December - Benefit for Vineyards Damaged by California Wildfires - hosted by Matt & Abbie

December - Benefit for Vineyards Damaged by California Wildfires  - hosted by Matt & Abbie

When:  Wednesday, December 6th, 2017 7:00pm ET

Theme: Benefit for Vineyards Damaged by California Wildfires

Bring:  TWITs should bring 2 items:
1) A wine from a vineyard damaged by the 2017 California Wildfires - within our usual price range (Up to $20/bottle for Single Attendee, between $20 - $40/bottle for Couples, couples only expected to bring 1 bottle per couple)
2) AND wrapped gift for our Annual Blanc Elephant Exchange ($15 suggested price range).

We will take up a collection if anyone wishes to help.  Tax Deductible Donations will go to Habitat For Humanity of Sonoma County (501c3), project "Rebuilding Sonoma County from Wildfire Disaster" - Abbie's employer will match up to $1000 of our donations.

Here is the list of vineyards damaged in the fires: 
Napa County wineries:
Signorello Vineyard
Stags’ Leap Winery
White Rock Vineyards
William Hill Estate Winery
Darioush
Hagafen Cellars
Helena View Johnston Vineyards
Segassia Vineyard
VinRoc

Sonoma County wineries:
Paradise Ridge Winery
Ancient Oak Cellars
Sky Vineyards
Nicholson Ranch
Chateau St. Jean
Mayo Family Wineries
Gundlach Bundschu Winery

Mendocino County wineries:
Frey Vineyards Winery
Oster Wine Cellars
Golden Vineyards
Sources: http://fortune.com/2017/10/10/california-wine-country-fire-vineyard/
http://fortune.com/2017/10/11/napa-wineries-damaged-by-fires/
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/California-Wine-Fire-Road-Ahead

Tasting Notes:
Welcome Wine:  2015 Frey Chardonnay ~ $13.99 @ Total Wine
13.5% alcohol

1) 2015 Darioush Napa Valley Chardonnay ~ $52.00 @  Total Wine

2) 2016 Dirty & Rowdy Mourvedre ~ $29.00
13.3% alcohol

3) 2016 Frey Pinot Noir ~ $17.00
13.7% alcohol

4) 2013 William Hill Estate Winery Central Coast Merlot ~ $13.00

5) 2013 Gundlach Bundschu Sonoma Valley Merlot ~ $29.99

6) 2014 Stags Leap Napa Valley Merlot ~ $30
14.1% alcohol

7) 2015 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $60
14.5% alcohol

8) 2013 William Hill Estate Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $34.99

9) 2013 Gundlach Bundschu Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $40.00

10) 2013 William Hill Estate Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $34.99

11) Spann Vineyards Lot 12 Betsy's Backacher ~ $24.00
48% Merlot, 39% Syrah, 6% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Sangiovese
13.4% alcohol

Friday, November 20th, 2015 - Au Rendezvous

Friday, November 20th, 2015 7pm ET at "Au Rendezvous Bistro"

Theme:  Wines from France and some lovely affordable French Cuisine!


Bring:  TWITs should bring a bottle of wine from France.  The wine could be a red, white, or sparkling wine.  It is up to you.
Au Rendezvous does charge a $4/person/visit corking fee.

Where:  Au Rendezvous Bistro
4102 Clairmont Rd
Chamblee, GA 30341
Tel. 404-303-1968 or 404-343-4983

RSVP:  Please email the TWITS mailbox to RSVP so we can give a headcount to the restaurant.
appetizers will be provided, but there is a full menu if you would like to have dinner there.  I hope you will find, as we did, that this is a rare, affordable French restaurant, a hidden gem in Atlanta.

Tasting Notes:
1) 2013 Domaine Romaneaux-Destezel Herve Souhaut L'Ardeche ~ $ unknown.
70% Viognier, 30% Rousanne, 12% alcohol
peaches, orange blossom, dune blosson, burnt candy

2) 2012 Domaine de la Pinte Arbois Pupillin Jura Chardonnay Fonteneille ~ $30 @ Le Caveau
Chardonnay
orange cream, unfiltered, smells like a church with flowers, hyacinth, a dead church, gladiolis (which is apparently a funeral flower in Germany)

3) 2014 Domaine Jean-Paul Dubost "Recolte" Beaujolais Villages Tracot ~ $20 @ Le Caveau
100% Gamay
tart, oranges, cranberries, buttery, brick color, tastes like turkey

