Last night I wanted to give that Merlot another chance after a lot more decanting and a night in the fridge, and maybe another food pairing. JACKPOT! We made lamb tikka masala but rather than stew the lamb with the sauce this time my husband broiled it first, making the flavor more full-bodied. Absolutely perfect pairing that made this wine positively dance. A good food & wine pairing happens when neither the food nor the wine are diminished by the other but are at least the same alone as they are together. A GREAT pairing is when the sum is greater than the parts and the flavor of both is actually enhanced by each other.
The Trouble With Merlot
Or really, my trouble with Merlot. It’s a popular intro-to-reds “window” wine, it has a degree of versatility with food pairings, it grows in many areas, and many experts confuse some Merlot styles with Cabernet Sauvignon (it can happen!). So what’s not to like? When I heard Miles Raymond say in Sideways, “No, if anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!” I laughed so loud. I thought, “YES! I like this guy!” Which is not terribly fair to Merlot, I admit. I just . . . it doesn’t say much to me, and when it does it’s usually pretty harsh. That may be as much about the winemakers as the grapes though, who knows. But what is the difference between “nuanced” and “vague”? The taster.
Last night we had a Merlot ravioli stuffed with garlic and mozzarella with a red sauce and I figured hell, why not pair it with a Merlot. A couple months ago I had picked up that 2005 Warnke Cellars Merlot (Napa Valley) from Wine Library since I have a friend with the same last name, and because it was in their Top 10 Staff Picks. This was a fine opportunity to open it. In the glass it is a bold ruby color with a garnet rim, clear and day bright. The nose confirmed for me that my smeller is officially back after that unfortunate sinus infection because the alcohol burned my nose — I wondered if it was SO2 but nope, this was alcohol. Beyond that I detected smoke, newsprint, charcoal, red raspberry, pomegranate, plum, black pepper and roasted green peppers. In the palate are tastes of gamey meat, brambley briar, raspberry, plum, charcoal, burned meat, and grilled green peppers. The acidity was high, alcohol quite high (14.7%), the wine was dry, had medium+ body, high intensity, sharp green tannins, medium+ oak that might have been overcharred or too recently charred, medium+ finish and medium complexity. I’m not sure how balanced it was — the alcohol and tannins, and likely the poorly ripened grapes, made this wine pretty bitter. The timing of harvest is a tricky thing in hot climates. The sun and heat speed up the clock for reaching your desired Brix (measurement in degrees of residual sugar and consequently potential alcohol) but if you must pick sooner vs. later to keep your wine from becoming too sweet and too boozy you risk taking it off the vine before the grapes reach natural maturity — the seeds can be green rather than brown with a “skin”. The result is green, stemmy-flavored wine. I have no idea if this was the case with this particular wine but after decanting it for about half an hour the darker fruits came forward a bit and it was kinder on the nose & palate but I still wasn’t the biggest fan. It did pair well with the pasta.
So I’m unsure of whether I’m just biased against Merlots because they get a bad rap or if I’m trying too hard to like them because they’re an underdog. Merlot to me is like that unfunny, obnoxious friend who you don’t really like but take with a grain of salt because every once in a while you have a really good time with them. Ridgeline’s Sonoma County Merlot is an example of a really good time — I tasted it while in CA (recommended by the really awesome tasting room pourer named Jen from NYC) and could NOT believe it was a Merlot. It was so flavorful, balanced and complex! Of course I bought it! And I imagine Shafer’s Merlot is outstanding having nearly died over their Cabernet Sauvignon. But other times . . . too many Merlots are just “meh” to me, west bank Bordeaux, Napa, doesn’t matter.
But if someone at a restaurant orders it I don’t leave. 
The Next Vintage of Our Lives
Morticia’s Cellar will be one of the few blogs this week who will NOT recap 2008 as we move on to the great year I hope 2009 to be. All I aim to do is tell you about what we drank on New Year’s Eve and this morning. Hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s and that this year is one of your best!
