Terrison Wine Tasting @ Le Caveau

Terrisson Wine Tasting @ Le Caveau with Stanislas O'Byrne and Francois Hurtel
NV Jacques Pelvas Brut Rosé Provence
2009 Château de Laulerie 'Comtesse de Ségur' Sec Blanc Montravel
2011 Jean Perrier & Fils 'Cuvée Gastronomie' Chignin Bergeron
2010 Domaine Courtois 'La Grange' Vinsobres (91WS)
2009 Château La Croix Romane Lalande de Pomerol
2009 Emmanuel Darnaud 'Les Trois Chênes' Crozes-Hermitage (92WS/93WA)
2009 Domaine Durand Les Coteaux Saint Joseph (100% Syrah)
2010 Des Caractere Les Premis Du Vallat Gigondas (60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre)
2009 D'Alexandre Les Vignes Chateauneuf du Pape (65% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 5% Cinsault)











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Chianti with Ms. Susan - Tuesday, September 18th, 2012

Chianti with Ms. Susan - Tuesday, September 18th, 2012

About the wine: 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 dear hostess Susan provided us with many delicious foods to pair with our Chianti:
Smoked Gouda, Asiago Fresco, Greek olives, artichokes, bread, breadsticks, Tortellini with pesto, ravioli florentine, grilled zucchini, proscuitto, marinated roast beef slices, a tuna/redonion/bean dish, and a chocolate torte (with orange zest and walnuts) for dessert.  YUM!

Tasting Notes:
1) 2010 Ducceto Chianti Bartali, 12.5% alcohol, $14.99 @ Whole Foods
smells a little funky, like latex and jam, tannic, spicy, dry, almost bitter, root-like, dark cherry,
"The ambiance is over people", nose of salad dressing - Italian, spicy finish, "a lot lighter than you think", "A Wednesday Chianti"

2) 2009 Chianti Colli Senesi, 12.5% alcohol, $17.99 @ PH Wine Merchant
transparent, translucent, oaked, dark fruits, mushroom, smooth finish, mild smooth finish, tart opener, more depth and character than the last wine, cherry, this is more interesting, more earthy, sweet spices in it, it has "seen some wood", peach, light, Friday Wine, "it's not a Saturday wine, but its nearly there"

3) 2005 Costello Paneretta Torre a Destra Chianti Classico Reserva, 12.5%, $29.99 (on sale, usually $39.99) @ Total Wine (91 pts on wine spectator)
dark ruby color, perfumey nose, sweeter floral nose, lite sweet flower, like Vanilla or Magnolia or Iris, dried fruits, Matt is guessing Piedmont region ?  dates, raisins, plums, dark chocolate, fig, cassis, anise (a slight bit), "elevating to a date wine", "Saturday night wine", "Smooth jazz with a little blues", luscious and seductive, smoothest one yet, creamy, blueberry yogurt.

4) 2008 Felsina Castel Nuovo Berardensa Chianti Classico, 13%, $19.99 @ Hintons
lilac aromas, plum, bronzy/cloudy color, more age, tart, bold-full bodied, metallic/bitter, "pretty tannic for a Chianti"older, "the wood's very dominant", mahogany, "more gripping on the mouth", very little fruit, graphite in wax, like melted crayons, Walter's favorite so far, chlorinated pool water on the palate

5) 2007 Cecchi Chianti Classico, 13.5% alcohol, $14.99 @ Toco Giant
darker, perfumey, oak, chocolate cacao, Matt guesses "same as #3 but different vintage maybe?", dark chocolate cherry, tart, smooth, sour cherry, acidic, sweet tarts, nice lingering legs, earthy nose.

6) 2010 Toscana Rodano Poggialupi (Castellina in Chianti) a Super Tuscan - 13% alcohol, $16.95 @ Marietta Wine Market
"smells like Le Caveau, the store", musk, cedar, juniper/evergreen musty, heavy perfume, smooth, BERGAMOT that's what I smell!  chocolatey tobacco, back of tongue - leather, "it's got some backbone"

7) 2007 La Castellina Squarcialupi Chianti Classico Reserva, 14% alcohol, $25 (on sale) @ Total Wine
Funky, sulphur compound nose, tart, sour body, almost celery-quality to it, like a freshly opened box of rubberbands, but the palate is different, not what you would expect from the nose, a true example of "Dueling Cobras" between the nose and palate, Riki-Tiki-Tavi mongoose, would pair with spicy food, balance of light and playful, syrupy

