Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Friday night wine class

I don’t typically like to spend my spare time in the city when I’m not working.   Unfortunately, my view of the city has been spoiled by the fact that I hike the corridor of misery from Penn Station to Times Sq. almost every day.  But occasionally you can lure me to stay a few extra hours by offering drinks and/or the occasional meal. 
This past Friday, I had the opportunity to attend a Wine 101 class offered by NYCwineclass.com.  In a nutshell, the class was a quick (and I mean quick) opportunity to learn some basics about wine (and cheese) in the comfort of a converted apartment above Landmark Wines on 23rd Street.  There were 10 wines matched with 5 cheeses in addition to some olives and as much bread as you could pile onto your plate.  Our instructor breezed through each wine 1x1 while politely ignoring questions as he went along in order to adhere to the 2 hour schedule. 
Without sounding overly negative, I found this class to be exactly as what it was billed…a basic introduction to wine.  The average person could obtain this same knowledge from just about anywhere.  The real value was in the tasting.  The variety of wines paired with cheese was commendable and certainly opened my eyes to a few labels/regions that I don’t often dedicate enough attention to.  If nothing else, this was a fine opportunity to sample a few items outside my preferential box.  In addition, the wines are chosen so that we could taste the differences that climate, region & production have on specific varietals.  Lastly, the finale consisted of a blind tasting that accentuated how less expensive wines can in fact taste better their well heeled cousins.
Below is the list of 6 wines I actually have notes on.  As time wore one, my interest wavered a bit and I spent more time chatting than paying attention to what exactly was being poured into my glass.  My apologies for not being more descriptive, but as I said, the class was moving along rather quickly.
Florian Mollet, Pouilly Fume, Loire Valley, France 2010 - Fresh meadow, lemon zest, grassy with hints of citrus. A cooler climate wine.
Chateau St. Jean, Fume Blanc, Sonoma County, CA 2009 - Sweeter than the Florian, tart with mineral notes that was mildly buttery and hints of smoke.
Charles Smith, Riesling, Kung Fu Girl, Columbia Valley, WA 2010 - Spritzy & sharp ripeness with a finely balanced sweetness. Flavors of pear & green apple.
E. Guigal, Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc, Rhone Valley, France 2010 - Lighter, but with more bite & acidity than the Charles smith counterpart. Better choice for pairing with spicy foods.
Gros Frere et Soeur, Hautes-Cotes-deNuits, Burgundy, France 2006 - Light, mildly acidic with a smooth leathery finish.
Saintsbury, Pinot Noir, Carneros, CA 2009 - More acidic than the Gros Frer, flush with overripe red fruits, spice & flinty mouth.

Overall review:
The (+)
-          The class provided a basic introduction and understanding of wine for true beginners.
-          Wines & cheeses were balanced beautifully and were delightfully different from one another.
-          Solid overall variety.
-          Service was polite & attentive.
The (-)
-          The instructor was very quick to glance over most details & questions.
-          Demeanor of the class was not very relaxed.
-          Breadth of information was lacking.
-          The overall content of the class was as basic as basic gets.
-          I suppose a little music might have been nice.

Until next time…
Cheers,
ES

Friday, July 6, 2012

Last night's bottle - Maipe 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

Every time I go to the wine store with the intention on buying something specific, I walk out with an entirely different bottle.  I'm still reading Unquenchable which has continued to give me new ideas. Last night's goal was to roll home with an Argentinian Malbec. Swing & a miss...I came home with Cabernet.

It's been awhile but it would make sense that I've preached the goodness of S.American wines based on cost alone.  And after sampling more than just a few bottles, the quality is never really lacking.  It's safe to say that I am always pleasantly surprised.  I'm not sure when the surprise will wear off and I'll simply accept that S.America churns out some damn good wine.

From the bottle:
Produced in a sub region of Mendoza, Argentina,  Luján de Cuyo, by the Pelizzatti family, Maipe wines are committed to making excellent wines and strive themselves on quality. The region in which their grapes are grown is located 3,000 feet above sea level in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. The region is very cool in climate and ideal for the grapes they grow. They have 32 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon and are situated on deep and textured soil. The name Maipe originates from the "Lord of the Winds" by ancient Andean people. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is grown on 35 year old vines and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is aged for 3 months in 10% aged American oak before being bottled.

My notes:
The coloring was most impressive.  Deep red with an amber hue.  The bouquet ripe with floral notes & a soft metallic feel.  Smooth at first with a subtle edginess.  A well balanced contrast.

The flavor is reminiscent of a blonde oak that is smooth yet not overly pronounced. The metallic properties carry through the palate as well.  There is a rich caramel-like sweetness that mixes flawlessly with a spiciness. It's a somewhat unlikely combination that I felt blended really well with one another.

The wine wasn't deep with flavor, but I like that.  It's a fine line when all the different notes jump out at you and compliment rather than compete with one another.  The more I drink I find the more difficult is is to achieve such a goal. 

This was a decent bottle of wine.  For $9, I would try it again.  Not necessarily something I'll keep in the regular rotation, but worth another purchase should the opportunity present itself.

And with that, I leave you.

Until next time...

Cheers,
ES


*I did not take this picture and those are not my fake flowers.