I LOVE THAT NEW WINE SMELL (LATE-NIGHT WINE TASTING IN SEMI-DARKNESS)
I just got in three new wines from Washington State (oh, here we go again with the Evergreen Bandwagon) – from Revelry Wines in Walla Walla. My good friend Jeff (of Ohio/KY distributor Vintner Select) told me these were coming, and I must admit I brought them in on blind faith. Granted, 1) I haven’t met a Washington State wine I didn’t like, and 2) it’s like one-in-a-billion that Vintner Select brings in a bad wine, so I feel there really isn’t any kind of gamble involved.
Revelry Vintners was established in 2006, with winemaking team Jared Burns and Bryan Jones. Located in Walla Walla, Washington (home to such amazing wineries as L’Ecole, Woodward Canyon, Dusted Valley and Bergevin Lane among many others), Revelry sets out to craft incredible values. I was really looking forward to trying these (I haven’t brought their Chardonnay in just yet – to be honest, the last thing the store needs is another Chardonnay, no matter how good it may be).
So against my better judgment, I went ahead and tried the Revelry Merlot Columbia Valley 2007 (Grade=Outstanding) first. Usually, Washington State Merlot tends to be bigger, fuller-bodied than their Cabs, so I was going solely on a quick-and-dirty lining-up. This particular Merlot exudes dark plum and mulberry notes, with very juicy black cherry undertones, some slight herbaceousness and baking spice character, and juicy red berry fruit all the way through to the finish. It’s even exhibiting a hint of iodine present toward the end, but still shows off a lot of cherry/berry/grapeyness.
Next up was the Revelry Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2008 (Grade=Outstanding), a tightly-wound but nevertheless full-bodied red with loads of dark plum, black currant, cedar and vanilla. It shows off a lavish framework of black cherries, some dark chocolate and Oolong tea character as well. The tannins are plush, albeit a little stiff, but a little time in the glass, and it opens right up.
Finally, The Revelry The Reveler Columbia Valley Cuvee Red Wine 2008 (Grade=Outstanding+) is a lusty, succulent red blend the uniquely puts Petit Verdot as the primary grape in the mix, with 38% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon to give it firm tannins and wonderful complexity. A dark, inky hue gives way to red flowers and black fruits in the nose, chocolate-covered cherries, chocolate-covered espresso bean, black and red tea, cigar box, vanilla and nutmeg, and blackberry compote. It is fleshy, rich and still shows off a lot of grace and finesse. Though still exuding youthfulness, it is a very satisfying red for the price.
All three of these wines are in our stores for under $20 – another hit for Washington State!
WHEN I’M TALKING TO MYSELF, I SOUND LIKE GORDON RAMSEY
My wife and I have become completely enamored with the cable network BBC America. I’ve made a few assertions that my wife and I are inevitably heading for the UK to become full-fledged Brits, and our latest guilty pleasure is the reality/game show called “Come Dine With Me.” The concept is pretty straight-forward. Four people from various walks of life are brought together for 4 days of home entertaining, with each one taking turns as the host, putting on a dinner party for the other 3, initially for the sake of winning 1000 pounds (roughly $1500). All this while narrator Dave Lamb rips each contestant a new one each and every episode.
While money and bragging rights are on the line, the ultimate goal is bringing people who normally wouldn’t make the effort to bridge the gaps between their various class strata together. This is a show I don’t think could be replicated here in America, though I am not certain why. I think that we tend to look at things a bit more xenophobic in nature, and we are usually too self-absorbed to pay attention to what other people have going for them. Perhaps I am a bit cynical. I’d like to think that you could assemble an evening such as the ones on “Come Dine With Me,” amongst total strangers, and at the end of it all, discover new friends, and new points-of-view, all through wine, food and conversation.
I can relate to the show in that my career in wine has definitely brought me in contact with people I probably would have never met otherwise. And I find myself while watching the show, opining for a free night to invite a few neighbors, co-workers, bloggers or fellow wine geeks to the house to crack open a few bottles, grill out on the patio, and swap stories in the name of coming together.