8) 2008 San Felice Agricola Chianti, 12.5% alcohol, $14.99 @ Le Caveau
gamey nose, like venison, meat, light berries, tart, light-bodied, flimsy, not well balanced, bitter-ish, not well structured

9) 2007 Ruffino Reserva Ducale, 13.5% alcohol, $20 at Minx
more life on the palate, acidic, light floral nose, "it tickles your nose", ammonia, tart/bitter, salami, very dry, takes breath away, pulls moisture off your tongue, bitter/lime, "explodes in your mouth, but in a bad way", "it came out my nose" - I would like to comment that several folks actually sneezed after acquiring the bouquet on this one.

Wine to Water tasting - August 21, 2012 - Ms. Deb

Wine To Water tasting - August 21st, 2012 - Hosted by Ms. Deb

  

Wine To Water is a 501(c)(3) non-profit aid organization focused on providing clean water to needy people around the world. Nearly one billion people in the world today lack access to adequate water and 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation. We are devoted to fighting this epidemic. Wine symbolizes fortune in our society. Our goal is to give the fortunate population an opportunity to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves. Wine To Water was a dream that became a reality in the beginning of 2004. We held our first fundraiser in Raleigh, North Carolina in February of 2004 to see if in fact it was an idea that people would respond to. The concept was originally to put on benefit wine events, such as tastings, then use all of the money raised to support water projects around the world. The first fundraiser was a great success. With its success, and others to follow, came a confidence that Wine to Water would continue to grow as an organization. As a result, wine tastings became just one of many ways that we raise awareness and support for the global water crisis. We have worked to provide clean water and sanitation in many countries including Sudan, India, Cambodia, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Haiti.

"I chose a project and want to set a goal to raise enough money to build a well in Cambodia.

In Cambodia, Wine To Water partners with a local community based organization called Kone Kmeng. We have drilled over 150 wells in provinces throughout Cambodia, including the poorest region of Svay Riegn. In December of 2008 we purchased a drill rig made of local parts and began drilling an average of 4 wells every month. Nine months later, in September 2009, we increased our capacity to 16 wells per month. The average depth for these wells is between 90 and 100 feet. When we first started this project the typical cost for a well in Cambodia was about $2,500. By making our own hand-pumps using local materials and utilizing local workers to drill the wells we were able to get the cost down to $500 per well.

Deb originally posted:  "I hope that we can raise $500! I think if each TWIT donates $10 and finds 2 or 3 people to donate $10 we have our very own well!!"

    Well guess what ?!?

We raised OVER $ 500 ! 
And the icing on the cake, is that we were able to donate the money, using a corporate matching program with one of our members, and DOUBLE it! 
So that's TWO water wells the TWITs will be funding in Cambodia. 
AWESOME Work TWITs!

For more information on Wine to Water, watch these Video Clips:

1. TEDxAsheville  (approx 20 mins)- Doc Hendley - Extraordinarily Ordinary - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-IW1gankbM
2. 2010 update on Doc Hendley from CNN (2 mins) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjy0OHVfsk
3. Doc Hendley - Founder and President of Wine To Water – CNN Heroes (2 mins)-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esjYt62JMD4

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"31 Days of German Riesling" Tasting @ Le Caveau

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Rose' with Mr. Janssen - Tuesday, July 17th 2012

Rose' with Mr. Janssen - Tuesday, July 17th 2012 

We will do our typical blind tasting format for this event. 



About this theme: " Rose, is a type of wine that has some of the color typical of a red wine, but only enough to turn it pink. The pink color can range from a pale orange to a vivid near-purple, depending on the grapes and wine making techniques." NOTE:  Rose is not the same thing as White Zinfandel.
Food Pairings: Vino For Dinner site says"Roses are nick-named a summertime "patio" wine, as they are refreshing on warm summer days and are lower in alcohol, which makes them easy to drink. They are a great party wine, as they can have broad appeal (not too sweet and not too heavy)... Rose is a versatile wine that pairs well with shellfish and can stand up to a bit of spice. "

Food served:
- Cacio e pepe (simply pasta with cheese and pepper)
- Garlic and ginger rubbed pork tenderloin
- Scallops ceviche over pasta cakes
- Berry and peach fruit salad

Quote of the night from Kathy:  "I'm guessing this is French?"


