Monthly Archives: July 2009
2007 Borgo Reale Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Spaghetti alla puttanesca
This past week we had to endure through Tisha B’Av, so I wanted to make sure that we may something that would give Shabbos its due respect, and I came up with one of my new treats – Spaghetti alla puttanesca. It is a dish that my friend showed me a year ago, and is one that has quickly become a staple in our house. I love the Kalamta Olives (not Italian of course, but the best black olives that we can find), the spicy peppers, and the spicy rumors around the dish’s name (hint read the Wikipedia link above). For protein, some add in tuna or salmon. Instead, we add in soy meat/protein from one of the many purveyors of the fake ground meat. It adds a bit of depth and a nice texture overall to the dish. I have posted a before about my interest in this dish, and Emeril’s recipe. With all that tomato sauce, the dish needed a nice acidic wine to pair with, and I reached for a wine that I thought would work. Well initially, it was OK, but unbalanced and over the top acidic. However, the wine did a 180 degree change and became quite a wonderful wine that is not only balanced, but also more flush and fruity. The wine is the 2007 Borgo Reale Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, and one that is reasonably priced and Mevushal to boot. The wine paired nicely Friday night, but it got even better on Saturday day (after staying up all night sealed in a 375 ml bottle in my refrigerator) and paired well thank you with medium hard cheeses.
The wine note follows below:
2007 Borgo Reale Montepulciano d’Abruzzo – Score: B+
This wine caught me by surprise, in a very pleasant manner. When I first opened the bottle Friday night, I was unimpressed. It was a red wine with an average nose and a blunt/aggressive mouth that felt out of whack to say the least. However, all that changed after a few hours of air. I must stress that while the wine improved drastically from where it was Friday Night, the wine did lose its finish, with so much air. So, I would think that just a three or so hours of air would get it to where it is smooth, balanced, and enjoyable, without losing its finish. This is NOT a wine for long cellaring, but a wine that has a body and a life that simply needs a bit of air to be its muse.
The nose on this garnet colored wine is hot out of the bottle, with cherry, raspberry, currants, and some roasted herbs. After a few hours of air, the wine’s nose goes black with black cherry, rich/fresh plum, currants, and rich loam. The mouth on this medium bodied wine starts off red with raspberry and cherry. It flows into a mid palate of tannin, coffee, and bright acidity. The finish is long and bright with red fruit. However, with more air, the mouth fleshes out into an almost new wine. The mouth on this medium to full bodied wine is rich and almost mouth coating. The tannins have fully integrated and are carried by rich black plum, black cherry, and loamy dirt. The mid palate is still bright with acidity and a hint of coffee. The finish is average now with more rich fruit, tobacco, and mineral flavors. The wine lingers long on the mouth from the acidity, but the finish still feels short. This is another winner by Borgo Reale that is both Mevushal and reasonably priced to boot. Still not for celllaring, enjoy this one now or in a few months. This is a wine that will be comfortable at a spaghetti party or at a formal affair.
Ella Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Roasted Chicken, Brown Rice, and Lindemans Raspberry Lambic
Well this past weekend was a wonderful learning experience for me. We had a quiet dinner of roasted chicken, accompanied by a nice brown rice pilaf and a fresh green salad. I thought a nice wine to match that would be a bright wine, and went fishing around the wine cellar for a Sauvignon Blanc. I pulled out a 2007 Ella Valley Sauvignon Blanc, and what a surprise I had. To start the cork was sopping wet and almost to its end, though no leaks. I warn ALL readers to check this vintage, as the cork was not damaged or poor quality, it just looks like that cork was soaked. Of course cork is differs from bottle to bottle, but just take a look at your Ella Valley SB and check. I have never had a problem from any of their other wines, so this could have been nothing more than bad luck, but it is always safe to check.
