The Wineauxs

Beaujolais Nouveau 2011

2011-11-17T13:09:00.003-06:00

Coming out of hiatus for a very brief post seeing as today is the release of 2011's Beaujolais Nouveaus.

Don't do it.

That's my advice.

Instead, poke around a wine shop and ask for a Beaujolais Cru. The label will likely say something like Morgon, Fleurie, or Moulin-à-Vent on the front. French wine labels are tricky to navigate, so don't be afraid to ask for help.

A quick search shows some 2009 (a great vintage) bottles of said wines going for the same price as many 2011 Nouveaus.

Back on hiatus.

Hiatus

2011-09-29T10:01:00.002-05:00

And with that....

It's been a pleasure doing the blog for the past five years, and I'm not necessarily quitting, just going on hiatus for a while.

N/V M Lawrene Sex Batch #79

2011-09-27T16:56:00.000-05:00

So many cheap jokes with this wine, I'm just going to leave it be.

Watermelon Jolly Rancher on the nose.

Peach, strawberry, watermelon, a touch of sugar, but balanced.

Almost a toasty quality, like ever so lightly toasted white bread with a bit more of that watermelon candy thing on the finish.

At $15 a bottle, I have no objections.

Score: 87

2009 Velvet Devil Merlot

2011-09-25T16:55:00.000-05:00

This goes for about $12 retail and as you can see, is a rather eye catching label.

Straight up dark chocolate on the nose - usually I see chocolate covered something or another, but this is just chocolate.

More chocolate on the palate, but some cherry notes come through as well. Big, fruity, a touch sweet, not much for tannins, reasonable enough acid, but overall quite jammy.

Some more interesting things come through on the finish - more chocolate and cherry, but blueberry presents itself as well as some vanilla.

A gateway wine for the Yellow Tail lover in your life. If you're having a big party, this is worth serving, pair it with ribs or burgers and you're good to go - jammy and quaffable, but there's something in the background that tells you there's more than meets the eye.

Score: 85

2008 Joel Gott Amador County Dillian Ranch Zinfandel

2011-09-22T17:02:00.000-05:00

The question I ask you is, who is Joel Gott? Something with railroads, yes? Wait that's John. He also spells and pronounces his name differently. I wonder if he's related to Joel Gott? Costco - $20 - Zinfandel - alright.

I hate alliteration, but I'll be damned if there isn't some Port poached peaches on the nose, Strawberry in a Starburst kinda way, or maybe it's cherry in a Skittles kinda way?

The palate brings cherry licorice, plum, vanilla, very nice acid, good tannic backbone

The finish brings more of the same - mildly sweet cherry licorice with a sweet tobacco kind of thing.

I quite dig this - I must start buying more Zin.

Score: 89

N/V Jean Farris Marito White

2011-09-20T16:44:00.001-05:00

This $14 bottle is a blend of Seyval Blanc, Viognier, and Chardonnay. This is our first review of wine from Jean Farris Winery located in Lexington, Kentucky. We liked this place so much on our trip to Florida, we went a couple hours out of the way on the way home to stop, pick up some wine, and have brunch at the winery's restaurant.

White grapefruit, lime, and slate on the nose.

More of all that on the palate - white grapefruit, lime, slate, along with some orange zest and lemon qualities. Quite dry, well balanced acid, not terribly complex, but certainly rather tasty.

A short finish with soft grapefruit notes dominating.

A solid summer wine, good perhaps for people who like Sauvignon Blanc, and worth checking out.

Score: 87

N/V M Lawrence Green

2011-09-14T16:12:00.002-05:00

This is a new, limited offering from M Lawrence - it's called Green because the bottles are reused (actually reused/washed/sanitized - not recycled) and because it's their spin on vinho verde....the grape is cayuga, which is a green grape as well. How green! Retail is fifteen bones.

A clean nose, kinda grapey...

Light overall - apples, grapes, loads of acid, quite dry overall to my palate.

Some lime, lemon, and slate lingers on the finish along with a green apple candy thing way on the back.

It's a solid wine, but it's certainly in a distinct style. Great for the remaing summer heat - light, crisp, dangerously drinkable, and well priced, no complaints!

Score: 86

2009 The Pinot Project

2011-09-09T15:53:00.002-05:00

This one has been getting some good press and at $12, I decided to take a stab at a bottle. From what I understand, this is one of those negociant deals where the winemakers bought some cheap grapes that were good enough to make wine out of...let's see.

Raspberry jam on the nose.

Raspberry jam on the palate - very soft, very simple, nothing here would suggest Pinot Noir. At the same time, it's not exactly bad, it's not sweet or anything like that, just sort of one dimensional.

You guessed it, raspberry jam on the rather short finish.

Not bad as an adult beverage to go with a random dinner...somewhat one dimensional and dull. Sad to say, this is not the miracle Pinot Noir you are probably looking for.

Score: 80

2006 Jean Farris Syrah

2011-09-03T15:42:00.002-05:00

Kentucky wine - grapes produced with the help of the cold Kentucky Rain, best served with a side of polk salad, which looks something like a turnip green. Now, that's polk. dun. Salad. dun dun. What was I saying? Oh yes. We visited Jean Farris a few months ago, loved it, and bought a random selection of wine - this one is new to us.

A funky nose...odd, garbagey, chocolatey, strange.

Not as funky on the palate - loads of chocolate, a bit of black pepper, mostly cherry, but certainly a black cherry covered in dark chocolate sorta thing. Not much for noticeable oaky qualities beyond some mild vanilla in there, with nice acid and tannic structure.

Blueberry comes through on the finish, as well as blackberry, some more cherry, a mild implication of mint, maybe a spring of eucalyptus for good measure.

$25 ain't cheap, but this certainly doesn't offend even at that pricepoint especially when you consider the oddball region. Well played...more Jean Farris in the coming months, wines we've tried before buying, that should prove stronger than this.

Score: 88

2010 Kirkland Signature Pinot Grigio Friuli, Italy

2011-08-29T20:12:00.000-05:00

A seven dollar house label Pinot Grigio - how good can this be?

Apple and pear on the nose.

Excellent balance, solid acid, vanilla, pear, and a bit of peach.

More vanilla and pear on the finish.

Good Pinot Grigio is hard to find and pricey. Cheap ones tend to be flabby and dull - this one isn't great, but it's not flawed like one would expect from one of the level. Well done, Costco.

Score: 86

N/V Jean Farris Rose

2011-08-25T16:58:00.002-05:00

Jean Farris...a winery on the outskirts middle of Lexington, Kentucky that grows most of its own grapes. Sounds like it could go really wrong, doesn't it? Read on about this $20 bottle.

This is one of those roses that needs time to open - seriously, give it an hour in the glass or maybe run it through a Vinturi or something.

Watermelon Jolly Rancher with some strawberry notes as well...kind of a candied strawberry, like the filling of a cake from the local Jewels.

This is literally like a liquid watermelon Jolly Rancher. A bit sweet, quite tangy, fairly heavy bodied...I can see this being fairly polarizing, but put me firmly in the pro camp. There's more strawberry on the palate as well, along with some apricot and nectarine, and thrown together with a pinch of black tea.

Yep, more of that watermelon Jolly Rancher thing along with some stone fruit, a dash of nectarine (real), and peach (Jolly Rancher) bring some interesting depth on the absurdly long finish.

This is a distinct style. You may hate it and I totally get why you would...but some wines are so absurd, so distinct, and so undeniably well done, that you have to give them love.

Score: 93

2010 Charles and Charles Rose

2011-08-22T20:09:00.000-05:00

It seems like we've had this before, but I see no review of it on this blog...I think it was a Ravinia pick. This one ran me eleven bones.

Strawberry jam on the nose.

A bit spicy...nice acidic backbone, tart cherry, raspberry, and peach tea...a very nice balance with fruit and spice blending together.

A peach tea sorta thing, perhaps even a fuzzy navel quality.

I've found straight up Syrah rose to be iffy....this one works nicely. For a hot weather quaffer, this works.

Score: 87

2010 Old Shore Vineyards Turkey Nest Pinot Gris

2011-08-18T16:52:00.001-05:00

This bottles retails for $18, but the winery produces only a limited number of bottles, so you pretty much have to buy direct from their website.

A mild grapefruit thing with some interesting gasoline sorta notes. I hate when Americans use the word petrol.

Dry, light, orange blossom, peach fuzz, grapefruit zest, well integrated acid, almost a bit of rose...it's a fairly floral wine really, but not in a perfumey sort of way. Don't ask me to explain it.

The finish starts with pink grapefruit, then fades to white, then fades further to zest. It's a finish and a half really - quite lengthy and pleasant.

This wine makes me crave oysters....a very nice bottle to be sure, perfect for the summer, but dangerous in its easy drinkability.

Score: 89

2009 Torbreck Barossa Valley Woodcutter's Shiraz

2011-08-15T20:03:00.000-05:00

There is a restaurant we frequent and this bottle frequently calls my name from the wine list, I decided to have it at home for it's $22 retail instead of the marked up list price. I respect Torbreck, we need to drink their stuff more often.

Cherries on the nose.

Quite big - not over the top ridiculous, but big nonetheless - cherries, vanilla, a little bit of oak but mostly fruity with some mocha and even some bell pepper qualities.

Plummy, peachy, cherry-y....a big finish with all sorts of stone fruit without any burn.

Can't knock it, but I'm also not knocking over old ladies to grab another bottle.

Score: 86

N/V G.H. Mumm Brut Rose

2011-08-08T19:56:00.001-05:00

This retails for $62. I paid substantially less due to a post-Valentine's Day sale...I guess the local store though a ton of people who be springing for the $60 Mumm Brut Rose instead of the $15 Mumm Napa Brut Rose.

A bit of peach, some strawberry, and a touch of vanilla on the nose.

A bit of pink grapefruit, some nectarine, a nice burst of toast...kinda like a piece of very light rye toast with some sort of grapefruit marmalade. Crisp, dry, and fairly full bodied on the palate.

The grapefruit quality lingers for some time.

Certainly quite good, especially for a a grapefruit fan, but I can't get behind recommending it at the price.

Score: 89

2010 Nine Walks Sauvignon Blanc

2011-08-05T16:49:00.002-05:00

This bottle is what we call an industry sample - in the interest of full disclosure I need to tell you this bottle was comped. It was still tasted in the same rigorous way as all wines we taste here - semi-blind without a care of hurt feelings or broken relationships, this is a blog after all. That said, this retails for $11

Classic New Zealand SB nose - grassy and grapefruity with a bit of vanilla bean.

While the whole grapefruit and grass thing is there, there's also some great tangerine notes, vanilla, well balanced acid and I'm going to say there's a dash of sugar or two, but it all works together nicely.

White cherry in a Slurpee kinda way on the finish, with orange blossom, grapefruit zest, and a bit of rose.

On par, if not better, than most $10 New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs I've had. This one is certainly worthy of being put in your rotation.

Score: 88

2008 Napa Cellars Sauvignon Blanc

2011-08-02T19:54:00.001-05:00

This is a tough wine to gauge the price...it's the kinda wine that seems to retail for $16ish, but it's always on sale for $10-13, so basically, if you're interested, shop around.

Zest...lime zest, perhaps lemon zest....a zesty nose.

Grapefruit dominates, mostly white grapefruit implying more acid and tartness than sugar, along with some green apple qualities. Not sweet, but not over the top in its acidity.

Grapefruit on the finish that fades quickly.

