Boston! 2005 Gigondas Les Hauts de Montmirail

First off... Boston was awesome! : )

We had a great time on all fronts and I can't wait to go back!

But, the big decision for our wine at Aquitaine didn't get any easier once we were there! : )

We got there and loved it at first sight! It was such a cute, quaint, dimly lit little restaurant and we knew there was great potential from the moment we walked in! And, since I had already memorized the menu and decided what we'd order from appetizer to dessert (minus the wine decision of course), we had plenty of time to soak in the atmosphere and have a romantic evening!

I knew that I wanted to go ahead and order our bottle right when we got there so that it would have time to breathe while we had our appetizer, etc., so I really had to get with it! So, I discussed with our waiter some of the top choices I had made prior to getting there and we decided on the Chateauneuf du Pape, Domaine du Galet des Papes (2004)... and I was pumped about it! Well, the waiter came back a couple minutes later and said that someone had just ordered the last bottle! Of course they did! Had these people known how much time went in to choosing that exact bottle, they may have given it up to me! : ) So, we moved to plan B. Our waiter was very patient with me (but also obviously annoyed) and helped us decide on our perfect bottle! We ended up with the 2005 Gigondas Les Hauts de Montmirail. I was really hopeful about this one because it's a GSM and I've had some really great GSM's. This particular one is 55% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 20% Mourvedre (G=Grenache, S= Syrah, M= Mourvedre). The waiter thought that the peppery notes would really go well with our Filet au Poivre and that we'd be pleased with the flavors and weight of the wine.

We LOVED it!!! It was so perfect with our filets and it just completed an already perfect meal!

(We had the Mussels en Cassoulette for an appetizer and were basically licking the cassoulette when the mussels were gone! SOOO good!!! Then, we both had the Filet au Poivre for our entree. It was the best au Poivre sauce I've ever had!!! The filet was cooked to perfection and had the best pepper crust... YUM! I'm salivating now just thinking about it! And then we split a Creme Brulee for dessert. It was huge and amazingly delicious!)

This picture is from Aquitaine's website, but it has a picture of the Mussels en Cassoulette, so I included it! : )

Here's our steak (with the stupid good potatoes) and yummy wine! : )

Ok, concentrating on the wine again! : )

So, I didn't take too many notes because I was way too busy eating and drinking, but I'll list what I have!

Smells: slightly smoky smells (cigar)

Tastes: full-bodied, jammy fruit flavors, peppery finish

Rating: Clay gave it a 8.5-9 and I gave it a 9-9.5

These pictures were taken with my iPhone, so they're not great!

It really was a delicious wine and went perfectly with our amazing meal! Next time we're in Boston, we'll definitely be stopping back in to Aquitaine for another great experience!

A little research...

The hubby and I are headed to Boston at the end of the week for a wedding. So, in typical Rebecca OCD fashion, I started researching every restaurant in the city! : ) I have a MAJOR food obsession and have to case out every place I eat. I'll do anything to avoid one of two terrible things... 1. having food envy 2. making a bad quick ordering decision. I read and re-read and re-read menus before heading out everytime (unless of course I've been there and have the menu memorized).

So, the decisions have been made: We'll be eating at Aquitaine (http://www.aquitaineboston.com/) and Douzo (http://www.douzosushi.com/).

After deciding everything I'll be ordering from the menu (yup, everything), I decided to look at the wine menu. Well... looks good! And, I'm sure that if I just randomly ordered a bottle, it would be delicious and I'd be happy; however, I think it would be more fun to do some research on the wines and REALLY know what I'm getting when I order! More on that below...

First, a little side research...

I decided, since we've had such good luck with the vintage tips I found wherever I found them, I'd try to find more info on that. I found a table that says it's really general and doesn't take a lot of things into account, but that it should be a helpful guideline, so here it is for your viewing pleasure:

(Key: GY= good year; VGY= very good year; EY= excellent year)

Vintage 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Red Bordeaux VGY GY GY VGY GY EY

Red Burgandy GY GY VGY VGY GY VGY

Sauternes GY EY GY VGY GY EY

Rhone GY GY GY EY GY VGY

Champagne GY GY VGY GY GY VGY

Italy GY VGY GY GY GY VGY

Spain GY EY GY GY VGY VGY

California GY GY GY VGY GY VGY

Australia GY VGY EY GY VGY VGY

Ok... so this isn't very official looking b/c I couldn't cut and paste for some reason AND it only goes through 2005, BUT... it's a start! Hopefully I can remember some of the EY!

