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White Wine Review: Toasted Head Chardonnay 2004

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Toasted Head Chardonnay bottle imageA friend of mine recommended this wine, and I hadn’t gotten around to trying it for almost a year. Finally, I was perusing the California section, saw it, remembered my friend’s recommending it, and picked it up.

Now let me make clear the fact that although I consider myself fairly knowledgeable when it comes to wines from Europe and the New World, I am hopelessly lost in the USA section of the wine shop. Crazy, I know, considering it’s the “local” wine to me, but that’s just how it is. As a result, I tread lightly when walking through the California aisle, and depend almost exclusively on recommendations.

When I picked up this bottle, a number of bright red alerts, and sirens, went off in my head. First of all, it is a Chardonnay from California, which makes me worry that it is going to be overly oaked, and possibly have a high-fructose corn syrup-like afertaste. Of course, the name — Toasted Head — further suggested that this might be an oaky wine. When I read the back label, which told the story of the name (something about the toasting of oak barrels), my fears seemed justified. Alert number three appeared when I took a closer look at the label, and discovered that Toasted Head was actually a brand owned by R.H. Phillips. What’s wrong with that? Well, R.H. Phillips is part of Vincor International, soon to be part of Constellation Brands. And what’s wrong with that? Nothing, really, except that these are publicly traded (read: HUGE) companies. And usually, companies of this size are concentrating on the bottom line, which means they are creating wines for the masses, which means there’s a chance you’re going to get a soda pop wine.

Now, that’s not ALWAYS the case. For example, Vincor also owns Kim Crawford, a winery in Australia, and those wines are still pretty damn good.

In any case, I decided to try the Toasted Head Chardonnay with salmon broiled with garlic, dill and butter. It took two sips to realize this was not a match made in heaven, and I quickly dumped the Chard in favor of Kim Crawford Pinot Noir 2004 (review on the way).

My worst suspicions were realized: Toasted Head Chardonnay is oaky, with oak, and more oak. It finishes with a fat, syrupy, butterscotch sweetness that makes it useless with most foods. However, all by itself, it is suitable as a “fireplace” wine, or a wine to drink during cocktail hour (i.e., without food). It may even be enjoyable with a big bucket of buttered popcorn, but I haven’t tried that yet.

Those of you who enjoy a big, oaky Chardonnay should pick up this wine; you will like it. If your palate is more similar to mine — meaning you prefer a little less oak — then pass it by and try something else. Different styles for different smiles, right? Thank goodness we all have unique tastes … otherwise all my favorite wines would always be sold out!

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Beaujolais Villages 2005 Smackdown: Jadot vs. Duboeuf

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The two wines were opened within 30 seconds of each other and tasted both warm and chilled. About a half hour in the fridge put just the right amount of chill on it to bring out the flavors.

The color is nearly identical. The Jadot looks just a hair younger, with more purplish color on the edges.

Jadot: Nose is subdued, earthy. Mild aroma of black cherry and maybe mushroom or some other earthy element. In the mouth it exudes sour cherry flavor; more unripe than ripe. Tart acidity. Mild touch of earth. The finish reminds me of a black cherry that isn’t quite ripe yet. With such a cherry, I’d wait a few days until it gets darker and bit softer; with this wine, I’d wait another six months.

Duboeuf: Fragrant, flowery perfume. Not really a fruity aroma, more like flowers and maybe a touch of eucalyptus. Almost-ripe red cherry flavor in the mouth, with tart acidity. Finish is a little shorter than the Jadot.

Verdict: no clear winner. At this moment, the Duboeuf may be just a hint more developed, and closer to ripe. Neither is ready to drink, in my opinion. So what have we learned from this smackdown? That 2005 may very well be as superlative a vintage in Beaujolais as the growers were telling us, in regard to concentration, ripeness, and longevity of the wines. I’d like to do another tasting of both wines toward the end of this year — about the same time Nouveau arrives. In the meantime, drink up Beau-Villages from 2004, and scarf up any 2003s that may still be lingering in the discount bins.

Tenuta di Arceno PrimaVoce 2003

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Tenuta di Arceno PrimaVoce Italian Red WineThis is the “entry” level of a very interesting winery, retailing for about twenty bucks (kinda pricey for an “entry level”, eh?). Tenuta di Arceno is an estate in Chianti, Tuscany (Italy) owned by California wine legend Jess Jackson (of Kendall-Jackson; not to be confused with the British DJ nor the minister/politician) and run by French vigneron / winemaster Pierre Seillan. So, you have a Bordeaux genius making wine in Chianti that is marketed by an American … pretty cool combination, and based on this wine, a pretty potent one as well.

