World Wine Weblog

Taurino 1997 Notarpanaro Salento Rosso

On the eve of departing for Italy, I decided to open up a bottle of an Italian red I stocked up on awhile back from the magnificent 1997 vintage. I first had this wine at Pallino Restaurant, when they had one in Woodinville, where it was selling for $18. At the liquor store, it was $12. Unfortunately, this is is (was) my last bottle.

Here's what the back label had to say:

Notarpanaro is the name of one of our estates. It is also the name of our single vineyard, estate bottled red wine. Notarpanaro is made from a blend of two indigenous grapes, Negro Amoro and Malvasia nera. Tasting Notarpanaro will reveal an intense ruby red color, full rich flavors, and elegant feel on the palate, a sensation echoed by the smells which evolve in the glass. Notarpanaro is best served a cool 55 degrees F, as an accompaniment to flavorful, rich dishes, particularly meats and aged cheeses, or on its own as a wine for meditation.

We paired it with my standard spaghetti sauce, which is flavorful, but meatless, and includes lots of aged Parmesan and Romano cheese, which it complemented quite well. We did not attempt a meditation / wine pairing.

It reminded me a bit of a "baby Amarone" - rather full bodied, but somewhat less tannic and complex than a "real" Amarone (especially a 1997).

Here's what Robert Parker had to say:

"...exhibits a distinctive earthy nose of creosote, scorched earth, pepper, spice, black cherries and licorice...with abundant glycerin, power and richness..."

Here's what the Wine Lovers Page had to say:

Inky dark ruby color, almost opaque. An exotic mix of dark fruit and spice - plums, anise, hints of tarragon and brown spices - in a warm and approachable aroma. Full and ripe, black-fruit and anise flavors follow the nose; lemony acidity and smooth, barely apparent tannins segue into subtle licorice in a long finish.

Hopefully, during my upcoming travels, I'll discover a newfound (or newly expanded) appreciation for Italian wines - while Amarone is my favorite wine in the world, very few other Italian wines have made it into my favorites list. The Notarpanaro comes close ... but it's gone now.

A Zinfantastic Time at the ZAP Zinfandel Festival

Amy, Carol and I had a zinfantastic (or perhaps "zinfandelic") time at the 17th Annual ZAP Zinfandel Festival in San Francisco. I'd wanted to go to this festival for as long as I can remember (well, at least, as long as I've loved Zinfandel ... which is almost as long as I can remember). The Friday before the festival was my last day at my old job (in Palo Alto), so Amy flew down from Seattle for the weekend, and Carol drove out from Sacramento.

I'm not sure how many wineries were there - probably 200-300 - certainly far more than I could get to during the all-too-brief 3-hour tasting. I probably tasted over 50 wines - and seemed to be one of the relatively few people who were carrying red plastic cups (as spittoons). It was pretty crowded, but we were able to navigate pretty well (though during the last hour, I left Amy and Carol behind as I fully engaged in what my friend, Les, called "wine lust" (when we were together during the Rhone Rangers festival a few years ago) - darting among the tables, using my mouth solely for tasting wines, vs. communicating with other humans). Note for next year: join ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers) ... the extra cost would be well worth the extra hour (with a smaller crowd) for tasting.

As usual, I am not very good at recalling nuances of smells or taste components, all I remember is what I really liked - and didn't like, so I'm going to list my top choices among the wines I tasted (and the tasting notes provided by the wineries).

1. Edmeades: 2005 2006 Chase Vineyard ($29): Think cherries … loads of ’em. Chocolate-covered cherries, dried Bing cherries, candied cherries, perfumed cherries. Mendocino Zin may be known for cherry and berry flavors, but this bottling is over the top, with cherry bursting out in all directions, topped with a rich toasty oak bouquet with a touch of butterscotch. Bold … and big, with excellent cellaring potential for five to ten years.
   [Interestingly, Robert Parker only rated this wine at 89 points: "The 2005 Zinfandel Chase Vineyard has an intense black cherry and raspberry nose, a dark ruby/purple-tinged color, surprisingly full body and depth, and is quite a complete wine, even in such a difficult vintage." The photo to the right is of the Edmeades tasting booth. (Update: I initially mislabeled the vintage we tasted of the Edmeades and the Hartford at the event; in both cases, it was the 2006. This may explain the highly unusual discrepancy between RP's rating and my subjective impression of a wine. I believe all the other vintages are correctly labeled.)]
2. Hartford: 2005 2006 Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard, Russian River Valley ($50): The 2005 Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard Zinfandel displays ripe blackberry and black raspberry aromas and flavors along with silky chocolate notes on the finish. Carrying on the tradition of this venerable vineyard, the 2005 Fanucchi-Wood Road Zinfandel has a tremendously dense texture complemented by big fruit and great power.
3. Opolo: 2005 Reserve, Paso Robles ($38)
4. Pezzi King: 2005 Old Vine, Dry Creek Valley ($22)
5. Roshambo: 2005 The Reverend, Dry Creek Valley ($25): Picture-perfect Dry Creek Valley Zin. So lush, so delicious, you just can't get enough. Power-packed with cherry, raspberry, cassis, chocolate, licorice, tobacco, oak and spice flavors, this wine's structure is beautiful, with elegant tannins and brisk acids (Wine Enthusiast, 92 points, Editors' Choice).

