Wines by the Glass...

While this Rampant Oenophile spent time out with friends at a wonderful local bistro last evening, not all of us were of the same opinion on beverages, so instead of bottles, we enjoyed wines by the glass, always an adventure in wine tasting.

Offering wine by the glass poses special challenges to a restaurant or bar owner. One hates to open a great bottle without assurances of selling it through, so often the selections range from okay to good. It's the rare establishment, like Berns, that can offer quality selections. So, ordering wine by the glass, especially if no recognizable names appear, offers adventure in the same theme as treasure hunting: lots of disappointment with occasional wonderful surprises.

Last evening, only one wine stood out from among the selections, the 2004 Tamas Estates Barbera. Typically, I find budget class Barbera too jammy, just a bit better than pretentious grape juice.

The Tamas Estates Barbera scores well with this Rampant Oehophile, however. It was big, not too big, but big with full fruit and layered flavor profiles. The nose hinted at fruit and spice, and the first sip delivered in spades. Rich berry and currant without the jamminess of less complex wines. Vanilla and herb softened the tones and extended the finish. My friend also enjoyed a glass and noticed oak or smokiness that I missed, but could certainly believe.

By the glass, only $7, and available online for $12-$15. If you see it on a menu by the glass, consider the Tamas Estates Barbera a great treasure.

On the other hand, the white wines on our treasure hunt paled in comparison. None posted a win, and two were considered tragic. The biggest disappointment was the Snoqualmie Naked (organic) Chardonnay 2006. I'm not including a link to this wine, because I can't feel responsible for any readers of I drank what? ever tasting this tragedy.

Organic wines already come to the (wine) bar full of pretension. They are like a still-to-young debutante proclaiming her love of animals and her fake furs, then dining on veal while her toy Chihuahua puppy is left outside tethered to a fire hydrant to be trampled on the sidewalk. Organics are for the (green) moment, and generally don't offer much value.

In this case, the Snoqualmie Naked Chard offered nothing noteworthy. Flat texture, empty bouquet, little body and less flavor. Just an empty glass with a very pale grape juice. It's like grape juice that knows someone. Aside from Green ambitions, this organic wine offers empty promises.

Top 5 under $20

Time again for a Top List, as we haven't done one for a while. This time for wine, not wine shops.
This Rampant Oenophile takes too long to try enough wine for a top 10 list, and with the drama on Wall Street, value is the theme of the day, so here's the Rampant Oenophile's Top 5 Wines under $20 for your shopping and drinking value.

5. Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, 2006; Friends of the Rampant Oenophile know I'm not a terrific fan of Cabernets, but I do enjoy a good one. The Veramonte, though still very dry, was full, flavorful, and lingering. It's a powerful wine that's great with food, and at $9.99 a bottle nearly everywhere, one of the best values on the market.

4. Hayman & Hill Napa Valley Merlot, 2005; Merlots are right up the Rampant Oenophile's alley, perfect with grilled foods on a lazy weekend afternoon, or a glass to sip after (or during) the work hours. The Hayman & Hill Merlot exudes the image of a comfort wine, easy to sip and wonderful with food. Dry, with strong cherry and currant flavors layered on top of rosemary and marjoram bouquets. At $12.99 a bottle, a very good value for a wine that The Wine Enthusiast rates a 90.

3. Rodney Strong Russian River Valley Estate Pinot Noir, 2006; Friends know how much this Rampant Oenophile respects and enjoys the wines of Rodney Strong, and the Pinots remain consistent favorites. At $19.99 online and in stores, this Estate bottled Pinot Noir provides a balanced flavor that I don't find at all dry, light fruit and spice, with lingering tannins and a velvety texture.

2. A to Z Chardonnay, 2006; This Rampant Oenophile enjoyed a taste of A to Z Chardonnay during a recent business trip to the Left Coast, and remembers fondly the distinct flavors and bouquet of this value-priced Chard. At just $15.00 online, and less in some wine shops, the A to Z Chard competes favorably with must more expensive competition. I enjoyed its creaminess and bright fruit flavors. Not so much citrus-y as honey sweet and layered.