Here's another that should be easier and actually goes through 2007:

(click on the table to see it better)

(the formatting for the rest of the post is all messed up and I can't seem to do anything about it!)

So... back to the Boston menus:

I'm mostly looking at Aquitaine because Douzo is a Japanese restaurant and I may not drink wine. So... I really love Bordeaux (probably has nothing to do with my amazing 2 months in France), but I am a little picky with them. Again, I'm a Cab. girl, NOT a Merlot girl. And, I have learned that with Bordeaux, it's either Right Bank or Left Bank and that Bordeaux is almost always a blend of several grapes. (I love blends... such a fun way to try different things at once.) Well, typically Right Bank is Merlot heavy and Left Bank is Cab. heavy. Problem is... the label/name typically doesn't say which bank it is (ugh... how rude!). So... I decided to look up all of the Bordeaux that they have and figure out what I'm dealing with!

1.) Bordeaux Superieur, Lalande-Couturier 2005

I couldn't find this exact wine, but from what I can tell... mostly Merlot... NEXT

2.) Bordeaux, Chateau Compassant 2004

Cab and Merlot blend... maybe, but doubtful- just can't find enough info.

3.) Haut-Medoc, Chateau de Taillan 2005

Hmmm... definite potential- all I can tell is that it's mostly Cab; however, it says that the best drink dates don't start until 2011, so that's a little concerning

4.) LaLande de Pomerol, Chateau La Fleur St. George 2006

Started off thinking this was Cab., but upon further inspection, looks to be Right Bank Merlot... this may be more difficult than I thought!

5.) Saint-Emilion, Chateau Vieux-Guinot, Grand Cru 2003

This was easier to find... 70% Merlot, 30% Cab- Nope, not there yet

6.) Pauillac, Chateau Pichon-Longueville 2006

45% Cab, 35% Merlot, 12% Cab Franc, 8% Petit Verdot- Hmmm... 35% is still a lot

7.) Margaux, Chateau de Clairefont, 2nd Prieure-Lichine 2005

Getting a little closer... 54% Cab, 40% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 1% Cab Franc

8.) Saint-Estephe, Chateau La Peyre 2005

Going backwards... 50% Cab, 45% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot

9.) Saint-Emilion, Chateau Bel Air Ouy 2004

Couldn't find this exact wine, but apparently Saint-Emilion is mostly Merlot and Cab Franc with relatively small amounts of Cab

10.) Saint-Julien, Chateau Clos Du Marquis 2006

Ugh... this was a hard project... couldn't find this one either, but from what I could find, it's a Medoc, which I found is Left Bank, so I'm deducing that it's majority Cab

11.) Pauillac, Chateau Lynch-Bages 2004

Oh man... I REALLY thought I'd finally found it! 73% Cab, 15% Merlot, 10% Cab Franc, 2% Petit Verdot... Awesome! UNTIL... I looked at the price! $275/bottle... Riiiggghhhttt!

Well, based on all of this, it looks like #3 would be my best bet; however, I think I've created a monster! Now I want to look closer at the rest of the wines because I'm just not convinced that that's THE best bottle for us! : )

Alright... Aquitaine is a French restaurant, so I really do want to stick with a French wine (I'm a dork)! So... here are the rest of the options:

THE SOUTH

1.) Cotes du Roussillon Villages, Chateau de Caladroy 2006

This is a Grenache... I really do like Grenache, but I think that may be too light for what I'd like

2.) Cotes de Provence "Rouge Reserve", Domaine Houchart 2003

Grenache and Syrah blend- Hmmm... could be very interesting! However, I'm sort-of worried about the 2003 vintage!

3.) Coteaux du Languedoc "La Reserve", Chateau L'Hospitalet 2006

Syrah- Hmmm... definitely interesting- I love the peppery aspects of a good Syrah

LOIRE

4.) Chinon "Tireaux", Domaine Olek-Mery 2006

Cabernet Franc- This could be fun! A little something different!

