Today a classic American "Linner" - with wines from Burlington Chandler.
We met the owner during our last Lodi visit at the Lodi Wine Experience.
The Programme:
Mango Chili King Prawns - served with
NV Burlington Chandler Lively White "Mark And Jan's Selection"
Vegan Tomato-Inspired Tortillas - served with
2022 Burlington Chandler Rosé Of Malbec
Pasta with Chanterelles - served with
2021 Burlington Chandler Old Vine Zinfandel
But first, the wines are first tasted solo.
NV Burlington Chandler Lively White "Mark And Jan's Selection" (90/100)
Lodi, California, USA
13.5 % Alcohol
Pale golden yellow with light streaks. Subtle citrus notes paired with green gooseberries. Immediately noticeable on the palate is the creaminess underpinned with mild acidity, which just drags on impossibly long to the smooth finish. In Germany, the wine would be described as "feinherb". A classic aperitif for a cooler fall evening. Very strong.
2022 Burlington Chandler Rosé of Malbec (91/100)
Lodi, California, USA
100 % Malbec
12.8 % alcohol
Bright, light raspberry red. Aromas of red currants plus some cassis. Very fresh on the palate with a mild acidity. The medium length finish remains fruity until the soft end. Delightful on such a hot day.
2021 Burlington Chandler Old Vine Zinfandel (95/100)
Lodi, California, USA
100 % Zinfandel
13.9 % Alcohol
Bright ruby red. Aromas of wild strawberries paired with petals and a hint of spice (mild chili spice?). Fresh and fruity on the palate with a long spicy finish. In no way over-extracted. Of course, a phrase from our friend Steve Law spontaneously comes to mind: "Big flavor don't need big alcohol." He is right - and this Zinfandel is a prime example. If ever there was a summer Zin, this is it. Enjoy slightly chilled.
The Pairing(s)
NV Burlington Chandler Lively White "Mark And Jan's Selection" & Mango Chili King Prawns
Awesome!!! The wine develops an extra freshness along with the chili notes. I love when the wine adapts to the dish without losing its soul. Here, that was the case to a very special degree.
2022 Burlington Chandler Rosé of Malbec & Vegan Tomato Inspired Tortillas
In fact, I wasn't quite sure about this one, but all doubts were unfounded. I essentially used Amazon chili - heat level 4 - and cilantro to prepare the filling. And it was precisely with this that the wine developed an almost hedonistic spiciness. Sometimes you just have to be lucky.
2021 Burlington Chandler Old Vine Zinfandel & Pasta with Chanterelles
As you would expect, a perfect pairing. Zinfandel and mushrooms always do the trick. However, the moderate alcohol makes this particular Zinfandel a phenomenal food companion. I would never have recommended Zinfandel with a rib eye - until now.
In total: The perfect Linner!
Saturday, April 11. 2020
Codfish with Mole Verde and Sweet Corn
It is Good Friday and a little bit of wine is left from our high-end-dinner last week:
- 2018 Oak Farm Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
- 2017 Klinker Brick Winery Albariño
So it fits quite well that Teresa wants to prepare a nice Mexican dish with a green Mole Verde:
My assumption was that the Sauvignon Blanc would fit perfectly and the Albariño could have slight problems. Fortunately, I had no idea .
As expected, the Sauvignon Blanc from Oak Farm harmonized wonderfully with the subtle pungency of the Mole Verde. Together with the fish, beautiful, pointed fresh aromas developed on the palate. The wine supported the pungency and elegantly guided it into a perfect full chord. The entire ensemble was also retained by the add-on sour cream. Awesome.
Then Klinker Brick Albariño. Stupefying. The minerality that could be tasted the previous week was still there, but together with the mole it turned into a silky, slightly hot taste experience that is second to none. Spicy explosions alternated with velvety softness depending on the composition of the different ingredients. One of the best Food-Wine pairing experiences of my life. Simply terrific.
Obvious task for Teresa: More Mole Verde dishes!
Happy Easter!
- 2018 Oak Farm Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
- 2017 Klinker Brick Winery Albariño
So it fits quite well that Teresa wants to prepare a nice Mexican dish with a green Mole Verde:
Codfish with Mole Verde and Sweet Corn
Basmati Rice with Lime and Coriander, Corn Tortillas and Sour Cream with Bell Pepper
Basmati Rice with Lime and Coriander, Corn Tortillas and Sour Cream with Bell Pepper
My assumption was that the Sauvignon Blanc would fit perfectly and the Albariño could have slight problems. Fortunately, I had no idea .
As expected, the Sauvignon Blanc from Oak Farm harmonized wonderfully with the subtle pungency of the Mole Verde. Together with the fish, beautiful, pointed fresh aromas developed on the palate. The wine supported the pungency and elegantly guided it into a perfect full chord. The entire ensemble was also retained by the add-on sour cream. Awesome.
Then Klinker Brick Albariño. Stupefying. The minerality that could be tasted the previous week was still there, but together with the mole it turned into a silky, slightly hot taste experience that is second to none. Spicy explosions alternated with velvety softness depending on the composition of the different ingredients. One of the best Food-Wine pairing experiences of my life. Simply terrific.
The Mole Verde Challenge:
2018 Oak Farm Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
2017 Klinker Brick Winery Albariño
2018 Oak Farm Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
2017 Klinker Brick Winery Albariño
Obvious task for Teresa: More Mole Verde dishes!
Happy Easter!
Sunday, April 5. 2020
Lodi meets Baden-Wuerttemberg - A High-End-Dinner induced by Corona
These are strange and difficult times. Not only Germany but the whole world is under control of Corona. In addition to the tragedies caused by illness and death, the news about dramas that arise as a result of the falling economy become more and more every day. Gastronomy is one of many economy sectors that have a particularly difficult time. Many restaurants try to counter this situation by selling vouchers or by offering pick-up or delivery service. So also one of our favorite restaurants - the Country Inn "Zum Hirsch".
So I thought I would have a high-end dinner with (my own) matching wines for my wife and me at home. Said and done. The dishes are prepared by Chef and Owner Markus Nagy in such a way that they are easy to finish at home.
And here is the menu:
1st Course
- Atlantic Swordfish Tartare with Wasabi Sour Cream, Cucumber and Mixed Salad (Teresa)
- Gâteau of Japanese Scallop, Green Apple, Coriander Mayonnaise and Mixed Salad (Peter)
2nd Course
- Breton Lobster Bisque
3rd Course
- Ragoût from the Arctic Char in Riesling Mousse with Fresh Mushrooms, Green Asparagus and Risotto Milanese (Teresa)
- Braised Australian Wagyu Brisket with Horseradish Sauce, Potatoes and Beetroot (Peter)
4th Course
- Curd Cheese Almond Cake on Cassis Fig and Vanilla Mousse (Teresa)
- Mango Passion Fruit Mousse with Pineapple (Peter)
The task to find the right wines was now to select only wines from lovely Lodi - and exclusively from wineries that I had already visited and whose wines I imported myself. I chose the following wines:
1st Course:
- 2018 Oak Farm Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
2nd Course:
- 2016 LangeTwins Estate Chardonnay
3rd Course:
- 2017 Klinker Brick Winery Albariño (Teresa)
- 2015 Klinker Brick Winery Farrah Syrah Grand Reserve (Peter)
4th Course:
- 2016 St. Amant Bootleg
All wines were opened and tasted before dinner. The final ratings were then assessed after dinner. As an exception the wine-food pairing was also included in the rating.
2018 Oak Farm Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc (93/100)
Lodi, California
13.5 % Alcohol
Pale yellow green. Pure lime with a hint of tropical notes. Today is a wonderful, sunny spring day - and this is the perfect wine for this day. Fresh on the palate but not astringent in any way. Invigorating and at the same time softly flowing. An incredibly long finish. Awesome.
This Sauvignon Blanc is already perfect to drink but will remain on this level for another three years minimum.
2016 LangeTwins Estate Chardonnay (92/100)
Clarksburg, California
14.5 % Alcohol
Light golden yellow. Wonderful, intense smell of a whole basket of exotic fruits. A hint of caramel and slightly nutty aromas. Typical Chardonnay creaminess on the palate with a very slight sweetness at the end of the very long finish. Vibrant.
Just at the beginning. Another five years no problem.
Remark: The originally rating was 91 points. One point was added for the outstanding food pairing.
2017 Klinker Brick Winery Albariño (91/100)
Lodi, California
13.0 % Alcohol
Light golden yellow. On the nose abundant green apple paired with a wonderful flint note. Surprisingly, a little vanilla is added after a while in the glass. A prime example of a white wine that should be decanted. Very mineral on the palate and still endowed with a nice, fresh acid.
Absolutely at its peak, which will continue for at least two years.
2015 Klinker Brick Winery Farrah Syrah Grand Reserve (94/100)
Lodi, California
15.9 % Alcohol
Medium purple red. Incredibly intense aroma of fresh forest berries. There is also leather, tobacco and lots of forest herbs. An olfactory bomb.
Pure fruit on the palate. In addition, a typical Syrah acidity that gives the wine the strength to linger for a very, very long time. The admittedly high alcohol content is only noticed to a limited extent and is an advantage here: The wine becomes softer and softer towards the finish. Syrah at its best.
Just at the beginning. Another ten years for sure.
2016 St. Amant Bootleg (92/100)
Amador County, California (OK. Not really Lodi. But St. Amant is definitely 100 % Lodi .)
18.5 % Alcohol
Dark ruby red. Very classic nose of a young port. Crushed berries, ripe plums and mashed strawberries. Pure fruitiness on the palate. A harmonious acidity accompanies the wine in a long, velvety finish.
Already perfect to drink. I am quite sure I will say the same in fifteen years.
The Wine / Food Pairing.
1st Course:
Home game for the Sauvignon Blanc from Oak Farm. Both dishes were extremely fresh and clean. The scallops were more on the sharper side, which the wine liked a little more.
2nd Course:
Outstanding food pairing. The wonderful scent of the lobster soup already got everything out of the Chardonnay. Incredibly good. The wine covered the soup like a second skin.
3rd Course:
Both courses are real challenges for perfect wine pairings. Interestingly, both wines went very well with the brisket. Not just the Syrah. The minerality of the Albarinho worked a little against the Riesling mousse of the char.
4th Course:
Not much to say. Wonderful to both dishes.
Many thanks to Britta and Markus for this culinary delight.
Many thanks to Heather, Dan, Amanda, Joe, Lori, Steve, Farrah, Stefan, Barbara, Stuart and Nathan for your incredibly good wines.
So I thought I would have a high-end dinner with (my own) matching wines for my wife and me at home. Said and done. The dishes are prepared by Chef and Owner Markus Nagy in such a way that they are easy to finish at home.
And here is the menu:
1st Course
- Atlantic Swordfish Tartare with Wasabi Sour Cream, Cucumber and Mixed Salad (Teresa)
- Gâteau of Japanese Scallop, Green Apple, Coriander Mayonnaise and Mixed Salad (Peter)
2nd Course
- Breton Lobster Bisque
3rd Course
- Ragoût from the Arctic Char in Riesling Mousse with Fresh Mushrooms, Green Asparagus and Risotto Milanese (Teresa)
- Braised Australian Wagyu Brisket with Horseradish Sauce, Potatoes and Beetroot (Peter)
4th Course
- Curd Cheese Almond Cake on Cassis Fig and Vanilla Mousse (Teresa)
- Mango Passion Fruit Mousse with Pineapple (Peter)
The task to find the right wines was now to select only wines from lovely Lodi - and exclusively from wineries that I had already visited and whose wines I imported myself. I chose the following wines:
1st Course:
- 2018 Oak Farm Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
2nd Course:
- 2016 LangeTwins Estate Chardonnay
3rd Course:
- 2017 Klinker Brick Winery Albariño (Teresa)
- 2015 Klinker Brick Winery Farrah Syrah Grand Reserve (Peter)
4th Course:
- 2016 St. Amant Bootleg
All wines were opened and tasted before dinner. The final ratings were then assessed after dinner. As an exception the wine-food pairing was also included in the rating.
2018 Oak Farm Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc (93/100)
Lodi, California
13.5 % Alcohol
Pale yellow green. Pure lime with a hint of tropical notes. Today is a wonderful, sunny spring day - and this is the perfect wine for this day. Fresh on the palate but not astringent in any way. Invigorating and at the same time softly flowing. An incredibly long finish. Awesome.
