Dinner- Palisades (Abruzzo, Italy)

This past Thursday Marie and I wanted to hit up the Palisades again and this time we took our ever faithful comrade in arms, Derek!  This week it was wines and food from Abruzzo, Italy.  All week we had been hyping up the Palisades to him and like always the incessant verbal prodding by us finally won him over to our side and he agreed to come...I think he secretly enjoys our nagging.  Anyways, again we set off on 460 towards nowhere and this time, because I didn't bring my gps, we did actually get lost...kinda.  I just happened to take the wrong turn off of 460 and ended up driving up a very similar road as the one to Eggleston.  However, this one had a degree of creepy sketchiness to it that finally convinced me that we were on the wrong road.  Like always when I mess up I don't hear the end of it from the two clowns that I'm transporting (Marie and Derek)  They just feed off of each other and it's almost more than one man can handle.  Lucky for us all I have the will power and character of a stately saint and took it all in stride.  So eventually we found the right road and made it to Eggleston.  Derek had the exact same reaction we had when we went to the Palisades for the first time too.  He thought we were joking when I pulled up to the old general store.  

Again, if you don't remember, this is what the restaurant
looks like from the outside.

We got there early so the restaurant was largely empty and had the pick of tables to sit at.  Again, we were seated quickly and told our waitress that we were here for the wines around the world meal and asked for everything to be brought out together.  We did, however, decide to this time get a bottle to split between the three of us while we waited for our meal.  We tried to pick one that we thought would go with the meal and the weather, which was absolutely beautiful so we decided on a nice easy drinking and refreshing Riesling.

Marie and Derek trying to decide which bottle to get.

We sat for a while waiting for our food, it had picked up considerably in the time that we were there, but it was of no real concern to us.  We were enjoying each others company and conversation over what I thought was a very nice wine.  Eventually the meal came.  It is at this time that I have to apologize to you all.  I was so excited by the meal that I completely forgot to take a picture of it.  It was a plate consisting of a sizable wedding meatball in a delicious marinara sauce, a Tuscan bread salad and an asparagus/Parmesan risotto.  This was all paired with a 2010 Trebbiano D'Abruzzo from Caldora, a 2010 Montepulciano Rosato from Masciarelli and a 2010 Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from Cirelli.

Unlike last time I decided to just dig in to the meal and just try one wine with one part of the dish.  Before I started though I tried to think of what would be the best combination...not sure I got it right but I enjoyed the experiment.

The Caldora I decided to pair with the Risotto.  On its own it really didn't have much of a nose to it at all.  I asked Marie and Derek if they got much of anything and they also had a hard time getting any kind of scent from the wine.  After several good huffs of it really trying to get something I did get a slight hint of peach.  On the palate it was nice and dry with a very light body.  It was slightly tart and strangely a little cheesy.  There was no heat that I detected on it either.  When paired with the Risotto, however, it became much smoother and sweeter.  Many of the peach aspects began to come through more and it gained a bit more body in my opinion.

I paired the Masciarelli with the Tuscan bread salad.  By itself it was much more aromatic than the Caldora. There were tons of sweet apples on the nose and it had a nice full round body to the nose as well.  I felt as though there was a very pleasant smoky molasses hint that mixed with a raisin note to give it its fuller body.  On the palate it honestly had a bit of a funk to it.  It wasn't anything bad just a bit of an earthy dirt to it that wasn't expected.  There wasn't really any discernible sweetness to it either and it had a little heat on the end of it.  The Tuscan bread salad wasn't the best choice for this wine in my opinion.  I'm not sure I enjoyed the wine much to begin with and the bread salad just made it worse.  It seemed to bring out more heat all the way through the palate and what little sweetness there was to begin with was completely taken away after the salad.  After starting off with such a nice nose I was very disappointed by the taste.

The Cirelli I paired with the meatball.  It had a nose that I think was the most interesting.  It was full of rich plum and cherry notes that were offset by a nice earthy vegetal undertone.  There was a nice molasses smoke that gave it a nice full body and it had a bit of heat on it as well.  The palate had a good amount of tannic structure to it and a small amount of heat on the end.  Nice light cherry notes came through on the sweet end and served to counter the tannins quite nicely.  After such a strong nose I was surprised to feel that it was a fairly light bodied wine on the palate.  With the meatball the robustness of the wine really jumped.  More dark deep fruit flavors came to the forefront and it became noticeably smoother and rounder.  The tannins calmed considerably but the heat seemed to jump a bit.

