Monthly Archives: October 2011

Every so often one gets by…

16 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by musingsonthevine in Wines

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I’ve been enjoying the 2009 wines from Europe, mostly France and loving the richness and depth of flavors. Some 2010 wines have tickled my fancy, but there are many more of those arriving over the next year, or so… And then, sometimes an “older” vintage shows up and, wham! You remember how great certain past vintages are. Take 2007 – a stellar vintage in Europe, especially in France and Italy… I was tasting some wines for possible addition to Harvard Faculty Club’s wine list and came across this gem:

2007 Chateau de Lascaux Coteaux de Languedoc ($14.99 approximate retail)

Dense, earthy nose with black cherry, cocoa and dried herb hints. Full-bodied with moderate acidity and supple tannin – good balance. Cherry, blackberry jam and black currant palate – youthful with mint and licorice notes. Long finish – smooth – tight, showing a nice layered complexity. Drinking well now – should continue to hold for the next 3 to 5 years. Good value.

(I picked up a case at Martignetti’s in Brighton – the current vintage at most shops is 2008)

 

A few new Rhones…

14 Friday Oct 2011

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If France is my favorite wine producing country (and this is tough given my penchant for Italian and Spanish wines…), then the Rhone is probably my favorite region within France. The originator of the wine that smacked me square in the forehead and started me on my wine journey 28 years ago, the Rhone is a region steeped in history and amazing wine. This has certainly been true over the last decade, as the Rhone has had a string of near perfect vintages stretching back to 1994, save one – 2002. The one downside to all these great vintages is that the Rhone is no longer a region of consistent value. Prices have escalated and what used to be a fine $9 – $10 Cotes du Rhone is now $15 – $20. The wine is still great, the prices not so much… I have posted the occasional find in two recent vintages 2007 and 2009, both regarded as exceptional vintages on a par with the near perfect 1998 vintage and now 2010 wines are making their way to market. Regarded as a very good vintage, 2010 is quietly being referred to by some critics as a “shadow vintage,” meaning that it is following in the shadow of a truly memorable and massively-hyped vintage: 2009. The benefits to a shadow vintage are that the quality is usually very good with somewhat moderate prices and great availability.

Two recent finds are:

2010 Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhone $14.99 (approximate retail)

Earthy nose with dense tarry fruit hints and anise and dried mint leaves. Full-bodied with firm acidity and moderate tannin – good balance. Fruit forward palate with dark berry notes – herbaceous – youthful. Moderate length with a smooth, layered finish. Drinking well – should hold for 3 to 5 years.

2010 Domaine la Garrigue Cuvée Romaine $14.99 (approximate retail)

Fresh, fruity nose with dried herbs and floral hints. Full-bodied with moderate acidity and supple tannin – good balance. Youthful, fresh cherry palate with tar, rose attar and allspice notes – exotic. Moderate length with a persistently herbaceous finish. Smooth. Drinking well now – should hold for 2 to 3 years.

2006 Principiano Serralunga Barolo

07 Friday Oct 2011

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I generally have a set of “go-to” wine stores in the area, ones that I have been frequenting for over 25 years. The lengthy history is due to the fact that either the people, the wines, or both have developed a track record of satisfying. These are my preparatory remarks to a cautionary tale – one that I know too well (admitted somewhat sheepishly)…

I receive a number of mailings (electronic and paper) from lots of wine outlets, including many on my “frequented” list. One in particular is a real favorite – The Wine & Cheese Cask in Somerville, MA. The Wine Cask is a place of permanence… The small, cramped store has not changed one iota since I first stepped through the door back in 1985 – 26 years and the floor-to-ceiling, rustically-appealing wine racks are still the same dusty dark brown. To boot, the Wine Cask still faithfully mails out a paper monthly newsletter, filled with lots of fun and exciting wine. Mails… as in USPS… who does that anymore? But you know what? I eagerly anticipate each issue… more so than any other newsletter.

With over 25 years of reading and buying from the Wine Cask I’ve learned that sometimes the descriptions of the featured newsletter wines are a wee bit enthusiastic, with language that is equivalent to air-brushed celebrity photography… Not really misrepresentation or false advertising, just one person’s interpretation… I’ve learned this the hard way… need I say more?

Anyway, what does all this have to do with the 2006 Principiano Serralunga Barolo? Well, the wine was in the September-October Wine Cask newsletter, and I quote:

Is it possible to have too many good vintages? Some Piemontese producers must be wondering this as their cellars are full of Barolo and prices appear to be dropping. We are certainly glad to take some stock off their hands. This is the second vintage in a row that we are able to sell for $29.99 from Principiano. The 2006 is a ripe, full bodied Barolo with deep yet delicate fruit and impressive yet flexible tannins. Decant this or let it breathe for a few hours to allow the flavors to knit together. Or age this impressive red for another five years. A great wine for a roast leg of lamb.