Other honorable mentions include:

• Robert Biale: 2006 Old Crane Ranch (N/A), 2006 Old Kraft Vineyard (N/A
• Bogle: 2006 Old Vine ($11); I didn't try this myself, but Amy and Carol said it was very good (especially for the price) ... I did not like the 2005, but for $11, I'll give it a try.
• J. Dusi: 2004 Haute Haute Haute Zin Port, Dante Dusi Vineyard, Paso Robles (listed as a "Late Harvest Zinfandel" on their web site)
• Edmeades: 2005 Perli Vineyard, Mendocino Ridge ($29), 2006 Shamrock Vineyard (N/A), 2006 Mendocino ($18)
• Hartford: 2005 Russian River Valley ($30), 2006 Highwire Vineyard, Russian River Valley ($50)
• Opolo: 2006 Mountain, Paso Robles ($26)
• Paradise Ridge: 2005 The Convict, Rocky Ridge Vineyard, Rockpile ($34)
  
• Pezzi King: 2005 Estate, Dry Creek Valley ($40), 2005 Estate Reserve, Dry Creek Valley ($50)
• Macchia: 2006 Adventurous, Linsteadt Vineyard, Amador County ($26), 2006 Mischievous, Lodi ($18), 2005 Dangerous, Port ($25)
• Portalupi: 2006 Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley ($28)
• Rancho Zabaco: 2004 Stefani Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley ($25)
• Carol Shelton: 2005 Karma Zin, Rue Vineyard, Russian River Valley ($33), 2005 Maple Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley ($33), 2005 Manga Zin, Lopez Vineyard, Cucamonga Valley ($21), 2005 Rocky Reserve, Rockpile Ridge Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley (N/A)
• Sobon Estate: 2006 ReZerve, Amador County ($24); 2006 Old Vines, Amador County ($12)
• Steele: 2004 DuPratt, Mendocino Ridge ($24)
• Trentadue: 2004 La Storia, Geyserville Ranch, Alexander Valley Estate ($28)

Due to time constraints, I explicitly avoided some wineries - Ravenswood, Renwood and Rosenblum, because I've been to their tasting rooms within the past few years, and Turley - because I'm on their mailing list.

The only downsides to the tasting, other than it was too short, and several wineries packed it in before the end of the event, was that someone stole my tasting glass. I set it down on a table for a minute to make some notes as I was tasting my way through the Edmeades' booth, and someone stole it. It wasn't near any other glasses, so I don't think it was an "honest" mistake. Fortunately, it was close to where they were selling replacement glasses for $5, and although they had no more to sell, one of the volunteers there - David Sanchez, shown in the photo to the left - witnessed the theft (a woman with red hair - not my wife), and gave me one of the used glasses, which I washed thoroughly in the men's room, and then used to continue my final stretch of tasting. I also developed a case of severely stained thumb (shown in the photo to the right, taken at Capurro's Restaurant after the festival, in front of a bottle of Four Vines 2005 Old Vine Cuvee, one of the wines I did not taste during the festival), presumably due to wine dribbling down the stem of my glass over the course of the afternoon; fortunately, no wine dribbled onto my clothing.

All in all, I would have to say that this was the best wine tasting event I've ever attended - even better than the Rhone Rangers tasting at Fort Mason I went to three years ago (with Amy, Carol, Elizabeth, Les and Kathy). We had a nice dinner afterward (with Chris joining us) at nearby Capurro's, and spent the night at the nearby Coventry Motor Inn. Since returning home to the Seattle area, I've been able to find some of these wines in local wine shops, but I just may have to join a few more wine clubs.

