Clement Rhum tasting at SOS Tiki Bar

They provided the Space Force complimentary.

With Ryan Pines of Clement Rhum

making the Ti'Punch

SelectioNaturel Tasting w Eric Brown at Vinoteca

SelectioNaturel tasting w Eric Brown

@ Vinoteca 

Eric & Matt

a Friend & Susan (one of our TWITs)

SelectioNaturel tasting w Eric Brown:  

NV Cellario È Bianco! Vino Bianco (1 Liter) (2017)

Vinified in stainless steel, this blend of organically farmed Arneis from Roero with a dash of Muscat, is a lively white with enough flavors of stone fruit, citrus, and minerality to satisfy just about all white wine drinkers. The fresh acidity makes it a highly versatile white and the one liter bottle under crown cap pretty much of makes it the perfect pool/patio wine!

NV Cellario È Grino! Vino Rosso (1 Liter)  (2017)

This organic Italian guzzler is made of 100% Grignolino vinified in cement tank by Dolcetto masters, Fausto & Cinzia Cellario. Grignolino is a native Piedmont grape that yields lighthearted, fruity, ruby-colored reds. This juicy summer red is perfect for fans of Beaujolais/Gamay, Poulsard from the Jura and other northern Italian light reds like Schiava...also in one liter bottle under crown cap!

NV Furlani Rosato Frizzante Trento

Sparkling rosé (Pet-Nat) made from traditional Trentino grapes including Pinot Nero and spontaneously fermented in cement before racking into 54-liter demijohns for about seven months. It is bottled with a bit of the remaining residual sugar leftover from the shutdown of Initial fermentation with the arrival of winter temperatures, allowing for bottle re-fermentation. The whole process is done without any temperature control or sulfur additions and the wine is not fined or disgorged. These folks make some of the best sparkling wines in Italy!

2017 Lamoresca 'Nerocapitano' Terre Siciliane

Nerocapitano is the local name for Frappato and Filippo’s vines are surrounded by wild mint, oregano, dill, and a 300 year old carob tree, all of which seem to find its way into the wine via wonderful aromatic lift. The wine is made from some 40 year old Frappato vines and others that were planted in 2005 from cuttings that came from COS in Vittoria. The fruit is hand harvest in mid-September through mid-October. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in plastic “tini” without temperature control, with maceration on the skins for four days and natural malolactic fermentation before maturing in cement vats for twelve months.

2016 Cantina Ribelà ‘Rosso’ Lazio 

This red is made from 100% Cesanese, one of the rediscovered red grapes in central Italy. It comes from Lazio—the wine region of Rome, and is farmed biodynamically in a "secret garden" vineyard in Frascati on sandy, volcanic soil with southern exposure. Chiara Bianchi and Daniele Presutti are young growers, both Roman born and raised, that made their first vintage in 2014, Chiara (a former philosophy professor) and Daniele (a former architect) are making wines with real balance, freshness with incredible texture. The Rosso is fermented spontaneously in stainless steel vats and macerated on the skins for ten days before six months of aging in resin (fiberglass) tank.

TWITs Pool Party & Cookout - June 22nd - hosted by Ms. Crystal

TWITs Pool Party & Cookout - June 22nd - hosted by Ms. Crystal

WHEN:  Friday, June 22nd, 2018 - 7:00 PM
THEME:  Pool Party & Cookout  NOTE: we will be capping attendance again
BRING:  
1) A bottle of wine to pair with the food on the menu - within our usual suggested pricing.
2) Your swimsuit and a towel - if you are swimming

Menu:
Beef burgers with Gruyere Cheese & Arugula
3 Bean Salad
Shrimp & Tilapia Ceviche
Fruit Tart
Ice Cream Cones

Well we got rained out, but it was still a fun night.  Tasting notes and photos below.