Not bad, but I guess not really my style - I tend to prefer the cheap New Zealand SBs. If you found it cheap, you could do worse, but you could also certainly do better.

Score: 84

2006 Raymond R Collection Cabernet Sauvignon

2011-07-30T19:52:00.000-05:00

I loved the 2003 of this wine, so when I saw the 2006 the other day, I snagged a bottle without hesitation at about $18.

Licorice - black and red - on the nose.

More of that licorice - mostly cherry - mixed with some vanilla and blueberry. Smooth tannins, good acid, some sweet oak and mild tobacco, and some brown spice as it opens - well played.

The finish brings brown baking spice plus some chocolatey notes, along with black cherry.

Solid. The regular "Raymond" label Cabs tends to be very smooth, this has a little bit of an edge, some 'bite' if you will, that while perhaps suggests a less well crafted wine, I think makes a more interesting one.

Score: 91

2006 Iron Horse Fairy Tale Celebration Cuvee

2011-07-26T16:46:00.002-05:00

The way I saw it, if I was going to spend money on a souvenir I might as well get something I really want - here we are, a sparkling wine exclusively available at Disney properties, prices vary on where you're buying it, but the Boardwalk Resort gift shop was charging $35.

Grapefruit and green apple on the nose.

Mostly grapefruit to me, a bit of caraway, solid acid, a bit of golden apple, some orange and I know this sounds odd but I get a honey sort of taste, but I'd still call this wine bone dry.

Spiced apple, sort of like pie filling, on the end, and an interesting orange, almost baked orange sorta thing on the finish - once again though, this is quite dry.

An excellent wine - Iron Horse typically delivers and at $35, I have no gripes. If you can't find it at a shop, some of the restaurant wine lists put it at about $65 - I'd snag it.

Score: 91

2008 Kanonkop Pinotage

2011-07-23T19:51:00.002-05:00

We don't drink much South African wine...we don't drink much Pinotage, I decided to splurge on a reputable one.

A thick blackberry syrup kinda nose along with that famous burnt rubber smell - I drank this blind and the nose gave it away.

Interesting...a unique wine, more of that blackberry syrup on the palate, not much oak or tannin, but loads of acid, stone fruit, peachy, plummy, that whole thing, all with some chocolatey notes as well....

You guessed it, blackberry on the finish, as it fades some spicy qualities - mint, mostly - lingers. Not bad.

An interesting wine. Retail out here was $32, so that's certainly nothing to sneeze at, but if you want to try a nice version of this varietal, it may be worth your while.

Score: 89

Mobile friendly

2011-07-21T15:36:00.002-05:00

The Wineauxs is now mobile device friendly.

Just point your browser to http://thewineauxs.blogspot.com and a version of the site enhanced for mobile devices will automatically load. As far as I can tell you can't search the blog easily from this, but you can just scroll down and revert to the traditional site and pull it up that way.

Not too shabby if I do say so.

2007 Napa Cellars Zinfandel

2011-07-16T19:48:00.001-05:00

This goes for $15. This may be an unfair thing to say but I view this as a grocery store sorta wine...I don't know if I've seen it at an actual wine shop, it's more like the middle to top shelf of the local large chains. That's not a criticism, more giving you an idea of where to find it.

Black cherry, chocolate...actually, quite a bit of chocolate and some coffee as well for a nice mocha nose.

Fruit forward, but enough depth to not be fruit bomby....cherry and blueberry for the most part, but some stone fruit comes through along with a bit of very mild green spice.

Almost some Dr. Pepper like qualities on the finish along with peaches, like the red peach flesh around the pit.

Not too shabby....not shabby at all. Approachable and balanced enough that I'd have no qualms serving this at some sort of BBQ this summer.

Score: 87

2006 L Mawby Sandpainting

2011-07-09T19:47:00.001-05:00

This is a special release from L Mawby, I don't think it's necessarily an exclusive to their wine club but at only 500 bottles or so it's certainly one of their more limited releases.

Caramel on the nose - an interesting thing I sometimes read about but never actually get. It's not necessarily sweet smelling, but it's distinctly caramel. Beyond that a bit of pear.

Caramel apple on the finish, straight up red apple dipped in caramel sans peanuts...very interesting. A bit of limeade thrown in, but overall a rich, complex mouthfeel.

A second big fat burst of that caramel dipped red apple on the finish with some peach skins, and a bit of grapefruit linger for some time on the finish.

This I like...a lot. The "Sandpainting" line is going to be limited release offerings and this first one is a great start.

Score: 92

2008 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville

2011-07-02T19:45:00.000-05:00

I was stocking up on some spirits and needed to get to six bottles to get a discount....this caught my eye as a reputable producer I had never tried, so I snagged a bottle for $22

Black cherry on the nose. All black cherry really.

Black cherry on the palate along with some vanilla and plum notes. Little depth, little acid, little backbone, little of interest.

Black cherry on the finish.

A bit simple...it's not awful, just dull. It's the sort of wine I'd deglaze a pan with - it's tasty enough and I wouldn't feel like I'm wasting something great.

Score: 85

2010 Chateau Bonnet Bordeaux Rose

2011-06-28T16:14:00.000-05:00

French rose at Costco for nine bucks - I'm game.

Watermelon rind, pink grapefruit, and cinnamon on the nose.

Watermelon rind, pink grapefruit, and cinnamon the palate.

Watermelon rind, pink grapefruit, and cinnamon on the finish.

Do you like watermelon rind, pink grapefruit, and cinnamon? If so, you may like this wine. It's tough to get too serious about a standard cheap rose, but that said, it's more than tasty enough to snag a bunch and get a party going, get a party going, because it's time to party, and you will party hard.

Wow, the song I just referenced is 10 years old. Getting old sucks.

Score: 86

N/V Korbel Organic Sparkling Wine

2011-06-25T19:42:00.000-05:00

I can't say I've read much about this wine, but I found it on sale. Regular retail on this is about $17 which is considerably pricier than standard Korbel. How does it fare to the regular, rather mediocre stuff?

I get some marzipan on the nose - something I don't see often, almond, orange, sugar - I dig it.

Right off the bat, this is easiest the best Korbel product I've had - orange marmalade, toast, rye. Dry overall and a not over the top, though somewhat thick mouthfeel.

Red apple and orange oranges on the finish.

Seventeen bones is asking a bit much, there are better wines at this pricepoint to be sure, but this really isn't bad at all. Depending on how important the organic this is to you, this may be a worthy product to look into.

Score: 87

Next Restaurant - Chicago, IL - 6/22/11

2011-06-23T19:09:00.024-05:00

Hype is a tricky thing....

Before Next even opened there was tons of hype. I signed up to their e-mail list almost a year before they opened. A year.

The five star reviews that followed (written by professional reviewers whose anonymity were compromised so they were served courses regular folks will never get to try - our cab driver had an elaborate conspiracy theory about this, I won't repeat it in case he's right) kept the hype snowballing.

The fact that the only way to secure a reservation in advance is log into their website in a magical ten second window where tickets have not been all bought up also adds to the allure. The restaurant would release something like fifty tables at once and they'd be gone in under thirty seconds. Insanity.

Is the Paris 1906 version of Next worth the hype? How could it?

Well...

We start with Hors d'Ouevres. This was paired with Vincent Carre Brut Champagne.

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From here out, you get a picture of the wine first, then the food it's paired with....

An interesting French white that smelled like sherry and tasted like a super light white sherry...or maybe a glass of some miscellaneous white wine with a spike of sherry? It was interesting in an academic way.

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This went with the Potage a la Tortue Claire....Before:

After:

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I'd like to make a brief digression from talking about Next to make a formal request to people who dine in restaurants, go to wine tastings, attend performing arts events, ride public transportation, or work in a small office. Go easy on the perfume.

The woman next to us had a lovely perfume, I actually really liked it - I just wish she didn't feel compelled to squirt herself 19 times before walking in the building. To put a positive spin on it, since my jacket is still infused with her scent I can bring it to Nordstrom and ask a shopgirl what it is - get the Christmas gift for the wife done early.

I digress.

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Next course -

Paired with Filet de Sole Daumont

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Paired with Supremes de Poussin.

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Paired with Gratin de Pommes de Terre à la Dauphinoise

and Caneton Rouennais a la Presse

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The palate cleanser was the Salade Irma (no wine with this) -

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Served with the Bombe Ceylan:

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Ending the meal with the Mignardises...a caramel, a pistachio marshmallow thing, and the most interesting one on top - beet flavored jellies.

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I have little to say because a quick google search and you'll find countless reviews written by people more knowledgeable and eloquent than I'd ever crank out. The chicken was a bit of a miss (purely a "to my taste" situation rather than a poor execution).

Dinner *seemed* incredibly rushed and quick, but we were still there for close to three hours, so it was anything but. Service was outstanding in every regard - friendly with great introductions to the food and wine, a few jokes here and there, all relaxed yet professional.

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We took in a few drinks at The Aviary next door as well....

An amuse bouche of watermelon infused with something or another.

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The Blueberry -

You can see the spout there, you pour it in your small glass....tasty, dangerously smooth.

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This is the after of the Ginger drink...

This guy got a "before" of the Ginger, so you can check that.--

The Dark and Stormy...classy! You drink this from a bottle in a paper bag, if memory serves it's dark rum and homemade ginger ale.

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I also had an Old Fashioned encased in a ball of ice that was then smashed at the table...didn't get a photo, but this guy did. It was encased in a ball of ice that the serve smashes - the drink explodes, the liquid fills the glass, and the shards of "glass" are your ice. Pretty sweet.

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The drinks are tasty, creative, and beautifully presented. They are also quite expensive - though really, it's not that unusual to see a $12 martini in any given Chicago restaurant - so it may be worth popping in and trying something genuinely unique if you're looking for a fancy night out.

Update 10/13/11 - Upon visiting The Aviary again last night, I've redacted my comments about poor service. Great, friendly staff all around.

2009 Lynfred Winery Pinot Noir

2011-06-18T19:40:00.001-05:00

To those not in the know, Lynfred Winery is located in Roselle, Illinois - a suburb of Chicago - they do not have vineyards, but get grapes from various places....Michigan, Washington, California are all represented, I think Illinois and Oregon are as well. My understanding of the process is they have contracts with vineyards, get the grapes shipped in immediately after they are picked, and then the wine is made at the winery itself.

This is an "American" Pinot Noir, I believe the grapes are from Washington, and the retail is about eighteen bones. This is a newish label, it seems some of the newer wines have it, and if I may say so - I find it to be an improvement over the (already nice) older style. Kudos to the graphic department!

Earth, mocha, chocolate, and carob on the nose with an undercurrent of raspberry.

Raspberry tea, dark (like ultra mega 94% dark) chocolate, mocha, super ripe plum and blackberry.

Almost a green tea like finish with more of that mocha.

Simply put, most under $20 Pinot Noirs aren't worth your time, but I'd say this one is. Nicely played.

Score: 88

2009 White Cottage Ranch Elene Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon

2011-06-11T19:37:00.002-05:00

About fourteen bucks at Costco, this one was. It was the only rose they seemed to carry, hopefully that will change soon.

Watermelon of the natural and artificial sort on the nose.

More or less standard in the whole strawberry and watermelon thing, but it has a full bodied mouth feel almost oily in consistency....there is a type of candy that comes in a tube and has the consistency, more or less, as gel toothpaste - imagine sour watermelon gel candy in wine form - here you are. There's a bit more sweetness than I prefer in a rose, but the acid and that full bodied feel bring it all together into a sort of harmony.

