Montauk Club Wine Club

2011-06-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

PJ's Wines

Lots of bright red fruit greet you at the nose, followed by a light mouth-feel that belies the power of this wine. Balanced tannins also meet layered acidity, in a wine that would work wonders with lamb, or braised short ribs. This is sort of the short story version of Alvaro's novel length L'Ermita, but at a price closer to a pulp paperback than an autographed first addition. - PJ

New York Times

We’re thrilled to offer you the Best Value Priorat from the NY Times (to be published Wednesday), Alvaro Palacios Camins Del Priorat 2008 ($24). Among the Priorats that Eric Asimov deemed “the real thing” and “juicy, succulent and full of distinctive mineral flavors” and that one tasting panel member even swooned “are big, and they’re strong, but they seduce . . . you taste it, you feel it, you want to touch it. It’s very visceral to me.”

The panel found Alvaro Palacios “big and tannic with flavors of plums, mineral and licorice.”

2007 Alvaro Palacios Camins del Priorat Quick swirl

WINE OF THE WEEK

  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

January 13, 2010

Few of us can afford Spanish wine star Alvaro Palacios' big dog, L'Ermita. But we can all afford an occasional bottle of his Camins del Priorat. Think of it as an introductory wine from northern Spain's rugged Priorat region. A blend of Carignan and Garnacha with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2007 Camins del Priorat is made from "younger" vines. That would be in the vicinity of 15 years old. It has everything going for it -- bright concentrated fruit, ripe tannins, silky texture, all of which make it an extremely versatile wine with food.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Bright ruby. Very sexy, perfumed aromas of redcurrant, raspberry, minerals and flowers; there's a wild, aromatic character here. Quite fresh and juicy in the mouth, with good energy to the red berry, cherry and candied floral flavors. Perfumed and energetic, with silky tannins adding shape to a long, sappy finish.

HiTimeWine.net

This is a delicious blend of 60% Carignan, 30% Granacha, 10% Cabernet and 10% Syrah. The wine is beautifully aromatic of rich fruit, florals and a touch of minerals. The palate is a pure expressions of bright raspberries and black cherries. Following is an array of clove, cinnamon and cardamon and a silky textural mouthfeel. An fantastic Priorat at an amazing price.

Sally Easton MW WineWisdom.com

Roussillon: a region for all seasons

Published by Sally on July 13, 2009

A version of this article first appeared in FD magazine, December 2005.

Deep in the far south of France, edging its southern borders into the foothills of the Pyrenees, and commanding a Mediterranean coastline to the east, lies Roussillon, the sunniest and driest region in France. Its vineyards cover about the same acreage as those of Champagne, and it is more often than not tacked onto to its much bigger neighbour, making a region covering the whole of southern France – Languedoc-Roussillon. Yet the wines of Roussillon have an identity and expression all their own.

Roussillon is drenched in both sunshine and history. Vine growing can be traced back thousands of years. And in a similar manner to Alsace, over the centuries Roussillon has passed back and forth between Spanish and French ownership, finally being settled in France in 1659. In the region’s main city, Perpignan, it is the Palace of Kings of Majorca that holds the city in its gaze, now an historic and tourist monument. Catalan culture remains strong and many people are bi-lingual.

The region has a complex geology, and much that producers speak of is to do with their terroir, and which patch of dirt best suits which of the grape varieties are used in the region.

Grenache bush vine

Red grape varieties are mainly an extension of those from the better known southern Rhône: grenache, mourvèdre, cinsault, supplemented by carignan, the best examples of which add colour, depth, acidity, and a black fruited meaty spiciness to the blend. As with neighbouring Languedoc, syrah has been planted for the past 30 years or so, to add with the local varieties. Whites are based on grenache blanc and increasingly roussanne, marsanne, plus muscat (Alexandria and petits grains) for sweet wines.

What’s rare in a dry, sunny climate is to find white wines with a freshness and minerality that is characteristic in Rousillon. Part of the explanation is altitude. Vineyards are found from sea level up to 550m above the sea. With an approximate 1°C drop in temperature for every 100m increase in altitude, combined with a tortured topography, it’s possible to envisage cooler plots of land at higher altitudes and aspects away from the sun where white grapes can flourish.

The dry, sunny climatic disposition of Roussillon enables producers to make some excellent wine to organic principles. Without regular moisture, disease pressure is low, lending viticulture to minimum intervention practices. Domaine Gauby, one of the top producers in Roussillon farms to the more rigorous biodynamic approach. Fourth generation Philippe Mercier, of Domaine Joliette which produces certified organic wines, explained: ““Organic is more a work of observation. I learn a lot by being near to the vines. You need to be near the vineyard to understand the vines and their treatment.”

One of the best open secrets of this self-contained Catalan enclave is the region’s varied fortified wines. Called vins doux naturel (VDN), these are made by adding pure grape spirit to partially fermented grape juice, to create a sweet wine. The characteristics of the grapes are preserved by using pure spirit, rather than grape brandy.

Maury, and its more famous cousin, Banyuls are made from red grapes, notably grenache, while Rivesaltes is from white. The wines can be made in more reductive (primary fruit) or more oxidative (nutty, dried and candied fruits) styles. These latter, tuilé (tawny) styles of red VDN and ambré (amber) styles of white VDN, are a perfect accompaniment to traditional English winter season fare.

Vin Doux Naturels, maturing outside

Of his Maury, Robert Pouderoux, of Domaine Pouderoux said: “We try to finish on freshness, not sugar. If you have a good tannin structure, then even with 100g/l of sugar, you don’t see the sugar, also if you have a good acidity. All the work is the balance of these three – tannin, acidity and sugar.”

Muscat de Rivesaltes is always reductive, always to be drunk within a year after the harvest. Gentle, grapey, aromatic, with an elegance and lightness of touch despite the sweetness.

As concern increases about higher alcohol levels in wine, Vins doux naturels could find themselves becoming fashionable once more. They consistently have an alcohol level of about 15% abv. This is undoubtedly similar or even lighter than muscular Australian shirazes or Californian zinfandels. At just three-quarters the alcohol level of port, they also offer a different style of digestif.

Eric Aracil, export manager for the promotional body Vins du Roussillon has suggested ““marrying the colour of wine with the colour of dessert”, which is a new twist on the idea that the wine should be as sweet as, if not slightly sweeter than, the dessert. Certainly across the styles of VDN, almost every colour can be catered for, from the palest lemon tart Muscat de Rivesaltes to the densest, darkest, most chocolatey Maury.

This article was inspired by a visit to the region sponsored by Wines of Roussillon (Vins du Roussillon).

Domaine Olivier Pithon "La Coulee" Cotes du Roussillon 2007 Slope Cellars $21.99 13.5% alc.

40% Carignan, 40% Grenache, 20% Syrah

Onyx Priorat Classic Priorat DOQ Wine Exchange $17.99 14.5% alc.

Unfortunately Onix doesn’t have a website that I could find so my info on the wine is limited, except for the fact that it is 50% Garnacha and 50% Carinena and was aged entirely in stainless steel.

My Tasting Notes -

Nose: boysenberry, leather, black tea, pomegranate, rosemary

Taste: blackberry, tea, black cherry, cinnamon

Mouthfeel: full bodied, smooth and round with intense leather tannins that creep up at the finish

Finish: Long and fruity

At under $20 this is a screaming value, with rich full bodied mouthfeel and intense back ended tannic structure. Definitely, more new world style with it’s intense dark fruit flavors but the notes of tea and dried herbs reflect the terroir of the Priorat region.

Montauk Wine Club Heads to Tornado Country (Hold Down the Ash Tray!!)

2011-04-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

Wouldn’t you know, just when tornados were beginning to tear up the Midwest, the Montauk Wine Club on April 21 decided to travel to Missouri! Why? Well, it’s kind of a long story that the Thompsons may be persuaded to tell you, but in short, we heard tell there are some mighty good native American grapes grown there. So, undaunted or perhaps made foolish by the cunning nature of alcohol, we decided to check it out. We first compared a 2010 Stone Hill Winery Vignoles (13% alcohol) from Missouri (labeled by the vintner as the “jewel of Missouri”) with a 2007 Salmon Run New York Riesling (11.5% alcohol). Then we moved on to the famous red Norton grape (what you’ve never heard of it?), which is a cross between the typical European grape and a wholly indigenous American grape. Just to make sure we got a complete picture of the Norton, we tried two: a 2007 Cross J Norton (13% alcohol) also from the Stone Hill Winery in Herrmann, Missouri (possibly no relation to the former Club manager) and a 2004 Crown Valley Norton (12.5% alcohol) from the Ozark Highlands. We thought we ought to see how they both compared to something more traditional so we pulled out an old standby – a 2006 Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. This is what we discovered.

The first white wine had a slightly deeper color but was considerably lighter on legs. Overall, it bore a nice fragrance, but a little straw and airplane glue snuck through. The taste was rather more fulfilling, starting with a basic green apple flavor laced with caraway seeds. This gave the wine an acidic, slightly sour, but not too dry effect. As it developed, a moldy, cheese flavor began to emerge, making it a great match with the cheese on the table.

The second white had a milder hue and short legs, and its smell was considerably more interesting than the first. It was exceedingly floral like smelling perfume, but at the same time had a sweet, peachy smell. The sweetness of the aroma was not so present in the taste, however. It lacked the cloying quality that one might have expected from the smell. It also had a thicker mouth feel than the first white. All in all, most of us found this wine to be surprisingly tasty, a pleasant wine to drink even if one were not held hostage to a tornado in Missouri. We unanimously and correctly picked this as the Vignoles, matching it to the vintner’s description as semi-sweet, with rich complexity and warmth. Of the two whites, we all favored this one.

When we turned to the reds, our experience turned quite bizarre. The first red wine had a rosier color, but that was not its stand-out quality. That first appeared in the smell – like someone had been smoking in the room and left the stale ash tray to ripen. Then notes of petroleum began to come out, giving the overall impression of burnt rubber. Surely, the cigarette butts flavor couldn’t carry over into the taste, or could it? Yep, it brought back memories of your grandfather smoking in his favorite chair. We ultimately concluded that this wine just needed to air out some, like for a couple of days.

Needless to say, the second red was much more pleasant. First of all, it had more of a brownish tint to it, but more importantly, it had fruity overtones, despite the tar smell lurking in the background. When it came to tasting, this wine was more astringent, dark and heavy, although it did have a slight fruit finish. This was a big wine that would stand up to a large juicy steak, for sure. There was something more reliable about it.

Moving on to the third red wine, we encountered some unusual qualities again. First there was the airplane glue in the smell, even though we detected some jammy fruit. The taste seemed to be a milder version of the first red (there’s a clue in there) with its hint of petroleum. Again, the taste had more fruit than the first red such as plums and prunes. On the other hand, it also had some citrus feel to it, like a sour lemon ball. Indeed, this was a very interesting taste. (What does it mean when someone says a food tastes “interesting”?)

The verdict? It was pretty clear that red #2 was the cabernet sauvignon. Red #1 turned out to be the Stone Hill Norton, while #3 was the Crown Valley. Interestingly, the Stone Hill retails for a higher price. One has to pay for the rare stale ash tray terroir, we supposed. The out-of-the-ordinary experience of this tasting was worth it because most of us actually preferred the Crown Valley to the other two reds.

The moral? You never know what excitement awaits you at the Montauk Club Wine Club.

So be sure to join us on Thursday, May 19, around 7:00 p.m. for more adventure. We’re going to review some basic style characteristics such as dryness, crispiness, oakiness and tannin and promise an evening of fun and delight.

See you all then!!

Suzy and Jim

Montauk Wine Club Explores Italy Again

2011-03-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

Our world tours took us back to Italy for our March 24, 2011 Wine Club meeting. And a tasty tour it was. We started out in Piedmont (in northwestern Italy) tasting a Bruno Giacosa Dolcetto d’Alba DOC 2009 (100% Dolcetto grape, 13% alcohol), a Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia Barbera d’Alba DOC 2008 (100% Barbera grape, 14.5% alcohol) and an Elvio Cogno Cascina Nuova Barolo DOCG 2006 (100% Nebbiolo grape, also 14.5% alcohol). We wanted to see whether we could taste a difference among these three varietals from essentially the same region. We tasted differences all right, but did we discern which was which? Let’s see.
Our first wine had a lighter hue than the other two, but it was a bit murky in comparison. It was fairly transparent with short-lived legs suggesting lightness of body. We were in for an awakening (I won’t exactly describe it as rude) with the smell as we encountered the sharp fumes of airplane glue. Not to worry, though, as some vanilla finally emerged as we kept trying. On the tongue this wine was pretty astringent, really tightening up the mouth. While it was smoother than the third wine, it seemed to have a lot of structure. We could definitely trace the source of the aromas as we picked up the tastes of steel and tar. This had to be one of the wines with the high alcohol content, and indeed it was the Barolo. A majority of the members picked this correctly.
The second wine was hard to distinguish from the others in color, but it seemed to have slightly more legs. Here the smell was quite sweet at first with strong fruity aromas that finally calmed down after a while. Like the first wine, this one was pretty dry, but it had a lighter, fruitier taste. Its after taste was acidic and tannic with an overlay of dried cherries. Only one member of the tour correctly picked this as the Dolcetto.
Needless to say, the third wine was the Barbera, but here too, only one tour member correctly identified it as such. It was perhaps a half a shade darker than the others. Its smell was distinctive and more complex, however, as we picked up dark fruit, limestone or clay and a little bit of spice as it opened up. The taste was very interesting, as it started out smooth and sweet and then would leave a ping on the tongue. We found this to be the most accessible of the three as it was more rustic and acidic with the familiar taste of cranberries.
We concluded our tour of Piedmont deciding that the Barolo was our hands-down favorite of the three. So we decided to see how a Nebbiolo grape would stand up against a Chianti from Tuscany, which is just to the south. For this leg of the trip we compared a Castiglione Falletto Cavalloto Langhe DOC Nebbiolo 2007 (14% alcohol) with an old favorite – Ruffino Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico DOCG 2006 (13% alcohol). This time we found it much easier to distinguish the Nebbiolo from the Chianti.
The first of the two had just a hint of orange compared to the second. It was dramatically leggy, although the legs were transparent. Some familiar scents came out when we put it to our noses, however, as we picked up the volatile fumes of petroleum mixed with spice and old shoe leather. The perfect balance of tannins, astringency, meat and tar made this a most enjoyable taste.
The second wine was slightly darker and more ruby in hue with smoother, slower legs. The smell was quite different. At first it was more floral, like rose petals, but as we continued to experience it, the fruit seemed to start to ripen and even rot, finally ending up with compost or manure pile aromas. Thankfully, the taste was much more pleasant. It was bright and spicy on a base of bruised or overripe cherries.
Not only did we all correctly choose the first of the pair as the Nebbiolo, we unanimously preferred it over the Chianti. Of the evening, our favorite continued to be the Barolo Nebbiolo, however, though we’d be happy to be stranded on the Via Appia with any one of the wines tasted this night.
Our next jaunt will be something quite different as we journey to Missouri – that’s right, the middle of the USA, of all places! We’re going to get acquainted with an up and comer on the wine scene, the Norton grape. We’ll try Nortons from a couple of different wineries and compare them with on old standby cabernet sauvignon. Then, while we’re still in Missouri, we’ll try out a Vignole, a white blend which we’ll compare with a Riesling. What could be more fun (if you happen to find yourself in Missouri)?
Some come join us around 7:00 this coming Thursday, April 21 for lots of good cheer (and some good food too at 20% off!!).
See you all then,
Suzy and Jim