Derek, Marie and myself after our delicious meal.

After a very satisfying and surprisingly long meal we decided it was time to leave.  I believe that my favorite was the Cirelli but I can't help but to wonder if I had paired the other ones differently if I would have liked them more.  Again, I apologize for the lack of photos, I only remembered the camera about the time that I was taking my last bite.  I won't be making that mistake again!

Dinner - Palisades (New Zealand)

Every Thursday the Palisades restaurant in Eggleston, VA hosts a wines from around the world dinner where they pair wines and food from different parts of the world.  A few weeks ago they had a New Zealand night that sounded like it would be a lot of fun.  Marie and I decided to hop on over and see what it was all about. 

Image of the Palisades Restaurant when we arrived.

Marie and I set out for Eggleston right after class on Thursday.  We knew it was a small town in the middle of no where but we were not expecting this.  After a few minutes on 460 you turn off onto a curvy side road that seems to twist and turn itself into a knot.  Finally you break out of the trees onto a bridge crossing the New River and see Eggleston on the far bank.  If I hadn't already seen pictures of the town I would have sworn we were in the wrong place to get a great meal. Everything except for the restaurant seemed to be in various states of disrepair which made the Palisades stick out like a gem.  When we first walked in we were astounded by the charm the old general store turned restaurant had.  It was exactly the kind of place that all the restaurants in Georgetown try to be but fall far short of becoming.  

Pita chips, hummus and tomato salad...yum!

We were immediately seated and after we explained we were here for the wines around the world dinner our waiter departed to get us our appetizer.  It was a wonderful plate of pita chips, hummus and a tomato garlic basil salsa type topping.  We had to control ourselves from devouring the plate like animals.

We asked to have the wines brought out with the meal instead of beforehand so we had to wait for a bit but it was enjoyable just looking around at all the old charm the building had to offer and the wide range of people in the restaurant. 

The three wines from left to right with the meal in front:
Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Noir

Eventually the meal came out, and what a meal it was.  The meal consisted of Lamb with apricot sauce, Tuna with sweet potato cake and mustard butter and a Kiwi/Strawberry Gelee.  These were paired with a sample of Lawson's Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Spy Vallery Riesling 2009 and Ponga Pinot Noir 2010.  

This I was not expecting!  I felt like I could find a plate that looked like this in New York City for 60 bucks and I'm only paying 18 for it!?  Not only that but this is in Eggleston!  Needless to say Marie and I were blown away.  

I sampled each of the wines before I began eating just so that I had a base on which to compare when tried with the food then I dug in.  I tried each of the wines with each of the parts of the meal and definitely found that certain wines pair better with certain parts of the meal.  

The Lawson's Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2011 I found to be quite floral on the nose with tons of tropical fruits.  It felt crisp and clean; very light bodied.  It had a good measure of melon and peach which gave the nose a bit of a sweet component.  On the palate it was actually just a bit frizante to me.  Again, it was light and crisp and remarkably clean with hints of melon and tropical fruits.  With the lamb it took on an almost grapefruit bitterness and became much dryer in my opinion.  The lamb really seemed to take all the sugar out of it.  However, with the tuna I really felt like it remained largely the same but I thought I tasted some kiwi thrown into the mix (this was probably just my imagination playing with me because I had New Zealand on the brain).  

The Spy Valley Riesling 2009 was much dryer.  It had a strong component of a mineral stoniness to it that really over powered the rest of the nose.  There were some light citrus fruits on the nose but like I said they were being overpowered.  The palate, however, was completely different.  It was a strange mixture of sweet and bitter fruits.  Tons of green apple in my opinion and lots of citrus.  It was like a totally different wine from the nose.  I found that the tuna again paired best with this wine.  After having some of the tuna it became much sweeter and smoother.  The body seemed to increase as well and the small amount of alcohol that was present seemed to disappear.  

The Ponga Pinot Noir 2010 was fantastic.  It had a nice medium bodied feel to it on the nose with lots of rich plum and cherry notes.  It was nicely smooth and earthy on the nose with no discernible heat on it.  At least that I could tell.  On the palate it was by no means sweet but the fruits really came through instantly.  It was fairly dry and tannic but worked well with the fruits.  There was a measure of spice and a smokiness as well.  There was a little heat on the end though.  The lamb paired really well with this one.  It brought out the fruits very well and seemed to tame some of the tannins and even smoothed out the alcohol.  It really was the best fit for this wine.  

