Year in Review

This is the time when we often reflect on the past year and think about our aspirations for the upcoming year.  I decided to review my tasting notes from 2012 to see what I have learned about myself and the wine consumed.

The Golden State

Looking over the list, it is quite obvious that I have a “love affair” with California.  I love the Cabernet/Bordeaux blends, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  Over half the wine I consumed or tasted in 2012 was from California.  Now you might think I have a “thing” for overripe, over extracted, high alcohol wines.  That’s partially true.  I do enjoy a big red wine, assuming that is has been properly aged and decanted for hours before consumption.  Some of my favorites this year included:  2002 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003 & 2004 Robert Young Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Scion, 2005 Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 Bond Melbury, and 2005 Quintessa.

I have also enjoyed some great “terroir” driven Pinot Noir:  2000 Marcassin Blue Slide, 2003 Marcassin Three Sisters, 2007 Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas, and 2009 Morlet Family Vineyards Coteaux Nobles.

I have had some great California Chardonnay this past year – too many to list but I will “name drop” my favorite producers:  Mt. Eden, Ramey, Brewer-Clifton, Peter Michael, Aubert and Marcassin.  These golden wines are often overripe with tropical fruit, oaked with vanilla, sweet baking spices, caramel or toffee and are 100% malo.  In my opinion, these wines are crafted to perfection and are worth the splurge!

Here are some other great California producers to check out:  Belle Glos, Donum, Paul Hobbs, Spottswoode, Stonestreet, Vineyard 7 & 8, and Williams Selyem.

Loire Valley

This year I’ve taken the time to explore the lovely white wines of the Loire Valley – Sauvignon Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne and Chenin Blanc.  Sauvignon Blanc (from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé) is bright, fresh and fruity.  There is tart citrus, stone and tree fruit along with gooseberry and a fresh greenness.  These primarily dry wines are mineral driven with high acidity.  They pair well with fresh cheeses or shellfish.

Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet Sur Lie) is primarily grown in the western region of the Loire Valley near the Atlantic Coast.  Muscadet Sur Lie is left on the lees for the winter allowing the development of yeasty aromas along with mineral, saline and subtle fruit and floral notes.  These wines pair well with shellfish and fish.

Chenin Blanc (from Vouvray and Savennières) is the most complex and versatile of three.  It can be made in varying styles and degrees of sweetness.  There are riper tree fruit and citrus (off-dry wines may have aromas of melon and tropical fruits along with honey, ginger or marmalade).  There are also oxidative notes such as bitter nuts, cheese rind or bruised fruit.  These wines are also quite floral with green or herbal notes.  There is higher minerality and acidity to balance out the wine.  These wines pair well with cheeses, shellfish, fish and poultry.

La Dolce Vita

“The Sweet Life” comes to mind when I think of Vin Santo.  While in Italy this past summer, I had the opportunity to enjoy Vin Santo with biscotti after dinner most evenings.  Vin Santo is a dessert wine made in Tuscany from primarily Trebbiano and Malvasia and sometimes Sangiovese.  The grapes dry on straw mats or hang from racks indoors in warm, well ventilated areas allowing the moisture in the grapes to evaporate and concentrating the sugars and flavors.  The grapes are fermented with a small amount of finished Vin Santo from prior years which adds complexity to the wine.  The wine is then aged in small barrels made from oak, chestnut, juniper or cherry wood which allows for oxidation.  The wine is usually aged from three to ten years depending on where it’s produced.

2012 was a great year for drinking wine and exploring new and exciting wine varietals and regions.  There were many hits with very few misses and I even indulged in the mandatory New Year’s Eve Champagne.

Happy New Year!!

Great Food, Wine and Company

My husband and I went out for dinner with another couple last week to one of our favorite restaurants – The Blue Bottle Cafe in Hopewell, New Jersey. We brought two great bottles with us since our friends enjoy wine as much as we do – a 2003 Château Pavie and 2009 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard. We were a little early so our server was kind enough to decant the red so it would have a chance to open up a little.

We started with the Aubert. This was my first time trying the Aubert Ritchie Vineyard (although I have tasted Aubert’s Lauren Vineyard and Ramey’s Ritchie Vineyard). It was just as expected – bold, lush, and velvety. Did I mention this was a chardonnay? The color was a deep golden honey with a little cloudiness. There were aromas of stone fruit (peach and apricot) along with lemon curd. The wine was rich and full-bodied with a beautiful finish. There was more stone fruit on the palate along with honey, citrus and sweet spice. This wine paired nicely with our salads – three of us ordered the Blue Bottle Salad which consisted of mixed local baby greens, sliced red grapes, toasted hazelnuts and shaved Manchego tossed with a red wine and honey vinaigrette. The Grilled Nectarines Salad was also ordered – mixed local greens were topped with almond crusted goat cheese, grilled nectarines, toasted almonds and tossed with a roasted Vidalia onion vinaigrette.

The 2003 Pavie was just starting to open up by the time we started our entrées. Two of us ordered the Duo of Beef: Wagyu tri tip and smoked beef brisket with Jersey corn polenta and summer slaw. Although this dish sounds heavy for a summer meal, the polenta and slaw really brightened up the tender beef. The grilled paillard of Berkshire pork with roasted new potatoes, wilted spinach, tomato, fennel, red onion, pine nuts with lemon vinaigrette was ordered by the other diners. The lightly dressed produce topped the smoky pork loin relaying the feeling of a summer bbq. The wine opened up but I wish we could have given it a little more time. It was big and ripe with dark fruit, mineral and oak. The wine was full-bodied with soft, chewy tannins and dark fruit on the palate. We all enjoyed the wine but agreed that it still needed more age and we would probably wait a while to crack open the next bottle. It was a great evening of food, wine and conversation and we are looking forward to the next double date!

