Art
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4th Anniversary Wine Tasting "Recap"
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Friday, October 26th, 2007
Art of the Table celebrated its fourth year anniversary at the Chop House with about 70 of our friends, colleagues, family, and employees. We had seven tables of eight wines each and the tasting was designed to showcase 56 different wines, meaning, only one Cabernet, one Merlot etcetera. So there was a very wide breadth of wines to try. We had crazy, special pricing for the night and the wines were available to order at those prices (This means you won’t want to miss next year’s tasting tentatively scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2008).
Here's a brief rundown:
- Table 1—Wines of Distinction
- Table 2—Leone Imports
- Table 3—Classic Wines
- Table 4—Michigan Wine Merchants
- Table 5—Veritas Distributors
- Table 6—Estate Wine and Spirits
- Table 7—Elite Brands
| Host | Wine | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table 1 | Andreza "Loureiro" Vinho Verde | $14.50 | Loureiro is the name of a Portuguese grape, and the wine is crisp and dry with lovely aromatics, perfect for appetizers and chatting. |
| Table 1 | Morris Farms Vermentino | $21.00 | This Tuscan gem is similar to Sauvignon Blanc, with crisp, mineral-y blasts of green apple pie, mango, lemon and grapefruit. |
| Table 1 | Chateau Montus Blanc | $24.50 | Petite Corbeau is the grape and Southwest France is the place. It's similar to some of the Rhone white varietals with billowy aromatics and huge, ripe flavors. |
| Table 1 | Quinta de Alorna Ribatejano | $10.75 | This Portuguese red blends several indigenous grapes to get a really unique and tasty wine. Lots of bright, red plum, blackberry, mocha and espresso notes abound! |
| Table 1 | Dona Maria Alentejano | $22.00 | What? Another wine from Portugal? Yes, we've been trying to explore this amazing region that's been making wine for centuries. This has a smidge of Cabernet Sauvignon blended in and is super rich and structured. |
| Table 1 | Schweiger Cabernet Sauvigon Napa Valley | $26.00 | At an awesome price, this veteran producer makes year in and year out one of the better Napa cabs, compare this to wines going for twice the price. While Cali Cab in structure, it wasn’t as exciting as past vintages. |
| Table 1 | Chateau Bouscasse Madiran | $42.00 | This was quite a divisive wine that night. I actually had people come up to me and say it was the single worst wine they'd ever had. I also had people come up and say it was the best wine they'd ever had. Anyway, if you need to fill in Tannat as a grape you've tried, this fleshy, earthy bomb with do the job. (It was one of the most ordered wines of the night!) |
| Table 1 | Mt. Vernon "Cooper" Barbera Amador County | $34.00 | Another "love it or hate it" wine, this is full-throttle high-octane juice from the old country in California. Easily the most massive wine of the night, this was a crowd favorite as well. |
| Table 2 | Michael Pozzan Sauvignon Blanc | $11.75 | From Lake County north of Napa, this bursts with lovely notes of kiwi, star fruit and sugar snap pea. Offering incredible value, consider this for your next cocktail party white. |
| Table 2 | Dobbs Pinot Gris Willamette Valley | $24.50 | This is a weightier version of your basic Pinot Grigio from Oregon and boasts a little barrel fermentation. On the palate it has rich notes of baked apple, pear and spicy toast. |
| Table 2 | Barnett Carneros Chardonnay "Sangiocomo" | $36.00 | The requisite blockbuster California Chard of the night, this was resplendent with rich, intense notes of complex pear, apple, hazelnut and spicy apricot. For the hedonists. |
| Table 2 | Dessilani Dolcetto d'Alba | $19.75 | The representative from Piedmont, this was lovely with notes of dried cherry, rose petals, fresh earth and herbs. This would be the perfect complement to a hearty Italian meal. |
| Table 2 | Lungarotti Rubesco Umbria | $18.75 | Another Italian, this is Sangiovese with some Canaiolo blended in to give some complexity. Full-bodied with soft tannins, this boasts notes of dried cherry, wild raspberry, tobacco and violets. |
| Table 2 | Baccio Divino "Pazzo" Napa Valley | $36.00 | A pretty cool blend, this is primarily Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and then a dollop of Petite Sirah and Viognier. Plush and sleek, this has über ripe red and black fruit and displays soft, fine-grained tannins. |
