So, has anyone ever tried a red Loire? I sampled a bottle of a 2004 Trinch! Bourgueil from Catherine & Pierre Breton. This wine is supposedly 100% cabernet franc, but I'll be damned if it didn't resemble a Willamette Valley pinot noir more than anything else. I can't imagine this wine holding up to cellaring for more than a year or two. It's delicate, light bodied and almost devoid of residual sugar. I saw it recommended as an accompaniment to salmon, which I think would be an excellent suggestion. This is juicy and fruity, with an emphasis on cherries and no oak whatsoever. Meant to be drunk young, like right now.

When I think of the Loire, I usually think of white wines, like Vouvray and Sancerre. This was an interesting departure, and the vinification seems to be worlds away from the batches of cabernet franc from Bordeaux. I'd recommend it as a great wine to accompany foods that could be overpowered by a more substantial red, but that wouldn't quite be suitable for a white wine; poultry and fatty fish (like salmon or tuna) spring immediately to mind. Sells for about $14.

Wish I had something more to contribute. There was sound-and-decent Chilean and Portuguese red wine last weekend, OK with food, but not worth a writeup. We don't have a great wine selection within a mile or two; that requires a trip further afield.

I've been trying Bordeaux and near-Bordeaux in the $10 range. Some are quite decent, some rather ordinary.

Trivia: When I was shopping for a new English-style seat-bag for my bike, my most important criterion was, "Is it big enough to carry home a bottle of wine in?"

Always on the lookout for something different, I picked out a bottle of 2003 Viñedos de El Sequé from Spain's Alicante region. Alicante is more known for its beach life and golf courses than wine, but there are numerous old vineyards planted with the Monastrell (A/K/A Mourvèdre) vines. In the case of El Sequé, the old vineyard was bought by Artadi, one of Spain's most well-respected producers of Rioja wines, and they began producing more modern quality wines in 1999.

The effort has paid off in an elegant yet inexpensive wine. Mourvèdre can be a rather rangy varietal on its own, and the folks at El Sequé have blended in small amounts of Syrah, Tempranillo and Merlot to help rein in some of its wilder notes. Interestingly, this wine is made entirely in the tank; no oak barrels. Nonetheless, the resulting wine is very subtle, neither overly tannic nor acidic (as might be expected from a mostly-Mourvèdre wine), exhibiting a deep purple hue and full body. The flavors include the expected red fruits, but there is a delightfully unexpected hint of eucalyptus and a decided mineral component. The finish is crisp but not drawn out.

That this wine would be a great accompaniment for tapas and other Spanish cuisine is rather obvious, but it would also go well with spicy sausage of any pedigree, perhaps a pork tenderloin or beef brisket. The wine's fresh characteristics would also complement a minimally-cooked marinara sauce, or something as simple as a margherita pizza.

You should be able to find it for about $10.

Departing from wine here, just a warning to watch your step with French brandy. I find VS Cognac and Armagnac too fiery (VSOP can be good), but I cautiously tried a VSOP non-appellation "French brandy" called Rodell Napoleon.

Yeccch! This stuff was undrinkable. At least I can save money on drain cleaner, 'cause the rest of the bottle will do the job just fine.

On the other hand, some time ago I tried one called Laine' VSOP which was rather pleasant.

Still seeking somewhat offbeat wines, I indulged in a bottle of 2003 Yangarra Old Vines Grenache from South Australia's McLaren Vale. Who knows why, but Australian Grenache has nowhere near the market presence of their Shiraz offerings, although the Aussies are starting to bring more G-S-M (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvèdre blends) wines to the market. Yangarra's Grenache vineyards were planted in the 1940's and are exclusively dry-farmed with no irrigation, an unusual feat considering South Australia's temperamental rainfall.

While I expected a southern Rhône or Catalonian profile, I first noted that this wine was a really dark color for Grenache. It wasn't all that expressive in its aromas, but I did notice a hint of mint and something else that I couldn't initially identify. The flavors, however, were deep and concentrated, but in a very unusual blend. I picked out almost overripe strawberry, kiwi and pomegranate. It was the latter that earlier had confused my nose. There was a refreshing minty-herbal taste at the finish, with the ripe strawberry being the dominant and final note. Quite a combination! This was also an uncharacteristically delicate wine for a Grenache, with very fine tannins, a medium body and moderate acids.

