Red Wine Blind Tasting

At snooth on Sunday afternoon I participated in a blind tasting of 12 red wines. Led by Greg Dal Piaz of Snooth, all the bottles' labels were covered and we sampled 4 flights of three each. Here they are along with my comments:

Flight 1 (Sangiovese)

2005 Perdroncelli Alto Vineyard Dry Creek valley, CA
color: cool rose; nose: bright cherries, violets, roses; palate: raisins, vanilla

2006 Terra d'oro Amador County, CA
nose: cassis, chocolate; palate: grapefruit rinds, sour cherries

2005 Pietra santa Cienega Valley, CA
color: deep purple; nose: smokey, concentrated not unlike Amarone, intense, violets, cherry syrup, cough drops, and vanilla; palate: red fruits, ripe cherries, white pepper

Flight 2 (Other Italians)

2006 Montevina Amador County Aglianico, CA
color: ruby; nose: vanilla, blueberries; palate: strawberries, blueberries, fresh fruit finish

2006 Bocella Rasott Campi Taurasini, Italy
color: dark ruby opaque; earthy, plastic wrap, Christmas gift wrapping, chemical cherries, sweet and sour cherries

2004 Pietra Santa Dolcetto Cienega Valley, CA
color: opaque inky deep purple; beatiful aromas of clean earth, simple and on palate ripe cherries, wood and green peppers

Flight 3 (Syrah/Shiraz)

2005 Shoo Fly South East Australia
bramble and underbrush on the nose, also hints of earthy blackberries and palate of sweet ripe fruitiness, bubble gum, violets with a candy finish

2006 The Lackey South Australia
nose: red fruits; palate: super ripe blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, smooth and fresh finish

2005 Valley of the Moon Sonoma County, CA
medicinal cherries

Flight 4 (Syrah/Shiraz)

2004 d'Arenberg The Love Grass McLaren Vale, Australia
nose: vanilla and high alcohol at first, but opened to a sweet fruit bomb (in a good way), blueberry, lavender, fruit rind with a finish of white pepper and a smokey undercurrent, refreshing, jammy, balanced

2005 Sixth Sense Lodi County, CA
nose: vegetal, sweet and spicey; palate: vanilla, violets, cherry orange liquore, oak

2005 Toasted Head Dunnigan Hills, CA
pleasing aromas of mild floral tones, preview a palate of soft, balanced and perfectly ripe bing cherries

Jacob's Creek Centenary Hill Shiraz 2005 Australia

From Australia's Barossa Valley showing clear and intensely deep garnet colors with lighter tawny colors around the rim of the glass, wonderful clean aromas are equally intense displaying marzipan, sweet spices like cinnamon and clove, pastry icing, menthol, chocolate and wood. Dry on the palate with an attractive balance of medium acidity and ripe tannins, medium plus body, flavors of chocolate and white pepper, with ripe and sweet black fruits over a nutty finish that stretches on for a good length of time.

This wine was part of a tasting at my Level ll Intermediate Certificate WSET class in Wine & Spirits this weekend at the International Wine Center.

Eden Road's The Long Road Shiraz wins Best Shiraz

A wonderful Australian Shiraz I reviewed this past summer, The Long Road Shiraz 2010 has won Best Shiraz in Australia's National Wine Show. Production only began in 2008 when they won The Jimmy Watson Memorial trophy for their first vintage.

"The vineyard for this wine is located in Gundagai, where some of the most exciting Shiraz in Australia is being grown," explains Eden Road's Winemaker Nick Spencer. "The region features basalt-rich soils, which deliver highly perfumed, aromatic wines, and ironstone-rich soils, which provide a mineral, crushed rock and gravelly tannin structure."

Congratulation Eden Road! Well Done!

Truth In Wine Labeling

Unprecedented Coalition of International Wine Regions Joined By Notable Chefs in Effort to Protect Wine Place Names

NEW YORK - October 19, 2011 - Leadership from 15 of the world's premier wine regions came together along with renowned chefs from around the globe to call on policymakers to heed growing consumer demand for wine truth-in-labeling.

