wine

19 posts

Mother’s Day Gifts for Procrastinators

You would think that being a mother I would get my shit together and mail my mom the obligatory Hallmark Mother’s Day card in time.  I woke up this morning and smacked my head because our US Postal system will not get a card I pop into the mail today in Connecticut to the suburbs of Chicago by Saturday.  Somehow an eCard doesn’t seem, well, seemly.  So I am left with a quandary… what to get Mom to show her that I forgive her for tormenting me all those years which led to years of therapy love her?  And, I have to get it to her quickly.

Here is a quick list of my go-to gifts for my dear ole mom: Continue reading →

Let’s Celebrate the Anniversary of the 21st Amendment

Unless you have put up ad blocker or some such thing while perusing Crasstalk, you have obviously seen the following ad:

feedthebadger

I had to postpone the tasting due to a funeral, but we now have a date: Thursday, April 7th at 8pm sharp — East Coast time natch. It is a fitting day because on April 7, 1933: Prohibition ended as Utah becomes 38th state to ratify the 21st  Amendment. Come celebrate this glorious event with a toast. You will need to purchase the wine today or tomorrow in order to participate.

Click here to read which wines were are tasting and the specifics of the program. Two key things to remember:

– Order from WineDreamer.com

– Use coupon code FEEDTHEBADGER to get 10% discount and 10% to support this website

– No code=no discount and no money for Crasstalk

Just to keep it fun, I’m also going to ask those that participate to buy the best bottle of White Zinfandel they can get their paws on as a ‘control wine’ by which we will judge all other wines we taste.   I’m personally going to go for the box of Franzia.

box wine

Arken, are you in?

How to Taste Wine for Free

Put down that glass of Franzia, Yellow Tail and Gallo.  There is never, ever, a reason to drink White Zinfadel unless you are in high school.   Life really is too short to drink that cheap, nasty wine.  That doesn’t mean wine has to be expensive  — it does have to taste good.

So how to tell if wine taste good takes a lot of trial and error, which means a lot of drinking.  BONUS!  You need to figure out not only which varietals you like, but what level of sweetness, oak, acid, tannin, etc.   The easiest and cheapest way is to go to your local wine shop and become friends with the shopkeeper.  I don’t like going to the big warehouse stores because I like the personal service I get from my small little shops in town.

Find out when they offer free tastings and go each and every week.  While at the tasting, talk to the manager or employees while your drinking the wine.  Tell them what you like and dislike about the wine.  Some of the best wines I’ve ever purchased were based upon recommendations after chatting with the manager about what I didn’t like about the wine that was being offered for free.   Don’t feel bad if you don’t purchase the wine being poured.  Generally the free tastings are free not only to you, but the store as well.  Sales reps like myself are generally the ones eating the cost of the wine in trying to lure you into buying their wine.

Wine glasses for tastingsOk, so you go to a tasting at a wine shop.  Now what?  First of all, these are very casual affairs.  You won’t find people putting on airs, but you often see people who know their shit about wine there.   Most stores will give you a small plastic cup to taste the wine.  Frankly, this is my pet peeve as I hate drinking good wine out of a plastic cup.  When I do tastings at a wine shop, I bring 40 or so glasses, real glasses to taste the wine.  It is not unheard of for customers to pull out their own tasting glass.  Here is a picture of my tasting glass that I carry with me. I personally like it because of the lack of stem which can break when lugged about.

 

Whether you bring your own glass or drink from the plastic one, the person will pour a small mouthful or two of wine into your cup.   First take a look at the color and while your doing that ask about the wine varietal, wine maker, area or anything else you want to know in general about the wine.  Each varietal has its own color variations which often reflect differences in taste. Don’t be shy about asking questions.   A good wine rep or store manager loves to teach.

nose in wine
This is PERFECT! Stick your nose in deep
keep the pinky down
This is wrong... and keep that pinky down!

