Saturday, March 17, 2012

Tasting with Dominic Nocerino of Sant'Elena in Fruili, Italy







* Tasting Info courtesy of Le Caveau.
We hopped on over to Le Caveau 1-3pm on St. Patrick's Day to taste 5 amazing wines with special guest Dominic Nocerino from Gradisca d'Isonzo, Italy! Dominic is the Estate Manager of Sant'Elena. Situated in Gradisca d’Isonzo, the estate of Sant’Elena was established by the Klodic, a dignified and powerful family of the region, in the late nineteenth century. Acquired by Dominic in the late nineteen-nineties, Sant’Elena now finds herself on the path to modernity, with the singular goal of producing wines of the highest caliber. With over a century of growing history, Sant’Elena became fully dedicated to wine production as early as the nineteen-sixties, yet significant improvements of the past decade have taken the product’s quality level to new heights. Entirely new vineyards were planted in 2000, and a state-of-the-art cantina now exists, constructed in 2004. Sant’Elena’s ceaseless pursuit of quality is monitored from vineyard to cantina under the guidance of Friulian Winemaker Maurizio Drascek and Enologist Stefano Porcinai. The estate is producing some of the best wines from Friuli. This event will feature 2 of their best whites and the 3 Estate Reserve reds!

1) 2008 Sant'Elena Traminer Aromatico - $18.99
100% Traminer
The estate’s Traminer Aromatico presents a rich, textured fabric of jasmine, orange blossom and passion fruit. This soft, caressing white flows gracefully from start to finish. Clean, mineral notes add freshness on the close. - 89pts Wine Advocate

The grapes are first macerated for twelve hours before being transferred to temperature controlled steel vats for settling. The wine is then left on the lees for at least six months. Around late summer, the wine is filtered and bottled.

Abbie's Notes: I felt this wine was light, and not too sweet, which is exactly what I like in a white wine. I was curious if Traminer is the same varietal as Gewurtztraminer, and lo and behold the famous German grape actually originated in Tramin, Italy. You learn something new every day. There is a lovely photo of the estate on most of the bottles. Dominic lives behind the Left Pillar.

2) 2007 Sant'Elena Mil Rosis - $31.99
70% barrique aged Chardonnay, 15% Traminer,15% Riesling Renano
"Here the mineral notes are more in the background, while the opulent fruit takes center stage. Scents of juicy mango, tropical fruit, super-ripe apricots and truffles wrap around the palate all the way through to the textured, creamy finish." - 91pts Wine Advocate, Antonio Galloni

After the harvest, the grapes are soft-crushed and the must-wine is transferred to stainless steel vats and allowed to settle. The Chardonnay is then transferred to new French oak barrels, where malolactic fermentation occurs.The Traminer and Riesling continue their fermentation in temperature controlled steel vats. After twelve months, the wines are blended and bottled.

Abbie's Notes: Per Dominic, the Chardonnay gives this wine it's backbone, the Traminer gives aromatics, and the Riesling Renano gives it freshness. I actually liked this wine much more than I thought, as I am usually not very fond of Chardonnay. Mil Rosis means 1000 Flowers.

3) 2006 Sant'Elena Ros di Rol Merlot - $34.99
100% Merlot
"Red berries, flowers, tobacco, sweet herbs and cedar run through this deceptively medium-bodied wine. The finish is delicate, nuanced and totally classy." - 92pts Wine Advocate, Antonio Galloni

The first step in creating this cru Merlot is meticulously selecting the best Merlot grapes from their vineyards to create a beautiful wine in the vein of a fine Pomerol.

Abbie's Notes: Like the 1998 Ros di Rol, the 2006 also has a story behind it. I am relaying this as I heard it from the distributer. One of the workers Marizio (I'm only guessing at the true spelling of his name, sorry if any typos), was on a 6-ton tractor doing furrow work in the Ros di Rol vineyard area of the property. Suddenly, he hears a loud DING, and the tractor stops on a dime. He gets to to see what he hit. And there in front of him, about as wide as a bathtub, is an unexploded World War II Bomb still buried in the ground. They call the police immediately. As the story goes, several hours later, an 85 year old man, smoking a Tuscan Cigar, casually arrives. He secures the Bomb with some chains attached to his truck, and then floors the gas pedal. The bomb pops up out of the earth, and into the air, landing on the ground with a loud thud. Everyone cringed in fear, half expecting the bomb to explode and destroying the whole of Sant'Elena. But, luckily, nothing happened. The old man put the bomb in his truck, and drove off nonchalantly into the distance. Drink up sailors, this vintage is special.

