04.12.08/ Sam's Wine Tasting 2004 Broadley Pinot Noir

Kelly was away in New York for a dinner with her Bon Apetit buddies, and left Sam to babysit the kids. He invited Jamie and I over after dinner to try a few wines. The first we cracked was a Broadley Shea Pinot Noir from 2004 (I think). I should have taken better notes, but asked Jamie to be the note taker as I was a little beat. And now I am suffering, as I am trying to decipher the notes.

I remember liking this wine more that I thought I would. It kept bugging me that I couldn't remember the connection, then I did a few days later - Mike is a big fan of the wine when he is out of their imported Oregon Pinots.

"Pinot Like No Pinot" is the heading. Slightly orange at the rim for such a young wine. Rusty, faints whiffs of raspberry but not sweet with floral notes of rose petals. Cedar and ash on the tongue with mild tannins. There was a debate about pencil lead vs. soil. I think we left it undecided.

In Sam's handwriting: smells like a used condom with minimum viscosity a slight dash of KY. I don't know if this refered to the Broadley, or one of the other 4 wines we tasted.

I'll post more on the rest.

03.18.08 /RGWD Syrah Le Pousseur

This was my favorite wine of the night. It was paired with dry baby back ribs. The menu said it was accompanied by a slaw, which was not served. There was no fat on the ribs, and for such a rich wine as this Syrah, you need a bit of fat.

The wine had the characteristic Rhone stinky inky baby diaper scent, followed by roasted plums and blackberry on the palate. Randall called it an "anomalous new world wine that captures the life force". I should have taken better notes, as he rambled on about the wine and the process.

It is definitely a new world wine, but made in an old world style that you don't find in Central Coast Syrahs.

The price was right, and I bought five cases for BONDA to serve by the glass.

Mongibello 2 by Frank Cornelissen

To start off, I think this wine is amazing. That being said, it is not for everyone. My wife said it looks like the piss of someone sick, and when she took a sip, she spit it out. The colour is a rich amber, like a Belgian Ale or a light cider. The taste gives you a little spark on the tongue, and follows with a mellow mouth filling rich sensation similar to drinking cologne - which I have done before (just to see what it tasted like). The finish is dry, also like the finish of a perfume. And I like this.

I have never heard of the grapes: 52% Grecanico dorato, 28% Coda di volpe, and 20% Carricante. Huh? Mark discovered the winemaker, a crazy German, in Italy - I think at VinItaly - and went to visit him in Sicily. He brought back this white, and two reds, which are also very unique.

This is the second bottle I have drunk, the first of which I brought to Sam's house a few weeks back. He liked the wine, but I got the impression he wasn't a big fan. Jamie tried it as well, but again it was uncertain how he felt about it. I just love it because it is so different. There is no point of reference for me to compare it to anything else. It just exists in its own space. At least for my palate.

2003 Cascina Garita Bricco Garitta Barbera d'Asti

This Barbera is a wine imported by the boys at the Fountainhead, that I have loved since the 1998 vintage. It was the first wine we had by the glass at BONDA, and keep circling it every year when the timing and supply is right. The wine is unfined and unfiltered, and can throw off some serious sediment.

This bottle though, is just right. Featuring a nose of dried plums, eucalyptus, acetone, herbaceous leather and pepper. Not an overbearing wine - you can drink it alone - but not that light either. This vintage offers big high toned fruit like bosenberry or gooseberry without being fruity by a dry, smooth, lingering finish. Medium tannins support and grip the tongue.

I remember the first night I fell in love with the '98 vintage. I was by myself in our Rowayton apartment in the fall of 2002 - Jamie was a away for the weekend and I hadn't started dating my wife yet. I had lasagna take-out from Abbondanza and cracked the bricco. I hadn't loved the wine when I first tasted it, but Mark gave me a bottle "for my head". I had a glass, nice I thought. Had another with my meal and the bottle was soon empty. I left a message for Mark praising the wine and have been a loyal follower ever since!

Now here is the hard part of my job. I love the wine, but entering into the summer is not the best time for it to be by the glass. I would love to have it on the list as an inexpensive Italian at 34 bucks, but the minimum is a 2 case order? I would also like some for myself, so maybe I will order the two cases, keep 1 and put one on the list! Decisions, decisions.

04.10.08 /2006 Kingston Family Alazan Pinot Noir

Full disclosure - I went to college with Sam Kingston and he lives about 1/4 mile from me, is a BONDA customer and a friend. I have been sitting on a case of this wine since Xmas. Sam and I had a bottle then, and it was a little tight.

