Monthly Archives: April 2010

Tasting Report: Toast of the Town San Francisco 2010

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

While the heat inside the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House made this year’s Toast of the Town, a Wine Enthusiast event, a bit of a toasty affair (get it???), a memorable evening of wines from all over the world and food from all over San Francisco was had by all.

I spent more time dining (try the pea soup with grilled cheese!) than drinking this year, but really enjoyed a number of the wines I tried. A personal favorite, Chamisal’s San Luis Obispo Pinot Noir, an enormous and hugely bodied example of this varietal — not to mention a late addition to the lineup.

Great dining all around and some fantastic world wines, too. More Toast of the Town events are coming up in May and June — check one out near you!

Complete notes and ratings follow. Photos courtesy David Ichioka of Bunrab.com.

Toast of the Town SF 2010 Complete Report

2007 Nieto Senetiner Limited Edition Bonarda / A- / Zin-like, easy drinking

2006 The Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder / A-

2006 The Hess Collection 19 Block Cuvee Mount Veeder / A- / complex

2005 Casa Vinacola Zonin Rocca di Montemassi Sassabruna / C+ / smoky

2001 Schramsberg J. Schram Reserve Brut / A / lightly yeasty nose, apple-filled body

2001 Ruster Ausbruch Am Fusse des Berges Wenzel / A-

2006 Biondi-Santi Rosso di Montalcino / B

2008 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast / B- / smoky, unthrilling

2007 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir Russian River Valley / B+ / an improvement over the Sonoma Coast

2006 Chateau de Pez Saint-Estephe / C+ / big barnyard notes

2007 Francis Ford Coppola Winery Director’s Cut Cinema Alexander Valley / B+ / easygoing, mild

2008 Francis Ford Coppola Winery Votre Sante Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast / A- / light pinot style, pleasing

2006 Francis Ford Coppola Winery CASK Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford / B / tougher

2006 Nickel & Nickel John C. Sullenger Cabernet Sauvignon / B / harsh

2006 Nickel & Nickel Vogt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon / B / harsh

2007/08 Nickel & Nickel Searby Vineyard Chardonnay / A- / crisp apples, nice

2006 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Bottled / B / too jammy

2007 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Bottled / B

2004 Arnaldo Caprai Collepiano Sagrantino di Montefalco / B+

2006 Masi Costasera Amarone della Valpollicella Classico / A-

2005 Palacios Remondo Propriedad Rioja / A / totally not corked

2005 Vall Llach Priorat / A-

2006 Palacios Remondo La Montesa Rioja / B+ / big herbal notes

2005 Vall Llach Idus Priorat / A-

2006 Vall Llach Embruix Priorat / B

2008 Merryvale Pinot Noir Carneros / B+ / modest earthiness

1999 Merryvale Profile / A- / holding up well to age

2006 Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon / B+ / menthol on the nose, bittersweet chocolate finish

2007 Chamisal Pinot Noir San Luis Obispo / A / big mouthfeel with a silky body

2006 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley / B+ / tight, green olive characters

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Posted in Reviews, Wine

Tasting Report: Spanish Wine Cellar and Pantry 2010

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

What, no jamon?

That was the cry of many hoping to find good, semi-bootleg iberico ham at this year’s Spanish Wine Cellar and Pantry event in San Francisco. Sadly, the masses had to make do with smoked marlin, almonds, and olive oil galore… and lots of Spanish wine, much of it from producers looking to find a distributor.

I tried a dozen or so wines (as Toast of the Town, report to come soon, was the same day), and veered away from the many 3-euro bottles on offer. Overall, had mixed results.

No easy favorites, but I found a soft spot for Bodegas y Vinedos Qumran’s 2006 Crianza Ribera del Duero, a lovely and lush little wine that is sold (ex-cellar) for under 10 euros.