4) 2006 Sant'Elena Tato Cabernet - $34.99
75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot
Intense ruby color with exuberant perfumes of red fruit and blackberry. Also presenting underlining aromas of licorice and light tones of coffee. Warm and long in the mouth with interlacing softly balanced tannins.

The Cabernet and Merlot in this Bordeaux style blend spend 24 months in new French oak barriques.

Abbie's Notes: Tato (TAH-Toe), is the nickname for Dominic's Grandfather, who he says is a big, austere, Tannic guy. This wine was just delicious! It made me want to puff a fancy cigar in a dark leather living room.

5) 2006 Sant'Elena Quantum l'Autactono Pignolo - $61.99
100% Pignolo
"The 2006 Quantum L’Autoctono (Pignolo) is an absolutely delicious, huge red that explodes from the glass with dark fruit, leather, licorice, anise and French oak. This large-scaled, exuberant wine exhibits remarkable depth and plenty of textural richness. Hints of mocha and espresso frame the huge finish. This is the finest wine I have tasted from Sant’Elena." - 94pts Wine Advocate, Antonio Galloni

Once hand picked, the grapes are left on racks for fifty to sixty days for “appassimento” and “surmaturazione.” These processes allow the sugars and flavors of the grapes to concentrate. After the stalks are removed, the wine begins to macerate and ferment for approximately twenty days. The pignolo then undergoes malolactic fermentation and matures for thirty-six months in new French oak barriques before bottling.

Abbie's Notes: The nose on this wine smells (to me) of pickles and olive juices. It's wonderful! I do not think I've ever encountered another wine like this one. Truly a rare treat.

BONUS option: 1998 Sant'Elena Ros di Rol Merlot - $15.99
Abbie's Notes: Le Caveau also carries this unique gem. Dominic explained that this was a very odd year for the wine. The vineyards were hit by a hail storm, and that year they took all the salvageable grapes and created this wine. It is truly delicious, and great bargain for the price, but there's no true telling what percentage of which varietals are in the wine. It has Cab Franc on the nose, and Dominic says it is wonderful (a "Marriage" as he put it) with any cracked black pepper dish. My husband and I absolutely adore this vintage. We asked Dominic to sign a bottle for us, which he did gladly.

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Monday, March 12, 2012

Garnacha (Grenache) - March 12th - Ms. Leslie

Garnacha (Grenache or Garnatxa) - March 12th - Ms. Leslie

Bring: 1 bottle of Garnacha. We ask that if you bring a blend, please ensure it is at least 85% Grenache.

Wikipedia:
Garnacha (also known as Grenache or Garnatxa) is a red grape, wine varietal. It originated in Spain. It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate with a relatively high alcohol content, but it needs careful control of yields for best results.

Suggested Food Pairings: Wild Mushroom risotto, grilled entre's, barbeque, asian foods
Although we dined on: Tortilla Espanola (Potato/Egg Omelet), Chorizo stuffed mushrooms with shredded manchego, green olives, manchego cheese wedge, Comte cheese wedge, rosemary goat cheese wedge, soft goat cheese spread, seeded crackers, fresh wheat bread, marinated bbq pork tenderloin, bacon wrapped dates with almond and cream cheese, a spicy eggplant dip, marcona almonds with rosemary and sea salt, dark chocolate squares, and truffle chocolate squares

Tasting Notes:
Reception Wine: 2010 Fabla Catalyud - $7.99 @ Total Wine
100% Garnacha, 14% alcohol
black pepper, soft smooth w/strawberry fruit and long finish.

1) 2010 Evodia Alto Vinum Old Vine Garnacha - $7.97 @ Tower Liquor
100% Garnacha, 15% alcohol
white pepper, notes of strong green pepper, plum with acidity, light-medium bodied, pairs well with chorizo mushrooms

2) 2007 J.V. Fleury Chateauneuf du Pape - $37.00 @ Total Wine Kennesaw
85% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre
Nose: floral and spicy, smells of crunchy crisp lettuce, white flower
Palate: nice finish, earthy sweetness, dark berry, plum, cinnamon, more tannic
"Graphitey" - Valerie
"Most peppery wine I've tasted in my life" - Susan

3) 2007 Boots Trever Jones Barossa Grenache - $17 @ Total Wine
100% Grenache, 14.5% alcohol
Guessing Italian - Valerie, Guessing Rhone - Leslie,
"Dirty Underwear, and Nose of Lucky Charms" - Deb,
"Older, aged, has been oaked, vanilla & Cedar" - Rheinallt,
tobacco, mocha, coffee, very different than the others, sweeter but with a bite, seductively sweet but hot at the end, cocoa and hazelnut. toasted marshmallow, fruity marshmallow, legs are quite thick ("that's what she said" someone quipped), chocolate raspberry truffle.

