No Wine Over $20-Reviews and the LA Wine Scene

I am not finished with the recent entry about corresponding the wine to the season. The good dokker calls it wine intelligence. I agree. The immediate objective is to provide a few simple guidelines for how to know what to take to a wine dinner-slash-tasting. The longer term objective is to give some hints on how to enhance your enjoyment of wine.

The impulse that we must all fight is to take a heavy-hitter that we believe will guarantee savvy and breeding. Wrong. The better aspiration is to bring a bottle that fits a set of criteria, such as the taste of the host, the meal being served, the other wines, e.g., a theme‚ and the SEASON or time of year. Cabs in summer? Fogettum. Albariňo for Thanksgiving? Not really. Perhaps it is time for a seasonal wine chart instead of another tasting wheel? This past week we tasted an array of wines that showed intelligence on the part of the guests who trotted them out. Here are the notes. You can ascertain the reasons why.

2006 Chateau des Baumelles Bandol $16: Another rosé from Southwest France. I guess we will just keep drinking these until winter hits SoCal and the temps drop to 60 overnight. What is not to like? Well balanced with just the right amount acidity that, combined with the perfectly ripe fruit, gives the perfect mineral flavor. I liked this one quite a bit and will purchase some more. All rosés are not the same although they do share many similarities. And they seem most enjoyable in the summer season. 13.1% alcohol.

2005 Domaine de Fondreche Cotes du Ventoux Instant Rosé $15: The label with the cute "Instant" name says "for the American market." Great. I am buying. Cotes du Ventoux is in the Rhone region which is north of Provence. So what's in the bottle? Grenache, syrah and one or two more grapes in combo? Alcohol is 12.8%. Wine is more ripe than the Bandol above but you would still probably not mistake this for a California product. This is one of those rosés that supports the stereotype all rosés taste alike. Compared to the Bandol it comes in a distant second. I am glad I tried it. Purchased at the local premium wine store Woodland Hills Wine Company (but not a Steve tout!).

2003 Magnien Morey St Denis Herbuottes ~$20: Now this is smart wine toting. Bring this to a dinner to which you are invited and everyone will be impressed with whatever-heck-was-that-wine-you-brought. The designation (MSD) is lighter for red Burgundy. While Burgundy is arguably the most expensive and collectible region among wine cognoscenti, the region of Morey St Denis is not what the big collectors search out and bag like the big game hunters they are. Why? Because it is just an ordinary little village that makes great wines in certain vintages from the same fricking grape that goes into DRC La Tache or Romanee Conti. Some will laugh and more will scoff at my declaration‚Ķnevertheless, this bottle is plenty of evidence that what I say is at least worth looking into. North Berkeley Wine seems to have an exclusive with this producer. NBW selected the barrels and had it bottled just for them. This is the kind of red wine one can drink with sockeye salmon on a totally relaxed summer night discussing presidential candidates and children and/or choices in prospective spouses. Great nose, fruit is right there, violets, tannins. Good fruit flavors‚ raspberry? - right up front. Tastes like the best wines from the 2005 Beaujolais vintage. Even better. Holds up for a couple hours. Wonderful wine.

2005 Curran Grenache Blanc $24: My last bottle from the 2005 vintage. My experience with this wine is consistent as 100+ heat in Palm Springs in August. This wine needs time. I first tasted the 2004 at the Wine Cask March tasting and it was not appealing. I did not understand the grape of the wine, especially as constructed by Ms. Curran. I next had it at a tasting I put together at which Kris Curran poured the same vintage. Blew me away. Where did all the honey and peaches come from? I bought the 2005 and sat on it for 6 months. Drank it Thanksgiving 06. Perfect with bird and stuffing showing the same rich peach and honey flavors. Tasted the 2006 a few weeks ago and covered it here. Not even close to ready. But now I know better. This 2005 is now almost 18 months past release. Honeysuckle nose with acid evident on the nose. The wine is viscous, rich, exhilarating. We kept tasting it against the Morey St Denis. I know. Sounds silly but it held up impressively. Sip of Morey. Sip of Curran. Stupendous. Probably the two most memorable wines so far this summer (excluding the 1995 Dehlinger Pinot Reserve).

Part two in a couple days; a Santa Rita Viognier and a couple domestic Pinots.

The Basque country is in northwestern Spain on the border with France and includes the Navarre region. The French resort Biarritiz is right over the county line [ed. tBoW's first link to wikitravel]. Notable Basque towns include Bilbao and San Sebastian although Hondarribia (near San Sebastian) is certainly one of the most charming. This is the road less traveled when it comes to Spanish tourism. Good for you!! Area highlights include Bilbao's Gehry-designed museum, knocked off repeatedly, even by himself, (see LA's Disney Hall) and the surfing town of [ed. to prove the point side by side pics can be examined at bottom] and Mundaka...

(arguably Europe's most renowned surf spot tucked into a river entry cove on the road to Bilbao.

Basques are proud people and do not consider themselves to be Spanish...or French. More like Greek with their cyrillic script, abundant use of the letter "x", affection for desolate churches and balalaika-like string instruments. Many battles with the French and Spanish have been fought to preserve the national identify.

Count on lots of seafood and regional wines which are brisk and lean whites. tBoW did review a Basque Rose a few weeks ago. Something about being so lean you could easily whistle while sipping.

These wines are not California or French chardonnays nor are they in the same basket as German and Austrian Rieslings. Maybe the Gruner Veltliners. More along the lines of white Rhone style wines, however, they are unto themselves and not having any appeal to or interest from the "Parklander Beast" these wines remain true unto themselves displaying unflinching regional pride. Oh bully!!

