Wine Club Newsletter - May 2018
What are Tannins?
Tannins are a group of compounds found naturally in grape skins. They can also be found in black tea and traces in some berries. They contribute importantly to the structure and ageing potential of red wines.
‘They may be flavorless and odorless, but tannins are one of the key constituents in red wine,’ said Matt Walls, regional chair for the Rhône at the DWWA. ‘In grapes, these compounds are found primarily in the skins, seeds and stems, so they tend to be more prevalent in reds.’
Structure and texture
‘Tannins are responsible for providing red wine with most of its texture and physical impact in the mouth – more specifically, they produce feelings of astringency and bitterness, which can be pleasing in small amounts,’ said Walls.
‘Over time, tannins can change in the way they feel, often becoming softer and less astringent – this is one of the key reasons wines we age certain types of wines before drinking them.’ When tasting wine, you will often feel the presence of tannins on the gums of your teeth.
Tasting Young Wines or from the Barrel
Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent Jane Anson notes that when tasting young wines or wines from the barrel, you are looking for ‘the amount of tannin in the wine, for structure’, alongside other elements such as acidity and fruit – which will indicate the quality and ageing potential of a wine.
When tasting young wines such as this, the tannins will feel quite harsh and prominent, as they have not had time to age and soften over time.
While Judging Wines in Competition
As you may know, I work as a judge for a few wine competitions. During these events, we are presented with about 80-100 wines per day, many of which are young red wines loaded with youthful and tannic acidity.
It can be quite taxing on your palate, making it challenging to be an effective judge. One of our best ways to combat this type of palate fatigue is to chew on a slice of cold, rare beef.
We have a special Mother’s Day Wine Dinner!
Mamma Mia! Wine Dinner
Saturday, May 12, 2018
$79 Per Person / $69 Club Members
Reception
NV Quacquarini, Vernaccia di Serrapetrona, Spumante Secco, Marche DOCG
First Course
Crab Croquette, Fennel & Cucumber Salad
Preserve Lemon Vinagrette
2016 Ciu Ciu, Merlettaie Offida, Pecorino, Marche DOCG
2016 Rosalba Pecorari, Rosato, Venezia Giulia IGP
Second Course
Ricotta and Lemon Zest Tortellini V
Bourbon Vanilla Glaze and Sage
2015 Marotti Campi “Orgiolo”, Lacrima di Morro d’Alba, Marche
Third Course
Prime New York Steak
Blueberry Demi-Glaze, Corn Bread and Grilled Spring Vegetables
2012 Sassotondo, Riserva, San Lorenzo, Ciliegielo, Toscana
2012 Ciu Ciu “Oppidum”, Rosso, Marche IGT
Dessert
Brasserie Creamy Cheesecake
Orange Jam and Kumquats
NV La Montecchia, Fior d’Arancio Sparkling Muscat, Colli Eugenei, Veneto DOC
V = Vegetarian
For reservations, please call 858.450.9557 or reserve online with OpenTable.
When making your reservation please inform us of any allergies or dietary preferences. Menu subject to change according to availability.
Save the Date:
Saturday, June 2, 2018 at 6pm
Sleight of Hand Wine Maker Dinner
Menu to follow
2013 Meeker, Zinfandel, “Bessie”
Growing Region: Sonoma County, California
Varietal Composition: 100% Zinfandel
Fermentation: Barrel Aging
Alcohol Content: 14.9%
Suggested Retail: $25.00
WineSellar Club Price: $22.49
Broad Strokes:
You should go to the website and read the story about the Meekers, great fun!
From the Winery:
Charles and Molly Meeker bought their first vineyard in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley in 1977, and thereafter, in 1984, established their winery — The Meeker Vineyard — with Charlie as the winemaker. In its early years, the winery specialized in Zinfandel, Cabernet and Chardonnay and had a 40 foot tall authentic Sioux tipi as their tasting room. Sadly the tipi is gone and the “new” tasting room is a 100 year-old Geyserville Bank building. Check out their vault while you sample their wines in their funky and rustic tasting room.
Appearance:
Sleek, updated label from their first one some 40 years ago, proudly displaying alcohol content which many producers try to underplay or hide. Screw cap. Brilliant, pomegranate-skin coloring at
the core, getting nearly clear at the rim, looking fresher than a 2013 vintage might.
Nose:
Bing cherry, roasted nuts, vanilla, and earthen soil reminiscent of a dusty sidewalk (in a good way). Later the nose evolves and exhibits notes of white pepper, roasted cherries, vanilla oak, wheat bread and dough.
Texture:
Seems to belie the high alcohol content, as the texture is quite harmonious and the grapes not overly extracted. Some touch of pomegranate acidity. The finish is clean, refreshing, not weight, and very engaging.
