This winter, I need my hot wines even hotter

A common bit of advice from wine experts is drink your reds at a cool 65F (20C), which is slighly above the temperature of a wine cellar (you know that large room you enter after you walk down the stone stairs starting from the first floor). But in the winter, we keep our place pretty cool. Often cooler than 65F. And when I'm having a big fruity spicy red, I want it to taste that way. I want the flavors to explode, not sit dociley behind the cool curtain.

So I'm trying to drink them warmer. I've debated heating the glass up, but haven't resorted to that. Instead I just swirl them in my hands hoping to warm them up a bit.

The same goes for big oaked whites. Have them warmer... say just below room temp for maximum impact.

A successful hunt: Finca Luzon 2003

I got a bottle of this a long time ago. A super bargain at WS 93 and only $16, it was fantastic at a Spanish wine tasting I ran back in early 2008. Most people thought it was the best wine there, including me. Fruity and ripe and rich with complex wood and spice notes that went down smoothly. Of course, since I only had a small glass (since the one bottle was shared among 15 people), I wanted more and it tasted even better because of the scarcity. Sigh. In my mind it was a 95 pointer.

But this wine isn't easy to find as only 1,500 cases were imported.

But visiting NY this past August, on my way to work I walked by a small run down liquor shop in the Chelsea, that seems so typical in a typical Manhattan block. And lo and behond, 2 bottles of the 2003 Luzon. Collecting dust in the sparsely furnished "good wines" section of the shelving. There was a special deal on getting two bottles of the same type. After a double check back at the apartment, that this indeed was the wine I wanted, I bought them both for $14/ bottle.

And they've sat in my wine fridge for 4 months. Trying to temper expectations. How well where they stored in that ratty liquor store? How well would this wine age?

But I've realized I can't hold this thing forever so this bright and sunny late November Sunday, I opened a bottle. And it's still fresh and lively. Nice with red berry and some plum, spices and woody tannin notes. Yet... while it is very good ... it's not great. I'm drinking it slowly, pouring very small glasses to let each one breath and come up to room temp, but I still haven't re-found that hauntingly good memory. My score so far: 90.

All in all though, this bottle has been a success...

Recommended wines of 2008 Q4

Here is my not so regular quarterly update of current favorites.

Reds:

1. Layer Cake 2006 Primitivo $13-16: a delicious, lush, fruity zinfandel with some interesting side notes of spice and wood ..I get cedar, others get something I can't remember. It goes down very easily. It is hard to find now (Nov 2008) but was available at some Costcos, BevMo and wine stores. I've never had a bad bottle, though it hasn't always lived up to my growing expectations. Needs to be warm to open up. Probably my red of the year. I've bought 15 bottles of this over time. My scores: 90-94 (different bottles).
2. Montes 2006 Syrah Alpha $16, WS 91: I initially recommended this based on one bottle, which is a bit exuberant but it had one of the nicest aromas I've smelled in a long time. I've now had 3 bottles and this is a fantastic wine. Very fragrant with a complex nose of red and dark fruit, spices and sandalwood. The flavor intensity doesn't always quite live up to the smell, but that's not a knock. Very balanced and flavorful with some acidity in a medium body with a long finish. Just a knock out. This is slightly better than the 2005 (WS 92), which was one of my top 5 wines of 2007. I have now purchased 14 bottles of this. A good candiate for my wine of the year. My score: 92-94.
3. Jim Barry 2005 Lodge Hill Shiraz $14, WS 90. A burst of fresh berries with a nice raciness (acidity) to balance it. Some wood and a hint of spice. Hard not to like this. My score: 90.
4. Montes 2006 Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon $17 (CC, and more), WS 88, WA 90. My favorite cab of the year. I just tried a second bottle to confirm. Big classy cab fruit with oak and spice and vanilla. Smooth. Drink now. My score: 91-92.
   
