2010 Otero Ramos Chardonnay

On to Argentina! This bottle of unexpected Chardonnay was brought to me by colleague and co-worker Jony Sandbom, owner and Alaskan representative of Alaska Team Imports- one of Alaska's few if not only wine importers. Jony is one of the pickiest palates I know (yes, at this point in the game, people are no longer people but defined as palates... ) yet one I respect very much. If J-Man gives me a wine and says he's into it (especially Chardonnay) then I know, chances are, I'm going to enjoy the ride. Bulls-eye.

 Otero Ramos is a producer from the Lujan de Cuyo region of Argentina. This is one of the first delineated regions for making wine in Argentina (before the news was out and EVERYONE started to buy up wine and plant grapes). <See also producers Weinert and Carmelo Patti> 

 First thing I smelled from this wine was minerals and fresh yeast. I could smell the nose before the glass was even near my face. This was SO Burgundy... but no, it's Argentina- get with it, Kirsten. Nice surprise. Returning to the glass, the yeasty notes meshed with aromas of used, dusty oak barrels and rich butter- again, Burgundy! These smells were so well integrated into the wine I was truly amazed. I have this preconceived notion that no one really knows how to make a great Chardonnay except the French, but this bottle is changing my mind. I also picked up this creamy, egg-like aroma that reminded me of creme brulee which made me wonder if they fined with egg whites. Some producers will introduce egg whites to a wine while in tank to remove solids from the solution (dead yeast cells, etc.). 

 The palate is ripe Granny Smith apple with a tinge of green (or maybe lime?) Dry, chalky stone is also on the palate and despite the aromas of rich butter and cream it is really quite light and crisp with super bright fruit. It shows medium weight where the acid and richness kind of play back and forth, allowing one to show off and then the other to take over. The oak and malo-lactic butter is there but does not cover up the fruit and acid of Chardonnay. It really smooths the edges of the wine but you can still make out the original shape. The acid leaves you salivating for another sip- which I gladly obliged, and leaves this buscuit-y, yeasty note in the back of your throat. This is a Chardonnay I would recommend to California and Burgundy drinkers- I really think it will fit the bill. Thanks Jony, this was an awesome treat!

2009 Cave de Vins de Sancerre L’Etincelle Pouilly Fume

I’m a sucker for the Loire and its minerally white wines so when I saw a Pouilly Fume on the shelf for under $20 I nabbed it.

 Sancerre is located in the far east of the Loire River Valley in France. They specialize in Sauvignon Blanc and the region Pouilly Fume produces a moderately oaked version. I’m picky about oak on any wine- especially whites- and when it comes to Sauv Blanc… it can go the wrong way dangerously quick. As funny as this sounds, my reasoning is in defense of Sauv B’s awesome acid and when a producer oaks the wine it softens the acidity. What I appreciate about France is they can oak their whites without completely eradicating the characteristics of the original grape (check out Burgundian Chardonnays). Pouilly Fume is a great example of this.

 The nose is flinty and smokey- not firewood smoke but almost ashy (think cap gun smoke). The flint characteristic generally shows up in wines when the grapes are grown in limestone soils of which east Loire has plenty. There’s a ton of wet stone and citrus here. I pick up lemon, fresh grapefruit and a touch of butter from what I’ m guessing is partial malo-lactic fermentation. I think if the producer allowed ML to complete its cycle the wine would show quite a bit more butter. The amount I pick up is well integrated, creating a lemon cream  pie filling effect. There is a light yeasty note on the back hand along with honey and white flowers.

 The palate does not disappoint! This is crisp and spicy as hell but it changes throughout the tasting. The mid-palate shows the butter, cream and doughy notes I found on the nose but just as you notice them that killer Sauv B acid punches through, taking no prisoners. The pepper and spice on this wine is pretty surprising- I’ll chalk that up to varietal as well as oak. All throughout this tasting there is wet stone protruding through each flavor.

 I came back to this bottle 2 days later and it had not mellowed at all. As it warms up, the flavors of fresh and ripe grapefruit really show and the body of the wine gains a bit of weight. There is a little touch of old world funk that is more apparent now- I think it is more of the yeast from earlier and it stands out due to the length of time the bottle was open. The fruit is really rich after getting more air and is now on the tropical side. It brings to mind honeyed or candied fruits like papaya and mango. This wine was great and I would definitely buy it again.

I drank this with a creamy smoked salmon chowder with potatoes, corn and truffle oil. The wine cut through the creamy density of the chowder and the citrus of the wine teamed up with the lemon zest I added to the soup.