A candy quality lingers.

I want to clarify - I keep using "candy" terms but this is not a blush wine by any means, it's a solid rose, firmly acidic, mildly tannic, full bodied, complex, but with a candy - a sour candy - dominating component. I can see some not caring for this....for me, it works.

Score: 89

Le Deauville - Lexington, KY - 5/28/11

2011-06-08T22:05:00.004-05:00

Lexington has a few classy places in the hip area near Transylvania University. We opted for Le Deauville because the online menu looked intriguing...the online menu is quite different than the actual one, but that's not terribly unusual. We went with a five course chef's tasting and the waiter was able to whip up a wine pairing as well.

As you can see, the restaurant got progressively darker, so image quality gets a bit iffy.

As I said, the online menu is different, so my descriptions will be lacking...

Mixed salad with poached egg. While I officially still hate eggs, things like this are helping me come around - not bad at all.

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Tuna tartare with avocado. To me, this was great - Fran found the lime a bit too forward which threw it off...I liked the hint of ceviche quality it added to the dish.

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Rack of lamb. I hate to oversell things, I hate to say "this is the best X I've ever had" (especially since the best fish I've ever had was consumed just a few days earlier) but I'm just going to come right out and say, this is the best lamb I've ever had. Ever. Anywhere. Lexington, Kentucky. Best lamb ever. We will likely be visiting this area again later this summer, I'm coming back to this restaurant exclusively for this dish.

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Sea bass with a roasted tomato, potato, and something or another. Not a big fish fan, but this was solid...I'd also say it was oddly coursed after the lamb, but the flavors were quite bold, so it held up fine.

Creme brulee for me.

Chocolate mousse for Fran.

Flat out outstanding and with five courses, five wine pours, tax, and tip at just over $200, a genuine bargain. I look forward to returning.

Ravenous Pig - Orlando, FL - 5/27/11

2011-06-08T21:58:00.002-05:00

One of the chef's at Victoria and Albert's strongly recommended we visit The Ravenous Pig at some point, so on the way out of town we hit it up for lunch.

Ravenous Pig Old Fashioned
Bacon infused Buffalo Trace, vanilla maple syrup, bitters

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Lobster Taco
cilantro, avocado, pickled jalapeno, cabbage slaw

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Steak Torta
charred corn & avocado relish, wilted spinach, white cheddar omlette, garlic aioli, cuban kaiser

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Smoked Pork
barbeque gastrique, crispy pickled vegetables, garlic buttered brioche bun

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The biggest regret of the trip was coming here for lunch on our last day - we should have showed up the night we arrived in town and had dinner. Outstanding service, food, drinks, fair prices, quality everything - if you're going to Orlando and you like food, this is #1.

Le Cellier - Epcot Center, Orlando, FL - 5/26/11

2011-06-07T19:43:00.004-05:00

If you believe the interweb, you likely think a reservation at Le Cellier is next to impossible to get - this is untrue. The Disney site allows you to make reservations 180 days in advance - if you try to make a reservation 180 days in advance at Le Cellier, then yes, you probably will find that it's booked. All you need to do is check every couple of days and invariably someone will cancel their reservation. When I first started looking at this place, it was completely booked - three weeks later I had four times available on the night I wanted.

The pretzel bread gets much love, and rightfully so....

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The beer cheese soup is excellent, but absurd for one person...potentially absurd for two people...hell, it's absurd for three people. It's thick, it's heavy, it's delicious, but don't expect to have much room, which is a shame since...

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Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon with wild mushroom risotto, white truffle butter sauce and micro chervil. This is apparently the restaurant's signature dish and rightfully so.

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Bison strip steak...tasty, but paled in comparison to the filet.

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There you go. On the one hand, a good steak can be had almost anywhere, on the other, sometimes that's what you want. If that's the case, this place is solid. A nice wine list, with plenty of Canadian selections, is gravy on the poutine - I generally don't recommend steak places, but when they're done right, how can one not?

Chefs de France - Epcot Center, Orlando, FL - 5/26/11

2011-06-07T19:35:00.004-05:00

The day after dinner at Bistro, we stopped for lunch at Chefs de France. We had the pleasure of meeting the head chef of the restaurant, the world famous Remy stopped by our table twice. He is a gentleman and a scholar.

But, I digress.

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The whole pate plate thing - very good, with duck liver as the highlight.

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Filet de Saumon - Broiled salmon - but the menu online is not up to date so I can't give you much more beyond that...

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Plat de Cote de boeuf au cabernet avec pates - beef short ribs briased in cabernet with pasta, pearl onions and mushrooms

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A nicely done lunch. While there is a burger on the menu, I was surprised by how French this place was - unapologetic, bistro food that is probably the most adventurous food some of the people in the place have probably ever encountered.

Kudos to the France pavilion for keeping it real.

Bistro de Paris - Epcot Center, Orlando, FL - 5/25/11

2011-06-07T19:25:00.004-05:00

In the Paris portion of Epcot, there are two restaurants - Bistro de Paris is the upper level, white table cloth restaurant, a bit more formal, a bit more high end, a bit more "French restaurant" - I would go as far as to say "shockingly French."

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The amuse bouche featured fish....sadly, that's all I can remember.

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Escargot - crazy sized portion, I'd say about 12 snails in a thicky, creamy sauce. Delicious, but huge.

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Venison medallions roasted, caramelized apple with cranberries, celery purée and patty pan squash, Grand Veneur sauce

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Pork tenderlon stuffed with mushrooms, truffles pasta gratin, morel sauce

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There you go. A solid meal by any standards - this is straight up, old school French though the portions suggest a German influence. The food and wine list make no apologies - this is a solid, French restaurant on par with what you should expect in any major metropolitan area. Not a cheap dinner, but a well crafted one, and certainly a value for the quality. Service was top notch, friendly, and not at all stuffy.

If Victoria and Albert's is out of your price range and you need a special occasion meal - hit this place up.

Victoria and Albert's Chef's Table - Grand Floridian Resort, Orlando, FL - 5/24/11

2011-06-03T16:18:00.006-05:00

There are more difficult reservations to get than the chef's table at Victoria and Albert's, but one does have to plan far in advance if there is interest. I called in January 3 and asked "what is the earliest reservation I can make for the chef's table?" I was told May 24. Here you are. The reason why the chef's table is tough to get is because there is only one table and one seating - 5 pm - and that's it for the night.

The restaurant itself is not a terribly difficult reservation, they have a standard dining room with one menu and the Queen Victoria's Room which features the chef's table menu. It's all tasting menu based and they will certainly work with you based on allergies and dietary restrictions.

This is the only restaurant on Disney property that does not allow small children and a jacket is required for men. I had some reservations at first, but rest assured this is true fine dining, not Disney fine dining. (Though, one could argue that fine dining is inherently Disney dining, but that is an argument for another day.)

Amuse bouche - featuring:

Soft-poached Quail Egg with Galilee Caviar

Roasted Butternut Squash Cream Soup

Lobster Panna Cotta

Burrata Alla Panna with Jamon Ibrerico

Maine Lobster and Mango with White Sturgeon Caviar and Passion Fruit Pearls. All exceptional, the passion fruit pearls were basically caviar sized balls of passion fruit that exploded with flavor - unfrickinbelievably good.

A bit of dry ice on the next one....when the smoke cleared....

Cold "Smoked" Niman Ranch Lamb with Fuji Apple and Curry Dressing.

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Sake Soy-marinated Alaskan King Salmon with Bok Choy and Soy Beans. I hate to make bold declarations on here, but this is the single best fish I have ever eaten. Seriously. It may be the best dish of food I've ever eaten. Insanely delicious and intense - worth the price of admission alone.

Roasted Quail with Asian Pears and Serrano Ham Jus

I mentioned earlier there are two dining rooms, but we had the Chef's Table - tucked away in the corner of the kitchen. You're right in the middle of it, the chef's seem friendly enough, but we are admittedly not the most talkative people on the planet so we let them be until the end of the meal when we chatted with a chef from Chicago....I digress....

Veal Sweatbread and Shank with Mushroom Ragout.

Australian Kobe Beef with Garlic Potato Puree. I am not a big believer in the Wagyu/Kobe beef thing...yeah, it's tender, but by it's nature, it's not terribly "meaty" in flavor - when you have a good sauce, as we have here, one can become a convert.

Cheese plate...unfortunately, our souvenir menu is inaccurate on this one, so I can give you no details beyond the cheeses were excellent, served at the right temperature and with excellent accompaniments.

This funky contraption was our coffee pot...don't ask me how it worked....it seems the burner at the bottom heated the water, and after it was blown out something happened that made the coffee steep. Damn good coffee - and hot!

Orange Panna Cotta with Chartreuse-Pineapple Sorbet.

Mocha Scented Tanzanie Chocolate Mousse Timbale and Chocolate Cocktail.

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There you go.

Victoria and Albert's is not a cheap meal - it is fine dining, tasting menu, wine pairing, fancy pants, pricey. It is also the real deal - old school fine dining in the truest sense, no molecular weirdness, just straight up top quality ingredients, top quality chefs, top quality platings, top quality service, top quality everything basically.

Hollywood Brown Derby - Hollywood Studios, Orlando, FL - 5/23/11

2011-05-30T14:51:00.006-05:00

Alright, Hollywood Brown Derby - this is one of the more, if not the most, sedate places to eat at Hollywood Studios.

Started with a "Champagne" flight consisting of one Champagne and a sparkler from Italy and the US.

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An outstanding crab cake.

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Tuna tartare with lotus root chips and microgreens.

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Poached duck Magret wrapped in Swiss chard, Mushroom vegetable couscous and a crispy let confit spring roll with a spicy onion jam. Not sure if it was this particular duck or if it's standard Magret, but the duck was quite gamey...I liked it, but I can see it being offputting to some.

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Char grilled filet of beef - over white truffle whipped potatoes, mushroom ragout and red wine reduction. Nicely done. The picture doesn't look too appetizing - it looked better in person.

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The famous grapefruit cake - the citrus was mild enough that if you don't like grapefruit it's worth a shot, but it's not so weak that you don't know what it is. I dug it.

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If you are in a hurry, this may not be the place for you. They definitely are trying to be a 'nice restaurant' not just a 'nice theme park restaurant' - dinner took about two hours, which is fine for a standalone place, but in a theme park, I could see some people expected things to be a bit speedier.

If you've been to Chicago, you may have encountered a restaurant called Wildfire. I would compare this place in almost all respects to it - quality of food, service, pricepoint, even the feel of the room.

Tony's Town Square - Magic Kingdom, Orlando, FL - 5/23/11

2011-05-30T10:33:00.006-05:00

If you're interested in having something that's not an all you can eat buffet or hamburger, the Magic Kingdom is a rough place to be. This is an Italian restaurant right near the park entrance.

Calamari was very well done - great texture and flavor. Well played!

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Meatball sliders. It is comical that we didn't want to eat burgers, so we wound up with meatball sliders, isn't it? If these were served open faced and had more sauce, they'd be better, the meat was pretty dry and there was too much bread overall...but that's just me. The house made chips were very good though.

If you want a sit down lunch or dinner, this is a passable Italian place. If you have a stronger recommendation for the Magic Kingdom, feel free to comment.

As long as we're talking Disney and Italian, if anyone can tell me where I can get Beverly soda in cans or bottles in the US or mail order, please post a comment. Beverly is Coca-Cola product available in the Club Cool room at Epcot, which is a sampling room of sodas from around the world...most people appear to find it to be repulsive, I think it's a fantastic tonic water on steroids sorta product.