5. Pope Valley 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon $8 (TJ). One of the purest expressions of fresh berries in a wine I've had. Similar to the Jim Barry Lodge Hill but with more fruit and less wood. Hard to find as this sells out quickly. My score: 90.
6. Concha Y Toro 2006 Carmenere $8 (TJ): The WS 88 rating got me into this fruity red with big notes of toffee and coffee and chocolate. Oh how I wish I had gotten more. Not the most complex wine, but quite yummy. My score: 90.
7. Marquis Philips 2005 and 2007 Syrah ($12, CC): I read some previous tasting notes of mine of the 2005 Syrah where I was blown away, and found another bottle of the 2005. I was blow away again with its plum with raisiny hints (not normally such a good thing) with vanillla in a very ripe rich body. Very well done. Not especially complex, but just yummy. I then found the just released 2007's at Costco. Not as good as the 2005 as it is a bit more restrained. Perhaps it could use a bit of bottle age. My score: 92 (2005) and 90 (2007).
   

Whites:

1. Columbia Crest 2006 Chardonnay Grand Estates: I know this is predictable, as it is my favorite white of the year, largely year in and year out. The 2006 is fruitier than in the past with sweet pear and apple and not quite so over the top with oaky buttery notes. Also a WS 90 points and only $8 at Trader Joes; production at 60,000+ cases. What's not to like? The 2007's have just come in, so I'm scrounging through the bins for the 2006's. I've easily bought 15 bottles of this over the year. My score: 91.
   
2. Kali Heart 2006 Chardonnay $9: an over the top, thick, sweet, almost honeyed chardonnay. My wife loves this more than me. I like this wine warm, almost room temp, else I can get a slightly off tastes of moldy cork. My score: 90
   
3. Crios 2007/20008 Torrontes $13- the 2007 was very refreshing with fruit and some gentle acidity. Easy to go down. The 2008 which is available now is a bit softer, missing some of the acidity, with floral and citrus hints. My score: 2007 = 90-91; 2008 = 89.
   
4. A Spanish Albarino of winery unknown (I could look at pictures, but that would be work) with a green label and big orange type. $12. Very fruity and refresing and goes down easy. This wine introduced me to the albarino and I was impressed. My score: 90.

Wines of the French Laundry, part I

The French Laundry. Easily one of the top five restaurants in California and arguably the best in all of the state. They fill up instantly two months in advance. Merely mentioning that you will be eating there gets you a knowing nod. But enough about their food.

Let's talk about their real strength, namely their wine list. And its ability to make you feel unqualified and well just completely out of your league. For starters it is 100 pages. And because it is a wine list, it only lists wine. For 100 pages. Did I mention that? Their Bordeaux section alone is longer than most high-end wine lists in their entirety.

How "good" is this list? Wine Spectator bestows their highest level of achievement on their list, which only 8 or so places in the US get. This means they have the best wines on the planet and a lot of them to boot.

And of course, one of the truest, crusty definitions of goodness in the sophisticated wine world is oldness. Young is so unrefined. Old is good. Really old as in older than you is great. Back to the list. Those new world world wines don't necessarily age well, and besides many of them weren't even produced before 1985. But we do have some Beaulieu Calif Cabs from the 1970's and even the late 60's. That's nearly 40 years old. Nice. But for the real goods, take a quick trip to the Europe section. A couple of Barolos from the 60's. Solid. And Spain gets a few 1960's and a 1947 Rioja. Sweet. The French Burgundies strut their stuff with some 1970's, 1960's and even a couple of 1950's. And then on page 77, we find some 1940's and a 1931 Pommard. That wine had a driver's license before I was even ... er, ok my point has been made. And finally the Bordeaux, with more than a few 1940's. And two 1929's! Oh my lord.

The region choices say a lot. For the reds, France is extremely well covered at 26 pages. Italy gets 4, Spain 2, Australia 1 and a half. Washington gets 1 and the local state gets 15 pages with superb wines from all over especially Napa Cabernets. Every region of the world is listed including Greece. Well, except Argentina and Chile. So the list isn't completely authoritative. Hmmm.

But we've saved the best for last. Price. How better to make you feel outclassed than your inability to pay for even a single sip from a bottle. Now it's not that hard to have one or two really expensive bottles, but can you beat this.... in the Pauillac Bordeaux section (hint: Bordeaux is not cheap) there are 5 bottles from $370 to $620. Ouch. And these are the cheapest 5 bottles listed. Or how about this angle. If you want to spend more than $2,000 on a bottle of Bordeaux, you can. And you'll have 17 choices. Different choices. Not enough for you? Eleven of these are also $3,000 or more. That's right, feed an African village for one year or have a bottle of wine.

