Review: 2009 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Chateau Montelena is a winery that probably needs no introduction to most wine drinkers, but in case you’re a newb, it’s the winery made the Chardonnay that beat out all of Burgundy in the famed Paris Tasting of 1976.

Today, Montelena is probably better known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, and we recently snagged the 2009 vintage for review.

It’s a surprisingly wonderful wine, ready to drink now and far from overcooked. (At just 13.8% alcohol, it’s practically a lightweight compared to its local competition and balanced perhaps by 13% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc.) The nose: Ripe and fragrant, with a modest touch of leather. On the palate: Absolutely fresh fruit, strawberries, raspberries, and plums, with just a touch of currant character. What tannin is here is well integrated now, leaving you with just a bit of mouth puckering tartness on the finish. It’s welcome after such a fruit-forward, but far from sweet, Cabernet — and that creates a wine with surprisingly good balance.

I’d written off Montelena years ago, but here’s the proof that this legendary winery is still making near-classic wines.

A- / $50 / montelena.com

chateau montelena cabernet sauvignon Review: 2009 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

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Posted in Rated A-, Reviews, Wine

Tasting Report: Wines of the Santa Rita Hills 2012

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Santa Rita Hills, located in Santa Barbara County and immortalized by the movie Sideways, is perhaps the preeminent location for Pinot Noir production in all of California. Tasting 30 or so of these Pinots together is tough work: I could drink almost any of them with dinner, and grading them competitively almost feels unfair. That said, I found a number of real winners at this year’s “road trip” to San Francisco, with a dozen or so producers pouring their new releases alongside some older vintages (and not just Pinot). Of special note, the delicate Make-peace bottling from Cold Heaven Cellars and Dragonette’s always-winning wines. These notes are, as always, really rough guidelines and not authoritative reviews… and here they are.

Tasting Report: Santa Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance Road Trip 2012

2009 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir Mt. Eden Clone El Jabali Vineyard / C+ /

2008 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir / B /

2007 Ampelos Pinot Noir Prho / B / massive herbs, mint

2010 Ampelos Pinot Noir / B / easy

2008 Ampelos Pinot Noir Lambda / B / menthol notes are huge, overwhelming

2008 Ampelos Syrah Gamma / B+ / massive, smoky

2009 Cargasacchi Pinot Noir Cargasacchi Vineyard / B+ /

2010 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Estate / A- / massive

2009 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Estate / B+ / more tart

2007 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Estate / A- / elegant, easy

2006 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Estate / B+ / has that touch of maturity

2010 Cold Heaven Cellars Viognier Au Bon Climat Vineyard / B+ /

2010 Cold Heaven Cellars Viognier Sanford and Benedict Vineyard / A- / bigger, racier

2010 Cold Heaven Cellars Pinot Noir Nevertell / A- / big and spicy

2010 Cold Heaven Cellars Pinot Noir Make-peace / A / delicate

2010 Cold Heaven Cellars Pinot Noir Queenscup / B+ / chunky

2009 Dierberg Pinot Noir Dierberg Vineyard / B- / overcooked

2010 Dragonette Pinot Noir / A- / a touch concentrated

2010 Dragonette Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard / A- / fruit and spice

2008 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir “Seven Twenty Eight” Fiddlestix Vineyard / A- / big, grassy

2007 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir “Lollapalooza” Fiddlestix Vineyard / B+ /