Upon opening the bottle, I was greeted by a horrific smell, and almost barnyard or pee smell. Yes, Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, was made famous by British wine critic Oz Clarke, when he stated that The Sauvignon Blanc tasted like: “cat’s pee on a gooseberry bush”. Still, I do not associate that flavor with Sauvignon Blanc wines from Israel, but once I poured the wine the reason for the “odor” was clear. When I poured the wine, I greeted with bubbles in the wine and a clear flavor and nose of yeast. I am almost sure that the wine (at least for my bottle) went through ML (MaloLactic Fermentation) in my bottle, and so bubbles formed from the ML fermentation. I can only guess that my batch was not successfully filtered to rid the wine of any left over malic acid. The process of ML in a bottle, can create odors and bubbles, as the malic acid is “chowed down on” by Malolactic bacteria that are ubiquitous in the environment (you’re probably breathing some in right now). Once all of these wondrous additions blew off the wine became more than acceptable, but the overall presentation was lacking – to say the least. Again, check your bottles and enjoy!
For a special treat above and beyond some wine, I opened a bottle of Lindemans Raspberry Lambic. It can be purchased at most local area alcohol shops. My friend explained to me that Lambic beers are meant to be sour, and when I tasted this particular beverage, I understood that to mean – tart, but not sour. In many ways, the beer tasted like a tart and refreshing raspberry version of a Sauvignon Blanc. Of course, after more thought I realized that it was a totally fallacy. What I was tasting was the extreme brightness, but the beer was so sweet and almost cloyingly tart, that nobody would compare the beer to any wine. Moreover, folks at the table, thought the beer was spoiled or had gone to vinegar, but once I explained it was just sour beer, they liked it. I guess I found it refreshing after a while, but it is more enjoyable (at least to start) accompanied by some chocolate dessert.
The wine notes follow below:
2007 Ella Valley Sauvignon Blanc – Score: B – B+
The nose on this light straw colored wine was very weird initially. First came a nasty and funky pee smell that was a byproduct of the wine’s ML transformation in the bottle. Once that blew off the wine turned somewhat hot – wild! Luckily they both blew off within an hour of opening the bottle. Soon enough the nose turned to lychee, fresh cut grass, lemon, and grapefruit. The mouth on this light to medium bodied wine was refreshing but not rich, complex, or concentrated, and initially had bubbles in the glass. The mouth starts with lemon, lychee, and a fair amount of vegetal flavors. The mid palate is packed with bright acidity that flows into a nice finish of tart lemon and thick grass. The wine was not overwhelming and was a bit more green that I was expecting, but nice none the less, albeit the presentation.
BBQ Glazed Salmon, Mock Spinach Soufflés, and ElviWines Classico
This past evening, my in-laws whipped up a really awesome dinner. It consisted of a Sweet and Sour glazed BBQ Salmon, along with a Quick Spinach Soufflés, and a lovely assortment of fresh vegetables. The evening was really quite nice, and well enjoyed by all. My wife’s uncle joined us and brought along a lovely bottle of Elvi Wines Classico Ribera del Jucar, which is mevushal and quite tasty. This is not a wine that will blow you away, but it is still a wine that is quite a nice quaffer.
Thanks to Mom and Dad, and Reuben for a lovely evening. The wine note follows below:
2008 Elvi Wines Classico, Ribera del Jucar – Score: B+
The nose on this garnet colored wine, which is a blended wine of 88% Tempranillo and 12% Merlot, is ripe with plum, cherry, raspberry, and spice. The mouth of this medium bodied wine is soft with raspberry, cherry, and plum. The mid palate is bright with core acidity and a hint of coffee. The finish is medium long with more acid, soft tannins, coffee, and pepper/spice. This is a real nice wine that is a solid quaffer for almost anyone and mevushal to boot. By the way, this is the only mevushal wine from this awesome Spanish Kosher Winery, one of my favorites out there.
Cholent, Spicy Food, and Segal Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve
This past weekend saw us sharing a Kiddush with my Brother and family after my nephew completed his Bar Mitzvah portion splendidly well. The spread we were presented with was absolutely outstanding! It included a North African Cholent called – dafina (wheat berry, onions, and meat), and a European Cholent (potatoes, meat, onions, etc.). In addition to the cholent(s), there were an assorted number of chicken options, along with tons of other salads and side dishes (including some smoking hot peppers and olives).
Well, before Shabbos I picked up two bottles of wine. One was a 1999 Nebbiolo wine that I found at the wine store, and it was DOA. The other was a 2004 Segal Cabernet Sauvignon, which was quite nice.