Results from a recent poll of U.S. consumers, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, released today found that Americans, in particular, have very strong feelings about the role of location in making wine-purchasing decisions. Key findings from the poll of 1,000 U.S. wine drinkers include:

79 percent consider the region where a wine comes from an important factor when buying a bottle of wine;

75 percent report they would be less likely to buy a wine if they learned that it claimed to be from a place like Champagne, Napa Valley or Oregon, but in actuality was not;

84 percent think that the region a wine comes from is extremely important in determining its quality;

96 percent say that consumers deserve to know that the location where wine grapes are grown is accurately stated on wine labels; and

98 percent support establishing worldwide standards for all winemakers that would require that they accurately state the location where wine grapes are grown on wine labels.

"In over 20 years of polling, rarely have we seen such strong feelings on an issue like this," said Rob Autry, partner of Public Opinion Strategies and the lead pollster on this project. "Consumer sentiment this strong is a clear signal that Americans care a great deal about the location a wine comes from and clearly want ready access to that information when looking at a bottle."

Perhaps most troubling was the fact that despite broad interest in wine location from all sectors of the U.S. wine-consuming populace, when presented with two labels to compare side by side, most consumers were unable to determine the correct origin of the wine. This underscores the challenges winemakers face with current labeling laws.

"The research released today shows consumers are more focused on product origins than ever before and it isn't just a passing concern, but one they feel extraordinarily strong about," said Linda Reiff, executive director of Napa Valley Vintners. "When a place name is misused, a part of the identity of that distinctive wine region is lost and consumers can be misled. This poll shows that U.S. consumers understand this and are looking for clear labeling of wine place names when they purchase wines."

"The 15 regions gathered here today agree that great wine is made in unique places all over the world and that these unique place names must be protected. A failure to do so undermines all of these wine-growing regions and, as the research shows, runs counter to the expectations of the consumer," said Bruno Paillard, representing the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne. "People want to know where their wines come from. The Declaration signatories have taken a global stand for truth-in-labeling and we are committed to working together to maintain and protect the integrity of wine place names."

The poll was released by the signatories to the Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place & Origin, a coalition first formed in 2005 when the initial global declaration was signed. The organization has since doubled in size, welcoming its two newest members - Rioja and Long Island - at this year's meeting in New York.

In addition to the growing number of wine regions joining the campaign to protect place names, some of the world's preeminent names in food and wine have joined hands with the coalition as well. An open letter was released today signed by chefs and sommeliers lending their support for truth in wine labeling. Signatories include Thomas Keller from Per Se and the French Laundry; Ferran Adrià from El Bulli; Daniel Boulud from Daniel; Alexandre Ferrand from Alain Ducasse; Wolfgang Puck from Wolfgang Puck Restaurants; Antoine Hernandez from Joël Robuchon; Michel Richard from Citronelle; José Andrés from Jaleo and minibar; Pontus Elofsson from Noma; Charlie Palmer from Charlie Palmer Restaurants and many others from around the globe.

"We support the Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place & Origin because place names are central to understanding the foods and wines we work with every day," says José Andrés, a James Beard Award-winning chef with restaurants in Washington, D.C.; Las Vegas and Los Angeles. "We celebrate foods and wines from all over the world every day, because they bring special elements to the table and we believe that clear labeling is central to this experience."

"Americans care about where their food and wine are from more than ever before, so we must stand together to ensure that consumers accurately receive the location-driven products they desire," says Chef Ken Frank of Napa Valley's landmark restaurant, La Toque.

The coalition hopes that the clear and resounding results of consumer survey data, combined with the accelerated interest on the part of chefs and other food and wine experts and an overwhelming majority of the world's leading wine regions now working in unison will push lawmakers and others around the globe to better protect wine place names in the U.S. and beyond.

By signing the Declaration, the 15 wine regions have collectively affirmed that geographic names are fundamental tools for consumers to identify the wines from specific wine-growing areas. In their meetings today in New York, the regions renewed their commitment to working together on the consumer education and public advocacy necessary to ensure that these names are protected and respected worldwide.

The Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place & Origin was originally signed on July 26, 2005, and now has the support of 15 international wine regions including Champagne, France; Chianti Classico, Italy; Jerez, Spain; Long Island, New York; Napa Valley, California; Oregon state; Paso Robles, California; Porto, Portugal; Rioja, Spain; Sonoma County, California; Tokaj, Hungary; Victoria, Australia; Walla Walla Valley, Washington; Washington state; and Western Australia. These quality wine regions have come together to foster the growing global recognition that location is the most important ingredient in wine. To lend support and read the full text of the Declaration, visit protect place.

Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz 2016 Barossa Valley

“I’m the Dude, so that’s what you call me. That or, uh His Dudeness, or uh Duder, or El Duderino, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.” — The Dude

“Careful man, there’s a beverage here!” 
— The Dude

There sure is!  I know it's not a White Russian, but this Two Hands Gnarly Dudes (Named for the gnarled old Shiraz vines that produce this luscious grape) is the beverage here for "The" Dude on Father's Day. 

And it comes from Australia's Barossa Valley made with 100% Shiraz and aged in French Oak for 12 months.

In the glass the colors are a ruby red with brighter red at the rim. The aromas are a stunning and attractive blend of cassis and underbrush with hints of salumi, herbs and slate. On the palate more blackberry and plum with bold, smoked meats and cigar box. Finishing long and bold with a hit of spice and black pepper. 13.5% alcohol. A great way to wish The Dude Happy Fathers Day.

Eden Road Shiraz The Long Road Gundagai 2010

From the Gundagai region of Australia, this is a 100% Shiraz made from fruit picked, de-stemmed and chilled for 7 days before warming naturally and innoculated with a chosen yeast strain. The cap was turned over with high volume compressed air which is a gentle approach to soaking the skins. No pumping over or plunging was employed. Following fermentation the fruit was pressed and 50% transferred directly to old French oak puncheons.

Very dark deep colors of purple, with cassis, pepper, and licorice aromas, great texture and body while flavors of dark fruit and violets play happily on the palate into a satisfying floral finish.

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008 Australia

Fruit up front with blackberry preserves reduction on toast, ripe bing cherries, black fruits, plum, smoke, spices, white pepper, candy finish. By the glass at Brickyard Gastropub $7.50/glass.

Cameron Hughes Wines

From Wikipedia:
Négociant
A négociant is the French term for a wine merchant who assembles the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells the result under its own name.

Cameron Hughes is a Negociant in the wine world, delivering small "Lots" of high-end wines at very affordable prices. He’ll shop around the world’s best wine regions, including France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Argentina, South Africa, and California to find some very good juice in bulk that a vineyard might sell for $55 per bottle and sell it for $15. He sells directly to consumers on line thru his website and retails mainly at Costco.

I had the pleasure of meeting him yesterday to sample some of his newer releases at the Snooth offices in NYC. To me they were all great value wines. Here are some of my abbreviated tasting notes:

Lot 108 Napa Valley Chardonnay 2007 $14
Apple, pineapple, lemon rind and pear aromas with lemon verbena and grapefruit on a creamy fresh finish.

Lot 159 Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2008: new release $14
Musky aromas, citrus, creamy oak.

Lot 125 Napa Carneros Pinot Noir 2007 $18
Aromas of dark cherries, mineral/petrol with flavors of black pepper, raspberry, chocolate and a creamy caramel finish.

Lot 129 Campo de Borja Garnacha 2007 $16
Leather, red fruits, wood bark, dark cherry fruits, smoke, violets, slight carbonation.

Lot 135 Central Coast Syrah 2007 $12
Animal, bright fruits, dark berries, strawberries, red licorice.

Lot 169 Napa Valley Merlot 2007: new release
Blue fruits, candy cane, some heat, blueberries, oak, structured.

Lot 147 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 $15
Dry, tarry, some minerality, tight, attractive aromas of leather, sachet d'Épices and black cherry, with violet notes and oak.

Lot 149 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 $22
Super intense perfumes of flowers especially lilac, powdered violets, sweet juicy blue fruits and cassis. My favorite of the group.

