I led a very enjoyable tasting this evening for an avid group of participants. I will get to a discussion of "aged wines" as promised in my last post in the next few days. Until then, I will leave you with this:
I truly enjoyed 1993 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve this evening. I have to respect a producer that can maintain market share by producing wines of good quality at affordable prices but at the same time is capable of producing profound wines. Yet, Mondavi is hit or miss at the high end for me. Tonight was a hit. The best Mondavi I have tasted was the '78 en magnum (wine #12) about five years ago. At the same time I basically skipped an '87 Reserve Cab about seven years ago (a gift from a client) in favor of an $18 bottle of Jean-Louis Grippat St.-Joseph from the Northern Rhone. I wish Grippat were still alive and making affordable simply yummy wines.
In any case, I don't think the Mondavi was profund, but wow was it good. A nose of dried leaves and earth. A hint of cassis. At its peak. Perfect balance. This wine is a good example of why my personal perferences (which lean toward elegance and balance) lead me more to very good '93's than the more voplutuous '94's. I'm not saying one is better than the other, but I do so love a wine in perfect harmony, and the Mondavi did that and more...more later...
I do wish to highlight a few things I refrenced in my tasting tonight and upon which I have previously blogged. There are a few random items that came up during our tasting, so here are the relevant links:
Why don't I like what the experts do?
Because the experts, or at least, I, like balance...
Why do Chardonnays taste differently?
Birth Year Wines
Tapas
I know if you were at my tasting tonight you are curious about Liquid Gold? Here's the extended version...
Liquid Gold
Liquid Gold Part 2
And by the way, I didn't mention this tonight , but Matt Karmer does a great job of explaining most of the California wines one will encounter...
My Pick for the Year's Best Wine Book [2006]
If you participated in my tasting this evening, thank you for a splendid evening. I learned a lot.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme
I remember the first time I ever smelled sage in a wine. Not just a little hint, but plunged my nose into the glass and immediately felt as though my entire nasal passage was filled by the smell of fresh sage. (The wine was 1997 Beaune 1er Cru Greves "Vigne de l'Enfant Jesus, Bouchard Pere et fils).
While I've always been a huge fan of sage, across the board I love all fresh herbs. They are highly under-utilized by the home chef, who can add just a touch to almost any dish and improve its flavor and expression immensely. Since my plants are finally coming up, I thought I'd pass on some quick and easy ideas for what to do with your herb garden. If you DON'T have an herb garden, consider it this year. For the price of a handful of plants ($10), a few flower pots ($15) and some soil ($7) the results are, to steal a phrase, priceless.
Rosemary - cut up new potatoes, douse heavily in olive oil, garlic salt pepper and finish with fresh rosemary. Put it under the broiler. A great side for your next cookout. Or get some baker's yeast, flour, water and olive oil, mix in some fresh rosemary and put your choice of olives, sund-dried tomatoes, etc on top for easy foccaccia.
Basil - Insalata Cabrese is a favorite. Fresh buffalo mozzarella, slice tomato, and basil leaves drizzled with olive oil. Or ender fat from pancetta, sautee garlic and shallots, add whole tomatoes and basil and cook low, slow and long for a great pasta sauce.
Sage - one of my all-time favorite appetizer/first courses, from David Rosengarten: Sausage-Stuffed Radicchio Cups.
Parsley - Add chopped parsley, capers and a bit of dry mustard to Chopped Tuna for the best tuna tartare.
Send me your ideas if you have more to add, we'd love to add it to our recommendations.
(My mint is still coming alive, but you can be sure that when it does, I will be mixing up a mint julip and doing some sun tanning).
I have some interested wines to taste later in the week, and hope to explore a much discussed question, to age or not age in my next post...
While I've always been a huge fan of sage, across the board I love all fresh herbs. They are highly under-utilized by the home chef, who can add just a touch to almost any dish and improve its flavor and expression immensely. Since my plants are finally coming up, I thought I'd pass on some quick and easy ideas for what to do with your herb garden. If you DON'T have an herb garden, consider it this year. For the price of a handful of plants ($10), a few flower pots ($15) and some soil ($7) the results are, to steal a phrase, priceless.
Rosemary - cut up new potatoes, douse heavily in olive oil, garlic salt pepper and finish with fresh rosemary. Put it under the broiler. A great side for your next cookout. Or get some baker's yeast, flour, water and olive oil, mix in some fresh rosemary and put your choice of olives, sund-dried tomatoes, etc on top for easy foccaccia.
Basil - Insalata Cabrese is a favorite. Fresh buffalo mozzarella, slice tomato, and basil leaves drizzled with olive oil. Or ender fat from pancetta, sautee garlic and shallots, add whole tomatoes and basil and cook low, slow and long for a great pasta sauce.
Sage - one of my all-time favorite appetizer/first courses, from David Rosengarten: Sausage-Stuffed Radicchio Cups.
Parsley - Add chopped parsley, capers and a bit of dry mustard to Chopped Tuna for the best tuna tartare.
Send me your ideas if you have more to add, we'd love to add it to our recommendations.
(My mint is still coming alive, but you can be sure that when it does, I will be mixing up a mint julip and doing some sun tanning).
I have some interested wines to taste later in the week, and hope to explore a much discussed question, to age or not age in my next post...
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