Marie standing in front of the restaurant as we were leaving.
(we didn't even notice that it had gotten dark)

This meal was a complete surprise in every way.  It was one of the best meals that I have had in a very long time in one of the most uniquely humble restaurants I have been in.  The food and wine separate were great and together amazing and so was this experience.  I couldn't wait to go back again.

Winery Visit: Barrel Oak Winery

 For the past few weeks Marie and I have been making trips back and forth to the DC area for job interviews and apartment hunting.  A few times we have stopped to check out some of the wineries around along the way.  One of the wineries we stopped at was Barrel Oak winery in Delaplane, VA. 

The main building.  The tasting room is at entry level and the
 production area is below that where the slop drops off.

 We originally decided to stop there because there website made them look like a nice fun loving bunch of people that just got together to make some wine one day.  They make about 24,000 gallons of wine annually on the premises as well as have about 20,000 vines on the property.  They did say though that they import grapes from all over Virginia.  

View of the grounds from the main building

The tasting room is located above the production area in the same building.  The interior of the tasting room in reminiscent of a pseudo log cabin type feel.  Lots of stone and heavy timber framing form a cozy space around a rather large fire place.  It is all quite a nice space to have some wine.  There is also a top loft space for private tastings for larger groups and events.

Marie with a glass of the BOWHaus
 Red in the tasting room

The tasting room complete with fire place

A view of their back party deck

The day we were there they weren't giving any guided tours but encouraged us to take a self guided tour around the grounds.  It was quite nice being able to just roam about the building and the grounds as we pleased.  Below the tasting room was the production area with the large stainless steel fermentation tanks and a few barrels for aging.  They had a very cool platform from which to view all the equipment.  They also have a great back patio area with a covered pavilion and fire pits, and if you feel like a little privacy they have picnic benches set up all around the grounds closer to some of the vines.

The giant stainless steel fermentation tanks
viewed from above

Their giant 20+ foot door
(its visible from the highway!!)

Me in front of the fermentation tanks

Some of the barrels used for aging

Below is a list of the wines we were able to try during our visit to the winery:
     (Quick side note:  We also chose to stop here because being architecture students and knowing that our school was based on the ideals of the Bauhaus [a very famous design school] when we saw that they were playing with that motif we just had to stop)

• BOWHaus White 2010:  Light, fruity, sunshine  in a glass!  It is a blend of Vidal Blanc + Sauvignon Blanc.  It is Riesling reminiscent and their most popular wine.  This was the wine that still sticks out in my mind.  It had such an unusual smell and taste to it that it is hard not to remember it.  On the nose and the palate I got smacked in the face by a strange banana creamy richness that I wasn't expecting from their description.  It was still very light and crisp just as their description said it was.  
• Barrel Chardonnay 2010:  100% Chardonnay with hints of Fiji apple, Asian pear and vanilla.  Aged Sur-lie in new French Barrels.  100% malo-lactic fermentation provides a rich buttery finish.  Their description of this wine is spot on.  It was rich, and fruity on the nose with tons of bready, cheesy smells that gave it a sense of a fuller bodied wine  It did sport the vanilla from the oak as well but it was hidden in the background and I really had to concentrate to pick it up.  On the palate it was where more of the vanilla began to come through for me.  It mixed nicely with the pear but I didn't get much of a distinct apple taste.  It was a fairly full bodied wine that really coated the mouth nicely and was fairly silky in texture.  It didn't have much heat on it and wasn't overly sweet either.  
• BOWHaus Red 2009:  Chambourcin with a fine blend of Merlot, Cab Franc, Syrah, and Malbec.  Slightly off dry, very fully developed and highly quaffable.  Excellent with a wide variety of foods.  This was one of their other wines that really jumped out at you.  The scent alone made me take pause.  It was a mix of a very vegetal notes with an almost perfume jamminess that I had never really encountered before.  When I asked they said that it was the Chambourcin that I was smelling.  It had a bit of heat on the nose and seemed to be fairly light bodied.  On the palate it was not nearly as interesting as the nose.  I could sit there and smell it all day but the taste was so-so to me.  It was fairly dry with some acidity and a bit of dark berry jamminess but nothing jumped out at me.  There was also a peppery earthiness to it as well that came in on the end.  
• Merlot 2009:  This was by far my favorite wine that Marie and I tried.  Soft and sensual with balanced acidity. This fruit-forward Merlot represents ideal winemaking conditions from vine to bottle.  Barreled in American and Hungarian oak, the finish is reminiscent of espresso and warm croissant.  On the nose it was deep rich and warm.  Full of body and huge dark red fruit smells.  Plum and cherry came though nicely and was balanced by a nice level of tannic structure.  Some smoky vanilla was also present on the nose.  On the palate it was soft silky and warm.  It coated the mouth instantly and stayed for a while.  It was very nicely fruity with lots of cherry and plum coming through that helped to mellow out the tannic component.  There was also some nice soft vanilla coming through from the oak as well.  On the tale end is where the surprise was.  At first I didn't notice but after a few sips the coffee/espresso notes started to creep froward.  
• Chocolate Lab:  A beautifully crafted and totally unique dessert wine.  Port style Chambourcin infused with cocoa nibs.  This was another wine that I could just smell all day and be perfectly happy.  It had bits of the strange smells similar to the BOWHaus Red because of the Chambourcin but it was much much sweeter.  Just from the nos it seemed like it would be a very thick full bodied wine that would just coat the mouth.  It also had tons of dark chocolate notes as well.  The alcohol was very present on the nose which turned me off a little at the beginning but as I spent some time with the wine it seemed to dissipate.  It was like drinking rich red fruits [think strawberry and cherry] covered in silky dark chocolate and a touch of alcohol.  It was an easy drinker despite its high alcohol content and would be a perfect end to most any meal.   

