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Good Friends, Great Chardonnay!

I love my friends!!!!  Friends get you through rough spots in life, and can also help you celebrate the highs.  Sometimes, friends also share really good wine!

My friend Lisa, (whose husband Michael chose the wine and even chilled it for us, so big kudos to Michael!) brought us a dynamite Chardonnay the other night to a “Girls” gathering.  Yes, this Chard is big and oaky, but it’s balanced and yummy too!

I enjoy a lot of different styles of wine.  Many “wine pros” hate Chardonnay.  Many “wine drinkers” love Chardonnay.  There are two sides to this story.

Chardonnay is a neutral grape.  It is often called the “winemakers grape”, because it can be influenced greatly by the people producing the end product.  It can sometimes be manipulated in a way that is not flattering, and in my opinion this is when Chardonnay gets a bad rap.  Chardonnay can also be LOVELY.  Some of my favorite wines in the world are Chardonnay, especially from the Burgundy region of France.

There are also great examples from other regions, including the New World.  A great example of a fun Chardonnay from the New World (Napa specifically) is the 2012 Staglin Family Salus Chardonnay.  Now would I want to drink this wine every night???  No, but then I wouldn’t want to drink ANY wine every night.  Well, except for Champagne, but that’s another story for another day!

This Staglin Salus Chardonnay is not pretending to be from Burgundy.  It is big and buttery.  It has a good amount of oak on the nose and palate.  It also, however, has some lovely acidity, with pear, green apple, and Meyer lemon to balance the whole thing out.  And the finish is long and lovely.

For me, there are times when I relish a big, buttery Chardonnay like this.  Personally, I think that it’s snobby to say that this is wrong.  If you are a lobster lover, this would be a great pairing.  Personally, I love some good old-fashioned buttered popcorn with this wine!

So whether you’re sitting down to a nice meal of rich seafood, or you’re sitting in front of the TV watching a fun chick flick and devouring some buttery popcorn, grab a bottle of the 2012 Staglin Family Salus Chardonnay.  Let me know what you think!  I can’t imagine you’d be disappointed.

http://www.staglinfamily.com

2009 Les Vins Jean Claude Debeaune Fleurie Clos des Quatre Vents

I love this time of year.  The change of the seasons is finally approaching.  Here in Florida the change is slight, but I relish the heat and humidity slowly diminishing.  The cooler evenings encourage me to sit on my deck and open a bottle of red instead of white.  And what better red is there to transition from summer into autumn than a light, fruity Gamay?  It’s slowly becoming a Beaujolais time of year!

With my husband on a recent adventure in Beaujolais!

In case you’re not privy to all things Beaujolais, here’s some information in a nutshell:

Beaujolais AOC is considered the most basic, and will also be the least expensive.  The grapes for these wines mainly come from less distinguished vineyards in the southern part of the region.  A large portion of this appellation is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau.

Beaujolais-Villages AOC is the intermediate category as far as the classification goes.  These wines come from 39 villages located in the midsection of the region where better quality grapes are grown.  Beaujolais-Village are often a blend from several villages.  Some wines from this appellation are also sold as Beaujolais Nouveau, but that is not very common.

Beaujolais Cru is the highest category of classification here.  In Beaujolais the phrase “cru” refers to 10 special villages, where in other parts of France “cru” refers to a specific vineyard.  The 10 Cru villages (more or less from North to South) are:

St. Amour – pretty, delicate wines

Juliènas – similar to St. Amour, but slightly beefier

Chénas – often keenly acidic, with notable minerality and fine tannin

Moulin-à-Vent – a top cru, very complex and muscular

Fleurie – aromatic, pungent wines that age well

Chiroubles – at their best, these are raw, gamey, and delectable

Morgon – another top cru; powerfully ripe fruit, amazing depth

Regnié – fresh, clean wines; generous, not terribly complex

Brouilly – dark wines, with notable bouillon flavors and strong tannin

Côte de Brouilly – a top cru: intense minerals & richness on the palate

The 2009 vintage in Beaujolais is considered to be brilliant.  Even Georges Duboeuf, the so-called “King of Beaujolais”, was quoted as saying “”For me 2009 is the vintage of the sun – in fact, this is the best vintage of my lifetime.  The [2009] Beaujolais Crus are opulent, exceptionally full-bodied and fabulous. This vintage will be talked about for years to come.”

