2006 Ravenswood Petit Sirah

Last week I received my copy of Esquin's monthly newsletter, and I highlighted several tempting bargains. After work tonight, Jenny and I drove down and picked up a case from my selections.

This bottle is a bit of a dud. It has a toasty scent, and a strange initial flavor that Jenny describes as "stale." On the upside, once you get past the initial wave, I get a concentrated, almost syrupy cherry flavor, and a whiff of vanilla as if it were aged in oak (I've googled a bit and can neither confirm nor refute this suspicion).

I can't recall the price, though it was under $10. I wouldn't buy it again.

Tenuta Ponte - 2007 Coda Di Volpe

This wine is all over the place. I've seen it in restaurants, grocery stores, and at McCarthy and Schiering (though not for a while). Coda Di Volpe is an obscure varietal (the Wine Lover's Companion is silent) of ancient origins commonly grown in Campania. This bottle hails from Irpina, just a few miles from Napoli.

The wine has good body, with full fruit flavor and honey that reminds me of good Viogner, if somewhat less intense. It runs about $12, and is a reasonable buy at that price, but not a steal.

2004 Lan Rioja

A great bargain at $11 from McCarthy and Schiering. Totally delicious with a gentle perfumey vanilla scent from oak aging. I wrote about this wine in the pre-blog days, but I haven't seen it for a while. I'm going to order a case before it disappears again.

Verdier and Logel - 2006 Cotes du Forez

This stuff is crazy. It's got an intensely herbal nose, and a smoky flavor. The scent combined with the somewhat dusty tannins made me think it was Cabernet Franc, but it's 100% Gamay. I have another bottle by the same maker; I plan to drink it in the next couple days, and I'll report my fingings here.

Cotes du Forez is apparently a little known French appelation. None of my books mention it, but the French wikipedia has an article. If only I could read French.

$13 from McCarthy and Schiering. I liked it, it's worth buying just for the experience.

Jaboulet 2005 Muscat De Beaumes-De-Venise

I stayed late at work tonight, so late that I missed the last express bus home. I originally planned to take the bus tunnel to the SLUT, and walk home the rest of the way, but Jenny offered to meet me at Whole Foods where we could shop for dinner groceries and drive home together.

While wandering around picking up dinner groceries, Jenny broached the idea of dessert. Originally she wanted chocolate or something from the pasty case, but when I suggested cheese and dessert wine, she quickly came around to my way of thinking.

For the cheese, we got a mini Cheverot, a French goat cheese made by Cooperative Sevre-et-Belle in Poitou. Steve Jenkins in his Cheese Primer says he "never has tasted better goat cheese." This one we had tonight has young, so tasted sweet, but still had nice piquant goat cheese flavor.

The dessert wine selection at Whole Foods is somewhat limited (dozens of ports, 2 sauternes, 1 muscat, a handful of random domestic dessert wines), but this muscat seemed a good choice. Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise is an AC in France's Rhone region. The wines produced there are "vin doux naturel" or natually sweet wines. They are produced from grapes that are naturally high in sugar and then fortified with neutral flavored alcohol. This bottle has lovely honey flavor and floral nose. It was a superb companion to the cheese and the first honeycrisp apple of the season.

All in all, an exceptionally delicious dessert course.

Value is suddenly fashionable

You know the economy is in trouble when Eric Asimov at the New York Times writes an article on finding good wine values. His most salient advice: "Even with the pitiful exchange rate, France is the greatest source of wine bargains in the world."

This blog is squarely focused on value wines, and this seems a good opportunity to thank my friend JJ for instilling in me the importance of seeking "value" in all things, not least culinary pleasures. Any idiot can get satisfactory food and wine by spending a lot of money, but the real joy is in finding superlative food and wine in more modest venues at lower prices.

2006 Domaine de Montine - Coteaux Du Tricastin

The Coteaux Du Tricastin appellation in situated in the south of France's Rhone region. Many varietals are grown there, and I'm not adept enough to discern which one dominates this wine. Either way, I wasn't very happy with this bottle as it's flavor profile was dominated by earthy tobacco flavors (Jenny described it as "dusty" and "rustic"). The small amount of fruit flavors present were very dark, running dangerously close to bitter.

$12 at McCarthy and Schiering. I won't buy more.

2006 El Quintanal - Ribera Del Duero

Not to be confused with the Duoro region in Portugal, Ribera Del Duero is a DO in northern Spain, along (as one might guess) the Duero river. This bottle is 100% Tempranillo, known locally as Tinto Fino, and has a flavor reminiscent of chocolate covered cherries. The fact that I don't like chocolate covered cherries, along with the rough tannins means that I probably won't be buying more.

$12 at McCarthy and Schiering.

