Wine Peeps

Last Friday was a beautiful, sunny day in Seattle, the perfect day to enjoy some crisp, cool white wines for summer. Our wine tasting dinner this month was a slight departure from our normal tasting format. This tasting featured six different white varietals instead of six different wines within the same varietal. Since the Wine Peeps generally gravitate toward our beloved New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc when it comes to white wines, we wanted to expand our horizons and see how some other varietals from other regions stacked up in a blind tasting.

In addition to asking each of our guests to give us their rankings of the wines at the end of the evening, we added another twist to make things even more interesting. Each person was given a sheet of paper with a list of the six varietals represented in the tasting and a brief description of common characteristics for that varietal and we each tried to identify which wine was which varietal before we took off the sacks and unveiled them. We had done this exercise a couple years ago with a red tasting and it is no easy task. I’m happy to report that this group did very well with the exercise. One person matched all six correctly and two others matched four.

While the 2007 Nobilo Marlborough Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand was the consensus favorite, we did discover a fabulous Viognier from Nefarious Cellars in Chelan, Washington and once again thoroughly enjoyed the Poet’s Leap Riesling from the Columbia Valley in Washington. These top three wines were all excellent and each garnered a 4 star rating. Though very different, all three paired well with Mom’s dinner of braised chicken breast topped with olive tapenade, steamed green beans with red onion and roasted red peppers, and wild rice.

In addition to enjoying good wines and Mom’s delicious food, the best part of the evening was spending time with wonderful family and friends.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2007 Nobilo Marlborough Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand): Beautiful nose of grapefruit, lime, tomato plant, and freshly cut grass. Distinct grapefruit flavors. Sharp, crisp acidity and a nice, long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: MadWine (Seattle), $10.99; Available elsewhere, $10 to $11

2007 Nefarious Cellars Defiance Vineyard Viognier (Lake Chelan Valley, Washington): Elegant floral aromas and flavors. Crisp and refreshing with a pleasant, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $18.99

2006 Poet’s Leap Riesling [Long Shadows] (Columbia Valley, Washington): Aromas of cantaloupe rind and pineapple lead to flavors of honeydew and peach. Off-dry and well-balanced with crisp acidity and a nice finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Pete’s Wine Shop (Seattle), $18.69; Available elsewhere, $16 to $24

2007 Pacific Rim Chenin Blanc (Columbia Valley, Washington): Interesting aroma profile of asparagus mixed with stale beer. Tastes better than it smells. Some acidity.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: QFC (Seattle), $9; Available elsewhere, $8 to $14 (different vintage)

2007 Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay (New Zealand): Distinct dill notes on the nose. Fairly plain with a short, somewhat perplexing finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle), $15; Available elsewhere, $15 to $20

2007 Voga Italia Pinot Grigio (Delle Venezie, Italy): Old World minerality is present along with aromas of pizza crust. Weak finish. This wine comes in a very distinctive bottle that looks a bit like a huge cologne bottle.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: QFC (Seattle), $9; Available elsewhere, $10 to $28 (different vintage)

What is your favorite summer white wine?

On Friday evening, we hosted our 60th wine tasting dinner. It was another fun evening of good wines, Mom’s excellent food, and the company of wonderful friends.

With the current state of the dollar and rising gas prices, most of us are looking to find some good deals. That’s the main reason why we selected Argentine Malbec for this month’s tasting. All six wines that we tasted come in under $20, and the winner rolls in under $10. Malbec is a varietal that is getting more and more attention and appeals to a wide variety of folks. It has a lot to offer. It is not as tannic as Cabernet Sauvignon but is spicier than Merlot and goes well with a number of different foods. It paired wonderfully with Mom’s dinner of flank steak with pico di gallo and corn salsa, Spanish rice, and sautéed vegetables.

Paul Gregutt, Wine Adviser for the Seattle Times, recently wrote a couple articles touting Argentine Malbec. All of the wines in this tasting were on his recommended list from April 9th.

