Monthly Archives: May 2010

Review: The Perfect Puree Beverage Artistry Mixers

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

The Perfect Puree has recently added a series of pre-blended mixes of primarily fruit juice, simple syrup, and other goodies to its pre-squeezed fruit juice base offerings, a collection which ranges from banana to strawberry.

Beverage Artistry’s “Premium Blends” offer eight bases you can use to make high-end cocktails without having to buy, cut, squeeze, and blend an endless supply of fruits for their juice… and where does one obtain fresh passion fruit or yuzu, anyway?

Here are thoughts on the entire line of eight Beverage Artistry mixers, which I’ve spent the last several months toying with on their own and in a variety of cocktails. Life is rough.

Mixers must be refrigerated and can be frozen before use (or for use in blended drinks).

Rum Runner – a mix of banana, pineapple, orange, blackberry, and key lime juices — quite delicious, but lends itself (as the name implies) to alcohol-heavy cocktails; beware of over-spiking! A-

El Corazon – passion fruit, pomegranate, and blood orange – a real winner, lovely tropical flavors, and very versatile; tastes authentic and yummy; my favorite of the bunch. A

Mojito – mostly lime – a little too mild; I wouldn’t go out of my way to use this mix when real lime and mint isn’t that hard to obtain. B+

White Sangria – pineapple, peach, tangerine, lemon, and lime – pleasant tasting but a bit too sweet, even for sangria; oddly, too heavy-handed with the lime. B

Red Sangria - apple, pear, strawberry, orange, passion fruit, lime, and elderflower – hardly a traditional sangria mix, and also too sweet; very tropical in flavor, and a little goes a long way in your wine. B

Passion Colada – coconut, pineapple, and passion fruit – quite tasty, with good tropical and coconut flavor, but the yellowish color of the mix can tend toward unappealing. B+

Yuzu Luxe Sour – yuzu, Meyer lemon, key lime, and tangerine – tart and complex; more versatile than you might think, and quite good. A-

Classic Sweet & Sour – sugar, lemon, lime, and orange – extremely green due to food coloring, and way, way, way too sweet, not enough sour. B-

each $25 per quart (32 oz.) / perfectpuree.com

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Posted in Mixers, Rated A, Rated A-, Rated B, Rated B+, Rated B-, Reviews

Tasting Report: Taste of Mendocino 2010

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

Who knew there was this much wine in Mendocino? When I strolled into this event 45 minutes before it was set to end, I expected to see maybe a dozen winemakers pouring, not 58 producers, some with a dozen wines on their table. Is Mendocino really this big?

I guess so, and it also produces a pretty wild range of wines, too, although pinot noir is the clear focus. Which is great, because I love pinot.

Funny then that some of my favorite wines from this event weren’t pinot noir but blends and other red varietals that aren’t usually associated with Mendocino. Of special note, Yorkville Cellars’ 2006 Richard the Lion Heart, an amazingly balanced and complex blend of cabernet franc, petit verdot, cabernet sauvignon, carmenere, merlot, and malbec — and a steal at $36 a bottle. And who knew Mendo could do cab so well? The 2006 McNab Ridge Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ranks with the best that Napa is producing and runs just $40.

Notes and full ratings follow.

Complete Tasting Report – Taste of Mendocino 2010

2008 Drew Wines Fog Eater Pinot Noir / $36 / B- / off, sweet and smoky

2008 Drew Wines Valenti Vineyard Pinot Noir / $36 / B- / similar

2007 Esterlina Anderson Valley Pinot Noir / $45 / A- / Burgundy style, soft

2007 Esterlina Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Reserva / $NA / A- / very similar, slightly more tart

2007 Foursight Zero New Oak Pinot Noir / $35 / B+ / tart, cherry

2007 Foursight All-In Pinot Noir / $46 / B / syrupy

2007 Foursight Charles Vineyard Clone 05 Pinot Noir / $NA / B+ / similar to Zero New Oak

2007 Londer Vineyards Estate Grown Pinot Noir / $48 / B / on the sweet side

2007 Londer Vineyards Paraboll Pinot Noir / $54 / B+ / quite tart, needs food

2006 Mendielle Vertu Reserve Merlot / $42 / B- / smoky, coconut notes

2007 Navarro Vineyards Mendocino Pinot Noir / $NA / A- / smooth and velvety

2006 Philo Ridge CORO Mendocino / $37 / C+ / hard

2006 Yorkville Cellars Richard the Lion Heart / $36 / A / amazing blend of cab franc, petit verdot, cab sauvignon, carmenere, merlot, and malbec

2002 Roederer L’Ermitage / $47 / B+ / big sweetness in this sparkler

2006 Paul Dolan Deep Red / $45 / B+ / tannic but lush blend of grenache, syrah, and petite syrah

2008 Phillips Hill Beeson Tree Pinot Noir / $40 / B- / like BBQ, sweet and smoky

2008 Phillips Hill Oppenlander Vineyard Pinot Noir / $42 / B / slightly improved

2005 Milano Family Echo / $37 / A- / complex and quite good, very balanced

2006 McNab Ridge Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon / $40 / A / a wonderful surprise, lovely with balance and strong fruit

2007 Kimmel Vineyards Merlot / $42 / A- / cocoa notes, some moderate red fruit

2006 Le Vin Winery Syrah / $40 / C+ / funky, like coconuts

2007 Le Vin Winery Cabernet Franc / $NA / B+ / 17.3% alcohol, no sulfites. Port-like

2006 Handley Holmes Ranch Pinot Noir / $40 / B- / thin

2007 GoldenEye Anderson Valley Pinot Noir / $55 / B+

2007 GoldenEye Gowan Creek Pinot Noir / $75 / A- / lovely, modest earth notes

2008 GoldenEye Migration Pinot Noir / $34 / B / smoky and dusty, with a bacon finish

2007 Dogwood Cellars Anderson Valley Pinot Noir / $40 / A- / jammy, almost too sweet

2007 Chiarito Vineyard Nero d’Avola / $36 / A- / lovely, big plum fruit

2007 Chiarito Vineyard Petite Syrah / $35 / B+ / jammy, hints of Zin

2006 Bink Wines Weir Vineyard Pinot Noir / $40 / A- / green finish, but nice fruit

2005 Bonterra The McNab / $45 / B / earthy, with an Italian flair

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Posted in Reviews, Wine

Have You Seen This Armenian Brandy?

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Like the Scooby-Doo gang, I love a good mystery.

And so, when I was presented with this bottle (see photo below) of purported “Armenian whiskey,” I had to sample it and give it a little ink.

The owner knows nothing of the bottle and asked if I did. The clues are limited: Only his statement that it was a gift, and the bearer said it was whiskey from Armenia, the Cyrillic word “HANPN” (it’s with backwards Ns — my web software can’t render that — check out the photos below) and the number “20″ on the label. And of course, there’s that bottle, an elaborate hookah-like design that you don’t see much of in the States.

Trying the spirit, it didn’t taste like any whiskey I’d ever had. A blend of something if I had to guess, with a lot of citrus but with a bit of bitterness on the finish and a grain-like character that I was guessing indicated corn. Many partygoers thought it was very alcoholic, but I figured it was just 80 proof.

It’s amazing how expectations can influence your thinking, and it wasn’t until I started researching the spirits of Armenia that I realized this was not whiskey, but brandy. The latter of which they make quite a bit in Armenia, and lots of it goes into decorative, elaborate bottles like this.

But what is it? I’d figured 20 meant 20 years old, appropriate for a mid-range brandy but really old for third-world whiskey.

Days passed, and finally, of course, Google helped me out once I dug in, but only once I searched for the original Cyrillic term. HANPN means “Nairi” in Russian, and it’s an ancient name for a region in Armenia. Lots of brandy (they call it cognac) comes from this area, and much of it is just called Nairi. There’s no telling who produced this Nairi, but everything I’ve seen indicates it is indeed 20 years old and probably 82 proof. It’s possible one company (maybe these guys) makes all the brandy in the area and just packages it under different names and brands… who knows? I can’t find this exact bottle anywhere, but have found Armenian brandy in horse and machine gun decanters. A typical bottle will run you about $60 and yes, you can find it in the U.S.

And that’s really the fun, isn’t it? Unless I hear otherwise from the peanut gallery out there, I’m considering this mystery wrapped up.

More Scooby Snacks, please.

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Posted in Brandy, Reviews

Review: Tequila Ocho Plata Rancho Los Corrales 2010

Posted on May 5, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Tequila Ocho continues its quest to turn in single estate, vintage-dated tequilas, and recently it has launched the first of its 2010 line, this one from Rancho Los Corrales.