This Sauvignon Blanc is already perfect to drink but will remain on this level for another three years minimum.
2016 LangeTwins Estate Chardonnay (92/100)
Clarksburg, California
14.5 % Alcohol
Light golden yellow. Wonderful, intense smell of a whole basket of exotic fruits. A hint of caramel and slightly nutty aromas. Typical Chardonnay creaminess on the palate with a very slight sweetness at the end of the very long finish. Vibrant.
Just at the beginning. Another five years no problem.
Remark: The originally rating was 91 points. One point was added for the outstanding food pairing.
2017 Klinker Brick Winery Albariño (91/100)
Lodi, California
13.0 % Alcohol
Light golden yellow. On the nose abundant green apple paired with a wonderful flint note. Surprisingly, a little vanilla is added after a while in the glass. A prime example of a white wine that should be decanted. Very mineral on the palate and still endowed with a nice, fresh acid.
Absolutely at its peak, which will continue for at least two years.
2015 Klinker Brick Winery Farrah Syrah Grand Reserve (94/100)
Lodi, California
15.9 % Alcohol
Medium purple red. Incredibly intense aroma of fresh forest berries. There is also leather, tobacco and lots of forest herbs. An olfactory bomb.
Pure fruit on the palate. In addition, a typical Syrah acidity that gives the wine the strength to linger for a very, very long time. The admittedly high alcohol content is only noticed to a limited extent and is an advantage here: The wine becomes softer and softer towards the finish. Syrah at its best.
Just at the beginning. Another ten years for sure.
2016 St. Amant Bootleg (92/100)
Amador County, California (OK. Not really Lodi. But St. Amant is definitely 100 % Lodi .)
18.5 % Alcohol
Dark ruby red. Very classic nose of a young port. Crushed berries, ripe plums and mashed strawberries. Pure fruitiness on the palate. A harmonious acidity accompanies the wine in a long, velvety finish.
Already perfect to drink. I am quite sure I will say the same in fifteen years.
The Wine / Food Pairing.
1st Course:
Home game for the Sauvignon Blanc from Oak Farm. Both dishes were extremely fresh and clean. The scallops were more on the sharper side, which the wine liked a little more.
2nd Course:
Outstanding food pairing. The wonderful scent of the lobster soup already got everything out of the Chardonnay. Incredibly good. The wine covered the soup like a second skin.
3rd Course:
Both courses are real challenges for perfect wine pairings. Interestingly, both wines went very well with the brisket. Not just the Syrah. The minerality of the Albarinho worked a little against the Riesling mousse of the char.
4th Course:
Not much to say. Wonderful to both dishes.
Many thanks to Britta and Markus for this culinary delight.
Many thanks to Heather, Dan, Amanda, Joe, Lori, Steve, Farrah, Stefan, Barbara, Stuart and Nathan for your incredibly good wines.
Monday, June 8. 2015
Small Sunday Afternoon Tasting
Tasting Date: 2015-05-17
This weekend we visited some friends who are both working as forest rangers. They gave us fresh wild boar and also we had some fresh chervil. So we decided to prepare a nice venison dish and combine this with a small tasting - one white and one red.
For the white wine we selected a well matured Chardonnay from C. Donatiello whereas the Reds were represented by a Syrah from Qupé. We expected that the mild prepared venison with the chervil would be enriched by the Chardonnay with a fruity fresh note. On the other hand we hoped that the Syrah would more punctuate the typical earthy notes of such a venison dish.
To come right to the point: The Syrah worked perfectly; the Chardonnay only partly. In principle the idea was good but especially this example from C. Donatiello was a little bit too much dominated by resin notes. On its own no problem but the pairing with the chervil was difficult. I assume a Newton Chardonnay from the same vintage would be the better selection in this case.
2007 C. Donatiello Chardonnay "Maddie's Vineyard" (87/100)
Russian River Valley, California
14.4 % Alcohol
Golden yellow color. Interesting bouquet mix of vanilla, oranges, ripe apricots and honey. The taste is dominated by the honey and a clear resin note. However still a nice freshness. Medium long finish.
Don't wait longer. Drink this Chardonnay now. As a partner a nice idea would be roasted salmon tartar with fresh salad. A wonderful dish I ate recently in one of my favorite restaurants.
2002 Qupé Syrah (90/100)
Central Coast, California
13.5 % Alcohol
Cork broken. Clear, deep ruby red. Wonderful bouquet of red fruits paired with a touch of leather and a little bit black pepper. On the palate blueberries, licorice and again a leather tone. Long - very long - where in the end the licorice is clearly dominating.
A little bit over the time. Drink it now and pair it with a classical dish from the Provence. Perhaps a Bœuf en Daube (Provençal Pot Roast)?
This weekend we visited some friends who are both working as forest rangers. They gave us fresh wild boar and also we had some fresh chervil. So we decided to prepare a nice venison dish and combine this with a small tasting - one white and one red.
For the white wine we selected a well matured Chardonnay from C. Donatiello whereas the Reds were represented by a Syrah from Qupé. We expected that the mild prepared venison with the chervil would be enriched by the Chardonnay with a fruity fresh note. On the other hand we hoped that the Syrah would more punctuate the typical earthy notes of such a venison dish.
To come right to the point: The Syrah worked perfectly; the Chardonnay only partly. In principle the idea was good but especially this example from C. Donatiello was a little bit too much dominated by resin notes. On its own no problem but the pairing with the chervil was difficult. I assume a Newton Chardonnay from the same vintage would be the better selection in this case.
2007 C. Donatiello Chardonnay "Maddie's Vineyard" (87/100)
Russian River Valley, California
14.4 % Alcohol
Golden yellow color. Interesting bouquet mix of vanilla, oranges, ripe apricots and honey. The taste is dominated by the honey and a clear resin note. However still a nice freshness. Medium long finish.
Don't wait longer. Drink this Chardonnay now. As a partner a nice idea would be roasted salmon tartar with fresh salad. A wonderful dish I ate recently in one of my favorite restaurants.
2002 Qupé Syrah (90/100)
Central Coast, California
13.5 % Alcohol
Cork broken. Clear, deep ruby red. Wonderful bouquet of red fruits paired with a touch of leather and a little bit black pepper. On the palate blueberries, licorice and again a leather tone. Long - very long - where in the end the licorice is clearly dominating.
A little bit over the time. Drink it now and pair it with a classical dish from the Provence. Perhaps a Bœuf en Daube (Provençal Pot Roast)?
Tuesday, January 6. 2015
New Years Day Dinner
During one of our last tastings our friends insisted that we should not all time only talk about our experiences with US cuisine. They kindly "instructed" us to prepare a nice American dinner for them and to pair the different dishes with suitable wines. No sooner said than done: We decided to invite them for the New Year's Day. As a special challenge for me I wanted to offer to all dishes except the dessert two wines - a white and a red one.
_____________________________________________________________________
The Menu
Water-Melon Salad with Goat Cheese
- 2013 Gut Naegelsfoerst Sauvignon Blanc
- 2006 Cline Cellars Small Berry Mourvèdre
Rustic Tortilla Soup
- 2011 Yves Cuilleron "La Petite Côte"
- 2001 Bodegas Altanza Lealtanza Reserva Miro
Burger
- 2008 Nicholson Ranch Chardonnay „Cuvée Natalie“
- 2008 Orin Swift Cellars The Prisoner
Molten Chocolate Cake with Walnut Parfait and Berry Compote
- 1997 Pocas Pousada Vintage Port
_____________________________________________________________________
Water-Melon Salad with Goat Cheese
A real nice appetizer from Arizona. I got it from Jaime Oliver's America cookbook. Very refreshing and full of flavours - and extremely difficult to pair with wine due to the mint used as one ingredient. I decided to try the classical goat cheese pairing white wine - a Sauvignon Blanc. As the red partner I selected the 2006 Small Berry Mourvèdre from Cline because of the typical mint aromas of this wine.
2013 Gut Naegelsfoerst Sauvignon Blanc (85/100)
Baden-Baden, Baden, Germany
12.0 % Alcohol
Very bright and clear yellow green. Classic Sauvignon Blanc nose: Gooseberry, unripe kiwi, some lime notes in the background. Extremely young and fresh. On the palate at the beginning a nice and freshening acidity. After a while the acidity is enriched by a certain creaminess you can find very ofen in fruit pudding. This creaminess extends the finish dramatically. A nice Sauvignon Blanc which certainly should be drunk on hot summer days. Of course just at the beginning. If you like this freshness drink it now. But this wine will also provide a lot of fun in two or three years.
2006 Cline Cellars Small Berry Mourvèdre (88/100)
Contra Costa County, California
16.0 % Alcohol
Medium to deep dark cherry red. The expected mint aroma paired with ripe blackberries and some cowberries. On the palate the high alcohol is clearly present but not in an unpleasant way. When this first touch is gone the black fruits slowly take the control which leads to a super-long finish similar when eating a dark berry compote. I decided to decant the wine for two hours which reduces the first alcohol feeling significantly. The wine is already on the top and will hold this quality easily for another three years. Perhaps more.
Conclusion: The dish was the expected difficult partner for the wines. But both wines did a good job. The general consensus was that the Sauvignon Blanc from Gut Naegelsfoerst did better - as long as a bite was taken without the mint. Together with the mint the Cline Cellars Mourvèdre was the better selection.
Rustic Tortilla Soup
Also the preparation of this dish was inspired by Jaime Oliver's America cookbook. But I changed some details. I puréed the soup which of course reduced a little bit the rustic charme. On the other hand it transfomed the soup into an outstanding wine partner. The pairing combinations are manifold. I decided to try a Côtes du Rhône Viognier and Rioja Reserva!
2011 Yves Cuilleron "La Petite Côte" (91/100)
Condrieu, Côtes du Rhône, France
13.0 % Alcohol
Bright golden yellow. Aromas of pineapple, German Boskop apple paired with a touch of blossom honey. On the palate first very, very creamy. Then the intensive apple notes come to the foreground which leads to a very long and extremely pleasant finish. At the very end suddenly the honey is noticeable. However a difficult wine. I am quite sure that this not everyone's style. This wine is just at the beginning and I believe it has a very long life during which it will change its style several times. The current phase will remain for another two years.
2001 Bodegas Altanza Lealtanza Reserva Miro (90/100)
Rioja, Spain
13.5 % Alcohol
Nice purple red. Wild mix of blackberries, dark chocolate and some spices. On the palate the fruits dominate. A strong and rich Rioja with a very long finish. At the end the spices come more and more to the foreground. Very delicate. No one at the table bet on a Rioja! Just at the beginning. Will hold the current level for another three years and will provide after these a lot of fun for another ten years.
Conclusion: Both wines fit perfectly. The Condrieu harmonized wonderfully with the manifold vegetable aromas of the soup whereas the Rioja perfectly foregrounded the different spices of the dish. A great experience! In total my guests (and I) liked a little bit more the Condrieu.
Burger New York Style
Pairing burger with wine is a very easy task. In my opinion you can try nearly all styles of wine - depending on the way the burgers are prepared. I used a variety more common on the east coast. Ground beef mixed with some parmesan, glazed onions, an egg and crumbled wheat flour cookies. The burges are served on some lettuce followed by lemon-style mayonnaise, grilled bacon, tomatoes and sliced cornichons. No side dishes. Very puristic - and totally yummie. For this style of burgers I used some American classic "rich wines" for pairing - an appropriate Chardonnay and a killer of a Zin blend.
2008 Nicholson Ranch Chardonnay „Cuvée Natalie“ (91/100)
Sonoma Valley, California
14.4 % Alcohol
Deep golden yellow. Wonderful aroma of pineapple, some banana, kumquat and walnut. Very, very rich without being fat. On the palate creamy, fruity with a nice touch of bitterness at the end of the medium-long finish. Delicious! Absolutely on the top. Will remain on this level for another two years. Then the wine will change to a more mature style.
2008 Orin Swift Cellars The Prisoner (92/100)
Napa Valley, California
46 % Zinfandel, 26 % Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Charbono, Grenache
15.2 % Alcohol
Medium inky colour with some light rims. Extremely fruity nose: Strawberries, raspberries, some blackberries with a hint of medium-dark chocolate. In the mouth at the beginning the flavour of the fruits is a little bit reduced. After two or three seconds suddenly the taste explodes like a fruit bomb and nearly all senses are sharpened (keyword "gooseflesh"). This is of course a result of the high alcohol, but besides that it is wonderfully integrated. Very, very good! But be careful: Don't drink too much of this killer... Just at the beginning, but wonderful to drink. Another five to ten years.