Montauk Wine Club Pulls Into Port for a Taste of Chocolate

2011-02-17T13:58:00.000-08:00

In honor of Valentine’s Day, the Montauk Wine Club succumbed to a craving for chocolate, and what better accompaniment than some Port and other dessert wines. We had an interesting evening tasting a tawny port and a ruby port, both by the same vintner (W&J Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage and their Honor QH Porto Special Reserve), as well as a French muscat ( a Chapelle St. Arnoux Muscat Beaumes de Venise) and a Napa Robert Mondavi Moscato d’Oro.
The chocolate we tried came from Mast Brothers Chocolate of Brooklyn. These fellows roast and grind their own cocoa beans and then hand wrap the chocolate bars in papers they design themselves. We had two different chocolates – a dark chocolate with cocoa nibs (72% cacao) and a Dominican dark chocolate (74% cacao).
While continuously nibbling on chocolate, we started right out comparing a tawny and a ruby port. Normally, you’d think we could tell which was which by looking at the color, but the tawny that we tried had the same color as the ruby, even though it was a vintage port. The tawny was a dark ruby color with a hint of purple and slightly more viscous legs. Its aroma was potent and not so sweet. The nose had some complexity that made it less accessible, but fairly interesting nonetheless. The ruby, on the other hand, was slightly less viscous. Its aroma was simpler – more alcoholic with a greater effect on the nose.
When it came to taste, the tawny tasted quite smooth and even a bit bland. It was very fruity and sweet, but it had a hint of pepper. The ruby had a harsher less developed flavor. The real taste highlight, however, was the chocolate. In tasting the Dominican chocolate and the tawny port, it was virtually impossible to tell where one began and the other left off. The pairing of the two was absolutely seamless. This made the tawny port the unanimous favorite of the group. The same could not be said for the chocolate-ruby combination, but no one would be bothered being stranded outside of port with these two in tow.
The French vs. Napa muscat tasting was a sublime aromatherapy experience. The French version had a wonderful, floral aroma reminiscent of a gardenia corsage while the Napa was decidedly citrusy in comparison. These aromas carried over to the taste. The French was very flowery like a Chanel perfume until a bit of apricot snuck through. The Napa tasted of green apple with a bit of honey and a little bite on the tongue. Nevertheless, the Napa was the unanimous favorite of this tasting.
Both were good with the chocolate, though not quite the exquisite experience we found with the ports. The Napa actually presented a contrast with the chocolate, cleansing the palate of it. We thought we might prefer these wines with poached pears and even cheese. And speaking of cheese, we were grateful for the Club chef’s lovely selection of a pecorino, a camembert and a delightful sheep’s milk cheese called Cottage Pleasure. When we ran out of chocolate, we were definitely not out of luck.
For our next gathering, we’re going to sail on over to Italy and taste our way around the Piedmont region. So don’t miss us on March 24 around 7:00 for more good cheer.

Suzy Marquard

Substitute Moderator Drives Wine Club into a Ditch in Tuscany!

2010-10-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

The Plan:

First, compare three wines, all from the hill town Montepulciano south of Sienna, all made from the Sangiovese grape known locally as Prugnolo Gentile or the Vino Nobile: two Rosso di Montepulciano DOC (Villa Sant’Anna $34 on the Club’s winelist and Bertile 2007, $19 at Astor Wines, 12.5% alcohol) and one higher classified Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG (Bindela 2006, $22 at Astor Wines, 14% alcohol). We would be tasting three very similar wines, mostly for preference but also to see if we could identify the higher classified DOCG wine.

Second, compare a Chianti Classico DOCG 2006 ($22 at Eataly) with a Super Tuscan, Villa Antinori Rosso 2006 ($27 at Eataly). We would taste to distinguish, if possible, the Sangiovese based Chianti from the Super Tuscan blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Sangiovese.

The SNAFU:

Your substitute moderator recklessly caused the tasting to careen off its intended path by asking the wait staff to pour the Villa Sant’Anna from the Club’s winelist (intended for the first tasting) with the Chianti and Super Tuscan (intended for the second tasting), and presented these three wines as the wines for the first tasting! The tasters tried to identify the three Montepulcianos in a tasting that only included one Montepulciano. After the SNAFU was discovered, we tasted the two remaining Montepulcianos for preference and to identify the DOCG.

The First Tasting:

The Villa Antinori Super Tuscan was darkest in appearance, dark crimson to purple. The Villa Sant’Anna was browner, less crimson and more translucent. The Chianti was in between.

The Super Tuscan had an earthy aroma, while the Chianti smelled of cinnamon or something sweet. The Villa Sant’Anna had a somewhat off-putting sweet smell, reminiscent of licorice, candy or cough drops.

When we tasted, we found the Super Tuscan dry and spicy with hints of raspberry. The Villa Sant’Anna was also spicy, more full-bodied and dry, with hints of red fruit and, just at the back of the palate, black pepper. The Chianti tasted “happy”, with hints of plum, and acidity which gave it a complex balanced tartness as it coated the tongue.

We liked all the wines. We thought they all had a European style, well balanced fruit. The Chianti was the favorite (Who doesn’t like happy?), but we thought that the Villa Sant’Anna was the Vino Nobile (which in fact was in the other tasting).

The Second Tasting:

With the assistance of the entire panel, we managed to get our vehicle out of the ditch and moved on to a tasting of two, not three, Montepulcianos.

The Bertille had more legs, while the Bindella had a more purple hue.

The aroma of the Bertille was sweet, but also had a hard edge like a garage band, and even smelled of gasoline and spices. The Bindella had a warm floral fragrance of purple fruit.

The Bertille had at first a very dry finish, almost too strong. We discovered, however, that the wine loved the cheese, taking on a rich woody flavor. The difference made by pairing the wine with cheese was like day and night. The Bindella had an earthy, rich, luxurious, complex flavor of fruit and spice.

With one dissent in each case, we preferred the Bindella, but incorrectly identified the Bertille as the DOCG.

The Conclusion:

Despite landing in the ditch, no one was seriously injured. In fact, tasting what we all agreed were five good Tuscan wines enabled us to shrug off the trauma and have a pretty good time. Had the tasting been conducted as designed, would we have been able to distinguish the Super Tuscan from the Chianti? We identified some clues: the darker color and dryness of the Super Tuscan and the balanced fruit of the Chianti. Was it just the power of suggestion that made the Super Tuscan taste much the same as the Sangiovese wines? Or does the Villa Antinori, despite its Cabernet content, share the traditional Tuscan style of the Sangiovese wines? The answers to these questions, and many others, await us on the road ahead.

Montauk Wine Club Holds Second Challenge

2010-08-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

On August 19, we held our second Club challenge. The Club wines we challenged were the 2002 Schleret Riesling “Herrenweg” and the 2007 Cotes du Rhone, Manarine. As challengers, we chose wines from the new distributor’s catalog so that if we liked a challenger better, the Club would be able to begin stocking it once the Club wine inventories got low. It was a lively crowd with a lot to say, especially about the Rieslings.
The first Riesling we tried had a peachy color and just a few bubbles. Its scent was a light floral, but every bit a Riesling, just with the volume turned down a bit. After the muted floral aroma, we were a touch surprised by the fruity taste, smacking of golden delicious apples and, my favorite, bazooka bubble gum. This wine was sweet and not too crisp, very much like a spaetlese. All in all, we found it easy to drink and probably a good accompaniment to a variety of foods.
We couldn’t decide whether second white really was complex or we just had nine different palates in the room. It was a lemon yellow in color and a tad cloudy, with no bubbles. You’ll love the descriptions we had of the aroma, though they might turn you away from this wine. Words we used were smokey, gravelly, musty, dung, cigarette filter and unwashed gym socks. Wow! But we were undaunted and went ahead to taste it anyway. There was quite a bit more to the taste than met the eye or nose. We found green apples, leather, burnt rubber, watermelon and just plain old debris. Some likened it to retsina while others thought of a Kabinett Riesling. The mouth feel was strange with an almost unpleasant finish that made it seem like one was taking a spoonful of nutmeg. With all this, we decided it was complex and had character.
Our third white didn’t quite measure up to the second in complexity, but we found it a bit easier to drink. It had a gold-green color of straw with a few bubbles. Of the three this had the mildest aroma with a hint of butterscotch showing through. The taste was not a surprise, as it was a bit sweeter at first than the other two with a creamy, indeed, almost gummy mouth feel. Then some tartness began to come through that reminded us of Macintosh apples. In the end we thought that we tasted something like licorice Twizzlers which is perhaps the reason we thought this might appeal more to a college crowd. And perhaps that’s why this wine got more votes than the other two. Wine number three turned out to be a 2007 Covey Run Riesling from Columbia Valley. Number 1, which received the next highest number of votes, was a 2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling, also from Columbia Valley, and number 2, which received the fewest votes, was the Club’s selection.
The first red that we tried had the look of a syrah or shiraz in that it coated the glass quite well and seemed almost to have more solids. Its color had a browner tint compared to the other two. The smell was interesting with notes of vanilla cream, peat, popcorn with butter and fire-roasting. But where was the pepper characteristic of this varietal? Well it was hiding until the last taste when it finally came out a little. Otherwise, the flavor reminded us of black cherry cough medicine with the vanilla that we smelled showing up in fine form. Some of us thought this wine tasted more like a petite syrah.
Red number two had a surprising look to it because it was somewhat transparent and lighter looking than the other two – not what you’d expect from a syrah. When we brought it up to the nose, though, we almost started to sneeze en masse, the pepper was that strong. We wanted to marinate a strip steak in it then and there. Once we got past the pepper, however, we did catch the scent of strawberries. Then when we tasted it, we found a nice balance of pepper, blackberry and cherry.
Our final wine of the evening certainly had a syrah/shiraz look to it; it was inkier, leggier and more opaque than the other two. The nose, however, was not so distinctive as the second wine – i.e., not as much pepper. It was a tad on the funky side, more like the peaty smell of the first red, with just a hint of chlorine. The look had us a little surprised when we got to tasting though. The more neutral aroma seemed to carry over into the taste, which was a lot lighter than the look would have you think. Beyond the fairly neutral taste we did pick up some olives, but again, very little of the spice or pepper you’d expect from this grape.
When we got to voting, one of our members (who shall remain nameless of course) refused to vote in favor of any of the wines. The rest of the members were much more favorably disposed. While the first red got a couple of votes, number two was the clear winner. And it was the Club selection! Red number one was a 2005 Kendall Jackson Syrah from California, and number 3 was a 2006 Ravenswood South Eastern Australia Shiraz.
Our next Club meeting will be devoted to Tuscan wines when we’ll pit a few challengers against the Club’s 2005 Rosso di Montepulciano. Don’t miss it. We’ll get started around 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 16, 2010. Hope to see you all there.

