2006 Nicodemi Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

WELCOME BACK TO THE K & J SESSIONS! While the cat is away, the mice will play--as our main man Matt is out of town and unable to oversee and corral us into behaving properly. But I'm not sure how our behavior tonight is going to be any different than when he IS in town. We just like to think we're being more indulgent than usual. Just the same, we are poised, glasses full of wine and hands over the keyboard, ready to discuss tonight's libation.

TONIGHT'S WINE: 2006 NICODEMI MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO

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J: It smells like an Italian wine. Blackberries. What are you getting?

K: What constitutes the "smell" of an Italian wine? I mean, I get what you're saying--but what are the characteristics that stick out that make you say that?

J: It's like...wood mixed with Bordeaux grapes. And yeasty dough.

K: I think it's a bit like sticking your head into a cedar chest full of ripe blackberries and cherries.

J: The color is very purple. Kind of fuchsia at the edge.

FIRST SIP

J: WOW. That is dry.

K: Smoky bing cherries. Ooh, you will not be able to drink this wine fast. Definately something to sip and contemplate.

J: The tannins sweeten later in the finish. It's a long finish, so it hangs around for a while before it turns sweet.

K: I'm getting blueberries, now that i'm a couple sips in.

J: It's a fairly complex wine. There's more to it, I just can't get it all yet. It's been open for about a half hour now, I feel it will soften as time goes on. It's really velvety, though.

K: I think the dryness will ease up after we've had a bit more.

J: Well, even after a few sips the dryness starts to fade a bit. Like you're building up a tolerance to it.

K: Like when you first spray on perfume--it's all you can smell for about ten minutes--but then you no longer notice. It's still there, just not to you.

...ABOUT AN HOUR LATER...

J: Very berry. It's cherry-like now.

K: The bit alcohol has cooled off, and it's so juicy. That cedar is coming through, but it's soft.

J: Let's talk about the grape, since the flavors are evolving continually and it's kind of hard to nail down. In contrast to other red Italian grapes however, this one is more approachable. Less intense than say, a Chianti.

K: This is a grape meant to be drunk young--but then there are some examples of Montepulciano that are the top of the line that can age for 10 to 20 years. Any Montepulciano aged beyond 2 years is given a "Riserva" labeling.

J: But then some of those expensive, aged Montepulcianos end up with barnyard flavors that most reviewers say is a taste to be accustomed to. I understand the hay, fall leaves, earth, and musty flavors--but "barnyard" has always had a negative interpretation for me.

K: I suppose that falls under the belief that because a wine is expensive and hard to find, it HAS to be good. But what can you do with an Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo you paid $200 for and waited ten years to drink and end up hating?

J: I suppose if you had infinite money and were a wine collector, not liking a pricey bottle is probably akin to us not liking a bottle we paid $15--no skin off your nose.

K: I must take the opportunity to point out that there is a difference between Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is comprised of at least 85% Montepulciano grapes, the remaning grapes being Sangiovese. Vino Noblile di Montepulciano is named for the VILLAGE in Tuscany, and is made of mostly Sangiovese.

J: The "d" is the important thing here--not that I speak Italian--but our Montepulciano is from the Abruzzo region (d'Abruzzo = of Abruzzo), the mid-eastern coast of Italy, or the ankle of the boot, as my 5th grade teacher would say.

K: Like Moscato d'Asti. Do you remember that woman who came in and was short with Kate? She asked her if we had Moscato, to which she replied in a way any of us would--"Which one?" And she rolled her eyes and snapped, "d'Asti". Well, duh. But which vineyard?

J: Well, some Moscato is made in the US, but I doubt she was making that differentiation. D'Asti doesn't mean sparkling, and it doesn't mean sweet, it just means "of Asti".

K: I don't hate Moscato d'Asti--but it has it's place as a wine to be had with dessert or as dessert, and that's about it. Okay, enough about Moscato before I get whipped into a frenzy.

J: (laughing) I know! So on to the best part of wine--what do we eat with this?