Conclusion: Outstanding. The burger was strong enough to work with both wines in the best way. The Nicholson Chardonnay enriched the lemon-style flavour of the burger to a wonderful sweet-sour experience whereas the Prisoner simply gives the eater some archaic feelings - meat and rich wine. In an absolutely positive way!
Molten Chocolate Cake with Walnut Parfait and Berry Compote
For the figure skating fans: This dessert prepared by my wife bases on a recipe by Brian Boitano (only the Molten Chocolate Cake part). She enriched the dish with a homemade Walnut Parfait which leads to a more fresh and nutty interpretation of the chocolate cake. The pairing wine was already clear when the cake was selected for the dessert - of course a port wine. The question was only which style - due to the Walnut Parfait. I selected a medium matured vintage port.
1997 Pocas Pousada Vintage Porte (89/100)
Douro, Portugal
20.0 % Alcohol
Deep and dark purple red. Aromas of sweet blackberries, raspberries and plums in syrup. Alcoholic, but smooth and pleasant. On the palate a little bit oily and again the fruits in syrup are present. A perfect dessert wine. Long finish without being killed by the alcohol. Already on the top. Perhaps five years more.
Conclusion: Again a wonderful, but easy pairing. The port wine harmonates wonderfully with the chocolate cake and the compote as expected. It gives the slightly bitterness of the chocolate a perfect touch to a more harmonious pleasure whereas the compote and the wine flow together to a fruit bomb. On the other hand it worked absolutely perfect with the parfait. The slightly nutty taste evolved with the fruit aromas of the port to an experience like grandma's nut pie with fruits. Incredibly good - like the whole dinner. A wonderful experience!
_____________________________________________________________________
The Menu
Water-Melon Salad with Goat Cheese
- 2013 Gut Naegelsfoerst Sauvignon Blanc
- 2006 Cline Cellars Small Berry Mourvèdre
Rustic Tortilla Soup
- 2011 Yves Cuilleron "La Petite Côte"
- 2001 Bodegas Altanza Lealtanza Reserva Miro
Burger
- 2008 Nicholson Ranch Chardonnay „Cuvée Natalie“
- 2008 Orin Swift Cellars The Prisoner
Molten Chocolate Cake with Walnut Parfait and Berry Compote
- 1997 Pocas Pousada Vintage Port
_____________________________________________________________________
Water-Melon Salad with Goat Cheese
A real nice appetizer from Arizona. I got it from Jaime Oliver's America cookbook. Very refreshing and full of flavours - and extremely difficult to pair with wine due to the mint used as one ingredient. I decided to try the classical goat cheese pairing white wine - a Sauvignon Blanc. As the red partner I selected the 2006 Small Berry Mourvèdre from Cline because of the typical mint aromas of this wine.
2013 Gut Naegelsfoerst Sauvignon Blanc (85/100)
Baden-Baden, Baden, Germany
12.0 % Alcohol
Very bright and clear yellow green. Classic Sauvignon Blanc nose: Gooseberry, unripe kiwi, some lime notes in the background. Extremely young and fresh. On the palate at the beginning a nice and freshening acidity. After a while the acidity is enriched by a certain creaminess you can find very ofen in fruit pudding. This creaminess extends the finish dramatically. A nice Sauvignon Blanc which certainly should be drunk on hot summer days. Of course just at the beginning. If you like this freshness drink it now. But this wine will also provide a lot of fun in two or three years.
2006 Cline Cellars Small Berry Mourvèdre (88/100)
Contra Costa County, California
16.0 % Alcohol
Medium to deep dark cherry red. The expected mint aroma paired with ripe blackberries and some cowberries. On the palate the high alcohol is clearly present but not in an unpleasant way. When this first touch is gone the black fruits slowly take the control which leads to a super-long finish similar when eating a dark berry compote. I decided to decant the wine for two hours which reduces the first alcohol feeling significantly. The wine is already on the top and will hold this quality easily for another three years. Perhaps more.
Conclusion: The dish was the expected difficult partner for the wines. But both wines did a good job. The general consensus was that the Sauvignon Blanc from Gut Naegelsfoerst did better - as long as a bite was taken without the mint. Together with the mint the Cline Cellars Mourvèdre was the better selection.
Rustic Tortilla Soup
Also the preparation of this dish was inspired by Jaime Oliver's America cookbook. But I changed some details. I puréed the soup which of course reduced a little bit the rustic charme. On the other hand it transfomed the soup into an outstanding wine partner. The pairing combinations are manifold. I decided to try a Côtes du Rhône Viognier and Rioja Reserva!
2011 Yves Cuilleron "La Petite Côte" (91/100)
Condrieu, Côtes du Rhône, France
13.0 % Alcohol
Bright golden yellow. Aromas of pineapple, German Boskop apple paired with a touch of blossom honey. On the palate first very, very creamy. Then the intensive apple notes come to the foreground which leads to a very long and extremely pleasant finish. At the very end suddenly the honey is noticeable. However a difficult wine. I am quite sure that this not everyone's style. This wine is just at the beginning and I believe it has a very long life during which it will change its style several times. The current phase will remain for another two years.
2001 Bodegas Altanza Lealtanza Reserva Miro (90/100)
Rioja, Spain
13.5 % Alcohol
Nice purple red. Wild mix of blackberries, dark chocolate and some spices. On the palate the fruits dominate. A strong and rich Rioja with a very long finish. At the end the spices come more and more to the foreground. Very delicate. No one at the table bet on a Rioja! Just at the beginning. Will hold the current level for another three years and will provide after these a lot of fun for another ten years.
Conclusion: Both wines fit perfectly. The Condrieu harmonized wonderfully with the manifold vegetable aromas of the soup whereas the Rioja perfectly foregrounded the different spices of the dish. A great experience! In total my guests (and I) liked a little bit more the Condrieu.
Burger New York Style
Pairing burger with wine is a very easy task. In my opinion you can try nearly all styles of wine - depending on the way the burgers are prepared. I used a variety more common on the east coast. Ground beef mixed with some parmesan, glazed onions, an egg and crumbled wheat flour cookies. The burges are served on some lettuce followed by lemon-style mayonnaise, grilled bacon, tomatoes and sliced cornichons. No side dishes. Very puristic - and totally yummie. For this style of burgers I used some American classic "rich wines" for pairing - an appropriate Chardonnay and a killer of a Zin blend.
2008 Nicholson Ranch Chardonnay „Cuvée Natalie“ (91/100)
Sonoma Valley, California
14.4 % Alcohol
Deep golden yellow. Wonderful aroma of pineapple, some banana, kumquat and walnut. Very, very rich without being fat. On the palate creamy, fruity with a nice touch of bitterness at the end of the medium-long finish. Delicious! Absolutely on the top. Will remain on this level for another two years. Then the wine will change to a more mature style.
2008 Orin Swift Cellars The Prisoner (92/100)
Napa Valley, California
46 % Zinfandel, 26 % Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Charbono, Grenache
15.2 % Alcohol
Medium inky colour with some light rims. Extremely fruity nose: Strawberries, raspberries, some blackberries with a hint of medium-dark chocolate. In the mouth at the beginning the flavour of the fruits is a little bit reduced. After two or three seconds suddenly the taste explodes like a fruit bomb and nearly all senses are sharpened (keyword "gooseflesh"). This is of course a result of the high alcohol, but besides that it is wonderfully integrated. Very, very good! But be careful: Don't drink too much of this killer... Just at the beginning, but wonderful to drink. Another five to ten years.
Conclusion: Outstanding. The burger was strong enough to work with both wines in the best way. The Nicholson Chardonnay enriched the lemon-style flavour of the burger to a wonderful sweet-sour experience whereas the Prisoner simply gives the eater some archaic feelings - meat and rich wine. In an absolutely positive way!
Molten Chocolate Cake with Walnut Parfait and Berry Compote
For the figure skating fans: This dessert prepared by my wife bases on a recipe by Brian Boitano (only the Molten Chocolate Cake part). She enriched the dish with a homemade Walnut Parfait which leads to a more fresh and nutty interpretation of the chocolate cake. The pairing wine was already clear when the cake was selected for the dessert - of course a port wine. The question was only which style - due to the Walnut Parfait. I selected a medium matured vintage port.
1997 Pocas Pousada Vintage Porte (89/100)
Douro, Portugal
20.0 % Alcohol
Deep and dark purple red. Aromas of sweet blackberries, raspberries and plums in syrup. Alcoholic, but smooth and pleasant. On the palate a little bit oily and again the fruits in syrup are present. A perfect dessert wine. Long finish without being killed by the alcohol. Already on the top. Perhaps five years more.
Conclusion: Again a wonderful, but easy pairing. The port wine harmonates wonderfully with the chocolate cake and the compote as expected. It gives the slightly bitterness of the chocolate a perfect touch to a more harmonious pleasure whereas the compote and the wine flow together to a fruit bomb. On the other hand it worked absolutely perfect with the parfait. The slightly nutty taste evolved with the fruit aromas of the port to an experience like grandma's nut pie with fruits. Incredibly good - like the whole dinner. A wonderful experience!
Monday, December 29. 2014
Ragoût Fin "Mother's Style"
Two or three times a year I want to prepare a Ragoût Fin like my mother did in the past. This means that some kind of meat (veal, pork or turkey) is chopped in very small slices and cooked together with white mushrooms in a special way. Main indicator here is to cook the ingredients without any cream and to work mainly with the meat, the mushrooms, some stock, pepper and salt. In addition some herbs can be used depending on the flavour you want to have.
We bought some freshly prepared Vol-au-vents from our favourite bakery and decided to use veal for the ragoût. The usage of veal makes the dish richer and so the pairing wine needs to be strong enought to handle this. I decided to test two totally different wines: A 2008 Malterer from Bernhard Huber in Baden and a 2009 Château La Truffe from the Pomerol. My assumption was that the very strong Malterer would be a real partner for the dish whereas the Merlot-dominated Pomerol would more go "into discussion" with the ragoût.
But first of all the wines were tasted alone.
2008 Bernhard Huber "Malterer" (90/100)
Malterdingen, Baden, Germany
Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Freisamer
13.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2014-12-29
What the hell is "Freisamer"? Freisamer is a variety crossed by Silvaner and Rulaender approx. 90 years ago in Freiburg (Southern Germany). The name of the variety is based on the names of the city "Freiburg" and the river "Dreisam". Bernhard Huber grows this variety on soil of worn Muschelkalk (the nice German word for this: Muschelkalkverwitterungsboden...).
The wine offers a beautiful golden yellow colour and gives the impression of a very heavy liquid in the glass. Aromas of pineapple, papaya and mango paired with some toffee notes provide the evidence of a perfect maturity. In the mouth a whole basket of tropical fruits where at the end citrus notes of the pineapple but also lime are dominating. Very long finish - incredibly good.
The wine is absolutely on the top. Pretty much better than four years ago when I drunk it in one of my favourite restaurants in Baiersbronn - one of Germany's culinary important centers. And even then the wine was great. It will hold this amazing quality another three years minimum. By the way: The name "Malterer" has its roots from a reeves family living in the Middle Ages (13th Century) in Malterdingen.
2009 Château La Truffe (87/100)
Pomerol, Bordeaux, France
90 % Merlot, 5 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 % Cabernet Franc
13.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2014-12-29
I selected a Pomerol Bordeaux due to the high Merlot percentage. Decanted 45 minutes before dinner.
Medium purple red colour. Aromas of unsmoked tobacco, wet leather and wild blackberries. Somewhere in the background is a scent of red roses. On the palate a touch of sourness like eating unsweetened blackberries or red currants. Then it is changing to a more velvety style paired with dark chocolate. Medium to long finish.
This Pomerol is just at the beginning but already very well drinkable. It will hold this level for another five years.
Together with the Ragoût Fin both wines could convince. The Malterer had a very harmonic relationship with the dish whereas the La Truffe was improved (you could say ennobled). It is a different approach. If you are looking for a perfect partner for the dish, take the Malterer. If you want to drink a bottle of the La Truffe and you are looking for a suitable dish, the Ragoût Fin is a very good selection.
We liked both combinations.