Ok, it is swirling and smelling time. This is the often mocked part of tasting, but it so important. There is over 600 different aromas in wine. Everything from grass, berries, chocolate and even kitty litter are acceptable aromas, depending on the varietal. I prefer to swirl with the base of the glass on the table. It can be messy if you hold the stem of the glass or plastic cup in the air. After 10 seconds of some good swirls stick your nose into the glass. I mean really stick it in there are far as you can without getting it wet. Breathe deeply and note what you smell.

 

Now, take the cup and bring it to your mouth. You want to gently slurp the wine into your mouth so that the wine sits on your tongue for a bit.  It is ok to make bubbly noises with the wine as you bring air into your mouth to gently aerate the wine without swallowing.   Really, it is ok to make those noises.   How I do it is I make a small well on my tongue by putting my tip of tongue on my front teeth and raise the back of my tongue to the roof of my mouth; I purse my lips slightly and gently suck some air in which aerates the wine.  After you have the wine on your tongue for a while — 5 to 10 seconds is cool, particularly if it is a meaty red — you now have the choice to spit or swallow.  I’m a swallow gal.  Spitters are quitters.  However, most stores will have a spit bucket for those who’d rather. (Edit: do not Google image search spitters are quitters)

What you like or don’t like is really a matter of taste, except for White Zin. I’d suggest keeping some brief notes about what you liked about that wine along with the estate, varietal and location. After enough free tastings, you will get a sense of what you like and don’t like. For instance, I hate oaked chardonnays with a passion — no matter the location. I detest any red blend that has over 30% Merlot in it. I love classic Willamette Pinot Noirs along with their French cousins despite the differences in style. I prefer the big bold Paso Robles Cabernets versus their more elegant counterparts in Napa. Oh and I love, love, love, love a bone dry rose on a hot summer’s day– it is the essence of summer for me. Those opinions took time and a lot of drinking and experimenting. Most of that experimenting was done for free at my local wine shop. Be sure to buy a little something to show some love though.

Now that I’ve showed you how to get buzzed for free, why not show a little love for Crasstalk and buy some wine to support it? I’ve pre-tasted all the wines so I promise you they are high quality wines at great price points. Go to winedreamer.com and remember to pop the coupon code FEEDTHEBADGER. Crasstalkers will get 10% off the wines and 10% of the proceeds will go to Bots and crew to keep this website running. No code = no discount = no support for Crasstalk.

Meat getting his drink on
Two eyebrows up! This is some good wine.

I had the pleasure of meeting our overlord Botswana Meat Commission last Wednesday where he imbibed the Martellotto Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve from Paso Robles available for purchase at winedreamer.com. Meat gave it two eyebrows up!

For detailed videos of wine tasting check out this broad. She has a ton of them about color, aromas, flavors, etc…  Feel free to email me with any wine questions at feedthebadger at gmail  or you can simply post them below.

The Crasstalk Buzz Maintenance Program

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Thursday was interesting wasn’t it? I think we all realize how much this place means to us and that we want to keep the Crasstalk buzz going. Frankly, maintaining this place is going to take money. The question is this: how should Crasstalk generate this money?

The site that shall not be named, who also helped create Thursday’s pickle (with some help from Arken), apparently thinks that orange finger-staining Frito-lay snacks is the ideal way to feed Nibbles. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a Cheeto War here — and I don’t think Honey Badger will stand for it either.

Booze seems to be a unifying force here and that is why I created The Crasstalk Buzz Maintenance Program. Purchase fabulous wine through www.winedreamer.com using coupon code: FEEDTHEBADGER and Crasstalkers will get 10% off their wine purchases and 10% will go to our Crasstalk Overlords to offset the costs of upgrading and maintaining this site.  Turn your vice into something nice, for a change.

But wait there is more!

During the evening of Thursday, March 24th, I will host live-blog winetasting and walk Crasstalker’s through six wines from www.winedreamer.com. So invite some friends over, unless you plan to plow through six bottles of wine yourself!