4) 2012 Domaine Vinci Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes ROC ~$23 @ Le Caveau
70% Carignan, 30% Mourvèdre, 12.5% alcohol
funky, saddle just been wiped down, barnyard, licorice, sourdough bread a foot away

5) 2010 Domaine du Pesquier Cotes du Rhone ~ $20
56% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre and 14% Carignan. 14.5% alcohol
delicious, dark fruits and berries

6) 2014 M. Chapoutier Belleruche Cotes du Rhone - $12.99 @ Whole Foods Briarcliff
60% Grenache, 40% Syrah
13.5% alcohol
smooth and balanced, fruity, dark berry, garrigue, spicy, lavender

Ampeleia Tasting with Simona Spinelli - Le Caveau Fine Wines -10/02/2015

Ampeleia Tasting with Simona Spinelli @ Le Caveau on 10/02/2015.  

Doug Strickland from Integrity Wines (Importer of the wine) was there.  Simona was visiting from Italy.  She manages the administrative and commercial aspects of Ampeleia.

Ampeleia is a winery in Maremma, within Tuscany, Italy.  The wines are made biodynamically and the grapes grown in 3 different altitudes.  

Simona Spinelli, Abbie, and Doug Strickland

Rhone Wines - Friday November 21st, 2014 - Hosted by Ms. Val and Mr.Rheinallt

Rhone Wines - Friday November 21st, 2014 - Hosted by Ms. Val and Mr. Rheinallt

Theme: Rhone Wines
Bring:  TWITs should bring $20 / person to cover the cost of the wines.  Our host and hostess will be hand-selecting the wines for us.
Information: The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône river valley and produces numerous wines under various Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) designations. The region's major appellation in production volume is Côtes du Rhône AOC.  All things being equal, Rhone Valley offers far better value, but equal quality to Burgundy and Bordeaux wines.

The Rhone Valley terroir and varietals can be split by Northern Rhone vs. Southern Rhone.

The Northern Rhone Valley terroir is described as a Continental climate, gorge, steep limestone and shale terraced vineyards, all grapes harvested by hand.  Red varietal is Syrah (90-95%), White varietals are Rousanne, Viognier, Marsanne, (5-10%).  A lot of the winemakers use 95% Syrah and perhaps 5% Viognier in their wines.  The winemakers in the appellation Condrieu use Viognier.

The winemakers from the appellation Cornas have to use 100% Syrah.  We think this is because Cornas wasn't making very good wine until about 10 yrs ago, so they are sort of on "Syrah probation".  Cornas is a hanging valley.

Hermitage is considered the "spiritual home" of the Syrah grape, which is why wines from that appellation may cost more than wines from Crozes Hermitage (nearby appellation).  Cote-Rotie, Rotie means Roasted.  The welcome wine and the first 3 wines we tasted, were from Northern Rhone.

The Southern Rhone Valley terroir is more of a Mediterranean climate, similar to Languedoc and Provence.  Red varietals (13 allowed) Grenache (main grape 50-70%), and then the supplementary red grapes, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Carignan, and 8 others (30-50%).  White varietals are Rousanne, Viognier, Marsanne, Viognier, Clairette Blanche, Grenache Blanche, etc.  The appellation of Lirac is known for it's briny tasting wines (like sucking on an olive).  Tavel is known for it's Rose' wines.  Wines 4 through 8 were from Southern Rhone.  Cotes = slope, Coteaux = slopes (plural).

(CDP) Chateauneuf-du-Pape = The Pope's New Castle.  Not many people may know but in 1308 Pope Clement V moved the papacy to Avignon.  A total of 7 popes reigned at Avignon, all French.  They increasingly fell under the influence of the French Crown.  In 1377 Gregory XI moved his court to Rome.  This conflict gave rise to the Western Schism in catholic church, and France had a few "anti popes".  The popes in Rome wore white, and the anti-popes in France wore black. There are two different types of terroir in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  One is flat soil, the other is rocky, stony, galetes, which warms and cools quicker, and provides better irrigation also.

Cotes du Rhone AOC has 3 designations.
1) Cotes du Rhone - generic level, 100 miles, highly variable quality
2) Cotes du Rhone Villages (no name) 95 communes, better quality, rules about % of Grenache and Syrah planted.
3) Cotes du Rhone Villages (with a named village), 18 of the appellations are authorized to include their village name on the label, one of which is Sablet  (we tried one), and they have even more strict rules about % of Grenache and Syrah planted.

Garrigue - low, soft-leaved scrubland on limestone, kermes oak, lavender, thyme, white cistus, blows on the grapes.