Rather than spend a quiet evening home alone this year my husband and I decided to have a semi-quiet evening home with family, so his brother, his brother’s fiancée and a few of their friends came over from Queens for some Rock Band and Dick Clark. Though much of it became an exercise in Making Dennis & Stefanie Feel Old — for any of the Rock Band songs that were older than 20 years the kids handed us the mic, and I didn’t recognize most of the acts on Dick Clark’s NYE special — we certainly had fun. This time I mulled some wine a little differently than the party in December: our Zin was a NV HRM Rex-Gloliath Free Range Giant 47 Pound Roaster Zinfandel from Lodi and Central Coast and rather than go all out with the Williams Sonoma mulling spices I used my own combo from the pantry, heavy on the cinnamon sticks. Very, very tasty.
At the midnight countdown we toasted a NV Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut from Carneros brought by my brother-in-law’s friend. Highly enjoyable! This morning after starting the year in my favorite way I drank the last of the sparkly in a bellini with some homemade eggs benedict (my man can COOK! reeeaaally well too). Now we’re just having a lazy day, I’m sipping the rest of the mulled spiced wine (chilled this time) and catching up on backlogged blogging (“clogged blog”?). Also I just ordered some business cards with my CWP title on them for when I eventually go look for wine jobs.
Some things I aspire to do this year:
Priority #1, January-February: get certified in my day job so I can keep paying the bills.
- After second quarter when I find out whether I still have a day job I plan to go further down the path of this wine career pursuit, probably consulting and trying out some wine service.
- Take singing lessons.
- Take Chinese lessons so I can finally understand my in-laws.
- Go to France, specifically Paris, Burgundy, Provence and wherever else our palates take us.
- Take swing dancing lessons.
- Hit that treadmill more often (you knew that had to be in here somewhere).
- Meditate more often. Being Wiccan it’s a challenge to take time to observe my own holidays since the world doesn’t typically take a break for the non-mainstream ones but now that I’ll have my own room for worship (rather than a dirty corner of the basement) I hope to have more spiritual focus going forward.
Should be busy!
Traditions
Though it was looking like I wouldn’t see my family this Christmas my mom found a way and met up with my brother at our house this evening before heading back to PA in the morning. She brought a bottle of the Pouilly-Fuisse that I couldn’t taste at my tasting party a couple months ago — it was delightful, although conversation with my family is usually too hectic to stop and do tasting notes so I have no review of it. As Christmas gifts she also brought me a bottle of a 2004 Châteauneuf du Pape and a book I can’t wait to start reading: “The Billionaire’s Vinegar” by Benjamin Wallace, apparently a story about “the mystery of the world’s most expensive bottle of wine” and featuring a picture of an ancient-looking vessel of 1787 Lafitte on the front cover. By the descriptions I’d guess this is THE bottle of 1787 Lafitte. Yay Mom! Heh she also gave us the traditional navel orange for prosperity. So like old times we listened to goth covers of Christmas carols, ate some cheese, drank some wine and talked. I’m also delighted to share that my husband got me a 50 bottle stainless steel wine fridge for Christmas which is currently taking up most of the hallway until the addition to our house is finished and we can make room in the basement for it next to my current wine rack(s). I was concerned that it would be too expensive but due to the retail climate in the current economy it was marked down almost absurdly low. Hurray! Thanks, hon! Now I can be more confident that saving a bottle for 10 years will be less risky than doing so with less environmental control.
Happy Holidays everyone, whichever one you celebrate (my holiday was a few days ago), may it be safe, fun and enjoyed with those you love. And if you can’t be with the ones you love, honey . . . you know how the song goes.
Cheers!