This is a distinctly subdued tequila. Compared to the 2009 Rancho Las Pomez, which is also still available, it’s a quiet, brooding beast. On the nose, it’s straight up agave, and red chile notes. But in the mouth the tequila settles into its creamy body, with a very rich texture but a mild bite that hints at sweet cream while reminding you this is definitely tequila. Black pepper picks up in the finish, with a warming, agave-infused character to bring it all together.

Surprisingly complex and different than most modern blancos, this 100% agave spirit offers a bit of a challenge to the tequila drinker, who may be used to something much more pungent.

80 proof.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, y’all!

A- / $60 / tequilaocho.com

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Posted in Rated A-, Reviews, Tequila

Tasting Report: Wine Spectator Grand Tour Las Vegas 2010

Posted on May 5, 2010 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

There are monster wine events, and then there is the Grand Tour, Wine Spectator magazine’s celebration of its highest-rated wines and an event of unparalleled opulence.

The list of wines being poured — each winery gets just one bottling at the table, none of these dozen-to-choose-from affairs — makes it almost impossible to know where to start. Margaux or Latour? Caymus or Kosta Browne? Mollydooker or Merry Edwards? If you’re like most Grand Tour attendees, you’ll try them all, and you’ll find nothing but top-notch wines to coo about.

No plonk here, you’ll see higher-than-usual ratings in this tasting report because all the junk had largely been filtered out by Wine Spectator before the event.

While I am hard pressed to name anything “bad” from this event, I reserve my highest rating for a collection of five wines, two from California, two Bordeaux, and one vintage Port. They are:

2007 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection
2007 Dow Vintage Port
2004 Ch. Lafite Rothschild Pauillac
2007 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Klopp Ranch Methode a l’Ancienne
2006 Ch. Pontet-Canet Pauillac

All A+ in my book, classic wines that express everything about their varietal and terroir that they should. Notes can be found below, alphabetized by producer.

Complete Tasting Report – Wine Spectator Grand Tour Las Vegas 2010

2004 Allegrini Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico / B / raisiny, funky

2006 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour / B / bizarre finish, a massive disappointment

2006 Bennett Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve / B / too jammy

2004 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Annata / A / earthy and tart

2006 Il Borro Toscana / A / surprisingly big fruit, light body

2007 Casa Brancaia Maremma Toscana Ilatraia / A / lovely

2000 Ch. Brane-Cantenac Margaux / A- / intense earth with a mellow body

2004 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto / A- / textbook Brunello

2007 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection / A+ / awesome cocoa and raspberry, huge wine, gorgeous

2006 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages Sonoma County / A- / jammy, spicy

2004 Ch. Cos d’Estournel St. Estephe / A- / raisins, chocolate, plums

2006 d’Arenberg Shiraz McLaren Vale The Dead Arm / B- / almost bitter

2000 Disznoko Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos / A / top tier Tokaji

2006 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Laurene / B+ / skunky nose, but a tart, tasty body

2006 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Evenstad Reserve / A

2007 Dow Vintage Port / A+ / hard not to love (100 points by Wine Spectator, by the way)

2008 Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch The FMC / B+

2006 Marchesi de’Frescobaldi Mormoreto / A- / young and tannic but braced with fruit

2007 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano di Neive / A- / licorice, fun raciness

2007 Ch. Haut-Bailly Pessac-Leognan / A- / on the thin side

1999 Ch. Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan / A / a different Bordeaux, mild and subtle, a rarity

2008 King Estate Pinot Gris Oregon Signature Collection / B / ultra fruity, apple-filled

2008 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Russian River Valley / A-

2004 Ch. Lafite Rothschild Pauillac / A+ / gorgeous, chocolate and earth intermingling perfectly

2004 Peter Lehmann Shiraz Barossa Stonewell / B+ / deeply Port-like

2007 Fred Loimer Riesling Qualitatswein Trocken Kamptal Langenlois Terrassen / A-

2000 Luce della Vite Toscana Luce / A / spot on, light and crisp

2001 Ch. Margaux Margaux / A / lush and velvety, real sense of terroir

2003 Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Campolongo di Torbe / A- / still young, needs time

1999 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici Centotrenta Riserva / B+ / olives, rich

2007 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Klopp Ranch Methode a l’Ancienne / A+ / outstanding in this incarnation

