So I am doing this dinner for 6 people, and the one course the main has Grass Fed Northern BC Beef which I am pariing with a red wine sauce. So I need a bottle of red wine, went to the Booze Store to grab a cheapy but something that wasn't terrible. Finally decied I was going to go Argentina since there beef is Grass Fed. Don David Cabernet Sauvignon 16$ [Inexpensive by Canadian Standards so like 6-10$ American]. I must say I opened the bottle for the sauce tasted and kept half the bottle for myself and used a half bottle of my 2005 Bordeaux I had to make up the full bottle.
Also going to post in the next couple of days my experience from the Chile and Argentina Wine tasting, hopfully Sonoma if I can find my notes
Blogging Format Tasting Notes
The Stats:
Michel Torino
Don David Reserve
2007
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cafayate, Argentina
100% New Oak
The Eye:
Dark in Colour
The Nose:
A hint of Greenness / Coffee on the Nose, and some good fruit
The Mouth:
Coffee, Good ripe red fruit, Good Tannins and Acidity Structure. The Oak was very balanced and not becoming that over oaked "saltiness" that I get with most over oaked wines
Overall/Reflection:
Score: 88
THE 100-POINT RATING SCALE (Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate describes this in more detail.)
• Extraordinary (96-100 points)
• Outstanding (90-95)
• Very Good to Excellent (85-89)
• Good (80-84)
• Average (75-79)
• Below average (70-74)
• Avoid (50-70)
Showing posts with label 2007. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2007. Show all posts
Domaine Lafond 2007 Tavel
So this is the final wine for round 2 of the rose battles. A tavel, and Tavel only makes Roses, this one being "aight" I read that some tavel roses are very very "Red"esque. This not so much more Rose, fruity but big
The Stats:
Domaine Lafond
Roc-Epine
Rhone Blend
13.5% Alc
Tavel, Rhone/France
The Eye:
A nice cherry red colour, definitely dark
The Nose:
The nose brings a Fruit forwardness borderline Candied Cherries, but yet at the same time a almost Rich Huckleberry, it has that redness to it yet that full bodied fruit. With a touch of Rubberiness coming through which I assume some people describe as "mineral"
The Mouth:
Light Red Fruit, good acidity, good weight, touch of sweetness
Overall/Reflection:
Score: 88 A nice effort, I think from what I was expecting from Tavel I was a touch disappointed hopefully when I buy that bottle of Bandol I am not but we shall see
THE 100-POINT RATING SCALE (Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate describes this in more detail.)
• Extraordinary (96-100 points)
• Outstanding (90-95)
• Very Good to Excellent (85-89)
• Good (80-84)
• Average (75-79)
• Below average (70-74)
• Avoid (50-70)
Domaine L'Hortus De Bergerie Rose De Saignee Wine 2
Wine Number two, a French Rose from France...Yeah we shall go with that, its dark and im to lazy to turn on a light. Wine is definitly interesting in the fact that it isn't that fruit play, which a lot of Roses for me have not been totally Strawberry Pie Roses, Im getting stuff thats just I guess a little more ?complicated? or ?different?.
The Stats:
Domaine De L'Hortus de Bergerie
Rose De Saignee
A Blend.
13.5% Alc
Coteaux de Languedoc
The Eye:
A Orangie Tint to this Rose, So Red meets orange?
The Nose:
First thing I noticed was Celery Salt, that dried concenrated sweet celery not fresh celery. Kinda of neat almost like a "MSG" / Umami play.
The Mouth:
Day 1, some fruit semi ripe necterines, good acidity
Day 2 Tomato stalk juice play, very thick now the wine [Maybe because a fly fell into the wine bottle! contamined wine!]
Overall/Reflection:
Score: 86 Overall an Ok wine, some interesting veggie play for those who like that, as for me not really so much thats why the 86 but If I was more of a veggie guy most likely a couple more points
THE 100-POINT RATING SCALE (Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate describes this in more detail.)
• Extraordinary (96-100 points)
• Outstanding (90-95)
• Very Good to Excellent (85-89)
• Good (80-84)
• Average (75-79)
• Below average (70-74)
• Avoid (50-70)
Dinner and Wine (No Pics Sry)
Sometimes you just need to buy a bottle of wine.
So I have my own collection so to speak my mini wine fridge is full with 30 bottles, plus more off site, but yet I wanted to buy a bottle of wine. So First I went to granville Island to do some shopping, Charcuterie, Spices all the fancy stuff (and expensive from granville island) and my last stop was Liberty Wine Merchants. My plan was to walk, shop then buy my wine by then I should know what I wanted. Well that didn't really work out to well walked into the Wine story (By the Way Liberty on Granville Island is my favourite Wine Store In Vancouver, Staff is well educated, they treat you like a normal person since they deal with so many tourist they make you feel wanted without feeling like a wine idiot).
