More Quick Tweet Style Reviews

I have to say I really like the tweet style review of wines from my previous post this evening. I have some notes on some wines from other tastings, so instead of writing full posts, I am going to repeat my quick shot reviews.

Please comment if you like this style or dislike this style. I will not do it for every wine - after all this is a blog, not posterous, tumblr or twitter!

That being said, here are some quick shots. If you didn't know, this is a blog about drinking 365 Wines in 365 Days, so I better fulfill my promise!

2006 Mudhouse Pinot Noir: Screwtop bliss. BTG Pinot from New Zealand for BONDA. Nose: Bright cherry, moss, vibrant violet. Sauteed raspberry on the palate, zip in the finish. great fruit!

2006 Bastianich Tocai: great BTG for BONDA. refreshingly light, interestingly yeasty, with floral notes, light mushroom depth, high citrus notes in finish, perfect for fall!

2005 Betz Family Clos De Betz: sitting down after long night at BONDA with Betz and a filet. much softer than expected. super soft, super mild tannins, hints of oak, black fruit, simply divine.

2005 Betz Family La Serene Syrah: no one buys this at BONDA. cracked a bottle, it was off. Jamie called it!

2003 St. Innocent Pinot Noir White Rose Vineyard

Once again, my wife has abandoned me and our two sons, Cooper and Gray. I am supposed to be at BONDA for the 1st Fairfield County Wine Tasting Appreciation Society dinner, however due to a scheduling mix-up, I am with the boys and Court is with her girls at a birthday dinner at the Fat Cat.

As Cooper dances to Jack Johnson's Curious George soundtrack, I am cracking a bottle of my favorite Pinot, the White Rose Vineyard bottling for Oregon producer, St. Innocent. This is a very special wine for me as it is the first Oregon Pinot Noir I had where I realized that this was my thing. I had drunk some Benton Lane, and few other so so producers and liked Oregon Pinot, but the 2002 St. Innocent White Rose really made me say, YES, this is what I like in a Pinot Noir.

I bought a case of 2003 and have two or three bottles left.

10.02.08: I was so disappointed with this wine after all the build-up that I couldn't finish this post. I think I had a dead bottle. It wasn't bad, but it had no life.

09/23/08: Westry Abbey Ridge Pinot Noir 2006

As a follow-up to my previous posting on our new Westry aquisitions for BONDA, here are my notes from the Abbey Ridge:

almost no nose, too young? Jim says "good table wine". slowly developing, little medicinal, with tight tannins.

If I recall, this was the 2nd Birthday Dinner for Jim (F-I-L) in Nantucket with Jamie, Kim, Court, Mellie (M-I-L). We decided to put the Abbey Ridge on hold, and went to the Oracle, then decided on opening a third wine (we were at home and not going anywhere). I didn't take any more notes on the Pinots, but we did enjoy them, however they are still too young for BONDA. One wine we did open was a Queen of Hearts Merlot that was a gift from the Cooper's neighbors. It looked very interesting as a small producer from Mendicino (I think). Unfortunately, it was corked!

2004 Jean-Marc Morey Santenay La Comme Dessus

This Pinot Noir from Burgundy, Santenay to be exact, is pretty damn good - especially for the price. Jamie bought two cases on Mike 's recommendation, and thank you Mike.

On the nose, austere, yet with playful bits of candied red fruit - charred oak in the background, and soil. It is a Rosenthal Selection - hand picked by Neal Rosenthal, the famous wine importer, and there have been maybe one wine or two that have not been delish from his import book - at any price point. I think we will sell this Santenay at BONDA in the $60 range - but I have to check.

The first sip carries the austerity of the nose, with nods to terroir, hints of dirt and stone, raspberry syrup high notes (but not syrupy, just concentrated), cedar on the finish. A really fruity Burgundy - but not in a bad way - it still has depth and soul, but possibly made for a more main stream US palate?

There is an AHA! moment mid palate when I realized that this is a great wine. Not terribly flashy like a California Pinot, and not unapproachable or horribly expensive as I view most Burgundies. Like Cinderella, this wine is just right for me.

I am making an evolved pasta dish. I was at BONDA doing inventory, and remembered I had chipotle butter I made last weekend, and corn from last week's farm share. Jamie suggested throwing in some red pepper and basil, then topping it with cheddar - he asked is I was going to bake it - and then it became a mac and cheese with locatelli romano, 24 month old Canadian Cheddar, 1/2 and 1/2 roux, with shells, corn, red pepper, onions and garlic. A simple dish to throw together.

Tasting this Pinot, I'm sure it will be an awesome complement.

