Monthly Archives: March 2010

Whisky Explorers Club’s First Mystery Whiskies Arrive

Posted on March 31, 2010 by Christopher Null| 9 Comments

Intriguing, no? Four mini bottles encased in black velvet and each a sticker with a serial number on it (one upside down, just to mix it up).

What are you drinking? Who knows. You’ll have to play the Whisky Explorers Club IQ Game to try to figure it out, using your membership code and the product code on the bottle to walk through questions about the nose, the body, and the palate of the whiskey. Eventually you get to guess what exactly it is (out of five choices). I’m happy to report that on round one I actually got it right (though I won’t give it away here in case you’re drinking the same thing).

Still, looking forward to the other three mystery bottles that For Scotch Lovers sends out (one shipment arrives every two months), and seeing if I can keep my record solid!

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Posted in Services/Retailers, Whiskey

Introducing Hello Kitty Wine

Posted on March 31, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

This is how teen pregnancies happen.

[click for wallpaper size]

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Posted in Wine

Tasting Report: Rhone Rangers 2010

Posted on March 31, 2010 by Christopher Null| 3 Comments

I’ve been going to the Rhone Rangers wine event — a celebration of syrah and Rhone-style wines from the U.S. — for as long as I can remember. This year the event was smaller, missing a few of my usual haunts, but packed with plenty of interesting wines, some from producers I’d never encountered before. All in all I discovered numerous exceptional Rhone-style wines, including an intense blend from L’Aventure, a pair of perfectly balanced syrahs from Pride Mountain, and Qupe’s limited release X-Block Syrah, not just my favorite wine of the day but also the most expensive, at a whopping $100 a bottle.

Complete ratings and notes follow.