4) 2008 Las Rocas Garnacha - $10 @ Kroger
14.1% alcohol
We nicknamed this wine the "Chameleon Wine" as it constantly changed aromas each time we sniffed the glass.
"I smell Cab Franc! also fresh dog turd" - Abbie, "Marijuana" - Val,
thin legs, pepper citrus/chocolate covered orange, lingers a bit, has viscosity,
keeps changing on each inhalation of the nose,
"salsa" - Val, "cigar box at end, pipe tobacco" - Rheinallt
"It can't make it's mind what it wants to be when it grows up" - Abbie

5) 2006 Arrels Clos Oblidat Sangre de Garnatxa - $26.99 @ Le Caveau
13.5% alcohol
"smells like port" - Abbie, "ice cream" - Jaffet
"white chocolate" - Rheinallt, milk chocolate, vanilla, amaretto, caramel, tart, raspberry, acai,
"Anise" - Val, "Vibrant herb" - Rheinallt, "Rosebush" - Deb & Janssen, "Rosemary" - Abbie & Rheinallt, "grapey kool-aid" - Deb

6) 2006 Boots Trever Jones Barossa Garnacha - $17.99 @ Total Wine
14.5% alcohol
baked/burnt, sweet vanilla, smores, syrupy, some oak, cigar box at end, aged, "nose of caramel" - Val, "Candy Apple" - Janssen

7) 2009 Andre Brunel Cotes du Rhone Villages Cuvee Sabrine - $19.99 @ Sherlock's in Decatur
80% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre
"Old world Cotes Du Rhone" - Rheinallt
Southern Franch, deep purple, younger,
"coconut" - Janssen, "cherry" - Leslie, "reminds me of Malbec" - Abbie
"mint" - Rheinallt, "Sugared African Violets" - Ardella

8) 2004 Clarendon Hills Kangarilla Grenache - $47.00 @ Total Wine
14.5% alcohol
deep purple,
"boiled sweet or Jolly Rancher, pectin" - Rheinallt, "tootsie roll" - Abbie, "Tide Detergent" ?
sweet earth, morning grass (fresh), spring grass, dew, herbacious, grapefruit, citrus, has a bit of Shiraz on the flavor, citrus/berry chocolate finish, tart finish,
"citrus cut with a pear, a chilled asian pear" - Janssen
"Light Eucalyptus, minty finish" - Rheinallt
"Australian" - Leslie

9) 2010 Rojo Garnacha Vino de la Tierra de Castillo - $12.00 @ Hop City
13% alcohol
"nose of Port" - Abbie, "Caramel" - Deb, "Tulip" - Janssen, "happy good ending" - Ardella, "jammy" -Leslie, "Light" - Janssen & Rheinnalt,
hot caramel peaches, cobbler, elderberry, soft palate, no grip, syrah blended in smidgen? pepper, mourvedre? Pepper-Jack palate, peachy
"like a good Chateauneuf du Pape" - Ardella

Battle of the Malbecs - 03/08/2012




We had some Malbecs laying around, so we decided to do a nice Brisket dinner and taste them all. Here are our notes:

1) 2008 Alamos de Los Andes - $17.99 (or under) @ Le Caveau
100% Malbec
Color: almost opaque, but with brilliant hue of purple-red.
Nose: slightly smoky, earth and mushroom,
Palate: dark fruits at the end. "rippin' Tannins", bitter aftertaste. "tight like a virgin" but has room to grow. slightly unsatisfying finish. has no travel. Will try again later in the evening.

2) 2009 Dante Robino - $10.99 @ Le Caveau
100% Malbec
Nose: Juniper, desert scrub brush, rosemary or herb on the nose, earthy, herby, floral, gardenias or wildflower.
Palate: some viscosity to it, red fruit, vanilla, oak, soft w/sweet tannins

3) 2009 Chateau St. Didier-Parnac (Cahors) - $15-16 @ Le Caveau
85% Malbec with Merlot and Tannat
Nose: Playdough, earthy, rubbery, masculine
Palate: dark fruit, soft and amazing mouth feel, chocolate/cigar, spice on end, perhaps cinnamon?
"La chantierie" embossed on the glass of the bottle, means the singing?

