#39 Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne)

Lost season premier tonight! Other than the annoying surprise one hour review show it was a good hour of television. Socked in by what passes as a severe winter storm in Chicago (might get 5 inches!) we settle in for the evening. So we pick up the phone order Indian and find a suitable bottle from the dwindling backlog of varietals.

This Muscadet (actually the Melon de Bourgogne grape) is like a riesling with a good deal of the sweetness removed. It pairs nicely with chicken tikka masala and mango chutney and plane crash "survivors" struggling to get off an island they probably should stay on. For $11 this is a fine bottle but I think it is missing something. I would like to find a great example of this wine and see what this grape can do.

#36 #37 #38 and a few rewards

Sunday night we decide to spend less time cooking. So we only spend two hours in the kitchen preparing a roast chicken with sour cream mushroom sauce, roasted squash and wild rice.

#36 Radikon Ribolla Gialla 2002 "Ribolla Gialla" $39
Perhaps a bad bottle but reminded us of a weak sherry.

#37 Meinklng Zweigelt 2006 "Zweigelt" $13
Dry Austrian red with decent structure, very nice.

#38 Laffont Madiran 2004 80% "Tannat" 20% "Cab Franc" $22
Another nice wine reminds me of a Zinfandel.

The next bottles we opened were just for fun. The first was the Wellington Victory Reserve 2001 which was an excellent bottle picked up on our first visit to Sonoma wine country. Next was a big fruity blend from Napa called The Prisoner. Too many grapes in that one to count although I'm tempted to count the charbono. Sadly we close with an sharp astringent hostile Conn Valley "Right Bank" Napa Merlot/Cab Franc blend... gack. Still plenty left in that pricey bottle if you would like a glass although I advise against it.

#30 #31 #32 #33 #34 #35 Yeeeeehaaaa!

Another Saturday night and a sextet of varietals. Anne and Kirk are in town so it gave us a great chance to blow through a lineup of oddities. Since we spent about 5 hours preparing a dinner of homemade pasta and ragu bolognese we had a lot of time to sample this wall of wine....

#30 Vesevo Greco Di Tufo 2005 "Greco" $13
All apple cider from start to finish.

#31 Vina Godeval Cosecha 2006 "Godello" $15
Dry white strong alcohol used in the ragu.

#32 Vesevo Fiano Di Avellino 2005 "Fiano" $13
Middle of the spectrum white.

#33 Skouras Moscofilero 2006 "Moscofilero" $13
Our first Greek wine. Clean and dry.

#34 Feudo Arancio Nero D'avola 2006 "Nero D'avola" $8
Simple unexciting red.

#35 Torre Quatro Negroamaro Sangue Blu 2004 "Negroamaro" $13
Good structured, dark full bodied red.

#29 Zantho revisited Muscat Ottonel

Back to Austria's Zantho winery (yes the home of the fabulous glass closure and the mysterious Woodland lizard) for another local Austrian varietal, Muscat Ottonel. This one is a bit disappointing. Thin and flowery but with a nice perfumed nose. I do however hope to come across more from this winery.

#28 Gustave Lorentz Pinot Blanc

A long weekend of wine sampling forces the next few posts to be right to the point. Our first bottle was a nice clean Pinot Blanc. Not much of anything until the bottle warmed up a little bit and then the fruit blossomed from the glass. Encouraged we headed on to bottle #2....

#27 A Gustave Lorentz Gewurztraminer

We find shelter from the storm with this Alsatian Gustave Lorentz Gewurztraminer. This one is paired with warm brownies and vanilla ice cream. It has a gentle sweetness without being cloying. A clean finish without being empty. Drinkable on its own but elegant with dessert... It is a well made wine and I will pursue this makers other varietals. Not bad for $13.