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Wine Club Brings Out the Vuvuzelas

2010-06-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

On June 24, the Montauk Wine Club conducted our own "World Cup" revelry with some wines from South Africa. Each time we voted on a wine, our choices were accompanied by vuvuzela sound effects thanks to one of our loyal members. We first tried a 2009 Graham Beck Chenin Blanc (14% alcohol) from the Beck family game preserve in South Africa which we matched against a 2007 Le brin de chevre chenin blanc from Touraine, France (11.5% alcohol). Then we saw how a 2008 Graham Beck Pinotage (a hybrid of Cinsault and Pinot Noir unique to South Africa, 14% alcohol) compared to a 2007 Primarius Pinot Noir from Oregon (13.5% alcohol). The score on the whites was pretty much a draw, but the South African pinotage was a clear winner.
Our first wine was honey colored with a green tint and lots of legs. Its smell was fairly complex -- grassy and mineral on one end and baked apples with honey and cinnamon on the other. The smell was bolder than the taste, which took a bit of time to develop, although the cinnamon definitely came through in the beginning. This wine did not seem to have much of a finish, making it a good candidate for stoop sipping.
Our second white paled in looks to the first, being clearer, greener and less viscous. But, this wine was much bolder in the nose with strong scents of apple and petrol. One could clearly make out a more tart and acidic aroma. That tartness and acidity showed up in the taste as well. We found much more going on here in the taste arena compared to the first white. It was both creamy and prickly on the tongue. In fact, there was quite a bit of chewiness to it and a bit more minerality compared to the first wine. It was this complexity in the taste that led most of us to believe this was the French chenin blanc, but we were wrong. This was the South African wine. We ultimately decided that the key to the first wine being French was the time it took to develop after pouring. We were evenly divided on which we liked better.
When we moved on to the reds, our task was much easier. Our first red was clearly more powerful. Its color was deeper, more opaque and more purple. One even described it as bloody, dark and mysterious. Its legs were more lasting. When brought to the nose, we were first hit with a strong scent of blackberries, although some minerality began to take over which when mixed with the berries reminded one of a rubber welcome mat. That is, until the chocolate started to come through. Definitely a lot of stuff in there. The flavor pretty much echoed the smell. We finally decided to describe it as being like a char-grilled black and blue steak followed by a dessert of berries and chocolate. Wow!
The second red had a quite different color, being browner and more transparent. In its own way, it was more welcoming. As we smelled it, some fruit began to develop, but it was a fairly simple smell of grapes. The grape jelly was discernible in the taste as well, although this wine "died on the soft palate". This was certainly not a jammy wine, suggesting perhaps that it was from a colder climate. As a result, it was pretty easy for most of us to pick this out as the pinot noir from Oregon, and the first red was definitely the South African pinotage. When it came to a vote for the favorite, we raised a unanimous cheer for the South African red.

2010-04-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

I hope to see a good crowd on May 20 at 7-ish; it’s going to be fun. And don’t forget, it’s also $10 Thursday, so plan to stay for dinner.

At our April 15 wine tasting, we achieved a perfect score! At this tasting, we were exploring oakiness, by comparing a 2008 Clos du Bois North Coast Chardonnay with a 2008 Pouilly-Fuissé Petite Chapelle, and tannins, comparing a 2007 Benziger Cabernet Sauvignon with a 2007 Ramsay North Coast Pinot Noir. Every one of us picked the oaky white and the tannic red. This only goes to prove Andrea Immer Robinson’s adage that practice makes perfect – this is the fourth time we have done the oaky and tannic tasting at the wine class. Find out how our tasting went after the jump.

We started by putting the two whites in front of us to taste for oakiness. While their color was very close, the first was perhaps a bit darker and a bit more golden. The second, however, seemed to have more viscous legs. We noticed a difference right away when we brought the wines to our noses. The first had a bolder, woody (that would be clue # 1, Sherlock) aroma, while the second was much fruitier. Our suspicions were borne out as we tasted the wines. Wine #1 had a bolder, thicker mouth feel, and we detected something beyond pure fruit (what could that be?). Indeed, this wine was made of sterner stuff like solid, old furniture. Wine #2 was quite refreshing, with the pure fruit flavor of a crisp green apple. It almost tasted like a fruit punch meant for drinking on a summer afternoon on the patio. So it was practically a no-brainer to guess that wine #1 was the California chardonnay aged in oak barrels and that wine #2 was the French Pouilly-Fuissé made with a more subtle touch.

Then we went on to the reds to look for tannins. Here the colors were more distinguishable, wine #3 being deeper, darker and inkier. In the nose department, wine #4 had a smoothness to it that paled in comparison to wine #3 with its rich, jammy aroma with strong coffee overtones. When we put wine to tongue, the difference was quite noticeable. Wine #3 seemed to leave a thick coating on the tongue that felt like velvet, and the finish was quite dry. One was really tempted to counteract that dryness with a nice juicy steak. Wine #4, on the other hand, felt like satin on the tongue, and though dry, it was much subtler. This was a wine that you could pair with almost anything. Again, it was pretty easy for us to conclude that wine #3 was the cabernet sauvignon and that wine #4 was the pinot noir. The overwhelming, but not unanimous, favorite of the evening was the cab, although one person liked the pinot noir quite a lot.

Our next class, on May 20 might be a bit more challenging. We’ll start out with a grüner veltliner, a white varietal from Austria, which I’ve seen billed as “the best little wine you’ve never heard of” and which I happen to know is fantastic with oysters. We thought we’d compare that with an Alsatian dry Riesling and perhaps another dry Riesling from the Finger Lakes. Then we’re going to get really serious about roaming the Rhone. We’ll taste a chateauneuf-du-pape from the northern Rhone and a gigondas from the southern Rhone. We might throw in a Cotes du Rhone just to round things out.

Montauk Club Wine Class Travels to South America in November

2009-11-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

On November 12, 2009, the Montauk Club Wine Class took a whirlwind tour through Argentina and Chile, and what a ride it was! We started out comparing a 2008 MontGras Reserva Carmenère from Colchagua Valley, Chile (Chile's signature grape at 14.5% alcohol!) with a 2007 Lapostolle Casa Merlot (13% alcohol) from Rapel Valley, Chile. Then we tangoed on to Argentina to compare its signature malbec -- a 2006 Luigi Bosca Reserva (14% alcohol) from the Mendoza region -- with a 2007 Navarro Correas Coleccion Privada Cabernet Sauvignon (13.9% alcohol), also from the Mendoza region. In a rare experience for the wine class, perhaps thanks to the great tasting notes that Jim prepared ahead of time, we unanimously correctly identified each wine in our blind tasting. Here's what we thought:

Both of the Chilean wines had a deep, inky and opaque purple color with lots of legs, although wine #2 was a tad less viscous than #1. That's where the similarities ended, however. Wine #1 had a milder more medicinal aroma -- not particularly distinctive and more delicate than its looks. Wine #2, on the other hand, shouted aromas of chocolate, vanilla and plum against a background of woods and brambles. The smells carried through to the flavors as well. Wine #1 was light and elegant and made for easy drinking. It had a slight hit of tannin but otherwise was bright and soft. Wine #2 was quite a bit rounder and fuller in flavor with a spicy finish. Though it appeared less viscous, it had a much bigger taste with notes of toasted herbs. Its rounder flavor gave it a smoother feel, but we could definitely taste the higher alcohol content. Our conclusion: Wine #1 was the merlot, and wine #2 was the carmenère.

Our trip to Argentina started out in a similar fashion as both wines had a deep, inky purple color. The legs on wine #3, however, took a bit longer to form. Wine #4 had thin gams, as they say. Again, these wines diverged when it came to smell. Wine #3 smelled of vanilla, pepper and coffee, while wine #4 was more savory with herbs, olives and raisins dominating the aroma. These were quite distinguishable in taste, as well. Wine #3 was fruitier and sweeter and had a soft feel. In wine #4, the olives that we smelled came through in the taste big time. This wine was spicier with tannins showing up in the finish. While we thought wine #3 would be good with hard cheese and was something we might keep drinking through dessert, we thought both wines cried out for meat. Because of the distinct tannins in wine #4, we correctly identified it as the cabernet sauvignon. Wine #3, of course, was the malbec which also took the prize for being the favorite of the night.

At our next class on December 17, we'll celebrate the holidays in sparkling style with four offerings: a Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut Champagne, a Veuve-Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Champagne, a Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava from Spain and a LaMarca Prosecco from Italy. So don't miss our European holiday extravaganza.

I hope to see you all on December 17 around sevenish!! Plan to stay for dinner. And don’t forget to look up past tasting notes on montaukwineclub.blogspot.com and on the Club’s revamped website.

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Goes for Oak and Tannin in October

2009-10-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

At the October 15, 2009 wine class, we returned to some basic concepts -- oakiness and tannin. For oakiness we crossed continents to compare a white French burgundy, a 2008 Drouhin Laforet Bourgogne Chardonnay (13% alcohol), which should have little oak flavor, with a new style California chardonnay, 2006 Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay (14.1% alcohol), that should be bursting with oak. Here's how we fared.

We found that the two whites looked very much alike, although we thought the second one was a bit golder in color. When we got to the smell though, the second had more notes of wood and wet wool. It seemed a bit grassy, while the first one smelled fruitier. When we got to the taste, we had a harder time distinguishing. The first wine tasted drier and lighter to some although others thought it grabbed the tongue more and had a stronger flavor. Some thought the second wine was an oak monster with a more insolent taste (a la teenager), even though it had a clean finish. Others thought it had a more pleasurable mouth feel. Well despite the descriptions people came up with, more members of the class chose the first wine as the oaky one, but they were wrong. It was the Laforet. The second wine was the Beringer. Thankfully, one of our member would happily drink either at a cocktail party.

Next it was on to explore tannin, that characteristic of wine that coats your tongue and even makes you pucker. Here we pitted a low tannin 2006 Clos du Bois North Coast Pinot Noir (13.5% alcohol) against a high tannin 2005 Franciscan Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (13.5% alcohol).

We could almost tell just from the look which was the pinot noir and which was the cab, one being almost see-through and the other inky and opaque. The first wine had a crisper smell, more like grape juice than wine, perfect for a mid-afternoon snack. (I'd like to know where that person works who has wine in the afternoon!) By contrast, the second wine had a richer, more complex, almost velvety aroma. It seemed like something to have with an elegant dinner or with a cigar after closing a deal. (I'm beginning to see the proper workday progression here.) When we got around to tasting, the contrasts were even more apparent. The first wine had soft, floral notes. It was fruity yet subtle, and in ways more drinkable. The second wine tasted gritty and complex and was drying on the tongue. It's what you'd expect at a state dinner and quite fulfilling. Well, it wasn't hard for us to decide that the first was the pinot noir and the second was the cabernet sauvignon. Tannin? We get it!!

Our next wine class for various reasons (like the Club will be closed for another Scorsese film shoot) is scheduled for November 12. That evening we'll be beamed to South America. We'll be tasting a 2008 MontGras Reserva Carmenère from Colchagua Valley, Chile (14.5% alcohol!). The carmenère is Chile's distinctive varietal. We'll compare that with a 2007 Lapostolle Casa Merlot (13% alcohol) from Rapel Valley, Chile. Then we're on to tango land to taste Argentina's signature malbec -- a 2006 Luigi Bosca Reserva (14% alcohol) from the Mendoza region. Then we'll compare that with a 2007 Navarro Correas Coleccion Privada Cabernet Sauvignon (13.9% alcohol), also from the Mendoza region.

I hope to see you all for our next class on November 12 around sevenish!! Plan to stay for dinner, as these wines are going to be great with food. And don’t forget to look up past tasting notes on montaukwineclub.blogspot.com and on the Club’s revamped website.

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Experiences White-out in September

2009-09-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

Despite the white-out at our September 17 wine tasting, the only ones who were chilled were the wines. Our all white tasting last month we tasted a Flying Fish 2007 Washington State Riesling (12% alcohol), a 2006 Geil Rheinhessen Riesling Spätlese (8% alcohol), a 2007 Domaine de la Perrière Sancerre (12.5% alcohol) and a 2007 Robert Mondavi Fumé Blanc (14.5% alcohol). Our mission was to distinguish the dry and sweet Rieslings and the crisp and not-so-crisp sauvignon blancs. How did we fare? Well the Rieslings were pretty easy, but not so the sauvignon blancs. Here's what we thought.

Our first Riesling had a peachy darkness to it compared to the second. It appeared a bit sticky as the legs didn't even really descend down the glass. Its aroma was a bit confounding as we picked up both jammy and chemical smells like paint or turpentine. When we got to the tasting part, however, it was a different story. We found canned peaches galore and could not really taste the alcohol that we smelled. It could have been a juice rather than a wine, although it coated our tongues quite a bit. For one of our tasters, it gave an overall feeling of going on a hay ride and bobbing for apples.

The second Riesling was a tad lighter in color and showed its legs. The smell was much more pleasant with subtle floral notes like a rose garden. It seemed to throw off a greater alcohol scent as well. Unlike the first Riesling, this one's taste was closer to its smell. While we picked up on the typical peach and apricot flavor of Rieslings here, we also sensed some grapefruit overtones, perhaps from the seemingly higher alcohol content that came through in the taste. We all thought this Riesling might pair better with food, while the first was more of a stand-alone drink. Based on the taste, we unanimously, and correctly chose the first as the sweet German Spätlese and the second as the drier Washington State Riesling.

When we moved on to the sauvignon blancs, we had a lot more trouble telling the more acidic, or crisper, Sancerre from the less crisp fumé blanc. The first one we tasted had a paler color and appeared less viscous. We thought the smell was thinner but fruitier with tinges of cumquats, unripe peaches and stewed tomatoes (they are fruits after all). When we got to the taste we found sour apple and lime flavors, as well as the stewed tomatoes again. We thought we picked up a hint of bitterness too and could definitely taste the alcohol.

The second sauvignon blanc had a little more color to it and a richer aroma. Some thought of pickles when smelling it while others picked up mineral aromas and tar. We thought we tasted even more alcohol along with green apples mixed with pine needles. Some found this one more tangy than the first, but the mineral tones made it seem less crisp and led us to believe this was the fumé blanc. Well 75% of us were wrong. The first was the supposedly less crisp fumé blanc, and the second was the crisper Sancerre. So we simply decided in the end that Robert Mondavi is doing a wonderful job of producing a wine that is very close to its French ancestor.

Interestingly, the clear favorite of the four wines we tried was the Washington State Riesling. Good thing we had an extra bottle on hand!

At our next class on October 15 (as early as a third Thursday can get), we'll explore a couple more basic concepts -- oakiness and tannic. This time there will be something for both white wine and red wine lovers. First we'll compare 2008 Drouhin Laforet Bourgogne Chardonnay (13% alcohol) that should have no oak flavor with an oaky 2006 Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay (14.1% alcohol). Then we'll see whether we can distinguish a low tannin 2006 Clos du Bois North Coast Pinot Noir (13.5% alcohol) from a high tannin 2005 Franciscan Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (13.5% alcohol). It wouldn't hurt to practice a bit ahead of time. Otherwise, you can just review pages 25 through 32 and 46 through 47 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book Great Wines Made Simple.