Thanksgiving Food and Wine Pairing: Turkey and Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Two years ago, I'd shared the recommendation that in pairing food and wine on thanksgiving, drink what you like. I still believe in that philosophy, but in posting an entry on this year's Thanksgiving meal on my primary blog, in which I elaborated on our refinements in brining and grilling a turkey, I also noted a trend in pairing Chateauneuf-du-Papes with turkey over the years.

The photo on the left is of the Rhone wines we had with turkey last year - the 1998 Patrick Le Sec Chateauneuf du Pape "Aurore", the 1998 Domaine de Villeneuve "Ville Vignes" and the 1999 Chateau St. Cosme Gigondas - the photo on the right is of the two we had with turkey this year - the 1998 Domaine de Villeneuve Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Ville Vignes" (again) and the 2000 Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Chaupin". Of all of these, the Janasse is my favorite (in general, and with the turkey).

I believe most, if not all, of these are based predominantly on the Grenache grape, and so, as I noted in my main blog post, I may experiment with some single varietal Grenache next year, and perhaps a bit of Cinsault (Chateau Ste. Michelle offered their first single varietal bottlings of each grape this past year, and both sold out very quickly to Wine Club members).

I decided to repost this information here, as this is the forum in which I like to log my most interesting experiences with food and wine pairing ... and Chateauneuf-du-Pape may not be an obvious choice for most people looking for wines to pair with turkey.

Sharing My Passion for Amarone at Cafe Fino

We went to Cafe Fino last night to celebrate the contributions of Jukka Soikkeli, a senior member of Nokia Research Center, who is retiring. As I wrote in a post on my primary blog, passion was a pervasive theme (for me) throughout the evening. As I also briefly noted on my primary blog, one of the dimensions of my passion that was flowing freely was my love of Amarone.

Upon arriving at Cafe Fino, I saw that the red wine that was being offered was a Chianti Classico, which tends to be a bit light for my tastes (as I've noted before, subtlety is lost on me, and [so] I seek out bold flavors). I was starting to think about beer or other libations, when my colleague Ramin said something about my penchant for wine. I expressed my dilemma about whether to drink the Chianti, given my preference for big wines ... and got to talking about Amarone as the exemplar of all I love in wines (and proceeded to tell Ramin, Deborah and others far more than they probably ever wanted to know about the history of Amarone and the way it is produced). I asked whether the restaurant carried Amarone, and Vito (shown in the photo, and now my friend for life) brought out a bottle of the 2003 Cesari Amarone so that I could better share my passion for this wine.

I don't know how broadly my passion for Amarone was shared among the other Nokians at the party, but the Chianti (which was a 1997, and much better than I expected, though no match for an Amarone) was soon replaced by the Amarone as the selection of the night ... and so everyone there now at least has shared the experience of Amarone, if not the passion.

A Hard Core Wine Tasting Experience at Lavanda

I met my friend Jane for an after-work drink at Lavanda Restaurant and Wine Bar in downtown Palo Alto last week. Jane is one of my favorite people -- even though she still hasn't responded to my invitation to join the self-disclosure movement on her blog -- and it's always fun to get together with her. Both of us love wine, and neither of us had visited Lavanda yet, so it seemed like a natural choice.

We were delighted to discover that there was a special wine tasting / release party that evening, with winemaker Dave Corey (shown below left) of Core Wine Company offering a lineup of his most recently released wines:

• 2004 Red 163 (14% Mourvedre, 56% Grenache, 30% Syrah),
  
• 2004 Elevation Sensation (another GSM blend, but with grapes more predominantly from his own vineyard)
  
• 2004 Hard Core (Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet)
  
• 2004 Soft Core (Grenache Blanc, Rousanne and Marsanne) -- actually, I can't remember now if that really is the name of the wine, or the name he wanted to use.
  

All of these wines were great -- representing the deeper and fuller end of the Grenache [Blanc] spectrum (and thus, more appealing to me than the lighter variations of the varietal). The Hard Core was the standout for me, where the little bit of cab really added a significant amount of power to the blend. Jane liked the Elevation Sensation best (that was my second favorite). Dave also has a predominantly Mourvedre blend and a Tempranillo. I want to track down some of these at a wine shop (and soon, as I think they are selling out).

Jane had to leave, but I didn't have dinner yet, and a pasta dish with Sardines looked very appetizing (and the kind of thing I would never cook at home), so I stayed on, and enjoyed a glass of the Turchi Syrah -- which was not included in the initial 3-glass tasting flight -- to accompany that. The meal was also accompanied by very interesting and engaging discussion with Matt Kahn (shown above right), a Professor of Design in the Art School at Stanford, who offered his views on art and design, and described some of his wine-related travels. He also highly recommended the Klinker Brick Zinfandel, so I'll have to go back there sometime ... perhaps when Jane and Matt can both be there, so the three of us can enjoy some fine wine and conversation together.

