The Splendid Grape

A Look into the World of Wine from a Novice Perspective

Tasting of Benziger Sauvignon Blanc, Chateau de Berne Rose & Villa Montepulciano d’Abruzzo May 22, 2013

Filed under: Tasting Wine — Chloe Nichols @ 8:24 pm

I recently received three great bottles of wine from Wine Chateau.  Wine Chateau is an online (and brick & mortar) wine retailer that offers an extraordinary selection of wines and spirits.  They also offer wines that are hard to find in store.  I am quite impressed by their selection – and the reasonable prices – something that can be hard to find these days.

For me, opening a bottle of wine is like taking a mini-trip around the world.  Each bottle captures the different flavors of its region – and in a single sip, you are transported to a different country.

The three bottles I received were just that – a mini-trip around the world.

My line-up included: Benziger Family Winery 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (California), Chateau de Berne 2011 Rose (France) and Villa 2011 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Italy).

Three Great Wines

Three Great Wines

I started with the Benziger 2011 Sauvignon Blanc. It was pale yellow in color and had a crisp citrus nose – light white grapefruit.  The palette had lots of great acid, very refreshing and lemony.  I could imagine sitting on the porch in the summer, eating a chicken salad and enjoying this wine.

- A side note, Benziger is Certified Sustainable Growth – meaning the way they grow their grapes is good for the environment.  Forward thinking.

Cool Square Bottle

Cool Square Bottle

I then tried the Chateau de Berne, Cotes de Provence Rosé 2011.  The wine was pale pink with an orange tint and has a super light nose,  I could smell very light tannins.  The palette was a little savory, with a slight taste of peaches and apricots.  I LOVED the bottle shape of this wine – a cool square design, very unique.

- Chateau de Berne is a true Chateau, you could actually stay overnight, wine and dine – nice!

The last wine was the Villa 2011 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.  The wine was shades of dark plum and burgundy, and had a nose of cooked dark fruits, plums and cherries.  The palette had light tannins, as well as cherries, berries and ripe fruit.  This wine would be great on its own or with a meal (pizza maybe).

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The one thing I found interesting was the Benziger was a little cloudy when it was first poured, but that dissipated after a few minutes.  I am thinking this was titrates….It didn’t affect the wines taste – it was still great!

I enjoyed all three wines, but I was really torn between the Benziger and the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo as my top favorite.  I am also going to investigate other wines these wineries have to offer.

 

Champagne Taste-Off: Champagne vs. Methode Champenoise May 5, 2013

Filed under: Tasting Wine,World Tour of Wine — Chloe Nichols @ 4:13 pm
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Over the past few months, I have learned quite a bit about my favorite wine – Champagne.  I know that Champagne is only Champagne if from Champagne, France, and I recently learned about Growers Champagne – those wineries that grow their own grapes for their Champagne.

I was recently introduced to Methode Champenoise – basically making sparkling wine the same way as Champagne (just not in Champagne, France).

I am quite fond of comparing different wines, and with my family all getting together, I thought what a better way to celebrate than with a Champagne taste-off!

I had a bottle of growers Champagne, Champagne Aubry, and a bottle of Methode Champenoise, Arbor Crest Estate.  My brother contributed a bottle from a Champagne House, Drappier.

champagne tasting

The corks were popped, the glass poured and the tasting began:

  1. Champagne Aubry, Premier Cru (Growers Champagne).  Very pale yellow in color, it had a nose of citrus – tart and sour.  The palette was light citrus, very dry – good acidity.
  2. Arbor Crest Estates (Methode Champenoise). Also very pale, but with a hint of pink.  It had an earthy nose to me – I could smell a touch of sulfur.  The palette was slightly sweet and savory – and dry.
  3. Drappier, Carte-D’Or Brut (Champagne House).  This wine was more of a honey color, with a nose of yeast.  The palette had citrus, slightly sweet and slightly bready – kind of like dry toast.

All of the wines were good.  The Arbor Crest was the sweetest, the Drappier the driest.  But of all three, we all thought the Aubry was the winner!

The best part – I purchased this bottle all on my own – I think my studies and tasting are starting to sink in!

I do really enjoy these different taste-offs and am looking forward to the next (and am always open to recommendations).

 

Loire Valley Dessert Wine, Grains Nobles April 7, 2013

Filed under: Tasting Wine,World Tour of Wine — Chloe Nichols @ 2:26 pm
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I recently opened a bottle of 2003 Philippe Delesvaux “Grains Nobles”.  The wine is from the Loire Valley and the wine maker, Philippe Delesvaux pours his heart and soul into his wine.