Tasting Notes:
Welcome Wine:  2011 Crozes Hermitage les Champs Libres Blanc (13% alcohol) - $31
Marsanne varietal

1) 2012 Collines Rhodaniennes, GAEC Jamet (12.5% alcohol) - $22
butter, I can't believe it's not butter, rich, shortbread, nice nose, ground white pepper, lighter red fruits, dried fruit, silky, lighter, easy-drinking wine, subtle milk chocolate, creamy, clove spiced, pepper bomb.
good to pair with a meat that has no pepper.

2) 2009 Cote-Rotie Cuvee Classique 'Ampodium', Domaine Rene Rostaing (13% alcohol) $80
(he had this opened to breathe from 4:30p-8:30p)
fennel, tar, asphalt nose, cassis, well balanced, lingering finish, floral, chewy, delicate edges, but big! more rounded, you can roll off it.  big full flavor with delicate edges like frosting, is it worth the extra $?  TWITs say yes!

3) 2008 Franck Balthazar Cornas Chaillot, Rhone (13% alcohol) $50
herbs, pickles, dill, briny, peppery, tickles the nose, it's more bold of a wine, dry wine, like you can taste the skin of the grapes, this one you can kind of escond yourself into the cracks, it stays with you longer, torrid.

4) 2010 Domaine Saint Gayan Cotes du Rhone (14% alcohol) $15
GSM blend, traditional classic Cotes du Rhone style blend,
apples, caramel, easy drinking wine, medium fruit, bit of stinkiness

5) 2012 Domaine Les Genestas Cotes du Rhone (14.5% alcohol) $19.99
fresh soap nose, cloudy colon turbidity, viscous, thicker, toasty, olive oil, tart, bitter, marshmallow toasted, most interesting palate, heterogeneity (lots of variation), citrusy, lemony bouquet, garni, crazy different, black licorice

6) 2010 Chateau Du Trignon, Sablet, Cotes du Rhone Villages (14% alcohol) $19.99
*Rh thought this one was corked, but we tried it anyway.  you can see the photo of the cork compared to a non-breached cork below.
cake nose, nursing home hallway, wet, medicinal funk, tart, oxidized
Replacement: # 6) 2010 Domaine de L'Espigouette Bernard Latour, Plan de Dieu (14.5% alcohol) $18
Plan de Dieu means God's Plan.
garrigue, herbal, changing gear oil, black licorice, gasoline, tar, petrol, savoriness, earthy, raking dried leaves, crunchy, bitter after-palate, berry, herbaceous nose, good acidity

7) 2012 Domaine Bertrand Stehelin Gigondas (14% alcohol) $36.99
dry, musty, cloisters, leather bouquet, saddle sway, barnyard, chickens, she was a good cow, jammy mouth,

8) 2011 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Mas de Boislauzon (13% alcohol) $49.99
(castle of new pope)
rich nose, thicker, this you can latch on to, chewy, elegant, bold leathery

Integrity Wine Tasting at Le Caveau - Thursday May 22, 2014

Integrity Wine Tasting at Le Caveau - Thursday May 22, 2014
All of these wines should be decanted - yes even the white ones.

1) 2013 Dominio de Punctum 'Viento Aliseo' Viognier La Mancha  - $12.99
100% Viognier grown biodynamically
At sight, it shows a bright golden color with lime reflections.  There are Tahitian flower-like notes with soft lime and tropical fruit.  Well balanced with fresh acidity, the palate echoes the tropical flowers and citrus notes.  Great with spicy Asian dishes, richer white fish. 
This is the FIRST tasting of this wine in the state of Georgia.  It's THAT new. only 3 cases in the store.

Located in the small town of Las Pedroneras, Dominio de Punctum's estate is located at 750 meters above sea level, which together with its sandy loam soil, rich in limestone, makes it an optimum place to grow the best grapes.

2) 2012 Sepp Moser Grüner Veltliner 'Gebling' Erste Lage Kremstal - $26.99
100% Gruner Veltliner grown biodynamically
Bright yellow green.  It shows fine herbs and spices highlighted yellow apple fruit, elegant hint of tobacco, and touch of honey.  Powerful, juicy, dark spice, creamy texture, well-integrated acidity, sweet extract, and great aging potential.  Great with lobster or fish with fine spicy sauces, as well as asparagus, 
*melon and lime

The Gebling vineyard is mainly planted on terraces: it is on a steep slope located north of Rohrendorf reaching towards Krems.  The soil is one of the highest loess sediments in Europe.  The origin of the name "Gebling" is thought to mean "yellowish" referring to the soil color.

