The Century Club

As always, if you get this as an email, please visit http://purpletooth.blogspot.com/

Hey, happy 100th blog entry!

It just so happened that I had a fantastic weekend of friends and wine for the occasion.

Last night, we ventured south on the 15 (twice actually, if you count Beth driving home and not knowing that we live closer to Riverside than San Diego. Thankfully, I directed her off at the first exit and we didn't take the kids on their first ever Mexico trip/impromptu Tijuana run). As always, it was a great trip to see the Jansens, bonus points for getting to see the Vettraino's (including new baby Zoe), and double bonus points for tremendously big Pinots. Good stuff.

balance 2009 Red Field Blend ($17.99)

I wrote about balance nearly 14 months ago, after an evening with the Grabers. I wasn't crazy about it then, and I liked the 09 even less. We had some 7 year Bass Lake Cheddar out, among other things, and balance just couldn't rise to the occasion. It started out ok, pretty good nose, very floral tasting, I was thinking "B/B-." But it was downhill from there. It got more tart and didn't finish all that well. We came to a consensus grade.

Grade: C+

Then it was showtime. Cue the Johnny Gill, "My, My, My":

Tom had some gourmet burgers and sausages to accompany these two bad boys.

Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Vineyard 2010 Pinot Noir ($44)
Wine Spectator score: 93 Points

Sojourn Gap's Crown Vineyard 2009 Pinot Noir ($48)
Wine Spectator score: 92 Points


Nothing disappointed.

In the side-by-side showdown, Belle Glos was the unanimous winner. On any other night, Sojourn would have shined. That's how yummy things were last night. Both wines were great, no, outstanding.

The Belle Glos is in the conversation for best Pinot I've had. Ever. Really big, zippy, delicious berry flavor with a long finish. Wow. Worth the rating, and worth the money.

The Sojourn just lacked a few adjectives in comparison. As I said, an outstanding wine that got better over time.

Belle Glos Grade: A
Sojourn Grade: B+

I'm a big fan of the 2010 Pinots. I'm a bigger fan of Saturdays at the Jansens.

Discovered By The Germans, 1904.

Named after the high school in San Mateo, Junipero Serra, where Tom Brady (and Barry Bonds, Lynn Swan, Jim Fregosi, Greg Jeffries and legendary coach, John Robinson ) attended.

Minassian-Young 2009 Junipero ($24)

Or maybe the Minassian-Young's have a cat named Father Junipero Serra? Or there's an outside chance it's named after Junipero Serra, founder of the Catholic mission chain in present day California. I think it's cooler if it's a tribute to Tom's HS though. Everything's cooler with Tom Brady.

Is it not?

Hey, click here e-mail recipients: http://purpletooth.blogspot.com

On to the wine.

This is becoming our new "Special Occasion Wine." Or at least our, "Family Time Wine," which is always special.

Over Labor Day weekend, my dad, Susanne, Aimee, Travis, Austin and one of his buddies came out. Aimee brought this, not knowing she was replacing the only bottle Keira has ever broken (and will ever, knock on wood). It easily stole the show from the meal, (unimpressive BBQ) while Michigan played scout team to Alabama's NFL-ready squad. Actually, I think this was the lone bright spot on the evening.

This red blend is a really rich, textured, flavorful wine. It's a tad sweet (as was their 09 Zin), but it still has a peppery finish. Lovely.

Sunday, Matt and Jen made their way out west. Again BBQ'd, this time with much better results, and cracked the Junipero. And again, it was great. I love the Minassian-Youngs. Good stuff.

Wine Grade: B+
Beth's Wine Grade: B
Family Grade: A+

Siduri- Rosella's Vineyard 2010 Pinot Noir ($35ish) Sorry, lost the receipt!

Wine Spectator 2010 Pinot report lives here.

I skimmed the list, found this bottle at Total Wine and thought I was in for something special. I bought a 2008 Siduri in New Jersey and wasn't impressed, but 08 wasn't a banner year for Pinot, so I thought they deserved another shot.