RHONE

5.) Cotes du Ventoux "La Quintessence", Chateau Pesquie 2006

80% Syrah, 20% Grenache- I think that sounds pretty good, but I saw a description that says it has pretty strong licorice/anise flavors... NOT ok with me! : )

6.) Chateauneuf du Pape, Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 2007

Yummm... I love a strong Chateauneuf du Pape- can't really find out too much about this one though- Also, they only offer a 1/2 bottle... probably not enough! : )

7.) Chateauneuf du Pape, Domaine du Galet des Papes 2004

I found a blog where someone reviewed this wine and I was practically salivating!!! This seriously may be the winner!

8.) Saint Joseph "Le Grande Pompee", Paul Jaboulet 2005

Syrah- the description sounds delicious!!! This is definitely a front-runner right now!

9.) Gigondas "Les Hauts de Montmirail, Domaine Brusset 2005

This is a Grenache blend and sounds yummy... but maybe not as good as a couple others

10.) Cornas "Vieilles Vignes" Alain Voge 2003

Syrah- This one sounds AMAZING! However, upon further inspection... A bit pricey!

11.) Cote Rotie, "Terres Lombres", Yves Cuilleron 2005

Syrah- couldn't find much info on this one; however, it's $215/bottle... yeah, no thanks! : )

BURGANDY

12.) Beaujolais Morgan, Chateau de Pizay 2008

Gamay- A little too light for this occassion

13.) Bourgogne "Vieilles Vignes" Joseph Voillot 2007

Pinot Noir- I like Pinot Noir sometimes, but this isn't what I'm looking for

14.) Volnay 1er Cru "En Chevrets", Louis Latour 2005

This is a Pinot Noir- again, just not right

15.) Bourgogne "Cuvee Margot", O. Leflaive 2007

Pinot Noir...

16.) Santenay, Jean-Marc Morey "La Comme Dessus" 2006

Again... Pinot Noir

17.) Savigny Les Beaune, "Veilles Vignes", Alex Gambal 2008

Pinot Noir

18.) Pommard "Les Tavannes", Domaine Gaunoux 2004

I can't find anything about this one, but I'm just going to go out on a limb and guess Pinot Noir

19.) Vosne Romanee, Domaine Chezeau 2006

Yup... Pinot Noir

There are 2 others, but they're really expensive and I'm guessing Pinot

So... another thing learned: Rhone=Syrah (generally) and Burgandy=Pinot Noir (usually). This is actually something I think I may be able to remember!!! : )

Well, this is a lot to think about, so I'll just have to study these descriptions for another day and then hope for the best! I'll let you know what we choose! : )

2008 Argie Andes Torrontes

A girly TV night filled with admittedly terrible shows (i.e. new 90210, Gossip Girl) calls for wine! I had a couple bottles of white wine from our wine club selections in the fridge, so I decided to give one a try.

2008 Argie Andes Torrontes

La Rioja / Andes / Argentina

purchased from Shiraz wine store (Athens, GA)

$13.99

Rating: 8.5

I have to admit, I'm always a bit nervous opening a bottle of white wine. I have always prefered red wine and white wine intimidates me. I know that there are tons of red wine varieties and grapes, but for some reason, they seem easier to conquer. I can't remember a Chardonnay from a Pinot Grigio for anything! But... I'm trying!

All that being said, I was extremely pleased with this bottle! Again, I'm always wary, but the first sniff and sip put me at ease.

I'm not good at identifying aromas and tastes with any wine yet, but whites are definitely harder for me than reds, but here goes nothing...

Appearance:

very light in color, slightly yellowish, also slightly lighter around edges, very clear

Aromas:

slight honey maybe, possibly slight watermelon?, it smells fruity, but it's not sweet smelling, it smells really good, could possibly smell citrusy

Tastes:

medium bodied, seems fairly acidic and crisp at first, but then not as much so after a few sips (maybe as it warms?)

light, not sweet (but not dry necessarily either), possibly a little buttery tasting, but I could be way off on that, pretty noticeable alcohol taste at the end, seems like it would be a great Summer wine, light and refreshing, maybe a little earthy (a little cut grass maybe?)