Grains NoblesThe grapes he used for this wine, Chenin Blanc, are hand-picked and averaging 40 years of age, planted to soils containing sedimentary rock, slate and coal.

I can be weary of sweet wines – many of them bring me back to my college days and overly sweet (and dangerous) cocktails.  However, I was pleasantly surprised by this wine.

The wine was garnet in color, with a nose of brown sugar, maple syrup and honey.  The palette was reminiscent of strawberries, honey and was very fruity.

The wine also had a very nice aftertaste, always leaving me to want another sip. It was the perfect end to my sunny afternoon at the beach, and was a great substitute for actual dessert.

It was also a nice contrast to the Silex Noir Vouvray I had enjoyed earlier in my journey through France.

 

Cava, The Penedes Region of Spain and Birthday Cake February 17, 2013

Filed under: Tasting Wine,World Tour of Wine — Chloe Nichols @ 2:47 pm
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I am back on my global wine trail.  After many, many weeks of battling colds at my house, I finally feel re-energized (and can smell and taste) and ready to continue my journey through Spain.

Last weekend was also my birthday – but I figured I would just make this whole month a celebration!  And what better way to celebrate than with bubbly!

birthday cake

Birthday Cake

Spain’s sparkling wine is called Cava and is mostly produced in the Penedes region of Spain.  I read about the Penedes region in my trusty Wine Bible (by Karen MacNeil) and found that this was one area of Spain I could live in.

For one, Cava is considered more of a comfort wine contrary to say, Champagne.  In fact, often Spaniards will eat pan con tomate (thick pieces of grilled bread that have been rubbed with tomato and drizzled with olive oil) with their Cava.  Score!  Not to mention my Grandmother’s favorite sandwich is just a tomato sandwich.  So the minute I read about pan con tomate, I automatically thought of her.

Second, they dip their babies’ pacifiers in Cava to keep them quiet during church – nice! Maybe I should try that on myself :)

I found two different bottles of Cava to try:

Cava and Cake

Cava and Cake

The first was the ever present Freixenet Cordon Negro.  The funny part is that I actually drank this at my very first stop on my world tour, not even realizing what I was drinking.  The Freixenet was light yellow, almost clear in color.  It had a slightly yeasty, citrus nose, with a citrus and ginger palette. I guess you could call it a dry sparkling wine.

The second Cava I tried was Codorniu. I was super excited to try this one since it was listed as a “Cava to know” in my Wine Bible.  This wine is apparently the first chardonnay-based Cava.  It was a nice contrast to the Freixenet; a touch fuller, fruitier with notes of honey.  It was just right, not too sweet and not too dry.  Yummmmmmy!

I really enjoyed the Codorniu, even though I tend to lean more towards the Brut and Extra Brut champagnes and sparkling wines. The fruity flavors were not overwhelming and it was a very smooth drink.

Being that it was my birthday and all, I paired my Cavas with my birthday cake.

Happy Birthday to me! And cheers to Spain – thank you for your lovely Cavas.

 

 

Chateau Clerc Milon and Chateau de La Dauphine Bordeaux and Steak with Bordelaise – Bon Appetit December 2, 2012

Filed under: Tasting Wine,World Tour of Wine — Chloe Nichols @ 5:14 pm
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I left the Beaujolais province and headed to Bordeaux.  The one thing that excited me most about the Bordeaux region was the dessert.  One of my favorite cookies, coconut macaroons (or rocher coco) are native to this region.  I love coconut macaroons.  They are chewy, sweet and delicious.  And if you have one that is dipped in chocolate, it is like a little piece of heaven.

macaroons

I found a simple recipe for coconut macaroons on this wonderful French Food blog, called Easy French Food. The recipe was easy, but I still managed to mess it up (not surprising for me).  Fortunately, once dipped in chocolate, the macaroons were quite tasty.

Ah, I digress.  This is supposed to be a wine blog after all.

My family has a tradition, we have a steak dinner the day after Thanksgiving.  So, this year, we decided to step it up, French style.  My brother Ian picked out two lovely Bordeaux’s – Chateau Clerc Milon 1999 and Chateau de La Dauphine Fronsac 2001, and my husband made a bordelaise sauce for our steaks.  I provided the dessert, as mentioned above.

bordelaise and bordeaux

The Chateau Clerc Milon 1999 Grand Cru Classic is owned by Baronne Philippine de Rothschild who is a cousin to those who own Lafite-Rothschild.  So, you can say the wine business runs in that family.  The Bordeaux we were drinking was from Appellation Paulliac Controlee.  Paulliac is north of the City of Bordeaux on the left bank of Gironde. It is also a 5th growth, something that stems from the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, when Napolean III was showing off his favorite wines to the world. Chris Kissack does a nice summary of Chateau Clerc Milon on his Wine Doctor site.