Note: There has been some heated debate over the ratings given to the 2003 Château Pavie. Roger Voss wrote an interesting article ” Robinson, Parker have a row over Bordeaux“, which magnifies the rating disparities within the industry.  There is also another article by Oliver Styles “Parker and Robinson in war of words” that specifically details the ratings feud between Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson.  This was bottle #2 from a case we purchased (on speculation) at auction a while back. We have enjoyed the wine and look forward to drinking more in the future.

The Blue Bottle Cafe 101 East Broad Street, Hopewell, NJ 609-333-1710

The Blue Bottle Cafe is located in the historic, eclectic town of Hopewell, New Jersey. Hopewell’s streets are lined with old Victorian homes, galleries, restaurants and shops. The Blue Bottle Cafe was opened in 2006 by husband & wife dynamic duo – Rory and Aaron Philipson (they met at CIA). Aaron is responsible for the delicious and inventive cuisine out of the kitchen and Rory manages the front of the house along with her duties as pastry chef.

The menu changes seasonally. There are always new and exciting dishes to try. The predominantly American cuisine is infused with asian and mediterranean influences. Starters include PEI mussels with applewood smoked bacon, Gorgonzola, white wine and rosemary or duck confit and udon noodles with duck soy broth and sous vide quail egg. The salads are reflective of local produce in season. There is a wide range of entrée options such as pan seared yellowfin tuna with marinated garden vegetables, red wheatberries, yellow string beans and cerignola olive tapenade or house made pecorino gnocchi with toasted garlic, kalamata and cured Moroccan olives, capers, tomatoes, and wilted arugula. The desserts are amazing and made in-house. Try the banana almond financier with fosters style banana caramel and toasted almond ice cream or the dark chocolate and hazelnut tart with Nutella anglaise and whipped cream.

The menu always includes vegetarian options and the kitchen is very accommodating to gluten, dairy and other allergies. Their meats and poultry are 100% antibiotic and hormone free. They do not have a liquor licence and there is no corkage fee. The menu is available online so it’s easy to plan ahead and bring a favorite bottle! Reservations are optional but strongly suggested. The Blue Bottle Cafe is also open for lunch too.

2009 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, US

Rating: 4 glasses

Mark Aubert produced approximately 1,600 cases of the 2009 Ritchie Vineyard under his Aubert Wines label which he founded in 2000. Mark Aubert has been the winemaker and/or consultant for such notables as Peter Michael, Colgin, Sloan, Bryant and Futo. The 2009 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard was made from grapes sourced from the Ritchie Vineyard site, located on a bench above the Russian River near Forestville in the Sonoma Coast AVA. This vineyard was planted in 1972 by Kent Ritchie, which makes it one of the oldest Chardonnay sites in Sonoma. The Ritchie Vineyard is one of the top Chardonnay vineyards in California. Its grapes are sold to Ramey, Paul Hobbs and Dumol. The Ritchie Vineyard is also one of the coldest Chardonnay vineyard sites in Sonoma due to its proximity to the Russian River and Pacific Ocean (cooling coastal fog). The wine is fermented in new French oak and goes through additional malo-lactic fermentation. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered at 15.1% alcohol.

2003 Château Pavie St. Émilion Grand Cru, Libournais, Bordeaux, France

Rating: 4 glasses

Château Pavie is located on the southern part of the St. Émilion slope in Bordeaux. There is a long history of winemaking at Château Pavie starting with vineyard records dating back to the 4th century AD. In 1855, negociant Ferdinand Bouffard began purchasing adjacent vineyard sites until he reached 50 hectares in a single block, which he named “Pavie”. This block also contained a separately managed vineyard site which Bouffard would eventually break off named Pavie-Decesse. Château Pavie achieved Premium Grand Cru Classé B ranking in the official classification of St. Émilion wines in 1955. To date, there are only two St. Émilion wines classified above Château Pavie – Château Ausone and Château Cheval-Blanc.

Château Pavie was purchased in 1998 by Gerard Perse, who also owns/manages Château Pavie-Decesse, Château Bellevue Mondotte and Château Monbousquet. Gerard Perse has spared no expense to improving the quality of Château Pavie. He has built new winemaking facilities and implemented a replanting program to better match the grape varietal to the terroir.

Château Pavie consists of 37 hectares (approximately 90 acres) which is planted with 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard is divided into three distinctly different terroirs (a limestone plateau, slope with dense deep clay and the slope base with sandy clay and gravel) which provides natural drainage. Soil, south-facing exposure and frost-resistant topography contribute to the success of Château Pavie.

Château Pavie produces under 7,500 cases a year. The wine is fermented in 100% new French oak for 28 months and is bottled at 13.5% alcohol.

Related articles and websites

• The Blue Bottle Cafe (thebluebottlecafe.com)
• Aubert Wines (aubertwines.com)
• Chateau Pavie (chateaupavie.com)
• Cult Chardonnay’s Newest Star (foodandwine.com)
• Robinson, Parker have a row over Bordeaux (sfgate.com)
• Parker and Robinson in war of words (decanter.com)
• St Emilion Classification (thewinedoctor.com)