Spanish Wine Cellar 2010 Tasting Notes

2005 Abadia de Acon Ribera del Duero Targum / $24 / A- / racy

2006 Arturo Garcia, Vinedos y Bodegas Bierzo Solar de Sael Crianza / $14 / C+ / funky, bitter finish

2005 Bodegas Briego Ribera del Duero Adalid Briego / $22 / B+ / smooth with a curious finish

2006 Bodegas Briego Ribera del Duero Briego Crianza / $14 / B+ / young, not challenging

2004 Bodegas Briego Ribera del Duero Briego Fiel / $33 / B+ / earthy and rocky

2003 Bodegas Esterfania Tilenus Pagos de Posada Bierzo / $24 / A- / tart and easygoing

2005 Bodegas Esterfania Tilenus Crianza Bierzo / $13 / B+ / dusty, green pepper notes

2004 Bodegas Naranjo Casa de la Dehesa Crianza La Mancha / $13 / B / jammy

2006 Bodegas y Vinedos Qumran Crianza Ribera del Duero / $13 / A- / lovely, especially at this price

2005 Finca Egomei Alma Rioja / $28 / A- / character like California cabernet, feels young

2007 Finca la Valona “Seleccion” de Castilla / $17 / B+ / tight, shows promise

2005 Pago de Vallegarcia Hipperia Castilla / $16 / C+ / off notes, licorice finish

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Posted in Reviews, Wine

Review: Point Brewing 2012 Black Ale

Posted on April 28, 2010 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

The End of Days is coming, folks, but at least we’ll be well lubricated when they arrive.

Point Brewing Company’s latest beer is named for the now-unavoidable year 2012, when the Mayan “Long Count” comes to an end and, depending on your credo, possibly takes the world along with it.

The ale is indeed dark, but not harsh — it’s really not very bitter at all — offering moderate hop character, some moderate maltiness, and a woody, chocolatey finish. The body is lighter than I’d thought it would be, making it more lager-like than the rich and decadent brew it appears to be in the glass. Overall it’s a pleasant and fairly easy-drinking beer with a different character than most, and one with a bit of a story behind it, too.

5.4% alcohol by volume.

B / prices vary / pointbeer.com

point brewing 2012 black ale Review: Point Brewing 2012 Black Ale

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Posted in Beer, Rated B, Reviews

Review: 2006 Hall Merlot Napa Valley

Posted on April 26, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

This newly released merlot needs lots — and I mean lots — of time to open up. Young and incredibly tannic for merlot on first blush, after some breathing room (hours if you can spare it), the 2006 Hall becomes quite the lush experience.

Fragrant with violet-inflected raspberry and black cherry, the body offers milk chocolate notes and cedar wood character. A moderate finish is pleasing once the tannins are cut with some aeration. If you have  a Vinturi aerator or other instant-decanting technology, this would be the perfect application.

B+ / $28 / hallwines.com

2006 HALL Napa Valley Merlot Review: 2006 Hall Merlot Napa Valley

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Posted in Rated B+, Reviews, Wine

What’s the Best Booze for Cocktail X?

Posted on April 26, 2010 by Christopher Null| 6 Comments

So you want to drink a martini. Congrats on making up your mind.

Now comes the hard part: Which gin do you use? Or what do you put in your Manhattan? Or your Mojito?

The answers, according to a contest, now in its first year, called the Ultimate Cocktail Challenge, are Tanqueray, Rittenhouse Rye, and Don Q Cristal, in that order.

Rather than simply reviewing spirits on their own, this cocktail competition evaluated spirits in popular recipes — dozens of them, in fact — to see which paired best with the other ingredients. The results: A unique and interesting way to look at spirits.

The results are of course just as subjective as any other booze review (and some of these spirits I don’t really recommend at all), but they’re certainly worth a look at least to get you thinking. Here’s the complete winners’ list. Get more information and a complete breakdown of scores here.

