2005 » A Glass After Work

Winers on the Roof

Sep 012010

Thursday was one of those days at work that I was thankful that I had a lot to do; otherwise, I would have spent the day thinking about my evening plans. My neighbor invited me to a wine happy hour, but this wasn’t just any happy hour. Not only had the group I was joining been together for a while, but also several of them are regular “A Glass After Work” readers. Meeting readers in person is always exciting, but it also can be a little nerve-wracking because there are expectations that are sometimes hard to live up to.

Clearly, I had nothing to be worried about. This group, which originally coalesced while putting together a back-to-school school supply donation program, is affectionately known as the Winers. They’ve been gathering on the rooftops of DC for wine happy hours for a while, but they welcome newbies (like myself) as if we’ve always been part of the group. As one of the original Winers described it, it’s an evening where a “group of strangers become friends with the magic of a glass (ok, two) of wine.” I definitely had more than two glasses, and there is no question that I also made some new friends.

I spent most of the evening talking with Doug, Jeff, and Judy—all three of whom are regular Winers—as well as with Susan and Richard, neither of whom are part the original group, but are fellow wine lovers. In fact, Richard does some work with Vienna Vintner when he’s not at his day job.

The evening started with a refreshing rosé, which was contributed by Jeff. I’m embarrassed to admit that I missed all of the details on this wine, but it was a good way to start the evening.

Our Virginia wines for the night

After that, there were a number of Virginia wines, which Doug kindly brought. Unfortunately, I only tasted the 2005 Chrysalis Rubiana (winery), and I was not a fan. I know they are a popular Virginia winery, but I am regularly underwhelmed by their wines.

I do want to try Rappahannock Winery’s Viognier and Meritage wines (winery). There was a bottle of each at the happy hour and a number of people mentioned enjoying them, so it’s clearly time for me to revisit Rappahannock. I’m sorry I missed the chance on Thursday.

2006 Château Croque-Michotte

Judy brought a bottle of the 2006 Château Croque-Michotte (winery) back from her recent visit to France. There is something particularly exciting about opening a bottle that was carried back from Europe, and I’m thrilled she wanted to share. Admittedly, the wine was a little light on the fruit and a bit high in acidity, but it would probably pair well with food. Several of us were thinking lamb.

2005 Les Crêtes Coteau La Tour

The winner of the night for me, though, was the 2005 Les Crêtes Coteau La Tour (winery), which Jeff brought. This wine was 100% Syrah grapes and was beautifully balanced. It had a nice mixture of ripe fruits, sweet spices, and a hint of smokiness. It may be difficult to find the wine and it looks like it costs around $40, but even at that price, if you see a bottle, it’s worth grabbing. The wine was delicious!

I definitely feel like I was invited to be one of the “cool kids,” and I hope I have a chance to drink with the Winers again. The view was magnificent, the wine was fantastic, and the company was outstanding. What more could a social, wine-lover want? Thanks for including me!

Our backdrop while drinking wine on the roof

Back to Work with a California Zin

$11-$20, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 1 Response »

Jan 202010

2010 has started off as a crazy, but fun year. The first week of the New Year was a busy one at work because everyone was ready to jump right into the next big set of projects after having time off for the holidays. After that first week of planning, though, I was out of the office on vacation. Hubby and I went to Antigua for a week of warm, tropical weather and beautiful, sandy beaches. We had a great time relaxing, reading, sightseeing, and, in the middle of it all, celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary. I even had a chance to taste 3 of Sandals (& Beaches) resorts limited edition wines, which I’ll review in a separate post. Unfortunately, since Hubby and I haven’t won the lottery and we’re not independently wealthy, we were both back to work yesterday. I came back to work to find an overloaded email box, reports that need to be read and commented on, meeting requests that need to be answered, and several speaking engagements that require preparation. I absolutely love my job, but no matter how much I love it, the first day back from vacation was simply not fun. I ended up staying a little late to make sure things were organized, but, after that, I was ready to go home, open a comforting bottle of wine, eat dinner, and just crash on the couch. My bottle of Lolonis Zinfandel was practically calling my name.