K: I was reading the July issue of Gourmet this afternoon, and there were some sticky balsamic ribs that this would be good with. I've also been into short ribs lately--I think you could braise short ribs in this wine and serve them with creamy, cheesy polenta. Remember, you can drink the wine with the dish you cooked it in.

J: I'd say steak. With mushrooms cooked in a reduction of this wine.

K: Yes. So another cooking and drinking wine.

J: Exactly.

2006 Chamaplou Vouvray

WELCOME BACK TO THE K & J SESSIONS! You've missed us, haven't you? I know it seems like we've been lazy (you may ask yourself, "How hard is it to drink and then blog about it?") but we are busy girls, and don't always have time to sit and organize our thoughts (but there's ALWAYS time to drink wine). This week we have a white, and we'll also discuss last night's Benz tasting party. Thanks for reading our blog, and we'll try to keep up our end of the bargain and give you more things to read.

TONIGHT'S WINE: 2006 CHAMPALOU VOUVRAY

K: Wow, i'm excited that my elbow isn't in the picture of the wine tonight. Just out of curiosity, what wines did you enjoy most from last night's Benz party?

J: The new French wine, the Chateau Carronne St. Gemme. It's a Cab, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Fun to say, and equally tasty. It was a textural wine for me; good on the tongue. Velvety.

K: I really liked the Oliver Hill Shiraz from Australia. It was so lush after it had been open for about 20 minutes. Just thick, fruity, and cedary. My tongue was overwhelmed after that, and I barely remember wines past it. Except the Greek Retsina--which I ordinarly like, but by that time in the night, all I could taste was Windex. I had to dump it.

J: Blasphemy.

K: It was just not doing it for me. But onto tonight's wine. Color?

J: It's an ordinary white wine color. Nothing notable. But it smells like a hybrid of Golden Delicious apples and Granny Smith Apples. Plus a little alcohol.

K: White peaches for me. And definately that tang of apples.

FIRST SIP

J: I pick up your white peaches, and finish with vanilla.

K: Oh man, that vanilla on the finish is lovely. Tart pear at first, slides into sweet mineral, and goes into vanilla. The vanilla is interesting, because this wine isn't aged in any sort of wood.

J: For those who don't anything about Vouvray, here's a quick lesson. Vouvray is not the grape, it's the village in France where it's grown.

K: That's pretty characteristic of French wines. They don't like to list on the label what the grape is. They assume that you'll just KNOW what grape it is if they give you the region or the village.

J: Yeah, like some sort of oenological game of Password.

K: Yup. The grape is actually Chenin blanc, which is about the most versitale grape i've ever encountered. Wines can range from thick, Sauternes-like dessert wines to dry, mineral-driven wine and even traditional Champagne.

J: I'm not sure what else to say about it, it's an easy wine that you should drink. It would be good for someone who is new to wine. Don't think you always have to start with Riesling--this has a nice combination of sweetness and tartness.

K: I'm really impressed with the fact that it can change so much by where it's produced. A cutting of Chenin blanc vines went along with the Dutch East India Company to South Africa, where it is now the most widely planted grape in the country. In South Africa, it is an almost neutral, crisp, palate cleansing white with some tropical hints--no sweetness involved.

J: So...we started out eating crocantini with the sweet red pepper cheese spread, but the spicy completely took over the flavors of the wine.

K: There is entirely too much jalapeno in that spread. "Sweet" is a misnomer.

J: But now i've moved onto graham crackers, and it is an excellent combination.

K: My god, we eat like pregnant women. The graham crackers enhance that vanilla, it kind of morphs into marzipan on the finish.

J: I say graham crackers and buttercream frosting make a perfect food pairing for this Vouvray.

K: Oooh. Or strawberry shortcake with real, homemade shortcake and fresh whipped cream.

J: Yes. Yes. But also grilled white meats; fish, chicken, pork.

K: Agreed. But i'm sticking to pairing this with dessert, especially for a wine under $20. Ben & Jerry make a limited-edition Key Lime Pie ice cream that actually has a fluffy meringue swirl, and I think the two need to meet.