We bought some freshly prepared Vol-au-vents from our favourite bakery and decided to use veal for the ragoût. The usage of veal makes the dish richer and so the pairing wine needs to be strong enought to handle this. I decided to test two totally different wines: A 2008 Malterer from Bernhard Huber in Baden and a 2009 Château La Truffe from the Pomerol. My assumption was that the very strong Malterer would be a real partner for the dish whereas the Merlot-dominated Pomerol would more go "into discussion" with the ragoût.
But first of all the wines were tasted alone.
A strong duo for the Ragoût Fin "Mother's Style" - the 2008 Malterer and the 2009 Château La Truffe
2008 Bernhard Huber "Malterer" (90/100)
Malterdingen, Baden, Germany
Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Freisamer
13.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2014-12-29
What the hell is "Freisamer"? Freisamer is a variety crossed by Silvaner and Rulaender approx. 90 years ago in Freiburg (Southern Germany). The name of the variety is based on the names of the city "Freiburg" and the river "Dreisam". Bernhard Huber grows this variety on soil of worn Muschelkalk (the nice German word for this: Muschelkalkverwitterungsboden...).
The wine offers a beautiful golden yellow colour and gives the impression of a very heavy liquid in the glass. Aromas of pineapple, papaya and mango paired with some toffee notes provide the evidence of a perfect maturity. In the mouth a whole basket of tropical fruits where at the end citrus notes of the pineapple but also lime are dominating. Very long finish - incredibly good.
The wine is absolutely on the top. Pretty much better than four years ago when I drunk it in one of my favourite restaurants in Baiersbronn - one of Germany's culinary important centers. And even then the wine was great. It will hold this amazing quality another three years minimum. By the way: The name "Malterer" has its roots from a reeves family living in the Middle Ages (13th Century) in Malterdingen.
2009 Château La Truffe (87/100)
Pomerol, Bordeaux, France
90 % Merlot, 5 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 % Cabernet Franc
13.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2014-12-29
I selected a Pomerol Bordeaux due to the high Merlot percentage. Decanted 45 minutes before dinner.
Medium purple red colour. Aromas of unsmoked tobacco, wet leather and wild blackberries. Somewhere in the background is a scent of red roses. On the palate a touch of sourness like eating unsweetened blackberries or red currants. Then it is changing to a more velvety style paired with dark chocolate. Medium to long finish.
This Pomerol is just at the beginning but already very well drinkable. It will hold this level for another five years.
Together with the Ragoût Fin both wines could convince. The Malterer had a very harmonic relationship with the dish whereas the La Truffe was improved (you could say ennobled). It is a different approach. If you are looking for a perfect partner for the dish, take the Malterer. If you want to drink a bottle of the La Truffe and you are looking for a suitable dish, the Ragoût Fin is a very good selection.
We liked both combinations.
Monday, August 18. 2014
Bowl of Gumbo in Germany
My wife and I love Cajun Cuisine. Unfortunately in Germany it is very difficult to prepare something similar to the dishes you get at the "Bless My Soul Cafe" in Eureka, California. I love this style of Cajun food with the Californian touch. However with some tricks you can bring back the vacation feeling on the table. And my wife did. She prepared a traditional Gumbo with chicken, shrimps, garlic sausage and rice.
For the wine I decided to go the traditional way: Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. But of course I tried the "cross-over" pairing: I opened some bottles of these varietals from German producers.
2011 Knipser Sauvignon Blanc (87/100)
Laumersheim, Pfalz, Germany
10.9 % Alcohol
Tasted 2014-08-17
Pale yellow green, a little bit sparkling. Very intensive aroma of green pepper and some immature kiwis in the background. Extremely fresh. In the mouth a nice and pleasant acidity paired with some spices. A summer wine at its best. Still very young. Will keep its freshness for another two years minimum. Sensational bargain (I paid 10 Euro at the winery!). Wonderful with cold fish dishes or Asian food.
2008 Balthasar Ress Assmannshausen Höllenberg Spätburgunder (89/100)
Rheingau, Germany
12.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2014-08-17
Clear and light garnet red. The wine is already dominated by the secondary aromas of earthy notes and wet wood (oak tree); some strawberries in the background. In the mouth strong with a good spine. A little bit too acidic at the end of the long finish. But that can be changed by waiting a while. In a difficult phase and so decanting makes sense what I did. Already during decanting more strawberries available. Let's see. After one hour completely different view. The Pinot is now smoother, creamier. Without losing its strength. However I believe after holding another two years the wine will be more open (again). So wait a little bit. Pairing with food? Difficult to decide at the moment. Indeed the pairing with the Gumbo was sensational. See below.
The Gumbo tasted fantastic. And both wines were very good partners - with some pros for the Pinot. The Knipser Sauvignon Blanc added some citrus fruit tone to the dish. The one and only problem was that taking a sip directly after some Gumbo a little bit overlaid the flavors of the dish. So you should wait perhaps for 10 seconds before taking a sip. The Ress Pinot in contrast strengthened the aromas of the Gumbo and was growing together with the dish. Wonderful pepper aromas arose and the whole mouth was filled with a very rich feeling. Pairing at its best. The wine was fundamentally better with the Gumbo than alone.
For the wine I decided to go the traditional way: Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. But of course I tried the "cross-over" pairing: I opened some bottles of these varietals from German producers.
German Partners for Gumbo
2011 Knipser Sauvignon Blanc (87/100)
Laumersheim, Pfalz, Germany
10.9 % Alcohol
Tasted 2014-08-17
Pale yellow green, a little bit sparkling. Very intensive aroma of green pepper and some immature kiwis in the background. Extremely fresh. In the mouth a nice and pleasant acidity paired with some spices. A summer wine at its best. Still very young. Will keep its freshness for another two years minimum. Sensational bargain (I paid 10 Euro at the winery!). Wonderful with cold fish dishes or Asian food.
2008 Balthasar Ress Assmannshausen Höllenberg Spätburgunder (89/100)
Rheingau, Germany
12.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2014-08-17
Clear and light garnet red. The wine is already dominated by the secondary aromas of earthy notes and wet wood (oak tree); some strawberries in the background. In the mouth strong with a good spine. A little bit too acidic at the end of the long finish. But that can be changed by waiting a while. In a difficult phase and so decanting makes sense what I did. Already during decanting more strawberries available. Let's see. After one hour completely different view. The Pinot is now smoother, creamier. Without losing its strength. However I believe after holding another two years the wine will be more open (again). So wait a little bit. Pairing with food? Difficult to decide at the moment. Indeed the pairing with the Gumbo was sensational. See below.
The Gumbo tasted fantastic. And both wines were very good partners - with some pros for the Pinot. The Knipser Sauvignon Blanc added some citrus fruit tone to the dish. The one and only problem was that taking a sip directly after some Gumbo a little bit overlaid the flavors of the dish. So you should wait perhaps for 10 seconds before taking a sip. The Ress Pinot in contrast strengthened the aromas of the Gumbo and was growing together with the dish. Wonderful pepper aromas arose and the whole mouth was filled with a very rich feeling. Pairing at its best. The wine was fundamentally better with the Gumbo than alone.
Saturday, August 16. 2014
Summer Degustation Menu
One sunny Saturday afternoon my wife and I had the idea to prepare a small but nice degustation menu and to pair the different courses with some "summer" wines. With this term I don't mean the typical "easy-to-drink" white wines. I mean complex wines which challenge the tasters without being too heavy.
We decided to prepare the following courses:
1st Course: Tortelli Ricotta with Citrus Carbonara and Rocket
2nd Course: (Not too rich) Salmon Cream Soup with Dill paired with cold Herb Prawns
3rd Course: Small Meat Balls scalloped with Feta Cheese paired with Salads from Feta Cheese and Bulgur
We decided to open two different white wines and one very special red one. The idea was to select the wines exactly for the dedicated course, but to pair it also with the other ones to see if the selection was the right one. We selected the following wines:
- 2010 Thomas George Estates Sauvignon Musque (for the Tortellis)
- 2010 Ramey Wine Cellars Chardonnay "Russian River Valley" (for the Salmon Soup)
- 2006 Cline Cellars Small Berry Mourvèrdre (for the Meat Balls)
And of course we first tasted the wines alone.
2010 Thomas George Estates Sauvignon Musque (89/100)
Brian & Janice Schmidt Vineyard
Dry Creek Valley, California
13.6 % Alcohol
Pale yellow. Aromas of grapefruits and pineapples. Very intensive. On the palate the pineapple dominates. Nice acidity. Medium-long finish. As expected a very good partner for any kind of food with "citrus-style". On the top. Don't wait any longer.
2010 Ramey Wine Cellars Chardonnay "Russian River Valley" (90/100)
Russian River Valley, California
14.5 % Alcohol
Nice golden yellow with green reflexes; wonderful aromas of pineapple and lychees with a touch of vanilla and oak. On the palate citrus fruits dominate; crispy and also a little bit salty. Incredibly long finish. Fascinating. Still young and in the evolving phase. So wait another two years to drink the wine on the top. Then it will hold the quality for another six years minimum. Pair it with salmon.
2006 Cline Cellars Small Berry Mourvèrdre (89/100)
Contra Costa County, California
16.0 % Alcohol
Light cherry red. Classical mint aroma paired with overripe blackberries. The mint dominates also the palate. Very refreshing with a wonderful sweetness. The high alcohol is not noticeable. Medium to long finish whereas the sweetness is available up to the end. The team of Cline Cellars recommends the pairing to "roast leg of lamb, garlic and pepper studded rib roast or ratatouille". I fully agree, but for me this is a perfect candidate for an "American-Greek-Crossover-Pairing". Therefore the selection. The wine is on the top, but due to my great experience with the 1999 Small Berry Mourvèrdre I could bet that it will hold this quality for another four years.
After tasting the wines alone we already expected that we did the right selection. And indeed each of the wine paired strongest the designated course.
Tortelli Ricotta with Citrus Carbonara and Rocket
The wonderful Sauvignon Musque from Thomas George improved the citrus aromas of the carbonara sauce to a wild mix of exotic fruits and didn't kill the rocket. A wonderful dish paired with a perfect partner from one of the hidden treasures in the Russian River Valley. You should consider this winery when visiting the area next time. The two other wines didn't reach this quality with the Tortellis. The Ramey Chardonnay was still OK as partner but far away from the finesse of the Sauvignon Musque. And the Small Berry Mourvèrdre? A typical and very good example for pairings which do not work. The problem was here the citrus on the one side and the mint on the other one. Don't try this.
Salmon Cream Soup with Dill, paired with cold Herb Prawns
As mentioned before we prepared the soup not too rich. The Ramey Chardonnay punctuated the creaminess of the soup in a wonderful way. The wine lost a little bit its lemon aromas and transformed them to a more creamy, buttery one. Different with the prawns. Together with the herbal style of the prawns the wine showed its tremendous freshness. And the combination of both? Sensational! Took first one of the prawn and then some soup. This itself is already fantastic. After ten seconds a sip of the wine. In the mouth you have now a sensational spicy note paired with some exotic fruits. Neverending finish. And the two other wines? The Sauvignon Musque was a little bit lost with the creaminess of the soup, but worked absolutely fine with the prawns. The Mourvèrdre harmonised surprisingly well with the dish. So if you don't like white wine this is an interesting combination. The mint aromas of the wine gave the soup a little bit a caribbean style.
Small Meat Balls scalloped with Feta Cheese, paired with Salads from Feta Cheese and Bulgur
Together with this "Greek Style" dish the Cline Mourvèrdre offered all its strengths - with the single parts as well as with the combination of all parts. With the meat balls some spicy notes came into the foreground whereas the salads were wonderfully paired by the mint aromas. Especially the Bulgur and the Mourvèrdre are an unbeatable duo. Here the two white wines had no chance. They were simply lost in the Greek aroma combination. Only the pairing of the meat balls together with the Ramey Chardonnay worked.
In total a nice experience of a summer food tasting. All dishes were not too heavy and the selected wines increased the pleasure of the menu. A very good Saturday afternoon...
We decided to prepare the following courses:
1st Course: Tortelli Ricotta with Citrus Carbonara and Rocket
2nd Course: (Not too rich) Salmon Cream Soup with Dill paired with cold Herb Prawns
3rd Course: Small Meat Balls scalloped with Feta Cheese paired with Salads from Feta Cheese and Bulgur
We decided to open two different white wines and one very special red one. The idea was to select the wines exactly for the dedicated course, but to pair it also with the other ones to see if the selection was the right one. We selected the following wines:
- 2010 Thomas George Estates Sauvignon Musque (for the Tortellis)
- 2010 Ramey Wine Cellars Chardonnay "Russian River Valley" (for the Salmon Soup)
- 2006 Cline Cellars Small Berry Mourvèrdre (for the Meat Balls)
And of course we first tasted the wines alone.