Tasting Notes:
Welcome Wines:  We had White Sangria & Red Sangria (homemade)

1) NV Union Wine Co. Underwood Rose Bubbles - $6.99/can @ Brookhaven Wines
Varietal Unknown.  11% alcohol
Tasting Notes:  Wild strawberry, fruit cocktail, and tart cherry

2) 2016 Domaine Franck Besson Rose Granit - $11.99 @ Brookhaven Wines
100% Gamay, 12.5% alcohol
Tasting Notes:  lively, delicious, dry, bubbly,

3) 2017 Francis Ford Coppola Sofia Brut Rose ~ $18 @ Total Wine
50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay, 12% alcohol
Tasting Notes:

4)  NV Union Wine Co. Underwood Rose - $6.99/can @ Brookhaven Wines
Varietal Unknown.  12% alcohol
Tasting Notes:  Strawberry, Peach, Watermelon

5) 2017 Chateau Paradis Coteaux d'ain en Provence Rose ~ $13.99
90% Cabernet, 10% Shiraz/Syrah, 12% alcohol
Tasting Notes: crisp, dry, refreshing

6) 2014 Napa Cellars Zinfandel - $19.99 Toco Giant
100% Zinfandel, 14% alcohol
Tasting Notes: bright aromas of fresh blackberries, tart cherry and hints of black tea. The aromas lead to lush flavors of ripe jam with notes of mocha, spice and sweet notes of oak on the finish. This wine is medium-bodied with bright acidity and a smooth, juicy and lasting mouthfeel. Winemaker Joe Shirley recommends pairing this wine with barbequed ribs or a well-seasoned steak topped with fresh basil

7) 2014 Banshee Pinot Noir Sonoma ~ $23.99
100% Pinot Noir, 13.6% alchol
a beautiful balance between both red and blue fruits, notably Bing cherry and Asian plums. Interwoven with the fruit characteristics are coastal moss, fresh wild mushrooms, and spice. The wine has good carry-through from front to finish, with lively acidity to keep it light on its feet.

TWITs May 2018 Event - hosted by Mr. Chad and Ms. Christy

TWITs May 12, 2018 - hosted by Mr. Chad and Ms. Christy

Theme:  Judgement of Paris
Bring:  Money to pay for the wine

Our hosts did their best to match a sampling of the wines from the same winemaker or winery;
or if this was not otherwise possible, the same terroir for our tasting tonight.

Food:  The food was catered by Chef Raymond Griffin of Art of Cuisine Catering.  We dined on tuna tartare with ginger and guacamole, assorted cheeses and fruits, oysters Rockefeller, brie & berry mini puff pastry, peach & goat cheese tarts, black olive tapanade with sun dried tomatoes on French bread, dark and white chocolate, smoked salmon mousse bruschetta, charcuterie, melon wrapped proscuitto, marcona almonds, caramels, yummmmmmy!

Tasting Notes:
In the order we tasted them in with tasting notes:

WELCOME WINE (not part of the Judgement of Paris):
Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs ~ $35 @ Total Wine
12.8% alcohol

WHITE WINES
1) 2011 Domaine Jean Monnier & Fils Mersault-Charmes - $74
Aromatic, oak, golden apple, peaches, CA, viscosity, viscous, apricots, green apricot, Bojangles Biscuit, new world, pith, stone fruit, nuts, toasted almonds, poignant, I like it a lot, good with the oysters.

2) 2015 Premier Cru Domaine Gerard Thomas & Filles Puligny-Montrachet - $65
stone fruit, light, herbacious, viscous, yellow green, straw, minerality, guessing French, old world, white flowers, tastes different than it smells, lemon, lime, sprite, burgundy style, Chateau Montrechet guess.  good guess!

3) 2014 Freemark Abbey Chardonnay - $31
biscuits, pastry, flirt with no plans, minerality, golden luscious, weak on the palate, sweet then evaporates, buttery, cream, sugar, marshmallow, viscous, apple, high acidity, not dry, light sugar, fun wine, a carnival, new world, lemon meringue pie, Chateau Montelena guess?

4) 2015 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay - $50
MY FAVE (Abbie)
peach, peach compote, stone fruits, pith, cherries, chocolate, honey, coffee, weird for a white wine, sweet flowery garden, loverly, dessert wine, high alcohol, pith-love, melon, I like the way it feels going down.