2006 Charles Smith Wines Holy Cow Merlot

WELCOME BACK TO THE K & J SESSIONS! It's the hottest day of the year (at least until tomorrow), and we're still nonsensical devotees to red wine. This is not to say we didn't have a nice, cooling, shandy first from the mix & match in the beer cooler. Now that our palates are refreshed, our tastebuds our prepped for a big, lush red.

TONIGHT'S WINE: 2007 CHARLES SMITH HOLY COW MERLOT

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J: Coffee on the nose. Coffee beans.

K: I got a lot of alcohol on the nose--which is probably why I ungracefully choked while taking a big whiff. We don't usually drink straight Merlot. I like Cab-Merlot blends quite a bit, but seldom Merlot on its own.

J: Some berries also. I hate to be nonspecific, but it's just a simple berry nose.

K: And a little tiny titch of Hershey's chocolate.

FIRST SIP

J: I can pin down my berry now--blueberries.

K: Agreed.

J: The blueberry flavors turn into a subtle tinge of strawberry on the finish. Is this typical for a Merlot since we don't drink it?

K: The finish is short. This wine is entirely blueberries for me, like that killer French Minervois. Merlot is a grape with berry-driven flavors, like a less intense Cabernet. So the blueberry is par for the course.

J: I always knew Merlot was lighter than a Cab, but I suppose I never paid that much attention to it outside of a blending grape. This is a good wine for someone who likes red, but wants something less full-bodied and tannic than a Cab.

K: I cannot get over how much I like it! The texture is soft, it is absolutely easy to drink. But the best part is this Charles Smith guy. Completely interesting. He spent fourteen or fifteen years living in Denmark managing rock bands. He has this wild, curly hair and a wild personality.

J: The label is funny. They're all austere and black and white. They definately stand out amongst other bottles. He's very creative when it comes to branding--we read he named it for the cow crossing signs you randomly see in the countryside. Why he'd associate cow signs and Merlot is probably another story.

J: I agree that this wine is really velvety smooth. We are killing this wine pretty quickly. One blogger we read remarked that he didn't initially like this wine, but after four or five days it grew on him, and he decided it was all right. Which, to me, is a cardinal sin to let a bottle sit around for a few days.

K: It's way too easy to finish a bottle of wine, in my opinion. A bottle is technically four glasses, if you do proper pours.

J: Yeah...I don't do proper pours.

K: Have you ever drunk wine straight from the bottle?

J: Wine, no--sparklers or Champagne, yes.

K: That's very gangster of you. I have several times after tastings and the store is closed and we're "finishing" bottles.

K: Charles Smith is associated with K Vintners (remember us talking about the Bitch Grenache?) and the Magnificent House Wine Co. All instant gratification wines--or as he calls it--The Modernist Project. The idea is that most people like to drink their wine right away, instead of setting it back to age for years in a cellar. So he wanted to make easy, but tasty wines you can drink now.

J: I know this is going to sound weird, but I think this wine would go well with a roasted turkey. Usually at our Thanksgiving tastings we offer Pinot Noirs or Beaujolais Nouveau--but I think this would be a nice pair.

K: I could see that with dark meat. I think the supple texture would compliment fresh salsa. Or caprese salad. With farmer's market basil and those little, fresh mozzarella balls we have? I think they're called ciliegine. Can't pronounce it, but they're good.

J: All in all, I think we picked out a good table wine. Surprisingly, this one retails for approx. $13 which is very affordable for a wine to take to a BBQ or one to have on hand when it's just you and your sweetie. I would recommend this to anyone, and I'm happy to report that I will now try more merlots.

J & K: Happy Summer everyone!

2005 Spadafora Alhambra

WELCOME BACK TO THE K & J SESSIONS! Maybe next week we should go domestic--but we can't help it. We've almost entirely drunk our way through Australia and New Zealand. In addition, we also tend to like Latin American wines and Spain as well. Stepping outside of our comfort zone countries, we thought tonight we'd take a trip to Italy.

TONIGHT'S WINE: 2005 DEI PRINCIPI DI SPADAFORA ALHAMBRA

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K: In contrast to last week's wine, this one has some subdued scents in the glass.

J: I smell honey. Grassy honey.

K: The first I picked up were cream and peaches.

