!

Menu-
Tapenade (Roasted Pepper and olive paste)
Stuffed Endives with Fennel and Barley Topped with Citrus Vinaigrette
Tilapia Ceviche over Vegetable Paella
Sponge Cake with Tangerine and Strawberry Coulis Sauce

Wines-
An eclectic selection of sparklers, whites, pinks and reds from Spain.

I am responsible for all costs for this menu since all our food needs to be purchased.

An RSVP for this event is a lot more meaningful than any other we’ve had and if you have said you are coming, your cost has been included and that’s all I plan to say.

See everyone on Tuesday!!!

2005 Osborne Solaz Viura Blanco

Rounding out the Spanish themed weekend we had with wine consumption is this white wine made from the Viura/Macabeo grape. This will notch off yet another column on the Wine Century Club list.

Viura, aka Macabeo, is Northern Spain’s most widely planted white grape, and takes well to hot and dry regions, budding late in the season. It is generally blended with Parellada and Xarel-lo in the production of sparkling Cava and is a white that is best consumed young. Still wine production with Macabeo are prominent in Rioja as well- here it is known by Viura- where it makes up nearly 90% of white wine production from that region.

Osborne, founded in 1772, is one of the most prestigious names in Spain and it’s logo of a bull is prominent in the area. The wine was straw colored with an intense, yet refined nose of tropical fruit with a little bit of anise noted as well. The taste is smooth and balanced; fruity, floral and fresh. Along with our delightful Albarino, this is a terrific wine for a warm summer day, and will pair well with fish light pasta dishes.

2006 Martin Codax Rias Baixas Albarino

I have found someone new to love; watch out Torrontes…..take a backseat, Viognier……Albarino has made an appearance, and my palate may never be the same again.

For white wine lovers who think only in terms of the ‘Big Three’ of Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, I say “Oh man, you ain’t seen nothing!” Sip on Argentina’s premier white, Torrontes; try out Viognier, with it’s lush tropical palate and mouth watering finish. Open an Italian Falanghina, Cortese or Erbaluce, or Austrian’s Gruner Veltliner. There is a world of whites out there rich with flavor that will turn your palate end of end in delight. With so many to explore, Chardonnay could become a very distant memory.

This 2006 Bodegas Martin Codax Albarino from Rias Baixas, Spain is 100% of Spain’s aromatic and highly celebrated white grape. Albarino has a high sugar content and a high degree of acidity that give an exclusive freshness and unique personality to the wine. The prominent scent rising to my nose from the glass was one of rich warm honey; the wine is lush and exotic, round and juicy in the mouth with lots of fruit notes and a refreshing dryness that was surprising, and yet utterly delightful to me. The color is pale straw yellow with a tinge of green and I caught notes of sweet mandarin, white peach and pear. The scent evoked cool night air heady with the scent of flowers. It detected a hint of subdued lemon in the finish, which lingered beautifully, coasting along and fading smoothly.

Another Albarino made an appearance in my weekend too; the 2005 Rias Baixas Nora Albarino. This bottle was full of lush tropical flavors like pineapple, mango and lychee with a bit more acidity, very zingy! There was also the hint of lemon in the finish, zesty and stronger.

Both of these wines were excellent drinking, and a perfect complement to a warm sunny day so the refreshing minerality can be fully appreciated.

2002 Chateau Eugenie Cahors

One good thing about being part of a group like the Grape Nutz is that my fellow wine lovers know my tastes and favorites in the bottle and are more than willing to point out an excellent option that I may overlook or simply know nothing about.

That was the case with this French malbec. I am a huge fan of Malbec…..HUGE….for it’s mellow flavors and ridiculously inexpensive price tag. Malbec, in all it’s glory, is a red wine lovers dream; full of flavors, low in tannins and easy on the wallet. So as my fellow Nutz and I were perusing a local wine market after a wonderful tasting they did for us, I heard my friend Nikki calling out to me excitedly, and when I approached her, she pushed this bottle into my hands, gushing about how it would be the finest Malbec I have ever had.  I purchased it and tucked it into my wine rack, awaiting an occasion that I saw fit to open it, and more importantly, share it.

Then my curtains arrived via my best friend Joanna, who had offered her sewing expertise as a birthday present to cover up some rather bare windows in our house. Once hung, gushed over and proclaimed absolutely perfect for their seamless blending into our new decor, I cracked open the Cahors and we raised a glass.

Wow…..Nikki was absolutely right. This was by far one of the best Malbecs I have tasted. It was so silky and smooth on the tongue, rich in burgundy color, with licorice, leather and blackberry. The finish was really mellow, starting out somewhat strong but fading quickly, without much fanfare. The French malbec is not as fruit forward as it’s Argentine counterpart, but it was, in itself and like any variation on a theme, full of it’s own merits and capable of standing  on its unique accolades.