SIDURI
Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2010	91	$30
Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Ewald Vineyard 2010	92	$45
Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Keefer Ranch Vineyard 2010	94	$49
Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Parsons' Vineyard 2010	93	$45
Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands 2010	87	$30
Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Garys' Vineyard 2010	93	$50
Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Pisoni Vineyard 2010	92	$55
Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Rosella's Vineyard 2010	93	$49
Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Sierra Mar Vineyard 2010	92	$49
Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2010	88	$30
Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Sonatera Vineyard 2010	90	$48
Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2010	92	$30
Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Cargasacchi Vineyard 2010	92	$50
Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Sebastiano Vineyard 2010	93	$48

That's a pretty impressive stat sheet. I found their 2nd highest rated bottle for $15 less than the Spectator price. This called for salmon!

Well, the salmon won the meal. Siduri didn't even put up a fight. It was a little too light (for my big style Pinot taste), a little too bumpy (not smooth), and a little too dry. As we finished the bottle, wishing there was a new Breaking Bad to watch, but settled for Dexter, Beth said, "It's getting worse." Not a good sign.

I do have to say, I'm in 100% palate agreement with the Wellesley Wine guy. He didn't have Siduri on the list. I'd take Wagner's Meiomi at $15 less everyday of the week.

Grade: C-

But this was really good with our shrimp cocktail appetizer with Peter Lugar's steak sauce that Max ate almost all of.

Let's Cook.

Much thanks to all who clicked the http://purpletooth.blogspot.com last time. There's more of you out there than I suspected! 

Perhaps I've been under the influence of Breaking Bad lately, not to the point of kickstarting my own meth lab, but when I saw those pretty blue bottles of Euro juice, I went right in with two hands. 

The bottle on the left, Han's Schiller 2010 Liebfraumilch ($3.99),
I discovered a few months ago. I thought I was on the cutting edge of discovery, and sure enough, 6 weeks ago, Total Wine had a huge mid floor display of the blue. My secret is out and I couldn't be happier.

If you're at all into semi-sweet white wine, there's not a huge reason to drop over $4 on a bottle of something decent. I had the Liebfraumilch before cracking my favorite German Riesling, Monchhof, and honestly, I can't say the Monchhof was that much better, certainly not $10 better.

Grade B+  (price curve: A)

On the right, Blue Nun Ravaner ($7 I think) is just ok. It's a little tarter and dryer than the Liebs. I'd pass

Grade: C

What else in cheap consumption you ask?

Castellana ($6ish)

This was a cheap Italian dry wine that exceeded my very low expectations. We had it with a thrown together pasta dinner mid-week. Not bad at all.

Grade: C+

Whitley Gardens 2009 California Zinfandel ($5.99)

$6 for a Zin with a "Staff Member Pick" tag hanging on it? Sure, why not. Based on the price and it's light color I thought it'd be crap, but it wasn't. I'll pick it up again.

Grade: C+

I'm looking forward to cracking something good Saturday night. I'm thinking a big pinot. Whatdya got?

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

I just felt like a little Janet Jackson to get things going. Speaking of doing something for me, if you get this as an email, would you mind viewing this from the webpage, http://purpletooth.blogspot.com ? I'm really curious to see how many people read this thing. Gracias.

Now then. It's been hot. I've been busy. And if you give me a minute, I could come up with a few more excuses for not keeping you in the loop of my nights with great friends and fine wine. I have been on a bit of a roll the past 2 1/2 weeks, though. Not drinking a lot, but when I have, it's been special.

Tres things stand out as of late. In first to worst (wine ranking order, not people or events) I break it down here.

Tom had us down with select company to surprise Meg for their 8th wedding anniversary. Actually, we weren't the surprise. The entertainment was. Tom arranged for singer/songwriter, Tyler Lyle to play a private show in their backyard. Think a way more likable David Grey. Very cool, super impressive.

"I just have to touch him." "Me too!"

Check out a video or two. Buy his album. Well worth it.

By show time, I had sampled a few of the many opened bottles. But I made sure to have the bottle of red we brought ready to roll.

Silver Horse 2009 "The Main Thing" $38.00
California Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, & Petite Sirah. 130 cases made. 

This was from day 1, second stop of our Paso trip. This place:

Ho-lee-cow. This was the best wine I've had since writing this blog. Easily. I really, really want to try it again because I'm very tempted to put it in the conversation of better wines I've ever had. It was that good.

Per chance it was the few glasses I'd had prior? Perhaps it was the company? Possibly the performance? Maybe that I'd brought it back from a great wine tasting trip? Or maybe it was just really that phenomenal.

Grade: A plus?