The 2005 Lolonis Zinfandel (winery, snooth) was made with organically grown Zinfandel grapes, where ladybugs (not chemicals) were used for pest control. The wine had a medium-to-dark ruby color with big legs that clung to the side of the glass. On the nose, there were big, juicy blackberries and dark plums, followed cedar, smoke, and a touch of earthiness. In the mouth, the wine had a spiciness that turned into blackberry jam, with a touch of smoke on the finish. The wine was very dry, with low-to-medium acidity and medium tannins.

Is this worth a glass after work? It’s worth more than one! What are you waiting for? At $18, the Lolonis was a solid, affordable Zinfandel that perfectly paired with grilled steak. On its own, it was enjoyable, although it could have used a touch more body. However, when paired with a soy-sesame marinated steak (the marinade recipe is from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything), and the wine left me practically giddy with happiness. It was the perfect pairing, as the combination toned down a little of the spiciness in the wine, while helping make the berry flavors in the wine and the soy sauce flavor of the marinade stand out.

A special thanks to my in-laws for introducing me to the wine! The bottle was part of my Christmas present, and they definitely picked a wine that I will buy again.

Overall: 4.5 Corks

Woody Woodcutter’s Shiraz

$21-$30, 2 Corks, Prices, Ratings 5 Responses »

Dec 032009

After a crazy first two weeks at my new job, things have quieted down a little. In fact, I’ve realized that in a strange way, I miss the constant buzz of the bullpen, even when I’m enjoying the quiet of my new office. Substantively, Tuesday was a fairly quiet day in terms of my workload, but it was a particularly good day because I found out that I will be receiving a small holiday bonus at the end of December. I was shocked, to say the least. It will be small, but that’s not the point. To find out 9 days into my new job and immediately after delivering my first big project that I was being recognized for the hard work I’d already done was a wonderful feeling. Then, as if that wasn’t good enough, I met up with a former coworker for a couple of hours of good girl talk. After that, I was off to a condo board of directors meeting. When I finally walked in the door, I was exhausted. It was a good exhausted, but I was still just ready to put up my feet and relax. As I really enjoyed previous wines that I’ve had from Torbreck Vintners, I open a bottle of the 2005 Woodcutter’s Shiraz to help warm me up and settle into what was left of the evening.

The 2005 Torbreck Woodcutter’s Shiraz (winery, snooth) was a deep ruby color with purple flecks. On the nose, there were big, juicy blackberry, plum, and blackcurrant leaf aromas, which were followed by a tough of eucalyptus. In the mouth, there were heave smoky and cedar flavors, which matched the name of the wine. Those woody characteristics were followed by black cherry, blackcurrant, and medicinal flavors. The finish was dominated by the medicinal flavors. The wine had a surprising amount of acidity, medium body, and firm tannins.

Is this worth a glass after work? Eh…if you have a bottle on hand, drink it, but I wouldn’t go searching it out either. At $23, this wine was a disappointment. I was looking for a woody, deep wine with hints of dark fruits to sink into and instead the Shiraz tasted like something that I bought at a pharmacy. I tried drinking the wine with food in an effort to tone down the medicinal characteristics, but had no such luck. It is rare that I don’t finish a bottle of wine, but unfortunately, this is one that I just couldn’t get into. If you’re looking for a good wine from Torbreck, I definitely suggest sticking with 2008 Torbreck Cuvée Juveniles, which costs the same, but is significantly better.

Overall: 2 Corks

Woody Woodcutter's Shiraz

2 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Dec 032009

Overall: 2 Corks

A Chianti and Comfort Food

$11-$20, 2.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Oct 082009

As my cold is lingering, I’m still not drinking wine, but being sick has left me thinking about my favorite comfort foods and the wines that go well with them.

While obviously not a “sick” food, Hubby and I are suckers for a good Italian pasta dish. There is just something about how the warm pasta covered with rich sauce, spiced meat, and creamy cheese blends together; it makes me feel like I’m eating pure hearty, goodness. And, what goes better with a dish like that than a good Chianti? Several weeks ago, a opened a bottle of 2005 Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva to accompany Hubby’s favorite Italian dish–lasagna.

