V3 Bitter

It's been a long time since I posted.  I only brewed twice in 2013, but I am looking to equal or better that in 2014.
This week I started a batch of what is one of my favorite styles, and something somewhat difficult to buy: an ordinary bitter.  This is an English ale, and my ideal has a nice caramel maltiness, a light kiss of hops, low carbonation, and low alcohol.  And yes, it is best drunk at cellar temperature, which means something like 55 degrees, not the 35 degrees of a refrigerator.
I've brewed this twice before, tweaking the recipe slightly each time.  I tasted the sample I pulled to take the IG of and this might be the one.  It was already pretty good.
6.5 lb Maris Otter
10 oz 45 Crystal
2 oz 120 Crystal
4 oz flaked wheat
White Labs 005
2/5/14- Mash at 150 with 12 qt water at 163 for 90 min.  Sparge with 5 gallons of 170 degree water.  Collected 5+ gallons of wort, added 2 gallons of water to evaporate during the 1 hour 15 min boil.
23 g Challenger pellet @ 60 min.
7 g Challenger pellet @ 15 min
14 g three year old Styrian Goldings pellet @ 15 min
21 g "                                                     " @ 2 min
Chilled by first placing in a snow pile for a few minutes and then used my immersion chiller to cool it down.  Initial Gravity was 1.034, which means I should end up right around 3% abv.  Yum yum!

Tons o'notes!

Well, I have just discovered I can publish my tasting notes via cellartracker to here.  Which will save me plenty of time since I won't have to type them twice.  Hopefully this will allow me to keep this blog more up to date and to not dump a bunch of notes here at once like this.
I have been going to a tasting/study group in Boulder weekly which is awesome- getting the chance to taste 6 or more different wines from one region in a single sitting is great, and I am learning alot. 
Without farther ado...

• 2010 Santi Apostoli Venezie IGT - Italy, Veneto, Venezie IGT (4/19/2012)
  
  nice acid and a decent wine on a hot day. of course not too much complexity or depth there. but it gets the job done. you may find better italian pg at the price, certainly could find worse. (84 points)



• 2008 Seven of Hearts Chardonnay Elvenglade - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton (4/13/2012)
  
  no formal notes but good drinking chard. nice acidity, light but present usage of oak. (88 points)



• 2009 Luminous Hills Pinot Noir Estate Grown - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton (4/13/2012)
  
  c- very light brick brown/red. a- alcohol, not much else. f- touch of cherries, burnt rubber, alcohol but again not much. the only thing this bottle does seem to have in fair amounts is alcohol at 15% abv. (84 points)



• 2010 Seven of Hearts Grenache Chatte d'Avignon - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (4/13/2012)
  
  no formal notes. I guess my biggest problem is that it doesn't taste like grenache at all. kind of smells like urinal cakes. (82 points)



• 2010 Seven of Hearts Viognier Ice Princess Rattlesnake Road - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley (4/13/2012)
  
  no formal notes. this seemed to have very little acid to it to balance the sweetness, though the winemaker insisted it had great acidity. one trick pony of peach and apricot, then its over. (82 points)



• 2009 Seven of Hearts Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (4/13/2012)
  
  no formal notes. barely identifiable as pinot. very little aroma of any sort. palate is thin, short, short finish. smelled corked, tasted corked, but the winemaker himself served this after tasting it. (75 points)



• 2010 Trapiche Malbec Oak Cask - Argentina, Mendoza (4/8/2012)
  
  c- purple. a- blackberry, plum, tobacco, tea. f- much the same. more oak flavor in the mouth. not bad for the price, but i might spend five bucks more and get something nicer if i had someone to impress. or maybe not. (85 points)



• 2008 Tenuta di Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico (3/30/2012)
  
  sweet oak on the nose, a deeper, darker color than expected. cherry, berries, barnyard in the nose. bitter cherry palate, earth, acid. good depth of flavor. give it some air time when you open it. i have had this twice blind and gotten it wrong both times, the first with it being the only wine at the tasting i had before. i guess all that means is that i'll have to drink more chianti classico riserva! (89 points)



• 2010 Domaine de Montfaucon Viognier - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays d'Oc (3/30/2012)
  
  no formal notes. gold color. rich, aromatic nose- flowers, stone fruit, mineral. carries to the mouth, full mouth for sure. med finish. good for the price. got it blind! (89 points)



• 2010 Rivera Castel del Monte Preludio No 1 - Italy, Puglia, Castel del Monte (3/30/2012)
  
  light, light yellow. nose of tree fruit, white flowers, touch of honey. continues to the mouth, with a rich, full mouth feel. some minerality, more in the nose than palate. no oak present. bottle says it is aged on lees. think this cost around ten bucks, good daily drinker at that price. (86 points)



• 2008 Mauritson Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County - USA, California, Sonoma County (3/26/2012)
  
  c- dark purple black,lighter rim. a- dry dusty earth. cassis, blackberry, light bell pepper. f- dusty tannins, darker fruits, good earthiness to it. m+ body, M+ finish (90 points)



• 2009 Domaine Spiropoulos Mantinia - Greece, Peloponnisos, Mantinia (3/26/2012)
  
  no formal notes. golden color. very interesting nose, kind of latex balloony. reminds me of a gueuze. pretty light, acid. richer mouth feel probably from lees contact. it is different and interesting. i like it. (89 points)