The varietals are equally refined. Defined more by exclusion than inclusion. There is no Albarino. Or Torrontes. Or Nero D'avola. Or Malbec, unless you want to get a 3L bottle. Or Carmenere. Somewhat surprisingly, there was a whole page of Zinfandel. Perhaps this being the unofficial California state varietal, it had to be on the list.

Yet, the prices still left me dumbstruck. And concerned. There are many fine sub-$100 choices, but what has the world come to when you look at a $90 bottle as the affordable alternative? Can you believe I was excited to find a Sigalas 2007 Santorini from Greece for a mere $60. I became convinced the true bargain was the $50 Layer Cake Syrah from Australia, which was the same price of the corkage fee. In other words, if I brought in a $6 bottle of wine, after corkage, the Layer Cake would still be cheaper. At some level it's virtually free... No, no, wait. What am I thinking?

After the shock, came the anger. Then the bargaining. "Oh, come on, please, please let me find a nice $38 bottle." Nada. And then finally acceptance. It would be a heavenly experience having them do the pairing. But at least I would bring a bottle or perhaps two, the $50 corkage not withstanding. And I'd try not look like a complete imbecile.

And then anger came back. Why have I been frittering away time and money and my liver to build up my a wine cellar if I wasn't going to use it? And so it was resolved. I'd bring all the wine. Of course, I'd have to break this nutty plan to the others in the dinner group. I didn't expect much French resistance, since they were all so ga-ga about going ("Yay! So excited!!" or "Can't wait!! The thought of this is getting me through this week :)"). They had been distracted by that shiny golden bauble known as the food. Clearly I wasn't going to get any help in my Herculean task; they were useless.

Continued....

Wines of the French Laundry, part II

We all make impulsive decisions. And quite often they come back to haunt you. Let's buy expensive outdoor furniture and ruin it immediately that winter. Did we need a flat screen TV that wouldn't really fit in our large car? Or truer to home, why am I picking up 5 cases of wine everytime I hit the Wine Club? But on occasion the impulses work out. As in buying decent wine at decent prices from regions and for varietals I'd heard were supposed to be good. And then laying them down for several years. So I'd have respectable wine to choose from.

As I pondered what to select and dug through my collection, I was having more fun than my ga-ga colleagues. I was hip deep in my own red mess and loving it. Mind you, the vast majority of my bottles were too pedestrian to bring. And the good stuff was good enough, but most of it just wasn't ready yet. The good stuff that needs to age usually needs 8-12 years. And I've barely been collecting nice stuff for that long. My earliest Bordeaux's were from 2000, which was borderline. My only pre-2000's were some vintage ports and a few Columbia Crest Merlot's from the late 90's, which I need you to remind me to try.

What I really needed were a few wines to set the foundation upon which I could build. And the obvious place to start was France. This was their Laundry. And their wine list was mostly French, and it seemed like a good idea to respect their overall guidance. And who can turn their nose up at a good French wine? Even the French can't because it is their own wine. Luckily, I started buying French wines a bit back before I even liked them a whole lot. I've been an impulsive sucker for good scores at low prices and this paid off.

And so it was that a Sauternes (a very sweet botyrized honey yellow wine from Bordeaux, that still has acidity (like a fine balsamic vinegar)) was my first choice. I'd loaded up on the 2001 vintage a bit back in one of those impulsive moments, since the scores were so outrageous and the prices relatively low. The trick was finding one that was ready. Most would just be drinkable in 2009 or 2010. But the 2001 Guiraud was "best after 2008" and this was late 2008. Good enough for me. Check. Got this 96 point WS, 94 point Parker for $50 back Sept 2005.

The next was a lovely Italian wine, the Fanti 2001 Brunello Montalcino. It was still a bit young ("best after 2010" according to WS) but I had several bottles and it the #23 wine in the WS 2006 Top 100 wines. This wine was the bedrock of my foundation. It was old, it was European and it was more than good. It was truly an unassailable choice. Except that this exact wine was already in the French Laundry wine list. Curses! (Good thing the Mac PDF viewer has such a great search feature, else I would have missed this.) It was a perfect choice and they had already made it.

