Much Ado about Norton

Its always a tough choice deciding what wine to drink with dinner.  While I stayed in McAllen this Thursday Pris initially decided to open a Merlot that we'd had since before the move to Brownsville.  Unfortunately oxygen got into the bottle and the wine had turned.  So she moved on to her second choice and opened up a bottle of Norton Barrel Select 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon to go with her meal.  I got to dig into it when I got home Friday evening while the "tropical storm" came through. 

The Norton Barrel Select Cab is a good little wine.  It has a great nose full of cherry and blackberry.  Its a full bodied, but mellow Cab.  This wine is soft on the palate with loads of dark fruit and some spice towards the end.  Supple tannins provide an nice mellow finish that lasts for some time.

This is an Argentinean Cab from the Medoza region, and its considerably softer than your typical Cab from California.  It still has the full flavor and structure of Cabernet Sauvignon, just not as much bite or tannic activity.

One of the best features of this mellow wine is that it can pair readily with a wide variety of meals without it overpowering them.  We initially paired the wine with some brisket and potato salad from Rudy's and it went really well.  The wine held up with the deep smoky flavor of the meat and the sweet spice of the sauce without any problems.  Later on in the evening we had another glass with some olives, manchego cheese, serrano jamon, and lomo.  Again, the wine paired flawlessly with the salty savory meats and cheese.

Besides its versatility, the Norton Barrel Select is a great value at about $10 a bottle.  At that price, this is a great everyday wine, or as Pris put it "economy wine."  If you're looking for a decent, well priced Cab then this wine has you're name on it.  If you're more into the big bold dry California Cabs and Argentinean Malbecs, then this wine may not be your first choice for dinner or drinks. You can find the Norton just about everywhere.  Its at H.E.B., Feldmans, and Target.  Again, it runs about $10 and is a great value.  You can find out more about the Norton wines at:  http://www.norton.com.ar/

Grillin & Chillin with Carchelo

Back around the 4th of July I had picked up some wines to go with the meat I was firing up on the grill.  Mike Jones had some recommendations and we've already reviewed one of them.  This weekend we moved on to the second wine recommended for grilled and barbequed meat, a Spanish blend by Carchelo.

The 2009 Carchelo C is a blend of 40% Monastrell, 40% Tempranillo, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.  On the nose the Carchelo C is very ripe with notes of cherries and raisins.  This is a light and fruity wine that has a brisk concise finish.  The three grapes all offer their own strengths to this wine.  Dark fruit from the Monastrell, lightness from the Tempranillo, and spicy boldness from the Cabernet.

This was a good wine with grilled chicken and bbq sauce.  I thought it went well with some Rudy's brisket I picked up this evening, but Pris felt the chicken was a better pairing.  The sweet in the wine with the smoky from the chicken worked really well together.  Like I said, this was a good wine with barbeque, but its not really a wine we were too fond of on its own.  The lightness and sweetness that worked so well with the grilled meats was a bit much for us on its own.  Now if you're into slightly sweeter and fruitier wines, then the 2009 Carchelo C is for you.

We purchased the 2009 Carchelo C at Jones Liquor in Brownsville and it was $10.99.  Its rated 91 points from Wine & Spirits and 88 points from Wine Advocate. You can find out more about Carchelo at:  http://www.carchelo.com/

J. Opi: A Steak-Loving Wine for People who Love Steak

Despite the title, this wine works for anyone who loves a great bold red wine.  Every once in a while my mom gets an order of wines from Wall Street Journal Wine Club.  Luckily, she always orders a little extra to give to Pris and I since she knows we love wine.  We decided to open one of the bottles she gave us to go with a marinated sirloin I grilled up for dinner.  And to go with a big rich steak? A Malbec from the folks who know and love beef and wine.

We opened up a bottle of J. Opi's 2009 Malbec.  While we both wanted a Malbec for dinner, Pris had her heart set on this one after reading about the awards and accolades.  The J. Opi has won the Malbec Trophy, and the Argentinean Best Red Trophy at the 2009 Decanter World Wine Awards.  Strong work in a field crowded with great steak loving wines.