Rhone Rangers 2010 Complete Tasting Report

2008 Arnot-Roberts Syrah Clary Ranch / $38 / C

2005 Bink Syrah Hawks Butte Vineyard / $25 / B- / harsh

2008 Calcareous Vineyard White Blend / $28 / B+

2006 Calcareous Vineyard Syrah Paso Robles / $34 / B / jammy

2007 Calcareous Vineyard Red Blend Tres Violet / $38 / B+

2008 Caliza White Blend Kissin Cousins / $28 / B-

2008 Caliza Red Blend Azimuth / $48 / B

2006 Domaine Serene Syrah Rockblock Reserve / $40 / A- / cocoa inflected

2005 Domaine Serene Syrah Del Rio / $45 / B / too dry

2008 Edward Sellers White Blend Estate Blanc / $35 / A-

2007 Edward Sellers Mourvedre / $45 / B+

2007 Edward Sellers Red Blend Le Thief / $35 / A- / nicely fruity

2007 Edward Sellers Red Blend Vertigo / $35 / B+ / old world, meaty style

2007 Eric Kent Syrah Kalen’s Big Boy Blend / $40 / A- / herbal

2007 Eric Kent Syrah Dry Stack Vineyard / $40 / A-

2008 Eric Kent Syrah Kalen’s Big Boy Blend / N/A / A- / distinctive fig character

2008 Eric Kent Syrah Dry Stack Vineyard / N/A / B+ / thinner, olive notes

2006 Folin Estate Syrah / $30 / A-

2007 Four Vines Syrah Paso Robles / $25 / A-

2007 Four Vines Syrah Bailey Vineyard Amador / $25 / B-

2008 Four Vines Peasant Paso Robles / $40 / B+

2008 Four Vines Anarchy Paso Robles / $40 / A-

2008 Four Vines Heretic Petite Sirah / $40 / A-

2007 Four Vines Petite Sirah Paso Robles / $18 / B+

2007 Four Vines Syrah Santa Barbara County / $18 / A-

2007 Four Vines Phoenix / $40 / A-

2006 Harrison Clarke Estate Syrah / $32 / C+

2006 JC Cellars Syrah Ventana Vineyard / $30 / B+

2006 JC Cellars Syrah Stagecoach Vineyard / $60 / A- / big cherry notes

2006 JC Cellars Syrah Rockpile Vineyard / $60 / B

2009 Lagier Meredith Rose of Syrah Mount Veeder / $20 / C

2007 Lagier Meredith Syrah Mount Veeder / $48 / B+ / thin

2006 Lagier Meredith Syrah Mount Veeder / $48 / A-

2008 L’Aventure Estate Roussanne / $35 / B

2007 L’Aventure Red Blend Cote a Cote / $85 / A / huge, biggest wine of the event

2005 Martinelli Syrah Terra Felice / $45 / A-

2006 Martinelli Syrah Hop Camp Gravel Lens Vineyard / $75 / B+

2006 Martinelli Syrah Zio Tony Ranch / $75 / A-

2007 Novy Grenache Bennett Valley / $29 / A-

2007 Novy Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands / $27 / A- / nicely tart

2007 Novy Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands Rosella’s Vineyard / $33 / A

2007 Outpost Grenache Howell Mountain / $40 / B

2007 Outpost Petite Sirah Howell Mountain / $35 / A-

2007 Outpost Petite Sirah Howell Mountain “The Other” / $50 / B+

2008 Pride Mountain Viognier Sonoma County / $42 / A- / best white of the event

2007 Pride Mountain Syrah Sonoma County / $60 / A / chocolatey, with lovely balance

2006 Pride Mountain Syrah Sonoma County / $60 / A

2007 Prospect 772 Grenache The Brat / $36 / A- / balanced, nice

2007 Prospect 772 Syrah The Brawler / $36 / A- / tough but rich

2007 Qupe Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard / $30 / A

2007 Qupe Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard / $35 / A-

2006 Qupe Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate / $45 / A-

2006 Qupe Syrah 25th Anniversary Bien Nacido X-Block / $100 / A / gorgeous

2008 Ridge Carignan Buchignani Ranch / N/A / B+

2006 Ridge Petite Sirah Dynamite Hill / N/A / B

2003 Ridge Syrah/Grenache Lytton Estate / $50 / B

2000 Ridge Syrah Lytton Estate / N/A / A- / perfumed

2006 Rocca Family Vineyards Syrah / $45 / A- / chocolate and berries

2008 Stage Left Cellars White Blend The Go Getter / $34 / A-

2009 Tablas Creek Rose / $27 / B

2008 Tablas Creek Red Blend Cotes de Tablas / $25 / A- / wonderful for this price

2007 Tablas Creek Red Blend Esprit de Beaucastel / $50 / A

2007 Tablas Creek Mourvedre / $35 / B+ / smoky

2007 Tablas Creek Grenache / $35 / B+ / sweeter style

2006 Tablas Creek Syrah / $35 / B

2007 Terry Hoage Red Blend The 46 / $45 / A- / herbal, balanced

2007 Unti Vineyards Grenache Dry Creek Valley / $30 / B+

2005 Unti Vineyards Syrah Benchland Dry Creek Valley / $35 / A- / meaty, earthy

2008 Ventana Rose / $18 / B

2006 Joseph Phelps Le Mistral / $45 / A-

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Posted in Reviews, Wine

Review: Tequila Tamer Sangrita

Posted on March 30, 2010 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

Whenever I drink tequila, I love to have it with a shot of sangrita on the side. The problem: You’ll only find sangrita on the menu at fancier Mexican restaurants and tequila bars. I presume most Mexican joints don’t sell it not because it’s hard to make but because most diners have no idea what it is, and would presume that someone misspelled “sangria” on the menu.

Sangrita, like pasta sauces and salsas, comes in infinite varieties and its recipe is often a closely-guarded secret by its creators. The recipe comes down to various citrus juices plus chiles or hot sauce. The inclusion of tomato juice is a hotly contested topic. Most sangritas that I’ve encountered include it — and I think it enhances the character of the drink. Either way, you consume it in alternate sips with your quality tequila, as they are each meant to enhance the experience of the other.

This lesson is a long way of telling you that Tequila Tamer is a bottled sangrita. Now any tequila enthusiast would tell you that the only way to go is to make your own sangrita from scratch, but I’ll be honest: Tequila Tamer is pretty good for a premixed sangrita. It’s heavy on citrus, light on the spice, and light on the tomato (although tomato juice is the first ingredient). It’s sweeter than most sangritas, probably due to the inclusion of pomegranate syrup instead of pomegranate juice, but my suspicion is that this allows the sangrita to keep from spoiling longer. It also makes it a little too berry-flavored for my liking, but on the whole it’ll do in a pinch.

B / $15 per 32 oz. bottle (with party tray and glasses shown below, $140) / tequilatamer.com

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Posted in Mixers, Rated B, Reviews, Tequila

Review: Tequila Semental

Posted on March 30, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

These simple tequilas are crafted from 100% agave and weigh in at a standard 80 proof.