For the most part, my rankings are generally close to the group consensus rankings. In this tasting, however, my personal favorite finished fourth. While the last two wines were disappointing, I don’t feel that you can go wrong with any of the top four.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2006 Altas Cumbres Malbec: Spicy and jammy. Smooth, not too bold.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $9.99, Available elsewhere, $7.99

2006 Punto Final Malbec: Lots of red fruits, especially cherries and strawberries come through on both the nose and the palate. A hint of peppermint is present on the mid-palate.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $11.99, Available elsewhere, $9 to $14

2007 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec: A bit spicy with flavors of beef jerky and cinnamon. A little rough now, should get better with age.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Pete’s Wine Shop – Eastside (Seattle area), $9.29, Available elsewhere, $8 to $13

2005 Melipal Malbec: My favorite of the evening. Very complex with lots of dried fruit and black olive flavors. Also has an attractive smoky component coming through on the nose.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $19.99, Available elsewhere, $14 to $20

2005 Tomero Malbec
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $14.99

2005 Andeluna Winemaker’s Selection Malbec
Quality: 1 star (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $12.99

Our 59th wine tasting dinner on Friday evening was one of our best ever. We enjoyed the evening with wonderful friends, Mom’s (LaGayle) delicious meal, and a fabulous set of wines. Not only were all the wines good to excellent but they are all outstanding values. Never before have all six wines from one of our dinners received a QPR score of 5 bangs for your buck. If you enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon blends, you can’t go wrong by picking up any one of these bottles.

Unlike many of our previous wine tasting dinners, this set of wines did not hail from any one particular country, state, or region. Three different countries (U.S., Australia, and France) and two states (Washington and California) were represented. The common factor is that all six wines contain some Cabernet Sauvignon. Although, as you will see below, the percentages of Cab and other varietals vary.

Remember, all of these wines are good, but here’s a rundown of the group consensus rankings from 1st to last (regions listed in parentheses):

2004 Sebastiani Secolo (Sonoma County, California): 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Petit Verdot, 8% Malbec, 7% Merlot, 1% Petite Sirah. Dense, deep purple with aromas of smoke, licorice, and green pepper. Dark fruits and pepper come through on the palate. Well-balanced with smooth tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winerz.com (California), $27.00

2002 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve (Columbia Valley, Washington): 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot. Blackberries and dill pickle on the nose. More black fruits revealed on the palate. Robust, lively acidity, medium to full-bodied, and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: K&L Wine Merchants (California), $21.99

2000 Chateau Moulin Riche (Saint-Julien, Medoc, Bordeaux, France): 60-65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30-35% Merlot, and some Petit Verdot. A mix of barnyard and perfume aromas with a hint of nail polish. Tastes better than it smells. Flavors of mint and blackcurrant. Probably could benefit from decanting.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Our cost, $20.00; unfortunately, no longer available

2004 Peter Lehmann Clancy’s (Barossa Valley, Australia): 43% Shiraz, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. Vegetal aromas and flavors, especially asparagus and green pepper. Some dark fruits emerge on the palate. Well-balanced.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: MadWine (Seattle), $13.99

2005 Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot-Cabernet (Columbia Valley, Washington): Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Much lighter and paler than the others. Aromas and flavors of cherry and caramel. A bit of funk on the finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: WinoWorld (Idaho), $7.38 [2004 is the currently available vintage]; probably can also be found at your local wine outlet

2006 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet (South Australia, Australia): 78% Shiraz, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark fruits dominate. Bold tannins. A little young; could benefit from some more bottle aging.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine Exchange (California), $7.99; probably can also be found at your local wine outlet

It seems that many people really place importance on what foods that they have with their wines. I agree that a wine changes in taste with foods that are served with it; however, I personally do not think that one has to go overboard with a lot of fancy gourmet meals to enjoy a good wine. This coming Friday evening we will be hosting #59 in our series of Wine Tasting Dinners. At this tasting dinner, we will be comparing six Cabernet Sauvignon Blends in a single-blind tasting. Single-blind means that we know the varietal but not the individual wines, producers, or prices.

Of course, we always think of red meat with red wine, and at Wine Peeps, we do like our steak—highly seasoned steak! I’ve recently learned that salt softens the tannins in the wine, so now I realize why our steak is so good with young Cab-based wines. I prepare the meat 24 hours ahead of time with an assortment of seasonings and spices, and as a result the wine and steak really do bring out the best in each other.