3) 2007 Mathieu Coste 'Biau!' Coteaux du Giennois - $26.99 (tonight only)
80% Gamay, 20% Pinot Noir grown organically
This wine has a complex nose of dark red fruit, forest, and pepper notes.  The palate is medium-bodied and after air turns to macerated fruit notes, spices, and a saline note.  This wine is refined and complex, with firm tannins and fresh acidity.  Pair with simple meat dishes, roasted quail, or other white meats, monkfish, and strong cheeses.
*light, could drink now or cellar up to 10 years

The soil on the property is very similar to that of Sancerre.  It is a mixture of clay, limestone, siliceaous soil from the tertiary and kimmeridgian eras.  The grapes are hand-harvested and then placed into open cement vats for whole cluster fermentation.  They only use native yeasts during the fermentation process.  After three weeks in the cement vats, they are transferred to stainless steel vats for malolactic fermentation.  Biau! (beautiful or handsome in old French)  is aged for 5 years in tank and neutral demi-muids (400 liter barrels) before release.

4) 2010 Mathieu Coste 'Têtes des Chats' (head of cats) Coteaux du Giennois - $29.99

80% Pinot Noir, 20% Gamay grown organically
The nose is intense on red berries with iodine and mineral notes.  On the palate, this wine is fine, fruity with soft tannins and a long finish with notes of strawberries and black currants.

*stainless/concrete/no oak, The cat reference refers to the Cathead stones in the soil.  Loire region, funky notes, darker than the pinot.  The Gamay in this region is DARK.

5) 2011 Château Sainte-Anne Cotes de Provence Rouge - $32.99
25% Mourvedre, 25% Grenache, 25% Cinsault, 25% Carignan grown organically
This has a nose of red fruits with herbs, spice, and a little tar that comes out with air.  The palate is savory with a little meatiness, along with concentrated red and black fruits balanced by fresh acidity and fine, but sturdy tannins.  Open or decant this wine about 30 minutes before enjoying it.

Their vineyards have been worked without chemicals since the 1960s (organically certified by Ecocert since 1976).  They are in a northeastern part of the appellation that is made up of hillsides with clay, limestone, and silica, which allows for excellent drainage.  The mourvedre slowly matures, after the early autumn rains which are quickly dried by the mistral. 
*natural yeast, no sulphites/sulfur

Spring Wine Tasting at Le Caveau - Thursday May 8th 2014

Spring Wine Tasting at Le Caveau - Thursday May 8th 2014

1) 2012 Domaine Guillot-Broux Mâcon-Villages - $19.99
100% Chardonnay farmed biodynamically (certified organic) - Natural wine
Pale straw in the glass with pretty tropical fruit and brioche scents.  The palate is elegant and rich with white citrus fruit and notes of minerality framed by a round texture and vibrant acidity.

From 10-80 year old vines, all the grapes are harvested and sorted by hand in the vineyard before going to the winery.  The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in oak.  Only native yeasts are used.  The wine rests in oak for 6 months and spends 5 months in enamal lined vats before it is bottled.  It was the first vineyard converted to organic farming in Burgundy in 1954.

*we were the first people in GA to taste this wine, they only had 4 cases of this wine.

2) 2012 Dönnhoff Estate Riesling Trocken Nahe - $22.99
100% Riesling farmed sustainably
This wine has a floral nose with ripe citrus and fresh herbs.  The palate is precise, with tart lime and a strong mineral core of structure to complement its elegant dry finish.

This wine comes from the steeply sloping vineyards of the middle Nahe region.  The vines grow in stony, weathered volcanic soils of porphyry and melaphyr with small amounts of slate and quartzite, producing some of the more notably smoky and stony Rieslings.  Sourced mostly from the Grand Cru sites of Felsenberg (90%) Hermannshohle, and Leistenberg.  The grapes are hand harvested, fermented with native yeasts, and matured in stainless steel vats and large oak barrels.

3) 2013 Calstar Cellars Pinot Meunier Rosé Russian River Valley - $19.99
100% Pinot Meunier farmed sustainably
This wine shows notes of peach, golden delicious apple, strawberry and mango with rosewater and undertones of warm cinnamon and vanilla.  Secondary notes of banana, fresh hay, and papaya round out the ripe, fruit-forward nose.  Medium bodied, with some dry extract and fresh strawberry-like tannins filling out the mouth.