Perhaps I am not such a cynic after all. At the very least, I am definitely not a tosser.
GOING BACK TO THE EVERGREEN STATE (IF ONLY IN MY HEAD)
Thursday, Kymber came by with Jeff Gordon. No not the race car driver, but the owner of Gordon Brothers Family Vineyards in Pasco, Washington. I was looking forward to this visit because I met Jeff out in Washington on my now-infamous Road Trip WA Wine last year. Jeff was hosting a lunch at a restaurant in Richland, and from there, I was part of a team that went out to Jeff’s winery and I got to work a bit with Gordon Bros. winemaker Tim Henley.
Jeff was in town, showing off his wares, and came in with 5 of his wines for Shannon to try and me to revisit:
Kamiak White Wine Columbia Valley 2007. Grade=Outstanding. This blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Geuwrtztraminer shows off some nice stone fruit and tropical fruit character, a light-to-medium-bodied context, and some nice balanced acidity. A nice crowdpleasing white wine for everyday drinking.
Gordon Brothers Chardonnay Columbia Valley 2007. Grade=Outstanding. Medium-bodied with splashes of tropical fruit aromas and flavors, with 100% malolactic fermentation lending to its butterscotch, toffee, creamy vanilla finish.
Kamiak Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot Columbia Valley 2005. Grade=Outstanding. Soft, supple, medium-bodied red with splashes of red and black berry fruits, some spicy oak, and hints of chocolate.
Gordon Brothers Merlot Columbia Valley 2007. Grade=Outstanding. Has a bit of Cab and Syrah blended in, giving it a medium-to-full-bodied character, showing off lots of black cherries, dark plum, blackberries, cedar and earth tones. Supple tannins lead into a lingering finish.
Gordon Brothers Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2007. Grade=Outstanding. Supple, velvety Cab with small amounts of Syrah and Merlot adding complexity. This full-bodied red displays a lot of blackberry, cassis, cinnamon roll, milk chocolate and white pepper. Very nice.
Friday, Kymber dropped off a bottle of Gordon Brothers Cabernet Sauvignon Clone Six 2008 (Grade=Amazing), a new release from Jeff and Tim. This 100% Cab is rich and robust, with massive black cherry, blackberry, dark chocolate, espresso bean, tar, baked earth, dark roasted coffee, with slight mint and pepper undertones. Simply gorgeous.
It was definitely cool to see Jeff again. And for a little bit, I was once again back in Eastern Washington, rediscovering a place that I may one day call home. Until then, I will continue my work as unofficial ambassador of Washington State ambrosia.
A BARRELTOP THREESOME (KYMBER’S FILL-IN HIJINX)
Our good friend and Heidelberg rep Kymber (filling in for our favorite wine mama, Wendy) brought by a kind of grab bag of wines:
Robert Stemmler Chardonnay Carneros 2007. Grade=Amazing. This is an incredible rich, full-bodied Chard with harmonious tropical and stone fruit aromas and flavors, creamy oak, buttered brioche, butterscotch, lychee nut, caramel and vanilla bean. Finishes dense and long.
Casabella House Jam Chillin’ White Italy NV. Grade=Outstanding. Pretty interesting blend of Malvasia Bianca and Chardonnay, coming off with honeyed apples and apricots, a hint of orange blossom, and some candied peaches. Very nice.
Casabella House Jam Smooth Red Italy NV. Grade=Outstanding. Intriguingly semi-sweet Bonarda, showing off some raspberry and red currant jam, a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg, some white chocolate-covered cherries, finishing with a bit of cranberry relish.
