Posted by Us on February 7, 2010
Perusing our “stolen” copy of Wine Spectator, we noticed editor picks and reviews of highly rated bargain wines. We decided to find as many of these and compare our notes with those of WS.
First off, it was difficult to find the wines. We avoided our local boutique wine shops in favor of liquor and grocery stores, assuming these would be pretty mainstream bottles and easier to find at these types of retailers. As it turns out, it took us three stores to find only three of the wines listed. It seems like wines being featured in such a huge magazine would make wine buyers for these retail chains take notice and stock these bottles. Right?
We took our three selections up to the cabana, by the fire, and out of the way of the looming rain.
Sauvignon Blanc, Bogle Vineyards, 2008 (California, $11.49)
Wine Spectator said: Mouthwatering and intense, with grass, lemon-lime and green papaya flavors that are highlighted by a zingy acidity. This has great intensity, with a silky finish. Drink now. Rating 88
She said: Very pale and translucent, yellow/green color. Nose is immediately hit with lime peel, gooseberry, and lychee. Also lots of acid: smells active and fresh, if a bit bracing. In the mouth limes, lychee, grapefruit, and a bit of grass. Tastes like Spring. Whew–the wine needs something spicy or sushi or some kind of food to pair with it. Enjoyable and very reasonably priced. Not very refined or elegant, but intense. A long, quenching finish. Would be great with that avocado and citrus salad we had at Canelé the other night. 
He said: Very translucent and watery in appearance. Lemon, lime, citrus on the nose. Smells crisp, clean and good. There is a little heat in the nose too. My first sip was a little disappointing, not as crisp an SB as I prefer. Subsequent sips prove crisper and the acidity is showing up. Lingers in the mouth for quite a while. I don’t really love or hate it, it’s an average-to-good drinkable wine. I will definitely finish the bottle. 
Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, Château Ste. Michelle, 2008 (Washington, $11.49)
Wine Spectator said: Bright and jazzy, with pretty pineapple, grapefruit, elderflower and spice flavors that linger on the finish without excess weight. This just floats on for a while. Drink now through 2012. Rating 90
She said: Golden hue. Swirl shows viscous texture. In nose: butter, wood, butterscotch, lemon curd, burnt orange peel. Rich and full on the palate. Honey, buttered popcorn, creme brulée. There is a heaviness at the beginning and then right before the swallow there is a harshness. The citrus flavors are not bright, but rather cooked or like custard. High in alcohol. Not my style, but the wine is fine, smooth, and silky. Like the Bogle we tasted, think this wine needs food to take off some of the rough edges. Would pair with trout almondine or monkfish with a cream sauce. score:
He said: Why am I smelling an herbaceous smoked turkey sandwich? Is this the wine? Wait, the fire in our “tasting room” is beginning to smoke. Ok, back to it. Golden and shiny with a little cloudiness. All butter, butterscotch and wood on the nose. Soft and big in the mouth (that’s what she…) and more butterscotch. The bottle text proclaims “subtle oak” but I don’t think it’s so subtle. I really like it, this is what I imagine a big, oaked chardonnay to taste like. And it has the creaminess I like. 
Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, Hogue, 2008 (Washington, $13.99)
Wine Spectator said: Bright in flavor and silky in texture, with creamy pear and apricot flavors that linger on the refined finish. Holds on nicely Drink now through 2012. Rating 89
She said: Whoa, so much wood and yuk on the nose…can barely go back for another sniff. Really smells terrible and I would say it was corked, but it’s a screwcap. Very golden color. In the mouth the wine is all wood and butter with a touch/kick of acid at the finish. The flavors in the mouth are much more pleasant than the nose. Butterscotch and some orange, and vanilla bean in the finish. I actually like the way it tastes, but it smells awful. In comparison to the Chateau Ste. Michele the flavors are more clean and fresh, but also shows an intensity. Again would pair with fish in cream sauce or even clam chowder. The stink on the nose is hard to take, but I like the mouthfeel and flavors…makes the wine very hard to rate. score: 
He said: Oh, gross. Smells like compost. I can’t pinpoint anything because I can’t keep it by my nose long enough. I would think it’s corked, but it’s a screwcap. It has the equivalent smell to the sound of the word “hogue.” Not quite as bad in my mouth, a little buttersco–wait, gross, still gross. Too much heat. I don’t want another sip. It tastes like eating old hot dogs on lunchbreak at the paper mill. Get it away from me. This should be recalled.
