Monthly Archives: August 2013

Larkmead Vineyards

Larkmead was the second stop on our first day of tasting. When we pulled up we say a beautiful white house surrounded by fields of grapes. We met our host, Sonny, who brought us into the vineyard to sample merlot grapes from the vine and discuss some of the finer details of growing. He was a southern farmer transplanted to Napa and great to chat with. We also stopped by their grape press for a moment before heading to the porch which you can see in the picture. Great view, a nice breeze, and the sun was out…perfect tasting weather. We sampled the following wines: Tocai Fruilano (old school Italian white), Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley Red Blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Firebelle, and LMV Salon. The two that stood out were both were Bordeaux style blends, Firebelle (right bank) and LMV Salon (Left bank). Firebelle being the Corvette and LMV Salon being the Ferarri taste wise. Sonny shared that the LMV Salon came from a small section of grapes in their vineyard that produced exceptional grapes and that no matter how hard they’ve tried they simply cannot reproduce the quality elsewhere…and they’ve tried everything. In fact it’s so exclusive you can only get it 1 of 2 ways: buy a large package of wines or be on their Firebelle allocation list for a year and then get on the LMV Salon list. We loved the Firebelle so for us it was a no brainer, we’re on the list to get a half-case of Firebelle this winter and next summer we’ll be on the LMV Salon list. Larkmead may not be well known to the public because they do not ship to stores so the only way to get Larkmead wine is to order it directly from the Vineyard.

Normally we aren’t wowed by California wine but Firebelle and LMV Salon certainly wow’ed us…If you’re adventurous and like Bordeaux I’d get on the allocation list now…the current vintage is drinkable now and will age well. Look for our reviews of these wines early-mid 2014. We would recommend visiting Larkmead if you’re heading to Napa just make sure to call ahead as they are appointment only.

http://www.larkmead.com/

Napa Valley 2013

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Moby and I spent the past week in Napa tasting and had a fantastic trip. We spent a night in San Francisco and the rest of the trip in the Valley. The weather was great, the wine was good, and the food was fantastic. This view here is from the terrace at Joseph Phelps. Moby and I will be making some posts about each of the wineries and restaurants we visited. Overall though it’s a great place to visit just be prepared to bring your wallet. Stay tuned for everything Napa.

The Corona Challenge

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What happens in the middle of summer when you just don’t feel like wine? On the one night that happens in the Grapestorm house you investigate the hotly debated question of whether Corona Extra is better than Corona Light. On one hand, it’s summer and you want something light and refreshing, so Corona is naturally an excellent choice. That said, wouldn’t it be lighter and refreshing-ier to enjoy a Corona Light? Welcome to the Corona Taste Test Challenge, where we held a side-by-side comparison of the two. To make it more interesting, we made baked brie in a breadbowl to have with it. Mostly because it was my night to get dinner started and I put zero thought into what we were eating and drinking. Actually we used Vermont camembert and it was excellent. But back to the beer, they shared a similar golden-yellow color, except the light version has something like 50 fewer calories per bottle (obviously that was our main concern, what with the giant wad of bread and melted cheese in the background). As it turns out Corona and baked camembert aren’t exactly a match made in heaven, but it was fine with me because they’re both pretty amazing and I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have a refined palate. Bottom line? Our final expert analysis was that if you’re thirsty and plan on putting back a few beers on a hot summer day you should go with the Corona Light. If you want something more flavorful and are feeling a little more modest, reach for the Corona Extra.

2010 Louis Barruol Cote Rotie Les Roses

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A Wine Library treat recommended by Ian for $60. I love French Syrah so I’ve been looking forward to this bottle for a while:

colonelgrape: 92. Barnyard (a la 95 Chateau de Beaucastel), ash, wood, cassis, roasted fruit, roasted meat, hint of coffee on the nose. Dark, seductive purple and black color. A very young Cote Rotie. Solid tannins due to it’s age but with an hour of aeration it opened up a bit but still tight. Perfect with grilled lamb chops, fatty beef or game. No brett though despite the interesting nose. A lovely long finish. Definitely a wine drinkers wine. The plethora of flavors will fall into the structure with age, I’d love to taste this again in 5-7 years.

MobyGrape: 86. All right so initially I had some fantastic brie-like cheese with this wine and it just didn’t work. The cheese had a little kick to it, so did the wine, and together they just didn’t play well together. It was a totally different story with lamb chops however. The meat did its thing, the wine did its own, and everyone was happy. It smelled pretty farty at first, eventually that turned into a subtle dirty odor, and the Colonel was spot on when he identified the taste as “barnyard”. As the night went on and without any fat from the lamb the wine got a little more sour but was balanced enough to not be annoying. Be warned – This is not a wine to drink if you’re not into wine. And by into wine I don’t mean the occasional foray into Boone’s Farm (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but you’ll be miserable wondering why you’re drinking a sour fart. If you’re a wine person though, you’ll probably enjoy this.