The wine went well with the cholent and spicy dishes and was enjoyed by others at the table.
The wine note follows below:
2004 Segal Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve – Score: B+
The nose on this dark garnet colored wine is hopping with sweet oak, blackberry, cranberry, and dark chocolate. The mouth on this fat yet not complex full bodied wine is somewhat mouth coating, and carries along with it the fruit characteristics from the nose, with blackberry and cranberry. The mid palate is balanced with well integrated tannins and acidity, that pick up the fruit flavors while adding some fullness to the mouth. The finish is medium long with more black fruit and a nice chocolate presence. The wine is effective, but not a complex wine, like the 2003 Ella Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Willm Gewurztraminer, ElviWines Matiz Rioja, Ella Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
This past week saw us eating at our brother’s house and we brought over a few bottles of wine. The dinner started with a sweet and sour Salmon, so we complimented it with the newly released 2008 Willm Gewurztraminer. On an aside, this is the very first time that one of the famous houses of Alsace has released a kosher wine, super cool! The wine’s crazy alcohol content is some 16% – and I think it was higher! The mouth is super rich, with lychee, apple, and honeyed flavors, and DRY! Forget about that sweet and cloying like wines that some of you folks drink for Kiddush or desert. Nope this is a classic Alsace Gewurztraminer, which is dry and honeyed and can stand up to sour and/or spicy foods. In many ways it tastes like a Viognier, except without a drop of sweet oak or sweet flavors. That said, the sweetness comes along in a weird way because of extremely high alcohol and not because of a heavy perfume and/or residual sugars.
After the bottle disappeared between the meal occupants, my sister-in-law brought out a bevy of main courses – four of them I think, along with an abundance of side dishes. The main courses consisted of a beauty roast, potatoes and meatballs, pepper steak, and shoulder roast. The side dishes were large and varied, along with some nice kibbeh and Moroccan cigars. My sister-in-law made a ton of food, and many others, brought over food, and it was a crazy feast.
We had a two wines to pair with the rich meat dishes and both of them were nice, but the clear winner was the 2003 Ella Valley Cabernet. The other wine was the 2008 Elvi Wines Matiz Rioja. The Matiz was awesome out of the gate with rich chocolate and tobacco on the nose and mouth, but that petered out quickly and what we were left with was a slightly boring wine, to be honest. The EV Cab on the other hand was a multi layered and complex wine that was just awesome. Really a nice showing for the winery, and it is not even the acclaimed Vineyard Choice.
Thank you my brother and family, and I hope to share many more happy occasions. The food and the ambiance were killer! The wine notes follow below:
2008 Willm Gewurztraminer – Score: B – B+
The nose on this rich golden yellow color, is hot from its 16% alcohol, along with honeycomb, jasmine, lemon, lychee, and a touch of mineral. The mouth on this medium bodied wine is viscous and tastes somewhat sweet while not being so (an offshoot of the alcohol). It follows with a Muscat like flavor that helps to pick up the rest of the mouth that consists of honeydew, apple, and orange juice. The mid palate is light on acidity and bitter from mineral flavors. The finish is medium long with a strong honey presence and some bitterness that trails out of the mid palate. This is an OK wine, but it lacks balance, crispness, and is a bit too bitter.
2008 ElviWines Matiz Rioja – Score: B+
The nose on this dark garnet, 100% Tempranillo wine, starts right out of the bottle with a powerful nose of chocolate and tobacco. As the wine opens up, the chocolate and tobacco give way to cherry and raspberry notes. The mouth on this full bodied wine is smooth and concentrated, with cherry and raspberry fruit that follow the nose. The mid palate is bright enough to balance out the wine while sharing space with a hint of tannins that are integrating nicely. The finish is long with a return of the cherry fruit, acidity, on a bed tobacco leaves and chocolate candy.
2003 Ella Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – Score: A
The nose on this dark garnet to black colored wine is hopping with blackberry, cassis, plum, sweet oak, and roasted herbs. The mouth of this brooding, complex, and multi layered wine is really nice with black fruit that comes at you in layers after layers of blackberry and plum. The mid palate flows nicely from the layers of fruit with oak, bracing acidity, and integrating tannins. The finish is extra long with black fruit from the mouth, along with hints of sweet oak, tobacco, and spice.