This is the first time this Pinot Meunier Rose from Christinia's Vineyard in the Russian River Valley was made, and only 83 cases were produced.  Fruit was crushed and the juice was left in contact with the skins for 4 hours then pressed.  Fermentation with native yeast was 80% tank (to preserve the fruit) and 20% neutral barrel (for mouth feel).

4) 2012 Domaine Rimbert 'Les Travers de Marceau' Saint-Chinian - $16.99
40% Carignan, 30% Syrah, 25% Cinsault, 5% Mourvedre farmed sustainably
Ruby in the glass with purple highlights.  The nose is packed with crushed red berry, plum, blueberry and notes of saddle leather backed by crushed stones.  The palate is supple as it delivers red and black fruit flavors backed by silken minerality and a deft touch of acidity.  
*deceptively light

From 60 year old vines, the grapes are hand-harvested and de-stemmed before they are gently pressed.  Only indigenous yeasts are used, the varietals are fermented separately in tanks before the final wine is blended.  The wine is bottled using gravity and undergoes a slight filtration.

5) 2012 Olivier Cousin 'Pur Breton' Rouge (Anjou) - $24.99
100% Cabernet Franc farmed biodynamically (certified)
Ripe plum, juicy cherry, red apple core and chalk tones dominate the nose.  Crushed strawberries mixed with invigoratingly fresh Bing cherry and red apple flavors explode on the palate.

From 40 year old fines, the grapes are hand-harvested, brought to the winery by a horse, de-stemmed, and gently pressed.  Only natural yeasts are used and the juice undergoes an extended maceration.  Aged in old oak barrels.

October 19th, 2013 - TWITs Georgia Mountain Winery Bus Tour

October 19th, 2013 - TWITs Georgia Mountain Winery Bus Tour

The TWITs had an absolute blast tasting wines in the North Georgia Mountains.  Even though it was chilly and bit overcast, we embraced the Autumn weather and wined on!

Photo Gallery

Our first stop was Monteluce.  If you've never been to Monteluce, you are in for a treat.  The entire countryside reminds me of Tuscany. The views and buildings are just beautiful!  Our bartender was John Hammond, a very humorous, sassy, guy.  He had served us last year as well, and it was a pleasure to see him again. I did the Red Wine tasting for $16 and split it with a friend.
Overall, I think Monteluce's wines are an improvement this year over last year.  I also recommend they stop using the tiny tasting glasses, the wines taste TOTALLY different and BETTER in a larger wine glass.  Request one if you go there for a tasting.  All the Monteluce wines were between 12-13% alcohol.

1) 2011 Montaluce Risata  $5 glass/$19 bottle
(Blend of Monteluce grapes:  Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec)
Monteluce's tasting notes:  "This off-dry Rose is made from all 9 varietals we grow.  It is the perfect example of a Georgia Rose with its raspberry and cherry flavors along with a zesty, spicy undertone of citrus, melon, and white pepper.  Pair with Idiazabal Cheese or our Garden Beets."
TWITs tasting notes:  Risata means "Laughter" in Italian. could not gather a nose for this one, no aromas to me, light simple rose.

2) 2012 Monteluce Super Georgian $7 glass/$27 bottle
26% Merlot, 20% Sangiovese, 18% Cabernet Franc, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec, and 8% Petit Verdot
Monteluce's tasting notes:  "Monteluce Estate grown red grapes co-fermented create this luscious wine with fresh red cherry and dark chocolate flavors.  Pair with Drunken Goat cheese or the Rabbit Duo."
TWITs tasting notes:  was able to gather some nose, but it was not very fragrant.  The palate is very very very fruit forward.  Almost too much for me.

3) 2009 Monteluce Baleno $5 glass/$12 bottle
100% Merlot,
Monteluce's tasting notes:  "Candied cherry on the nose, Medium bodied with a rustic finish.  This is a wine made for food.  Pair with Pimento Cheese "
TWITs tasting notes:  Baleno means "Lightning, glitter, sparkle, or glow" in Italian.  This wine had a funky nose, I felt it might benefit from aerating or decanting.  The palate was much more pleasant, but ended abruptly in a thin finish.  I would try this one again at a later date perhaps?

4) 2009 Monteluce Tramonto $6 glass/$17 bottle
Monteluce's tasting notes:  "A Bordeaux style blend named for the beautiful North Georgia Sunset.  Medium on the palate with flavors of red berries and faint smell of cigar box. Pair with Crater Lake Blue Cheese"
TWITs tasting notes:  Tramonto means "sunset" in Italian.  faint mushroom, cedar on the nose, more promising palate, very light red wine (to me), but MUCH better than the previous ones.

