Sunday, June 12, 2005
After being on the road as much as I have been the first half of the year, it’s fun to go into the cellar and play! The last few nights with the Ultimate WinePal in town, my fiancé, Helene Malabed and I got to pick some choice wines that we found together on our trip last Thanksgiving weekend to the Oregon Wine Country.
The 2002 EIEIO Cuvee I was a charming, big boned, old school style Pinot Noir. Lots of fruit, good whole berry flavors of black raspberry, black cherry and cough drop cherry, with a lingering finish. Even bigger was the 2002 Andrew Rich Reserve Pinot Noir. Rich, is one of my favorite underrated winemakers in the USA. He first learned his craft under the careful eye of Randall Graham, which explains the eclectic mix of wines that come from Rich’s part of the Carlton Wine Co-Op, where he and a few other talented winemakers work turning out dynamite, hand-crafted wines. The 2002 Pinot is outstanding. Those who grew up drinking wines from Oregon’s early days in the 80’s will appreciate the subtleties that Rich has been able to maintain in his Reserve release. Loaded with exotic cherry and berry flavors, and just enough Pinot spice, this is a Pinot that goes as well with beef as it would with duck or lamb.
On the Rose front the always tasty 2003 Mas De Gourgournier Coteaux d’Aix En Provence proved to be a refreshing way to start dinner with friends Friday Night @ the La Jolla Flemings. Newly minted Operating Partner David Trainer has picked up where former OP Cameron Lumsden left off. Trainer, who started out as a waiter at San Diego’s best steakhouse over the past five years has matured and runs the place with the same aplomb that Lumsden and Downtown Flemings OP Bob Andrews trained him to do. That said, the steaks continue to be the reason we all go to our home away from home. The Rose was crisp, with just enough strawberry flavor to be dangerous.
Last night Helene and I dropped into Arterra to sample some of Carl Schroeder’s newest ideas. As always the La Jolla resident is on the mark. Visiting Arterra’s kitchen was co-owner and chef extraordinaire Bradley Ogden. We opened a 1997 Domaine Leccia Patrimonio Petra Bianca from Corsica. Local wine importer Sean Fisher and his co-hort in wine Bernie both sampled it, as did Ogden, each lamenting that it was their first ever Corsican wine, and all saying just how good it was. Full bodied, but with a hint of Pinot character, the wine was layered with red currants, black and blue berries, hints of Provencal herbs, wild cranberry and a hit of tar for good measure. That and the 1998 Arnaldo-Caprai Montefalco Rosso were the two for the night. The Montefalco Rosso is largely Sagrentino, but I suspect has some Sangiovese in the blend. At age seven the wine has mellowed from the bruising monster it was upon release, yet it still maintains the wonderful earthy truffle and mushroom forest floor aromas, while being delightfully palate dancing light with black fruit, plums, cassis and a dollop of crème de cocoa.
The 2002 EIEIO Cuvee I was a charming, big boned, old school style Pinot Noir. Lots of fruit, good whole berry flavors of black raspberry, black cherry and cough drop cherry, with a lingering finish. Even bigger was the 2002 Andrew Rich Reserve Pinot Noir. Rich, is one of my favorite underrated winemakers in the USA. He first learned his craft under the careful eye of Randall Graham, which explains the eclectic mix of wines that come from Rich’s part of the Carlton Wine Co-Op, where he and a few other talented winemakers work turning out dynamite, hand-crafted wines. The 2002 Pinot is outstanding. Those who grew up drinking wines from Oregon’s early days in the 80’s will appreciate the subtleties that Rich has been able to maintain in his Reserve release. Loaded with exotic cherry and berry flavors, and just enough Pinot spice, this is a Pinot that goes as well with beef as it would with duck or lamb.
On the Rose front the always tasty 2003 Mas De Gourgournier Coteaux d’Aix En Provence proved to be a refreshing way to start dinner with friends Friday Night @ the La Jolla Flemings. Newly minted Operating Partner David Trainer has picked up where former OP Cameron Lumsden left off. Trainer, who started out as a waiter at San Diego’s best steakhouse over the past five years has matured and runs the place with the same aplomb that Lumsden and Downtown Flemings OP Bob Andrews trained him to do. That said, the steaks continue to be the reason we all go to our home away from home. The Rose was crisp, with just enough strawberry flavor to be dangerous.
Last night Helene and I dropped into Arterra to sample some of Carl Schroeder’s newest ideas. As always the La Jolla resident is on the mark. Visiting Arterra’s kitchen was co-owner and chef extraordinaire Bradley Ogden. We opened a 1997 Domaine Leccia Patrimonio Petra Bianca from Corsica. Local wine importer Sean Fisher and his co-hort in wine Bernie both sampled it, as did Ogden, each lamenting that it was their first ever Corsican wine, and all saying just how good it was. Full bodied, but with a hint of Pinot character, the wine was layered with red currants, black and blue berries, hints of Provencal herbs, wild cranberry and a hit of tar for good measure. That and the 1998 Arnaldo-Caprai Montefalco Rosso were the two for the night. The Montefalco Rosso is largely Sagrentino, but I suspect has some Sangiovese in the blend. At age seven the wine has mellowed from the bruising monster it was upon release, yet it still maintains the wonderful earthy truffle and mushroom forest floor aromas, while being delightfully palate dancing light with black fruit, plums, cassis and a dollop of crème de cocoa.
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