Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Quinto do Crasto
Recently we went for a dinner and discovered a new wine. It was called Crasto, from the Duoro region of Portugal, and it was extremely enjoyable. The wine was from 2006, 14%, and the website on the bottle was www.quintadocrasto.it. In the restaurant it sold for $30, so I'm guessing it would sell in the mid teens in the local wine store.
We ate at Amalfi in Rockland, and the wine list showed a definite prejudice for Mediterranean wines. There were quite a few Spanish Tempranillo wines, Italian chianti, and Pinot Noir from various regions. There were the usual Californian wines, Zins and Cabernet Sauvignon, but most of the (red) wine list was devoted to those mid body wines that pair so well with Mediterranean food. We commented to our server that we could tell a lot by the wine list, and she reported that it definitely reflected the personality and tastes of the owner and chef. She added that she was a California girl and missed that new world wines.
Luckily for us, we like old world wines and often don't care for the California fruit bombs in our price range. We narrowed the list down: a Barbara (one of our favorite table wines from Italy), a Tempranillo, and the Crasto, which we eventually settled on.
This Crasto is made from the four grapes that usually comprise Port: Tinto Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca, and Touriga Nacional. The first grape, Tinto Roriz, is the same grape known as Tempranillo across the border in Spain. It had some tannins, but they were well balanced, so that it didn't come across as sharp or tart. Dory tasted leather, and I tasted black cherry, and the overall effect was very nice. Because of the balance it drank well as an aperitif as well as an accompaniment to the food. Give it a try, tell us what you think.
We ate at Amalfi in Rockland, and the wine list showed a definite prejudice for Mediterranean wines. There were quite a few Spanish Tempranillo wines, Italian chianti, and Pinot Noir from various regions. There were the usual Californian wines, Zins and Cabernet Sauvignon, but most of the (red) wine list was devoted to those mid body wines that pair so well with Mediterranean food. We commented to our server that we could tell a lot by the wine list, and she reported that it definitely reflected the personality and tastes of the owner and chef. She added that she was a California girl and missed that new world wines.
Luckily for us, we like old world wines and often don't care for the California fruit bombs in our price range. We narrowed the list down: a Barbara (one of our favorite table wines from Italy), a Tempranillo, and the Crasto, which we eventually settled on.
This Crasto is made from the four grapes that usually comprise Port: Tinto Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca, and Touriga Nacional. The first grape, Tinto Roriz, is the same grape known as Tempranillo across the border in Spain. It had some tannins, but they were well balanced, so that it didn't come across as sharp or tart. Dory tasted leather, and I tasted black cherry, and the overall effect was very nice. Because of the balance it drank well as an aperitif as well as an accompaniment to the food. Give it a try, tell us what you think.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Yalumba Viognier
This is my new favorite house white - an inexpensive, interesting, flavorful wine from Australia called Yalumba Viogner. We opened a bottle to have a fish dinner and it was fine, not super special but a very pleasant nice wine. Look for it, less than $10.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Marques de Casa Concha
Since our next group tasting is based on Chilean Cabernet, we thought we'd get used to the grape. I opened a bottle of Marques de Casa Concha by Concha y Toro. THis was a 2006, 14%, and I believe in the $10-$12 range.
After the Evoda of the other night we really liked this wine! It had body, a full taste without being syrupy or jammy, and a nice strawberry/blackberry taste. I grilled chicken, and this was a bit much with the meal but was very good.
It did have a drawback - there was a sharp edge to it that we kept hoping would mellow with air and time --- but didn't. I think this edge is what differentiates a $10 bottle from a $20 bottle.
This was a nice find, and I would buy it again. We particularly liked the sophisticated (esp for this price) flavor that wasn't modern Californian fruit forward style. Give it a try, tell us what you think.
After the Evoda of the other night we really liked this wine! It had body, a full taste without being syrupy or jammy, and a nice strawberry/blackberry taste. I grilled chicken, and this was a bit much with the meal but was very good.
It did have a drawback - there was a sharp edge to it that we kept hoping would mellow with air and time --- but didn't. I think this edge is what differentiates a $10 bottle from a $20 bottle.
This was a nice find, and I would buy it again. We particularly liked the sophisticated (esp for this price) flavor that wasn't modern Californian fruit forward style. Give it a try, tell us what you think.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
evodia
On the suggestion of a neighbor, we bought a bottle of evodia and had it with dinner Sunday. Dinner was delicious, a pasta meal with shells, sausage, tomatoes, cream and parmigiana. It has several handwritten notes in the margins of the cookbook, The Classic Pasta Cookbook by Giuliano Hazen.
Evodia is 100% Garnacha, 14.5%, 2007, and comes from Spain. It has a rich bouquet, a full presentation in the mouth, and a lingering aftertaste. It looks rich and dark in the glass.
I liked it, Dory was a bit reserved, commenting that it might be better with a steak (probably true.) We are so tuned into the Italian wines with pasta that any wines without those Italian flavors just doesn't measure up for us. Dory commented that it had that big bold bold "california" style of fruit forward taste. I thought it tasted a bit like a Zinfandel.
Over all, we enjoyed it, but would seek to drink it with grilled steak next time.
Evodia is 100% Garnacha, 14.5%, 2007, and comes from Spain. It has a rich bouquet, a full presentation in the mouth, and a lingering aftertaste. It looks rich and dark in the glass.
I liked it, Dory was a bit reserved, commenting that it might be better with a steak (probably true.) We are so tuned into the Italian wines with pasta that any wines without those Italian flavors just doesn't measure up for us. Dory commented that it had that big bold bold "california" style of fruit forward taste. I thought it tasted a bit like a Zinfandel.
Over all, we enjoyed it, but would seek to drink it with grilled steak next time.
Chilean Cabs up next
A brief note. I'm hoping this wine blog will keep somewhat up to date with the wines we are drinking, the gatherings we have, and the wines we like.
With that out of the way, the next wine tasting will be focused on Chilean Cabernet, costing less than $20, The date is set for Saturday May 3rd. Go to your favorite local wine store, and look for something that strikes your fancy, and try it out.
We'll be enjoying grilled meat of some kind, so of course keep track of what you eat and let us know how well it worked.
With that out of the way, the next wine tasting will be focused on Chilean Cabernet, costing less than $20, The date is set for Saturday May 3rd. Go to your favorite local wine store, and look for something that strikes your fancy, and try it out.
We'll be enjoying grilled meat of some kind, so of course keep track of what you eat and let us know how well it worked.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)