#26 Gruner Veltliner from Gobelsburger

Second wine of the night, to bridge dinner and dessert (we do have guests over) is a Gruner Veltliner from Austria. I thought I was opening a sweeter wine but instead got loads of green apple. Loads. Imagine a green apple Jolly Rancher candy without only a hint of the sweetness. Great acidity and pucker follow the initial taste. A minute later the acidity fades and the palate clears completely and we are left ready to try another sip.... continuing the cycle. Thankfully its an $11 wine so we will move along.

#25 Casa Silva Carménère

Tonight we break out the new Kitchen Aid stand mixer to make some dinner rolls to go with a new slow cooker pot roast to fight off the brutal cold while we watch the new TV and listen to the new receiver. I should know that as soon as I start to buy something the economy falls apart. US markets down about 5% today (despite being "closed"). Japan tacking on another 5% lower on top of that as I type... Tomorrow should be wild so tonight we drink wine.

The first bottle is a Chilean Carménère. Dark in the glass and nice fruit on the nose. Surprisingly similar to a merlot but without the backbone. This is a simple wine that suited the meal but didn't hold up once the food was done.

#24 Torrontes from Alta Vista

Celebrating my mom's birthday in absentia I opened a bottle of this Torrontes from Argentina. This is Argentina's trademark white.

On first pour the wine has a slight green apple hue. A subtle perfumed nose is followed by a tight edgy alcoholic burn and and a confused unbalanced finish. The label suggests it be served cold and but I had opened it at room temperature. I for one feel that chilling a wine often intended to hide imperfections. In this case it is not just suggested it is necessary.

#23 a Luddite Vineyards Carignan

The new Onkyo 705 AVR receiver is in the house. And what pairs better with setting up a complex technological system than a wine from a Luddite? We visited the Luddite tasting room last fall and were very impressed by his wines. I have tried repeatedly (now 4) to order more. But in true Luddite fashion both phone calls and emails go unreturned. It wont stop my pursuit of his wines however.

Carignan is most often a blending wine but this bottling can easily stand on its own. Its a big broad wine with solid fruit and excellent structure. This wine experience kept me company during a long evening of battling Onkyo hum. Both the wine and the receiver hookup makes Luddite-ism quite attractive! I actually think Luddite wines are awesome... Check out this quote "A staff member told me that Luddite Vineyards of Sonoma sold half its microproduction Pinot Noir rose to the shop and the other half to the French Laundry." Buy em while you can...

#22 Pinot Noir Cava from Bodegas Naveran

Spain is noted for lovely and often inexpensive bubblies. The best of these are Cava (Spanish wine made in the Champagne style) and the best of the best come from the Penedes region in Catalonia. Interestingly Pinot Noir has only been allowed in white Cava since the 2007 harvest (though it has been permitted in Rose). Cava uses the same rules as Champagne so it is easy to determine which level of sweetness fits your palate. Less than 1% of Cava are Rose so the $27 this bottle commands (In addition to its tiny distribution here) can be justified.

This is a Bodegas Naveran Rose Brut Cava "Perles" from the 2004 vintage. It is bright and refreshing with just the right amount of fruit and a nice clean finish likely amplified by all the big tannins I had been clobbered with all night. Once again, my distraught palate needs another shot at this wine but I remember it as one of the best.

#21 Merlot from Bodegas Viña Magaña

Wednesday's wine tasting had a couple major varietals that I had been trying to save for a rainy day and an elegant meal but I feel that I need to report on these since they really did stand out.

The first is a 100% Merlot from Bodegas Viña Magaña in Navarra Spain. Merlot is rare in Spain except as a blending grape. This is a luscious fruity full bodied wine that really stood out. It reminds me of great Bordeaux. "Not Surprising" says the pourer, since this is estate is not far from the French border and only about 150 miles from Bordeaux itself. Not to mention that much of Spanish wine making has roots in French methodology. This is a $47 bottle with limited distribution in the US. I am tempted to put a few of these away.