BEST GIN in a…

  • Aviation – TANQUERAY NO. 10
  • Dry Martini – TANQUERAY LONDON DRY
  • Gin & Tonic PLYMOUTH
  • Negroni – TANQUERAY LONDON DRY
  • Tom Collins TANQUERAY LONDON DRY

BEST VODKA in a…

  • Bloody Mary – VERMONT WHITE
  • Cosmopolitan – CHOPIN
  • Vodka Martini – ORZEL
  • Vodka & Tonic – TITO’S HANDMADE

BEST TEQUILA in a…

  • Margarita w/Cointreau – MILAGRO REPOSADO
  • Paloma – TRES AGAVES REPOSADO
  • Tequila Sunrise – TRES AGAVES BLANCO

BEST RUM in a…

  • Daiquiri – BANKS 5 ISLAND
  • Mai Tai – PLANTATION GRANDE RESERVE
  • Mojito – DON Q CRISTAL

BEST COGNAC/BRANDY in a…

  • Brandy Alexander – MARTELL CORDON BLEU
  • Brandy Julep – MARTELL CORDON BLEU
  • Sidecar – REMY MARTIN VSOP
  • Stinger – REMY MARTIN VS

BEST SCOTCH WHISKY in a…

  • Blood & Sand – HIGHLAND PARK 12
  • Rob Roy – MACALLAN FINE OAK 10
  • Rusty Nail – MACALLAN FINE OAK 10
  • Scotch Sour – HIGHLAND PARK 12

BEST NORTH AMERICAN WHISKEY in a…

  • Manhattan – RITTENHOUSE BOTTLED-IN-BOND RYE
  • Mint Julep – RITTENHOUSE BOTTLED-IN-BOND RYE
  • Old-Fashioned – WOODFORD RESERVE DISTILLER’S SELECT BOURBON
  • Sazerac – RITTENHOUSE BOTTLED-IN-BOND RYE
  • Whiskey Sour – WOODFORD RESERVE DISTILLER’S SELECT BOURBON

BEST ORANGE LIQUEUR in a…

  • Cosmopolitan – COINTREAU
  • Margarita – COINTREAU
  • Sidecar – PATRON CITRONGE

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Posted in Recipes

Review: 2008 Chateau Roquefort Bordeaux Blanc

Posted on April 26, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

White Bordeaux is one of the wine world’s most poorly understood wines. Primarily planted sauvignon blanc and semillon grapes (with some muscadelle here and there), virtually all Bordeaux blanc is a blend, while the whites of most of the rest of the world are composed of a single varietal.

This blanc from Chateau Roquefort is a blend of 85% sauvignon blanc and 15% semillon, and it’s a remarkable success for a wine this inexpensive. Wonderful, fresh apple flavor is the core of the wine, with tropical notes and a refreshing acidity.

White Bordeaux can often have a woodsy, earthy character to it, but Roquefort’s blanc is fresh and inviting. Quite lovely and worth seeking out if you think you only like New World whites.

B+ / $13 / chateau-roquefort.com

chateau roquefort white bordeaux Review: 2008 Chateau Roquefort Bordeaux Blanc

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Posted in Rated B+, Reviews, Wine

Review: Michael Jackson’s Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch 6th Edition

Posted on April 25, 2010 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

Michael Jacksons Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch Review: Michael Jacksons Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch 6th EditionThere are two major schools of thoughts in whiskey review compendiums: You can get Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible, which features digest reviews of every whiskey known to man in birdseed type, or you can go for Michael Jackson’s less thorough (and covering single malt Scotch only) Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch, which features quite short reviews but offers lots of history on malt whisky and a treatise on each distillery in the tome.

Both are worthy books and I refer to them frequently when I encounter rarities in the field.

Despite having died three years ago, Jackson’s book has been updated to a sixth edition, with Dominic Roskrow, Gavin D. Smith, and William C. Meyers contributing new reviews and updating coverage from the 2004-published fifth edition.