• 2010 Martin Arndorfer Grüner Veltliner Strasser Weinberge - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (3/26/2012)
  
  no formal notes. (88 points)



• 2008 Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico (3/26/2012)
  
  c- purple, lighter rim. a- tart cherry, earth, barnyard. f- tart/bitter cherry, red fruit. (86 points)



• 2001 Maison Leroy Bourgogne - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne (3/26/2012)
  
  think this is fading compared to the previous two. would recommend to drink soon. (85 points)



• 2003 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile - France, Alsace, Ribeauvillé, Alsace AOC (3/19/2012)
  
  no formal notes, but a very good wine. (92 points)



• 2005 Dr. Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (3/19/2012)
  
  c- gold with green hints. a- peach melon, wet burlap, crushed rock, petrol. f- great acidity. peach, melon, depth. m body, m- finish (90 points)



• 2007 Venus La Universal Montsant Dido - Spain, Catalunya, Tarragona, Montsant (3/19/2012)
  
  no formal notes. tasted blind. very interesting hot asphalt/tar in the nose. guessed sardinian cannonau. Guess not too far off really. (90 points)



• 2009 François Pinon Vouvray Cuvée Tradition - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (3/19/2012)
  
  c- gold. a- chalk/wet stone, pear, apple, wax. f- bright acid. pear, lanolin/heavy wax. honey. lightly goaty/ hay. earth. m+ body, m finish. good qpr. one of those interesting bottles that you come across on occasion. (90 points)



• NV Campbells Muscat Rutherglen - Australia, Victoria, North East, Rutherglen (3/19/2012)
  
  c- brown to tawny near rim. a- nut, apple, baked cake. f- almost pudding like. good acid, depth of nutty flavor. (90 points)



• 2005 Château La Tarcière Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (3/19/2012)
  
  c- gold, green hints. a- earth, white flowers, toasty, lemon. f- creamy lemon, mineral, zingy acid, white flowers. m- body, m- finish (89 points)



• 2009 Craggy Range Te Kahu Gimblett Gravels Vineyard - New Zealand, North Island, Hawkes Bay, Gimblett Gravels (3/19/2012)
  
  no formal notes. tasted blind. guessed n. american bordeaux blend. far away geographically speaking, but got the grapes right! (89 points)



• 2009 Domaine Allimant-Laugner Muscat - France, Alsace, Alsace AOC (3/19/2012)
  
  c- yellow green. a- granite, slight musk, floral, lemon. f- wow! very floral and fruity (lemon and exotics). you get some of that in the nose, but very different in palate. m body, m finish. (89 points)



• 2010 René Muré Pinot Gris Signature - France, Alsace, Alsace AOC (3/19/2012)
  
  no formal notes. tasted blind. guessed chenin blanc from loire. (89 points)



• 2010 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Drachenstein Riesling Dragonstone - Germany, Rheingau (3/19/2012)
  
  no formal notes, but a good wine at a good price. (88 points)



• 2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (3/19/2012)
  
  no formal notes, but this was definitely not a 93 point wine. certainly not bad for what it was and what it cost though. (87 points)



• 2009 La Carraia Sangiovese Umbria IGT - Italy, Umbria, Umbria IGT (3/19/2012)
  
  i had a full on cold when i tasted this, but... c- deep purple. a- blackberry, cassis, bitter cherry. earthy crushed mineral. f- bitter cherry, mineralistic, slight barnyard. (87 points)



• 2009 Yalumba Y Series Shiraz/Viognier - Australia, South Australia (3/19/2012)
  
  no formal notes. open it a bit before you plan to serve it or decant. (86 points)



• 2010 Cline Cellars Zinfandel California - USA, California (3/19/2012)
  
  c- deep darkpurple. a- brambly woodsyness, darker fruits. f- dark fruits, brambles, dried herbs. m+ body, M+ finish (86 points)



• 2008 Domaine des Baumard Savennières - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières (3/7/2012)
  
  didn't take formal notes. definite goaty nose, with some lanolin, beeswax, wool, barnyard, hay showing more in mouth. add some tree fruits, a rich honey texture, and bright acid. good stuff. (91 points)



• 2010 Domaine Pierre de la Grange (Luneau-Papin) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Vieilles Vignes Sur Lie - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (3/7/2012)
  
  didn't take formal notes, nice light easy drinker with good depth of flavor. acid, some salty earth, lemon, toasty brioche. (90 points)



• 2010 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Cot La Pépiè - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Vin de Pays du Jardin (3/7/2012)
  
  no formal notes, but a pretty interesting take on malbec. unmistakeable nose(and vibrant color) of carbonic maceration, making this a lighter, easy drinker. would be nice slightly chilled during the summer. (89 points)



• 2010 Domaine Fabrice Gasnier Chinon Les Graves - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (3/7/2012)
  
  didn't take formal notes, but some vegetal nose, with black and blue fruits there as well. good acid, dusty earth/tannins. good bottle. (89 points)