So, we are in agreement with WS on the Bogle and both admitted we overlooked the green papaya flavors.
We liked the Chateau Ste. Michelle but don’t agree (or understand) the flavor profile listed. She said “maybe pineapple.” But bright, light and “jazzy” this wine is not. [Note: This is Him typing: what the hell does jazzy mean?]
And finally the, urgh, (sorry I can hardly type it without remembering that stank) Hogue. We can’t believe we are tasting the same wine. This wine is bad. The other two are quite nice recommendations for their value, but this one should be avoided at any and all costs.
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Posted by Him on February 6, 2010
- L. Preston Dry Creek Valley, CA 2007
- avocado citrus salad with grapefruit and lime, arugula, and cracked picholines
- chicken liver pâté
- chanterelles over polenta
- oven-roasted pork chop with small potatoes, brussels sprouts, and apples
- buena chica cheesecake
- cookies and confections
- Bordeaux Château Cadillac, France 2006
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Posted by Him on February 5, 2010
“They hang like grapes on vines that shine. And warm the lovers’ glass like friendly wine.”
- “California Stars” by Billy Bragg and Wilco
“I sip the Dom P, watchin’ Gandhi til I’m charged”
- “The World is Yours” by Nas
“But hood lies, you afraid of a good wine?”
- “Memories” by Slick Rick
“And life is wine”
- “No I in Threesome” by Interpol
“Red, red wine, stay close to me. Don’t let me be alone”
-”Red, Red Wine” by Neil Diamond, not that other band I don’t like
“…and up top ahh, 2 bee stings, and im beasting off the Riesling”
- “Run This Town” Kanye West (Jay-Z track)
“Lay on the crime scene, sippin fine wines. Pullin nines on, UFO’s, takin they fly clothes”
- “Knuckleheadz” by Raekwon
“Caught beneath the landslide in a champagne supernova”
- “Champagne Supernova” by Oasis
“I’m mind shockin’, body rockin’, earth shakin’, money makin’. Sittin’ high, lookin’ fly, drinkin’ on the best wine…”
- “Wildflower” by the female rapper on the song by Ghostface, one of the greatest rappers of all time.
These are lyrics I can remember off the top of my head that are going on my “Wine Mixtape” playlist. Yes, I really, really like rap music.
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Posted by Him on February 4, 2010
These quizzes, when I am in a good mood, are really fun. Today I am in a good mood. Today this quiz was fun. I answered Her questions immediately after reading the chapter, but still confused and/or forgot a couple of things. I, of course, have drunk loads of bubbly in my life, but really never knew much about its production, history or anything. Oh yeah, did you know that early Champagne glasses were molded from Helen of Troy’s titty? And later molded from Marie Antoinette’s frontjunk? According to historians, Marie had bigger titties. Which makes me wonder about the phallic shape of modern Champagne flutes. I wonder what historical figure’s cock penis these were molded from. My money is on Louis XIV. Or maybe Rasputin, that’s at least a Magnum.
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Posted by Her on February 4, 2010
(what is a handwritten typo called?)
Thinking of Valentine’s Day and what to drink, like so many others I choose Champagne. Oh how I love Salon. Then again, in the spirit of the holiday, maybe a Nicholas Feuillatte rosé would suit me better. And then I started thinking about how nice it would be to receive a box of delicious, decadent dark chocolate…so perfect with a luscious, nutty Madeira. Or a tawny Port. Which made me think about PX and having a generous pour over vanilla bean ice cream. Bubbles and sweets and sweet wines on my mind.
When I proposed a Champagne, Port, Sherry, and Madeira wine lesson and quiz He wasn’t as wooed as I was. In fact he yelled at me. “What??? That’s too much. No way.” So back to Champagne.
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Posted by Us on February 3, 2010
On Monday night we met our pal Corina Weibel, chef of Canelé in Atwater Village, for Silverlake Wine’s Blue Monday tasting. (When your favorite chef has the night off and invites you to join her at a wine tasting, well, of course you say yes.)