La Hacienda de San Angel - Epcot Center, Orlando, FL - 5/22/11

2011-05-30T10:26:00.003-05:00

Disney World is a fun place, though it's not exactly known as a destination for world class cuisine. We decided to try some of the nicer places in the area and report back.

La Hacienda de San Angel is in the Mexico part of Epcot, it's a fairly new restaurant, and somewhat upscale.

A couple margaritas to start...the Classic and the Orange Mango Fire. While these were good, I found the margaritas here and at La Cava de Tequila across the way to be a bit too sweet for my liking. The tequila selection is solid though, so you can try a wide array of things. I also had a tequila flight, but failed to take a photo. To be fair, it would be a photo of three shot glasses.

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The entree was the La Hacienda mixed grill for two - flank steak, chicken al pastor, chorizo and vegetables, served with beans and fresh salsa. Excellent steak and the chorizo sausages in casings were excellent. Nothing here is terribly spicy (it is a tourist destination I suppose), but the chorizos saved the day with a good punch of flavor. This is billed as a mixed grill for two - it could easily feed three.

One of the selling points of this restaurant is that it's right on the water and if you have a window seat, you'll have a good view of the Epcot fireworks. There are some parts of the restaurant with no view, so you may want to have a plan B if you're desperate to see the show.

2010 Les Deux Rives Corbieres Rose

2011-05-19T19:33:00.000-05:00

Snagged this one for about eight bucks. The weather is getting warmer so there should be lots of rose reviews coming up.

A light nose, mostly watermelon rind and a bit of fruit thrown in.

Look up "patio wine" in the wine dictionary and you should find a picture of this. Light, easy drinking, dry, fruity - strawberry, watermelon, but a bit of acid and even the mildest of tannin give it some nice backbone to prevent it from just being a one dimensional mess.

Almost some peach fuzz comes through on the finish with some strawberry seed...it's not a length finish, but should I really even be commenting on such matters?

Can't knock it - well made and cheap, meant for the deck and the grill, I'll probably be bringing this one to Ravinia over the summer.

Score: 86

Longman and Eagle - Chicago, IL - 5/15/11

2011-05-15T21:10:00.006-05:00

Do I need to write about Longman and Eagle? Esquire and GQ listed them among the best new restaurants in the nation, Chicago magazine has raved, even those Frenchies at Michelin gave this place a star. This place does not take reservations, by singing their praises, I'm just making my life more difficult, aren't I? Well, here's my history -

We went here a week ago for brunch - it was awesome.

We came back a few hours later for drinks - they were awesome.

And a week later, with the family, we came back for dinner. Take a wild guess - it was awesome.

The menu changes frequently and the one on the website is not current, so my descriptions will be vague for the most part, but here we go anyway....

Pork belly, fiddlehead ferns, and some other crazy stuff.

This on the menu - Roasted Marrow Bones, Red Onion Jam, Sea Salt, Sourdough Crostinis

Not on the website, but it's skirt steak and asparagus, I feel like the sauce is morel based...

Lamb, gnocchi....

Another thing on the menu - Pastrami Cured Sweetbreads, Gruyere, Pumpernickel, Saurkraut, Thousand Island Dressing. It sounds like a deconstructed Reuben, but it's less that, more sweetbready awesome.

While they do have a wine list, this is a whiskey bar - the list of whiskey is absurdly long from the $3 shots of Jack Daniels to the Pappy Van Winkle 23 year which is...well, a bit more than $3. I've had their Manhattan (arguably the greatest drink I've ever had, I do not exaggerate), the Gin Fizz (dangerous), the Black Cherry 101 (an adult soda, quite sweet and dangerous), and the Kentucky Colonel (mildly Manhattan-esque). I don't know how they do it, but their whiskey based drinks are the smoothest and easiest drinking things you'll ever come across.

It's not a cheap not out, but as far as bang for the buck goes, this is arguably one of the best.

2009 Starborough Sauvignon Blanc

2011-05-12T10:08:00.003-05:00

This goes for about $10. We don't really drink much Sauvignon Blanc, but it's a good summer wine, one I'll probably make a point to explore a bit more in depth this year.

Grassy and grapefruity on the nose.

The thing I like about this varietal, especially from New Zealand, is that they are usually quite dry, but don't really "feel" dry - grapefruit dominates with grassy qualities, orange pith - general citrus pith I suppose - and even a bit of green apple peel.

Jelly Belly Pink Grapefruit on the finish. Jelly Belly Harry Potter Grass beans as well.

I'll be the first to say wines like this are tough to score - it's not terribly deep or complex, but I'll be damned if it ain't tasty.

Score: 87

2004 White Rock Vineyards Napa Valley Claret

2011-05-09T10:06:00.001-05:00

This bottle retails for about forty bucks and is a blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with Cab Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.

Vanilla, cherry, and plum on the nose....blueberry and strawberry are deep in there as well.

I know it's a dumb thing to say, but this is smooth....blueberry, black cherry, vanilla, eucalyptus - all nicely integrated, nothing dominates, not overly oaky, nice balance, just a flat out nice California Cab dominated blend.

Black cherry and eucalyptus lingers, with some cinnamon and clove on the finish.

I dig it. Forty bucks? I still dig it.

Score: 92

N/V Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut

2011-05-03T10:04:00.001-05:00

Around New Year's, a whole mess of big name Champagnes went on deep discount at a local shop, so I stocked up, here's yet another one.

I get sort of a dried apricot thing on the nose - some apple as well and pear, both dried and fresh.

More pear on the palate, along with golden apple - a tad sweet honestly.

Strong red apple on the finish along with some mild vanilla, tangerine, and kiwi and even a cotton candy thing. It's not quite as sweet as I may be suggesting, but it's definitely not dry.

You know, I've had the $100 Fleur and wasn't blown away - this $35 also doesn't blow me away, but at least the price is at least somewhat reasonable. For an entry level Champagne with a bit of a sweet side, this is decent, but not enough to run out for.

Score: 87

2002 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin

2011-04-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

I was nutso over the 1996 of this so I snagged this bottle which currently retails at seventy bucks.

Very distinct yeast, orange marmalade, toast,

More yeast, toast, blueberry, orange, caraway, kiwi, all with a nuttiness, I'm going to go with pecan - complex and then some.

Strawberry seed, rye toast, grapefruit, even some cantaloupe way at the back end.

Damn good. Some reviews are short because the wines are dull, others are short because I just want to sit and enjoy the wine - this is the latter.

Score: 94

2006 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2011-04-26T09:56:00.000-05:00

Silver Oak - you have likely heard the name, it's a producer I think I've had by the glass somewhere, but really haven't had a chance to sit and enjoy.

Vanilla and cherry on the nose.

Solid. More of a plum thing on the palate, firm oak, bold tannins after six hours of air (though certainly approachable), black cherry comes through. Everything is well integrated and smooth, but it borders on too smooth, if that makes sense. I thought I'd have more to say about this one...

The finish fades with spices and eucalyptus.

A jolly good bottle of wine, but perhaps not as interesting as one would hope for in a $50 product.

Score: 89

N/V Louis Roederer Brut Premier

2011-04-21T09:55:00.002-05:00

Shop around some good sales and you can snag this one for under $35 - I'm shocked to see we haven't had a Roederer Champagne yet (though the Roederer Estate from CA is damn fine).

A bit of grapefruit, a bit of blueberry, and a bit of rye toast on the nose.

More grapefruit, green apple, white cherry, lime, slate, a bit viscous on the mouthfeel, a quality a normally don't care for, but sometimes it work - here it does.

Lime lingers on the finish along with some ginger ale qualities.

One of the better non vintage Champagnes I've encountered and at the pricepoint - as low as thirty bucks - this is absolutely worth a look.

Score: 91

Moto Restaurant - Chicago, IL - April 16, 2011

2011-04-17T12:09:00.008-05:00

Moto is a restaurant that serves a style of food called molecular gastronomy.

It's not for everyone - this is not a normal restaurant by any means....I compare it to dinner theater really. Our twenty courses meal with fourteen beverage pairings exceeded the five hour mark. Luckily, the chairs are comfortable and the room is not so quiet you're afraid to to talk, but not so loud you need to scream.

If it's before July 2011, and you're planning to go to Moto - take my advice and stop reading this. Go, have a good time, but stop researching it - you'll enjoy yourself more if you don't know what to expect. This is a spoiler alert.

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The menu doubles as a deconstructed peanut butter sandwich. I didn't take a photo of the flipside, but there is also a ten course option. We had the Grand Tour Moto - 20 courses not including the menu.

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What to drink with a twenty course meal? There's the list. I won't be commenting much on the pairings - mostly because with names like Shafer, Kracher, Laurent Perrier, and Goose Island you know everything is going to be solid.

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"SNOW man" - Yep, that's a snow man made of foam on top of raw tuna.

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"ROSE bush" - the rose was dehydrated beet (and tasted kind of bacony), micro greens, macadamia nut, with a parsley/goat cheese stem.

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"GOLDEN twist ale" before

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"GOLDEN twist ale" after. The liquid came out of a beer bottle that I swear the waiter uncapped at the table, the cap looked like a Three Floyd's cap...very odd. The broth tasted vaguely like a pretzel.

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"CHICKEN noodle soup" - a dumpling made with half chicken flour. Chicken flour. Weird.

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"MISO soup" before.

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"MISO soup" after. That's a piece of seared foie gras in a miso broth. I normally don't like my foie gras cooked, but this was awesome.

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"POTATO & leek" before.

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"POTATO & leek" after. Skate, potato, leeks, with a powder dipped in liquid nitrogen. What the powder is...I don't recall.

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"EGG3" - I don't know how to superscript on here, but that should read "Egg Cubed." Two types of fish egg with some micro greens and an egg bread.

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"CAPON & corn bread" - liquid corn bread along with capon prepared two ways. A capon is...sigh...a castrated rooster. It's lack of sex hormones give it a unique flavor.

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"BASEBALL snacks" - quail breast, a home made deconstructed Cracker Jack, plus some cherry flavored Cracker Jack inspired paper.

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"CUBAN cigar." Yep. That's a cuban cigar served in an ashtry. The ash is ground sesame seeds, the wrap is collared greens, and the cigar was stuffed with pork.

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"NUAC man" - pork belly with mushroom...that big piece of mushroom is actually pureed mushroom, formed into the shape of a mushroom, and fried to give it some texture. Yep. Why is this called Nuac man? I do not know.

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"ALLEY-yum" - Onions presented five ways plus venison.

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"MAI tai" - that's a brandy soaked maraschino cherry with two pieces of carbonated pineapple. That's right, carbonated pineapple.

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"COOKIE monster" - cookie crumbs are under the spoon, on the spoon...well, the waiter came out with a grill dipped in liquid nitrogen and squeezed some sugar cookie batter on top which "cooked" the cookie on the spoon.

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"FRITES, frozen & fried" - shredded sweet potatoes. Both crispy sweet potatoes and shredded sweet potato ice cream. Yep. Shredded ice cream.

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"GREEN CURRY lime" - a palate cleanser, that's not a real lime, it's lime jelly with a thai basil "rind."

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"BANANA split" - the squiggley thing is banana ice cream, the three pipes include cherry, caramel, and chocolate sauces.

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ACME bombs" - they bring out what looks like a cherry bomb, set it on fire at the table, and when the wick completely burns out you pop it in your mouth and you get a chocolate explosion.

