Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Bhojanic wine and tapas - April 30th

Bhojanic wine and tapas - April 30th

Ms. Abbie & Mr. Matt attended this Wine & Tapas tasting at Bhojanic - Authentic Indian Cuisine.  Our friend Daniel, who also happens to be the new manager there, is revamping their wine list.  He was miraculously able to find some great wines to pair with spicy Indian foods.  

Among my personal favorites were:

The 2011 Sula (Nashik, India) - 100% Chenin Blanc.  Tasting Notes from Daniel:  "The largest and by far best winery in India.  Rajeev Sula vineyards is producing wines which are now available on an international level.  This Chenin Blanc is a perfect complement for the spicy character of Bhojanic food, with stone fruit, a hint of citrus, and a touch of viscosity."

The 2011 La Follette (North Coast California) - 100% Pinot Noir.  Tasting Notes from Daniel:  "Greets with a symphony of red fruit, complimented by notes of forest floor and cinnamon bark.  With time in the glass, raspberry and rose petals emerge.  Greg La Follette has delved far more deeply than most into the science behind the art of winemaking.  He also fosters a fervent fascination with old world winemaking techniques.  Both have fueled Greg's intense interest in the texture and mouth feel of wine leaving an indelible mark on the wines he creates"
Abbie's comments:  Daniel also explained that while this is indeed a 100% Pinot Noir wine, the grapes were blended from different sites.  60-70% from Hawks Roost vineyard, the rest from either Manchester Vineyard or Mendicino Ridge.  Absolutely DELICIOUS wine.  I love this one!

The 2010 Domaine Du Grand Planal (Corbieres, France) - 50% Mourvedre, 25% Grenache, 25% Carignan.  Daniel's notes:  "Established in 1850, the winemaking tradition at this Domaine has been passed down from generation to generation.  Their use of concrete tanks allows the fruit to shine.  The Mourvedre here is unctuous with dark fruit and terrific mouth-feel.  While the Grenache and Carignan offer finesse and backbone."
A truly lovely wine.  Yum!


Thursday, April 18, 2013

April 18th, 2013 - Pinot Noir - Ms Kathy & Mr. Jamie

April 18th, 2013 - Pinot Noir - Ms Kathy & Mr. Jamie

Theme: Pinot Noir, a red wine varietal. "Pinot noir grapes are grown around the world, mostly in the cooler regions, but the grape is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France. It is widely considered to produce some of the finest wines in the world, but is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine."

Bring:  TWITs should bring a bottle of Pinot Noir ($20 or under for singles, $40 or under for couples). and we can have everyone pick their favorite bottle at the end. The one who brings the bottle with the most votes wins a prize!

Tasting Notes:
  Welcome Wine:  La Marca Prosecco

1) 2008 Destino Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley - $17 on Wines Till Sold Out
14.5% alcohol
tart cherry, raspberry, bark, honey, not potent on the nose, light spice on the nose
tart apple finish, not jammy, crunchy fruits, really fruity,
TWITs Guesses:  classic Sonoma coast (Rheinallt), 13.5% alcohol (Marilyn)

2) 2008 Westrey Abbey Ridge Pinot Noir, McMinnville Oregon - $43 @ Sherlocks Wine Merchant
13.5% alcohol
very different nose, old world, funkytown, horse manure, oak, age, wheat grass, earthy,
double legs, ruby color
very light, refined, flaccid, cherries, milk chocolate, flabby ending, it runs away quickly
TWITs Guesses:  Kokomo Pinot Noir (Abbie), Russian River Valley (Rheinallt)

3) 2010 St. Innocent Justice Pinot Noir, Eola Amity Hills Williamette Valley - $41 or 42 at Alons
13% alcohol
more clarity in color than the others, brown around edges, has some age
burgundy, cedar, vanilla, oak, like an old dresser, earthy, mushroom, French-ish,
palate backs it up, first whiff of bell pepper (short whiff), lingers a bit longer, easy to drink,
Quote of the evening so far:  "It's seen a lot of wood" - Rheinallt
TWITs Guesses:  Sonoma (Rich)