The 2005 Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva (winery, snooth) was made with Sangiovese, Canaiolo Nero, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and was a medium-to-dark ruby. On the nose there were cherry, vanilla, smoke, and tobacco aromas. In the mouth, there were cherry, tobacco, vanilla, powdered chocolate, and spice flavors. The wine had a high acidity and medium tannins, with a surprisingly thin body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Eh…if you have a bottle on hand, drink it, but I wouldn’t go searching it out either. At $15, the Chianti had a good acidity that paired well with tomato sauce, but the body of the wine was too thin for it to be something spectacular. I definitely enjoyed the wine more when I paired it with the lasagna and with pizza, as the wine felt a little thin and harsh on its own. In general, though, while I wouldn’t pour this wine down the sink, I think there are other Chiantis out there that have more to offer a piece of homemade lasagna.

Overall: 2.5 Corks

Endings to the Spanish Wine Course

$11-$20, $21-$30, $31-$40, 3 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Sep 252009

The last regions we covered before taking our exam on the final day of the The Wine Academy of Spain’s Spanish wine course were Condado de Huelva, Málaga & Sierras de Málaga, and Montilla Moriles. After going over the slides on each area, we had our final two tastings.

Tasting #3 on Day 3
(sorry that there are no pictures!)

3 Corks

2006 Veleta Tempranillo VdT (winery)
90% Tempranillo, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot
Ruby with purple flecks
Cherries
Medium-to-high Acid
Medium body

2006 Veleta Cabernet Sauvignon (winery, snooth)
$16
Very ruby
Ripe cherries and plums
Medium tannins and acid
Medium body

2006 Veleta Nolado’s (winery)
40% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Tempranillo
Ruby with flecks of purple
Strawberry, blackberry, fennel, and rose petals on the nose
Violets, Strawberry, and blackberry in the mouth
Low-to-medium tannins and acid

2005 Finca Moncola Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah (winery)
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah
Ruby with a purple tinge
Strong green and black olive aromas, followed by black plums, black currant, and spices on the nose
Lots of olives and black fruits in the mouth
Medium tannins, low-to-medium acidity
Full-bodied
Interesting

Tasting #4 on Day 3

2008 Botani Moscatel Seco (winery, snooth)

$20
Greenish-yellow
Grapy, floral, blossoms, & rose petals
Dry
Acidic
Bitter on the finish

Toro Albalá Fino Eléctrico (winery, snooth)
$26
Pale gold
Almonds and something bitter on the nose
Almonds and salt in the mouth
Dry
Simple
Not as elegant as the Sherry

2006 Jorge Ordóñez & Co Selección Especial (winery, snooth)
$20
Bright, medium lemon with gold flecks
Orange blossoms, dried apricots, honey, lemon peel, and nectarines on the nose
Very Sauterne-like
Honey, white flowers, and nectarines in the mouth
Nice balance between the sweetness and the acidity
Full-bodied, a little syrupy
Long finish
Beautiful

Toro Albalá Cream PX (winery)
Brown with an amber rim
Raisins, prunes, brown sugar, toast, toffee, and caramel on the nose
Raisins, prunes, nuts, and burnt sugar in the mouth
Not too thick
Good balance

1982 Don PX Gran Reserva (Bodega Toro Albalá) (winery, snooth)
$32
Very dark mahogany with an amber rim
Raisins, prunes, coffee, chocolate, licorice, soy sauce, and molasses on the nose
Burnt sugar, raisins, and prunes with a hint of chocolate and licorice in the mouth
Sweet with very high acidity
Body is think and syrupy
Beautiful

Bodegas Dinastía Vivanco at The Wine Academy of Spain’s DC Class

$11-$20, $21-$30, 4 Corks, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings 2 Responses »

Sep 222009

Our last tasting on the second day of The Wine Academy of Spain’s Spanish wine course was all beautiful wines from Bodegas Dinastía Vivanco. One of the employees of the winery was actually in the US looking for an American importer, so he joined us for 2 out of the 3 days. My understanding is that, unfortunately, as Dinastía Vivanco does not have an importer yet, the wines aren’t available for sale in the US, but they’re hoping to remedy this soon…and when they do, I encourage you to go buy a bottle. If you’re elsewhere in the world, go look for the wines now. The wines were wonderful both in taste and in price.