2005 Westry Oracle Vineyard Pinot Noir

From Oregon, we had the 2006 in Nantucket, and I found this bottle in my cellar tonight, so I thought I would try it. I am thoroughly disappointed and am not enjoying it. First off, this Pinot is a little acidic and is making my tummy hurt. On the nose, it is hot, and has an aroma of wet green leaves, dirty soil, and shitake?

On the tongue, no fruit, with hints of wet cigar and cedar, more than firm tannins, and an unpleasant finish. It is a pity because I really love their Willamette Valley bottling and could drink it all day.

2006 Westry Oracle Vineyard Pinot Noir

So tonight we have a very special event. Jim, Jamie and myself are all together working very hard to taste wines for BONDA.

While Jamie and Jim work on grilling BBQ chicken, I am making a risotto of Bartlett Farms cherry tomatoes, and arugula. First up, this Dundee Hills Pinot from Westry.

Dirty socks on the nose at first, opening to a field after a rain filled with red berries. Leather, cedar and a touch of spice finish out the profile. On the tongue, a bit tannic and acidic. Firm earth, good structure. A little young though.

Jamie thinks we should go back to it after awhile.

2003 Panther Creek Shea Vineyard

I opened a bottle of this Oregon Pinot on New Year's Eve for the Big Battle of Pinot from around the world. Everyone gave it a favorable review. Tonight my wife was drinking a glass of white (Ramey Sonoma Coast Chardonay) so I decided to look for a red to go with our curry, and found this bottle.

Off the bat, really tight, tannic and showing little fruit. I let it rest for awhile and came back to bright cherry (I hate that descrip), with some wild dark red berries, and notes of spice. The tannins dance in and out. Harsh one sip, mellow the next. The Tikka Chicken Curry was a little spicy, with an Algerian Cous Cous of sauteed yellow squash, garlic, asparagus and peas. Possibly not the best pairing, but it worked OK.

I let the wine sit for a little longer. Candied blackberries, leather, developed, following on the tongue - totally fruitier wine with the firm tannins supporting. Definitely can go in the bottle for another 5 years, and in the glass a few hours.

Checking back in, still the big fruit, but not goby and gooey like a Napa Cab. Little oak (probably the least of all the Panther Creeks) developing a vegetal /forrest floor quality - not Bordeaux like - but totally groovy, laid back Oregon style Pinot wet newspaperish. Still has the cherry edge, and stabilizing tannins.

I look forward to trying the '04s and '05s I have.

2006 Thumbprint Cellars Pinot Noir Schneider Vineyard

So a couple of times Sam has told me about Wines Til Sold Out, which is a site that sells one wine at a discount until they are sold out, then they offer a new wine until it is sold out. It took me a month to figure what he meant exactly, and then I subscribed to their mailings and get two or three emails a day touting the wines.

They generally give you free shipping on three or four bottles and Sam takes fliers here and there on wines around $10 or $15. Thus I saw the Thumbprint up, a Russian River Valley wine for $12 a bottle, so we split 4 bottles. I emailed Sam about them a few days back and he did not like it.

I popped a bottle tonight to try it with my friends Clara and Aaron. At first I thought Sam was wrong, but it had a very alcoholic nose with hints of cranberry and cedar. A little bitter on the palate with muted fruit. I agree with Sam as it tastes like a cheap Pinot.

2005 Radio Coteau Pinot Noir Savoy

Wow, this wine is really delish. Jamie bought me a few bottles of different vineyard designates for Xmas. This is is the second one I have opened. RC only makes about 400 cases of the Savoy, so I was pretty jazzed to try it.

It was a little hot at first, all alcohol, but after a bit fine tannins gripped the rip roaring roasted plum, fig, and earthy flavors. I usually blast California Pinots for being one dimensional, but this has soul. Not overly fruity or oaky, with a nice depth of dried quince, blackberry jam, and red currant. From the Anderson Valley, but with the heart in Ribbon Ridge.

2006 Brick House Les Dijonnais Pinot Noir

From the Ribbon Ridge appelation, this blend of mayonnaise and dijon is superb. Ha, ha - this 100% Estate Grown, Demeter certified biodynamic, organic wine rocks! We bought a case of Dijionnais and Tonnelier blind, but have been enjoying them for the last few years as the fountainhead gets a small allotment.

The ladies went to see Sex and The City, so Jamie came over while I watched the boys. It is so GD hot out (90ish), that we chilled the Pinot a bit to refresh our palate. The nose is a little hot and spicy, with cedar chest, sweet pine, brandied cherry and kirsch.

On the palate, big Oregon Pinot Noir flavors (although the nose is more alluring and complex). Touches of cherry cola, brambleberry, light tannins and a strong finish. Now that the bottle is empty - I want more!

This is sweaty Jamie and New Baby Graydon! I do not think Courtenay would approve!