Beautiful scenic at Thomas George Estates
2010 Thomas George Estates Sauvignon Musque (89/100)
Brian & Janice Schmidt Vineyard
Dry Creek Valley, California
13.6 % Alcohol
Pale yellow. Aromas of grapefruits and pineapples. Very intensive. On the palate the pineapple dominates. Nice acidity. Medium-long finish. As expected a very good partner for any kind of food with "citrus-style". On the top. Don't wait any longer.
2010 Ramey Wine Cellars Chardonnay "Russian River Valley" (90/100)
Russian River Valley, California
14.5 % Alcohol
Nice golden yellow with green reflexes; wonderful aromas of pineapple and lychees with a touch of vanilla and oak. On the palate citrus fruits dominate; crispy and also a little bit salty. Incredibly long finish. Fascinating. Still young and in the evolving phase. So wait another two years to drink the wine on the top. Then it will hold the quality for another six years minimum. Pair it with salmon.
2006 Cline Cellars Small Berry Mourvèrdre (89/100)
Contra Costa County, California
16.0 % Alcohol
Light cherry red. Classical mint aroma paired with overripe blackberries. The mint dominates also the palate. Very refreshing with a wonderful sweetness. The high alcohol is not noticeable. Medium to long finish whereas the sweetness is available up to the end. The team of Cline Cellars recommends the pairing to "roast leg of lamb, garlic and pepper studded rib roast or ratatouille". I fully agree, but for me this is a perfect candidate for an "American-Greek-Crossover-Pairing". Therefore the selection. The wine is on the top, but due to my great experience with the 1999 Small Berry Mourvèrdre I could bet that it will hold this quality for another four years.
After tasting the wines alone we already expected that we did the right selection. And indeed each of the wine paired strongest the designated course.
Tortelli Ricotta with Citrus Carbonara and Rocket
The wonderful Sauvignon Musque from Thomas George improved the citrus aromas of the carbonara sauce to a wild mix of exotic fruits and didn't kill the rocket. A wonderful dish paired with a perfect partner from one of the hidden treasures in the Russian River Valley. You should consider this winery when visiting the area next time. The two other wines didn't reach this quality with the Tortellis. The Ramey Chardonnay was still OK as partner but far away from the finesse of the Sauvignon Musque. And the Small Berry Mourvèrdre? A typical and very good example for pairings which do not work. The problem was here the citrus on the one side and the mint on the other one. Don't try this.
Salmon Cream Soup with Dill, paired with cold Herb Prawns
As mentioned before we prepared the soup not too rich. The Ramey Chardonnay punctuated the creaminess of the soup in a wonderful way. The wine lost a little bit its lemon aromas and transformed them to a more creamy, buttery one. Different with the prawns. Together with the herbal style of the prawns the wine showed its tremendous freshness. And the combination of both? Sensational! Took first one of the prawn and then some soup. This itself is already fantastic. After ten seconds a sip of the wine. In the mouth you have now a sensational spicy note paired with some exotic fruits. Neverending finish. And the two other wines? The Sauvignon Musque was a little bit lost with the creaminess of the soup, but worked absolutely fine with the prawns. The Mourvèrdre harmonised surprisingly well with the dish. So if you don't like white wine this is an interesting combination. The mint aromas of the wine gave the soup a little bit a caribbean style.
Small Meat Balls scalloped with Feta Cheese, paired with Salads from Feta Cheese and Bulgur
Together with this "Greek Style" dish the Cline Mourvèrdre offered all its strengths - with the single parts as well as with the combination of all parts. With the meat balls some spicy notes came into the foreground whereas the salads were wonderfully paired by the mint aromas. Especially the Bulgur and the Mourvèrdre are an unbeatable duo. Here the two white wines had no chance. They were simply lost in the Greek aroma combination. Only the pairing of the meat balls together with the Ramey Chardonnay worked.
In total a nice experience of a summer food tasting. All dishes were not too heavy and the selected wines increased the pleasure of the menu. A very good Saturday afternoon...
Cline Cellars - Always worth to visit
Sunday, July 20. 2014
California Wines - Incredible Bandwidth
Some days ago I reported about a very good wine merchant in Munich. For my blog I bought a "grab bag" - six bottles of wine with the intention to review these wines in my blog as elements of two separate dinners. As you have probably read, the first one was quite successful .
The slogan for this second tasting: "California Wines - Incredible Bandwidth". This ambiguous title is indeed true! For the fantastic wine selection of the shop "California Wines", but also for the wines coming from this area - very well represented by the three wines of the tasting.
- 2006 Varner Chardonnay Spring Ridge Vineyard "Bee Block"
- 1997 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Merlot
- 2006 Jeff Runquist Petite Sirah "Salman Vineyard"
Especially about one of the three wines I was very curious - the Merlot from Joseph Phelps Vineyards. We visited this vineyard two times over the last years (the Napa Valley tasting room) and were during both stays impressed not only by the people and the wines but also by the wonderful surroundings.
We prepared for these wines a menu with three courses:
- 1st Course (Chardonnay): Linguine "Pesto Verde" with grilled Prawns
- 2nd Course (Merlot): Broccoli Soup with "Greek Style" Cheese
- 3rd Course (Petite Sirah): Home Made Chili
The selection of the third course sounds perhaps a little bit strange, but I can assure that together with the Runquist Petite Sirah this is a real experience!
However: Business before pleasure. First the wines were tasted alone.
2006 Varner Chardonnay Spring Ridge Vineyard "Bee Block" (90/100)
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
14.5 % Alcohol
Golden yellow, clear and deep. Discreet aroma of exotic fruit mix: Pineapple, a little bit pear, mango and more. The typical vanilla tone is more in the background. This wine is a representative of Californian chardonnay modern style. In the mouth crispy and fruity. Strong but in parallel also fragile. In its own way more the Burgundian style without denying its Californian roots. Still young. Wait for another two years. A perfect partner for sea bass.
1997 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Merlot (91/100)
Napa Valley, California
14.0 % Alcohol
Ruby red with direction into garnet red. Aromas of dried red fruits paired with earthy notes. Surprisingly still a fresh note. In the mouth the wine suddenly bursts. Extremely fruity, fat and full bodied. A Merlot masterpiece (with 10 % Cabernet Sauvignon ). Long finish. A wonderful partner for any kind of goat cheese.
2006 Jeff Runquist Petite Sirah "Salman Vineyard" (90/100)
Clarksburg, California
14.5 % Alcohol
Deep cherry red. Some light rims and purple reflexes. Very fruity aroma of cherries (cherry brandy?) but also a very well prepared red cabbage with apples (in an absolutely positive way!). The mouth feeling is also dominated by cherries but more in the way like a Black Forest cake. Again the cherry brandy. Full bodied. Very long finish which becomes smoother and smoother to the end. A very, very good Petite Sirah which is on the top. It will hold the quality for another three years minimum. The perfect partner in late autumn for a red grilled Barbarie duck breast with port wine/cherry sauce. Perhaps with duchess potatoes and glazed snow peas? But we are in summer. So we did it differently .
And the wine / food pairing? A great menu.
1st Course: The "Bee Block" chardonnay from Varner worked very well with the pasta. Together with the linguine it developed a creamy note due to the olive oil. With the prawns more citrus notes came into the foreground. Perhaps not the perfect partner, but still a very good combination. We liked it.
2nd Course: The Broccoli Soup was the surprising course. Indeed all three wines harmonized with the soup, but the Phelps' Merlot offered wonderful spicy aromas together with the natural broccoli tones which ennobled the soup. An outstanding pairing.
3rd Course: And the Chilli? We prepared it in "a very classical way" but not too hot. This is important if you want to pair with wine instead of beer. The Jeff Runquist Petite Sirah is a fantastic partner for such a chilli. Due to its sweetness it combines the hot chilli aromas to a "hot-sweet" experience which is worth to check out.
In total again a remarkable experience. All three wines are "stand-alone" very, very good. But together with the selected dishes they reveal their real qualities. This "grab bag" provided only positive contents. Kudos to "California Wines" for this selection.
The slogan for this second tasting: "California Wines - Incredible Bandwidth". This ambiguous title is indeed true! For the fantastic wine selection of the shop "California Wines", but also for the wines coming from this area - very well represented by the three wines of the tasting.
- 2006 Varner Chardonnay Spring Ridge Vineyard "Bee Block"
- 1997 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Merlot
- 2006 Jeff Runquist Petite Sirah "Salman Vineyard"
The "Grab Bag" - Part two
Especially about one of the three wines I was very curious - the Merlot from Joseph Phelps Vineyards. We visited this vineyard two times over the last years (the Napa Valley tasting room) and were during both stays impressed not only by the people and the wines but also by the wonderful surroundings.
Joseph Phelps Vineyards - the location of the "Terrace Tastings"
Friendly people, outstanding wines. Tastings at Phelps are absolutely recommendable.
We prepared for these wines a menu with three courses:
- 1st Course (Chardonnay): Linguine "Pesto Verde" with grilled Prawns
- 2nd Course (Merlot): Broccoli Soup with "Greek Style" Cheese
- 3rd Course (Petite Sirah): Home Made Chili
The selection of the third course sounds perhaps a little bit strange, but I can assure that together with the Runquist Petite Sirah this is a real experience!
However: Business before pleasure. First the wines were tasted alone.
2006 Varner Chardonnay Spring Ridge Vineyard "Bee Block" (90/100)
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
14.5 % Alcohol
Golden yellow, clear and deep. Discreet aroma of exotic fruit mix: Pineapple, a little bit pear, mango and more. The typical vanilla tone is more in the background. This wine is a representative of Californian chardonnay modern style. In the mouth crispy and fruity. Strong but in parallel also fragile. In its own way more the Burgundian style without denying its Californian roots. Still young. Wait for another two years. A perfect partner for sea bass.
1997 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Merlot (91/100)
Napa Valley, California
14.0 % Alcohol
Ruby red with direction into garnet red. Aromas of dried red fruits paired with earthy notes. Surprisingly still a fresh note. In the mouth the wine suddenly bursts. Extremely fruity, fat and full bodied. A Merlot masterpiece (with 10 % Cabernet Sauvignon ). Long finish. A wonderful partner for any kind of goat cheese.
2006 Jeff Runquist Petite Sirah "Salman Vineyard" (90/100)
Clarksburg, California
14.5 % Alcohol
Deep cherry red. Some light rims and purple reflexes. Very fruity aroma of cherries (cherry brandy?) but also a very well prepared red cabbage with apples (in an absolutely positive way!). The mouth feeling is also dominated by cherries but more in the way like a Black Forest cake. Again the cherry brandy. Full bodied. Very long finish which becomes smoother and smoother to the end. A very, very good Petite Sirah which is on the top. It will hold the quality for another three years minimum. The perfect partner in late autumn for a red grilled Barbarie duck breast with port wine/cherry sauce. Perhaps with duchess potatoes and glazed snow peas? But we are in summer. So we did it differently .
And the wine / food pairing? A great menu.
1st Course: The "Bee Block" chardonnay from Varner worked very well with the pasta. Together with the linguine it developed a creamy note due to the olive oil. With the prawns more citrus notes came into the foreground. Perhaps not the perfect partner, but still a very good combination. We liked it.
2nd Course: The Broccoli Soup was the surprising course. Indeed all three wines harmonized with the soup, but the Phelps' Merlot offered wonderful spicy aromas together with the natural broccoli tones which ennobled the soup. An outstanding pairing.
3rd Course: And the Chilli? We prepared it in "a very classical way" but not too hot. This is important if you want to pair with wine instead of beer. The Jeff Runquist Petite Sirah is a fantastic partner for such a chilli. Due to its sweetness it combines the hot chilli aromas to a "hot-sweet" experience which is worth to check out.
In total again a remarkable experience. All three wines are "stand-alone" very, very good. But together with the selected dishes they reveal their real qualities. This "grab bag" provided only positive contents. Kudos to "California Wines" for this selection.