• 2009 Domaine Filliatreau Saumur Château Fouquet - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (3/7/2012)
  
  didn't take formal notes, but pretty interesting very animalistic barnyardy nose. good depth of flavor. would buy. (88 points)



• 2010 Jean Dumont Sancerre Les Monchottes - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre (3/7/2012)
  
  didn't take formal notes, but good bright acid and fruit with definitive minerality present. (88 points)



• 2005 Fattoria Rodáno Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico (1/22/2012)
  
  c- ruby to garnet. a- cherry, earth, barnyard. f- deep, dusty tannins, earthy funky cherry. pretty good. (90 points)



• 2007 Château Nozières Cahors Ambroise de l'Her - France, Southwest France, Cahors (1/22/2012)
  
  c- dark concentrated purple. a- animalistic funk, plum, black berry. f- deep. fruit there but less so than in nose. earth and some oak present. m+ body, m+ finish (87 points)



• 2010 Tilia - Argentina, Mendoza (1/22/2012)
  
  c- dark purple, concentrated, some sediment. a- oak, blackberry, cassis, plum. f- confirms more obviously fruity. some tannins. m+ body, m+ finish. certainly good value. (86 points)



• 2009 Clos La Coutale Cahors - France, Southwest France, Cahors (1/22/2012)
  
  c- dark purple. a- spicy. plum, blackberry, cassis, rustic. f- confirms. a little cheesy. m+ body M+ finish (85 points)



• 2009 Banfi Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico (1/22/2012)
  
  c- purple. a- cherry, barnyard, funk. f-slightly sweet, cherry, earth. ok. (84 points)



• 2009 Querceto Chianti - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti (1/22/2012)
  
  c- dusty purple. a- tart cherry, barnyard, hay, raspberry. f- similar, light and drinkable but nothing amazing. (83 points)



• 2009 Castello di Gabbiano Chianti - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti (1/22/2012)
  
  c- purple. a- cherry, barnyard funk. f- tart cherry, funk, but not much there. however, good basic wine for the money. (82 points)



• 1995 Remoissenet Père et Fils Corton-En Charlemagne Diamond Jubilee - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru (12/31/2011)
  
  still going strong. deep gold in color. deep aroma of hazelnuts, toasted almonds, white flowers, citrus. flavors of roasted crushed nuts, citrus, peach, melon. 93-94. plenty of life left. (93 points)

Posted from CellarTracker

Wychwood- Hobgoblin.

This beer pours with a dark amber color and little head. Roasty, slightly nutty and caramel aromas invite you in for a taste. This is a great beer. Light carbonation, rich full mouth feel. Slightly sweet and malty taste, with dark malts obviously in play. Flavors of caramel, nuts, light bitterness, lingering malt flavor.
Overall, pretty darn good. One of the better English or English style ales I have had in a while. Besides mine that is. Time to get brewin!

2010 Bodegas Obalo Rioja

• 2010 Bodegas Obalo Rioja - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (4/19/2012)
  
  c- see through purple, but at the same time pretty extracted- can see color in the legs. a- blackberry, raspberry, baking spice, some earthiness. f- pretty juicy fruit in the darker red vein. some baking spices and a touch of earth. good qpr, and most definitely a better than average everyday drinker at the price. i could see this being liked by fans of both new and old world wines. the up front fruit could appeal to the nwers and the touches of earth to the owers. seemed to improve/change with some air time, i have set the drinking window to indicate some of this development. (89 points)

Posted from CellarTracker

Domaine A et P de Villaine Bourgogne Blanc "Les Clous"

I bought eight bottles of this at auction for 15 each a little while ago. I intended on holding them a bit, but with money tight, I decided to tap into one of them this week.
The name on the bottle should be enough to cause the nether regions of any Burgundy lover to tremble, as this is the personal domaine of Aubert de Villaine, one of the coowners of Domaine Romanee-Conti, considered by many to be the finest wine producer in the whole of the Cote d'Or. DRC, whose bottles regularly sell for prices in the thousands, and up to five digits per bottle for older wines that have been properly stored. That is, if you can even find them. The relative scarcity of their wines doesn't help with the price at all.
But here is something you could have for a fraction of that, made by the same hands that make one of the wine worlds treasures...
2009 A. et P. de Villaine "Les Clous" 12.5% abv.
c- very light, close to water gold with green hints.
a- white flowers, mineral, lemon zest, orange zest, nut, vanilla.
f- smooth creamy mouthfeel. mineral, peach, lemon and lemon zest. light nut. light vanilla or marshmallow in finish. M+ mouth with m finish.
90
Pretty darn good. Even at a retail of 30 (suggested by winesearcher.com), I would buy this again. And yes, my nether regions are tingling.

Hennessy Cognac tasting.