Lot 154 Lake Country Zinfandel 2006: new release $13
Bubblegum, vanilla, banana and blueberry

Red Hill Estate Shiraz 2000

I found this gem recently in a sale bin at Pop's Wines, one of my favorite wine shops in Island Park, Long Island. It's a Shiraz from Victoria Australia and must have been buried under other boxes for years. But it must have been stored on it's side because the cork was a deep ruby and the wine was wonderful.

The colors were a deep ruby, with fine floral notes wafting from the glass showing bright earthy berries and brilliant spices contrasting perfectly with earthy summer fruits, followed by an infusion of vanilla. On the palate the tannins were soft as velvet, and the finish was quite long. In general this wine was very nicely balanced and I'm glad I bought 3 bottles (although I wish I had bought a case).

What is Meritage?

The short and sweet answer is... old world wines (European) were known and labeled according to the region of their origin, while new world wines (the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc) were known and labeled by the grape or varietal. When they began blending different grapes they had trouble defining the wines, and knew that these wines would be better than just "table wine"...so they needed a term to use in order to get closer to old world processes. They had a contest and the winning term was "Meritage" (pronounced like "heritage") which was a combined form of Merit and Heritage.

The Best from the 2006 vintage

Following is a list of the best wine regions of the world from the 2006 vintage. FRANCE: Pomerol in Bordeaux • Burgundy • Cote Rotie/Hermitage • Chateauneuf du Pape • ITALY: Piedmont • Tuscany • GERMANY: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer • AUSTRIA: Riesling, Gruner Veltliner • AUSTRALIA: Barosa/Clare/McLaren • NEW ZEALAND • ARGENTINA • CALIFORNIA: Cabernet Sauvignon • OREGON: Pinot Noir • WASHINGTON: Cabernet Sauvignon. Art © 2008 by Dave Trieger

Half Dozen Shiraz from OZ

talian wines paved the way for my wine education, but last night my friend Eric Guido provided a detour for me: A blind tasting of six Australian wines from the famed Barossa Valley. All six were reds and either 100% Shiraz or a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. The bottles ranged in price from about $20 to $100, the labels were covered with aluminum foil and the six were separated into two flights of three. Three wines were from the Yalumba Vineyard and three were picked from Erics's cellar.

Flight 1

Penfolds RWT 2003
Creamy cherry aromas with a slight indication of citrus rinds and roasted meats, on the palate flashes of raisins and ripe cherries, the alcohol is evident at first but after a few hours starts to open nicely.

Yalumba The Scribbler 2008
65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Shiraz showing aromas of oak, raw wood and ripe cherries while on the palate hints of violets, black pepper and a spicy intensity.

Yalumba Signature 2004
54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Shiraz, acute floral aromas coalesce in a bouquet of rich violets and red licorice while contrasting earth and mushrooms and even a sign of meat and oak. Flavors of candy apple, noticeably aged and fresh all at once, well balanced, long smooth finish, stylish and elegant. This wine was my overall favorite by far, and the majority of tasters agreed.

Flight 2

Yalumba Patchwork Shiraz 2008
Muted smoky aromas, eastern spices, sour cherries, cocoa, and forest floor, raspberry, blueberry and fresh finish.

Fetish/The Watcher 2006
My pick from the second flight, this shows a barnyard funk, musk, animal, vegetal, cherries, floral nuances, oak, ripe cherries and plum.

Two Hands Bella's Garden Shiraz 2008
Made from a blend of six different Shiraz wines, each sourced from vineyards located in subappellations of South Australia, minimal fining and no filtration. Aromas of oak, a balsamic edge, very fruit forward, fresh full flavors, licorice, dark chocolate, rich blackberries and ripe cherries. This week's #2 pick at Wine Spectator (out of a field of 100 wines).



I don't feel especially guilty about drinking non-Italian wines, after all we still paired the wines with (Grandma) Pizza and had Panettone topped with Shiraz Cream Fresh for dessert.



For another take on the wines we tasted see Eric's comments at The V.I.P Table.