by katrin on January 31, 2012
Saturday was a big night: a celebration with 500 of my organization’s nearest and dearest donors, volunteers, and friends. I had been mulling over the wine selection for weeks, tasting various options with colleagues and on my own, writing about the results, and even getting suggestions from you, our readers. In the end, the selection for the bar during the reception and for the dinner ended up being a sampling of some of my favorite wines of the past year or so that met two qualifications. First, they were within my price range of $16 or less after any discounts. And second, I thought that they would be well-received, in other words, interesting and delicious, but not overly challenging for people who thought they would be able to get a simple choice between a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and an Australian Shiraz.
I won’t name names, but the owner of the retail establishment that provides wines to the event venue tried to offer advice and options that I would not have otherwise considered. I found all of the wines he recommended boring, mainstream, and mass-produced. Perhaps they would have been pleasing to a general audience, but I didn’t like any of them and the thought of bowing to the lowest common denominator goes against the thousands of great wines out there.
In the back of my mind, I know that it’s impossible to please everyone – though I did give it my best shot. So, for those of you who asked, here were my choices. And if you read this space often enough, you may even recognize some of them from recent reviews.
Served during dinner
2009 J. Hofstätter Meczan Pinot Nero (Alto Adige, Italy)
2009 St. Michael-Eppan Pinot Grigio Anger Vineyard (Alto Adige, Italy)
On the bar
2010 L’Ecole No. 41 Sémillon (Walla Walla, Washington)
2009 Josef Leitz “Eins, Zwei, Dry” Riesling (Rheingau, Germany)
2009 Amalaya red blend (Salta, Argentina)
2008 Brancaia Tre (Tuscany, Italy)
Though my obsession with Alto Adige was well-served, it was unintended. My first choice for the dinner red was the August Kesseler Spätburgunder Pinot N (Rheinhessen, Germany), but unfortunately just three days before the event, the distributor discovered that they did not have it in stock. The 2010 L’Ecole No. 41 Chenin Blanc, curiously enough, was out of stock, too (even though I had just purchased it a couple of weeks earlier) and we substituted it with the winery’s Sémillon. In the end, it was a wonderful evening to which, I hope, the wine was a wonderful complement. And in an ideal world, some guests were introduced to a new wine or region that they will explore again.
by katrin on January 22, 2012
Saving the best for last, the final seminar of Saturday’s Boston Wine Expo featured Nora Favelukes of Wines of Argentina presenting on “Argentina: Celebrating Diversity.” The full house was entertained, while also being educated on Argentina’s wine, food, culture, and geography.
A lot has changed in the Argentina wine industry in the past 20 to 30 years. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Nora said that she knew exactly where to look for the Argentine wines: way in the back of the store, on the bottom shelf, covered in dust. Nicolas Catena and the arrival of two international wine consultants, Paul Hobbs and Michel Rolland, changed all that. Their work in modernizing grape growing and winemaking set the groundwork for making wines from Argentina an international sensation.
One of Argentina’s great strengths, which wine enthusiasts around the world are starting to recognize, is diversity; from Salta in the north to Patagonia in the south; altitudes ranging from 1,000 feet to 10,000 feet; incredible microclimates; and a wide range of varietals. Clearly Argentines enjoy their wine; with one of the highest per capita wine consumption rates in the world, Argentina only exports 10-12% of its total production. The rest is enjoyed at home!
We tasted five wines that gave a flavor of the geographic and varietal diversity of Argentina. Nora had selected them based on their availability in the local market and their price to quality ratio.
2011 Michel Torino Estate – Don David Torrontés (Cafayate Valley, Salta)
Beautiful nose of peach pit and white flowers. Very mouthfilling with high acidity, spice, and a long, clean finish.
$16.99
2011 Graffigna Pinot Grigio (Tulúm Valley, San Juan)
Very pale to nearly clear in the glass, the Pinot Grigio was so subtle in comparison to the Torrontés. Ripe with medium acidity.
$13.99
2010 Dante Robino Bonarda (Santa Rosa, Mendoza)
Great smoky nose with a meaty palate. Bonarda like this is a perfect accompaniment to burgers and pizza. I agree with Nora that this is a rustic, but rich example of this varietal.
$12.99
2009 Del Desierto 25/5 Cabernet Franc (La Pampa, Patagonia)
Incredibly unusual nose. Lots of dust and cocoa powder. The palate is intense showing more chocolate notes, spice, and minerality. Medium plus acidity and tannins give this Cabernet Franc great structure.
$14.99
2007 Rutini Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon (Tupungato, Mendoza)
Cassis and dark fruits on nose and palate. This is one intense and very tannic wine. Tight. Bring on the steak!
