decanted

something different

We didn't know what to expect from this 2007 Cornarea Roero Arneis, but decided to give it a shot. Arneis is a white grape from northern Italy, and apparently its name means "whimsical" in a Piedmontese dialect. Definitely an accurate description.

This wine is thick and viscous, and changes several times in one sip. It probably works best with food, which would help tame its many layers. We detected a slight effervescence and a piney, almost woodsy taste. It also has some ginger and a little bit of sweetness, and its flavors tend to go on for a long time.

We found the Cornarea to be offbeat and interesting, with a strong backbone. It's not for everyone, but we would recommend it to anyone looking to try something new. We picked it up for $19.99 at Schneider's of Capitol Hill, here in DC, and would give it a 7.5 out of 10.

high/low

We like to go both lowbrow and relatively highbrow, depending on our mood. Jackass: The Movie? Check (at least for Tim). Roman de Gare at the artsy cinema? Check (at least for Meghan).

That's why we loved the Super Tuscan we had recently, the 2003 Re di Renieri Toscana. Super Tuscan wines are made in the Tuscany region of Italy, but their makers depart from traditional local methods and blends. The Re di Renieri comes on strong, with flavors of earth, currant and stone. We also noticed a slightly bitter note of tar or charcoal, but it was nuanced enough to add to the wine's quality rather than detracting from it. Handsome, old-school, and even soulful are a few other words we tossed around as we were drinking it.

Now for the high/low explanation: this very dark, ruby red blend of Merlot (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Cabernet Franc (15%) and Petit Verdot (5%) has enough smoothness to appeal to the casual drinker. It's not weird enough to be intimidating. But it also has some rougher edges, which we think would appeal to those looking for a more challenging sip. We got it on sale for $29.99, and would rate it an 8.5 out of 10.

old world italian

As anyone who has taken middle school science knows, our sense of taste is closely linked to our sense of smell. When we like the way something hits our nose, chances are we're also going to like the way it tastes.

This 2007 Fratelli Revello Barbera d'Alba has a lot going for it, in our book, because it smells like one of our favorite foods: cheese. Our brother-in-law Simon Tiffen noticed this before either of us did, and went even further by narrowing down its scent to that of a nice Manchego or Parmesan.

In addition to the weird but fun sensation of smelling cheese in a wine, the Barbera offers a soft layering of leather, tobacco, and cherry notes. It made Meghan think of a study filled with antique books and cigars. Tim noticed a chewy finish brought on by a combination of dryness and tannins, which were minimal but well-structured. With its Piedmont region pedigree, it provides satisfying old-world flavor at an affordable $14.99 price. We rate it an 8.0 out of 10.

keep it p.g.

Don't turn up your nose at pinot grigio! As with many other grapes, this one (also known as pinot gris, depending what country you're in) has been made badly by many wineries, and its reputation has unfairly suffered the consequences. (Not quite to the extent that poor Chablis and Merlot have, which we'll get into in some future posts.) Many drinkers seem to view it as a lightweight, to be consumed only at wedding receptions and office parties. Sort of like the Cosmopolitan of wines.

We beg to differ. Last night we tried a 2006 Jermann Pinot Grigio and found that it worked very nicely as an aperitif. Tim detected hints of peach, and both he and Meghan thought it was a flowery wine, almost like drinking a perfume. (But better. Definitely better.) It has a pleasant amount of acidity and is made from 100% Pinot Grigio grown in the Friuli region of Italy. At $22.99, we rate it a 6.0 out of 10.

mendocino grille and wine bar

In these modern times, the idea of a "guys' night out" is somewhat different than what it was back in the day. While the idea of a classic beer and pizza night is somewhat appealing, even the manliest of the James Bonds can sit down and enjoy a bottle of white wine with a man friend (see Quantum of Solace).

As mentioned in a previous post, our good friend Barry Koslow is the Executive Chef of a 40-some seat restaurant in Georgetown called Mendocino Grille and Wine Bar. The place, one of our favorites, specializes in California wine and cuisine (kind of). At Tim's request, each of his three friends was charged with selecting a wine to bring to the restaurant one night last week. (There is, in our opinion, a certain protocol to taking wine to a restaurant, which we will discuss in a future post.)

We started with Luis Padilla's selection, a 2005 Guy Amiot et Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Demoiselles". We have enjoyed this wine previously and Tim was thrilled to drink it again. Subtle French oak, hints of vanilla, flinty minerality, peach, perfect balance and a mile-long finish make this $119.99 wine well worth the splurge. We try to shy away from guarantees, but whatever is a step under a guarantee of likability, that's how we feel about this Burgundian masterpiece made from 100% Chardonnay. It had enough finesse to match Barry's mussel "taste o' the sea" dish, but was also, as Luis pointed out, terrific with a slightly heartier branzino plate with glazed baby root vegetables. A 9.5 out of 10. 

Next up was Marek Rich's pick, a 1999 Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Charmes. Another outstanding selection from Burgundy, this wine is a great example of why Pinot Noir and terroir are so often mentioned in the same breath. Whatever your definition of terroir, this gentle but not delicate wine tasted of everything Tim could imagine going into the process of producing a good wine. Earth, leather, tobacco, cherry and bright acidity come to mind for this well-proportioned choice from Côte de Nuits. A great match for Barry's poussin with a cassoulet.  At $89.99 a bottle, we score this an 8.5 out of 10.