So I'll see you all for our next class on October 15 around sevenish!! And don’t forget to look up past tasting notes on montaukwineclub.blogspot.com and on the Club’s revamped website.

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Goes Above and Beyond

2009-08-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

Beyond the big six reds, that is. We decided to explore some red varietals that we often run across on restaurant menus but know very little about. So our August 19 travels took us to the Finger Lakes right here in New York to try a Hermann J. Weimer 2007 Cabernet Franc (12.5% alcohol). Then we headed off to the Left Coast for a Rosenblum 2006 Zinfandel from Paso Robles, California (14.9% alcohol) and finally a David Bruce 2005 Central Coast Petite Sirah (13.8% alcohol). Once again, there weren't many of us at the class, but we had quite a bit to say. Perhaps because bottle #1 in our blind taste test turned out to be the mighty zinfandel. Here's what we thought going from lightest to fullest bodied.

Some of us thought we recognized the cabernet franc right away because of its more translucent color compared to the other two wines. Also, it seemed not to have a leg to stand on. The blend of fruit and cranberry aromas gave it a lighter, subtler smell. True to its more northern location on the flavor map, it had a brighter, more acidic taste with winter fruits and vegetables like cranberries and rhubarb showing through. The mouth feel was so silky that the wine literally slid across the tongue.

The petite syrah actually turned out to be lighter bodied than the zinfandel, although that's not what we expected from reading Andrea's description. Its legs did not quite have the viscosity of the zinfandel's, but they did have plenty of color. We would describe the mouth feel as satin. Unlike the other two wines which were quite fruity, the petite syrah had a bit of floral scents and bittersweet chocolate mixed in with the aromas of blueberry and bubble gum. This combination even reminded one among us of tuna fish! In the taste department, we picked up again on the bitterness and earthy tones in the pronounced finish.

The big power house turned out to be the zinfandel. The strong grape jelly smell together with the high alcohol content really grabbed us, and since this turned out to be the first wine in our blind tasting, it was a wonder we could pick up on any scents with the other two. The same held true for the flavor which was concentrated like dried figs and molasses accented by tobacco and tar. Needless to say, it felt like velvet coating our tongues. Even though we expected the petite syrah to be fuller bodied, we recognized this as the zinfandel from Andrea's description of "decadent fig".

And our favorite? Well, we were evenly split between the petite syrah and the zinfandel. (No namby pamby cabernet franc for us!)

At our next class on September 17, instead of venturing into the great unknown, we're going to review some of our basic concepts. To make up for August's big red foray, we'll be having an all whites class while we compare dry and sweet rieslings and crisp and not-so-crisp sauvignon blancs. In case you want to do a little hands on homework, the specific wines we'll be tasting are a Flying Fish 2007 Washington State Riesling (12% alcohol), a 2006 Geil Rheinhessen Riesling Spätlese (8% alcohol), a 2007 Domaine de la Perrière Sancerre (12.5% alcohol) and a 2007 Robert Mondavi Fumé Blanc (14.5% alcohol). Otherwise, you can just review pages 25 through 32 and 44 through 45 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book Great Wines Made Simple.

So I'll see you all for our next class on September 17 around sevenish!! And don’t forget to look up past tasting notes on montaukwineclub.blogspot.com and on the Club’s revamped website.

Suzy Marquard

Small Turnout, Big Flavor at Montauk Club Wine Class

2009-07-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

Our July 16 wine class suffered a bit from summer vacation absenteeism I'm afraid, but I think the vacationers, not the wine class attendees, were the losers. We had three wonderful, but very different white wines from Spain that lived up to every bit of the billing that Andrea gave them in her book. It was quite a refreshing summer respite for us, I must say.

Our first excursion took us to Jerez in Andalusia to taste a Tio Pepe Palomino Fino Extra Dry Light Sherry (no vintage, 15% alcohol). This was a far cry from the "sherry teas" I remember from Sunday afternoons in my freshman college dorm. Those were so sweet and syrupy that, despite the lure of free alcohol, I "moved on" shall we say after a couple of tries. The Tio Pepe, on the other hand, was nice and dry with a crisp, acidic finish. The overwhelming flavor and aroma is that of almonds, even though the color was a very pale yellow. After a bit, the taste of dried apricots came through. Now this is what I'm talking about for a garden party!

Next we headed off to the Rias Baixas region in the far northwest province of Galicia for a 2008 La Cana Albariño (13% alcohol). If we thought the sherry was pale, this was the color of white peaches. And of course, as soon as someone said that about the color, we all tasted it as well. Comparing this to the sherry is like comparing apples (specifically green ones) to oranges, or rather almonds and apricots, because the styles are so different. This traditional Spanish white had a relatively full body with a feeling of velvet coating the tongue. We noted lots of fruit in the taste -- ripe plums, pineapple and even lichee. So despite its somewhat northern clime for Spain, and its floral scents, it was smoother and less crisp, but mouthwatering nonetheless.

Finally, we zipped over to the Penedes region near Barcelona to try a sparkling Freixenet Cordon Negro Cava (12% alcohol). Cava is what the Spanish call their sparkling wines, and if you ever have an opportunity to have one instead of a French champagne as a pre-dinner whistle-wetter, this is a great value. The Freixenet (say fresh-e-nay -- Catalan again) had a pale greenish color which was a clue when we smelled and tasted it that we would find quite a bit of grassiness to it. This was balanced with quite a bit of butter making the overall experience spicy and creamy at the same time. For a sparkler, it had sturdy legs and a great deal of body. Perhaps because the varietal here is unmistakably chardonnay.

Next month, we decided to explore some red varietals that we often run across on restaurant menus but know very little about. Our travels are going to bring us back to the good old USA where we will try a Hermann J. Weimer 2007 Cabernet Franc from the Finger Lakes right here in New York (12.5% alcohol). Then we're off to the Left Coast for a Rosenblum 2006 Zinfandel (no, not the pink stuff called white zinfandel; this is really red) from Paso Robles, California (14.9% alcohol -- oh goody!) and finally a David Bruce 2005 Central Coast (still west) Petite Sirah (13.8% alcohol). For a brief, general discussion of these varietals, see pages 239 to 240 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book Great Wines Made Simple.

Can't wait to see you all for our next class on August 19 around sevenish!! And don’t forget to look up past tasting notes on montaukwineclub.blogspot.com. They’re also coming soon in searchable form on the Club’s revamped website.

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class on the Road Again

2009-06-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

On June 18, we hit the road again, this time transporting ourselves to several regions of Spain. The first stop was the Rioja region, which is a couple of hours NNE of Madrid, where we sampled a 2003 Marqués de Riscal Reserva from Rioja (14% alcohol). Then we headed west to the Toro region along the Rio Duero to try a 2003 Oro by Bodegas Mähler-Besse (13.5% alcohol). The last leg of trip then took us way east to the surroundings of Barcelona for a taste of a 2007 Priorat called Onix (14.5% alcohol). With Spain, like France, we refer to wines by region, so that’s what we’ll do here. This is what’s recorded in our travel journal:

We had a very traditional introduction to Spanish reds with the Rioja, made from the tempranillo grape. Marqués de Riscal is a venerable bodega (no not a corner grocery; that’s the Spanish word for winery), although it is connected to a Frank Gehry designed hotel which makes a striking statement on the landscape when you first see it a couple of kilometers away. The wine, a reserve, meaning it has spent at least 18 months aging in the cask, had a distinctly plum color that diffused around the edges, creating somewhat of a halo effect. It had a lower viscosity or lighter body than the other two wines judging from its legs. We first noted a vanilla scent until more herbal, grassy tones came through, particularly oregano. What made this seem more traditional or Old World was the balance of tannins, herbs, plums and mustiness like light Bordeaux. (Indeed, that was the competition when this winery came into being.) We liked this with the Manchego cheese that we had at the same time.

The Toro, made from the tinto de toro grape, which is very similar to the tempranillo, had a bit more body than the Rioja and was clearly the inkiest of the three wines we tried. The smell smacked of gravel and earth or perhaps a sandy beach with a hint of ocean air in the background. It seemed a bit bolder in that not only did the fruits – blackberry and black plum – come through more strongly, but also one could really taste the terroir, funky or moldy like decomposing hay. Moreover, it had quite a tannic mouth feel. We thought we’d prefer this wine with a juicy steak or a hearty paella valenciana.

We expected even more body and boldness from our third wine, the Priorat. (Not a Spanish looking or sounding name? Try Catalan.) In fact while it was purpler in color than the Rioja, it was not quite as inky as the Toro. You could see the color in the legs, though. This wine had very rich aromas of black cherry or even a fruit compote while at the same time giving off floral scents. All of the smells (except the shoe polish that one person caught) showed up again in the taste. It had a greater fruit flavor that even reminded some of us of maraschino cherries. At the same time it seemed silkier and smoother than the other two wines reflecting a style less balanced by tannins. Perhaps because of the high alcohol content, it tasted clean and dry. Several people thought this wine was quite drinkable on its own.

On preferences, we were pretty evenly split among the three, but we managed to finish every last drop through dinner.

We decided to stay in Spain in July to explore a variety of white wines. On July 16, we’ll first trip down south to Jerez in Andalusia to taste a Tio Pepe Palomino Fino Extra Dry Light Sherry (no vintage, 15% alcohol – should get us off and running quite nicely). Then we’re off to the Rias Baixas region in the far northwest province of Galicia for a 2008 La Cana Albariño (13% alcohol). Then we’ll finish up our tour back by Barcelona in the Penedes region with a sparkling Freixenet Cordon Negro Cava (12% alcohol). If you want to review Spanish wines, check out pages 251 through 257 and 290 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book Great Wines Made Simple.

See you all for our next class on July 16 around sevenish!! And don’t forget to look up past tasting notes on montaukwineclub.blogspot.com. They’re also coming soon in searchable form on the Club’s revamped website.

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Red Choice Confirmed

2009-05-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

The May 21 Montauk Club wine class began our third year of monthly tastings. Time flies when you’re tasting wine I guess. This class was a review of the most popular red varietals. We tried a 2006 Blackstone Sonoma Reserve Pinot Noir (14.3% alcohol), a 2006 Estancia Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon (13.5% alcohol) and a 2006 J. Lohr Paso Robles Syrah (13.5% alcohol). We tasted them in that order to go from lightest body to fullest body. Here’s what we thought.

The pinot noir was almost transparent, as any pinot noir is likely to be. No surprises there. This wine was very appealing to the white wine lovers in the crowd because of its grassy and earthy scents. The aroma beckoned you to drink the wine. The light, acidic taste, with flavors of macoun apple and red cherries was what caught the attention of white and light wine fans. And characteristic of a lighter bodied wine, it was crisp yet silken on the tongue.

Our second wine was the medium bodied cabernet sauvignon. Not so transparent as the pinot noir, it was definitely more aggressive and complex in look and smell. Some stufents picked up hints of pepper and bubble gum at the same time and another likened it to a garden that had been freshly mulched. When we tasted the wine, we definitely discerned the body that was fuller than the pinot noir as this wine coated our mouths more, lingering on the tongue well after the first sip. This wine too abounded with red fruit flavors like cherry (or even cherry candy) and red currants. Being a California – i.e. New World wine – it was quite a bit jammier than, say, a French Bordeaux, but we liked with our chees nonetheless.

Finally, we turned to the syrah (the same grape is known in Australia as shiraz). This wine was completely different from the other two, being nearly opaque and downright inky. It had a deep smell, evoking scents of black cherries and currants. There was a note of forest floor in the scent as well with a hint of Portobello mushrooms. The taste was much like the smell, and definitely more intense than the other two wines. It coated the tongue with velvet and lingered quite a long time. Although it is a New World wine, it didn’t seem as fruit forward as we might hae expected but rather appeared fairly well balanced.

And what was our favorite? The syrah was chosen by all but one, including one of our white wine aficionados. We knew we had picked well when we noticed that a preponderance of the gnats that had invaded our space through an open window also chose the syrah over the other two wines. Maybe we do know what we’re doing.

So having roosted at home for a couple of months to complete our basic review, it’s time for us to hit the road again on June 18. This time we’re off to Spain. Yay!! We’ll try three wines from different regions in Spain – a 2003 Marqués de Riscal Reserva from Rioja (14% alcohol, made in the bodega – the Spanish word for winery – that Jim and I toured two summers ago), a 2003 Oro by Bodegas Mähler-Besse from the Toro region on the Rio Duero (13.5% alcohol) and a 2007 Priorat called Onix from a region just west of Barcelona (14.5% alcohol). If you want to read up on Spanish wines, check out pages 251 through 257 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book Great Wines Made Simple.

See you all for our next class on June 18 around sevenish!! And don’t forget to look up past tasting notes on montaukwineclub.blogspot.com.

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Goes Back to Basics

2009-04-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

Having completed our world tour and all of the tastings laid out in Andrea Immer Robinson’s book, Great Wine Made Simple in March, we decided to review some of the basics at our April 16, 2009 class. After all, with wine it’s not possible to practice too much. We started our review by exploring the three most popular white varietals: a Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt 2003 Piesporter Goldtrőpfchen Riesling Kabinett (9.5% alcohol), a Robert Mondavi 2006 Fume Blanc from Napa Valley (14% alcohol) and an Acacia 2006 Chardonnay Carneros from Sonoma Valley (14.4% alcohol). We tasted them in that order to go from lightest body to fullest body.

The Riesling lived up to its reputation with a pale, yellow-green color and a tangy and grassy aroma. It had hardly any legs, characteristic of a light bodied wine. This particular brand was sweet but not overly so. It had quite a fruity taste with pear and canned mandarin oranges being the predominant flavors. All in all a delightful wine that a couple of members of the class favored over the other wines we tasted.

