What We Drank (6/8/09)

The usual suspects contributed to What We Drank this week. I have to say, I'm really enjoying this new feature on LENNDEVOURS, it gives me a great opportunity to write about the non-NY wines that I'm tasting and it gives me a little insight into what the other contributors are drinking. I hope you're enjoying it too.

From Bryan Callandrelli: Tolosa Edna Ranch 2005 Estate Pinot Noir

Ever since my cool climate obsession started, I’ve had very few California wines. My view was that life’s too short and the world’s too large for bothering with them. So it was interesting to try a pinot noir from the Edna Valley the other day. A co-worker brought this one from his travels and claimed that it was the most Burgundian style pinot he tasted during his tour He also mentioned it was only $25.
 
This Tolosa Edna Ranch 2005 Estate Pinot Noir was a gentle west coast pinot. Aromas of strawberry and cola set up a balanced mouthfeel that finished with a touch of spice. I got some heat from the finish but nothing I wouldn’t expect from a cool climate grape growing in a warm environment. While it was balanced and dare I say Burgundian in approach, there wasn’t any earthy qualities or minerality. Overall an interesting wine from an area I know absolutely nothing about.

From Evan Dawson: Lamoreaux Landing 2007 T23 Cabernet Franc

Sometimes you don't need a wine to be spectacular or overwhelming. This wine is completely, utterly whelming, and there's nothing wrong with that. It was initially underwhelming; aromatically non-existent at first, it finally opened up after about 45 minutes, which surprised my wife and me. I love the concept of this wine -- no oak, allowing the fruit to speak clearly -- but I didn't get any of the herbs or earth that Lenn picked up in his review. Just lots of simple, bright cherry and raspberry and a strong finishing kick of black pepper. We were happily whelmed.

 

More remarkable was the dining locale. We bought the bottle with our excellent meal at Lento in Rochester. Lento might well offer the best food in the city, and their menu touts their devotion to local farms, produce, and -- a rarity, sadly -- Finger Lakes wines. In the picture I'm digging into a tartlet of sweet potato, gorgonzola, and caramelized onion accompanied by sauteed local spinach and hazelnut sherry vinegar sauce. Awesome.

From Melissa Dobson: Market Street Brewing Company Barely Legal

After working on the Samuel Adams Beer account while living in New York City, I came to appreciate the small batch, handcrafted and artisanal aspects of microbrews. My husband Rich was bitten by the craft beer bug at that time and seeks them out regularly. This weekend, we spent some time on our back deck with a local microbrew, Market Street Brewing Company's Barley Legal.

In the growler and the glass, the color is amber and on the nose, distinct toastiness and slight bits of green apple.  Barley Legal is medium-bodied and smooth with a lingering finish on the back palate and notes of caramel.  This is a beer we'll grab and take to family gatherings for easy-sipping.

From Jason Feulner: Li Bella 2008 Pinot Grigio

I just got a chance to try the  Li Bella 2008 Pinot Grigio, an alternate label at Shaw Vineyards in its second year of bottling.

I'm not always sure what to look for in a pinot grigio, but I must say I was impressed with this off-dry version. It had just a hint of very light spice, with a touch of sweetness, and a good mouthfeel showcasing its acidity.

The fruit was there, but unlike some other Finger Lakes pinot grigios I didn't think this tasted like a water-logged riesling. The wine had a subtle but complex melon taste.

From Lenn Thompson: Domaine La Rochette 2007 Touraine 

As much as I enjoy Long Island sauvignon blanc, this is a wine that Long Island doesn't do -- a well-made, everyday sauv blanc for $9. Heck, I can't think of any $9 local whites this good, regardless of grape.

Straightforward and citrusy, it features fresh, food-friendly acidity, and a slightly chalky mouthfeel that is a little rounder than many Touraines I've tasted. Once it gets to room temperature, there is a faintly piney-resiny note on the palate.

I only bought two bottles of this one and I wish I had bought much more. Would be great to have on hand for summer parties.

Comments

[Lenn Thompson]

Evan, great to get your impressions on the T23, which I enjoyed quite a bit. Looking back at my raw notes, more of that herbal/earthy quality came about on day two and even day 3 of tasting.

I too was surprised at how this seemingly straightforward wine evolved once opened. Wine will surprise you, won't it?

[Jason Feulner]

I had the T23 at a cab franc tasting and, like Evan, I didn't detect much of anything going on, especially in direct comparison to the other aromatic wines.

We gave it about 5 minutes, not 45, so that's where the impression ended.

I will try and go back at some point and witness this transformation from first pour to the eventual wine that both Evan and Lenn enjoyed.

[Bryan]

Ditto on the T23, bell pepper cam after a few hours of being open. My waterintowino post is coming up on this one.

[Evan Dawson]

What interesting consistency in that we all found our bottles to be drum-tight aromatically initially. I wouldn't normally think to decant a 2007 FL CF for too long, but am reconsidering now. Perhaps Mr. Mansell can regale us with the do's and don't's of decanting.

[Tom Mansell]

Evan:
I think we discussed this once via Facebook?

Just for the record, popping a bottle and letting it sit open is not going to allow for much aeration.

Anyway, my 3 reasons for decanting are:
(1) blow of volatile off-aromas (e.g., hydrogen sulfide). These can suppress perception of other, more interesting aromas, even when the wine doesn't necessarily stink like rotten eggs.
(2) remove sediment (nobody wants a mouthful of dregs)
(3) aesthetics (ooh... ahh... crystal decanter...)

I have heard that a blender works just as well for "aerating" a wine. The idea is not necessarily to get oxygen IN but get unfavorables out. Now, on the order of days, it's possible that oxygen is contributing, but probably not by softening tannin. Many aromatic compounds which are not that potent in alcohol forms could be oxidized to very aromatically potent aldehydes.

I wrote a post about this (http://ithacork.wordpress.com/2009/04/14/lemberger-time/.) Don't want to be too self-promoting, but you did call me out directly. :)

[Josh Wig]

Words cannot express my feelings for Lento, and to have the T23 offered on the same menu with their other locally sourced fare is a good sign that things are changing. Pioneers like Lento are leading the way! Our best drinking T23 is our 2002 right now, so patient souls could be rewarded with MUCH more complexity after a few years. Thanks for giving it a shot Evan, and thanks for supporting our friends at Lento!

[Evan Dawson]

Josh -

I'm abundantly open to the evolution of this wine. It's a refresfing.concept and already an interesting product. Lento is special and we were thrilled to see this wine on the list!

[Morgan Dawson]

I just wanted to plug Lento one more time, but with a link to their website. Since the menu changes daily, sometimes I just take a peek at the new offerings and drool...er, get recipe ideas :-)

Also, I love that they list the farmers/growers they source by distance from the restaurant. We're talking local to the mile!

http://www.lentorestaurant.com/