Sunday, July 13. 2014
California Wines - A German Wine Merchant
There is a wine merchant located in Munich called "California Wines". The owners are specialized on - quite surprising - wines from California, but offer also a very good selection of wines from Oregon. After one of my US trips in 2010 I found this merchant when I was looking for wines from Cline Cellars on the internet.
The owners are very friendly people with a profound knowledge about and a deep affection towards California wines and the history of this area. They are on the market since 1987 and were decorated in 2007 by the Californian parliament for their extreme effort to increase the reputation of Californian wine in Germany. Indeed the owners offer something which becomes rare in internet times - personal consulting. Even if it is an internet shop!
During our last chats there arose the idea that I would buy a "grab bag" with six bottles of wine selected by the owner. The only constraints: Two white wines and four reds with price limit. My wife and I would taste the wines on two dinner occasions (three wines each) with specially prepared dishes for the wines. The slogan for the first tasting: "Aged Chardonnay - Aged Zins". And the selected wines:
- 2002 Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay "Tre Terre"
- 1998 Ravenswood Zinfandel "Teldeschi Vineyard"
- 1997 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Reserve "Hendry Vineyard"
We prepared for these wines a small menu with two courses:
1st Course for the Chardonnay: Selection of Fish
- Smoked Salmon PigTail
- Fillet of Fish with Crust of Cheese and Almonds
- Puristic salad of Italian Rocket with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
2nd Course (mainly) for the Zins: Spaetzle "Hunter Style"
A German speciality consisting of pork meat cut into strips, mushrooms and - of course - spaetzle
Especially the second dish was selected for several reasons. I recognized over the last years that Zins are wonderful partners for any kind of rich mushroom dishes. So I expected a very interesting combination with the wines from the two Godfathers of Zins. On the other hand I have to state that my wife - let's say it carefully - is not really a friend of Zins. Especially the aged ones. So the dish needs also to be in the position to handle the "Tre Terre". Very challenging.
But first of course the wines were tasted alone:
2002 Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay "Tre Terre" (93/100)
Russian River Valley, California
13.0 % Alcohol
Deep and clear golden yellow; very intense aroma of pineapple, ripe mango, butter and some white flowers paired with a little vanilla in the background. Wonderful. On the palate more lemon and citrus flavors become present. Neverending finish. Incredibly good condition. A dream of a Chardonnay. Absolutely on the top, but I could bet the wine will hold the quality for another four years.
1998 Ravenswood Zinfandel "Teldeschi Vineyard" (90/100)
Dry Creek Valley, California
14.5 % Alcohol
Clear ruby red with some garnet red rims. Wonderful aromas of ripe fruits, mainly raspberries and blueberries. Associations of a hot summer night with some sweet scents in the air. Also on the palate ripe fruit with very well integrated alcohol. Medium to long finish in a very pleasant way. A zin for hedonists. Perfectly aged.
1997 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Reserve "Hendry Vineyard" (92/100)
Napa Valley, California
14.5 % Alcohol
Surprisingly deep, clear ruby red. Looks very young. Intense aromas of ripe berries paired with some discreet spicy notes (cardamom, cinnamon). Somewhere in the background red roses and wet forest floor. Complex. On the palate a complete basket of red and black fruits. Very spicy at the end of a very long finish. Outstanding. The wine is of course already on the top. Nevertheless it seems to me still young like a person who becomes older without aging. I never drunk a zin like this before.
But now the important stuff - the food pairing. The "Tre Terre" chardonnay from Ferrari-Carano worked perfectly with both variants of the fish - the smoked and the baked one. On the one hand it punctuated the different aromas and flavors of the different fish styles, on the other hand the inherent characteristics of the wine were increased by these styles. With the baked one more the citrus style whereas the smoked one increased the tropical fruits variant. Wonderful pairing(s).
As expected both Zins paired wonderfully the Spaetzle "Hunter Style". Together with the dish both wines offered lots of spices and were present up to the roof of the mouth. For me the fantastic thing with mushrooms and zins - not the young ones - is the fact that the characteristic is very often transformed from a fruity, "sticky" style into a full-bodied spicy wine in blockbuster mentality. Especially the transformation of the Ravenswood was obvious. For me one of the best pairing variants at all. And perhaps one of the best strategies to convince zin haters of the quality of these wines. However it didn't work for my wife. She confirmed that both Zins paired the Spaetzle "Hunter Style" better than the Chardonnay, but she didn't like both:-).
California Wines offers a very good choice of US zinfandel. Especially the selection of aged zins from Ravenswood and Rosenblum is tremendous. I made my first experience with an aged zin three years ago with a 2002 Rosenblum Zinfandel "Maggie's Reserve" from the Samsel Vineyard. Pure hedonism. The verdict of my wife was a little bit different: "Do you want to poison me?" was her most friendly opinion. And more or less this is the fascination about US zinfandels. There exist lovers and haters. Nothing in between.
Another topic with the US zins is the opinion about the aging qualities of these wines. All experts - including the top dogs Wine Advocat and Wine Spectator - are very often telling you to drink zinfandels in the first five, maximum ten years (in rare cases). For instance the recommendation for the 1997 Rosenblum Zinfandel Reserve "Hendry Vineyard" Wine Advocat recommends to drink the wine until 2003. Wine Spectator was a little bit more brave. Here the recommendation was until 2007. But luckywise this is changing - at least partly. In his latest article for the WeinWisser Stephan Reinhardt - since this year also author for Wine Advocate - recommends for instance for the 2009 Old Hill Zinfandel from Ravenswood a drink period from 2020 to 2030. Wine Spectator for the same wine: "Best after 2014"... Do we Germans perhaps have a better relationship to aged zins? To be continued.
The owners are very friendly people with a profound knowledge about and a deep affection towards California wines and the history of this area. They are on the market since 1987 and were decorated in 2007 by the Californian parliament for their extreme effort to increase the reputation of Californian wine in Germany. Indeed the owners offer something which becomes rare in internet times - personal consulting. Even if it is an internet shop!
During our last chats there arose the idea that I would buy a "grab bag" with six bottles of wine selected by the owner. The only constraints: Two white wines and four reds with price limit. My wife and I would taste the wines on two dinner occasions (three wines each) with specially prepared dishes for the wines. The slogan for the first tasting: "Aged Chardonnay - Aged Zins". And the selected wines:
- 2002 Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay "Tre Terre"
- 1998 Ravenswood Zinfandel "Teldeschi Vineyard"
- 1997 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Reserve "Hendry Vineyard"
We prepared for these wines a small menu with two courses:
1st Course for the Chardonnay: Selection of Fish
- Smoked Salmon PigTail
- Fillet of Fish with Crust of Cheese and Almonds
- Puristic salad of Italian Rocket with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
2nd Course (mainly) for the Zins: Spaetzle "Hunter Style"
A German speciality consisting of pork meat cut into strips, mushrooms and - of course - spaetzle
Especially the second dish was selected for several reasons. I recognized over the last years that Zins are wonderful partners for any kind of rich mushroom dishes. So I expected a very interesting combination with the wines from the two Godfathers of Zins. On the other hand I have to state that my wife - let's say it carefully - is not really a friend of Zins. Especially the aged ones. So the dish needs also to be in the position to handle the "Tre Terre". Very challenging.
But first of course the wines were tasted alone:
2002 Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay "Tre Terre" (93/100)
Russian River Valley, California
13.0 % Alcohol
Deep and clear golden yellow; very intense aroma of pineapple, ripe mango, butter and some white flowers paired with a little vanilla in the background. Wonderful. On the palate more lemon and citrus flavors become present. Neverending finish. Incredibly good condition. A dream of a Chardonnay. Absolutely on the top, but I could bet the wine will hold the quality for another four years.
1998 Ravenswood Zinfandel "Teldeschi Vineyard" (90/100)
Dry Creek Valley, California
14.5 % Alcohol
Clear ruby red with some garnet red rims. Wonderful aromas of ripe fruits, mainly raspberries and blueberries. Associations of a hot summer night with some sweet scents in the air. Also on the palate ripe fruit with very well integrated alcohol. Medium to long finish in a very pleasant way. A zin for hedonists. Perfectly aged.
1997 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Reserve "Hendry Vineyard" (92/100)
Napa Valley, California
14.5 % Alcohol
Surprisingly deep, clear ruby red. Looks very young. Intense aromas of ripe berries paired with some discreet spicy notes (cardamom, cinnamon). Somewhere in the background red roses and wet forest floor. Complex. On the palate a complete basket of red and black fruits. Very spicy at the end of a very long finish. Outstanding. The wine is of course already on the top. Nevertheless it seems to me still young like a person who becomes older without aging. I never drunk a zin like this before.
But now the important stuff - the food pairing. The "Tre Terre" chardonnay from Ferrari-Carano worked perfectly with both variants of the fish - the smoked and the baked one. On the one hand it punctuated the different aromas and flavors of the different fish styles, on the other hand the inherent characteristics of the wine were increased by these styles. With the baked one more the citrus style whereas the smoked one increased the tropical fruits variant. Wonderful pairing(s).
As expected both Zins paired wonderfully the Spaetzle "Hunter Style". Together with the dish both wines offered lots of spices and were present up to the roof of the mouth. For me the fantastic thing with mushrooms and zins - not the young ones - is the fact that the characteristic is very often transformed from a fruity, "sticky" style into a full-bodied spicy wine in blockbuster mentality. Especially the transformation of the Ravenswood was obvious. For me one of the best pairing variants at all. And perhaps one of the best strategies to convince zin haters of the quality of these wines. However it didn't work for my wife. She confirmed that both Zins paired the Spaetzle "Hunter Style" better than the Chardonnay, but she didn't like both:-).
California Wines offers a very good choice of US zinfandel. Especially the selection of aged zins from Ravenswood and Rosenblum is tremendous. I made my first experience with an aged zin three years ago with a 2002 Rosenblum Zinfandel "Maggie's Reserve" from the Samsel Vineyard. Pure hedonism. The verdict of my wife was a little bit different: "Do you want to poison me?" was her most friendly opinion. And more or less this is the fascination about US zinfandels. There exist lovers and haters. Nothing in between.
Another topic with the US zins is the opinion about the aging qualities of these wines. All experts - including the top dogs Wine Advocat and Wine Spectator - are very often telling you to drink zinfandels in the first five, maximum ten years (in rare cases). For instance the recommendation for the 1997 Rosenblum Zinfandel Reserve "Hendry Vineyard" Wine Advocat recommends to drink the wine until 2003. Wine Spectator was a little bit more brave. Here the recommendation was until 2007. But luckywise this is changing - at least partly. In his latest article for the WeinWisser Stephan Reinhardt - since this year also author for Wine Advocate - recommends for instance for the 2009 Old Hill Zinfandel from Ravenswood a drink period from 2020 to 2030. Wine Spectator for the same wine: "Best after 2014"... Do we Germans perhaps have a better relationship to aged zins? To be continued.
Wednesday, April 23. 2014
Saturday Evening with Bordeaux
Some weeks ago a very good friend told us that he needed our support: There was no more space left in his wine cellar. So some bottles needed to be destroyed. This is a mission which of course can be fulfilled: We invited ourselves and our friend had to host us. We believe that this was a fair agreement.
The motto of the evening was "Bordeaux red" paired with a barbecue, framed by German white wines for starter and dessert. The following wines were served:
- 2010 Siegbert Bimmerle Sauvignon Blanc (Ortenau, Baden, Germany)
- 2006 Château d'Agassac (Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France)
- 2005 Château Du Beau Vallon (Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, France)
- 2004 Château L'Inclassable (Médoc, Bordeaux, France)
- 1991 Château Montrose (Saint Estèphe, Bordeaux, France)
- 1975 Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Spätlese (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany)
Starter
As starter our friend prepared a tuna salad with olives, pineapple and a lemon vinaigrette. Delicious. The pairing with the Bimmerle Sauvignon Blanc was risky, but it worked very well. The wine has a clear corn-like yellow colour and offers fruity aromas of pears and quinces. On the palate the quinces were more present together with kumquats and green apricots. With the tuna salad also the quinces dominated whereas all other parts came together in a very pleasant way with the salad and the vinaigrette. A real nice starter.
The Barbecue
For the barbecue every one of the red Bordeaux was served with a different style of meat. In addition tomato salad, corn-pepper salad, tzatziki and baguette were served.
