Wine Weekly

Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Vineyards Vineyard X Oakville

Now we’re getting into the serious Cabernet Sauvignons.

Merryvale is one of my favorite California wineries, based on its consistently good quality, well-valued Starmont line. Because their “entry level” bottlings are enjoyable, it would stand to reason that their high-end wines would be even better. Merryvale’s Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Vineyards “Vineyard X” Oakville proves the point.

It’s called “Beckstoffer” because the grapes come from Andy Beckstoffer’s vineyards on the “Oakville Bench” in Napa Valley — this collaboration has been going on since 1992, and this particular wine has only been made five times. Only 1500 cases were made, with the grapes coming from three different “blocks” of vineyard (these are parts of a vineyard that have been specifically identified and cared for, for one reason or another; in short, it means the vines are of high quality, in a fantastic location, and old). After fermentation, the wine spent 18 months in French oak barrels (66% of them new) and was bottled unfiltered.

The nose has typical Cabernet aromas – black fruits, leather, earth, tar, black pepper – as well as a good dose of black licorice and some spice. In the mouth it is full, fruit-forward, and borderline jammy. Flavors are complex and delicious, showing black raspberry, black currant, cassis, blueberry, boysenberry, earth, coffee, tar, tobacco, pepper, and slight twinges of spice and a vegetal component. Texture is smooth, almost creamy. Acidity is at a good level for food and a fine foil for the big fruit. Tannins are ripe, and of medium intensity. This wine was a bit softer than I expected; I was expecting a huge, bold, tannic monster. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find this very drinkable, and immensely enjoyable. A tasty, polished, classy wine that is best enjoyed with a cheese plate, steaks, beef roasts, beef stew – anything with beef, in fact. At around 75 bucks, this ain’t cheap … but if you can afford it, it’s worth the dough.

a-9 t-10 b-9 fc-8 v-7 ~ 93 Points

Winery: Merryvale

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Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

As mentioned in the last post, I’ve been on a Cabernet binge.

Mount Veeder is both a winery and an appellation — it is an official AVA within Napa Valley, consisting of about 25 square miles along a steep mountainside in the Mayacamas Mountains. The area is rich with volcanic soil and tends to produce powerful, long-lived wines.

Mount Veeder, the estate and winery, has been around since the 1960s, and released its first bottling in 1973. Owners Michael and Arlene Bernstein were the first vintners in Napa Valley to successfully grow all five traditional Bordeaux grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot) on one property.

The nose is slightly closed, but still giving good aromas of black fruits, eucalyptus, and some earth. On the palate, the wine is surprisingly open upfront, giving a mildly jammy black raspberry flavor. From there, though, this wine gets very serious, as a mad rush of complex flavors, good acidity, and ripe, firm tannins enter the picture. Wild berry fruit, black fruits, some tar, leather, tobacco, earth, and a touch of spice fight for attention in your mouth, and linger through a long, pleasing finish. A lot of attitude here, and gobs of concentrated fruit. Tannins are fairly aggressive, begging for protein. Match it with ribeye steak, strong cheeses.

a-8 t-10 b-9 fc-7 v-7 ~ 91 Points

Winery: Mount Veeder

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Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2004

I’m on a Cabernet binge lately, so there will be a run of reviews on the grape coming your way.

Initially, there was almost nothing on the nose – it was closed up. After letting it sit in the glass for about an hour and a half, some aromas started to eek out. Blackcurrant, black raspberry, menthol / eucalyptus, some earth. On the palate it is glassy smooth in texture, with ample black fruit and earth flavors. Tannins are medium high, acidity is medium. There is a lot going on here, too much to analyze now. It’s a young wine that at minimum needs a few hours of decanting before drinking now, but a better plan is to leave it in the cellar for a few years. A big, bold wine that reminds one of a cru Bourgeois Bordeaux, definitely Bordeaux in style with many layers hiding right now. Cellar it, and try again in 3-4 years. A good value for a wine of this complexity.

Addendum: this wine passed the “next night” test … in fact, I corked it up and drank it again five days later and it still held its character.

a-8 t-9 b-8 fc-7 v-8 ~ 90 Points

Winery: Stonestreet

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Argiano NC (Non Confiditur) 2004

For those of you who wasted away your childhood watching Saturday morning cartoons such as Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids may remember “NC” being the abbreviation for “no class” — which the character Russell invariably used to insult Rudy.