Silverlake Wine is our neighborhood wine shop so we’re frequent patrons, but it had been quiet a while since we participated in a tasting. In fact, the last time had been at the invitation of Valerie and Stanley of Valerie Confections (geez, we have some talented friends). SLW put together a terrific lineup to compliment VC’s sweets on a Sunday. It was a fun and tasty afternoon with some antics thrown in. Between sips we got a few of the tasters (including Val and Stan) to play a little game: Just an Eyeful. (Read what it’s all about and see the whole series of pictures here.)
Unlike the vendor specific food pairings on Sunday afternoons, on Monday nights SLW offers three wines, a selection of farmhouse cheeses, olives, and La Brea Bakery bread in an atmosphere SLW’s website describes as “blatant low-key relaxation.” The shop’s Tweets and Facebook updates about this particular Monday night’s line-up, however, were anything but mellow:
Really, a $20 bottle of wine. Although this may not sound too expensive, Blue Monday’s tastings cost only $12 for three generous pours of three different wines and lots of delicious snacks, so having a $20 bottle poured makes for a great deal.
We were also super intrigued about the “perfectly perfect” label art of their new proprietary wine. Could it be by the “Awesome Bears” artist Phil Lumbang? The happy bears have popped up all over the Silverlake, waving hello, smiling, giving a wink. They feel like as much a part of the neighborhood as SLW is. The wine shop is a huge fan of the bears…so much so they got Lumbang to paint their bathrooms. What could be more “perfectly perfect?”
Living up to the hype, when we arrived at 7 p.m. the place was packed and lively, full of happy people nibbling on cheese and lucques olives and sipping wine. We made our way through the crowd to the bar for the first pour. It was a delightful, perfumey Torrontes with a hint of sweetness in the finish that complimented the rich blue on the cheese board. Corina joined us and quickly caught up. We all agreed the wine was a bargain for just $10. Next up was a quenchable Tempranillo, also reasonably priced at $15.75. So what was this $20 bottle going to be?
Well, it turns out there was no $20 wine (it really was just hype), but the third wine was a treat: Para Silverlake Red from Monterey Country, featuring on the label…an Awesome Bear. The jubilant wine pourer explained it was a Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet and Merlot. It was a soft, friendly wine (just like those lovable bears). As we finished our last sips of Para Silverlake, the shop continued to buzz. 
We all remarked on how great it was to have SLW in the neighborhood and to see so many happy faces at the tasting. It was a truly delightful way to spend a Monday evening. On the way out grabbed a bottle of the bears and Tempranillo, thirsty for more. We headed up the hill to Corina’s to continue our tasting ways, vowing to be more serious and take some notes this time.
First up was a bottle of L. Preston Red which Canelé has just started to pour it by the glass. Corina explained she had been looking for a replacement for the popular Donkey and a Goat Rhône style red they had been pouring. “I wanted a Rhône style wine, but not something that was 100% syrah or French…I like the jamminess that the California wines offer.” She recommends it with the lamb with roasted eggplant, capers, olives, and garlic they serve at dinner. Sounded good to us.
There was really just enough for a serious sip left in the L. Preston, which had been opened the night before, so Corina decided to pop open a bottle a friend had left at her house. We did not protest. The Murtas, San Michelea Torri was an older vintage: 2001. The generous friend who left the bottle was on a “peak frequency” diet,
which has something to do with old wine and enzymes. Our bewilderment was erased by the delicious wine.
Not quiet ready to call it quits, and because we did want some notes about at least one of the wines we tasted at SLW, we popped open the Tempranillo, Ardales we had picked up on the way out.
In between discussions about Awesome Bears (She had seen one during our trip to New York), movies (“the story was insulting…they should have been more responsible…”), and music (“Maps is a way better song than Sweet Child O’ Mine, but Modern Romance is still the best…”) we jotted down some notes.
L. Preston, 2007 (Healdsburg)
She said: The nose is raspberries, candy, and some earthiness. For being open a day it still has a lot of heat. Flavors of cola, pepper, and mixed berry jam. It has a really lovely mouthfeel; not too rich but intense with refined tannin and a kind of freshness. Does that make sense? It is both richly flavored and austere. Completely agree with Corina that it would go great with lamb.