#20 Albarino from Spain

Yes my palate is exhausted from last nights tasting but as I had particularly enjoyed the Spanish whites I will continue along that route tonight with an Albariño from Rias Baixas in the northwestern area of Spain. Burgans is made by Martin Codax. (click for more Spanish strings)

Immediately I sense that we have something very similar to a Sauvignon Blanc with its characteristic nose. I sense more of a green apple than a tropical nuance to the fruit but I would be hard pressed to tell the difference between this wine and an Aussie or South African Sauvignon Blanc. That said I do think this wine has slightly more roundness to the finish. Not bad for $10. I would buy it again.

#18 and #19 Grenache Blanc and Macabeo

It was a long tasting of big tannic Spanish wines and it was a relief to sample a few whites. The first is from Priorat and is 100% Grenache Blanc. A lovely austere white from Conreria d'Scala Dei for around $28. I want to try more of this one with a dinner.


The second bottle here is an excellent white Rioja from Lopez de Heredia called "Gravonia." This bottle is made from 100% Viura (Macabeo). It also has to go through extensive aging in cask and bottle like its red counterparts must. Its a $19 bottle and shows its age with a hint of oxidation and aged fruit. This is another very nice clean white that I would want to try again.

#16 and #17 Sherry!

Lucky for us we had a chance to try a whole range of Sherry from El Maestro. Sherry is an interesting product but it is certainly an acquired taste. The first the Oloroso 1/14 is made from the Palomino grape and has a lot of age on it. Well over 50 years here. This is a $75 375 ml bottle and has a much rounder and darker flavor than its younger and more astringent counterparts.



The second Sherry I will report on is the Pedro Ximenez Viejisimo. This is another $75 bottle and is also well over 50 years old. The Pedro Ximenez is a much sweeter grape and makes more of a desert wine. This bottle pours a molasses like liquid. Very sweet and dark. Again the younger bottles are rougher around the edges. We needed to rinse the glass out after this pour and the water got as dark as iced tea. Remarkable product but not for the faint of heart.

#15 Vizcarra "Ines" Tempranillo

Many wines tried at the tasting I will be brief. This 100% Tempranillo seems very extracted. Butter on the nose and a rich dark wine. Lovely but at $125 a bottle (very small production) I have to pass.


Name of Wine: Ines Vizcarra 2004

Producer: Bodegas Vizcarra Ramos
DO: Ribera del Duero (Zone # 2)
Grape Varietal: 100% Tempranillo
Production: 350 Cases made – 20 for the U.S.
Wine Maker: Juan Carlos Vizcarra
Ageing: 15 Months in French Oak Barrels (500 lit)
Retail Price: $125.00

A pre-tasting checklist...

Rioja -----
Garnacha (Grenache)
Graciano
Mazuelo (Carignan)
* Tempranillo

Ribera Del Duero -----
Cabernet Sauvignon
Garnacha (Grenache)
* Tinto Fino (Tempranillo variation)

Priorat -----
Cabernet Sauvignon
* Carinena
* Garnacha (Grenache)
Merlot
Syrah
Tempranillo

The major grapes in each area are preceded by an *. Tempranillo is the national grape and just about every other grape is used for blending. So while I did get a sneak peak at a few of tonights wines I learned that for the most part in Spain, the best wines are Tempranillo and that is what I will see.

On the other hand Spain will be extraordinary for white varietals but I don't suspect I will see much of them tonight. Just a quick scan through the larger production wines shows a quick dozen inexpensive and interesting grapes. Anyone up for a sherry tasting?!

#14 A Bonarda from Bodegas Catena Zapata (Alamos)

While the chili was simmering in the new and excellent slow cooker I headed off to check out the wines at my local wine shop. Strangely they were happy to see me and as a result they threw in a couple of extra bottles for my quest. Granted they weren't Bordeaux first growths but they will allow a few more varietals to get the big red check mark.