However, this wine has plenty of class, and in fact the “NC” stands for “Non Confunditur”, a latin term which the Argiano family uses as their motto. Unfortunately, I have no idea what the term means because instead of taking latin as a kid I wasted away my time watching cartoons. Anyway …

This is a Tuscan blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 20% Sangiovese, and 20% Syrah – all from vineyards in the Montalcino district. It’s an IGT, and could be considered a “baby Super Tuscan”. All those great grapes put together, spending a full year in oak barrels, and then another four months in bottle before release, and yet it still retails for under twenty bucks. Amazing.

The nose is deep, rich with aromas of leather saddle, black fruit, tobacco, earth, tar, peppermint, and something else green or herbal — eucalyptus? Sage? Bay leaf? I’m not sure, I really need to get better at this. The palate has similar flavors, dominated by sweet black cassis fruit, sweet tobacco, a touch of anise and red licorice, and some mocha / chocolate hints. Acidity is low, tannins are medium and firm. The texture is very smooth. There’s a bit of hotness that appears momentarily but fades away by the finish, which has good fruit (black raspberry, cassis, black licorice, tar, tobacco) and is fairly well balanced. The acidity isn’t high enough to match with tomato sauce, so try it instead with hard and soft cheeses, grilled meats, lamb chops.

This is a wine that drinks like a big boy, but not priced like one. A good value.

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-7 v-8 ~ 89 Points

Importer: Vias

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Masi Costasera Amarone 2001

Amarone is a big, fairly expensive, red wine from Italy that matches with a fairly small variety of foods. Although, if braised beef cheeks, lamb steaks, venison stew, or similarly gamey dishes are frequent in your home, you may disagree. Since I almost always drink wine with food as a rule, and I have neither the time nor the stomach to braise beef cheeks, Amarone has a hard time breaking into my routine.

Still, there are times when Amarone is perfect — most often, in my case, as an after-dinner drinker with a chunk of cheese (aged Parmegiano-Reggiano is a good choice). And once a bottle is started, it’s hard not to finish; Amarone can be a stunning, intriguing, highly complex, and seductive wine to contemplate over.

Tasting Notes: Masi Amarone “Costasera”

Nose is still a bit closed, but deep down are some aromas of bitter earth, tobacco, distinctly herbal spices (sage, thyme, bay leaf, maybe the slightest hint of rosemary), ash, and some black fruits – licorice, prune, cassis. On the palate the texture is smooth, the flavors are sweet prune, cassis, black licorice, mulberry, black raspberry. Tannins are ripe and surprisingly tame for Amarone, but still bigger than most red wines; I’d call the level medium to medium high. Acidity is medium. Another surprise is the alcohol, which is lower than expected. The finish could be longer, but is in better balance than similar wines. Flavors in the finish include blackberry, herbs, tobacco, and tar. Do not make the mistake of pouring this wine directly from bottle to glass – it needs to breathe, and it needs some time. Pour it into a decanter, then pour it again into another decanter, and let it sit for at least 10-15 minutes before tasting — otherwise it may seem harsh instead of polished, and you’ll likely miss out on the complexity and subtle nuances that make this wine special. It will probably be a nice match for lamb, gamey dishes, roast pork loin, or a hunk of hard cheese. A fine, polished wine to open up next to the fire on a cold winter night.

a-8 t-8 b-9 fc-7 v-9 ~ 91 Points

Importer: Remy USA

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Franciscan Oakville Chardonnay Cuvee Sauvage 2005

Generally speaking, I’m against the majority of California Chardonnay on the market — but not against ALL California Chards.

What bugs me is the proliferation of formulaic, oak-driven “soda-pop” Chards that taste more like Sugar Smacks than fermented grapes. The bulk of these disasters in a bottle are in the under $20 segment, but there are also a number of higher-priced Chardonnays that are flawed by too much wood.

The problems of over-oaked are 1. the wood overpowers the fruit, so you don’t taste the Chardonnay; and 2. oak doesn’t match very well with most foods. However, that doesn’t mean oak is always bad — it merely needs to be used judiciously. The key is the fruit; if the grapes produce a very rich, ripe flavor, then it can stand up to a good dose of oak and create a harmonious, delicious sipper.

One such example of a California Chardonnay with a wonderful balance of fruit and oak is Franciscan Oakville Chardonnay Cuvee Sauvage.

