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Mollie Katzen’s Vegetarian Chili and the 2006 Four Gates Merlot La Rochelle
On December 18th we had a slow weekend, so we looked for a fun recipe that we really love, no matter the effort required. To meet that wish, we made Vegetarian Chili from Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook. The cookbook is a classic organization of vegetarian dishes that take the best of their carnivorous brethren, while not leaving you yearning for the meat flavor or texture. The chili is labor intensive, but well worth it, as it has historically been consumed quickly by the both of us, so that leaves us with more work on the short horizon :-). Still it was grand fun to make and consume. I went looking in the cellar for a wine to pair with this magnificent creation, and I luckily chose the 2006 Four Gates Merlot La Rochelle, a wine that I have eyed for some time. The bottle has always been the stepchild of its bigger M.S.C. brother , but that was quickly remedied this week. The wine had its official coming out party and wow it was glorious. The wine clearly overpowered the food, but it was still worth it.
The wine note follows below:
2006 Four Gates Merlot La Rochelle – Score: A-
Wow this wine is starting to fill out and become rich, extracted, and in your face, but with a bit less complexity than its bigger brother the M.S.C. The nose on this garnet to dark garnet colored wine is hopping with rich plum, raspberry, eucalyptus, blackberry, sweet oak, spice, and chocolate. After a few hours, the nose turns darker with cassis and blackberry taking over the nose. The mouth on this full bodied wine is integrating nicely and the tannins create a caressing mouth feel that is coating, but a bit furry still in nature. The fruit carries over from the nose with plum, blackberry, and raspberry, but as it gains more air it turns blacker like the nose, with blackberry and cassis dominating the mouth. The mid palate is balanced with the usual Four Gates core acidity, oak, softening tannins, and spice. The finish is long and lingering with black fruit, raspberry, oak, chocolate, and minerals. This wine has evolved nicely.
Ella Valley Merlot, Four Gates Chardonnay and Merlot
We spent the weekend at the Four Gates Winery and we had a grand time. I brought a bunch of wine and Benyamin had a few wines in the ready as well. The food was awesome but I must say that once again, I brought the duds – AAHH!! The worst part of it was that I personally brought these wines back from France and had great expectations for them. Unfortunately, they were total losers. I brought a Sancerre and a Bordeaux. The only saving grace I had was the 2002 Ella Valley Vineyard Choice Merlot.
Dinner started with a lovely poached fish that was rich enough in flavor to match the Sancerre – but it was a real downer. The Sancerre tasted like it was allowed to rot and such was a quarter or more along the way to a Sauterne. After that we had lovely roasted chicken and a meat stew. The Roasted Chicken was solely coated with a spice mixture that I guessed was a combination of Curry, Cumin, Coriander, and cloves. Very nice mix. The chicken and the stew called for a wine that is highly acidic and/or powerful wine. The Bordeaux I brought was truly sad as well. Really, just a sad attempt. The other wine I brought was a hit and really nice – one of my favorites; the 2002 Ella Valley Vineyard’s Choice (VC) Merlot. Finally, the Four Gates wines were enjoyed the following day with Cholent and leftovers. A very nice affair for all.
The wine notes follow:
2002 Bokobsa Sancerre Special Reserve – Score: B-
The nose on this gold colored wine had notes of honeysuckle, grapefruit, earth, and Botrytis. The smell throws off the wine, and unfortunately carries on into the palate. The mouth on this medium bodied wine is fruity. The mid palate was mineral, while the Botrytis commanded the finish. The wine lacked crispness and focus. It was all over the place, a real shame. I had a great experience with a previous Sancerre, and was hoping for it again, but it was not to be.
2003 Château du Desert Grand Vin de Graves – Score: B-
The nose on this garnet colored wine was mineral and raspberry. The mouth on this medium bodied wine has notes of raspberry, and plum. The mid palate had nice earth tones. The finish was muddled with fruit and oak. Again, a non-focused or complex wine. I had high hopes for this one, but it was not to be.
2002 Ella Valley Vineyard’s Choice Merlot – Score: A
The nose on this opaque black colored wine is a big Merlot nose. Cassis, blackberry, and oak scream to the front. Mint, chocolate, and earthy tones follow. The mouth on this full bodied wine starts off with black plum, cassis and mint. The middle is a complex mixture of oak, black fruit, and well integrated tannins. The balanced wine’s long finish is filled with meaty texture and flavor along with chocolate, tobacco, and oak. This is a really fun wine and one that is ready to enjoy now. There was not a ton of sediment, but still keep a watch out for it. The fruit is slowing down, so drink up.
Four Gates La Rochelle Merlot 2005 – score: A-
The nose on this deep garnet colored wine is flush with blackberry, mint, asparagus, and oak. The mouth on this medium bodied wine starts with blackberry fruit and black plums. The mi palate has lovely notes of acid balanced with oak. The finish is long with light tannins that have not yet integrated, and red fruit. The wine is not yet at its peak, but is still quite enjoyable now as well.
Four Gates Chardonnay 2004 – Score: A
One of the best Chardonnay out there right now. This complex yet approachable wine is a real joy. This is NOT a lightweight Chardonnay yet not a butterball like other California Chardonnays. This is what a California Chardonnay should taste like – really nice. We have tasted this in the past and it has clearly improved. The nose has gone more citrus and oaky. The mouth has really filled out and the finish goes on for miles. But the real excitement is the complexity that has appeared. The wine is far more complex in nature, with layers of oak, vegetal notes, and wonderful citrus, peach, and apricot flavors. So on to the actual tasting note now:
The nose on this electric light gold colored wine is filled with peach, apricot, and light hints of herbs, sweet oak and caramel. The mouth on this full bodied and very rich Chardonnay is packed with a complex and layered mixture of peach, apricot and citrus flavors. The mid palate is a strong crisp acid core mixed with cloves, vegetal flavors, and a slight sweetness. The finish is a long crisp and refreshing stroll with sweet wood notes as a partner. A real success. This is one of my favorite Chardonnays. The wine is crisp yet has weight at the same time, a real joy.
This past Friday Night’s wine…
This week we had no guests – so fewer bottles 🙂 Again a light Shabbos so lighter wine was in order.
Four Gates Merlot La Rochelle 2001 – Score: A-
The Merlot has a vibrant and almost shimmering purple color – quite lovely to look at. The nose is filled with cherry, raspberry, and strawberries along with a hint of oak and butterscotch. This medium bodied wine’s mouth is filled with a carry over of the nose’s raspberries and strawberries. It has a mid palate of acid notes and spicy wood. The finish is long with butterscotch, acid notes, medium tannins, and more spicy wood.
Wine Musings Blog 