Obviously, there was some self-promotion happening and, as students, we were a captive audience, but what Dinastía Vivanco had to offer was worth hearing. Apparently, they’re not only a winery, but also a museum of wine culture and a foundation dedicated to the research and promotion of wine. The facilities include a tasting room, a restaurant, a conference center, and a wine shop. During the discussion of Dinastía Vivanco’s wines, we saw a video that had some interesting footage from inside the museum. Apparently, the museum, which covers both Rioja and general wine culture, has the largest exhibition of corkscrews in the world.

Tasting #8 on Day 2
Bodegas Dinastía Vivanco

4 Corks
2005 Dinastía Vivanco Crianza (winery, snooth)
$17 (suggested retail)
100% Tempranillo
Medium-to-deep ruby
Cherry, strawberry, smoke, cedar, and a little bit of meat on the nose
Cherry, strawberry, cedar, and a little bit of earth and dust in the mouth
Medium-to-high tannins and acidity
Medium body
Elegant

4.5 Corks
2008 Vivanco – White Rioja (winery, snooth)
$12 (suggested retail)
80% Viura, 20% Malvasia
Pale lemon
Apple, apricot, floral, and dried rose petals with a touch of mango on the nose
Granny smith apple, nectarine, and mango, with a touch of minerals in the mouth
Crisp acidity

2004 Dinastía Vivanco Reserva (winery, snooth)
$25 (suggested retail)
90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano
Medium-to-deep ruby
Black pepper, blackberries, cedar, smoke, and tobacco on the nose
Nice fruit mixed with smokey, earthiness in the mouth
Medium tannins, acidity, and body

2005 Colección Vivanco (winery, snooth)
70% Tempranillo (from Rioja Alta), 15% Graciano (from Rioja Baja), 10% Garnacha, 5% Mazulo
Deep purple with a bluish rim
Strawberry, blackberry, licorice, coffee, leather, and smoke on the nose
Plums, berries, earth, and leather in the mouth
Medium-to-high tannins, high acidity, and medium body
Very complex, with a long finish
Beautiful
Described as a “Modern Rioja”

*This is the first vintage of this wine. Each variety is one of the 4 traditional grapes from Rioja. The harvest and fermentation of each is done separately, so the blending of the wine takes place immediately before bottling.

As you can tell from the empty wine bottles, the 30 of us taking the course had a great second day of wine tasting!

Unique, Mediterranean Monstant Reds

$11-$20, 3.5 Corks, 4 Corks, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Sep 182009

Once we warmed up our palates with the general Catalonia wines, during the second day of The Wine Academy of Spain’s Spanish wine course, we tasted the very unique and enjoyable Monstants. These reds were all blends that spent some time aging in oak. The Monstants had an interesting complexity that epitomized my feeling that trying to identify all the aromas and flavors while wine tasting is like putting together all the pieces of a puzzle.

Tasting #4 on Day 2

Monstant

3.5 Corks

2006 Castillo Perelada 3 Fincas Crianza (winery, snooth)
35% Samso, 30% Garnacha, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot
Ruby with a touch of purple
Spicy nose with ripe fruits
Blackcurrant, blackberry, and rosemary
Moderate acidity and high tannins, although not aggressive
Different tasting
Jesus said it’s very “Mediterranean”

4 Corks

2005 Castillo Perelada 5 Fincas Reserva (winery, snooth)
40% Merlot, 20% Garnacha, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon,15% Syrah, 5% Tempranillo, 5% Cabernet Franc
Medium-to-dark Ruby
Very complex nose
Menthol, eucalyptus, rosemary, smoke, cedar, rip blackberry, black plums, blackcurrant, red bell peppers on the nose
Blackcurrant, blackberry, black plums, and bell pepper in the mouth
Nice tannins and acidity
Medium-to-full body
Very unique

2003 Fra Guerau Crianca (winery, snooth)
$17
Medium ruby with a garnet rim
Cherry and white pepper on the nose
Cherry, strawberry and redcurrant in the mouth
Medium body, acidity, and tannins

4.5 Corks

2007 Can Blau (snooth)
$16
Bright, deep bluish purple
Rose petals, violets, cured meat, and smoke on the nose
Blackcurrant, smoke, violets, minerals, and a touch of meatiness and frying fat in the mouth
Good tannins, medium acid, and full body
Long finish
Very unique

Powerful, Pretty Priorats

$21-$30, $31-$40, $41-$50, 4 Corks, 4.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Sep 182009