4) 2009 Vistalba Corte C - $17.99 @ Le Caveau
80% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Nose: Seductive, promising aroma, fresh baked brownie, truffle chocolate, blueberry or cut open a pie, hay, dried grass, nose of apricot or dried fruit
Palate: black currant, maybe cucumber? Denser, more complex, it evolves
FAVE of the evening.

5) 2008 Antigal Uno Malbec (Andes Foothills) - $14-19 depends on retailer.
100% Malbec
Nose: blood orange, floral, plum,
Palate: creamy, spicy, bitter, black and red berry, cedar and vanilla spice notes

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Thursday, March 8, 2012

Le Caveau - Chateau Le Noble Tasting - 03/07/2012









*note, the White Bordeaux has 40% Sauvignon Blanc, not Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a typo we believe.







Chateau Le Noble is a family owned vineyard established in 1820. Located at Saint Germain du Puch on the left bank of the Dordogne River, between Bordeaux and Saint Emilion.

Thomas Bonnefan is heir to an ancient tradition of winemakers rooted in the region of Languedoc and the southwest of France. He is a graduate of the prestigious wine agricultural and oenology school in Bordeaux, Blanquefort. His studies were completed by internships and hands-on perfecting at several Bordeaux Chateaux, including the famous cru classe Chateau Rauzan-Segla in Medoc.


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Sunday, March 4, 2012

Le Caveau- Weingut Robert Weil - Riesling Tasting 03/01/2012











Special Guests: Thomas Chaffin (Export Manager) of Weignut Robert Weil, and Brian Maddux of Atlanta Wholesale Distributers.

Founded in 1875, Weignut Robert Weil is considered to be one of the Rheingau's younger wine estates. It is located in the heart of Kiedrich, a village first documented in the year 950. Kiedrich Turmberg and Kiedrich Grafenberg, the estate's top vineyards, are among the finest sites in Rheingau.

The estate cultivates 70 hectares (173 acres) of vineyards, of which 98% are planted with Riesling. Today, Wilhelm Weil, the great-grandson of the estate's founder, carries on the tradition of uncompromising, quality-oriented vineyard and cellar practices - a tradition that has been the hallmark of the winery for four generations.

1) 2008 Robert Weil Estate Riesling Dry - $24.99

This full-bodied, estate grown dry Reisling is crafted by one of Germany's most highly rated winemakers. It has a lovely floral bouquet, elegant fruit, fine minerality, and excellent acidity. This wine is a great match for fish, shellfish, and other light dishes.

2) 2009 Robert Weil Estate Riesling Tradition - 24.99

The whole concept at Weignut Robert Weil is to combine modern ideas with the long tradition of viticulture in the Reingau. This wine is a case in point. It's the estate's classic rendition of the traditional off-dry style that made the Rheingau famous. It is a very elegant wine, with flinty stone fruits in the aroma and a silky underpinning of apricot skin that persists on the medium-long finish.

3) 2009 Robert Weil Estate Riesling Kabinett Medium-Dry - $32.99

The Estate Kabinett is made to showcase the traditional, lighter style of Riesling from specially selected parcels adjacent to the top sites (no Kabinett is made from the single-vineyard sites, only Spatlese and above). This is surprisingly delicate, given the full-throated power that is typical of the estate's other wines. It is juicy and clean, with exceptionally pure fruit and an incisive focus, nice length, and a drying, stony finish.

---Abbie's extra notes: Rheingau is near the only part of the Rhein River that runs East-West. Kabinett is a level of quality. I asked Thomas if there was an easy way to tell on the label of the bottle, what the dryness or sweetness of the Riesling is. He said there was no easy way to tell, unless it says "Trocken" or "Halbtrocken" on the label (as this means dry or half-dry). However, the higher alcohol content (aka 12% or higher) usually indicates drier wines, the 10-12% are usually med-dry, and lower than 10% are sweeter. Although it also depends on the grams of sugar/liter as well.

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Chateauneuf-du-Pape Fun

Private Tasting - Matt and Abbie.

We tasted the 2004 Domaine Bois De Boursan Cuvee des Felix Chateauneuf-du-Pape from Le Caveau. Bottle retails for $52.99. 14% alcohol content.
Aroma: Fresh green olive and white pepper
Color: Opaque, rusty red/brown brick
Palate: Velvet blanket with pepper spice, earthy mushroom, chocolate chili-pepper and some cherry highlights.

YUM!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

DaVinci must have been a TWIT

Michael J Gelb (@MichaelJGelb)
3/1/12 11:25 AM
Superb article by Alder Yarrow in Vinography; How to DRINK Like Leonardo Da Vinci! tinyurl.com/85qwocn



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