4) 2004 Meursault Les Durots Pierre Morey, Cote D'Or - $17 at Garagiste.com
13% alcohol - French Burgundy
Nose: leather from the cow ass, chaps - no chaps are assless, fermented broccoli, saddle sway, horse manure, "this is a nose twinger", anise, funkiest funk of a pinot noir, talcum, granite,
Palate:  bubble gum, bitter, root, tastes like farm, barn, cotton-ball on the finish, celery root, tart, dry, harsh finish, "like, go away!", throttling grip.
"sucks all the moisture out of your mouth" - Abbie
"Aw it's terrible" - Ken

5) 2009 Cote Du Beaune-Villages (Cote D'Or) Marnay Sorelles - $33 @ Le Caveau
13% alcohol
good legs,
sweeter smell, new world, latex, perfumey, sweet cherry, rubber (like a floatie), bubblegum, high alcohol on the nose
nice palate at first, but then flabby.

6) 2011 Jenner Pinot Noir, Sonoma - $24 @ Total Wine
14.5% alcohol
WE HAVE A WINNER!  This wine won the prize!  Congratulations to KEN for bringing the winning bottle!  He won a candle made from a Giuseppe Quintarelli bottle.
oaky, jammy nose, raspberry, all spice, blue cheese
fruity, spicy, eloquent, elegant, spicy, leather, delicate raspberry, very lovely, head and shoulders above the rest, "Jamie Approved"
TWITs Guesses:  Southern California - Rheinallt

7) 2011 Meiomi Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara/Monterey/Sonoma Blend - $20 @ PH Wine Merchant
13.9% alcohol
SECOND PLACE - way to go Janssen!
more purple "Ooh, stand back, this is nice" lighter nose, spice, floral, oaked, caramel, cinnamon
drying, off-tart, more full-bodied, rich body, it's got mint, chocolate, smooth, so smooth, "the Justin Timberlake of wine",  not French, alternative Hipster Pinot, multi-layered, it's like cake ice cream, light sugar, "could drink all day and all night", smells like Grenache, "its not like any pinot I've had"

8) 2010 Bench Break Cambria Estate Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley - $35 from direct winery club shipment (NOTE: this is where they filmed the "Sideways" movie)
14.3% alcohol
THIRD PLACE - way to go Val & Rheinallt !
funky, alcoholic nose, latex, ocean breeze candle,
Raspberry then spice, pepper, like a mix of 6 and 7, Love it!
TWITs Guesses:  Russian River Valley or Santa Barbara County (Rheinallt), Dry Creek (Brian)

9) 2011 The Cottage Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dahlonega Georgia - $33 from winery
(bottled by Monteluce) 13% alcohol
cloves, juices, subdued, banana, like a Belgian Beer, Hefeweizen, barky, bubble gum, Irish Spring Soap, banana laffy taffy, yeasty, cake, vanilla, old lady perfume,
it does not taste the way it smells, banana pudding batter, cinnamon toothpaste, light rich candy, leaves a film on your mouth

10) 2011 Kudos Pinot Noir, Williamette Valley - $16-17 @ Total Wine
13.5% alcohol
funk on the nose, fresh manure, "Maceo Parker wine", sulfur, ammonia, perm solution,
flaccid, terrible, deflated balloon, impotent, funky cold medina
"Rheinallt is this one of your jokes?" - Jaffet
This is the first time Jaffet dumped his wine out into the spit bucket.
"South Georgia Pinot?" - Matt

11) 2011 Acacia Pinot Noir, Carneros Sonoma - $14.99
gooseberry, floral nose, sharp fruit, standard pinot Sonoma County, "this isn't horse shit"
sweeter, too normal, a good 2nd or 3rd bottle into the evening.  not French, too fruity, I'd give it a 3.

Janssen made us a Photosynth photo here. Other photos are below.











Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Cheers to our dear Ms Leslie!

Goodbye Leslie!  We'll miss you!  We hope to visit soon!

One of our own dear TWITs has moved on to live the dream.  Ms Leslie is now in Napa Valley working with the Corley Family at Monticello Vineyards.

Keep up with Leslie and her adventures by reading her blog:  Leslie's Blog

Of course, we couldn't let our fellow TWIT leave without a little send-off.  Here's some pictures from Leslie's Goodbye Party: