10
Aug
2016
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Category: Uncorked Tonight
(December 23, 2015) ... I had no idea I would end up at Dave's place again, but my wife had a previous engagement and let me loose on Michigan once again - so whom do I call when this happens, Dave!
I know I did not mention the menu from the previous night, and all I can remember is Spadini (which were excellent) - this night Dave orders out to his favourite Middle Eastern joint (which was also excellent) ... but when we are together it really is all about the wine and here's what we opened and tried:
We started with another of my contributions, Baileyana 2014 Tierraslo Pinot Noir - Dave's a big Pinot-guy so I thought this might be a good place to start: cranberry notes with simple fruit, raspberry, and red currant; it's also quite juicy and smoky, and there's even a floral element that creeps in with time - there's no doubt in it's California origin.
Next up, Dave grabs a bottle of Sonho Lusitano 2010 Pedra Basta, which he has raved about to me in the past It's a Portuguese blend made up of 30% each Trincadeira / Aragonez / Alicante Bouchet and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a richness of dark fruit, gentle spice, white pepper, and layers of deliciousness ... it also has the honour of being the first bottle we finished (either night).
From there we move on to a wine that changed my outlook of Cline Cellars (whom I already adore for their take on Zinfandel): Cline 2013 Big Break Granache. 
This is the first year they made this wine commercially available (rumour has it they have made it in ultra-small batches previously); it's aged 12 months in 35% new French oak and boasts a robust 15.5% alcohol. Aromas were menthol, pine needles, smoky, meaty, spearmint, rosemary, herbal, floral (my turn to say "wow") - the palate follows with a spicy character, along with some coconut, Vics-Vapo-Rub (attributed to the high alcohol and pine needle aroma), and really sweet fruited yet balanced with notes of spicy, minty-menthol and meaty character ... tannins come across as silky-smooth ... in thirty minutes blueberry, raspberry and cherry are added to the mix and the alcohol has dissipated. This wine is complex and gorgeous and might just be the best bottle we have had together (but something tells me its not the last bottle we'll have together).
I was so impressed with the wine that I did a video review of it, check it out here.
10
Aug
2016
- Details
-
Category: Uncorked Tonight
(December 21, 2015) ... Many who follow my exploits know that I have a buddy in Michigan named Dave and that he is a big wine nut too (and a former wrestling manager) ... we usually meet at the wine store, where he spends some of his time, to discuss wine, and of course taste a few bottles, but today he invited me over for dinner - this was a real opportunity to see what Dave drinks at home.
It may have been the latter part of December but Dave sure knows how to make one feel welcome. Usually it's a bubbly I start a dinner off with but Dave pulls out one of his favourite roses: Domaine Saint Andre de Figuiere 2014 Premiere - a lively citrus, number with strawberry pith and fresh lime notes to follow on the finish - it truly is a delightful beginning to the evening ... we sipped and chatted waiting for Dave's wife to come home to join us for dinner.
Upon her arrival, she is poured a small glass of the rose which she finishes quickly - she obviously wants to catch up on what is to be poured next - Dave and I open one of the bottles brought: Malivoire 2009 Gamay M2 (the other was a Stratus 2012 Tollgate, which Dave saved for his own enjoyment) ... Dave exclaims, "Wow" as the Gamay truly impresses at five years of age: earthy / leathery nose but that dissipates to reveal a myriad of lovely red fruit: raspberry, strawberry and floral, still lively and lovely with bright clean acidity on the finish.
The rest of the evening is Dave's selections from his cellar and he kicks off dinner wines with a 2011 Ripasso (Corte Forte) from Podere Bertarole; this wine shows leather and burnt cherry as its first offering, before moving into spiced plum, raspberry compote and toasted pomegranate seeds. A real interesting wine to say the least.
Dave continues the Italian theme with a Martina 2006 Brunello di Montalcino; still quite young but with a touch of VA - but that 
blow off with a little time in glass -revealing cassis and black / sour cherry notes; plus some dried black fruit and spice ... the longer it sat in glass the balance between fruit and leather began to emerge and when finally we decided to move on from the Brunello we were finding both aromas and flavours like leather, fig, plum, smoke and toasty oak all well layered and pleasantly sippable - but there's more wine to try and we leave this one behind.
For dessert Dave pulls out an Trabucchi 1998 Amarone which is loaded with VA plus black cherry and spiced and peppered plums; it 
opens rather quickly and was a good wine but not anything great; the Brunello was the better of the two Italian icon styles.
It's at this point in the evening (or so I am told) that Dave pulls out a really big glass and creates his "Dave-o-tage", which consists of a mixture of the Italian wines we have tried this evening ... it's okay, but then I spy there is still some wine left in the bottle of Gamay and I add a hint of "Mike-o-Rama" to the glass; turning this experiment into dried fruits with lovely Gamay brightness ... Not a bad blend - we tried it before and after the addition of the Gamay - it added lift to the fruit and an element of freshness.
There's also a night two: check it out here.