5) NV Monteluce La Stella $9 glass/$35 bottle
60% French grown & 40% Georgia grown (varietal specifics weren't listed)
Monteluce's tasting notes:  "The Georgia grown Merlot, was aged in oak barrels for 6 months before blending with French grown Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  This very balanced wine has earthy tones of dried mushrooms, black currant, cherry, and whiffs of old leather on the nose.  Pair with Painted hills Short Rib."
TWITs tasting notes:  Beautiful nose on this one, lots of leather and mushroom.  This was my favorite Red of the entire flight.  I considered buying a bottle but thought it was a bit overpriced for the quality.

The next stop was Wolf Mountain Vineyards.  Wolf Mountain seems to be higher up and has another spectacular view of the countryside.  Their tasting room and restaurant are built into the mountain, so you have amazing panoramic views on 3 different levels of decks/balconies.
Our bartender at Wolf Mountain was Blake Stevens.  He was super sweet and even poured a little "heavier" for us, since we split our tastings again. We got the Reserve Tasting Flight for $20 (shared with a friend).
Blake informed us the red grapes are grown at Wolf Mountain, but the white grapes are from Frogtown.

1) Blanc de Blancs Brut - $10 glass/ $25.95 bottle / 200 cases produced
Chardonnay
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "A light bread flavor was imparted by aging en tirage (on the yeast) for almost a year.  This combined with hints of citrus, spice notes, and crisp acidity makes this our signature style sparkling wine."
TWITs notes:  I liked this wine, it was light, crisp, dry, I would say a good "breakfast" wine.

2) Vintner's Reserve Brut Rose - $10 glass/ $27.95 bottle / 100 cases produced
Blend of Chardonnay & Claret grapes (Malbec, Tannat)
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "Made by adding a small amount of our Reserve Claret to the dosage in order to produce a beautiful light salmon color. This adds more complexity and red berry flavors, without overwhelming the delicate citrus flavors and crisp acidity."
TWITs notes:  Lovely Rose, nice and crisp, dry, just how I like it.

3) Blanc de Syrah Brut - $10 glass/ $29.95 bottle / 200 cases produced
Syrah
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "A one of a kind in North America, our Blanc de Syrah Brut is made from Estate grown and whole cluster pressed Syrah.  It offers complex raspberry and strawberry flavors building to a dry crisp finish. "
TWITs notes:  I felt this one tasted a bit sweeter than the others, and seemed "off" somehow.  not thrilled.

4) Sparkling Demi-Sec- $10 glass/ $25.95 bottle / 100 cases produced
Chardonnay
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "A medium-dry sparkling wine designed to bring out the delicate fruit flavors of the Chardonnay grapes.  The addition of sweetness softens the acidity and smooths out the finish. "
TWITs notes:  Much better than the last wine, a good compromise if you like a slightly sweeter sparkling wine.

5) Plentitude- $8 glass/ $21.95 bottle / 650 cases produced
Chardonnay & Viognier
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "French for "All the best" Plentitude is a blend of Chardonnay and Viognier.  Aged in stainless steel to preserve its acidity, it expresses beautiful citrus and grapefruit notes with a crisp refreshing finish. "
TWITs notes:  It smells like fresh picked green grapes, and while it's not unpleasant, I feel it needs a food pairing to be fully appreciated.

6) Chanteloup- $8 glass/ $25.95 bottle / 375 cases produced
Chardonnay & Viognier
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "French for "Song of the Wolf", Chanteloup is a full-bodied Oak aged blend of Chardonnay and Viognier.  Chanteloup offers notes of melon and apricots with a softer finish "
TWITs notes:  Better than Plentitude, definitely get the melon and apricots on the nose, the oak is Kentucky oak, I think the TWITs quote of the day was "Their heart is in the right place" - Jackie

7) Private Reserve Chardonnay- $10 glass/ $32.95 bottle / 100 cases produced
Chardonnay
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  "We broke tradition blending varietals to bottle this small lot of Chardonnay. Barrel fermented and aged 11 months in New American Oak, this wine exhibits rich melon and banana notes with a buttery oak finish"
TWITs notes:  Reminds me of a California Chardonnay, it is good, but I'm not a Chardonnay fan in general.

8) Howling Wolf Red - $10 glass/ $27.95 bottle / 470 cases produced
70% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
Wolf Mountain tasting notes:  " A non-vintage blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, these varieties are aged for 18-20 months in New American Oak barrels, offering notes of raspberry and strawberry jam with richer oak tannins on the finish."
TWITs notes:  There we go, finally a good decent red!  Nice nose, nice palate, love the finish.  Good, I love it, I really really wish they had more than ONE Red wine on their tasting sheet, but they said they ran out of the other red wines, unless you were in their wine club.  