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"COOKIE crumbs" - that's earl grey infused chocolate moose, early grey infused graham cracker crumbs, and earl grey ice cream. As a fan of earl grey, this ruled.

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"SODA du jour" - that's an edible packing peanut with soda (that was somewhat fufu berry like) served in a beaker.

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There you have it. Moto is a must visit restaurant - go for the grand tour, take your time, sit back and enjoy the five hour meal. Yes, it is expensive, but it's an incredible, unique experience that you should try at least once.

N/V Cristalino Brut Rose

2011-04-14T09:54:00.002-05:00

Check that out - "not affiliated with Roederer or Cristal." Did some jackass buy this thinking it was a tremendous deal only to get mocked by their wine snob friends? Who knows. New label, new vaguely Blade Runner looking font reminds me of a friend of mine who had eyes that glowed yellow, but after four years we had a falling out and I never heard from him again - weird, no?

A little bit of cherry and perhaps some lime on the nose.

Clean, crisp, almost cherry 7-Up like - actually this reminds me of that Cranberry Twist Sierra Mists, one of my favorite sodas out there. In fact, beyond that, I'm not getting much else. When you think about it, this wine is somewhat sweet, but it doesn't really hit the palate that way - be it acidic balance or more fruity than sweet, it all really comes together nicely. A dangerous wine - half the bottle disappeared in a matter of minutes.

The finish, of Cranberry Sierra Mist, actually lingers for a reasonable amount of time.

This wine is why scores are stupid. It's simple, it's one dimensional, and it's incredibly drinkable. There's nothing here worth looking at academically, but considering that a case will set you back eighty bucks, are we really going to complain about such things? Serve it at a party or pop open a bottle with jalapeno poppers.

Score: 86

2006 Tabor Hill Dry Traminette

2011-04-11T09:49:00.002-05:00

I had a few days off of work and had planned on heading up to Michigan, hitting wineries, and driving around, but when push came to shove, heading down the road to Meijer and sitting at home seemed more appealing. This was eight bucks and is perhaps a tad too old, but whatever.

Grapefruit, orange, apricot, peach - a rather bold nose.

To me, this is reminiscent of a slightly over the hill Gewurz from Alsace...vanilla, peach, apricot, lychee, orange blossom, chamomile, nice acid, thick mouthfeel, a touch of sugar, but nothing overbearing.

Stone fruit and lychee on the finish.

Pretty damn good, I'll definitely grab a newer vintage without question.

Score: 87

2009 Owen Roe Sinister Hand

2011-04-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

I dig this label a lot - we had this wine a few years back, so let's see how the 2009 is - about $24 retail on this blend of 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 3% Mourvedre, 2% Counoise. (Wine Century Club nerds take note - you don't see Counoise often.)

Black raspberry (or perhaps super dark strawberry) in that stem, leaf, tea sorta way.

Raspberry dominates along with dark cherry, and almost a Juicy Fruit gum sorta thing - what flavor is Juicy Fruit? Something vaguely tropical, papaya or peach I suppose. A nice touch of oak, some vanilla comes through, and a reasonable acid, give it some balance, but it's definitely a juicy, fruit forward sorta wine.

Licorice, black and red, with some of the sweetness included, linger on the finish.

Certainly a lighter style red, but it's all put together nicely - if you like fruity, Grenache based wines, this is for you. If you haven't had a fruity, Grenache based blend, this is a good one to start with...some can be a tad over the top and this one is pretty well integrated.

Score: 88+

2006 Primus Veramonte

2011-04-03T09:34:00.001-05:00

This half bottle ran me ten dollars - it's a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, and Carmenere.

A somewhat muted nose - a bit of that petrol/gasoline thing, appropriate seeing as Jerry was a Racecar Driver, a bit of rainier cherry, and yes indeed, I do believe that's barnyard.

Plum, blackberry, big in terms of black fruit - cigar, brown spices mixed in, and on the back end some nice black cherry.

Vanilla and blueberry on the finish with some cherry cola qualities coming through as well.

I initially thought this wine was kind of blah, but with some time in the decanter it started to shine, and by the time it got really good, the half bottle was gone. At ten bucks for a half bottle, I could easily see buying a few more of these and pulling one out every year to see how it progresses.

Score: 88

2007 Domaine Charvin Le Poutet Cotes du Rhone

2011-03-29T09:31:00.001-05:00

This bottle went for $18 - a reputable producer, a fair price, and a region we somewhat neglect, seemed like an easy choice.

When I say this smells like Dr. Pepper, I mean it in a way kinda like, I racked my brain to think if I recently drank Dr. Pepper from this glass and forgot to wash it, all along with some cassis.

Cassis dominates the palate....to a point that, dare I call it "jammy"? A touch sweet - sort of a raspberry, cranberry, blueberry thing - a bit of spice, some black licorice, virtually no oak, some brown spice, some eucalyptus, but all in all, fruity.

More of that cassis thing on the finish, some wintergreen mint qualities.

Tough to argue with at eighteen bucks - I dig it.

Score: 89

2005 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

2011-03-22T09:24:00.001-05:00

Quick - what's the first thing you think of when you think of Beringer? I would not be shocked if the first thing was cheap wines you buy at the grocery store. This is one of their top of the line wines which retails at eighty big ones. Shall we see how it does?

Plum liqeuer, chocolate covered cherry - fruity, chocolatey, and even a bit funky.

Big! More of that straight up plum liqueur, perhaps some kir, more of that cherry cordial thing, a bit of vanilla, earth, all sorts of interesting spice notes - brown and green. I may be way off, but this does not really scream "California" to me...there's too much funk and earth.

Brown spice and a bit of a caramel thing on the finish fading away to raspberry tea.

A great wine to be sure. It would hold up in the cellar, but it's definitely ready now. I dig it.

Score: 92

Vinturi review #1

2011-03-18T21:03:00.004-05:00

Of all the wine gizmos and gadgets, the Vinturi seems to get the least amount hate from the wine nerds out there. A deep discount and a gift card motivated me to buy this, while I believe it technically retails for $40, it can frequently be found for $25 on sale.

Here's how I tested it - I took three wine glasses from a set, exact same size, shape, and brand, so there was not glass variation. I then popped open the 2009 Dubeouf Fleurie, reviewed below, a good Beaujolais Cru. I immediately poured half into a 375ml bottle and capped it - this was the "control" and hopefully maintained as much of the first "pop and pour" character. I then poured a glass and let it sit for three hours.

After three hours, I left the room and had my lovely assistant pour one glass direct from the half bottle, one glass from the half bottle through the Vinturi aerator, and place them next to the aerated glass in whatever order she wanted.

The results?

1st place - the wine that went through the Vinturi
2nd place - the wine that sat out for three hours
3rd place - the wine from the half bottle

The difference between second and third was huge - the direct from the bottle wine was noticeably harsher and tighter. The difference between first and second was less pronounced - both tasted far more open and approachable, but the Vinturi wine just seemed a bit smoother.

This was the first time I thought to actually "test" how it aerates. I've done informal blind tests, and nine times out of ten it's obvious which wine went through the aerator, but I admit I'm shocked the Vinturi beat out on the good old fashioned air and swirl time.

I'll occasionally put it to the test and post results. My tentative judgment, though, is it certainly works to some degree. Is it worth $25+? Maybe, maybe not. I would, however, give it a recommendation for someone who wants to buy a gift for a wine love and doesn't want to buy a bottle.

2009 Georges Dubeouf Fleurie

2011-03-18T20:41:00.000-05:00

Yet another 2009 Cru Beaujolais for under $15 - and not to sound like a broke record, but yet another quality wine for less money than many Nouveaus.

This smells almost exactly like strawberry Starburst.

Cola and root beer on the attack, with the strawberry Starburst on the mid palate, and some brown spices coming through towards the back. All that said, this wine is certainly not sweet - quite nicely balanced, plenty of acid and spice to work with the fruit.

I guess it's stuck in my head, but yeah...mild strawberry Starburst and a bit of cinnamon on the finish.

Thoroughly enjoyable - tasty, balanced, and priced right.

Score: 88

2007 Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

2011-03-13T20:32:00.001-05:00

I wanted something Italian and the shelftalker assured me this cheap - $9 - bottle was something worth trying...let's see.

Raspberry and cherry on the nose - but not straight up fruit, more of a fruit jelly kind of thing.

A touch sweet, a bit earthy, a bit trashy - imagine a fruit jelly candy sitting in some coffee grounds in the trash for a few days and take a bite...there ya go.

Coffee, actually mocha, notes on the finish with cinnamon and cherry.

I like Italian wines, I dig the funk and the acid, but sometimes they get a little too out there...I fault it on the sugar, it's a bit too sweet for me to get behind, but if that's your kinda thing this may be worth investigating.

Score: 81

2006 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2011-03-06T14:01:00.002-06:00

As long as you dig in above the whole "Private Reserve" thing, Mondavi makes some damn fine wines, so I'm quite happy to pay $25+ for a bottle I haven't even tried since prior vintages have been strong.

The nose on this is kind of blah, it reminds me of very mild grape bubble gum - in fact, there's a Japanese grape bubble gum, basically gum balls, that this is strikingly similar to...along with sort of a charred steak sorta thing.

On the immediate attack is that Japanese grape bubble gum thing and it does remain throughout but some other things certainly come through...cinnamon, black cherry, cedar.

I must have it stuck in my head, but I'll be damned if I don't get more of that grape gum thing on the finish, it fades away with more cedar, more black cherry in an ice cream sorta way.

It's enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but under close scrutiny I don't think it holds up honestly - tasty, but simple, and at $25 perhaps this would be a fine wine to bring to Christmas dinner if your host is making a roast - something solid, but not groingrabbing (grabbing your groin is best left for New Year's Eve). We really dug the 2005, but this vintage I'm not quite so sure.

Score: 87

2008 Woot Cellars Adequite Gift Old Vine Field Blend

2011-03-03T09:36:00.000-06:00

Another Woot offering, as with most of these they go for about $10 a bottle but you have to buy four to six at a minimum.

A bit of eucalyptus, sassafras, anise - a rather spicy nose.

Cherry at first, with some blueberry, even some mocha, it seems to progress into something vaguely cough syrup like, and then a burst of vanilla and creaminess on the back end.

Blueberry and cassiss linger.

I'm going to recommend opening this for at least four hours...or sitting on it for a while. Christmas season has passed, but for ten bucks, this would be more than an adequate gift for 2011.

Score: 87

2006 Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve

2011-03-01T17:50:00.002-06:00

My notes say I paid around $40 for this - I let this sit in the decanter for six hours before digging in.

A bit of boysenberry on the nose and some qualities I can only describe as well done steak - grill up a steak (on gas, not charcoal because it's not smoke) to medium well, cut off a slice and sniff - there ya go.

Tart cherry, blackberry, vanilla, plus some milk chocolate - all with very mild eucalyptus and mint. It's a quite smooth wine, and nothing much really jumps out at you.

Blackberry and vanilla on the finish, almost a blackberry sorbet with a bit of whipped cream on top with perhaps an Andes mint thrown in.

It's a good wine, very good in fact, nice integration of all the various parts, but it's just not interesting enough for me to get too excited about...perhaps in time?

Score: 90

2001 Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga d'Alba

2011-02-28T18:43:00.001-06:00

On Saturday, February 26, 2011 wine nerds are celebrating Open That Bottle Night - an excuse, basically, to open that bottle of wine you've been sitting on for a special occasion that just never came. I bought this wine years ago for a good price, but the shelf talker warned me not to open it for a while, arguably it's still too early, but I knew I had to sit on it until 2011 for ten years. Retail on newer vintages is about $55. We're pairing this with some deep dish pizza - hell yeah.