Tequila Semental Silver – Unaged and crystal clear. Strong agave character, if a little rough on the palate and in the finish. A bit smoky on the nose — but not of wood, more of a brush fire, probably a character in the agave used. B / $39

Tequila Semental Reposado – Aged “over two months” but not much more than that from the look (very pale yellow) of it. The agave still shines through brightly here, tempered with caramel and vanilla creme brulee notes. Amazing what just a short time in wood (and the heat of Mexico) will do. Easy drinking, and a considerable improvement in complexity over the Silver. Semental claims to use uniquely crafted tequila barrels, though I don’t have any information on what exactly that means except that Semental says it does not char its barrels but rather merely toasts them. A- / $48

Tequila Semental Anejo – Spends “over one year” in Semental’s special barrels (though the tag on the bottle’s neck says it is aged “for years”), this is a good example of an anejo that’s gone too far. Redolent with charcoal and black pepper, the sweetness is knocked out of this tequila by too much time in wood. Drinkable, but a little bitter and harsh on the finish, and not from the agave but from the barrel, I think. B / $59

tequilasemental.com

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Posted in Rated A-, Rated B, Reviews, Tequila

Tasting Report: Wines of New Zealand 2010

Posted on March 30, 2010 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

New Zealand. Jesus, both the Shire and Mordor are there, you’d think they could make some more interesting wines than what we’re currently seeing.

Mind you, New Zealand isn’t producing bad wine. But compared to its exciting, up-and-coming heyday in the late ’90s, much like Australia, New Zealand seems content to rest on its laurels and simply ride the current. The results: Lots of extremely similar wines, most of it perfectly palatable — but with tons of sauvignon blanc so over-perfumed it often smells like Ben-Gay and tons of pinot noir that has no real character at all and might as well be from Modesto.

In this self-guided tasting, I sampled over 40 wines from all over NZ, and found a shocking consistency in them to the point of tedium. Some standouts were to be found, but unsurprisingly these tended to be the reserve, single vineyard, and/or very expensive wines. A $25 New Zealand sauvignon blanc just doesn’t get you very far any more.

Complete ratings and some notes follow.

New Zealand Wine New Release Tasting 2010

2009 Te Awa Sauvignon Blanc Hawke’s Bay / $20 / A-

2009 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough / $15 / B+ / a bit astringent

2009 Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough / $16 / B- / medicinal

2009 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough / $16 / B+ / big peach

2009 Saint Clair Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Vicar’s Choice / $16 / B+

2009 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough / $18 / B

2009 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Reserve / $18 / B / flinty

2009 Saint Clair Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough / $18 / B+ / acidic

2009 Saint Clair Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Pioneer Block 1 / $24 / B

2009 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough ‘B’ / $25 / A- / better body than most

2009 Babich Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Black Label / N/A / B / off

2008 Bel Echo Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough / $20 / B+ / odd banana character

2008 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough SP Spitfire / $26 / A- / decent balance, good fruit

2008 Clos Henri Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough / $26 / B- / Chardonnay style

2008 Staete Landt Chardonnay Marlborough / $25 / B- / odd perfume character

2008 Alana Estate Chardonnay Marlborough / $35 / B / strange

2009 Spy Valley Riesling Marlborough / $20 / C+ / smoky, semi-sweet

2007 Envoy by Spy Valley Riesling Marlborough / $35 / C+ / similar to above

2009 Spy Valley Pinot Gris Marlborough / $23 / B

2009 Mt. Difficulty Pinot Gris Central Otago / $20 / B+

2008 Envoy by Spy Valley Pinot Gris Marlborough / $35 / C / dessert like

2009 Mad House Pinot Noir Central Otago / $19 / B- / dusty

2008 Kim Crawford Pinot Noir Marlborough / $19 / B+ / tart and sweet

2008 Ara Composite Pinot Noir Marlborough / $25 / B- / too racy

2008 Golden Mile Pinot Noir Marlborough / $25 / B

2008 Babich Pinot Noir Marlborough Reserve / $25 / B / earthy

2008 Nobilo Icon Pinot Noir Marlborough / $26 / B

2008 Brancott Pinot Noir Marlborough ‘T’ / $29 / B+

2008 Spy Valley Pinot Noir Marlborough / $29 / B-

2008 Staete Landt Pinot Noir Marlborough / $33 / B

2008 Tarras Vineyards Pinot Noir Central Otago / $30 / B+

2008 Wild Earth Pinot Noir Central Otago / $32 / B+

2008 Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir Central Otago / $35 / A- / cocoa kick

2008 Tarras Vineyards Pinot Noir Central Otago “The Steps” / $35 / A-

2008 Quartz Reef Pinot Noir Central Otago / $35 / A / balanced, one of the best of the show

2008 Rippon Pinot Noir Central Otago / $49 / A-

2008 Alana Estate Pinot Noir Martinborough / $48 / B- / bizarre and funky

2007 Whitehaven Pinot Noir Marlborough / $25 / A-

2007 Clos Henri Pinot Noir Marlborough / $35 / B

2007 Envoy by Spy Valley Pinot Noir Marlborough / $58 / A / great little bottle, packed with blueberry notes, nice balance