JEFF’S FREQUENT USE OF THE CURVEBALL (ONE OF MY RARE BASEBALL ANALOGIES)
Back on Wednesday, our good friend and Vintner Select sales manager Jeff came by with some ports and a very unusual Chilean white wine:
Cucao Pedro Ximenez Elqui Valley 2009. Grade=Outstanding. Usually, when you think of PX, you think Spain, and you almost certainly envision something sweet. One big mindf… this light-bodied, quite dry white wine shows off some cool lime zest, chayote, lemongrass, verbena and white tea notes. Finishes with a lot of lively acidity.
Kopke White Port NV. Grade=Outstanding+. Slightly dry, this is a great introduction to white port, perfect for patio sipping. Not cloying, this medium-bodied wine displays nice notes of stone fruit, chalk, and hints of lime.
Kopke Fine Ruby Port NV. Grade=Outstanding. Young, juicy red fruits in a sweet jam context, with a slight hint of peppery spice, red and black raspberries, cinnamon dust, and chocolate ganache.
Kopke 10 Year Tawny Port. Grade=Outstanding+. Delicious notes of caramel, toffee, milk chocolate, vanillin oak, coffee, baking spices and mocha. Has a beautifully creamy finish.
Kopke Late-Bottled Vintage Port 2001. Grade=Outstanding+. Rich, dense, with some dark berries, chocolate, baking spices, vanilla and cocoa bean, dark plums, and brownies smothered in raspberry and blackberry coulis. Pretty tasty.
BARRELTOP DIVERSIONS (FRIENDS, BUSINESS, AND THE UNREQUITED AGGRAVATION OF UNSOLICITED STORY CONCEPTS CHOKING MY INBOX)
Our good friend and RNDC/Barkley rep Lou came by some old and some new wine:
Middle Sister Sauvignon Blanc Surfer Girl NV. Grade=Outstanding. Very nice, expressive, light-bodied SB with fresh-picked lemon, grapefruit and guava characters.
Bearboat Pinot Gris Sonoma Coast 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Light-bodied, very floral, with a lot of mineral and melon characters. Nice value.
Bearboat Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2007. Grade=Average. Reminiscent of a Maconnais or a Cote Chalonnaise style. Has a lot of herbaceous and earthy qualities mixed in with stone fruit and mineral notes. I liked it at first taste, then was confused, then liked it and finished up very perplexed.
Bearboat Riesling Central Coast 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Pretty, floral Riesling with some nice peach and apricot notes. Semi-dry. Finishes soft.
Middle Sister Pinot Noir Goody 2 Shoes NV. Grade=Average. Cherry cola, sweet tarts and some plum jam. Soft, fruity with some sweetness make this a nice poolside red. Wouldn’t be bad to chill a bit.
Bearboat Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2007. Grade=Outstanding. Nice, showing some Burgundian elements with earth, truffle, mushroom, cherry and roasted nuts. Medium-bodied with nice acidity.
Bearboat Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2006. Grade=Average. This tastes a bit dirty and tired, as if the fruit is on its way out of town. Still has some left in a hangers-on kind-of way. Very earthy and dusty, with a hint of forest floor (that one is for you Lettie).
I BELIEVE A ROUSING “MAZAL TOV” IS IN ORDER
BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT! UTGT welcomes another future wino into the world. Our favorite wine mama, Wendy Huff from Heidelberg gave birth to a healthy baby girl on Wednesday. Baby Lucy joins clan Huff healthy and happy. Congrats to Wendy, her husband, and Lucy’s new big brother Jake. (I have been so afraid Wendy was going to give birth in the middle of one of our barrel-top tastings, it's been borderline neurotic - so her going to the hospital was a relief to me as much as it was to her, I am sure).
Cheers!
SIFTING JEWELS OUT FROM GROUND SPAM
Our good friend Martin from Martin & Co. came by with more stuff from his growing portfolio:
Humberto Canale Extra Brut Patagonia NV. Grade=Outstanding. I was surprised at how good this unusual sparkling blend of Semillon, Pinot Noir, Merlot (yea, I said Merlot) and Sauvignon Blanc shows off a very tart, green apple-influenced sparkler. Very nice.
