Le Bourcier Macon Cuvee Elena '08

   Chardonnay is still king by most accounts of today's white wine buying trends. Sales increase every year for this popular grape that accounts for almost 30% of domestic production. In addition, the Chardonnay drinking public has been moving more and more to unoaked versions for their everyday drinking and the California producers are rolling out more of these wines every year. But if there's one thing I've confessed on these pages, it's that I am going to skew old world in my tastes, and that means that for me, the best Chardonnays are French.
   The unoaked Cuvee Elena from Le Bourcier is a Chardonnay from France's Macon region (a sub-region of Burgundy), the home to millions of gallons of Chardonnay production every year. This bottle is a 2008 and it's somewhat golden color hints at a bit of oxidation as it nears the end of it's 2 or 3 year window of drinkability. It's delicious anyway. Beautiful aromas of honeyed pear, fresh fig and a minerally nuance lead to big flavors of pear, orange rind and almond. It's got excellent balancing acidity and a long, creamy finish. The aromas and flavors definitely fell off a bit with airing but I wouldn't hesitate to pick up an '09 or a '10 of this bottling. It's almost always delicious. Imported by one of my faves Polaner Selections, this easy drinking everyday Chardonnay cost me $12.99. Cheers.

Syrocco 2008

   Here's a great little Syrah made from grapes sourced from a very unlikely place - Morocco! The winemaker is Alain Graillot, one of the top producers of the Northern Rhone whose Syrahs from Crozes Hemitage earn accolades on a consistent basis. As the story goes, Graillot was cycling through the Zenata area of Morocco when his route took him through a vineyard. The label features a couple of stick-figure cyclists. He stopped to chat with the owners and discovered that the grapes on the vines were the same varietal that he had spent his professional life working with. He promptly made a deal on a joint project to produce a user friendly everyday wine for the export market. This venture now produces about 8,000 bottles annually. It is a delicious example of Syrah that cost me $14.99. It has dark cherry aromas with notes of black olive and brown spices. In the mouth it features medium-bodied up front cherryish fruit with enough acidity to give it lift. Imported by Michael Skurnick, Syrocco is a very nicely balanced example of good everyday Syrah. Cheers.

The Holidays are for Nights Like This...

   Such a busy time the end of year holidays are, yet there is much joy to share in. This year we squeaked in a night out with some of our best friends at one of Philadelphia's best BYO's, Radicchio. It's hard to put into words how much fun this place is so luckily I have some pics to prove it, courtesy of our dear friend Sherry of Kobo Services.

The wine lineup of course was a big part of it. There's a Malbec from Alamos; A Cotes du Rhone from Domaine Boisson, which I have already written up on this blog; A Spanna from Vallana; and a couple of cherries from my cellar, a '07 Maison Bouachon Chateauneuf du Pape and a '97 Super Tuscan called Il Merlotto, a Sangiovese/Cabernet blend.

We started with some carpaccio with argula and shaved parmesan and some wonderful grilled baby artichokes with shrimp. The carpaccio was all melt in your mouth sweetness and the baby artichokes were cooked perfectly and drizzled with some extra virgin olive oil, the grilling adding a smokiness to the full bore flavor of the chokes. The shrimp did seem to be an unnecessary add on.

The star of the show at Radicchio however, is always the grilled octopus. I have never had such a tender plate of octopus, with the grill flavor bringing out the best of this often ignored delicacy.
Follow that with house made rigatoni with mussels and clams in a beautiful garlicky white sauce, and it starts getting hard to pack it all in.

A 2008 Gilbert Picq Chablis imported by one of my favorites, Polaner Selections, was the perfect wine for this course. I'm a big fan of this entry level Chablis, whose unoaked Chardonnay flavor, bracing acidity and distinct aromas of pear, apple and wet stones are perfect accompaniments for seafood. The '08s are wonderfully minerally in a way that the '09s are not, it being a riper, fruitier vintage. This example cost me $17.99.

I have to go off about the Spanna also. As a Nebbiolo fan, the most important red grape of Piedmont, there are few good examples of Nebbiolo based wines in the everyday category. Barbaresco and Barolo, the two most important wines made from that noble grape, are expensive and in need of extended aging to really show their best. This Spanna from the Colline Novarese zone and produced by one of the venerable old names, Vallana, is an incredible bargain at $13.99. It's soaring aromatics feature bitter cherry, liquorice and violets along with notes of saddle leather. It's flavors are equally large and mouth filling with the cherry and liquorice flavors standing out above all. It finishes lightly tannic and long. I wish more folks would take a chance on wines like this when they pop up in stores. They are so different yet so special. "Sir, put down the Cabernet and step away from the rack"

We also had a couple of entrees that were good but almost beside the point after all the appys. The Halibut was delicious but a thin hangar steak with mushrooms was overcooked and bland. Still, Radicchio is a must destination if you find yourself hungry and in Philadelphia. Oh yeah, the desserts are great also. Cheers and I hope everyone has a great 2012.