Dark chocolate, maybe baking chocolate is more accurate - super dark either way - burnt tire, asphalt, and way in the background some rose perfume

Far more approachable and less funky than the nose would suggest - cherry, strawberry, nectarine - medium body, solid tannins, and still some rather firm tannins. A white tea thing, combined with a bit of black tea, comes through.

More of that white tea and almost a sourdough bread mouthfeel. Impressive length on the finish, lasts for well over a minute with cinnamon and cedar notes.

I dig it...well worth the wait.

Score: 91

N/V Moet and Chandon Impeial

2011-02-28T09:39:00.003-06:00

Imperial doesn't get much respect (it used to be called White Star), but neither does Veuve Yellow and I dig that stuff - this can be had for anywhere between $30 and $35ish.

The nose is kind of interesting as it seems to show shortbread and even some peanut qualities.

In one word, I'd call this boring. There are some bready and yeasty notes, some orange pith, but really, not a whole lot. Too sweet to be brut, certainly not sweet enough for dessert - the sorta wine I'd recommend with Thai or Indian food, but too expensive for randomly pairing (unless received as a gift).

A bit of a grapefruit with a bit of sugar on top thing on the finish, maybe some tangerine - the finish is far more interesting and flavorful than the palate.

You know, even if this was half price I wouldn't recommend it, it's certainly not an unpleasant wine, but it's just completely uninteresting and for this pricepoint, that is inexcusable.

Score: 78

N/V Croft Pink Port

2011-02-24T18:20:00.001-06:00

This was $17. I snagged it because the notion of pink Port sounded too intriguing to pass up....though one should not take a wine too seriously if the label suggests serving over ice.

The nose has an artificial watermelon thing with some orange as well, can't quite place if it's fake orange or real orange...if I'm on the fence I assume that means reasonably good artificial.

This is kind of goofy...watermelon and sugarfied cherry, it's a heavy feeling wine, but there's really no heat or anything of that sort. There's still just an odd disconnect...it has the flavor profile of almost a White Zinfandel, but the weight of a Port. Peculiar. At 19% alcohol, this could be dangerous.

A Jolly Rancher watermelon finish with some heat finally coming through.

While it's certainly interesting, it's definitely not worth $17 and it's definitely not the sort of thing you should snag if you like Port. It's certainly pleasant tasting enough, but I can see why one would drink this over ice to cut down the viscosity and cover up the heat.

Score: 77

2010 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc

2011-02-23T18:17:00.000-06:00

This goes for about $11 - we don't drink enough Sauvignon Blanc and it seemed like it may be a good pairing with a buffalo chicken pizza.

A "tropical" nose - snow on the ground, this just doesn't smell right with grapefruit, pineapple, maybe even mango.

Fruity, perhaps a tad sweet, but great acid to balance it - a touch creamy, mostly tropical, mango is more pronounced, papaya, pineapple, pink grapefruit.

A bit of white grapefruit on the finish - some more tart qualities come through, stronger (yet less sweet) pineapple, and certainly papaya.

A nice bottle of wine to be sure...if you have one, save it for a warm day, it just seems cruel to open this in the winter.

Score: 88

N/V L Mawby Blanc de Noir Cuvee 168

2011-02-17T09:44:00.001-06:00

We've had this one several times and really enjoyed it, but something about this particular bottle grabbed my attention, so I'm revisiting it here. This retails for $19.

A bit of red apple and a bit of bright red raspberry on the nose.

A lot of berries - blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, boysenberry, everything but the elusive Boo Berry really. Red apple as well, and a bit of red pear. "Red fruit" is what some would say. Dry, a bit toasty, a bit nutty,

A nutty finish - walnuts, pecans...I don't like nuts, so I can't rattle off what this may taste like, though I do find it enjoyable. Nuts and a bit of rye toast, perhaps with some blueberry jam. I'm also getting a black tea component...a slice of rye toast, a glass of tea, and a pecan or two on the side...this wine would pair well with breakfast.

I'm not sure how different cuvees are - it could all be in my head and something could be hitting me different this bottle around.. That said, this is, genuinely, outstanding. We have hit up a bunch of $30-50 Champagnes in recent weeks - and this wine was reviewed blind, so for all I knew it was yet another one. If you're willing to drop twenty bucks on a sparkling wine, from anywhere, this gets my top recommendation. If you see it, buy it.

Score: 93

2006 Stag's Leap Napa Valley Petite Syrah

2011-02-15T17:58:00.003-06:00

This goes for about forty bucks and came with strong recommendations when I snagged it a while back, though my memory is sketchy with from where or who.

Raspberry licorice and cola on the nose with some mint - for the first hour or so green spice dominates but blows off.

Black cherry and plum dominate, with mere hints of mint, cedar, eucalyptus...don't let that give you the wrong idea though, this is a big, fruity, juicy wine.

More of that raspberry licorice thing on the finish.

Good...quite good....beyond that?

Score: 87

2007 Jean-Luc Colombo Côtes du Rhône Les Abeilles

2011-02-10T17:56:00.000-06:00

Grabbed a bottle of this for eight bucks because a shelftalker told me someone - Spectator, I guess - dug it.

Sort of a Beaujolais type nose - raspberry, earth, rotten fruit, perhaps a bit of banana....

Acidic, inching towards harsh, almost seems to scorch the tongue. Dirt and earth dominate, fruit is very mild, maybe some plum, perhaps peaches mixed with strawberry as well.

A dirty, spicy finish - brown baking spice, some mint, perhaps a touch of eucalyptus.

I tend to go easier on cheap swill if it's not a sweet sugary mess, and I find myself wanting to go that way here, but I'll resist....with food, I suppose it would be fine, but I can't get behind this.

Score: 80

N/V De Chanceny Cremant de Loire

2011-02-06T17:55:00.000-06:00

This is a sparkling wine from the Loire Valley in France - a blend of 70% Chenin Blanc and 15% Chard and Cab Franc. I don't know if I've had a sparkler wine with Cab Franc before...hmmm. This is about $11 at the local Whole Foods.

Green apples on the nose and almost a Pez kind of thing, chalky I suppose.

Quite nice - crisp and dry with pear and golden apple notes dominating with a bit of that chalky thing.

The finish is tough to place, I normally dislike saying "grapes" because it tends to be a pejorative, but that's what I get - green grapes - and not necessarily in a bad way.

French sparkler, dry and tasty, classy label, change back with a ten and a five? Solid gift for the upcoming holidays, my friends.

Score: 87

N/V Louis Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rose

2011-02-01T17:47:00.000-06:00

This was on sale at Whole Foods for $18...some places have it for a few bucks less, some for a few bucks more.

A bit of a Fufu Berry nose....Fufu Berry is a Jones Soda flavor, I don't believe such a thing exists in nature.

Cranberry domination. This would be a fine Thanksgiving wine actually....nice fruit, not bone dry but not sweet, not too toasty though some is present, and fine acid make it a good food match. Nice.

While the palate struck me as a real fruit, the finish brings the Fufu back.

If you're considering bubbly next Thanksgiving - and you know what, you should - this would be a solid offering.

Score: 88

N/V Emeri de Bortoli Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc

2011-01-27T17:46:00.001-06:00

Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc from Australia - interesting. The bottle ran me $13 - I haven't seen this producer's products before, so I snagged this one first and foremost.

A bit grassy on the nose with some pink grapefruit.

As the nose suggested....pink grapefruit and some grassiness. At the risk of this becoming the worst post ever, this tastes like a serviceable New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with a bit of fizz...I mean, it's so Sauv Blancy, the fizz almost isn't noticeable.

This is the worst review ever....grass and pink grapefruit on the finish...slightly sweet, lingers for a while, all quite pleasant.

You know...it's almost like this wine is a gimmick, it's the kind of thing you'd expect from a crappy molecular gastronomy sorta place...."ooh, this is like a Sauvignon Blanc, only carbonated" and then you try it and think "yep."

Score: 85

N/V Emeri de Bortoli Sparkling Pinot Grigio

2011-01-27T17:45:00.000-06:00

I stumbled across a display of a bunch of Emeri sparklers each for $13 each, so I snagged a couple - one doesn't see Sparkling Pinot Grigio often, especially from Australia.

This smells vaguely like white grape juice - in fact, this could totally pass for sparkling Welch's white grape juice.

Shock of the year with this one - this tastes like sparkling Welch's white grape juice on the attack and then once you get to the mid palate, some alcoholic heat as if some vodka were mixed in.

Yep...fizzy white grape juice on the finish, maybe some grapefruit as well.

While I suppose it doesn't taste that bad, it barely qualifies as a wine....I'm not about to dump it down the drain, but I will dump into a glass of ice with a dash or two of maraschino cherry juice.

Score: 70

2008 Raphael Cabernet Franc

2011-01-23T17:42:00.001-06:00

You know, I thought for sure we've never had a wine from New York, but it turns out four years ago we had a Marshall Field's brand sparkler from New York. While the new Macy's brand is tolerable, you can't tell me the stores haven't gone downhill since the name change, but that's a post for another blog. This wine ran me $14.

A garbagey nose - chocolate, rotten berries, and almost a red pepper thing.

Odd. Quite odd. Tasted blind I would've guessed some odd hybrid grade from the Midwest. Chocolate, raspberry, plum, eucalyptus, dirt, tobacco in a fuzzy feel sorta way...the tannins are mild on the palate, but there's quite a bit of weight on this...almost a Port feel without the burn or sugar.

Some black raspberry, fruit and leaf, on the finish and way in the back there is something strikingly reminiscent of the original green colored NyQuil.

Interesting? Yes. Beyond that though....

Score: 82

2006 Le Cadeau Diversité Wilamette Valley Pinot Noir

2011-01-19T20:01:00.001-06:00

Don't know when or where I got this bottle, but the current vintages sell for S47 direct from the winery.

The nose is all chocolate covered cherries and coffee beans.

Chocolate. Cherry. Blackberry. Black, ultra ripe blueberry. A bit of an herbal quality. Medium body, but not much in terms of tannin or wood really.

Plum, black cherry, and just a hint of cola on the finish - it lingers for quite some time. There's something else going on mostly on the finish but also mid-palate that reminds me a bit of fruit roll up.

I don't know. After finding out the price, I felt compelled to reconsider this one, but I have to call it meh. Well made, not explicitly flawed, just meh.

Score: 85

2008 Carpineto Dogajolo

2011-01-15T20:38:00.003-06:00

I wanted a cheap Italian red and found this one for nine bucks. This is a bit of a trend here at The Wineauxs - wanting cheap Italian red and snagging one at random.

Raspberry, blackberry, a bit of funk, a bit of earth - I dig it.

Blueberry. Maybe a light dusting of some brown spices, but there's not a whole lot going - nice acid, good light to mediumish body.

Some tobacco lingers, as well as some stemminess, and some earth.

At nine bucks, I don't feel ripped off - it's a simple Italian red, fine for pizza or pasta, but the fact is there are so many wines just like that...tasty, acidic, excellent with red sauce...that I'm just sort of meh about it. If I want something cheap and simple, I wouldn't avoid this, but I also wouldn't go out of my way to snag it.