Court and I went to BONDA for dinner after we went to the Kickoff Party for Autism Speaks Fairfield County Walk Now For Autism. I had a glass of Gruner, and we cracked the Alazan - named for a favorite horse of the family. Just like the stallion, the wine was very lively and spirited with dried raspberry and whiffs of alcohol on the nose. Candied strawberry and hints of effervescence on the tongue. No oak, but cedar plays and salted buttered popcorn on the finish (thanks Jamie!).

I had a braised short rib with celery root and horseradish puree that was a perfect complement. The fruit of the wine playing off the bass notes of the beef and the sharp cut of the horseradish. There was a big salt play to the dish that the sweetness of the wine counterbalanced. As my main I had a roasted Halibut with pea and potato puree - it held up the pinot as it is not so heavy, I think the '05 Tobiano was a "heavier" wine with more oak and hard finish, whereas the Alazan is playful and light, but still has serious fruit.

It is on the BONDA list at $50.

2001 Cianferoni Doccio a Matteo

This Sangiovese has always been a favorite of ours since the '98 vintage, it is just a little pricey @ $40 on the shelf. I bought a bottle tonight at the Wine Thief because Court wanted me to make a bolognese - as we still have 6 lbs of frozen beef in the freezer from our last Horizon Foods order - and I really do not have any Italian wine I can drink in my collection. After I went through all that Larcille and Montevertine, everything is too young.

One spirited night at BONDA with Rob Mackin, the importer, and Matt from Pasta Nostra, we tried a bunch of Italian wines, and this Chianti from Caparsa - Doccio di Matteo - translated into "Matthew's Shower". Needless to say, there were lots of jokes, and then we drank more and they just kept on coming!

Black licorice and violet on the nose, with notes of leather and touches of meaty spice - restrained fruit. Unfortunately I do not have a chianti glass, so I am using a bordeaux glass- and the nose keeps changing - closing and expanding.

On the tongue, pure delight. But descriptions for Sangiovese always escape me. Medium tannins, some berry with little to no oak. It is just good! I have to rethink putting this wine on the BONDA list.

2004 La Torre Rosso Di Motalcino

This is one of the four wines that was served at my birthday dinner party. I had never heard of the producer, but it is quite nice - from Rosenthal. Jamie left a bottle at my house last week, so I figured I would try it on a fresh palate, as the last time I had it, I had imbibed a Hendrick's Gibson and some Bastianich Tocai.

On the nose, immense black fruit with woody notes, cigar box, button mushrooms, beefy hints hints of earth and licorice. A little closed on the palate, with fine tannins, and some high cherry notes. Plush mouth feel with a a dry finish. Good on its own, but would benefit from food.

03.18.09 /RGWD 2006 Albarino Ca Del Sol

Albarino in California? Randall bought the Soledad Vineyard near Solinas, and realized the climate and salt air really mirrored the micro climate of Galicia. He planted the vines 7 years ago, and the '06 is his first bottling. I bought a case for the spring.

On the nose, notes of plasticy goodness. Randall called it an "acoustic version" of Albarino, a little milder than what you would find from Spain, with hints of saline and citrus in the finish. A nice, dry wine, luscious in the mid-palate.

To pair, Seared Day Boat Scallops (I don't know how local these could have been this time of year) with beets, pomello segments, micro arugula and mustard oil. The arugula and mustard oil really jazzed up the perfectly cooked scallops - one of the best dishes I have had at the Dressing Room. The pomello didn't really add anything, and the beet added nice earth tones.

03.18.08 /RGWD 2006 Vin Gris Cigare Volant

A rose blend of five different grapes. Randall listed them, Syrah, Nebbiolo, and then I forgot. When hespoke, you really had to listen and not take notes. He felt like Bonny Doon had become a brand or label instead of a winery. He was across the board: importing wines, making blends, consulting.

In 2005, they sold 450K cases of wine. This year, he will make 35K. Still a fair amount of wine, but a significant reduction. He sold off all of his big brands, and is now focusing on a few specialty wines. I remember when I lived in LA drinking a lot of Heart of Darkness and Pacific Rim Riesling (a label he sold as a separate entity).

He is one of the few wine pioneers, who actually made (I think) a fair amount of money.

The rose is light and refreshing, but still packs a fair amount of flavour. I bought a case for the restaurant to serve by the glass in the spring. He told us the story of the Cigar Volant - Flying Cigar - but I cannot remember it exactly. Something about people from somewhere all seeing flying saucers that resemble cigars?? or something like that.