Domaine du Pas Saint Martin - 2007 Saumur

I made Indian vegetable curry for dinner last night and it was my best effort yet. I toasted the spices perfectly, and got spectacular browning from the aromatics and spices before adding the liquid.

I was eagerly anticipating the leftovers on my way home tonight and while I was walking from the bus I pondered what wine I'd like to drink. I prefer unoaked whites with spicy food, particularly those with high acid.

I stopped by McCarthy and Schiering and quickly spotted a tempting bottle of Gruner-Veltliner, but when I explained my situation to Lauren, she pointed out that the 2007 wines from Saumur were super high in acid (unfortunately, I didn't ask why). Since I tend to like acidic wines, I went home with this bottle which runs $13.

It's based on the Chenin Blanc, as is common in Suamur wines, and Chenin Blanc is known for high acidtity, but this wine it pretty extreme. Still, the nice citrus flavors come through, and it was great with my spicy curry.

2006 Lemelson Pinot Noir

After hacking up my finger cutting basil into chiffonade on Friday night, I didn't feel like cooking dinner on Saturday, so Jenny and I walked to How To Cook A Wolf for dinner. As usual, they were jam packed with a 45 minute wait for a table inside, but luckily there was no wait for an outdoor table. We'd brought light coats, so sitting on the sidewalk on a crisp evening was just fine with us.

We shared bruschetta topped with cranberry beans, marinated heirloom tomatoes, and a bowl of trofie with pesto. The pasta was particularly delicious; even better than the trofie I've had in Liguria (where it originates).

The wine was also very tasty, exhibiting classic pinot flavors of red fruit (Jenny: cherry, me: strawberry) and perfumey vanilla from the Burgundian oak in which it's aged. I might have preferred something a little more earthy with our meal, but this bottle was up to the job.

It wasn't cheap at $42. I probably wouldn't get it again at restaurant prices, but would definitely consider it if I wanted a good example of Oregon pinot and found it in the low-$20s at a wine shop.

Domaine de la Pepiere - 2007 Muscadet

A new vintage of an old favorite. It smells of pears, and has bright citrus acidity and a full mouth-feel. An superb accompaniment to the roast chicken with root vegetables I made for dinner (including lovely beets from my local farmer's market).

$13 at McCarthy and Schiering, and worth every penny.

Castano - 2006 Yecla Monastrell

When I was a little boy, I would occasionally cook tacos for my family from the Ortega kit. It was so easy that even as a kid I could do it successfully, and this experience was seminal in my lifelong love of food and cooking. It is slightly embarrassing to admit that, on occasion, I still make tacos in the much same style.

Tonight was such an occasion. I couldn't decide what to make for dinner, and kept putting off the decision until it was too late to do anything the least bit elaborate. While Jenny was running on her treadmill, I ran to Metro Market for groceries.

I buy taco seasoning in bulk from Penzeys and add onion, garlic and a bit of tomato paste, so the filling is somewhat better than the Ortega seasoning packet, but little else has changed from my youth: grated cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, La Victoria taco sauce, and Ortega hard taco shells warmed in the oven.

While at Metro Market I picked a random, cheap bottle of red ($8.50 as I recall). Yecla is a DO located in eastern Spain that produces wines primarily from the Monastrell grape. Monastrell wines are typically high in alcohol and low in acid, and the Wine Lover's Companion says that they tend to be heavy and dry.

This bottle matches that description to a tee. With little acidity, this wine hits your tongue with a dull thud. It was barely up to accompanying the humble tacos I'd prepared for dinner. I won't be buying more.

La Badiane - 2004 Coteaux Varois

Coteaux Varois is a large VDQS in France's Provence region. Many different varietals are grown there, but I suspect that the La Badiane is primarily of Carignan, which is noted for being high in alcohol and tannins. This wine is also rather spicy, another Carignan characteristic.

Jenny liked it a lot, but I wasn't a fan of the tight tannins and lack of acidity. The La Badiane is a mixed bag. $10 at McCarthy and Schiering.

Domaine La Croix Belle - 2006 le Champ du Coq

This is a Syrah/Grenache blend which, according to the back of the bottle, is a vin de pays (country wine) from the Cotes de Thoungue region of France.

The syrah component comes through very strongly. It is tannic, and has intense dark fruit flavors I associate with syrah. It has a funny scent on the nose that I couldn't quite place. I described it as vaguely chemically at first, though after consulting The Wine Lover's Companion, it might be "tar," a positive term associated with young syrahs which are said to sometimes smell of hot tar.

Moderately priced ($12 I think, but I've lost the price tag), from McCarthy and Schiering. I liked it, and would buy it again, though I would reserve it for dinners where I was serving something with huge umami flavors.