1. Two Buck Chuck, vintage varies; While not exactly correct, this family of wines from Charles Shaw boasts tremendous values for their very drinkable wines. Sold exclusively through Trader Joe's, and unfortunately no longer $1.99, the Merlot remains my favorite. It's a great Summer or Fall treat for sipping and enjoying with everyday food. At just $3.99, one must travel far and wide to find comparable values. If you are not fortunate enough to live near a Trader Joe's, log on, find the closest outlet, and pack the bags for a wine road trip!

Enjoy!

Something Light and Sweet...

A good friend of the Rampant Oenophile recently asked for recommendations for something light and sweet. I had not noticed the definite red wine bias that this blog presents. No white wine reviews for quite some time. To rectify that glaring omission, here's an endorsement for something from the Oregon wine country that I tasted a few weeks ago.

This Rampant Oenophile has enjoyed Gewurztraminer for many years, since introduced to it at an early college party. Not only fun to say, guh-VURTS-trah-MEE-ner, but a delight to drink with snacks or meals.

The 2006 Columbia Winery Gewurztraminer shines a pale yellow hue, and offers a slightly floral bouquet, with tones of apple blossom. Take a sip and enjoy the light apple, grapefruit, and pear tones, with a slight acidity and honey sweetness. It's a little bit more complex than many other Gewurztraminers or Reislings, which makes it an exceptional selection to start your experimentation with sweeter white wines.

The Gewurz is best served slightly chilled, and as a young wine needs little time to breathe. I enjoy it with Asian or Mexican food because the sweetness of the wine balances spicy dishes. You can also try it after dinner with rich deserts to lighten the end of a meal.

At $18-20 per bottle, the Columbia Valley Gewurztraminer is priced modestly. You can find less expensive options, but you won't find many at this price that offer such expanded flavor profiles. You can spend less, but often the lower priced Gewurztraminers remind me of sweetened table wines with much less depth and nuance. Try the Columbia Valley today, and buy an extra bottle to enjoy with friends!

Moulin-a-Vent Extraordinaire!

The Gamay grape has entranced the palate of this Rampant Oenophile, and the wines of Louis Jadot continue to astound. Last week, I added two new Moulin-a-Vent bottles to my cellar intending to enjoy them around the holiday season with friends. Well, I now consider any day with the Gamay grape a holiday, and friends seem to agree, because everyone thoroughly enjoyed the 2005 Jouis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Clos de Rochegres Moulin-a-Vent last evening.

This superb wine rates 90+ points wherever it is rated, and deserves every accolade. We served it perfectly, just 15 minutes from the cellar, opened the bottle and let it breathe for a few minutes. Immediately, we noticed a beautiful floral bouquet around the wine table, teasing us with hints at what we would soon enjoy.

Pouring the Clos de Rochegres reveals a deep, rich red-purple with beautiful long legs on the glass. Aerate slightly with a quick swirl and take a long luxurious breath. You will notice floral tones of rose and peony.

Tip the glass and take a full sip. You should a full body and great red fruit flavors. This Louis Jadot Moulin-a-Vent reveals its generous layering subtly, first with fruit, then lingering tannins, leading to a light mocha and vanilla finish. Very silky texture that envelopes the tongue and enhances the flavor profiles.

The Louis Jadot tasting notes indicate that this wine should age very well, and I have already placed an order at my local wine shop for a split case. Six of this fine wine, and six more of it's cousin, the 2006 Louis Jadot Chateau des Lumieres Cote du Py, slated for a new story next week.

Not only a fine wine, but this wonderful bottle would make a truly memorable gift for any wine lover, especially this Rampant Oenophile. I will be sharing this wonderful wine for several years with good friends and excellent foods. Try it yourself. At $33-38 a bottle locally, for such a singularly enjoyable and adaptable wine, it's one of the best values in my cellar.

Cool Wine Gadget

Though this Rampant Oenophile is loathe not to finish an opened bottle of wine, occasionally when enjoying a new bottle alone or with just a few friends for a short glass, I must try to preserve the contents of an open bottle of wine.