Next we turned to the fume blanc, which is another name for a sauvignon blanc grape. The Robert Mondavi winery coined the named fume blanc in reference to the Pouilly-Fume region of France where the morning mists look like smoke. The color of this wine was a straw yellow, making it look a tad riper than the Riesling. The smell was more complex as well with hints of earthiness coming through and eliciting comments like “dung”, “diesel gasoline”, “wool blanket”, “wet stones” and “barnyard”. We all noticed the fuller body as the wine coated our tongues more. As far as taste was concerned, it was tart like a green apple Jolly Rancher. Its higher acidity reminded some of early spring grass. We thought it would be better with food, particularly hot food, than the Riesling.

Finally, we tried the chardonnay, the fullest bodied of the three most popular whites. Its color was a striking yellow gold, and its aroma was quite a bit bolder with notes of fruit, lilac, oak and even glue. As one would expect from the fullest bodied wine, it really coated our tongues and felt like velvet in the mouth. The lilac aroma also came through in the taste together with butter and a bit of tartness. Then the taste of roasted walnuts appeared at the back of the tongue. Perhaps that’s why more than half of the members of the class favored this wine over the others.

At our next class on May 21, 2009, we’ll try three of the most popular red varietals: a 2006 Blackstone Sonoma Reserve Pinot Noir (14.3% alcohol), a 2006 Estancia Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon (13.5% alcohol) and a 2006 J. Lohr Paso Robles Syrah (13.5% alcohol).

See you all on May 21 around sevenish!! And don’t forget to look up past tasting notes on montaukwineclub.blogspot.com.

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Dinner March 26, 2009 Tasting Notes

2009-03-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

Bisson Vermentino “Vignaerta” 2006

(paired with Marinated Wellfleet Clams with green chiles, lemon and herbs – delightful)

It takes a heroic effort to cultivate vines on the steep slopes of the Ligurian coastline high above the Mediterranean Sea. Mechanization of vineyard tasks is out of the question; everything must be done by hand. The Vermentino "Vignaerta" is a more elegant wine, leaner but with great complexity, showing bright acidity, brilliant length, its strong minerality leavened by notes of citrus, almond, and licorice. At the dinner, many of us found a strong taste of grapefruit. Licorice – not so much. (13% alcohol)

Grosjean Petite Arvine 2007
(paired with Bufala Mozzarella and Beets with pistachios and black olives –quite tasty)

The grape is Petite Arvine, and this wine is super clean tasting, with bright acidity due to its mountain vineyard home. It shows notes of citrus fruit with a noticeable grapefruit profile and lots of minerality and a sense of salt at the finish. When you serve it very cold, it's almost steely, but when it warms up, it opens up to reveal a richness and complexity that is quite unexpected. This wine is exceptionally good!! Dinner tasters would describe the richness as buttery or oily. (13% alcohol)

Ferrando Carema Ettichetta Bianca 2004
(paired with Porcini and Sourdough Soup with truffle spuma – outstanding)

This wine is aged for a minimum of four years, at least two in a barrel. It possesses gorgeous aromatics that lead to sweet herbs, tobacco, candied cherries, minerals and earthiness. The wine reveals stunning vibrancy and freshness with firm but beautifully integrated tannins. At the dinner, the tobacco and earthiness (as in dirt from mushrooms) really shone through. We also noticed a cherry taste and a tingle on the tongue. (13.5% alcohol)

Gour du Chaule Gigondas 2004
(paired with Roast Guinea Hen with chard, guanciale and sweet peppers – absolutely delicious)

Dark red. Deep, powerful and focused, with concentrated, expressive aromas of dark cherry, wild herbs, licorice, candied violet and Asian spices expanding and deepening with air. Vibrant, sharply focused red berry flavors accented by pepper, mace and rhubarb. Tannins build on the long finish, focusing the red fruit flavors. With this wine the licorice really did come through, and we certainly noticed the tannins. The mouth feel was smooth as glass. Very much like a Chateauneuf du Pape. The pairing with the roast guinea hen was perfect. (14% alcohol)

Montauk Club Wine Class Completes World Tour

2009-03-19T13:03:00.000-07:00

Ciao Italia again! This time we traveled to Piedmont and Veneto and then said goodbye to Italy. With this tasting on March 19, 2009 we completed the tastings laid out in Andrea Immer Robinson’s book, Great Wine Made Simple. We sampled three of the four major varietals grown in the Piedmont region – Dolcetto, Barbera and Barbaresco – and had a little trouble distinguishing the Barbera from the Dolcetto. Almost everyone picked the Barbaresco though. After that we tried an Amarone della Valpolicella from the Veneto region.

Our first wine was the 2005 Patrizi Barbaresco (13.5% alcohol). Of the three, this had the palest color, being almost translucent. While it had an expansive bouquet, it had a more rustic and musty aroma, like one student’s cellar in fact. The fruit was tart cherry, and the abundant tannins really dried our tongues. As Andrea predicted, a little cheese improved the flavor of the wine.

Our second wine turned out to be the 2006 Marengo Dolcetto D’Alba (14.5% alcohol). Contrary to what Andrea described in her tasting notes, this was the darkest of the three wines which is why many in the class thought it would be the Barbera. The scent of the Dolcetto was not quite as earthy as the Barbaresco with licorice and vanilla peaking through the sour cherry. The high alcohol content came through in the smell as well. The taste echoed the scent with cherry and plum flavors. Though we definitely tasted tannins, this wine didn’t dry us out as much as the Barbaresco. We thought this was more refined than the first wine.

The last Piedmont wine was the 2005 Borgogno Barbera D’Alba (a measly 13% alcohol). This wine had more of a garnet color, but its smell was certainly not as potent as the Dolcetto’s. In fact we found it to be more complex and idiosyncratic. We could definitely taste the acidity and noted that the tannins were clearly softer than the other two wines. We found flavors of red fruits like red plums and cranberries. Some likened this to an easy listening wine whose finish slowly faded away. Perhaps this is the reason almost everyone in the class liked this wine the best of the three Piedmonts.

We then ended our first world tour with in the Veneto region with a 2005 Zeni Amarone della Valpolicella (a whopping 15% alcohol). This wine is made is fermented to dryness, so it is typically very strong and full bodied. We thought this wine had a great scent, with raisins and tar defining it. We could really taste the high alcohol content and wanted to have it with chocolate. Everyone thought it delightful and picked it as the overall favorite of the four wines we tried this evening.

So, having ended on such a high note, we discussed our plans going forward and thought we should go back and review some of the “lessons” in Andrea’s book, Great Wine Made Simple, before striking out on our own to explore some other countries like Spain, Australia and South Africa. Where better to start our review than with the Big Six – the most popular varietals of white and red wines. At our next class, which is scheduled for April 16, 2009, we’ll explore the three most popular whites with a Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt 2003 Piesporter Goldtrőpfchen Riesling Kabinett (9.5% alcohol), a Robert Mondavi 2006 Fume Blanc from Napa Valley (14% alcohol) and an Acacia 2006 Chardonnay Carneros from Sonoma Valley (14.4% alcohol). If you have the book, please review the tasting notes on pages 21 and 22.

See you all on April 16 around sevenish!!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Travels to Tuscany

2009-02-19T13:02:00.000-08:00

Ciao Italia! Our February 19, 2009 class took us to Tuscany where we sampled four different Tuscan wines that moved up the quality scale. We enjoyed one so much that one of our students ran out and acquired another bottle. Here’s what we found on our tour:

We started with a 2006 Castello di Farnetella Chianti Colli Senesi (13% alcohol). It had characteristic scents of pepper, black cherry and blackberry. It also smelled a bit on the sweet side, taking us back to college dorm days. As for flavor the taste was soft and simple although some acidity and tannin would sneak through. Finally a metallic after taste took over causing some to remark that they wouldn’t get a second glass. (I think we finished the bottle during dinner anyway.)

Next we tried a 2005 Ruffina Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico (13% alcohol). This is a higher quality Chianti because the vines are grown in the hilly center and historic heart of the Chianti region. Also this is a riserva meaning it was aged in the barrel and bottle longer than the minimum required of non-riserva wines. This wine had a deeper color and a more complex scent. Not as peppery as the basic Chianti, it had a mix of floral and earthy aromas with a bit of vanilla thrown in. Some thought this combination made it smell like a steak! The taste proved to be softer and more complex also. We found some oakiness coming through with softer tannins but a full mouth feel. After taasting it for awhile, we narrowed down the steak flavor to sirloin as opposed to rib eye. Using a violin analogy, we thought this performed best at low ranges

Third we moved on to a 2007 Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino (13.5% alcohol). We thought this wine performed well in all ranges. The scent was more powerful, due in part to the slightly higher alcohol content and also to the bigger, fresher fruit aromas. We also noticed the smell of dried candied fruits, vanilla and even chocolate chip cookie dough. The taste did not disappoint either, as we found it rounder and fuller with nice tannins and a very berry taste. Unlike the basic Chianti, it made us want to take a bigger sip. Very easy to drink and the favorite of all but one of the students in the class.

We ended our tour with a 2004 Villa Antinori Toscana (a sangiovese/cabernet/merlot blend; 13.5% alcohol). If the Chianti Classico reminded us of sirloin steak, this made us think of steak au poivre with its more in-your-face scent. We also picked up honey and oakiness in the smell. The taste had more spice to it, but we still liked to hold it on our tongues for awhile letting the initial burst of fruit fall off to reveal more tannins. Were it a violin, we would say it performs well at middle ranges.

Next we’re off to the Piedmont region where we’ll make three stops with a 2006 Marengo Dolcetto D’Alba (14.5% alcohol), a 2005 Borgogno Barbera D’Alba (a measly 13% alcohol) and a 2005 Patrizi Barbaresco (13.5% alcohol). Then we’ll finish off our tour of Italy in the Veneto region with a 2005 Zeni Amarone della Valpolicella (get this, a whopping 15% alcohol). Looks like we’ll get to review our different alcohol level tasting as well.

Our next class takes place on March 19 at 7ish. For those of you who have Andrea Immer Robinson’s book, Great Wine Made Simple, you can start practicing ahead of time by reviewing pages 218 through 225. I purchased the wines above at 7th Avenue Wines and Liquors in case you want to practice over the weekend.

See you all on March 19!!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Bids Farewell to France

2009-01-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

On January 15, 2009 the wine class made its last stop in France by visiting the Rhone Valley, home of the well-known Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The plan was to compare a cheap, but good Cotes du Rhone with a more classic Chateauneuf-du-Pape and then taste a Muscat Beaume-de-Venise. Well it turned out to be difficult to find a couple of examples of each of the Cotes du Rhone and the Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and the Muscat was not to be found either. But I did find two white Rhones that were quite interesting. Here’s how our last sojourn in France went.

We started out tasting a 2006 Domaine Bernard Ange Crozes-Hermitage (13% alcohol) a white wine from the Northern Rhone region that is a blend of Marsanne and Roussanne grapes. It had a lemon yellow color with some citrus and yet grassy scents It reminded us of a chardonnay though a bit greener and more astringent than the second white that we tasted.

We then moved on to a 2004 Clos Petite Bellane Cotes du Rhone Village (13.5% alcohol). This was an unusual wine in that it was 100% Roussanne. This gave the wine a striking cognac color. The scent was much more floral with strains of gravel and earth. Here, instead of lemon and grassiness, we tasted apples – from Granny Smith to applesauce. We found it rounder, fuller and thicker in taste and mouth fell. It reminded us of autumn and rotten squash, to be paired with pork chops, whereas the Crozes-Hermitage took us back to summer and possibly would pair better with filet of sole. Which was our favorite white? It was a draw.

Our red tasting was blind as we had tasting notes in Andrea’s book to guide us. Our first red seemed ever so slightly darker with a tad more viscosity in the legs. The first impression of the scent was pepper, as it should be since the red Rhones are made from syrah grapes. Then quite a bit of plum fruit began to show through, but compared to the second red, it had a lighter, brighter taste. It was quite dry and tannic. We thought it could be enjoyed with or without food.

The second red appeared more saintly because, although just as dark as the first, it had a bit of a halo! This wine was much more intriguing with scents of cumin and coffee. The taste was meaty, even gamy, giving us a woodsy and indeed oaky experience. It, too, was quite tannic and very dry with a real mouth coating sensation. In all, this was a much more complex wine. Because of the earthiness and gaminess, most of us rightly picked this as the 2005 Image du Sud Chateauneuf-du-Pape (13.5% alcohol). The first red was a 2006 Chateau d’Aigueville Cotes du Rhone (14% alcohol).

So now its time to say adieu to France and ciao to Italy where our first stop is Tuscany. We’ll be tasting four different Tuscan wines: a 2006 Castello di Farnetella Chianti Colli Senesi (13% alcohol), a 2005 Ruffina Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico (13% alcohol), a 2007 Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino (13.5% alcohol) and a 2004 Villa Antinori Toscana (a sangiovese/cabernet/merlot blend; 13.5% alcohol). You see, I’ve already picked up the wines (from 7th Avenue Wine & Liquor), so if you’re inclined to get a head start, you’ll know what they are. Remember, practice makes perfect!

Our next class takes place on February 19 at 7ish. For those of you who have Andrea Immer Robinson’s book, Great Wine Made Simple, you can start practicing ahead of time by reviewing pages 201 through 217.

See you all on February 19!!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Learns Burgundy Is Not Just a Color

2008-12-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

At our December 18, 2008 class we explored different rankings of white and red burgundies. Wines in Burgundy are actually ranked according to the quality and prestige of the neighborhood in which the wine is produced. So in our blind taste test to determine whether we could distinguish this quality we compared a 2006 Jean Marc Brocard Chablis Montmains Premier Cru (13% alcohol) with a 2005 St. Jacques Rully Premier Cru Marissou (13.5% alcohol) and a 2006 Louis Latour Pinot Noir (13% alcohol) with a 2004 Joseph Drouhin Beaune Premier Cru (13% alcohol). Well, we easily distinguished the two whites from the two reds, and we picked out the higher quality white, but the reds stumped most of us. Here’s what we thought about each.

