Tag Archives: $15-$20

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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.

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2012 Conundrum, Wagner Family

This is Part 2 of Restaurant Week in the Queen City, a Friday night at Morton’s for steaks, vino, and quality time together. By the time our Uber driver dropped us at its front door, the steakhouse was hopping and filled with good people enjoying their evenings.

Both my wife and I had scoped out the menu several weeks ago when making the reservation and, by the time we were seated in a cozy booth looking over the dining room, we were ready to partake in grapes and grub. Morton’s obviously has an amazing wine list (we were seated directly in front of magnums of Caymus and Silver Oak Cabernet) that tantalized and transfixed this fan, but I felt great about this bottle of Conundrum that we had brought for the occasion–uncorking fees be damned.

2012 Conundrum, Wagner Family, California, USA.

2012 Conundrum, Wagner Family, California, USA.

The waiter complimented our Wagner selection and gave the usual preview, one I swirled just briefly before having him pour for us both. This plush red blend poured deep and rich, its blackberry and cherry notes wafting against the grilled meats and breads in enticing fashion–of course I was hooked immediately. I know Conundrum has its roots in both California Zinfandel and Syrah, and the latter seemed to take the lead in tonight’s dance. The wine was fruity yet full of earth tones, and I’m sorry to say was our last Conundrum on hand (already thinking about ordering more).

It also worked effectively with our meals. First we sampled lobster bisque and Caesar salad, and then our main courses were plated. Filet Mignon, cooked a healthy medium temperature, was juicy and delicious. Both of us had ordered a horseradish mashed potato side that was perhaps the one chink in Morton’s armor–the potatoes were not hot enough and didn’t have any appreciable bite to them, certainly not one you’d attribute to horseradish. Dessert was excellent, though, a chocolate mousse and key lime pie slice. Both were photo-worthy but you’ll have to take my word for it as I captured the entre course instead.

Notes has covered Conundrum on at least two recent occasions, and hopefully you have a good sense of its offering and characteristics at this point. Really approachable and delicious. Enjoy…

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2012 Conundrum, Wagner Family

I enjoyed a great bottle of Conundrum earlier this year and uncorked this one to share the experience with family. We have just returned from watching the new Star Wars (good flick) and are prepping a light dinner–a “must do” after all the rich eating on Christmas. This deep ruby red is now in the glass, so let’s touch on some details:

2012 Conundrum

2012 Conundrum, Wagner Family, Napa Valley, California, USA.

This 2012 red blend is going to accompany a Romaine salad, tossed with Buffalo-style chicken, and accented with a crumble of Gorgonzola. It’s luscious fruits, harvested from grapes in California’s Napa Valley, are presented evenly. In the Conundrum you have less spice than a Syrah and less tannins than a Cabernet Sauvignon, but both probably contribute to this proprietary blend.  In the 2012 vintage, I taste a little bit of cherry, blueberry, and even want to bite into it a bit–that’s an accent I usually attribute to a chocolatey profile of a wine. The actual blend is not disclosed by the Wagners but works to good effect in the Conundrum.

I know that the Wagner family would suggest this Conundrum be consumed not at room temperature but slightly colder; we’ll have to give that a shot next time instead. Would that have been a good contrast to the spicy Buffalo sauce? Interesting to consider. I’ll keep you posted and thanks again for following Notes here.

 

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2012 Vintner’s Collection Meritage, Sterling Vineyards; 2009 Amantis Montecucco Sangiovese

Christmas Day and plenty of great vino to be enjoyed. First on the docket? The 2012 Sterling Meritage, a big red from the Central Coast of California. Earlier this year I had my first Sterling, and both receive favorable marks for their depth and taste.

2012 Vintner's Collection Meritage, Sterling Vineyards, Central Coast

2012 Vintner’s Collection Meritage, Sterling Vineyards, Central Coast, California, USA.

This Meritage is your kitchen sink of reds–it packs in Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, and you end up with several layers in tasting. Just check out the adjacent photo. You have the fruits (black cherry for sure), a hint of vanilla, and also some of the spice that I think comes through in the Verdot. This bottle we sampled, collectively, with hors d’oeuvres that included an amazing, thick pepperoni, olives, various crackers, and olive tapanade. Maybe some salted almonds too? Special thanks to my cousin and his bride, if you’re reading along, for this fun treat.

The main event of our dinner? A roast to die for. It had a fantastic bark to it (I know this isn’t a food blog but the beef was photo-worthy in and of itself) and the seasonings (salt, dill seed, coriander, garlic, etc.) were perfect. Yes, we had all the usual fixings with the entre, but the beef was cooked just right and carried a tremendous amount of flavor–upon request the butcher had removed the rib bones but then retied them to the meat so as to infuse them into the process. I may err in a detail or two here; again this is more about the wine but just wanted to share details on the accompanying food.

There was a hearty Bordeaux breathing in a decanter all evening, and we opened a 2009 Amantis Montecucco Sangiovese as well. This Italian red originates from the region between Montalcino and coast of Tuscany–one my reference says “succeeds at a hybrid of Brunell and Supertuscan that demonstrates a natural appropriation of the latter two regions’ superlative characters.” Some five-dollar words to say it’s a great, hearty wine with some depth to it.