Air, specifically Oxygen, erodes the flavor and bouquet of wine faster than age as soon as the bottle opens. So, to keep an open bottle safe from oxidation, try the new Preservo Wine Preservo, a cool device that locks on the stem of an open bottle to lock in freshness.

The Preservo injects a thin film of argon gas into the bottle that creates a non-permeable layer on top of the wine and keeps air out.

Amazon.com has it for $65, but you'll have to buy argon cartridges occasionally. This is one gadget that caught my attention. If anyone has any feedback on the Preservo, please let us know.

Not Wimpy, but not Great - Ravenswood Cab

This Rampant Oenophile has long known the name Ravenswood, and favored their value priced supermarket line for Zinfandel blends and a very drinkable Chardonnay. I just learned that their slogan, which may be new, boasts "No Wimpy Wines." And, at a local Ravenswood event this past weekend, I was offered as sample of their County Wines series Cabernet Sauvignon.

The County Series Cab is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, which offers a solid consistency across bottles, but in this case did not offer the smoothness I would have expected.

Not Wimpy certainly with a strong presence and a very dry tongue, this Cabernet offered a bouquet with smoke and oak aromas, and a bit of black pepper on the tongue. The fruit flavors were too soft and somewhat overpowered by tannins and leather for my taste.

Billed as a great Barbecue wine, even offered with a bag of smoking chips for the grill made from old wine barrels, the Ravenswood Cabernet would probably benefit from bit food flavors. I defer to Friends of the Rampant Oenophile to be the final judge, especially those whose taste buds favor Cabernets. I'm sure that this wine would work at an outdoor grill dinner, but it's not one of my favorites.

Knotty Vines Zinfandel Knot Quite Up To Snuff...

The poker table has become a touchstone for wonderful social events and wine enjoyment for this Rampant Oenophile and his friends. Because poker lends itself so well to "munchable" meals and spicy treats, Zinfandel has become a favorite on poker nights.

Last evening, we tried to enjoy a 2006 Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinfandel. The 2006 is a blend of Russian River and Alexander Valley grapes, so it promises bright berry flavors and peppery spices. Unfortunately, this bottle was a bit flat in both bouquet and flavor.

To be fair to Rodney Strong, it might have been a bit too chilled, and we didn't pair it with substantial food, but I found this Zinfandel to be a little dry, a bit tart, and it left a lingering mineral tang on my tongue.

Rodney Strong so often delivers well on its wines that I'm tempted to give the Knotty Vines Zin another shot. At $20 a bottle, it's a modest Zinfandel, though, so I have a dozen other bottles to sample first!

August Cellars... An Experience to Avoid

Not all of my recent visits to the Oregon Wine Country proved celebratory, so the Rampant Oenophile thought that he should warn weary travellers of sites to avoid as well as indulge.

August Cellars, in Willamette Valley, occupies a beautiful winery along Quarry Road in Newberg, and is the first winery you happen upon driving south along the highway. It sits in a gorgeous spot among vines, trees, flowers, and hills, and presents a picture of modern wine making.

Among the many wines "hosted" at August Cellars showcase are the eponymous brands that boast several regional awards. Upon closer inspection, I'm sure that these awards come from county fairs or bar-b-que events, because the wine, unfortunately, proved nearly undrinkable.

While we got an early start and arrived at August Cellars right at their opening hour, I don't think that sleepy taste buds could bear much responsibility for the terrible wines in their sampling.

The Pinot Noirs offered no bouquet. Instead of an earthy Pinot Noir, the 2003 and 2004 tasted remotely of dirt and grass.

The Foch, which is described as a big red wine similar to a Zinfandel or Merlot, offers neither the zing of a Zin or the richness of a Merlot, not that any oenophile should associate those two appellations so closely. Nothing impressed about this weak and tepid wine.

The Winery also hosts several other vintners whose wares are housed behind hulking wood and glass doors. Not all were available for tasting, but most appeared to be made with a chemistry set instead of the full resources of a production winery.

Some of these "guest" wines may be entirely drinkable, even laudable, but if one's first experience of the August Cellar is the undrinkable sampling at the tasting bar, one will never consider other options.

