Tag Archives: $15-$20

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2014 Petite Petit, Michael David Winery

Last weekend I had the opportunity to participate in a blind taste test for the 2014 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, a great experience on multiple levels. One of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was the tasty reminder of how enjoyable the Michael David Petite Petit is. For those of you interested in Caymus’ big fruit explosion but not the accompanying price tag, look no further than the 2014 Petite Petit.

2014 Petite Petit, Michael David Winery, Lodi, California, USA.

2014 Petite Petit, Michael David Winery, Lodi, California, USA.

Those reading Notes for an extended period know that the 2014 Petite Petit is almost a vertical for me, as I have sampled too the 2013 and 2011 vintages. Each has been great, a surplus of red berry, currant, and cherry flavors that unfold on the tongue. It pours almost a red-black syrup, fragrant (is that pepper?) and inviting. If you like rich, full reds without heavy tannins this could ring every bell for you.

This evening the Petite Petit (15% Verdot) accompanied grilled chicken strips, side salad with fresh ground pepper and home-grown basil, steamed broccoli, and white rice. Interesting contrast of flavors, this mix of the fruity red and the salted starch, and one I’d gladly repeat.

How is it that you may know Michael David Winery already? In February of this year, Michael David was named the 2015 Winery of the Year at the 2016 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium. This Lodi-based operation produces over 600,000 cases of wine annually, including its 7 Deadly Zins flagship Zinfandel. This was the #1-selling Zinfandel of 2015, but I have yet to sample. Looking forward to that, though…

Thanks, Michael and David Phillips for some bottled magic. I enjoy this one each year!

 

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2013 Pinot Noir, Curlew Vineyards

Over the last week I’ve sampled some less than amazing red wines, and the kitchen counter is carrying about four half-consumed bottles that I’ll try to revisit over the holiday weekend. Perhaps. In the meantime, I decided I needed a palate cleanser and popped a cork on this 2013 Pinot Noir from Curlew Vineyards to get that job done, and done well.

2013 Pinot Noir, Curlew Vineyards, Russian River Valley, California, USA.

2013 Pinot Noir, Curlew Vineyards, Russian River Valley, California, USA. (Photo courtesy of http://www.cellartracker.com)

This delicious red is made by the Pedroncelli family and presents some excellent features for the price. It’s light but nuanced, with scents of cherry and other red berries in the glass. If you sometimes grimace at vanilla or strawberry in your pinots as I do, this is your wine. Neither are present (some tasters will beg to differ but I think them overstating the tastes and scents here) to any appreciable extent in this Russian River Valley red!

It’s 100% Pinot Noir with plenty of fruits without being the flavor bomb that, for example, the delicious Petite Petit can be. Saturday the wine accompanied pan-seared filet mignon; tonight some kicked up hamburgers grilled to taste. You sip this red contentedly, enjoying its rich color in your stemware and its rich red fruit on your taste buds. Only 1,500 cases of this micro-production Pinot Noir were made, so if you’re intrigued by its profile here be sure to act quickly to track some down for yourself.

I found this on Wines Til Sold Out and hope that helps in your search. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

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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.