2005 Segrel Pablo Padin Albariño $15: Purchased at K&L. Sour say the Missus. I would agree but sour as in a green apple mashed up with a lighter lime. Clean and still a bit lush. All of 12%.

2006 Quinta de Couselo "Turonia" Albariño $17: The other K&L purchase. Crisp, bitter in a brash and not caustic fashion. Clean, not as rich as the Padin but also more bracing. Liked this wine and would buy it again. 12.5%

Had dinner with friends who are Tablas Creek wine club members so there was plenty to choose from. Here is what we came up with.

2005 Cote de Tablas ~$16: The entry level blend in 2005 was 43% Grenache, 24% Mourvedre, 18% Syrah and 15% Counoise. Now I do not know about you but that blend sounds just about perfect on paper. Nose is gently red and toasty. Flavors are creamy, Syrah seems to stand out. Consistently a great value and delicious wine. Have had it in past three vintages and it was excellent each year. 14.8%

2004 Cote de Tablas $14: 64% Grenache, 16% Syrah, 13% Counoise, 7% Mourvedre. Doncha wonder how they decide the distriibution of grapes? Wouldn't you assume it is a function of the winemaker's palate? I will tell you right now that is a fair assuption that is most likely DEAD WRONG. The wine, nevertheless, is wonderful. Still have a few more waiting to taste the business side of the Laguille opener. Grenache dominant and has the powdery sublime fruit that is soft and seductive like a lithe and sinewy even a touch zaftig ballerina...like Brigitte Bardot!! [ed. that's right...a classicallly trained ballerina hope you'd like to know]. Never seen a zaftig ballerina you say?

2003 Esprit de Beaucastel$36 on release: 50% Mourvedre, 27% Syrah, 16% Grenache, 7% Counoise. Rich, deeper than the Cote de Tablas. Softly smoky. Very nicely developed at 5 years. I am very pleased as this is the first Esprit de Beaucastel to be opened from the wine club shipments. With the higher alcohol I do not taste the heat. These are both very good, well made wines. The vines are in ten years and the fruit is showing wonderful if still youthful maturity. It is just terrific that they have all their homeland fruit to choose from transplanted in the Paso vineyard. 14.8%

Having been a TC Vinsider member (the wine club) for a few years AND understanding that TC wants their reds to take some age, my TC tasting experience has been limited to the white wines. All more or less very good and some outstanding (Bergeron, Rousanne, Grenache Blanc, and one 2003 Esprit de Beaucastel in a split which is their serious white Rhone blend that should also take a few years). The only red I have really tasted is the Cote de Tablas however it was was good enough to join the wine club. Now having tasted the 2003 Esprit red my positive instinct is confirmed.

2004 Coudoulet de Beaucastel Red Cotes du Rhone $18: So this is the "baby Beaucastel" from the Tablas Creek granddaddy; i.e., it is the entry level bottle from the mothership, Chateau de Beaucastel. I did not know Beaucastel even made this wine. My remembrances are with the Chateauneuf du Pape. Even though they are both similarly allocated estate grapes in similar blends the "baby" Coudoulet is getting juice from younger vines. I was never very fond of the flagship Chateauneuf du Pape but I like this "baby" just fine. Has liquer-like intensity and focus. Also plenty of coffee so I am thinking Tia Maria. It is kind of simple but lovely. As a parallel to the Cotes du Tablas this is more lean with higher tone fruit. Given the two to choose I take both side by side. If choosing between the Esprit and the Chateuaneuf du Pape I take the Esprit every time. A Costco buy. Winna Winna Chicken Dinna. 14%.

2003 Crozes Hermitage Cuvee Sassenas $19: Picked this wine up at the new Wine Cask in our neighborhood. The high end operation that created the Santa Barbara Futures program has finally come south. So what if it's housed in a former art glass retail shop. The glass pieces are spectacular. Not my style but someone who likes wine will surely buy a big glass piece. In the meantime, this wine bodes well for customers of the new store. Domaine Maxime Chomel has the steep hillside Syrah vineyards that make up this bottle. The wine has cherries and cranberries. Tannins evident but soft. Have to call this good value at 5 years old. 13.5%

TIME OUT. tBoW wonders why he does not taste the same stuff he reads in other reviews. For example, here is a nice brief review on the same wine.

"The 2003 Crozes-Hermitage could easily be a luxury cuvee. Dense purple to the rim, with hints of incense, licorice, creosote, tapenade, blackberries, and cassis, it is tannic, medium to full-bodied, ripe, rich, and heady. We stole this wine from the distributor!! Drink it over the following 12-15."

Agree the wine is a steal. I missed the licorice altogether. In fact I would say it was not there. Licorice is easy to smell and taste. Tapenade? Creosote? I had to look these up. Olives (Provencal dish) and coal tar (from beech wood). I love olives. I was in the Languedoc and am confident I ate tapenade. No olives in the wine I tasted. I also know coal tar from when I had some "hair issues" and used the stuff as treatment (Successfully thank you). I know that aroma. More to come as tBoW blows the whistle on the aroma wheel of bullshit.

Care to examine two innovative designs by Frank Gehry? [ed. NO? Take a look at this Rolex? Real gold.] Enter here...and consider...what does it mean when the world's most famous architect knocks off his own work...

first examine the Disney Hall in LA...completed 2004...

now consider the museum in Bilbao...completed in 1998...

In certain professions basing one's own work on the ideas of others is not only the highest form of flattery it is the preferred protocol. For example, in medical research or many academic disciplines, new research is always predicated on old models and studies. Is it any different in architecture? What does it mean when an architect replicates his own innovative style in new settings? And isn't it worth wondering if Gehry was inspired by Gaudi, the great Spanish architect, in creating his Iberian building?

Send in your own thoughts. Especially architects that love wine.