2009 Flying Goat YNOT Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County / B+ / very easy

2009 Flying Goat Pinot Noir Rancho Santa Rosa / B / super jammy, big

2008 Flying Goat Pinot Noir Clone 2A Rio Vista Vineyard / A- / better balance, chewy

2008 Flying Goat Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard / B+ / meaty notes

2009 Foley Family Pinot Noir / B+ / thick body

2009 Foley Family Lincourt Pinot Noir, Lindsay’s Vineyard / B+ / tobacco notes

2010 Gypsy Canyon Winery Pinot Noir Trois, Gypsy Canyon Vineyard / B / somewhat thin body, very fruity

2008 Hartley Ostini Hitching Post Pinot Noir St. Rita’s Earth / A- / great herbal composition

2007 Hartley Ostini Hitching Post Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard / B+ / slight bitter edge

2007 Hartley Ostini Hitching Post Pinot Noir Perfect Set, Fiddlestix Vineyard / A- / lovely balance

2009 Huber Pinot Noir Huber Estate / A- / great body, spice, balance

2009 Kessler-Haak Vineyard Pinot Noir Kessler-Haak Vineyard / B / meaty notes

2009 Kessler-Haak Vineyard Pinot Noir Clone 2A Kessler-Haak Vineyard / B- /

2009 Kessler-Haak Vineyard Syrah Turner Vineyard / B+ /

2009 Lafond Vineyards Pinot Noir / B / tart, off balance

2009 Lafond Vineyards Syrah / B+ / sweeter style

2009 Longoria Pinot Noir Fe Ciega Vineyard / C+ / medicinal notes

2010 Longoria Pinot Noir Lovely Rita / B- /

2009 Pali Wine Company Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard / B / tart, off balance

2010 Pali Wine Company Pinot Noir Huntington Santa Barbara County / B / thin

2010 Siduri Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard / B+ / more smoky, earth

2010 Siduri Pinot Noir / B+ /

2009 Zotovich Cellars Pinot Noir Zotovich Estate / B- / very tart

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Posted in Reviews, Wine

Book Review: Champagne Cocktails

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Champagne Cocktails 233x300 Book Review: Champagne CocktailsI’m on record as saying that sparkling wine is perhaps the most underused cocktail ingredient around (the other: Damiana Liqueur), so I was really pleased to get A.J. Rathbun’s book, Champagne Cocktails: 50 Cork-Popping Concoctions and Scintillating Sparklers.

It’s a slim, hardbound tome, with just 50 recipes included, spanning both classic and original cocktails, and not always centered around “Champagne” – the whole gamut of sparkling wines get their due in this collection (even sparkling Aussie Shiraz!).

And though just 50 drinks are covered – many with color photos, all with an introductory writeup of some kind – I’m hard pressed to come up with a sparkling wine-based cocktail that isn’t included here, except for the ones I’ve invented myself. More inspiration than reference, it’s a fine guide for the shelf or a good gift for the bubbly lover in your life.

A- / $11 / [BUY IT HERE]

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Posted in Books, Rated A-, Reviews

Review: Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

Part of the recently-founded (1987) Cooley Distillery mini-empire (which includes Tyrconnell, Connemara, and Greenore), Kilbeggan is perhaps the best known bottling that this Cooley Mountains-based distillery offers.

Why? Because the brand dates all the way back to 1757 (making it one of the oldest existing whiskey brands in the world). It changed hands many times and closed in 1957, then finally reopened in 2007 under Cooley’s ownership. Now quite the tourist attraction, it’s up and running at full steam once again.

Kilbeggan is classic Irish, but quite sweet, even for the normally sugary Irish style. On the nose there’s instant banana, fresh cut grains, orange (juice), and a touch of golden raisin character. Moderate to big body, fairly creamy, but far from overwhelming. The finish is a bit astringent, a likely indicator of this whiskey’s relative youthfulness, but it’s still perfectly quaffable. Ultimately Kilbeggan is a bit on the simplistic side, but fine for sipping before your corned beef and cabbage.

B+ / $20 / kilbegganwhiskey.com

kilbeggan irish whiskey Review: Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey

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Posted in Irish Whiskey, Rated B+, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: 2011 Virage Rose of Cabernet Franc Napa Valley

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Cabernet Franc is rarely used on its own, and almost never as a rose wine, but here Virage takes fresh Cab Franc presses and blends in a touch of red Cab Franc, then lets it chill out in stainless steel for a few months. The results are a pale and inviting pink.

Don’t be afraid of the pink. This is very much a white wine at heart, big in body yet quite crisp and fragrant, and awfully rich with oranges, figs, and lots of distinct grapefruit character. There’s a chalkiness in the finish, that gives the wine a touch of grit on the tongue.

Drink this blind and you’d never know it was a rose.

