Tasting Notes (May 29): Armageddon Reds

I kept waiting for the bad news. Stimmel’s was moving to Findlay. Wine was being outlawed in Ohio. The Rapture had begun. (For some that last one would no doubt be good news; for me, it would be very, very bad.) Why else would I be drinking my first Chateau Haut-Brion and my first Opus One—two of the most sought after cabernet-based wines in the world—on the same night, not to mention a 1988 Sauternes, one of the best Shirazes in the world, and the very highly regarded Toro wine Numanthia? It couldn’t simply be that I’m one lucky sunnovab—er, guy.

But nothing happened. I drank the wines. I watched a ballgame. I went to bed, got up, had my day. And now I’m sitting here at midnight writing this post (and finishing it the next evening, still untouched by the fates). Happily and not a little bit surprisingly, life went, and goes, on.

Not unchanged, though. You can’t experience a tasting like this one and be the same after it. And, contrary to what you might think, not all of the changes one experiences after tasting some of the world’s best wines in one sitting are positive—at least, not the ones I experienced. Specifically, I have a nagging sense that, even though the Earth didn’t open up and swallow me or (I suspect) any of the other tasters whole Thursday night, I, a lowly assistant professor of English, have some karmic comeuppance in store for daring to find fault—any fault—in this by-all-accounts-stellar lineup. I just can’t help it, though. A 2000 Opus One is going to sing like a chorus of angels when up against your run-of-the-mill Cali cab. But after a 1991 Ridge Monte Bello, it’s going to seem a little lean. It’s just the nature of things.

So despite—or, better yet, because of—my hubris at even thinking about passing judgment on some of the world’s finest wines, I throw myself on the mercy of the universe. After all, if there are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in my philosophy, maybe one of them can help me out here, because I’m clearly in over my head.

Now, the notes:

Chateau Haut-Brion 2004 (France; $269.99/bottle)
Still extremely young, this first-growth Bordeaux is dark red in color, with a nose of rich, ripe currant, earth, worn leather, and wet stone. Even though the wine is very tight and the tannins are young, the perfect, silky texture still manages to shine through with ease. Big flavors of black plum and leather should soften and become more nuanced over the next 5 – 20 years.

Ridge Monte Bello 1991 (California; $199.99/bottle)
The 1992 Monte Bello is in my top two or three wines ever, and this one—one year older—is easily in my top fifteen. Brick red with little to no brown showing on the edge, it has a rich nose of dark berries, chocolate, smoky spice, and pencil lead. The mouthfeel on this full-bodied Bordeaux-style blend is pure satin, with very fine tannins and a luxurious, long finish. On the palate, an enticing smoky note infuses flavors of blackberry, peppery spice, and a hint of dill.

Opus One 2000 (California; $151.99/bottle)
Brick red with browning edges and a prominent pencil shaving note on the nose, this perennial Napa Valley star is showing more age than you might expect for only being eight years old. It is medium-full bodied with bright acidity and flavors of black currant, plum, pencil shavings, and a hint of pepper. The long finish is graphite-filled. Very good, but not the powerhouse I expected.

Kosta Brown Russian River Pinot Noir 2006 (California; $69.99/bottle)
While pinot noirs have so far been easy for me to pick out in Stimmels’ blind tastings, I find them very difficult to describe in tasting notes. Because I drink far more full-bodied reds like cabernet and shiraz than I do lighter-bodied pinots, my descriptive vocabulary for those wines is correspondingly more developed. Anyway, long disclaimer short: while I wait until after I take my notes to read the “official” notes on the tasting card, I find myself wanting to just substitute them for mine, since, when I read them, I thought, “Yes, that’s exactly right.” Still, here are mine, for what they’re worth: on the full side of medium-bodied, with aromas and flavors of bright cherry, forest floor, earth, and violets, with something also vaguely coffee/toffee-like.

Numanthia 2005 (Spain; 69.99/bottle)
This red from the Toro region in Spain has an interesting nose, showing black plum, chocolate, vanilla, and a ghost of something reminiscent of farmer’s cheese. (It’s the cheese part that makes the nose so interesting; I’d call it an off note if it weren’t so faint and if it showed up on the palate, which it doesn’t). It has a rich but elegant palate of blackberry, chocolate, pine, and mint, with a flannel-like mouthfeel and bold but fine tannins. The finish is mint and licorice-laced. Very nice, but needs 3-5 years minimum in the bottle before it will really show what it’s made of.