The J. Opi is a dark purple wine with a heavy complex aroma of dark berries.  The wine is almost smooth on the palate, but stout tannins keep this wine full and dry.  Full fruit flavors of plum and cherry dominate the wine, but there's still a undertone of wood and smoke.  The wine finishes as strong as it starts, and lingers nicely in the mouth.

Everything Pris read said to pair this wine with steak, and everything she read was right on.  This wine went amazingly well with a marinated sirloin from Bob Stark's Beef Shop, some toasted brioche, and manchego cheese.  Tonight we actually finished off the bottle with some skillet heated grilled ribs and manchego cheese.  Again, it was a fantastic pairing.  It seems that this wine will pretty much go with any beef dish.  If you're looking for something for steaks, beef ribs, or other beefy meals then look no further.

Since this is a WSJ Wine, you have to go to their website to order it.  You can find the wine, and more information at: www.wsjwine.com

A Midsummer's Night Italian Wine Dinner

Let me just start this post by saying that if you like wine and good food, and you haven't been to a wine dinner at Santa Fe Steakhouse, you need to go.  This is our second wine dinner, and we enjoyed it every bit as much as the Bryan Page Wine Dinner.  The wine and course list was a little lighter, but that was reflected in the price.  Still, a night with five fantastic wines expertly paired with five amazing dishes is something we looked forward too.

  

We started the evening with Prosecco Treviso Brut Cantine Maschio paired with roast asparagus and goat cheese ravioli with fresh basil pesto.  The prosecco, like most proseccos, had a light citrus nose.  On the palate it was light and fizzy with a crisp citrus aftertaste.  On its own, this effervescent wine is refreshing and easy to drink.  Paired with the food its rocketed up into a whole new level.  The dish was amazing, and the wine offered a fantastic contrast.  The lightness of the wine was a great counterpoint to the heavy pesto cream.  The mix of sweet citrus with the tart cheese and bitter asparagus was fantastic, and we were only getting started.

The second course paired a 2007 Fontanelle Chardonnay with sautéed mussels in a cilantro buerre blanc. The Chardonnay had a bold fruity nose followed by mellow spring fruits on the palate.  This wine was dry and full in the mouth, but not tart, with a smooth mellow finish.  The smooth finish was a surprise considering the slightly bitter finish found in some Chardonnays.  This wine paired perfectly with the mussels.  Smoky and briny met smooth and fruity.  The buerre blanc was amazing, and I noticed I wasn't the only one at the table soaking it up with the bread once the mussels were gone. 

On a quick side note, this is second time that Pris has eaten something well outside her comfort zone.  She'd never thought she'd want to eat mussels, but she went through them as quickly as everyone else.  So that's now duck and mussels thanks to wine dinners.

Our third course paired  a 2007 Castello D'Albola Chianti Classico with a dish of heirloom tomatoes, burrata cheese and basil oil.  This was the first of two very different Chiantis, and an excellent compliment to the food.  The Castello D'Albola had a light coloration with a full fruit nose.  This is a Sangiovese through and through.  It was light, fruity, and contained just a hint of spice at the end.  Despite the lightness of the wine it still provided a nice full finish.  The Castello was mellow and way too easy to drink.  With the enhanced caprese salad it was lighter still.  The salt in the dish provided savory flavors to pair with the light sweetness of the fruit.  The one problem I had with this dish was that there just seemed to be too little of it. As a final note, this particular Chianti is also listed as #47 of last years top 100 wines to buy.

The main course followed with a 2007 Peppoli Chianti Classico paired with short ribs with soft polenta and sweet onion confit.  The differences in the two Chiantis was immediately apparent.  Where the Castello was light and clear, the Peppoli was a study in dark garnet.  A big bold nose started this wine off nicely.  It was followed by a smooth full dark ripe fruit on the palate.  This 90 point Chianti was earthy and spicy with plenty of black currant.  In a word this wine was perfect with the braised short ribs.  Dark rich wine cooked beef with a dark rich wine is a hard combination to beat.  Of course the creamy polenta with its smoky cheese and sweet caramelized onions was phenomenal.  As a total taste combination, this course was unbeatable.