I managed to secure myself an invite to a tasting and seminar hosted by Oak Restaurant in Boulder yesterday. Though I have walked by Oak lots of times (and it always looks busy), this was my first time inside and I must say I was pretty impressed. It has a neat look to it.
The seminar was conducted by Cyrille Gautier Auriol, a Global Brand Ambassador for Hennessy. He is 8th or 9th generation from a family that has been in Cognac since the 1800's.
We started with a sidecar made with VSOP. This is the first time and will not be the last time that I have had this cocktail. It was pretty tasty.
The tasting featured Hennessy XO, Paradis, and their top of the line Richard. He spoke for a good hour, telling us about the region, how and when the blenders taste, how they make the final blend, aging, grapes, and so on. In comparing the colors of the spirits I would say it was the Richard that was the darkest and had the most concentrated color to it, but it was only a slight difference between it and the XO. All displayed the neatly running legs I would expect to see in older spirits, with the Richard again looking almost like brush strokes dropped straight down. And eventually we did get to taste...
Hennessy XO.
Blended in production 2-3 times, taking 24 months to assemble the final blend. Oldest approximately 30 years, give or take. Comprised of up to 100 eaux-de-vies.
Peppery, baking spices (cinnamon, allspice, light vanilla, clove), candied fruit, caramelized sugar. A little firey in the mouth.
Hennseey Paradis.
The name comes from the cellar where Cognac producers store their oldest spirits, "paradise". This was first produced in 1979. Contains over 100 eaux-de-vies, oldest being from late 1800's. Made only from petit and grand champagne cognacs.
Silky smooth mouth, nuts, rancio, baking spices, some floral aroma and flavor, tobacco, long finish. I could taste this one for quite awhile despite several sips of water to prepare myself for the next one...
Hennessy Richard.
As I said, this is their top of the line stuff. I thought we would just get a tiny taste, but the pour was very generous- probably close to an ounce. At 2500-3000 dollars a bottle, that means I drank a hundred or more dollars. First produced in 1996. Contains spirits dating from 1830-60 and made from Folle Blanche (Ugni Blanc is now the main grape). Minimum age is 45 years, maximum 200.
This stuff was amazing. I don't think I will ever forget drinking this. Even smoother mouth feel, rancio, fruit, baking spices, sugar, earth, dried leaves, nut, citrus, tobacco. Incredibly complex and nuanced. Long long finish. I could taste this half an hour later. My coworker sitting next to me said she got a tear in her eye, and yes, I could see how this could move you to tears.
It was a very fun and interesting event, and a great opportunity to taste and increase my knowledge. Thanks again to Brian at Oak.

New year.

Here's what I've been up to lately...
2009 Roth Estate Pinot Noir 14.5%
c- less concentrated purple.
a- raspberry, cranberry, baked cherry.
f- above with tarry rubber and slight brambly earth. m body, m finish.
89-90
2002 Ridge Buchignani Ranch Carignane 13.7%
c- almost black center to garnet edges
a- tar/rubber, dark fruits - blackberry
f- plum, slight tar. nice acid, not much fruit. oak present. m+ body, m+ finish. past it's prime i would guess.
87
2007 Quinta do Vallado Touriga Nacional 14.5%
c- dark very concentrated purple black to thinner rim.
a- oak, rich dark fruits, depth.
f- cedary oak, deep flavor, dark fruits. almost port like in some aspects (not surprising of course.) I wanted to try this one since it is made of one of the principal grapes used in port.
92
2004 Cabidos "Les Abesses" Petit Manseng 11%
c- bronze
a- apple, lemon, cantaloupe, earth or used oak
f- apple, citrus. sweet but with balancing acid. m+ body, m+ finish with caramel, oak, earth.
I got this because I hadn't heard of the varietal. I wish I had bought more!
91
2010 KWV Pinotage 14%
c- magenta
a- tar, earth, raspberry, strawberry.
f- manure, raspberry. m body, m finish.
85
2009 JJ Prum Riesling Kabinett 9%
c- light green, almost water.
a- peach, melon, stone/slate.
f- bright acid, lemon, peach, white flowers. lightly sweet, touch melon. m- body, m- finish
89
1992 Jadot Corton-Pougets Grand Cru 13.5%
c- garnet to brown
a- older pinot, earth, tart cherry,
f- really not much. past its prime. some acid and earth still.
80
2005 Jobard Meursault Blagny 1er cru
c- straw with green hints
a- crushed rock, white flowers, nut, peach, lemon
f- rich, round. mineral, nut, steel, opulent peach. wonderful. m+ finish, full body.
this was my last of 5 bottles, 3 of which were oxidized, 1 of which was ok, and this one was great.
92
2009 E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone Blanc 13.5%
c- straw to water.
a- white flowers, melon, lemon, apricot.
f- good balancing acid, fruits confirm. marshmallowy, vanillay in the finish. m+ body, m finish.
86

The best wine I have ever had.

Today I popped a bottle I picked up online. I had seen several up at auction a few months ago but the price kept me away. The rating- a 96 from Wine Spectator- attracted my eye, and relative to other much more expensive bottles (Giacosa, Scavino, Vietti), it had a higher rating, and therefore was something I had to try.
2000 Giacomo Grimaldi Barolo "Le Coste" 14.5% abv
c- the typical of aged Barolo, black inky depths to a faded orange rim.
a- goes on forever. Roses, violet, tar, raspberry, blackberry, dry earth.
f- dry roses, tar, animal or game, raspberry, balsamic. caramel and truffle way way back on the finish. m+ body, l+ finish.
94-95
This was an amazing bottle! The finish seemed to go on forever, and I was picking up nuances of different things as that time went on. Really spectacular. A wine of singular character.
Just for reference, I paid 55 for this bottle. In the big scheme of things, that is alot of money. But compared to single vineyard bottlings from the above producers, a relative steal. I will remember this one for a long time and I'll be on the lookout for more of it.