The wines that we will be tasting are as follows — pricing includes 10% discount:

Whites:

  • Secret 2007 White Wine ($12.59)
  • Piro Piro Piccolo 2009 Pinot Grigio ($15.29)
  • Martellotto Chardonnay 2009 Santa Barbara ($17.99)

Reds:

  • Martellotto 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Paso Robles ($17.99)
  • M by Martellotto 2008 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley ($21.59)
  • Either Conservative Red or Progressive Red — same Meritage wine, different labels to reflect your political persuasion ($22.49)

You do not have to purchase all of these wines to participate, obviously. If you end up purchasing some of the other wines from www.winedreamer.com, let us know how they taste during our live-blog. I will probably bring out Pura Vida as that is a favorite.  Any wine you purchase at www.winedreamer.com that uses code FEEDTHEBADGER will get the 10% discount and will get the 10% to support the site.

FYI….1. Shipping is not included in these prices and the cost to ship 1 bottle or 6 is about the same; 2. Discount will not show up until the FEEDTHEBADGER code is entered and until the final screen at checkout.

Remember no code = no money for Crasstalk and no discount for you. Any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

Cheers!

Grape Expectations: Wine and Monogamy

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Have you ever blamed being over-served as an excuse to cheat on your lady love?  Sorry guys, that excuse doesn’t hold water (or wine) anymore.

Two wine economists (who knew those existed?) noticed that societies which embraced multiple wives, polygyny, do not consume alcohol.  Two notable examples of this in today’s world are parts of the Muslim world and parts of the Mormon church.

Pondering over a glass or two of wine, these economists  pondered two questions:  “is this ad hoc observation representative of a true phenomenon? Does a real (positive) correlation between monogamy and alcohol consumption exist?”   I recommend you read this study, “Women or Wine? Monogamy and Alcohol” as it is fascinating. The bottom line is summed up nicely by Mara Squicciarini, one of the co-authors:  “We were surprised to find that there is a trade-off between alcohol consumption and the number of sex partners that men tended to keep at any one time.”

Notable points in this paper:

  • Apparently there is a ton of data on “frequency of drunkeness” – data that goes back centuries.
  • Greek and Roman Empires were the only societies who consumed alcohol in that point in history.  They were also the only societies who embraced ‘formal monogamy.’
  • Alcohol consumption did not alter the number of sexual partners a woman had.  Slut shaming strikes again!
  • The Catholic Church may have its issues, but the Church was critical at spreading viticulture around Europe.  They were also helpful at spreading breweries around the world too.  Servicey!
  • The Industrial Revolution appears to be the tipping point for both alcohol consumption and monogamy.
  • Lord Krishna was said to have 16,108 wives and King Solomon had 700 wives and about 300 concubines — all without any social networking or Gawkerdating.

So when you open up that bottle of bubbly with your loved one this evening, you may want to ponder: do we drink because we are monogamous, or are we monogamous because we drink?

Get out of your hooch rut

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Walnut City Wineworks 2006 Viognier
Columbia Valley
Retail price: About $15

Some foolish people resolve each January to drink a little less wine. Pure arglebargle. How about resolving to trying some new wines and get out of your wine rut? Break free of your go-to Chards and Cabs and try an uncommon varietal.

Walnut City Viognier labelEnter Walnut City Wineworks’ Viognier. This 100% Viognier wine is produced in Columbia Valley. The Walnut City guys are best known for their fabulous Pinot Noirs but don’t let that make you shy away from this delicious wine.

The Skinny:
When you take your first sip of this pretty straw colored wine you will be hit gobsmacked with aromas of wildflowers, granny smith apples and peaches. So heady are these aromas, you will swear that you are about to drink a sweet wine, but not so. This is a complex tasting wine and much like When Harry Met

I'll have what she is having

Sally, you will notice more and more details as you revisit it. You will certainly be imitating Meg Ryan’s “Yes! Yes!” after drinking this treat. There are sweet hints of pineapple, apricot and along with ginger and coconut. Absolutely no oak in this baby. I drank this straight from my wine storage unit, so it was about 55-58 degrees. I wouldn’t serve it any colder or you will miss the richness and variety of the flavors.