Score: 84

2006 Mollydooker Two Left Feet Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon

2011-01-12T19:58:00.003-06:00

My records say this ran me about $26 a few years ago - I seem to recall seeing the newest vintage for a bit cheaper than that though...

Blackberry jam and vanilla ice cream on the nose - almost like a sundae.

Black fruit dominate - dark blueberry, blackberry, plum. Somewhat sweet and I can't say I get much wood, but I do get some nice spicy qualities, perhaps some fresh basil and oregano, but mostly a minty.

A surprisingly short finish, anise, black fruit, and mint fade quickly with only some alcohol heat lingering for some time - it's worth nothing there is almost no heat on the palate.

It's big, it's fruit bomb like, it's stereotypically Aussie - it's also quite good. As potent and huge as it is, it's really not all that over the top - if this is your style, I give it a go.

Score: 88

2008 Acquaviva Winery Brianna

2011-01-05T19:57:00.001-06:00

Acquaviva is a winery in northern Illinois, we visited them a while back and wrote it all up here. Honestly, I'm bordering on desperate to get back - the food was excellent and while the wine is defintiely of the hybrid acquired taste variety, it's Italian styled enough to work with the food perfectly. I don't recall the retail, but it was defintiely under $20.

Peaches, almost peach Jolly Rancher, candified, in other words.

A fair amount of sweet whites from Illinois bring this sort of flavor profile - loads of acid, loads of sugar, limeade, peach, and grapefruit.

Pineapple comes through on the finish, with a more mellow grapefruit quality as well.

Treat as a dessert wine. I can't say I think it would work with chocolate though, it would compliment key lime pie, though maybe too much....some sort of ginger cake dessert maybe?

Score: 88

2007 Kirkland Napa Valley Meritage

2011-01-02T19:56:00.001-06:00

This is a blend of mostly Merlot, a good chunk of Cab Sauv, and just a splash of Cab Franc.

A bit of heat on the nose, black fruit - cassis and plum mostly, though - and this may sound strange -a raw chicken sorta thing.

Smooth and balanced, though not exactly complex - plum, blueberry, black cherry, vanilla. This is a solid middle of the road red, the kind of wine you can pop open and eat with anything from pizza to a steak and be set.

Blueberry lingers and way way on the back end some cherry.

Eleven bucks? Beyond sold - snag it.

Score: 87

2006 Estancia Paso Robles Meritage Reserve

2010-12-28T19:54:00.002-06:00

This is a blend of 58% Cab, 34% Merlot, and 8% Petit Verdot. We've had a few of this producer's wines before, including a previous vintage of this one that we dug (not reviewed here though). The retail is about $25.

A plum sorta nose...cassis as well. In fact, this strikes me as textbook cassis.

The thing that struck me about this wine was how approachable it was on pop and pour - everything was nicely integrated and it was drinking fine. Blackberry, vanilla, oak.

The finish has lingering blackberry and vanilla, combined in a Blizzard aftertaste sort of way. You know, the last time I went to Dairy Queen they didn't have blueberry Blizzards anymore. WTF DQ?

It's tasty, perhaps a safe bet if you find it priced reasonably on a restaurant wine list, but I can't say it's exciting or all that interesting when pondered.

Score: 86

Leiffel Bistrot & Creperie - Barrington, IL - December 23, 2010

2010-12-24T16:26:00.003-06:00

L'Eiffel has quickly risen to the top of our list of favorite restaurants. We've been here a bunch of times and always had a great time - excellent food, a great wine selection, solid service, and completely reasonable prices.

We both had specials which are not available on the web menu, so forgive my vague descriptions.

Beef carpaccio with Roquefort - the blue cheese was pungent, the beef was a nice balance of meaty and salty.

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Half dozen raw oysters - they were great, but the wine real highlight is a Champagne vinegar shaved ice that's absolutely amazing, I'd come back here for that ice alone.

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Salad with roast duck, arugula, fennel, and a vinegar dressing.

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I hate taking pictures of soup because it's inherently a rather dull looking product dish, but their soups are consistently great - this is a corn and clam chowder.

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What I dig about L'Eiffel most is their wine service - there are many options by the glass, bottles start at under $30, wine flights, and a monthly "ultra pour" - which is a pricey, think $100 bottle range, wine available by the glass. We had the Champagne flight, three real Champagnes...

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And the French red flight.

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Forgive this photo, it's not the brightest place, this is steak frites, a 16 ounce prime ribeye with cajun fries. We actually came here for dinner because of the allure of steak - let's put it this way, we wanted steak, Ruth Chris is in the same shopping center, we chose here.

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Braised alligator, sliced venison, and - I'm sad to admit, I forget what else, lamb? Either way - three meats with a rice pilaf underneath.

If you want French in the Northwest suburbs, look no further - this is the place.

2008 Boom Boom Syrah

2010-12-24T15:46:00.000-06:00

I've seen this go for $16 to $20, so when the $15 pricetag at Costco caught my eye, I snagged a bottle.

Kind of a chocolate covered cherry nose.

Blueberry dominates with some chocolate and cherry....little in terms of tannins, earth, or even oak, but some nice acid with the fruit makes it quite approachable.

The finish is kind of interesting, sort of a blueberry infused green tea right away but it fades quite quickly.

Tasty stuff, but admittedly simple - for $15, I actually like it enough to buy it again. We'll be drinking a bottle of this tonight with Christmas Eve dinner and I think it will go well. It's fruity and smooth enough I can even see this working with some spicier foods like Mexican or Thai if you insist on red. I say it's worth a shot.

Score: 86

2007 Syncline Mourvedre Coyote Canyon Vineyard

2010-12-22T19:51:00.000-06:00

We don't drink much Mourvedre...does anyone though? This bottle retails for about thirty bones and features a glass cork.

Cassiss, blackberry, menthol, and I'll be damned if I'm not getting a big dash of soy sauce.

Plum. Big ol' plum. Perhaps a drop of vanilla in a giant vat of chopped plums, but that's about it..

Just a bit of oak and mild spicy qualities on the finish with just a bit of raw meat, in a tartare sorta way.

Tasty? Yes. One-dimensional for the pricepoint? Yep.

Score: 87

N/V Duval-Leroy Brut Champagne

2010-12-18T20:29:00.000-06:00

Grabbed this on sale - a local shop had a big Champagne sale, for the holiday I suppose, so I snagged a few bottles.

The nose on this is all blueberry jelly spread on white bread toast. Nice.

A bit doughy, not toasty, not quite bready, a little bit nutty, mostly like the raw dough you get in this exploding cans to make biscuits. Other qualities of interest are peach skin, pink Sweet Tarts, candied orange peel, and a bit of citron. (Now that the weather has cooled down, let me just take this moment to strongly recommend citron tea - find your local Asian market and grab a jar, it's good stuff.)

Some blueberry on the finish along with more of that yeasty sorta thing with the nuttiness coming through even further.

A worthy entry level Champagne. At $30, I have no complaints.

Score: 90

2004 Il Colombaio de Cencio Chianti Classico i Massi

2010-12-16T19:49:00.000-06:00

This goes for about $30 at retail, while I typically prefer cheap Chiantis (most of which are acidic, tart, and not sweet) every so often it's worth grabbing one of these mid-level ones...

Black raspberry with a white tea thing on the nose.

Cherry, tobacco, eucalyptus, a bit of cocoa....I'm thinking this may be a tad too old, it just seems flat.

Tart cherry and more eucalyptus on the finish.

Meh.

Score: 84

N/V M Lawrence Fizz Batch #25

2010-12-14T20:32:00.004-06:00

Fizz - one of the M Lawrence line that we haven't enjoyed a bottle of, so I'm stoked to try this as part of the Tweet and Taste. Retail on this is $13.

The nose on this reminds me startlingly - and this was mentioned in the Tweet and Taste but it is so right on I have to say it - dried banana or banana chips, absolutely all the way. Very mild and elegant in its own way.

Reminds me a bit of the M Lawrence label Detroit in some ways, not too shocking seeing as both are unashamedly Demi Sec. White peach in a candied sorta way - something fairly common in many of these M Lawrence wines, but while it's sweet, it had a very light mouthfeel.

While the finish is peachy, some interesting things really start coming through - pear, apricot, red apple, honeydew, even lychee and as it all fades away, a bit of that subtle banana chip thing.

I wasn't sure about this wine on first sip, but it's pretty interesting how complex the finish is while the palate, still tasty mind you, is a tad more one dimensional. As a result, I recommend this wine for (rather than with) dessert.

This wine was consumed and reviewed as part of the Tweet and Taste Michigan Wine on Tuesday, December 14, 2010. This was not tasted blind and the bottle was comped - all effort has been made to be as objective and honest as possible.

Score: 89

N/V M Lawrence US Batch #21

2010-12-14T20:30:00.004-06:00

This bottle goes for $13 - we dig L Mawby so when the opportunity to participate in the Tweet and Taste popped up, I jumped on it.

A rather clean nose - white peaches and some artificial peach as well...take a piece of a white peach and shove a peach Jolly Rancher inside and take a bite while avoiding breaking a tooth and you have something kinda like this.

Peaches, oranges, grapefruits...though, none real, all in an artificial candy sort of way, yet not terribly sweet. Interesting.

A candied orange peel kinda thing on the finish.

I was a big fan of batch 2 of this wine, but here we are at batch 21 and I'm not quite so sure....for a $13 sparkler it's worth your while.

This wine was consumed and reviewed as part of the Tweet and Taste Michigan Wine on Tuesday, December 14, 2010. This was not tasted blind and the bottle was comped - all effort has been made to be as objective and honest as possible.

Score: 86

Tweet and Taste Michigan - Tuesday, December 14

2010-12-12T19:26:00.000-06:00

It's true! Tweet and Taste is back - Tuesday, the 14th, and 6 pm CST. Two wines from the incredible L Mawby - full details are over at Michigan by the Bottle.

The basics though - get on Twitter on the 14th and 6 pm, search #ttmi and follow along. I'm a fan of TweetChat for this kinda thing.

We'll be drinking FIZZ and US (link containers possible spoilers), both cheaper offerings from the M Lawrence line so it's a solid way to introduce yourself to L Mawby's sparklers.

This Tweet and Taste only has two wines so it should be a bit more relaxed and chatty, we shall see!

2009 Georges Dubeouf Moulin-A-Vent

2010-12-12T18:35:00.000-06:00

This was about thirteen bones which makes this Cru cheaper than many of the Nouveaus...how do you suppose it compares?

While there's definitely some dark fruit in there, I get a very distinct bubble gum component on the nose.

You know, more of that bubble gum, along with some super ripe strawberry and some cola notes - a solid acidic background almost reminds me of that sour cola straws you sometimes see, cola gummy candy dipped it sour sugar granules.

That sour cola thing lingers on the finish.

All the sour talk I'm sure suggests this is a bit harsh and unbalanced - and I can't really say it's not, but it's pretty good. For $12, this is certainly acceptable and light years ahead of the more recent Nouveau.

Score: 87

2009 Domaine de Fondreche L'Instant

2010-12-09T14:09:00.001-06:00

This is easily the lightest rose I've ever seen. It's almost in the 'vin gris' category. This goes for about $12 at retail.

A mild nose, with peach notes.

Very dry. Perhaps some peach but mostly a rindy kinda thing - watermelon rind, peach skin, grapefruit rind, etc. After a few hours, some fruitier qualities come through - mild watermelon, mild strawberry - but it is still a bone dry, not terribly fruity wine.

Mild watermelon on the finish - the flavor is there, but once again no sugar at all.

So, it's a matter of preference I suppose - I like bone dry roses, but I want more fruit. Perhaps pouring the bottle in a decanter with a handful of ripe strawberries may liven it up a bit....sacrilege I know.

Score: 83

2007 Bruno Giacosa Dolcetto D'Alba

2010-12-02T16:10:00.001-06:00

No recollection on this other than it apparently cost me $24. Dolcetto is in the northwest part of Italy and is the name of both the grape and region.

A somewhat mild nose with cherry, plum, and perhaps a cigar box kinda thing.

Cherry, blackberry, strawberry, plum - a lot ot fruit really - with a bit of smooth, sweet cedar. Everything flows together nicely - tannin, acid, fruit, wood - all is in very nice balance.

A fuzzy tobacco quality lingers on the finish with some ultraripe strawberry.

The wine is fairly straightforward and doesn't really have all that much depth, but it is undeniably tasty. I dig it a lot.

Score: 87

2009 Georges DuBoeuf Moulin a Vent Domaine de La Tour Bief

2010-11-30T18:00:00.003-06:00

I seem to have misplaced a real photo of this label.... 2009, if you believe the experts, was an excellent year for Beaujolais. Having just tried some 2010 Nouveaus, I figured I should give some love to a Cru. This bottle goes for $14, which puts right on par with the Nouveaus...

Overripe strawberry, plum, mild chocolate, and even milder eucalyptus, but not at all in a harsh way.

A bit tart, a lot of dirt, some cherry, tobacco, a little bit of oak - a big mouthfeel, but everything nicely put together. It's all quite nicely integrated, I'm digging it. As it gets more, it becomes more interesting - a back palate of root beer and vanilla...

Some of that raspberry fruit and leaf thing linger on the finish, with a bit of a chocolatey thing as well.

A solid wine at a fine value...I feel pretty lousy I didn't snag more of these Crus and focus on them instead of the Nouveaus. I may snag some more this week.

Score: 90

2007 Jackson-Triggs Proprietors' Reserve Vidal Ice Wine

2010-11-27T17:50:00.000-06:00

This quarter bottle was a gift, but I believe it goes for about $20 - 187 ml though...not cheap.

A borderline absurd nose - pineapple, vanilla, cream, papaya, mango, way deep in there even some petrol notes.

As a good ice wine should be, it's sweet, but not so much it's over the top. Everythng on the nose - pineapple, vanilla, papaya, mango, miscellaneous tropical fruit - like the syrup from fruit cocktail - plus some distinct baked pear notes. The sort of wine that you want to just take your time, sip slowly, and enjoy on its own.

You guessed it - the finish suggests pineapple ice cream.

I've long said dessert wines are tough to score because as long as there's just a bit of balance they seem excellent. Of course, they're generally pricey to make and buy, so if someone is making an ice wine it's probably going to be at the very least decent. I've had many an ice wine and this one is easily one of the better ones.

Score: 93

N/V Schramsberg Vineyards Mirabelle Brut Rose

2010-11-25T16:09:00.002-06:00

This goes for S23 through the winery, but can be found for a few bucks cheaper if you shop around. Schramsberg is a fairly well respected sparkling wine producer so I was happy to finall try a bottle.

Red and pink apples on the nose.

Nice...more of that pink apple - more the skin than the flesh. A touch of sweetness, some very light cherry, a very nice toasty quality - I'm even getting just a suggestion of root beer. This is solid stuff.

Yes, more pink apple, but pear is coming through a bit more potently, along with a bit of raspberry tea (leaf)? A fairly long finsih as well...

The notes may be somewhat short, but only because the wine is so good I just want to sit back and enjoy it. Grab it.

Score: 92

Thanksgiving wines

2010-11-24T21:41:00.003-06:00

What are you drinking with Thanksgiving dinner?

Every site you read will tell you something different, traditionally you hear Beaujolais, Pinot Noirs, Rieslings, but this year I've been hearing all sorts of rumblings that Cab is the way to go (perhaps thanks to this Slate article).

As for The Wineauxs? I was tempted to bring a Beaujolais Cru but the ones I've had (reviews coming soon) have been so strong I'm hanging onto what I have for formal notes. Instead, I'm bringing the following:

2009 Woot Cellars Albino Rhino

The last bottle of the six we bought. It's a bit sweet, fruity, and quite tasty overall. I dig it and think it will complement the variety of options nicely.

2009 Old Shore Vineyards Tree Line Pinot Noir

The wine of the year in my opinion. This would go with just about anything, so I'm stoked to see how it holds up the variety of Thanksgiving offerings.

2008 Root 1 Colchagua Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

No notes on this one, but we've had it before and dug it enough that it seemed a worthy addition - not a first choice, but let's see how Slate holds up.

2009 Saracco Moscato D'Asti

A new one for us - the family digs moscatos and this one has gotten some love online so it seemed like a good buy at eleven bucks.

What about you? Post a comment.

Beaujolais Nouveau 2010

2010-11-18T19:22:00.004-06:00

I didn't even bother pretending I wasn't going to snag some Beaujolais Nouveau this year...I went to the local shop, sampled six different wines, and picked the best three. Oddly, five of the six struck me as quite decent...as you will read in the posts below, an ounce in a plastic cup shows far better than a few ounces in a nice glass.

The really sad part of this day is that the Cru Beaujolais, the really good wines from the region, came out recently as well - most of them are situated just a few feet from the Nouveau in your local shop...they are significantly better wines, and even worse, they're priced the same. Not one Cru Beaujolais in the local shop was over $15 - while three of the Nouveaus were under $11, the other three were $15 and $16.

If you want my advice....snag a 2010 Nouveau and snag a 2009 Cru Beaujolais...pop them both and do a side by side tasting. You very well may like the BN more, but I think it's worth comparing what the region "really" produces and what the third Thursday in November brings....

2010 Pierre Chermette Beaujolais Primeur

2010-11-18T19:21:00.003-06:00

This one was $13 and struck me as quite respectable in the shop.

Something about this nose reminds me of bratwurst. I can't explain it. Sage? Beyond that, raspberry infused black tea on the nose.

Heavier than one may expect, one may even think this is a light Pinot Noir by feel. Cherry, raspberry leaf, dirt, black tea, reasonably balanced acid in an almost citrusy kinda way...not bad at all.

Cherry and black raspberry on the finish with just the faintest bit of mint, almost a cough syrup thing, with a vague garbagey thing, a slight taste of 'decay' if you will.

Easily the winner of the three BN's I bought, no noticeable flaws, but a wine of this quality for $13? Pass.

Score: 82

2010 Chateau Cambon Beaujolais Nouveau

2010-11-18T19:20:00.004-06:00

At $14 this was the priciest Beaujolais Nouveau in the store....during the tasting, it seemed to be the most interesting one overall (I did not know prices, for whatever that's worth).

The nose here is subtle....a bit of chocolate, a bit of peanut butter, a bit of banana, and a bit of turpentine....I imagine this is what Elvis smelled like in the later years.

Cherry kijafa...I've never had cherry kijafa straight, but I've had it in crepes and this is it...there's something that tastes vaguely off, as if the cherry kijafa sauce was good, but the crepes have been sitting around for a few weeks.

Cherries on the finish but as it fades, some of that sad rotten banana comes through and that is something I just can't get behind.

Of the three, this is in the middle - there are some unpleasant qualities, but they're relatively subtle and don't necessarily "ruin" the wine...I'm being generous aren't I?

Score: 76

2010 Domaine Dupeuble Pere et Fils Beaujolais Nouveau

2010-11-18T19:19:00.005-06:00

This ran me $13 and has been relatively reliable in the past....at the very least, the label is fairly classy.

That banana thing...actually, you know, this totally hits me of strawberry banana yogurt.

Smokey - almost to a point of strangeness, liquid smoke blended with banana and a bit of artificial strawberry.

Yep, strawberry banana on the finish.

Disappointing. Even more so because at the shop this one struck me as the best tasting and most interesting of all the Beaujolais Nouveaus...the smokiness got to me I guess.

Score: 71

2008 Georges Dubeouf Morgon Jean Descombes

2010-11-17T16:07:00.001-06:00

This wine goes for about $14. Morgon is a region within Beaujolais, so this is the same area that gives the world the Nouveau swill in November - here's a better offering.

A bit of raspberry tea on the nose.

On the initial attack I get a little bit of cola but it quickly morphs into strawberry - sort of a strawberry jam thing, with some stems, leaves, and extra seeds thrown in. Perhaps a splash of blueberry and tart cherry as well. Excellent acid, slighly overbrewed tea like tannins, on balance dry, no discernible wood - an easy drinking wine that still has a backbone.

Raspberry comes out on the finish.

I dig it and would recommend it. In a few days it will be the third Thursday of November, walk past the Nouveau and snag a bottle of this instead (it's basically the same price). You won't regret it.

Score: 87

2007 Kirkland Signature Series Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon

2010-11-10T16:06:00.002-06:00

This was $17 at Costco. It was between this and a cheaper Kirkland offering, but I figured I'd be fancy with my Prime Steak. Seriously - Costco carries prime steaks for $11 a pound or so. That $40+ steak at Morton's or where ever can now be had at home for under $10. Outstanding. Just don't cook it beyond medium rare or you're a rube. I should've taken a picture of that steak...maybe the next one. Where was I? Oh yeah, $17 Cab, Costco's private label, Stag's Leap District, let's give it a whirl.

Plum, casssis, eucalyptus, and an odd sort of petrol thing on the nose.

Smoothalicious. More cassiss and plum, some blackberry, black cherry, a touch of vanilla, a bit of a Twizzler sort of quality, not much in terms of oak and mild enough tannins that I'd drink this sooner rather than later.

More of that black cherry on the finish.

For $17 this is pretty solid - it's not a crazy value that will have me buying it by the case, but it's definitely a recommendation and one I could easily see buying again.

Score: 87+

2009 Frisk Prickly Riesling

2010-11-05T14:22:00.001-05:00

A half bottle of this is $6 at Whole Foods but they also sell it in four packs for $20. It's a blend of mostly Riesling with a bit of Muscat Gordo thrown in.

A candied pear quality is present on the nose - pear Jelly Bellies or even

Every so slightly effervescent - as in there are bubbles that linger in the glass and a bit foams up to the top of the glass, but no streams. A nice balance - sugar and acid are well integrated with neither being terribly noticeable. The flavor profile is actually fairly unique - kiwi, pear, unripe honeydew, even a bit of guava.

An apple thing - pink lady - lingers on the finish for quite a decent length.

We enjoyed several bottles of this over the summer at Ravinia and I'll be drinking more over the coming months. This is not what you may expect from an Australian dessert wine, served blind you may guess Germany - good stuff.

Score: 89

2006 Louis Jadot Savigny-lès-Beaune Primier Cru Les Vergelesses

2010-11-03T21:19:00.000-05:00

This bottle goes for about $35 and is from the Burgundy region for those who don't know their French wine labels. The cork had some issues, moist with a bit of seepage, but the wine doesn't look or taste off.

Rich black cherry on the nose with some interesting floral notes - rose and lavender.

I gave this one a few hours to open and I think it needed it. Everything is very subtle, nothing is going to jump and hit you on the head...black cherry, raspberry, blackberry tea, and a very mild brown spice - clove mostly, nicely balanced, smooth tannins, quite nice all around.

A bit of a black tea thing on the finish, with a dash of blackberry leaf and black cherry.

Not cheap, but if you want to get a nicely done Burgundy this is worth a look.

Score: 89