Finally along came desert which was Passione Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG 2006 paired with a flourless chocolate cake with raspberry and orange sauces.  Normally I'm not the biggest fan of desert wines, but the Passione was different.  This wine was bubbly, sweet, and cloying but neither overpowering or syrupy.  It was also carbonated, which probably went a long way to keep the wine light and almost refreshing.  Loads of ripe berries can be found in the aroma and went perfectly with the berries in the dish.  The chocolate cake was a study in rich decadence.  The wine, while sweet, actually worked to cut through the richness of the cake.  It was a perfect final pairing.

We've now been to two of these wine dinners and we're looking to go to more.  They've both been amazing experiences that have provided both exceptional food and wine.  The price can be a bit high, but its well worth it.  These tastings are very different from the tastings at stores where the store is forced to regulate the amount you can be served.  Here, if your glass is empty, there's a waiter swinging by shortly to refill it.  The wine dinners are a great way to sample several wines across several different varietals and types.  What's more, you can find some really great pairings that you can incorporate into your own dinners at home.  I understand that in August the drink of choice will be champagne.  Pris and I aren't sure if we'll go since we're not that into champagne, but we might just to try the pairings.  Dinners are announced month to month and we'll be looking forward to getting to McAllen for more of them as we can.

I'm not sure where to find these wines, but its my understanding that Feldman's works with Santa Fe on these dinners so that would be a good place to start.  I've included the websites for the wines in order below if you'd like more information.  You can also do searches on them as there seems to be an abundance of information on the web about them.  Enjoy.

http://www.maschio-usa.com/home.html

http://www.castellobanfi.com/wines/index.php?wine=12

http://www.zoninusa.com/castello-d-albola/wineries/castello-d-albola

http://www.antinori.it/

Prime Time with Primus

Normally I like to write these reviews after a couple days when we're almost done with the bottle.  However, we've got an Italian wine dinner at Santa Fe Steakhouse this weekend, so in order to not get behind, this review is going out a little early.  Tonight we opened up a bottle of Veramonte's 2007 Primus which is a fine Chilean wine that's one of our "always in stock" wines.  Of course this was our last bottle which means we'll be stocking up again shortly. 

After the Altamura it was going to be tough to go to a regular wine, but we figured Primus was up to the challenge.  Normally this is a fantastic wine, and we'd pulled out a bottle earlier to review, but it had turned on us for some reason.  That's always a risk you take with wine.  This bottle from Chile's Colchagua Valley though was Primus perfection.

This is a bold and full bodied wine with an expressive nose and a complex palate.  Dark notes of spice hit you immediately with the first swirl of the glass.  After that dark rich fruits burst on the palate followed by subtle spices.  Powerful tannins make for a long full dry finish to this exceptional wine.  As big and bold as this wine is, it's not overwhelming.

The authoritative flavor of Primus is unsurprising if you look at its pedigree.  its made of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 8% Merlot and 7% Carmenere (a Bordeaux grape from France that is rarely seen in France, but thriving in Chile).  This is a powerful blend of some of the biggest boldest grapes out there and you can tell.  Pair this wine with big food that work well with bold wines.  Think a porterhouse and a wedge salad, or a large hunk of aged cheddar with crackers and stoneground mustard.  We had it with some skillet heated leftover sirloin; asparagus sautéed with garlic and capers; and loaded mashed potatoes with garlic, paprika, cheddar cheese and sour cream.  It was an outstanding accompaniment.