Viogniers can be a bit oily on the mouth – they are the bluefish of wines — but this baby is full, soft, velvety and has a tiny bit of crispness in the finish. The alcohol level is a comforting 14.63%. Perfect after a rather trying parenting day, but drink it only after you are done carpooling. Walnut City Wineworks makes their wines with sustainable farming methods. So you can feel confident that drinking this wine is actually helping Mother Earth.

Crib Notes:
– Just so you don’t sound like a philistine at the wine shop, Viognier is pronounced vee-ohn-YAY.  (To listen to a sexy Frenchman say it click here)
– Viognier is often blended with other white wines, like Chardonnay, to give those wines a softness they lack.
– Columbia Valley is the largest AVA (American Viticultural Area) in Washington state. It has a unique climate which produces wines which are fruit forward, yet they retain the balance known from European wines.
– Viogniers are great with spicy foods like Thai as the fruit forward and highly aromatic characteristics complement the heat of these foods. Perfect take-out food wine.

Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble

18 comments

“Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!”
Dom Perignon during the moment he discovered champagne


What is a better drink than bubbly for this time of year?   Champagne, almost by definition, means celebration.  Given the events of 2010, who isn’t going to celebrate that this year is over on New Year’s Eve?  I know I am certainly going to raise a glass (or bottle) to toast to the demise of this past year.

So let’s talk turkey about champagne.  First of all, champagne is only produced in the Champagne region of France.  If bubbly is made anywhere else, it is generally referred to as sparkling wine.  The primary grapes used in making bubbly are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Neunier – prosecco is a bit different as the Italian grape of the same name is the key grape.  Champagne became famous in France out of necessity.  The Champagne region was too north for grapes to fully ripen for red wine – producing wine that was very low in sugar and high in acidity.  The wines were much lighter bodied and ‘thinner’ than those from their neighbors in Burgundy.  In other words, the grapes and the weather are perfect for making dry, crisp champagne.

It is a myth that Dom Perignon created champagne.  Say what you will about the Roman Catholics today, but Benedictine monks near Carassonne can take full credit for creating this delicious libation as far back as 1531.  Dom Perignon did make some significant improvement to the production of champagne – most notably the characteristic metal wire cage or collar which holds the cork in the bottle during the fermentation process.

There are several ways of producing champagne or sparkling wine.  I’m not going

Riddling Rack

to go into great detail here, but just to give you the basics.  Grapes are harvested and pressed just like any other wine. Bubbly is fermented twice.  The first fermentation produces a wine that is pretty acidic, so yeast and sugar are added for the second fermentation.  True champagne is fermented a second time in the bottle, historically cork-side down in a device called a riddling rack.  Prosecco and other sparklings often have their second fermentation in steel tanks which makes it far less expensive to produce.

Bubbly Terms 101:

Here are some terms to help decipher bubbly labels.

Prestige Cuvee:  Usually the producer’s top range and generally the most expensive of the offerings.

Blanc de Noirs:  A white wine that is produced from black grapes (grapes that make red wine).

Blanc de Blancs: Bubbly that is produced solely with Chardonnay grapes

Rose:  Bubbly made by allowing the skin of the black grapes to sit with the wine for a bit, giving it a pinkish hue.  Occasionally, it also refers to bubbly that has a small bit of red wine added.

NV:  Non vintage, which means that it is from a mix of grapes grown from different years.

Bubbly can have varying degrees of sweetness and here is the order from driest to sweetest:  Brute Natural, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Sec/Dry, Sec, Demi-sec, Doux.