Lopez Panach Red 2009

Bottle of Lopez Panach
Red 2009

Lopez Panach
Red wine 2009
Varietal:  Tempranillo
Albaceta, Spain
4.00 USD


Color: Deep dark garnet
Nose:  Black fruit with new wood
Palate:  Flavorsome, aromatic with lingering finish, Unfiltered
(Bottle Label)


This wine boasts a beautiful red ruby color with a purple hue; brighter than its previous vintages. This wines is fresh and bright with nuances of dark fruits like blackberries, black currants & raspberries. Inviting aromas of spices, wild flowers & violets. Fresh in the mouth with good structure, well balanced acidity & a medium finish. Lopez Panach wines represent amazing value with bright characteristics; and the 2009 Tempranillo is certainly true to that (casaventuraimports.com)


This is another wine they had at the Vintage Cellar on Friday.  It had super strong dark fruit on the nose.  Cherry and raspberry.  It was fairly dry and had a nice body to it.  It really seemed like it would stick with you just from the nose.  It also had a very pleasant floral notes as well that balanced out the fruitiness. On the palate it was dry and tannic but not overwhelmingly so.  It had nice sugars and dark rich fruit to it as well.  There was a bit of heat on it but overall fairly round to me and stuck nicely with me.  The was a very distinct cranberry aftertaste that stuck around a while after finishing.  

Accuro Torrontes 2010

Bottle of Accuro
Torrontes 2010

Accuro
Torrontes 2010
Varietal:  Torrontes
Mendoza, Argentina
5.00 USD


Created under the concept of respect for the fruit, although the use of wood can be involved in the vinification process, it seeks only to highlight and maintain its varietal character. Best consumed young (accurowines.com)


This wine was a blast to try at the vintage cellar this past Friday.  It was light and floral on the nose.  Think honey and honeysuckle and citrus.  It did also have a semi bread like note to it as well.  On the palate it had a strong presence of green apple and melon.  It was full bodied and really seemed to coat the mouth very nicely in a silky richness that seemed to really be in contrast with the citrus and fruit flavors.  I'm glad I bought a bottle of it. 

Coldstream Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Bottle of Coldstream Hills
Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Coldstream Hills 

Sauvignon Blanc2009

Varietal:  Sauvignon Blanc

Yarra Valley, Australia

14.00 USD

Although a relatively smooth vintage, this harvest will be remembered as particularly challenging with devastating bush fires and drought.  Sourced from hand picked fruit grown in the cool Upper Yarra, this wine was fermented and stored on fine lees for three months.  Attractive characters of passion fruit are evident with freshly balanced acidity. (bottle label)

The bottle label on this wine is an interesting one.  It is really telling to me about the type of wine this will be.  The information about the growing season really let me understand why this wine was the way it was.  It was fairly dry and highly acidic, there was little sweet fruit present in either the nose or the palate.  It had many of the bread and cheese-like scents on the nose as well as the palate that helped to smooth out the wine a bit.  It made it a bit rounder.   Looking at the label it says it

is 13 % alcohol which was definitely present in the 

wine both on the nose and the at the tale end of the

taste.  What surprises me is that this white with its

bad growing season was able to get to 13 % alcohol.