Tasting Notes: Cuvee Sauvage

Wide open, delicious smelling aroma of ripe pear, peach, banana, spicy oak, vanilla, and a hint of warm apple pie. In the mouth it has a silky, creamy, buttery texture, carrying lots of succulent ripe pear, baked apple, vanilla, honey, and oak. The oak actually runs a touch bitter, giving off some tannins, in the finish. Acidity is mild to nearly medium. On the fat and oaky side, but surprisingly not overwhelming and also not too hot in the finish. It’s almost on the sweet side, making it more of a fireplace wine than something you’d match successfully with a bevy of foods. However, it will match adequately with roasted rosemary chicken, dishes drenched with garlic, and maybe hot and spicy cuisine, where the sweetness acts as a foil against the heat. Long, elegant finish. A rich, delicious, and succulent wine to enjoy by the fire.

a-10 t-10 b-7 fc-7 v-7 ~ 91 Points

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Whether you’re ringing in the New Year at midnight or enjoying a New Year’s Day meal, an excellent choice for either celebration is non-vintage Champagne.

Champagne because it’s “the real thing” (don’t tell Coca-Cola), and non-vintage because it is an outstanding value. Generally speaking, a “NV” sparkler is going to be significantly less expensive than a vintage-dated Champagne, but will be comparable in quality. That’s because Champagne producers strive to create a consistent bottling with their non-vintage — for most, it is representative of the “house style”, and serves as an introduction to their more expensive vintage bubblies. Chances are, if you like the non-vintage bottling from a particular Champagne house, you’ll also enjoy their vintages.

But which to choose? Hard to say, because there are so many different styles and everyone’s palate is unique. My suggestion is to try as many as you can until you find one you really like — and then try a few more! After all, what’s bad about tasting Champagne? Luckily, many NV Champagnes come in half-bottles or “splits”, so you don’t have to shell out big bucks to buy and try several different sparklers.

To get you started, I blind-tasted three non-vintage Champagnes that are found nearly everywhere. I didn’t love all three, but that doesn’t mean you won’t — again, everyone is different. Hopefully you’ll get something out of my brief notes to guide you toward or away from a particular bottle. (The numbers are not rankings, but rather how they were tagged when I tasted them blind.)

#1 Pommery Brut Royal NV

Lightest in color – pale straw. Nose is toasty, with mild apple and pear. On the palate it has good mousse, very ethereal – light, mild flavor of citrus, apple and a touch of mineral. Acidity is low at first, becoming more pronounced in the finish. Finish has some mild tart green apple and is pleasant, with decent length.

Tasted alone (without food), I liked this one the best out of the three. Though the acidity began low, it increased toward the finish, which helps it with food matching. Enjoy it to ring in the New Year, as an aperitif, or with light appetizers.

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#2 Bollinger Special Cuvee NV

James Bond prefers the vintage-dated Champagnes of Bollinger, but I can’t afford them. This NV is the aged the longest among the three in this tasting — for three years.

Darkest in color, a golden straw.
Nose is more exuberant, somewhat advanced and mature. Ripe apple, pear, caramel, some toast.
Lots of foamy mousse on the palate. Good weight in the mouth. Flavor is ripe pear, a hint of lime citrus and mineral. Acidity is medium. Finishes with some bitter fruit.

By itself, I wasn’t particularly fond of this Champagne. However, it was somewhat better when matched with food — I had it with mildly sauced chicken and Chinese vegetables. This makes sense, as the acidity level lends itself to the dinner table.

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#3 Veuve Clicquot Brut NV

This is the famous “yellow label” that is prevalent in nearly every wine shop.

Second darkest in color, a golden straw.
Nose has distinctive but ethereal ripe pear, hint of white peach.
Palate has good mousse. Fairly light in flavor – touch of pear. Almost reminds me of a lager beer. Acidity is medium. Finish is somewhat bitter, with a touch of lemon rind.

Not my favorite, but not terrible, either. I may want to taste this one again, as the particular bottle could have been off in some way. I expected to get more pronounced aromas and flavors.

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Bonus Tasting: Pommery Brut Royal “Apanage”

The Pommery Brut Royal mentioned above is aged for two years. Pommery also makes this “Apanage”, which is also a non-vintage but is aged for three years. I didn’t taste this one blind because I ran out of Champagne flutes (they break easily … my original set of five is down to three … oops, make that two, as another one broke after the tasting!).

Dark golden straw color. Nice foamy mousse. Mild nose of pear, butterscotch. Full flavor of ripe pear, apple, a touch of citrus and mineral. Acidity is low, getting toward medium in the finish, which is mostly tart red apple.

The Apanage is a few dollars more than the “regular” Brut Royal, but if you prefer a more complex, fuller-flavored Champagne, then it’s worth every penny. Similar to the “regular” Brut Royal in that the acidity starts out nearly nonexistent, then builds as you get toward the finish. It’s ideal as a companion to food — try it alone and with first courses.

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Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Noirs (NV)

New Year’s is coming … which means it’s time to start reviewing some celebratory sparklers.

First up is an American-made bubbly that is easy on the wallet and has universal appeal: Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Noirs non-vintage, which retails for about ten bucks or less.