D’Arenberg The Dead Arm 2004 (Australia; $79.99/bottle)
Deep opaque purple, this Aussie Shiraz has shows blueberry, black olive, pepper, and menthol on the nose. The superripe, full-bodied palate is spicy and rich, with a riot of dark berry fruit and lots of spicy pepper. The finish is very long and reminiscent of dried scrub and black olives (not unlike what the French call “garrigue”).

Chateau Rieussec 1988 (France; $129.99/bottle)
This very distinctive, personality-laden dessert wine from Sauternes has a deep, golden yellow color suggestive of nearly two decades of bottle age. The nose reveals honey, crème brulèe, smoke, and baked pineapples, while the flavors suggest sweet honeysuckle, canned pear juice, amaretto, and a light hint of smoke. The very long finish is surprisingly spicy and cigar-like. Good acid to keep things in balance.

Tasting Notes (May 8): I'm going to Napa!

I have two sets of notes still on the line from past tastings, but since I'll be leaving for Napa Valley in two days (woohoo!), I thought I'd go ahead and post the notes from the most recent Thursday tasting, California Cabs. Besides, I've been doing some reflecting on these posts, and it occurs to me that if I were coming to Stimmels' blog to read somebody else's tasting notes, I'd get a lot more enjoyment out of it if I were reading notes from a tasting still fresh in my mind. So, here are the freshest notes I have, and the ones I'm totally jazzed about, because--did I mention?--I'm going to Napa in two days. I don't know what my internet access situation will be there, but if it's reasonable, I'll throw up a quick post or two (maybe with pictures) from the road. "Stimmel's on Location," here I come!

Now, the notes. All wines except the Pilliteri Ice Wine are from California; more specific American Viticultural Areas are listed when applicable:

1. Cartlidge and Browne 2006 (California; $12.99/bottle)
California cabs as a group aren't making anybody's list for "best values:" they're good, and their prices usually show it. That's what makes this wine so nice. There may be better $12.99 bottles in the store (especially from South America, Spain, Australia, or even South Africa), but as a Cali Cab, this one is quite a value, delivering solid quality for not much money. It is medium-bodied, with aromas and flavors of blackberry, cedar, and violets. (This is an especially good value when you consider that as I write this I'm drinking a $15.99 bottle of Michael Pozznan Annabella Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, and it's not as good as the C&B.)

2. Joseph Phelps Napa 2003 (Napa; $49.99/bottle)
2003 was a tough year for Napa, and while this is definitely not a bad wine, and is even by some measures a good one, you get a sense that the folks at Phelps had to do a lot of manipulating during the winemaking process to get the wine up to expectations. Vanilla stands out on both the nose and the full-bodied palate, slightly cloaking what are otherwise very nice ripe currant, earth, and spice notes. One wonders whether a bit of extra oak wasn't necessary to make up for an otherwise lean vintage.

3. Regusci Stags Leap 2005 (Stag's Leap/Napa; $54.99/bottle)
This wine was a pleasant surprise. Not that I wasn't expecting it to be good; I was--very good. But the prominent graphite notes and even a touch of barnyard to go with the more conventional blackberry, spice, and toasty oak gave it an unexpected old world quality (it reminds me of a cab-based Tuscan). Good acidity and solid but fine tannic structure, with some additional tar notes emerging on the finish. Very nice.

4. Parallel Napa 2005 (Napa; $59.99/bottle)
The nose on this full-bodied red offers dark berries, black currant, toasty oak, and aromatic wildflowers--very sensual. Beautifully smooth on the palate, with rich tannins and flavors of currant, cherry, spice, and toasty oak. Great now; I'd love to come back in 5 or even 10 years and try it again. (I don't understand why Spectator gave it 85; I'd go a full 5-7 points higher.)

5. Caymus Napa 2005 (Napa; $75.99/bottle)
The Caymus has a nice nose of purple and dark fruits, spice, and lots of appealing damp earth. The palate is full-bodied, with a very smooth, almost lanolin mouthfeel. This cab is big, tannic, and young, but even now the flavors of black plum, black currant, black earth, and spicy tar show nicely. I sense even more trhing to come through; needs 3-5 years minimum and will be good for another 10+ years.

6. D.R. Stephens Napa Moose Valley Vineyard 2003 (Napa; $99.99/bottle)
The nose is complex but balanced, with classic cab notes of currant, earth, oak, and spice. The palate shows sweet ripe currant and dark berries, earth, and spice, with a hint of black licorice and a long, earthy finish. Full-bodied, with a smooth, satiny mouthfeel and firm but integrated tannins, this wine is still young at 5 years old. Really good, but needs another 5-10 years to be fully expressive.

