Wine Tasting 04/07

 

Jean-Michel Dupre, Morgon, Vignes De 1935

 This bottle of Jean-Michel Dupre is a Cru de Beaujolais made from vines planted in 1935 from the Grand Cras sector of Morgon. It is a 2021 recolte, which means "harvest" in French, but I'm not sure if that is the same as vintage? I bought this bottle at a nice dinner with friends upon suggestion from the somm in a wine bar in Charlotte, NC

What others said:

"Whole cluster fermented, there's a nice mix of red and dark berry fruit along with more complex notions of mineral, spice, and flowers. Give it some air, and enjoy with poultry, pork, or pate and charcuterie." - Table Wine Asheville

What I thought:

Great wine!! I had never had a Beaujolais before and nobody else at the table had either. I was excited to share this bottle with my friends and they really loved the quality of it. Needless to say, I made a great impression. It was surprisingly complex for such a light wine. It's made with Gamay grapes, which Wine Folly describes on pg 113 as being "pomegranate, blackberry, violet, potting soil, and banana". I think the dark fruits really expressed themselves on the nose but felt lighter on the tongue. It was a very dry wine with mild tannins and a medium body and finish.

Wine Dinner Report 3 4/07

 

The Meal

- For the meal, I grilled a Brook Trout that I had caught from Tinker Creek in Roanoke VA, I stuffed it with lemon, bay leaves, garlic, and covered in in olive oil then threw it on the grill while I prepared the rest. My two sides were yellow rice and roasted (slightly charred) broccolini. 

The Wine

 - The wine was a 2022 Ste Chateau Michelle Riesling from Washington State (I bought it from the Vintage Cellar in Blacksburg). My mother recently introduced me to dry style Rieslings and I bought this wine based on the Windows of the World because it was a notable producer listed for Washington. I wanted to chill this Riesling but it was too tall to fit in my fridge so I put a small ice cube in it, which ended up watering it down slightly. Wine Folly uses tasting notes for Washington State Rieslings to be "Meyer Lemon, Green Melon, Gala Apple, Honeycomb, and Lime" (pg. 298)

Tasting Notes

 

- I figured this wine would contrast well with fresh grilled fish and roasted vegetables. Brook trout is a little meatier than Rainbow in my opinion, and doesn't flake as easily. Lemon adds zesty acidity to the fish which is complimented by the dry acidity of the wine, but contrasts to the aromatic garlic which the wine helps wash out of the palette. I think the wine is fairly complex with light fruity notes and high acidity, with a surprisingly long finish for what I expected.

The wine with the broccolini is especially nice, considering I slightly overcooked it in the oven. I like a little char with roasted broccoli and similar to the garlic, the wine cuts through the deep charring with a refreshing dry fruit twist. This was my favorite pairing of the meal.

The rice was just a carb addition and I quite like the yellow rice because it has a nice oniony flavor. The wine and the rice are fine together but nothing particular stood out about the pairing of the two.

Wine Tasting 03/01

Trivento Malbec

 This bottle of Trivento Reserve Malbec is from 2022, Trivento Winery in Argentina. I bought this one cause of the shiny gold badge that says No. 1 on the front of the label. I figured it had to be good if it was No 1.

What others said:

Floral nose with sweet black cherries and a hint of grilled spice. Fresh and fruity on the medium-bodied palate with some lightly grippy tannins. Simple but pretty honest. Nothing cloying here. Drink now. - 90 points, Zekun Shuai, James Suckling (Apr 2023) 

What I thought: 

Dominant dark fruit on the nose. Opened spicier than I thought with a nice body. Became more fruity as it decanted. Dry and tannic. I had it with a nice ham hock and bean soup that I made and it complimented the smokiness of the meal well

Wine Tasting: 02/23

Cremant De Loire

This bottle of wine was served as an apertif with my girlfriend before we went to dinner. We are long distance and celebrated Valentines Day this weekend. I bought her a this bottle from the Vintage Cellar. It is a Brut wine from the Loire Valley in France, produced by Vigneau Winemakers and it is a blend of 50% Chenin Blanc and 50% Chardonnay