RED WINES - note these were decanted in advance of the tasting.
5) 2014 Chateau Leoville Las Cases Saint Julien-Medoc - $160
butter, cherries, plum, leather, eyes roll back in my head it's smells so good!  oh that mouth is disappointing, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, mind-f*ck, mushrooms, love the nose but the palate is weird, something is off, tart palate, unripe palate, undeveloped, not quite right, has grip, velvet, cranberries, its like 11am misty morning in Napa Valley, a cheating husband, when you're going down on a guy and it's a little small, unsatisfying palate,

6) 2015 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon - $49
musty, mushrooms, age, green, not so French, scrub brush, artichokes, CA AF, smooth, The Prisoner-like? port-like, green grapes on the nose, olive brine bitter finish, moss, mushrooms, algae, wet leaves, unrefined, thicc, soft palate, dry, guessing Artemis, German dungeon, damp basement, Rammstein?

7) 2011 Chateau Montrose Saint-Estephe - $110
French funk, dry as a bone, tobacco, guessing Las Cases, nice, good, beautiful bouquet, perfume, bell pepper, fennel nose, very dry, Rachel guesses CA, nice cigar, beautiful soft, delicate, mineral, pair with steak

8) 2009 Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan - $55
smells of charcuterie, minerals, gentile, sexy, savory, lovely, best wine all night, fleshy, lacks tannin structure, fan-F*CKing-tastic, best wine of the night, cheese, French AF, river rafting, olive brine, best of night, cassis, cigar box, beautiful, soft stroking kittens made of wine, my only regret is it's gone.

9) 2010 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon - $97
licorice, fennel, twizzlers, aMAHzing nose, musty, dark fruit, The Prisoner-like, more robust, bitterness, raisin, syrup, black currant, dark fruit, syrup, petrol, dirty martini, polyurethane nose, furniture varnish, old wood, arugula & burrata, Oh-face.

10) 2011 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon - $110
pepper gorgeous, sweet, small, light, musty, elegant, acidity but love it, it's got grip, ah-maz-ing nose, syrupy fruit, makes me happy

FAREWELL WINE (not part of the Judgement of Paris):
2014 Amici Cabernet Sauvignon - $49.99 @ Total Wine

WINNERS ranked per TWITs scoring:
WHITE WINES:
1st Place: 2015 Premier Cru Domaine Gerard Thomas & Filles Puligny-Montrachet - $65
2nd Place: 2015 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay - $50
3rd Place: 2011 Domaine Jean Monnier & Fils Mersault-Charmes - $74
4th Place: 2014 Freemark Abbey Chardonnay - $31

RED WINES:
1st Place: 2009 Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan - $55
2nd Place: 2010 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon - $97
3rd Place: 2011 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon - $110
4th Place: 2011 Chateau Montrose Saint-Estephe - $110
5th Place: 2015 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis cabernet Sauvignon - $49
6th Place: 2014 Chateau Leoville Las Cases Saint Julien-Medoc - $160

Rose Tasting at Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar - Hosted by Jackie's Fine Wine & Spirits - April 21st

Rose Tasting at Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar - Hosted by Jackie's Fine Wine & Spirits - Saturday April 21st 2p-4p

There were 7 tables of delicious Rose to taste!

Table 1:
I tasted the Henri Bourgeois Pinot Noir Loire - $15.99
and the Henri Bourgeois Sancerre Loire - $20.99.  The 2nd was my favorite.

Table 2:
I tasted Le Fervent Costieres de Nimes France $20.99, it was very light.

Table 3:
I tasted none of these, but I had in the past tasted the Chapoutier "Belleruche" France $11.99.

Table 4:
I tasted the Barville Cotes-du-Rhone "Esprit" France $14.99.  It was a bit funky.
The Castels des Maures - France - $16.99 - good
The Fragile France - $20.99 - it was meh
The Foncalieu PiquePoul France - $15.99 - it was too light
The Elena Walch from Italy - $17.99 - good and funky
The Portlandia from Oregon - $15.99 - CA COW!