J: Also freshly churned butter.

K: Butter? Oh god. Yes. I suppose all these scents go together for a white--butter, honey, grassy, creamy.

FIRST SIP

J: My first sips were floral--but it was really cold when it was first opened.

K: It's a definate departure from the scents. Mineral, but not at all dry. And I agree with the floral, but it's really just a whisper of it right now.

...ABOUT AN HOUR LATER...

K: Well, the time it took for our wine to reach optimum temperature, we did a little extra research on the grapes in this one.

J: This is a blend of two grapes that were new to us--Catarratto and Inzolia. The wine is mostly Catarratto (85%). Of course, we're drawn by obscure grapes. Anything that is a challenge. Good choice tonight, K.

K: Thanks. I know Inzolia is the second most planted grape behind Sangiovese. But our research brought us to a fantastic item of trivia you can bring up at your next wine tasting or wine party.

J: Yes. We are suckers for random trivia.

K: The "Wine Lake" effect is a European problem of supply versus demand. The EU produces more wine than it acually sells--1.7 billion more bottles of wine than it sells.

J: That's 141,666,666 cases of wine sitting around.

K: That's insane! Kudos on the math skills, because I never would have pulled together those figures, simple as they are. Can you imagine wine going to waste--and not just some generic jug wine--but some quality grapes being turned into industrial alcohol just to keep it from sitting around indefinately and going bad?

J: Maybe they can turn that into an industry of alternative fuel. We'll all drive cars run that on European grape juice.

K: But back to our wine. Ordinarily, Catarratto and Inzolia are blended with another Italian grape, Grillo...and that makes Marsala. Despite Marsala being this rich, velvety, sweetened wine (and also the most important ingredient in Chicken Marsala)--this wine is crisp and melony.

J: I get lemons too, on the entry.

K: I'd say it opens with cantaloupe and lemon, and finishes--almost sweetens a bit--to honeydew.

J: But it's a very short finish.

K: Yes. Which is probably why it's so easy to drink, and the bottle is disappearing so fast.

J: Definately. We dote on red wines.

K: They last so much longer because we sip and sniff and mmm and ahh like idiots. Good thing no one can see us do this in the office.

J: But, 'tis the season to be drinking an easy white wine. You should always be building your personal wine stock. I would consider serving this with seafood.

K: Ohhhhh, with mussels! Actually, if you dumped it in the pot with the mussels and some garlic, shallots, butter, and some fresh flat-leaf parsley.

J: It's definately a cooking wine. Very versatile. One for the pot, one for the cook. Repeat.

K: It could also go with the aformentioned Chicken Marsala. And as a result of you mentioning the lemony flavors, I could also see this being paired with lemon tart, lemon bars, lemon merengue pie...

J: So good also with shrimp. Shrimp cocktail or shrimp scampi.

K: ...and the wine could go right into the pan with the scampi.

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Our white Italian blend could be your next wine for a night of grilled fish or citrusy desserts--all for under $13.

2007 Estripe Bonarda

WELCOME BACK TO THE K&J SESSIONS!

Once again we're slackers--or rather, vacationers--J was on vacation for a week, and I was left to drink wine all alone. Which is something you don't really want to write about. In any event, we are back in the office, and it is a Monday, so you know we have a bottle open and are ready to drink and discuss.

TONIGHT'S WINE: 2007 ESTRIPE TONBERT OAKED BONARDA

K: Welcome back, J. Although, you were back last week and we had that great Verdejo we didn't have time to blog about.

J: Yes. A decent white--tingly and mineral. But i'm glad we're back to reds this week.

J: This wine smells like blackberry Bordeaux.

K: Kind of like overly fragrant Zinfandel. Sweet tobacco; and almost bready. It has been smelling up the office since you opened the bottle...it smells like someone broke a bottle of wine, it's so powerful.

J: All right, i'm dying for the first taste.

FIRST SIP

K: Burnt toast.

J: When we first opened this about 45 minutes ago, the scents were a little yeasty. I definately get that. And blackcurrant.

K: Tart blackcurrant. And the tobacco carries over, but no longer sweet.

