Talk-A-Vino

Summer is practically over, and the school is about to start, together with all the after-school activities and other busy things. Well, this is not the worst of the problems to have, isn’t it? Anyway, we should be talking about wines here, so let’s do that.

August is usually an interesting month with the wines, as August 31st is our wedding anniversary, which requires to kick it up a notch when possible. We didn’t drink anything insanely out of this world this past month, but there were quite a few of the very solid wines worth mentioning. As usual, this summary includes only 8- or higher rated wines – with some exceptions possible; many of the wines you see below were previously discussed in this blog, so this only serves as a summary post.

2007 Champagne Veuve Doussot Brut (12% ABV) – beautiful complexity of the vintage champagne – yeast, toasted bread, nice and elegant mid-palate weight, toasted bread on the palate. 8-

2011 Adega Pedralonga Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain (13% ABV, $22) – ocean air in your glass – a sea-driven pleasure, with lots of minerality and delicious complexity. 8+

2012 Buil & Giné Joan Giné Blanc, Priorat DOQ, Spain (14% ABV) – a Burgundy rivaling complexity and elegance, with touch more floral and white fruit notes. 8

2012 Villa Bellangelo Chardonnay Finger Lakes (13.8% ABV, $20) – Chablis-style, restrained, balanced, delicious. 8

2012 Villa Bellangelo 1866 Reserve Riesling Finger Lakes (11% ABV, $32) – excellent minerality and complexity, classic Riesling aromatics, lots of pleasure. 8/8+

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

2010 Marco Sambin Marcus Veneto IGT (14% ABV, Cabernet Sauvignon 45%, Merlot 40%, Cabernet Franc 10%, Syrah 5%) – delicious from start to finish. Multilayered, complex and bringing lots of pleasure. 9

2013 Wonderwall Pinot Noir Edna Valley (14.9% ABV) – a supercharged California Pinot Noir with fruit forward power balance. Exuberant wine. 8-

2011 Bodegas Caro ‘Amancaya’ Gran Reserva Malbec–Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza, Argentina (15% ABV, 70% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon) – playful, open, dark chocolate and mocha notes, dark fruit and big voluptuous body, all very balanced. 8

2010 Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rouge Les Restanques de Pibarnon, Bandol, France (14% ABV) – cherries and blackberries, firm structure, earthiness, noticeable acidity. Very pleasant overall and pairs great with steak. 8

2009 Gramercy Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley (14.2% ABV) –  Perfect Bordeax elegance coupled with unmistakably a New World flair. 8

2005 Neyers Vineyards AME Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (14.7% ABV)  – stunning elegance of red berries, acidity, tannins and firm structure. Delicious one sip after another. 9

2013 Newport Vineyards Landot Noir SENE AVA ($18) – barnyard on the nose, freshly crushed berries on the nose and palate, very unusual – and a new grape. 7+

2011 Robert Storey Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (14.4% ABV) – classic Cabernet profile, cassis, green bell pepper, eucalyptus, balancing acidity, medium to full body and firm tannins. 8-

2000 Primus Casablanca Valley Red Wine, Chile (14.1% ABV, 60% Carménère, 22% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon) – lots of pleasure which only aged wine can deliver. Very complex, rich, with great bouquet of herbs, spices, fresh eucalyptus, touch of cassis and earthiness, fresh. Had lots of life left in it.  8+

2008 Flam Merlot Reserve, Israel (14% ABV) – restrained and elegant. Dark fruit on the nose with a touch of espresso. Blackberries and touch of plumes with supple tannins and clean acidity on the palate, excellent balance. 8

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Somewhat unusual addition to the “month in wines” post – a short sabering video. I have done sabering (opening the bottle of the sparkling wine by hitting its top to create structural damage in the glass and to allow the internal pressure of the sparkling wine to break the top off – in a classic scenario, done with the sword) before, using the bottom of the Champagne glass. Then I had a number of fiascoes, breaking a few glasses and cutting myself. Then I was again inspired by the drunken cyclist sabering video, and while I didn’t attempt to use the golf club, I did it again (successfully) with the glass. Here is the video for you (the Champagne I’m opening is the one mentioned in this post, 2007 Veuve Doussot):

And we are done here. What were your wine highlights of the past month? What do you think of sabering – would you attempt it? Cheers!