Bottle #2 (and 3 and 4) come from the fine folks of Wagner Family Wines. Tom cracked then double decanted 2 bottles of the 2009 Belle Glos Pinot, Los Alturas Vineyard. As you can see, it was a very special evening.

It's been well documented by me that this is one fine, big, smooth Pinot. That opinion didn't change. What I'd like to add is that a few months back I accidentally bought a 2010 version. I found out today that Wine Spectator gave the '10 a 92 Point rating, but I didn't know that going into a meal last weekend. I cracked it kicking myself for not paying closer attention to vintages. Hey oh! The 2010 is mighty fine. I'd say a bit bigger than the '09, but a tad less smooth. I'll take that trade off. I give the 2010  a slight edge.

Grade: A-

Wine Spectator Pinot Rating List Here.:


The Wellesley Wine Press also had a blogpost about 7 reliable fruit forward Pinots. Definitely worth a read.


And finally, a work conference in San Diego led me to dinner with co-workers in Little Italy at Davanti Enoteca and eating delicious food like this:

Go there. Wow.

While there, I was put in charge with ordering wine. I ventured out a bit from the norm and went with this.

Mollydooker "The Boxer" 2009 Shiraz ($27.00 at Total Wine)

I enjoyed it so much that I found it a few days later at Total Wine and brought it to Laguna Beach Saturday for dinner at Mare Culinary Lounge with my brother-in-law, J.R. and his girlfriend, Malea. 

Make that, brought it for a celebration for both of their upcoming movie rolls, prior to us going to Pageant of the Masters! Woo-Hoo! 

Congrats Again!

The Boxer Grade: B+

Notes to Self

Allow me to make a few notes for future stuff.

Next to emptying the dishwasher, taking out the trash and washing the bed sheets before we left for New Jersey, stocking up and then coming home to a solid wine stash was brilliant. Do that again, me.

While we didn't make it to Peter Luger's Steakhouse because getting to Brooklyn seemed like a PITA, I did find their famous steak sauce at the little market by the family beach house in Stone Harbor. This lead to all kinds of thoughts swirling round my head.

First, it needed to stay refrigerated, which made traveling interesting. Don't do that again.

Second, in anticipation for sampling the sauce, I had to come with a new cooking/marinading technique. Enter a cooking site Tom introduced to: http://www.seriouseats.com/ . Once there, I got wrapped up in why I should salt, and how much, when and how to grill. Information overload, especially since Beth was already working on some sides. Next time, try 1 new thing and see what I see.

As for the sauce? I liked it better as a cocktail sauce for our shrimp, um, cocktail.

On to wine...

A while back I loved this WTSO purchase and wrote this.

See that 2008 down there? 2009 is not the same. The '08 took home A-/B+/A type ratings. I would have gladly tried the '09, but the point is, I didn't notice what I'd picked up.

The 2009 version grade: B-. It did not taste nearly as good as it smelled.

In German White news, picking out a solid semi-sweet crisp wine is like bowling with bumpers.

So what'd we learn?
Stock up on wine prior to vacationing.
Order sauces that need refrigeration on-line or at a local market.
Pay closer attention to vintages.
Germany does whites well.

Vacation Consumption

We're in the final week of a 3 week east coast vacay. While the extreme heat and humidity has led me to the Hammontons and Summer Shandy more often than the vino, I've still managed to crack a few bottles worth mentioning.

First, Monchoff has some competition in the under $15 Riesling category.

We've had this a few times and it's been loved by all. Super crisp, clean, not too sweet. Like Monchhof, St. Urbans-Hoff makes a $25ish priced Riesling. I haven't tried either of the higher end bottles. I'm slightly curious, but maybe in a shallow sort of way, I question how much better it could get. This is rock solid.

Grade: A
Beth's Grade: A

In Italy news, Beth and I found that not all Italian wines taste like Chianti. We spent 2 nights in New York City (fantastic trip, btw) and what we discovered was that the 2 Italian restaurants we went to for dinner, Becco and Gallo Nero, both in Hell's Kitchen, only offered Italian wines.

Dinner @ Becco with Kaldi and his, um, work friend!

Dinner at Gallo Nero

I should've taken some pics, for I can't recall what varietal they were, but I felt odd snapping pics of wine bottles in swanky Manhattan restaurants, (though it didn't bother me to wear the same shirt two nights in a row). I apologize. But there is hope for Italy after all!