Italian From Geneva
Tonight we ate penne with shrimp and asparagus which I admit was a frozen pre-made meal since we had a dungeon raid scheduled, though no less tasty for its convenience. I figured a Pinot Grigio would suit it best and found 1 in the cellar: a 2006 Belhurst from the Finger Lakes that I had bought in June 2007 when visiting my college friend. I also notice that the Bertolli site suggests a Pinot Grigio with this dish, so I guess I’m not so far off with my choice there. How nice of them to suggest wine pairings! Way to go Bertolli. I can’t imagine Hamburger Helper suggesting much but seriously there is no reason the average American isn’t drinking more wine with dinner, and if food companies are encouraging it then great.
Belhurst gives us a pale straw, clear, star bright wine with notes of lime, lemon, chalk, dry straw and clean linens on the nose. It’s very dry, light-bodied and fairly complex with flavors of lime, lemon, unripe pineapple, gooseberry, cilantro and lemongrass in the mouth, ending with a medium+ finish. As I’d expect from this area the acidity is high, alcohol is medium (12.5%), and though the fruit-forward intensity says New World I appreciate the Old World minerality in it. No detectable tannins or oak. Just a light and lovely Pinot Grigio that went perfectly with the shrimp & penne.
Stuck in Lodi Again
Although Creedence Clearwater Revival sang about being down on one’s luck there, I’m a fan of Lodi, CA grapes. Doing my grocery shopping yesterday I was in the mood for a drink-at-the-computer red and noticed a 2006 Gnarly Head “Old Vine Zin” Lodi Zinfandel — Lodi being the “Zinfandel Capital of the World” particularly for old vines. Gnarly Head is a laid-back winery (hang 10, haoles!) based in Manteca, CA which lies directly between San Francisco and Yosemite National Park; the “Gnarly” refers as much to the old vines as the surfer theme. This was a hearty Zin that showcased what depth an old vine can offer in the right terroir. In the glass this opaque wine looks deep violet with a ruby rim, lots of slow, stained tears on the sides. With a couple swirls I smelled smoke, fresh asphalt, blackberries, currants, blueberries, dates, dried cherries and dark chocolate. On the palate I tasted blackberries, currants, blueberries, dark chocolate-covered cherries, prunes and black plums. Here we have a dry wine with medium+ acidity, medium+ alcohol (14.5%), medium+ body, medium+ intensity, medium tannins, medium oak, a medium+ finish, medium+ complexity and felt well-balanced. I’d say this wine and Ravenswood’s Lodi Zinfandel are great examples of this varietal & style. Best with burgers or barbeque — even better with smoked london broil — but you could drink these with a variety of meals, even pasta with a red sauce.
A German Pinot Noir
I haven’t come across too many Pinot Noirs from Germany so when I saw this one in the store I had to buy it. Basic notes:
2005 Kendermanns Pinot Noir
Pfalz, Germany
Appearance: Pale ruby, pale salmon rim to pink edge, clear, day bright.
Nose: Strawberry, cherry pie filling, cedar chips, barley, red raspberry, spiced apple.
Palate: Strawberry, cherry pie filling, spiced apple, rhubarb, cedar, toasted hazelnut. TASTY!
Structure: Dry, medium- acidity, medium+ alcohol (13%), medium+ body, medium+ intensity, medium tannins, low oak, medium finish, medium+ complexity, rather well-balanced.
Definitely liked! I was surprised how fruit-forward it was without the earthiness or minerality of Old World but in a Pinot Noir I can accept a lot.
A Gentle Whisper From France
Today’s wine is a 2004 Château de Maligny Chablis (Premier Cru). Under the light it’s clear, pale gold turning to pale straw to the edge, star bright, medium bodied. The nose offers lemon, apple, pear and chalk, mirrored in the palate with lemon, lemon zest & pith, butter, apple and chalk. This dry wine has high acidity, mild alcohol, no detectable oak or tannins, medium complexity and a medium finish. Exactly what a Chablis should present. If you’re looking for a sipping wine this may not be intense enough (unless you prefer mysterious wines) — food pairing is where this wine shines. I was happy to sip something quiet so I can’t tell you what it paired well with but as long as you’re going for a light-bodied dish this is would be a great accompaniment.