2010 Chateau d'Oupia Minervois

This week I popped a bottle of 2010 Chateau d'Oupia Minervois to accompany pasta with a homemade tomato sauce and chicken cooked in olive oil and white wine vin. I had tasted this wine briefly at work and wanted to bring a bottle home to give it a bit more focus.
 Chateau d'Oupia (which I will refer to as d'O from here on out) is a producer from the Languedoc-Rousillon in south-east France. They are below and to the right of the Rhone Valley. This is a region that is quickly brushed over in the wine classes I've taken as the Languedoc is mostly a bulk-wine producing region. Most wine books say it's an up and coming area ... and that's about it. In the Languedoc they use similar varietals as the Rhone Valley- Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Carignane among others. This blend is 50% Carignane, 30% Syrah and the remainder Grenache. This region is fun because you can grab great Rhone-style wines at a fraction of the price. I was first attracted to this wine because d'O was one of the pioneering wineries to campaign for Minervois' Appellation status in the early 1970's. The then wine maker Andre Iche started keeping his fruit (which most vignerons sold to negociants and co-ops) and focused on making quality wine from great real estate in Minervois. He, along with a few other producers, began to change the face of the Languedoc wine game. His daughter now continues the family legacy. I prefer these types of wineries who grow their own grapes or have a CLOSE relationship to their vineyard managers rather than those who outsource. It seems to me to be a huge disconnect if one is making wine from a material you don't know much about. Just kind of a missing piece to the relationship. Anyway- enough waxing poetic....
 The nose of this wine is a trip. It opens with dark cranberry- it brings to mind cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving dinner. That red fruit is quickly cloaked by dark fruit and herbal/spicy oak. The fruit aromas are so clean and fresh that it almost seems like it's a fabricated chemical but remember it's just great fruit. When I smell the oak on this wine it is so well integrated that it was hard to know when I started smelling it- I just realize all of a sudden oh, that's the barrel. It makes me picture big trees in forests in France. (I have never seen this countryside before, but that is just where my mind takes me). There is a deep and brooding cassis and blackberry made complete by a collage of spices. Imagine walking into the house when someone is making a pie and you smell clove, cinnamon and baking spice... everyone from the rack is here.
 For a 2010 this has a really polite and inviting palate. It is quite smooth and has a medium weight that falls on your palate like a puffy blanket that stretches out in all directions. The tannin makes an appearance but gently dismisses itself and allows the acid to fill in the cracks. The transition is so gentle and subtle I almost missed the trade-off. This structural duo accompanied the acid and fruit of my tomato sauce beautifully. I found myself continuing to eat out of flavor enjoyment rather than hunger. The palate fruit was very much like the nose- it opened with brighter notes and was then finished off by dark berries, anise and wood shavings. The longer this sat out the more the flavors melded together for a harmonious ride beginning to end. I was sharing this with my sister, Jessica and her notes were "maroon velvet square". Direct, to the point... and cute. Needless to say, this bottle didn't see the light of day.
  This is a really cool find and just over $20 on the shelf. It may be bottom-o-the-bottle nostalgia but it really amazes me at times that liquid grapes can smell and taste so good!

2009 Chateau La Roque Mourvedre

This time around I popped the cork of a 2009 Pic St Loup Rouge 'Cuvee Les Vielles Vignes de Mourvedre'  from producer Chateau La Roque (and yes, I'm aware how long the name of this wine is).  It is 90% Mourvedre and 10% Grenache.This is a red wine from the AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) Coteaux de Languedoc in the south east of France. The Languedoc tends to use similar grapes to those of the Southern Rhone Valley of France and Mourvedre is one of them. Mourvedre is classically used as a blending grape to add savory notes, body and richness to blends otherwise dominated by Grenache and Syrah. I like the grape due to its off-the-beaten-path flavors and aromas. It offers more meaty/savory notes instead of blatant fruit and pepper. I also like this producer because of their history. The area was originally put under vine by the Romans and the property further developed by Benedictines Monks. It's as Old-World as one can expect from a winery. The current vines are between 50 and 60 years old.
 The nose was cleaner than I expected- not a lot of barnyard-y, stinky brett (brettanomyces). It was actually dominated by a lot of floral, perfume notes. I did recognize cured meat aromas like coppa (cured pork shoulder) and pepper along with the rich black current.
 The palate opened up to show stewed strawberries and cherries, brown tea (like the kind you drink on your porch in the summer- I'll chalk this up to tannin) and leather. The tannin appears light at first but really closes in toward the front of your mouth. The tannin affect lasts about 10 seconds and then acids sneaks in to release moisture back to your palate. For me, this happened right as I began to think the tannin may be a little bigger than I prefer. Right before that 'this is too big for what I'm eating' moment the acidity kicked in and allowed my mouth to relax.
 I thought the wine would be a bit more dense and heavy, but the structure kept it soft and enjoyable. I enjoyed this wine because it presents its flavors politely without demanding too much of your palate. It doesn't jam fruit and alcohol in your face, but uses them in appropriate measurement so neither one appears out of balance. No palate coating; no shag carpet affect.