Table 5:
The Ayres Oregon - $21.99
Bruliam Rose of Pinot Noir California Elemental - $25.99 - loved it
Champagne Lallier France - $54.99 - was AMAZING
Fabre en Provence, France, $16.99 - delicious, wanted to buy a bottle.
The Ned from New Zealand - $14.99 good
Fabre en Provence Cru Classe France - $24.99 - delicious

Table 6
Sedosa from Spain - $14.99 - good
Fleurs de Prarie France - $14.99 - loved it
Pasas from Spain - $11.99 - olive juice briny end, liked it
Minuty from France - $18.99 - good
Hecht & Bannier from France - $19.99 - good
Stoller from Oregon - $19.99 - limey

Table 7
Rousseau Freres from France - $18.99 - loved it
Lefond "Roc Epine" Tavel from France - $19.99 - liked it
Le Zolle from Italy - $14.99 - ewww too sweet, dumped it. No Way Rose!

Drift served appetizers also.  it was a delightful day for it, perfectly sunny with a light breeze.  not too hot either. 

TWITs - Chianti - hosted by Ms. Vicki & Ms. Lane - April 14th, 2018

TWITs - Chianti - hosted by Ms. Vicki & Ms. Lane - April 14th, 2018

When:  Saturday April 14th, 2018 @ 6 pm

Theme:  Chianti - we will do our usual blind tasting method
Chianti (kee-yan-tee) is an Italian red wine blend produced in Tuscany.   Chianti can be made with many different varietals. Baron Bettino Ricasoli created the Chianti recipe of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo and 15% Malvasia bianca in the middle of the nineteenth century. During the 1970s producers started to reduce the quantity of white grapes in Chianti. In 1995 it became legal to produce a Chianti with 100% Sangiovese. For a wine to retain the name of Chianti, it must be produced with at least 80% Sangiovese grapes. Chiantis tend to have medium-high acidity and medium tannins. The acidity in the wines make them very flexible with food and wine pairings, particularly with Italian cuisines that feature red sauce, as well with as beef, lamb and game.

   A Chianti may have a picture of a black rooster (known in Italian as a gallo nero) on the neck of the bottle, which indicates that the producer of the wine is a member of the Gallo Nero Consortium, an association of producers of the Classico sub-area sharing marketing costs. Since 2005 the black rooster has been the emblem of the Chianti Classico producers association.
   Basic level Chianti is often characterized by its juicy fruit notes of cherry, plum and raspberry and can range from simple quaffing wines to those approaching the level of Chianti Classico. Basic everyday-drinking Chiantis are at their peak between three and five years after vintage
    Chianti Classico wines are characterized in their youth by their predominantly floral and cinnamon spicy bouquet. As the wine ages, aromas of tobacco and leather can emerge.  Well-made examples of Chianti Classico often have the potential to age and improve in the bottle for six to twenty years.
    Chianti Superiore is an Italian DOCG wine produced in the provinces of Arezzo, Florence, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato and Siena, in Tuscany. Superiore is a specification for wines produced with a stricter rule of production than other Chianti wines, and has been authorized since 1996. Chianti Superiore wines can be produced only from grapes cultivated in the Chianti wine areas except from those vineyards that are registered in the Chianti Classico sub-zone. Vineyards registered in Chianti sub-zones other than Classico can produce Chianti Superiore wines but must omit the sub-zone name on the label. Aging is calculated from 1 January after the picking. Chianti Superiore cannot be sold to the consumer before nine months of aging, of which three must be in the bottle. Therefore it cannot be bottled before the June after picking or sold to consumers before the next September.
     Chianti Riserva is aged 38 months instead of 4-7. Chianti that meets more stringent requirements (lower yield, higher alcohol content and dry extract) may be labelled as Chianti Superiore, although Chianti from the "Classico" sub-area is not allowed in any event to be labelled as "Superiore".

Reminder about Italian Wine Rating Scale:
VDT --> IGT -->  DOC --> DOCG (highest)

Our hostesses Lane & Vicki provided us with many delicious foods to pair with our Chianti:  Stuffed mushrooms, Bruschetta on toast, Avocado, pickled okra, olives, Charcuterie, Fromages including Parmesan, Brie, and fresh Mozzerella Cheese, Spaghetti Squash/Chicken/Pesto Casserole, Caramel Cheesecake.