Bodegas Benegas Clara Benegas Chardonnay-Sauvignon Blanc Mendoza 2009. Grade=Outstanding. Wonderful Chard/SB blend that shows off lots of tropical fruit, mineral, and dried herbs.
Claudia Springs Pinot Gris Mendocino County 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Very Alsatian in style, with lots of lemongrass, dried herbs, limestone, slate, white flowers and lime zest.
Humberto Canale Pinot Noir Patagonia 2008. Grade=Outstanding. A revisit from a previous post, I was again, marveling at how good this was for the price.
Humberto Canale Intimo Reserva Patagonia 2008. Grade=Outstanding. My second taste of this terrific blend.
MAKING NADA MEAN SOMETHING…DECADENT (AN EVENING WITH BODEGAS BORSAO)
Monday night, Shannon, one of our part-time guys, Steve, and myself went over to downtown Cincinnati restaurant Nada to join our good friends at Cutting Edge as they hosted a dinner with Pedro Llanas, winemaker for Bodegas Borsao and Alto Moncayo. Nada features their creative (and delicious) bent on Mexican-style cuisine, and is situated right next to Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center, and right in the heart of what I immediately realized was a blossoming restaurant district.
We should up and immediately found our Cutting Edge rep/good friend Lauren, as well as CE wine manager Steve Tucker, and of course Pedro. Along with some other local friends/buyers, we sat down to quite a feast, as well as just about every wine Pedro makes:
Bodegas Borsao Borsao Rosado Campo de Borja 2009. Grade=Outstanding. Lively, pretty notes of strawberries and rhubarb tartlet. Quite dry with good balance of acidity.
Bodegas Borsao Vina Borgia Campo de Borja 2009. Grade=Outstanding. 100% tank-fermented Grenache shows a bright, juicy red cherry and plum notes. Very approachable.
Bodegas Borsao Borsao Campo de Borja 2009. Grade=Outstanding. This Grenache/Tempranillo blend is a consistent value, with red and black berry fruit aromas and flavors. Soft, fragrant and easy-on-the-palate.
Bodegas Borsao Borsao Monte Oton Campo de Borja 2009. Grade=Outstanding+. One of my favorite value wines, this 100% Grenache has a lot to offer than the previous two reds, with more dense and opulent red and black fruits, a bit of baking spice and fresh herbs, and even a touch of chocolate.
Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos Campo de Borja 2007. Grade=Outstanding+. This gorgeous Grenache is rich, robust and filled to the brim with black cherries, dark plums, white pepper, dried herbs, mineral and a hint of cedar smoke. Finishes long.
Bodegas Borsao Crianza Campo de Borja 2007. Grade=Outstanding+. This Grenache/Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon blend shows some prowess with its red and black currant, black cherry, blackberry and baking spice character, intermingling with notes of red and purple flowers, slight baked earth, mint and dark chocolate. Really nice.
Alto Moncayo Alto Moncayo Campo de Borja 2007. Grade=Amazing. 100% Grenache that is oak aged to perfection with unctuous notes of dark red and black fruit aromas and flavors, cracked black pepper, creamy vanilla, mocha powder, earth and black truffle tones, and a plush, full-bodied finish. Gorgeous!
Alto Moncayo Aquilon Campo de Borja 2006. Grade=Amazing. Unbelievably delicious with its full-bodied delivery of violets, blackberry, black raspberry, blueberry, black truffle, white pepper, cumin, cinnamon, baked strawberries, and mocha notes. The midpalate is rich and layered, and the finish seems never-ending. I am obliged to insert a gratuitous Christina Hendricks reference here now. And then I’d smoke ‘em if I had ‘em.
The dinner was amazing, as the staff at Nada really delivers the goods. I had pork belly tacos for dinner, which anything pork belly to me shoves me into a state of gi-normous arousal (forgive the visuals). Pork belly is essentially meat candy, with all the goodness of its lush, decadent fattiness, crispiness and slow-roasted succulence intact. I should have had the server call me an ambulance after dinner because I was stroke-bound, I was sure of it.
