Sunday, September 5, 2010

198...199... 200!!!!


In January 2008 a quest to sample 100 different and pure varietals began.  Almost a year later and with only slight deviations from the 100% rule that quest was completed.  However I soon became aware of The Wine Century Club's "Doppel Member" distinction and the quest was extended to 200.  It took more than a year and a half to get to 200.  Last night that varietal threshold was crossed with an assortment of delicious pure bottlings from the Kent Rasmussen Winery.

A few years back under his Esoterica label Kent decided to make a deconstructed "port" in addition to the final blend.  I was lucky enough to buy one of these rare sets (less than 500 375ml bottles were made).  Included in the six bottle collection was: Tempranillo, Sousao, Tinta Cao, Touriga Nacional, Trousseau, and a final blended bottle of 20% each.  Varietals 198 and 199 the Touriga Nacional and the Sousão were well balanced, sweet without being cloying and thoroughly enjoyable.  Varietal 200 was the Tinta Cão which had more of the tannic backbone.  The blended bottle was excellent and reflected the strength of the Tinta Cao and the softness of the others.  What a treat!

In a few days I will send off my application for inclusion into the Dopple Membership.  Perhaps this will put an end to the quest as I know it.  I have however noticed that there is now a Treble membership.....

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

#197 Magliocco

Magliocco is an old Italian red grape that is commonly used for blending.  This Magno Megonio from Librandi has a lot of acidity and backbone but not a lot of flesh.  Add this wine to a flabby fruit bomb and you could have a big winner.

Monday, June 7, 2010

#196 Trousseau

Pale purple and thin on the pour.  Peppery and earthy on the nose.  Tightly wound acidity on the palate.  Dry and slightly astringent on the finish.  This is a Trousseau also known as Bastardo.

I happen to like this wine but then again I tend to like harder wines.  It is quite nice to run into a 12.5% abv red wine these days.  I am a bit exhausted today so I will keep this one brief.  Here's to closing in on big #200!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

#195 Piedirosso

Wiki:
Lacryma Christi, (also Lachryma Christi, literally "tear of Christ"), is the name of a celebrated Neapolitan type of wine produced on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in CampaniaItaly.
The name Lacryma Christi comes from an old myth that Christ, crying over Lucifer's fall from heaven, cried his tears on the land and gave divine inspiration to the vines that grew there. The sides of Vesuvius are deeply scarred by past lava flows, and its lower slopes are extremely fertile, dotted with villages and covered with vineyards.
Piedirosso is the varietal in this very nice wine.  This one is a bit of a u-turn from the night's first wine.  This red is loaded with dry minerality.  I have now had a number of excellent wines coming from this area and using grapes which have been grown on the side of Vesuvius.  Volcanic terroir really does the trick for me and I think that these are some of the most interesting wines in a country with perhaps the greatest variety of wine styles in the world.

#194 Alicante Bouschet

This is a grape that I thought would be one of the first 20 or so that I tried.  In fact I had some not long before I started this quest.  Then an alicante bouschet dry spell set in and we arrive "suddenly" at #194.

Here we have another successful Portuguese effort.  We had friends over and had a feast of BBQ ribs, decadent sides and of course pies and cookies.  My shipment from Laurenti Wines came in and so I thought it would be a great time to try a few wines.  Well this $10 bottle was gone very quickly.  It is a well rounded red with good acidity but light on tannins.  This example isn't something I would want to cellar perhaps but it does a great job at a great price of pleasing a party.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

#193 Muscat of Alexandria

Wine Enthusiast Review 
Rated 94
"Ben Rye is a glowing example of Sicilian pride, and you can understand why. Beautifully integrated with deep aromas of orange zest, honey, chestnut, molasses and dried apricot, the wine is a true incarnation of lavish decadence. The mouthfeel delivers impressive intensity and concentration of flavors."

I think by now you realize those aren't my words but I agree whole-heartedly.  In Sicily the Muscat of Alexandria grape is known as Zibibbo.  This sweet white wine pours the color of cognac.  It has a delightful nose of apricots which is followed by a lovely bouquet of sweet dried fruits.  This grape, though hard to find here warrants some additional attention.


Also THIS is one of the coolest google map views of a winery I have found so far!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

#192 Bombino Bianco

Bombino Bianco is a white Italian wine grape planted primarily along Italy's Adriatic coast line, most notably in Apulia. The vine is prone to high yields and is sometimes known as "Trebbiano d'Abruzzo"


And that is what we have here.  Its a nice clean Italian white with a lingering acidity on the finish.  It is refreshing to find.... well... a refreshing wine here at 192.

