Luscious Reds, Crisp, Cool Whites

You may have noticed that Wine Tasters has a new look.  I hope it's warm and inviting.  We have a lot planned for you this season.  Wine Tasters will be bringing you some great wine and food reviews and news of wine events, as well.  If you have info to share send it to me at wineblog08@yahoo.com.  Now down to business.


Labor Day was a great affair.  A dozen of us gathered at the Floral Park house to celebrate, laugh and feast.  When all the guests arrived I initiated an impromptu wine tasting.  All those interested gathered in the dinning room and tasted four very good wines.  I thought it would be of interest to compare various grape varietals.  We started with the whites: 

Michel Redde

Les Tuilieres Sancerre, 2008 -  This was the first wine tasted.  It comes from the Loire Valley and Michel Redde's La Moynerie Estate that yields some excellent Pouilly Fume wines.  This Sancerre is not from the town of the same name and so was interesting.  This was a fine wine, highly aromatic with a green apple aroma and taste.  Lime and lemon notes punctuated the first taste with apple brewing in the background.  It stayed mostly upfront without a long finish.  I picked up some straw notes, as well.   Nice, clean and crisp.  One taster was reminded of a high quality champagne without the sparkle.  


Wolffer Estates Chardonnay 2007 - This lightly oaked Chardonnay from the Long Island Wolffer Estate was a bit of a disappointment.  Mary and I had tasted this a few weeks ago at the estate.  It did not show as well today.  Possibly because of the Sancerre.  It was only lightly aromatic and seemed somewhat muted.  It had distinct pear notes on first taste.  A sense of honey filtered through.  The finish was moderate with a hint of bitterness. It showed better with food later in the day.  


Now the reds: 


Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - This is an interesting wine. It is dominantly Cabernet but also is blended with Italian varieties.  I wasn't aware of this mix during the tasting.  Nicely aromatic, the wine tasted strongly of red berries, dark plumes, chocolate and coffee.  Pleasingly earthy.  It is medium to full bodied with some sweetness in the finish as well as some spice.  It is a modestly complex cab that is pleasant and enjoyable. 

Chateau Routas Cyrano Syrah 2005 - Only 500 cases of this 100% Syrah were produced in Provence from hand picked grapes.  It is aged for 15 months.  


I found this wine well balanced, elegant and smooth.  Luscious is the word.  It possessed an almost silky texture with dark fruits and flowers.  The finish was spicy with pepper dominant, possibly cinnamon.  The wine possessed a superb balance.  Aroma, texture, elegance and taste all worked in fluid unison.  


My only hesitation is the spiciness.  I'm not overly fond of the inherent spice of the Syrah grape.  But the wine itself was well done and deserving of praise.  


I hope you enjoy these fine wines. 

The Spanish Quarter - Chardonnay, Albarino and the Human Tower

Mary and I had the opportunity to visit friends out in West Islip Long Island this past Sunday. The day was one of only a few sunny warm days in the past month. June in New York has been wet and soggy almost every day. To celebrate the occasion, we brought a bottle of The Spanish Quarter, 2006, an exciting blend of Chardonnay (60%) and Albarino (40%) grapes. Upon arriving at the Tully's very comfortable and inviting home, Rich Tully asked my preference for serving the wine. Since we had also brought Mary's home-made clam dip I decided that The Spanish Quarter would go perfectly with the seafood. Rich served it enthusiastically out on the deck with the dip for all the guests to enjoy. At first sip Marina Trentacoste uttered "This is very good." I knew immediately we had a winner.

The wine was an interesting straw color, very vibrant and inviting. The nose had hints of citrus, with upfront fruit in the modern manner, and an overlay of peach, and possibly apricot and apple; very aromatic. It was crisp and refreshing. The finish was long and enjoyable, no bitterness but with a sharpness that lingered. The blend of Chardonnay muted some of the Albarino's traditional cutting quality. The bottle was finished in a flash. It was superb with the clams. I'm sure it would go with all seafood dishes. We had not experienced a blend of Chardonnay and Albarino. The Albarino grape is one of the most popular white wines in Spain. According to Gail Wallis of Suite 101:

"The albarino grape originates in Galicia, misty land of the ancient Celts. Located in the lushly green and hilly northwest corner of Spain, Galicia is a land heavily reliant on the fishing industry. The climate here is greatly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, with wet and chilly winters, dry summers, and high humidity—perfect conditions for growing certain white grape varieties, such as Albarino. The grape also grows a bit farther south, in Portugal, where it is known as "alvarinho."

One of the added pluses to the enjoyment of the wine was the label. Mary explained to our friends that it is a hand painted rendition of an ancient Spanish tradition, the building of human pyramids. This takes place each year at the The Fiesta de La Virgen de La Salud (The Feast of the Virgin of Health) at the beginning of September in the town of Algemesi. Acrobats from all over Spain descend on the town and create human towers. The tradition started in late 18th century Catalonia and spread south. My wife tells me a part of this tradition was to have a small child be the very top of the pyramid. I could certainly see a nice bottle of The Spanish Quarter being enjoyed at such a spectacle. You can read about the pyramids in Graham Smith's article. I took the photo I posted here from that piece. It's truly amazing.

The Spanish Quarter also comes in a red variety which is a blend of Cabernet and Tempranillo.

Our visit to the Tully's reached it's crecendo with Idamarie's luscious pork dinner served with carrots, squash and other delicious morsels. Dinner was topped off with some amazing desserts compliments of our friends Sal and Marina Trentacoste and Kathy and Bill Carriero. It was an enjoyable day, with good friends and fine wine and food.