Hob Nob Wicked Red 2011

You may think that here on the CWT blog, I choose wines solely because I want to try/drink them. This is only partially true. I mean yeah, I have a say in what gets tasted, but I also consider other things when choosing a wine, like the time of year and what holidays/events are coming up. You want proof? This week I'm NOT reviewing a Spanish red. SO THERE. Instead, I'll tell you about a red blend from France that will be GREAT with your Superbowl party appetizers: Hob Nob Wicked Red!

I've had some of Hob Nob's other wines, and have been quite fond of them. Why, just last week I recommended their Pinot Noir to someone (yummy!). But I've never tried their blend before, and I was excited because, as a whole, I tend to really enjoy red blends (cue: Apothic, Menage a Trois, and Cupcake's Red Velvet).

This one has some serious color to it in the glass. It looks and smells intense, with a deep, mulchy, autumnal scent to it. This is true of the flavor as well. Unlike California blends, this one's not Zin based, so it doesn't have a whole lot of berry bursting on your tongue. Rather it's very earthy, with a warmth in the sip like pepper or cinnamon, without precisely having that flavor.This is a young wine that needs a bit to open, so let it air or give it a good swish in the glass before your drink. 

For the uninitiated, this is a chicken,
stuffed in a duck, stuffed in a turkey,
with stuffing. Boo-yeah!

The Hob Nob Wicked Red is wicked awesome (heehee) paired with salty foods like cheeses-- in fact, any apps would be a yummy addition (hence the recommendation to class up yer Superbowl party with a bottle). If you'd rather pair it with a meal, let me suggest steak, lamb or my Superbowl Sunday favorite: Turducken. Not even joking a little bit.

Price: $

My Rating: B

Capoccia Vineyards and Winery Noiret 2011

This picture is meant to show you
what a great local holiday gift a
bottle of Capoccia wine would be.

If you're like me and wanted to shop local for gifts this holiday season but haven't even started yet, here's a good tidbit for you-- this week's wine is a true local, and it's available (along with a couple of others from the same vineyard) at PWC.

Made in good ol' Nisky.

Capoccia Vineyards and Winery is located in Niskayuna, NY (which is just more than a stone's throw from my house...in fact I could probably even walk there without being knifed). There are so many reasons why I think this winery is cool. Firstly, it's the only one (that I know of) in Schenectady County. All grapes are either grown on site or shipped from growers in the Finger Lakes area. The family has been making wines for generations, so their dedication to quality is evident-- they are a chemical-free operation. Lastly, for a brand-spanking-new venture (they opened their doors this past July) their wines are quite good.

At PWC you can shop
AND drink local

For today's post I tried their Noiret, which is a pleasingly spicy red. You'll notice its deep red color and warm fragrance right away. I thought I detected a hint of chocolate when I inhaled, but I am still congested so maybe it's just me.

The sip is a little peppery, with some raisin and plum worked in there as well. The bottle says there is a mint aroma, and while I didn't necessarily detect the scent or flavor, my mouth felt oddly refreshed after I sipped*.

The folks at Capoccia Winery recommend that you serve the Noiret with beef, pasta or sharp cheeses. I agree that those all sound delicious. I had a glass with some chef-created ravioli in a light tomato sauce...

don't judge me.

Sorry to disappoint any of you who might have expected the culinary genius you usually find here on the Casual Wine Taster blog, but I'm a grad student and it's the end of the semester, so I don't have time to cook for a few weeks. Thank you, Mr. Boiardi.

*Seriously, if you come to PWC on Thursday for our free tasting, try taking a sip and then inhale deeply through your mouth. Totally wild!


Price: $

My Rating: B+

Altos del Plata Malbec 2011

Even though I haven't yet had my fill of turkey (or ham. Or pie. Or crab oobie doobies.), I'm glad to be moving away from the Pinot Grigio's and Sauvignon Blanc's of Thanksgiving meals and back into my favorite territory: the wonderful world of reds. Which by the way, are perfectly OK to drink with Thanksgiving meals; I just didn't.

and I would've gotten away with it
if it wasn't for you rotten kids!