Monday, May 31, 2010

#191 Blatina

And with this wine I finish off my treasure trove of hard to find wines that I found at a north side grocery store this spring.  This is a Blatina, another indigenous varietal from Bosnia and Herzegovinia.

This one, like its brother tasted earlier, is extraordinarily dry and with very little fruit.  It is meant to be served cold and as it warms the acidity really comes to the forefront.

Wine quest is now in the home stretch.  It has been a long journey so far.  Let the countdown begin!

#190 Isabella

Wine's #189 and #190 come from Moldavia and a winery called Dionysos Mereni.  (its a pretty cool looking place).  Both of these are dessert wines and both are non-vintage reds and both have a heavy sediment buildup in the neck.  (also... both are unopened as my trepidation is palpable)....

The description of the Isabella on wiki, lets say makes me quite uncomfortable: "The Isabella being of the genus Vitis x Labruscana imparts a "foxiness" to the wine and because of this is thought to be objectionable, therefore it is not seen as a grape capable of making fine wines."

Here we go... "Particle board" cork, blackened on the end and smelling vegetative.  Color is amber, nose is prunes and alcohol.  Taste is a woody strawberry.  Finish is a warming burn as you would expect from a 17% ABV wine.  This bottle I may not purchase again but I would love to try more wine from this winery.  Let me just check on flights....

#189 Lidia

This wine follows my opening of #190 above.  This one is a Lidia.  I find even less information about this wine than I did the Isabella.  I note that it appears often on various Moldavian wineries so I am going to have to assume it is a regional grape much like Isabella...

This bottle is in similar condition, lots of sediment in the neck.  Same cork, same blackened end but less vegetative.  Wine pours slightly more purple but really is still amber.  Nose a bit rough the vegetation comes through.  Taste is strawberries and alcohol.  This one is definitely more approachable than its sister above.  Perhaps its the 16% abv... that can make a difference.  If not for the nose I think this would be an interesting pairing with a fresh fruit desert.  I suspect I could make a very nice sauce out of this one...

Sunday, May 30, 2010

#188 Mavrodaphne

An accidental opening tonight.  Originally the port like nose was a surprise.  Then the port-like taste was a further surprise.  Once I looked the bottle.... no more surprise.

This Greek red dessert wine pours an almost yellow brown.  The nose is perhaps a toasted caramel.  The taste is a sherry/madiera blend and the finish is a bracing overly sweet pucker up.

Mavrodafni (also spelled Mavrodaphne, Greek: Μαυροδάφνη, Maurodaphnē) is both a black wine grape indigenous to the Achaia region in Northern Peloponnese, Greece, and the sweet, fortified wine produced from it.

#187 Vranac

Here we have another red wine from Bosnia and Herzegovina, a Vranac from Winery Citluk.  This one comes from along the Neretva river south of Mostar.  "Vranec is considered the most important variety of grape in Montenegro and the one of the most important in the Republic of Macedonia."

There is a nice floral nose which gives way to a surprisingly dry wine.  It has a citrus-like acidity which fades slowly on the finish.  The bottle suggests pairing this with roast meats and smoked cheeses.  I suspect that would be very nice.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

#186 Cayuga

I am getting this varietal in the form of a "California White Port".  Its very sweet and at 19% alcohol it tastes like sugared vodka. 

Originally developed in Geneva, New York in the late 1950's early 1960's, Cayuga White was first grown commercially in Upstate, NY in the early 1970's. An examination of the grape's heredity yields a complex ancestry; engineered to withstand the cold climates (down to -20 degrees F), yet artistically developed for its mellow, fruity taste.
The Cayuga White grape is a cross between the Seyval Grape (also known as the Seyve-Villard) and the Schuylar grape. The Schuyler grape is a cross between the Zinfandel and Ontario Grape. As we all know, the Zinfandel grape is a "popular" red wine grape from the California Region. While, the Ontario grape is a cross between the Winchell and Moore's Diamond grape.
It has been embraced by winemakers in eastern states and other frost-susceptible parts of North America. It produces quality fruit and is known for its very large, high-yielding clusters.