9) there was an option to try the Delicieux (Delightful) - their port-style dessert wine, but I don't care for Port so I re-tasted the Howling Wolf Red.

Then we went to Frogtown Cellars.  Frogtown has a bit more casual atmosphere than the first two wineries we visited, but their wines are definitely a force to be reckoned with.  Hands DOWN Frogtown has the best red wines we tasted!  Frogtown was packed, as it was still harvest for them.  I had visited before, but this was by far the busiest I have ever seen them.  I didn't even have a chance to get the name of our bartender, it was too hectic.  They have bowls of Goldfish crackers that you can nibble while tasting. Yum!  Also, for some odd reason the entire lobby was humming with fruit flies.  We were constantly waving the flies away.  I believe we made a joke that "where's the frogs? they should be eating these flies like crazy" This is not the norm for Frogtown.  They told me it was just this way due to the harvest.  It was better if we got our tasting glass and some wine, then we went out on their back deck to admire the view.  Much fewer flies outside. Then we had to go inside to get a pour of the next wine, and so on.  However, it was a very nice day and we had fun looking out on the vineyards.  I did the All Red Wine Tasting for $15.

1) 2010 Frogtown Sangiovese - $8.50/glass, $20.99/bottle
12.5% alcohol.  90% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet
TWITs notes:  earthy, tart, lovely nose, rich palate, big and bold, spicy as it opens up.

2) 2009 Frogtown Reserve Sangiovese - $12/glass, $28.99/bottle
TWITs notes: funky, dirty, I LOVE it!

3) Frogtown Applause FSO (First Standing Ovation, means their first time making it) - $8.50/glass, $21.99/bottle
TWITs notes: this one was okay, but not as wonderful as the first 2 wines.

4) 2008 Frogtown Cabernet Franc - $10.00/glass, $29.99/bottle

TWITs notes: absolutely delicious

5) 2009 Frogtown Propaganda - $12.00/glass, $33.99/bottle

TWITs notes: even better

6) 2009 Frogtown Personality - $8.00/glass, $19.99/bottle

TWITs notes: yummy!

7) 2008 Frogtown Norton - $12.00/glass, $28.00/bottle

TWITs notes: WOW AMAZING, we bought 2 bottles of this.

Last we had very brief stop at Cavender Creek.

Our driver was the lovely Nevolia from Georgia Wine Tours.

We had 7 attendees and we rode in a large comfy van for this trip.  After the tour, we had dinner at Season's 52.  Yummy!

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

Le Caveau - Rose Tasting - October 21st, 2011

Le Caveau - Rosé Tasting for Breast Cancer Awareness - October 21st, 2011
Featuring 5 of Le Caveau's favorite Roses.

1) 2010 Domaine du Deffends “Rosé d'une Nuit”
Grenache/Cinsault Blend
This Rosé is pale salmon in color, with floral aromas. On the palate, it shows deliciously ripe fruit with a definite herbal note and crisp, refreshing acidity. The wine finishes with with faint notes of pink grapefruit.
The wine is name after the method of vinification: it is bled off at night following the harvest, as soon as the juice reaches the optimal color.

2) 2010 La Bastide Blanche Bandol Rosé
Mourvedre, with Grenache and Cinsault
Light orange, medium/full bodied with a nose of dried cherry, musky herbs and flowers, plus a hint of white pepper. 2010 bottling is quite rich this year and built to handle full-flavored food. Dry, smooth on the palate.
In the early ’70s Michel and Louis Bronzo acquired the property of the Bastide Blanche, with the goal of producing top Bandol wines to rival their more famous cousins in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

3) 2010 Alain Brumont Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne Rosé
1/3 Tannat, 1/3 Syrah, 1/3 Merlot
This wine has a pale pink color. The nose shows bright raspberry and a savory note. On the palate, the wine is round and rich with a fresh finish.
Alain Brumont was elected “The best Wine Grower of the 80’s” in 1991 by the Gault Millau and received the Légion of Honor, the highest decoration in France in 1999.

4) 2010 Domaine de Triennes Rosé
Cinsault Blend
This wine is pale pink with peach on the nose. On the palate white peach flavor, some subtle red fruits, and minerals. This is one of those Roses that you have a glass and then another and before you know it the bottle is empty.
Domaine de Triennes is jointly owned by Jacques Seysses, founder of Domaine Dujac, and Aubert de Villaine, co-owner of Domaine de la Romanee Conti.