So, on this lovely Tuesday I am sampling the 2011 Altos del Plata Malbec, a delightfully predictable offering for all you other Malbec fans out there. By the way, I think the word "predictable" takes a lot of crap from people. We roll our eyes when Grandpa tells us the same story for the umpteenth time. We cringe at stories with a "Scooby-Doo" ending. But there's something to be said for predictability. As far as wine goes, it's nice to know what you're getting before you even open the bottle.

The Altos del Plata Malbec delivers a reliable, strong, fruity flavor, with aromas of plum and blueberry (I think...my nose is pretty stuffed up today). The sip provides a powerful slap of jam, more than just-a-hint of vanilla and a bit of oak. I know, I know; I keep saying I don't like oak, but then telling you I like such-and-such wine and THAT'S oaked...I don't mind it when it's not overdone. And when I say strong fruity flavor, I mean it; elements of the sip hang around long after you've finished it. To summarize: the Altos del Plata is a Malbec. It tastes like a Malbec.

Also: let this one open up for a bit; give it 20-30 minutes after you pop the cork to aerate.

We're pretty much out of food in our house, so I'm not going to tell you what I ate with this wine. Suffice it to say that it involved American cheese, Stove Top stuffing and a chicken patty. The rest is up to your imagination, and I'm unfortunately unable to recommend pairing the Altos with whatever-it-is you can find in your kitchen. That being said, I think it will taste GREAT with the pork chops I plan to make for dinner.

That's all for this week; I'm trying to keep things short and sweet. Like me :o)

Price: $

My Rating: B+

Mt. Beautiful Pinot Gris 2011

Hooray!

I said it in my first post and I meant it: you CAN get really great wine with a screw top!

For the bottle-opener impaired, I bring you the Mt Beautiful Pinot Gris—a fantastic New Zealand white. Now, since all seven of you have committed my previous blog posts to memory, I don’t need to remind you that I’m a bit picky about white wines. I don’t, as a rule (or a guideline, I suppose), enjoy the drier ones. This wine is different.  It surprised me from start to finish.

I hope none of the anonymous people
in this photo are angry that I used it here...

First the smell: New Year’s Eve, before midnight. That is to say, the Mt Beautiful Pinot smelled like champagne. I also smelled the alcohol; to me, it brought back images of wiping the excess polish off of my hastily painted fingernails with a Sally-Hansen-covered Q-tip. A little nail polish remover never hurt anyone, right?

Thankfully, the Mt Beautiful doesn’t taste like nail polish remover, although the alcohol smell does translate into its flavor, and no wonder—it’s 14.5%.  If you’re strictly a wine drinker, you’ll notice right away; if you generally prefer liquor, this won’t be a quality that'll much impress you. However be aware that this one could pack a punch.

Drunk-texters beware!

Besides being able to easily taste the alcohol content, this wine dealt a few other surprises—depending on what I ate, the flavors changed. After a bite of salad with ranch dressing, it was smooth and fruit-salad flavored. Maybe that sounds generic, but I detected many fruits in there: apple, pear, peach, perhaps some grapefruit and pineapple. After a bite of lemon-pepper chicken it was like drinking an entirely different wine. Much spicier and a little bitter, much of the fruit flavors were no longer detectable. As fun as it was to try and guess what flavors would present themselves depending on what I ate, I eventually went back to my salad; it paired best with the wine.

Hands down the best part of drinking the Mt Beautiful Pinot Gris was how varied it was; besides the chameleon-like flavors, it reads on your tongue like an EKG—there’s a definite spike toward the middle of the sip, where the flavor hits hardest before fading again.

So kids, today’s takeaways for the Mt. Beautiful Pinot Gris:

Tastes like desert animals AND electrocardiograms

Avoid lemon pepper marinade

Screwcaps= YAY!!

Don’t forget you can try it yourself on Friday 7/6 at Personal Wine Cellar. See you there?

Price: $$

My Rating: B+

Drunken Text Picture Credit