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2013 The Count’s Selection Syrah, Buena Vista

As the sun drops lower in the sky, so too does this thoroughly enjoyable bottle of the 2013 The Count’s Selection Syrah, from my favorite winery. It’s a reminder of another time, other adventures, and memories that are nearly a decade in age.

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2013 The Count’s Selection Syrah, Buena Vista Winery, Sonoma, California, USA.

Often I look for news of Buena Vista in the pages of Wine Enthusiast, a tasting note or accolade that California’s oldest premium winery (1857) may have engendered from some competition or critic. It’s not often that the Sonoma winery is covered in the pages of that magazine but I look nevertheless, probably for some affirmation that others enjoy Buena Vista offerings as much as I do. I look not for validation but a shared experience, a shared enjoyment of their approach to winemaking.

This one is bottle #1365, finished as you may gather on a bright, sunny Carolina Sunday. The 2013 Count’s Selection Syrah accompanies steak, Brussel sprouts, and a mashed potato (with just the right lumps and consistency). This wine has some great leather and pepper hints to it, both in the glass and to the taste, and plenty of dark fruits that carry those earthy notes to the taster.

The first glass in always my favorite in a syrah, and this one is no exception. The worst? That’s easy too–your last one.

 

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2013 Les Hauts De Lagarde Bordeaux White

This dish was so great the first time we tried it (thanks Blue Apron!) that we had to run it back–it’s cod kedgeree, over a bed of basmati rice, cabbage, and frizzled onion. The onion is a salty accent, as is freshly squeezed lime juice, and it all went with the 2013 Les Hauts De Lagarde Bordeaux White. This bottle has been with us for about a year, even moving between homes, and this evening was its great unveiling. Its purchase was actually a happy accident that yielded dividends we’re enjoying tonight with the light dinner fare.

2013 Les Hauts De Lagarde Bordeaux White

2013 Les Hauts De Lagarde Bordeaux White, Bordeaux, France.

The 2013 Les Hauts De Lagarde Bordeaux White is really fun. Citrusy, light, and not at all sweet. The vineyard, producing grapes for over eight generations, now embraces chemical free methods so you even feel “organic” and clean when you’re drinking this wine. Its a mix of 60% Sauvignon and 40% Semillon (my first taste of the latter?) that comes together in an even, gentle white. It is sweeter than a Blanc and less buttery than a Chardonnay–a good place to be, in the opinion of this taster.

The winemaker’s notes read, “Yellow pale with iridescent hints. Aromatic, citrus fruits with aromas of white flowers. Lively, rich, with the fine presence of acidity.”

Now, I have no palate or idea what an ‘iridescent hint’ means, but I can confirm it’s an enjoyable citrus pick-me-up. The 2013 Les Hauts De Lagarde Bordeaux White won Gold “Best In Class” recognition at the 2014 Los Angeles International Wine Competition, which means you might put more stock into this wine than just the opinion of this guy. I’m looking forward to finding another bottle of this in the future.

 

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2013 Conundrum, Wagner Family of Wine

Yes, the 25th Anniversary special from the Wagner Family. We have several bottles of the 25th on hand so this introductory review will leave some notes for future tastings. Just an FYI in case you’re left wanting by this post. But read on…

Grapes that the Wagners source for the Conundrum reputedly come from some of the finest vineyards in California, and they’re combined in a closely guarded recipe of dark, fruity goodness that is the Conundrum. This red blend pours inky into your glass, its chroma pushed to nearly 11 on a 10 scale. The vintage, like others sampled here in Notes, has big legs and a bigger mouthfeel.

Ever have a popsicle and pull out all the flavor from the ice while leaving most of the popsicle intact? It’s concentrated flavoring, and that’s a parallel I offer you here in the Conundrum. The winemakers jam this thing full of plum and blackberry flavors that burst in your mouth.

2013 Conundrum, The Wagner Family of Wines, California, USA.
2013 Conundrum (25th Anniversary), The Wagner Family of Wines, California, USA.

The 2013 Condundrum shown here accompanied grilled steaks, lightly seasoned with just salt and pepper, and blue cheese salads that featured perfectly riped tomato wedges and fresh crumble. We through in some crispy crown potatoes too just to make sure we starched up too. I know reviewers often recommend the Conundrum as a complement to barbeque and spiced food, and we stayed pretty close to that playbook on this particular evening…but looking forward already to what comes next. Enjoy your Condundrum!

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2013 Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection Meritage

Okay, this one is much less about the 2013 Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection Meritage. It pours blackish-purple into your glass (or your cup, as the case may be this evening) and smells of plum and black cherry. Normally I’d pair up this red blend with grilled steak and wax on about the pepper undertone of the Mondavi with the meat…but tonight I’m in a different sort of venue.

2013 Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection Meritage

2013 Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection Meritage, Central Coast, California, USA.