I walk in was asked if I needed some help said not right now still trying to figure out what I needed, then after couple mins of wandering another guy asked I decided I wanted a value red play. Pointed out a Cotes du Rhone (Very interseting) but Ended up with a Argentina Cab. Sauv. from Mendoza. "Circus 2007" Good choice Since it made up my mind whats for dinner.
Dinner.
Sous-Vide Steak in butter @ 55F [From all my test 55 is the best temperature] 56 just a little to much also it was in the water for less then hour. I had some Lamb Sausage I picked up from the Local who's who of Charcuterie of Vancouver [Oyamo Meats] and had Cabbage at home [I live cabbage, raw in a coleslaw, or even brasied like today]. Removed the Sausage meat and sauteed it with some Garlic, hint of ginger, deglazed with Cab. Sauv Vinegar, Chicken stock and threw in the Cabbage thinly sliced of course!. Then finished with butter, and sliced sous-vide steak.
The Wine Info Now.
The Stats:
Circus 2007
Cabernet Sauvignon
13.5% Alc
Mendoza, Argentina
The Eye:
A nice Dark Colour not to dark tho, with a red cherry tint rim
The Nose:
Little bit of Tar, Dark Ripe Fruit, Cocoa
The Mouth:
The first thing you notice is how soft this wine is right out of the bottle especially being a 07 and a Cab even the colour too you'd think there would be more tannins but I guess not. Good amount of Fruit, not over the top just right IMO. Smoother and Almost Creamy yet there is no distiction of any Oak use. Also some nice Dark Cocoa in the background not to dark tho.
Overall/Reflection:
for 15.99 Canadian this is a fantastic deal. [11.99 to Licensees means a good deal for restaurants by the glass make some money and have people leave happy] Way to Go Argentina on the Cab, I think I might have to order more Cab from Argentina, as long as they are not over oaked.
Also it paired with the food so well
So I have my own collection so to speak my mini wine fridge is full with 30 bottles, plus more off site, but yet I wanted to buy a bottle of wine. So First I went to granville Island to do some shopping, Charcuterie, Spices all the fancy stuff (and expensive from granville island) and my last stop was Liberty Wine Merchants. My plan was to walk, shop then buy my wine by then I should know what I wanted. Well that didn't really work out to well walked into the Wine story (By the Way Liberty on Granville Island is my favourite Wine Store In Vancouver, Staff is well educated, they treat you like a normal person since they deal with so many tourist they make you feel wanted without feeling like a wine idiot).
I walk in was asked if I needed some help said not right now still trying to figure out what I needed, then after couple mins of wandering another guy asked I decided I wanted a value red play. Pointed out a Cotes du Rhone (Very interseting) but Ended up with a Argentina Cab. Sauv. from Mendoza. "Circus 2007" Good choice Since it made up my mind whats for dinner.
Dinner.
Sous-Vide Steak in butter @ 55F [From all my test 55 is the best temperature] 56 just a little to much also it was in the water for less then hour. I had some Lamb Sausage I picked up from the Local who's who of Charcuterie of Vancouver [Oyamo Meats] and had Cabbage at home [I live cabbage, raw in a coleslaw, or even brasied like today]. Removed the Sausage meat and sauteed it with some Garlic, hint of ginger, deglazed with Cab. Sauv Vinegar, Chicken stock and threw in the Cabbage thinly sliced of course!. Then finished with butter, and sliced sous-vide steak.
The Wine Info Now.
The Stats:
Circus 2007
Cabernet Sauvignon
13.5% Alc
Mendoza, Argentina
The Eye:
A nice Dark Colour not to dark tho, with a red cherry tint rim
The Nose:
Little bit of Tar, Dark Ripe Fruit, Cocoa
The Mouth:
The first thing you notice is how soft this wine is right out of the bottle especially being a 07 and a Cab even the colour too you'd think there would be more tannins but I guess not. Good amount of Fruit, not over the top just right IMO. Smoother and Almost Creamy yet there is no distiction of any Oak use. Also some nice Dark Cocoa in the background not to dark tho.
Overall/Reflection:
for 15.99 Canadian this is a fantastic deal. [11.99 to Licensees means a good deal for restaurants by the glass make some money and have people leave happy] Way to Go Argentina on the Cab, I think I might have to order more Cab from Argentina, as long as they are not over oaked.
Also it paired with the food so well
Torrontes
First of all Don't worry about the picture of the bottle having wine in it it was finished the same day it was opened. Its like the scene from Arrested Development once the a bottle of vodka is opened it has to be finished the same day, ahh how I love arrested development.