One of the great things about Veramonte Primus is that you can find it just about anywhere.  Here in Brownsville you can get it at Jones Liquor, Feldman's, or H.E.B.  I don't remember where we got our, most likely H.E.B.  It runs between $20 and $23 depending on where you get it.  For more information on Primus you can go to:  http://www.veramonte.com/home.html

For the Big Five-0: 2007 Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon

Not long after we started this blog a friend of ours who also has a blog told us to talk to him about blogging when we hit our 100th post.  Its not 100, but we're now officially halfway there.  So for this post we wanted a special wine, and we were willing to splurge a bit on it.  So I ran out to Jones Liquor and picked up a bottle of Altamura's 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon.

We had a cork from an Altamura Cab in the corks we keep around for decorative purposes for a while.  Neither Pris nor I could remember the wine or where exactly we had it, but we kept the cork and that meant we enjoyed it.  Most likely it was from a birthday party for my dad, something my brother bought or brought.  Pris did some research and decided we needed another crack at this wine since we're taking notes now.

In a word: incredible.  Magnificent or superb may also work.  This is an amazing wine.  It starts with a delicious fruit nose that is a wonder of subtle nuance.  Its not as bold as most Napa Cabs, but it has all the notes of dark fruit you'd expect in a Cab with a touch of espresso mixed in.  On the palate this wine is all smooth elegance. Full ripe flavors of cherry, cassis, and dark berry meld for a mellow study in near perfection.  The tannins are so soft and well rounded that you won't even realized you've finished your sip until is long gone.

This is not a big bold California Cab.  But it is a fantastic and delicious wine.  Like with almost all the best wines Pris and I kept pouring glass after glass until most of the bottle was gone.  We probably could have finished it, but I had work and I would have been a denied an excellent refresher before writing this post.

We're not the only ones that think the 2007 Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon is and incredible wine.  Its rated 96 points by Wine Spectator, and listed as #5 in the top 100 wines of 2010.  Similarly, The Wine Advocate ranks this Cab at 95 points.

You can pair the Altamura with pretty much anything its so mellow and versatile.  We went with the usual Sunday Steak.  Or, you may just want to drink this wine on its own and savor its incredible flavors all on their own.

The 2007 Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon isn't cheap as it runs about $86 a bottle (I did say it was a splurge).  I got ours at Jones Liquor here in Brownsville, and you can find it online for a comparable price.  For more information on the Altamura Winery you can visit:  http://www.altamura.com/

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is Always On

Usually we do the post in the order we open the bottles.  However, due to scheduling issues I got the Bastille Day post out before this one.  We actually opened up the bottle of Alexander Valley 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon on Monday, but are just now getting to the posting of it.

The Alexander Valley Cab is a lot like the Franciscan Cab, always good and easy to find.  You can't go wrong with this particular wine.  We first tried the Alexander Valley Cabs when my dad had a couple left over bottles after delivering them to his customers one Christmas many years ago.  At the time this was one of the best wines we'd tried, and a bit out of our comfort zone for purchasing.  Time's gone by and the Alexander Valley is still good, and thankfully more accessible.

The 2008 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a great and approachable California Cab.  It has a subtle fruity nose with overtones of cherry, cassis, and plum.  The same flavors mingle on the palate with hints of chocolate.  Easy tannins round out this well balanced wine, and a mellow aftertaste lingers without any hint of dryness or bitterness.  This is definitely a mellow Cab, and one that should be enjoyed slowly with good company.

We opened this bottle to go with a mix of sirloin and pork chops.  It handled both meats superbly due to its lighter and mellower character.  It also paired nicely with cheddar, manchego, a hard chèvre cheese, and olives.  Of course you can drink this one all on its own as well.

If you're in doubt about what to get for a dinner or a house warming gift, you can't go wrong with this wine.  You can find it just about anywhere from H.E.B. to your local liquor store.  In my opinion it is not quite as good as the Franciscan, but its really close.  It's also a lot lighter.  So if you're looking for a good Cab that's slightly lighter but packs in all the Cab flavor, look no further.  The Alexander Valley Cab runs about $20 at your local stores here in the Valley. You can find more information on Alexander Valley Vineyard's wines at: http://avvwine.com/