Here is our menu for Friday night, which is typical for one of our tasting dinners featuring wines with some body and tannins like a Cab-based wine. We’ll begin the evening with a sparkling wine as an aperitif, usually a brut. Then dinner begins with sipping tomato basil soup from a sherry glass. The soup will be followed with a mixed green salad. The main course is a beef tenderloin steak cooked on the grill, green beans seasoned with red onions and roasted red peppers, and rosemary/garlic sweet potatoes. Our dessert will be a German chocolate treat topped with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Below is the dessert recipe:

German Chocolate Pie
From Gingerbread and all the trimmings, a cookbook from the Waxahachie (Texas) Junior Service League, Inc., submitted by Gay DeHay.
(I’ve modified the recipe; therefore, in italics to the right of the original, I’ve put what I do.)

1 stick oleo (1/2 cup Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread—gluten and dairy free. Note: If a regular butter or margarine is not used, be sure to use a product that can be used for baking.)
9 squares or 1/2 package German Chocolate
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour (I use a gluten free flour.)
3 beaten eggs (3/4 cup Nulaid ReddiEgg—egg substitute)
1 teaspoon vanilla (1 teaspoon pure almond extract)
1 cup pecans
Whipped cream (Cool Whip)
Shaved chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine and melt together oleo (buttery spread) and German chocolate. Mix sugar and flour; add eggs (egg substitute) and chocolate mixture. Add vanilla (pure almond extract) and pecans last. Grease pie pan (I divide the batter equally into 8 small ramekins that have been sprayed with Pam and arrange them onto a cookie sheet.) Bake for 25 minutes. Serve with whipped cream (Cool Whip) and garnish with shaved chocolate. Serves 8. If baked as a pie, serves 6-8.

If you’ve never attended or hosted a wine tasting dinner, you ought to try one. They are great fun, and we’ve found them to be a great way to learn more about wine. Next Monday, Kori will give you a tasting dinner report and her reviews and a ranking of the wines from Friday’s tasting dinner.

After Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Syrah is the third most common red grape variety in Washington State. The total amount of Syrah grapes planted in Washington has greatly increased in recent years. As fans of the Shiraz/Syrah varietal, this is a trend that the Wine Peeps are excited to see.

Since we enjoyed all of the Washington Syrahs that we had at last month’s tasting dinner, we decided to try another set at this month’s dinner last Friday evening. As a whole this group of wines was not as strong as last month’s. From the very beginning, the top three set themselves apart from the bottom three.

Both the 2004 Chateau Ste Michelle Ethos Syrah and the 2003 Three Rivers Syrah were excellent with the 2005 Amavi Walla Walla Syrah finishing a solid third. For me, the biggest surprise of the evening was the 2003 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Shiraz which finished in last place. Columbia Crest is one of our favorite wineries, producing excellent wines at reasonable prices. Columbia Crest wines of many different varietals and vintages have been in a number of our 57 previous wine tasting dinners. I cannot remember a single one of their wines finishing below 2nd place until now. In fact, their 2003 Columbia Crest Two Vines Shiraz won last month’s tasting. And generally speaking, the Grand Estates label is considered superior to the Two Vines label. But that is definitely not the case with the 2003 Shiraz.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2004 Chateau Ste Michelle Ethos Syrah: Pleasant aromas of spice and lavender with hints of horseradish and tobacco. Crisp, black fruit flavors, ripe tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: MadWine (Washington), $25.99

2003 Three Rivers Syrah: My favorite of the evening. Movie theater-style buttered popcorn on the nose leads to luscious black cherry and plum flavors. Smooth tannins and good acidity. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Pete’s Wine Shop – Eastside (Seattle area), $15.99

2005 Amavi Walla Walla Syrah: Distinct smoky notes throughout. Fruit-forward with subtle tannins and a medium finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Pete’s Wine Shop – Eastside (Seattle area), $22.99

2006 Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $22.39

2005 Seven Hills Walla Walla Syrah
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $26.99

2003 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Shiraz
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $8.99

Our February wine tasting dinner last Friday night proved to be an eventful one. The evening began with much anticipation as all we were told by John was that the six wines that we would be tasting were Washington Syrahs that ranged in price from $7 to $70. Given the Wine Peeps love of Australian Shiraz, we were excited to explore more Syrahs from our home state.

