Author Archives: colonelgrape

2009 Chateau Rahoul Bordeaux

A nice young Bordeaux from Graves I picked up for $20. We had it with steak tips and vegetables which was a nice pairing. This is a general regional bottle since it doesn’t include a village name but these wines are generally affordable and go well with every day red meat meals. They are also fine to drink young whereas a bottle from a classified Chateau I would prefer to age at least 7-10 years.

colonelgrape: 86. A very bold Bordeaux, not quite California Cab-esque but somewhere in the middle…youth probably having something to do with it. The tannis were smooth but prominent. Felt more Cab dominant than usual. Dark berries structured with the tannins and very smokey flavor lead into a long finish. I’m happy with this bottle for the price, great weeknight wine. I’d prefer something with more age for a good steak or roast.

MobyGrape: 82. Smelled like wet metal, which was not so pleasant to me. Slightly woody and smoky tasting with some manageable initial tannins. Considering we let it decant for -5 seconds I’m not surprised, but I wasn’t upset at all. After a few sips I don’t think I would really want to savor this on its own, I was happy to have a it with a meal.

2010 Emmanuel Darnaud Crozes-Hermitage

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It’s been a slow wine week here due to various plans and sports but we managed to squeeze in this great little bottle of Crozes-Hermitage with some excellent lamb chops. We’ve yet to review a wine from this AOC but there’s good value to be found here. Most of the wine made is red and is 100% Syrah with a small amount of white also being made. Crozes-Hermitage is the biggest region in Northern Rhone however the wines are generally not regarded as highly as it’s neighbors: Cote-Rotie and Hermitage. The reds from Crozes-Hermitage are often thought of as good wines to drink while the bigger reds of the neighboring regions mature and drink well young.

colonelgrape: 87: Nice complexity for a young Syrah but not overpowering. Black fruit, graphite, licorice on the palate with some tartness and tannins but they had settled down and structured the fruit nicely. A really nice medium-bodied, young wine that is drinking well after only 3 years. The alcohol content wasn’t through the roof either like some of the California Syrahs which made this bottle much more drinkable with dinner for two. It also was only $30 and a great value for French Syrah. Drink it with a nice cut of red meat and you won’t be disappointed.

MobyGrape: 83. I’m digging on Syrah these days, I’m going to have to get the Colonel to pick up some Syrahs from around the world to see what else this little guy can do. Had some definite tannins to even out the spicy fruit, so it worked well after decanting for a bit and with salami and cheese before dinner.

2010 Louis Jadot Nuits-Saint-Georges

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A fun village level Burgundy I picked up from Wegmans recently. UncleGrape mentioned tasting 2011 barrel samples of Jadot and that the 2010 was a much stronger vintage. The picture doesn’t accurately reflect the color, it’s much more translucent and a beautiful garnett, reddish purple color, but still darker than the average pinot noir. It’s not cheap…I found it for $40.00 at Wegmans and I’d consider that a good deal. Wegmans has a partnership with Jadot and often offer the best prices and good selection on Jadot wines.

colonelgrape: 94. Black fruit, earth, and licorice on the nose. The tannis were plentiful but blended in with the fruit and felt finer…like powdered sugar vs. raw sugar…giving it a firm but just right structure with a great finish. I think this bottle is definitely overachieving for it’s price range. We’ve had Burgundy for 2-3x this price and this bottle was just as good. I highly recommend this bottle especially if you get it under $50.

MobyGrape: 90. I didn’t really enjoy my first Burgundy and since then I immediately cringe when I hear we’re having another one. It’s like the time I had a stomach bug when I was little and thought eating a quesadilla would be a good idea. I promptly threw it up, and needless to say it took a few years before I was ready to tackle a quesadilla again. Granted the first Burgundy I tried wasn’t vomit-worthy, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth. I have to hand it to Louis, because my faith is being restored in Burgundy. I think I’m at the point where I’m ready to order a Burgundy quesadilla off the menu again! It had a little tartness to the end but it was a great match for chicken. Not too light, but not overpowering.

April 2013 Recap

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The weather was changing and the wine was flowing here at Grapestorm this April. We rated 7 bottles but enjoyed and discussed a whole lot more. The highlight of the month was a fantastic trip down to NJ to visit Aunt and UncleGrape. With the warm weather we’re getting back to grilling so expect to see more Cabernet and fun summer wines in the coming months.

Grapestorm Highest Rated Wine of April 2013:

1999 Martinetti Barbera d’Asti Montruc – 96

Honorable mention to the 1989 Parusso Bussia Barolo that UncleGrape opened on our trip. It was absolutely outstanding and easily the best Barolo we’ve ever had.

Wines Rated:

2010 Bosquet des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape – 92

2007 Recaredo Brut Cava – 90

2008 Chatom Vineyards Syrah – 86

2008 Cartlidge & Browne Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve – 82

2011 Domaine de la Tonnellerie Sancerre – 77

2008 Marina Cvetic Montepulciano d’Abruzzo – 73 (Moby Only)

Other Wines Enjoyed:

NV Guy Larmandier 1er Cru Champagne

2011 Gilbert Picq Chablis

2004 Paride Iaretti Gattinara

2011 La Scola Gavi Bianco Secco

2011 Fattoria di Magliano Pagliatura

NV Moutard Rose Champagne

2011 Anne Amie Pinot Gris

2008 Trimbach Gewurztraminer

1995 Domaine de Beaurenard Boisrenard CdP

1995 Chateau de Beaucastel CdP

1995 Domaine de la Janasse CdP

2010 Sottimano Langhe Nebbiolo

1989 Parusso Bussia Barolo

NV Cocchi Barolo Chinato

2009 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon

2008 Chatom Vineyards Syrah

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We decided to take a ride to the new Vin Bin last night for their Thursday night tasting and found a few treats. This 2008 Syrah is from the Sierra Foothills AVA which is located directly east of Napa at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s young and only cost $25 but it tasted well so we picked up a bottle.

colonelgrape: 85. We had a cork disaster opening this bottle but were able to recover and not need to filter. At first taste it was harsh and overwhelming, unlike at the tasting. It was at room temperature which wasn’t helping and so we threw it in the decanter and in the fridge for 20 minutes. A little air and being at the proper temperature did the trick and the wine opened up nicely. Classic Rhone Syrah nose of dark fruit, spices, black licorice, and earth. On the palate similar flavors came through. Long finish with notes of pepper and black cherry. Plenty of fruit but not too fruity. I may have liked it better with a slightly lower alcohol content…at 15% we noticed it at the end of the night and it can kind of sneak up on you. I think this drinks well now but would be better with 2-3 more years in the bottle but I like old Syrah. Overall a fun wine for a decent price.

MobyGrape: 87. This was a strong showing from a syrah we picked up on a whim after a rando Thursday night tasting. At one point I thought it smelled like caramel and butter, and at one point I decided it tasted buttery too. I’m not sure if either of those statements are entirely accurate, but it was really quite smooth once it opened up. We decanted it for a bit (not sure if you have to) because the cork split when we were opening it, and maybe that helped since the first few sips (with half of the cork expertly rammed into the bottle) were ok, but a little tight. But after it sat for a bit it was much more mellow. I can’t really identify what it tastes like, if it’s fruity I can’t tell what fruit this is, but it’s good. Like I want to try it with chocolate or a dessert for some reason. Or maybe I just want dessert. Either way, use this as an excuse to have syrah and something sweet.