Wine and Food Adventures

Napa Valley, California
70 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot
14.2 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-04-26

Medium ruby red. Clear with some light rims hinting at ripeness. Compote of plums, a little bit of eucalyptus, cedars and perhaps a touch of cold cigar smoke. But very pleasant and in total complex. On the palate at the beginning the fruit notes are dominating followed by some freshness (the eucalyptus!) which results in a medium to long harmonic finish where all the components come together with a very charming sweetness. One of these wines who tell you after a sip: More, drink more! Again a wonderful example for this underestimated vintage in California.

We opened this wine for a dinner with friends; we had a "Gumbo-style" soup with bush beans, chorizo (Spanish spicy sausage) and prawns and as second course pork burrito with mole sauce. With both dishes the wine harmonized perfectly. Indeed I believe that the J. Daniel Cuvée is a wonderful food pairing wine. With its silent elegance it adapts wonderfully to a wide range of food - may it be more spicy like the Gumbo or a very special "flavor bomb" like the mole burrito. The J. Daniel Cuvée punctuates the dishes, not overwhelming them.

The wine is wonderful to drink at the moment. It will hold this quality another three years minimum.

Sonoma Valley, California
14.3 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-04-18

Deep, dark ruby red; almost purple. Very rich color. Classical, fine but discreet Pinot nose. Almost mystic mix of cassis, some blackberries and freshly cut flowers. At the beginning on the palate a touch of sweetness induced by strawberries. This is very quickly changing to an austere cassis note which remains incredibly long. A Pinot Noir with a very special personality. For me: Very good!

It was Saturday night after a tough week at work. I was looking for a nice bottle of red wine for an afternoon chill-out. In the cellar I found this Nicholson Pinot - and I was a little bit surprised. Usually I buy at this wonderful place only the outstanding Chardonnays. Hm. But during the tasting nearly two years ago the wine was obviously very good. Otherwise I wouldn't have taken it with me at home. And indeed it was. It was the perfect selection for an evening to hang around.

This Pinot will hold its current quality two years minimum. After that it will change its style to a more ripe one. At the moment wonderful with a nice Hanger Steak - I mentioned earlier that Steak and Pinot is one of the most underestimated pairings. Try it!

Napa Valley, California
16.4 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-04-10

Deep garnet red with some tile-red rims. Hm. Did I wait too long?

Earthy notes are dominating paired with ripe compote of black berries, dark chocolate and cold black tee. On the palate very fruity with a wonderful persistently redcurrant flavor. Incredibly long finish: smooth, animating and fleshy. Perfect!

So to answer the question at the beginning: No - I didn't wait too long. From color perspective this wine is perhaps a little bit over the time. But that's all. For me it is absolutely on the top and will hold this quality for a lot of additional years. It is a privilege to drink such wines. Thanks, Helen Turley.

Pairing with food? Alba truffles. Definitely!

Sierra Madre Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley, California
14.2 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-03-06

Bright golden yellow with green reflexes. Appears heavy in the glass. Ripe but firm to the bite pears. Crisp. Furthermore aromas of mild lemon drops paired with a touch of butterscotch and pineapple.

In the mouth an incredible diversity of flavor nuances: The pears are clearly present, followed by a creamy acidity of lemons and pineapples. This acidity is slowly converted to a floating "fruit carpet". Never ending.

Already wonderful to drink. Remains on this level for further three years. After that? Difficult to say at the moment.

Pairing Asian food with US chardonnay is always, as is well known, a very difficult thing. But when I drank this wonderful Chardonnay it came immediately to my mind that for a well-balanced (not too sweet, not too hot) Asian dish this could be a partner worth to try.

Oakville, Napa Valley, California
16.0 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-03-08

Wonderful purple with medium color depth. Fir, cinnamon, wild berries, sweet smoked bacon? This wine offers a whole basket of flavors. And every minute a different one dominates. Extremely fruity and nearly endless. A monster in an absolutely positive sense.

This bottle was a present of my wife for my birthday. I want MORE...

The 2008 Maybach Materium is just at the very first beginning. Decantation for an hour is momentarily a must. Then it will provide lots of pleasure. However it is worth to hold for another five, ten or even twenty years. In this phase pair it with lamb chops.

A typical Cab - I don't know. A terrific wine - YES.