7. Pilliteri Icewine Riesling 2004 (Ontario, CA; $28.99/187 ml bottle)
Sweet and lush, with aromas and flavors of canned peach and honeysuckle. Pretty good acidity, though the sweetness definitely still comes through. This is a tasty dessert wine, but at this price I'd go with a Tokaji or Sauternes--Stimmel's has great examples of both at comparable or even better prices per mililiter.

Tasting Notes (April 17): Long Overdue Zinfandel Post

Hi folks. Lance here. No, I'm not dead. I'm not even sleepy. In fact, despite an emergency house-painting project I must attend to, I find myself invigorated by the end of the academic year--that time when tenure-track (but untenured) professors with 2 year-old kids go from being so swamped with work that they long for the sweet release of death to being merely very, very busy. To paraphrase the showtune, "Summertime, and the livin's easy at least tolerable . . ."

As a result of my recent ascent to the ranks of the minimally human, I find myself able to begin catching up on three tastings' worth of notes that have been lying dormant in my bookbag or on my desk for as many weeks. (Of course, ditz that I am, I accidentally left my bookbag at home, so today's effort will include the Zinfandel notes only.) Thanks to Bill for not complaining about their tardiness.

Now, the notes. All wines are from California; names inside parentheses indicate American Viticultural Areas (AVA's) within California:

1. Peltier Station 2006 (Lodi; $17.99/bottle)
Bill and Sara tend to start tastings with the more modestly priced wines, which is why most of the time when I'm ooh-ing and ahh-ing about a wine on this blog, it's a ways down on the list. But this rich, full-bodied zin had me paying attention right away, with hints of clove and orange peel on the nose and big, jammy raspberry preserves and toasty spice on the palate. The finish is surprisingly long for a <$20 bottle. Very tasty, and an excellent value.

2. Seghesio 2005 (Sonoma; $21.99/bottle)
This very rich, very full-bodied zin offers wild berry, vanilla, and toast notes on the nose and tastes like a big bowl of smashed ripe blueberries with bourbon-laced whipped cream. A sinful pleasure, to be sure.

3. Four Vines "The Sophisticate" 2004 (Sonoma; $21.99/bottle)
The Sophisticate lives up to its name, with a dark but subtle olive note on the palate in addition to the big brambly fruit. The smooth, silky mouthfeel reveals a balance and refinement that you just don't find in most zinfandels. And the peppery finish hangs around for a good 45 seconds or more. One of my favorite zins.

4. Turley "The Juvenile" 2003 (Multi-Vineyard; $29.99/bottle)
Maybe I had olives on my mind after the Four Vines, but the Turley's nose also has a faint black olive note to go with the plum and caramel aromas. The palate is thick and very rich, with ripe berry fruit and--again--a slight briny/olive quality to add interest and differentiate this wine from your run-of-the-mill zin.

5. Orin Swift "The Prisoner" 2005 (Napa; $36.99/bottle)
This wine has a complex nose of mixed berry jam layered with spicy, herbal, and red licorice notes. The full-bodied palate reveals yet another big-but-refined-for-a-zin combination of dark fruit, lots of piquant spice, and licorice flavors. The long finish just keeps the licorice coming. Very nice, indeed.

6. Ravenswood Old Hill 2004 (Sonoma; $51.99/bottle)
This one was more tannic than I expected, though I welcomed the balance the tannins offered to the jammy ripeness of the fruit. It was also distinctly herbal on the palate, while still managing to be expressive of the jammy, wild, spicy fruit that is zinfandel's hallmark. Of all the wines in this lineup, the Ravenswood seems tailor made for food--especially a juicy grilled steak.

Sixtel Sightings

What is a "sixtel"? Well, it's a nickname for 1/6 barrel kegs of beer, and they happen to be one of the best kept secrets around. Here in Ohio, state law allows beer retailers to sell up to 1/6 barrel sizes of kegs directly to customers; anything larger must be purchased directly from the distributor. A sixtel will yield around 50-55 pints of beer, and they typically range in cost from as low as $50 up to $100 or so, although most are in the $50 - $70 range, with a $10 refundable deposit fee. That's a great value for fresh craft beer (just over a buck a pint)! Several top beer producers offer sixtels, such as Great Lakes, Goose Island, Sam Adams, Dogfish Head and others.

We're definitley heading into sixtel season, with graduation parties, weddings, reunions, picnics and the like all populating our calendars. Here at Stimmel's Market, we'll get any sixtel available in the state; just ask Sara or myself for a list. Try one soon, and you'll be the hero of the party!