Tasting Notes:
Welcome Wine:  Tarantas Sparkling Rose - under $10 @ Whole Foods, 100% Spanish Bobal, 12.5% alcohol, made with organic grapes

1)  2011 Ameztoi Cosecha Rubentis - $12.99 or 14.99 (I forget) @ Le Caveau Fine Wines, 10.5% alcohol
"This Basque wine, made in the town of Getaria along the coast near San Sebastian is lean and mineral with just a whiff of unripe strawberry aroma. This tart, spritzy rosado is much in demand and hard to find in retail shops." - Spanish Table
TWITS notes:  "I taste ceviche", coral pink color, grapefruit/sour apple aromas. Foamy, light, powdery, very light maple/honey aroma, tastes of fresh mowed grass, fast growing green grass
Kathy:  "I'm guessing French" green grapes, candy apple aromas.
Val:  graphite nose, anise, licorice, fine bubbles
Deb: Smooth, sweetarts, pixie sticks, sugar candy,

2) 2010 D'autrefois Pinot Noir Rose' Pays d'Oc - $11.00 @ Total Wine, 12% alcohol
pale pink, salmon color, almost clear, flesh colored, aroma like Pinot Noir (good guess!), wildflower, orchid, buttery, more honey, light smoky aroma, sublte.
Les - sour apple, Melissa - subtle minerality, Abbie-subtle grapefruit, Kathy - bitter,
not as harsh as first wine.

3) 2011 Chateau La Tour Beraud Costieres De Nimes - $14.99 @ Sherlocks Wine Merchant in Decatur, 13.5% alcohol, 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 20% Syrah
Rosy pale pink, Rhone-French
Les - this one's got NOSE, Val - burnt toast or asphalt, candy then savory, charred BBQ, Abbie - too burnt, tar nose, like Italian Nebbiolo, crisp but viscous, lime green gummy bears, popcorn jelly belly bean, burnt sugar, creme brulee, Rheinallt - southern Rhone, strawberries, Marilyn - mineral, would pair well with spicy food, Deb - More legs than the others, Jaffet - Dueling Cobras, Janssen - lilacs, peach, tastes of crisp pear, Kathy - likes this, Leslie - weird aftertaste, Karstin - almost bitter, sour aftertaste, wants cheese,

4) 2009 Santa Digna Cabernet Sauvignon Rose - $15 @ Kroger, 14% alcohol
100% Cabernet Sauvignon (Chilean)
magenta, rosier color, ruby-er, Kathy - like cherries, a new float (for the pool), synthetic rubber smell, "I'm on a Float! with my flippy floppies"   Rheinallt - like jam, distinct fruit, sweet, muscadine, not fresh cherries, lollypop, juice,  Karstin - smells like lipstick, really dark chocolate (low sugar),  Deb - bacon, smoky, Leslie - like a Riesling, petroleum nose, Abbie- like a Trojan, latex, juicy soup grapefruit, not in love with it. Jaffet - Chevron, too much licorice, cheap licorice like Red Vines, Jamie - Jamie, rubbery, like licking a float, Melissa - Poptarts

5)  2006 Chateau de Lancyre Pic St. Loup Coteaux de Languedoc Rose - $15 or less @ WinesTillSoldOut, 13.5% alcohol, 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Cinsault  (Karstin brought this wine for Susan, who couldn't make it to this event)
Bets were placed on guessing the alcohol percentage: Leslie said 13.5%,  Marilyn said 14.5%, and Deb said 14%.  Leslie wins this round. 
brown pink, cognac, tawny color, sherry, aged, Melissa - smells like a tawny port, Leslie - chocolate covered cranberries, Asian food, Marilyn - tastes like a sherry, bronze, aged, Deb - lovely, Abbie - Dessert wine, sweeter, alcohol smell, choclate like dessert wine, old lady perfume, coconut, buttery, thick, Karstin - foie gras pairing, Rheinallt - fig, pair with "hot pot" at Gu's Bistro, Janssen - syrupy

