Dinner Fit for a Super Hero

This evening's wine comes to us from Super Hero Wines, one of the labels produced by Scott Harvey. This is the latest in his line of InZINerator wines, all zinfandel, with charming, comic-book style labels. The 2006 featured here is represented by the Femme Knight, given a touch of sweetness by the addition of 2% Forte, Scott's own port-style wine. It is because of this that I chose this wine to go along with my port-reduction glazed pork chops, and it works well!

Wine: 2006 Super Hero Wines InZINerator
Meal: Port-reduction Glazed Pork Chops with potatoes and green beans

Color: 5/5
Deep plum, excellent clarity. Color just slightly pulls back from the glass, but only barely.

Nose: 12/15
The first scent to come to mind was of roses, followed by violets. Very floral nose, with a finishing scent of spices, predominantly cinnamon. A very mixed potpourri nose, but kind of simple at the same time.

Taste: 7/10
Start with a bite from a fresh plum. Pop in a few chocolate-covered raspberries and cherries. Take another bite of the plum. That's it. Not very complicated, on the sweeter side, really needs some food to temper it.

Finish: 7/10
The plum continues on the finish along with the sweetness, and a touch of vanilla with a little bit of cherry cough syrup. The finish goes on and on, but it's mostly plum. I like the finish more than the palate.

Aging: 2/5
I'd say this will probably stick around until 2012. 6 years from vintage date.

Overall: 3/5
Certainly not my favorite from Scott Harvey. I liked the 2004 vintage better, which does not have the Forte addition. Apparently when bottling the magnums of the 2006, it was a different blend that is more in the dry style, closer to the 2004. It's tasty, definitely a food wine. Trying to drink it alone is tough.

Total: 86pts

The port sauce really helped to temper the sweetness, as its own sweetness overpowered the wine's, allowing a better flavor to come out. Really good pairing.

Want to make this meal?

Port-reduction glazed pork chop
1 cup Port (or port-style wine)
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla
1 pork chop, bone-in
1 sprig thyme
2 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Season the pork chop with the salt and place on the tray, with the sprig of thyme on top. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, begin heating the port. Once it begins to steam, stir in the sugar and vanilla. Bring to a boil, then allow to reduce until the desired consistency is achieved.

Baby White Potatoes
Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a can of whole white potatoes, drained, with a pinch of Kosher salt, a sprinkling of ground pepper, and 1 tsp dried rosemary. Heat until golden brown and slightly crispy on the edges.

Green beans
Prepare cut green beans in your favorite method. Mine are canned and microwaved just to give me some delicious green.

Enjoy!

Farewell to Summer

The end of summer is upon us and fall is fast approaching. I decided to go for a nice transitional meal tonight - grilled pork chops with a garnish reminiscent of summery caprese salad, and polenta on the side. And the grill called for Ty Caton's Field Blend.

Wine: 2005 Ty Caton Field Blend Red
Meal: Herb-crusted Pork Chop with Polenta

Color: 5/5
Deep deep purple, inky dark loveliness

Nose: 14/15
Raspberries, currants, black pepper, mustiness, blueberries, touch of oak, a touch of earth. A sit'n'sniff all day wine!

Taste: 8/10
Blackberries & chocolate at the front, black pepper on the mid-palate. Somewhat herby.

Finish: 8/10
Raisinettes, vanilla, oak.

Aging: 3/5
Drinking beautifully now, seems like it will hold a little while longer.

Overall: 4/5
Arguably one of my favorites. One of Ty's "lower end" bottles, makes a great every day drinker that also works well on special occasions. Lovely, lovely wine.

Total: 92pts

The wine really works well with the meal. They both just seem to complete each other, which is as it should be. It's really well-balanced, and seems like this wine has really come together and is nicely integrated now. What do I mean? Well, I first had one of these in July of 2008, and this is what I wrote about it:

This stuff is fantastic. Lasted me 4 days and held up all throughout. Very fruity nose on day 1, berries on the palate. Day 2 brought out a little bit of oak on the nose, with a spiciness across the palate. Day 3 brought with it a cocoa finish, with slightly more pronounced oak. Day 4 it began to fade, but was still full of flavor. Very well-balanced wine. This is stuff to stock up on.

I scored it at 90pts back then.

Want to make this meal?

Please note that the fresh herbs are important to this dish. Don't use dried stuff. Go get it fresh.

Herb-crusted Pork Chop
1 bone-in pork chop, at least 1/2" thick
2 Tbsp kosher salt
1/4 cup (unpacked) dark brown sugar
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig oregano
12 leaves basil
1 tsp chopped chives

Remove the thyme and oregano leaves from their stalks. Tear up the basil leaves. Place all herbs, salt, and sugar into a bowl and toss well. Pack the mixture onto both sides of the pork and allow to sit for about 10 minutes.

Heat grill to medium (~350 - 400 degrees). Do not rub off the herb crust from the pork prior to cooking. Cook pork directly over medium heat for 6 minutes on each side, or until the meat reaches 165 degrees. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes, then top with caprese topping.