Recession Busters - Wallet Friendly Holiday Sparklers

   As we move towards the end of the year holidays, sparkling wine sales pick up quite a bit of steam. In fact, a large majority of producer's sparkling wine sales - by some estimates almost half - come in the month of December. And while true Champagne (which only comes from the Champagne region of France) is still the king, great value sparkling wines are available from many different countries.

For this tasting, we opened three sparklers from three different countries, all designated a "brut" or dry style with 12 or less grams of residual sugar per liter and all costing under $15. Two of them, The French sparkler from Varichon and Clerc and the Spanish Cava "Sonim", are made in the champagne method which involves inducing a secondary fermentation in the bottle by adding yeast and sugar. The carbon dioxide produced is the source of the bubbles. The Italian Prosecco from Zardetto is produced in closed stainless steel tanks where the same process is induced in a larger volume.
   The first wine in our tasting was the Varichon and Clerc, a French bubbly produced via the Champagne method from three grapes, Ugni Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Colombard. It retails at my local store for just $9.99.

Here we have fine, small bubbles with aromas dominated by nutty/yeasty tones. It was also very nutty in the mouth at first but with airing began to show some apple and pear elements. The nose also opened a bit more and showed some melon and vanilla. It's delicate, steely and finishes quite dry with good length. It's a great value at this price point. It's imported by one of my favorites, Maximum Wine Co.
   Next up at $12.99 was the Spanish Cava Sonim. This sparkler, produced from 40% Parellada, 30% Macabeu and 30% Xarel-lo, three indigenous Spanish grapes, had a much more pronounced leesy/nutty nose with vanilla and herbal tones. In the mouth, the Sonim leans much more to citrusy fruit tones, especially lime zest. It finishes dry and tangy with good persistence. It's imported by Aviva Vino.

   Lastly we tried the $12.99 Italian Prosecco from Zardetto. With this sparkler we found a much more fruit driven nose featuring apricot and melon with the nutty nuance clearly taking a back seat. This may have had something to do with the secondary fermentation occurring in tank as opposed to in the bottle. In the mouth, there was clearly more sweet fruit, again dominated by apricot and white fruits. It finishes long, yet still dry and though it's not quite as delicate as the Varichon and Clerc, If you like a fruitier style, this one's for you.

Imported by topnotch importer Winebow, this sparkler is a sure crowd pleaser. If I had to rank them in order of my preference, I'd go with the Zardetto as number one, followed by the Varichon and Clerc and then the Sonim. Still, they are all good values and present excellent examples of sparkling wines that won't bust your budget. They'll make great aperitifs to a special holiday meal. Happy Holidays and as always, cheers!

Chateau Pascaud '07

   Good, inexpensive Bordeaux can be hard to find. And for most common folk like me, it's usually an afterthought when it comes to everyday red. But when a decent steak or a leg of lamb are on the menu, red Bordeaux, which is usually based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, can be the perfect fit. Tonight's entry from Chateau Pascaud was a $11.99 Bordeaux Superieur, an area that produces entry level juice for everyday consumption.

The vintage is 2007, a good but not great year in a zone where the weather still matters every year. In this case, the Chateau Pascaud is dominated by Merlot to the tune of 85%, with Cabernet Franc making up the balance. It's got very attractive red and black fruit aromas complicated by a bit of earthiness that became more pronounced as it aired. Both the '08 and the '09 should have a bit more stuffing than this '07 did, as both years were warmer and better. It's medium-bodied and very smooth and though it finishes a bit short, it went very well with a venison roast with chanterelle mushroom gravy, mashed sweet potatoes and roasted root vegetables (featuring baby carrots that just came out of our cold garden last week!). This attractive little wine is imported by Michael Skurnick, an importer with a wonderful portfolio. Cheers.

Purato Nero d'Avola 2010

   Some of my favorite everyday wines are coming out of Sicily these days. There's a purity of fruit, some stony terroir and prices that are extremely wallet friendly. A case in point is the lovely $9.99 Purato Nero d'Avola 2010. It's got big aromatics that bring to mind raspberry jam and baked cherries, brown spices and a distinct stoniness. There's a wonderful fruity mid-palate and excellent balancing acidity. In addition, this mid-week crowd pleaser is produced from organically grown grapes while the package features recycled paper, glass and vegetable ink. You can't much greener than that while you're tossing down red, that's for sure.

Produced by Feudo di Santa Tresa and imported by one of my favorites, Vias, this great little wine will pair perfectly with your bolognese, roast chicken, pizza or the rustic and delicious sausage and black-eyed peas my lovely wife Janet made us tonight. Cheers to one and all.