Makes me wonder how much sugar they had to add

in to get it that way.  

Mouton Cadet 2010

Bottle of Mouton Cadet 2010

Mouton Cadet

Bordeaux 2010

Blend: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle

Bordeaux, France

10.00 USD

Created in the 1970's by my father, the legendary Baron Philippe, winegrower and poet, Mouton Cadet Blanc combines the Bordeaux winemaking traditions with the values of authenticity and exacting standards that have always been the pride of our family.  It unites several fine Bordeaux appellations renowned for their white grape varieties. (bottle label)

On the nose this wine had a very floral nose on it.  It was semi sweet but also very perfumey...I thought of honeysuckle and lavender.  There were some almost rustic notes and a nice earthiness, it also had a strange fuller creamy richness.  It felt a bit more buttery in a way.  On the palate it was fairly dry, high

 acid and a little heat.  It was counterbalanced by a nice creamy

 buttery richness that helped to cut through the acid.  It wasn't

 overly fruity but it certainly had some notes of apple.  There were

 other earthy notes as well, stony almost.  

Plungerhead Old Vine Zinfandel 2009

Bottle of Plungerhead
Old Vine Zinfandel 2009

Plungerhead

Old Vine Zinfandel 2009

Varietal:  Zinfandel

California, USA

13.95 USD

Dark ruby in color with flecks of orange, our 2009 zinfandel might be the best yet.  The old vine zinfandel vineyards ripened evenly in the Lodi heat of 2009.  This allowed the old vine character to explode in this blend with aromas of jammy raspberry, hints of orange rind, clove and rich caramel oak.  In the mouth, this zinfandel has flavors of dried strawberry, dark raspberry, plum sauce, cedar and pomegranate, with hints of white pepper and cherry liquor.  The finish is sweet fruit, toasty oak, and lingering warm spices.  (Vintage Cellar)

This wine had a ton of plum fruitiness on the nose that I picked up.  There were other scents that I couldn't call to mind then but plum really stood out to me.  It was a thick full bodied wine that really seemed to coat your mouth by smell alone.  On the palate I got some of what I thought was sweet strawberry and cherry.  It had a bit of a bite to it but overall was fairly smooth with a heat kick right at the end that wasn't to terrible.  It was definitely one of the better wines in my opinion that I tried this weekend

Bogle, Petite Sirah 2009

Bottle of Bogle
Petite Sirah 2009

Bogle
Petite Sirah 2009
Varietal:  Petite Sirah
California, USA
12.95 USD

Voluptuous and full-bodied on the entry, the heady aromas of black currants and plums awaken the senses. Lusciously jammy and inky in appearance, the concentrated fruit wraps itself around tones of pipe tobacco, leather and cocoa, to mesmerize the palate. Juniper and spice seduce the supple tannins, as this wine finishes long and lingering, but not before a final touch of acidity charms the balanced mouthfeel yet again. (Wine makers notes)

I would have loved to get out of it all of what the description above points out about this wine but I simply did not.  I am certainly not trained well enough to pick out all of these and I admit that there were some very interesting thing going on in this wine both on the nose and the palate but it all to me seemed to jumble together into one big lump.  I'd like to give this one another go some time when I have the time to really sit down with it and not be rushed by some frat guy standing behind me.  With that said here is what I did get.  On the nose it was very earthy to me-lots of dirt and even some kind of stone like characteristics.  It was smokey and had some tobacco on it as well.  On the palate I really wasn't able to pick up much.  It was a dry wine and one that coated the mouth well and hung on for a while after the finish.  It was fairly tannic to me which I think distracted me a little from the rest of the components but what I did get was a very strong sense of vegetation.  Again, I'd like to give this one another go some time. 

Hey Mambo!