Who wouldn’t race to the Wine Cask to buy a case? Barolo with this kind of description at $29.99 – are you kidding me? So off I went to liberate a case for our pleasure… Popped one open last night and found myself re-reading the above description, over and over again… after each sip as a matter of fact… Must have given me the wrong wine, I thought, because all I tasted was TANNIN. And I don’t mean nicely structured, firm tannin that is balanced harmoniously by ripe fruit. No, I mean rip the skin off the inside of your mouth and leave you puckering like a dying camel after crossing the Sahara tannin. Ripe fruit? I’ve been tasting wine for ne’er 30 years and I think I know ripe fruit when I taste it and this ain’t it… My notes went like this:

Tight nose with hints of dried cherry, saddle leather and violets – pretty, though restrained. Full-to-medium bodied with punishing tannin and firm acidity – poor balance. Closed palate with any fruit flavors driven into obscurity by the overabundant tannins. Harsh. Long finish, although not particularly pleasant – this wine needs time. If the fruit is hidden beneath this veil of tannin, then there may be hope with some time. Otherwise this wine was a dud…

Am I angry? No. Given my relationship with the Wine Cask, if I complained I am sure they would happily refund my money. Besides, I didn’t follow my own rules of engagement: buy a few test bottles before committing to a full case – My bad, in other words. Why not return the wine anyway? Despite what many people say about me, I’m an optimist when it comes to wine. I’ll hope that sometime over the next 20 years, this wine will blossom. I’ve been witness to this kind of transformation before, so it is not impossible. Bottle variation is a specter as well, although what I tasted does not suggest issues with bottle variation.

So – the take aways:

  • I will still continue to eagerly await the arrival of the Wine Cask’s monthly newsletter…
  • I will still rush into the Wine Cask and buy those newsletter wines that tickle my fancy…
  • I will repeat the words “only buy a few bottles to try” as I cross the Wine Cask threshold…
  • I will wait patiently for the 2006 Principiano Serralunga Barolo to shed its cocoon of harsh, mouth-punishing tannins to become the lovely, enticing bottle of Barolo that I crave… and I’ll be telling stories of how I paid less than $30 per bottle at a time when classic Barolo was selling for three times as much…

 

2006 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino

02 Sunday Oct 2011

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The wines of Italy used to be wines of tremendous value, not always the finest or most ageworthy, but just good, solid values. Then something changed… a string of successive vintages where the flagship wines of Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino and those pesky “Super Tuscans” were all absolute gems! Say goodbye to value and hello to the inevitable price creep.

All that aside, sometimes it just doesn’t matter… Last night we enjoyed a fabulous bottle of Brunello from a long-favorite producer: Castello Banfi. We have been enjoying these wines since the mid-90’s and have had the fortune of collecting a nice little vertical.. Well the 2006 needs to find a way into our cellar – magnificent, majestic with refined, yet potent tannin. Deep, dark fruit core with a wonderful melange of flavors: anise, cherry, cocoa dust, saddle leather and violets delight the palate. Long on the finish, smooth, suggesting many years of aging potential, perhaps 15+ years.

The wine went perfectly with our food: a perfectly trimmed filet and a gigantic stuffed veal chop – Heaven!

Italian Bitters

02 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by musingsonthevine in Cocktails

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I’m reading Boozehound: On the Trail of the Rare, the Obscure, and the Overrated in Spirits by Jason Wilson. It started slow, but has picked up steam. Quite a few interesting cocktail recipes and entire chapters devoted to arcane spirits that until now I merely gazed at and wondered… “did the world really need an artichoke-based digestif?”

 

So I ventured forth in search of a class of spirit termed the Italian Bitter, or Amaro. When one goes in search of Amaro, it turns out you end up having to try a bunch of related goodies that are not quite Amaro, but are “part of the experience.” The things I do in the name of learning…

 

First up is the classic Averna, an Amaro Siciliano that was actually quite nice. Sweet with a Mocha-Coffee flavor that was smooth and balanced. I could see sipping this and relaxing after a nice bowl of Tripe, or Gnocchi Bolognese. And there are a pair of really nice cocktails that use Averna:

 

 

 

Black Manhattan

 

2 oz. Rye

 

3/4 oz. Averna

 

1 d Angostura Bitters

 

1 d Orange Bitters

 

 

 

Intercontinental

 

1-1/2 oz. Cognac

 

1 oz. Averna

 

1/2 oz. Maraschino Liqueur

 

 

 

Both recipes involve shaking the ingredients with crushed ice and straining into a cocktail glass.

 

 

 

Next up is something a little more unusual – Santa Maria Al Monte Amaro… In Sushi restaurants sea urchin is considered “challenging.” Well, this amaro is the sea urchin equivalent of the spirit world – Elements of pine sap with an extremely bitter finish – eye-opening is a good description. I could not find any cocktail recipes that would use this spirit and sipping as a digestif would be an acquired taste for sure…

 

Next we tasted Cynar – an artichoke-based (Cynara Scolymus) liqueur that was quite interesting. Sweet with herbaceous bitterness, almost like a richer version of Campari. I found a cocktail that is quite refreshing, ala Satan’s Whiskers…

 

 

 

Cyn-Cin

 

1 oz. London Dry Gin

 

1 oz. Sweet Vermouth

 

1 oz. Cynar

 

1 d Orange Bitters

 

2 Orange Wedges

 

Shake the spirits and the juice of one orange wedge with crushed ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and toss in the remaining orange wedge.