2009 Amantis Montecucco Sangiovese, Italy.

2009 Amantis Montecucco Sangiovese, Italy.

I taste black cherry here too in the Sangiovese, and rich spices that went just great with the pepper-encrusted beef. Juicy, and delicious. This 2009 could have been tart and tannic, but it wasn’t. The wine was much softer than I’d pictured, and that’s a good thing. We had this first bottle of the 2009 Amantis Montecucco Sangiovese, and a second one immediately on its heels. A third bottle, had one been along for the festivities, would have followed as well.

I’m interested in sampling again on a day where my palate hasn’t been exposed too to Bordeaux or a California red just in case I’m mixing characteristics among the reds. A fun day, though, and one embellished by good wine.

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2012 Simi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

The Alexander Valley I’ve “visited” on several previous occasions. Among the 30 or so vineyards of this Sonoma County AVA are Clos du Bois, Francis Ford Coppola, Rodney Strong, and Simi Winery–who produced this bold 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon.

2012 Simi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley

2012 Simi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA.

Tonight this Cab accompanied black and blue bacon cheeseburgers, tossed beds of greens with mustard, and crispy crowns potatoes. The blackberry flavors, tinged with subtle inferences of spice, were a juicy accent to the burgers. The Simi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon smelled almost tart in the glass, but its actual finish was far gentler and more even than its nose suggested. My wife expressed this idea far more eloquently than I am here but, like this enjoyable bottle of red, her words were fleeting and I have lost them to time and space.

Here’s how the vineyard conveyed: “Balanced flavors of red and black fruits, smooth tannins, and soft spice give way to a velvety finish.” They used fruit from Los Amigos and Red Fan, and other Alexander Valley Vineyards (e.g., Encinos, Big River, Hoot Owl Creek, and Belle Terre) to develop the final flavors in this Cabernet, which is actually a red blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec. (It’s the Malbec and Verdot that convey the spices, if you’re curious…)

Last couple things: the grapes fermented 32 days in stainless steel (on the skins) and ultimately aged 16 months in small oak barrels–releasing in June of 2014. It’s a good value for the price, and the 2012 Simi Cab should be readily available in your local wine store. I’d pick up another and recommend you do the same.

 

 

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2012 Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon

Silver Palm is a new Cabernet Sauvignon to this taster, and one I was glad to try this December weekend. It’s label is definitely an attention-grabber, its platinum inlay and metallic finish an inviting beacon on the shelf of our local wine store.

2012 Silver Palm, Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast, California, USA.

2012 Silver Palm, Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast, California, USA.

We know that 2012 was a favorable year for California Cab, and that’s evident here in this dark ruby red wine. It has a definite cherry taste to it, and it is substantive. There are spices on the nose, and I’m drinking it from a Reidel glass made specifically for Cab Sauv. I think that helps bring out some of the nuances here. The finish is soft and silky; the tannins even and firm.

Says the winemaker, “We select grapes from some of the finest coastal vineyards in Northern California and, with traditional and cutting-edge artisan winemaking techniques, craft a sumptuous, seamless Cabernet.”

Enjoyed very much, both last evening with pan-seared steaks and broccoli, and again tonight with Mexican chicken soup. The 2012 Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon will go great with your steaks, your ribs, and virtually any meal seasoned with pepper. Or with none–just grab a bottle and give it a try.

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2012 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon

Last weekend I went on a quest for 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Montes Alpha was a specific focus of that search. The latest edition of Wine Spectator piqued my interest in its coverage of Cab, and 2012s in particular. This Chilean red  (which includes 10% Merlot in its composition) lived up to all expectations, a luscious and fragrant beauty that was packed with scents of black fruit, herbs, and even a light metallic tang of some kind.

2012 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauivignon, Colchagua, Chile.

2012 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon, Colchagua Valley, Chile.

This AVA in Colchagua, Chile, has a terroir that produces Cabernets that a bit of research tells me are similar to those from Pauillac in Haut-Medoc. This bottle was just under $20, though, and I suspect the French version would be at least three times that figure. Even cooler, in my mind, is that the vineyard’s grapes (from Apalta and Marchigue) are all sustainably dry farmed–they consume far less water than the norm, and produce a noteworthy outcome in the 2012 vintage.

We ate Swiss cheese and mushroom burgers and some ‘crispy crowns’ potatoes alongside this red. Tasting highlights from the Wine Spectator summary read, “Blackberry, graphite, and violet on a structural core of bright acid and plentiful tannin with a long molasses-scented finish.” All that being true, the 2012 Montes Alpha is a very worthwhile drink.

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2012 Pannunzio GV Giovanni Vincenzo Malbec

Let’s not overthink this one. This is the 2012 Pannunzio GV Giovanni Vincenzo Malbec, which I’m sipping on the patio of Tony P’s Dockside Grill in Marina Del Rey. I went out questing for the Pacific and ended up in this casual joint. That’s the California Yacht Club over which the day’s dying light appears.

2012 Pannunzio GV Giovanni Vincenzo Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina.

2012 Pannunzio GV Giovanni Vincenzo Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina.

Enjoyed the wine–perhaps for the ambiance, perhaps for its red ruby color and balanced taste–and a better end to the work day.