Bottle of Hey Mambo
Sultry Red

Hey Mambo
Sultry Red (no date listed)
Blend:  Barbera, Syrah, Petit Sirah, Carignane + Alicante Bouchet
California, USA
11.95 USD


From Wine Enthusiast: "In calling this southern Rhône-style blend Bistro Style, the winery means to suggest friends gathered in a nice restaurant, having fun and not being fussy about what’s in the bottle. That perfectly describes this dry, soft red wine, with its flavors of blackberries, cherries and cocoa." (8/1/2008) Put on your dancing shoes before you pop this Zork (yes, I said Zork-the peel and pop synthetic closure). The 2006 Hey Mambo is a fun blend of barbera, syrah, petit sirah, carignane and alicante bouchet that gets you moving with aromas of sweet leather, chocolate ganache, raspberries and spicy clove. The palate is filled with sweet fruit redolent of blackberry cobbler highlighted by espresso, dark chocolate and dried herbs. This is no "serious" wine, but a satiny, sipper perfect for a bistro meal. (KLWines.com)


This had a pretty powerful nose on it.  It was big and bold with lots of sweet dark berry jammy notes, tobacco, and oak.  When I first smelled it I just thought "red".  It was dry and full bodied and it coated your mouth just from the sniff.  The dryness carried through on the palate.  It was sweet and had a bit of an acidic bite to it and those I think kept it from being to tannic in my opinion.  It had lots of cherry and blueberry hints to me as well as tobacco.

La Lejania Chardonnay Reserve

Bottle of La Lejania
Chardonnay 

La Lejania

Chardonnay Reserve 2009

Varietal: Chardonnay

Chili

11.95 USD

Medium bodied chardonnay exhibits a creamy texture and good definition of fruit from the first sip.  A terrific option for chardonnay drinkers looking for good value. (Vintage Cellar)

This was full of light fruit scents on the nose.  I was thinking some melon and apple perhaps.  It was clean and crisp; very light bodied.  I also think there was some oaky creaminess coming through as well but I can't really be certain.  On the palate it was crisp but surprisingly smooth from beginning to end and there was no detection of heat.  The fruit flavors were down played a lot and unfortunately nothing really came to the for front.  It was fairly flat in my opinion

Clara Benegas 2009

Bottle of Clara Benegas
2009

Clara Benegas 2009

Blend:  Chardonnay 70% + Sauvignon Blanc 30%

Mendoza, Argentina

10.95 USD

Elaborated with grapes from vineyards located in the province of Mendoza.  This delicious, natural, young and fresh wine is a result of the careful control of the vineyard and the morning harvest of the over ripened chardonnay grapes (Vintage Cellar)

With a strange floral base that I could not pinpoint it had an interesting vegetal undertone.  There were some fruits hidden in the back ground but nothing popped out.  It was very underwhelming nose wise.  It was crisp and interestingly citrusy on the palate that was off set by the almost buttery creaminess of some California

chardonnays.  It didn't have much of any heat on it except at the tail end and the

aftertaste reminded me of olives.

The White Knight Viognier 2008

Bottle of The White Knight
Viognier 2008

The White Knight

Viognier 2008

Varietal: Viognier

California, USA

10.00 USD

This exciting and affordable golden colored Viognier is aromatic and forward with white nectarine and key lime zest. I’m not kidding, it jumps right out of the glass and kisses you. The palate is minerally with wet stone and waxy honeycomb, which then streams into lemon citrus and white pepper flavors. The finish is juicy, but refined, not like many California Viogniers in the sense that they can be perfumed with fruit, but lack little else and fall short on the finish. This is more old world or Condrieu styled with earth, spice, and mineral qualities. (togwines.com)

Inspired by the Rockbridge Vignoles Marie, Derek and I had tried previously, I was in the mood to try out another one.  This time we were directed to The White Knight at the Vintage Cellar.  It had its fruity acidic components to it but at the same time there was a creamy full bodied skunky funk to it as well.  I wasn't sure if it was turned off by it or if I liked it and I'm still not sure.  It was an interesting component but not one I was expecting or in the mood for.  It was sweet enough with some acidic apple and some other flavor.  I pondered that flavor for a while and finally decided on strawberry cheese cake but Marie and Derek just kinda looked at me and started laughing.  I guess it was the honey that the description above mentions that I was tasting.  There was also a chemically or metal tinge to the taste as well....again mineral like the description above says would be a better description.  However, for 10.00 USD it was definitely a wine to try.