I’m a big proponent of drinking wine in the proper glass.  I’m not so nuts that each

A proper vessel to drink Champagne

varietal needs to have its own custom glass, but champagne really should be put in a glass for champagne.  Use a white wine glass in a pinch, but I prefer champagne flutes.  The ideal flutes are tall, narrow and taper at the top to concentrate the bubbles. The champagne glass, falsely attributed to the shape of Marie Antoinette’s breasts, isn’t ideal because the bubbly gets warm and flat too quickly.  Same goes with flutes that do not taper in at the top.

Before I give you my recommendations, I have to let you know what my preferences are when it comes to sparkling, just to be up front.  I don’t like Demi-sec and abhor Doux.  Momof3 will never, ever, pop for a bubbly like Cristal – it is just too damn expensive.  So with that in mind, here goes.

Retail price: $17 Tribaut Brut

Rated 90 by Wine Spectator, this is a fine champagne and a good bang for the buck.  Lots of citrus, apple with a bit of a yeasty flavor (that is good, btw).  Nice and dry, the way I like it.  Nice, long finish.  Good with food.
Retail: $25.  Piper-Heidsieck.

I love this wine! The bubbles are very refined and creamy.  It is dry without being too crisp.  Notes of apple and bit of berry.  Medium body with a nice length finish.  Rated 89 by Wine Spectator and in my humble opinion, this is under rated.
Retail $10.  Gran Sarao Brut Cava Penedes

Ok, I didn’t talk about Cavas, but this is a damn good sparkler at this price point.  Notes of apricot, tart granny smith apples, bread dough (the yeast flavor) and tiny, tiny bubbles make this a standout.  Nice floral note and a long finish.
Retail: $11 Clara C Prosecco.

I’m generally not a huge fan of prosecco because it has a bit of an aftertaste I don’t care for, but this is a gem.  Big floral nose, mostly rose and wildflowers.  The body is round and full with notes of apple and peach.  The finish is crisp without being too dry.  This is good as an aperitif or with a meal.  YUM.  Clara C’s Rosato is also very fine rose prosecco.
Retail $10-12.  Cupcake Prosecco

If you are looking for something to toast with but aren’t looking to drink a lot of, then this is your bottle. The bubbles are very fine with notes of lemons and a lot of grapefruit (a little too much grapefruit for my taste).  A bit of toastiness in the finish.  It isn’t my favorite, but it is readily available in most markets and it will do a fine job if all you want is something to pop at midnight.
Retail: $20 Chandon Sparkling Wine Etoile Brut.

90 points by the Wine Enthusiast.  Very dry but a silky drinking wine.  Subtle notes of cherries and other red berries, peach and touch of vanilla.  No apple here!
Retail is north of $100.  Perrier Jouet Flowers

Yes, I know I said I’m not into expensive bubbly.  This is truly an exception to that rule if it is a special occasion or an expense account situation.  Rated consistently north of 90 points, this wine is such a treat.  Known for a very rose-based nose (thus the flowers), this wine is creamy with vanilla and a little apple comes through in the finish.  A delight to drink.  I was proposed to while sipping on this wine at the Hotel Chevre-D’or in Eze France overlooking the Mediterranean.  It was perfect for the moment and probably colors my appreciation for this wine.
Retail $10.  Freixenet Brut de Noirs.

I wanted to end on an inexpensive note.  This is the only Freixenet you should by, IMHO.  Very light Cava wine and the salmon color is gorgeous.  Spicy with notes of flowers and sour cherries.  The finish is a bit creamy with a touch of vanilla.  Again, this is a festive wine for toasting, but not for a lot of drinking.

Let’s talk about the ones you want to avoid now.  Unless you are a high school kid, please avoid any sparkling with the following words:  Andre, Duck, and Boone’s Farm.

Champagne is the only wine that leaves a woman beautiful after drinking it.
–  Madame De Pompadour

Stay beautiful this New Year’s Eve!  Salut!

Auld Lang Syne

Whine? No, Wine!