Now, I can't say that this wine brings to mind any immediate food pairings for a meal. But, it would certainly do well in combination with canapés featuring various European hams and Swiss cheeses or a typical antipasto tray. It might even match up with a country or Virginia ham. Or, maybe you'd like it all by itself so you can enjoy the unusual, but delicious, flavor profile on its own. This sells for about $20.

Being as my beloved can no longer drink red wine and prefers chardonnay as a white (I like crisper whites myself.. Sauvignon Blancs, ALsatian Reislings & Gewurz, etc.), we now have a house Chard that I think is worth mentioning.

2004 Hahn Monterey Chard has gobs of tropical fruit, not too much oak, and is overall a remarkably balanced and enjoyable wine. In northern Kentucky I'm getting it for $8 by the case.

House SB is 2004 Geyser Peak, also $8 by the case.

Thanks, Mikhailoh. I'm a big SB fan myself, though we haven't transitioned into whites here quite yet.

And they're mostly so reasonably priced because everybody's drinking chard!

My latest trials are not quite on a par with your or Matt's recent listings, but here goes:

Beaulieu Vineyard has a Central Coast line of which we tried the Zin last night...very respectable at 10 bucks.

Also tried a nice "Cycles Gladiator" pinot from Cycles Winery (huh?), with attractive Victorian-era label of naked lady with bicycle (two of my favorite pursuits). 9 bucks.

Back to brandy, I hate to put a good word in for mega-corporate offerings, but cannot ignore how good a value the E&J xO brandy is at a meager $18. Smooth and rich. Hats off to Cesar Chavez! I guess?

I'll have to sample to E&J XO!

quote:

Originally posted by Mikhailoh:
I'll have to sample to E&J XO!

It's widely available in pints and even half-pints, so you don't need to buy a whole bottle just to try it.

Hey.. worst that could happen is I use it to cook with, and save a bucks over my good cognacs. I do tend to use decent stuff in cooking.

quote:

Originally posted by Mikhailoh:
Hey.. worst that could happen is I use it to cook with, and save a bucks over my good cognacs. I do tend to use decent stuff in cooking.

Mikhailoh, you could help educate me about cognac. Well, it might be a moot point anyway, because I can't afford the costly stuff. I thought VSOP Remy was pretty good, but there are many I haven't tried.

Cognac in general (even VSOP-level) seems on the fiery side to me. I have preferred armagnac which is on the darker, mellower side of the spectrum.

What do you think about the obscure brands of cognac you see now and then, often inexpensive? Meukow is one. And what is Pineau des Charantes (sorry, may have gotten the spelling wrong).

Here's a vote for Voss Syrah, Napa Valley. I think it was 2001. I just had it at a restaurant, and was impressed. More substance (fruit, body) than many Syrah's I've tasted.

Mark West has a decent Chardonnay too. Didn't know they made anything but Pinot Noir.

Matt, try it and give us some of your great adjectives.

jf

quote:

Originally posted by RealPlayer:

quote:

Originally posted by Mikhailoh:
Hey.. worst that could happen is I use it to cook with, and save a bucks over my good cognacs. I do tend to use decent stuff in cooking.

Mikhailoh, you could help educate me about cognac. Well, it might be a moot point anyway, because I can't afford the costly stuff. I thought VSOP Remy was pretty good, but there are many I haven't tried.

Cognac in general (even VSOP-level) seems on the fiery side to me. I have preferred armagnac which is on the darker, mellower side of the spectrum.

What do you think about the obscure brands of cognac you see now and then, often inexpensive? Meukow is one. And what is Pineau des Charantes (sorry, may have gotten the spelling wrong).

Realplayer,

In cognac, one generally gets what one pays for. I like Martell's Cordon Bleu and XO, I like Hennessey XO. There are a few exceptions to that rule though. There is a producer, nameAs far as offbeat brands, Perre Ferrand is quite good. Below is an article on cgnac you might find interesting!

What's the Best Cognac?

Author: Jay Erisman


Cognac’s Petite Champions
I wish I had a nickel for every time a customer asked “What’s the best Cognac?” “Is Hennessy better than Courvoisier? What about Rémy?” “Is older cognac better?” The truth is, a lot of Cognac brought to market is influenced by several factors—grape variety, blending, and additives—which tend to ameliorate its distinctiveness and quality. A Cognac producer can operate in several different ways: as a négociant who buys and blends aged Cognac; as a distiller who buys grapes and distills, ages, and blends them; or as a single estate producer, who grows his own grapes and distills ages, and blends them himself. It is these estate-produced brandies that deliver the true glory of Cognac. Small estates such as Château de Beaulon, Daniel Bouju, and Maison Surrenne consistently outperform the Big Four producers (Hennessy, Rémy Martin, Courvoisier, and Martell), offering distinctive, authentic flavors, better value, and the truest Cognac experience.

