MontGras Reserva 2009 Chardonnay

At the beginning of the summer, all my friends left DC. It was bizarre and I hated every minute they were gone. But finally! Chris and Natalie made it back from their respective foreign study programs, and I had both of them over to my apartment on Saturday afternoon for wine and avocado pie. The gossip flowed and it was glorious. It was like they'd never left at all.

The wine was left over from a dinner party the evening before. One of our guests brought this yummy Chardonnay from wine tasting at Paul's (the local liquor store). It was on sale for $10.99 and was sampled alongside other MontGras wines, almost all of which I also enjoyed.

The MontGras vineyards are in Colchagua, Chile.Colchagua is part of the Rapel Valley between the Andes and the Coastal Mountains, one of the most important agricultural areas in the country. The climate there is similar to the coasts of California and the Mediterranean, the Cape of Good Hope in S. Africa and the SW coast of Australia - basically all awesome places for wine making. The particular vines of MontGras were planted in 1993, the Chardonnay in a soil composed mostly of clay to hold in water allowing a long fruit ripening period. 40% of this wine was aged for 6 months in oak - 30% new oak barrels, 40% 2nd-use, and 30% 3rd use. The idea is that the newer the oak barrel, the stronger the oak flavor in the wine. So by splitting the vintage and only aging a small amount in new oak, and not letting some touch oak at all, the Chardonnay won't be overwhelmed and end up like the bottles of wood some people dread tasting when they hear "Chardonnay."

This wine was a total hit; I think 3 of 7 people who went to wine tasting actually brought this to the dinner party - and we tried 8 different wines at Paul's. The first sip tasted like pineapple or a yummy fruit cocktail, but the sweetness was balanced by just a little oaky warmth. There was no butter or smoke to the oak, so the wine tasted kind of tropical. But despite all the thick syrupy summer feelings this white invoked, it wasn't the least bit sickening, and it paired really well with the avocado pie I served Chris and Natalie. I think this is a perfect summer wine by itself, as an aperitif, or with desert. I'd also love to try the MontGras Carmenère, which they weren't sampling at wine tasting, but must be delicious.

Bodegas Ateca 2009 Garnacha de Fuego

This afternoon I felt a little like I might be getting an ulcer. After finishing a pretty big motion for summary judgment at work (17 pages what!), I took on a small assignment for another attorney, then jetted off to school to meet with my prof and the IT department about the Business Law Program website. By the way, it's "website" now, as opposed to "Web site" like it was when I took Writing for Mass Comm. in undergrad or "Website" like it morphed into soon afterward. So sometime before the meeting, I got this kind of ill burning in my tummy, which lingered until well after I got home. I considered the possibility that the burning was a direct result of me eating cake for dinner, but that seemed like a bummer conclusion. Instead, I decided that it might be an ulcer from all the stress, so I should probably relieve some of it with a little vino. On the rare occasions when I have a glass of wine by myself, I try to select the cheapest bottle on my rack. I don't even know if this makes sense, but it feels like a waste if I open an awesome bottle and no one is here to share in the elation. This grenache was a steal the other night at wine tasting, on sale for $7.99.

The vines used for this wine are 60 to 80 years old and rest at 3000 feet above sea level in the Calatayud Region of Catalonia, Spain. It is 100% Granache and is not aged in oak (though I can't find what is IS aged in). Calatayud consists of 15 vineyards, or bodegas, and the area produces 12.3 million liters of wine every year. The soil is clay and gravel loams, which just means that it retains water well while not completely locking in water as a pure clay would. Thus, the vines need minimal rainfall to get enough water, and aren't drowned by lingering water stuck in the clay.

I had to smile when I swirled the wine in my glass. It was a beautiful fuschia and glowed under the fluorescent kitchen lights. The first taste was full of grapes - maybe this sounds obvious, but if you've ever tasted a cab sauv or malbec, you know there ain't no grapes in there. With a little more attention, I noticed a heavy cherry flavor - but cherry juice, not cherry syrup. I was nibbling on some gouda while I drank it, but oddly, neither was enhanced by the other. Usually, I find that just about any cheese makes just about any wine taste markedly more delish. In this case, the wine could hold its own with the fruit and wasn't in need of accompaniment. That being said, I could go for a burger right now.