| Table 2 | Kilikanoon "Killerman's Run" Shiraz | $25.00 | This Aussie Shiraz is ripe and velvety, with big notes of black plum, blackberry and black currant, with hints of charcoal, licorice and spice. Ageable and structured, this may need a bit of decanting for near-term drinking. |
| Table 2 | Chateau Hortevie St. Julien | $36.00 | Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with some Merlot, this 2004 was approachable and very tasty, with notes of black cherry, cassis, Earl Grey tea and Asian spices. It definitely evolved throughout the night and was drinking great when I tried it. |
| Table 3 | Seguinot 2005 Chablis | $23.00 | The white Burgundy entry, this was better than I thought it would be. Very dry, with notes of baked pear torte, limestone and a lovely floral lift, this had great acid despite how ripe it was. |
| Table 3 | Comelli Tocai Fruilliano | $29.00 | From Northeast Italy, this is crisp and clean with notes of green apple, pineapple and mineral. On the palate it expands with more tropical fruit, almond and some spice. This has great acidity such that you could actually age this wine for a few years if you'd want to. |
| Table 3 | Oratoire St. Martin Cotes du Rhone Blanc | $18.50 | Blending Roussanne, Clairette and Viognier, this is a full-bodied white that really delivers a ton of ripe flavors! Look for notes of orange blossom, apricot, nectarine and honeysuckle with crisp acidity and nice length on the finish. A store favorite for many months now, a great reminder of just how great it is for the price. |
| Table 3 | Cabriz Dão | $9.75 | Another Portuguese gem, this was the least expensive red this night but by no means was it the least. Structured with layers of flavor, this sports hearty blackberry, black plum, mineral, savory herbs and spicy smoke notes. |
| Table 3 | Raphet 2002 Bourgogne Rouge | $25.75 | Our red Burgundy entrant, this Pinot Noir showcased some slight, complex maturity with notes of dried black cherry, cola and violets. The earthy undertones on this provide some serious layers of flavors and unfold as the wine opens. |
| Table 3 | Menguante Old Vine Grenache | $11.75 | From the Carinena region in Spain, this bursts with bright aromas of black raspberry, licorice and spice. On the palate it's surprisingly full with lots of black fruit and smooth, supple tannins. A great value that delivers much more than the price suggests. |
| Table 3 | Domaine de la Tourade Gigondas "Fonts des Aieux" | $22.00 | From 2001, this was one of my favorite wines of the night with aromas of black cherry, wet earth, roast lavender and black olives. On the palate, the tannins had integrated nicely with the fruit and yielded a lovely complexity. |
| Table 3 | Domain Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge | $67.00 | The 2004 vintage of this wine is ripe and burly at this point with notes of blackberry, anisette, roast herbs and spice. It took some time to open, but it really came around after several hours, with bright fruit and a lengthy finish. One of the clear winners of the evening. |
| Table 4 | Picras Negras Torrontes | $11.50 | This is an Argentinean white; it is a very effusive grape with billowy aromas of lemon, lime, orange peel and tangerine with traces of diesel, talc and flowers. Organic, the grape is originally from Spain. |
| Table 4 | Castillo di Papa Godello | $16.50 | Spanish, and from the region of Galacia in the northeast, this has intense aromas of fresh straw, hazelnut, wet rocks and tangerines. Crisp and distinct, the flavors vibrate with notes of orange peel, almonds and tart, white cherries. |
| Table 4 | Schiopetto Blanc de Rosis | $35.00 | This a blend of local varieties from Fruili, Italy which is world class white wine territory. The grapes are Tocai Friuliano, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Malvasia. The aromas are intensely floral, with notes of apple, pear and mango which echo on the palate with a nice streak of mineral. |
| Table 4 | Taltarni Brut Rosé "Tache" | $22.50 | From Australia, this is your typical Champagne blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a little bit of Pinot Meunier. It's dry with notes of white cherry, baked apple and toasty, yeasty notes. Perfect for the holidays, this is a great food wine and would be appropriate for Thanksgiving. Or Boxing Day parties. |
| Table 4 | Alma Rosa Pinot Noir | $34.00 | Produced by famous vintner Rick Sanford, this is sourced from Santa Rita Hills down in Santa Barbara. Classic California Pinot, this is rich and velvety with notes of spiced strawberry compote, cherry pie and hints of rhubarb preserves. |