Our first white seemed to have slightly more legs and a more golden color compared to the second. The smell appeared more complex with grassy and more toasty aromas. We found the wine to be bolder and rounder with flavors of green, baked apples showing through. The taste was also oakier while at the same time being sharp and tart. Some thought it had more alcohol.

In comparison our second white was paler in color and had a brighter, fresher and decidedly fragrant floral small, as one person put it “like electricity after it rains.” The taste was sweeter than the first wine, although it seemed blander and softer and at times somewhat chalky. Most of us correctly identified the first wine as the St. Jacques Rully Premier Cru Marissou and the second as the Jean Marc Brocard Chablis Montmains Premier Cru, being of a slightly lower quality. And a majority of us favored the higher quality St. Jacques Rully.

When we turned to the two pinot noirs we found the first to have more going on. It was lighter, brighter and sharper. We detected more oak or smoke and some cinnamon in the flavor. The mouth feel was rougher and more granular, and as time passed the color changed, becoming tawnier. Perhaps it was the rougher mouth feel that led most of us to misidentify this as the lower ranked Louis Latour Pinot Noir, when what we were actually tasting was greater tannins in the Joseph Drouhin Beaune Premier Cru.

Our second red, what turned out to be the Louis Latour, had a slightly darker color, and its legs were slower to develop and drip. Perhaps we should have known from the cherry pie flavor that this was a less sophisticated wine. Although to some it had a deeper, richer and spicier flavor, some thought it had a calmer taste. We thought it held up better on its own, and there were some of us who thought this wine was more tannic and complex. So as you see, we were all over t he lot on this one, which is why it had us fooled. Even though this was the lower ranked wine, all but one of us preferred it to the premier cru. Just goes to show you we need MORE PRACTICE!!

But that won’t stop us from traveling on, this time to the Rhone Valley where we will explore a cheap, but good Cotes du Rhone, a more classic Chateauneuf-du-Pape and a Muscat Beaume-de-Venise. If we can’t tell the desert wine from the other two, well we’ll just have to KEEP PRACTICING.

MONTAUK CLUB WINE CLASS BAFFLED IN ALSACE

2008-11-20T12:59:00.000-08:00

Our November 20 wine class took a trip to Alsace to taste four quite different white wines from the region – a Riesling, a pinot gris, a gewurztraminer and a muscat. All were from the same producer, so we were confident we could distinguish the four in our blind taste test. Once again we were baffled, or perhaps the producer got his labels mixed up.

Our first wine had a clean aroma with scents of apple and petroleum. The gas station flavor followed through in the taste. The wine was not very fruity and was quite dry. This one we correctly identified as the 2004 Frederic Mallo Riesling Reserve Speciale (12.5% alcohol).

Wine #2 was both dry and fruity, having the richest smell, both spicy and musky with lots of lychee aroma coming through. The taste closely echoed the smell – lychee nuts, minerals and pepper. It felt quite fat in the mouth. Natually, because of the spiciness and dryness, we thought this was the gewürztraminer, but No-o-o, it was the Frederic Mallo 2006 Muscat (12% alcohol).

Our third wine was sure to be the Muscat having a sweet smell of nectarine and floral tones. It too tasted just the way it smelled, very floral and not too dry. It really struck us as a desert wine that would be great with biscotti. But we were wrong again; this was the Frederic Mallo 2005 Gewurztraminer Cuvee Saint Jacques (13% alcohol).

Our final wine was so clean in smell and taste that we actually found it a bit boring. In fact the smell reminded us of linen sheets drying outside, although we did pick up a scent of candied apple. In the taste we noticed a bit of marmalade, but in all it was not very sweet or fruity. This we correctly identified as Special Delivery 2006 Pinot Gris (which means dingy in French, so why so clean?) by Frederic Mallo.

Oh well, having decided unanimously that we favored the Riesling over all, we packed our bags and hit the road for Burgundy, probably the most famous wine-producing region of France. At our next class, on December 18, we’ll taste two white wines, a French Chablis and a Cote de Beaune, and two reds, a village ranked wine and a premier cru- or grand cru-ranked wine. To learn about these, please read pages 170 through 190 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s Great Wine Made Simple.

See you all on December 18!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Fooled!!

2008-10-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a big turnout, our October 23 wine class was a blast. This time we were comparing white Bordeaux with California Sauvignon Blancs, and we came up with some pretty eclectic descriptions.

We started out comparing a 2007 Monsieur Touton Sauvignon Bordeaux (12% alcohol) with a 2006 Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc (14.2% alcohol). Wine #1 was almost white in color, but it had heftier legs. Its aroma was much subtler with a hint of vanilla and oak. As for taste, it was grassier and more balanced. Many thought it would pair well with most foods, and indeed it was voted likely best with crab cakes. Wine #2 had a much more golden color, and the aroma was more pronounced, smelling of citrus candy and peach. In fact, some tasters announced that they would rather smell #2 but drink #1. We found the taste drier but fruitier with a longer finish and not as much oak. So thinking that #1 was subtler and a more pleasurable quaff, we picked it to be the Bordeaux. And every one of us was wrong. How could that be? Well there are two big differences. First the alcohol content of #1 was significantly higher and its price was almost three times as high! Just goes to show that price can make a difference.

Our second comparison pitted a 2006 Barons de Rothschild Reserve Speciale Bordeaux (12% alcohol) against a 2006 Beringer Alluvium Blanc from Knights Valley (14.1% alcohol). (There’s that alcohol difference again.) We were determined not to be fooled by this pairing, so we really paid close attention, coming up with as many descriptions as we could. Here’s what we thought. Wine #3 was the paler of the two, but not quite as pale as the expensive Californian #1. It had a sweeter fragrance with more vanilla. Some found its taste very oaky, while others thought of shampoo! With an oilier feel on the tongue, someone wanted to pair it with a vegetable napoleon. Wine #4 had a more amber color and more legs even than #2. Some of the words used to describe the aroma were “swampy”, “raisin”, “stale cabin” (remember last month’s favorite – summer camp cabin?), and “battery acid”. On the taste side, we found #4 to have heavier herb notes with a bit of lemon drop candy thrown in. It was fuller, smoother and subtler, a wine someone wanted to have with red snapper. Six out of ten of us chose #4 as the Bordeaux and #3 as the California, and this time the majority was right. This time the two wines were quite close in price, making it a more difficult call.

And for the final vote on overall preference? We unanimously chose #1, the Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, although we all thought that the Barons de Rothschild Reserve Speciale Bordeaux was the best value.

In our next class, we’ll continue our tour through France in the Alsace Region. We’ll be trying a Riesling, a pinot gris, a Muscat and a gewürztraminer. Be sure to study pages 166 to 170 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book Great Wines Made Simple to be ready to tell these four grapes apart.

Hope to see you all on November 20!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Not Bored in Bordeaux

2008-09-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

Far from it. Our September 18 wine class explored the two predominant red varietals from the Bordeaux region of France and compared them with comparable varietals from California. It was kind of like a review of our Old World-New World tastings earlier this year.

First, we tried a merlot-based 2006 Chateau Picau-Perna from St. Emilion (12.5% alcohol) and compared it to a 2006 Francis Coppola Merlot (13.5% alcohol). Wine #1 had a more translucent color and more depth to the smell with a variety of floral scents. The taste made us pucker more, suggesting a greater amount of tannin. Wine #2 had a denser color, with color in the legs even, while the smell was sharper, really popping out. The taste was jammier a fruitier with strong notes of blueberry and quite a bit more oakiness. Which was which? After reading the notes, it’s pretty obvious -- #1 was the Bordeaux, and #2 the Californian.

Then we moved on to the other great varietal of Bordeaux, cabernet sauvignon, or otherwise known to would-be wine hipsters as cab. Here we pitted a 2005 cab-based Chateau Bellevue from Médoc (13% alcohol) against a 2005 Simi Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. So here’s what we thought of wines #3 and #4. Wine #3 had a more forceful smell with lots of vanilla showing through. Tasters found it more accessible and rounder with obvious fruitiness, including notes of fig. Some even thought it was almost too sweet. Wine #4 appeared to have a bit more body with its darker color and abundant legs. The smell? Summer camp cabin and wet leaves? Hmmm. Not surprisingly, its taste was more earthy and tarter but softer. All in all, we thought it more complex in taste. It’s pretty easy to tell from these notes which was the Bordeaux – it was #4.

And for the final vote on overall preference? We unanimously went for the summer camp cabin. What is it about wine #4 in our class? (See Wine Class Notes vol. 2, issue 1.)

Our next class will be held a week later on October 23 because of a fabulous fundraiser to be held on the 16th. We’ll be investigating some white Bordeaux wines comparing them to oak-aged California sauvignon blanc. (There’s that sauvignon word again!) So be sure to study pages 160 and 161 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book Great Wines Made Simple if you want to move to the head of the class. And here’s an optional assignment for you: go to andreaimmer.com and sign up to be a member. For just under $30.00 a year you get a wine course DVD and lots of information about wine. She also has a website called andreawine.com where she rates wines and has on-line wine courses. Check it out!

Hope to see you all on October 23!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Goes to France to Find Beads

2008-06-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

Beads you say? Why look for beads in France? Well that’s what the bubbles in champagne are called because they look like strings of beads as they stream up to the surface of the glass.

What a great introduction to French wine we had on June 19 when we explored the world of champagne, first comparing two styles of French champagne and then comparing a French champagne with a California sparkling wine made by the same winemaking family.

We started with a Veuve-Clicquot Ponsardin Brut (nv, 12% alcohol) and compared it to a Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut (nv, 12% alcohol). The Veuve-Clicquot was supposed to taste and smell yeastier compared to the light and elegant Perrier-Jouet. Most of the class failed to pick which was which, but we decided to blame our troubles on the outside temperature which made the wine warm up pretty quickly. We did find a yeasty aroma and a frothier feel to the Veuve-Clicquot, but the extra crispness and granny smith apple tastes threw us off a bit. We should have known from the longer lingering taste that it still wasn’t as crisp as the Perrier-Jouet, which, true to the elegance of its reputation, had finer beads. It also had a richer and more pronounced green apple flavor. In the end, a majority of the class preferred the Veuve-Clicquot.

Next, we tried to decide whether French champagne is all it’s cracked up to be compared to California wines made by the same method. (You can’t call it champagne unless it’s made in the Champagne region of France – sort of like bourbon is supposed to be made in Bourbon County, KY. So such snobbery isn’t limited to France.) Anyway, we compared a Moet et Chandon White Star (nv, 12% alcohol) with a Domaine Chandon California Blanc de Noir (nv, 13% alcohol – hmmm, notice something different already?) The class scored a perfect score in distinguishing the French from the California in our blind test. The champagne was more complex, with flavors other than fruit such as almonds and herbs. It stayed quite bubbly after awhile also. The sparkling wine had sweeter and brighter aromas and tasted quite fruity, almost like apple sauce, quite in keeping with its New World provenance. Many thought they would enjoy the champagne more at a luncheon on the patio, while they wouldn’t mind having the California sparkling wine at a dinner beach party. Even though the latter sounds like more fun, a majority of the class decided they preferred the champagne.

At our next class on July 17, we’ll drill down on the Bordeaux region of France, concentrating on differences between cabernet sauvignons and merlots and learning which side of the tracks (or make that Gironde River) they come from. We’ll throw in some California varietals to help our comparison. To prepare, please study pages 151 through 160 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book Great Wines Made Simple, and don’t forget – practice, practice, practice!

Hope to see you all on July 17!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Dips Into the Red

2008-05-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

But that’s not a bad thing. Our May 15 wine class dove into the four most popular red grape varieties with relish, in fact. This was a fine review of what we’ve learned in the past year about red wines to prepare us for our upcoming tours of France. Here’s how it went:

First, we tried a 2005 Kendall-Jackson Pinot Noir from California (13.5% alcohol). Its smooth and silky texture and light cranberry color were just what you’d expect from pinot noir, the lightest bodied of the four popular reds. The aromas and tastes centered around cool climate fruits like strawberry, rhubarb and cranberry with a tart and acidic, but juicy overtones. Then we moved on to a 2004 Frei Brothers Reserve Merlot from Dry Creek Valley in Northern Sonoma, California (13.8% alcohol). Here we found a garnet color reminiscent of a medium-bodied wine compared to the pinot noir. It was quite a bit drier and not as fruit-forward as we might expect from a New World wine, but note the pretty high alcohol content. Like the pinot noir, some found this merlot to be quite tart, tasting of dry cherries and spicy chile pepper. Many thought the aromas promised more than the taste delivered, but this may be owing to the winery’s attempts to follow more Old World traditions. The second medium-bodied wine that we tried was a 2003 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley, California (13.5% alcohol). In terms of color, it was much the same as the merlot, though perhaps a tad inkier. It had a more velvety texture, however, evidencing somewhat higher tannins, making us pucker up a bit. The flavor seemed to deliver more balance and terroir, tasting a little musky or even like quarry tile. I think we’re starting to get the difference between merlot and cabernet sauvignon, which will stand us in good stead when we get to France next month. Our final red was a 2004 Lengs & Cooter Shiraz called The Victor from South Australia (14.5% alcohol). As the fullest-bodied of the wines, this one was more opaque with big legs (not necessarily a bad thing with wine; indeed one of our number found them “elegant”). Of course we smelled and tasted the black pepper characteristic of the shiraz, but also picked up on chocolate, coffee, black plum and raspberry as well as some earth tones. In the end our favorites turned out to be the cabernet and the shiraz.

So now we’re off to France on June 19. And what better way to start than with champagne!! We’ll compare two different house styles in French champagnes and then we’ll pit France against California. So be sure to study pages 139 through 150 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book Great Wines Made Simple.