$16.99
Hopefully, Nora will do a presentation at next year’s Boston Wine Expo. With her passion for Argentine wines, fun presentation style, and infectious laugh, you won’t want to miss it.
by katrin on January 10, 2012
Las Loicas, or "the finches", Cabernet Sauvignon
I am not a big fan of rustic wines that conjure images of horses, hay, and barnyards, and I have wondered if perhaps I lack the patience or the palate for such wines. Upon opening, Las Loicas Cabernet Sauvignon reminded me of being down on the farm. Not all that long ago many Argentine wines smelled and tasted like this. However, in the past 7 to 10 years, Argentine wines transformed from rustic to refined and it has been a while since I have had a wine like this. Nevertheless, I didn’t like it and thus reinserted the cork and set it aside.
The next day I gave it a second chance, and overnight – not unlike the entire Argentine wine industry – it had evolved and improved. The nose had red currant, cherry, mushroom, hints of meat, and pepper. On the palate, cassis and ripe black fruit were rounded out by a little vinyl and cocoa. The oak was subtle, allowing the fruit to shine. Acidity, tannins, and alcohol were very well-balanced and gave the wine a pleasant structure and complexity. A nice, long finish. And certainly a positive point: it’s made from 100% organic grapes.
At Whole Foods in Dedham, Mass. for $15.99.
by katrin on October 25, 2011
Eleni and I are big fans for Tikal wines and respectively have reviewed the 2006 Amorio and 2003 Patriota. While Tikal has received high marks and recognition for making exciting wines featuring Bonarda, the 2009 Natural Malbec is a fantastic example of what impressive wines Ernesto Catena and winemaker Luis Reginato can make with 100% Malbec.
The first aroma to come out of the glass of dark purple wine is plum! Spicy, jammy plum, along with brambly notes and a hint of dust. On the palate, the plum combines with red raspberry, coffee bean, and the freshness of herbs, primarily dill and a bit of mint. Medium plus acidity and medium tannins provide structure that is neither wimpy nor overbearing. Tikal Natural has a lasting finish of red fruit. It was a perfect accompaniment to beef tenderloin, but is delicious on its own, too.
At Brix Wine Shop for $19.99.
by katrin on September 28, 2011
During one of our wine classes with Bill Nesto at Boston University, Glenn, Rodney, and I were teamed up for a blind tasting competition in which we were asked determine the region from which the wine came, the vintage, and the varietal. We were covering South America at the time, and as an Argentine wine lover, I kind of thought that I had all the answers – which I also had somehow convinced my teammates in this exercise of. We tasted a flight of white wines and I immediately identified what I thought was a Torrontés. I was confident… we were confident. After all, the floral, peach, and citrus aromas defined what I knew about Torrontés. I was surprised – no, flabbergasted – when it was revealed that the wine was actually an Argentine Viognier.
Had I tasted the Las Perdices Viognier blind, I probably would have reached the same conclusion. The floral aromas and flavors, as well as the peach and apricot, are deceivingly similar to a Torrontés from Mendoza. It also has a richness and heaviness that I often find in Torrontés from Mendoza, a character that sets these wines apart from those of the same varietal coming from Salta or La Rioja, which tend to be racier and more streamlined.
Pale yellow with a touch of green. The nose is aromatic with lots of peach, apricot, floral notes, lemon, and a hint of grass. The peach and floral aromas carry over to the palate, which also has lemon-lime, and some spiciness. Very ripe. Medium acidity helps to keep this full-bodied and heavy wine fresh. It is smooth to the point of almost being oily. A brief hint of bitterness and a long, spicy finish round out this wine. Quite an enjoyable wine.
At Whole Foods on River Street in Cambridge for $16.99.
by katrin on September 1, 2011
Happy Cabernet Day!
The 2007 Finca Decero Cabernet Sauvignon is still dark ruby at its core, but starting to develop brick hues. Black cherry jam, kirsch, and black currant are followed by violet and tobacco leaf aromas. The palate features fig and dark chocolate and has a smoky finish. While the wine has a strong tannic backbone and moderate acidity, this vintage should be enjoyed now since the fruit is starting to fade. An interesting, complex wine and just another fine example of a very good Argentine Cabernet Sauvignon at a very good price.
$19.99
by katrin on August 23, 2011
At $10, this blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Viognier from Mendoza’s Familia Zuccardi winery could easily have been one of Glenn’s “Plonk Picks” – a very good wine at a very good price. The nose has lots of melon, tropical notes, and a surprising stony minerality. Mango and butter, underscored by oak, dominate the palate. The mouthfeel is rich and textural, with a slight oiliness. The richness is nicely balanced by acidity that keeps the wine fresh and lively. The finish is long with lingering stone fruit and a touch of bitterness. At $10 it is an affordable crowd pleaser that is enjoyable with or without food.
At Julio’s Liquors for $9.99.