| Table 4 | Domaine de Nizas Old Vine Carignan | $17.50 | Carignan, normally used for blending in the Rhone and Languedoc regions, this stars on its own here and is a whole bunch of fun! Look for lots of high-toned cherry and even cranberry notes with supple tannins and a nice, rustic feel all around. |
| Table 4 | Allegrini Pallazzo Della Torro | $23.00 | From the Veneto region in Italy, this Valpolicella sports hunky black fruit, violet and mineral character. Full-bodied, densely packed fruit with a rounded, expansive palate, with well-integrated tannins and a long, fruity, minerally finish. |
| Table 4 | Vizcarra "JC" Ribera del Duero | $23.75 | 100% Tempranillo, this is made by superstar Juan Carlos Vizcarra. Some of us who traveled to Spain this spring with the store were able to really taste his work firsthand. At length. This is your chance to try it - Look for brawny notes of black cherry and currant, with hints of tobacco and dried herbs. While drinking great now, this is a wine worthy of aging for up to ten years. |
| Table 5 | Castel Silvaner Trocken | $17.00 | This German grape is similar to Riesling, and ‘Trocken’ indicates that it's a dry wine. Think dry, peachy-nectarine-with hints of petrol and rose petals. A great food wine, think of this for before dinner snacks – like cheese and almonds. |
| Table 5 | Muga Bianco Rioja | $14.75 | This is 100% barrel fermented Viura from Rioja. It will have familiar notes of baked apples and pear with toasty, nutty accents to it. Pretty darn full bodied and interesting, this will be a cool contrast to wines like Chardonnay. |
| Table 5 | Husch Gewurztraminer | $17.00 | From up in Mendocino county where they specialize in Alsatian style whites, this will surprise you with notes of lime, kiwi, and bright citrus aromas as well as rose water and litchi nut. Perfect for Asian food as well as Thanksgiving dinner. |
| Table 5 | Chanrion Cotes du Brouilly | $20.50 | Cru Beaujolais, this wine is a bit lighter in body but packs a serious punch flavor-wise. I like it for its chewy cherry and earthy spice notes. Throw this in a Pinot Noir tasting and no one would bat an eye as it can hang with the best. |
| Table 5 | Clos las Coutale Cahors | $16.75 | Primarily Malbec with a dash of Merlot, this sports notes of black cherry, tobacco, pencil shavings and spice. On the palate it's fairly full-bodied with rustic tannins that helps this age really well. An excellent value considering its high quality. |
| Table 5 | Sierra Cantabria Rioja Reserva | $25.00 | 100% Tempranillo from a great 2001 vintage, this boasts notes of powerful, chewy, dense fruit with dark tobacco and vanilla essences. Quite forceful and extracted, the flavors come off sweet and almost raisin like. |
| Table 5 | Costiers del Siurana Miserere - Priorat | $39.00 | Another winery we visited in Spain, this is made by Carles Pastrana, who was gracious host and guide. This is his Miserere vineyard blend where he has Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carignan planted and uses the same blend each year, thus achieving a single vineyard personality that showcases the vintage each year. The flavors are rich and sophisticated focusing on black cherry, cassis and new French oak toastyness. |
| Table 5 | McCrea Counoise | $32.00 | Counoise is generally a softer version of Grenache with a lot of the big cherry notes and spicy plum. This Washington State wine is a deep purple-red with rich spicy character with flavors of anise, strawberries and blueberries. People at the tasting absolutely loved this. |
| Table 6 | Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc | $16.75 | Super rich for a Chenin, this combines lots of peachy, flower-fragrant, tropical notes along with a nice streak of mineral to achieve a fairly sophisticated white from South Africa. Certainly weightier than the Petite, this compares well to more full-bodied stuff like Chardonnay. |
| Table 6 | Jaffurs Viognier | $30.00 | Boasting lots of tropical stuff with honeyed, floral notes, orange blossom, papaya and spice, this is very ripe, but dry. I like the Jaffurs because of its fidelity to classic French Viognier with mineral and limited oak but it also celebrates the new world with its massive fruit blast. |
| Table 6 | Geil "Huxelrebe" Riesling Spatlese | $21.75 | This German white literally hops out of the glass with lively aromas of fresh peaches and lime wedges along with a good dose of petrol. It has wonderful acidity to its ripe fruit and will be absolutely perfect with Thai or Spicy Fusion fare. While Spatlese means late harvest, this is a sophisticated wine, not overly sweet, just really tasty. |