Turkey cutlet au natural seasoned with olive oil, pepper and salt
The Château d'Agassac was paired with a turkey cutlet. The wine itself offers a deep dark cherry red with ripe cherry aromas and green pepper. Some dark chocolate in the background. Still very young! Morello cherries on the palate with still very present tannins. Very long finish. Excellent. Paired with the turkey cutlet and some tzatziki the wine suddenly became very smooth. The tannins were shifted more to the background.
Shish Kebab
The Château Du Beau Vallon has a cherry red brighter than the d’Agassac with some light rims. The aroma of ripe stewed fruits was restrained. Not very intensive. One taster detected some nettles. On the palate berries dominated. Medium long finish. The pairing with the Shish Kebab was difficult. Directly after a bit of the meat the wine was totally dead. You had to shift the contact point for 15 seconds. Then the nettles were confirmed and the taste was more spicy. The total impression was that the wine was already a little bit over the time.
Thuringian Grilled Sausage
This is a classic German barbecue dish. And it was wonderfully paired by the L’Inclassable. The wine has a dark, deep cherry red and offers Christmas aromas: Cinnamon paired with “hot” raspberries and cherries. Also cherries on the palate; very smooth and well integrated tannins. Wonderful. Absolutely on the top. Together with the sausage the wine offers in addition some spicy notes. Very pleasant.
Grillet Fillet of Pork
Another perfect pairing – although the Montrose made it very easy. Still an incredibly dark and deep cherry red with light rims. Nice balmy and earthy notes. Wet foliage. Still fruit aromas in the background. Surprisingly strong taste. Very spicy with clearly present tertiary aromas. Never-ending finish. Pretty much better than the last bottle I drunk two years ago. Together with the perfectly grilled and beautifully soft filled of pork a true inspiration. Terrific.
Dessert
For the dessert our friend offered us a very delicious Strawberry Tiramisu. To pair this dish is very difficult and we were not really surprised that the Piesporter Michelsberg did not totally fit. But no one cared. The tiramisu was outstanding and the quality of the nearly 40 years old Riesling surprisingly good.
It was not possible to uncork the wine and so we had to press the cork into the bottle. The color was golden amber and the aroma a wild mix of soft petrol, butter caramel and old wax candles. On the palate all these and more were confirmed. Also sherry notes. One of the tasters thought that the wine smelled a little bit like an old cat. In total an inspiring experience.
Then the dinner was finished. For the rest of the evening we simply relaxed on the sofa and drunk the remaining wine. No need to mention that the mission was completed when we left our friend.
The motto of the evening was "Bordeaux red" paired with a barbecue, framed by German white wines for starter and dessert. The following wines were served:
- 2010 Siegbert Bimmerle Sauvignon Blanc (Ortenau, Baden, Germany)
- 2006 Château d'Agassac (Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France)
- 2005 Château Du Beau Vallon (Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, France)
- 2004 Château L'Inclassable (Médoc, Bordeaux, France)
- 1991 Château Montrose (Saint Estèphe, Bordeaux, France)
- 1975 Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Spätlese (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany)
Starter
As starter our friend prepared a tuna salad with olives, pineapple and a lemon vinaigrette. Delicious. The pairing with the Bimmerle Sauvignon Blanc was risky, but it worked very well. The wine has a clear corn-like yellow colour and offers fruity aromas of pears and quinces. On the palate the quinces were more present together with kumquats and green apricots. With the tuna salad also the quinces dominated whereas all other parts came together in a very pleasant way with the salad and the vinaigrette. A real nice starter.
The Barbecue
For the barbecue every one of the red Bordeaux was served with a different style of meat. In addition tomato salad, corn-pepper salad, tzatziki and baguette were served.
Turkey cutlet au natural seasoned with olive oil, pepper and salt
The Château d'Agassac was paired with a turkey cutlet. The wine itself offers a deep dark cherry red with ripe cherry aromas and green pepper. Some dark chocolate in the background. Still very young! Morello cherries on the palate with still very present tannins. Very long finish. Excellent. Paired with the turkey cutlet and some tzatziki the wine suddenly became very smooth. The tannins were shifted more to the background.
Shish Kebab
The Château Du Beau Vallon has a cherry red brighter than the d’Agassac with some light rims. The aroma of ripe stewed fruits was restrained. Not very intensive. One taster detected some nettles. On the palate berries dominated. Medium long finish. The pairing with the Shish Kebab was difficult. Directly after a bit of the meat the wine was totally dead. You had to shift the contact point for 15 seconds. Then the nettles were confirmed and the taste was more spicy. The total impression was that the wine was already a little bit over the time.
Thuringian Grilled Sausage
This is a classic German barbecue dish. And it was wonderfully paired by the L’Inclassable. The wine has a dark, deep cherry red and offers Christmas aromas: Cinnamon paired with “hot” raspberries and cherries. Also cherries on the palate; very smooth and well integrated tannins. Wonderful. Absolutely on the top. Together with the sausage the wine offers in addition some spicy notes. Very pleasant.
Grillet Fillet of Pork
Another perfect pairing – although the Montrose made it very easy. Still an incredibly dark and deep cherry red with light rims. Nice balmy and earthy notes. Wet foliage. Still fruit aromas in the background. Surprisingly strong taste. Very spicy with clearly present tertiary aromas. Never-ending finish. Pretty much better than the last bottle I drunk two years ago. Together with the perfectly grilled and beautifully soft filled of pork a true inspiration. Terrific.
Dessert
For the dessert our friend offered us a very delicious Strawberry Tiramisu. To pair this dish is very difficult and we were not really surprised that the Piesporter Michelsberg did not totally fit. But no one cared. The tiramisu was outstanding and the quality of the nearly 40 years old Riesling surprisingly good.
It was not possible to uncork the wine and so we had to press the cork into the bottle. The color was golden amber and the aroma a wild mix of soft petrol, butter caramel and old wax candles. On the palate all these and more were confirmed. Also sherry notes. One of the tasters thought that the wine smelled a little bit like an old cat. In total an inspiring experience.
Then the dinner was finished. For the rest of the evening we simply relaxed on the sofa and drunk the remaining wine. No need to mention that the mission was completed when we left our friend.
Saturday, April 12. 2014
Dinner with Mrs and Mr J
I'm a lucky guy. I have some very good friends living in Frankfurt - let's call them Mr J and Mrs J. Mr J is one of the best wine connoisseurs and experts I met in my life, Mrs J is a real master chef. And the best: Two or three times a year they invite me for a very special kind of dinner. As I said: I'm a real lucky guy.
This time the menu was the following one:
- Amuse-gueule: Small crab salat with anchovy filets
- Starter: Warm goat's curd wrapped in bacon presented on salad with wild herbs together with a vinaigrette prepared with olive oil and balsamico of La Vialla
- Entrée: Beef tenderloin covered with ground pork and South Tyrol bacon paired with linguine and a sauce of carrots, onions and leek. The vegetables were reduced in port, then some wine was added, they were left simmering for another 90 minutes, after that puréed.
- Cheese plate (Taleggio, Morbier, Mimolette) with figs, grapes and fig mustard
- Chocolate cake
The idea was to taste six different red wines from the US in three flights. Of course the interaction of the wines was mainly examined in relation to starter, entrée and the cheese:
1st Fligth:
- 1997 Girard Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley
- 1997 Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley
2nd Flight:
- 2004 Saxum Broken Stones Syrah from Paso Robles
- 2004 Pax Castelli Knight Ranch Syrah from the Russian River Valley
3rd Flight:
- 2008 Dominus from Napa Valley
- 2010 Hall Wines Cabernet Sauvignon "Kathryn Hall" from Napa Valley
Both wines of the first flight were really good examples of the outstanding 1997 vintage. The Girard has a nice dark cherry red with some lighten rims and offers earthy notes paired with stewed fruits of cherry. These cherry notes were also present on the palate. Very long finish. Really good. Totally different the Seavey. Dark purple with notes of tobacco and forest floor. Also on the palate. A typical Bordeaux-style cab from the Napa Valley. Later on the evening the wine became better and better. After a certain while cassis notes came to the foreground. Very pleasant.
Then the second flight. I was very curious about it because the Syrah grape has become one of my favourites over the last two years. And I would drink the first Saxum of my life! And indeed both wines were very, very good, but the Broken Stones was a revelation for me. Very deep purple color; nearly opaque. Pure black cherries - also on the palate - with perfectly integrated alcohol. Outstanding. Syrah at its best. Different the Pax. Also purple and very dark but with some light cherry red rims. Manifold aromas: Cassis, tobacco, some earthy notes and something we needed a while to identify: Broom (Mrs J was the winner). The Pax is a little bit more violent than the Saxum. Decant it! Both wines had a very long finish. Life is good.
Tough challenge for the third flight. The level was already very high. The Kathryn Hall - my small present for the tasting - had a special history. The Js and I visited Hall Wines last year - the Js in spring and me in autumn due to their recommendation. I imported the wine only for a tasting with the Js. Funny thing: During the J's visit the wine was not yet bottled. So both had not tasted it so far. The wine offers a very dark purple color with lots of glints. In the aroma essential oils with a lot of dark berries. Very fat and velvety. Of course pretty much too young, but already a killer. Amazing. Mr. J wanted to give this wine the right counterpart. Very successfully. The 2008 Dominus was nearly black. Lots of black fruits, menthol and cassis. A beast of a wine. Still brutal because of of its youth but nevertheless tender and cajoling. I drank already the 99 vintage. This one is more bordeaux-like and I expect a very long life for this outstanding masterpiece.
Summary: It is definitely a gift to participate a tasting with wines of this level. But now more about the food pairing. Well, Mrs J prepared the perfect menu for this blockbuster team. All of this harmonised wonderfully with the goat's curd and the beef tenderloin - but all of them in a different way. My favourites:
- Goat's curd with the Seavey: Wonderful partner of the wild herbs with the vinaigrette
- Beef tenderloin: Definitely the Pax. Explosive aromas together with a bite of the tenderloin, the ground pork and the bacon
The favourite of the evening besides the wonderful menu? Perhaps the Saxum. A very bad boy. If you once start to drink you can't stop.
But what about the Chocolate cake? Mr J offered the next surprise of the evening: A 2002 Mr. K "The Nobleman"! Salmon color, very clear with a lot of glints. This Chardonnay offers a wonderful mix of apricot, petrol and turps aromas - in an absolutely positive way! On the palate dried fruits and sulfur apricots. Honey in the super-long finish. "Honey gliding down the throat". Still young and fresh. This half bottle was finished very, very soon. Bad thing.
I have to mention that I slept very well that night. Thanks to my friends Mrs J and Mr J. An unforgettable dinner.
This time the menu was the following one:
- Amuse-gueule: Small crab salat with anchovy filets
- Starter: Warm goat's curd wrapped in bacon presented on salad with wild herbs together with a vinaigrette prepared with olive oil and balsamico of La Vialla
- Entrée: Beef tenderloin covered with ground pork and South Tyrol bacon paired with linguine and a sauce of carrots, onions and leek. The vegetables were reduced in port, then some wine was added, they were left simmering for another 90 minutes, after that puréed.
- Cheese plate (Taleggio, Morbier, Mimolette) with figs, grapes and fig mustard
- Chocolate cake
The idea was to taste six different red wines from the US in three flights. Of course the interaction of the wines was mainly examined in relation to starter, entrée and the cheese:
1st Fligth:
- 1997 Girard Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley
- 1997 Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley
2nd Flight:
- 2004 Saxum Broken Stones Syrah from Paso Robles
- 2004 Pax Castelli Knight Ranch Syrah from the Russian River Valley
3rd Flight:
- 2008 Dominus from Napa Valley
- 2010 Hall Wines Cabernet Sauvignon "Kathryn Hall" from Napa Valley
Both wines of the first flight were really good examples of the outstanding 1997 vintage. The Girard has a nice dark cherry red with some lighten rims and offers earthy notes paired with stewed fruits of cherry. These cherry notes were also present on the palate. Very long finish. Really good. Totally different the Seavey. Dark purple with notes of tobacco and forest floor. Also on the palate. A typical Bordeaux-style cab from the Napa Valley. Later on the evening the wine became better and better. After a certain while cassis notes came to the foreground. Very pleasant.
Then the second flight. I was very curious about it because the Syrah grape has become one of my favourites over the last two years. And I would drink the first Saxum of my life! And indeed both wines were very, very good, but the Broken Stones was a revelation for me. Very deep purple color; nearly opaque. Pure black cherries - also on the palate - with perfectly integrated alcohol. Outstanding. Syrah at its best. Different the Pax. Also purple and very dark but with some light cherry red rims. Manifold aromas: Cassis, tobacco, some earthy notes and something we needed a while to identify: Broom (Mrs J was the winner). The Pax is a little bit more violent than the Saxum. Decant it! Both wines had a very long finish. Life is good.