$21.95 on the shelf.

2007 Casadei Sogno Mediterraneo

 An IGT Sangiovese bought in Cellar Bottle Shop. This is one I'd been eyeing for a while and thought, what the hell. It's Saturday and I've been pouring wine all day... I deserve a treat. I chose the wine to accompany homemade pizza with spicy coppa, mozzarella and a garlic butter sauce. My secret weapon for the pizza was rubbing truffled olive oil on the crust.
 When I first opened the wine it seemed a bit closed but time really let this wine shine. First sniff was rusty earth that I associate with Italy. It brings this image to mind of an old nail covered in red rust. The alcohol was noticeable on the nose, but it blew off after about 15 minutes in the glass. This is the type of the wine I love to drink because each time I went back to the glass there was something different to find- it just continued to unfold layers of dark fruit like blackberry and plum. Mint and black tea spice started to come out as well.
 The palate was soft and lean - the bit of age on the bottle had really allowed the tannin to softened, but that hardcore Sangiovese acid was there to pick up where the tannin had left off. I love that about Sangiovese- it's this battle between tannin and acid where they trade off in leading the structure race but acid is always there at the end. It's a reaction wine- you get this huge flavor, spice, and then when the ride is over you're left with a mouth full of saliva that begs to be washed away with another sip. Dried cherry and red currant were commanding the mid-palate  and the flavors mingled with the light oak and spicy herbs beautifully.
 I left the glass for an hour and returned with delight. Much more open and giving, this wine was like a woman on a first date. She makes you take her to dinner and listen to her small talk. Eventually she opens up and shows who she really is. Still soft but incredibly full, this red had become a bit plump but the acid kept the body in control. It allowed the wine to spread out and take up space on the palate but it's focused quickly returned for the finish. Rich red fruits, purple flowers, baking spice and a touch of fresh bud green were seamlessly sharing the spotlight in this now fully present Sangiovese. Bright attack and a rich mid-palate, this finish lingered long after 20 seconds. Overall- an playful yet elegant addition to pizza night.

So Here it Goes...

 In an effort to feed my wine and food spirit, I have decided to start writing a blog about wine and food in the Alaskan scene. I grew up in Eagle River, Alaska and moved the "lower 48" (southern California to be exact) for college. While there, I left my path of becoming a Physical Therapist and began to bury myself in wine education. I eventually moved to Yakima, Washington (the new booming location of Washington's wine scene) and started working for a winery. While there, I received my certification in Wine Fundamentals I & II through the International Sommelier Guild and started managing a wine bar. 

 Eventually, the call of my northern home state brought my husband and I back to Alaska and I began working in Cellar Bottle Shoppe, which is located above Crush Wine Bistro in downtown Anchorage. I was initially worried that Alaska could not offer me the wine and food exposure the "lower 48" could. Once I was established at Crush I found there had been a food and beverage renaissance during my absence. (On second thought, there had been some amazing wine and food to be found in Alaska much before my wining/dining time like Marx Brothers and Double Musky as well as Mike McViddy leading people through wine shelves. It is more a case of one's pocket book at 21 not allowing for such good eats and great wines). My point is, when Seattle is 3 hours away and California and Oregon are a hop, skip and a jump... it makes the Alaskan market seem a little dry- ha ha, alcohol pun. I just didn't remember anyone ever talking much about wine when I was younger but now there seemed to be a number of restaurants with a focus on farm-to-table dining, quality dishes and wine lists that made you think you were in New York or Seattle. 

 To my delight, I was able to get in with the group of guys at Crush who have a passion for great wines and are eager to pop a bottle, set out a plate of food and dig in- with discussion, critique and overall geek-out over said wine and food. I was home.

 I've been working at Cellar for over two years now, have attained my Certified Specialist of Wine and Certified Specialist of Spirits through the Society of Wine Educators and have decided to get into the blog scene to further geek out on the wines I drink and the amazing dishes I eat. I guess I came to the realization that my husband and friends may not want to devote an hour or two deciding whether the earth on a bottle is dusty and dry or more damp and forest floor-like. I'm hoping this will allow me to regain my wine focus (the day to day tasks of assisting in running a small business do not always have something to do with the actual craft), continue to build my palate and begin my education on the food side of this industry. I'm comfortable setting wine pairings for food, but would really like to understand the components of a meal as much as I do the components of wine. Though the focus of my blogs will be predominantly the wines I drink- once one gets into this business, it becomes clear that wine and food are synonymous. When I drink something good, I usually want to eat something good and see how each compliments and enhances the other.
 Thanks ahead of time to family and close friends who will have to read this before anyone else is curious enough to do so.