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Ms Stabby claims she buys wine by the label.  Ms Stabby, you are a marketer’s dream.  However, I suspect a fair number of people out there do the same.  I have been known to give a wine a shot if the label amuses me as well.  Most of the time I regret it (like you Cupcake!), but I have found a few gems over the years.  I aim to write a weekly column on wine to share my knowledge gained over the years of excessive drinking.  Maybe I’ll throw in some recipes down the road once I educate you Franzia loving goofballs on how to avoid swill.

I’m going to start off this week with one of my favorite red varietals:  Pinot Noir. The Dean of American Winemakers, Andre Tchelistcheff, once said: “God made Cabernet Sauvignon whereas the devil made Pinot Noir.” That is because the Pinot Noir grape is a damn difficult grape to grow, let alone grow well.  It is prone to various rots and mildews and does best in cooler climates with chalky clay soils.  For the vine to produce delicious wine, it must be very low yielding; that is why it is hard to find a good cheap Pinot Noir.  The Pinot vine requires a lot of hand holding with regards to pruning – it is much like an insecure, high-maintenance girlfriend – it needs lots of attention. The grapes are in tight clusters, very dark and shaped like a pine cone.  The wine color should be a very deep garnet color, a hint of brown is acceptable.

So let’s chat a moment about where this finicky bitch grows well.  In Europe you can find some damn fine Pinots in France, particularly the Burgundy region.  However, I am most partial to the Red Sancerre grown in the Loire valley.  If you can ever get your paws on Red Sancerre, back up the truck and load up.  It is pricey, but it is a fabulous red wine that you serve slightly chilled and great to drink in summer.  You can also find some very respectable and well-priced Pinots in Marlborough New Zealand and Tasmania.  Italy also has some Pinots but I think they suck.  In the US, Pinot Noir Nirvana is in Oregon, particularly Willamette Valley.  Please note it is pronounced thusly:  Wi-LAM-it.  Please don’t be a tool and pronounce it WIL-a-mette.  2008 was the best year in history for Willamette Pinots.  Try to get those if you can.  California’s Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast and Santa Rita Hills (in Santa Barbara) also make some nice Pinot Noirs.  If you find a pinot from pretty much anywhere else, ignore it.  It probably is awful.

Ok, now you know a bit about the grape and where it grows well.  Let’s talk turkey about which ones are fabulous and at what price points.  You can always get a great bottle of wine for $50 at your wine shop, but who wants to pop a $50 bottle on a Tuesday?  Not me.  So below is a smattering of Pinots I like, a tasting note or two on them and what they cost.   Finding a Pinot under $15 of quality is a challenge, but it can be done.  Note, I’m not putting down the vintage on most as I’m choosing wines that have been fairly consistent year over year.  Trying to keep it simple.

$10 and under bunch:

 

 Block Nine Pinot Noir: I just had this at my neighborhood Xmas party.  Great wine.  Bright berry fruit a bit of cocoa.  Good body with a slight oakiness and wonderful full mouthfeel.  Ms Stabby, it has a pretty label — but I like simple labels.

 

 

Bogle California Pinot Noir:  There is some nice Russian River Valley fruit in these Pinot so that helps it out tremendously.  This wine is a bit herbaceous (green tasting), strawberry and cherry.  Finish is long and silky with some oakiness.

Castle Rock Willamette Pinot Noir (only had 2008): This is really one of the few Willamette’s at this price point and it is 2008!  Good every day pinot with cherry and spice, bit of oak and floral notes.  Nice velvety finish.

 

 

$10-$15 range

Crossings Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand (only tried 2008):  Macerated black cherry is very up front in both taste and smell. Very chewy tannins and by that I mean heavy – worth opening up for ½ hour + before quaffing or use one of those aerators.  Blackberry in the finish.