The Chateau Clerc Milon 1999 was a ruby-red and garnet in color (the edges of the wine had a brown hue) and nose of leather, savouries and meat, earthiness and a hint of plums.  On the palette, I could taste tomatoes and tannins, with the same earthiness in the undertones.

The bordelaise sauce was very savory and earthy.  It tasted wonderful with the steak and complimented the wine – as it pulled in the some of the same flavors.

 

The Chateau de La Dauphine Fronsac 2001 Grand Vin de Bordeaux is from the right bank of Gironde, drawing up a nice comparison of the two banks.

This wine was ruby-red in color.  It had a fruitier nose in comparison to the Clerc Milon, smelling of plums and cherries. I also did smell the same tomato, but also hints of menthol.  The palette on this Bordeaux was more of tannins and spice (mostly pepper), as well as hints of raspberries and cherries.

 

Even though the Chateau de La Dauphine had a different taste than the Clerc Milon, it also paired nicely with our dinner.  The spice of the wine melded nicely with the steak and the sauce.

You can imagine that after two days of rich foods and good wines, we were all very sated.

So after much digesting, I am heading off to the Loire Valley, where I hope to try vouvray and a yummy meal of sorts.

 

A Tasting Flight of Three Syrah: Two Hands, Sequel & Yann Chave October 13, 2012

Filed under: Tasting Wine — Chloe Nichols @ 8:08 am
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I was recently able to take part in a tasting flight of three different Syrah (well, one Shiraz and two Syrah, but they are all the same).  With the fall setting in and steak on the grill, the three reds were the ideal pairing.

The flight included the following:

  • Two Hands 2009 Shiraz. A pretty ruby red, with a nose of cherries, plums, warm fruit and tomato.  The palette tasted of plums, fall fruits, spice and cinnamon.  This wine had a nice sweet note to it, which I really liked.
  • Long Shadows Wine, Sequel 2007 Syrah. Another pretty ruby red wine, with a nose of dark fruit, spice and tomato.  The palette on this win was spicy (and a bit chalky to me), along with plums and black pepper.  It was a little too spicy for my taste. (P.S. I am told that the spice is oak, but regardless – too much for me).
  • Yann Chave Crozes Hermitage. Ruby red in color, with a similar nose as the others: plums, dark berries and tomato.  This wine had a mild flavor, to me the fruit was softer, like raspberries and maybe cherries.

All of the wines were very nice, but of the three, I favored the Two Hands Shiraz.  I prefer wine that has more fruit flavors over spice, but then again I also prefer a big piece of cake to anything savory.

The red wine paired nicely with our steak dinner, and I must add, it also went well with my big piece of chocolate cake for dessert.  This flight also renewed my interest in wine and got me wanting to learn more again.

Another thing I love about wine is the color – especially the red wines.  It makes me wish that I had a ruby for every glass I drank – oh what a lovely necklace that would make.  I guess I can wish in one hand and….well you know the rest.

 

Gruet Brut Rosé, Good Friends and Good Food at Smash Wine September 29, 2012

Filed under: Tasting Wine — Chloe Nichols @ 9:45 am

I recently met a few good friends at Smash Wine for a ladies night.  All three of us have children ages 5 and under, so it was quite the treat to get out of the house.

Smash Wine not only offers a nice selection of wines, but they also offer flights.  So, I decided to go with the Bubbly Bubbly flight, well, because I like bubbly.

That is where I met Gruet Brut Rosé - a delicious combination of Rosé and Sparkling Wine.  It was a beautiful blush color and had a nice sweetness on the palette.  My flight also included Jelo Prosecco Brut and G Sparkling Gamay, but the Gruet was really the star.  I savored my glass and really was wishing for more, more, more.

For dinner, I had a carrot pappardelle with Italian sausage and a red sauce.  It was quite delicious and I felt the pasta and the wine were quite the duo.

Gruet Winery is in New Mexico.  I didn’t realize there were wineries in New Mexico, but I am quite pleased – the Brut Rosé is one I would like to drink more of!

 

Bartholomew Winery Visit and Tasting June 3, 2012

Filed under: Family Friendly Wineries,Tasting Wine,Washington Wines — Chloe Nichols @ 9:37 pm
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Bartholomew Winery

Bartholomew Winery is located in Seattle, WA in the Old Rainier Brewery.  There is a South Seattle Artisan Wine movement and part of me wanted to experience artisan wine and part of me wanted to check out the historic landmark.