He said: First things first, love this label design. Cherry and raspberries on the nose and very earthy. Taste is strongest in the finish. Medium bodied, I agree it has a great “mouthfeel” but that term still gives me weird brainfeel. Front of tongue feels it right away and it’s dirty with some spice. Some heat in the finish. A little tart, but I really like it.
Murtas, San Michelea Torri, 2001 (Tuscany)
She said: Very little fruit on the nose, rather it is minerals, salt, and a bit of earth. Drinks like a large, refined Chianti. Lots of bright cherry fruit, high tannin, and very dry finish. Very elegant and quenching. Could stand up to all kinds of food, including strong flavors like bbq–are those foods allowed in the “peak frequency” diet? Whatevs…it’s delicious. 
He said: My notes are bad, wait, I mean they don’t exist. I was busy making my point that Maps is to the 2000’s what Sweet Child O’ Mine was to the 1980’s. And then Corina told me that Karen O is a regular at Canelé and I was like “whoa.” Because as I have said before, if She were to die in a tragic wigwam accident, I would want Karen O to be my girlfriend. Back to the wine, I wrote “some heat.”
Tempranillo, Ardales, 2007 (Spain, $15.75)
She said: Soft tannin, cherries, youthful acidity…similar flavors to the Murtas we tasted earlier, but not quiet as refined. Enjoy Tempranillo and this is an example, truly lovely and at fifteen bucks, a bargain. I’m buying more. (the price on the bottle includes the tax…this is how SLW does their pricing).
He said: I got nothing. Was I even there anymore?
We decided to save the Para Silverlake for another time…enough bottles had been popped for the night. Before we left Corina’s house we vowed to come to Canelé soon for dinner. Must try the L.Preston with the lamb.
(The Awesome Bear spied near Cooper Union in New York last week.)
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Posted by Him on February 3, 2010
Today we are the “Featured Wine Personality” on Weekly Wine Journal. Read our interview here.
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Posted by Her on February 1, 2010
(photograph from CoolHunting, featuring artist Gonzalo Lebrija )
Last week we took part in several Art Los Angeles Contemporary events (see His entry yesterday). Like most of these festivals ALAC was not just about the art, there were also several fun and boozy parties. A highlight was a reception at RH bar in the Andaz Hotel on the Sunset Strip. The bar is cleverly named after the hotel’s old nickname: Riot Hyatt. Lots of rock stars have done rock starry things there over the years.
The RH party was for Guadalajara-based artist Gonzalo Lebrija who created a terrific, visually stunning project with Los Angeles Nomadic Division (LAND). Two of Lebrija’s films, collected under the title The Distance Between You and Me (2009), were played every four minutes on two hi-res Videotrons across the street and visible from the bar.
While lounging in the corner banquette amongst fancy art people (such eclectic choices of neckware and shoes), we sipped the specially created cocktail. It was very tasty and went down a bit too easy, a kind of Cuba Libre with rum, coke, soda water, and lime. We also got a few glimpses of the art. (This is the problem with openings…the work becomes secondary. But our gym is close by so we have since seen it several times. The piece is still running and well worth the treacherous traffic on Sunset to see.)
Our prime seat was near the door (it’s always fun to see who’s coming and going) and a table that had a couple of stacks of magazines on them. Expecting it to be some art periodical, I snagged one on the way out. Turns out it was the latest issue of Wine Spectator.
Today I finally got around to flipping through it’s pages. I was a subscriber to the magazine for several years when I was in the business, but haven’t looked at an issue in years. This is what I learned:
I’ve bought some really, really good wine (thank you for doing my shopping rationalizing for me). The Sine Qua Non mailing list has not let me down, according to WS. The latest offerings are on their “Spectator Selections” and “Collectible” lists. And I can wait until 2018 to drink them. Although I am very pleased my investment in “The 17th Nail In My Cranium” (that Manfred, such a quirky wine namer) is a 98 point wine, I’m not so keen on the mag’s choice to use a label graphic twice in the same issue. Lazy design.
Emril Lagasse is getting fat. I rarely watch the Food Network and I haven’t seen him in person in years, so Lagasse’s largess seems pretty dramatic. Getting to Mario Batali-sized. But probably doesn’t look as cute on a Vespa, though. (We had dinner next to Mario at Casa Mono in NYC last week…and the Vespa was parked out front, like a stage prop.) The chef’s physique does not stop WS from featuring his mug in a couple of it’s own ads.