A good time was had by all, as Pedro talked about blending and auto racing, and we all bantered about industry gossip and all things Jorge. Thank you Mark, Steve, Pedro and of course Lauren, and all the folks at Nada for a great evening.
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OBVIOUSLY HIS EARS WERE BURNING (A REVELRY REPRISE, UPCOMING ADVENTURES AND OTHER ASSORTED SUNDRIES)
I’ve been a little distracted the last week or so, what with that immaculate inventory time I like to call a holiday on fire, my wife’s broken ankle, and the subtle change in season that sort of leaves everybody here in “Sinus Valley” a bit plugged-up in the head. Yet I think I am getting set to face SOND (Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec) with a bit more swagger than in years past. Not sure why. Just tired of taking it across the face like I have in the past. No more passive-aggressive bullshit. I am gonna get all Danny Trejo a la Machete on this season’s ass. I’m fightin’ dirty, kickin’ it square in the balls. Yeah, that’s it.
And it seems there is a lot on deck over the next few weeks, what with the obvious WEBN Fireworks this Labor Day weekend, Cork Fork & Style in Louisville next weekend, trade shows from Republic-National and Bryant Distributing, and DEP’s Fine Wine & Spirits first ever Twitter tasting with the wines of Washington State’s Airfield Estates. Looks like I’ve got some heavy chores to do.
After last night’s post on Revelry Vintners’ red wines, our good friend and Vintner Select rep, Gary stopped in with, ironically enough, Jared Burns, winemaker of – you guessed it – Revelry Vintners. Both having read my post last night, they reluctantly came by with Jared’s Chardonnay. No more poker face for me – I’ve let the cat out of the bag that Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio typically bore the shit out of me, having usually tasted a couple dozen every week for the past 15 years. Not a lot you can do to impress me – unless someone like Christina Hendricks pops out of the bottle and delivers a kiss on the lips or The Donald pops out to offer me a million bucks – yet the Revelry Chardonnay Columbia Valley 2008 (Grade=Outstanding) was a nice surprise. This completely tank-fermented, un-malo’d Chardonnay was crisp, clean and refreshing, showcasing some nice notes of Mandarin oranges, nectarines, limes, and pineapple. My sidekick Shannon (think of me as Captain Whino and she as Party Girl) commented that there was a bit of anise showing up in the mix, to which we all agreed.
Gary and Jared both thanked me for the write-up, which is cool to know that people read this shit, but believe me when I say, I am not trying to suck up to anyone (hey, it happens in this business, but I usually do not aim to intentionally be a brown-noser). I don’t have to say anything, and I certainly don’t have to say anything nice, about anyone or anything. I could don my shock-jock outfit and wax Rush Limbaugh about wines and why so many are either 1) so damned expensive, or 2) so f-n hard to get, but that ain’t me.
I say what I say, without the pretense or the hidden agenda, so you could say this is “usually” a no-bullshit zone. Now, that is not to say I don’t lapse into a bit of bullshit, but that is usually when I am ranting about the business aspect of things (KY liquor laws anyone?). Regardless, I love this business, and no matter how I prattle on about this or that, I love experiencing the wines and meeting the people who make them, sell them, promote them and are too, enamored with them. Wine is a very communal thing. It’s kind of like Woodstock in a bottle. But if someone parades the sheep into this dance party, I am outta here.
Tonight, I plan to head home and contribute my two (non)cents into the whole #Cabernet Day shenanigans. I will probably revisit the Smith & Hook Cabernet Sauvignon from Central Coast, and maybe something from Dusted Valley. Usually though, when I get home, I find myself in a very symbiotic relationship with my couch, eyes glazing over as my wife puts on some reality show, and my gi-normous cat, Moonshine, holds me down, and demands an audience with his “father.”
So who know what will happen.