So, the wine I cracked open to celebrate the beginning of fall was the 2009 Les Vins Jean Claude Debeaune Fleurie Clos des Quatre Vents!  I could see the opulence in the glass.  It was much darker in color than most Cru Beaujolais I’ve had.  I loved the aromas of jammy strawberry and black cherry, as well as violet.  The palate was elegant with strawberry, cherry and some great minerality.  This wine is a winner, and it has a nice price tag of about twenty bucks!  If you can find it at your local retailer, be sure to grab a few bottles!

Considering Beaujolais Nouveau is released next month, you may very well see my blog visiting this region again soon!

Canlis Restaurant in Seattle

While in Seattle a couple of weeks ago for the Society of Wine Educators annual conference, some friends and I hit some “must dine” restaurants before leaving town.  They all proved to have great food, wonderful service and fabulous wine lists.  That, of course, was our main focus:  WINE!

Today I’m going to tell you about Canlis, a Seattle landmark designed in 1950 by the well-know architect Roland Terry.  I love the design, which reminds me a lot of a Frank Lloyd Wright style building.  There are huge windows all across the back of the restaurant that looks out at Lake Union, as well as a special events room and some private dining areas above with breathtaking views.

My friends and I started in the bar with a bottle of Fergettina Franciacorta.  This sparkling wine, from the Lombardy region, is Italy’s answer to Champagne.  The Fergettina has a lot of character, with good brioche aromas on the nose.  The palate is very alive, with lots of elegant fruit and a nutty quality.  This non-vintage bubbly is well worth the list price of $65.

Once we were seated at our table we were introduced to their head sommelier and wine director Nelson Daquip.  What a great guide to help walk us through their list.  He is not only exceptionally intelligent about all things wine; he is also a really cool guy.

Canlis has one of the finest wine cellars in the world, and is the recipient of the Wine Spectator Magazine Grand Award for the past 17 years in a row.  With 18,000 bottles and 2,500 selections we definitely welcomed some advice from Nelson!  We knew we wanted a local wine, and we knew we wanted something good.  Together with Nelson we picked out some gems, the 2005 Cayuse and the 2009 God Only Knows, both out of Walla Walla, Washington.  I was very excited.  I’ve been on the waiting list for Cayuse’s mailing list for a few years now.  It may be the longest winery waiting list in North America!

We were served the wines together, so that we could try them side-by-side

Christophe Baron, who is originally from the Champagne region in France, makes both of these wines.  His family owns the Champagne house Baron Albert and has worked the land there since 1677.  He fell in love with the wines of Burgundy and had plans of opening a winery in Oregon to focus on the Burgundian varietals.  After doing an internship in Walla Walla Washington, however, he discovered a vineyard that reminded him of the Rhone Valley in his home country of France.  Being unable to resist this unique terroir of softball sized stones, reminiscent of the Southern Rhone, Monsieur Baron set up shop in Washington State!

The wines certainly didn’t disappoint.  The ’05 Cayuse Cailloux Vineyard Syrah is a dark ruby in color with aromas of ripe blackberry and black cherry, anise and smoky meat.  The palate has the lush sweet dark fruits along with cassis and olive brine.

The 2009 God Only Knows Grenache is another wine from Cayuse Vineyards.  The name comes from the fact that no one knows the true blend in the bottle (except for the 75% Grenache required if it is labeled a Grenache, which this is), or so they say.  Baron claims that this particular vintage is made with roughly 90% Grenache and the rest “God only knows!”

This wine has some fabulous old world funk on the nose, along with sweet strawberry and black tea.  On the palate are ripe red fruits along with meatiness and a hint of the black tea.  This is a well-balanced wine with a lovely finish!

After dinner we were fortunate enough to get a tour of their lovely restaurant.  As I mentioned earlier, the building is beautiful.  My favorite part of the tour (OF COURSE) was their wine cellar!  Their selection is almost overwhelming.  I could have spent hours there looking at their vast bottles from every region in the world.

The food was great as well, but again, I was really there for the wine list.  My final conclusion of the wines?  I sure am looking forward to my name leaving the Cayuse waiting list and showing up on the mailing list!