5) 2010 Château Mourgues du Gres Rosé “Fleur d'Eglantine”
Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah and Carignan
With an excellent aromatic length and depth, this vintage displays fresh, elegant and ethereal floral notes layered over aromas of pear and light red fruits, including raspberry and red currant.
The soil of the Costières-de-Nîmes region is essentially composed of alluvium stones from the Alps. Here, the sun shines all year long, ensuring that the grapes reach optimum maturity. "Sine Sole Nihil" (Nothing without sunshine).
---

Le Caveau Tasting - 08/20/2011

Le Caveau Tasting - 08/20/2011

Cheeses served were "Delice de Bourgogne" - a sort of brie-textured cheese with a blue-cheese-like essence.
and herbed goat cheese.

1) 2009 Selbach-Oster Pinot Blanc Dry - $15.99
100% Pinot Blanc "Aromas of fresh yeast and apple that give way to a bracing acidity that creates a hint of effervescence. Deep citrus notes finish with a savory minerality. 2009 was a rare vintage in the Mosel for Johannes Selbach. His decision to bottle his Pinot Blanc as an estate wine bearing the Selbach-Oster label, generally reserved solely for their 1st tier Rieslings, expresses the quality of this selection." This is one of the oldest estates in the Mosel.

2) 2009 Feudi di San Gregorio - $23.99
100% Fiano di Avellino
(Fiano from the the hills of Avellino) "The color is a definitive golden yellow with green reflections. There are sharp sensations of the Mediterranean; fresh flowers such as chamomile, yellow peach and candied orange. On the palate there are notes of fresh-cut mango and hot stones that create freshness and minerality. This grape has a long history in the Campania region and is believed to have been the grape behind the ancient Roman wine Apianum."
Apianum has to do with bees. honey wine perhaps? There is also a red grape there, near Pompeii called Aglianico (pronounced eye-on-ih-koe).

3) 2010 Chateau Mourgues du Gres Rose Fleur d'Eglantine - $10.99
Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan
(the Mourvedre gives it the gamey note on the nose)
"With an excellent aromatic length and depth, this vintage displays fresh, elegant and ethereal floral notes layered over aromas of pear and light red fruits, including raspberry and red currant. The soil of the Costieres-d-Nimes region (border on Rhone and Languedoc) is essentially composed of alluvium stones from the Alps. Here the sun shines all year long, ensuring that the grapes reach optimum maturity. "Sine Sole Nihil" (Nothing without Sunshine)"

4) 2007 Domaine Duseigneur Lirac Antares - $17.99 - rated 91pts by Robert Parker
60% Grenache 20% Syrah 20% Mourvedre
"A garnet-coloured robe is draped over spice, licorice, and black cherry fruit. With a long, lingering finish that presents hints of raisen, smoke, and garrigue. This biodynamically-farmed vineyard is located on the West bank of the Rhone Valley, near the picturesque village of Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres, and in view of the slopes of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. On old alluvial terraces the soil is made up of red clay and pebbles on top of a layer of sand. The vine grows through this seemingly uncultivatable soil, the farming of which requires great belief, patience, and tenacity."
Side Note: Garrigue is underbrush/herbs of Provence or lavendar/thyme.
I LOVE how this one smells. Delightful!

5) 2007 Triennes St. Auguste Vin de Pays du Var - $17.99
Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot
"A dark, dense wine with purple hues, it shows spicy aromas combined with ripe fresh fruit. The palate is rich and full of life with plenty of structure. This is a wine that needs some air to truly open up and show at its best.
'I was interested in going to an area where the benchmark had yet to be set, and where I could experiment with other grape varietals.' Jaques Seysses, founder of Domaine Dujac. He and Aubert de Villiane, co-owner of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, founded Triennes in 1989. The estate is named Domaine de Triennes, after the trienna, festivities in honour of Bacchus that took place every 3 years in Roman times."

Side note: Bacchus is the Roman name for Dionysus, the God of wine and intoxication. The frenzy he induces is called "bakkheia." His wine, music and ecstatic dance frees his followers from self-conscious fear and care, and subverts the oppressive restraints of the powerful. Those who partake in his mysteries are posessed and empowered by the god himself. his cult is also a "cult of the souls", his maenads feed the dead through blood-offerings, and he acts as a divine communicant between the living and the dead.
Some of you may remember the maenad from True Blood, Maryann Forrester.