A- / $24 / viragenapavalley.com

Virage Rose of Cabernet Franc Review: 2011 Virage Rose of Cabernet Franc Napa Valley

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Posted in Rated A-, Reviews, Wine

Review: 2010 Four Vines Naked Chardonnay Santa Barbara County

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

How can cult Zinfandel winery Four Vines be putting out a $12 Chardonnay? Because Four Vines sold its name (and some of its wine production) to Purple Wine Corp., which has dived right in to its new brand via its The Naked & The Willing winery in Graton, California. (Four Vines, by the way, is now known as Cypher Winery.)

So, how’s the new 4V? This Naked Chardonnay — unaged in oak barrels, just stainless steel — is really quite delicious. Rich with intense melon, fig, and crisp apple notes, it is shockingly good for a wine this affordable. Want proof that Chardonnay needs no time in oak to be perfectly drinkable? This wine has it.

Usually a wine this affordable would be made with grapes sourced from all over California, but $12 for a Chardonnay from solely Santa Barbara fruit? That’s crazy talk, mister!

A / $12 / fourvines.com

four vines naked chardonnay Review: 2010 Four Vines Naked Chardonnay Santa Barbara County

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Posted in Rated A, Reviews, Wine

Review: Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao Ancienne Method

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Triple sec or curacao are an essential ingredient in so many cocktails, and stylistically they cover a wide range of focuses. But they all tend to have one thing in common (well, besides tasting like oranges): They’re generally quite sweet.

And so it was that cocktial god David Wondrich teamed up with Cognac producer Pierre Ferrand to create a drier style of curacao. Fittingly called Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, this spirit is meant to take the often sickly sweet stuff into a more refined direction. It is made by infusing unaged brandy with Seville orange peels; this infusion is then redistilled, blended with Cognac and spices (including star anise, more orange, and sugar), then aged in barrels for an indeterminate time (not long, I’d guess). It’s bottled at 80 proof.

The resulting spirit is quite impressive. To say it’s not sweet would be a lie. This is, after all, still a triple sec, where sweet oranges are the primary character of the nose and the palate. Lots of vanilla and nut character in there too, with a particularly buttery body — though I didn’t pick up on the anise in the blend.

Overall it’s a wonderful curacao that would add a delightful spin to any cocktail and is also quite delicious consumed on its own.

A / $25 / cognacferrand.com

pierre ferrand Dry Curacao Review: Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao Ancienne Method

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Posted in Brandy, Liqueurs, Rated A, Reviews

Review: Bruichladdich The Laddie Ten 10 Years Old

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Bruichladdich calls this “without doubt the most important release in our history.” That is some heavy language, and so far the world has responded in agreement. It was recently named the single malt whisky of the year from Whisky Advocate, capping a run of high praise for the dram.

Why is this humble 10-year-old so important? Because it is the first release from the company under its current ownership based solely on spirits it distilled and put into casks. In 2001 Jim McEwan bought the then-closed distillery (and its aging stock), and fired up the stills. In late 2011 he bottled his first whisky, called it Laddie Ten, and declared it would be the company’s flagship Scotch henceforth.

That’s a lot to rest on this Laddie’s shoulders, but I’ll agree that the praise is valid. Aromas of banana and orange fill the room just from cracking open the bottle, very fresh and very sweet. Stick your nose in the glass and it’s amplified all the more.

On the palate, smooth honey, gingerbread, mild malt and grain, and citrus overtones. A touch of sea salt, as you’d expect from an Islay (albeit peat-free) whisky. Big, big body, belying the relative youth of this malt, which helps to balance some surprisingly vibrant and strong flavors. Some very light hints of smoke on the back end. The sherry-infused finish however is indicative of a younger whisky, but that’s not so much a fault as it is a simple reality of getting a $50 single malt into the bottle. Certainly a whisky that is worthy of both everyday and special occasion drinking, but affordable enough to have on hand at all times.

A- / $50 / bruichladdich.com

the laddie ten bruichladdich Review: Bruichladdich The Laddie Ten 10 Years Old

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Posted in Rated A-, Reviews, Scotch, Whiskey

Review: Red Brick Old Stock Ale and Wee Heavy

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Greg Bruce| Leave a comment

Brewing out of Atlanta, Georgia, Red Brick offers the Brick Mason series alongside its year-round core brands. This series focuses on higher abv beers with more unique ingredients (such as the smoked vanilla beans in Vanilla Gorilla). This week, I was able to get the chance to review two beers from this series.

Red Brick’s Old Stock Ale starts as a blend of three different ales — one that’s been oak-aged, one that’s been heavily malted, and one brewed with citrus and star anise. These beers mix together to create a transparent, albeit dark, cherry color. The nose is complex and has a lot of different components to it, but the ones that pop the most are the ones that I wasn’t expecting to see in this style of beer. Rather than the malts driving the aroma, it is more sugar-coated fruits that are the focus. Orange peel, plums, and raisins are the most noticeable, and a kick of alcohol astringency draws this into an almost Belgian-esque territory.

A bittersweet cocoa component appears on the palate that isn’t there in the nose. The fruits return here again, especially the orange, but they are kept in check and now they enlist the ranks the star anise. Encompassing all of these characteristics is a mild, toasted oak note that is more of an additional complexity rather than a full-fledged flavor, but it adds more depth to an already loaded taste. As it warms, a surprisingly potent punch of vanilla arrives which isn’t present at all at lower temperatures. The one drawback to this beer is the amount of alcohol heat in this; although I’m not a total stranger to the style, the alcohol just didn’t play well with the orange for me. But to be honest, that is some fine nitpicking, as the rest of this beer is a unique twist on an Old Stock ale. 7.9% abv. B / $3 per 12oz bottle

The newest entry into Red Brick’s Brick Mason series is its Wee Heavy. Normally, Scottish ales have a signature, strong caramel note to it and may use a specialized type of yeast, but the first thing I immediately noticed from the aroma in this is the addition of peated malt so that you really get that Scotch connection. It’s smoky, salty, and has a twinge of iodine in it, and then the caramel comes in to give it a rather robust, almost herbal, nose.

In the taste, the caramel does play a bigger role and there’s also a slightly spicy note from the hops. The peat is still the biggest factor, sweeping in about midway through and carrying the flavors to new levels. The smokiness is prominent, but there’s also an oceanic angle to this as well, with some saltwater, seaweed, and iodine, all drawing from the peated malt. The biggest and most unique advantage that Red Brick’s Wee Heavy has over its competition is the peaty smokiness. Not only does this help curb the sweetness that is usually prevalent in this style, but it helps it live up to the Scotch Ale name. 6.5% abv. A / $3 per 12oz bottle

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Posted in Beer, Rated A, Rated B, Reviews

Review: 1512 Spirits Signature Poitin

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

I’m not sure if it will be the “next big thing,” but if you haven’t heard of poitin already, prepare yourself for it. What’s poitin? It’s an Irish spirit distilled from potatoes and/or barley, heavy on the alcohol, dating back hundreds of years. Not quite a vodka and not quite a white whiskey, it occupies a curious position of serving as Ireland’s answer to American moonshine. (Or, more correctly, moonshine is the answer to poitin.)

Real poitin is no longer made in Ireland or anywhere else (current bottlings are lower proof vodka substitutes), but that’s about to change. First out the gate is 1512 Spirits, whose unaged Barbershop Rye is a cult phenomenon, made in Rohnert Park by the inimitable Sal Cimino.

Made of 95% potato and 5% barley, the spirit is bottled at 104 proof and is available only at two retail outlets (Cask in SF, Bar Keeper in LA). A handful of California bars are pouring it.

The Poitin is intense and powerful. It fills the room when you pour it. If you’re familiar with unaged whiskeys, you’ll find this surprisingly similar, even though it’s mostly potato-based. Describing poitin, one finds they quickly run out of appropriate adjectives to use. It is seriously funky, filled with a raw grain-like character (and presumably lots of potato) that almost tastes like unadulterated, ultra-thick oatmeal. There’s a spicy element that’s hard to quantify, and a lightly sweet finish that offers a merciful respite from this overwhelming oddity.

White whiskey is one thing, but if poitin is going to become a trend, you better get your taste buds in order. Good luck.

104 proof. Batch #1, bottle #85 reviewed.

B / $39 (375ml) / 1512spirits.com

1512 poitin Review: 1512 Spirits Signature Poitin

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Posted in Rated B, Reviews, Vodka, Whiskey, White Whiskey