Monthly Archives: March 2013

2010 Domaine Galevan Chateauneuf du Pape Saint-Georges

Chateauneuf du Pape translates to House of the Pope and with the election of Pope Francis we thought it would be appropriate to enjoy a CdP with dinner the other night. This is our second bottle from our most recent Wine Library order and it’s a 100% Grenache CdP from Domaine Galevan which is a small yet well known estate in southern Rhone. The 2009, 2010, and 2011 have all earned critical acclaim which has driven the price up to $80 a bottle however I was able to grab it for $60.

colonelgrape: 95. Definitely a younger wine…a little rough around the edges but the foundation is strong and this wine is going to round into shape in the next few years. Being 100% Grenache it has a slightly different taste than other CdP’s. Dark fruit, leather, and earth come through on the palate with a nice long finish. It’s very drinkable now but this is a wine worth cellaring as it’s only going to get better and better. Every 2010 CdP or CdR I’ve had so far has been excellent…if you see any 2010 from a good producer at a good price snatch up all you can, the price is only going to go up.

MobyGrape: 88. Habemus Papam! In honor of a new pope, it seemed only fitting to have a wine with a Pope hat on it. It was carefully selected in the basement after a series of secretive meetings and, once chosen, I set dinner on fire and smoke filled the kitchen. Maybe that’s not quite what happened but whatever, the wine was well-timed and tasty. It was young and not quite as smooth as some of the cdp’s we’ve had, but it was delicious nonetheless.

Barefoot Bubbly Pink Moscato

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Picture it…Alone on a Saturday night…40 re-runs of your favorite show on the dvr, a pound of hamburger in the fridge…A bottle of pink bubbly in the fridge…What to do? Cue the MacGuyver theme song. If you’re anything like me you most certainly did not create an explosive device out of those three things. More like you found yourself camped out in front of the television for an entire evening after concocting some sort of Frankenmeatsauce on pasta while drinking a bottle of this stuff. I bought it because gosh darn it I wanted the most ridiculous, girly, bottle of fizzing garbage I could find. Look no further than pink Moscato Champagne from Barefoot Bubbly. On a side note, I just heard the Colonel softly weeping somewhere because the label says Champagne. I had tried the green one before, and it was fine, but then I looked at the sweetness scale on the back of the bottle (no, I’m not making that up) and saw that there was something sweeter! I had to have it. So I got the pink one. Yes, I know it sounds like I’m talking about Play-Doh. About halfway through the bottle I thought I may have sprouted a second vagina because it’s just so pink and bubbly and ridiculous. While it wasn’t my favorite (believe it or not I thought it would be sweeter), it was certainly enough fun for a night where you don’t feel like taking anything too seriously, including yourself.

2009 Tenuta Olim Bauda Barbera d’Asti ‘Nizza’ Superiore

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colonelgrape: 96. This was an outstanding bottle. It had everything I look for in a great Barbera: a combination of red and black fruit, minerals, lots of acid, and low tannins. It had great structure as well, hitting all the right places on the palate at the right times. At $36 this is an expensive Barbera but I still say it’s a value bottle due to the quality. It’s hard to find any bottle of wine this good for $35…I’d highly recommend picking a few of these up. Top notch pairing for rustic Italian meals.

MobyGrape: 86. In my attempt to be more domestic I made some crazy Moroccan chicken skewer things (compliments of my more cooking-inclined friend at www.foodstorm.wordpress.com). The last time I tried to make something involving wooden skewers I was trying to impress the Colonel when we were dating and set the skewers on fire. I’m pretty sure that meal tasted like smoked shit, but he kindly ate it anyways and hey, he married me after all so let that be a beacon of hope for you ladies out there who aren’t exactly Suzy Homemaker. While my cooking skills have improved somewhat, there’s a reason I write on a wine blog, instead of a food blog. I didn’t think a white in our repertoire would stand up to the amount of stuff I put on that chicken so I boldly requested a red that was acidic, possibly a pinot noir or an italian that wasn’t a montepulciano. I could hear the Colonel laughing all the way to the basement but he still showed up with something I kind of asked for so I’m taking it as a win. This did pair well with the chicken, it had a tart kick to it but wasn’t too overbearing. Reminded me of cherries right off the bat. And after the meal the wine was still easy to drink, seemed to mellow out a bit. So try the skewers, and the wine. And maybe keep a fire extinguisher handy, just in case.

Sangria!

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(Note the strategically chosen glass with the wide open rim – I’ll explain later)

It’s been a while since I’ve taken the helm here and posted something, so hold on tight friends, this might not be pretty. You know what is pretty though? The delightful beverage Sangria. I’ve searched far and wide for the perfect recipe, and one fine day I managed to get my hands on it. The only problem is that it called for Fanta Limon, which, as it turns out, in the US is like trying to find a unicorn. Every time I thought I saw it from afar in a supermarket soda aisle, I would run towards it (in slow motion, obviously), and it would turn out to be pineapple instead. Thankfully, I have a wonderful friend who I can safely say has changed my life forever, because she gave me her recipe and it recreates the Fanta Limon flavor perfectly. I’m not going to post the recipe because it’s not mine to share, but perhaps one day she’ll let me. It may even result in world peace, much like the music of Wyld Stallyns. A critical element of good sangria is the fruit in it. You want fruits that are going to not only enhance the flavor, but really soak it up. It’s ok, I’ve totally convinced myself that fishing your fingers around in the glass like a wild animal to eat the fruit is always classy. My recommendation would be apples (you could probably get away with any type, but I find something crisper like a Granny Smith works best) and orange slices. I think sangria may be a close second in the race for drinks that just make me happy, plain and simple. Of course champagne/sparkling wine related beverages would probably take the top seat, but sangria is fruity, it’s fun, it makes me feel like I’m at a barbeque in July even if I’m drinking it in the middle of winter. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a situation where it’s inappropriate. Attempting to get dinner ready and not burn the house down? Pour yourself a glass of sangria! Feel guilty about opening a bottle of wine immediately after work? No need to feel guilty here, the pitcher is always open!

February 2013 Recap

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It was a very light month for us it terms of wine ratings. Vacation and busy schedules have kept us from rating as many wines as we would have liked but with the exception of the Hugel Pinot Gris, all the wines we tasted were excellent.

The 2006 La Font d’Estevenas and 2000 Chateau Haut-Bages deserve special mention as they were spectacular and would have certainly earned 90+ ratings.

Grapestorm Highest Rated Wine of February 2013:

2009 Cannonball Cabernet Sauvignon – 84

Wines Rated:

NV Jose Dhondt Blanc de Blancs Brut – 82

2008 Chateau Mont-Redon Cotes du Rhone – 80

2006 Les Vignes D’Alexandre Chateauneuf du Pape – 69

Other Wines Enjoyed:

2006 La Font d’Estevenas Domaine Alary Cote du Rhone Villages

2003 Le Benjamin de Beauregard Pomerol

2000 Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal Paulliac

2006 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

2009 Tradition Valais

2010 Domaine des Pasquiers Gigondas

2009 Hugel Pinot Gris – Not good, don’t waste your money.