Skip past August Cellars and visit Duck Pond instead. Enjoy their beautiful gardens, wonderful staff, and terrific wines.

A Zinful Weekend... finale!

After two fine bottles in our playful version of the St. Francis Zinfandel vertical tasting, the 2005 Tres Viejos and the 2005 Wild Oak Zinfandel, the guests' taste buds were piqued for a sublime finish.

St. Francis 2004 Old Vines Zinfandel represents an old world approach to Zinfandels. It's more fruit forward than the 2005 vintages, with a broader appeal. You open to jammy red fruits including cherry, blackberry, and currant, as well as the slightest smokiness of oak. Let the wine breathe as you swirl the glass, and you catch hints of raisin and plum on second sips.

All of our Zinfandels demonstrated rich colors, but the 2004 cast the deepest purples and reds from the glass, hinting at the fig and plum fruit flavors awaiting you. I was impressed with the smooth finish and this wine's lack of spicy peaks. The 2004 has matured well, easing the spikes of pepper and clove I noticed in a bottle last year. Much more supple this year, which teases us with promises for another taste next year.

Happily, the 2004 Old Vines Zinfandel is available in general distribution, so you should have little trouble finding wine shops still stocking it. Wine.com still has a small distribution at $22 per bottle, which makes the St. Francis 2004 Old Vines Zinfandel not just my favorite of the three bottles in our tasting, but also the best value. At $22, I can enjoy this Zinfandel on any Zinful weekend that I like!

A Zinful Weekend... part 2

Part II of this Rampant Oenophile's Zinful Weekend of vertical tasting of recent St. Francis Zinfandels built on the complex blends of the Tres Viejos with their 2005 Wild Oak Zinfandel.

All of the guests enjoyed finding differences in the Wild Oak compared to the "Three Old Men." Wild Oak is also an Old Vine blend from their own vines, as well as with source old vine grapes. Sonoma, Dry Creek, and the Russian River valley each deliver components to the profile of this compelling Zinfandel.

We noticed slightly bolder flavors in the Wild Oak with a hint of smokiness that was not present in the Tres Viejos. Don't sniff at the bouquet of this wine. Breathe deeply and notice the eucalyptus that tingles the nose and taste buds.

Where the Tres Viejos was complex, the Wild Oak is more direct and bold. The flavors are more crisp of red berries and peppery spices. No clove or anise to layer on the hotter tones of the Wild Oak. You'll want full bodied cheeses and grainy bread with this big wine.

Like any good Zinfandel, the 2005 Wild Oak should be served and wants to be imbibed, though I expect it would mature well for another two years. Happily, I have a few more bottles to enjoy at future functions.

We've saved the best for last, so please check back tomorrow for the outstanding 2oo4 Old Vines Zinfandel.

A Zinful Weekend... part 1

Friends of the Rampant Oenophile appreciate my parties because I try always to find new twists on enjoying wines. This past weekend, we celebrated the coming Fall Season with a Harvest Vertical tasting of some excellent Zinfandels, one of this Rampant Oenophile's favorites in any season.

While more serious oenophiles may adhere strictly to exhausting rules guiding a vertical tasting, this Rampant Oenophile follows a simple process. Walk into the cellar, find three bottles of the same wine from the same vintner in succeeding years, and compare the joys of consumption.

For this Zinful weekend, we enjoyed the 2004 St. Francis Old Vine Zinfandel, the 2005 St. Francis Zinfandel Wild Oak, and the 2005 St. Francis Tres Viejos Old Vine Zinfandel. Yes, we cheated slightly with two 2005 vintages, but I could find no 2006 bottles, and didn't want to uncork my 1998 Old Vine Zin just yet.

Our first bottle was the Tres Viejos, a wonderful way to start our journey. I bought this bottle on a trip to San Jose last year, and it is only available from the winery. The St. Francis site has a list of states that they can ship to, so please inquire. At $40 it's pricier than an everyday wine should be, but this spicy treat offers great value on special occasions. It's also a beautiful winery with an exceptional tour and shop, so stop by if you are in Sonoma.