From the Library
In this case I mean from my own “library” as one would refer to a “library wine” as older and stored for aging. A long time ago in a lifetime far, far away I was on vacation in New Orleans and had a 1996 Mayacamas Chardonnay at Emeril Lagasse’s NOLA restaurant and nearly fell over it was so impressive. Once home from that trip I signed up for their semi-annual newsletter (that comes in the mailbox at the end of my driveway and is printed on thick fancy paper) and began my search for another bottle. Some years later I discovered a wine store in Red Bank that carried it and made the investment — this time in a 1999. Now, mind you at the time I was that-friend-that-everyone-hands-the-wine-list-to-at-restaurants but had no idea what the 1999 vintage was like for Napa Valley. And frankly I didn’t care. This wine was the closest thing to biting into a cool, liquid, fresh green apple infused with sunshine that you’re going to find. So there it lay in my cellar for a Special Occasion for many years — probably too many for a white but hey, they’re still selling their 2000 Chardonnay in their library section — and I decided today that a special enough occasion is wanting to drink it. At least I didn’t smuggle it into a burger joint and slurp it with fries. I could analyze why I never felt any other occasion was special enough for it — I’m sure there were many, many, many — but it’s more likely that either it wouldn’t pair well with whatever we were serving or I’d be the only one drinking it. And special occasions often call for champagne anyway.
So this ‘99 Chardonnay from the Napa side of the Mayacamas Mountains, that I finally exposed to the air 9 years since it last felt it, is a pale gold color, almost brassy, with a wide silver rim. There is slight flocculation (specks) throughout the wine but it is star bright and looks luminescent enough. On the nose I detect mild honey, lemon, straw, limestone, and a light jasmine note. In the palate the honey is stronger, followed by lemon, golden delicious apple, lemon pith, and unripe pineapple. So the personality seems to have matured from bright green, fresh & crisp to warmer, “yellower” flavors, but it still has the highly acidic edginess to it that keeps it standing upright. The wine is dry, medium bodied, the alcohol was well-integrated (13.75%), with medium- intensity, no tannins or oak, medium finish and medium complexity. I would pair this with herb chicken, oysters or any type of seafood for that matter, or that butternut squash soufflé I made once. Delicious.
My ONLY concern is that it seemed to have aged adequately in spite of my cellar environment, not in harmony with it. I think if it were a bit cooler down there (or at least if the temperature were more consistent) the wine would have had more to say. At the end of some of the sips there was a sad note that suggested a tiny bit of volatile acidity. Guess it’s time to get a real wine fridge . . .
Overall I really enjoyed the Chardonnay. I just wish I had been kinder to it over the years — or opened it sooner!
Ménage á Trois!
Just as you were victim of my catchy marketing ploy to compel you to read this, I was victim in the wine store of catchy marketing ploys on the label to compel me to look at a wine. Hey, sometimes when you are perusing the shelves and you have no idea what any of them are like, and there are no tasting tags, the label is all you’ve got. Ain’t no shame in it — otherwise all the labels would be plain. So today I saw two jaunty little figures dancing on the label of a Folie à Deux bottle of their 2006 Ménage à Trois Rosé from St. Helena, Napa Valley, and I thought “hmmm what’s this?” Merlot, Syrah and Gewürtztraminer?? Curiosity got the better of me and I grabbed it. It was a weeee bit sweeter than I expected but there was likely more Gewürtz in there than red — I’d call the end result off-dry. Great, simple, easy to drink rosé that I would have loved to have brought to the beach a couple months ago. It’s a pale ruby color with a pink variation out to the silver edge, clear and star bright. Strawberry, raspberry, pineapple, spiced apple, spiced pear and nutmeg delight the nose and are matched on the palate. Acidity is high, alcohol is medium+, medium- body, very mild oak, no tannins, medium intensity, medium complexity, long finish. Pretty good! I’ll have to try their Ménage à Trois red and white.