2007 Palliser Pinot Noir Central Otago / $27 / B / thin

2006 Isabel Pinot Noir Marlborough / $22 / B+

2005 Wither Hills Pinot Noir Marlborough / $20 / B- / out of balance

2007 Te Awa Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon Hawkes Bay / $30 / B-

2009 Felton Road Dry Riseling Central Otago / $30 / B-

2009 Dry River Lovat Gewurztraminer Martinborough / $50 / B+

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Posted in Reviews, Wine

Review: 2007 Pina Napa Valley Single Vineyard Cabernets

Posted on March 29, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Pina is hardly a household name, but this small winery is producing some of the best small vineyard cabernet in the Napa Valley. Today we look at the company’s limited release 2007 cabernet sauvignon bottlings.

2007 Pina Cabernet Sauvignon D’Adamo Vineyard -Really lovely right now, but will probably be even better with age. Incredible, intense blackberry and blueberry character is infused with black pepper and floral lavender character, lending this wine an amazing, flowery yet powerful complexity. Really nice. 1,085 cases produced. A / $75

2007 Pina Cabernet Sauvignon Buckeye Vineyard – A kissing cousin to the D’Adamo, but more tart, and perhaps more ageworthy. The floral character is stronger here, but it’s slightly less apt at balancing the jamlike character that comes up front. Less clearly cab-like, but better with food. 840 cases produced. A- / $85

pinanapavalley.com

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Posted in Rated A, Rated A-, Reviews, Wine

Tasting Report: Whiskies of the World San Francisco 2010

Posted on March 29, 2010 by Christopher Null| 4 Comments

Was it the crowds (insane), the heat (manageable), or the rumor that some lady had thrown up near the buffet an hour into the event (just gross, yet credible)?

Whatever the case this year I found myself not in the whiskey groove at the ordinarily smashing Whiskies of the World San Francisco event. It was probably the crowds that did it, literally shoulder to shoulder as people muscled their way through a far-too-small ballroom en route to well over 100 artisan spirits. Plenty of good stuff was being poured — I know, because I’ve tried a lot of it in the past — but the scene was so crazy that really enjoying the experience was tough.

Still, some favorites were certainly discoverable. My tops of the night: Ardmore’s 30 Year Old single malt, a powerful companion to its Traditional Cask, which I’ve written about here a few times before. Other favorites I’ve had before, including Glenmorangie Lasanta, and Tomintoul’s 27 and 31 Year Old Scotches.

Complete ratings (and limited notes) follow:

Whiskies of the World San Francisco 2010

Bourbon and Others
Buffalo Trace Bourbon / B+
Dickel Barrel Select Bourbon / B+
Corsair Artisan Triple Smoke Whiskey / B- / immature
Dry Fly 100% Wheat Whiskey / B+
Lark Single Cask Single Malt Whisky / A-
St. George Single Malt Whiskey / B / thin
Bushmills 1608 Crystal Malt / B+ / not showing well tonight, normally a fave
High West Mountain Rye / B-

Scotch
Aberfeldy 12 Year Old / A-
Ardmore 30 Year Old / A
Balblair 1991 / B / hot
Bruichladdich Organic / A-
Glenmorangie Lasanta Sherry Cask 12 Year Old / A-
Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban Port Cask 12 Year Old / B+
Isle of Jura 16 Year Old / B+
Isle of Skye 8 Years Old / B+
Johnnie Walker Blue Label / B+ / still a letdown
Johnnie Walker Swing / B / a peaty style from JW, weird
Laphroaig Cask Strength / B+ / the 10 year old at 111 proof
Mackillops Choice Glenlivet 1977 / B / got to meet Lorne Mackillop in person, at last
Mackillops Choice Highland Park 1980 / B+
Old Pulteney 17 Year Old / B
Old Pulteney 21 Year Old / B
Tomintoul 16 Year Old / B+
Tomintoul 27 Year Old / A- / nicely smooth, liked better than the 31 this time
Tomintoul 31 Year Old / A-

Miscellany
Corsair Red Absinthe / B+ / intriguing, colored with hibiscus
Germain-Robin Craft-Method Brandy XO / B+

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Posted in Reviews, Whiskey

Drinking Scotch with Dalmore’s Richard Paterson

Posted on March 27, 2010 by Christopher Null| 3 Comments

After spending some time with Tom Bulleit yesterday, I moved on to lunch with another whiskey world celebrity, Richad Paterson of Whyte & Mackay, which produces The Dalmore line of single malt Scotch whiskys, among other spirits.

