Jorge Ordonez & Co. Bontani Moscatel Seco 2010

I've discovered a bit of a milestone today at CWT: I crossed the 1100 views threshold since starting this blog. Neat-o! It doesn't sound like much, but I am thrilled that more people than my husband and my mom are reading. So thanks!!

Anyway, to celebrate I decided to DRINK SOME WINE. Even though it's not super warm out I went with a light white that is perfect for "Haf Bach Mihangel" -- you know, when you get summer-like weather in the fall. In case you're wondering, "haf bach Mihangel" is the PC, less offensive, Welsh term for this phenomenon. But I digress.

Looks like water and tastes
like wine:
a great party trick.

With dinner I had a glass (okay, okay, two glasses) of Jorge Ordonez & Co. Botani Moscatel Seco. Boy is that a mouthful! You might think because of the grape varietal (Moscatel and Moscato are essentially the same grape, just grown in different places) that this would be a sweet wine. It's really not.

Sadly, my kitchen is not a
"super clean" one...

When poured into your glass you'll notice first off that it is very light in color. It ALMOST looks like a glass of water. But don't be fooled. Give it a whiff and you'll smell a refreshing, albeit misleading sweetness. It's also a clean smell-- crisp and citrus-y, like something you'd scrub your kitchen with. There's nothing like a super clean kitchen.

An interesting thing to note: the
cork has the vintage printed on
the top-- 2010.

The flavor was a bit difficult to nail down, as the Botani is the sort of wine that changes depending on what you're ingesting with it. It's all around acidic, with some mineral qualities and a cheek tweak at the end, courtesy of that citrus-y acid. For dinner we had seasoned pork chops and saffron rice, and while I ate I kept tasting butter in the sip. Without the saffron rice accompaniment I tasted grass, dry and tangy minerality. And might I recommend, stop drinking it by the time you get to eating your pumpkin pie. This wine does NOT go well with pumpkin pie.

The bottle suggests pairing the Botani Moscatel with seafood, sushi (aka seafood) or company. This wine would be great with a spider roll (flash-fried soft shell crab with spicy mayo). Yummy! But Reader, please, don't chow down on your dinner guests.

The Jorge Ordonez & Co. Botani Moscatel is best served cool, not cold. So throw a bottle in the fridge but be sure to give the temp a little time to come up before drinking.

Price: $$

My Rating: B

Maison Nicolas Chardonnay 2010

CWT sez: Oak is for deers, not people.

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before, but Chardonnay is not generally my white of choice because I'm not a fan of oak. Or rather, I'm not a fan of being slapped in the mouth by a Chardonnay that makes you feel like you're chewing on a tree.
However my opinion of Chardonnay has been challenged recently by my realization that not all Chards are oaked until they are a crusty brown in color and that is all you can taste. Since starting the CWT blog I have found not one, but two Chards that I actually really enjoy, and I'll have one of them open for you at PWC this Thursday: Maison Nicolas.

I like taking pictures of things
in front of my microwave.

What I like most about the Nicolas Chard shouldn't much surprise you: it's not oak-y. It's fermented in stainless steel vats, then aged six months in barrels. This process is evident when you look at the wine as well as when you taste it: It's light in color, though a bit less green than some whites that are aged in steel. And, there is only a small amount oak in the flavor-- in fact I'm not 100% sure it's even oak I'm tasting. It's a little like toast at first and then that hint is completely overwhelmed by refreshing citrus flavors. Both the scent and the flavor are light and refreshing as well as fleeting. This wine won't overload your senses, so it's great with a light meal.

That's right I said "with my lunch."
I have the day off, okay?

In fact, this wine was perfect for today because the weather is totally cooperating. It's cool and a little rainy. There's just that hint of fall in the air and while it's no longer hot out, it's not precisely cold either. It's REFRESHING outside! The Nicolas Chardonnay went very well with my lunch of a grilled chicken sandwich with Munster and BBQ sauce, Saratoga chips, and that light autumnal breeze drifting through my living room window...ahhh... I drank it slightly chilled, but it is definitely still good at room temperature, it will just lose some of its crispness. Which is no biggie.


Price: $

Rating: B+

Flipflop Left Coast Malbec 2010

Hooray!