“Minerality” is a controversial, but useful descriptor. The magazine first defends the term and then twenty-odd pages later declares it’s superiority in wine flavors. Senior Editor James Molesworth dedicates his column to the term: “In Defense of Minerality,” and in the “Value Diaries” feature Bruce Sanderson’s headline reads “Mining Elegance and Minerality.” Later, in a separate piece, Molesworth describes Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley as being “backed by fresh minerality.” I don’t disagree with Molesworth; I am a huge fan of the wet stone, flinty, loamy flavors (what I think of as minerality) in whites, especially those from the Loire, and in the more austere type of pinot noirs.
James Laube is indecisive and doesn’t play favorites. Unlike Molesworth’s more selective choices in his “Value Diaries” entry, Laube is all over the place. And frankly, I like this. When it comes to buying, anything and everything goes. Example: “I often hunt for Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Syrah or Rhône blends that include Syrah, Grenache or Mourvedre. For whites I’ll look mostly for Sauvignon Blanc, and Rhône blends that use Marsanne, Roussanne, or Viognier.” But not to leave the other varietals out, he goes on to mention Languedoc, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Spanish “reds and whites,” German Rieslings and Austrian whites. Bottom line: try almost everything.
WS has a crush on Rjat Parr. Senior Editor James Laube paraphrases Parr and gives his credentials: “wine director at RN74, Michael Mina’s hot new spot in San Francisco…” A few pages later fellow Senior Editor Molesworth quotes him in his “year in review” article, noting Parr is “wine director for the Michael Mina group of restaurants.” The funny thing about this one is that I really think every issue of WS I’ve casually browsed through or seriously read in the last dozen years quotes or features Parr. And I’m not saying he’s not qualified…he absolutely is. But so are many, many other people.
Parr is not alone in getting some love: WS has a crush on retailer Sherry Lehman. The mag quotes a store bigwig and/or quotes their prices in three different articles. This attention does not appear to be advertising driven, apparently because there weren’t any Sherry Lehman ads, but the president is pissed at The New York Times for starting it’s own wine club: “We’re a large advertiser in the Times, and they’ve decided to go into competition with us…We are not thoroughly pleased with this.” Ads in WS suddenly appear?
Speaking of advertising: Big brand wine ads suck. They are shockingly bad for what I assume is a pretty large budget. Cliché use of type, tacky drop shadows, messy layouts, use of an ubiquitous bottle shot: the similarities between the ads define them more than their differences. Fine stemware maker Reidel is equally terrible. A snobby, low-fi version of the Mad Men/007 vector graphic with some type thoughtlessly thrown on it. “Kerning” and “tracking” seem not to be words in the designer’s vocabulary.
I had a lot of fun perusing the issue (obvs). I’m not going to become a subscriber, but next time I’m back at the Riot Hyatt (which is likely to be soon), I’m stealing another copy.
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Posted by Him on January 31, 2010
James Welling photo courtesy of Dérive.
Last night we invited our friends D & M to join us for a trip to Regen Projects for the opening of the James Welling: Glass House exhibit. The place was architect-heavy (Greg Lynn was there) and so D & M (both architects) instantly ran into people they knew. Also, as it turns out, M designed the Regen Projects space, so of course M knew the owner. And She and M both knew Stacy, who is Regen’s assistant. It’s strange how small the second largest city in the United States can be.
Oh yeah, the show was great. We had two glasses of nondescript white wine in plastic cups and perused the very colorful images of Philip Johnson’s Glass House.
Leaving the opening, we were all hungry and had to decide somewhere to eat on a Saturday night with no reservation. Lou, The Hungry Cat, Lucques, AOC?
It was obvious that we wanted to eat some Suzanne Goin. I have never been to a Goin restaurant (except The Hungry Cat, which isn’t totally her) and have only eaten her food secondhand; meaning what we have cooked out of the book Sunday Suppers at Lucques. It’s almost a crime to live in LA and not eat at AOC or Lucques, so I was pushing for one of those.
We pulled up to Lucques and could see through the window that we were not going to get a seat here anytime soon. Off to AOC.