Hope to see you all on June 19!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Covers the Great White Way

2008-04-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

On April 17 a small group of us began our exploration and review of the most popular wine varietals (that’s grape varieties) by comparing some of the big three whites – a Riesling, two sauvignon blancs and a chardonnay. After just 14 classes, we’re able to talk about color, body, mouth feel, acidity, aromas and flavors, like grassiness, butter, oak and fruits, and yes even that sophisticated term, “terroir” (which we translate as gravel or wet leaves). Here are some notes on what we tasted:

First, we tried a 2005 Trimbach Riesling from Alsace (12.5% alcohol). To our delight, this was a relatively dry Riesling that quite reminded us of our grassiness lesson, although it had a nice apple finish – to be expected from a cool-climate wine. Then we moved on to a 2005 Chateau de Sancerre, a sauvignon blanc from Sancerre, France (13% alcohol) and compared it with a 2005 Hanna Sauvignon Blanc from Russian River Valley, California (13.6% alcohol). With both we noticed the fuller body than the Riesling had, but we were a bit surprised that the Sancerre (Old World) had a darker color than the New World Hanna. Nevertheless, the Sancerre otherwise well represented its Old World origins with greater complexity of flavor (lemon tart, almond and honey) and terroir. The Hanna’s more fruit forward style exposed its New World traditions with its nectarine, citrus, sour strawberry and even brown butter flavors. (Someone even noted a hint of onion!) The Hanna was dryer (a possible result of the higher alcohol content) and more acidic, but lacked that terroir of the Sancerre. Finally, we tasted 2005 Franciscan Chardonnay from Napa Valley. As expected from the fullest-bodied of the Big Three Whites, its color was quite golden. We picked up right away on its nutty and buttery flavor, although some noticed a bit of pungency. Oakiness also rang through loud and clear making it go very well with cheese.

So what was our final vote? Well, in terms of favorites, it was a pretty even split, which just goes to show that personal preference is the name of the game. Interestingly, although we agreed that the Sancerre seemed to go better with food, it was no one’s first choice. In the end, the chardonnay received the most first and second place votes.

Our next class on May 15 will focus on the Big Reds – pinot noir, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, and syrah/shiraz. Again we’ll review our basic tasting techniques and the differences in body while we also try to apply the other lessons we’ve learned. For those who have been regulars, our tasting will show what a long journey we’ve taken and how much we’ve learned, and for new comers, it will be a perfect time to get started before we head off to France.

Hope to see you all on May 15!

Suzy Marquard

In Year #2 Montauk Club Wine Class Goes for Wine #4

2008-02-21T12:54:00.000-08:00

Our usual wine class attendees may have found their favorite red so far as we began our second year on February 21 reaching into the Old and New Worlds of merlot and cabernet sauvignon. We began our tour this month comparing a 2003 Chateau Brun-Despagne Heritage from the Bordeaux region in France (13% alcohol) with a 2002 Blackstone Merlot from Napa Valley (14% alcohol). We described the Old World Brun-Despagne as quieter but more complex, smokier (like a wood fire), but earthier and having more scents of spring. On the whole it seemed more balanced. The New World Blackstone on the other hand we found juicier, even more fragrant with flavors of blueberries and vanilla. One person thought this wine had more earth to it, and despite the pencil-lead aroma found by another participant, the entire class preferred the New World merlot for its bigger, bolder presentation. (Oh, and note also the difference in alcohol content.) So does size matter? Let’s see.
For the cabernet sauvignon varietal, we matched a 2003 Chateau Duhart-Milon Rothschild, again from the Bordeaux region in France (13% alcohol), against a 2002 BV Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley (13.8% alcohol). Well the Rutherford seemed sweeter and riper to us – in fact so much so that we began using words like “licorice” and “lollipops”. The Duhart-Milon was more opaque, and even browner in color, which maybe went along with coffee aroma some class members identified. One person went so far as to say this wine would be “good with a piece of meat!” while the Rutherford might be more enjoyable at a cocktail party. So did the class prefer the in-your-face New World wine over the more reserved Old World one? Nope, the majority liked the Duhart-Milon better. And of those who preferred the Duhart-Milon, many thought it might be their favorite of the wines we’ve tasted so far. So if you’re around the Club some night and hear some of our wine aficionados refer to the great #4 (the wine’s number in our blind tasting), this is what they’re talking about.

In March, we’ll finish our Old World and New World white wine education comparing a pinot grigio from Italy with a pinot gris from the United States, and for reds we’ll compare a syrah from France’s Rhone Valley with a syrah or shiraz from the U.S. or Australia. These wines are pretty hot on the popularity scale right now, so don’t miss our class on March 20. Not only will we perform our usual blind tasting, we’ll vote on the best explanation for the different names chosen by the New World growers.

To prepare for the class, please review pages 117 through 128 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book if you need to, and then focus on the tasting notes for the pinot grigio/gris on pages 136-137 and for the syrah/shiraz on pages 134-135.

See you on March 20!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Explores a World of Whites

2008-01-17T12:53:00.000-08:00

The red-wine fanatics in our wine class were skeptical as we explored Old World (i.e. France) and the New World (in this case, California) white wines on January 17, but they were in for a surprise. And the white-wine enthusiasts, of course, were in heaven.
We began our trip this month with a 2005 Chateau de Sancerre from the Loire Valley (13% alcohol) with a 2005 Charles Krug Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley (13.5% alcohol). We were barely able to notice a difference in color, the Sancerre having a slightly greener tint compared to an ever so slightly more golden hue of the Charles Krug. As we put nose to glass, we detected more lush, fruitier aromas in the Charles Krug, with hints of grapefruit and banana, while the Sancerre exhibited more scents of grass, herbs and tart apple. The tasting bore out our suspicions during our blind taste test about which was the Old World wine and which was the New. The Old World Sancerre had the tart apple and, more importantly, earthy flavor compared to the lusher and riper taste of the New World wine. Which did we prefer in the end? The scales tipped gently toward the New World.
Next we dove into a 2005 Louis Jadot Macon-Villages from Burgundy (13% alcohol) and a 2006 Simi Chardonnay from Sonoma County (13.5% alcohol). Although we couldn’t really detect a difference in the wines’ color, these two proved even easier to assign to the Old World versus New when we took a whiff. The Macon-villages was described as herbaceous, more sophisticated and yet dungy, while we picked up much more fruit and even bubblegum aromas in the Simi Chardonnay. When we got to the taste, it was clear to all that the wine with a more acidic, citrus-like, complete flavor with more tannins showing through was the Macon-Villages, while the bolder wine with tastes of peach and even banana had to be the Simi Chardonnay. Did we go for the lush again in terms of preference? No! All but one of us preferred the Macon-Villages.

In February, as promised, we’ll concentrate on Old World and New World merlots and cabernet sauvignons, but white-wine lovers, don’t be afraid to join us. Remember how pleasantly surprised the red-freaks were this time?
To prepare for the class, please review pages 117 through 128 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book if you need to, and then focus on the tasting notes for the merlots and cabernet sauvignons on pages 132 and 133.

Our February class will take place on the 21st. Please join us then at around 7:00 for another whirlwind tour of the world of wine. And please, if you can, let me know if you’ll try to attend so that I can be sure we have enough.

See you on February 21st!

Suzy Marquard

Something Old, Something New

2007-12-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

Our wine class continued our world travels on December 20 skipping back and forth between the Old World (i.e. Europe) and the New World (in this case, Washington and California). We expected to find subtlety in the Old World wines compared to boldness in the New World styles. And, boy did we! We started out comparing a 2005 Trimbach Alsace Riesling (12.5% alcohol) with a 2005 Indian Wells Riesling from Columbia Valley (Washington) (13% alcohol). We found the Trimbach to be more balanced and earthy, as an Old World wine should be, with definite aromas of WD-40! The Indian Wells, on the other hand, was all fruity and lush, with tones of apricot and honey. All preferred the Indian Wells needless to say.
Our “red” trip took us to Burgundy with a 2004 Faively Bourgogne (pinot noir, 12.5% alcohol) and then back to California with a 2005 Ramsay North Coast Pinot Noir (13% alcohol). (Note that the New World wines both had slightly higher alcohol content.) As expected, we found the burgundy to strike a better balance among fruit, body and texture, with even more pronounced WD-40 aromas, while the California pinot noir was more astringent with riper fruit aromas and flavors. This time, though, we preferred the burgundy.

Our next trip will continue exploring the Old World and the New World, but this time, we’ll stick with all whites to give us more practice at judging body, color and texture. We’ll compare sauvignon blancs from the Loire Valley with some from California, Chile or New Zealand, and then we’ll dive into some chardonnays from France and from California or Australia. Don’t worry red lovers, you’ll get your revenge in February when we’ll concentrate on Old World and New World merlots and cabernet sauvignons!

To prepare for the class, please review pages 117 through 128 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book. Then focus on the tasting notes for the sauvignon blancs and chardonnays on pages 129 and 130.

Our January class will take place on the 17th. Please join us then at around 7:00 for another whirlwind tour of the world of wine. And please, if you can, let me know if you’ll try to attend so that I can be sure we have enough.

See you on January 17!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Continues Whirlwind Tour

2007-11-29T12:51:00.000-08:00

Our November 29 class took us from the Burgundy region of France to Sonoma Valley and on Southern Australia as we continued trying to distinguish between wines grown in cool or moderate vs. warm regions of the world. This time we definitely found a contrast between the 2005 Josephine DuBois Grande Reserve Chardonnay from Burgundy (cool climate) and the 2004 Kunde Estate Chardonnay from Sonoma Valley in California (warm climate). The burgundy was softer and apple-like in taste and lighter in color, while the California chardonnay exhibited hints of apricot and pineapple, fruits more typical in warmer climates, and had a more golden color. We stayed in Sonoma for our red tasting with a 2004 Cline Sonoma Coast Cool Climate Shiraz. (The coastal region of Sonoma has a cool micro-climate.) Then off to Southern Australia for a 2004 Penfolds Thomas Hland Shiraz. Again, we saw some difference with the Australian wine giving us a bigger, more concentrated fruit flavor punch. What a great trip!

This class concluded our basic exploration of the world’s flavor map, but rest assured, our travels are by no means over! We’re now embarking on a journey through the old world and the new world. We’ll find a number of similarities to what we found in our flavor map travels, but we’ll also get more practice at comparing wine styles and resurrecting a number of our past lessons. (Remember oaky and grassy?) As Andrea says in her book on page 117, we may have already experienced sommelier’s elbow from all our tastings. It may be long gone by now, but if not, we must keep training. Again, we’ll compare two whites and two reds. We’ll have an Alsatian Riesling and a Riesling from New Zealand, Australia or the U.S. For reds we’ll try a French red burgundy (pinot noir) and pinot noir from California or Oregon

To prepare for the class, please read pages 117 through 128 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book. Then focus on the tasting notes for the Rieslings and Pinot Noirs on pages 129 and 131.

For December, we’re back to the third Thursday of the month – December 20. Please join us then at around 7:00 for another whirlwind tour of the world of wine.

See you on December 20!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Begins World Travels

2007-10-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

Do you believe we went from Germany to California to New Zealand in one evening! And we did some fine sipping along the way, too. On October 25, we tried our hand at distinguishing between wines grown in cool vs. moderate regions of the world. We started out comparing a 2006 Nikki Dry Riesling from Germany (cool climate) with a Bonny Doon Vineyard Pacific Rim Dry Riesling from Santa Cruz, California (non-vintage, moderate climate). Then we moved on to a 2005 Dashwood Marlborough Pinot Noir from New Zealand (cool climate) and a 2005 MacMurray Ranch Central Coast (California) Pinot Noir (moderate climate). The theory is that wines from cooler climates will contain flavors of fruits grown in the area such as apples and pears, in the case of whites, and red berries like cranberries and cherries in the case of the reds, while warmer climate wines would carry flavors of citrus and apricot or blackberries and black cherries. I brought along a number of different fruits to help us out. Even with the help, though, we had a hard time picking the cooler climate wines in a blind test, perhaps because the California wines actually came from cooler microclimates in the state. But we sure had fun trying.

So for our next trip, I think we’ll skip right to some chardonnays and syrahs where we’re likely to see a greater difference in the wines from various climates. We’ll compare a chardonnay from Burgundy with one from Australia and a syrah from Washington State with a shiraz from Australia. I’ll bring another complement of fruits to help us with our tasting.

To prepare for the class, you might review pages 79 through 101 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book. And the tasting notes we’ll be looking at appear on pages 103 through 106 and 112 through 114.

I’m afraid I have to switch the class from the third Thursday again for November because I will be out of town on November 15. So, we’ll have to postpone our class until November 29. So please join us then at around 7:00 for another whirlwind tour of the world of wine.

See you on November 29!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class

2007-09-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

You may remember that many of our regulars couldn’t make it to our first spice tasting on July 19, and because we thought it so much fun, we decided to have it again on September 20. This time, I remembered to bring samples of nine actual spices that we could use to compare with the aromas and tastes of the wines. These were allspice, anise, black pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, ginger and nutmeg. Again we tried a 2004 Fahn Gewurztraminer Appellation Alsace Controlee and a 2005 Hook & Ladder Gewurztraminer from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County. With the help of our samplers we were able to pick up cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg in these two whites. Then we turned to red with a 2005 Domaine Barou Syrah from Cotes du Rhones and a shiraz from Australia. (My bad, I forgot to write down the particulars of that one.) And we certainly got the black pepper flavor that we expected. Interestingly, the syrah seemed fruitier than the shiraz even though we might have expected the opposite from the old world vs. new world styles. After dinner, we finished up with the floral scents of the 2004 Borgo Reale Moscato D’Asti for dessert (only 5.5% alcohol, a good indication of sweetness). I did also remember to bring photos of the winery in La Rioja, with a Frank Gehry designed hotel attached to it, that Jim and I visited in Spain. On that tour, as well as tours of two other wine museums, we learned a lot about what goes into quality wine, and we tried our best to share what we remembered from our travels.