There are rules about bringing a wine to a restaurant.

1. Firstly, it cannot be on their wine list. Period. If it is on their list, then bringing it either means you are cheap (trying to save money) or stupid.
2. The place must have a corkage policy. Some nice places limit the amount of wine you can bring. For example, Gary Danko limits you to 2 bottles per table. So read up on the policy. Occasionally a place will waive the corkage if you buy another bottle off their list, but don't expect this.
   
3. The wine must be appropriate for the restaurant. So Yellow Tail or Fetzer or Woodbridge is out at a lot of places. (My friends always bring up Two Buck Chuck as their example, which shows just how "useless" they are in the world of real wine snobbery.)
   
4. Ideally, the wine should have special meaning to you. This is hard for most people. Unless you squirrel away wines as an obsession, wondering when the right moment to open something is. So I was covered here.
5. If the place is fancy enough to carry multiple vintages of the same wine, then you can arguably relax rule #1, allowing yourself to bring in a wine they have, but not of the vintage you have.

Back to the selection. Next, something from the Rhone region (of France). The obvious choice was a CdP (Chateauneuf-du-Pape). CdP to the Rhone is like Napa to California. I had two magnificent 2004's and after careful consideration chose the Domaine du Pegau via eeeny-meany-miney-moe. Most of my wines are at my "remote" cellar, namely a friend's basement, Only after I got back home did I discover this exact wine was also on the French Laundry wine list. Disqualified, again. Argh. What was I thinking with that "miney moe"?

But the bedrock wine came from an unexpected place. A white. That I had never had before. And had only one bottle of. But like the Fanti, it was an unassailable choice. The Baumard 2003 Savennieres Trie Speciale. A Chenin Blanc, known as a delicious box wine, from the Loire. WS 92 for $30 back in Nov 2005. "Seems bone dry at first, with steely white peach, mineral and quince notes held in check by vibrant acidity. Long, bracing finish unwinds in the glass to show more depth, with hints of orange blossom, lanolin and fig. A backward wine that needs cellaring. Best from 2007 through 2017." This is not a trophy wine. Who wants a bone-dry steely white with notes of lanolin in a white that needs to age. Huzzah!

As I sifted through the bottles finding lost treasures, I dawned on me that 4 or 5 bottles was not enough. Hmmm.. why, I know, I'll bring a case of wine and we shall select what to drink there. I was done being cowed by the wine list. This was my own wine list. I'd have to break this new news to my companions... and despite their ga-ga fever, this seemed a tiny bit dicey.

But back to the selection. What would you, gentle reader, have chosen if you went nuts and were bring a case?

My goals were

• 3 whites, 7 reds and 2 dessert (sauternes and port)
• a variety of styles, including bordeaux, a pinot noir, a Australian shiraz and a zinfandel, since the organizer loves Zin.
  
• emphasis on Europe

(( Warning, BBB (blog becoming boring) alert. I'll grind through the wines I chose until the pictures at the end. ))

The other wines came a big quicker. The only problem was there were too many to choose from.

1. Baumard 2003 Chaume de Quarts. Another Chenin Blanc from the same Loire producer but this one is semi-sweet and gets outrageous scores (WS 96). And since it was an obvious choice, it was also on the wine list, but fortunately it was the year earlier, the 2002.
2. I wanted a elegant fruity Australian Shiraz with some acidity that wasn't too big. The Langmeil 2004 Barossa Valley Floor was perfect. WS 94 for $20.
3. The Pinot was problematic as I didn't have anything really good that was old enough. (One of the greatest Pinot I've had was a 2002 Andrew Rich from Oregon a year ago). So I picked the WillaKenzie 2002 Willamette. WS 90 and $16 (?)
4. For the Zinfandel, I went for old. A super bottle I'd been saving probably too long. The Rosenblum 2003 Rockpile Ridge. The highest scoring Zin from WS until 2007.
   