Matt Biel is about to become a dad for the first time, so we're not going to call his offering cheap. In fact, there were some merits to the 2003 Chateau Puy la Rose Pauillac he brought. With equal parts merlot and cabernet sauvignon and trace amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this garnet-colored wine had some of the qualities of a wine coming from this impressive appellation (the same as the legendary Chateau Lafite-Rothschild): a big backbone, impressive fruit and a long finish. But for whatever reason, all of the flavors of currant, cherry, cedar and leather got lost in its abundantly alcoholic finish. For $49.99, we could only muster a 5.5 out of 10.

To continue with our French-themed night at the California-themed restaurant (ask Barry if he's a French or California chef...), Tim chose a 1982 Chateau Branaire-Ducru Saint Julien. With mostly Cabernet, some Merlot and a touch of Petit Verdot, this Left Bank Bordeaux was the biggest disappointment of the evening. A good example of terroir from this region as opposed the aforementioned red Burgundy, this tannic reddish-orangeish wine had some beautiful subtleties, but sadly seemed past its prime. Instead of being a wonderfully open and structured aged wine, it seemed to fall apart at the edges despite its delicious, smooth fruit and spice. Barry sent out an incredible piece of beef with this--a Wagyu terres major (think of it as the hangar steak of the shoulder)--and while the pairing was theoretically good, the wine did not live up to the dish (or Tim's expectations).  $159.99 a bottle and a 6.5 out of 10.

Somewhere in the middle of this nine-course, four-bottle-plus-cocktails, gastronomic melee, Tim decided another course and another bottle was necessary. (Actually, he had thought of this possibility beforehand, but had the silly notion that if he brought an extra bottle, it might not be consumed.) And with that, the best pairing of the night was born. The 2002 Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella Superiore is made from Corvina, Rondinella and Croatina grapes and is one of the more robust wines Tim has ever tasted from this region. This is due in large part to the style in which it's made, using some dried Oseleta grapes, similar to those that go into its much richer cousin Amarone. We drank it with wild boar, tasting hints of smoke, spice, raisins and port. This smoothly tannic wine could be described as a powerhouse, but that doesn't do justice to its Brunello-like softness. A $129.99 bottle worth an 8.5 out of 10.

orvieto classico

Do you know what tufa is? We didn't either, until we tasted and researched this 2004 Palazzone Campo del Guardiano Orvieto Classico Superiore. Apparently tufa is a kind of limestone common in the Orvieto region of central Italy. Along with the area's volcanic soil, the tufa helps give the white wines produced there a distinctive look and taste.

We noted much toastiness and traces of almonds in this superdry Orvieto Classico, which was made from a blend of 50% Procanico grapes, 25% Grechetto, and 25% Verdello, Drupeggio, and Malvasia. It was quite full-bodied (definitely not a shy wallflower type) and had a beautiful golden color that we weren't expecting.  While it was not a particularly good match for our takeout Chinese dinner the other night, it would go well with higher-oil-content fish such as salmon. It also made Meghan crave biscotti--maybe that was the almond flavors talking. At a very reasonable $19.99, a 6.5 out of 10.

san francisco

So we decided to take a trip to California to see our good friend Greg Berman (see picture on left) and also so we could challenge Tim's deep-seated feeling that all Cali wines are crap. While we weren't convinced that the region is competitive with the best in the world (we'll get to those), we did debunk the aforementioned idea of poo. We still think Oregon is the best place for American Pinot Noir, but we discovered that the Russian River Valley is an acceptable alternative. In general, the fruit was bright and prevalant but not overextracted (overripened) like many of the Pinots from Carneros and Santa Barbara County.

But before we went to wine country, we needed to spend some time in San Francisco doing the things that help to make us who we are:  eating and drinking. We stopped at a little wine shop called Ruby Wine and picked up a bottle of 2007 Chateau Ducasse Bordeaux Blanc for $16.99 and a bottle of 2005 Regis Bouvier Gevrey-Chambertin for $69.99.

We drank some wine with Greg and his girlfriend Laura, watched the fog roll over the mountains to the area where he used to live and just relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. The Chateau Ducasse was a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle grapes and was not particularly offensive or interesting. A very blah 5.0 out of 10 which was fine considering our mindsets (vacation).

Gevrey-Chambertin is one of our favorite places to find "bargains" in Burgundy. It's true that most great and even truly good Burgundies are ridiculously expensive and probably overpriced, but we have found some relatively decent values in this region. As with all red wines of Burgundy, it is 100% Pinot Noir and as with any good Burgundy, good fruit and good acidity to match. This was not a velvety soft wine, but had good balance and changed several times during each taste. A solid 6.5 out of 10.

Greg then took us over to A16 where his friend, Liza Shaw, made us a terrific meal and we got to know a very interesting 2003 Binomio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo for $70.00 (yours for about $45.00 in a wine store). A fairly robust and tannic wine, it definitely needed time to mellow and when it did, it was delightfully full and funky and chewy. A 7.0 out of 10 that we might have scored higher if we bought it in a store for $45.00.