 

 

 

Next up, Fernet-Branca a bitter spirit made with neutral grape spirit as the base. Whoa is the only word I can use to describe the experience… Menthol, mint and extremely bitter – takes some getting used to…

 

Last up – Punt e Mes Vermouth – Punt e Mes literally means “point and a half” in Piedmontese. It has been said that it owes its name to a sudden raise of the stock market (naturally, of a point and a half) which greatly benefitted the Carpano distilleries, which then created the vermouth brand to commemorate the occasion. Alternatively it may refer to the flavor being characterised as one ”point” of sweetness and half a point of bitterness. Punt e Mes can be used interchangeably with any other Rosso Vermouth, or in a cocktail of its own design.

 

 

 

Red Hook

 

2 oz. Rye

 

1/2 oz. Punt e Mes

 

1/4 oz. Maraschino Liqueur

 

Shake with crushed ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

 

 

 

So ends the journey for now… The moral of the story is to always keep an open mind and expect the unexpected.

(Originally posted on Facebook: June 25, 2011)

Nucky’s English Cousin

02 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by musingsonthevine in Cocktails

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I do not watch much in the way of television series… However, Stuff Magazine recently featured “classic cocktails based on characters from the series “Boardwalk Empire.” Big deal, right? Well, I do like Steve Buscemi and it turns out, the cocktail named in his character’s honor hits the spot… and it uses an obscure Italian bitter and Pimm’s #1 Cup (and yes, at some point we will discuss the other Pimm’s Cups…). I bring you:

Nucky’s English Cousin (Inspired by Nucky Thompson; Created by Sabrina Wilhelm of Noir)

2 oz. Canadian Club whisky

1 oz. Pimm’s No. 1 Cup

1/2 oz. Aperol

2 dashes of Regans’ Orange Bitters

Shake liquors with crushed ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with two dashes of Regans’ Orange Bitters and garnish with an orange peel.

(Originally posted on Facebook: June 21, 2011)

The Corpse Reviver

02 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by musingsonthevine in Cocktails

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Corpse Revivers were a brand of pre-prohibition cocktail meant to be consumed before 11:00am as a bit of the “hair of the dog,” if you will. There are in fact three Corpse Revivers, #1, #2, and, you guessed it, #3.

 

Corpse Reviver #1

3/4 oz. Sweet Italian Vermouth

3/4 oz. Apple Brandy or Calvados

1-1/2 oz. VSOP or better Cognac

Shake with Ice and Strain into a Cocktail Glass

 

Corpse Reviver #2 (My Favorite)

1 oz. Gin (London Dry or Old Tom)

1 oz. Cointreau

1 oz. Lillet Blanc

1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

1 dash Absinthe

Shake with Ice and Strain into a Cocktail Glass (Garnish with a single Maraschino Cherry)

 

Corpse Reviver #3

3/4 oz. Fernet Branca Bitters

3/4 oz. White Creme de Menthe

3/4 oz. VSOP or better Cognac

Shake with Ice and Strain into a Cocktail Glass

(Originally posted on Facebook: June 6, 2011)

Satan’s Whiskers

02 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by musingsonthevine in Cocktails

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So with the AC down for another day and the room temperature in the house a balmy 85 degrees F, I’ve taken to sipping a cocktail named for an apropos landlord… Satan’s Whiskers (Straight, as opposed to Curly)…

1/2 oz. London Dry Gin

1/2 oz. Sweet Vermouth

1/2 oz. Dry Vermouth

1/2 oz. Orange Juice

2 tsp Grand Marnier (Cointreau for the Curly variety);

1 tsp Orange Bitters

Shake with crushed ice and strain into a (chilled) cocktail glass.

(Originally posted on Facebook: June 8, 2011)

 

Lucien Gaudin Cocktail

02 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by musingsonthevine in Cocktails

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After such a long week and to celebrate the return of our AC, I present an historic cocktail… Lucien Gaudin (September 27, 1886 – September 23, 1934) was a French fencer and olympic champion both in foil and in épée competition. He received gold medals in both foil and in épée (solo) at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. He also received gold medals in foil and in épée (team) at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Lucien Gaudin Cocktail

1 oz. London Dry Gin

1/2 oz. Cointreau

1/2 oz. Campari

1/2 oz. Dry Vermouth

Shake with crushed ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Bring on the weekend!

(Originally posted on Facebook: June 10, 2011)

The Dubbonet Cocktail

02 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by musingsonthevine in Cocktails

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The Dubonnet Cocktail is said to be the favorite of Queen Elizabeth II, although her mother preferred the drink served on the rocks. Originally an un-garnished cocktail from the 1930’s, today the Dubonnet Cocktail is often served with a twist of lemon (sometimes an orange peel). The cocktail is also known as a Zaza in certain circles.

1 1/2 oz gin

3/4 oz Dubonnet Rouge

Lemon twist for garnish

Shake with cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the lemon twist.

God Save the Queen…

(Originally posted on Facebook: June 16, 2011)

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