Tasting Notes:

Welcome Wine:  

1)  2012 Ampeleia Tuscan IGT Red Blend (not a Chianti) ~ $35 @ Le Caveau Fine Wines
13.5% Alcohol
Indicative blend: 50% Cabernet Franc, 20% Sangiovese, 30% of four different Mediterranean varieties. A collaboration among Elisabetta Foradori, Giovanni Podini and Thomas Widmann. Formerly Ampelaia was labeled as Maremma Toscana IGT.
cherry, alcohol, heat, earthy, currant, blackberry, red currant, smell blackberry but taste raspberry, briny, pepper on finish, dry, medium finish, a Sangiovese Clone perhaps? fruity finish, strawberry, dark berry, young airy finish.

2) 2015 Fattoria di Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico ~ $20 via Garagiste
13% Alcohol
chocolate, cocoa powder, cherry cordial, riserva? guesses Chris? deeper, richer, all good so far, dry, bitter, aged, oaky, the more I drink it the better I like it.

3) 2013 Marchese Antinori Tignanello Chianti Riserva ~ $40 retail
13.5% alcohol
sour milk, astringent, terrible nose, smooth, ok for a Monday, 3 dumps at once! pales in comparison to the 2nd wine, I don't usually dump but...

4) 2011 MonteMaggio Chianti Classico ~ $26 @ Total Wine
14.5% alcohol
lovely bouquet, floral and fruit, jammy, white pepper finish, strawberry and black pepper in the back, acidic finish, tangy, good dinner wine, memorable, sits with you, you'll never forget it, a short term love affair.

5) 2013 Cantine F.lli Bellini Chianti Rufina Riserva Fattoria Monte ~ $18 @ Total Wine
12.5% Alcohol
earthy, organic, manure, sharp, warm, poo poo, compost, sweet tart, sour apple, tannins, pucker, a warm virile man fresh from the stable, cinnamon, classico guess from Christy, wet earth, potting soil, early stages of compost heap, snake charmer, it's got a lil French tickler on it, after the cheese it's not good.

6)  2013 Ruffino Ducale Chianti Classico Riserva ~ $ 20 retail
13.5% alcohol
tangy, manure, mild light nose, velvet nose, fruit forward, but the flavor trails off like Fruit Stripe Gum, flat, flabby, no follow-thru.

7)  2014 Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva  ~ $21 retail
13% alcohol
mild, fruity on the nose, chocolate, good 3rd bottle of the night, cherry tobacco, no body, soil, a lil' punch in the face, chewy on the backend, the last Jedi, nutty tastes, butternut, promising on the nose, great size but not girth, fruity-not-too-fruity, not searching for anything, doesn't linger, flash in the pan, forgettable.

8) 2012 San Felice Il Grigio Chianti Classico Riserva ~ $24.99 @ Brookhaven Wines
13% alcohol
licorice, anise, oak and pepper, chocolate, easy drinking, late night wine, light pepper finish, nice, smooth, potting soil, we like this one!

9)  2013 Gaja Ca'Marcanda Promis IGT Red Blend (not a Chianti) - $40 @ Beverage World
13.5% alcohol, Red Blend (Merlot, Syrah and a small part Sangiovese)
berry nose, cassis, briny olive then pepper, great with steak!  tangy, pushes #1, more substance!

10) 2013 Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva - $30 @ Vino Venue
13% alcohol
leather, sumptuous cherries, dark fruit, pine, tart berry, smooth, unfolding on my tongue, I can feel it spreading, easy drinking, I like this,

VOTING results!
We voted on which wines we liked the best.
First Place = #2, the 2015 Fattoria di Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico
Second Place = #1, the 2012 Ampeleia Tuscan IGT Red Blend (not a Chianti)
Third Place = #9, the 2013 Gaja Ca'Marcanda Promis IGT Red Blend (not a Chianti)
Fourth Place was tied between #3, #4, #5, and #10.