We have a shorter than usual list of offerings for What We Drank this week. Bryan has been busy changing diapers and Lenn only drank local this weekend -- and wants to save those reviews for standalone posts.
At least we're back to wine this week for Julia.
From Tom Mansell: Jordan 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
Every now and then, you get a nice surprise.
I had this wine at a friend's steak-filled birthday party and I should note that gatherings at this particular friend's house are usually more of the Keystone Light variety than the aged California Cabernet variety.
But, hey,
it's steak night!
The color on this one is garnet, with little-to-no orange
"bricking" to be found for its age. The nose is complex, with powerful
black currant, violets and some strawberry, but the most surprising
part for me is its still-fresh acidity.
There is only a little astringency to be found in the mouth so its structure is now firmly dependent on that nice acid (kind of like some Finger Lakes reds, no?).
The long, tart finish goes towards black cherry. It was a real treat to get to try this. Big ups to Ed for popping the last one out of his vertical ('96, '97, '98) case (!).
From Jason Feulner: Kevin Youkilis NV Sauvignyoouuk Blanc
A good friend of mine is a Boston Red Sox fan. I like the Yankees.
Received as a joke gift last year, I've been saving this bottle for an
oh-so-perfect moment like the 2009 postseason (I served his with a
fork in it).
The Kevin Youkilis Sauvignyoouuk Blanc (NV) was so battered with oak that
it was hard to discern what the heck it was. It tasted like a
high-yield, overripe, watered-down cheap West Coast wine.
I note the wine here not for its baseball relevance, but for its
resemblance to a lot of celebratory or celebrity-induced wines on the
market. One glossy magazine profiled a Dan Akroyd wine a few issues back
with a full feature article, and it scored below 80! Why did they
bother? Ghostbusters!!!
I think wine should be fun, but a cute label or a name association only
goes so far. I'm not expecting a Pouilly Fume white here -- just give me
something I can swallow and enjoy.
From Julia Burke: Veranda 2007 Pinot Noir
I had a day off from work and was getting some bonding time in with my mom. We'd planned to go to lunch but it was chilly out and, being women gathered in a room, we wanted chocolate.
My mom proposed we come up with some sort of chocolate sandwich. I proposed we open some pinot noir. And we both agreed that we'd watch the Sesame Street 40th Anniversary episode. So it was that at 11 a.m. on a weekday I opened this Veranda 2007 Pinot Noir from Bio Bio Valley, Chile, something I'd picked up while stocking up on interesting-looking reds under $20.
This sexy pinot showed violets, blueberries, allspice, and a hint of venison on the nose -- delicate and feminine enough, but one sip and I realized this was not your fruity, airheaded cheap pinot.
Manly tannins and a fantastic finish took me by surprise and suggested that the wine could stand up to a steak dinner just as well as the peppered dark chocolate, roasted pecan, and fig "sandwiches" we were munching. I was impressed with this wine's ability to be both sensual and badass, and I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.
From Evan Dawson: Channing Daughters Winery 2007 Cuvee Tropical
White wines from Channing Daughters Winery tend to be perfect examples of why relying on a wine's score alone can not possibly tell its story.
Channing wines are often not, by most standards of score, 90-point wines. But ask yourself: Would you rather drink a 91-point wine that tastes like a lot of wines you've had, or would you rather drink an 88-point wine that is unique, distinctive, thoughtful?
For me it's an easy call.
Winemaker Chris Tracy has carefully created a line of whites that don't taste much like other whites on Long Island, or in New York state, or really anywhere.
This wine is a stainless steel blend of mostly Chardonnay with some Muscat Ottonel and Pinot Grigio. It's not only unique, but it begs for shellfish, which is nicely suited to its place.
Forget the scores; Channing doesn't need to submit for them in this case anyway.
Comments