Flavors:
Dark cherry, blackberry, raspberry fruits are enveloped by pine nuts and sweet vanilla oak. Spicy, with nutmeg and cinnamon, sassafras, and some root vegetable characteristics, mostly turnip. Good solid finish of packed fruit and even tannins, assuring of this is a wine built to last.
Serving Suggestions:
Can we say Bar-B-Q? How about pastas, pizza, grilled meats, ripe cheeses, charcuterie plates? This is a real crowd pleaser
2015 B. Wise Cabernet Sauvignon, Trios
Growing Region: Moon Mountain, Sonoma County, California
Varietal Composition: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Tannat, 4% Syrah, 2% Petite Verdot
Fermentation: New and Used Oak Aging
Alcohol Content: 14.5%
Suggested Retail: $55.00
WineSellar Club Price: $35.99
Broad Strokes:
From Gary: 91 Points Cellar Tracker. If you remember back to September of last year, we had the 2014 vintage of this wine. The 2015 offers up a different blend, and as you can see the retail price jumped $15 at the winery, however check out our member price!
From the Winery:
The Moon Mountain District has historically delivered respected Cabernets and has been planted to grapes since 1886. The reason for this is the plateau that lifts the vineyards up into the light, over the fog. It’s a Goldilocks thing: not too hot, not too cold. This doesn’t exist anywhere else in the region and is shared by only a handful of vineyards. Between that and the thinner soils on the slopes, the wines have a certain tension and vibrancy.
Appearance:
Beautiful, heavy bottle, nice overall package, but again, the script for b. wise is a bit difficult to read. The wine is black/opaque at the center, bright crimson on the edges, and the wine is super-oily.
Nose:
Very focused dark and black cherry fruit, intense and reduced enough to remind me of balsamic. Toasty, roasted chestnuts, caramel, chocolate/vanilla, with crushed black pepper and fresh herbs.
Texture:
Medium-full body, it is rich and full, without a line of acid that counters. With some wines, this would leave a sweet, cloying impression, but not so here. Instead, the wine is seamless in its balance, and carries through to the long finish.
Flavors:
Ice cream sundae with chocolate and cherry syrup and a hint of root beer. Unbelievable! Cream, cola, chocolate, cherry, pear, tasted nuts, golden raisins. On the savory side, smoke, truffle,
mushroom, black pepper, Moroccan spices, slate and stone.
Serving Suggestions:
This wine is so delicious and fun, enjoy it with all your wine friends!
2011 Shiraz, Frankland Estate, Isolation Ridge Vineyard
Growing Region: Frankland River Region, Western Australia
Varietal Composition: 100% Shiraz (Syrah)
Fermentation: Barrel Aging
Alcohol Content: 14.5%
Suggested Retail: $40.00
WineSellar Club Price: $31.49
Critical Acclaim:
95 Australian Wine Companion
91 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
90 Wine & Spirits
Broad Strokes:
Buried deep in Western Australia’s most isolated wine region, Frankland Estate is as much apart of its natural landscape as it is a winery. Today Frankland Estate is a tightknit family affair. Our
children Elizabeth and Hunter and their small families live on the property. We all work together with a small, hardworking and enthusiastic team to produce distinctive and flavorsome wines. Since our founding in 1988, our approach includes organic viticulture, carefully nurturing the health of the soils in our vineyard, and only taking from our land as much as can be later replaced by natural processes. Our passion for sustainable farming was recognized in 2009, when we were awarded on organic certification.
Appearance:
It has a nicely understated label with some embossing. Back label is all import business fact. The wine is dark garnet with a solid black core, which barely goes clear at the rim.
Nose:
Fresh roasted coffee, deep blackberry, very complex and super lovely! Black licorice meets blackberry fruit, with floral elements of lilac, and lavender, spice of clove and nutmeg.
Texture:
Lively, fresh dark fruit is forward, backed by a perfect foil of cherry acid. You would think the acid feel would be higher, but it comes across as velvety.
Flavors:
Black fruits, blackberry, and blackberry pie. The fruit is dense and assertive, but does not overpower. Nearing a Rhone Valley taste of the great Cote-Rotie, bringing forward the licorice, earth
notes of stone and soil, black pepper, bitter chocolate and pastry dough.
Serving Suggestions:
In our August 2015 offering, I submitted my recipe for Braised Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce. That would be fabulous with this wine . . . you could substitute lamb, beef or duck. If you need a copy of that recipe, email me. This wine will last ten more years, easily.
2012, Frankland Estate, Almo’s Reward
Growing Region: Frankland River Region, Western Australia
Varietal Composition: 62% Cabernet Franc, 17% Merlot, 16% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Fermentation: Barrel Aging
Alcohol Content: 14.5%
Suggested Retail: $55.00
WineSellar Club Price: $49.49
Broad Strokes:
See the write up for Frankland Estate information in the tasting notes for the 2011 Frankland Estate Shiraz. This wine, obviously from the same winery, is a tribute dedicated to an early exploring
pioneer, who basically got Southwestern Australia Wine Country on the map.