When first opened, the nose didn’t show a whole lot, but after letting it sit in the glass for a few minutes — mild aromas of black raspberry, maybe a hint of roasted bell pepper, and earth started to creep out from underneath. In the mouth it appears mild and unassuming, almost light, until you realize you are still tasting the wine about a minute after it’s been swallowed. A touch of sour black cherry and mild acidity appears during the tail end of the finish, perhaps suggesting the bit of Tuscan Sangiovese that makes up 13% of the blend (not 10%, not 15%, but precisely 13 — so you know the winemaker is fairly precise in his efforts!). Paying more attention to subsequent sips allowed me to discover ripe black cherry, an earthy / leathery component, and a creamy vanilla hint.

The press sheet tells us that 57% of the blend is Merlot, which I do get from the raspberry flavor and notes of bell pepper. 22% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Syrah fill out the remainder.

With a silky smooth texture, understated complexity, and a long, balanced finish, this wine borders on contemplative, and was certainly enjoyable on its own. I think it will be best with a homemade pasta dish, perhaps with a fresh marinara and basil sauce, rosemary/sage, or veal ragout.

If you see this bottle, buy it. It drinks as well or better than many wines twice its price. Bring it to your next dinner party, as it will impress casual wine drinkers and connoisseurs alike, and the story behind it makes for good conversation.

Wine Review: Calera Pinot Noir

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Calera Pinot Noir Central Coast

$15.99

Calera Pinot Noir Bottle ImageIt’s been almost two years since the movie “Sideways” surprised the movie critics and sparked a nationwide increase in Pinot Noir sales in the USA. Yet, Pinot Noir remains the hottest-selling varietal in terms of growth, with no slowdown in sight. In fact, AC Nielson reported late last year that Pinot Noir sales in supermarkets was up 43% over 2004 … a tremendous figure.

For years, Pinot Noir was something of a secret of the wine geeks. Any connoisseur who does not worship Bordeaux will be quick to point to Pinot Noir from Burgundy as the finest red wine on earth. However, both the cost and availability of Burgundian bottles has made Pinot prohibitive … until Sideways hit the scene.

Since Sideways, Pinot Noir is everywhere you turn, from all kinds of places, at prices starting under ten bucks and going through three digits. Where a wine shop’s Pinot Noir inventory used to consist of a few dusty bottles of Burgundy sans price tags behind a temperature-controlled glass case, the same stores now stock ten versions of Pinot on the shelves, and maybe three more on the floor. This new demand for, and glut of, the grape is a mixed blessing: a boon for retailer, a guessing game for the consumer.

You see, Pinot Noir used to be easy to buy; you went to the Burgundy section, chose an old, well-known producer, and paid through the nose for a bottle of liquid magic. If you paid less than $40, then you likely weren’t getting a worthwhile wine … at least not in terms of true Pinot Noir.

However, we now have Pinot Noir priced all over the place, coming from areas in France outside of Burgundy, from California, Washington State, Argentina … the list of origins seems to grow every day. So now selection is difficult, as the bar (and the price) has been lowered.

I still believe — and feel free to post your arguments — that the very BEST Pinot Noirs, the ones that are nearly life-changing, come from the Grand Cru vineyards of Burgundy. But, I’ve started to recognize — albeit with great resistance — that there are some decent, affordable bottles made from the Pinot Noir grape.

One under-$20 bottle I particularly enjoy is Calera Pinot Noir, Central Coast. Ripe black berry fruit and vanilla spice aromas are inviting to the nose, and similar black and red berry fruit flavors are enjoyed on the palate. It’s just a touch hot upfront, causing a slight sting, but mellows out, with blackberry, black raspberry, black cherry, and vanilla spice flavors dominating. The tannins are medium, acidity is mild to medium. Because of the slight hotness (from a 14.4% alcohol level), it is a little overbearing on its own, but when paired with food, the alcohol is pushed to the background and the wine is quite enjoyable. It provides structure to hold up against both acidic and slightly fatty dishes, and will make a nice companion to a number of dishes. Try it with cheeses, pizzeria-style dishes (anything based on a marinara-type sauce), and barbecued lean meats such as chicken and pork. At around fifteen bucks, it is a good value.

a-7 t-7 b-6 fc-8 v-7 +50 = 85 Points

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Or, buy it directly from Wine.com: Calera 2004 Central Coast Pinot Noir

Red Wine Review: Delas Cotes-du-Rhone Saint-Esprit 2000

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delas cotes-du-rhone esprit red wine bottle image9.99

N: Smokey, earthy, with black berry fruits, black pepper, and mild tobacco.

P: Good acidity and mild to medium tannins open the door to ripe black berry fruit and hints of earth. Well-structured, a perfect wine for food as the acidity will stand up to many dishes and the flavor is good but not overpowering. Earthy, vegetal flavors wrap up the finish, which includes a touch of alcohol.

This is a good, sturdy “bistro” wine that will match well with burgers, mac and cheese, bangers and mash, and similarly “blue collar” fare. The 2000 is considered an “old” vintage now but it is still vibrant, fresh, and full. An excellent value at under ten bucks.

a-7 t-7 b-8 fc-10 v-9 = 91 points

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Or follow this link to buy this wine from Wine.com: Delas 2003 St. Esprit Cotes-du-Rhone Rouge