AOC was less full, but still busy, busy. We asked the host if there was any possibility of us getting a table for 4, or sitting at the bar. She informed us it would be almost impossible, but would be at least 50 minutes. (To be fair, it is ridiculous for us to think we are going to get 4 seats at AOC on a Saturday night without reservations.)
She decided that before we left to our third choice for dinner, She would use the restroom. And who does She see on the way to the restroom…her old dear friend Suzanne Goin. The hostess saw them hugging and I heard the maitre’d mutter “oh” under her breath and look back at her reservation list to see if there was anything she could do.
Suzanne came and introduced herself to D, M & I, and then spoke to the hostess (Suzanne also called Lucques herself to see if there was anyway for us to get in there. This woman might be the greatest restaurateur I have ever seen; calm, hospitable, sweet, very welcoming.)
Five minutes later we had a 4-top at AOC. We began with some bubbly and then the wine steward came over to introduce herself (at Suzanne’s bidding) and assist us with selecting our wine. We had:
Drink
- Lassalle Champagne (to begin)
- Bordeaux Superior (with dinner, recommended by the steward and very nice, but we both forgot the name. Think it starts with an “M”.)
- Tement Sauvignon Blanc (for dessert)
Food
- jamon serrano
- chicken liver crostini with pancetta
- little gems, dungeness crab, avocado and lime
- braised pork belly, kabocha purée and gremolata
- farro and black rice with pinenuts and currants
- arroz negro with squid and saffron aioli
- clams, sherry, chanterelles and garlic
- grilled quail (Sent out by Suzanne)
Dessert
- hooks blue
- tomme savoie
- l’abbaye
- warm pink lady apple crostata with caramel and vanilla ice cream
- banana choux à la crème with toffee and bittersweet chocolate
Everything was great; the food, the wine, the service. I want to go back very soon (can we get a reservation tonight?)
We didn’t take any pictures, but for a very comprehensive review with nice images, check out Kevin Eats (from whom we borrowed the pic above).
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Posted by Us on January 29, 2010
This week on Wine Web Wednesdays He wrote, “There are a lot of things I hate about Twitter…” but here is something We love about it: connecting with people like Erika Kerekes. We’ve been following her for a while on Twitter (and you should too) and were intrigued by a tweet she posted a couple of weeks ago:
Hell yeah, We do…
A few DM’s later and We got ourselves an invitation to a tasting at Pourtal, a wine bar we had been reading about in Santa Monica. Their by the glass program that involved a fancy “enomatic” machine that kept bottles fresh and allowed tasters to try rare, unusual, and expensive wines (along with more common, reasonably priced wines) by the ounce intrigued us. Dominus? By the glass. Oh yeah, we’re there.
Our date was set for Janurary 26th. It was a rather gloomy, rainy night but we braved the traffic from our lovely Silverlake pad to the Westside. We arrived a bit early and felt haggard from the drive, so it was very nice to walk into such an inviting, warm spot with a friendly host.
The bubbly demeanor of the bartender inspired us to have a glass of Champagne and a few snacks before Erika arrived. The Rare Wine Company’s “Le Mensil” Champagne was gorgeous and a rarity to see on a wine list. It paired incredibly well with the creamy, rich burrata and stuffed grape leaves we chose from their menu. The rich snacks complimented the yeasty yet refreshing wine.
Every time the door to Pourtal would swing open, we stared…was it Erika? Having only exchanged a few tweets and messages, we weren’t sure if we’d recognize her just from her avatar. It had been a couple of weeks since we had set the tasting date, and she admitted:
Luckily for us all, the place wasn’t too crowded, so when she arrived we took our last gulps of the tasty Le Mesnil and walked over to make our introductions (and exchange names). Erika is a delight and easy to talk to (which may explain why We did so much of it). We exchanged our backgrounds in food and wine and then got down to what we were there for: tasting wine.
The night’s theme was Zinology, consisting of a zinfandel, and, as the very knowledgeable wine steward Helena explained, two of their close “couzins:” primitivo and palvac mali. It would be an old world/new world slurping session matched with some house made treats. Helena guided through the tasting with a short spiel before each tasting.
Our new friend asked us, out of earshot of Helena, if We could tell if a wine “expert” was bullshitting. (Although Erika might not have used that term.) She replied “yes…usually I know at least something about what is being tasted or the region that I can tell when they are using the right or wrong language.” He admitted that He didn’t know enough about wine to know if they were bullshitting or not, “…but I can read bullshit pretty well.” She assured them both that Helena was right on the money and the bonus was that she presented the information in such a non-pretentious, friendly, and easy to understand way.