The pairing was Heirloom Potato and Smoked Cheese Fritters served family style. They were a little leaden and room temperature. I can imagine they were going for a Spanish croqueta, but it didn't really work. They also served CT Oysters "Beacon Style" - a recipe stolen from Waldy Malouf. They were delish - butter and lemon zest on freshly shucked, local oysters put in the oven slightly. I usually do not like warm oysters, but these were fantastic.

Michel Nischon (sp) said it is one of Paul's favorite dishes, so he asked to poach it!

03.18.08 /Randall Graham Wine Dinner

Michael Skurnik hosted a wine tasting dinner with Bonny Doon owner and winemaker, Randall Graham. This was the day we got back from Florida, so I rushed from the airport to the Dressing Room. A handful of restaurant owners and wine shop stewards attended, with a few tables of "Friends and Family" of the Dressing Room.

It was the first artisan wine tasting dinner they hosted, and they did a pretty good job. Unfortunately it started pretty late (an hour or so) while waiting for everyone to show up. Luckily Tony and Davide from Fountainhead/Fat Cat were there, and we got to sit with Randall himself, while sipping on his wine, learning his secrets and listening to stories from the last 20 years in California winemaking.

I am going to split the dinner up into four/five posts, describing both the wines and their pairings. It was definitely close to what we do at BONDA for a wine tasting dinner, and the best I have attended in awhile. They were very quick to refill glasses, the service was the best it has been in the last couple of months, and the food was quite tasty.

03.31.08 /2004 Torre Dei Beati Montepulciano D’Abruzzo Cocciapazza

This is a wine that Jamie has loved for a few years, and finally we decided to put it on the BONDA list for $58 - very good wine, and extremely good Italian wine for that price.

Stinky on the nose, with notes of restrained fruit and hints of menthol. Plush mouthfeel with lingering tannins. Needs to blow off for about 15 mins. Lots of dirty diaper stink with good Italian funk. Needs food.

The Cooper Srs. and Jrs. came over last night with pizza from Luigi's and salad. The wine has been a lingering bottle to try for a few weeks, so we finally cracked it, as I want to put it on the list. A good pairing - surprisingly.

03.27.08 /Chapallet Mountain Cuvee 2005

The 2004 vintage of this wine is one of my go to house wines, so I was excited to try the '05. A bit of a disappointment, but should get better over time. I can taste a wine and imagine how it will grow, or dissipate - how the tannins will mellow, alcohol will burn off, sweetness relax. But that is not always the case. That is, I cannot always imagine where it will go and if I do, it is not always a correct assessment!

57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot - but the Merlot seems to dominate as it is much sweeter than the previous vintage (which I think had Petit Verdot or Cab Franc). Also it is pretty hot with 14.6% alcohol. It smells a little generic with big black fruit and tons of oak. The Parkerization of wine. This could settle. Not an oak bomb, but very new oaky.

I was at BONDA, so I had the Lamb Tenderloin with Eggplant and Tomato Timbale. The lamb complemented the wine and tamed it a bit. I bought four bottles, hoping to order more (as we went through about 10 cases of the last vintage) but I do not think there will be another order for a few months.

I wasn't floored, and that is how I need to be to put a wine on the list at BONDA.

03.22.08 /Radio-Coteau Pinot Noir 2005

Unfortunately, I did not take very accurate notes, nor a picture when I tried this wine. It is the entry level single vineyard Radio Coteau, of which they make 1740 cases - I did not write down the site, and do not have any more of this wine :(. Jamie gave me a handful of single vineyard Pinots for Xmas, and this was the first I tried, eventhough I should have waited. A Cali Pinot like this needs a little more time in bottle to calm the sweetness, alcohol and oak.

Super fruit forward with hint of rich cedar oak. Full bodied, with cherry notes on the nose. Berrylicious flavors with dark alcohol, but a little hot. Good fruit with a long finish.

The next one I open (which will be in the fall) I will take more detailed notes!

03.23.08 /Soter Pinot Noir Beacon Hill 2005

We have been holding on to this wine for BONDA for a year or so, waiting to try it. I would hope that producers release their wine when it is meant to be drunk, but this Pinot was nowhere near being ready for the list.

Surprisingly tannic, and extremely juvenile. Nose of brackish swamp and charcoal, following on the tongue with a backbone of sweet fruit.

After a time, it developed darker fruit, but not very approachable. Very austere Oregon Pinot - like the J. Christopher Charlie's Vineyard. You could say burgundian, with a little acid and a high alcohol notes.

This will wait in the cellar for awhile longer.