 

The Rhone Gang Pinot Noir and Grenache “Le Hold-up No. 08”:  I liked this wine for a couple reasons.  First of all it is unique – this is a Rhone meets Burgundy battle of the wines where we all win. 70% Pinot Noir 30% Grenache this baby was aged in stainless steel tanks.  No oak taste here.  Lots of fruit and bright clean finish.  And it is a screw top!  I love screw tops.  They are like miniskirts – easy access.

 

 

42 Degrees South (Frogmore Creek) Pinot Noir Tasmania:  Completely hand picked grapes in Tasmania give this vino a big red cherry and black current nose and taste.  Tannins are integrated (that means it isn’t as heavy tasting – not as much ‘dirt’ taste) and a nice finish.

 

 

 

 

$15-$25 range
M by Martellotto Pinot Noir Willamette Valley:  Full disclosure – I sell this wine so I am a bit biased.  However, I really do love this wine.  The 2008 vintage is fabulous and I highly recommend you grabbing it if you can get it.  Grown sustainably, it is a wine with lots of berry up front, bit of spice, touch of oakiness and a long finish.  Tannins are easy on the mouth.  This is a wine that you can eat with or without food — an easy drinking wine.  Not heavy, but elegant. Only 2250 bottles produced.

 

A to Z Oregon Pinot Noir:  90 Points from Wine Spectator.  This should be readily available all across the country.  It needs a bit of air before you drink it or you will miss the raspberry and cherry bomb of flavor up front.  Bit of pepper in there too.  Lighter bodied, less tannic but a nice finish.

 

 

Franck Millet Sancerre Rouge:  YES!!!!  Sancerre Rouge is delicious.  Nice nose of cherries and violets.  Big fruit/berry taste, some tannins but not too much.  Serve this baby slightly chilled and you will love me for it. (Sorry no label!)

Walnut City Wineworks Pinot Noir Reserve Willamette Valley:  Ok, another one I sell, but this is exceptional.  If a wine could be the embodiment of elegance this is it.  Walnut City Wineworks are sustainably grown wines from a couple of former Dead Heads.  They are artisan farmers more than anything else.  Big berry and cherry nose and taste up front. Middle and finish are smooth with a bit of tannins, chocolate, spice, lavender and smoke. This is really the standard by which Willamette Pinots should be measured. (There is a non-reserve, but this is so much better)

$25+  (Big range in price here)

Twomey Cellars by Silver Oak Russian River Pinot Noir (I’ve only had the 2007): –90 point wine and it should be because it is pricey.  Lots of berry, rose petals, dried cherries, and cinnamon.  Velvety finish, full body. Awesome.

 

 

 

 

Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee Willamette Pinot Noir: Robert Parker rated the 2007 90 points.  This is one big ass wine.  Bing cherries, pomegranate, cola and berries.  French oak and nice tannins round out this wine.  Delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

2005 Nuits St George Murgers Bertagna – This is a wine you save for when you inherit some wealth, get engaged or get access to a nice expense account. (It runs about $115+ and is hard to find).  It is hard to describe how tasty this wine is.  It is everything a Burgundy should be.  Delicious berry and cherry notes, spicy middle, rich and full despite the tannins being a bit subdued.  Oh my God, I love this wine.

In general, the US and New Zealand wines don’t age as well as the Burgundies.  I wouldn’t, in general, buy a Pinot Noir earlier than a 2006 vintage that is from the US or New Zealand, whereas I’d happily buy some in the early 2000’s from Burgundy.

What if you cannot find this at your local wine shop?  I’m a huge purchaser of wines on the internet.  You can get great deals on more expensive wines, even with shipping costs, as tax is eliminated in most states.  Here are a few of my favorite internet purveyors:

www.bighammerwines.com

www.klwines.com

www.zachys.com (Although it will not be tax free in NY as they are in Scarsdale.  Shipping is free though in NYC, Westchester and lower CT)

Any questions about what any of these terms mean, feel free to ask.  Next week, I’ll probably do Cabernet but I am open to suggestions.