Our notes from the tasting are below. She had explained to Erika the rules We have been following when tasting: make note of the color, swirl the wine and take some deep sniffs, slurp, swallow, and savor…and no talking. Wait a few moments and then compare notes. In general we followed this method.
Plavac Mali, “Peljesac Peninsula,” Dingac Winery, 2007 (Croatia)
She said: Translucent around the edges, slight brown tinge. On the nose: licorice, tar, some kind of spice like allspice/nutmeg, and brambly earthy notes. Soft, medium tannins in the mouth. Earthiness but not many berry or other fruit flavors. Would not guess the wine was zinfandel related. Whole mouthfeel is soft and pleasant, uncomplicated. Paired with Cypress Hill goat cheese which was dried and slightly crystallized. Nice pairing. The cheese added richness to the wine. Found it amusing the front label declares in prominent type: “Quality Dry Red Wines.”
He said: Translucent and watery around the perimeter, no idea what color; it’s dark, and to repeat, I’m colorblind. Right away there is licorice on the nose, followed by baking bread, earth, and that smell you get when opening a bag of balloons. Very light bodied in the mouth and dirty, in a good way. Light to medium tannins. A little heat in the finish with a short aftertaste. Easy and uncomplicated, nice with the cheese. Wouldn’t necessarily serve it, but would definitely drink it.
Primitivo, “Rudiae,” Vigneti Reale, 2006 (Pulgia)
She said: Dark, purplish red. Nose reveals dark red berries, raspberries, cassis, tar, licorice. Definitely smelling more like a zinfandel. In the mouth there is a kind of heaviness on the palate. Hints of white pepper, medium high tannins. Flavors of cassis, dark fruits, prunes. The finish is hot and a bit sharp and acidic. Bottle reveals it is over 14% alcohol. Overall a very drinkable wine with some umpf. Matches surprisingly well with the spanakopita, but that’s probably because the spinach has been baked with so much butter and really nice not too salty feta. They make the cheese in house, we were told. Could have just a couple of hunks of it with the wine.
He said: Guess what? I don’t know the color, and didn’t note it so I may have not even tried. On the nose is black cherry, blackberry and what I think is some kind of creamy pastry; smells like Paris. Much more fruit than the previous wine. The nose gives no hint of the pepper and spice in the mouth. And, this will get you drunk: 14% alcohol. Hello. Light tannins and spice, spice, spice… I like it.
Zinfandel, “Clockspring,” Mountain View Vintners, 2006 (Amador County)
She said: Deep, opaque red purple color. Similar nose to the previous wine: cassis, tar, licorice, dark berries. Really big mouthfeel; a bit cloying and syrupy. Spice, pepper, root beer flavors. Medium to high tannin. Lingering finish of Cassis and licorice. A bit to big, rich, and candy like for my taste. Matched with a delicious pork belly sandwich that had hints of orange. Good pairing, again.
He said: No color again, get used to it. Cherry on the nose with light licorice. This wine is more elusive than the last one; but maybe that’s just because the last one got me kind of drunk. Maybe a little yeast on the nose here too. It’s very creamy in the mouth, like cream soda. And peppery, like Dr. Pepper. The pork belly sandwich was great. This was my least favorite of the night, but it was still good.
Sipping our last drops of wine, Helena brought out some small vials to test our smelling capabilities. For the first round we both got 3 of 4 right, but failed miserably on the second round; 0 of 4. The power of suggestion is just that: powerful. On the first round three of the scents had been mentioned at some point during our tasting. The second round consisted of smells that were nothing like the wines we tasted. It was challenging and very fun. Where do you buy those little vials of smell? We want some.
We all had a terrific, tasty time.
Thank you to Helena for being our educator for the evening. And thank you Pourtal: We loved it. Everyone was warm and welcoming (and it actually seemed sincere), both food and wine were tasty. We will be back; it’s a very good reason for us to venture to the Westside. Cheers.
And a special thanks to Erika for this invitation…and a promise for another one:
Our reply: Hell yeah. We’ll bring bottles.
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