| Table 6 | Stephan Pannell Grenache Rosé | $23.00 | From Australia, this is a full-bore pink, with tons of fruit with very creamy notes of strawberry, pomegranate, white cherry and spice. One of our favorite rosés, this is thrilling servers left and right around town. |
| Table 6 | Il Molina di Grace "Il Volano" | $16.00 | From Tuscany, this is a blend of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Merlot. Il Volano is medium bodied with beautiful, complex aromas of ripe cherries, toasted nuts, fun mulch, earthy aromas and fresh tobacco. Perfect for food and more! |
| Table 6 | Westerly Merlot | $24.00 | This is an unsung hero in the world of wine. Not only is it Merlot but it's from Happy Canyon down in Santa Barbara. I'll let you in on a secret (this wine is terrific especially for its price!). Look for black cherry, cassis dried herb and mineral with notes of coffee, cola and cedar. |
| Table 6 | Susana Balbo Malbec | $32.00 | This is a wine that needs words like concentrated, saturated and dense to describe it. Look for flavors of blackberry, roasted plum, anisette, and charred herbs. |
| Table 6 | Kunin Zinfandel | $26.00 | This is one Zin that really shows off what the grape can do. Look for aromas of fresh raspberries, cherry reduction, cracked pepper and creosote. Super smooth with velvety tannins, this was a real crowd pleaser. For the people from Kunin. |
| Table 7 | Ferrando Erbaluce | $21.00 | Ur-bah-loo-chay is a rocking grape from Piedmont in Italy. I call it Pinot Grigio on steroids. So fragrant, this has unctuous aromas of baked apple pie, freshly cut fruit cocktail, honey crisps and flowers. On the palate it's way dry with a nice streak of mineral floating through the fruit. The latest in "I'm cooler than you" white grapes! |
| Table 7 | Schroeck Furmint | $26.50 | From Austria, this Hungarian varietal (yes, pronounced just like you read it) occupied the number one spot on the Art of the Table's "I'm cooler than you" white wine index for most of the summer. Normally made into dessert wine, it's fragrant and voluptuous with crazy notes of white flowers, lanolin, guava, star fruit and toasted pumpkin seeds. |
| Table 7 | Chateau Soucherie Coteaux du Layon | $23.50 | This is Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley, and it's allowed to hang on the vines a little bit longer so look for a very ripe, kinda sweet style. Chenin always exhibits a lot of peach and tropical notes, and what's cool about this wine is that yes it's ripe but it also has crazy acidity which allows it to be ageable. Extra hints of mineral and petrol round out the profile for this gem. |
| Table 7 | Kracher Zweigelt | $25.00 | Alois Kracher is one of the top dessert winemakers in the world. Lately he's been having fun with pink and red wines. Zweigelt is one of the noble red grapes of Austria and here look for notes of raspberry, wild cherry and spice supported by nice acidity and light tannins. I always get a little chewy-ness to my Austrian reds, but it could just be me. This compares well to Pinot Noir. |
| Table 7 | Navarro Lopez Old Vine Grand Reserva | $21.00 | This is 100% Tempranillo from an up and coming region called La Tierra de Castilla. This wine sees three years in barrel and two in bottle before release yet still has a boatload of flavor. Lots of bright cherry, brambleberry and spice with hints of tobacco and herb. On the palate it's smooth, smooth and smooth. Will pair amazingly with zingy Mexican and Spanish fare. |
| Table 7 | Tir Na N'Og Grenache | $28.75 | Always a blockbuster, this old vine Grenache from McLaren Vale in Australia is uber rich and smooth. The aromas billow with blackberry, black currant, black pepper and chocolate. On the palate it's very generous with silky tannins and lush flavors that echo the aromas. Pair this with smoked sausage and wild mushroom soup. Another winning the Big Fat Reds popularity contest. |
| Table 7 | Alinde Toro | $41.00 | We visited these fellows in Spain and I can tell you this wine is a rock star. 100% Tempranillo, this gets the full treatment and no expense is spared. I find this wine in league with $100 bottles of Bordeaux and Napa Cab. It oozes "major league" notes of black cherry, currant, toasty oak, tobacco, sandalwood, cigar box spice and more; it’s ready to impress your next wine snob friend. |
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