Not expecting much I decide to sample this $9 2005 vintage (while thoroughly enjoying #13). The Bonarda grape is a Piedmont varietal but this one is grown in Argentina which marks our first (but not last) South American bottle. It is important to note that bonarda is meant as a blending grape. Lots of fruit not much structure and a quiet empty finish. This grape will complement a wine needing a boost on the front palate. I am happy that Alamos delivered us this pure varietal but I won't be bringing it to dinner.

#13 A Librandi Gaglioppo

No rest for the wine quest so I plow ahead. Librandi is a large producer of wines from the instep of Italy's foot, Calabria. This particular wine, the Duca San Felice Riserva spends 3 years in the bottle before it is released to the public. In this case it is a 2001 we will be enjoying with home made chili made in a brand new slow cooker.

The grape here is Gaglioppo, an indegenous varietal likely brought from Greece. With gentle Italian guitar playing in the background complements of the Librandi website I open the bottle. A quick hit of mint on the nose, mellowed tannins and a finish with a bit of sour fruit. This is an enjoyable $18 wine that clearly shows the benefits of bottle aging. It has been caught in its prime tonight.

#12 A Sardinian Monica

Having previously tasted an Argiolas wine there is no need to repeat that story except to mention that this one is a red. This wine has a powerful slightly musty nose. I detect a hint of menthol with the fruit. The finish is fairly long and has a (forgive me) subtle mouthwash feel.

The monica grape is another Sardinian variety brought to the island by the Spanish. This one will run you $10 and is a fine simple wine.

A well deserved break...

The new TV just arrived, a Sony KDL52XBR4 at a price I could not resist. It is a reward for getting past 10 varietals. Still lots of work to do to get the room in order so clearly a new wine will need to be opened to ease my suffering through the setup process. High def bikini babes complements of my cable companies HD loop... don't tell Alma.

#11 A Lagrein from Nusserhof

A wine's label can tell a lot about an area. This label is a confusing Germanic Italian mix. Upon locating the winery on the map we see it nestled into the Italian side of the Austrian Alps. War torn and linguistically divided this area has bounced back and forth between Italian and Austrian/German control for a century. Matt Kramer in a great review here (of a different lagrein) discusses the area as well as the grape.

Lagrein reminds me of an Amarone. Deep dark purple in the glass with raisins on the nose. The initial sweetness is gently nudged aside by a citric acidity. What initiates as a sweet wine leaves us high and dry on the finish. This grape has earned a spot on my list of favorites and absolutely warrants further tasting and study. Like an Amarone, lagrien likely pairs up with a hearty cold weather meal and seems like it could cellar for a decade. For $20 this one is a steal.

#10 Blaufränkisch from Neckenmarkt

Since tonight was to be a night of reds I ventured to the local Whole Foods for a few cheeses. When asked by the cheese monger if I would be drinking wine with them I confirmed yes but when asked which ones I was stymied. "Austrian reds" I say, "Some real off the wall varietals" I clarify. Cheese monger nods, interested but unchallenged he waits... "ahhh" I start "uhhh a um Bluueee... Bal..." I add. "Blaufränkisch" cheese monger confirms "Perhaps a St. Laurent also?". It is becoming more evident that what I deem "off the wall varietals" are often honored and regularly consumed hometown favorites.

Blaufränkisch is widely planted around central Europe. This $9 Neckenmarkt bottling is fairly tannic but it finishes nicely. Advance apologies for using the term "burly" to define this one. Regional wines tend to pair with regional cuisines and this one leaves me craving a spicy goulash.

#9 Zantho "St. Laurent"

Today I adventure into previously untested waters... Austrian reds. The first bottle is from Zantho. They have recently made a 7 million euro investment in their production facilities and convenient to our quest they focus on indigenous varietals and are looking to be a major exporter of Austrian wines. The lizard on the label had me confused until I discovered that it too was an indigenous (albeit rare) woodland variety. (click the Zantho link to hear an Austrian lizard call!).

The grape in question is a St. Laurent. Nice fruit, medium body and a velvety finish. It almost reminds me of a pinot noir but should probably be served slightly chilled. As a bonus this $10 bottle has a very cool glass closure. Unquestionably drinkable I will certainly pursue their other wines.