Oh good, I was beginning to wonder when I was going to get to review a Malbec! In our house, Malbecs rule. If Ernie and I were Joanie, Malbec would be Chachi. On Iron Chef, Malbec’s cuisine would reign supreme. If we starred in the movie Sideways, Malbec would be our Pinot Noir... 


On second thought: we probably wouldn’t star in Sideways because Thomas Hayden Church's character is a jerk, Paul Giamatti's is a whiner, and we'd argue about who had to be the jerk and who had to be the whiner. Many a marriage has hit the rocks due to debates of this magnitude.

Anyway, in case you can’t tell, I’m really excited to be blogging about one of my favorite red varietals. My thoughts on Malbec in general: I love how bold it is. It's the kind of wine that takes a bouquet of fruit, backhands you with it and yells: "snap out of it!" Maybe your mouth smarts a bit after, but you're a better person for it.

This is a scrumcap, by the way...
yeah, it wasn't what I pictured either.

Yet another screwcap offering that Microsoft Word has hilariously suggested I change to “scrumcap,” the Flipflop Malbec may sound and appear a little like a “bargain bin" brand, but it’s really quite good.

The Flipflop Malbec looks, smells and tastes rich and earthy. The internet appears divided on whether Chilean or Argentinian Malbecs have more tannins, but I think Chilean Malbecs like the Flipflop tend to have less fruit and more earthy flavors compared to their Argentinian counterparts-- at least based on my dry mouth. However, don't think for a minute that there isn't depth to this wine; like many other Malbecs, the Flipflop is also plummy in color, scent AND flavor. The plum-ness is omnipresent, deep and juicy. It smells like a plum dust cloud, tastes like a plum-fisted handshake and finishes like smooth, warm, plum pudding. Also present: figs and dirt. Can't forget the dirt.

If you're skeptical about that last bit I assure you, in a wine, dirt is a nice flavor. It's not like sticking your tongue in a dried up mud puddle-- it's inhaling where a wine is from as the traces evaporate on your tongue; it's a neat way to connect with the wine's regional qualities.

Lip-smacking good, the Flipflop Malbec is a great tasting medium-dry red that's easy on the pocket. The bottle suggests you pair it with pork empanadas, and while that sounds delicious I didn't think of that while drinking it, nor do I know how to MAKE empanadas. A nice pork chop would do the trick. Maybe next time...

Price: $

My Rating: A

Jellybean Blueberry Pie Merlot 2010

Today's blog entry (complete with non-addressed technical difficulties) brought to you by Robitussin and the letter Weeeeeee!

my cell phone doesn't quite capture
the "dazzle" the way I'd hoped.

When sampling any wine for the first time, I generally try not to let what's written on the bottle dictate what I taste. While it isn't actually flavored with blueberries, the 2010 Jellybean Blueberry Pie Merlot really does seem to have some of the characteristics of fresh blueberry pie-- minus the flaky crust. It smells sweet and delicious-- and a lot like BLUEBERRIES-- but between the assault on my senses from the cold I have been fighting this week and the honey-lemon cough drops I've been sucking on like they're going out of style, I'm not 100% sure if the scents and flavors I'm detecting are really in there, or if in my current state of tastebud overload/exhaustion I am tasting what the label wants me to taste (does that even make sense? I don't know; I've been awake for 37 hours. I really need to go to bed). The Jellybean Blueberry Pie Merlot, another fine, screw-top offering, begs the question: which came first, the flavor or the name?


So now that we’ve established that the Jellybean Blueberry Pie Merlot (possibly) really does (maybe) smell and taste a bit like actual blueberry pie (I think), I should probably touch on its other notable qualities. It has a luxuriously deep ruby color, and in the right light (my living room ceiling fan does the trick) it’s quite dazzling. It appears bright and rich, and tastes that way too. Juicy, dark and dare I say invigorating fruit flavors abound with each sip—intense cherry, ripe plum and of course the ever-present tartness of blueberries. There’s also a hint of vanilla, but that’s more of a legume, so I’m leaving it off my list of fruit flavors (I’m definitely starting to  exhibit the effects of being overtired).