Grapes: Preserving the Farm
Once upon a time, farmers in Cognac grew a wide selection of quality grapes. Varieties such as Colombard, and Folle Blanche rewarded the distiller with a rich palette from which to blend his brandies. These old grapes fell victim to the phylloxera louse which struck down vines all across France in the late 19th century. The Ugni Blanc grape was successfully grafted onto American vine stocks, and resisted phylloxera. Today, Ugni Blanc accounts for some 95% of all grapes used in Cognac (in fact, it’s the most widely planted grape in all of France). Unfortunately, Ugni Blanc is a rather boring grape, offering less aromatic complexity than Colombard and Folle Blanche.
Christian Thomas, proprietor of Château de Beaulon, is that rare distiller who faithfully maintains old stocks of these archaic grape varities. His 156 organically farmed acres are made up of 40% Colombard, 25% Folle Blanche, 24% Ugni Blanc, and 11% Montils, an obscure 90 year old vine contributing finesse and lightness to the finished spirit. The Beaulon vineyards produce 15% less wine per acre than the average Cognac vineyard; for Christian Thomas, this is a small price to pay for the higher quality results. To get the best flavor out of each variety, Thomas distills them separately, combining them in the barrel. No other producer crafts Cognac from such a wide variety of grapes. Château de Beaulon offers a seven-year-old made of 100% Folle Blanche, for a mere $19.99, and the 12-year-old VSOP adds Colombard and Montils to the mix. The only Cognac from giant Rémy Martin made with a percentage of Colombard and Folle Blanche is the famous Louis XIII, which will set you back a cool $1,329.95.

Blending: Preserving the Land
Nearly all Cognac sold today is blended, either from different regions or different distilleries from the same region. On the face of it, this is a fine way to make Cognac, provided that all the components of a blend are of fine quality. However, it surely erases the subtle distinctions peculiar to each region and distillery. The big house producers choose to blend so as to achieve a signature house style, choosing homogeneous consistency over idiosyncratic flavors. One solution to this sameness of flavor is to choose estate-bottled Cognacs with their own vineyards, which offer flavors unique to their region. Château de Beaulon is located in a region called the Fins Bois, on a small “island” of chalky soil surrounded by woods, and exemplifies the delicacy and early maturation common to this region. The most prized Cognac district is Grande Champagne. While there are many Grande Champagne Cognacs on the market, most of them are blended from different distilleries and vineyards. For The Party Source, we’ve chosen the acclaimed house of Daniel Bouju to represent Grande Champagne. Bouju is a maniac for quality. His barrels are air-dried for many years, rather than kiln-dried as many producers use. He replaces Cognac that evaporates from the barrel during aging (the “angel’s share”) not with water but with more Cognac of the same age. Few if any producers so accurately reflect the fullness, richness, and depth of Grande Champagne so well as Daniel Bouju.
When it comes to regional variety in Cognac, Maison Surrenne is in a class by itself. The largest remaining family-owned Cognac house, Surrenne operates four distilleries and eight cellars throughout the Cognac region. Their distillates were previously sold in volume to négociants and blenders, but are now available bottled as single-district, single-vintage Cognacs. These bottlings were created to address what the Cognac industry as a whole does not do. The 1992 Maison Surrenne from the Petite Champagne region manages flowery delicacy and intensity at the same time. With fine smoothness and length of flavor, it not only competes with big-name VSOP Cognacs in terms of quality, it blows them totally out of the water, at 2/3 the price! The Big Four rarely market something so specific and special as the 1986 Cognac from Galtaud, a tiny, single-still distillery in the Borderies (the smallest of the cognac regions). This Surrenne bottling contains the perfect, blissfully smooth expression of aromatic Borderies Cognac, redolent of violets, ginger, and nut kernel aromas. Surrenne squeezes the essence of Grande Champagne into a bottle of 1972 XO Cognac. Blended from four single barrels from four cellars owned by Surrenne, this Cognac is incredibly smooth, with barely any heat at all, showing all the perfumy honey and orange aromas that great Grande Champagne Cognac is supposed to have. The palate is nicely dry, full-bodied, and super-smooth, showing a distinct lack of added sugar. To anyone wanting to learn about Cognac, these three bottlings represent a graduate-level course in distinctive, regional flavors.
Maison Surrenne also specializes in completely unusual, one-off bottlings of rare Cognacs that are usually tasted only by the cellarmasters. Most unique of all is a limited bottling called Tonneau No. 1. This brandy has its origins in 1922, when the Surrenne cellarmaster filled a large oak vessel with old Petite Champagne cognac from the nineteenth-century. This tonneau sat under a casement window, exposed every day to the sun, so the cellarmaster was careful to top it up every year, always with old, choice petite champagne brandy. There it sat until August 19, 2001, when it was bottled without filtration. The average age of this cognac is well over 100 years. A bottling like Tonneau No. 1, aged in such an unusual, solera-like fashion, has quite simply never before existed; it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime drink. (Tonneau No. 1 is now, unfortunately, sold out.)