Last night we celebrated Beth's and her mother's birthdays at La Campagnola, the Italian restaurant where Uncle Pete is an assistant to the chef. I've picked out a few bottles to bring:

2007 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon and 2008 Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma


The food tonight was tremendous. It was a solid 4 course meal with apps of clams casino, calimari, bruschetta, caprese salad. Then dinner salads, followed by my entrée option, a double bone in pork chop in a balsamac reduction sauce with baked sliced apples, augrautten potatoes, and veggies. Then we topped it off with just about everything on the dessert menu from cheesecake to gellato, teramisu, and peanut butter pie. I don't need to eat til Wednesday. Phenomenally full. 


As for the wine, both bottles were smash hits (I also brought along a bottle of the Riesling mentioned above). I think the table was split on a favorite. The girls seemed to favor the velvety smoothness of the Faust, while us gentlemen seemed to lean towards the slightly spicier, peppery yet smooth Zin. Both were great though.


Faust Grade: B+      Seghesio Grade: B+



Oh, and yesterday, Joe and I did a barrel tasting at Sharrot Winery in Winslow, NJ. It was a cool concept in the barrel room, sampling the barreled 2011 Cab Franc, Cab Sauvignon, and Chambourcin (I hadn't heard of it either), side by side with bottled versions from 2010.

Obligitory pic that proves I was there, that I'd heard of them first:

Hope everyone's enjoying their summer. Cheers!

White Report

Every few trips to Total Wine, I seem to agree to a shopping theme in my head. A few weeks ago as I parked the car I decided to try whites, mostly "Euro trash" (I think I succeeded), but from grapes I had little to no knowledge of. I did however, throw the basic Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler Riesling into the mix for no good reason.

It's summer 2012, so enjoy the White Report:

New Zealand moscato

Mallee Point Moscato ($5.99)

Peach, cream soda. Hint of tropical fruit. As it warmed from sitting, reminded me of flat Canada Dry. Not sickening sweet. Good on the patio and with Mexican food. 2 glass commitment, max.

Grade: B-

Dr. Heidemanns DRY Riesling ($14.99)

I guess "dry" is Riesling code word for "sour." Who knew? This was too tart for me. Not sure if I should explore other dry Rieslings based on one unfavorable one or not, but I stick with wetter ones for the time being.


Grade: D-

Mueller Liebfraumilch ($6.99)


Having no idea what type of wine I was drinking, a quick Wikipedia search tells me that the word "Liebfraumilch" is a German word that literally translates to, "Beloved Lady's Milk." Nice.

Wikipedia also told me this about the grape, or should I say, region:

The generic label Liebfraumilch is typically used to market vintages from anywhere in the most of the major wine growing areas of Germany, the notable exception being the Mosel. Wine with very similar characteristics but made from higher quality grapes can be labeled as Spätlese or Auslese.


This further supports my claim that Riesling gives the biggest bang for the buck. Yes, a few bucks might get you a slightly smoother finish and the level of sweetness may vary, but from $7-$15, there's not a huge difference. Most are very enjoyable. 


Grade: B


Beth's Grade: B

Dr. Heidemann's Bergweiler 2010 Riesling ($.8.99)


I'm pretty sure I've had this before, and thought it too pineapple juicy. I still feel it's too pineapple juicy.

Grade: D+

Hans Schiller Liebfraumilch Rheinhessen 

I have no idea what's important on that label, but this was citrusy, crisp, clean and tasty. I liked it. On the sweet side, but very refreshing.

Grade: B
Beth's Grade: B

Urban 2010 Torrontes


This was one of Hi Time's, "Wine of the Months" Ok, not really THE wine of the month, but was mentioned/featured in the monthly newsletter. I was excited to try this because I'm a big fan of the Crios Torrontes.
It was good out of the gate. Much drier (not sour) than my usual Riesling go to's. It had a little melon flavor to it, and seemed refreshing. By glass 2 though, I was over it. I didn't enjoy it after that.

Grade: C

Gruner Veltliner 2010 Ried Sandgrube


An Austrian revisit. I still liked it. Crisp, clean, smooth, yet not too sweet. I'm a fan.

Grade: B

Palma Real Rueda ($6.99)


Beth opened this Spanish white while I was out and about. I got this informative text:

"Subtle notes of honey and green apple. Very light, crisp. Lacking in flavor."

I like flavor. I didn't like this.


Grade: D
Beth's Grade: C


Peace!