#185 Zilavka

Zilavka is a native grape of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  This is a white wine with a sweet nose but a dry palate.  It is definitely a nice wine.

Wow these are getting short!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

#184 Airen

Protocolo.  another very dry very light very refreshing white wine.  Serve this one ice cold on your deck and you wont have any complaints.  Made from 70% Airén, 30% Macabeo this closes out another varietal on the original sheet (a rare event these days)

#183 Lake Emerald

We went to Eden Winery a small winery east of Ft. Myers Florida to sample this wine.  The Lake Emerald varietal came out of the University of Florida almost 60 years ago.  From what I can gather its parentage is Pixiola and Golden Muscat .  Amazingly it can handle those Florida temperatures, critters and blazing sun.  I was shocked to find this white dry, clean and thoroughly refreshing.  The winery says it is "Extremely dry, with an underbody of ripe fruit" and I think that sums it up neatly.  I would forgive you for thinking that this one was a light sauvignon blanc.  I bought a bottle to drink with some fresh seafood.

Cool info Here


Friday, May 21, 2010

#182 Tămâioasă Românească

Tămâioasă Românească Princiar Special Reserve

Translated to English: "Romanian Incensed Maiden".  Here we have a late harvest white.  Nose is sweet honeysuckle.  Sweet on the palate; somewhere between a table and a desert white.  Finish is gentle.  Not a bad showing for Romanian wine #2.  I would love to try a well aged version of this wine.

#181 Krstac

Here we have a Krstac from Montenegro and I will say "impressive".  It is refreshing and bright, has just the right amount of fullness on the palate and finishes clean.  This is actually a wine I would buy again.  Wiki confirms my opinion it seems:

Krstač is an ancient variety of grape that is indigenous to Montenegro and Serbia. A high quality dry white wine is made of it. The wine may be rich, of harmonious bouquet and of light yellow color with 12.5% alcohol."

And in doing a little research about the area:

"Alcohol comsumption
There is neither a minimum nor a maximum legal drinking age in Montenegrins bars and shops."


Maximum drinking age?  Ouch...

Thursday, May 20, 2010

#180 Ojaleshi

This is another semi-sweet wine.  This one hails from the Republic of Georgia and is made by the "Georgian Royal Estates".  The flavor profile is very much in line with the previous 3-4 wines in the list.  I am sure they are all well made wines but they are just too sweet for my palate.

#179 Feteasca Neagra

At this stage in the quest I am having a harder and harder time uncovering much information about these wines.  This is a 2007 from Tohani Domain.  It is a Romanian late harvest semi-sweet wine (as many seem to be from this general area of the world).  Welch's purple in the glass.  Sweet prunes on the front palate, phantom finish and a general acidity on the top palate.  And hey its my first Romanian wine!  Cheers to that.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

#178 Pamid

Rounding out the Bulgarian Three is a grape named Pamid.  This wine like the other two is quite clear.  There is not much of a nose save for a hint of alcohol.  The wine itself is one dimensional and a bit sharp.  Its a simple wine meant to be consumed young.  $5.99 and 11% ABV.

#177 Shevka

Shevka... Another Bulgarian grape but other than a few mentions on various Bulgarian websites as one of Bulgaria's premier grapes there is very little out there.

This wine is a clear cranberry red.  Nose is sweet watermelon and old roses.  Flavor is semi sweet strawberry candy.  Finish is warming and schnapps like with a fading hint of woodiness.

That about covers it for this one....

#176 Mavrud

It has been quite a long time since I have been able to pursue my quest.  I notice that my last post was in December of 2009.  Well.... as luck would have it I happened upon a treasure trove of wines while searching for fresh produce during our extended Chicago cold snap.  I am now driving for that 200 varietal number and begin this new leg of the quest with a Mavrud from Bulgaria.

 This wine is clear and touched with amber.  It has currant on the nose and a mildly acidic fruit on the tongue.  This 12% abv wine finishes with a dry lingering soft woody flavor.

Best of all is the story behind the grape (for those who don't follow links).  "Legend says that during the reign of Khan Krum of Bulgaria all vineyards were ordered destroyed. Later, a lion escaped from its cage and terrorized the city. However, a fearless young man named Mavrud (now the name of a wine grape) confronted and slew the beast. The king summoned Mavrud's mother to learn the source of such courage. She said she had secretly saved a vine, made wine, and that this was the source of Mavrud's bravery. Khan Krum ordered the vineyards replanted."