Additives: Preserving the Truth
By French law, only four things may be added to Cognac. The first is water, which is fully natural and quite necessary for reducing the strength of the spirit. Even when adding water the distiller must be gentle, since a single reduction from 72% alcohol to 40% with a mass quantity of water can harm the flavor. Bouju, for example, avoids this by reducing over many years, adding no more than 1% water to a cask per year. The other additives are less benign than water. Sugar may be added to sweeten and soften a Cognac. Caramel color may be added to darken it, making a paler, young Cognac appear old. Finally, an oak extract solution of Cognac and oak shavings called boisé may be added to simulate barrel aging. The whispered secret in the Cognac industry is that sugar, caramel color, and boisé are frequently used to simulate age in Cognac. Sugar is particularly identifiable in the many suspiciously sweet Cognacs aimed at the American market. You can feel it sometimes, sticky on your fingers if you dip them in the spirit.
None of the small makers listed above use these additives. Daniel Bouju’s Cognacs are a particularly good additive-free experience. For those Cognac drinkers who sail on the sweet oceans of big-name VSOP, Napoléon, and XO bottlings, Bouju’s Cognacs are surprisingly dry on the palate. The truth is that this dryness allows the full complexity of the brandy to present itself, where all the smoothness and flavor comes from estate-grown fruit, talented distillation, and aging carried out with the patience of a monk. Two Bouju bottlings offer the epitome of purity. The Royal at 15 years and the Trés Vieux (“very old”) at 40 years, carry the designation “Brût de Fût”, which means that only natural evaporation has lowered their strength, and they have not been diluted with water. These two Cognacs are undiluted, unsweetened, uncolored, unfiltered, unadulturated in any way…and unbeliveably good. The Royal is in the full bloom of virile youth, with muscular fruit and a firm, smooth body. The elder Trés Vieux shows slow, relentless development of extraordinarily long flavors, and finishes full of that most elusive of Cognac virtues, the cheesy, mushroomy, super-rich rancio flavor.

Keeping the Cognac Faith…In Your Liquor Cabinet!
Not coincidentally, these small, little known producers provide outstanding value for their brandies. Lacking the multi-million dollar advertising budgets of a behemoth like Hennessy (incredibly, Hennessy gobbles up 8% of the entire wine output of France), which convince a consumer to pay extra for a luxury item, Château de Beaulon, Daniel Bouju, and Maison Surrenne offer a price-to-quality ratio far higher than better known producers. The aforementioned Bouju Royal at $62.99 is possibly the single best buy in all of Cognac, since its high 120 proof and unfiltered bottling calls for a little water in the glass, which stretches the bottle to a liter’s worth of pours. For the cost of one crystal bottle of blended, approximately 50 year old Rémy Martin Louis XIII, you could buy nearly five bottles of Chateau de Beaulon forty-year-old Extra, which contains the same exotic grape varieties as the famous Rémy. And compare the 100% Grande Champagne 27-year-old Maison Surrene XO at $89.99 against the probably younger and far more expensive XOs from Courvoisier and Martell. Given the diversity of choice now available in America (at least, available to customers of The Party Source), there’s no good reason not to trade down to the small Cognac houses...and trade up in quality.
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A couple wines I think are worth trying..

2004 Chalone Monterrey Chard - much along the lines of the Hahn I described but richer, a little oak but more tropical fruits, beautifully balanced and very nice at around $12.

2004 Yalumba 93% Shiraz 7% Viognier - Yummy, about $10.