Color is a pale orange — more like cooked salmon than pink. Soft, fruity nose of citrus and a hint of raspberry. Pretty good mousse, with persistent medium-sized bubbles. In the mouth it is mostly dry, with maybe a touch of sweetness that is due more to a fun and fruity ripeness than dosage. Finishes completely dry, with a good dose of acidity, which helps with structure and food matching.

This runs about $9-12 for a bottle, and at that price it is a steal. Domaine Ste. Michelle is under the Chateau Ste. Michelle umbrella, which is one of the most respected wineries in Oregon.

a-7 t-7 b-7 fc-8 v-10 ~ 89 Points

Domaine Ste. Michelle website

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It’s Christmas Eve and you still haven’t bought a gift for someone you’ll see today or tomorrow. Well that’s a problem, isn’t it? You can either try your luck at the mall or run into a wine shop and pick up a bottle. But what to get?

If you know what the person likes to drink, then it should be easy — assuming you can find that wine in the store. But what if you don’t?

Here’s an idea — buy a wine that the person likely wouldn’t buy for himself or herself, but might enjoy. Re-read that last part of the sentence; you don’t want to get a Napa Cab for someone you usually prefers to drink a light Pinot Grigio.

What you buy depends on what you want to spend — and whether you want the other person to know how much you spent. For example, if you buy a very well-known brand such as Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, your recipient will know that you spent about thirty bucks. Or if you buy a bottle of Opus One, the giftee knows you pulled out a Benjamin. Personally, I think buying a well-known brand is akin to leaving the price tag on a gift — but the choice is yours.

Instead, choose a wine variety or region that you know your recipient enjoys (i.e., Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chianti, Rioja, etc.) but get something a little off-the-wall, from a different region, and / or in a higher price range from what your friend normally would drink. For example, if your friend is a big fan of California Pinot Noir, get a bottle of French Pinot Noir. Or if he/she usually drinks a specific brand of Chianti Classico, choose one from a different winery in the same or higher price range. Gifting is all about getting something that the recipient normally wouldn’t buy for himself / herself — and you may introduce the person to a new favorite wine.

But what if you have absolutely no idea what kind of wine your giftee drinks? Take the easy way out — buy a bottle of bubbly. If you are willing to spend the ducats, get “real” Champagne from France — there are wonderful non-vintage examples in the $25-30 range from respected houses such as Pommery, Moet et Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Nicolas Feuillatte, and others (one of my favorites is Heidsieck Monopole “Blue Top”, if you’re buying for me). Nearly everyone who drinks wine appreciates a bottle of good Champagne — and even if they don’t, they’ll have something to bring with them to the New Year’s bash next week.

Now if you have absolutely no idea what wine to get, and know for sure the person won’t appreciate Champagne (I suppose it’s possible?), then the next-best gift would be either a really fancy corkscrew — such as by Laguiole — or a set of high-quality lead crystal wine glasses (such as made by Riedel). With these high-ticket items, you generally will get what you pay for, and nearly every good wine shop will carry them. When it comes to the glasses, you might even consider getting one very expensive hand-blown glass — something like this Riedel Sommeliers Series Bordeaux Grand Cru. No doubt your wine geek will be thrilled with such a gift — how many people will spend upward of $75 for a wine glass? — and guard it safely in the china closet.

Last but not least, if you don’t want to go to ANY store, I have one last-minute idea — a gift certificate to Restaurant.com. All you do is visit the site, buy the gift certificate, and print it out. Since most wine geeks are also “foodies”, treating him or her to a dinner at a fine restaurant is just as good, if not better, than a bottle of wine. Follow the link below for a crazy deal — THREE BUCKS for a $25 gift certificate. You read that right. Merry Christmas:

70% off sale at Restaurant.com. Purchase $25 Gift Certificates for only $3.00 with coupon code GIFTS!

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These gifts were big hits with some wine geeks last year, so I’m presenting them again …

(click on images to learn more or buy)

This 7-item Accessory Gift Set ($55) has just about everything a wannabe snob could wish for, all encased in a fancy wood box. It includes a “patented” one-hand cork screw, thermometer, stainless steel stopper, foil cutter, wine ring, pourer, and bottle cap. Good for someone who often entertains wine drinkers and has one of those wine bar thingys in the home.

The MetroKane Houdini Wine and Stuff

($40) set’s centerpiece item is the Houdini corkscrew, which is a variation on the Leverpull and Rabbit cork removers. It also has a foilcutter, drip-stop ring, wine sealer, identification tags, metal whacker, and extra spiral screw. All nice pieces for the wine geek in your life.

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