Monthly Archives: December 2012

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2008 Buena Vista Swan Selection Pinot Noir

Big debate for the evening was whether to ring in 2013 with an old favorite (i.e., a Buena Vista Pinot Noir as we did last year) or a new Bordeaux favorite…either possible just because we decided to hold the champagne for New Year’s Day.  After some waffling, it was the pinot that made the cut–specifically the 2008 Buena Vista Swan Selection Pinot Noir.  I uncorked it while enjoying some monstrous shrimp shumai, continued to savor it with some delicious steaks and potatoes (pan seared to perfection), and ultimately polished it off after dinner.  Make no mistake; this baby was dry long before the ball dropped at Midnight.

2008 Buena Vista Swan Selection Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, California, USA.

2008 Buena Vista Swan Selection Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, California, USA.

This from the folks at Buena Vista: “This Swan Selection Pinot Noir offers aromas of bing cherries and pomegranate, along with spice and floral characters.  Notice the candied cherry flavors and delicacy balanced by broad structure and a long finish.”

Now, I can’t express all that headsy analysis but I can confirm it.  Seems like a very appropriate description of a fun drink.  Buena Vista has always been great and this is no exception.

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Creta 2010 Ribera del Duero Roble

On our last night with family for the Christmas holiday, we ordered a killer sheet pizza from the local Brockport joint and broke out a slew of interesting beverages for the evening.  These kept us company while we were bent over a puzzle featuring Coca Cola’s salute to females who served in the military in the early half of the 20th century.  Never did finish the puzzle before returning home to NJ, but we did crush the ‘za and enjoyed the Creta Roble 2010.  It needed some time to breathe but once it had its legs under it, the Roble was a nice find.  Lots of dark flavors in this rich Spanish red!  My tastes are sophisticated enough to pick out all the notes in play within the Roble, but I definitely grabbed on to the dark berries.

Creta 2010 Ribera del Duero Roble, Spain.

Creta 2010 Ribera del Duero Roble, Spain.

Here’s what Parker thought of the Creta 2010 Ribera del Duero Roble: “From a 70-year-old vineyard, this outstanding red wine offers notes of melted chocolate, black cherry jam, cedarwood, charcoal, and damp earth.  Rich, dense, supple-textured, fleshy, and medium- to full-bodied, it should drink well for 4-5 years.  It is a very impressive value. 100% Tempranillo.”

That dude (who gave it 90 points, in case those things matter to you) has a fun job–particularly on days when he gets to sample grapes like these.  Wish I’d bought more than one!

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Tosca Prosecco

Prosecco Tosca, Italy.

The Tosca made its way onto our breakfast table again this Christmas morning.  Not long after the stockings were pulled and the presents opened, we turned from the coffee to sweets, savories, and other treats to celebrate the holiday.  The table was covered with baked egg and sausage casserole, blueberry scones with a lemon drissel, a glazed creamcheese(?) coffeecake, and all sorts of fruits and berries.  Most importantly, it also included mimosas as in 2011.

The prosecco is always a welcome treat and so mild that it makes we wonder why we don’t do this more often?  Nothing like celebrating with a bit of the bubbly…

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Georges Duboeuf 2012 Beaujolais Nouveau

After polishing off our holiday lights limo ride and its champagne treat, we returned home and broke out the Beaujolais–this one a 2012, I think, but perhaps a 2011…I forgot to note its year.  This  was rich and cherry flavored, with a little bit of a tangy aftertaste, and we enjoyed about a glass each while our Christmas Eve dinner finished cooking in the oven.  What can I say…I do like the cheery labeling?

Georges Duboeuf 2012 Nouveau, Beaujolais, France.

Georges Duboeuf 2012 Nouveau, Beaujolais, France.

I know it’s a favorite of my father’s, and others of his generation.  Not sure but I believe my mother, godparents, and others are similarly enamored with the Beaujolais.  I will likely pass in the future.  Certainly there will be fans but I’m not really one and this world has too many great wines in it for any of us to muddle on less-than-wholly pleased by a particular varietal!

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Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label

This year we opted to shake up familiar holiday traditions and decided to embark on a limo ride around Rochester to look in on some of the city’s most festive and “craptacular” light displays.  Our three-hour ride took us from North Chili to Henrietta, Irondequoit, Pittsford, and Gates (maybe others too?) as we gazed on lights that were plentiful, tasteful, and tasteless.  Secular and nonsecular alike were visible as we cruised in the comfort of our eight footer…

…oh yeah, the libations.  What could be better for a limo tour of the holiday lights than Veuve Clicquot Brut?  Four of us tackled a first bottle of Yellow Label lightning-quick and savored a second as we rolled in comfort through Rochester’s finest and flakiest displays, noshing on cheeses, beef stick, crackers, and shrimp cocktail.

A new tradition is born?

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2011 Zonin Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

The 2011 Zonin Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, a dry Italian red wine, was opened to welcome us from our NJ home to my mother’s place in Rochester, NY.  She had enjoyed courtesy of a work colleague and had a bottle uncorked and ready to roll upon our arrival on a chilly December Sunday.  I sampled this red and enjoyed it despite feeling less than my best after the long journey…I opted for this Zonin over a chilled white that may have gone better with the hors d’oeuvres (i.e., spicy crab sushi and sashimi).  Welcoming a second glass with the entre–an Asian-spiced chicken with sticky jasmine rice–I was pleased by my choice and looked forward to more of this grape later in the Christmas festivities.