I would definitely buy this wine again! Also, I think this would make a GREAT Spring/Summer gift because it seems so neutral and easy to like! I'll have to refer back to this one next year when we're invited to dinner or something.

Also, I don't know the first thing about pairing, but I can really see this being good with light seafood (raw oysters, shrimp cocktail, etc.). Who knows!? I can't wait to try and see though!

Definitely a good start with the first blogged white! : )

Random, and possibly helpful, tidbits...

As stated before, I don't pretend to know much about wine; so any small piece of information, that I can actually retain, that will help me successfully choose a bottle is great!

I've randomly discovered a few vintage pointers (who even knows where- so they may be wrong) that have helped lead to some great wines.

*2005 was a great year for California Cabernet Sauvignons
*2007 was a great year for Napa Cabernet Sauvignons
*2003 was NOT a good year for any European wines (tremendous heat wave- my husband was in Greece for part of summer 2003 and remembers, very vividly, the sweltering heat)

Again, I truly don't even remember where I heard/read this information, so it may not be totally correct; however, by using these guides, we've had great success picking some really delicious wine! And yes, I know I'm being biased towards Cabs... I'll work on that!

My biggest problem with wine is my memory... I can remember every detail about preschool 24 years ago, but can't remember, for the life of me, what I had for lunch yesterday (literally)! This is a huge dilema when you're trying (really hard) to learn about wine. I never remember what anyone tells me, I never remember the name of that amazing bottle I had, etc. My saving grace is that I have begun to learn the tastes and characteristics that I enjoy in wine and can try to explain these to someone who has a better short-term memory than I do!

One of those (really important) things that I can't usually remember is the progression of wines. I know that Cabernet Sauvignon is, traditionally, the heaviest wine, but I have a hard time remembering where other grapes fit into the spectrum. So... here's a list (and this is just a general list... there are, obviously, many other grape varietals not listed):

Heaviest to Lighest RED:
1. Cabernet Sauvignon
2. Syrah
3. Red Zinfandel
4. Merlot
5. Pinot Noir

Heaviest to Lightest WHITE:
1. Buttery Chardonnay (this actually goes between Merlot and Pinot Noir on a complete list)
2. Fruity Chardonnay
3. Riesling***
4. Sauvignon Blanc
5. Chenin Blanc
6. White Zinfandel
7. Pinot Grigio

***I feel it necessary to make a note about Rieslings... They get a bad reputation. My experience with Riesling, prior to last year, was this sweet, syrupy liquid... not usually the case. Yes, there are some really bad, sweet, wretched (in my opinion) Rieslings, but there are also some REALLY delicious dry Rieslings that will change anyone's mind about the grape! Dry Rieslings are actually one of the most accessible (probably not the best word choice) wines because they can be paired with almost anything.

2007 The Table Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Clay and I bought a new grill a couple days ago and thought we should properly break it in... with a nice, juicy steak! So, we went to our wine fridge and found what we hoped would be a great Cab. to go with it.

2007 The Table
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
ONCE Sommelier Series
Purchased from Shiraz wine store (Athens, GA)
$20.99



We loved this bottle! It was a really great, perfect example of a Cab. Seemed really tannic to me and also seemed to maybe have a bit higher alcohol content, but I really don't know if it did. I would say that, unless you really love Cab., you wouldn't enjoy this bottle as it is very dry, tannic and strong. All the qualities I love! : )

My notes:
Dark in color with slightly lighter edges. A bit cloudy because of noticable sediment (the bottle ended up having A LOT of sediment- the last glass I poured from the bottle was FULL of sediment, but it wasn't a distraction to me). (You think that sentence had the word sediment enough times!? Geez Rebecca!)
Starts off with a strong pine smell, then at the end of that same whiff, it smelled like really sweet cherries. Very interesting and really pleasant.
Earthy tastes (I'm sure the sediment has something to do with this), thick jammy tastes (not fruity though).

Rating:
8.5-9.5 (that's as specific as I can get... I am NOT good with ratings!)
I will definitely be buying this wine again and again!

What I like (in a nutshell)...

