Food and Wine Blog

Submitted by Barry’s Wine Notes & Memories

Stéphane Aladame’s Domaine is in Montagny in the Côte Chalonnaise. He created his Domaine, aged 18 in 1992, taking over from a retired grower. He is one of the foremost young growers of Côte Chalonnaise, producing only white wines.

Domaine Stéphane Aladame
Montagny 2005
Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy, France

Yellow with green tinges..
minerally nose..mushrooms..
the palate showed some grapefruit..
a good dose of fresh acidity..and a clean finish.

Well made…but worked a little flat…
not something I would want to go back to…
for 16 Euros I would find more character
with a Riesling.

Points 15..a ’sit-down’ white

Goisot Bourgogne Cotes d’Auxerre Rouge “Corps de Garde” 2005
Yvonne, Burgundy, France
This is more like it…made from older vines..elegant..ripe cherries which evolved onto the palate…lots of fresh juicyness..really very good indeed..the touch of acidity bouncing over the tongue..this wine is fighting above it’s weight..this is really terrific for the price..14 Euros..and maybe the bargain of the year so far.A Must Buy! This would satisfy any Pinot freak..but would equally be ideal slightly cooled in summer with a Bar-B-Q
Points 16.25..and this red makes you ’sit up’!

PS..they also have a white..which I purchased..will try it soon..

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Submitted by Wine Reviews from the Wine School

Finally, it seems, winter has loosened its grip on us. Or, to be more accurate, we’ve finally been treated to something resembling springtime weather: Yes, this past week, we experienced not one but two sunny, warm days. And, in fact, as yesterday was the first truly springlike day of the year so far, I marked it in my traditional way: With hard-shell crabs and sauvignon blanc. The only thing that could have made the pairing better would have been..well, someone else to pay for the wine. But barring the opportunity to drink on someone else’s bill, there is no better way to ring in the springtime than with a cool, bracing bottle of the Loire Valley’s finest. Now is the time for it. Finally.

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Submitted by Wine Reviews from the Wine School

First Flight
1. Gunderloch 2005 Dry Riesling, Rheinhessen (GR)

Second Flight
1. Beyond 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, Coastal Region (SA)
2. Cousino Macul 2006 Chardonnay, Maipo Valley (CH)

Third Flight
1. Coldstream Hills 2006 Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley (AS)
2. Falesco 2006 Sangiovese, Umbria (IT)

Fourth Flight
1. Las Rocas de San Alejandro 2005 Garnacha, Catalyud (SP)
2. Craneford 2005 Shiraz, Barossa Valley (AS)

Fifth Flight
1. Falesco 2005 Merlot, Umbria (IT)
2. Jardin 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch (SA)
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Submitted by Barry’s Wine Notes & Memories

Not many Americans get to try Spätburgunder of quality..but Lyle has visited Germany a few times..and he mentioned Schnaitmann….and as I have been exploring Württemberg recently…This vineyard in Fellbach has just celebrated it’s 10^th birthday…and has been winning prizes for a few years now…

Rainer Schnaitmann Simonroth
Spätburgunder trocken 2006
Württemberg, Germany
This spends time in new and used barrels…
Intense, complex nose..strawberries, raspberries and cherries and a touch of cinnamon..there is a thick fruit feel about this wine..but that’s not to say it is heavy…just a youthful package…already soft and gentle..with dancing acidity on the tongue..again complexity…it ‘feels’ good….from start to finish..no lumps or bumps….just needs a year or two…
Points 17+
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Submitted by Wine Reviews from the Wine School

It’s Not All About Oak

Travis Chardonnay “Unfiltered”, 2006 Monterey (CA)
Cousino-Macul Chardonnay “Antiguas Reservas”, 2006 Maipo (CH)

The Name Game, With Reservations

Argiolas “Costera”, 2006 Isola dei Nuraghi IGT (IT)
Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva, 2004 DOC (IT)

The Fame Factor

L’hiver Syrah, 2005 Mendocino County (CA)
Cline Syrah, 2006 Sonoma County (CA)

Location, Location…..

3 Blind Moose Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 (CA)
75 Wine Co. Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 Amber Knolls Vineyard, Red Hills (CA)

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Submitted by Barry’s Wine Notes & Memories

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 glasses of wine…
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’
The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

‘Now,’ said the professor, as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions; things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.’ The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else; the small stuff.
‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.’
‘Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner.
Play another 18 holes of golf. Do one more run down the ski slope. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.’
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented.
The professor smiled. ‘I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of glasses of wine with a friend.’