The Priorats were the biggest surprise for me during The Wine Academy of Spain’s Spanish wine course, as I actually tended to prefer them to the Riojas. These wines were the last of the Catalonia wines we tasted, and there wasn’t a bad wine in the group. As I mentioned in my first post about this course, by tasting the wines from Priorat back to back, I was really able to understand as Jesus explained what characteristics were uniquely regional and what characteristics were more likely the result of the winemaker’s techniques. Priorats have nice fruity and flowery flavors, with a depth and intensity that is ideal for the red wine lover. The wines aren’t thick and jammy, but are still chock full of bold flavors, so if you love powerful reds, you should definitely look into these wines. They’ll offer you something that is a little different, while still giving hints of the comforts of the red wines that you enjoy.

Tasting #5 on Day 2
Priorat

4 Corks

2005 Cruor (snooth)
$50
Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot
Ruby with purple flecks
Strawberry, raspberry, violet, and white pepper
Medium-to-high acidity, medium tannins, and medium body
Long finish

4.5 Corks

2004 Prior Scala Dei (winery, snooth)
$24
50% Garnacha, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Syrah
Deep purple with ruby flecks
Red fruits, rosemary, thyme, with a touch of anise, menthol, dust, and earth
Intense tannins and medium acidity
Finish very different from attack

*Jesus said this is a very good example of a Priorat

2004 Cartoxia Scala Dei (winery,snooth)
$40
41% Garnacha 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Syrah
Medium-to-deep purple with a ruby rim
Black plum, black cherry, blackberry, red roses, violets, white pepper
Intense minerality on the finish
Strong tannins and good acidity
Very aggressive
Needs a couple years of aging

2003 Morlanda Criança (snooth)
$50
50% Garnacha, 50% Cariñena
Medium Ruby
Strawberry, red currant, mineral, cedar, leather, pen ink, white pepper
Medium acidity and tannins

Wines from Around Catalonia

$10 and lower, $11-$20, 2.5 Corks, 3 Corks, 3.5 Corks, Prices, Ratings No Responses »

Sep 182009

After learning about and tasting Cavas during the second day of The Wine Academy of Spain’s Spanish wine course, Jesus Bernard powered through the various areas within Catalonia. Considering that Catalonia includes well-known Spanish regions like Penedès, Priorat, and Monstant, there was not only a significant amount of viticulture and vinification information, but also a lot of history that significantly impacted this wine growing region. It was very interesting, but admittedly slightly overwhelming.

Because these regions within Catalonia have their own microclimate, soil and vinification techniques, after discussing each regions unique qualities, we did three back-to-back tastings of wines from Catalonia. The first was a more general region overview.

Tasting #3 on Day 2
Catalonia

2.5 Corks

2006 Raimat Viña 32 Cabernet Sauvignon (winery, snooth)
Medium-to-dark ruby
Cocoa powder, blackberries, nutmeg, black pepper, and a touch of green pepper on the nose
Blackberries, black pepper, and blackcurrant leaf in the mouth
Medium acidity and medium-to-high tannins

3 Corks

René Barbier Mediterranean White (winery, snooth)
$6
40% Xarel-lo, 30% Macabeo, 30% Parellada
Pale lemon with a green tinge
Green apples and herbaceous on the nose
Lime, green apples, and a touch of thyme and basil in the mouth
Simple

3.5 Corks

2005 Crev de Lauit Segura Viudas
Xarel-lo
Pale gold with big legs
Peach, pear, and green apple on the nose
Wet stone, pear, and green apple in the mouth
Silky with medium acidity and a medium body

2006 Raimat Viña 43 Tempranillo (winery, snooth)
$17
Medium ruby with flecks of purple
Very berry, licorice, and a touch of nutmeg, violet and smoke
Good tannins and medium acidity
Nice finish

Older Entries

Winers on the Roof

Back to Work with a California Zin

Woody Woodcutter’s Shiraz

Woody Woodcutter's Shiraz

A Chianti and Comfort Food

Endings to the Spanish Wine Course

Bodegas Dinastía Vivanco at The Wine Academy of Spain’s DC Class

Unique, Mediterranean Monstant Reds

Powerful, Pretty Priorats

Wines from Around Catalonia

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