6) 2009 Landmark Rose Sonoma - $16 from the winemaker's wine club, 13.8% alcohol,
Val - Aromas of sulfur, most complex, keeps changing, Abbie - rose of CabFranc, rosy, garnet, earthy, mushroom, Rheinallt - farts, dutch-oven, jammy, Leslie - dirty French Oak, Jaffet - oak, sweet oak, old cheese, Janssen - creamed corn (sweet), Deb - tastes of buttery caramel popcorn, Les - toffee apple, nutmeg, effervescent, loves it!  Marilyn - savory, pair with fish or balsalmic, Karstin - pair with grilled fish, Melissa - barnyard, peppery

7) 2011 Zestos Garnacha Rose, Madrid Spain - $9.99 @ Whole Foods, 13.5% alcohol, 100% Garnacha, rosy peach color, funky stinky cheese, Rheinallt - bad brie or gouda, very light blue cheese, blue cheese dressing, guessing Provence,  Val - bready, bitter aftertaste, pair with seafood, kool-aid, Melissa - Jarlsberg cheese, swiss variety cheese, Kathy - "I think it's French", Leslie/Deb - barnyard, like a spring day, grows on you, Karstin - lighter mold cheese, grass or hay in the mouth, Jaffet - smells pretty good, honeycomb, wiff of woman's perfume, Janssen - manchego with hint of parmesan cheese, pair with good cheese

8) 2011 Pierre-Marie Chermette Domaine du Vissoux Les Griottes (Beaujolais Rose) - $14.99 @ Le Caveau, 12% alcohol, 100% Gamay
Melissa - more rancid, burnt toast, raspberry, beautiful perfume to wear and to eat.  A Mademoiselle, not Courtesan, Jamie - "Not a French Whore" , Abbie - pale peach, stinky, butter on finish, tar, burnt, "Spotted Trotter's Sorghum cured pork belly" (Deb thought I said circumcised pork belly, and we laughed a lot at that one), Jaffet - watermelon, Les - grapefruit, Deb - burnt marshmallow, butterscotch, Rheinallt - not acidic, Janssen - best finish so far, Leslie - bacon.

9) 2011 Parallele 45 Cotes Du Rhone "Ici Commence Le Sud" - $15 @ Whole Foods, 13% alcohol, 50% Grenache, 40% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, "Ici Commence Le Sud" means "The South begins here"
Abbie - coral peach, like conch shells, light nose, Janssen - Bahama pink, lychee fruit, Kathy - Spanish, Madrid (nope), Leslie - pink roses, party in your glass, Deb - it's after 9pm, oh dear god please stop, this is FUN!  Fun in a glass, Kathy - Surin's has the best lychee martini's.  Jaffet - not bad, not sure if great, Rheinallt - classic rose, watermelon, 1st bite of watermelon, turned into salted dark chocolate, Melissa - watermelon close to the rind.

10) 2011 Cantele Negroamaro Rosato Salento IGT, Puglia Italy - $12.99 @ Total Wine, 100% Negroamaro, 13% alcohol
Jamie - Penultimate, cheap scented candle, lip smackers, Karsten/Jaffet - like walking into a perfume store - ug!, kool-aid, jolly rancher kool-aid, smells like Fanta, Abbie - cheap pink, Melissa - like a pantomime, Les/Jamie - "cheap French whore", Val - non-descript, something in a can, forgettable, Melissa - Arbor Mist, Deb - liked it though

11) 2010 Sutter Home White Zinfandel - $6.99 @ QT Gas Station

Val threw this wine in, last, to see if the TWITs could tell it was not a Rose.  I think we passed!

pale rose pink, Leslie & Deb - strawberry lemonade kool-aid, carmelized, fruit taste, meringue
Abbie - "smells like bad breath", "like boyfriend who ate bad Asian food and tried to hide it with toothpaste", "I think it was orange chicken and a cigar, a bad cigar.", Val - honeysuckle, jolly rancher, Melissa - diet Welch's grape juice, Kathy - "This is messed up!"

Read Ms. Leslie's notes here also:   Starving Wino: Beat the Heat with Rose

Until next time...

Le Caveau - Bastille Day Tasting - 7/14/2012

Welcome back Susan Maschal of Ultimate Distributors on Bastille Day as we celebrate French Independence and taste through some vins des terroirs from the Bourgeois Family Selections portfolio.

1) 2010 Elicio Ventoux Blanc - $11.99
100% Vermentino
Raphael Trouiller uses his experience as a vigneron to produce Elicio in the south of the Rhone Valley.  "Elicio" is Latin "to reveal."  This wine is made from a careful selection of young vines growing on chalky and clay soils in the Southeast of the Rhone Valley. 100% Vermentino varietal that is aged in stainless steel tanks, which shows pure fulfilling flavors that evoke warm and fruity flavors of its sunny region.