The Wines of the Northern Rhone Valley.

I have been wanting to taste some of the Northern Rhones I have been reading about and studying, so I found some! These are not in the order that I drank them, but I will start to the south and head north.
First up:
1999 E. Guigal Hermitage 13% abv
c- garnet purple fading to orange rim.
a- plum, strawberry, cassis, pine herbs, animal, leather, meat.
f- plum, strawberry, currant, meat, smoke, vanilla and campfire. some spices and pine herbs. m+body and m+ finish.
91
2008 Domaine Faury St. Joseph 13% abv
c- ruby to garnet edges
a- blackberry, plum, bell pepper, animal, leather, vanilla, spices, pine herbs.
f- blackberry, plum, black pepper, animal, leather, spices, pine herbs. m+body, m+ finish
89-90
2008 Domaine Faury Cote Rotie 13% abv
c- purple/ruby with lighter rim
a- blackberry, currant, vanilla, spices, and pine herbs.
f- blackberry, currant, strawberry, white pepper, vanilla and campfire. m+ body, m+ finish.
89
The best was the Hermitage of course also the most expensive. A really great wine of depth and personality. But for my money, I would seek the Faury St. Joseph. I found it to be just as good if not even better than the Cote Rotie, which cost me a little more than three times as much. Honestly, I was disappointed with the Cote Rotie. I was really expecting more. As you can see from my notes, it was actually pretty close to the St. Joseph. I will have to try some from another producer when I can find some at a reasonable price.

Germany, Burgundy and the "Pinot" of Italy.

Well my collection has grown and I felt the need to dip into it for a few things over the weeks. First I wanted to taste two Burgundies, and then a Barbaresco, made from Nebbiolo, the grape called the pinot of Italy.
2006 Philippe Colin 1er St. Aubin Les Combes 13.5% abv.
c- yellow to straw, green hints.
a- lemon peel, peach, cantaloupe, hazelnuts, butter, white flowers.
f- toast, lemon, oak, nuts, flowers, minerality, stone.
M+ body, m+ finish
91-92
2007 Paitin Sori'Paitin Barbaresco 14% abv.
c- garnet to orange.
a- rose, violet, tar, animal, raspberry, cherry.
f- confirms. Mineral, dried rose, tar, violet, animal.
92
1997 Charlopin Clos de Fixey 13%
c- amazingly after 14 years in bottle this still has a pretty concentrated color. garnet to orange edges.
a- tart red cherry, plum, raspberry, chalk, animal, vanilla, baking spices.
f- tart red cherry, raspberry, animal, forest, campfire, smoke. long finish, medium bodied. pretty darn good.
91
2005 Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Spatlese 8.5%
c- yellow with green hints.
a- peach, melon, citrus, petrol, slate, flowers.
f- peach, lemon peel, melon, mineral, some floral. m body and m finish.
92

Beaujolais!

The third Thursday of November marks the release date of Beaujolais Nouveau, the wine made from the Gamay grape in the same year of release. This is accompanied by much fanfare around the world, but of course, Nouveau is nothing serious, but rather a fun, gulpable, grapey wine meant to be drunk soon after release and best slightly chilled.
I have read a wine writer (forget who) describe Beaujolais as a white wine that happens to be red. I can see some truth in this. There is really no tannin, a high acidity, and while the flavors skew towards red wine (berry, red fruits, etc), it is a very fruit forward easy drinker...
2011 Deboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 12.5% abv.
c- electric purple, thins to edges, watery rim.
a- grape, candy, pear.
f- the same. not alot going on here, but drinkable with a light body and short finish.
84
2010 L'Ancien Beaujolais 12% abv.
c- clear purple to ruby rim.
a- granite, strawberry, raspberry, earth, more serious.
f- lighter but some depth. tobacco, deeper berry. short finish, light body.
87
2009 Christian Vergier Morgon "Tour de Tanay" 13% abv.
-this is from one of the crus or more distinguished wine producing villages in Beaujolais.
c- clear purple to ruby rim.
a- concord grape, strawberry, raspberry, dark gravel, more serious again.
f- grape is predominate with strawberry, raspberry, leather, and earth. light+ body with a medium finish.
88
Some don't like the fresh fruit flavors of Beaujolais. For those I would recommend seeking out the crus, though the label won't say Beaujolais on it anywhere. Your local shop should be able to help you find something though.
I guess no real favorite here. All pretty easy to drink but I guess if pressed I would pick the L'Ancien because of the definite earthiness to it.

Good news, Champagne/Sparkling and a few treats.