The Tres Viejos, Spanish for Three Old Men, offers a blend of three Zinfandel vineyards, which makes for complex flavor profiles and a very interesting nose. My guests enjoyed identifying bouquets in this big blend. We find red fruit, spices including pepper and clove, and bright "zingers" that we couldn't identify but tickled our noses.

Enjoy a sloshing sip of Tres Viejos and reward yourself with very rich fruits. Not bright cherry or berry, but deeper grape, fig, and melon. The finish is long and luscious with complexity among sweet and spicy flavors. I noted pepper, clove, anise layered on sweets like white chocolate, vanilla and coffee.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the next installment of this Zinful Weekend...

Strolling Along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail...

While returning from a long drive to Michigan to visit my mother and father in law, this Rampant Oenophile was treated to a special sojourn along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

A helpful attendant at the northernmost rest stop on I-75 in Kentucky pointed us in the right direction and sent us on our way down US-127 to visit 4 of the 7 bourbon distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. You'll enjoy the leisurely pace and sylvan hills as you wander ever closer to sour mash heaven. I heartily recommend the trip.

Our first stop proved to offer both the tastiest range of flavors and the most idyllic scenery. Buffalo Trace Distillery, in Frankfort, Kentucky makes a variety of fine Bourbon in hundred year old factories on their large campus. We missed out seeing the actual distillation because that's done only during the cold weather months from October through April. I'll need to plan a trip back, as the smells throughout the town must be outrageous.

We beat a hasty retreat from the tour to the tasting room, where we wanted to be in the first place, and enjoyed samples of Buffalo Trace's fine spirits. I took home a bottle of their signature bourbon, which delights with a full nose, strong flavors, and smooth finish.

Bourbon is always sweet, but the Buffalo Trace finds a way to moderate the vanilla, molasses, and brown sugar tones with a light smokiness that delivers to the nose as well as the tongue. The first sip is strong and forward, but sipping leads to a lingering oak and nuttiness with a slow extended finish.

The bottles of the signature brand are adorned with a new buffalo nickel, and those bottles are available only at the distillery. However, you can find Buffalo Trace at all good spirit shops. I heartily recommend the occasional glass of bourbon as a balance to good wines and other spirits.

This Windmill Creates a Flavor Whirlwind...

Moulin-A-Vent takes its name from the windmills that dot the landscape of the region's wineries, and what a region for big flavor profiles in their wines. Moulin-A-Vent is one of the top Crus in the Beaujolais region and produces wonderful Gamay derived wines.

The Joseph Drouhin Moulin-A-Vent 2005 rewards expectations for a big, fruit-forward, well-rounded red wine with a smooth long finish. I have only recently enjoyed the Gamays, as I had considered everything from Beaujolais to be more fruity than fruit-forward. As an inexperienced consumer of French wines, I made the mistake that Beaujolais produced only wines like the Beaujolais Nouveau, which for me is mostly an inexpensive cooking wine.

How wrong that impression proved as I learned more about the amazing wines of the Beaujolais region and the outstanding examples of Gamay wines from Moulin-A-Vent. The Joseph Drouhin 2005 example opens well and pours spectacularly. It's a deep, rich, purple wine with outstanding jammy overtones and slightly vegetable aromas.

This wonderful red wine benefits from a short chill to open up some of the bouquet, but the real benefit of the cooler temperature is the flavor and texture of the wine in your mouth. You'll notice a rich jammy texture and big fruit flavors of berry and currant. I sloshed the first taste around my tongue to capture all the tones and textures. I didn't notice a range of spices, but you certainly catch a peppery edge on the back of the tongue.

Beaujolais from these top crus are not generally wines intended for early drinking, so this already impressive Moulin-A-Vent should age superbly. I'm buying three more bottles to see how the next 3-5 years treats this outstanding treasure. I'm also interested in finding the 2003 vintage, as it should be outstanding in direct comparison to the 2005. Hopefully my local wine vendor can find a reliable source.