Tough challenge for the third flight. The level was already very high. The Kathryn Hall - my small present for the tasting - had a special history. The Js and I visited Hall Wines last year - the Js in spring and me in autumn due to their recommendation. I imported the wine only for a tasting with the Js. Funny thing: During the J's visit the wine was not yet bottled. So both had not tasted it so far. The wine offers a very dark purple color with lots of glints. In the aroma essential oils with a lot of dark berries. Very fat and velvety. Of course pretty much too young, but already a killer. Amazing. Mr. J wanted to give this wine the right counterpart. Very successfully. The 2008 Dominus was nearly black. Lots of black fruits, menthol and cassis. A beast of a wine. Still brutal because of of its youth but nevertheless tender and cajoling. I drank already the 99 vintage. This one is more bordeaux-like and I expect a very long life for this outstanding masterpiece.
Summary: It is definitely a gift to participate a tasting with wines of this level. But now more about the food pairing. Well, Mrs J prepared the perfect menu for this blockbuster team. All of this harmonised wonderfully with the goat's curd and the beef tenderloin - but all of them in a different way. My favourites:
- Goat's curd with the Seavey: Wonderful partner of the wild herbs with the vinaigrette
- Beef tenderloin: Definitely the Pax. Explosive aromas together with a bite of the tenderloin, the ground pork and the bacon
The favourite of the evening besides the wonderful menu? Perhaps the Saxum. A very bad boy. If you once start to drink you can't stop.
But what about the Chocolate cake? Mr J offered the next surprise of the evening: A 2002 Mr. K "The Nobleman"! Salmon color, very clear with a lot of glints. This Chardonnay offers a wonderful mix of apricot, petrol and turps aromas - in an absolutely positive way! On the palate dried fruits and sulfur apricots. Honey in the super-long finish. "Honey gliding down the throat". Still young and fresh. This half bottle was finished very, very soon. Bad thing.
I have to mention that I slept very well that night. Thanks to my friends Mrs J and Mr J. An unforgettable dinner.
Saturday, March 22. 2014
Green Cabbage - The Challenge 2
Sometimes my wife and I are invited by some very good friends to a very special dinner - "Gruenkohl" with or without "Pinkel". To explain this in English is not so easy. First this is a typical dish in the north-west of Germany in winter time. Traditionally the "Gruenkohl" (green cabbage) is served with "Kasseler" (smoked pork chop), "Kohlwurst" (cabbage sausage) and fried potatoes. Often the fried potatoes are sprinkled with sugar. Last evening the Gruenkohl was served in exactly that way with pig's cheek in addition. But what about the "Pinkel"? Yep. The "Pinkel" can be described best as black or white pudding. For all our conditions it was good that the "Pinkel" was not part of yesterday's dinner:-).
Gruenkohl is not only a dish; it is a philosophy. And for "real" Gruenkohl connaisseurs there is only one pairing drink - beer from northern Germany. Perhaps water is tolerated for non-alcoholics. But not more. And if you ask the internet community about pairing wine you will be insulted. My opinion is that this has something to do with the German wine style which really does not fit with Gruenkohl. Wonderful German Rieslings or Pinots are killed by this very rich dish. A total different view you can get if you try a Chardonnay or a Syrah in a New World's style. I decided to try a 2010 Pedroncelli Chardonnay Vintage Selection from the Dry Creek Valley. This wine has the advantage that the vanilla and toast aromas are not so extreme, but the wine itself is strong enough to give the right answer to the Gruenkohl - at least I hoped that.
The first glass (without the Gruenkohl) offers a grassy yellow colour with some veils. Very light vanilla and pear aromas with some other fruits in the background. Fresh and still young. The first sip offers the other fruits: Some lemons, pineapples and lichees. Long finish. Very good (88/100).
But what happens together with the Gruenkohl? The combination was amazing and the wine paired wonderfully. The discrete vanilla aromas took away a little bit the fat part of the dish without overwhelming it. The wine itself becomes a little bit spicy. Important: Shift the contact point for five to 10 seconds. Don't drink directly after a mouthful of Gruenkohl. Interesting also the different aromas depending on whether I took a single ingredient or a mixture. My favourite: Some Gruenkohl and a little bit of pig's cheek. Outstanding.
Next year I will change from white to red wine. I have in mind a full-bodied Syrah. I will report.
Gruenkohl is not only a dish; it is a philosophy. And for "real" Gruenkohl connaisseurs there is only one pairing drink - beer from northern Germany. Perhaps water is tolerated for non-alcoholics. But not more. And if you ask the internet community about pairing wine you will be insulted. My opinion is that this has something to do with the German wine style which really does not fit with Gruenkohl. Wonderful German Rieslings or Pinots are killed by this very rich dish. A total different view you can get if you try a Chardonnay or a Syrah in a New World's style. I decided to try a 2010 Pedroncelli Chardonnay Vintage Selection from the Dry Creek Valley. This wine has the advantage that the vanilla and toast aromas are not so extreme, but the wine itself is strong enough to give the right answer to the Gruenkohl - at least I hoped that.
The first glass (without the Gruenkohl) offers a grassy yellow colour with some veils. Very light vanilla and pear aromas with some other fruits in the background. Fresh and still young. The first sip offers the other fruits: Some lemons, pineapples and lichees. Long finish. Very good (88/100).
But what happens together with the Gruenkohl? The combination was amazing and the wine paired wonderfully. The discrete vanilla aromas took away a little bit the fat part of the dish without overwhelming it. The wine itself becomes a little bit spicy. Important: Shift the contact point for five to 10 seconds. Don't drink directly after a mouthful of Gruenkohl. Interesting also the different aromas depending on whether I took a single ingredient or a mixture. My favourite: Some Gruenkohl and a little bit of pig's cheek. Outstanding.
Next year I will change from white to red wine. I have in mind a full-bodied Syrah. I will report.
Sunday, February 9. 2014
Pork Strips with Gorgonzola Red Wine Sauce
The wines:
- Bonterra Vineyards 2007 Viognier Mendocino County & Lake County, California
- Robert Sinskey Vineyards 2010 Pinot Noir Los Carneros, Napa Valley, California
The pork strips were served with a rice / lentils combo and sautéed Brussels sprouts wilth almonds.
Why two wines? The dish is complicated to pair due to the unusual food composition. Pork, Red Wine, Gorgonzola, ... The combination allows no straightforward decision. I thought that an off-dry white could work so I tried the Bonterra Viognier. It is not really off-dry but my feeling was it could work. On the other hand I tasted at Sinskey last year the Los Carneros Pinot with blue cheese. Wonderful. So I decided to try both.
Due to the Gorgonzola Red Wine Sauce the dish has a strong aroma. The rice with the lentils underlines the aroma where the medium prepared Brussels sprouts with the almonds give a nice counterpart. In total a very interesting dish with a lot of flavours. Both wines work - but on a different level. The residual sweetness of the Bonterra leads to a very interesting experience. Drinking the wine directly after some strips seems to kill the wine a little bit - the Viogner appears to be flat. But if you wait 5 seconds minimum a totally different view. Suddenly the fruity aromas harmonise with the dish. Nice thing.
However the Pinot works better. No difference if you drink directly or wait a little bit. Equal partners. The Pinot strengthens the aromas of the pork strips and vice versa. Another good example that a good prepared Pinot is a wonderful food pairing wine. Unfortunately my last bottle. I will be back to Sinskey during my next US trip definitely.
By the way: Tasting notes for both wines are also blogged.
- Bonterra Vineyards 2007 Viognier Mendocino County & Lake County, California
- Robert Sinskey Vineyards 2010 Pinot Noir Los Carneros, Napa Valley, California
The pork strips were served with a rice / lentils combo and sautéed Brussels sprouts wilth almonds.
Why two wines? The dish is complicated to pair due to the unusual food composition. Pork, Red Wine, Gorgonzola, ... The combination allows no straightforward decision. I thought that an off-dry white could work so I tried the Bonterra Viognier. It is not really off-dry but my feeling was it could work. On the other hand I tasted at Sinskey last year the Los Carneros Pinot with blue cheese. Wonderful. So I decided to try both.
Due to the Gorgonzola Red Wine Sauce the dish has a strong aroma. The rice with the lentils underlines the aroma where the medium prepared Brussels sprouts with the almonds give a nice counterpart. In total a very interesting dish with a lot of flavours. Both wines work - but on a different level. The residual sweetness of the Bonterra leads to a very interesting experience. Drinking the wine directly after some strips seems to kill the wine a little bit - the Viogner appears to be flat. But if you wait 5 seconds minimum a totally different view. Suddenly the fruity aromas harmonise with the dish. Nice thing.
However the Pinot works better. No difference if you drink directly or wait a little bit. Equal partners. The Pinot strengthens the aromas of the pork strips and vice versa. Another good example that a good prepared Pinot is a wonderful food pairing wine. Unfortunately my last bottle. I will be back to Sinskey during my next US trip definitely.
By the way: Tasting notes for both wines are also blogged.
Sunday, February 2. 2014
Haggis - The Challenge
The wine: Two Hands 2010 Lily's Garden McLaren Vale Shiraz
One day a friend from Scotland presented us two cans of haggis. We mentioned for several times that we would really like to taste this Scottish national dish and so suddenly there was no further excuse. Of course we missed the Burns Supper at the 25th of January, but we are Germans - we are excused.
One week later we started the mission. The good thing with Haggis in cans is that the preparation is easy - which seems not to be the natural thing. Nearly all recipes we checked sound - let's say - interesting. Mostly we like that all of them end with drinking a whiskey - alternatively before, during and / or after eating.
So the most challenging thing for us was the pairing of food and wine. We wanted to avoid the traditional food pairing Swede and "neeps and tatties". We chose fried potatoes and beetroot. Excellent!
The wine selection was an easy thing at the end. Most recommendations were in direction of a strong red as equal partner. We selected a 2010 Lily's Garden Shiraz from Two Hands (McLaren Vale). Very deep coloured, full bodied and a wonderful aroma of black berries. A typical "Wow" wine from South Australia. Usualy not so easy to pair with food (from my perspective), but for the haggis it was an oustanding partner. Haggis is rich and has some "fat" aromas. The wine helps to reduce this "mouth feeling" and supports the intensive aroma without overpowering. My recommendation: Wait perhaps for 10 seconds before drinking the wine after a mouthful of haggis.
At the end a perfect Sunday lunch. We will definitely have haggis again. A wonderful dish for wine experiments.
For my British friends: You can get the wine (2011 vintage) at Majestics.
For my US friends: Import of haggis to the US is strictly forbidden because one part of it is sheep lungs....
One day a friend from Scotland presented us two cans of haggis. We mentioned for several times that we would really like to taste this Scottish national dish and so suddenly there was no further excuse. Of course we missed the Burns Supper at the 25th of January, but we are Germans - we are excused.
One week later we started the mission. The good thing with Haggis in cans is that the preparation is easy - which seems not to be the natural thing. Nearly all recipes we checked sound - let's say - interesting. Mostly we like that all of them end with drinking a whiskey - alternatively before, during and / or after eating.
So the most challenging thing for us was the pairing of food and wine. We wanted to avoid the traditional food pairing Swede and "neeps and tatties". We chose fried potatoes and beetroot. Excellent!
The wine selection was an easy thing at the end. Most recommendations were in direction of a strong red as equal partner. We selected a 2010 Lily's Garden Shiraz from Two Hands (McLaren Vale). Very deep coloured, full bodied and a wonderful aroma of black berries. A typical "Wow" wine from South Australia. Usualy not so easy to pair with food (from my perspective), but for the haggis it was an oustanding partner. Haggis is rich and has some "fat" aromas. The wine helps to reduce this "mouth feeling" and supports the intensive aroma without overpowering. My recommendation: Wait perhaps for 10 seconds before drinking the wine after a mouthful of haggis.
At the end a perfect Sunday lunch. We will definitely have haggis again. A wonderful dish for wine experiments.
For my British friends: You can get the wine (2011 vintage) at Majestics.
For my US friends: Import of haggis to the US is strictly forbidden because one part of it is sheep lungs....
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