And now, speaking of foreign shores, or better yet, hillsides, we’re moving on to the flavor map of the world! We’ll be starting a new chapter (number four) of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book Great Wines Made Simple, learning about location, location, location. We’ll start our journey comparing a cool-zone Riesling from Germany or Alsace with a moderate zone one from Australia, California or Washington. Then we’ll pit a cool-zone pinot noir from Burgundy, Oregon or New Zealand against a moderate zone one from California. And guess what? We’ll have samplers of different fruits to help us out! Isn’t that neat?

Students, take note! There’s a bit of homework this time as we’ll be covering pages 79 through 101 and 106 through 108 of the book. Probably the best way to get through this tough assignment is to sit down with a glass of – you guessed it – your favorite wine.

Also – and this is important – class will take place on October 25 this month because there’s a fundraiser at the Club on October 18 (which all of you should try to attend). Class will start about 7:00 p.m. followed by dinner as usual.

See you on October 25!

Suzy Marquard

Spicin’ It Up at Montauk Club Wine Class

2007-07-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

It was a hot and spicy time at our July 19 wine class! Too bad many of our regulars weren’t able to make it. We found notes of lychee and sweet cloves in a 2004 Fahn Gewurztraminer Appellation Alsace Controlee and allspice in a 2005 Hook & Ladder Gewurztraminer from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County. True to form, the 2005 Domaine Barou Syrah from Cotes du Rhones hit us over the head with black pepper, while the 2004 Joseph River Estate Shiraz from Western Australia showed some black pepper as well as cumin and maybe some other sweet spices. And to add to the enjoyment, Chef Kyle prepared a host of spicy treats for dinner. By the time we lightened things up with the floral scents of the 2004 Borgo Reale Moscato D’Asti for dessert (only 5.5% alcohol, a good indication of sweet, sweet, sweet), I must say, we were having a little trouble pronouncing gewürztraminer! And since we didn’t have our full complement of tasters, we decided we would need to do this tasting again. This time, I really will plan to bring samples of spices to use for comparison.

So for the September 20 class, we’ll again concentrate on the rest of Chapter 3 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s Great Wines Made Simple (pages 64 through 78) and taste for spice and floral. I’ll also bring photos of the winery in La Rioja, with a Frank Gehry designed hotel attached to it, that Jim and I visited in Spain. On that tour, as well as tours of two other wine museums, we learned a lot about the concepts discussed on pages 71 through 78. So we’ll be able to discuss those things as well. You may need to bring your dictionaries though, because we took all the tours in Spanish.

We’ll get started with the tasting at about 7:00 p.m. or as soon as the usual crowd arrives. We all usually stay for dinner and have a little more wine, of course.

It's never too late to join the fun (and we do have fun, especially after tasting and retasting four wines!). Classes are $10 per person per class – a real bargain considering the amount of wine you get to drink.

Hope to see you on September 20!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class: Splendorous Butter in the Grass

2007-06-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, our May [June] 21 wine class was all about butter and grass. What the #!%% does that have to do with wine you ask? Well we actually tasted those flavors in the four wines we tried. We had a non-buttery 2005 Beaujolais Blanc, Appellation Beaujolais Controlee from France and buttery 2005 Reaction Chardonnay from the U.S. Well guess which one took the taste prize. Mmmm, butter!!! And I might note that the Reaction had a 14% alcohol content compared to 12% for the Beaujolais. Remember last month’s lesson? Then we had the grassy wines: a 2006 Bogle Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc from California and a 2005 Barons de Rothschild Bordeaux (also a sauvignon blanc), both of which demonstrated the taste we were looking for. Think fresh mown lawn, fresh herbs – audacious herbaceous. In the end, though, butter ruled. Well, duh!

It’s getting exciting now that we’re learning about these specific flavors. The next class, scheduled for July19, will focus on something near and dear to my heart – spice!! We’ll taste an American gewurtztraminer and an Alsation gewurtztraminer on the white side and an old world and new world syrah (aka shiraz Down Under) on the red side. We’ll make it especially fun by having a number of actual spices available to make comparisons. And then, if that’s not enough, we’ll take a look at floral tastes for dessert with some moscato d’asti. Oh, my beating heart! For this month’s class, our last until September, we’ll concentrate on the rest of Chapter 3 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s Great Wines Made Simple (pages 64 through 78). Don’t forget, we have a copy of the book on loan at the Club Bar if you don’t have a copy of your own. It’s informative and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

We’ll get started with the tasting at about 7:00 p.m. We all usually stay for dinner and have a little more wine, of course. And don’t forget, there will be the special dessert tasting afterwards.

It's never too late to join the fun (and we do have fun, especially after tasting and retasting four wines!). Classes are $10 per person per class – a real bargain considering the amount of wine you may try.

Hope to see you on July 19!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Learns What a Little Alcohol Can Do

2007-05-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

There’s a rule of thumb that more alcohol contributes to a fuller body. Well, as a living example of that maxim, I could have told you that without demonstrating it with a wine tasting, but then, what fun would that have been? At our class on May 17, we explored body types again with a 2006 Rauen Riesling Spatlese (German with 8% alcohol) and a Gentil “Hugel” Alsace Riesling (12.5% alcohol) for our two white selections and a 2003 Chateau Tour Puyblanquet Saint Emilion (a merlot-based Bordeaux with 12.5% alcohol) and a 2005 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Merlot (California with 13.5% alcohol) for our red selections. Wow, could we see and taste the difference in the two Rieslings! The German Riesling was much more delicate in smell and taste and lighter in color and weight. The Alsatian was darker and fuller, with stockier legs and a much bolder flavor. You could almost feel the higher alcohol content from the smell. In our blind tasting of the reds, we had difficulty trying to guess which was which because they were so much closer together in alcohol content.[*]

Our next class will take place on June 21 – late this month because June started on a Friday. So remember, it’s the Thursday after the book club meets, not the night before. In our samplings then, we’ll taste for butter and grassiness. Before you let that scare you, be sure to read at least up to page 63 in Chapter Three of the book, Great Wines Made Simple by Andrea Immer Robinson, concentrating on the tasting notes on pages 61 and 63. To learn about buttery characteristics, we’ll try a French white Burgundy and a chardonnay from the “New World”. For grassiness we’ll taste a French sauvignon blanc and a “New World” sauvignon blanc. Don’t forget, we have a copy of the book on loan at the Club Bar if you don’t have a copy of your own. It’s informative and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

We’ll get started with the tasting at about 7:00 p.m. We all usually stay for dinner and have a little more wine, of course.

It's never too late to join the fun (and we do have fun, especially after tasting and retasting four wines!). Classes are $10 per person per class – a real bargain considering the amount of wine you may try.

Hope to see you on June 21!

Suzy Marquard

[*] By contrast, the other night I was served a pinot noir with filet mignon. Now pinot noir is generally thought to be the lightest bodied of the big four red grapes and therefore not likely to enhance, or be enhanced by, a big red meat. But this one had 13.9% alcohol content and was much closer to a cabernet sauvignon or even a syrah without the spice and held up wonderfully. What a little alcohol can do!

Oak, Silk and Velvet at Montauk Club Wine Class?!

2007-04-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

We had another good turnout at the fourth gathering in the monthly series of wine classes at the Club on Thursday, April 19. To start off, we discovered that, while the word oaky does not appear in spell-check, it definitely appears in smell-check and taste-check. We learned this by comparing a 2004 Les Caillottes Pouilly Fume from the Loire Valley (not oaky) with a 2004 Beringer Chardonnay from Napa. The Beringer definitely was kicked up a notch in taste and smell, being fruitier with a hint of vanilla. From there we entered the world of texture by comparing wines with less and more tannins. For this comparison we tried a 2005 Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir from Carneros (less tannin) and a 2004 J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles. The pinot noir definitely felt silky on the tongue while the cabernet felt more like velvet and tended to make our tongues feel dryer. Nevertheless, the cabernet was the big hit of the evening.

At our May 17 class, we’ll do a reprieve of tasting for body, but this time we’ll taste two whites and two reds. For the whites we’ll pit a German Riesling against an Alsatian one, and for the reds we’ll see how a merlot-based Bordeaux stands up to a California merlot. To prepare for the next class, please be sure to read at least up to page 59 in Chapter Three of the book, Great Wines Made Simple by Andrea Immer Robinson, concentrating on the tasting notes on pages 54 and 55. Don’t forget, we have a copy on loan at the Club Bar if you don’t have a copy of your own. It’s informative and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

We’ll get started with the tasting at about 7:00 p.m. We all usually stay for dinner and have a little more wine, of course.

It's never too late to join the fun (and we do have fun, especially after tasting and retasting four wines!). Classes are $10 per person per class – a real bargain considering the amount of wine you may try.

Hope to see you on May 17!

Suzy Marquard

The Humor Was Crisp and Dry at the Montauk Club Wine Class!

2007-03-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

We had a great turnout at the third gathering in the monthly series of wine classes at the Club on Thursday, March 15. Crisp and dry humor abounded as we learned about the difference between sweet and dry wines as well as crisp and not-so-crisp. To demonstrate these styles, we tried a 2005 Kendall-Jackson Riesling from Napa Valley (dry), a 2004 German late harvest Riesling called Twisted River (sweet, and the winner of the name contest so far), a 2005 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand (crisp) and a 2003 Kunde Estate Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma (less crisp). Once again, we could clearly taste the differences in styles.

At our April 19 class, we’ll taste for the major styles of oaky and tannic. So once again, we’ll taste four wines – a chardonnay from Burgundy (not oaky), a chardonnay from California or Australia (oaky), a pinot noir from California or Oregon (less tannic) and a California cabernet sauvignon (more tannic). As you know, the class follows the tasting course laid out in Andrea Immer Robinson's revised and updated edition of Great Wines Made Simple. To prepare for the next class, please be sure to read or reread Chapter Two of the book, concentrating on the tasting notes on pages 46 and 47. We have a copy on loan at the Club Bar if you don’t have a copy of your own. It’s informative and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

We’ll get started with the tasting at about 7:00 p.m. We all usually stay for dinner and have a little more wine, of course.

It's never too late to join the fun (and we do have fun, especially after tasting and retasting four wines!). Classes are $10 per person per class – a real bargain considering the amount of wine you may try.

Hope to see you on April 19!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class Sees Red!

2007-02-22T12:38:00.000-08:00

Yes, at the second gathering in the monthly series of wine classes at the Club on Thursday, February 22, we all were seeing red. Red wine, that is. And tasting it too. As you know, the class follows the tasting course laid out in Andrea Immer Robinson's revised and updated edition of Great Wines Made Simple. At last Thursday's class, we tasted four of the three red wines that make up what Andrea calls the Big Six. I say four of the three because Andrea considers merlots and cabernet sauvignons to be in the same category. We tasted a 2004 Clos du Bois Pinot Noir from Sonoma, a 2003 Wente Merlot from Monterey, California, a 2003 Wente Cabernet Sauvignon from the San Francisco Valley and a 2002 Jacob's Creek Shiraz from Australia. These wines showed off perfectly the characteristics of light, medium and full bodied wines that we were learning about.

Over the next two months, we'll begin tasting for each of the four major styles – dry, crisp, oaky and tannic. We’ll start in March with dry and crisp, tasting two reislings and two sauvignon blancs to illustrate these styles. Then in April, we’ll look at oaky and tannic wines. To prepare for next month's class, please be sure to read Chapter Two of the book. We have a copy on loan at the Club Bar if you haven't been able to pick up a copy.

We are returning to our third Thursday schedule, so that means we’ll be meeting next on Thursday, March 15. We’ll get started about 7:00 p.m.

It's never too late to join the fun (and we do have fun, especially after tasting and retasting four wines!). What's really great is that you can stay for dinner and try your hand at pairing wines from our list with choices from the Grill Menu. Classes are $10 per person per class – a real bargain considering the amount of wine you may try.

Hope to see you on March 15!

Suzy Marquard

Montauk Club Wine Class off to Smashing Start!

2007-01-18T12:30:00.000-08:00

Well, actually no people or glasses got smashed, but, as they say, a good time was had by all. We held the first in the monthly series of wine classes at the Club on Thursday, January 18. The class follows the tasting course laid out in Andrea Immer Robinson's revised and updated edition of Great Wines Made Simple. At Thursday's class, we reviewed how to taste wine and then proceeded to taste the three white wines that make up what Andrea calls the Big Six. We tasted a Columbia Crest Riesling from Washington State, a Brancott Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and a Jacob's Creek Chardonnay from Australia. What a fun way to experience the basic differences among these grapes!

Next month, we'll finish off the Big Six by tasting three or four reds. "Four" you ask? Doesn't that make seven when added to the three whites? Well, Andrea puts merlots and cabernet sauvignons in the same category -- medium-bodied red wines -- and so counts them as one. Who's complaining, anyway? So we'll be tasting a pinot noir, a merlot and/or a cabernet sauvignon and a syrah (the french name), aka shiraz (the Aussie name). To prepare for next month's class, please be sure to read the Introduction and Chapter One of the book. We have a copy on loan at the Club Bar if you haven't been able to pick up a copy. Pay particular attention to pages 23 and 24 where Andrea includes her tasting notes on the reds. If you're itching to learn about more taste descriptions, go ahead and read Chapter Two.

And one more thing -- although the third Thursday of February is the 15th, that date doesn't work well for those who attended January’s class. So we decided that February's class will take place on Thursday, February 22. After that, we'll return to the third Thursday schedule.

It's not too late to join in, by any means. And what's great is that you can stay for dinner and try your hand at pairing wines from our list with choices from the Grill Menu. Classes are $10 per person per class – a real bargain considering the amount of wine you may try.

Hope to see you on February 22!

Suzy Marquard