Jerk BBQ Chicken, Beef Bourguignon Leftovers, and Recanati Cabernet Franc Reserve
This past week saw us enjoying a lovely Jerk BBQ chicken and leftovers of Beef Bourguignon that we had a few weeks ago. The chicken had a lovely BBQ aromatic, that is accentuated by the jerk rub. The jerk rub was made of a simple mixture of Garlic, Cumin, Brown Sugar, Black Pepper, and some vinegar. The chicken was moist and extremely tasty to boot. We paired this with a some nice Quinoa and Long grain Rice for the left over Beef Bourguignon, and we had a very enjoyable, and easy to make Shabbos dinner.
To pair with these foods, I chose a lovely wine that I have been high on, but whose older brother I love even more. I have spoken a few times now about Cabernet Franc, and my love for it. I also love the work that Lewis Pasco did on the Cabernet Franc line at the Recanati Winery, before he left, a couple of years ago. I chose to drink the 2004 vintage of the Recanati Cabernet Franc, but I have posted before about my wonderful visit to the Recanati Winery, and the barrel tasting of the 2006 Recanati Cabernet Franc. Anyway, as usual Daniel Rogov was dead on with his recommendation to drink this up in 2009. The 2004 vintage is at its true peak and ready to drink. The tannins have mellowed and are now mouth coating, and give ample structure to this full bodied wine. The fruit is still very present and mingling nicely with the tannins, oak, and floral characteristics.
The wine notes follow below:
2004 Recanati Cabernet Franc – Score: B+
This wine is filling out and is now at its peak. Gone is most of the green flavors and what is left is a lovely red and black fruited mouth coating wine that still exhibits the classical Franc green and floral flavors, but balances them with a canopy of oak and bright fruit flavors. The nose on this ruby to garnet colored wine is really hot initially out of the bottle. However, that blows off pretty quickly. Once the heat is gone, the wines exhibits notes of cranberry, raspberry, plum, oak, and mint. The mouth on this full bodied wine is mouth coating with almost perfectly integrated tannins. It is melded with spicy oak, fresh and ripe cranberry and black plums. The mid palate flows is balanced with nice tannins and just enough acidity. The finish is long and spicy with eucalyptus and fresh fruit. Quite a nice wine that is truly at its peak and ready to drink.
Salmon, Chicken, Four Gates Merlot, Yarden Winery Pinot Noir, Yarden Winery Viognier, Galil Mountain Winery Viognier
This past weekend we were up at Benyamin’s Winery – Four Gates Winery. We came early to hook Benyamin to the internet – yes my friends Benyamin is VERY close to the digital age. Anyway, after that we enjoyed a wonderful dinner and a following Saturday day and evening, that was nonstop relaxing, food, and camaraderie.
The evening started with a lovely bottle of 1998 Four Gates Merlot/Cabernet Franc Blend (experimental blend), that was really nice, but placed to the side once the fish hit the table. The Salmon was poached perfectly in a bottle of some Chardonnay (no idea which vintage), and paired quite nicely with the first of the two Viognier that we tasted – 2006 Yarden Winery Viognier. The wine’s fullness and richness melded perfectly with the rich Salmon flavor, quite a treat. The fish was followed by roasted chicken, new potatoes (yanked early to keep them away from the pesky gophers), and a lovely fresh salad. The main course was paired with another bottle – 2004 Yarden Winery Pinot Noir. What is a shame is that for the first time that this wine has tasted good for me, that we did not get a chance to taste it with a Four Gates Pinot Noir. So many times the 2004 Yarden Pinot Noir vintage has been either cooked, oxidized, or downright undrinkable. I was almost starting to think that the bottles of the 2004 vintage shipped here to America were toasted. I tasted them in Chicago, in New York, In California, and they were all bad. I am happy that finally the wine has had a chance to show itself and when it does, I would have loved to compare it against another awesome kosher Pinot Noir producer. Anyway, the Pinot Noir was not only quite nice, it went really well with the roasted chicken, that had a fair amount of herbs encrusted all over it, which melded quite nicely with the spicy Pinot Noir.