Cave Des Onze Communes - 2006 Torrette Vallee de Aoste

Valle d'Aosta is Italy's smallest DOC, in the northwestern part of the country, bordering France and Switzerland. The area is officially bilingual, hence the French spelling on the bottle. Torrette is one of the seven subregions. Many red wine grapes are grown in this region, but this site indicates that the Cave Des Onze Communes Torrette is made from Petite Rouge.

Jenny and I both liked this wine a lot. We both get a strong cherry flavor, and I get a slight tinge of banana. Well worth the $12 it'll cost you at McCarthy and Schiering.

2007 Domaine De Couron Voigner

My 1995 edition of the wine lover's companion says "low yield and vineyard diseases make Viognier wines extremely difficult to find." Well, things seem to have changed in the ensuing twenty years -- I see Viognier based wines all the time nowadays.

That said, to date I've only had new world Viogniers, and they are much wimpier than this bottle. It's intensely floral on the nose and is very sweet, tasting of pears and honey on the palate. I served it with roast chicken with root vegetables (it's already feeling a bit like fall here in seattle, sadly). I would have liked a bit more acidity, to cut through the rich flavors of the roasted vegetables, but it was quite enjoyable. It would be a great with a light summer meal of cheese, olives, bread and a green salad.

$12 at McCarthy and Schiering.

Finca El Reposo - 2007 Saint Jeannet - Mendoza Agentina

Oh my! An amazing bargain at $8 from McCarthy and Schiering. I plan to buy a case at my earliest conveneince.

Saint Jeannet is an obscure varietal of unclear origin (depending on who you believe it might be Greek, Italian, French or possibly Asian), brought to Argentina some 90 years ago. Supposedly there are just four hectares of it in production and all of it goes into this wine.

The limited production is something of a tradgedy, because this bottle is delicious. It's got great acidity, a full mouthfeel, and a tiny touch of sweet (pineapple?). I would happily kick to the curb dozens of fine Burgundy Chardonnays at twice the price for a bottle of the lovely Finca El Reposo.

Lang and Reed Cabernet Franc

Jenny and I had this bottle with dinner at Betty for my birthday. As I recall, it was very tasty, very floral and perfumey on the nose, not quite as dusty or herbaceous as some cab francs are.

It was a bit spendy, in the middle range of Betty's wine list, but very much worth it in my opinion.

A random 2001 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

On our second night in San Francisco, Mark, JJ, Dave and I went back into the city for dinner. After the conference sessions had concluded there was a reception with wine and hors d'oeuvres among the vendor booths (good strategy: get the attendees tipsy, then sic the sales guys on 'em). Having diddled around at the reception for too long, it was eight or so before we started thinking about dinner.

Dave, never having been to San Francisco before, really wanted to go into the city (the conference was at a hotel near the airport). We hemmed and hawed for a while, trying to figure out where we'd go and the best way to get there. After some minutes, it was clear that we were making no progress, so JJ just started walking to the front of the hotel.

With no clear plan at all, we hopped into a cab and asked the driver to take us into the city, we'd tell him precisely where later. After ten minutes of furious cell phone yelping and calling for reservations we decided on some obscure Italian place, the name of which has completely escaped me. This is unfortunate as it was one of the best meals I've eaten in a long time.

We shared two appetizers. The first was some truly remarkable grilled vegetables, which under any other circumstances I would rave about at length. Sadly for the veggies, they were upstaged by a plate of burrata (a fresh buffalo mozzarella shell, filled with a mixture of more mozzarella and cream) accompanied by crostini and caponata. The burrata was exquisite, fresh, creamy, lightly sweet... I've never tasted anything quite like it.

For my entree I had a plate of braised rabbit with polenta. The preparation was very traditional; no fancy flourishes, just flavor so rich and complex that it makes you want to cry.

This wine was up to the task of accompanying such a fine meal, though I must admit that I don't recall much about it. This is ok, I think. Wine doesn't always have to announce itself. Like a good server, sometimes it's enough that wine makes everything come together smoothly without your even noticing.

Grigenti 2002 Nero d'Avola

I spent Monday and Tuesday of this week in San Francisco at the O'Reilly Velocity conference. After scouring Yelp for a little while, Mark, JJ and I decided that Tommaso's in North Beach looked like a fun place for dinner on Sunday night. Luckily, we arrived just ahead of the rush and were seated almost immediately; by the time we left, a crowd of people waiting for a table spilled out onto the sidewalk.

We had a couple of pretty good pizzas, a plate of assorted cured meats, and some pickled vegetables. While not insanely great, it was good value, everything was pretty cheap.

This wine, recommended by our extremely effficient server, may have been the highlight of the meal. Nero d'Avola is a grape cultivated in Sicily, originally near the town of Avola in the south of the island. This bottle was light and easy to drink, with soft tannins and a lovely floral nose.