Recreating the Ultimate Wine and Cheese Pairing Experience: Turley Zinfandel and a Mystery Cheese

On June 23, 2004, Amy and I enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Union Restaurant in Seattle. Everything about the food, service and atmosphere was outstanding, but what stood out most of all was the wine and cheese pairing experience we had during our first course. To start with, I was amazed to find a Turley Zinfandel on the wine list (I believe it was the 2002 Juvenile or Old Vines -- the bottle has the additional label denoting the Paso Robles earthquake in December 2003, so maybe it was the 2003 vintage). Then, when the cheese plate arrived, one of the cheeses, paired with the wine, created the most amazing wine and cheese taste sensation I've ever experienced. All of them were good but there was one that really stood out. Unfortunately, I've forgotten which of these cheeses was the one. Fortunately, however, I'd snapped a photo of the cheese plate and menu (see below).

Last night, we participated in a "progressive dinner" with three other couples, and we offered to do a wine and cheese course. After over two years on the waiting list for the Turley mailing list, I recently started getting shipments of Turley Zinfandel, including the 2004 Juvenile and Old Vines, so I decided to take advantage of this opportunity to attempt to recreate that ultimate wine and cheese pairing experience from June 2004.

I picked up [what I thought were] the five cheeses at Whole Foods:

• Blue Valdeon 2 Milk
• Pecorino Romano
• Goat Le Chevrot
• Pont L'eveque
• Pierre Robert

It took two trips -- four of the five were in the Redmond store, the last was in Bellevue -- and still, two are approximations (Pecorino Romano rather than Pecorino Fiore Sardo D.O.P., and Goat Le Chevrot rather than Mini Chevrot), and one was downright wrong (Blue Valdeon rather than Queso Azul de Valderon). Unfortunately, I forgot to snap a photo of the cheeses when they were laid out on the tray; fortunately, I remembered to snap a photo of the cheeses before I'd prepared them.

The eight of us each tried each of the cheeses with each of the wines, after starting out with a bottle of 2001 Hendry Ranch Zinfandel while people will still arriving. No one cheese turned out to be the favorite for a majority of everyone tasting. At least one person voted for each cheese, except for the Pecorino Romano, as a favorite, with a critical mass around the Valdeon and Pierre Robert. As for the wines, the Turley Old Vines was the favorite, followed closely by the Turley Juvenile. Mary, with whom I'd split a case of the Hendry three years ago, noted that the Hendry seemed to have mellowed considerably since we first had it, so it really wasn't a fair comparison with two young Turleys (I really only opened that one because it was the only other Zin I had close at hand as people were coming over).

My personal goal was to rediscover the one cheese that so exquisitely complemented the Turley. What I found was that they all complemented the Turley very well. Of course, I like Turley by itself, and like nearly all of the cheeses on their own, too. I suppose the standout was that I did not enjoy the Pont L'Eveque separately, but pairing with either of the Turleys really brought out a new taste that I did enjoy. I suspect, however, that the Queso Azur de Valderon -- the only cheese for which I did not have even an approximation -- may be the one I so fondly remember from the original experience ... and so I will try another experiment, once I can track down the missing cheese.

VinoFiles: Richard Gagnon's Wine Blog

Richard Gagnon knows more about wine than anyone I've ever met. He's the wine guy at the Brattleboro Food Co-op, and he's also my cousin-in-law, who I used to see most Thanksgivings ... before we moved to the other side of the continent (Woodinville, WA). I've mentioned Richard before in this blog -- for example, he's the one who showed me (and the rest of the family) that the best Thanksgiving food and wine pairing is, well, whatever you like to drink, and he's also responsible for my relatively new interest in Pinor Noir.

Anyhow, even people who don't know Richard personally, or shop at the Co-op, can benefit from his wine knowledge now, as he recently launched a new wine blog, Vino Files, in which he recently shared some specific ideas for Thanksgiving food and wine pairing for those who might find "whatever you like" too daunting.

Portalupi 2004 Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

Wow -- this is one of the most amazing under $30 Zinfandels I've ever had, and ranks among the best Zinfandels I've had at any price (rivaling the Hartford and Turley Zinfandels). It's currently available for $23/bottle at VinElla in Woodinville (through the end of the month) -- interestingly, while the wine is made in Sonoma, the winemaker, Tim Borges, lives here in Woodinville. With a little over a month to go until the end of 2006, this wine currently ranks as my most exciting find of the year.