2) 2011 Chateau de Saurs "La Jouvencelle" Gaillac Blanc - $18.99
Varietals:  Le Mauzac, Le Loin de L'oeil, Le Sauvignon
The Saurs Castle is located in the heart of the Gaillac AOC, one of the oldest ones in France which can be traced back to 6th Century, about 30 miles northeast of Toulouse, in the village of Lisle-sur-Tarn.  The soil is a well-balanced mix of clay, chalk, and gravel at the foot of the slopes.
Le Mauzac:  Characterized by apple and pear
Le Loin de L'oeil:  This ancient varietal is only found in Gaillac.  It brings freshness, with a flowery aromatic.
Le Sauvignon:  With a smoky note and citrus aromas.

3) 2011 Clos Teddi Patrimonio Rosé Corsica - $25.99
75% Niellucciu, 25% Sciaccerellu
(Nee-oh-LEE-chee-oh   -  Shock-oh-REH-loo)
Niellucciu is a clone of Sangiovese.
The Patrimonio area owes its quality to the climate of a region sheltered from the winds by the surrounding mountains, to soils of masses of fallen chalky rocks mingled with clay.  Clos Teddi spreads over 50 acres located in the AOC Patrimonio, which is the oldest recognized appellation in Corsica.  It is located in the desert of the Agriates, in an ancient archeological site.  Its exceptional soils, next to the sea are surrounded by mountains and enable organic farming.

4) 2009 Domaine de Cascavel "Le Cascavel" Ventoux Rouge - $17.99
40% Grenache, 40% Carignan, 20% Syrah
"Le Cascavel" means "the little bell" - and there is a little bell drawing on the label.  This is made by the same winemaker as the Elicio above.
Domaine de Cascavel is a small wine producing estate located in the Cotes du Ventoux AOC and has been operating in a biodynamic manner since 200.  The 30 acre vineyard grows on clay soils (argilo- carcaires) and allows for a perfect environment to produce Cotes-du-Ventoux wines.  The rising star of the Ventoux, this biodynamic estate (in conversion) produces small quantity, small yields, hand-crafted wines.  The wine is aged in cement tanks.

5) 2009 Domaine de Chateaumar "Cuvée Vincent" Côtes du Rhône Rouge - $17.99
100% Syrah
Named after their son "Vincent."
For many generations the vines at Domaine du Chateaumar have been cultivated by father and son.  Today it is Jean-Felix and Frederic Souret who manage the vineyard, always maintaining the greatest respect for nature.  A Custom Cuvee for the Bourgeois Family made from a single vineyard of Syrah vines.  Only 550 cases were made of this custom cuvee, 100% Syrah, from hillside vineyards, aged for 8 months in concrete tanks.

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June Wine Tastings at Le Caveau

June Wine Tastings at Le Caveau

Quintarelli Rosso a del Merlo 8 Vintage Vertical Tasting, Saturday June 30th, 2012 5p-8p 

On Saturday June 30th from 5- 8pm we welcomed Matt Rosenberg of Avant Partir for a vertical tasting of Quintarelli Rosso Cà del Merlo with charcuterie from The Spotted Trotter. 
Cà del Merlo is a single vineyard Valpolicella named after a plot of land where a large Merlo (bird) sat perched on a tree overlooking the hillside. It differs from the Valpolicella in that the grapes come from one specific site and thus the terroir and its influence on the wine are unique. It also tends to display more Ripasso chateristics on the nose and palate than the regular Valpolicella. 


Varietals in this wine:  Corvina, Rondinella, Malinara, Croatina, Negrar, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Perla, and Nebbiolo.



We will taste through the following vintages.
1986 Giuseppe Quintarelli Cà del Merlo
1987 Giuseppe Quintarelli Cà del Merlo
1992 Giuseppe Quintarelli Cà del Merlo
1994 Giuseppe Quintarelli Cà del Merlo
1998 Giuseppe Quintarelli Cà del Merlo
1999 Giuseppe Quintarelli Cà del Merlo
2000 Giuseppe Quintarelli Cà del Merlo
2002 Giuseppe Quintarelli Cà del Merlo