Harold Almo Tribute, Almo’s Reward: In 1955, Professor ofViticulture at theUniversity of California, Harold Olmo, was in Western Australia studying climatic limitations of viticulture in theSwan Valley. Olmo spent eight months in Western Australia at the invitation of the Western Australian Vine Fruits Research Trust. When he published his report in 1956, one of the recommendations put forward was that Frankland area ofWestern Australia showed great promise for making table wines in the light traditional European style.
Appearance:
Bordeaux shaped bottle with a very attractive, stealth screw cap. Good-looking label, black and white dominate, with small red lettering for the vintage. Dark at the core, very viscous.
Nose:
Lovely!!! Ripe mulberry, cherry, blueberry top notes are followed by a hint of blackcurrant, light smoky cedar, tobacco, beef jerky, earth, mineral, lead pencil, and spice.
Texture:
Medium body on weight, very well balanced, not your typical Australian style. Complex, rich, with wave and waves of flavors and tastes that keep coming. Long, very long finish.
Flavors:
Black fruits, dark berries, plum, balsamic, lead pencil and lifted floral notes to come to the fore. The tightly woven palate has fine grained tannins, leather, tobacco, red cherry. cocoa (Hershey’s Kisses), ginger, cherry-cola, and savory earthy notes. The palate is generous and persistent as is the finish.
Serving Suggestions:
The wine is elegant, yet assertive in its liveliness and solid structure. Drinking well now, it will continue to improve for 10-15 years, evolving to a nice velvet feel and complexities.
2014 Ironstone, Chenin Blanc
Growing Region: Calvareras County, California
Varietal Composition: 100% Chenin Blanc
Fermentation: Stainless Steel Fermentation
Alcohol Content: 13.9%
Suggested Retail: $16.00
WineSellar Club Price: $13.49
SPECIAL!!! Case price is $108!!!
Broad Strokes:
From Gary:
This wine is UNBELIEVABLE! It belies its four years of age, still tasting fresh and satisfying. Patterned after the great, age-worthy Chenin Blancs from Loire Valley, France, Vouvray and Savennières Watch how drastically it changes in 30 minutes! Complex summertime sipper to share with friends who know wine.
From the Winery:
In 2012, the Kautz Family planted their first Chenin Blanc in Lodi. This wine comes primarily from Lodi's Sloughhouse sub-appellation, with a small portion that comes just west of the river in the Delta within the Clarksburg appellation. These well drained soils, each with their own unique qualities are ideal for growing world-class wine grapes.
Appearance:
Good, forward label design, big heavy bottle. I like the back label story, and their “medium-dry” gauge. Light corn hue, the wine is clear, reflects light well, and the legs are serious!
Nose:
At first, the aromatics are flinty, mineral, chalky, a bit edgy in my opinion. Then, it rounds out with melon, apple, Bosc pear, grapefruit, green tea, toasted sesame seed, and a note of citrus. Then, unmistakable whiff of warm Vanilla custard!
Texture:
I can’t get the Vanilla custard out of my brain, so that translates to a texture that is smooth, and has a creamy feel in the mouth. Even and seamless, it truly has a great palate presence!
Flavors:
Like the nose, flavors are edgy at first, with certain mineral, chalk and flint that seem angular. Then the melon, pear and apple fruits become present (as depicted on the back label). Toast, peach, and then the vanilla custard flavors. The finish is dry and long, and I found after an hour, the wine to be gaining in smoothness and complexity. A winner!
Serving Suggestions:
The winery suggests this Chenin Blanc is great as an aperitif or served with goat cheese stuffed chicken. So happens that is the recipe for this month!
Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken
Stuffing chicken breasts with goat cheese doesn't seem like a particularly healthy approach. But by using only a small amount of goat cheese and mixing it with chopped walnuts and lemon zest, it creates a dish that's both nutritious and delicious.
Serve with the 2014 Ironstone Chenin Blanc
30 Minutes, Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup walnut halves
- ¼ cup fresh goat cheese, softened
- ½ teaspoon finely graded lemon zest
- 4 six ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 5 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons walnut oil
- ¼ chopped, flat, leafy parsley
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast for 6 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool, then chop.
- In a small bowl, mash the goat cheese with the lemon zest, garlic and half of the walnuts; season with salt and pepper.
- Using a small knife, cut a pocket in the side of each chicken breast; keep the pocket opening as small as possible.
- Stuff the chicken breasts with the mixture and gently press to flatten them.
- In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned, about 6 minutes.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chicken for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to a platter and keep warm.
Food & Wine