#8 Gros Manseng

Leaving Txomin Etxaniz (see varietal #7) and heading not too far across the border into southwest France we find Clos de la Vierge. This challenging bottle will run you $20.

The grape is Gros Manseng. Hints of rubber rise from the glass. My first cautious sip delivers an unfilled promise of fruit closely followed by a dry minerality and then quickly by enamel stripping mouth cramping acidity. I am at a loss to determine a pairing here and as this is a powerfully tannic wine that I do not want to drink alone... I won't.

#7 Getariako Txakolina Txomin Etxaniz

Flashback, nightmare, cold chills, 6th grade spelling bee. The kid in front of you gets "horse" you get "Txakolina". While the passing years haven't soothed that bee's sting they have gained you the right to dive into this exciting Basque bottling.

Made from 75% Hondarribi Zuri (white) and 25% Hondarribi Beltza (red) this zesty white starts with green apple, finishes with grapefruit and leaves a satisfying zing. It took a refill of my glass to realize that this wine actually does have the subtlest of effervescence. Jancis Robinson has a review of the 2004 version of this wine here and she (as usual) nails it.

There is no doubt that this $16 bottle would pair perfectly with tapas and shellfish. Also there is no doubt that this is a wine I want to have in my wine fridge. This bottle was a 2005 but quoting Jancis "This wine should be drunk as young as possible. In fact most bottles don’t even carry a vintage year on the label – it is assumed that only the most recent harvest will be on offer." Duly noted.

#6 Vermentino Di Sardegna 2006

Since tonight's dinner involves a trip to a Belgian styled beer joint "Hopleaf", I will have to sneak in a taste of what I anticipate is a simple brisk white from Sardinia. This one is made from a grape called Vermentino and like most of Sardinia's varieties it likely arrived from Spain. You consult the history books, I will go find a corkscrew.

Without too much fanfare I wait for the stock market to close its worst first 8 days of the year in 17 years (who keeps these stats?). *POP* goes the $11 bottle. This wine has a golden straw hue with a sauvignon blanc nose and a chardonnay mouth feel. In fact if you were to ignore the delicate honey undertones, the flavor of this lovely wine would sit in the dead center of the chard/sauv-blanc spectrum. My only disappointment is that I am now forced to re-cork this wine and head out to dinner.

#5 is a Grignolino from Piedmont

Oh I just couldn't resist...(my excuse follows). Our decision to have salad tonight sent me to the cache for a new bottle. According to winemaker Luca Ferraris website "Grignolino of Asti is considered one of the best Italian wines" and is meant to be drunk with lighter meals. There is not much of this planted globally so I better get it while the gettin's good.

Its remarkably clear pink appearance is deceptive. "Aha! a rose'!" cheered Alma.. This passive disguise hides a load of bitter tannins guaranteed to pucker up your yapper. Grignolino grapes have a lot of seeds so a vintner must make an heroic effort to avoid creating a bitter vino. At $10 a bottle I suspect this was not one of those efforts although I am pretty sure it is not atypical of the grape. Therefore, I award this wine 11 stars and 4 tilted wine glasses!

[UPDATE: A day later I had a glass of this wine with a spicy Mexican (chipotle and adobo) pasta dish. Brilliant pairing, I will buy this one again to complement similar dishes.]

#4 is a 2005 Cesanese from Pallavicini

"If its Thursday it must be cesanese" is the time worn saying and who am I to argue? Certain to discover that cesanese is actually Italian for merlot I plunge into my research. I am happy to learn that this grape is its own variety and seems to be grown only in an area called Lazio not too far east of Rome.

The Pallavicini's appear to have held onto quite a bit of land for quite a long time and they grow all sorts of stuff, grains, olives, various vegetables even potted palm trees. But since we are interested in the grapes we will just move along.