Instead, I’ve paired up the 2013 Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection Meritage with a deck of cards; it’s my nourishment while playing for the first time in a Texas Hold ‘Em tournament with some good friends. Our entry fees are going to the local little league team, raising funds for their annual trip to Cooperstown. With Lady Luck largely avoiding my #3 position at Table #3, I have ample time to sip my Meritage and fold low off-suit cards. Face cards and pairs are avoiding me like the plague, and “6s” are burning hot on the table.

That being said, I’ll tell you the 2013 overpowers a handful of pretzels and slices of turkey party sub. It’s dark fruit goodness, and pouring as fast as my chips disappear. Loving the experience of both…

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2014 Albarrada, Vinho Regional Alentejano

It’s a night of experimentation, with new foodstuffs and wine on the line. Let’s start with dinner–a new recipe for chicken cacciatore with fettuccine pasta and mushrooms. The chicken was light, the pasta was easy, and we kicked up the garlic-infused red sauce a notch by way of some carefully placed flakes of crushed red pepper. (Okay, we kicked up the mushrooms too, doubling what the instructions called for – we love us some shrooms!)

2014 Albarrada Vinho Regional Alentejano, Portugal.

2014 Albarrada Vinho Regional Alentejano, Portugal.

Bottled by Adega de Redondo, the wine is made from a grape that’s new to this reviewer. The 2014 Albarrada red is made from the Castelão grape and known too as the Periquita. Upon first tasting, the Albarrada reminded me very much of a Bordeaux. It is dry and fresh red fruits in ample supply, combined with a longer tannic finish. As it breathed over the evening, the Albarrada softened and showed its true colors–which are crimson red, by the way.

Even now I’m thinking about the spice in the pepper flakes and this red blend. I thought they came together pretty well, but I am less than enthusiastic about tomato sauces so might have missed some of the highlights of this combination.

What I’ll remember long after the Albarrada and the Castelão fade from my mind is the spirited kitchen ambiance and the fun of readying this delicious meal.

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2014 Meiomi Chardonnay

Meiomi wine has been exceptionally good to us lately. This evening is another instance that echoes recent bottles we have had, both whites and reds, and I would encourage you to browse any of those reviews for context. It’s our first sampling of the 2014 vintage, and we picked a great meal with which to pair this aromatic white wine.

2014 Meiomi Chardonnay, California, USA.

2014 Meiomi Chardonnay, California, USA.

The food? Killer. A moonshot home run. You’re looking at a 2014 Meiomi Chardonnay next to Cod Kedgeree served over basmati rice, eggs, and frizzled onion. The lime garnish was a great touch too, softening the curry spices (a blend of kedgeree spices) and bringing some light refreshment to the dish. The result, courtesy of Blue Apron and a fun evening in the kitchen doing the prep work, was a mix of warm and cool, of spice and sweet. I’m not sure I’ve had a Chardonnay under better circumstances, all told.

The cod kedgeree in the prep stage.

The cod kedgeree in the prep stage.

As shared in previous Notes regarding Meiomi, the winemaker sources these grapes from multiple AVAs throughout California and brings them together in a proprietary blend. There is some orange in the aromas, some other citrus fruits, and a luscious mouthfeel. It sounds weird to observe that it tastes liquid, or solid, but both kind of make sense as I reflect back on the 2014 now. Some thoughtful planning had two bottles of the 2014 on hand as we started in on this adventure, and when we finished the first we had #2 primed and ready.

Though we do prefer the 2013 to the 2014 Meiomi, the latter made for quite a fantastic dining (cooking too!) experience.

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2014 Cuvée Joëlle White Blend

The Georges Vigouroux winery in France produces the 2014 Cuvée Joëlle White Blend, a new bottle we received in a recent mail order shipment. It’s new to our house and this blog, and I’m still wrestling with my notes to find something worthwhile to pass along here for anyone who was interested enough to click.

2014 Cuvée Joëlle White Blend

2014 Cuvée Joëlle White Blend, France.

My palate for white wine is very unrefined, and that’s a key limitation when sampling a bottle as layered as the 2014 Cuvée Joëlle. It’s a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (60%) and a grape entirely new to me, the Loin De L’oeil (40%). As I do some reading on the latter, I understand it’s the Loin that gives the wine the vibrancy and balance I tasted. Virtually every review of white wine uses “citrus” in some form to describe the wine, and this one should as well. You definitely get some of that in the Cuvée Joëlle. It’s less about flowers and more about fruit notes–yet still reminds me of when you cut into green flower stalks and get a whiff of their chlorophyl?

I can also tell you it’s not as dry as other Sauv Blancs I’ve had, but more dry than sweet. And I have no clue whatsoever a ‘gooseberry’ is in this importer’s description: “This blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Loin De L’oeil gives flavors of gooseberry and citrus with notes of green.” If that means something to you, then great. Just passing along a possible nugget your way.

Have your own opinion of what it means to order a bulk shipment with no previous expectation with the agent or the wines. Me? I think it a new adventure that exposed me to grapes and wines I would likely stroll past in my local wine store. Wines such as the 2014 Cuvée Joëlle White Blend remind you that it’s good to take Frost’s road every now and again.