J: Plums and prunes on the finish.

K: I agree with the prune, not so much plum for me.

J: I think this wine needs at least three sips before you get to the heart of the flavors. It's an overwhelming wine at first. There's a lot of alcohol upfront.

K: FUNNEL CAKE!

J: What?

K: That scent just above the glass, the sweet yeast scent that was really diffusing into the room? It smells like funnel cake. Ahhh, I love funnel cake.

J: Would funnel cake go with this wine?

K: We need to focus. Food is such a distraction for us.

J: There are nice, long, and low legs in the glass.

K: It is 13.9 A.B.V. I suppose that's about standard for grapes from hot climates.

J: So let's talk about this mysterious grape Bonarda.

K: It's a ridiculous grape.

J: Copy that.

K: Our research on this grape has produced a lot of conflicting information. It used to be the most widely planted grape in Argentina, a few years ago--but now it's back to Malbec. Apparently, they interchange every few years.

J: Also, Bonarda has been likened to the French Douce Noir (meaning "sweet black") grape. In Italy there is a grape by the name of Dolcetto ("Dolce Nero" to the Italians, which also means sweet black), so people tend to believe they're the same grape because the translation means the same thing. But they're opposites.

K: Yeah, Bonarda/Douce Noir is a dark, brooding, tannic wine, and the Dolce Nero is a light bodied, fruity wine.

J: Are you confused yet? It's like solving word problems.

K: And then California grows a small lot of Bonarda, but it's called Charbono. It was BROUGHT to the US from Argentina, but no one knows how it was brought to Argentina, though there are grape varieties that are very similar in Italy. Like I said, this grape is ridiculous.

J: Ahhh, sometimes I long for a simple Cab. This is tasting better the longer it is opened. The alcohol is really burning off.

K: It is. It's really mellowing...now that it's been open an hour. I think it could stand up to a lot of different kinds of food. We can talk about food now that we've actually discussed the wine.

J: So, an hour or more of air on this bottle and you get a silky wine. There is definate tannin in this, but not the kind that roughs up your tongue. Ribs. Ribs would be good with this.

K: Yes...any sort of good cut of meat. T-bone steak. Beef tenderloin. It makes me ravenous--it would be so good with steak that is more rare than you'd usually eat.

J: A really strong cheese would pair up well. Tipperary Cheddar, Manchego--salty cheeses. Or that really rich Delice de Borgogne.

K: I could smear Delice on anything and it would be good. It has so much buttery goodness, you night as well just eat a stick of butter. I feel that this wine would be good with any sort of slow, romantic meal you would plan for someone. It's not a wine you could rush through and move on to another bottle. It's a wine that would carry through dinner and onto dessert (dense chocolate cake), and probably after. A wine you can dote on.

J: Flourless chocolate cake...where one slice weighs three pounds and the crumbs stick to the back of your fork. Or dark chocolate cheesecake.

K: Anything rich and decadent pairs well with this wine.

J: We have a (high maintenence) winner tonight!

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2008 Sainstburry Rose of Pinot Noir

WELCOME BACK TO THE K & J SESSIONS! It seems we've gotten some momentum going, and are now posting every week. Maybe it's the nice weather prompting us to drink more whites and roses (as we are devoted red wine junkies), and we need more non-reds in our repertoire to recommend for those wanting to enjoy a bottle of wine outside. We are on a crusade to save roses from their bad rap and association with the not-so-reputable White Zinfandel, one bottle at a time.

TONIGHT'S WINE: SAINTSBURY 2008 CARNEROS VIN GRIS OF PINOT NOIR

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K: Just to clarify things, "Vin Gris" is a term used in the Bordeaux region of France to refer to a rose made from Pinot Noir.

J: Even though this is made west of Napa Valley. It does have a pretty label.

K: Yup. I think they took a picture of their winery, ran it through Photoshop and hit the Van Gogh button.

J: Scents...I get bread dough.

K: Like the bready scents of champagne? I get that now that you've mentioned it! It still has the slight scent of cherry Jolly Ranchers--maybe a tiny bit more floral. Our new South African Mulderbosch Rose of Cab has lots of that cherry Jolly Rancher flavor--but more tart than sweet. It would be a stellar wine for the rose novice.