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Submitted by Barry’s Wine Notes & Memories

Arriving back after the break..there was a large case of wines…
wonder how that happened?…
There were some French bottles in there…So….
After blogging at Joes’s I decided to try
a ‘lesser’ Burgundy Appellation as well.
Also..I need to try some French ‘Pinot’..to see how
they compare quality & price-wise with the
German version..Spätburgunder.
Claude Marechal Savigny-les-Beaune
Vieilles Vignes 2005
Burgundy, France
I have already written that the vintage 2005 was a great one for white Burgundy..well..the reds are not far behind.
Very fine colour…medium deep ruby…a little meaty on the nose..then strawberries and flowers….a clear bed of soft silky tannins…a trace of vanilla..already very approachable..and after 2 hours was fuller and more rounded..
A 20 Euros price tag seems very reasonable…
Points 16.75

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Submitted by Barry’s Wine Notes & Memories

A short break to Franken..3 nights..the last evening was spent in Nürnberg celebrating a family member’s birthday…I had started to search for accommodation a few weeks ago( Nürnberg holds many exhibitions and all hotels were full..this time it was ‘Window-Frame Exhibition’..yes.. I yawned as well!)..we managed to find a small hotel-restaurant in Erlangen-Frauenaurach.

The village has some Storks..and a butcher with a name that German readers will understand..the rest of you can use your imagination. Amused us both every time we drove past.

The ‘Schwarzer Adler’ is 300 years old and had been renovated 25 years ago. Friendly owner..but soft mattresses..and a church nearby that rang it’s bell every 15 minutes..I don’t need to know the time in the middle of the night!
We had booked the restaurant in the hotel for the first evening……

Cosy, friendly..with a french waiter…who was charming…
The food was good….
2 stars from 5….

The food we tasted was..

Sate in Peanut Sauce..a ‘Greeting from the Kitchen’

I then tried a Crepe-Bag with Bear’s Garlic filling and Gorgonzola Sauce.
This was followed by
Tagliarini with Bear’s
Garlic Pesto and
Coquilles St Jacques
(Scallops to you!)
The main course
plannedfor the wine was
Lamm Carré on Kohlrabi
with Sheep’s Cheese and
Polenta Strudel.
My wife had the Guinea Fowl on leek with Potato Gnocchi.

The hotel and restaurant are full of antiques and bric-a-brac.

This lady was my partner for the evening..don’t tell my wife….oops..it is my wife.

The winelist I had seen by fax(we wine nuts don’t wait until we get there)…and had seen nothing in ‘red’ from Franken..that interested me. One family member has Italian connections and half of the list was from this country..so I decided on the…

Silvio Grasso Barolo Bricco Luciani 1996
Piedmont, Italy

It was decanted about an hour before tasting…
Colour..very good..still dark with orange brown rim..swirling the glass showed superb ‘legs’..long time since I had a glass with this amount…the first impression on taking a smell..was violets, truffles..roses, cedar, tar, smoke …first sip…a hefty attack of raw tannins, leaving your mouth as dry as a desert….it craved for food…and did soften after 3 hours(or was it my palate accepting I was getting nothing better..no matter how long I worked on it).
I compared it to meeting a lady for the first time…nice face, great legs, lovely smell..but on opening her mouth..nothing came out to impress me.
Points 16….for the positives..

Drinking Barolo reminded me of MANY years ago in a small restaurant in Italy..masses of Barolos..all ages..and we tried about 6…some were too young..some too old…I laughingly said that they weuld all be perfect for one second of their lives..but whenwould that be.