The book is of course long overdue, as the last six years have seen plenty of new whiskeys hit the market.

Fans of older editions of the book will find no surprises in store here. The writeups are exactly as they used to be (and there’s no way of knowing who wrote what), and Jackson et al do a good job of covering the basics without trying to convince you that a whiskey is awesome a la Murray. When reading Whiskey Bible, I always feel like I’m trying to be sold something. While Jackson’s ratings can feel a bit random with some wild variations in them, they are always allowed to stand without a lot of fluffy commentary.

Certainly a must-have tome for any serious whisky aficionado.

B+ / $20 / [BUY IT HERE]

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Posted in Books, Rated B+, Reviews, Scotch, Whiskey

20 Free Tickets to April 29th Wines of Chile Tasting in San Francisco

Posted on April 22, 2010 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

Like Chile? Like wine? How about wine from Chile?

If you’re in San Francisco — or can be here on Thursday, April 29 — we’ve got a deal for you! Twenty free tickets to the Wines of Chile Grand Tasting event, which runs from 6:30 to 9pm at Dogpatch Studios, 991 Tennessee Street, in San Francisco.

Complementary parking is even available!

More event details can be found here.

Chilean wine is undergoing a massive renaissance and transformation of late. This is your chance to experience the new heights of the wines of Chile during an unforgettable evening of discovery at the Wines of Chile Grand Tasting event, the largest collection of Chilean wines in one place you’re likely to ever encounter. Enjoy wines from fifty of Chile’s top vineyards, great Chilean food, and music. Andalé!

Tickets are all gone — thanks for your interest!

wines of chile 20 Free Tickets to April 29th Wines of Chile Tasting in San Francisco

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Posted in Contests, Wine

Review: 2007 Robert Craig Affinity Cabernet Sauvignon

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

We’ve reviewed several vintages of Robert Craig’s Bordeaux-styled Affinity, but the 2007 is one of the best yet.

This year’s blend is heavier on the petit verdot, with a composition of 79% cabernet sauvignon, 10% petit verdot, 8% merlot, 2% cabernet franc, and 1% malbec.

The result is impressive, a deep, cherry-infused wine with coffee and cocoa notes. The finish is jammy, almost sweet, but quite mild. Tannins are almost absent her, giving this wine a quiet demeanor and a lightness that makes it easy to drink solo, rare for a cab blend and particularly one of this youth. Something different from Robert Craig abnd worth seeking out.

A- / $42 / robertcraigwine.com

robert craig affinity 2007 Review: 2007 Robert Craig Affinity Cabernet Sauvignon

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Posted in Rated A-, Reviews, Wine

Review: Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky and Royal Canadian Small Batch Canadian Whisky

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Two new whiskies from our friends at Sazerac and their compatriots north of the border. Both limited edition bottlings with unique pedigrees, these Canadian spirits are just now hitting the market.

Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky is a deceivingly light orange color, belying the amount of rich flavor it has inside. Big orange and citrus character dominate the spirit, with spiciness from the whiskey’s rye underpinnings cutting through and bringing an exotic touch to the spirit’s finish. Wood character is light, with sweet vanilla notes from barrel aging giving plenty of balance to the racier notes in the blend. It isn’t a big or overwhelming whiskey, by any stretch, but unlike so many Canadian whiskeys it is really nice and smooth on its own, in need of nothing more than an empty vessel (no mixers, ice, or water) to enjoy it fully. 80 proof. A- / $50

Royal Canadian Small Batch Canadian Whisky is less complex than Caribou Crossing, but it’s still a worthwhile whiskey. Redolent of maple syrup and mint, it’s got lots of grain-fueled rye character which adds a layer of spice atop this. Imperfectly balanced, the whiskey is more rustic in tone, though at only 80 proof hardly the rotgut stuff of the saloon era. B+ / $25

sazerac.com

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Posted in Canadian Whisky, Rated A-, Rated B+, Reviews, Whiskey