The Stats:
Sergio Traverso (From Opimian Wine Club)
Argentina (Mendoza)
13% Alc.
100% Torrontes
The Look:
Lite Golden, Lite being the clear word of choice.
Very Pale
The Nose:
When I first smelled it, it automatically made me love this wine it has those aromatic qualities of Gewurztraminer and Viognier have that I just love Floral, White Peaches, Tropical Fruit (Gooseberry, Papaya). Just Thumbs up from me.
The Taste:
Creamy lime zest with the small touch of vanilla bean and the acidity to win me over just awesome (I like my Acid) Medium mouth feel.
Conclusion:
I love this wine, I could drink this all my itself which I did for most of the bottle while I was preparing dinner. This is a perfect summer wine [Meanwhile Im drinking this in the middle of a snow storm.]
Then again it is nice and cozy in here like a warm beach mmm minus the humidity.
Poplar Grove 2007 Chardonnay
The Stats:
Poplar Grove Winery
Okanagan Valley
2007
14.5% Alc.
50% Barrel Fermented New Oak 6 month Sur lee
50% Stainless Steel
405 Cases produced
22$ (From Winery) 24-28$ Liquor store
Sight:
Pale Golden, with a tinge of green, light colour.
Aroma:
It was definitely opened picked up passion fruit mixed with apricot hints of vanilla and lime. Their was a hint of Rubber Cement Petrol'ness to it.
(My mom said she picked up some mineral notes too it)
Taste:
Dry wine with fruit more on the tropical side and a little bit of "bitterness" from the Oak the Pheonal
Went well with vegetarian egg rolls and with Sea Salt Caramel.
Overall Score I rated 14-15. It was a nice white had the oak'iness which I like in Chardonnays.
My First Post! Tua Tua Bay Sauv Blanc and CHICKEN!!! (Sous-Vide Duh)
Ok this is my first wine “review” with food pairing. So bare with me. Didn’t do to well in high school with the grammar and such. More of a math geek. Also a big thanks to Lou for giving me this wine tasting / journal very nicely done helped me break down flavor and go through the wine step by step.
I knew what I was cooking and decided to pick a wine from my mini wine fridge (holds about 30 about 15 types of wine in it).
How I came across with wine was through the opimian wine society of Canada I'm a member and ordered this last year
For Dinner
Sous-Vide Free Range Chicken Breast glazed with Chestnut Honey, Bird eye Chili and Fresh Thyme (from my backyard) served with Israel Couscous; Carrot Scented (hints of brussel sprouts and tomatoes in it), and for veg (just because I should be healthy) wilted Swiss Chard [Champagne Vinegar, and no its not fizzy hah, Caramelized Onions and Garlic and Butter]
What I paired it with
Tua Tua Bay
Marlborough
Sauvignon Blanc
2007
13.5% Alc
Why Did I pick this wine you ask, well I didn’t want to drink red wine for dinner firstly I looked through all my wine saw some reds that could of went but really with the bird eye chili glaze (not really that spicy when I ate it) Chestnut Honey (has a medicinal taste can be over powering) and carrots (sweet duh!) I figured I nice NZ Sauv Blanc would work [Though the Alsatian Gewurtz was calling my name too btw and the Mini bottle of Champagne was looking mighty tasty]. I went with the Sauv Blanc.
The Wine First off
Sight:
Clear with pale yellow / tinge of green colour very light.
Taste:
The Nose med intensity had a sweet smell of Tropical fruit Guava I would say with touches of Grass/hay combination on the green side hints of Herbaceous’ness to it mixed with maybe a little of the methanol family (eucalyptus)
Taste:
Taste of lime, pears, pineapple, grass meets wet dampiness? Crisp clean medium finish didn’t linger on and on but at the same time it lingers where you don’t want it to go on forever it has the right lingerness (mm got to love the English language add ‘ness to everything and it makes it sound just right) soft texture too
For the Pairing:
The big question you are all asking is did it pair?!?! Well with the swiss chard I thought it was perfect because the high vinegar content of it made me want to drink the wine because it just washed away that acid on your tongue in a good way. The Israel couscous was too mild and the wine did over power it think Israel Couscous “Macaroni and Cheese” minus the cheese hah. The chicken it did go with the sweetness/acid from the wine went nice with the sweetness/”spiciness” of the chicken remember chestnut honey is a funny thing can be Way to strong on certain items especially the one I have. It isn’t made for Granola and yogurt in the morning; it will put hair on your chest.
All and All A tasty meal, wish I had more Couscous it was a good comfort food, and the wine almost finished the bottle as I write this.
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