What Others Said

"Lemons and peaches are bright and citrusy aromas. The perky bubbles are firm yet creamy as they dance around the tongue, leaving a trail of chalky minerals. Notes of earthy hay and dried flowers add complexity to this tasty all purpose wine." - Loire Valley Wine Buyer's Selection

from Kysela

What I thought

Very fancy and tasty! It smelled very floral and fruity, like ripe limes. The flavor was much more delicate, slightly toasty with more mellow fruit expressing. The wine had a fine texture, not aggressively carbonated with a refreshing finish. Wine Folly gives tasting notes for Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley as "expect aromas of soft baked golden apples with undertones of quince, dried flower, and beeswax, with an element of crisp minerality"
 

Wine Tasting: 2/25

 

CHALKBOARD

This bottle came from the Vintage Cellar in Blacksburg. I went in hunting for a 10 dollar bottle with a nice full body for a chilly winter day and I was recommended this. Chalkboard is a 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from California produced by Chalkboard Vineyards

What others said: 

Blackberries and cherries are complemented by subtly toasted herbs. Supple and well-textured on the palate with ripe tannins and plenty of fruit on the lingering finish. A tasty, juicy California cabernet sauvignon and an incredible value! - Josh Hull, Chairman’s Selection® wine buyer from Fine Wine & Good Spirits

What I thought:

A nice fruity and bold red. Smelled red fruit with a little hint of cinnamon. Full bodied with medium tannin but not too mouth puckeringly dry or acidic. A long finish with nice spices at the end. Wine Folly describes California Cabernet Sauvignon to taste like black currant, blackberry, pencil lead, tobacco and mint. I didn't get any pencil lead with this bottle though!

Wine Tasting:

DOUBLE TROUBLE

This bottle got recommended to me by the sommelier at Kroger after I asked him for a good full bodied red wine at a $10 price point and it did not disappoint! It is a 2019 Red Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from Charles & Charles winery in Washington State. 

What Others Said:

"An awesome value! Ripe and bold, without becoming a fruit bomb, this has heaps of black plum and red cherry flavors. There are also some nice smoky, bacon-like notes, which make it a great wine to have with grilled steaks or burgers" - Joe P from Arlington Wine

What I Thought:

Did not disappoint. Smelled fruity and rich. Very heavy notes of red fruit and slightly chocolatey. Second taste I got some pepper at the end, probably from the Syrah in the blend. Wine Folly says that Washington Cabernet Sauvignon are "noted for their rich raspberry and black cherry" and the Syrahs from the state "are smoky, rich and tart" at the same time. Concur!

Wine Dinner Report 1

 

The Meal

- For the meal, I baked a Rainbow trout that I had caught from Goose Creek in Floyd County, I stuffed it with lemon, dill, garlic, and butter then wrapped it in tin foil and threw it in the oven while I prepared the rest. My two sides were a lemon parsley couscous with toasted pine nuts and a soul food style Swiss Chard. 

The Wine

 - The wine was a Sea Glass Sauvignon Blanc from Santa Barbara, California (I bought it from Food Lion in Blacksburg, though). I like Sauvignon Blanc and use it frequently to cook with, and I purchased this bottle for that reason. I thought I was going to make a wine butter sauce for the fish but decided against it. I drank it chilled for this dinner. Wine Folly describes this variety as herbaceous, with notes of gooseberry, honeydew, grapefruit, white peach and passionfruit.

Tasting Notes

 

- I bought the wine for the fish and I was most excited to pair it with the fish. The trout is delicate and flaky, light on the palette. The added dill, lemon and butter give it more depth without drowning out the flavor of fresh fish. The wine pairs nicely because it is crisp and citrusy. It washes the fish down without overpowering and doesn't linger long in my mouth. It isn't a very complex wine but I wasn't looking for complexity with this meal. 

Next, the wine with the couscous. The couscous is nutty and tangy from the toasty pine nuts and lemon, with a little bit of fresh grassiness from the parsley. The wine compliments and adds to the fruit (maybe a little too much) and highlights the nuttiness of the dish, bringing it to the front of my mouth.

Finally, the wine and the greens. Chard is sharp and slightly peppery, I cooked it with bacon, garlic and shallots to add some meaty umami flavor to it. Surprisingly, the wine worked well with this by lightening all the flavors and contrasting. Greens and salads are typically thought of a white pairing but I figured this would work well with a complex red like a Cab Sav or a Shiraz. I think this wine is a nice palette refresher and doesn't demand much thoughtful introspection into dense complexity, body and flavor profile. The nose is the mouth and its crisp, simple and delicious.