Things have changed..and modern styles have meant the wines are easier to drink over a longer period…but at 12 years old…it should have shown more…

xxxxx

xxxx

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Submitted by Wine Reviews from the Wine School

First Flight
1. Marc Kreydenweiss 2004 Kritt Pinot Blanc, Alsace (FR)
2. Bramare 2005 Chardonnay “Marchiori Vineyard,” Mendoza (AR)

Second Flight
1. Gloria Ferrer 2003 Pinot Noir “Jose S. Ferrer Selection,” Carneros (CA)
2. La Cuvee du Pere Leonce 2005 Chinon, Loire Valley (FR)

Third Flight
1. Solanes 2003 Priorat (SP)
2. Las Pizarras del Jalon 2005 Garnacha “Old Vines,” Catalunya (SP)

Fourth Flight
1. Graham Beck 2001 Syrah “The Ridge,” Robertson (SA)
2. Journey’s End 2002 Shiraz “The Arrival,” McLaren Vale (AU)

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Submitted by Wine Reviews from the Wine School

The Wine School is pouring a garnacha these days that is flat-out charming me: The Las Rocas de San Alejandro 2005 from Catalyud, Spain. Not only is it fabulously fresh with notes of ripe cherries–a classic quaffing wine–but it also finds a sense of varietally-accurate depth with waves of dried Mediterranean herbs. What really strikes me, though, is what an excellent pairing partner it makes for pizza. Sprinkle a bit of oregano on your pie and you’ll be taken aback; order it with some sort of herb sausage and your life may never be the same. And if there’s anything better than a wine that’s equally delicious on its own as it is paired with pizza, then I haven’t found it yet.

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Submitted by Wine Reviews from the Wine School

First Flight
1. Gunderloch 2005 Dry Riesling, Rheinhessen (GR)

Second Flight
1. Spy Valley 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough (NZ)
2. Cousiño-Macul 2006 Chardonnay “Antiguas Reservas,” Maipo Valley (CH)

Third Flight
1. Coldstream Hills 2006 Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley (AS)
2. Falesco 2006 Sangiovese, Umbria (IT)

Fourth Flight
1. Las Rocas de San Alejandro 2005 Garnacha, Catalyud (SP)
2. Craneford 2005 Shiraz, Barossa Valley (AS)

Fifth Flight
1. Falesco 2005 Merlot, Umbria (IT)
2. Jardin 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch (SA)

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Submitted by Barry’s Wine Notes & Memories

Yes.. I know…I was attemting to ‘kick the habit’ of Pinot Noir..but someone pointed me to an article in the New York Times..and as I was sympathetic to those drinkers in the U.S.A.(OK ..only a little)…so my taste buds drew me to this bottle in the cellar..and I weakened…….how can I criticise Amy Winehouse..when I can’t stop taking MY drug?

2003 was a HOT vintage in Germany…sometimes it just mesmerized the grapes…but made by a good grower..it is an experience. The secret was to keep some sort of balance..and not let the heat dominate.

Knipser Großkarlbacher Burgweg Spätburgunder
Auslese Trocken 2003
Lots of smoke at first..then ripe fruit..raspberries…quite a full mouthful..
with lots of sweet fruit..and a nice tang of tannin..and good acidity holds this together.
Points 17.75

PS….Spätburgunder Vintages
One should not ‘generalise’ vintages..as it depends very much on the ‘man behind the wheel’..but someone wrote recently..that they had tasted wines from 2004 that didn’t appeal…I can identify with that…however..the vintage may show better with age.
2003 was very good indeed..if..as I stated above..the grower got it right.
BUT
2005 is the one…nearly every wine I have tasted has been VERY drinkable young..and many will develope over the next few years….buy them…then join me in the cellar as we secretly sniff our drug.

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Submitted by Barry’s Wine Notes & Memories

I was planning to drink this over two days..I refrained from decanting it..after all my Pinot Noir bottles recently..I wanted something that would help me ‘kick the habit’ gently…and this seemed the solution.

Quinta do Crasto Old Vines Reserva 2005
Douro, Portugal
If you read various sources..between 60- 80 year-old vines..but the back of the bottle says 70 years old..and they should know! Made up of 25-30 grape types….sounds like a real old ‘melange’.

Deep..secretive dark red-black colour…a nose that gives you cassis and vanilla and some smoke..the palate throws up dark cherries, marzipan, spices…concentration..and ripe, sweet tannins…towards the end of the ‘first’ half..the tannins became a little more dominant..but never obtrusive…delicate but powerful.

Day two..24 hours later…aroma of dry port(Douro is the home of Port)..the components have knitted together more…but the tannins seem dryer and more dominant…not quite as ‘exotic’ and rich as previous day…needed food.

If you were told to drink only a glass of wine a day..this is a good choice…as it will last over a period of days.

My tip for the BEST time..decant 6 hours before drinking..and share with a friend!

Points 17.5+

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