La Vigne en Veron Chinon 2009

  Chinon may be the most unknown appellation for American consumers of red wine in all of France. It's from the Loire valley and when most of us think of that region we think Sancerre, Pouilly Fume or Muscadet which of course are all white wines. Red wine from the Loire is not only uncommon but it is often just not very good. The reds are made from Cabernet Franc with an allowance for a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. They used to be mostly thin, uninteresting wines that tended to be under-ripe and overly acidic. Nowadays though (and maybe this is partly another effect of climate change on wine production), there are new Chinons in the market that are fuller and fruitier yet balanced enough to pair with whatever you want to throw at them. Which brings me to today's offering from small negociant Foucher-Lebrun. Negociants are producers that source grapes from various growers (Jadot and Drouhin are well known negociants). So while their wines may not be estate grown and bottled, if their sources are good then the wines may be also.
   This 2009 Chinon was a perfect match for a beef brasciole that my wife made us today. It featured somewhat reticent aromas of spicy baked cherry and licorice, but flavor-wise it was very forward and easy to drink with medium bodied dark fruit flavors and that bell pepper quality that is very typical of Cabernet Franc. It finishes smooth with good acidity and cut that gives it a lingering freshness. Imported by one of my favorites, Polaner Selections, this Chinon is an excellent value at a mere $9.99. Cheers.

La Valentina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2008

   One of the friendliest and most widely planted grapes in Italy, Montepulciano from the mountainous region of Abruzzo is usually an easy drinking red wine that will pair perfectly with your Bolognese or roast chicken. This example is from La Valentina, one of the most important producers in the zone, whose higher end bottling called "Spelt", usually receives accolades from the top reviewers. It is indeed an attractive wine, with baked cherry, licorice and a stony minerality on the nose. Small wonder, as the vines here live in stony soils at 500 - 1000 ft. in altitude. And although it has wonderful up front dark fruit in the mouth and excellent acidity giving it lift, it finishes with a bit of drying tannins that make me wonder if this bottling is a bit too serious for it's $11.99 price point. It seems that it could benefit from a year or 2 in the bottle. Still, at an everyday price like this, it's definitely worth checking out for yourself. Imported by Dalla Terra, a company with a very nice looking portfolio, this is still a fine example of Abruzzo Montepulciano. Cheers.

Obalo Rioja 2009

   Here's a very fine little Spanish Rioja we tried tonight with some southwest style grilled shrimp that was very tasty. This 100% Tempranillo cuvee featured attractive blackberry and blueberry aromas along with a bit of spiciness. In the mouth it's quite fruity, round and nicely balanced without any trace of heat. It finishes smooth and lightly tannic. It's certainly not old school Rioja by any means and isn't especially complex. But it does make for a fruity, if somewhat simple quaffer that's a perfect weeknight accompaniment to whatever you're cooking....and it only cost me $12.99. One thing I really like about Spanish wines like this is that they are somewhat low-acid (a hot climate trait in general), and so they pair really well with some seafood as well as the standard meat dishes like grilled chicken, burgers or pork chops. Tonight it was great with the grilled shrimp but it would also go well with salmon or tuna, pan seared or grilled. Come to think of it, pizza's in play here as well. Cheers.

Palin Carmenere 2009

   One of the great things about studying wine is that there is always something more to learn. According to Wikipedia, the Chilean grape Carmenere was one of the original 6 grapes of Bordeaux even though only 5 of them are what we usually see associated with that region today. And what makes that association even more interesting is that Carmenere has aromatic and flavor similarities to good quality Bordeaux. It's dark in color and puts forth very earthy aromas of plummy fruit and a bell pepper quality often associated with Cabernet Franc, an important Bordeaux grape in St. Emilion and Pomerol. It has a fairly big, fruity palate and finishes with more of those earthy tones that make a wine worth talking about. It finishes smooth with no alcoholic heat. Produced by Geo Wines and imported by one of my favorites, Montecastelli, this $11.99 wine is a great value, and it's organic as well.  So even though I skew old world when it comes to the greatest beverage, there's always great stuff to discover from the new world as well, and the Palin Carmenere is a great example of that. Cheers.

Vacu Vin

For those of you who sometimes don't finish a bottle with dinner, a must have for your kitchen is Vacu Vin. This handy little item allows you to preserve the wine left over for 24 - 48 hours or so. You simply insert the rubber stopper, press down on the stopper with the pump and pump the air out of the bottle. The basic kit gets you a pump and 2 rubber stoppers and you can always buy more stoppers. It's a great low cost way to save what you've left in the bottle for tomorrow, either for drinking or cooking. Cheers.

Domaine de Villalin Quincy 2010

Quincy is a small Loire Valley appellation down the road from Sancerre that makes wines from Sauvignon Blanc only. I've mentioned in past posts that Sancerre is without a doubt my favorite Sauvignon Blanc and this version from nearby has a lot of the same qualities for a lower price. Yes the Domaine de Villalin Quincy is just a bit outside my everyday price range at $15.99, but this wine is really tasty. It's got all the grapefruit and lemon zest qualities that you expect from this grape and it has the same chalky minerality that really defines Sauvignon Blanc from this region in general. Imported by one of my favorites, Polaner Selections, this organically produced wine is a delicious selection to have with shellfish, cod or grilled trout. Cheers.