With a satisfying pop the plastic closure reveals varietal #4. Lots of fruit with a little tannin. Interestingly the fruit hits the front of the tongue and fades quickly to gentle tannins while a darker fruit arises in the back palate and lingers. I would say it seems a little off balance yet the flavor is fine. Not bad for a $13 wine. I think this would make an excellent blending grape to fill out the gaps some wines do have in their structure. I am sorely tempted to try some blending tonight myself....

Varietal 3 of 100 ... Luna Beberide's "Mencia"

A quick look through the 50 bottles of wine I have lying around at home brought a new awareness to your intrepid taster. I have been washed into a wine rut flowing with California Cabernet and Italian Brunello and French Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Clearly not only is this Century Club a quest but it is an enlightenment! Credit card, car keys, wine shop, home. This, my friends is going to be a lot more fun than I thought.

Today's bottle is made from a varietal indigenous to Spain which I knew nothing about, made in a region I didn't know existed and by a wine maker who's name is surprisingly not in my Rolodex. The "Mencia" grape once thought to be related to Cabernet Franc has been released from any responsibility due to fairly recent DNA testing. It is finally its own fruit.

The 2005 Luna Beberide Mencia is a steal at $12. Falling back on what I know and love this wine hints at the elements that make my favorite wines great. A hint of a Cab's fruit, a dash of CDP's red meat and the flash of an aged Brunello's structure. It all dissolves smoothly but too rapidly. Great for a party, not so great for your cellar.

Varietal 2 of 100... Value from Spain

Okay so here's the scoop. I had a couple of big fat Whole Foods pork chops in the fridge and I decided to turn them into a meal. I pulled out the cast iron skillet and got to work. Well needless to say the first bottle of the evening was not going to stand up to this meal so it was time to see what else I had lying around.

And there she was, the old standby. Castano Monastrell 2006 from Yecla Spain. Yecla is in south east Spain maybe 50 miles from the coast in the same vicinity as Jumilla my other favorite Spanish "value" location. I had always thought that Monastrell was Spanish for Mourvedre but a little research (and some expensive DNA testing) revealed that it in fact is a grape known as "Graciano". This is good news for someone looking to try a hundred varietals.

This is a darker wine with some significant tannins. I appreciate the "bigger" wines, the ones that have a backbone and seem to fight back a little. This is one of those. Its a fairly straightforward $9 wine with some cellaring potential but I like it because it is still able to taste like wine in the face of some very spicy foods.

[UPDATE: I have continued looking into the Monastrell-Mourvedre-Graciano issue and it seems the consensus says Monastrell is Mourvedre so I will with great sadness modify my list accordingly.]

Varietal 1 of 100 .. Gamay est arrivé!

Getting right into the swing of things I find the bottle of 2007 Beaujolais Nouveau presented to us on New Years Eve from our friendly downstairs neighbor. This is a wine intended to be consumed almost as soon as it was bottled so I have decided that this one needs to go first.

Beaujolais Nouveau is made from the Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc grape more commonly known as Gamay. It is released every year on November 15th. If you see a sign saying "Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé!" its here. I like to think this wine has the "drink by" date right on the bottle. If its a 2007 vintage, drink it in 2007.

This one is a clean wine edged with pink and is pleasant enough. Granted it is simple, exhibiting far more fruit and perfume than backbone but that is as intended. This is not a bad wine to gather up (inexpensively mind you) in the middle of November for a pre-Thanksgiving day party. Feel free to serve it with your turkey as long as I am not on the guest list.

An Impetus To Blog...

September 2007 these guys were trying to get onto my deck. I haven't a clue as to their intentions but it was all I could do to avoid their potentially deadly laser beam eyes. After fruitlessly trying to repel them by tossing pieces of bread their way I decided to blog.

Four months later I was presented with a cause worthy of my most diligent attentions. My brother in law and fellow blogger Kirk suggested that we try to sample at least 100 wine varietals this year. Always one to tackle the most thankless of tasks I decided to accept that challenge. This then, shall be a record of that effort.