NV Bereche et Fils Brut Reserve

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We decided to celebrate the end of Breaking Bad with an episode of Champagne Meets Sushi. We decided to go with a decent bottle from our most recent trip to Wine Library and had a great evening. Recently we’ve cleared out space for 4-5 bottles in our fridge to have some pre-chilled white options at all times. I’d really recommend doing this even if you don’t drink white regularly…it’s much easier than trying to speed chill in the freezer or a bucket.

colonelgrape: 85. This is a classic blend but the color is more of a blanc de noir, more of a dark gold/amber. Nice carbonation and pleasing to the eye, nose full of apples, citrus and vanilla. Brisk, zesty, and full bodied on the palate. Crisp, refreshing, and elegant finish. Very well structured wine with fruit, earth and body from nose to finish. To me the only flaw was the slighly overpowering apple flavor, I would have liked a little more balance with the fruits.

MobyGrape: 86. Applesauce colored, a little apple tasting, I don’t know why I tend to get that from some champagnes but I do. It wasn’t offensively bubbly, paired well with sushi (shocker), and it certainly made facing the end of Breaking Bad a little easier. Much like the ending itself, it didn’t totally blow me away, and it wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but at the end of the day I was ok with it.

2007 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco

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I can’t believe it but this is my 100th post since Moby and I started Grapestorm last year…thanks to everyone who has followed us! I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as we have. On to the wine:

Last week we went into town to check out a Polish deli and Pig Fest at a local restaurant. We got kielbasas and blood sausage then went and had a great pork themed meal. We started with meatballs and pork belly then I had roasted suckling pig while moby had the braised pork and garlic polenta. A delicious meal and a fun evening.

colonelgrape: 75. Let me start by saying that this is not a bad wine…I just think it’s mislabeled. If I were drinking this blind I would have said it was a very nice Nebbiolo for $20-$25 a bottle. Great nose and flavor profile I like in Nebbiolo: licorice, leather, earth, red fruit however it was really lacking in body and finish. It was good up until you finished the sip then it just disappeared. I like my Barolo to be big, robust, and have a long finish and I like my Nebbiolo to taste similar but be a “smaller” wine. If this were a $20-$25 Nebbiolo I’d have given it a 92 however as a Barolo it falls short. Tasty wine, just not worthy of being a Barolo or $50+.

MobyGrape: 93. This is the cleanest dirty wine I’ve had in a while. Smelled a bit licorice-y and leathery and musty. Had a velvety texture with a little tannic kick at the end, it was very pleasant with a pork-centric dinner. Can’t seem to go wrong with this producer, The Rat makes a great everyday Barbera, and a great Barolo to match.

2009 Clos Centeilles Minervois Carignanissime de Centeilles

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This is a 100% Carignan wine from Languedoc-Roussillon. At first I noticed was the deep, dark ruby color. It shows why this grape is often times blended with more desirable varietals for color purposes. The nose filled the glass and was very enjoyable: ripe cherries, plums, blackberries, fresh soil, and a hint of spice I’d more traditionally associate with Rhone. On the palate it wasn’t as in depth as the nose but the same flavors through with little tannins getting in the way. This is not a fruit bomb but there is a pleasant amount of fruit flavor. Judging by the color I would have expected a deep and earthy wine but it was surprisingly refreshing and light. It really went well with our dinner: bacon cheeseburgers with colby jack cheese. I was pleasantly surprised with this wine, I plan on picking up a few more bottles…it was very affordable at $20 ish. They aren’t easy to find but I’m looking forward to trying more wines featuring Carignan as the main varietal.

2011 Dell’Oltrepo Pavese Bonarda

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Despite the creepy cat label this was actually a good wine. We tasted our first Bonarda at the annual Vin Bin tasting last weekend. It’s a fun, light, and fruity grape that reminded us of Barbera only less “serious” which makes sense since they grow side by side in Piedmont. I wouldn’t pair this with a heavy meal but for something light that you don’t want to overpower this could work. We’ll have to taste more Bonarda before we add it to the weeknight wine menu. I tend to prefer more mature, heavier wines during the winter but I could see this working during the summer.

2009 Domaine les Hautes Cances Cotes du Rhone Villages Cairanne

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colonelgrape: 91. This was bigger than expected. Spices, leather, dark fruit on the nose. Medium body with surprisingly complex structure. In fact I would recommend letting this decant for 30-60 minutes. The finish was smooth, slightly strong since we didn’t decant. This a great example of Southern Rhone wine at an affordable price. There are very few wine regions where you can enjoy this quality (Rhone, Piedmont) for $20 and under. CdR should be in every red wine drinkers arsenal…you simply cannot beat the value.

MobyGrape: 85. Smells nice and musty at first, with a strong, admittedly less pleasant boozy finish. Tasted dirty enough to keep me happy, maybe a little grassy at the end, overall a solid wine for an everyday meal. Definitely a keeper.