05.08.08 /2004 Walnut City WineWorks Reserve Pinot Noir

My father really likes this wine, and brought four bottles to my house last summer when he came to visit to see Cooper and the fam. At the time, I did not really like this wine. Again, there are so many great Oregon Pinots at $25 that I do not need to waste my time drinking this one.

We had some folks over for dinner last Friday and I needed a decent wine to braise some short ribs to make short rib and beef burgers. I saw the Walnut Creek and thought it doesn't suck. I took a swig off the bottle and it was decent. A lot more balance and structure than the last time I drank it.

I used most of the bottle for the braise, but took a few more pulls from the bottle. Note: a very classy way to drink wine if you do not want to dirty a glass. I remember when I was in Prague in the summer 1996, we bought some bread, cheese, a cheap bottle of burgundy, pushed the cork in and drank it on the bridge, straight from the bottle. Or in Napa the summer of '95 on the lake with a bottle of Don Quixote, taking pulls. But I digress.

This wine is better than I originally thought, but I still wouldn't buy it, but I would drink it if I liked the person who was serving it to me. That is the rating!

05.10.08 /2004 Rimu Grove Nelson Pinot Noir

Court and I ran into Liz Fath who invited us to her house for a drink. Her husband, John, gave me this bottle of New Zealand Pinot and asked me to drink it and give him my opinion. He has more wine than he can drink in his lifetime, 1000s of cases of bordeaux, burgundy, cult californians, rhones, etc.... and is the nicest guy, knows more about wine than anyone I know, and very generous. HE believes like me that wine is meant to be drunk!

The Pinot is better than I thought it would be. An interesting flavor of inflating water wings, or any sort of polyurathane inflatable device. That taste when you start to blow into it. I like that taste. Hints of fruit came out with bruised raspberry, and cherry oak. Very subtle, which I thought was surprising. Jamie liked it a bit more than me, and it would be great to do by the glass at BONDA, depending on the price.

This was the last wine I drank before Courtenay gave birth, just 5 hours after I finished the bottle.

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.

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.

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.

03.19.08 /2005 J. Christopher Sandra Adele Vineyard

I kind of knew that Jamie was going to come over once I told him Bill was joining me while our wives were in their book club. He made it for a taste of the Skewis (he has two bottles left), and brought an Oregon Pinot that we are going to put on the list at BONDA.

J. Christopher is one of my favorite producers of Pacific Northwest juice, both whites and reds. I usually feel the Pinots need some time in the bottle, but Mike told Jamie that is was ready to drink, so we did.

On the nose, burnt oak and wet cardboard - classic J. Christopher. On the tongue following with bran, raisin, light tannins supporting dark berries with a bit of a floral undertone. Not fruity at all, with a bunch of funk on the nose and hints of white pepper.

Bill called it "derelict" while Jamie preferred "a pretty chick in a Laura Ashley dress and a black leather jacket". Whatever that means, the wine is awesome and is going on the list next week.

03.19.08 /2005 Skewis Pinot Noir Cuvee 115

It is always fun to try wine with an amigo, a cohort, a drinking buddy. Courtenay went to a book club meeting at the Russells, so Bill came over while I was watching Cooper to talk about a possible wine auction to benefit the Pequot Library. I opened a bottle of Skewis Pinot while we discussed the fact that people like to tell a story when they bring out a bottle of wine to open for guests.

Case in point, I told him my Skewis story. Jamie, Kevin and I plus our ladies went to Per Se last year. The guys had the tasting menu paired with a wine for each course. Each pairing was exquisite, and I feverishly wrote down each wine to see if we could get some for BONDA. Alas, none of them are sold in CT. We loved the Skewis particularly. Jamie called the winemaker to get some, but their production is so limited, that they really don't sell to that many restaurants. On a second call, Jamie convinced them to sell him a couple of bottles and he gave me two. This is my Skewis story.

Opening the wine felt a little guilty. I had been saving it for a bit, but really wanted to open it - it might have been too young, but delish all the same. It was sweet on the front end, but developed deep red fruit flavors in short order. There was a herbacious quality on the nose that smelled like marijuana. "High toned alcohol mixed with potting soil" is in my notes. That was a first impression. It was a touch hot, but turned totally awesome!

2006 Cristom Pinot Noir Mt. Jefferson Cuvee

This was unecessary to try so young, but I would love to put it on the list at BONDA. At first, it was cold and fruity - totally approachable. Brachish on the nose, with brambleberry and whafts of alcohol. Mild tannins and good acid. We are going to wait another couple of months, but it is almost ready to drink!

2005 Babcock Pinot Noir Grand Cuvee

The Babcock was going to go against a 2005 Patty Green Estate, but we realized we didn't need to open more wine at this point.

It was tough to rank it over the Alazan at #3 overall, but it had great fruit and a nice balance.