I will start with the good news. Last week I was able to pass the level one sommelier certification class and test administered by the Court of Master Sommeliers. I told Katie that I felt like I over studied, but I guess that paid off since I got the highest grade in the class!
I didn't feel the test was too hard since I was pretty familiar with most of the material. It was 70 questions multiple choice pass/fail and you had to get 60% or more correct to pass, so it would seem like the odds were greatly in your favor. Yet I would say 15-25% of the people in the class didn't pass. I talked to one of my coworkers about that and she said she thought people came to the class expecting to learn everything they needed to know, which is just not the case. They do cover everything, but it is at a very quick pace, so a good background is definitely needed.
Something else that also helped me alot was my like of many of the classical areas they covered. I already knew the 5 first growths of Bordeaux, basically didn't have to study Burgundy and Germany at all, knew northern Italy, the Rhone valley, etc.
Anyway, I will be going for level 2 in about a year. I am excited for that. Lots of studying and tasting to do in the mean time.
This week I had the pleasure of tasting two really great wines thanks to a customer at work. The first was one of the first growth Bordeauxs mentioned, a 1964 Haut-Brion from magnum. I didn't take notes, but this was one of the best red wines I have ever had. Tobacco, dried leaves, wet dog (in a good way), dark red and black fruits. Great depth, and I could literally taste it minutes later. I will have to rate it a 93-94.
The owner of the bottle said he felt it was on the way out, and that 750mL bottles of the same he had in the past few years were much better.
The other was a 2004 j.f. Coche-Dury Meursault. He is one of the few consistently high quality white wine producers in Burgundy, and his wines are expensive. Even this bottle with a basic village ac will set you back 200 or more. Great nose, steely crushed rock minerality, toasted hazelnut, honey, white flowers. Amazing depth. 91.
The week before I bought a few different sparkling wines to try. The first I had heard good things about and was looking forward to.
NV Gruet Brut Methode Champenoise (from 375mL).
c- light yellow.
a- toast, flowers, marble.
f- light honey, some minerality. light body, short finish. not much else...
84
NV Nicholas Feuillatte Brut Rose 12% abv (from 750mL).
c- pink to salmon.
a- strawberry, tart apple, yeast.
f- strawberry with red apple more predominate. light but steely minerality. m body with a m+ finish. really pretty good.
90-91
NV Taittinger Brut La Francaise 12% abv (from 375mL).
c- gold.
a- toast, apple, soft pretzel.
f- caramel with secondary flavors developing. mineral. m finish and m+ body.
87
The least expensive here was the Gruet, and that would be a good everyday drinker, or something to get for parties on a budget. I got the Taittinger in a half bottle so it was relatively affordable, but in a full bottle the Feuillatte would be less expensive and I found it to be better. That would be my pick of the litter this time around.

Cabernet Sauvignon.

This time around I was on to Cabernets. I tasted one French vs. two American examples.
2005 Christian Moueix "Medoc" 13.5% abv
c- garnet to orange edges.
a- cassis, gravel, clay, oak. blackberry, bell pepper?
f- m body, m+ finish. plum, dark fruits, berry, cinnamon?
87
2008 Ghost Pines Cabernet 13.9% abv
c- purple black.
a- cassis, dark fruit, plum, blackberry, oak.
f- confirms. full- body, medium+ finish. fruity and berry. some tannin, good but simple.
87
2005 Jordan Cabernet Alexander Valley 13.5% abv
c- dark ruby black to garnet edges.
a- earth, cassis, bell pepper, dark fruits.
f- touch oak, nice acid. full mouth, long- finish. very good. confirms aroma.
90-91
My favorite was the Jordan, but this will be the most expensive. I got a great deal and paid 33 a bottle, but I think you'll see it more around 50. It is different from alot of Cali cabs in that it seems to be more earth driven and less obviously fruity.
As far as value, the Moueix 'Medoc' while obviously a product of marketing, wasn't bad for the price (12), as well as the Ghost Pines (20ish). Of those two, I suppose I would have to give the nod to the Medoc.

I'm not drinking any fucking Merlot. Oh wait...

I'll start you off with an infamous scene from the great movie Sideways. Though this was a work of fiction, it actually (this line in particular) had an effect on the wine industry. Sales of Merlot went down, and sales of Pinot Noir (Miles' favorite) went up.
Merlot has its historic home in Bordeaux. Here it is used in smaller proportions in left bank wines (west of the river Gironde) and in general, is the main constituent of right bank wines. Of course, these days it is grown all over the place.
2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Estates Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 14.5% abv
c- dark purple.
a- (can't read some of my writing), dark fruit, oak.
f- confirms with oak more present. smoother and softer mouthfeel. full body, long finish with notes of chocolate.
87
2006 Burgess Napa Valley Merlot 14.4% abv.
c- purple to ruby at edges.
a- gravel to slate? earthier, dark fruits, a little hot, oak, campfire.
f- earth, depth. full- body, m+ finish. some oak, darker fruits.
88
2007 Souverain Merlot Alexander Valley 14.5% abv.
c- purple.
a- cassis, dark fruit, dry earth.
f- deep. full body, long finish, dark fruits, light oak influence. pretty good.
89
My favorite here was the Souverain which was also the least expensive. Again, all of these were under twenty dollars, and I think they were all good enough that I would buy them again, though I am not a big Merlot drinker. I don't hate it like Miles, but it's not something I would normally pick if left to my own devices.

The reds less travelled.