Since this was the 57th wine tasting dinner that we’ve hosted, we have gotten the process down pretty well. However, no matter how prepared you are, sometimes things just don’t go as planned. At some point the oven was accidentally turned off during the dinner preparation, a full glass of wine was knocked off the table and spilled onto the off-white carpet, and one of the wines (unfortunately the $70 bottle) turned out to be a bad bottle so we had to make a last minute substitution. Thankfully we had four wonderful friends joining us who are all veterans of our wine tasting dinners, so they were very understanding. Despite all of our false starts, we ended up having a very enjoyable dinner and some good wines. And we’ll all have some great memories to laugh about as we look back on it.

With four first-place votes, the 2003 Columbia Crest Two Vines Shiraz was the evening’s big winner. And given that it costs $7, it is an amazing deal. I found it very interesting that Columbia Crest calls this particular bottling Shiraz instead of Syrah as most Washington wineries identify this varietal. From the back of the bottle:

“Columbia Crest Shiraz has the concentrated plum and berry flavors, and spicy aromas typical of wines of the same name made ‘down under.’ Our Shiraz is a bold new style of our traditional Syrah building on the quality reputation that Washington has earned for this variety.”

This probably explains why I enjoyed it so much.

Thankfully, except for the bad bottle, there were no duds in the bunch. All of the wines were quite enjoyable. Here’s a rundown of the wines from 1st to last in the group consensus rankings (I have not listed the bad bottle as I do not want to presume that this particular bottle is indicative of the wine’s quality):

2003 Columbia Crest Two Vines Shiraz: Bright with a lot of fruit up front, especially plums. Smooth tannins and a nice long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: MadWine (Washington), $6.99 [2004 is the currently available vintage]; probably can also be found at your local wine outlet

2005 Icicle Ridge Reserve Syrah: Fresh and fruity with distinct vanilla notes. Medium body and a medium finish. A very good wine from this young winery in Peshastin, Washington, near Leavenworth.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $30

2004 Dunham Cellars Syrah: Smooth with aromas and flavors of dark berries. Well-balanced with a fairly long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Compass Wines (Washington), $47.99

2005 Barnard Griffin Syrah
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $14.99

2005 Milbrandt Legacy Syrah
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $23.99

2004 Januik Lewis Vineyard Syrah
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $30

On Friday night, we had one of our monthly wine tasting dinners. We blind tasted six different California Zinfandels. The four Wine Peeps were in attendance as well as four guests. It was a fun evening filled with lots of laughter, excellent food, and great wines. Among the six wines, the 2005 Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel was the consensus favorite with the 2005 Dashe Dry Creek Zinfandel finishing a close second. The 2005 Bogle Vineyards Old Vines Zinfandel pulled up the rear with 5th or 6th place votes from everyone. The other three wines were good but did not set themselves apart as the Seghesio and Dashe did.

LaGayle’s menu included creamy tomato soup with basil, mixed green salad, grilled beef tenderloin steaks with sautéed mushrooms, rosemary-garlic sweet potatoes, green beans, and German chocolate pie. It is always amazing how the wines change through the course of an evening and with certain foods. This meal perfectly complimented the wines and the best ones got even better with food.

The lineup in order from 1st place to last:

2005 Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel – Sonoma County: My favorite of the night from the first sniff to the end of dessert. Exhibits pleasant aromas of black fruits (cherries, blackberries, and boysenberries). These same fruits come through when sipping. Smooth tannins lead to a nice finish. Even though it has the highest alcohol content of the six at 15.2%, it is very well-balanced and therefore does not come across as a “hot” wine. Ready for drinking now and should do well for at least a couple more years.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: K&L Wine Merchants (California), $16.99 [2006 is the currently available vintage]

2005 Dashe Dry Creek Zinfandel: Subtle aromas of spice, pepper, and vanilla lead to flavors of black cherry. Good fruit, good acidity, and lower alcohol but rougher tannins, so I did not find it as well-balanced as the Seghesio. Ready to drink now and should last a few more years.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: K&L Wine Merchants (California), $19.99 [2006 is the currently available vintage]

2004 Four Vines Zinfandel Paso Robles Biker
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $16.99

NV Rosenblum “Vintners Cuvee XXIX” California Zinfandel
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $7.98

2005 Buehler Zinfandel Napa Valley
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $14.99

2005 Bogle Vineyards Old Vines Zinfandel
Quality: 1 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $9.99