WINE TASTING NOTES: Belfast 2006
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March 2006 Wine Tasting
For our regular monthly wine tasting on Thursday, March 16th, from 5-8 PM, we will again be welcoming Doug Watts from South Portland Wine Company. He and one of his associates will be pouring six terrific wines from their outstanding global portfolio. As you may recall from last August, not only does Doug know his wines, but he is also an engaging and humorous conversationalist. SoPo's Mission Statement reads "We won't sell it if we won't drink it!" We think you will find these offerings eminently drinkable.
THE WHITES:
Domaine de Pouy, Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne Blanc 2004, $9.99 - Yves Grassa and sons are doing some extraordinary things 100 miles south of Bordeaux in the Armagnac region of Gascony. They are Bas Armagnac producers of uncommon quality, and are also known for their exuberant, vibrant, dry whites. The Grassa family is the largest privately owned grower/producer operation in France. While most of their vineyard holdings are planted to the traditional grape varieties of Armagnac (Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard), Grassa also has 150 acres planted to Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. This Armagnac region has a precociously warm microclimate that ripens the grapes earlier than Bordeaux, and produces fruit of wonderful aromatic quality and ripeness. This wine has been one of Robert Parker's "World's Greatest Wine Values" for 13 vintages in a row - quite a feat for a $10.00 bottle of wine! The blend is Ugni Blanc (called Trebbiano in Italy) and Colombard. The wine is made in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and is bottled the March following harvest to preserve all the beautiful fruit and crisp acidity. You can drink this wine all over Bordeaux under the label Domaine Tariquet. Great as an apéritif, pair this with Maine crab and lobster and with fish dishes, especially those with garlic and onions.
Avondale Vineyards, Chenin Blanc Coastal Region 2004, $10.99 - Avondale Vineyards comprises about 450 acres. Over 300 years ago the original "Geelblomsvallei" (Valley of the Yellow Flowers) farm was established on the slopes of the Klein Drakenstein Mountains outside Paarl, located inland northeast of Capetown. Early records indicate that the farm was one of the first in the Paarl Valley to be allocated specifically for wine grape production. Today Avondale is committed to producing organic wines; all their new plantings are farmed organically. Their first totally organic wines are scheduled for production in 2007. This wine is a blend of Chenin Blanc (85%), a small percentage of which is barrel fermented, and Sauvignon Blanc (15%). An abundant spectrum of tropical fruit with hints of orange peel and gooseberries produces a wine with complex aromas. This is supported by a well-balanced, medium body and a fresh, crisp finish. It's a perfect complement to a variety of dishes, from saltier antipasti or a Caesar salad to chowders and other creamy soups to seafood and fish, especially fattier ones like tuna and salmon, to poultry; also try it with Thai cuisine.
THE REDS:
Eola Hills, Oregon Pinot Noir 2004, $14.99 - Tom Huggins, founder and general manager of Eola Hills, had a dream rooted in facts. He knew that great wines could only come from great vineyards, and through his former occupation as an agricultural insurance expert, he knew where that precious vineyard land was located. This knowledge enabled him to purchase some prime sites for his own vineyards in the rolling terrain of the Northwest Willamette Valley of Oregon and to fulfill a dream of creating his own wine. Situated in a natural weather shadow of the Coast Range, which shunts storms from the Pacific Ocean north to Portland and south below Salem, the Eola Hills vineyards are protected from weather extremes. Yet in summer, a gorge carved by ancient glaciers draws in maritime air to provide ideal cooling for sensitive varietals, like Pinot Noir, in those warmer months. In 1986 the first crop was harvested and transformed into wine by a nearby winery. The wine's quality provided ample proof of the vineyards' great potential. Therefore, in 1987 Eola Hills Wine Cellars was constructed at Rickreall, 10 miles west of Salem. This well-balanced 2004 Oregon Pinot Noir is a medium to full-bodied wine and exhibits great Bing cherry, spice and smoke aromas. Cherry flavors with a touch of cranberry are highlighted by a long and toasty French oak finish resulting from a year's barrel aging. Versatility is Pinot's middle name; so serve it with pork, lamb, poultry, salmon and other oily fish and soft-ripened cheeses like Brie and Camembert.
Avondale Vineyards, Amira, Cabernet Franc Paarl 2004, $10.99 - This Amira label is produced by Avondale Vineyards in the Paarl Region of South Africa. Cabernet Franc is a food-friendly grape that is similar in flavor and structure to Cabernet Sauvignon, but is not quite as full-bodied, is lower in tannins and acids and is generally more aromatic and herbaceous. The fruit for this wine was hand picked from 10 year-old bush vines on north-facing slopes. Avondale's 27 yr. old winemaker, Bertus Albertyn, believes that "great grapes make great wines" and one of his guiding principles is to produce excellent and unique fruit flavors in the grapes and to protect those flavors during fermentation and maturation. After undergoing secondary or malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks, 50% of the wine was matured for 10 months in 3rd fill French oak barrels. The result: seductive red berry flavors on a velvet palate! This is a medium bodied wine made for easy drinking and enjoyment. Sip it by itself or serve it with antipasti, hearty salads and, of course, white and red meat fare; it's great with Japanese Teriyaki beef, Mexican food and to take on picnics to have with salads, cold meats and poultry.
Rutherglen Estates, Mourvèdre/Shiraz/Grenache "The Reunion" 2004, $12.99 - The Rutherglen region is located in the North-East Victoria zone of Australia, approximately 280k from Melbourne. Here there are no maritime breezes to cool the summer sunshine, so the grapes, grown in red loam soils, literally bake in the heat, although cold nights do help to preserve the acidity. The area is known for its big, meaty red wines, as well as dessert wines. The meticulously tended Hillside plantings at Rutherglen Estates have delivered a delicious “Reunion” of 40% Mourvèdre, 35% Shiraz and 25% Grenache. Beautiful aromas of spice, pepper and dark fruits waft from the glass. The Shiraz and Grenache provide delicious bright red fruit and pepper elements on the palate, while the Mourvèdre fills the mouth with intense dark fruit characters. The wine is delicious now but will get better as the “The Reunion” develops. It will appeal to any red wine drinker and can be served with all sorts of meat dishes, including pâtés and hearty beef stews and also with duck and goose.
Bodegas Olivares, Jumilla Monastrell, Finca Hoya de Santa Ana "Altos de la Hoya" 2004, $10.99 - As Spain's winemaking revolution continues to flourish, one of the next 'hot' spots promises to be Jumilla, 150 miles southeast of Madrid. Due to its intense heat and sandy soils, it is one of the few places in Europe to have been spared during the Phylloxera epidemic of the late 1800's. Virtually everywhere else on the continent, vineyards were devastated and, to this day, can only be planted when grafted onto American rootstock. Jumilla not only has some of the oldest vines in the world, but also the largest number of ungrafted vines. "Altos de la Hoya" is a blend of 92% Monastrell and 8% Garnacha made exclusively from old, ungrafted vineyards. The wine exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, sweet blackberry and smoky fruit flavors, plenty of depth and ripe tannins; it also possesses admirable definition as well as elegance and finesse, surprising for a wine of this price range. It is a fabulous value that should be enjoyed over the next 2-3 years. Have it with grilled sausage, steaks and burgers and with Spanish and Mexican cuisine.
Please join us on Thursday, March 16th, from 5-8 PM. As always, there is no charge for participating in the festivities.
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