Typically, I will NOT be writing 3 blog posts at a time; however, the novelty hasn't worn off yet! : )

This will be more of a "stream of thought" post about my general likes/dislikes so far.

I'll start off by saying that, if I was only able to drink one type of wine for the rest of my life, it would be a good, strong Cabernet Sauvignon. I'm definitely a red girl, but I'm really learning to explore and appreciate whites. (I feel the need to explain that I'm also a big meat eater... My last meal would be a rare to medium-rare filet with an amazing au poivre sauce... and that great glass of Cab.)

LIKES:
big, strong flavor
tannic
spicy
dry (goes along with tannic)
earthy
jammy (not really fruity necessarily, but the rich jam flavors)

DISLIKES:
overly sweet
too smooth
most Merlot

I really thought these lists would be easier... I guess this is all part of the process though. I'll make it my mission to expand these a bit.

My humble beginning...

I feel like it's important to explain my wine "journey" and what brought me to this point.

I'm sure I'm not alone here, so even though it's embarassing to write, I'll do it... Hi, my name is Rebecca and my first wine experience was with White Zinfandel. Yikes!
I probably wasn't even legally old enough (sorry Mom and Dad), but I had a glass or two of what I will, from here on out, refer to as Wine Kool-Aid at a wedding. I thought I was being uber sophisticated drinking wine... whatever, give me a break!
My palate completely expanded from there... HA! One of my first true wine memories is of my college girlfriends and I sitting in my (parked) car drinking a magnum bottle of Yellowtail Shiraz out of Solo cups and dipping our Blow Pops in the wine... to make it taste better. Yes, you could definitely say I had a rocky start into the wine world! You gotta start somewhere, right... Right!?

Luckily for me, and most importantly, my taste buds, my appreciation and taste for wine has changed (I'd say positively) throughout the years. I credit most of this on the Summer of 2004.
I made a fabulous decision and studied abroad in Paris for a summer to round out my college career. France really opened my eyes to wine. You have to love Europe... drinking wine at lunch only to head back home and nap for awhile... my kind-of people!
I drank (mostly table wine) daily and almost croaked when I came back home and had to pay more than $5 for an amazing bottle of vino. I will say that I didn't fully embrace the experience and could have gained SO much more information about wine, but I was still in my beginner's stage. Next time I go... it's on!

I still don't have the big budget to fully explore my love for wine, but I think that's part of the fun... Great wine doesn't have to be expensive!
Disclaimer: I will not be drinking crazy expensive wine and super old vintages, so if anyone is reading this (not likely) and that's what you're hoping for, try one of the other 6 million blogs dedicated to wine.

The premise...

I am, like so many people, a believer in wine. Yup, a believer.

Wine is delicious, yes, but I also feel it holds medicinal properties. Wine can be a stress reliever, a companion, a liberator, and, of course, a means to an end (drunken bliss).

I don't pretend to know much about wine, other than... I LIKE IT! However, with each bottle opened, each sip tasted, each glass drained... I learn more and more.
Personal taste is just that... personal. So, I feel that wine can be difficult across the board. Everyone's palate is different, so my favorite wine may taste like yesterday's garbage to you. I am simply making an effort to lasso any information I obtain about wine into one central location, so I'm not rummaging through my house (constantly) looking for that scrap piece of paper I wrote that vintage on.

My wine journey (and blog posts) will be random and probably extremely frustrating for wine aficionados; however, there's always that possibility that just the right person will be out there reading and find something useful! : )
Most of my posts will just be my random (and NOT expert) notes about wines that I taste (varietal, vintage and producer information, smells, tastes, general opinion, price and whether food was involved).

I will also note that my husband, Clay, and I are members of a monthly wine club here in Athens, GA at Shiraz wine store. Through this great store, we've had the opportunity to taste a great variety of wines and really learn which wines and characteristics make us happy. I also had the fantastic experience of taking a 6-course beginner's wine class to start my "formal" education. Wine class is great (too bad that wasn't an offered major at UGA)! We tasted wines from around the world, compared our opinions on aroma, taste, etc. and began to understand more and more what we loved (and, unfortunately every now and then, what we hated).

Hopefully this will be a fun exercise for me and possibly someone out there who cares at all about my worthless opinion!