The following day I had an early taste of the cholent I whipped together before Shabbos, made of onions, new potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and a bunch of stuff that I do not remember. It was thick, warm, and hearty with a tangy flavor that kept on going, and matched well with the left over Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend. Before lunch started Benyamin opened up a bottle of Four Gate’s first public released Merlot – the 1997 Four Gates Merlot. The wine, keeps going well, full bodied and oaky with robust fruit and an acidic backbone that is not waning. Lunch started with more poached salmon that we paired with a 2006 Galil Mountain Winery Viognier, along with some leftover 2006 Yarden Winery Viognier. The Yarden Viognier was really showing its muscle the next day, the floral and mineral flavors were bursting out of their shell, but never overpowered the ripe honeydew and pear, while the ever present oak, filled out the glass. The Galil Viognier, was not to my liking, but I am sure there are others that will love it. I missed the perfume that I associate with a Viognier, but it was still fruity and present. The meal continued with more salads, artichokes, humus and other such dips, and some lovely fresh salad.
After lunch, some of us crashed and others went for a walk, and after some folks came over, many had dinner with more wine. I however, stopped drinking after lunch, as I was driving back that night. I want to thank Benyamin for his ever open arms and warm hospitality, and for another smashing shabbos at his hideaway in the mountains.
The wine notes follow below:
2006 Yarden Winery Viognier - Score: A-
This wine is a classic Viognier that follows the lineage of its forefathers. The nose on this golden colored wine starts hot and is slow to open up until a few hours after opening. Once open the wine is popping with super rich perfume that embodies fresh and ripe pear, honeydew, violets, sweet oak, and lemon. The mouth on this full bodied and rich wine is screaming with more ripe pear, honeydew, and peach. The mid palate is bright enough with acidity to balance out the rich body. The finish is long and luxurious, perfumed and earthy with more rich fruit. This is a really nice mineral and richly perfumed Viognier that will make you believe in the power of Viognier.
2004 Yarden Winery Pinot Noir – Score: A-
I must admit that this wine has failed me at least twice in the past few times that I have tasted it. Not this time! This bottle, was not flawed in anyway. The nose on this dark garnet colored wine was crazy hot out of the bottle, but that calmed over time. The bottle needs at least three hours of air to blow off the heat and open the black fruit that lays deep within this wine’s veins, but hidden initially under a blanket of oak. This wine opens with sweet oak, blackberry, plum, and classic Pinot cherries. The mouth on this full bodied wine was velvety and mouth coating. The tannins are now well integrated and not mouth puckering and give a richness to the wine. The mouth starts with blackberry, plum, and cherry, and flows into a mid palate of more oak, some mild acidity. The finish is long with rich fruit, oak, and a bit of chocolate that rounds out the wine. This is a nice showing that will easily be around for a year or two more.
1997 Four Gates Merlot – Score: B+
This wine is still kicking and is still drinking well. The wine is very similar to our last tasting, and is a smooth, mouth coating, and full bodied wine. The nose on this soft red to black colored wine is a rich and opulent aroma of chocolate, cherry, blackberry, and oak. The mouth on this wine is full and mouth coating and is filled with chocolate, blackberry, and cherry. The mid palate is oaky, with light acid, and integrating tannins. The finish is a long and luscious walk down the oak boardwalk with a warm espresso and a shot of vanilla to boot. This lovely wine has pushed past its peak and is time to drink up.
2006 Galil Mountain Winery Viognier – Score: B+
As nice as this wine is, it was more like a Sauvignon Blanc than it was a Viognier. The nose on this light yellow with a greenish tint colored wine is ripe with apple, peach, pear, floral, and light hints of oak. The mouth on this medium bodied wine is bright with floral flavors, along with pear, and peach flavors. The mid palate is bright with acidity, light oak, and nice green flavors. The finish is long with more fruit, and a tinge of dirt flavors. Not a Viognier I would buy again, as it lacks the rich perfume that I associate and require from a nice Viognier.