Here's the description from the Portalupi web site:

"We feel our 2004 Zinfandel falls once again into our style zone. The wine benefits from an almost picture perfect growing season in Sonoma County accentuated by a short heat spell just prior to harvest. The result is an extremely balanced wine with a well rounded mouth feel and elevated alcohol levels. Classic toast and jam punctuate the nose with black and red berry fruits dominating the palate. Hints on allspice, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg intertwine with a touch of black pepper which compliments the bowl-full-of-berry-backbone of this classic Zin. Drink now or comfortably age to 2009-2010."

Viña Ventisquero 2004 Root:1

Wow, yet another fabulous $10 cabernet, this one from Chile, and bigger and more intense than the Columbia Crest Grand Estates I recently wrote about ... and [thus] I like it even better.  Root:1 is a 85% Cabernet Sauvignon / 15% Syrah blend from Colchagua Valley, the result of a partnership between Viña Ventisquero from Rancagua, Chile, and the Click Wine Group here in Seattle.  The name stems from the fact that the grapes used in this wine are taken from vines from the original European rootstock, rather than those grafted onto other roots.

I picked up a bottle from VinElla in Woodinvillle after Steve, the proprietor, turned me on to the wine during what appears to be a perpetual informal tasting at the wine shop.  It was my first visit, and I was delighted to see they also have a great selection of Amarones and Zinfandels; I'll be picking up more of the Root:1 (and probably others) next time I stop in.

Here are the tasting notes from the Root:1 web site:

Intense, cherry red in color, with ripe berry notes, including raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and plums. Attractive aromas of coffee and dark chocolate combine with a touch of tobacco, smoke and vanilla, into a rich structure with soft tannins. A full-bodied wine with a long and concentrated finish accented with fruity, smoky notes.

And here's what Vin Ella has to say on their web page:

Peter Click, owner of Click Importing and Distribution in Seattle created this little project, a collaboration with Ventisquera, S.A., one of Chile’s largest wine groups. They hired Felipe Tosso, formerly of Concha y Toro, to make this with grapes from two of Chile’s legendary vineyards, Apalta and Trinidad. It’s 85% Cab and 15% Syrah, has beautiful, supple structure, deep fruit, a satiny texture, lovely terroir notes, and a rich, chewy feel. It’s just simply far more wine for the money than 90% of the wines sitting on wine shop shelves, nowadays. As a bottle of Cabernet, I’d put it up against nearly everything I’ve tasted under $25 and under $15, it’s equaled by only one bottle I’ve ever found. They made a lot of it and I don’t know how widely Click distributes this but I can bet that you won’t find many bargain Cabs that top it, no matter where you are.

Irony 2004 Napa Valley / Carneros Pinot Noir

It's summer in Seattle, which I associate with grilling and salmon (among many other associations) ... and I associate grilled salmon with Pinot Noir.

We picked up some salmon -- generic Wild King Salmon and Yakutat Salmon -- at Whole Foods yesterday, where there were cases of the 2004 Irony Pinot Noir prominently displayed. With a wine name like Irony, a winery name of Life's Strange Twists, a $12 price tag and a description on the placard that included depth, complexity and smoke, I just had to try it.  Also, the alcohol level of 14.5% on the label -- high for a Pinot Noir -- reinforced my belief that this wine would have depth and complexity ... and it did, along with the smoke. 

The winery web site is "under contruction", and the only other description I can find on the web is at BevMo (where the 2003 version is available for $10):

90 PTS WILFRED WONG. Enticing, exotic, and another "e" word I cannot mention, the fascinating '03 Irony Pinot Noir steals the show; packed with fruit, smoked bacon rind, and pungent sour plum, tasty!

The wine paired beautifully with all four variations of salmon that we prepared: we coated half of each salmon with Tom Douglas' Salmon Rub (from the "Rub with Love" spice rub series).  The Yakutat Salmon, with 33% oil, was preferred over the regular King Salmon, with 16% oil, and the rubbed sections were preferred over the plain sections, by all members of the family.  Along with having twice as much oil content, the Yakutat Salmon is also nearly twice as expensive -- and, like Copper River Salmon and Yukon River Salmon, only available for brief periods each year.  It would be fun to arrange a multi-person multi-dimensional Salmon and Pinot Noir tasting while everything is in season ... but we may have to wait until next season.