This week I was going to try three different reds from varietals that are seen less. That plan didn't quite work out, but I was pretty happy with all the wines that I tasted.
2009 Eugenio Bocchino "Roccabella" Nebbiolo de Langhe 14% abv
c- dusty red
a- violet, tar, animalistic, very perfumy and aromatic but a little restrained.
f- deep long finish, medium mouthfeel. very tannic. nice acidity. nuanced, subtle, earthy. violets and tar. good now but could use some time.
90 now with bottle age I could see this in the 92-94 range.
2006 Odfjell Orzada Carignane Cauquenes, Chile 13.5% abv
c- dark black purple, lighter edges.
a- motor oil (also described as the smell of the plate on the back of a semi cab- the smell of grease, dirt, and metal rubbed together), alcohol, dark fruit, oak.
f- funky (as in off the beaten path). dark fruit, oak, nice adicity. a little alcoholic? full bodied, medium to long finish. I decanted this to get it off the sediment and then poured it back into the bottle for storage. the oak became much more integrated with some air time, day two onwards. would recommend a decant.
88-89.
2004 Marques de Caceres Rioja Reserva 13.5% abv
c- maroon to lighter pink edges.
a- tart cherries, vanilla, earthiness, animal.
f- medium body, long finish. more earth with less fruit. cherry, tobacco, berries, espresso.
89-90. I think this is the first Rioja I had and YUM!
I was happy to break a seemingly long streak without tasting any really great wines. I think all of the wines I tasted this week would be worth buying by the case to keep around for the future. I could see the Carignane being a little off putting to some as well as hard to pair with food, but as I have said before, it was interesting. And the best part is that all of these wines can be had for 20 or less dollars!

Zinfandel/Primitivo tasting and comparison.

I am the first to admit that Zinfandels aren't really my thing. If left to my own devices, I would probably not buy many or any at all, but in the name of science and education, I tasted four different wines over the past two weeks.
The thing I don't really like is the big and brash personality- often accompanied by prodigous amounts of alcohol. The lowest percentage abv of the wines I tried this time around was 14. They seem to be hard to pair with food, at least what I have been eating. I imagine they would work best with something simple like grilled steak.
But I do like the earthy, woodsy, mushroomy flavors and aromas I found in these bottles. That is certainly something I would go back for. I have liked the more expensive and refined and sometimes aged zins that I have had the opportunity to try from producers such as Turley and Ridge. I rated Orin Swifts' The Prisoner (primarily based on zin) at 92 points. Maybe I do like them after all?
2007 Felline Primitivo di Manduria 14% abv
c- dark concentrated purple, light bricking at edges.
a- alcohol, acid, dark baked fruits, stewed plum.
f- dark stewed fruits, medium plus body. not horrible, but disappointing for the price.
83
Rosenblum Cellars Cuvee XXXIII Zinfandel 14.5% abv
c- magenta but not very concentrated color.
a- acid, oak, smells pinotish?
f- lighter, brambly woodsiness, mushroomy, spicy, hot. Ok and got better with some time- definitely better on the second day.
85
2007 Bogle "Phantom" 14.5% abv- This is actually majority petite sirah, with 44% zin.
c- deep concentrated purple
a- oak, alcohol, berry
f- oaky, vanilla, wood. some of that brambly woodsiness. off balance and incredibly oaky. decanted on the second day and it helped a little, but not much.
82. Funny if you google "2007 bogle phantom" one of the first things that comes up is someone elses blog who states that they would recommend this to people who like The Prisoner because it is half the price and still hits on most of the same cylinders. I couldn't disagree more. The Prisoner has refinement, class, and much more to it than oak!
2009 Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel 15% abv.
c- dark but clear purple.
a- berry, woodsy, mushroom, alcohol.
f- really confirms the aroma with a touch of oak. a bit hot, but seems much more in balance than the Bogle. Medium plus body with a medium plus finish.
88
Overall a fun experiment. I would buy again and recommend the Rosenblum and Cline. Both were pretty tasty and represent good values. The primitivo was fun to try, but a disappointment for the price. The Bogle was my least favorite. I wish I had skipped that and tried Orin Swifts' Saldo instead. Maybe next time.
On a side note, my wine 'cellar' has now grown to over 100 bottles and is valued at roughly 5300. The oldest and also most expensive bottle I have is a 1989 Trimbach Clos Ste Hune Vendanges Tardive. The youngest bottles that I have and plan on keeping for a little bit are 8 2009 A. et P. de Villaine Cote Chalonnaise 'Les Clous'.
Around 30% of my cellar is Chardonnay, with 22% Pinot Noir, 17% Riesling, and 13% Syrah/Shiraz, however, it is 52% red and 48% white overall. The region most represented by far is Burgundy, with 56 bottles or 51%, with the Rhone being second with 17 bottles or 15%.

Pinot Gris/Grigio tasting and comparison.

