This was our side dish to chicken parm.
Disclaimer: I’ve known this winery owner/winemaker for 10 years and enjoy his wines. Last night’s enjoyment…
Monday, June 13th . . . with a couple of grass-fed New York strips, and a classic iceberg wedge salad w/blue cheese dressing . . .
2000 Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel, Paso Robles (Dusi Ranch), California: Deep garnet color, clear and bright (after decanting) with some bricking at the rim; the bouquet was a wonderful blend of the olallieberries and black raspberries of a Zinfandel with some of the more nuanced cedar and red fruit notes of an aged Cabernet, yet still with Zinfandel spice, and light oak. On the palate, the wine is definitely more like an aged Cabernet in character, with some of the same “Zin berries” one would expect. Generous on the palate, and with a long, flavorful finish. Absolutely delicious . . . and especially not bad for a wine that the label said would be at its peak 5-6 years from the vintage date!
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From May 24, 2016, in Radda in Chianti . . . .
2010 Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico “Gran Selezione” (Tuscany, Italy): This estate, owned by Antinori, produces this 100 percent Sangiovese Chianti Classico “normale” (as fas as I know, the words “Gran Selezione” had no legal standing) from vineyards which surround this old abbey. I do not know if their also make a Chianti Classico Riserva – none is mentioned on their website – nor do I know if, in fact, it’s available here in the US, as I have never seen it here. As I had this some three weeks ago, let me simply say that, while it was quite good with our meal, I am not trying to seek out any more bottles either . . .
From May 20, 2016, in the city of Florence (Firenze), Italy . . .
2012 Castellare “I Sodi di San Niccolò” Toscana IGT¹ (Tuscany, Italy): This is Castellare’s “flagship” wine, a blend of approx. 85-90 percent Sangiovetto (aka Sangiovese Grosso, the clone used to produce Brunelli di Montalcino) and 10-15 percent Malvasia Nera, this wine – although quite young – opened beautifully and was a delicious compliment to Bistek Florentina.
¹ aka “Super Tuscan”
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Tonight I have a bottle of Windy Oaks 2013 , Santa Cruz mountains , Pinot Noir ,Terra Narro . I enjoy all their wines .
Had friends over from Napa last night . . . started off with some cheeses and baguette, and . . .
1995 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Rhône, France): Decanted some ten minutes prior to serving, the wine was deep garnet in color, clean and clear, with some shading at the rim; the bouquet is classic Châteauneuf, with earthy spice, cherries, blueberries, and raspberries, cranberries, and a sous bois note. On the palate, the wine was medium-bodied, full-flavored with good depth and layered character; the finish was long and just a bit drying – noticeable on its own, but not with the food . . .
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Dinner at ¡Duende! in Oakland . . .
With the appetizers, we had
2010 Do Ferreiro Albariño, Cepas Vellas (Rias Baixas, Spain)
This is normally one of the finest Albariños on the market today, produced from 200 year old vines – and this particular bottle, at 5+ years of age, was still delicious, but better last year . . .
With the entrées,
2001 Marqués de Murrieta “Castillo Ygay” Gran Reserve Especial (Rioja, Spain) Simply put, at 15 years old, this wine is a) beautiful, and b) still youthful and primary.
Found this bottle at a small shop. It was not priced so I asked the clerk. He called the owner and they decided it was $24.99. It was delicious. Yesterday I went back for another bottle, and surprise, the “real price” was supposed to be $60, but they would reduce it to $48. Hmmm. Guess I’ll be thankful for the first bottle.
I feel another discussion coming on about retailer markups. Curious if this was a 100% retailer or a retail/tasting/winebar business model.
Just a tiny gourmet food/cheese/sandwich shop. Not my normal shop for wine, but occasionally they have a few nice bottles at a decent price. My local Gelsons has this bottle for $45.
From when Silver Oak got more love. With lamb burgers, grilled corn on the cob, and potato salad for The Fourth. < img src="//hungryonionstatic.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/original/2X/c/ceb3ba4a2ff4fd321877fb464fcfab912fe34379.jpeg" width=“525” height=“700”>
1998 Lagier-Meredith Syrah, Mount Veeder AVA (Napa, California):
Stephen Lagier and Carole Meredith (he, former winemaker at Robert Mondavi; she, Professer Emeritus from UC Davis, best known for her work in DNA profiling grapes and discovering the true origins of Zinfandel) started their winery up on Mount Veeder, releasing their first commercial vintage from – yup! – the 1998 vintage. I tried to wait until 2018 – the wine’s 20th “birthday” – but it was calling to me . . . served with Sonoma lamb loin chops and roasted vegetables.
Deep garnet in color, with very little bricking, clear and brilliant after decanting (though there was much less sediment than I had expected); round and supple in texture, with good fruit and layered complexity – still ample fruit, spice, a dose of Mt. Veeder earth, smoke, and more, all carried through the long finish . . . certainly closer to the Rhône stylistically than Barossa, along some imaginary spectrum I carry in my head; just wonderful! A great “debut” vintage! I predict great things from this producer. ;^)
1997 Quinta do Crasto Tinto Roriz, Douro DOC (Portugal):
Family-owned since 1615, Quinta do Crasto is one of the leading producers of table wines from the Douro Valley. (The quinta also produces Port wines as well.) While most of their wines com from field blends of grapes, they do make small amounts of single varietal table wines from Touriga Nacional and this, Tinta Roriz – better known in the neighboring country of Spain as Tempranillo!
At just shy of 19 years of age, this dry red wine is garnet-hued in the glass, shading to brick at the rim, clean and clear after decanting off the fine sediment; the bouquet combines notes of dark plums with strawberries, oak, saddle leather, earth and a touch of wet stone; on the palate, the wine is smooth and supple, with soft tannins; stylistically, something of a cross between a Rioja and a right bank Bordeaux, if that makes any sense, with layers of complexity and a myriad of flavors; the finish is moderately long and flavorful. A delicious compliment to a spice-rubbed bavette steak . . .
The wine sounds great Jason. About the steak… Not familiar with the word ‘Bavette’ so I Googled and found several different cuts referenced as well as one that said its ‘any’ long thin steak. Most said flank, flap, or sirloin tips. Usually find more specificity than that. What did you enjoy with this wine?
Since we purchased the bavette from Café Rouge¹ in Berkeley, check out this article from SF Gate, the online website for the San Francisco Chronicle . . . it’s a cut rarely seen in supermarkets, but is often seen (at least around here) at meat markets, butchers, etc.
¹ For those who have not been to/heard of Café Rouge, it is a restaurant in Berkeley, CA that also houses a small meat market that sells beef, pork, pâtés, quail, charcuterie, and more at retail.