5. I needed another white. Given the light nature of the food and their likely emphasis on vegetables (and one of us would get the vegetarian menu), I wanted an intense but not overly rich Chardonnay. The Devil's Lair 2005 Margeret River Chardonnay from the very remote southwest of Australia was ideal. WS 92, $17. I wish I had bought more of this.
6. A friend had given us the Eric Kent 2003 Sonoma Chardonnay. It looked like it could be very nice (subsequent years have had good scores), but at the last moment I decided against it, as it was an unknown. And a gift to us. Me no share gifts well.
   
7. A couple bottles of non-Bordeaux French reds. None of my other Rhones seemed right. I'd brought the L'Oratoire 2005 CdP to a couple of other nice dinners so that didn't seem special enough. And nothing else was older than 2004. I had a well rated Couly-Dutheil 2005 Chinon Loire Cab Franc, but I hadn't been that impressed with it twice, so that was out. Struck out here.
   
8. Bordeaux. I didn't have many choices as most were too young. But the Chateau Peygueraud 2000 Cuvee George looked promising. I got this WS 91, $20 in Apr 2006 and it that was "Best after 2007". Perfect.
   
9. Another option was the La Closerie Fourtet 2000 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, the second wine of Clos Fourtet. This WS 90, $20 was "best after 2006". Also perfect.
10. I also debated another Bordeaux, the Siran 2000 Margaux but it was just too young still. And I only had one bottle which I wanted to try. Pass.
    
11. I debated if a big bruiser of a wine was appropriate and I remember that their wine list had Screaming Eagle a big Napa Cab and a handful of big Calif Syrahs. OK, the Rosenblum 2005 Kick Syrah should be a perfect fruit bomb, if I recall from a tasting at the winery. (WS 94, $28).
12. I also wanted a modern fresh fruity red with good balance and acidity. I had a Jim Barry 2005 Lodge Hill Shiraz recently (WS 90, $14 from the San Luis Obispo Costco) and it's got super fresh berry in a zingy body. Tasted 3 times. But as I hunted through the in-house bottles I found the 2001 which was the wine on which I fell in love with this winery's Lodge Hill (Shiraz) and Cover Drive (Cab). The 2001 would be even better with hopefully some spice and mint to go along with the mellowing fruit.
13. For port, I chose the Graham 1998 Malvedois Vintage Port, which I have not tried, but been storing for a while. Ready after 2000, this should be perfect.
14. But the Dow 1983 Vintage was excellent back in 1990's. I hoped this bottle was still good as I had some serious storage problems back then.
15. And I couldn't resist adding a modern fruity wine, since the 2005 Jim Barry was tossed aside. The Morgante 2006 Nero D'Avola. Here's what JS from WS said: "Aromas of crushed blackberry and asphalt persists in the mouth, with loads of fruit. A full-bodied, focused and delicious red, with a great finish. Such purity of fruit. This is a real Nero. One of the best values in Italy. Drink now." How could I not resist this WS 90, $20 bottle.

The only problem was I now had more than 12 bottles. I'd gone from maybe bringing one or two to having too many to fit in a case. So while in the shower I mentally did some last-drizzle juggling and got rid of the Jim Barry and the Graham port. OK, the lineup was set.

Here's a picture of the Chenin Blancs, Sauterne, Ports and Aussie Shirazes laid out before final selection.


And the remaining wines are shown here.


What wines did our party of 7 drink? How did everything work out? Was the sommelier pleased or displeased? Impressed or unimprssed? Which wines if any worked out well?
Continued...

If composers were wine

While typing another entry listening to Mozart's 38th (symphony, as a moment's recollection reveals he only wrote 27 piano concertos), it was suddenly obvious that Mozart is Riesling. Always welcome with a crystal clarity and lightness. Ageless. Impossible not to like.

And Beethoven is a big cabernet sauvignon. And that would make Brahms as a massive Syrah. Bach? that would be a not too heavily oaked Chardonnay. The heavily oaked chard would be Schumann. Schumann is clearly a white, no?

Let's reverse the view.... zinfandel is Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninov... not always balanced or sublime, but a lot of fun and great at it best. A tart, bracing Sauvignon Blanc would be Prokoviev, but this analogy isn't perfect.

The rest will take some thinking. For example, who is Malbec? And the big one ... is who is Pinot Noir?