1999 Ch. La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan / A- / big earth, but some bite on the finish

2007 Mollydooker Shiraz McLaren Vale Carnival of Love / A- / big and jammy, a huge wine

2003 Ch. Mouton-Rothschild Pauillac / A- / intense earth bomb

2006 Bodegas Muga Rioja Torre Muga / B- / heavy

2001 Ch. Palmer Margaux / A- / good but not fully balanced

2006 Penfolds Shiraz Barossa Valley RWT / A- / spicy, with an odd finish

2006 Ch. Pichon-Longueville-Baron Pauillac / A- / tannic but friendly

2006 Planeta Nero d’Avola Sicilia Santa Cecilia / A- / blueberry, with a unique slightly sweet finish

2004 La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino / A- / cherries, a lighter style Brunello

1999 Champagne Pommery Brut Champagne Cuvee Louise / A- / lush

2006 Ch. Pontet-Canet Pauillac / A+ / a real surprise, ready right now with a mountain of fruit

2006 Prats & Symington Douro Chryseia / B

1999 Prunotto Barolo Bussia Prunotto / A / incredibly dense for a wine of this age

2006 St. Clement Cabernet Sauvignon Oroppas / A- / Oroppas is back in form after some off years, juicy

2008 Siduri Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Garys’ Vineyard / B+ / earthy, but a sweeter style

2007 Two Hands Shiraz McLaren Vale Lily’s Garden / B- / green finish

2007 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast / A / menthol nose, but balanced body, nice

2005 Zenato Amarone della Valpolicella Classico / A / great balance

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Posted in Reviews, Wine

Review: Arta Tequila

Posted on May 3, 2010 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

Recently I was chastised for spending too much ink on product packaging. But Arta Tequila, a new brand, has “art” right in the name and its slogan is “The Art of Tequila,” so how can I not talk about these bottles?

With their unique triangle base, Arta fits on the shelf like no other tequila you might quaff — and the triangle/letter “A” logo on each bottle’s face is emblazoned with a unique graphic design. Conversation piece, to be sure, but let’s skip all that and consider what’s more important, the stuff inside.

All expressions are 80 proof, “single ranch” blue agave tequilas.

Arta Silver is a pepper bomb of a tequila, spicy with black pepper and a racy agave nose. Shockingly, the tequila is super smooth, with a strong citrus character that’s at odds with the nose, but coming back at ya with that big pepper finish. Hard not to love. A / $40

Arta Reposado spends an indeterminate amount of time in oak, but I’d guess it’s on the light side judging by the pale yellow color. Wood is a little at odds with that peppery core in the silver, but I do like the caramel and vanilla notes in the finish. I’m torn on this one, as it’s a totally worthy tequila, but find myself wandering back toward the blanco instead when push comes to shove. B+ / $50

Arta Anejo is a moderate gold color, still not the deep brown you see in many modern anejos. With just a bit more caramel and vanilla, it’s not a terribly different experience vs. the reposado, just deeper in body and more rounded. Better put together, but not a huge leap. A- / $60

artatequila.com

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

Review: 2009 Acordeón Torrontés Cafayate Valley

Posted on May 3, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

One of the best torrontés (torrontéses? torronti?) I’ve ever had, Acordeón’s torrontés is not just a lovely wine, it’s an amazing bargain, too. The peach and apricot character here is hefty, giving this wine a moderate to big body that offers astounding gravitas.

Some mineral notes in the finish and a gossamer yet clearly present astringency offer complexity — in a good way. For the price, I’d happily load up on this wine by the case.

B+ / $9 / freixenetusatrade.com

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Posted in Rated B+, Reviews, Wine

Review: Milagro Tequila Select Barrel Reserve Silver

Posted on May 2, 2010 by Christopher Null| 3 Comments

60 bucks is a lot to pay for a silver tequila, so it better be good, right?

Well, even if it’s not, it helps if it’s a work of art. Milagro’s Select Barrel Reserve line come in some of the most gorgeous bottles I’ve ever seen, amazingly crafted with a glass rendition of an agave plant blown right into the base. It really has to be seen to believe, and once you do you’ll understand the reason for the plastic, padded case the bottle comes in.

Fortunately Milagro’s SBR Silver (100% blue agave, of course, and 80 proof) has the legs to go the distance with its looks. I’m not a huge fan of Milagro’s standard bottlings, but SBR is a significant improvement, toning down the bite of standard Milagro considerably. Here, however, it shows an awfully strong charcoal character, perhaps the result of too-aggressive filtering. Agave is huge here, with an herbal punch and a touch of mellow caramel on the finish. Still has some kick to it, though, before fading into that charred finale.

A very worthwhile tequila, but I regret to inform you’ll find better tasting tequilas for less money — though they’ll be nowhere near as pretty.

B+ / $60 / milagrotequila.com