A fairly uncomplicated wine, the aroma starts out bold and then recedes quickly, making the Jellybean Merlot an excellent go-to sipper. If I had to place a wager I’d say this newcomer* has a promising future ahead of it. And since I can no longer feel my tongue, that’s all I’ve got for you today!

Remember these? Gross.

Price: $

My Rating: B

*Seriously, the website is "coming soon."

Arca Nova Loureiro 2010

It was hotter than heck in my house when I got home from antiquing this afternoon, and I couldn’t wait to dive in to my chilled-to-perfection bottle of Arca Nova Loureiro. I've never tried a Portuguese wine before, and I was intrigued by the “Vinho Verde” on the label. I supposed maybe that it referred to the color; it’s a very light yellow with a hint of green to it—but through careful research (google), I discovered that Vinho Verde wines originated in the Minho province of Portugal, and basically it means “new” wine. This one’s a 2010, and a good example of the style.

Besides the unique color, the first thing you’ll notice is the fantastic smell. It’s very clean (I want to scrub my bathtub with it), light and orchardy (sure, that’s a word). When I closed my eyes I pictured myself walking on crushed apples and blossoms, the aromas wafting up from underfoot.

I can totally taste
Caesar's headgear in there...

At first sip the Loureiro is tingly on the tongue; it’s not precisely fizzy or carbonated, but it makes your tongue feel alive. It’s crisp, light and surprisingly not as dry as I imagined it would be. 

I’m having a really hard time picking out specific flavors to describe it though. The bottle says there are “aromas of laurel, linden and acacia.” That makes sense, ‘cause I have no idea what any of those things taste like and I had to look up what linden and acacia are. My interpretation: the Loureiro has a light herbal and/or floral flavor, like if you made a wine from a cup of herbal tea.

The Loureiro starts out strong and finishes slow. It’s bright and it lingers, taking a while for the aroma to leave your mouth after you sip, so go ahead and savor it. I had it with cold pizza and it’s not a combination I’d recommend. I wound up putting it down and drinking more once I’d finished eating. It's flavorful enough to enjoy on its own, but it would also be a great addition to a chicken dish, shellfish, or cream-based pasta dish. Enjoy!

Price: $

My Rating: B+

My antique finds: Guides from 1911 and 1953 for talking
to your children about "the birds and the bees".
I think Freud would have a field day
with the design on the right...

Sassy Bitch Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Don't judge.

Sometimes (or if you’re like me, all-of-the-times) drinking wine is about having fun.  So if you’re drinking a wine called Sassy Bitch, merriment is bound to ensue.

I had a glass or three of Sassy Bitch Sauvignon Blanc (from here on out to be referred to as “Sassy Sauv” because I am too lazy to keep typing that all out) over the weekend at a last-minute barbeque at our house. The weather was nice, the company was lively, and the burgers were juicy. A few cold glasses were all I needed to top off a lovely evening.

Generally speaking, I’m not a huge Sauvignon Blanc fan.  I tend to like my whites sugary— and while Sauvignon Blancs differ greatly depending on the region where the grapes were grown (the Sassy is Chilean), none are particularly known for their sweetness.

That fact aside, the Sassy Sauv does have a lot to offer. If you give it a whiff before you dive in, you’ll smell spring-time, light and lovely. There’s grass and a hint of flowers in the aroma. It’s very light in color, as are most Sauvs. If you’ve chilled it sufficiently it will feel delightful on your tongue; cool followed by a bit tingly. Then it hits the back of the palate with that acidic tweak that often accompanies dry wines (you know, in that spot right under the hinge of your jaw. It happens to me sometimes when I drink wine. And OJ). The tingly-tweak is followed up with a nice citrus-peel quality; perhaps grapefruit zest is what I’m going for here. It’s simple and refreshing; a wine meant to accompany, not dominate.

The Sassy Sauv is a straightforward wine that is best enjoyed with a meal. I had garlic and herb grilled chicken, a cheeseburger, and pasta salad—probably not an ideal grouping, but I’ll drink any varietal with just about any meal. However for best flavor, I’d recommend this served chilled with a light, flaky fish—baked, broiled, sautéed, Long John Silvers, whatever. Now I’m hungry again.

Price: $

My Rating: B