Paterson is serious about his passion and is renowned for his olfactory skills: At one point, the author of the book Goodness Nose had his nose insured for 7 million British pounds.

Paterson walked myself and a few other writers through The Dalmore’s current lineup (sans the 40- and 50-year-old expressions, but plus a couple of surprises), offering insight into this Highland malt, which was established in 1839.

Favorite highlight: Paterson’s suggested method for drinking Scotch. In his words: Drink a sip of coffee, take a bite of chocolate, then nose and taste your Scotch. Preferably enjoy all of this with a good cigar. Decadent? You be the judge.

Thoughts on all expressions tasted follow.

Dalmore 12 Years Old – This is a great entry to the house style of Dalmore, which focuses on an often huge, orange citrus character as the backbone of the spirit. Most of its whiskys are finished in sherry barrels — this one for about three years — and sherry is another common theme with the brand. With virtually no peat (and what peat is used is of a different type, which produces very little smokiness), this is a wonderfully light and fruity malt, perfect for everyday drinking and at a great price, too. 80 proof. A- / $40

Dalmore Gran Reserva – Formerly “Dalmore Cigar Malt,” this expression has been rebranded for a population which may not in fact smoke. Paterson doesn’t like the change, but the spirit inside is the same, a larger, oakier style that spends between 10 and 14 years in barrels, with more time in sherry butts. Take the 12 year and drop more wood character into it, giving it a bit of smoke, and some vanilla and cocoa, and you’ve got Gran Reserva. I slightly prefer it to the 12. 80 proof. A- / $60

Dalmore 15 Years Old – Uses casks that contained three different styles of sherry to finish the spirit, giving it an overpowering sherry and intense orange oil character. Touches of medicinal notes here. Lovely but more of a malt to pair with a dessert, I think. B+ / $75

Dalmore Mackenzie – Just launched this week in the U.S., this 14-year-old Scotch spends a whopping 7 years in old Port barrels, giving it an intense plum and cherry character that is simply gorgeous. Paterson didn’t have much to share but I loved what I tasted and am dying for more. 92 proof. 3,000 bottles released. A / $TBD

Dalmore King Alexander III – A 20 year malt that is finished in six different types of barrels: Port, Madeira, Marsala, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bourbon, and Sherry. Unimaginably complex, it’s got loads of wine-like characteristics (surprisingly that cabernet character is prominent), plus chocolate notes. Yet that citrus house style still comes through. Slightly tough finish, though, which is a surprise for a spirit this old. 80 proof. B+ / $225

Dalmore Selene 1951 – OK, there’s a story here. Selene is a 58-year-old Scotch and, as you can imagine, very very rare. In fact, Dalmore made 30 bottles of it, that’s it. Paterson started talking about it reverentially and I, being an ass, held out my glass for a sample, mostly as a joke. Much to my surprise, Paterson dipped into his bag of tricks and produced a tiny vial of whisky: Selene 1951. I was shocked further when he poured half of that vial into my glass. I passed it around the table so everyone could inhale its vapors, but the taste was all mine — alas, it was so little that the moment was fleeting, to say the least. Still, the intense incense, marmalade, and leather character came through (especially on the nose), all braced with a hefty orange backbone. Many thanks to Richard for sharing such a rarity with me — certainly the rarest and most expensive liquid I’ve ever touched to my lips. 88 proof. A / $15,000

thedalmore.com

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Posted in Rated A, Rated A-, Rated B+, Reviews, Scotch, Whiskey

Drinking Bourbon with Tom Bulleit

Posted on March 27, 2010 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

Bulleit bourbon is incredibly popular in San Francisco, and yesterday I got to spend a little time with the man behind the brand, Tom Bulleit. A Vietnam vet and reformed attorney, Bulleit waxed philosophical on his whiskey, an adaptation of a mid-1800s recipe passed down from his great great grandfather.

Bulleit is a spicy, citrus whiskey with less sweetness than many other brands, and thanks to Tom I now know why: Bulleit contains more rye in its recipe than any other bourbon brand (according to Bulleit, anyway). His blend: 68% corn, 4% malted barley, and 28% rye, a huge proportion of the lattermost grain. Aged for 6 to 8 years, it’s bottled at 90 proof — in keeping with the more boozy implications of its “frontier whiskey” moniker.

Bulleit bottled his first batch of whiskey in 1994 and hasn’t looked back. Thanks, Tom, for offering this writer an insightful look into the mind of a modern-day bourbon baron. Say hi and tell him Drinkhacker sent you if you see Tom at Whiskies of the World-San Francisco this evening!

bulleitbourbon.com