2011 Zonin Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Abruzzo, Italy.

2011 Zonin Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Abruzzo, Italy.

The winemaker describes this as “brilliant, attractive, and warm ruby-red” in color, with an “ample bouquet, with scents of plum and wild berries,” and flavor that is “dry, full-bodied with notable personality.” I think the above a tad overstated, but generally on point…will be curious to hear what others have to share on this too.

Given some of the amazing bordeaux and pinot noirs that we’ve been having lately, this montepulciano had a hard line to toe.  It did its share.  Very solid but not supreme.

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2010 Buena Vista Ida’s Selection Pinot Noir

Broke open this bottle of Buena Vista pinot in the stretch run toward Christmas and a much-deserved vacation. You could tell the difference between this bottle and others as soon as it was uncorked–the fragrance of this Pinot Noir was immediate and stunning. I had it with a medium-rare Omaha steak, a great green salad with onion, bleu cheese, and apple, and a baked potato that had in it bits of bacon. Perfect pairing. I know the coming week will be packed full of great wine, delicious food, and plenty of good company, but this sets a pretty good standard to measure against.

2010 Buena Vista Ida's Selection Pinot Noir, Sonoma, California, USA.

2010 Buena Vista Ida’s Selection Pinot Noir, Sonoma, California, USA.

Here’s the skinny from the guys at Buena Vista: “The 2010 Ida’s Selection Pinot Noir is a beautiful deep plum color, with concentrated aromas and flavors of raspberry, chocolate, and just a hint of toastiness. With a balanced structure, medium acidity, and an overall plush mouthfeel, this wine finishes with a medium to long, silky finish.”

This numbered bottle (#2741) is from just 247 total cases and the varietal is named for the fourth child (first daughter) of Count Agoston Haraszthy–the founder of Buena Vista and the Buena Vista Vinicultural Society, which he formed in 1863 to advance the winemaking prowess and expand its vineyards. The BVVS has been restored as a collection of small-production wines that, according to their press, “honor the winery’s pioneering spirit and contribution to California winemaking. Available only at the winery and for club-members, the diverse selection of Vinicultural Society wines explores clonal selections, varietals, vineyards and the incredible terroir of Sonoma County.”

All I could say is that it was the perfect end to a crazy work year…or perfect start to an enjoyable holiday season.

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2010 Chateau La Rose Saint-Sauveur Grand Vin de Bordeaux

This fun red hails from the Appellation of Haut-Médoc in the Bordeaux region of southwestern France, on the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary.  Consumed over the course of several evenings this week, this 2010 Chateau La Rose Saint-Sauveur was pleasant on the nose and the tongue…gaining some fullness, in my uneducated opinion, over the week.  My best friend has spoiled me on bordeaux, however, and this one didn’t quite measure up to others chronicled in this Notes blog.  They can’t all be spectacular, and this one thus comes in as a “working class” bordeaux in my humble opinion.

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2010 Chateau La Rose Saint-Sauveur Grand Vin de Bordeaux, France

The last glass I had with a seasoned pork loin, cooked to perfection, and a green salad of red onion, apple slices, mixed romaine, and bleu cheese–definitely with a Greek flavor.  And this bordeaux was serviceable in that capacity, and I was glad to give it a go, but it’s now off my To-Do List and enables me to enjoy others during this holiday season.

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2010 Michael Pozzan Special Selection Annabella Cabernet Sauvignon

This fantastic cab we purchased from one of our favorite wine stores in Ridgewood, NJ, based on its display and it hit the mark in every which way.  A very affordable Napa County cab, it served in part as a “test” sample for a Christmas gift that we’ll be sharing with my folks in a few weeks.  This 2010 is actually a blend of 75% Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Napa Valley Merlot, 5% Sonoma Coast Cabernet Sauvignon, and it’s aged in French oak for 16 months.

2010 Michael Pozzan Special Selection Annabella Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa County, USA.

2010 Michael Pozzan Special Selection Annabella Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa County, USA.

Rich in its color, you could tell the Annabella was going to be great as soon as you started to pour it. It smelled fantastic…a mix of dark berries and hearty spices that were a knockout.  Already I want another…and here some initial thoughts from its producer:

“This medium plum-colored Cabernet Sauvignon is from one of the best places in the world for producing the varietal–Napa. The aromas are textbook Cab, from the fruit profile being dark cherry with ripe cassis notes…”

It would absolutely kill if served with a nice medium rare steak, but I simply had a single glass(ish) on several nights this week rather than a meal.  Next time it’s served with blood and will be part of the night’s highlights.  If you have a chance to pick this up I strongly recommend–you will NOT be disappointed.

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Monte Degli Angeli Piemonte Pinot Noir 2011

Needed a passable yet affordable red to take along to the neighborhood Christmas party and the Monte Degli Angeli Piemonte fits that bill.  This pinot could not be mistaken for one of our favorite Napa or Sonoma pinot noirs but did help get me into the holiday spirit.  Sampled this with all kinds of fun foodstuffs and have just one more remaining from our original case.