Diseño 2008 Malbec

This weekend I had a visitor from Brooklyn. After a day of whiskey tasting at Pauls, running around the Mall, staring at hundreds of portraits in the Portrait Gallery, and going on a failed food mission to the National Museum of the American Indian, we decided to just cook dinner at home and relax for a bit before making any evening plans. I had a couple red peppers in the fridge, so I thought I'd do a tex/mex stuffing and spinach quesadillas on the side. I was craving olives, so we stopped at Whole Foods on the way home to pick up the last few ingredients. Somehow we settled on a stuffing of sardines, rice, kalamata olives, onion, jalapeno, cherry tomatoes, rice, cilantro, black beans, and Monterrey cheese. It was no longer tex/mex. It had become Mexiranean (clever, right?). Since the peppers were a little spicy and a little latin, we went with a Malbec.

I got this bottle the other night at Superfresh for $8.99, on Viv's recommendation. It is made in Mendoza, Argentina, an area known for its incredible Malbecs. When I googled Diseño Malbec, all sorts of positive reviews popped up for the past few vintages, so I guess this is generally a solid choice. (Thanks Viv.) I must say, this one did not disappoint. I will definitely get it again.

The wine was good, but it wasn't all sunshine and giggles. We ran into some pretty serious cork issues within the first minute and a half. Not to toot my own horn, but I can usually uncork a bottle with the best of them. This one, however, put up a fight and threatened to bend the life out of our wine key. Eventually, we got it out in a two step attack, but I was quite concerned for a while. On pouring the first taste, I noticed it had a dark, muted purple color, almost opaque in the glass. The first sip was already good, and the wine didn't need any time to open up or settle down. It was soft, warm, and mellow, with a little bit of chocolate and just a touch of fruitiness. This Malbec was on the drier side, but it wasn't too thin and the tannins were completely undetectable, so it didn't create that sticky suction at the back of my throat. It was so delightful, I'm shocked it lasted all the way through cooking and eating. I think the good conversation might have had something to do with it.

Graff 2007 Riesling Spätlese

After a morning sampling most of the public bathrooms in Greenpoint, we finally made it over the bridge and dropped Meg of with her boyfriend's family for lunch. The three of us remaining (Han, Mon, and I) ended up in a little shop called Village Tart in Little Italy, in an effort to escape the heat of the city. After mulling over the wine list for a few, we hesitantly eyed a humble (relative to others) Riesling, but decided to talk to the server in hopes it was a dryer one. He assured us it was just a tad sweet, and despite his shiny gold t-shirt, we believed him.

He lied. I swallowed at least three sugar cubes in the first two sips. This was a Riesling to end all Rieslings - everything we were hoping it was not. We actually told the waiter when he went through the tasting that it was waaaaay sweet, but he just shrugged and looked uncomfortable for a solid 30 seconds until we told him to go ahead and pour it. Halfway through our first glass, we were reduced to asking for soda water to cut the sweetness, which of course, the restaurant did not have. Though it was hard to tell with my tongue coated in syrup, there was a touch of pear and a light acidity on the finish that helped lift the sugar just a little.

This white is grown in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region of Germany, named for the three rivers that frame the region and known for limestone slate soil. The vineyards of the area are basically God-given for Riesling - most are on steep slopes, which are difficult to farm but allow for great rain drainage and sun exposure. Almost 60% of the grapes grown there are Riesling, and 90% are white varietals. You'd think that with the expertise that goes into Riesling from Mosel, this Spatlese would have rocked our world. And to be fair, maybe it would have if we had wanted something super sweet instead of specifically asking for the opposite. Oh, and I almost forgot the worst part of it all - 8% alcohol content. Cheers to really expensive grape juice in NYC.

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.

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).

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.