Last week I was hankerin' for some whites, so I decided to taste a few Pinot Gris/Grigios. My experience with this varietal (besides in reading) is limited to the two selections we have at my work, so it seemed like a good idea...
2006 Hugel Pinot Gris "Classic" 12.5% abv
c- light gold, hints of green
a- minerality, slate, white flowers, spicy
f- acidity (I actually wrote 'boom!'), mineral, touch of honey. crisp. medium mouth feel, between a short and medium finish. floral.
89
2009 Bollini Pinot Grigio Trentino 13% abv
c- yellow gold
a-musky, white flowers, acid
f- lemon, snappy, acid. light mouth, short finish. very drinkable but doesn't stand out to me like the Hugel.
85
2009 Handley Pinot Gris Anderson Valley 14.2% abv
c- gold
a- apple
f- acidity, honey. short finish, light mouth. alcoholic and flabby. not much there.
84-
There is a clear winner here again- Hugel. I think this was again around the most expensive bottle, but the Pinot Grigio was close if I remember correctly. I would buy the Hugel again, and also the Bollini but probably only as a summer refresher. I was disappointed with Handley. I have really liked most of their wines I have tried, but as you can tell from my notes, I didn't find much there to say about it. Oh well.
Next week: Zinfandels!

Syrah/Shiraz tasting.

My local store didn't have much in the way of American Syrahs except for one that I have had before. I really wanted to taste one along a French and Australian example, but oh well. This includes one I had tasted in the month prior.
2008 Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage "Petit-Ruche" 12.5% abv.
c- concentrated darker/bricking red.
a- spicy, smoky, jalapeno, vegetable.
f- really carries to the mouth. seems watered down. jalapenos, wood. lighter than expected. lighter mouth and shorter finish. interesting vanilla-y/marshmallow finish.
85
2009 Yalumba "Y series" Shiraz-Viognier South Australia 13.5% abv.
94% shiraz, 6% viognier. I know this blend may sound odd, but there is a long tradition of adding viognier to syrah in the Cote Rotie, the northern Rhone region of France.
c- dark purple/ black concentrated color.
a- berry, earth-leather, touch tart cherry, softer.
f- big. some tannin. fruity, soft. med body, med finish.
87
2008 Yalumba Shiraz-Viognier Eden Valley 14.5% abv.
97% shiraz, 3% viognier.
c- dark concentrated inky purple black.
a- tequila? red berries, blue berry. tart cherry. mellow oak, leather.
f- cedary oak, fruit. soft. medium body but shorter finish.
87 (of interest this bottle from a more specific region and costing more got the same score as the one above, costing less).
2008 Heartland Shiraz South Australia 14.5% abv.
c- dark inky purple, very concentrated.
a- tobacco, chocolate, dark fruits, oak.
f- cedary oak. big full bodied longer finish. dark fruits, vanilla, touch tannin.
88
What did I like here? The Chapoutier had the lowest score but it was different and therefore interesting. But I probably wouldn't buy again unless I could find it at a lesser price. The yaluma y series is clearly a good deal, and the heartland wasn't bad either, though a few dollars more. I would buy both again.

California Pinot Noir comparison.

This time around I bought three bottles of California Pinot. One from the north, one from the south, and one from the general California appellation. I also have tasting notes from one I tried at work, as well as a Australian Pinot that I had shortly before.
2009 Bogle Pinot Noir California 14.2% abv.
c- magenta, cranberry juice.
a- apple jam, apple, plum.
f- touch tarry rubber, fruit, balanced, longer finish but lighter bodied. touch of alcohol at the end.
In the same league as other similarly priced pinots (10ish).
85
2009 Brophy Clark Santa Barbara County PN 13.5% abv.
c- purply deep red.
a- more earthy, manure, dark black cherry.
f- medicinal or vitaminy. fruity. alcohol seems more present despite lower abv. this wine became more favorable after a day open, however I would pass on it.
84
2007 Handley Anderson Valley PN 14.2% abv.
c- dusty violet/rose.
a- spicy, fruit, pinot.
f- carries good depth, balanced. Raspberry/cherry. Showed better on second day with cola/anise notes.
90
2009 Talbott "kali hart" Monterey PN 14.8% abv.
c- clear ruby purple.
a- pinot, cherry, alcohol, acid.
f- same. hot. shorter finish. med mouth feel. oak present as vanilla, which seems to lend it an odd sweetness.
85
2008 Little Yering PN 13.5% abv.
c- garnet, touch brown.
a- pinot, baked cherry, earth, acid.
f- similar. Balanced acid, lighter, but not bad for the price(10ish).
85
Clearly the best wine here was the Handley. This was also the most expensive. The Brophy Clark was a disappointment for the price and I will probably not buy anything by them again. Conversely, both the Little Yering and Bogle were good for the price. Many wines at a less expensive price point can show true varietal character, but this seems more difficult with pinot. Great pinot is not something that comes cheap!

Chardonnay tasting.

A few weeks ago I decided that a good way to familiarize myself with a variety of wines and styles would be to buy three different examples of the same grape from different places totally (countries) or from smaller appellations in larger regions (Cali Pinots as an example).
I started off with a few Chardonnays....
2009 Christian Vergier "Eros" Macon-Villages 12.5% abv.
c- pale yellow/gold.
a- brioche, creek water (corked), white flowers.
f- acidic, zippy. honeysuckle. the slight corkiness adds something in this case.
89
2007 Argyle Willamette Valley Chardonnay 13.5% abv.
c- pale yellow/green.
a- oak, nut, acid, tart green apple.
f- light buttery oak, campfire, apple, marshmallow/vanilla medium finish.
87
2009 Joseph Drouhin St. Veran
No notes taken, but like a nicer entry level(10$) macon-villages.
88
The winner here was the Vergier "Eros". Great food friendly wine at a decent price.