Indulge in the 2005 Joseph Drouhin Moulin-A-Vent and share your thoughts for everyone to enjoy!

Summer Reds

As we reach the unofficial end of Summer, the Rampant Oenophile has an opportunity to look back at an article posted by Brad Lewis about Summer being "Too Hot for Red Wines?" Though I have not met him personally, Brad is a true friend to all Rampant Oenophiles. He's been buying fine wines for more than 30 years, and regularly contributes columns to the ABC Newsletter found in their local stores. Brad suggested several varietals to combat the habit of enjoying mostly white wines in the heat of the Summer.

Well, this Rampant Oenophile did his level best to enjoy all of Brad's suggestions. Pinot Noirs were among Brad's first recommendations. The Pinot Noir enjoys a thinner skin than other red grape varietals, so produces wines with less tannin and a lighter body. These wines take a slight chill well and open up their bouquet and flavor profiles when served just slightly below room temperature. Most of us serve Whites too cold and Reds too warm, so the Pinot Noir benefits from a 15-20 minute cooling in the fridge before opening on a hot summer evening.

I've enjoyed Pinot Noirs from Chateau St. Jean, Erath, Wild Horse, and Rutz recently, as well as many others yet to be posted on this forum. All have been delightful, and most a certain value. The beauty of the Pinot Noir is that they remain as well poised for an Indian Summer and slow move to Fall as they were invigorating and special this Summer.

Brad also suggests finding Reds from the Beaujolais region, dominated by the Gamay grape. Aside from Beaujolais Nouveau, which I find best served to someone else, the Gamay grape astounds me. Gamay wines can be rich, fruit forward, open and inviting, and I am on a mission for the next several weeks to explore the wines of Beaujolais more intimately. I loved the Chateau des Jacques reviewed this week, and consider these Louis Jadot wines impeccable. They offer wonderful flavors, big bright bouquets, and crisp and tantalizing palate experiences.

I'm adding Zinfandels to this list of Summer wines, but not for the traditional reasons. Zins are among this Rampant Oenophile's favorites, but they are not typical picks for sweltering heat. They tend to be brighter, hotter, spicier wines, but I favor them on hot evenings in the Summer. I find their spice and heat to "break the fever" of oppressive temperatures. I enjoy finishing a bottle with a fiery meal and taking the heat up a notch to savor that cooling sensation afterwards. Try one before the evenings cool too much.

As we move towards a lingering Indian Summer and the crisp Fall mornings, we'll try something new. Please make suggestions and post your own Summer picks or Fall selections for everyone to enjoy.

A New French Experience - Gamay!

What better way to celebrate Labor Day in the US than to enjoy the fruits of French socialized labor and craftsmanship, a 2005 Chateau des Jacques Gamay. Stemming from the Louis Jadot Moulin-a-Vent, this Gamay from the Burgundy region earned an impressive 91 points from The Wine Spectator recently, and a strong recommendation from this Rampant Oenophile.

Unaccustomed to the Gamay appellation, I had no expectations for this wine, so all of its treats surprised!

I recommend opening the bottle and decanting if possible. This wine doesn't require decanting, as it is still young, but the wonderful aromas fill the room with such fine floral and spice scents that you shouldn't miss the experience.

You'll enjoy a deep ruby red bowl with fine legs. Breath deeply and identify the full fruit body on the nose, and subtle floral bouquet. I noticed a hint of "pumpkin spices" as I sipped, as well.

The flavors are very rich, full bodied, and multi-layered. This Gamay revels in its ripe fruit flavors. Your palate tingles at the start as the crispness assaults your tongue, but the big fruit, slight acidity, and velvety texture takes you through a bold finish. No aftertaste at all to spoil this fine wine.

I suspect that Louis Jadot has spoiled me for my first Gamay experience. I should have sampled a lesser wine and built to the 2005 Chateau des Jacques Gamay in a solid flight. As it stands, I'm buying a second bottle to see how it matures. I'll also be spending time at my favorite wine shop locally to discover more of this rewarding appellation. If you haven't enjoyed a Gamay yet, don't tarry. Rush to your wine shop today for several!