Caprese Topping
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp kosher salt
10 leaves basil

Strain the juice from the tomatoes and reserve. Tear up basil leaves, and place in bowl with tomatoes and salt. Toss lightly to mix and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

This can be served as a side dish with fresh mozzarella if desired.

Polenta
3 slices pre-made polenta
Tomato juice reserved from can

In a small skillet over medium-high heat, heat up tomato juice just until it begins to boil. Gently place polenta rounds into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Top with remaining (and now thickened) tomato juice.

Pre-made polenta - you can generally find this in grocery stores. It comes in packaging reminiscent of sausage. I still have yet to successfully make home-made polenta, but this stuff comes close.

Enjoy!

What the *%#&@!

Today is Twisted Oak's Jeff Stai's birthday. I'm celebrating by having Twisted Oak *%#&@! and a fancy-sounding meal. It just sounds fancy. It boils down to fish & chips.

Wine: 2005 Twisted Oak *%#&@!
Meal: Honey Brie Fried Salmon with French Cut Fingerling Potatoes

...see? Fancy name for fish & chips...

Tasting notes on the wine:
Color: 5/5
Dark plum color, good saturation and clarity. Little bit of clearness at the edges. Pretty!

Nose: 12/15
Rust and fruit, dark berries, passionfruit, and a little earthiness. Some tar. Nice.

Taste: 9/10
Tannins are holding firm on this fruit-forward, medium-bodied wine. Tastes like plums and cherries, vanilla and rosemary.

Finish: 7/10
Finishes a little hot, with black pepper and oak and blackberries.

Aging: 3/5
4 years old and still going strong. I decanted this for about a half an hour before pouring. Should hold up for some time still. It's drinking beautifully now though.

Overall: 4/5
I like this a lot. Really pleasant by itself, really awesome with food. Strong, excellent offering.

Total: 90pts

Want to make this meal?

Honey Brie Fried Salmon
4oz filet of salmon
1 cup panko
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp salmon rub (your favorite blend of spices)
4 Tbsp oil
3 oz brie, sliced into 1/4" slices (3 slices)

Turn oven on to broil.

Mix together panko and rub in a shallow bowl. Coat salmon with honey and cover with breading. Give the brie the same treatment.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium high heat and cook salmon for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and place on a baking sheet. Lay the breaded brie slices on top, then place in oven under the broiler for about 2 minutes until the brie begins melting.

French Cut Fingerlings
3-4 fingerling potatoes

Slice the potatoes into wedges. Heat deep fryer to 375. Fry potatoes for 4-5 minutes until desired crispiness is obtained. Drain on paper towel, salting lightly.

Enjoy!

Kosher for Passover

Tonight it's about Passover. I'm not actually rating the wine tonight, just showcasing it alongside of my Seder supper.

Wine: 2004 Segal Cabernet Sauvignon Galilee Heights Special Reserve
Meal: Roasted Lamb & potatoes, with Seder

This is an Israeli wine, and Kosher. The color is extremely dark purple, inky. The nose exhibits slight floral aromas, with fruity overtones and a little funk. It tastes delightful - earthy, just enough fruit, just enough tannin, really well balanced. If you've been afraid of Israeli wines, try this one. Amazing!

Special guest appearance by my cat, Truffles, who refused to get off the table when there was delicious lamb available.

I'm Blind! Sort of...

Tonight I decided it was time to give Michigan another shot at red wine. We haven't done so well so far in the reds area, even though the Rieslings are fantastic. So I had a 2005 St. Julian Merlot and a 2005 Beaulieu Vineyards Merlot, both of which are in the < $10 category, neither of which are known for being show stoppers, so I figured it'd be a fair fight. I tasted them semi-blind; I have a horrible memory and while I did the labeling of "A" and "B" for the bottles and the glasses they were going into, by the time I finished making dinner and got around to tasting them, I'd completely forgotten which was which.

Wine A: 2005 St. Julian Merlot
Wine B: 2005 Beaulieu Vineyard Coastal Estates Merlot
Meal: Salmon Foccacia

Tasting notes on the wine:
Wine A:
Color: 4/5
Palish rusty... I can see my fingers through it. Good clarity, but paler than I expected.

Nose: 5/15
Lacking. Not really getting anything from it. Really have to dig my nose in there and breathe deeply to get anything, and what I'm getting is kind of like rusty iron with just the barest hints of some kind of indistinct fruit on it.

Flavor: 5/10
Mild flavor, again difficult to really pull anything out of it. Not unpleasant, but nothing remarkable about it. Toasty, with soft tannins and some plum.

Finish: 5/10
Finally something distinct on it, but not exactly what I think of for merlot. There was definitely a pink bubble gum taste, layered with twigs.

Aging: 2/5
Maybe needs more bottle time, or maybe this is as "good" as it gets. Don't think it'll last more than another year or two, but I'd drink it sooner rather than later, if at all.

Overall: 2/5
Not impressed. Drinkable, but just barely, and there's absolutely nothing special about it.

Total: 70pts

Wine B:
Color: 5/5
Darker, much more in line with what it should be. Plum in color. Good saturation and clarity.

Nose: 6/15
Floral, but still lacking, and still very difficult to discern anything out of it. Some fruit, but nothing distinctive.

Taste: 6/10
A little hot. Soft tannins. Plum and cherry predominant, a little tart. Pleasant though, and the heat blows off in time.

Finish: 4/10
Dry. Very dry and short. There's just nothing to it. It's there for a moment, then gone.

Aging: 2/5
There's not really a backbone on this to age. Drink it if you've got it, probably won't hold up more than 2 or 3 more years.

Overall: 2/5
Like the previous, it's very forgettable. Not impressed. It's drinkable, and is the wine I have chosen to have with dinner.

Total: 75pts

No big shocker there. Mediocre wines, one just slightly better than the other, but the BV did work well with dinner, and all in all turned out to be a pleasant enough wine with food.

Want to make this meal?
I purchased a pre-made veggie foccacia from my local grocery store - freshly baked today and topped with onion, red & green pepper, cheese... really great stuff. I popped open a can of salmon and spread it on top, then sprinkled a healthy dose of shredded mozzarella on top and sprinkled some parsley over it. Baked at 350 for 20 minutes, then cut it up and served like pizza.

Enjoy!

St Patty's Day Fare

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you! I'm not Irish, but I love green and all the things that go along with St. Patrick's Day (even if they're not, technically, "traditionally" Irish). So I figured tonight was going to be Corned Beef, boiled potatoes, and carrots. No, no cabbage. I find I don't like cabbage. Plus it doesn't go so well with wine. I have to be honest, I wasn't quite sure what I was going to go with for my wine pairing tonight, because even though it's technically beef, it's sweeter than most beef. Plus there's all those spices... but in the end, I just walked into the cellar and grabbed whatever my hand first landed on. Which turned out to be a pretty good idea!

Wine: 2001 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz
Meal: Corned Beef, Boiled Potatoes, and Buttered Carrots

Tasting notes on the wine:
First off, decant this for at least a half hour. Not because of the heat or the tannins - those are barely present, but because it just needs that time for the fruit to come out and for it to really blossom. I did not, and remembered hearing some great things about it, but the first taste was really "meh". Please give it some air.

Color: 5/5
Dark brick red, with good clarity and the color extending just about to the glass, which is pretty impressive in an 8 year old wine. It's nice and saturated, but maybe not lustrous. Or maybe my glass just has fingerprints all over it.

Nose: 12/15
Powerful nose. I can smell it as it sits in the glass on the table, about a foot away from me. Nice, not super special, but nice. Earthy tones, a little musty at first, but after a while that fades away into a rich scent of dried figs, cracked peppercorns, and mulberries. Given a bit more time, chocolate pushes out with a vengeance.

Flavor: 8/10
Very earthy, leathery, followed shortly after by a snap of fresh fig, sour and black cherries. Tasting after having some of the beef helps to provide the "meat" flavor that is so typical of Syrah & Shiraz that I was just missing. Definitely improves with time and is now producing an intoxicating mix of white and dark chocolate as well. And the tannins, just this minute, showed themselves.

Finish: 8/10
At first this was a little twiggy on the finish, reminding me of much of the Pinot Noirs I've had (which isn't many, mind you) and it turned me off. But I pressed on, had some of the potatoes and sipped again, and that twigginess went away. Time also served to get rid of it. Quite smooth, and there's no heat. You'd never know this wine was 14.2% ABV. Except I just told you. The tannins are really announcing their presence now - I was missing them earlier and I'm so glad they showed up. I'm also beginning to get some dried meat on the finish as well.

Aging: 3/5
This is well balanced, and there's definitely enough tannin, structure, and fruit for it to continue drinking well for at least the next 5 years. Maybe more.

Overall: 4/5
I was not impressed at first sampling of this, but as it opens up and develops, I'm appreciating it more and more. I would have to say this truly is a great "dinner" wine, as the early stages of it go beautifully with food, and as it opens and progresses throughout the meal, comes to its own to become an enjoyable after-dinner conversation wine.

Total: 90pts

Want to make this meal?

I admit, I cheat when it comes to corned beef. I go out and pick up a pre-packaged Vienna Chicago Classic corned beef brisket, so that's what I suggest doing. All of the wonderful flavor of corned beef, less of the hassle of doing it right. Follow package instructions for cooking - mine was a 3.5 lb brisket and I boiled it for 2.5 hours.

The potatoes I like to cook up are fingerling potatoes, simply because of the colors that come out of them. Pretty simply, place potatoes in a pot with about 6 cups of water and a few pinches of Kosher salt, and bring to a boil. Boil 10-15 minutes or until desired tenderness is achieved.

Buttered carrots is a side dish from my youth, and no one made them quite like Mom. And so simple to make! Peel and slice as many carrots as you need, and place in a microwave safe dish with enough water to come just to the surface of the carrots. Microwave on high for about 5 minutes, until fork-tender. Drain, and stir in a pat of butter until the carrots are nicely coated.

All of these items reheat nicely, so you can make them all the day before and just reheat before serving. And if you have any leftover corned beef when it's all done, try making some corned beef hash the next morning for breakfast, or toss lightly with a mild, sweet BBQ sauce and serve on a bun for lunch.

Enjoy!

Wings for the Superbowl

In honor of the Superbowl, I decided to make some wings tonight. After all, that's the only real reason to watch, right? An excuse for wings! I'm finishing off the bottle of de Bortoli Petite Sirah tonight with them, so you can check out the rating on that from the previous post. It's holding up really well and works quite nicely with the wings.

About halfway through cooking the wings, I realized I had forgotten to get bleu cheese dressing for them - so I improvised! Glad I did, too. So here's the lovelies:

Want to make this meal?

Teriyaki Wings with Guacamole-Hummus Dip
For wings:
1 dozen chicken wings, tips cut off and split into drummettes and wings
2 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter
4 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine garlic, salt, and paprika. Toss wings and drummettes with the salt mixture, cover, and marinate for an hour.

Heat deep fryer to 375. Deep-fry wings until golden brown - about 7 minutes. Remove and drain.

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, then stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Remove from heat. Toss wings with the sauce until thoroughly coated.

For dip:
Combine equal parts of your favorite hummus and guacamole until completely combined. Simple as that!

Serve with celery.

Enjoy!

It's Been a While

My apologies. Been quite busy the past month or so. However, I went wine shop wandering today and found a little gem that I just have to share. I don't have a specific pairing for it, but I'm telling you about the wine anyway, because I'm that impressed by it. So here we go!

Wine: 2006 De Bortoli Petite Sirah dB Selection

Tasting notes on the wine:

Color: 5/5
Intense, inky dark black. Dark dark dark. The color bleeds all the way to the glass. No clear meniscus on this one at all. Wow.

Nose: 13/15
Cocoa, cherry, plum, licorice, violets, lavender. Really nice and enjoyable to just sniff.

Flavor: 8/10
Blueberries! plum, smoke, wee bit of chalk.

Finish: 8/10
Wee bit chalky, blood orange, mocha, touch of rubber. Falls a little on the short side, but is pleasant.

Aging: 2/5
Fruity, but considering I'm used to having Petite Sirah that will age forever, I'm not so sure this one will hold up like that. But I could be wrong.

Overall: 4/5
Did I mention this was $8? This was an $8 bottle of wine, from Australia, with a screwcap. And is an INCREDIBLE value. Definitely a daily drinker, good enough for company. Probably will pair just fine with your typical PS pairings (beef, lamb, roasts). The winery suggests hearty casseroles and soups. And it's under $10. Hurray for value!!

Total: 90pts

Solid, solid wine. Go get some.

Jumilla and Ginger Key Lime Saffron Shrimp

Wine: 2006 Bodegas Olivares Jumilla Panarroz
Meal: Ginger Key Lime Saffron Shrimp

Tasting notes on the wine:

Color: 5/5
Black plum, color bleeds to edge, good saturation and clarity.

Nose: 11/15
Black cherry, oak, licorice, cough syrup, sweet thyme. Sweet, fruity. There's a little burnt rubber that's a little off-putting. Nice, but not extraordinary.

Flavor: 6/10
Spicy and fruity, and oaky. A little one-dimensional. Mostly dark fruits on the palate, with something weird that I just can't put my finger on, but I don't care for it. It's okay. Nothing spectacular.

Finish: 7/10
Decent little finish, goes down smooth and calls the tannins out. Again, nothing special about it, just a lingering of the flavors across the palate.

Aging: 3/5
It may be too early. It's a young wine still, only a 2006. It might improve with time. There's enough structure for it to hold for a while.

Overall: 3/5
Unimpressive. It's decent, and for $9/bottle, I can't really complain. Not exactly my cup of tea (or glass of wine). It's also not exactly the best pairing - the food was pretty much just what I had lying around the house, and so it became food. I had already opened the bottle before checking my food selection, so I kind of got stuck. The food's good though.

Total: 84 pts

Want to make this meal?

Ginger Key Lime Saffron Shrimp

5 jumbo shrimp
2 Tbsp ginger key lime sauce (see below)
3 medium carrots, peeled & chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
1/4 cup frozen peas
pinch saffron

Heat up medium skillet or wok and put in sauce, carrots, and celery. Saute until carrots are tender-crisp. Add in shrimp and saffron. Cover and cook for 3 minutes until shrimp begin to turn red. Stir in peas, cover and cook an additional 3 minutes until the shrimp has turned red and cooked through. Serve in a bowl and enjoy!

Ginger Key Lime Sauce
1 bottle Les Lavandes Ginger Key Lime Vinegar
1 shallot, finely diced
1 stick butter

In a small saucepan, combine vinegar and shallot, and reduce the vinegar over medium heat until it it approximately 2 Tbsp in volume. Remove from heat and slowly stir in butter until it is all melted. Can be refrigerated and reheated at will.

Enjoy!

Veal Stuffed Peppers and Merlot

Merlot has been snubbed a little too often lately as being just one of those all-too-common wines. But this varietal has a lot of flavor that shouldn't be passed on. It's truly versatile, and pairs well with a wide array of meats. So for tonight I chose a meat that is considered white but eats like a red - veal!

Wine: 2004 Reininger Merlot Helix
Meal: Veal Stuffed Peppers

Tasting notes on the wine:

Color: 5/5
Inky, dark purple, almost black. The color runs just about to the glass. The liquid is clear, but opaque. Absolutely beautiful.

Nose: 14/15
Unlike the previous post, this is definitely one of those sit-and-sniff-all-day wines. Black cherries, blackberries, plum, leather, vanilla, woodsmoke... just wow. Very complex nose. Just beautiful.

Flavor: 7/10
Not as impressed with the taste of this. It's still really good, and drinks pretty well straight out of the bottle, but after a nose like this one had, the flavor is a bit of a let down. Jammy and tannic, some hints of cocoa come out. Fairly smooth, and after about 20 minutes in the glass, all the heat blows off. Oaky, dark fruits dominate the palate. Pleasant and easy to drink, but not as complex as I was anticipating.

Finish: 8/10
Smooth finish, lasts about 30 seconds. More oak, and once the wine opens up, you get vanilla and plum as well. Nothing special, but it's clean and enjoyable.

Aging: 3/5
It's truly a New World style, and I think there's enough tannic action and fruits going on that this will continue to develop for a few more years. Definitely ready to go now, but will probably drink well for at least another 6-8 years.

Overall: 4/5
A nice daily drinker. Easy to drink, and I can see this one holding up well to stronger meats, as well as being subtle enough for the more delicate cuts. Maybe a little overpowering for poultry and pasta, but pork and veal are just fine, as would be filet or strip.

Total: 91pts

Want to make this meal?

Veal Stuffed Peppers
3/4 lb ground veal
1/4 c white rice
2 large bell peppers
1 Tbsp butter
1 rib celery, diced
1/4 small red onion, diced
1 small tomato, diced
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
pinch Kosher salt
1/4 cup dried shitake mushrooms
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried sage
1/4 cup panko

Reconstitute the mushrooms in warm water. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Meanwhile, triple wash the rice and put in a small pot with 1/2 cup of water on high heat. When water begins to boil, reduce heat to low and cover, allowing to simmer for 15 minutes.

Slice the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds and stem. Dice up the tops, leaving the bottoms intact as a bowl. In a medium skillet, melt the butter, and add the diced peppers, celery, onion, and tomato, and sprinkle salt on top. Cook down until onions are translucent and veggies are tender-crisp.

Strain off the mushrooms, reserving the water, then dice the mushrooms. Pour 1/4 cup of the mushroom water into the veggies and allow to simmer uncovered for approximately 5 minutes. Strain the veggie mixture and reserve the liquid.

In a medium bowl, combine cooked rice, mushrooms, lamb, rosemary and sage. Mix in veggies until well combined. Add 1/8 cup cheese and panko, and mix well. Spoon into pepper bowls and place in a loaf pan with about a cup of water on the bottom. Sprinkle a little more panko on top. Bake for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour reserved liquid into saucepan over medium heat and stir in remaining cheese, and reduce by half. Remove from heat until peppers are done.

Once peppers are done, plate peppers, and pour the liquid from the loaf pan (along with any solids) in with the reduced juice. Return to medium heat and reduce again by half. Spoon sauce over top of the peppers and serve.

Enjoy!

Lobster and Chard

This past Friday I was treated by a friend to a wonderful lobster dinner with roasted fennel and risotto. She was kind enough to share with me a couple bottles of wine that I'd not yet had. What a meal! This is a little more complex of a meal than I've posted so far, but definitely worth it. I also only took formal tasting notes on the Chardonnay, so the TyTanium will simply be my impressions.

Wine: 2006 Laura Zahtila Vineyards Chardonnay and 2003 Ty Caton TyTanium
Meal: Lobster medallions and claws with saffron cream sauce, roasted fennel, and risotto

Tasting notes on the wine:

Laura Zahtila Chardonnay
Color: 5/5
Totally translucent and golden. Beautiful color. Clear at the edges to about 1/8" in.

Nose: 12/15
A little simple on the nose. Earthy and minerally, a little granny smith apple. Simple, but nice.

Flavor: 8/10
Okay, I'm not a fan of chardonnay. Typically. This is not your typical chardonnay. My notes say "red drinkers' chardonnay" - you don't get that over-oaked, buttery flavor that you find with most chards these days. It's different. Grassy, with green apple and citrus notes. A little hit of oak, but not in your face by any means. It's a little tart to me, and not my favorite flavors, but a good effort.

Finish: 7/10
The finish falls short. Nothing of note there - it didn't really last long enough to pull anything out.
But it wasn't unpleasant. Just ... forgettable.

Aging: 2/5
Not exactly a cellarable wine. But that's fairly typical for whites. I'd say drink this in the next year or two.

Overall: 3/5
Worth a try, especially if you don't care for your typical chardonnay. Definitely a better wine with food than without. Good with creamy things, and shellfish. So probably a seafood alfredo would be absolutely divine!

Total: 87pts

This chard with the risotto is quite possibly one of those "perfect" pairings. The creaminess of the risotto with the earthiness of the mushrooms in it just accented the wine beautifully, and really toned down the tartness of it. The fennel, well, not so much. I wouldn't recommend doing that - the lemony flavor of the fennel just makes the wine super acidic and extra tart. Not good. But the lobster was quite good with it - better without the sauce, in my opinion, but good either way.

We had the TyTanium as dessert, and even though it's not a dessert wine, it sure holds up well as one. Cocoa was the dominating flavor on the palate for this, with a lingering vanilla spice finish. Very memorable wine, and gut instinct rating without working out the numbers would place this at a 90+ wine. Beautiful offering.

Want to make this meal?

Saffron Cream Sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron

Wrap the saffron in a foil packet and bake in a toaster oven for about 5 minutes at 300.

In a medium saucepan heat the cream until just simmering. Crumble in the saffron, crushing it between your fingers. Let the sauce reduce by about 1/3, and remove from heat.

Lobster Medallions and Claws
3 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 lb lobsters
2 Tbsp olive oil

Kill the lobsters using the method found on Lobsters with Laura. This is the most humane way to kill them as it is swift and painless. Don't be surprised if the lobsters still move even after they are dead; the muscles have reflexes that will activate while you are preparing them.

Break off the claws at the main joint, place in a shallow pan, and roast in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes. These can be placed in at the same time as the fennel.

Cut the tails into medallions but cutting them at each joint. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until it begins to lightly smoke, then add the medallions, cooking them for about 3-4 minutes on each side until the meat becomes opaque.

Plate with a little of the saffron cream sauce poured on top.

Roasted Fennel
2 fennel bulbs (thick base of stalk), stalks cut off, bulbs sliced
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Rub just enough olive oil over the fennel to coat. Sprinkle on some balsamic vinegar, also to coat. Line baking dish with silpat or aluminum foil. Lay out piece of fennel and roast for 15-20 minutes, until the fennel is cooked through and beginning to caramelize.

Recipe courtesy of Simply Recipes

Creamy Risotto
4 chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 medium red onion, diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (we used Sake)
Salt to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup mixed dried gourmet mushrooms, rehydrated

Put stock in a medium saucepan over low heat. Put oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add onion, stirring occasionally until it softens, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add white wine, stir, and let liquid bubble away. Add a large pinch of salt. Add warmed stock, 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring occasionally. Each time stock has just about evaporated, add more. After about 5-10 minutes, add the mushrooms.

After about 20 minutes, begin tasting rice. You want it to be tender but with a bit of crunch; it could take as long as 30 minutes total to reach this stage. Remove skillet from heat, add remaining butter and stir briskly. Add Parmesan and stir briskly, then taste and adjust seasoning. Risotto should be slightly soupy. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from The New York Times

Enjoy!

Malbec, Take 2

Wine: 2006 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Alamos Selección
Meal: Pan-fried Panko Breaded Chicken with broccolini

Not much difference in the flavor of the wine today, after 5 days in the fridge. Still quite good, and I stand by my previous notes and scoring. The only real noticeable change is that I'm now getting black cherry flavor coming through on the palate and the finish, and the tannins are completely calmed down at this point. It's much easier to drink by itself this time.

So without further ado, the recipe!

Pan-fried Panko Breaded Chicken
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup panko
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp dried sage
1 egg
1 tsp milk
1 tsp water
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter

In a shallow dish, combine panko, salt, cumin, paprika, and sage. In a small bowl, combine egg, milk, and water.

Using a meat mallet, pound out the chicken until it is approximately 1/4" thick throughout. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, then into the panko mixture, tossing to coat.

Heat oil and butter in a skillet until the butter has melted and begins to smell nutty. Place breaded chicken in skillet, and cook for about 6 minutes on each side, or until the chicken has cooked through.

I cooked up the broccolini in a similar method to the previous veggies (garlic and olive oil), except that that I simply placed the broccolini in the pan and then covered it, and let it cook until tender-crisp.

Enjoy!

Malbec and Veal

Wine: 2006 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Alamos Selección
Meal: Grilled veal chop with garlic-sauteed green beans and bell pepper

Tasting notes on the wine:

Color: 5/5
Dark, black plum, clearing out at the edges, clean, with good legs.

Nose: 12/15
Right out of the bottle, bacon predominates the nose. Through time, floral notes show through, along with leather and dark fruits.

Flavor: 8/10
Very fruit-forward, but not quite a fruit bomb. Lots of blueberries and plum, smoke, and violets. It makes me think of a cross between Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Finish: 8/10
Lasts about 30 seconds. At first it didn't seem very tannic, but as time wore on, the tannins began to show through, which I thought was kind of backwards to what you typically see. I get a good hit of oak and berries.

Aging: 3/5
With the fruits and tannins, I'd say this one will do just fine with some time in the cellar. Drink now - 2015.

Overall: 4/5
Really great wine. Easy to drink, but it does better with food than on its own.

Total: 90pts

With the characteristics of both PS and CS, this wine becomes a very versatile drink. Good with chicken, beef, lamb, veal, pork... Just about anything. It takes about 20 minutes in the glass to really open up nicely, and at about 40 minutes hits its sweet spot and holds steady for quite some time. If you're into the "correct" stemware, I found that this works better in a Syrah glass than a Cabernet - which, as it turns out, is what Riedel recommends.

Want to make this meal?

Grilled Veal with Garlic-Sauteed Veggies
1/4 - 1/2 lb veal chop, cut to 1/2" thickness
kosher salt
1/8 tsp coursely ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup cut green beans
1 yellow bell pepper, diced

Salt and pepper the veal chop and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before placing on the grill. Cook for approx. 8 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and let rest.

In a saute pan, place olive oil and butter and heat until butter has melted. Add garlic and a pinch of salt, stirring gently until garlic becomes fragrant. Toss in green beans and bell pepper, and saute until tender-crisp, or about 5-6 minutes.

Enjoy!

Forget the Milk and Honey

I'll take Lamb and Petite Sirah for my heavenly meal any day! This classic combination is quite possibly one of the best meals you'll ever have the pleasure of consuming. Don't be afraid of the lamb; it really is quite simple to make. Just make sure your grill is fired up and good and ready for it, at medium to medium-high heat.

Wine: 2005 Concannon Vineyard Petite Sirah Limited Release
Meal: Grilled lamb chops with a veggie side

Tasting notes on the wine:
First of all, this wine should be decanted for about 2 hours before drinking. I like to decant and then pour it back into the bottle for serving.

Color: 5/5
Deep, dark violet. Very nearly black. Coats the glass beautifully, with good legs.

Nose: 13/15
Floral and leather, chocolate and spice. Touches of oak here and there if you breathe deeply.

Flavor: 9/10
Very correct PS flavors, and loaded with blueberry. My notes have "BLUEBERRIES" capitalized and underlined about 5 times. Vanilla and spice shine through as well, with hints of other dark fruits. Oh, and did I mention the blueberries? Good, full mouthfeel, jammy. By the end of the glass, expect to need to brush your tongue, and maybe your teeth, too.

Finish: 8/10
Lasts about 30-45 seconds, with a good punch of tannins. Doesn't leave your mouth cotton-dry, but you might want to keep a glass of water handy.

Aging: 3/5
It will be interesting to see how this one develops over the next few years. It's got the body and fruit to last a while, so it should last pretty well in the cellar for quite some time. Drink now through 2017.

Overall: 4/5
Talk about excellent QPR (Quality Price Ratio). Available locally for between $10-$15, this is a massive purchase. An excellent everyday quaffer, provided you have the patience to decant it properly. Love this stuff.

Total: 92pts

As mentioned before, Petite Sirah and Lamb is a perfect combination. PS is one of those immensely flexible wines that goes really well with just about anything, but it really shines with grilled meats and barbecue. And I admit, I cheated on the meal and used pre-packaged veggies, but sometimes you just want something easy.

Want to make this meal?

Grilled Lamb Chops w/veggies
1/2 lb Kosher salt
1/2 lb lamb chops (3-4 3/4" thick chops)
1 pkg Green Giant "Healthy Vision"

On a piece of foil, pour out half of the kosher salt, and arrange the chops on it. Coat the top of the chops with the remaining salt, making sure they are all covered. Close up the foil and allow to sit for about an hour.

Rinse the salt off under water and pat dry, and allow to rest for another 5 minutes. Place chops on grill over medium to medium-high heat, and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Allow to rest for 3-4 minutes before serving.

Cook up the veggies according to package directions and serve alongside the chops.

Enjoy!

Twofer For You!

There's a little bit of Spain in the air tonight. I was originally going for just something for the Altos de Luzón, but while I was making the dish, it dawned on me that maybe a white would be called for instead. So I figured why not try both and see which goes better!

Wine: 2005 Finca Luzón Jumilla Altos de Luzón and 2005 Havens Wine Cellars Albariño
Meal: Spanish Paella

Tasting notes on the wines:

Altos de Luzón
Color: 5/5
Rich, dark berry. Clear to about 1/8" from the rim.

Nose: 13/15
Complex nose, and yet the individual scents each present themselves clearly. Spices, particularly cloves, with dark berries like mulberry and black raspberry, a little bit of tobacco, and after letting the initial touch of heat blow off, a noseful of bacon fat.

Flavor: 10/10
I may be a bit biased, but this is one of my favorite wines. Velvet smooth. Chocolate is the first thing to hit the palate, like a dark Belgian chocolate. Following on the mid-palate are plums and dark berries, with delicious raisinettes. There are beautiful tannins nicely balanced in, soft and chewy, but they definitely make their presence known. The best part about this is that you can pop and pour with little to no decanting. Perhaps a little aeration in the glass, but not much. Nice, big, leathery mouthfeel to it.

Finish: 8/10
The raisinettes carry through the finish ending with a gentle mocha flavoring, which lasts a decent 30 seconds or so.

Aging: 3/5
Plenty of fruit in this one, and it's very well balanced. Should last for quite a while in the cellar, if you can resist drinking it that long. Drink now through 2012.

Overall: 5/5
What can I say? From the very first time I tried this wine, it became a favorite of mine. I just absolutely love it. This wine drinks really well either on its own or paired with food. The chocolatey characteristics lend well to drinking it after dinner, almost as a dessert, although I would not call this a sweet wine.

Total: 95pts

Havens Albariño
Color: 5/5
Pale straw colored, clear to about 1/8" from the rim. There's some small bubbles lining the side of the glass, not sure where they came from.

Nose: 12/15
Fairly simple nose to this one - tangerines are the first thing that spring to mind, followed by watermelon and lemon. Very citrusy.

Flavor: 7/10
Not as big a fan of this, although it's still quite tasty. It reminds me very much of a limey-lemonade. Tart, and lime, lots of lime. It's like drinking an almost-flat 7-Up with its characteristic lemon-lime flavor. It's a little rough around the edges. Very summery, for sure. Would probably work really well for making some wine-based cocktails from. This may not have had enough time to properly chill before I tried it, so it might benefit from a little more time in the chill chamber before being poured.

Finish: 6/10
Short. Very short finish, almost non-existent. A little on the bitey side. Still with the lemon-lime, maybe a touch of fennel on the very back end of it.

Aging: 2/5
Drink now through 2010. Might not last much beyond that. Not a whole lot there to hold it up.

Overall: 4/5
It's a nice wine, really, if a little one-dimensional. If anything screamed for shellfish, this would be the one. Not spectacular, but not bad.

Total: 86pts

The paella consisted of four different proteins mixed in with the rice. Chicken, chorizo, mussels, and shrimp. It's precisely because of this mixed meat approach that made it so difficult to choose one wine over the other to pair with this. The chicken and shellfish called out white to me, but that chorizo with it's spicy kick just said, "I need a red with a little bit of structure to it." I'm glad I ended up going with both of these wines. They both pair equally well with it and bring complements to the dish that really ought to be experienced.

The rice turned the Havens a little on the sharp and acidic side, which I found to be quite nice. Didn't really do much for the Altos, my notes simply say "nice". The sausage, with its lovely spices, overpowered the white, while the red very nicely cut the heat of it. It also brought out the chocolate flavor even more of the Altos, and brought a new bacon flavor to it. Both the shrimp and mussels had the same effect - overpowered by the red, but the Havens became like a butter dipping sauce for them. That lemon-lime flavor of it really cut the "sea" flavor from the mussels and turned it into something beautiful. This is one of those dishes that you can just pick your favorite wine, red or white, and you shouldn't be disappointed. I ended up, unsurprisingly, going for the Altos to finish my meal.

Want to make this meal?

Spanish Paella
This is a one-pan dish, but you MUST have a large enough skillet for it! I recommend going out and getting a 16" skillet with a good-fitting lid, if you can't find an actual paella pan. Yes, they make special pans just for paella. Mine was only 14" and, well, let's just say I have a good bit of cleaning to do on the stove from overflow.

1/2 cup olive oil
4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin removed
1 small white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon salt
a pinch saffron threads
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/2 cup peas (frozen is fine)
3 cups long grain rice
14oz can chicken broth
4 cups chicken stock
8-10 mussels
12-15 medium shrimp, peeled
1 lb chorizo, sliced into rounds
handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 bay leaves
1 tsp ground cayenne
1 tsp dried sage
6 wedges lemon

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Place chicken thighs into oil and sear until golden brown on both sides. Remove and set aside.

Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 1 minute. Add bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes more.

Stir in salt, paprika, cayenne, sage, saffron, tomatoes, peas, rice, stock and broth until well combined. Add bay leaves. Return chicken to the pan, add chorizo, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

Scatter the shrimp over the top, and press the mussels into the rice. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 12 minutes. Add parsley to the top, and simmer for an additional 3 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Serves 4-6.

Enjoy!