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.

2005 Barrel Monkeys Shiraz

Tonight's Wine:

RED HEADS STUDIO BARREL MONKEYS 2005 SHIRAZ

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J: Lots of scents flying around in the glass. All berry fruits. We carried this wine last year and the year before--but not this vintage. We haven't had it in since we sold out of the previous vintage.

K: Toast and jam! Actual toast scents. But you can't go wrong with a wine that states clearly on the label, and I quote, "WHY THE BARREL MONKEY IS A SEXUAL MISFIT." Barrel Monkey being, of course, a lakey who works in a winery.

J: Ohhhh, I think we know a few of those who are both. This wine is definately earthy, woody, mossy...

K: My nose could be completely off at the moment--allergies--but I get a slight, fresh crisp scent here. Like when you break a stalk of celery in half.

J: This wine is completely opaque. There's a larger meniscus on this than most other wines.

K: It does. A big raspberry-colored ring around the surface of the wine.

FIRST SIP

J: Okay, my first sip gave me spicy fruit. But the subsequent swallow showed no spice at all. Maybe it's because I haven't had wine in a week.

K: Some online reviews of this wine talked about dryness. I don't find there to be ANY dryness whatsoever. There's a kiss of tannin at the finish, but it's almost indescernable. I think there's a ridiculous amount of black fruit--black plum, blackberry, black cherry--and a tiny bit of black licorice. But more like the RJ's organic black licorice we have, which is more molasses-like.

J: Like real black licorice, not Twizzlers.

K: It's a very simple wine, don't you think?

J: Yeah. Complex, no. Delicious, yes.

K: What's the term Matt loves to abuse? Fruit bomb?

J: Exactly.

K: It's just so good. Now that i've had more of it, the tannin is building at the finish. It still doesn't overwhelm. Actually, it makes the finish longer.

J: This would be a good wine for someone making the jump from white wines to red. Everyone is terrified of "dry" wines--the belief that if something isn't sweet, it's dry.

K: Oh yeah! This would be a great transition wine! I don't want to use the word approchable, because it's overused.

J: This shiraz is $18.50, has a 16.0 ABV-

K: Jeez. Might as well be port.

J: Anyway, it's not as huge as some huge fruit wines--zinfandel and cab drinkers would be amiable to this.

K: And it would be good with anything grilled. Or salami. The pepperoni and panetini we were eating brings a little spice to the wine.

J: But definately not that Jarlsberg! No swiss cheese with this. Kills the flavor.

K: We are the masters of finding food that DOESN'T go with our wine.

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That's this week's submission! Drop in and see us sometime soon. Or just come by Beerfest on Saturday, May 16th--our biggest event of the year. Live music, food, 75+ beers, and mass amounts of merriment.

FINALLY.

WELCOME BACK TO THE K&J SESSIONS! We're really terrible at keeping up with this, aren't we? Some reorganizing of the international wine room and catagorizing the loose bottles of beer on the far wall were an ongoing projects for us, and we'd run out of time to really sit down and drink and analyze a bottle of wine. Now that we have a free moment, let's discuss...

TONIGHT'S WINE, MARCH 09, 2009 : Terre Rouge California Syrah, 2004

K : It was my pick tonight.

J : I'm excited because we haven't had a Syrah in a long time. We seem to forget about Syrah sometimes.

K : I chose this one because it's a 2004, and I figured some time would probably smooth it out--it's 14.5 ABV, so I thought it would be pretty intense.

J : I opened this about 45 minutes ago...it's had some time to breathe. It has a pinkish-brown hue to it.

K : I just had some blackberries yesterday, and this wine is exactly what they smell like.

J : Agreed. And some spice. I can't really pin down the spice, but it's there.

(FIRST SIP)

J : Major woody cinnamon stick on the palate.

K : It's that kind of dryness that makes your tastebuds kind of tingle and stand up.

J : Like your tastebuds are doing the wave.

K : Yup. After the cinnamon, it goes to apple. Not really the fleshy part of the apple--more like apple skin. What's kind of apple is a little softer, not so overly crunchy. Pink Lady?

J : Gala? Does that sound right?

K : Yeah, Gala. Gala apple skin on the finish.

J : Then it goes back to cinnamon--a softer cinnamon--after the apple. It has a long finish.

K : I'm not going to have any problems finishing off this bottle.

J : Actually, Matt should try this. He would like it.

K : There isn't going to be any left!

J : Nope.

K : Sometimes I hate the things they print on the back of the bottle: " In the tradition of our other syrahs, this wine has great flavor intensity and mouthfeel. It is made with current enjoyment in mind, rather than longevity. Enjoy it at home or your favorite restaurant."

J : That means nothing.

K : It's as though you haven't had your own wine at all. It's so non-specific.

J : How about that one wine, Bitch?

K : What??

J : Crap, sorry. The Bitch Grenache from Austraila.

K : Ohhhhhh.

J : All it says on the back label is "bitch" over and over.

K : Novelty wine is kind of cheesy, but that one is pretty good. How's the dark chocolate with our Syrah?

J : Considering this dark chocolate isn't so dark (55% cacao), i'm not a fan. It dries out the wine.

K : You know, it actually makes the wine taste waxy.

J : So no chocolate with this one. What food would go with it--how about poultry?

K : If it was more gamey poultry, like pheasant.

J : Something in a red sauce. Chicken parmesan. That would be good.

K : That sounds so good right now.

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There you have it--the K&J Seal of Approval! A good syrah under $20. Stop down to Benz and see us soon.