My final conclusion of the evening???  I highly recommend a visit to Canlis the next time you’re in Seattle.

www.canlis.com

2010 Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha

I’m hanging out in Seattle tonight waiting for the Society of Wine Educators annual conference to begin.  I wanted a fun bottle for my room that wouldn’t break the bank, so a couple of wine buddies suggested the 2010 Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha.  Boy, it’s smart to listen to fellow wine geeks!

This 100% Grenache wine is from the Campo de Borja DO in Spain, and is made from old vine Garnacha vineyards that grow in rugged terrain on the slopes of the Moncayo mountain.

In the glass the wine is a deep red with hints of purple, and still shows a lot of youth.  The nose is very aromatic with lots of dark cherry, cassis and gobs of glorious mocha.  The palate explodes with concentrated black cherry and cassis, along with ripe plum, blackberry, coffee and vanilla.  This juicy wine is pretty darned complex and has a fun spicy finish.  And … it’s so well balanced that you can’t tell it has an alcohol level of 14.5%!

I bought this bottle at a market geared toward tourists for $20, but you can find it for less.  Even at the $20 I paid, it is well worth it.

So … I’m drinking a fun Grenache from Spain getting ready for some great tastings!  I can tell it’s going to be a great week!

To check out more vintages and other wines from Borsao, here’s their website:  http://bodegasborsao.com

Grills Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar

A Tiki Bar with good wine????  I know that it sounds unlikely, but I’ve discovered one and it will knock your socks off!

Located in Cape Canaveral, FL, Grills Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar is the real deal.  They have plenty of indoor seating, along with a great outside deck and bar where one can eat good food, drink some great wine, listen to fun live music, all while enjoying the water front view.

I’ve visited Grills a few times over the years, and I remembered that they have some darned good wines on their list, served in nice glassware (not the typical Tiki Bar plastic cups).  My most recent visit was this past weekend, and I was surprised that I hadn’t remembered another important thing about their wine list:  the prices!  I was with a good-sized group, so we got to try a few different bottles.

First up was a 2012 Cakebread Chardonnay.  This is light and crisp, unlike the oak bombs that one often comes to expect from Napa Chardonnay.  With citrus, pear and ripe green apple, this wine was a great way to start the day of tasting.  Its lively acidity makes it a great pairing with many of the items on the Grill’s menu!  Oh, and did I mention that the list price is $55?

The second wine of the day was a 2010 Swanson Merlot from Oakville in Napa for $36.  This wine is composed of 83% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petite Verdot.  On the nose are plum and coffee.  The palate has blackberry,  black cherry, the plum and soft tannins.  It has a very pleasant mouth feel and a good finish.  It’s definitely a winner, especially at this price point!

Next up was the 2005 Opus One.  We couldn’t believe that they have the ’05 Opus on the menu for the very consumer friendly price of $150 per bottle.  We ordered two!  This Bordeaux blend has 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 
1% Malbec.  There is licorice on the nose, along with some mint, blackberry, plum and violet.  The palate sang!   It is beautifully balanced with chocolate, black fruit, black olive and an Old World earthiness.  Interestingly, I tasted the ’05 Opus at the winery in February and it was going for $225 a bottle!  Can you see why I love Grills???

Last but not least was the 2005 Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon, made of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc.   On the nose are dark cherry and vanilla.  There is still a lot of fruit on the palate, especially blackberries, sweet currant, ripe plum and even cassis.  This wine was a lovely way to end the tasting.  All of this for $85.  In a restaurant!!!!!

The evening itself ended out back with a gorgeous sunset.  What more could we ask for???

I’m almost afraid to post these prices because I don’t want them to jack up the costs on the wine list.  I have heard, however, that the owner of Grills is a huge wine lover (obviously) and that he loves to offer these lovely wines at a price people can afford.

So … if you live in Florida, or plan on visiting anytime soon, be sure to stop by Grills for a casual bite and a nice bottle at a very fair price!  Now remember, it’s a Tiki Bar!  Grills is laid back and a bit rustic.  Don’t expect anything hoity toity here!  I do, however, think that they could almost be renamed “Grills Seafood & Tiki “Wine” Bar”!!!

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