Chocolate Box Shiraz 2009

Bottle of Chocolate Box
Shiraz 2009

Chocolate Box

Shiraz 2009

Varietal:  Shiraz

Barrosa Valley, Australia

16.00 USD

"Rich and ripe, bursting with cherry, floral and, yes, chocolate flavors, this is dark and dense as it drives through the long, deftly framed finish. Shows power, but ultimately comes off as graceful. Drink now through 2014. 4,800 cases made."  91 Points (Wine Spectator)

I can't think highly enough of this wine.  It was a complete surprise to me really.  It was recommended to me by Matt at the Vintage cellar and so I got it.  When I opened it and gave it its first sniff I was extremely disappointed.  There was so much heat on the nose that it drowned everything out and actually turned me off to it.  However, I let a glass of it sit for 30 minutes before picking it back up.  Initially the heat was still there but after a few minutes of swirling it around and giving it some good sniffs, the heat had completely disappeared!  It became soft and silky, full of rich dark cherry.  At first I did not get much chocolate but as the meal (Marie and I were having some sauteed chicken with onion, tomato and garlic and a variety of herbs and spices all with a red wine reduction (the chocolate box) and potatoes au gratin) went on the wine opened up more and more.  There was chocolate and not just one kind of chocolate.  At times it smelled and tasted like nestle powered stuff and others it was like hot chocolate and others it was a nice rich dark chocolate.  It was amazing.  It was full bodied and silky with enough tannic character to keep it from getting overly sweet.  It was like having cherries dipped in dark chocolate.  This is one I will tell everyone to get. 

Rockbridge Vignoles

Bottle Label for
Rockbridge Vignoles

Rockbridge

Vignoles

Varietal: Vignoles

Virginia, USA

10.00 USD

(Semi-Dry) Taste is reminiscent of tropical fruit and green apples. Made from the french-american hybrid Vignoles grape.  (winecompass.com)

This was an excellent wine from the start.  It was bright and fruity with lots of light aromatics to it. There was a crispness to it that reminded me of green apples.  There were also hints of pineapple and strangely I think banana as well.  That was something I was 

not expecting.  It was pleasantly full of fruity sweetness and nice 

acidity to balance out the sweetness.  It was crisp and light with a

 bit of dryness to it but it stuck with you for a little bit in a good way. 

 I didn't get any heat on it at any point.  This was a great wine to try

 and it was from a great winery here in Virginia.  I had a chance

 to stop by it on a trip home.  Great people, great wine, and great

 prices!  I even asked them about the prices and they said that they

 believed that wine (good wine at that) should be accessible to

 everyone so they aim to keep their prices very very reasonable

 in my opinion.

Castle Rock Pinot Noir 2009

Bottle of Castle Rock
Pinot Noir 2009

Castle Rock
Pinot Noir 2009
Varietal: Pinot Noir
California, USA
10.00 USD



Our Pinot Noir is elegant and medium bodied, with aromas of herbal spice and cherry.  On the palate the wine gives flavors of blackberry, cinnamon, and sweet vanilla oak, and it finishes long and harmoniously.  This versatile wine pairs well with lamb, chicken, veal, salmon, and light pasta dishes.  (winery notes)


There were dark fruits on the nose of this pinot noir although I was not able to pick any one out from the others.  There was also a bit of heat on the nose.  However, there were tons of different spices mixed in that were very interesting.  A little sweet and a little spicy on the nose.  Again on the palate, lots of jammy fruit flavors but nothing stuck out in my mind.  It was a fairly dry wine with a fair amount of heat on the end.  The spices I smelled on the nose didn't come through much on the palate though.

Morro Bay Chardonnay 2009

Bottle of Morro Bay
Chardonnay 2009

Morro Bay

Chardonnay 2009

Varietal: Chardonnay

California, USA

15.00 USD

Vanilla cream soda nose with a slice of fresh cut pineapple.  Full body, tropical fruit, spice and pleasing vanilla oak note linger in the finish.  Sweet flavor on the palate is from sur-lie aging the wine on the primary yeast lees for 6 months.  A versatile style of wine that can be served chilled with fine cuisine or a glass with friends  (WINEMAKER’S NOTES)

Being aged sur-lie for 6 months provided this wine with an interesting bread-like yeasty smell to it.  It had everything you'd expect from a California 

chardonnay.  Lots of rich fruit on the nose and there was definitely oak there

 as well.  It was however, surprisingly light.  It still had the creaminess

 to it and had nice body but it wasn't overwhelming.  Again it was fairly fruity

 on the palate with some hints of vanilla from the oak but the bread like 

smell and yeasty taste was an interesting add.