J: Nothing too unique about the color, I think it's the average rose color. Kind of a washed out red.

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FIRST SIP

K: I don't get a lot of flavors at first. But once I add a little air to it, it's vegetative. Like crispy, crunchy lettuce--which doesn't sound appetizing for a wine. But it's refreshing.

J: I get that plus minerality. These are initial flavors, but die off rather quickly. Short finish.

K: It hangs on long enough to really bloom on the palate once you swallow. That's where all the flavors are. Cherries. Maraschino cherries.

J: This is a hard one. It's rather good, it's just hard to pinpoint all the things going on in it. You definately don't want to serve it too cold.

K: I agree, there. Rose that is too cold tastes like watered-down soda.

J: Now i'm getting hints of vanilla. I think as the wine warms, it brings the vanilla forward.

K: So this is more of an advanced placment rose. Complex and tasty.

J: It would be delicious with white cake. A big, dense , layerd slice of white cake.

K: Ooooh, like the white cake with the whipped frosting from SuperTarget! Roses actually fill the niche that white wine doesn't cover--foods that are deeply spiced or meatier kinds of fish.

J: I think you can pair them with just about everything. Since we're always hungry, this one will work out well for us.

Dominio de Tares Baltos 2005

Welcome back to the K & J Sessions. For tonight's wine, we had to do a little research. Okay, a lot of research--but mostly because we're geeks for trivia. Our wine is comprised entirely of a little known grape called Mencia, from an even lesser-known region of Bierzo.
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TONIGHT'S WINE: 2005 DOMINIO DE TARES BALTOS

J: I picked this wine tonight...mostly based on the label. I mean, it's something i've wanted to try--but the label sealed the deal.

K: It's a completely bizarre label! I can't even discern what the hell is on it. Dogs?

J: I'm thinking it's bunnies or people.

K: And then there's some raised, textural thing on the surface...

J: Oh yeah, it's embossed!

K: It's just weird. Odd enough to pique our interest.

J: The grape is interesting too, after all our nosing around on the internet.

K: This should be a good evaluation, considering I'm a bit hungry and apparently you are a better taster when your mouth is salavating.

J: This wine is a ruby pink.

K: A bit fuschia.

K: I get salon scents right when I stick my nose in the glass. Remember when you were a kid, and your mom would take you along to the salon, and everything smelled like a perm? Like fruit overcome by chemical.

J: No berry scents at all on my end. Wood scents, like sticks. Kindling.

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FIRST SIP

J: No scents of berries...but berry flavors.

K: The berry is faint and completely unsweetened and raw. I get cigar box, too.

J: Yes.

K: There is something botanical going on in it--juniper. Gin drinkers, this is the red wine for you.

J: Dry and woodsy on the palate. It's aged very briefly in American and French oak. Not tongue-shriveling dry, tongue-tingling dry. I like it. I'm shocked at how cheap it is. About $15, right?

K: Yep.

J: I was thinking how Bierzo is this small (9,000 acre), isolated area of northwestern Spain, and I would think that as relatively tiny it is, the wines would be rather expensive.

K: I'm surprised about that too--but if you think about it, everything in this region is worked by hand. Fields and vineyards are still plowed by horse-drawn plows, and most people in this region live communally. There's probably low overhead. I mean, they still divide up land by Napoleonic code (meaning land is divided equally amongst heirs of deceased landowners).

J: I'm amazed at how this grape is intense and delicate at the same time. There's so much complexity to it, but apparently contains less alcohol content than the average Spanish grape--

K: Like a Tempranillo or Granacha.

J: Right. But it's just high-maintenance enough that it can't be blended with any other grape or else it loses all its flavor and nuance. It's just really unique.

K: Though I think most of the time red wine overwhelms pork, I think this could be good with some grilled Iowa chops.

J: Nothing too spicy with this. Burgers would be good. Or, ummm...chocolate pudding. Like a creamy chocolate dessert.

K: French silk pie.

J: Oh, my God.