The tasting room is open every Saturday and Sunday from Noon – 5pm, and was a good way to ease into my Sunday.  When we pulled up to the tasting room, we were greeted by a sleeping mastiff in front of the door.  I automatically like the winery before tasting any wine.  It just felt comfortable.

I had my daughter in tow, and the owner Bart Fawbush, didn’t even blink as my daughter investigated the different rooms.

He poured a full tasting flight:

  • 2010 Roussanne Columbia Valley Lawrence Vineyard
  • 2008 Riesling Columbia Valley Lawrence Vineyard
  • 2008 Cuvée Blanc Columbia Valley
  • 2009 Malbec Rattlesnake Hills
  • 2007 Cuvée Rouge Columbia Valley
  • 2008 Jaxon Columbia Valley

There were a few that stood out to me the most:

  • The 2008 Riesling – it was a pale yellow, straw color with a light citrus (grapefruit) nose.  The palette was slightly sweet but also savory, something that is different from most Rieslings.  It was a refreshing drink.
  • The 2009 Malbec – a beautiful burgundy red, with a nose of warm cooked plum.  The palette was spicy and reminded me of red, tart cherries.  I automatically thought of steak when I tried this wine.  My brother Seth, is a big fan of Malbec, so I bought him a bottle.  I will be interested in his review.
  • The 2007 Cuvée Rouge – a black cherry red, with a nose of cooked fruits (reminded me of jam).  The palette was similar to the nose, dark fruits, but with a hint of earthy flavor.  A smooth combination.

More than the wine, the winemaker, Bart was the best part of my experience.  He was incredibly hospitable and very nice, plus he makes good wine.  I will be back for another visit!

 

Abel Clement Rose: Let Rosé Season Commence! May 13, 2012

Filed under: Tasting Wine — Chloe Nichols @ 9:10 pm
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Ah Refreshing!

Rosé is a good warm weather wine.  Since it is served cold, it is refreshing, but not too sweet.  A nice combination of red and white wines. This summer, I have decided to make a point of trying many different Rosé’s.

Mother’s Day weekend in Seattle was beautiful and warm.  It was the perfect excuse to try a Rosé.  We went down to Uwajamaya, an Asian Market, to buy a few ingredients for dinner and I decided to check out the wine aisle – just to see the offerings.  There I found an excellent deal – a Rosé for $3.99.  I usually only purchase wine that I have read about or been directed to buy by one of my brothers or another trusted source.  But this time I thought I would just go for it – and since it was only $3.99, I wouldn’t cry if I had to pour it down the drain.

It was a bottle of Abel Clément 2009 Côtes Du Rhône, and in my humble opinion, it was pretty good.

The color was a very pretty light red, and looked lovely glistening in the sun (I was enjoying it while relaxing on our back porch).  The wine had almost no nose, the slightest hint of kiwi and light summer fruits.  It wasn’t sweet on the palette, it reminded me of berries, but not sweet berries – more like raspberries.  Very refreshing and worth every penny.

I decided to look up the wine after I was about half-way through my first glass – just to see what was written about it on the internet. I was pleasantly surprised to see it was included in an article from February 2012 in the Seattle Times – Entrancing wines from Washington’s Tranche, by Paul Gregutt.  It turned out the wine was one of the “Picks of the week” – go me!

I do recommend this wine – I believe that even not on sale, it is only about $10/bottle and very refreshing for a hot day.

 

Maison Blueu Granache – a Delicious and Smooth Red Wine April 18, 2012

Filed under: Tasting Wine,Washington Wines — Chloe Nichols @ 5:28 pm
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I read a review of Maison Bleue by Paul Gregutt.  Gregutt’s description of the wine  sounded so wonderful, that I had to give it a try:

They are distinctive, immaculate, fragrant, complex, evocative, one might even say definitive wines – and they sell for a fraction of what competitors of comparable quality generally charge.

When I looked at the Winery’s website, I fell in love.  The winery has a vintage European look and feel and something about it, just resonated.  I can’t explain, but it just worked for me.

I purchased the 2010 “La Montagnette” Upland Vineyard Grenache [Snipes Mountain].  The store’s wine clerk was very excited about my purchase and started quizzing me about what I was going to pair it with.  Since I am not quite there yet in my pairing expertise, I admitted that I wasn’t sure – he recommended duck.

The wine was dark, ruby-red in color.  It had a very light nose, there was just a hint of dark fruit.  The palette was sweet, but not sugary, more of a berry versus a plum flavor.

I really enjoyed this wine and plan to buy more.  When it comes to red wine, this is the type I really like – light and refreshing, versus a heavy taste.  Plus, with summer right around the corner, I can imagine myself enjoying a few glasses, while sitting on the porch watching the sunset.  I strongly recommend this wine.

 

 
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