Friday 28 May 2010

Round Hill 2008 Chardonnay

Adi has the best roof ever - even better than my roof, which is quite a statement. You can see the entire city from it, including the Monument (far right in the picture) and the Capital (picture too crappy to see). After (a looooong day of) work on Wednesday, I headed to his place for an Indian dinner with a view. He made spicy turkey with potatoes and chapatis. To accompany the meal, he offered a choice of Pinot Grigio or this 2008 Chardonnay. Recently, I've been toying with the idea that all Chardonnay might not suck, so I decided to test the theory.

This white is 96% Chardonnay and just a 4% touch of Muscat Canelli. In 2008, spring frost damaged the vines in California, so many grapes were lost and the remaining stayed relatively small. But apparently, small grapes can make better wines, depending on when in development they are deprived of water. Smaller grapes usually have higher sugar concentrations and intenser flavors. In red wines, the increased skin to pulp ratio makes for a more tannic wine as well. Although I couldn't find anything on its aging process, I assume there is some oak involved. Oddly, Round Hill recently started making an Unoaked Chardonnay that I've wanted to try.

Even with the oak, this was yummy. It was exactly the type of Chardonnay I've been searching for ... bright with a syrupy acidity, but the body and smoothness that a little oak offers. Though supposedly just 4% Muscat, the peachy sweetness was really noticeable (but not too sticky). This bottle was a really good compliment to the spicy Indian food and just a nice summer wine in general. It's listed online for $8, which seems reasonable. I recommend enjoying it on a rooftop.

Wednesday 12 May 2010

Isola D'Oro 2007 Nero D'Avola

It's been a while since I grabbed a random bottle off the shelf and just went for it. Last night I was duped into buying this red from Sicily. It was "marked down" from $15 to $8 at Superfresh, and my inner bargain-hunter could not resist. Adi was cooking me an Indian dinner (and I wasn't much in the mood for a white), so I thought a Syrah might be a good match for the spice. I guess we will never know, because I accidentally grabbed this one... same winemaker, same price, identical bottle. Through my research, I've learned that Nero D'Avola is often compared to Syrah, so perhaps it didn't matter.

Nero D'Avola, indigenous to Sicily, means "Black of Avola," the southern town where the original vines were. Now Nero D'Avola is the mostly widely grown varietal in the country and Sicily's most popular wine. It is used to fortify weaker reds (which just means it gives them more body and color), but recently has grown in popularity as a solo varietal. This particular red is made by the Cantina Corbera winery in northwest Sicily, started in 1971 as a coop of farmers who survived a 6.4 quake that killed 236 and drove many others away from the area. Although Nero D'Avola has an affinity for oak, this one is aged in stainless steel. When a wine has an "affinity for oak," it means that aging it in oak barrels softens the tannins and complements the natural flavors of that particular varietal.

Perhaps this wine should have been aged in oak, because it tasted kind of like battery acid. Even the smell was harsh. On impact with my tongue, it was thin and tart, and even after a moment to get comfortable, there was no warmth or softness. The center was hollow and it even burned a little going down. This wine reminded me of the occasional sour green grape that everyone dreads biting into; I can't imagine choosing it, and I contemplated throwing the bottle out. But with a little air and most of my taste buds destroyed by the first few sips, the Nero D'Avola was eventually drinkable.

Luckily, the food was amazing (see photo for sev puri appetizer).


Sunday 9 May 2010

Penfold's Koonunga Hill 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

Last night I went to VA for dinner with Sandie. It was Mother's Day and we were burying the ashes of her beloved Cinnamon (dog) who just passed away last week. Several of her neighbors joined the funeral and planted an azalea bush on top of the burial site. Sandie is a whole-heart-giving kind of woman, so this was a pretty emotional event. Actually, it was my first funeral. But from what I've heard, the best funerals are the ones where the sadness is followed by a kind of joyous celebration of life with friends. So that's what we did. We made pizzas with a ridiculous pile of toppings - chicken, olives, cilantro, red peppers, broccoli, & swiss. The neighbors brought a big salad, and we opened Sandie's favorite wine, Penfold's Cab Sauv.

I've seen this wine at the store before, but never had a chance to try it. Penfold's Koonunga Hill is much better known for their Shiraz Cabernet, which has been around since 1976. Penfold's owns a large number of vineyards all over South Australia, and Koonunga Hill in the Barossa Valley was planted in 1973 with only Cab Sauv and Shiraz grapes. The soil is described as red-brown earth over heavy clay. Clay stays cool and holds water well, which causes the grapes to ripen slower and become more acidic and complex. The winemakers age only a portion of the grapes in American oak so as not to overpower the fruit in the flavor.

This Cabernet tasted good. It was rich but not too heavy, and the oak was barely there. The Cabernets I've tried recently have been quite flat, and I started to wonder if my tastes were changing. Sometimes Cabernet can be a little thin and boring, especially when tasted next to a Malbec or something, but this one was full of flavor without being super fruity or terribly tannic. The tannins added just enough dryness, instead of sticking on the back of my tongue like some. I think this bottle cost around $12, and it is definitely worth the price. It was great on its own and paired well with the pizza.

After dinner, we had coffee ice cream and Sandie played the piano for us. A lovely evening in honor of the late Cinnamon.